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“I MIGHT NEED TO SEE A PSYCHIATRIST AND STUFF BECAUSE I CANNOT KEEP MYSELF OUT OF THE BOWLING ALLEY.”
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INSIDE FEATURES Sally Seltmann
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BRISBANE’S PREMIER ENTERTAINMENT AND FUNCTION VENUE
MARCH WED 12TH AND THURS 13TH
PAM ANN FRIDAY 14TH
SUICIDE GIRLS SAT 15TH AND SUN 16TH
WOGBOYS THURSDAY 20TH
BILLY BRAGG SUNDAY 23RD
KEVIN BRIDGES FRIDAY 28TH
SOLD OU T
SUNNYBOYS APRIL THURSDAY 3RD
THE FRATELLIS SAT 5TH AND SUN 6TH
KATE MILLER-HEIDKE LD AND TUES 8TH MON SO 7TH OU T
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STEVE EARLE & KASEY CHAMBERS WEDNESDAY 16TH
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THIS WEEK THINGS TO DO THIS WEEK • 5 MARCH - 11 MARCH 2014
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With performances happening until 16 Mar (excluding Monday), you have plenty of opportunities to check out The Mountaintop at the Playhouse, QPAC. Penned by Memphis playwright Katori Hall, the play, which centres on Dr Martin Luther King Jr’s last night alive, is a moving look back at one of the great men of history. A sell out in London and NYC, you don’t want to miss this unforgettable show – QPAC website for tickets.
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BRISBANE
Oh staying healthy – how else do you think we tear it up until all hours at gigs around town? For the last couple of months the Brisbane City Council has been running free fitness in the park programs, providing the perfect opportunity to get professional training in the beautiful surrounds of the City Botanic Gardens. Open to all ages and skill levels with no pre-registration required, the last class happens on Monday from 5.30pm. Meet at the Alice Street entrance and get involved.
The use of Instagram doesn’t have to centre around pics of boobs, clothes, meals and cats in humorous situations. We here at The Music, being the culture vultures we are, believe that Instagram can be so much more, which is why we’ve booted up our own account. Expect to see snaps, posts, news and a bunch more from the office and from festivals and gigs, 24 hours day (with some time off for naps). TheMusicComAu is the place to be.
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national news news@themusic.com.au FRENTE
DZ DEATHRAYS
SMELL A RAT FRIENDS AND STRANGERS
To coincide with the deluxe reissue the 21st anniversary of Frente’s Marvin The Album, the band is hitting up venues around the country to perform the album in its entirety, as well as some old gems. Catch them at the Arts Centre, Melbourne, 22 & 23 May; Theatre Royal, Castlemaine, 24 May; The Basement, Sydney, 30 & 31 May; Astor Theatre, Perth, 7 Jun; and Powerhouse Theatre, Brisbane, 28 Jun.
KNOCK ME OUT
The ever-suave Justin Timberlake will return to our shores in September for the first time in six years. Part of The 20/20 Experience World Tour, JT’s bringing his pipes and hips to Etihad Stadium, Melbourne, 18 Sep; Adelaide Entertainment Centre, 22 Sep; Brisbane Entertainment Centre, 26 Sep; Allphones Arena, Sydney, 1 Oct; and Perth Arena, 8 Oct.
A NU MAN
Gary Numan released his 20th album, titled Splinter, at the end of last year. His 20th album. That’s two times ten. Moving on, the guy who has influenced everyone from Trent Reznor to Prince to Bowie to Afrika Bambaataa is heading our way in May. He’ll be performing highlights from Splinter as well as material from his extensive (as previously noted) back catalogue at the following shows: Astor Theatre, Perth, 25 May; The Tivoli, Brisbane, 28 May; The Hi-Fi, Melbourne, 30 May; Metro Theatre, Sydney, 31 May.
FEEL THE THUNDA
Just months after the release of their feelgood single Smiles Don’t Lie, a successful subsequent tour and run of festival appearances, Sydney hip hop trio Thundamentals are back on the road again, this time in celebration of their third album, So We Can Remember, which drops on 2 May. To satiate fans ‘til then, they’ve dropped another single, Something I Said (featuring Thom Crawford). Thundamentals will launch their album in between their appearances in the Groovin The Moo festivals, stopping by the Corner Hotel, Melbourne, 2 May; Flyrite, Perth, 8 May; Mojos, Fremantle, 9 May; The Zoo, Brisbane, 16 May; and Metro Theatre, Sydney, 24 May.
HOT DUB PARTY
Human jukebox DJ Tom Loud, aka Hot Dub Time Machine, is bringing his retro music trip to audiences around the country. Taking punters on an audiovisual journey through musical history from 1954 to today, Hot Dub Time Machine will perform at a secret show, Sydney, 16 Mar; Chalk Hotel, Brisbane, 22 Mar; Metropolis, Fremantle, 4 April; Capitol, Perth, 5 Apr; Northcote Social Club, Melbourne, 11 Apr; Metro Theatre, Sydney, 19 Apr; Karova, Ballarat, 24 Apr; Beach Hotel, Byron Bay, 3 May; Argyle House, Newcastle, 10 May.
THE SPIRIT IS ALIVE
Celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2014, Australia’s multi-award-winning dance theatre company Bangarra Dance Theatre presents Patyegarang, about the inspirational journey of a potent Indigenous spirit alive in Australia’s past and present. The historically important new work tells the story of a young Aboriginal woman, who in the late 18th century befriended a colonial fleet Lieutenant, William Dawes, and gave her language to him as a gift and symbol of trust. The season runs between: 13 Jun – 5 Jul, Sydney Opera House; 17 – 19 Jul, Canberra Theatre; 30 Jul – 2 Aug, State Theatre Centre, Perth; 15 – 23 Aug, QPAC; 28 Aug – 6 Sep, Arts Centre, Melbourne.
“CAN U 3D PRINT DOG TREATS” HOPEFULLY SOMEDAY SOON, BRYAN LEE O’MALLEY [@RADIOMARU]. 10 • THE MUSIC • 5TH MARCH 2014
DZ Deathrays are taking their face-melting live show around the nation again, this time in support of their second LP, Black Rat. To be able to fully translate the sounds and textures on this new recording in a live setting, the duo will enlist a third surprise musician to join them on stage at the following shows and more: 8 May, Elsewhere, Gold Coast; 9 May The Zoo, Brisbane; 15 May, Karova Lounge, Ballarat; 16 May, Corner Hotel, Melbourne; 24 May, Amplifier, Perth; 25 May Newport Hotel, Fremantle; 29 May, Transit Bar, Canberra; 31 May, Oxford Art Factory, Sydney. See The Guide for the full list of dates. Proudly presented by The Music.
ON THE STEREO
Stereosonic 2014 dates have now been announced, and it will return as a two-day festival after the success of last year’s twoday expansion. Stereosonic will be held on 29 & 30 Nov in Sydney and Perth; and 6 & 7 Dec in Melbourne and Brisbane. The 2014 line-up will be announced in July. Early bird tickets go on sale from 13 Mar.
MAKING SHAPES
Chart-topper, ‘milk-maid’ and regular GI Jane Katy Perry has just announced a world tour in support of her 2013 album Prism. Perry will be Roaring about how she’s one of the California Gurls and that being a Dark Horse is an undeniable Part Of Me. Or something along those lines, we hope. Katy Perry performs at Perth Arena on 7 Nov; Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, 14 & 15 Nov; Allphones Arena, Sydney, 21 & 22 Nov; and Brisbane Entertainment Centre, 27 Nov.
LUMP OF COLE
Lloyd Cole has visited our shores many a time in both band and solo mode. This year, he’s embarking on his most extensive Australian tour yet, taking his upcoming Standards album to cities and regional areas in solo mode. See Cole do his thing on the following dates: 18 & 19 Jun, The Basement, Sydney; 20 Jun, Lizotte’s, Newcastle; 24 Jun, Fly By Night, Fremantle; 26 Jun, Caravan Music Club, Melbourne; 27 Jun, Thornbury Theatre, Melbourne; 28 Jun, Theatre Royal, Castlemaine; 29 Jun, Flying Saucer Club, Elsternwick (afternoon show); 8 Jul, Street Theatre, Canberra; 10 Jul, Powerhouse Theatre, Brisbane; 11 Jul, Soundlounge, Gold Coast.
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JONSON STREET BYRON BAY FRI 7 MAR DEAD BEAT BAND, MIDNIGHT RAMBLERS, JESSE PUMPHREY SAT 8 MAR KRAKEN RUM PRESENTS NIGHT OF THE SALTY SEADOGS WITH ELEGANT SHIVA, TROPICAL ZOMBIE, SKEGGS, CHESTA HYDRON, DJ CHRIS BRADLEY THURS 13 MAR JON CLEARY & THE ABSOLUTE MONSTER GENTLEMEN 14 & 15 MAR THE SUNNYBOYS FRI 21 MAR BILLY BRAGG, COURTNEY BARNETT SAT 22 MAR THE NEW HIGH SUN 23 MAR SHAPESHIFTER (NZ) FRI 28 MAR IN – CYDE SAT 29 MAR THE DARK HAWKS, BLACK PALMS SUN 30 MAR DUB FX & OPIUO
TICKETS AVAILABLE ONLINE THE MUSIC • 5TH MARCH 2014 • 11
local news qld.news@themusic.com.au YACHT CLUB DJS
MEAT PUPPETS
A BIT MEATY YACHT TO TROT
Mash-up maestros Yacht Club DJs’ latest mixtape installment Oddity Number 5 will hit the interwebs soon, a free download brimming with Yacht Club’s repertoire spanning ‘60s blues, ‘90s pop, Disney soundtracks, thrash metal and everything in between. They’re celebrating with a tour, stopping by Elsewhere, Gold Coast, 11 Apr and Oh Hello!, 12 Apr.
ANGEL OF DEATH
Morbid Angel are bringing their dark and daring brand of death metal to town to play the hugely popular 1993 album Covenant in its entirety. The show will also feature some classics in an undoubtedly powerful set. Check them out at The Hi-Fi, 22 Apr.
SOFT LANDING
Homegrown shoegazers Roku Music are hitting the road to launch their debut Collider, out 3 March. Check the four-piece out at Tym Guitars, 8 Mar; The Time Machine, Nambour, 16 Mar; Tatts Hotel, Lismore, 20 Mar; The Hi-Fi, 2 Apr supporting Kylesa; and The Underdog, 19 Apr.
HOME BREWED
BALLET DON
GOT THE GIGGLES
ART HARVEST
At Byron Bay Brewery on Saturday, Brisbane six-piece Kingfisha, reggae royalty Mista Savona and the talented solo Jordan Rakei will be playing a huge show. It’s a headline slot for our very own Kingfisha, who’ve been making waves on community radio across the country with the second single from the self-titled debut, Piece Of The Puzzle. Catch them while they’re still affordable.
Well you will have once you head along to Laugh Your Pants Off at Jupiters Casino, GC, 22 Mar, featuring a host of international comedy stars and local favourites, including The Umbilical Brothers, Eddie Ifft, Kevin Bridges, Jeff Green, Jimmy McGhie, The Kransky Sisters, Melinda Buttle and Kat Davidson.
BOW DOWN AND WORSHIP
Brisbane will be the first city to witness new psych hopes Temples, with the British band kicking off their east coast tour at The Zoo, 8 May. The British quartet have earned the praise of legends like Noel Gallagher and Johnny Marr, and behind their widescope debut record Sun Structures they’ve even earned album of the week status from the national broadcaster. Deep Sea Arcade support, with tickets through Oztix for $42.
ILUKA
Don Quixote, first performed in Moscow’s Bolshoi Theatre in 1869, will be performed in Australia by the Imperial Russian Ballet at the QPAC Concert Hall, 4 & 5 Apr, and Arts Centre, Gold Coast on 11 & 12 Apr. The production will tour regional venues before, after and in between these weekends before heading across the country through late April and May.
GoMA will feature an exhibition and film program entitled Harvest, 28 Jun – 21 Sep. It explores food’s function as a subject for contemporary art. The relationship between food and art and social, political and aesthetic concerns will be taken up in the exhibition, which includes more than 100 works such as Mika Rottenberg’s video installation Mary’s Cherries and Xu Chen’s ShangART Supermarket, a fully stocked convenience store in the gallery space.
“COUSCOUS IS THE BLIND MAN’S ALPHABET SOUP” IRONICALLY, @MEGANAMRAM IS SPEAKING TO US WITH THIS. 12 • THE MUSIC • 5TH MARCH 2014
Following a couple of shows down south, legendary Arizona rockers Meat Puppets hit The Zoo, 30 May, just so us northerners don’t have to miss out on their first Australian live shows in over 20 years. They’ll be bringing their acclaimed album Rat Farm on tour with them, as well as playing classics from their revered back catalogue.
YOUNG & RESTLESS
Sydney singer-songwriter Iluka is set to head off on an east coast tour in support of her debut single, 12th Of July. It’s a soulpop track from a talented songwriter, which isn’t surprising considering she won the Commercial Radio Association’s First Break comp in 2012. She’ll be at Dowse Bar, 1 May; and The Loft, Gold Coast, 2 May.
FIRST DATE
Young Franco, the 19-year-old Brisbane producer/DJ is hitting Bowler Bar, but not on 15 Mar, as previously announced. He’ll be dropping beats on 22 Mar instead, including his new track Brooklyn.
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local news qld.news@themusic.com.au MATT CORBY
MEGAN WASHINGTON
TOTAL WASH OUT
Megan Washington is playing an intimate show at The Rev, 3 Apr in support of her new single Who Are You. It’s been two years since we’ve seen a new studio recording from her, but she’s been tucked away in London working hard on new material – enjoy the first taste.
NOT RYAN
Supporting Vance Joy on tour through May is, no not Ryan Gosling (those abs...), but Melbourne songstress Gossling. After playing SXSW later this month, she’ll be heading along on all Joy’s tour dates, bringing her debut Harvest Of Gold and a special pressing of the title track on 7” gold vinyl with her. The vinyl, with the B-side Never Expire (Oliver Tank Remix) will only be available at her upcoming Australian shows. They hit The Hi-Fi, 6 May.
MORE BLUES TO SMILE ABOUT
Still giving us more, Bluesfest have an eighth line-up announcement to set down in your precious little hands. Here’s the latest announcement: Matt Corby, pictured, Tim Rogers, Kim Churchill, Skunkhour, Saskwatch, Dubmarine, Watussi, Tijuana Cartel, Lime Cordiale, and Playing For Change, and there’s still more acts to be announced. The 25th Bluesfest takes place at Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm, Byron Bay, 17 – 21 Apr.
PRINCE CASPIAN
Post-rockers Caspian, with latest album Waking Season in hand, are heading out on their first-ever Australian tour. Their supports are Sydney’s Meniscus and Hope Drone. After playing shows across Europe in Australia in support of their latest album War Of Currents, Meniscus are reading to bring their cinematic instrumentals back home for this opportunity. Proudly presented by The Music.
“HEAR ME OUT: GUINEA PUGS”
JUST IMAGINE THE GUSHING TUMBLR PAGES @DOREESHAFRIR.
STONEFIELD
FIELD FUN
Armed with latest single Love You Deserve, Stonefield have announced a bombardment of dates across the country. With special guests Lurch & Chief, they’re bringing their riffy, hard-rocking act to a venue near you, including Oh Hello!, Brisbane, 24 Apr; Beach Hotel, Byron Bay, 25 Apr; and One Way Street Party (Surfers Paradise Festival), 26 Apr. Proudly presented by The Music.
LOONEY TUNES
Loon Lake are showing off their infectious indie-pop on a national Good Times! tour with support from Jeremy Neale and Rolls Bayce. Join the fun at The Zoo on 5 Apr – proudly presented by The Music. 14 • THE MUSIC • 5TH MARCH 2014
KEEP ON ROLLIN’
DEUTSCH FILMS
A SHAUN THING
OFF BROADWAY
The Angels are set to embark on a national tour to celebrate 40 years of being one of Australia’s most loved rock bands. They’re also releasing a greatest hits set across two volumes, one for studio releases, and a second chockers with three discs of live recordings. Their anniversary tour hits both country towns and the big city; catch the greats at Caloundra RSL, 20 Jun; QLD Lions Club, 8 Aug; and North Leagues & Services Club, 9 Aug.
Shaun Kirk is hitting the road with his solo rock and blues sound to tour forthcoming album Steer The Wheel. Catch him playing his most plugged-in and experimental songs to date at The Brewery, Byron Bay, 10 Apr; The Loft, Gold Coast, 11 Apr; Joe’s Waterhole, Eumundi, 12 Apr; and The Joynt, 23 Apr.
LIFE AND DEATH
US death metal and grindcore exports Origin, A Million Dead Birds Laughing and Eternal Rest, are gracing our shores in May. Origin will release their sixth album later this year and have just welcomed new singer Jason Keyser to the fold. Catch all three bands at The Tempo Hotel, 11 May.
The 13th annual Audi Festival Of German Films takes place through March and April. Festival Director Dr Arpad Sölter and an international jury of movie experts have chosen the 50 films that will be screened, including award-winning and critically lauded feature-length films, short films and docos meant to exemplify German culture and cinema. The screenings will be over one week at Palace Centro, 28 Mar – 3 Apr.
Musical theatre superstar Elaine Page is touring the east coast with a series of special shows featuring hits from some of her roles on Broadway and West End, including Evita, Cats and Grease. Catch her in an intimate recital performance at the QLD Conservatorium of Music, 3 Dec.
BASS INSTINCT
Bass and trap producer Jackal is embarking on his biggest tour yet, after making serious waves amongst the likes of Diplo and Skrillex. You can catch the young gun at The Factory, Sunshine Coast, 20 Mar; and Oh Hello!, 21 Mar.
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LISA HUNT APRIL
YACHT CLUB DJS THE MUSIC • 5TH MARCH 2014 • 15
music
From an indie-rock four-piece to her acclaimed New Buffalo material into her self-named work and various collaborations, Sally Seltmann remains somewhat a musical chameleon, Samson McDougall discovers. Photos (cover & opposite page) Kane Hibberd. ou always follow through with your dangerous pursuits/With open arms I always say to you/I say I want you to feel like a man/I need you to feel like a man,” sings Sally Seltmann in her new track Billy – the lead number on her latest album Hey Daydreamer. The video features a glamorous-yethousebound woman (Seltmann) in various stages of
“Y
to put on my own albums are songs that I am really feeling and relating to at the time,” she says. “I just felt like all of those sorts of songs were just coming out of me. I’d come straight off doing all the touring and stuff with Seeker Lover Keeper and I was feeling like I’d been working so much and I was really exhausted and I felt like my album Heart That’s Pounding felt kinda like my big pop album. I kinda just thought I wanted to make an album that was more like stressing all of the different things that we should feel... I just sat down at the piano and the songs just came out. So it was like, ‘Well, this is the body
at the time to play under a different name,” she says of the decision to steer clear of using her own name at the time. “I was kind of naming the music, and I just felt more comfortable doing that back then.” In 2007 the New Buffalo album Somewhere, Anywhere was nominated for the ARIA for Best Adult Contemporary Album and earned Seltmann the first of two Australian Music Prize nominations. 2010’s Heart That’s Pounding saw the beginning of the Sally Seltmann-titled material (interestingly Seltmann’s her married name, but you’ve got to admit it has a pretty nice ring to it), and it scored the songwriter her second AMP finals spot. Throughout her life as a musician, and under her various guises, Seltmann has played a large hand in the production of her recorded music. As with her approach to songwriting, Seltmann relates that it’s a practice born out of pragmatism rather than any deeper design. Being in control of the production, she says, simply allows her to carve the songs as she envisages them. “The main reason why I kind of got into [production] was ‘cause Darren [of The Avalanches fame], my husband, really encouraged me to record and produce my first New Buffalo album [The Last Beautiful Day] by myself... I kind of was a bit afraid to do it at first, but
“YOU ALWAYS LEARN SOMETHING FROM ANYONE YOU EVER WORK WITH, EVEN IF YOU LEARN THAT YOU KNOW YOU NEVER WANT TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT AGAIN, YOU’LL ALWAYS COME AWAY WITH SOMETHING.”
dress, meandering through the rooms of a large house (in Sydney suburb Bankstown, no less), lamenting a love lost. It’s a creepy kind of series of scenes; there are even weird fairies (also Seltmanns) dancing in the garden – it’s more than just a wee bit Lynchian Gothic.
of work that I have’. That felt like a good way for me to work – sort of like not really overthinking everything.”
“I just wanted to have a song where I was being like a character, so I’m this woman who’s singing about Billy,” says Seltmann of the single. “I wanted the song... It’s kind of basically talking about relationships and how much freedom to give your partner in order to keep your relationship alive. She gives her partner Billy freedom to be dangerous, ‘cause that’s what he desires, but that kills him. But at least she loved him so much that she gave him that freedom. So that’s kind of the whole story behind the song.”
Listening to Seltmann’s music now, it’s odd to think that her early musical output came in the form of a four-piece rock outfit called Lustre 4 (“like a two girls and two guys guitary kind of punk band with harmonies”). She formed the group with friend Lara Meyerratken, with whom she shared the writing duties, and they played the Sydney bar circuit before Seltmann moved to Melbourne. It was in Melbourne that she started playing and recording under the moniker New Buffalo. “I thought that it suited me more
As a taste of the new record, Billy sets the scene. On Hey Daydreamer Seltmann has set out to “create a collection of songs that express the full spectrum of human emotion” – no mean feat, one would think, and not your average method for constructing a pop record. It’s an approach that most would shrink from; it’s overwhelming in its scope. But Seltmann says the ‘concept’ of the album stemmed more from the songs as they amassed themselves, rather than any grandiose design. “Usually the way I work for my own albums is that it’s all just emotion and, I don’t know, the songs that I want 16 • THE MUSIC • 5TH MARCH 2014
after I did it and spent all the hours learning how to use Pro Tools and everything it just felt really empowering to be able to program tracks and record everything on my own... You can have ideas going around in your head and you can actually lay the ideas down on your own, so it makes you feel independent and strong.” There are elements of Hey Daydreamer that reveal an ever so slightly harder edge to Seltmann’s craft. The cover artwork itself is suggestive of an introspective experience – Seltmann stands among an acid-tinged landscape, tangled brush behind her and a path running off into the bush. The cover dares the listener to indulge in something bold; it entices investigation. Seltmann says she knew the artwork had to be very Australian in look – a kind of sly wink at her recent move to LA. “I kind of call it ‘psychedelic Australiana’ – the look of the cover,” she laughs. The album bio describes the song I Will Not Wear Your Wedding Ring as “a dark fairytale for grown-ups”, occupying the gloomier end of the human emotional spectrum. “I felt like I have no kind of tough songs,” Seltmann laughs, by way of explanation. “I just wanted to write a song that was a bit darker and a bit tougher... I really like how we got it sounding really primal – how percussive it is – it’s got that kind of feel to it.” On Hey Daydreamer, Seltmann shared production duties with Darren, something they hadn’t done before (though
DREAM ALBUMS It was July 2013 when Sally Seltmann settled on the name Hey Daydreamer for her latest album but she had to keep it under her hat in January this year. “That’s the frustrating thing about making music, I guess,” she says. “There’s a lot of time when you can’t tell people anything... [But] it makes it exciting.” The concept of daydreaming fits nicely with the subject matter – the expression of the full spectrum of human emotions – on the album, and as a titular choice it finds itself in some notable, if varied, company. For many readers of The Music it’d be Sonic Youth’s 1988 LP Daydream Nation that springs to mind when conjuring albums whose titles hinge on the act of daytime contemplation. The album was the band’s last minor label release before signing to Geffen to release Goo in 1990. Interestingly enough, Daydream Nation was the band’s choice of go-to album for their Don’t Look Back tours in 2008 (yeah, it was the 20th anniversary of the thing, but of all the Sonic Youth albums to play start-to-finish it was a bold move).
in 2001 Darren produced the first New Buffalo EP About Last Night in a solo capacity). “That was him being fully in control of all of the production whereas this one we kind of shared that role so it felt new and made the whole experience seem really kind of personal, which felt like it really suited the songs,” she says of the approach. It makes sense, given the depth and personal nature of the material, that she’d not be bringing too many outsiders in to the process. And what better person to turn to than your musically accomplished husband for the role. “[Hey Daydreamer] felt good; all of his ideas that he had for it I just really loved, so it felt
really great working together and I really love all of the things he brought to the songs,” she says. Of late, Seltmann has been no stranger to musical collaborations of the songwriting sort. A co-writer of Feist’s Grammy-nominated hit 1234, and member of acclaimed ‘supergroup’ Seeker Lover Keeper (alongside noted songwriters Sarah Blasko and Holly Throsby), Seltmann says she finds inspiration in working with other writers. And although she has remained an independent force in her solo stuff, the act of collaboration is something she immensely enjoys. “Both of those [collaborations] were natural and felt easy to do,” she says of working with Blasko and Throsby, as well as Feist. “I just think that, y’know, writing songs for a while and recording your own music it just feels natural to me to branch out and try other things so that’s kind of the path I’ve taken... You always learn something from anyone you ever work with, even if you learn that you know you never want to do something like that again, you’ll always come away with something. [It’s] very important for creative people to constantly be having sparks that go off in their brain that makes them think things and then create something with those thoughts.”
Daydream (1995) by Mariah Carey is obviously a very different kettle of fish than either of the above but it would be remiss not to mention it here. Naturally, it charted incredibly well (six weeks at number one in the US is pretty decent) and had a bunch of number one singles to boot. Possibly the most (only?) surprising thing about the record was that despite its six Grammy noms at the 1996 ceremony, and the thing’s massive chart successes, she failed to pick up a gong. The album Daydreaming (1987) by Morris Day possesses perhaps the most garishly incredible artwork of all time. Morris, in a pimp suit, stands open-armed as he soaks in a private jet, which I’m surprised he was allowed anywhere near, parked on a tarmac next to a Cadillac he’s obviously borrowed from some other bloke named ‘MORRIS’ (as the numberplate suggests) and a yellow bathing-suited honey languishes on the concrete. Aspiring rappers take note: this is how it’s done. Sadly, despite the great cover and the clever-ish play on his own name in the title, if he was looking for a hit record he was clearly (day)dreaming.
WHAT: Hey Daydreamer (Caroline) WHEN & WHERE: 10 Apr, Black Bear Lodge THE MUSIC • 5TH MARCH 2014 • 17
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STONE AGE ROMEO Choosing not to concern himself with “a menagerie of dumbarsery”, Queens Of The Stone Age frontman Josh Homme isn’t afraid to walk away from assholes mid-convo, loves a good pun and wells up when he listens to Roy Orbison, as Bryget Chrisfield discovers.
Y
ou’d be hard pressed to read a feature surrounding Queens Of The Stone Age’s sixth studio album … Like Clockwork without there being some mention of the almost-exactly six years between releases for the band. Let’s not forget that frontman Josh Homme is in Eagles Of Death Metal and Them Crooked Vultures – the supergroup trio rounded out by bassist John Paul Jones and drummer Dave Grohl. On how it felt to look across the stage and see JPJ during TCV shows, Homme enlightens, “I was just always like, ‘Thank god he’s good lookin’.’ If he was an ugly-ass troll I’d be like, ‘Oh, Jesus!’ I’d die, you know?” When a fantasy, tripleheader line-up of QOTSA, Them Crooked Vultures and Eagles Of Death Metal is suggested, Homme points out: “I would never leave the stage and I’d be a midget by the end of the show, I’d sweat so much.” When it comes to musical collaborations, Homme shares, “I think it’s okay to pass on a certain potential collaboration if the situation isn’t right, because I’d rather work with someone when the timing’s right, and the situation’s right, than try to forcibly work with someone just to work with them. I’m not a massage therapist. I don’t have to rub somebody.” He’s proved to be quite the remixer and if you haven’t yet heard Homme’s remix of Mickey Mouse And The Goodbye Man by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, do so sharpish. “There’s something wrong with those guys,” Homme says with affection. “I recorded, like, 20 clocks [for the remix] because there’s a lot of clocks at the house. But it’s funny, though – I don’t ever know what the fuck time it is.” Recording 20 clocks! Is Homme winding me up (pardon the pun)? “Um, no, and I did it in a timely fashion.” (Badum tish.) Homme also factored co-producing Arctic Monkeys’ third studio album Humbug into his QOTSA ‘downtime’. Does The Ginger Elvis find that producing other bands makes him critique the modus operandi of his own, Queens Of The Stone Age specifically? “No, because this band operates from watching how other bands worked for years before,” he considers. “Like, we don’t have passive aggressive bullshit and [everyone] says what’s on their mind and it makes it so much easier… I’ve been around so many musical relationships where I’m like, ‘Why don’t you just fuckin’ say what you mean?’... We have an expression that’s: ‘This is where most bands stop.’ We acknowledge this’d probably be where most bands would stop and that’s where we put in the detailed work and the little quirks to try to make it different.” …Like Clockwork is an exceptional body of work and also the first Queens Of The Stone Age album to top the charts in the States. With six albums to draw from when putting together their setlists,
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Homme says QOTSA needed to tap into a particular “headspace” when rehearsing material from their self-titled debut album (1998). “Everything was so on purpose and meticulous on that first record and it sounds really good when it’s played that way,” he stresses. “The white man’s groove is to play stiff, and when everyone plays stiff it gets groovy.” The frontman believes it’s important for listeners to be able to find their own meanings within song lyrics. “Early on, in order to not crush someone else’s interpretation of my own music – someone asked me what the lyrics meant... So I said to this person, ‘It doesn’t matter,’ which immediately [he] took as that our songs don’t mean anything. But, I mean, I probably should’ve guessed that he would do that: this guy wasn’t gonna do my math homework, you know what I mean? The point is that, um, they really do mean something and if someone really pressed me and really wanted to know, and we were alone, I’d be happy to say something… [The lyrics] mean the world to me, that’s why I don’t wanna just spill my guts all over you. Like, in the most respectful way,” he laughs. And Homme doesn’t downplay the songwriter’s privilege of being able to
process feelings through song. “I dunno what I would do without music,” he admits. “I feel really blessed that I’ve never had to have an alternative. I started playing young and that’s just how I dealt with my own feelings and I mean, I reckon if you put everything of yourself into a record you can actually become a better person from doing one. And that’s more important than, like, a ‘kick out the hits’ for me, you know?” So what of those unlucky souls who don’t have a creative outlet? “They make war, they fuck shit up, they ruin things because they’re not as productive,” Homme replies without hesitation. When Homme articulates his experiences as a music listener, his passion is palpable. “I love that song – it’s called Sleepwalk [Santo & Johnny], it’s an instrumental and it’s so dreamy and far beyond me, and I listen to that and I’m like, ‘Fuck, if I can just touch that for ten seconds’. Good music is like trying to hold beach sand; it just slips outta your fingers. You only get a couple of seconds with it before you’re doomed to chase it again. That’s what makes it great; it’s never over, that chase, you know?”
“THE WHITE MAN’S GROOVE IS TO PLAY STIFF, AND WHEN EVERYONE PLAYS STIFF IT GETS GROOVY.” Being able to hear different nuances with every listen is something that Homme defines as “the benchmark of something really great… something that’s so goddamn good that hearing what it really is is just too much to bear. I listen to Roy Orbison sometimes and I’m just like…” The tears well up? “Oh, fuck. Are you kidding me? Yeah. You know, I’ve been listening to tonnes of Dean Martin lately and there’s a couple of songs where I’m just like, ‘Oh, god! Fuck! It’s so good!’” You wouldn’t catch Homme listening to a song and trying to channel the energy from it while he’s recording, however. “There’s a menagerie of dumbarsery there and that’s why it’s important not to concern yourself with bullshit like that… At some point, you realise that you shouldn’t spend time on anything you don’t like.” When it’s suggested that there’s also not enough time to put up with people you don’t like, Homme agrees: “Oh, fuck yeah! It’s comforting to be around someone I know I don’t like, because I know I won’t be around them long. I say, ‘You know how you can keep an arsehole in suspense?’ And then I walk away and I don’t say any more.” WHEN & WHERE: 17 Mar, Brisbane Entertainment Centre
AN IRISHMAN IN AUSTRALIA
song that can save a few lives I s’pose you need to put it on the best of,� he says with a cheerless chuckle.
Damien Dempsey reflects upon the highlights of his career as Tyler McLoughlan comes to understand why he’s referred to as the voice of a generation.
D
amien Dempsey is as Irish as they come; he has become a hero of the working class over six albums and 15 years. Last month he celebrated with the release of It’s All Good – The Best Of Damien Dempsey.
â€?We went about the best of like it was a gig, like we were writing a setlist. We just put on the songs that we felt meant most to people, the ones that really move people, but it was hard‌â€? says Dempsey. “There’s a song called Colony that’s an antiracism song and I think that’s important; racism causes so much pain and war and suffering in this world. Another song was about two of my friends who took their own lives, because lots of people have come to me and said that song actually saved their life. So when you can write a
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For many down-and-out Dubliners circa 2009, Dempsey’s lyrics scattered randomly on the city’s walls by graffiti artist Maser brought hope as unemployment rates soared. His positivity has drawn the respect of fans and some of Ireland’s finest songwriters alike, a point that makes him feel proud as he reflects on his career to date. “There was a great band called The Dubliners, and one of the guys was dyin’ – Ronnie Drew, the singer. They brought him into the main late night TV show in Ireland, and we got a song [The Ballad Of Ronnie Drew] from myself, U2, Sinead O’Connor, Shane McGowan from The Pogues and The Corrs. I just looked across the stage at one time and saw all these famous Irish people and I was there singin’ the words with them‌â€? he says with disbelief. Even though O’Connor features on the compilation’s title track and he counts her as a close friend, it still blows Dempsey away that someone of her calibre is interested in what he’s doing. “I’ve never seen a singer like her. I toured Australia with Sinead and America and Europe and I’ve never seen a singer like her; to be able to hit you in the heart and send a shiver up your spine, it’s otherworldly, just otherworldly. She’s sang on a lot of my albums you know, so that’s a great moment for me as well to have a huge idol of mine think my stuff was good enough that she would sing on my albums.â€? WHAT: It’s All Good – The Best Of Damien Dempsey (ABC/Universal) WHEN & WHERE: 13 Mar, Mick O’Malley’s
with
Fri 21 Mar Sat 22 Mar Thu 27 Mar Fri 28 Mar Sat 29 Mar
The Zoo BRISBANE Miami Shark Bar GOLD COAST ANU Bar CaNBERRa Cambridge Hotel NEWCASTLE Manning Bar SYDNEY
Sat 5 Apr Fri 11 Apr Sat 19 Apr Sun 20 Apr
MELBOURNE Pier Live Frankston The Gov ADELAIDE Rosemount Hotel PERTH Players Bar Mandurah
Tickets available from TwelveFootNinja.com THE MUSIC • 5TH MARCH 2014 • 19
I said to myself, ‘Wow, Quincy Jones is just now gettin’ into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame after all of these years, but yet Public Enemy are gettin’ in with Quincy Jones?’… It was our fans and our friends and the power of God that put us inside the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, so I’m grateful.” Something else that Flav is grateful for is being given the opportunity to meet and bask in the late, great Nelson Mandela’s presence. “This was not long after he got out [of prison] and there was a rally going on on 125th Street in New York City,” he remembers, “and I got the honour to be able to stand next to Nelson Mandela as he was delivering his speech. And not only that but that picture ended up inside of the encyclopaedias, inside the almanac – all o’ that.” That’s gotta be a lifetime highlight. “Yes it was, definitely, and not only that but then years ago when we toured South Africa and I went to Robben Island and I went in Mandela’s cell – and when I came back, that topped it off for your boy right there… I’m proud to say that I was able to meet him and shake his hand and give him a hug.”
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CLOCK REDUCTION Public Enemy hypeman Flavor Flav has a new addiction: bowling. Bryget Chrisfield also discovers he’s downsized his clock.
“H
ey, well Happy Valentine’s Day on the early tip for me and Happy Valentine’s Day to you because it’s happening right now.” What could possibly be better than spending Val’s Day morning chatting with ‘The Blackchelor’, romantic lead in three seasons of reality TV dating game show, Flavor Of Love ie Public Enemy’s very own hypeman, Flavor Flav!? How does he plan on spending Valentine’s Day? “The only special plan that I have is to spend this Valentine’s Day at home with my fiancée.” So Flav is still with Liz Trujillo, one of his baby mamas (there are three – he has seven kids, but wants ten) who he proposed to on the Flavor Of Love Season 3 reunion show. What a surprise for the show’s winner – christened “Thing 2” by Flav! Trujillo also broke up Flavor Flav’s relationship with the Season 2 Flavor Of Love winner, who was branded “Deelishis” by Flav. Flav and Trujillo have since appeared on Season 3 of Couples Therapy. Flav currently resides in Las Vegas with his fiancée and their seven-year-old son Karma. His other six kids – Shaniq, Dazyna, Quanah, William, Jasmine and Kayla – live in New York. When asked what it’s like living in Sin City, Flav responds, “I like to gamble and everything, you know what I’m sayin’? And there’s a bunch of casinos here… But then also I became a junkie at the bowling alley. I can’t help it. I might have to go to the doctor, man. I might need to see a psychiatrist and stuff because I cannot keep myself out of the bowling alley.” Cue image of Flav mastering the art of bowling while wearing that trademark ginormous clock around his neck. “It don’t get in the way because I have a smaller one around my neck right now,” he stresses. “You know the larger one that I always wore? That’s inside of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. I retired it, and when we got inducted on April 18th in 2013 I gave the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame that clock… The 20 • THE MUSIC • 5TH MARCH 2014
only time that I ever do take my clock and swing it around to the back is when I’m shooting pool, because that’s when it gets in the way [laughs], you know what I’m sayin’?” Has Flav ever been knocked out by his clock onstage? “Have you ever seen me get knocked out by my clock?” Flav sounds annoyed. “I don’t think the average person’s neck can take what my neck can take, but my neck’s pretty used to it since 1987. Right now I could probably tow a car with my neck.” This scribe encourages him to take up the challenge. “I’m still a little too light to fight and too thin to win, man,” he rap-speaks. “I gotta gain me some weight first, hahaha.” Considering Flav remembers the exact date his band was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, he probably has more to say about that day: “Let me tell you somethin’, I sat in the audience and
On how many traffic convictions Flav currently has hanging over his head, the hypeman says, “Now, none. I had a lot goin’ on before, but I went to New York and me and my lawyer cleared ‘em all up… When I did get those convictions I was young and I was restless at the time, but those are waaay over – over 12 and 13 years ago and everything – and I’ve grown up a lot since then. I’ve settled down a lot since then, you know what I’m sayin’? I became more of
“I’M STILL A LITTLE TOO LIGHT TO FIGHT AND TOO THIN TO WIN, MAN.”
a family man now instead of a person that comes home, feeds the kids, give ‘em a kiss, make sure they got what they need and then go hang out. But no matter how much of hanging out that I always done, I’ve always been a good father to my children and I’ve always made sure that they had everything that they needed no matter what – [whether] I was with their mothers or not, you know? And that’s a message that I wanna send out to a lotta men that break up with their girlfriends and don’t wanna take care of [their] child. Any man that don’t take care of his child: it’s bad luck, you know what I’m sayin’? For real.” When the conferencing centre interrupts to give us the rap-up, Flav enquires, “Hey are you as tall as my friend, Brigitte [Nielsen]?” Unfortunately there is not enough time left to go into the relationship Flav shared with the six-foot Danish model/actress/stunner (and ex-wife of Sylvester Stallone) during filming of The Surreal Life and the resulting spin-off that focused solely around the pair, which was aptly titled Strange Love.
WHEN & WHERE: 7 Mar, The Hi-Fi
THE SOUND OF WANDERLUST
of my life and my relationship with my grandfather. And then there’s the title track, Scattered Reflections, which talks about a travel experience. The lyrics are pretty eclectic.
Whilst in transit, Lior pulls up on the side of the road to regale Justine Keating with some details about his upcoming album.
A
t a young age, Lior Attard was bitten by the travel bug. At this same point, Attard discovered a passion for music. He’s been lucky – he’s been able to live a life dedicated to both.
This March, Lior releases his fourth album, Scattered Reflections. The album is the accumulative product of his travels. “I do find that travelling is a great inspiration for songwriting,” Lior admits. “It doesn’t always happen actually when you’re there, but I find that it fills your mind with images and experiences that you can use in later years and draw and reflect upon. “Not many of the songs are place-specific. You know, there’s a song called My Grandfather, which really details the story
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“About half of the album was co-written with a good friend and really talented guitarist/ musician, Cameron Deyell, and he was living in India at the time, so I went and spent a week with him in Delhi, which was pretty full on. We did a couple of days of writing in an amazing converted 14th century fort in a place in the Rajasthan desert. There’s a song called A Lift In The Morning Fog – I can remember sitting on the balcony there looking at it in the Rajasthan desert and feeling pretty transported and that song just came out.” Scattered Reflections was made possible by crowdfunding. “I just really liked the way that the website was set up and the fact that it lets you do more than just ask to people to prebuy the album, it gave you a way to offer other things and communicate with your audience. “It fits my whole philosophy that we’re now in a time where, really, it is about community with music... The day of the big record company being the gatekeeper to making an album is fast drawing to a close. It’s something I felt good about, so I thought I’d give it a go.” WHAT: Scattered Reflections (MGM) WHEN & WHERE: 6 Mar, Old Museum
THE MUSIC • 5TH MARCH 2014 • 21
music
SECOND NATURE Husky are taking their new sounds from the hills to the forest. Husky Gawenda speaks with Benny Doyle about the great outdoors and the difficult art of tying up loose ends.
“T
here are so many festivals these days – some of them really work and some of them don’t seem to work as well. But I don’t think there are any rules, like, some of the bigger festivals are great and some of them just don’t feel so great to me, but in an environment of so many festivals it’s awesome to have something like this that’s just so different to all the others, and the boutique, intimate, small crowd, beautiful forest setting, all those things are just perfect for that.” Husky Gawenda is quick to sing praise for A Festival Called Panama, the newest outdoor musical experience on the Aussie festival calendar, one which has sidestepped the standard locations of racecourses and football stadiums for something a little more real. His namesake band Husky are just one of the choice acts that will be plugging in beneath the canopy of Lone Star Valley – a pure part of the country situated in Tasmania’s green north-east reaches – for a capped crowd of 1000. The Melbourne group are eager to soak up the natural beauty, chilled atmosphere and enjoy a few choice small-batch ciders, brewed directly on-site. “It just sounds like an awesome, really unique festival and we were in from the beginning,” Gawenda beams. “That’s exactly the sort of environment where I feel our music comes across really well – it will be conducive to people being open to music and excited by music, and with a small crowd like that with a festival like this, it will be the sort of environment where people in the audience, the punters, will be looking out for each other and feel like they’re in it together. I just imagine it will be a really nice vibe.” After introducing a few new songs to audiences while supporting City & Colour last year, Husky will be using their slot at A Festival Called Panama to showcase their forthcoming second record, which they’ve been crafting in Christmas Hills, Victoria, in addition to sporadic studio sessions in Melbourne and Sydney with producer Wayne Connolly. “But even though we’re recording in different places [though] there are a lot of constants like the instruments that we play, our voices, all those things,” Gawenda clarifies. “We’re not worried about cohesion or anything
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like that, and it’s kinda good to have different environments to work in and be inspired by, to have slightly different moods.”
and also the way we recorded them to a certain extent,” Gawenda ponders. “I don’t know if it’s so conscious but somewhere in your mind you’ve got that consideration, and I don’t think that’s a bad thing because the record [and the stage], I think they need to go together, and it’s a beautiful thing when you find that right balance.”
Even with these varied backdrops though, fans of the folk group will be happy to know that the frontman is digging into his soul once more
In terms of writing their new album, however, it hasn’t been that much of a different process for Husky. Gawenda says the release is a progression, yes, but he’s not sure how to describe it. When a band is immersed in a record, a lot of times it’s hard for the individuals involved to see thing from the outside in and talk
“IT’S KINDA GOOD TO HAVE DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENTS TO WORK IN AND BE INSPIRED BY, TO HAVE SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT MOODS.” with this new music. Like Forever So, these are intimate songs from a personal place, with Gawenda letting his life stories drift through the air gracefully and with ease. However, they come stage-ready as well, because after touring that debut album right around the world the band have learned what it’s like to live with a record and let it a be a part of them.
objectively. But as long as they can push through the final stages of the album, “which some say is the hardest”, he laughs, we look set to share the rewards together soon.
“I think that influenced the way I wrote the songs
A Festival Called Panama, Tasmania
“Finishing off anything is difficult,” the frontman levels. “When you’re doing the first 80 per cent you know in the back of your mind what you’re doing is not final, you’ve always got a chance to change or improve something. But that last [bit] when you’re really finishing it off and you know it’s final, that can be a little bit difficult. And we’re slightly bad decision-makers in the first place – we think things through a little too much and we’re probably all perfectionists – so it’s tough to finish things off. But we did it then and we’ll do it this time too, I hope.” WHEN & WHERE: 8 Mar,
LIVING THE MAKE BELIEVE It’s been a massive couple of years for Annie Clark and she simply won’t sit still. On the eve of the release of her self-titled fourth album, the lady chats to a gushing Ben Preece about all things St. Vincent.
S
t. Vincent has been moving at breakneck speed recently, releasing and touring her third album, Strange Mercy, in 2011, before leaping into a project called Love This Giant with none other than David Byrne. In this time, the world really started to catch on to what can only be described as the genius-like traits of Annie Clark. Her new self-titled record again has appeared very quickly and here she is, sounding even
more assured, confident and inspired than ever. “It’s a bit of blur for me,” she confesses. “The creative process is more mysterious to me now that it’s ever been. I used to talk about it with this false authority like I knew everything. I was out on tour for a year-anda-half between Strange Mercy and then right into Love This Giant, but I hadn’t had any time to properly sit down and write anything. But I had collected a whole bunch of ideas; I would wake up in the middle of the night singing a melody and begrudgingly
get up and put it into my iPhone so I wouldn’t lose it. You live your life and you have stories and you have things you want to say, so I got back after Love This Giant – the first leg of that tour – and I thought I was going to take some time off and just readjust. But I realised that the best way to simplify where I had been was to start writing and just write my way through it. It was a great way to do it because I didn’t feel any pressure; I don’t think anyone was expecting a record from me so soon. I just approached the record with a whole lot of confidence and abandon.”
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Clark says that with St. Vincent, she “wanted to make a party record for a funeral” and there isn’t a better way to sum it up overall – the album spills over with hooks and grooves but not by scarifying the substance. “I wanted to make something that people wanted to dance to that was very groove orientated, but I also wanted to make sure that it had heart and all that. And with a sly hint of a festival appearance later this year, Clark admits to being in a good place, somewhere she fancies as a truly unique way of living. “We live in a world that, for a lot of people, the world of ‘living your dream’ is not on the table. There are lots and lots of talented people with a similar work ethic who don’t get to do what they love and make a living out of it. It’s a very rare thing – I get to make believe all the time and make a living out of it. But also I can connect with people doing that – that’s the best thing. All the other stuff, the traditional trappings of fame and the like, I am sure that’s fine because, let’s face it, who doesn’t like a free drink once in a while, but that’s very low on the list of things that really matter.” WHAT: St. Vincent (Republic/Caroline)
THE MUSIC • 5TH MARCH 2014 • 23
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LIVING ON THE EDGE In the last year Frenzal Rhomb’s Jay Whalley has danced with death, had one of his trademark dreads removed and escaped civil riots in Thailand. He tells Carley Hall how taking the band back on the road is the safest thing to do these days.
W
ith most of those dreads still firmly knotted in place and that charming yet wry wit graciously intact, there’s little that seems to have changed for Jay Whalley since the inception of ‘90s punk four-piece Frenzal Rhomb. At least, that’s before you look at some of the situations Whalley has found himself in over the past year. Firstly, a close shave, literally, with death. The lofty vegan picked up an extra souvenir on a trip to South America, one he didn’t expect, and one which only presented itself after some odd symptoms, as in a seizure, were finally diagnosed. “The tapeworm! I was dead for seven months! That’s the longest anyone’s ever been dead, and then not dead,” he surmises dryly. “It was a heavy time, in all seriousness. It was recently the anniversary, on Valentine’s Day, of the removal of a pig parasite from my brain. It was romantic.” Considering how bad things could have been when doctors began using words like “tumour” and “cancer”, a tapeworm was oddly a good outcome. But one of the saddest things from the whole ordeal for Jay was losing one of his trademark dreads. “One of them had to go, one of the worst offenders, and upon seeing it, it really should’ve gone a few years before,” he reasons. “It was put into one of those yellow biohazard bags and probably taken out to the middle of the desert to be buried.” The incident, as well as a recent one in which he found himself in the middle of Bangkok’s civil unrest while on holiday – “It was actually a pretty exciting time to be there but I wasn’t entirely sure who to root for. It was a mystery deal and the mystery was that the hotel was right next to all the sandbags and the truck tyres” – made him walk away with renewed vigour for life, albeit with the same at-ease grace in which he approaches his musical projects. “I think taking things for granted seems to be part of the human condition,” he contemplates. “I do slap myself from time to time and say, ‘Come on man, you’ve dodged the bullet here’. I think the last thing the neurosurgeon
said was, ‘Resume normal life’, so part of that is getting onstage and swearing at people.” Now, Whalley has found time away from his other band Chinese Burns Unit, and with no wish to join Lindsay ‘The Doctor’ McDougall on the triple j airwaves again, Frenzal Rhomb are getting ready
of the record and probably shouldn’t be touring at all. But it is so gosh darn fun. And they’re a very nice bunch of fellas at the end of the day.” The album they should be writing will be their ninth, following on from 2011’s lauded Smoko At The Pet Food Factory. With Whalley’s aforementioned setbacks a delay was to be expected, but on top of the band living and breathing very separate lives, Whalley admits hesitation at a timeframe for when the new Frenzal album may drop. “Slowly but surely,” he says. “We have quite a high cull rate, so we will write a lot of songs and then put them in the bin. There’s a lot of rubbish, but we’re getting there I think. We started demoing about three years ago – no it can’t be that long – let’s say two years, and if everything goes right we should have the new record out by 2023. ” Fans can at least look forward to perhaps hearing a couple of new tracks alongside old Frenzal favourites like Never Had So Much Fun and You Are Not My Friend when the band drops into town. While most visitors are keen to soak up the sun, Whalley’s fascination with our fair state is more a morbid curiosity.
“I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO HALF OUR CROWD BEING ARRESTED – IT SHOULD’VE BEEN DONE A LONG TIME AGO.” to embark on a bunch of shows, somewhat older but with the same potential for mischief and a manly fondness of each other. “It’s even more fun [these days] as we don’t get to do it as much as we used to, especially at the moment because we’re right into the writing phase
“I don’t think we’ve been to Queensland since it became illegal to have a tattoo,” he muses. “We know for a fact that Campbell Newman is a massive Frenzal Rhomb fan. I’m expecting him to be there, just to monitor proceedings. I’m looking forward to half our crowd being arrested – it should’ve been done a long time ago really, but at least this time it will be amongst lots of friends.” WHEN & WHERE: 7 Mar, Coolangatta Hotel, Gold Coast; 8 Mar, The Hi-Fi
AGING GRACEFULLY Almost a year on from its completion, the new EP from Elizabeth Rose has finally landed. Benny Doyle discovers that time don’t change a thing. Cover inset pic by Josh Groom.
F
resh from signing a global publishing deal with Universal Music, Elizabeth Rose is more than keen to branch out as a artist, eager to continue refining a sound which has quickly made her one of the most progressive young songwriters in Australia. Having already supported the likes of Chairlift and Chvrches, the 23-year-old Sydneysider is excited about connecting with more overseas artists: “At some point in my career I want to work with Disclosure,” she says. But before that she’ll be bringing her dazzling new five-track
to life around the country, a release that stands as a natural extension of first single The Good Life, one of the most played tracks on triple j in 2013. “I’ve had this EP ready since June last year but we held it back, built it up with the single and I’m really glad that we did that,” she smiles. “I’m a very impatient person sometimes, but it’s worked out for the better.” Still sounding completely fresh and now – naturally balancing R&B with intelligent electronica – the self-titled offering from Rose was recorded between Sydney, Byron Bay and Melbourne, where she worked with hip hop beatmaker Styalz
Fuego, writing latest single Sensibility. “My manager hooked that up, because my brother [Anthony ‘Hook N Sling’ Maniscalco] has worked with him and he’s also worked with The Aston Shuffle, I’m friends with them as well,” Rose explains. “It was kind of just word of mouth just how it got around; [Fuego] really liked the songs so he was definitely keen to work on them. The structures of some of the songs are quite different to [others]; I wasn’t afraid to change it up a bit.”
music
Rose then co-produced the whole EP with Perth lad Shazam, aka Cam Parkin, in Melbourne, the three individuals enjoying a dynamic that made the long hours easy. “I had so much fun,” she beams. “I was up to like 4am every night with Cam in the studio, and then we’d start at 10am the next day.” And regarding the obvious step-up from her debut 2012 EP, Crystallise: “I was just writing differently at the start of last year,” Rose explains. “I don’t really know what did that, but I guess it was just through using that writing muscle in your brain, just strengthening that by writing more music. I was writing a lot after Crystallise was released, although it [didn’t] feel like one day I just started writing differently. It was really gradual so there wasn’t just one point where the switch flicked over.” But even though the end results suggest otherwise, she’s not a tech geek. “I only know Ableton, really,” she shrugs, “I don’t deal with computers in general, I just know Ableton well.” WHAT: Elizabeth Rose (Inertia Access) WHEN & WHERE: 7 Mar, Bleach*, SoundLounge, Gold Coast; 8 Mar, Alhambra Lounge; 28 Mar, The Factory, Maroochydore
STAYING ALIVE
music
Hey Geronimo might be worrying about aircraft disasters and boredom, but as Bill Bingley tells Jazmine O’Sullivan, they’ve got plenty of upcoming good times to take their minds off things.
L
ast year was a pretty big one for the boys of Hey Geronimo, who, when they weren’t headlining their own shows, had the privilege of sharing stages with the likes of Pluto Jonze, Deep Sea Arcade and Presidents Of The USA throughout the year. Amidst such a busy schedule, the group were also working hard on a forthcoming album, which bass player Bill Bingley predicts will be released at the end of this year. “[The songs on this album are] all getting a bit more cynical than our previous stuff I think,” Bingley explains. “There’s a song our lead singer [Pete Kilroy] finished off while we were flying around the world, and it’s kind of this really paranoid song about being overseas and hoping your plane doesn’t crash! There’s a song that Ross [Pearson, guitarist] just wrote which is about being really hopelessly bored. So we’re working towards a bit more of a balance this time around, and the songs are a bit more introspective – we’re trying to broaden the emotional palette a bit.” With the group’s second EP of last year, Erring On The Side Of Awesome, earning such great success, Bingley explains they’re also about to release an exciting film clip for the track The Girl Who Likes Me. “It was mostly filmed while we were over in India last year. I haven’t actually seen the finished version, but I have a feeling it’s going to be pretty upbeat.”
The main event which drew Hey Geronimo over to India late last year was their inclusion in the NH7 Weekender Festival, which also saw fellow Aussies Kate Miller-Heidke, Sampology and Spoonbill on the line-up. “I think it’s kind of a new thing having big rock music festivals in India, but the audiences were really cool.” Considering the overwhelming population of India, Bingley says the environment of the festival was a bit of a surprise. “It’s not nearly as crowded over there, there were far fewer people when compared to Australian festivals, and it was deliberate, so that was really cool.”
Looking forward, Hey Geronimo are set to play the opening night of the Gold Coast’s Bleach* festival, which will be their first gig of the year. “We’re really excited for Bleach*! We’ll be most likely going full rock band, electric guitar mode for this one, which we haven’t done for a while, so it will be great. We’re also going to play a whole bunch of new songs – we’ll be trying stuff out from the album that we think is going well, and hope that it will come across well.” With the festival taking place over the course of three weeks, Bingley says there will be heaps of great stuff to check out over the festival’s duration. “I’m actually really keen to check out Dubmarine, I keep seeing them at festivals and they’re awesome. Also, we’re playing with The Trouble With Templeton on the opening night and I’m really keen to check them out as well; I haven’t seen them before so it will be fun.” WHEN & WHERE: 7 March, Bleach*, SoundLounge, Gold Coast THE MUSIC • 5TH MARCH 2014 • 25
music
GET UP AND GET DOWN A straight-talking Everlast tells Benny Doyle how just a few jams can make your life a whole lot smoother.
E
rik Schrody doesn’t pretend to turn his back on the music that feeds him. Once a graffiti-writing LA teen with an uninviting future, the man we now know as Everlast has used a handful of hit songs to hold creative freedom with everything he does. Finding worldwide fame through hooligan hip hop crew House Of Pain in the early ‘90s alongside fellows MC Danny Boy and DJ Lethal, Everlast wrote one of the biggest party anthems in history with ’92 classic Jump Around. It’s a staple, a go-to tune, a track that a DJ can drop in any given bar in any corner of the world and it will elicit loose times, and its timeless nature is something Everlast still shakes his head about. “I don’t know, man?” Everlast ponders on Jump Around’s success. “It’s got that sonic, repetitive hook; it’s a very silly song, you don’t have to think about anything when you hear it. There’s absolutely no meaning to it whatsoever when you break it down; it’s just a song about jumping around and a bunch of silly lyrics to fill in the gaps. But I can’t [describe it] – what made Louie Louie what it is? If I knew buddy, I’d have like five of them under my belt. And if I knew what the X-factor was I probably wouldn’t share it with you either,” he cackles. After making a name for himself, away from his mentor Ice-T’s shadow, the now 44-year-old New York native then did the inconceivable: he turned his back on beats, threw off his Celtic jersey, and reinvented himself as a guitar-toting solo artist following House Of Pain’s split in 1996. Everlast released Whitey Ford Sings The Blues in 1998, and led by lead single What It’s Like the album went on to move three million units, his amalgamation of rhymes and acoustics finding him a whole new audience. “It’s the dilemma of my career for people like my managers and my agents and all that, because everybody is looking for a category to pigeonhole you in, but my peg doesn’t quite fit into any shape hole... or I should say it actually fits into many different shaped holes,” Everlast explains. “It’s hard to lock it down into how to best direct your energy when you’re going through marketing and demographic bullshit, but I have songs that are very kind to me so I can leave that to the pencil 26 • THE MUSIC • 5TH MARCH 2014
pushers and the bean counters. I’m a dying breed, I’m the last of the hold-outs; I’m an artist, I’m a lucky one, but I ain’t going to sit here and feign like I’m some brilliant businessman. I’ve written some good songs and they’ve treated me well, that’s basically the bottom line.”
Basically I’m just bringing the songs back to where they started. But stripping things back down to acoustic in general has taught me a lot about producing records; sometimes the simpler version of the song [is] way better, so it’s a nice lesson to learn. And I take a long time to make studio records as well so it just started to seem like a no brainer. I started doing these acoustic things on my buddy Joe Rogan’s podcast and people responded very well to it so it was an easy thing to do to make a record in between making a new studio album, and put this acoustic stuff out and work it and really enjoy working it. It’s a win-win all around for me.”
“THERE’S ABSOLUTELY NO MEANING TO IT WHATSOEVER WHEN YOU BREAK IT DOWN; IT’S JUST A SONG ABOUT JUMPING AROUND.” Pretty much at liberty now to create whatever music he chooses, Everlast chose to strip it back even further with 2013’s The Life Acoustic, a best-of collection of sorts that he’s now bringing to Australia for his first solo tour in over a decade. “All the songs that I write, if someone doesn’t give me a track to write a song to, if I start a song from scratch, it’s always with a guitar and me in a room.
And in addition to a pretty comprehensive acoustic summarisation of Everlast’s varied career, including a few nuggets he felt may have slipped through the cracks, you can of course expect to hear that song. “It started as a joke the whole acoustic House Of Pain thing, because of course every time I’d do a show some silly person would yell out, ‘Jump Around’, and I’d just laugh,” he admits. “Then one day I was just like, ‘Hell, what would it sound like even, what would I do with it?’ then I came up with what happened and it seemed funny and also good at the same time so I put it on the record, it was the last addition.” WHEN & WHERE: 5 Mar, The Zoo; 6 Mar, Solbar, Maroochydore; 7 Mar, Byron Bay Brewery
REACT TO THIS?
CHASED OFF
THAT’S GROSS
comedy
Two of the Chaser boys are branching out and creating a duo One Man Show for the comedy festival circuit. Andrew Hansen chats to Matthew Ziccone.
“I Comedy up-and-comer Ronny Chieng talks to Baz McAlister about finding a voice, and finding a title.
M
alaysian-born, US-raised comic Ronny Chieng has hit upon a winning formula with the title of his 2014 festival show, Chieng Reaction. The Music suggests there are dozens of name puns for future years, in much the same way as Wil Anderson builds his name into his titles. “I know, that guy’s done 20 shows now and he’s still finding them!” Chieng says. Chieng came to Australia to study commerce and law at university, but found it hard to get a job in his chosen field when he graduated in 2009, so he started doing comedy and never stopped. A star in the making, he won Melbourne Comedy Festival’s 2012 Best Newcomer award and ends up playing bigger rooms each year. He made a name for himself in the early days by playing a shouty version of himself onstage – which has now mellowed – and is in any case nothing like the charming, humble chap on the other end of the phone. “It took a while to find my [stage] voice, and it’s gone through some adjustments; it’s still changing. At one point it was a normal guy, then it was the hyperaggressive guy, then it got toned back quite a lot, now it’s in the middle a little bit. I’m happy with where it’s at. I like the persona, he’s more confident than ever. I actually debated whether I should do interviews in that persona – but it comes over as very snarky.” Chieng describes Chieng Reaction as his “most mature” show so far, drawing most of the humour from stories about his own experiences and interactions with people, as opposed to scripted gags. One of his reasons for getting into stand-up was because Asian people were underrepresented on this country’s comedy club stages. “I didn’t see any Malaysian, or even Asian perspectives being represented in stand-up, and I don’t mean that in a ‘social justice’ kind of way, it’s just that I’d never seen that perspective so I thought ‘Oh, I’ll do that’. As soon as I get on stage it’s obvious that I’m not from around here, that I didn’t grow up in Australia. It’s unavoidable. So I try to go onstage with the presumption that everyone hates me,” he laughs.
should say they’re a pile of your magazines that I step over when I go to my rehearsals – it’s used to chock open the theatre door.” Can you expect anything less from a Chaser? Andrew Hansen and Chris Taylor are leaving the rest of the Chasers to hit the stage in their One Man Show. “It’s something that Chris and I have wanted to do for a long time: a two-hander sketch show, playing various silly characters and bursting into lots of songs. Finally we had this big span of time to do that.” Hansen and Taylor are the more bizarre side of the Chaser group, but what they bring is a classic, ballsier side of comedy. In the past their antics have stirred the pot; Hansen’s song about the deaths of celebrities pushed that beautiful boundary of insensitive brilliance. It’s a hard task for the musical duo. On TV it’s easy for Hansen to rip out one song, an hour of comedy is pushing Hansen and Taylor. “I’m trying to get my head around all the songs, especially because I do each song in different character; it becomes hard after about the tenth song, trying to figure out a different voice you can sing in without sounding like the same guy. We have a right-wing commentator singing a song, an annoying hipster singing about his addiction to cable TV dramas and how he doesn’t talk about anything else. Which is also Chris and me.” In a world where imitation versions of The Office and Louis CK are labelled the pinnacle, “those real subtle sitcoms that don’t have a laugh track about people in awkward situations that has been quite fashionable for the past 14 years”, it’s nice to see them going to the alternative: classic satire and absurdity. “There is sort of a post-comedy happening now where you have to go far beyond what has been thought and said and way beyond the style that has gone before. I suppose there is something to be said for getting up and being silly and delivering some jokes.”
Comedian Rhys Nicholson gives Baz McAlister the official pronunciation guide for his new festival show Eurgh.
“Y
ou have to name your show six months before you’ve even thought about it, so I named it after the most common noise appearing in my shows,” says young comic Rhys Nicholson of this year’s hour of stand-up, Eurgh. “I also did like the idea of people having to ask for tickets for it – ‘Can I get tickets to Urrgh? Eeergh? Errrgh?’” Fans will recall Nicholson as the big-haired Raw Comedy finalist in 2009, who went on to win Sydney Comedy Festival’s best newcomer gong in 2012. He’s not afraid to share personal stories onstage and self-deprecatingly describes his new show as “my usual talk-about-myself kind of bullshit”: “My first stand-up spot when I did Raw Comedy was about losing my virginity, and that was kind of weird – but I’ve always tried to be fully open,” he says. “I find myself in that situation often where part of your brain goes, ‘Should I do that thing? It might be embarrassing’ but the other part goes, ‘Yeah, but it could also be ten minutes of material on stage’. I think audiences can smell it when you’re being disingenuous.” Nicholson has quit his day job to go pro, but this plays merry hell with his non-productivity guilt. “I’m a pretty lazy person and I had an excuse when I had a day job for not writing, but now I don’t. So I try these days to sit and write because it’s my only job now. I’m an A-grade procrastinator. Even at school I was a really good last-minute crammer. Really good at pulling it out of my arse. Wow, both those sentences are really sexually charged.” Nicholson recently teamed up with his fellow openly gay comic Joel Creasey to film a short ABC doco in Colac, Victoria – a town where Creasey was recently a victim of homophobia. “It was actually a very fulfilling week. The way I dress, I get called ‘faggot’ on the street quite often but it was guns a-blazin’ [in Colac]! I’m from Newcastle so I’m used to it. When I first started comedy the whole idea was to have my hair as big as I possibly could and be as bright as I possibly could. But now, it’s more about juxtaposition – dressing in a really nice suit while telling graphic hand-job stories.”
WHAT: Andrew Hansen
WHAT: Ronny Chieng: Chieng Reaction
& Chris Taylor: One Man Show
WHAT: Rhys Nicholson: Eurgh
WHEN & WHERE: 18 – 23 Mar, Brisbane
WHEN & WHERE: 7 – 9 Mar, Brisbane
WHEN & WHERE: 4 – 9 Mar, Brisbane
Comedy Festival, Powerhouse Theatre
Comedy Festival, Powerhouse Theatre
Comedy Festival, Powerhouse Theatre THE MUSIC • 5TH MARCH 2014 • 27
★★★★
album reviews
TENSNAKE
BURIED IN VERONA
Glow
Faceless
ALBUM OF THE WEEK
Virgin/EMI Creating one of the finest house music records of the last ten years brings with it a certain degree of pressure. German DJ/ producer Marco Niemerski struck gold in 2010 with Comacat, a stop-you-dead-in-your-tracks combination of bassline sexiness, vocal dancefloor nostalgia and that unforgettable jangly keyboard riff. On the downside though, the track forced him into a ‘’90s revivalist’ pigeonhole, something he has simultaneously embraced and fought against on his debut album, Glow. Now signed to a major label, Tensnake uses the platform to take us on a trek through three decades of dance music, chopped together with a sharp 2014 edge. With a generous helping of ‘80s disco and pop influences Glow has undeniable similarities to the work of Daft Punk, the giant presence of Nile Rogers reinforcing the link; first single, Love Sublime sports an authentic ‘80s boogie-pop feel, Good
UNFD Four albums in, what type of band these Sydneysiders wants to be is gradually becoming clearer, but they evidently haven’t completely zeroed in on it yet. Enough To Keep is bright, soulful house too rarely heard these days while Prince influences abound on the guitar-synths of Feel Of Love with Jacques Lu Cont and Jamie Lidell. With Tasmanianborn Fiora handling the bulk of the vocal work, Tensnake has gone out of his way to create a ‘proper’ album in Glow, rather than a collection of club singles. While No Relief charts house history in seven minutes, it sits up against supple Naked Music-like depth, three-minute ‘pop’ songs and moments of downbeat chill such as the slinky, tongue-incheek 58BPM – widescreen vision and brilliant execution. The hype, it seems, has been well founded. Darren Collins
This LP is readily identifiable as the same outfit that created its predecessor though, boasting shiny, gleaming hooks, clean singer/guitarist Richie Newman confidently providing vitriolic Splintered, Illuminate and Graves greater resonance. Having traded in the polished production of metallic maestro Fredrik Nordström for much-lauded Joey Sturgis, Faceless emanates a slick, punchy sound. A somewhat monotonous bludgeon reminiscent of deathcore knuckledraggers Emmure is also afforded greater prominence. A welcome prospect for the pit ninjas, but it ensures an overplaying of their hand somewhat towards the record’s conclusion. Hardrock pseudo-ballad, Set Me
CALLING ALL CARS
PHARRELL WILLIAMS
Cooking Vinyl
Sony Music
It’s hard to nut out exactly what Calling All Cars were listening to when they embarked on writing for Raise The People (possibly some Electric Six and the latest batch of glossed-over pedestrian rock). This is the same heavy rocking trio that brought us Disconnect, Hold, Hold Fire and Reptile, all with a brute intensity courtesy of Haydn Ing’s forceful growl and some neat but ballbusting heavy riffs. While the album still captures a sense of that cool intensity of former releases, it’s such a radical change of direction it’s just not the same Calling All Cars we knew before.
It’s important not to have extraordinary expectations of Pharrell Williams’ new LP, G I R L. The artist has had a hand in so many of the biggest pop songs of the modern era that it’s forgivable to think he’ll perhaps pull something devastatingly important out of his hat for his first LP in eight years. He doesn’t. What you get here is slick pop with little substance. But is that such a bad thing?
28 • THE MUSIC • 5TH MARCH 2014
On Fire is a curiosity piece; whether it’s opening up further doors remains uncertain, although it’s a tad ham-fisted. “Buried in Verona have a message for anyone that has ever doubted them; go fuck yourself,” the press release proclaims. A polarising act, Faceless channels detractors’ nay-saying, indicating that even the most needless shittalking can inspire something constructive. This reviewer may also be subjected to the middle-finger salute, but despite shortcomings, recent momentum and incessant touring suggests a few less cynics may be showing their faces after this drops. Brendan Crabb
GIRL
Raise The People
That said, Raise The People manages to do all the right things sonically and as a body of songs works through quite a range of structures and treatments that aren’t unlikeable and are catchy. The title track is a dark, snappy opener, getting neat melodic rock lines pulsing under Ing’s wail of
★★★
★★★ former days, then they up the grinding ferocity on Good God! to Dixie punk on It Don’t Matter. Singles Werewolves and Standing In The Ocean are the slickest movers on the album, dropping in twangy guitars and a muted vocal. One is reminded of Nine Inch Nails’ successful transition into a more production-heavy sound with that same edgy grind, but sadly this threesome isn’t yet on that lofty plane. Whether fans pull up stumps with a “meh” is a gamble Ing and co clearly felt was worth taking. Carley Hall
As expected from the man with his production nous, the sound of the record is taut and terrific throughout G I R L; the shiny and slick light disco of Brand New, the slinky Gush and the lightweight funk of the Miley-featuring Come Get It Bae are all pleasant without making much impact. On one side of that you’ve got the classy Marilyn Monroe and Gust Of Wind, which are meaty, exciting pop tunes, and on the other
★★★ ½ you’ve got throwaway tracks like Hunter, which feels like a waste of time. Alicia Keys makes Know Who You Are worthwhile, Gush will take you back to the Neptunes’ glory days and, well, you’ve heard Happy. There’s not enough substance for G I R L to be considered anything more than a very pleasant pop album, but there’s no shame in that. Its crispness will ensure it finds a wide audience and it’s no doubt going to be far more agreeable than other chart-topping fare in 2014, so you’re best off soaking it up and waiting to see what the allconquering Pharrell does next. Dan Condon
album reviews
★★★½
MIKHAEL PASKALEV What’s Life Without Losers
Dew Process/Universal Lackadaisical Norwegian troubadour Mikhael Paskalev takes his tight whiteys and runs with them on debut album, What’s Life Without Losers. The album plays like Devendra Banhart on a steady diet of Paul Simon, Nick Drake and the Davies brothers – a hefty slice of weirdnik pop that bristles with hooks and slanted irreverence. That isn’t to say that things don’t get serious – Susie is an amiable yet bittersweet ode to the love that got away, and the best track here – and whether cranking the electric or feathering the acoustic, Paskalev is an effervescent revelation. Brendan Telford
★★½
METRONOMY Love Letters Warner Metronomy don’t stick pound store lights on their t-shirts anymore and it’s a shame, because the Devon quartet work best when they’re at their weirdest and most quirky. The organ and keys dancing in the distance during the faux-R’n’B of I’m Aquarius for example, or Reservoir, a track that is just screaming for Wes Anderson to send Steve Zissou back out to sea. Love Letters sounds no better than bouncing centrepiece track Boy Racers, but for the most part it just lacks the usual groove we’ve now come to expect. Metronomy have gotten cool, but by losing that endearing nerd element they’ve also lost a vital piece of who they are.
★★★★
J RODDY WALSTON & THE BUSINESS Essential Tremors ATO/[PIAS] Australia From the gut-punch opening of Heavy Bells to the tribal beats and chants of Sweat Shock to the quiet beauty of Boys Can Never Tell to the jaunty romp that is Black Light, J Roddy Walston & The Business make sure you never get too comfortable with Essential Tremors, and that’s its greatest strength. Part blues, part Southern rock, part whatever they want to be at any given moment, it’s rough, it’s raw, it’s earnest, road-worn and lived in. Most of all, Essential Tremors is undeniably real. Pete Laurie
★★½
WE ARE SCIENTISTS TV En Français
Dine Alone/Cooking Vinyl If you want a safe bet for some background music at a casual get-together, TV En Français is what you’re looking for. We Are Scientists’ fifth LP is a collection of unobtrusive, melodic indierock. Nothing stands out. The record plays like one oversized, 35-minute track of indistinct radio-friendly “alternative” music. Slow Down creates enough noise to be noteworthy and Don’t Blow It will grow on you, but it’s been four years since their last studio album, Barbara, and you’d be forgiven for thinking the ten tracks here were off-cuts from that record. Ash Goldberg
Benny Doyle
THE MUSIC • 5TH MARCH 2014 • 29
albums/singles/eps
★★★
HITS
Jesus F Christ Conquest Of Noise Brisbane’s Hits are back with new album Hikikomori just around the corner and this blasphemous number just jumped out of nowhere to smack you in the face.
MALACHAI
I Deserve To No Domino Third ‘Ugly’ album from weirdo sonic cut and paste merchants sounds like music from another time. The song is okay, the production amazing.
PITBULL
Wild Wild Love (Ft G.R.L.) Sony
BETTER THAN THE WIZARDS Better Than The Wizards
TRUST
Universal
Arts And Crafts/Create/ Control
Liberty Of Action
The self-titled first album from Better Than The Wizards is pure, vintage fun. The Melburnian six-piece consistently deliver smooth grooves and joyous sounds across this debut and it’s a pleasure to listen to. These compositions are intricately put together and allow each musician to shine respectively. The Wizards have crafted a mish-mash of the sounds of funk and jazz while adding their own flavours to the mix. A fantastic first album, this is one from music lovers to music lovers. Jeffrey Kitt
Carley Hall
★★★½
Joyland Robert Alfons was left to his own devices when recording this album after collaborator Maya Postepski left to join Austra. Alfons doesn’t completely depart from his gothic darkwave tendencies but strips back on some of the darker layers of previous releases. While deploying a brighter sonic palette, Alfons’ music is still nocturnal listening but, as he more openly embraces techno pop influences, he’s shifted from harsh industrial impulses to more obvious beats that could work a futuristic dancefloor bathed in wondrous neon lights. Guido Farnell
★★★½
★★★
DEATH VESSEL
VARIOUS
Sub Pop/Inertia
Sony
That moment when you discover that university is full of arseholes. Amazing track from Bird Nerds, their vital second album.
Cudi’s a renaissance man in the modern rap world. He puts a lot of love into his production, with fat retro synth lines and interesting drum beats giving him a distinct sound. His singing voice always shows off his skill with a catchy hook. Originally intended as an EP, its concise ten tracks give it a very classic album feel. A four-minute droning space jam breaks the album in half and further illuminates his interest in trying new sonic ideas while continuing the outer space concept. A fantastic addition to his catalogue.
It’s been six years since Death Vessel, aka Joel Thibodeau, released Nothing Is Precious Enough For Us. It’s a long time to wait for another record, but upon first spin of Island Intervals you can hear where all that time went – into crafting a sumptuous gem of a record that artfully balances the band’s straightforward folk roots with post-rock thoughtfulness. Conceived in Reykjavík at the behest of Sigur Rós’s Jónsi, it seems obvious that the album would lean into post-rock, but the tracks on Island Intervals are anything but obvious; they’re lush, contemplative and challenging.
An album for your inner Americana, the Dallas Buyers Club soundtrack fittingly incorporates the sweet twang of country guitar from artists such as Shuggie Otis and The Airborne Toxic Event, automatically transporting you to the Texan setting of the film. But like most soundtracks, there are always songs that don’t quite translate to a compilation CD, resulting in a few unexciting and out-of-place duds that feel more like space fillers than anything else. However, the electronica surprises of Fitz & The Tantrums and Capital Cities’ cover of classic disco anthem Stayin’ Alive provide interesting twists that definitely make you sit up and take notice.
Chris Yates
Chris Yates
Tom Hersey
Brie Jorgensen
Dream A Little Crazy Inertia AIH go a bit ‘60s doo wop but as usual incorporate a lot more styles into what is still a fairly minimalistic arrangement.
KATY B
Crying For No Reason Sony This song is reason enough for crying.
BITCH PREFECT
University Fiend Bedroom Suck
30 • THE MUSIC • 5TH MARCH 2014
KID CUDI
★★★★
THE BOSSHOSS
Self-proclaimed “country trash punk” rockers from Berlin, The BossHoss have certainly cornered a niche market. Putting Western spins on hits like Outkast’s Hey Ya and Nelly’s Hot In Herre helped lift previous expectations. Latest album, Liberty Of Action delivers more twisted gems with tongue in cheek that still rise above initial doubts. Don’t Gimme That cleanly bounces along with Primus’ punchiness, frontmen Boss and Hoss injecting their best Yankee twang into this far too catchy number, while The Answer and My Way have the boys swaggering around harmonicas and organs with redneck sentiment at breakneck speed.
Independent
Representing everything wrong with the music business, Pitbull maintains his position as one of rap music’s highest earners, and as with Timber, this is more of an advertisement for the fact that life sucks as opposed to being a song.
ARCHITECTURE IN HELSINKI
★★★½
Satellite Flight: The Journey To Mother Moon Republic/Universal
Island Intervals
Dallas Buyers Club
live reviews
FUTURE MUSIC FESTIVAL RNA Showgrounds 1 Mar Skin. We’re getting an absolute eyeful as soon as we get our wristbands tagged at the entry. Future Music Festival 2014 has a case of jungle fever, and although the production is a little underwhelming considering the pre-event hype, it’s cool to see plenty of punters getting into the safari spirit with lots of costumes and face paint breaking up the muscles and fake tits. R3hab is making the dust fly at the main stage, dropping a few old jams like Alice DeeJay’s Better Off Alone in amongst thumping tracks of today. Maximum streamer usage is appreciated by the front
of place though, with security putting on a brave face through the haze. Naughty Boy takes it away from the decks on the big Safari! stage. Yeah he’s there, he’s got the laptop in front and microphone in hand, but with a four-piece band accompaniment, including one hell of an amazing vocalist, he pulls off a smart show. Maya Jane Coles is another Brit making our day just that much better, and at the Cocoon stage we are finally feeling the jungle vibes beneath palms and wildlife. Her mixes are like velvet, and dancing within an appreciative crowd we have our first real write-home moment of the event. Wish the cops would go away and stop taking photos with twisted donks though. We then experience the festival’s finest corner when we head up the escalator and enter the Knife
MACKLEMORE & RYAN LEWIS @ FUTURE MUSIC FESTIVAL. PIC: TERRY SOO
rows. Our skin is howling with no shade on the RNA field, so we move to the backside of the event grounds to get a Deniz Koyu fix in the Future Sound System tent. Although the bells and whistles are reduced, he seems to be following the pattern set by R3hab, with Kernkraft 400’s Zombie Nation jammed amongst the more modern beats. A few duffed mixes don’t help his cause but it does encourage us to catch the final steel drum sounds of Cosmo Cater before Gorgon City take it to The Likes Of You stage. The boys were the perfect accompaniment to Rudimental’s tour last year and their deep brand of house goes down smooth once more. The North London duo counter their head nods with some really rich beats, and hanging off the barrier it just swallows you whole. The smoke machines seem out
Shop second rewards the early arrivals, while Same Love shows that with engaging and emotional content, even a weak track can sometimes hit a home run. The sound is a bit vacant though; another stack of speakers centre field would’ve been appreciated. The sunset slot is perfectly filled by the sweet sounds of Rudimental, with the nine-piece introducing themselves with a soul boogie-down to warm our sneaker soles before the energy steps up. It’s a huge set of hits, the four main lads surrounding themselves with some crack players and a few stunning vocalists. They give us Right Here, Baby, Not Giving In and Free – the latter track causing a flash mob of girls on shoulders to form through the crowd – before they come home just as strong, dropping Powerless, Waiting All
RUDIMENTAL @ FUTURE MUSIC FESTIVAL. PIC: TERRY SOO
Party-curated Haunted House. The stage rigs are class, the sound is mammoth and the visuals are enough to make you blackout. A late timetabling change means our expected Baauer set instead comes in the form of Sub Focus, but we’re soon not worried about doing a Harlem shake, with the drum’n’bass producer belting it out from within this shining vortex of lights. Militant tempos make the room march, and with a hype man on the mic things get sweaty fast. Even when the sound cuts out the Surrey bloke is unperturbed, and when it returns it does so with the force of a hurricane. We bail to get a little taste of Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, the humble brag superstar and his tight producer leading an impressive selection of musicians and vocalists through the hits and a few old nuggets like Otherside. Dropping Thrift
proceedings, but not without confetti canon action. Everything is better with a confetti canon firing. Then our gracious Aussie hosts Knife Party give us a horror rave to remember, literally playing off the balcony of their decrepit house, destroying the room in cold-blooded fashion. The visuals are an utter sight to behold as Rob Swire and Gareth McGrillen trade moves on the decks, their haunted house blowing away, burning down and rebuilding right before our eyes. It’s brash electro house with a large-room feel, and staple single Internet Friends is still enough of a reason to get frantic. We leave thinking our big beat ride is going to keep trucking on, but sadly Deadmau5 is all style and no substance, taking us on a journey that never really arrives at any destination. When
DEADMAU5 @ FUTURE MUSIC FESTIVAL. PIC: TERRY SOO
Night and Feel The Love in one of the day’s great sets. We make a note to find out where we can get DJ Locksmith’s LFTS cap. Back over at The Likes Of You stage, German football fan Paul Kalkbrenner is ruling with technical prowess and just the right bits of everything. His intelligent techno sounds mint after nightfall and when you close your eyes it’s impossible not to be transported to the hippest club in Berlin. We begrudgingly leave though to make sure we’re in the Haunted House before things get hectic, and catch the last of electro young gun Porter Robinson. It’s baffling how many dance strains he jams into the final 20 minutes of his set, moving from hardstyle to popcentric EDM on a dime while a dizzying array of visuals spew across the wide-scale screen behind him. Language concludes
the helmet-wearing rodent appears on stage it’s with all the trimmings; the lights are blinding, the smoke machine bellowing. But as his crossed eyes gaze vacantly over the crowd and his head rocks, he seems to continually put the set in a position where it could really kick off, but then he drops something limp like Raise Your Weapon. His revelatory headline performance at Stereosonic in 2009 seems like a lifetime ago. A big name maintaining his legacy is German Paul Van Dyk, who has already taken it over the red line by the time we arrive at the Future Sound System stage, following a quick dance to Lisztomania and Too Young with the Phoenix boys of course. Uplifting trance at breakneck speed is the order of the evening, and the mixing is clean and without fault – THE MUSIC • 5TH MARCH 2014 • 31
live reviews the master at work. A polite crowd of devoted followers are matching van Dyk’s energy levels with maximum levels of stomping, and they’re all rewarded at the end with the 42-year-old stepping out from behind the decks for a postset meet and greet. The night is then signed off with pure euphoria thanks to stadium drum’n’bass heroes Chase & Status, who drop probably the biggest tune of the whole event with Blind Faith, putting a fistpumping exclamation point on the entire proceedings.
side of The Boss, perhaps something a little deeper. He kicks off with a surprising Brisbane classic in the Bee Gees’ Stayin’ Alive, complete with string section hired for the night, before Greetings From Asbury Park NJ, It’s Hard To Be A Saint In The City, Does This Bus Stop At 82nd Street?, Growin’ Up and Spirit in the Night.
Smiling and wrecked, all that’s left is to disappear back into the urban jungle of the Valley, looking for new adventures with other wild animals.
After High Hopes and The Saints’ Just Like Fire Would, sign requests are obeyed; You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch), Sherry Darling and Fade Away from 1980’s The River as well as Save My Love, which was scrapped from Darkness On The Edge Of Town, for being “too fucking happy”.
Benny Doyle, Travers Hartley-Smith
Then the band rip through 1973’s The Wild, The Innocent
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN & THE E STREET BAND. PIC: STEPHEN BOOTH
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN & THE E-STREET BAND Brisbane Entertainment Centre 26 Feb Four hours of Bruce Springsteen & The E-Street Band barely seems like enough tonight, the party that felt like it might not ever end showing us a different side to the charismatic artist than we saw on his 2013 appearances. That was his first trip in a decade and he was eager to impress but it feels like he’s a little more comfortable and playful this time around, meaning we’re getting a different 32 • THE MUSIC • 5TH MARCH 2014
featuring a little too much Tom Morello) bring back those whose minds might’ve wandered, before Badlands begins a huge run that rile up the crowd to fever pitch. Glory Days has fists pumping like never before and we all revel in the anthemic Born To Run. We pay our respects to Clarence Clemons with Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out and Eddie Vedder ducks in to help out on AC/DC’s Highway To Hell, before playing Thunder Road all alone. It’s perhaps the most affecting moment of the night; the brilliance of the 18-piece E-Street Band cannot be overstated, but it’ll always be the songs that matter most. What a pertinent reminder tonight has been. Dan Condon
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN & THE E STREET BAND. PIC: STEPHEN BOOTH
& The E-Street Shuffle in its entirety for apparently only the second time in history. The revered album isn’t packed with hits, but it’s an amazing distillation of the freakish talent of a 22-year-old Springsteen and, most importantly, its songs still hold up. Wild Billy’s Circus Story is a little awkward, but Rosalita (Come Out Tonight) sends the crowd into a frenzy and the string section return for a scorching New York City Serenade. It’s all well and good for Springsteen the superstar to lead his band through these songs with such self-assuredness in 2014 but it’s staggering to think about the wealth of ambition this artist had as a practical unknown 40 years ago. Live favourite Waitin’ On A Sunny Day, the solid rock’n’roll of The Rising and the haunting The Ghost Of Tom Joad (albeit
warriors are incessant, playing a spasmodic brand of post-hardcore that snaps and turns in line with the movements of volatile frontman Jason Aalon Butler. He leads the troops through Banshee (Ghost Fame) and H. Ledger before mounting the top of the speakers for The Sick, Sick, 6.8 Billion. Butler talks tortured tales of death and demise on the streets of Los Angeles in between blasts of fury, the guitar interplay of Jean Francisco Nascimento and Jeff Sahyoun sounding especially raw and powerful. But then after Muther, Empty Elvis and Younger, Butler takes objection to security’s handling of punters cartwheeling over the front barrier and goes at one of the guards with flying stomp kicks from the stage, 27 Club abruptly coming to an end as his bandmates drag the bearded frontman away
LETLIVE. @ THE TEMPO HOTEL. PIC: RCSTILLS
TERROR, LETLIVE., YOUR DEMISE The Tempo Hotel 25 Feb Not a lot of gigs make you question your safety, but leaving with a busted face tonight is a very real possibility. Arms are swinging furiously to Your Demise early, the Brits making the most of their final-ever Brisbane show, savouring the punishment taking place in the front rows. Ed ‘The Man’ McRae shares the mic around for plenty of screamalong choruses, while the rhythms of James Tailby drive things. The room has swollen for Letlive., arguably the main drawcard this evening. The LA
while he continues spraying a torrent of abuse. The band then conclude with a rapid-fire Renegade 86’ before Butler rips his shirt off and disappears out through the smoking area. Although still healthy, the crowd has thinned by the time Terror appear, and immediately the clinical brutality of these hardcore masters seems by the numbers when weighted against the set before it. That’s not to say Scott Vogel isn’t as batshit crazy as ever, launching himself into the pit on numerous occasions, and the rest of the units aren’t absolutely owning tracks like Overcome, Hell And Back and Always The Hard Way; there just isn’t anything really fresh or shocking, with the legends being upstaged tonight by apprentices taking their formula and fucking it right up. Benny Doyle
arts reviews its ugly, culturally insensitive tourists – and a journey into the past; Wasikowska haunted by the obligatory flashbacks-thatbuild-towards-a-big-reveal. John Curran happily casts his camera at the widescreen wonder of the endless horizon, the film both playing up to and undermining notions of the mythical outback, Australian cinema’s eternal film set. Ever since Robyn Davison made the real life expedition in 1977,
folk’ve been trying to bring her human survival tale to screen. But removed from its era, Tracks becomes a symbolic fantasy for the digital era: with Adam Driver photographing everything like some annoying Instagrammer, and the protobloggers of the press wanting to reduce Wasikowska to a human meme – Camel Lady – it’s a parable about the difficulties of actually getting off the grid. Anthony Carew
TRACKS
TRACKS Film
In cinemas 6 Mar “I just wanna be by myself,” Mia Wasikowska says with a shrug, her 3000km death march across the Australian desert motivated by mystical misanthropy. Wasikowska’s waifish wanderer seeks solitude – even when at a ‘70s psychedelic be-in, she hears forlorn, Nymanesque
piano-figures in her head – and prefers the company of beasts. Thus, she takes a caravan of camels and her beloved dog out into the wilderness, concerned bogans (“You must be mad, girlie!”) and fretting family be damned. Marion Nelson’s screenplay turns the trek into both a spiritual pilgrimage – her journey to the heart of a stolen continent a kind of martyred apologia; this blonde adventuress the antithesis to
TRACKS
THE MUSIC • 5TH MARCH 2014 • 33
34 • THE MUSIC • 5TH MARCH 2014
the guide
ROKU MUSIC
Member answering: Donnie How long have you been together? Roughly a year, in our current form. How did you all meet? That was a progressive sort of thing, I’ve probably ingested too much LSD over the years to truthfully answer that question. In short – I don’t remember. 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? Last time we went on tour we listened to heaps of Kendrick Lamar – I reckon the next time it’ll be more A$AP Rocky. We’ve got really diverse taste like that. Would you rather be a busted broke-but-revered Hank Williams figure or some kind of Metallica monster? I kind of feel like I already am Hank Williams, I’m very content with that. Which Brisbane bands before you have been an inspiration (musically or otherwise)? There were other bands before us? Weird. What part do you think Brisbane plays in the music you make? Geographically speaking, it’s quite a large influence. I’m not going to get any deeper into that right now. Is your band responsible for more make-outs or break-ups? Why? We really prefer to assess this kind of thing on a case-by-case basis. Because we’re serious about what we do. What reality TV show would you enter as a band and why? I can only speak for myself, but Survivor would be good. Dudes seem to be shirtless a lot on that thing and it’d be a great chance to show off my body. What’s in the pipeline for the band in the short term? We’re touring every state and territory of Australia in between March and April, about 25 shows in all, in support of our debut album Collider. The record itself is coming out on local imprint Sonic Masala Records on 3 Mar. I’m very proud of it. Roku Music play Tym Guitars on 8 Mar, The Time Machine, Nambour on 16 Mar, Tatts Hotel, Lismore on 20 Mar, The Hi-Fi on 2 Apr and The Underdog on 19 Apr. Photo by TERRY SOO. THE MUSIC • 5TH MARCH 2014 • 35
eat/drink
EXPERIMENTAL TOAST Not your typical toast toppings – because sometimes butter and jam just doesn’t cut it. Photos by Holly Engelhardt.
AVOCADO + VEGEMITE Can’t get much more bloody Aussie than this, mate. A national fave, the creamy avo balances out the saltiness of the Vegemite.
HUMMUS + TOMATO + SALT AND PEPPER You now have a legitimate excuse to eat hummus for breakfast. This is probably one of the heathier variations.
MASCARPONE/CREAM CHEESE + FRUIT Strawberries, kiwi fruit, apples... Whatever you like. Sweet (cheese) dreams are made of these.
PEANUT BUTTER + SWEET CHILLI SAUCE Basically a really lazy version of satay sauce. Good for those who love peanut butter but want to branch out.
BALSAMIC VINEGAR + OLIVE OIL It’s like a fancy bread entree at a French restaurant. Almost. Add strawberries if you want a hint of sweetness.
TUNA + EGG Works best with flavoured tuna (eg. tuna in tomato or savoury sauce or with salsa/curry). Fry, boil or poach your egg. Hearty. Might want to pop a breath mint afterwards, though.
BACON + BANANA + HONEY/MAPLE SYRUP American pancakes-style. Or epic French toast-style. This one is strictly an ‘occasional’ or ‘treat yourself ’ topping.
SAUSAGE + MAYO Spread the mayo like a butter, and top with slices of sausage. For best results, try using white bread, hot dog or frankfurt sausages, and kewpie mayo – like a cheapo BreadTop bun.
The
PLOUGH INN
Monday Ribs, Rumps & T-Bone ALL $24 Tuesday Ribs, Rumps & T-Bone ALL $24 Wednesday Food Specials | Live Band Thursday 1kg Mussels $20 | Live Band Friday Live Band | Drink Specials Saturday Live Bands All day Sunday Live Band | Sunday Jugs 18+ Arbour Bar Now Open Wed-Sun THE PLOUGH INN | www.ploughinn.com.au
36 • THE MUSIC • 5TH MARCH 2014
eat/drink DRINK UP
Answered by: Jo Ayers What’s your bar’s specialty drink? Lychee & Espresso Martinis, Caiprioskas, Mojitos, Old Fashioned. What drink turns you off? Tequila shots.
COOLANGATTA SANDS HOTEL
Cnr Griffith & McLean Sts, Coolangatta taphouse.com.au
What makes your bar different? We have a variety of options available: Sand Bar is a stylish lounge with drinking den, a music policy of funk, soul, breaks and beats, and surfing collectors’ items from legends such as MP and Joe Larkin adorning
the walls. We have an award-winning gaming room, bistro, public bar and TAB.
BREADY TO EAT
Who will I meet at your bar? Young professionals, surf locals, international backpackers, chicas drinking cocktails at amazing prices! What’s the design/ atmosphere of your bar? Stylish lounge bar playing old school tunes to shake your tail feather to. Best hangover cure? Head massage, 2 x alka seltzer and hair of the dog!
Some alternatives to your regular white/wholemeal/ grain choices: Brioche Popular for French toast and burgers, brioche isn’t particularly good for you but damn, it’s delicious. Olive bread
CHECK OUT KARMA COLA ORGANIC SOFT DRINKS Fairtrade, certified organic, GE-free – this is as good for you as a fizzy drink can be. But the most important thing remains: they taste top-notch. With flavours like Gingerella Ginger Ale (ginger, lemon, vanilla bean, sugar and spice – it’s got a kick to it), Lemmy Lemonade (lemons with a dash of grapefruit and other citrus, sweetened with organic sugar – for those who like song tang and zing) and their original Karma Cola (made with real cola nut and Fairtrade organic cane sugar), these drinks are refreshing and ethical. karmacola.com.au
Sometimes you can even get it with cheese. Tastes great toasted or not, with a bit of butter or dipped in olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Pumpkin bread Spiced with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves, and tastes even better with some cream cheese. Cornbread Made from cornmeal, goes with everything from chilli con carne, smoked salmon, eggs, soup and stews.
EATIN’ OUT
CHAPTER TWO ESPRESSO 420 George St, Brisbane chaptertwoespresso. com.au Answered by: Alen Beganovic What’s the design/ atmosphere of your cafe? Rustic meets corporate. Who is serving/cooking and what makes them special? Rose Newberry, our chef, has recently returned to Brisbane after stints in London
and from two years of working on a permaculture farm in Mudgee NSW. She is passionate about fresh, ethical food and a healthy lifestyle. What breakfast meal is the best hangover cure? Anything with bacon. Where do you eat out? Kettle and Tin in Paddington, Greek at Leftkas in West End and Cirque in New Farm
is always a pleasure. What is an ingredient you couldn’t live without? Australian extra virgin olive oil because fresh is best. And good quality salt. What’s the best way to have eggs? Pastured and softly poached.
If you have a “Big Breakfast” what is on the plate? The usual suspects: eggs, sourdough, free range bacon, snags, fresh tomato, garlic, mushrooms, greens to make me feel better about it and some kind of relish or chutney. THE MUSIC • 5TH MARCH 2014 • 37
the guide qld.live@themusic.com.au
FRONTLASH
TOURING THIS WEEK
KICK OFF!
The 2014 NRL season gets underway this Thursday, and with some fresh faces in the Broncos line-up there’s plenty to be excited about. Get behind the boys!
CAN’T KEEP US DOWN The Riverwalk replacement project is coming along swimmingly well east of the Story Bridge. It’s great to see our city continue to move forwards after the flood devastation of 2011.
BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL
LADIES OF THE NIGHT
HELLO THERE
Melbourne six-piece The Harlots pride themselves on being one of the bands that you owe your attention to; their tunes are infectious and interesting. Catch ém at Beach Hotel, Byron Bay, Thursday and The Joynt, Friday.
Cheated Hearts is throwing a monster bash for the official Big Gay Day afterparty on Sunday at Oh Hello! GG Magree, pictured, Charlie Hustle, Dimestore Diamonds, The Gatling Gun and Cvlt Teens blast it out.
CARIBBEAN RHYTHM
READY TO RUMBLE
Explore the Afro-Caribbean sounds, tropical rhythms and funky Latin vibe of Frente Cumbiero & La Chiva Gantiva when they make their way here for the first time, playing the State Library Of Queensland on Thursday and Friday.
Brisbane troubadours Jimmy Watts and Cameron Milford will put their bands head-to-head in a folk-tinged, Americana, roots and alt-country orgy of songwriting in the gritty gym which is the Dowse Bar on Sunday. $10 from 4pm.
YOUNG AND RESTLESS
PLASTIC FANTASTIC
Local hip hop talent Moka Young is taking time out from the studio to play the Red Bull Quicksilver Pro party at Coolangatta Hotel, 9 Mar. Joining him are Cutloose, Purple Sneakers DJs and DJ Fletcher.
Time travellers Some Jerks, The Buzzrays, pictured, and The Plastic Fangs will take punters through ‘60s girl pop, psych and surf-rock in just one night. These three acts are on the bill at The Hideaway on Saturday.
We’ve had our first listens to DZ Deathrays’ new record Black Rat and we can safely say you are not prepared for this. Amazing stuff from the all-conquering Brissie duo.
DZ DEATHRAYS: NEXT LEVEL LOCALS
BACKLASH WE CARE A LOT...
Since when do we give two shits about Instagram photos of billionaire kids? It’s voyeuristic in the saddest possible way...
DIDN’T TAKE LONG Russia was on its best behaviour before and during the Winter Olympics, but now that it’s over they could barely deploy their troops quick enough.
A LITTLE RESPECT A band travels around the world to smash out an awesome festival set and you’ve got your back to the stage talking? If you don’t know and/or care about the music, get off the D-floor.
THIS WEEK’S RELEASES… CALLING ALL CARS Raise The People Cooking Vinyl MIKHAEL PASKALEV What’s Life Without Losers Dew Process/Universal BURIED IN VERONA Faceless UNFD DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS English Oceans ATO/[PIAS] Australia
FOR MORE HEAD TO THEMUSIC.COM.AU 38 • THE MUSIC • 5TH MARCH 2014
the guide qld.live@themusic.com.au
FUTURE SOUNDS
WASTED YOUTH
BUST A MOVE
Indie-poppers Youth Allowance bring their single Intent to Southside Tea Room for a headline show on 15 Mar, with support from Oyster Sauce, following their slot at the Audio Collective Pool Party, Coniston Lane, 14 Mar.
As the world of electronic music continues to move away from the dry, minimal sound, Move D’s warm, deep past looks prescient. Deep house and ambient is his modus operandi, and you can hear his chill sounds at Capulet Bar, 15 Mar.
SOARING HIGH
SOCIALIST PARTY
In the mid-’90s – when the new wave of punk-rock broke into the mainstream – if you were a punk fan in Queensland, you listened to Astroboi. The seminal act make a welcome return to Kings Beach Tavern, Caloundra, 22 Mar.
Melbourne five-piece The Trotskies are heading up the east coast to give fans a taste of their debut EP. Following the release of their debut self-titled EP, the guys have honed their sound and will let it all out at The Loft, Gold Coast, 27 Mar.
EP FOCUS
THE FIXATORS
SMOKIN’ MIRRORS
Name: Tim Clark
Name: Emmy Mack
EP Title? Colourblind
EP Title: Set To Ignite
How many releases do you have now? We have two releases, the first EP being Wide Awake, released February ‘13 and our upcoming EP, Colourblind.
How many releases do you have now? This is our first musical ejaculation but we’ve got plenty more loads left in us.
Was anything in particular inspiring you during the making? There was a lot of influential music jumping around our heads during the making of this, the main band being Foals. However, the EP gets rather experimental with some indie/pop thrown in!
Was anything in particular inspiring you during the making? A mutual love of high energy, melodic, guitardriven, hard-riffin’ rock music... and a passionate dissatisfaction with the homogenous throng of neutered jar-blowing, tambourine-jangling, reverb-soaked, mandolintoting, flower-sniffing, watered-down indie tunes currently saturating the Aussie airwaves.
What’s your favourite song on it? If we had to choose, we’d say Sunday because of its fun indie-rock groove, and its energy at live shows. We’ll like this EP if we like... If you enjoy Foals, Bloc Party, Coldplay or just copious amounts of recreational drugs, you will like our music. The Fixators play Ric’s Bar on 6 Mar.
MAYDAY, MAYDAY!
SOUND LAB
Brisbane rockers Guards Of May are keeping the momentum rolling from their previous single release with a brand new track and east coast tour, playing a home show at New Globe Theatre on 4 Apr and Miami Shark Bar, Gold Coast on 5 Apr.
Dots+Loops is a new concert series bridging the gap from the concert hall to the dance floor. It’s sure to take the sting out of both. Nonsemble, pictured, Armas Quartet and Airport kick off show number one at SYC Studios on 22 Mar.
EP FOCUS
What’s your favourite song on it? We’re most proud of State of the Mind... But Not In My Way is the most fun to play live! We’ll like this EP if we like... Partaking in the art of air guitar. Getting sweaty in a mosh. Vigorous headbanging. Sweet distortion. Monstrous riffage. Less cocks than your average rock band, but with way more balls. Smokin’ Mirrors play Ric’s Bar on 6 Mar and Miami Shark Bar, Gold Coast on 7 Mar.
FOR MORE HEAD TO THEMUSIC.COM.AU THE MUSIC • 5TH MARCH 2014 • 39
the guide qld.live@themusic.com.au
BRISBANE BOUND
SINGLE FOCUS
FUTURE SOUNDS
ALITHIA
DAN SULTAN
COLD CASE
SNIFF IT OUT
Name: Danny Tron
Single title: The Last Man
Home ground: Melbourne
What’s the song about? Being accepted for what you are and that you should never change just for the sake of keeping someone happy.
Tasmania’s Christopher Coleman Collective play Dowse Bar on 10 Apr, bringing folk tracks from their debut self-titled album to the folks of Queensland after successful runs at the likes of Falls and Cygnet Folk Festivals.
2013 saw Brisbane punk trio Release The Hounds release their second EP This Town out of their basement, and the guys are still on an indie roll from it. They launch single number two at Crowbar, 28 Mar and the 4ZZZ car park, 29 Mar.
ONE-WAY TICKET
ON CLOUD NINE
Mzaza are putting on a world music showcase with friends The Underscore Orkestra at The Bearded Lady, 13 Mar. Both outfits are an intriguing mix of ancestral influences, from Turkish, Spanish, Balkan and Moroccan.
The unique musicianship of Rory McLeod will be in full flight at Bangalow Bowls Club, 28 Mar. Expect a host of instruments and styles including gypsy, blues and Latin, plus spoons and tap shoes for percussion.
Describe your style as succinctly as possible: Astral spacecore. Is this your first foray to Brisbane? If not how many times have you performed in our midst? This is our fourth time performing in Brisbane. Please relate your impressions of performing in our fair city: Wild mental punters who know how to smash a beer and get astral! What can we expect different this time around? We are releasing our album To The Edge Of Time. Has anything exciting been happening in your world of late? We have just confirmed a European and Russian tour for April/May this year! What will you be taking home as a souvenir? Exotic spirits. Alithia play Beetle Bar on 7 Mar.
How long did it take to write/ record? The song was demo’d with Pip Norman from TZU – took a day to write, and then two days to record in Nashville! Is this track from a forthcoming release/existing release? Yes, from my album Blackbird which is out on 4 Apr. What was inspiring you during the songs writing and recording? Frustration in the first instance, and then being able to get through to the person I wanted to get through to. We’ll like this song if we like... Psycho-rock tinged with crazy banjo played by a Russian hillbilly – I kid you not! Do you play it differently live? Going to try and keep it as close to the recording but might be hard getting that crazy banjo sound. You wouldn’t know any Russian hillbillies would you? Dan Sultan plays at The Zoo on 8 Mar.
40 • THE MUSIC • 5TH MARCH 2014
TIMELESS PERFECTION Repeatedly voted as one of the best rock albums of all time, Led Zeppelin IV has continued to become a part of every music lover’s collection in the 42 years since its release. See four awesome local musos recreate it 15 Mar at The Basement, Gold Coast Arts Centre.
CAFÉ - BAR
321 BRUNSWICK STREET MALL, FORTITUDE VALLEY
5TH LE PARTI SOUL W/ DJ REDBEARD (8:00PM TILL LATE) + DANE ADAMO (10:00PM) +GUESTS (9:00PM) 6TH STUDENT NIGHT: THE FIXATORS (10:30PM) + SMOKIN MIRRORS (9:30PM) 7TH DECEMBER NINE (9:00PM) + GUESTS (8:00PM) 8TH SLOW RIOT (9:00PM) + (8:00PM) 9TH EXPOSED #6 HEAT 6 THE GRILLS (7:00PM) HOUSES (7:45PM) THE MEDICINE SHOW (8:30PM) MARS ATTACKS (9:15PM) 10TH HOSPO NIGHT: WILLIAM WYATT (8:30PM) + (9:30PM) 11TH TBC
FREE LIVE MUSIC AND INDIE DJS WANT TO PLAY? EMAIL BOOKINGS@RICSBAR.COM.AU
WWW.RICSBAR.COM.AU
THE MUSIC • 5TH MARCH 2014 • 41
opinion QMUSIC NEWS
ADAMANTIUM WOLF
OG FLAVAS
QMUSIC NEWS HOOK UP SOME NEW CONNECTIONS The QMusic Hook Up Sessions are a chance to get up close and personal with a diverse range of music industry movers and shakers. Two sessions will be held in March: ‘Sound’ (18 Mar) Hook Up with local studio owners, engineers and producers, and ‘Funding Your Music’ (25 Mar) Hook Up with writers, publishers and crowdfunding experts. Info and bookings via qmusic.com.au.
METAL, HARDCORE AND PUNK WITH LOCHLAN WATT
URBAN AND R’N’B NEWS WITH CYCLONE
SUCCESSFUL APPLEWOOD ARTISTS ANNOUNCED APRA | AMCOS, Applewood Lane and QMusic are thrilled to announce the successful participants in the inaugural Indigenous Songs Of Applewood songwriting retreat. Catherine Satour (Alice Springs), Andrew Walker (Darwin), Luke Thomas (Townsville), Dukebox (Inverell) and Nicolas Wymarra (Cairns) will all be flown to Brisbane to partake in four days of songwriting and collaboration, with the opportunity to record with ARIA Awardwinning producer, Magoo. AMERICANA SHOWCASE SUBMISSIONS NOW OPEN Showcase submissions for the 2014 Americana Music Festival and Conference in Nashville, Texas, and will be accepted through to 28 Mar. Selected artists will showcase during the Americana Music Festival and Conference, 17 – 20 Sep. For more info on how to submit visit americanamusic.org. WANT TO KNOW MORE OR BECOME A QMUSIC MEMBER? For these stories, memberships and more, go to qmusic.com.au.
42 • THE MUSIC • 5TH MARCH 2014
THY ART IS MURDER
The first week of ‘Soundwave time’, or ‘heavy music festivus’ as I like to call it, has been an absolute blast. There really is nothing else like it. I’ve seen bits and pieces and occasionally even full sets from Amon Amarth, Hacktivist, August Burns Red, Five Finger Death Punch, The Black Dahlia Murder, Volbeat, Thy Art Is Murder (yes, I was present at the nowinfamous and very overblown stage invasion incident), A Day To Remember, Suicide Silence, Korn, Jimmy Eat World, Down, Devil You Know, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Avenged Sevenfold and probably a couple that I have forgotten. I’ve interviewed a bunch of the aforementioned, passed countless band dudes in the streets of both Brisbane and Melbourne, and drank in bars surrounded by members of Trash Talk and Terror, as well as Mastodon, Gojira and Baroness… By the time you have read this the wonderful Tony Abbott will have had his head bloodily and gloriously removed by Gwar at least seven times. The members of the Australians For Constitutional Monarchy have really got their knickers in a twist about that one! With that plus the Thy Art Is Murder incident, I don’t think heavy music has had this much attention in the mainstream media since like… Marilyn Manson was blamed for the Columbine shootings? My mother even told me that she heard on a local radio station that Thy Art Is Murder had actually “set fire” to the stage at Soundwave – what a load! The mainstream loves to pounce on us from their angle of maligned misunderstanding
when they have the chance… enjoy it while it lasts. Making sure we’re still spoiled for choice post-Soundwave, the annual Break The Ice line-up was announced last week and it’s absolutely insane. Happening in Melbourne on 10 & 11 May at the Lilydale Showgrounds, it has some amazing hardcore/ metalcore bands from all over the USA and Australia appearing. We’ve got Ringworm (USA), Misery Signals (USA), Mindsnare, Foundation (USA), Twitching Tongues (USA), Disgrace (USA), Iron Mind, I Exist, Endless Heights, Warbrain, Shackles, Blkout, Outright, Starvation, Legions, Colossus, Mood Swing, Manhunt, Downside and Born Free. Absolutely massive! This also means that we can expect tour announcements from all of the international bands (with the exception of Disgrace) in the very near future. So Morbid Angel have just announced that their 20th anniversary tour for their classic Covenant album will be making its way Down Under in April! The death metal visionaries (sans two original members) will perform three shows only on 22 Apr, The Hi-Fi, Brisbane; 23 Apr, The Hi-Fi, Melbourne; and 24 Apr, Metro Theatre, Sydney. The full line-up for Northlane’s Free Your Mind tour that has been gradually drip-fed to us has now been published in full. It features Thy Art Is Murder, US groups Veil Of Maya and Volumes, as well as Make Them Suffer. And Propagandhi tickets went on sale last week, with the hyper-political shred punks here for a massive ten shows across May and June. Fuck the border!
Do stadiums work for rappers? Marshall “Eminem” Mathers has twice toured monster venues in Australia, with 2014’s Rapture show (and setlist) close to 2011’s sold-out blockbuster. The Detroiter was joined by a host of impressive supports, including Kendrick Lamar (who, coincidentally, raps over Tame Impala’s Feels Like We Only Go Backwards for the upcoming Divergent soundtrack). But, since he’s the drawcard, finances for opening acts should be redirected into his own production. Mathers, inherently blue-collar, will never have the outlandish stage show of Kanye West, but he might overcome his apparent disdain for gimmickry (early on Shady did use that mask and chainsaw as props). Mathers was accompanied by a rock band, and homies Mr Porter and Royce Da 5’9”, but it’s a bit meh. The Rap God also stuck to his policy of performing only snatches of classics like Stan. Mathers’ tour merch was diverting in itself. He’s actually flogging Miley-style foam fingers. More than any other Detroit MC (Big Sean, Danny Brown, Angel Haze), Mathers has subsumed the broken city into his mythos – and branding. His childhood home, last depicted on the cover of 2013’s comeback The Marshall Mathers LP 2, was recently burnt (arson is a popular local recreation). Nonetheless, it’s immortalised on those key rings. Mathers also lately released MMLP2’s fifth single, Headlights, featuring fun.’s Nate Ruess. Directed to his estranged mom, it’s among his most eloquent. Life’s good. @therealcyclone
EMINEM
the guide qld.gigguide@themusic.com.au The Cover Up + Nathan Bruen Duo: Royal Exchange Hotel, Toowong
THE MUSIC PRESENTS The Growlers: Black Bear Lodge 5 Mar, Coolangatta Hotel 6 Mar Bleach* Festival: Gold Coast 7-23 Mar Caravãna Sun: Solbar 7 Mar, Cafe Le Monde 8 Mar A Festival Called Panama: Tasmania 8-9 Mar Billy Bragg: The Tivoli 20 Mar Caspian: The Tempo Hotel 20 Mar Melbourne Ska Orchestra: The Hi-Fi 21 Mar Absu: Crowbar 23 Mar Calling All Cars: Beach Hotel 28 Mar, The Zoo 29 Mar, Solbar 30 Mar The Jungle Giants: Rics Big Backyard 29 Mar, Alhambra Lounge 30 Mar (U18) Monster Magnet: The Hi-Fi 5 Apr Loon Lake: The Zoo 5 Apr Sally Seltmann: Black Bear Lodge 10 Apr Steve Earle & The Dukes: The Tivoli 15 Apr Suzanne Vega: Brisbane Powerhouse 15 Apr Allen Stone: The Zoo 16 Apr The Wailers: The Tivoli 16 Apr
WED 05
Karaoke: Alexandra Headlands Hotel, Alexandra Headlands The Growlers + Tomorrows Tulips + The Kramers: Black Bear Lodge, Fortitude Valley Darren J Ray: Caloundra RSL, Caloundra Karaoke: Captain Cook Tavern, Kippa-Ring Down To Nothing + Piece By Piece + Relentless: Crowbar, Fortitude Valley Eric Robinson + James Laubscher + more: Dowse Bar (Iceworks), Paddington
Jake Bugg: The Hi-Fi 23 Apr Ozomatli: The Zoo 23 Apr
Groovin’ The Moo: Townsville 4 May
Neil Duddy: Logan Diggers Club, Logan Central
The Jezabels: The Tivoli 6 May Arctic Monkeys: BEC 7 May
Ballad Boy: Loving Hut, Mount Gravatt
Ella Hooper: Black Bear Lodge 15 May, SoundLounge 16 May, Star Court Theatre 17 May
Underground Sounds Open Mic Night feat. various artists: Mick O’Malley’s, Brisbane
Northlane: The Hi-Fi 22 May
Neil Finn + Joshua James: Nambour Civic Centre, Nambour
Frente!: Star Court Theatre 27 Jun, Brisbane Powerhouse 28 Jun The Beards: The Spotted Cow 2 Jul, SoundLounge 3 Jul, The Tivoli 4 Jul, Solbar 5 Jul, The Northern 6 Jul
Neko Case + Darren Hanlon: The Hi-Fi, West End Open Mic Night feat. various artists: The Loft, Chevron Island Rockaoke+ feat. various artists: The Tempo Hotel, Fortitude Valley Thank God It’s Wednesday feat. Far From Paris + The Name Of The Ghost + First Sight + Heartwell: The Underdog, Fortitude Valley Everlast + The Lyrical: The Zoo, Fortitude Valley
THU 06
Rabbit + LSD Ratkings + Faux Bandit: Beetle Bar, Brisbane Eves + Jesse Davidson + Jordan Leser: Black Bear Lodge, Fortitude Valley Justice Crew + Jai Waetford: Brisbane City Hall, Brisbane Jazz Singers Jam Night feat. various artists: Brisbane Jazz Club, Kangaroo Point
DJ Indy Andy + Jeff Carter: Royal Exchange Hotel (Beer Garden), Toowong
Karaoke: Brunswick Hotel, New Farm
Jam Night Wednesdays feat. various: The Boundary Hotel, West End
Tuffy: Hamilton Hotel (Public Bar), Hamilton Jabba: Irish Murphy’s, Brisbane
Le Parti Soul feat. Dane Adamo + DJ Redbeard: Ric’s (downstairs), Fortitude Valley
Open Mic Night feat. various artists: Solbar, Maroochydore
GIG OF THE WEEK YO LA TENGO: 11 MAR, THE ZOO
Stonefield: Oh Hello! 24 Apr, Beach Hotel 25 Apr, One Way Street Party 26 Apr
Open Mic Night with Mak: Bay Central Tavern, Pialba
Raw Comedy feat. Damien Power: Sit Down Comedy Club, Brisbane
Caravana Sun + La Mont + The Perries + Ash Ogilvie: Solbar, Maroochydore
India.Arie & Joss Stone: The Tivoli 20 Apr
Raw Comedy Gold Coast Heat feat. Bart Freebairn: Jupiters, Broadbeach
DJ Simon Says: Royal Exchange Hotel (Public Bar), Toowong
Daniel Townes + Damien Power + Ting Lim + Bart Freebairn: Sit Down Comedy Club, Brisbane
KC & The Sunshine Band: The Tivoli 19 Apr
Karaoke: Alderley Arms Hotel, Alderley
Love-Song-Circus feat. Katie Noonan + Circa: QPAC (Cremorne Theatre), Southbank
Richie Williams Duo: Saltbar, South Kingscliff
Byron Bay Bluesfest 2014: Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm 17-21 Apr
Locky: Irish Murphy’s, Brisbane
O’Malley’s Originals feat. various artists: Mick O’Malley’s, Brisbane
John Malcolm: Royal Mail Hotel, Goodna
Cloud Control: Brunswick Hotel 16 Apr, Beach Hotel 16 Apr, Story Bridge Hotel 12 Apr, Paddington Tavern 13 Apr, Komune 13 Apr, Noosa Heads SLSC 17 Apr, Solbar 17 Apr, Jubilee Hotel 19 Apr, Boardwalk Tavern 19 Apr, Coolangatta Hotel 20 Apr,
The Growlers + Tomorrows Tulips + Tsun: Coolangatta Hotel, Coolangatta Snitch feat. Let’s Jump Ship + Hey Denise + Take To The Skies + Harlequin: Electric Playground, Fortitude Valley The Holidays + The Cairos: Elsewhere, Surfers Paradise Karaoke: Forest Lake Tavern, Forest Lake
The Hummin Quartet: Lock ‘n’ Load Bistro, West End
DJ Dan A: Noosa Reef Hotel, Noosa Heads Lior: Old Museum, Bowen Hills Karaoke: Pacific Pines, Pacific Pines Love-Song-Circus feat. Katie Noonan + Circa: QPAC (Cremorne Theatre), Southbank The Fixators + Smokin Mirrors + DJ Valdis: Ric’s (downstairs), Fortitude Valley
Tales In Space + Blonde on Blonde + Pierce Brothers: Alhambra Lounge, Fortitude Valley
Frente Cumbiero + La Chiva Gantiva + more: State Library Of Queensland, South Bank
Forever Road: Beenleigh Sports Club, Beenleigh
Quenel Mott: Story Bridge Hotel (The Corner Bar), Kangaroo Point
Alithia + Balloons Kill Babies + Alpha Omega + Charlie Fingers: Beetle Bar, Brisbane
DJ Ritchie: Story Bridge Hotel (Shelter Bar), Kangaroo Point
Various artists: Blue Pacific Hotel, Woorim Plagiarhythm: Brisbane Brewhouse, Woolloongabba Bruno Mars + Miguel: Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Boondall Various artists: Burleigh Heads Hotel, Burleigh Heads GSync: Caloundra Hotel, Caloundra Various DJs: Capalaba Tavern (Sports Bar/10pm), Capalaba Styli$$h: Captain Cook Tavern, Kippa-Ring Evil Eye + Lavidius + Blood Gin + The Confederacy + more: Chardons Corner Hotel, Annerley
Daniel Townes + Damien Power + Ting Lim + Bart Freebairn: Sit Down Comedy Club, Brisbane
Frenzal Rhomb + special guests: Coolangatta Hotel, Coolangatta
Alex Bielby: Taps Australia, Mooloolaba Boundary Blues feat. Quinn Band: The Boundary Hotel, West End We All Want To: The End, West End Flying Lotus: The Hi-Fi, West End Julia & The Deep Sea Sirens: The Joynt, South Brisbane The Bellows + Teigan Le Plastrier + The Shorefires + Jessie Ryan-Allen + Mentally Twins: The Loft, Chevron Island Renae Suttie + Sean Flynn + OJ Newcomb: The Piano Bar, Maroochydore The Music Kitchen feat. Jacob Laube + Pyre & Ice + Underwood Mayne + Nila Bonda + Jade Haven: The Tempo Hotel, Fortitude Valley Jason Castle: The Underdog (Public Bar), Fortitude Valley Tyrone Noonan: Twin Towns, Tweed Heads
FRI 07
DJ Indy Andy: Albany Creek Tavern (The Creek Bar), Albany Creek
Rewind: The Aretha Franklin Songbook with Christine Anu: Southport RSL, Southport
Karaoke: Anglers Arms Hotel, Southport
Karaoke: Royal Exchange Hotel, Toowong
Everlast + The Lyrical: Solbar, Maroochydore
Bleach Festival feat.Elizabeth Rose + The Trouble With Templeton + Hey Geronimo: Soundlounge, Currumbin
Coolum Unplugged feat. various artists: Coolum Hotel, Coolum Softwar + Tim Fuchs + Audun: Elsewhere, Surfers Paradise Vote For Pedro: Hamilton Hotel (Public Bar), Hamilton Rob Longstaff: Imperial Hotel (Green Room), Eumundi Jabba + B-Rad: Irish Murphy’s, Brisbane Motion DJs: Irish Murphy’s (upstairs), Brisbane Quorum Consensus: Lock ‘n’ Load Bistro, West End One Sound: Logan Diggers Club, Logan Central Strings For Ammo + Locky: Mick O’Malley’s, Brisbane The Good Ship + The Harry Heart Chrysalis + Sissy Bones: New Globe Theatre, Fortitude Valley Jakarta Criers + Columbia Buffet: Oh Hello!, Fortitude Valley Jeremy Neale + El Terriblae: Oxford 152, Bulimba Love-Song-Circus feat. Katie Noonan + Circa: QPAC (Cremorne Theatre), Southbank Neil Finn + Joshua James: QPAC Concert Hall, South Bank DJ Valdis: Ric’s (downstairs), Fortitude Valley DJ Ryan: Ric’s (upstairs), Fortitude Valley
Rockaoke feat. various artists: Sunnybank Hotel, Sunnybank Lauren Valentine Duo: Taps Australia, Mooloolaba Comedy In The Basement with Steady Eddy: The Arts Centre Gold Coast (Basement), Surfers Paradise DJ Gulliver: The Bearded Lady, West End Live Music In The Beer Garden feat. various: The Boundary Hotel, West End Public Enemy + Citizen Kay + Impossible Odds: The Hi-Fi, West End Songwriters Circle with Ella Fence + Kate Leopold + David Aurora + Jorja May + Katie Who: The Loft, Chevron Island Pocketlove: The Press Club, Fortitude Valley Lucky 13: The Tempo Hotel, Fortitude Valley Let’s Get Minimal feat. various DJs: The Tempo Hotel (Bowler Bar), Fortitude Valley Deputy Dipshit + Drouser + Goon On The Rocks: The Underdog, Fortitude Valley Ted Danson With Wolves + Seahorse Divorce + Cured Pink + Tape/Off: The Waiting Room, West End The Holidays + The Cairos + Govs: The Zoo, Fortitude Valley Tyrone Noonan: Twin Towns, Tweed Heads Karaoke: Warner Tavern, Warner Outlaw: Wilsonton Hotel, Toowoomba DJ Jarrd + DJ Blitz: Wynnum Tavern, Wynnum West
SAT 08
Cookie Jar feat. various artists: 633 Ann, Fortitude Valley Alive: The Pearl Jam Show: Albany Creek Tavern, Albany Creek Jazz Saturdays feat. various artists: Albion Hotel, Albion Elizabeth Rose + Safia + Fishing: Alhambra Lounge, Fortitude Valley
1000S OF GIGS AT YOUR FINGERTIPS. FOR MORE HEAD TO THEMUSIC.COM.AU THE MUSIC • 5TH MARCH 2014 • 43
the guide qld.gigguide@themusic.com.au
SUN 09
Forever Road: Beerwah Hotel, Beerwah LeSuits + Go Van Go + Rise Overrun + The Bumbacluts: Beetle Bar, Brisbane Various DJs: Black Bear Lodge, Fortitude Valley Mankunion: Breakfast Creek Hotel, Breakfast Creek Vintage Rock Box: Brisbane Brewhouse, Woolloongabba
JAKARTA CRIERS: 7 MAR, OH HELLO!
Daniel O’Donnell + Mary Duff: Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, South Bank Recharge DJs: Caloundra Hotel, Caloundra
Motion DJs: Irish Murphy’s (upstairs), Brisbane
Thriller feat. a secret headliner + The Lane Cove + Daybreakers + Earth Collides: Coniston Lane, Fortitude Valley
Ramjet + Ger Fennelly: Mick O’Malley’s, Brisbane
Mat McHugh + The Coconut Ruffs: Coolangatta Hotel, Coolangatta Collision feat. The Matador + Bay Harbour + Revelations + Enfield + Far From Paris + Bitter Lungs + more: Crowbar (5pm), Fortitude Valley Settling: Eat Street Markets, Hamilton
Ted Danson With Wolves: Grand Central Hotel, Brisbane Stewart Fairhurst + Brooksy & Co: Hamilton Hotel (Public Bar), Hamilton
Berst + Locky: Irish Murphy’s, Brisbane
We All Want To: The Scratch, Milton
Phil Smith + Megan Cooper: Old Museum, Bowen Hills
The Holidays + The Cairos: The Spotted Cow, Toowoomba
Love-Song-Circus feat. Katie Noonan + Circa: QPAC (Cremorne Theatre), Southbank
Sleepy Circus + Old Fashion + The Reversals + Zoophonic Blonde: The Tempo Hotel, Fortitude Valley
Hat Fitz & Cara: Royal Mail Hotel (12.30pm), Goodna The Good Ship: Royal Mail Hotel, Goodna Daniel Townes + Damien Power + Ting Lim + Bart Freebairn: Sit Down Comedy Club, Brisbane
Cassian + Giv: Elsewhere, Surfers Paradise
Jimmy Mac: Imperial Hotel, Eumundi
Jakarta Criers + Real Talks + Alaska Homer: The Loft, Chevron Island
Nina Las Vegas + LDRU + Indian Summer + Tkay Maidza: The Tempo Hotel (Bowler Bar), Fortitude Valley Melnicks: The Underdog, Fortitude Valley
Pierce Brothers + Tales In Space + Blonde on Blonde: Solbar, Maroochydore
Hanger feat. Shem Allen + Cowper + Amela: The Waiting Room, West End
Joel Bourke: The Bearded Lady, West End
Dan Sultan + The Medics + Bandito Folk: The Zoo, Fortitude Valley
Frenzal Rhomb: The Hi-Fi, West End Some Jerks + The Buzzrays + more: The Hideaway, Fortitude Valley
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MUSICIANS WANTED DRUMMER
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44 • THE MUSIC • 5TH MARCH 2014
FUNK DRUMMER NEEDED!!!
INCREMENTAL RECORDS
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The Royale Late Night feat. Sessionkatz + Stretch Paper Cranes: Elsewhere, Surfers Paradise Wasabi + Ragdoll + Mick McHugh: Irish Murphy’s, Brisbane Strings For Ammo + Ger Fennelly: Mick O’Malley’s, Brisbane Cheated Hearts Big Gay Day After Party with GG Magree + Charlie Hustle + Dimestore Diamonds + more: Oh Hello!, Fortitude Valley Exposed #6: Heat 6 feat. The Grills + Houses + The Medicine Show + Mars Attacks: Ric’s, Fortitude Valley
Brisbane instrumental band: Immigrant is currently auditioning funk/rock drummers to replace a previous band member who has moved over seas. The band is in the process of finishing an album (songs already completed) and starting to gig in and around Brisbane. The successful drummer will have their own transport and a love for finding the groove! Samples of Immigrant’s music can be found at: www.reverbnation. com/immigrant If interested, please contact Richard (bassist) on 0409 821 829 (richardgwdurocher@gmail.com) Ad ID: 4-13646
St Patrick’s Day Festivities feat. various artists: Mick O’Malley’s, Brisbane
TUE 11
Wendy Rule: Bleeding Heart, Brisbane
Woody Lives Here: Irish Murphy’s, Brisbane The Bug feat. Fiddlesque + Sadie & Jay: New Farm Bowls Club, New Farm Sit Down Comedy Club feat. various comedians: Oxford 152, Bulimba Mark Sheils: Samford Valley Hotel, Samford Valley
Bart Thrupp: Solbar (2pm), Maroochydore
Dewayne Everettsmith: The Arts Centre Gold Coast, Surfers Paradise
Magenta Voyeur + The Jensens: The Bearded Lady, West End
Liam Gerner: The Scratch, Milton
The Sunday RnR BBQ feat. The Dirty F Holes + Heavy Roller + Mesa Cosa + Eat City + People Of Earth: The Underdog, Fortitude Valley
Jam It Together feat. various artists: The Tempo Hotel, Fortitude Valley
Tyrone Noonan: Twin Towns, Tweed Heads
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Rob Hackwood Duo: Irish Murphy’s, Brisbane
Roku Music: Tym Guitars (in-store), Fortitude Valley
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Cameron Milford + The Jimmy Watts Band: Dowse Bar (Iceworks), Paddington
Tyrone Noonan: Twin Towns, Tweed Heads
classies.themusic.com.au MUSIC SERVICES
Lionel Richie + John Farnham: Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Boondall
Big Gay Day 2014 feat. Boy George + Freemasons + Luciana + Cazwells + more: The Wickham Hotel, Fortitude Valley
classies
MON 10
Moka Young + Cutloose + Purple Sneakers DJs + DJ Fletch: Coolangatta Hotel, Coolangatta
Yo La Tengo + Keep On Dancin’s: The Zoo, Fortitude Valley
tour guide qld.gigguide@themusic.com.au
INTERNATIONAL
Ball Park Music, Papa Vs Pretty: Coolangatta Hotel 10 Apr, The Tivoli 11 Apr, The Northern 12 Apr, Alhambra Lounge 13 Apr (U18)
Neko Case: The Hi-Fi 5 Mar The Growlers: Black Bear Lodge 5 Mar, Coolangatta Hotel 6 Mar
Yacht Club DJs: Elsewhere 11 Apr, Oh Hello! 12 Apr, Beach Hotel 13 Apr
Everlast: The Zoo 5 Mar, Solbar 6 Mar, Byron Bay Brewery 7 Mar Neil Finn: Nambour Civic Centre 6 Mar, QPAC 7 Mar
Greenthief: The Northern 11 Apr, Norville Hotel 12 Apr, Crowbar 18 Apr, Kings Beach Tavern 19 Apr
Bruno Mars: BEC 7 Mar Public Enemy: The Hi-Fi 7 Mar
Architecture In Helsinki: The Hi-Fi 12 Apr
Lionel Ritchie: BEC 10 Mar Yo La Tengo: The Zoo 11 Mar Pharrell Williams: The Marquee 12 Mar (AA)
BALANCE & COMPOSURE: 20 JUN, THE HI-FI
Gretchen Wilson: Eatons Hill Hotel 13 Mar Iced Earth: The Hi-Fi 14 Mar Toby Keith: BEC 14 Mar
Kreator, Death Angel: The Hi-Fi 19 Apr
Queens of the Stone Age, Nine Inch Nails: BEC 17 Mar
KC & The Sunshine Band: The Tivoli 19 Apr
Martha Davis & The Motels: New Globe Theatre 19 Mar
India Arie, Joss Stone: The Tivoli 20 Apr
Baths: Alhambra Lounge 20 Mar
Morbid Angel: The Hi-Fi 22 Apr
Caspian: The Tempo Hotel 20 Mar
Ozomatli: The Zoo 23 Apr
Billy Bragg: The Tivoli 20 Mar, The Northern 21 Mar
Jake Bugg: The Hi-Fi 23 Apr Michael Franti & Spearhead: The Tivoli 23 Apr
Armin van Buuren: BEC 4 Jun Ellie Goulding, Broods: BCEC 5 Jun (AA)
Sunnyboys: The Northern 14, 15 Mar, The Tivoli 28 Mar
Propagandhi: The Hi-Fi 8 Jun, Miami Shark Bar 9 Jun
Baby Animals: Eatons Hill Hotel 14 Mar, Coolangatta Hotel 15 Mar, Racehorse Hotel 4 Apr, Alexandra Hills Hotel 5 Apr
Bastille: BCEC 13 Jun (AA)
Illy: The Zoo 15, 16 Mar
Finntroll: The Zoo 18 Jun
The Little Stevies: Gasworks 16 Mar
La Dispute, Balance & Composure: Trinity Hall 19 Jun (AA), The Hi-Fi 20 Jun
The Stray Sisters: The Zoo 18 Mar
Cloud Control: Story Bridge Hotel 12 Apr, Paddington Tavern 13 Apr, Komune 13 Apr, Brunswick Hotel 16 Apr, Beach Hotel 16 Apr, Noosa Heads SLSC 17 Apr, Solbar 17 Apr, Jubilee Hotel 19 Apr, Boardwalk Tavern 19 Apr, Coolangatta Hotel 20 Apr Buried In Verona: Crowbar 19 Apr, The Lab 20 Apr (AA) Bliss N Eso, Horrorshow, Seth Sentry: Riverstage 24 Apr Stonefield: Oh Hello! 24 Apr, Beach Hotel 25 Apr, One Way Street Party 26 Apr Boy & Bear: Sunshine Coast Function Centre 26 Apr, Empire Theatre 27 Apr, Lismore Workers Club 14 May
Dragon: Kedron Wavell Services Club 20 Jun, Twin Towns 21 Jun
Twelve Foot Ninja: The Zoo 21 Mar, Shark Bar 22 Mar
Band Of Skulls: The Hi-Fi 21 Jun
Melbourne Ska Orchestra: The Hi-Fi 21 Mar
The Jezabels: The Tivoli 6 May
Toxic Holocaust, Skeletonwitch: The Hi-Fi 24 Apr
The Crimson Projekct: The Hi-Fi 28 Jun
Luca Brasi, Postblue: Crowbar 22 Mar, The Lab 23 Mar (AA)
Vance Joy, Gossling: The Hi-Fi 6 May
Front Line Assembly: Transcontinental Hotel 24 Apr
Adolescents: The Tempo Hotel 3 Jul
The Stiffys: The Joynt 22 Mar
Absu: Crowbar 23 Mar
Rüfüs: Coolangatta Hotel 9 May, The Tivoli 10 May, Beach Hotel 8 Jun
Shapeshifter: The Northern 23 Mar
Skid Row, Ugly Kid Joe: Eatons Hill Hotel 26 Apr
Orphaned Land: The Rev 23 Mar
D.O.A: Prince Of Wales 27 Apr
Thirty Seconds To Mars, White Lies: Brisbane Riverstage 30 Mar (AA)
Russian Circles: Crowbar 29 Apr
Kodaline: The Hi-Fi 1 Apr
D.R.I: The Hi-Fi 1 May
Bobby Keys & The Suffering Bastards: Eatons Hill Hotel 1 Apr
Hugh Laurie: QPAC 2 May
Jackal: Oh Hello! 21 Mar Chicks On Speed: Alhambra Lounge 21 Mar Jurassic 5: Eatons Hill Hotel 22 Mar Sebadoh: The Zoo 23 Mar
Dizzee Rascal: Eatons Hill Hotel 24 Apr Holy Fuck: The Zoo 24 Apr
KT Tunstall: The Zoo 30 Apr
Lloyd Cole: Brisbane Powerhouse 10 Jul, SoundLounge 11 Jul, Star Theatre 12 Jul Andrew Strong: The Commitments: The Tivoli 25 Jul, Twin Towns 26 Jul Lady Gaga: BEC 26 Aug Robbie Williams: BEC 22 Sep
Young Franco: Bowler Bar 22 Mar Halfway: Brisbane Powerhouse 23 Mar Calling All Cars: The Spotted Cow 27 Mar, Beach Hotel 28 Mar, The Zoo 29 Mar, Solbar 30 Mar Toehider: Crowbar 27 Mar, Shark Bar 28 Mar
Iluka: Dowse Bar 1 May, The Loft 2 May
Ella Hooper: Black Bear Lodge 15 May, SoundLounge 16 May, Star Court Theatre 17 May Thundamentals: The Zoo 16 May Chance Waters: Alhambra Lounge 16 May Northlane: The Hi-Fi 22 May
John Newman: Eatons Hill Hotel 3 May
Katy Perry: BEC 27 Nov
Scientists: Transcontinental Hotel 27 Mar
The Presets, Australian Chamber Orchestra: QPAC 26 May
The Acacia Strain: The Lab 3 May (AA), Thriller 3 May, Expressive Grounds 4 May (AA)
NATIONAL
Toehider: Crowbar 27 Mar, Shark Bar 28 Mar
The Paper Kites: The Northern 13 Jun, The Hi-Fi 14 Jun
The Naked & Famous: The Hi-Fi 5 May
Lior: Old Museum 6 Mar
Babaganouj: Black Bear Lodge 28 Mar
Keith Urban: BEC 17 Jun
The Fratellis: The Tivoli 3 Apr St Lucia: The Zoo 4 Apr
Jason Derulo: BEC 5 May
Glass Animals: The Hi-Fi 4 Apr
Cults: The Zoo 6 May
Frente!: Star Court Theatre 27 Jun, Brisbane Powerhouse 28 Jun
Monster Magnet: The Hi-Fi 5 Apr
Arctic Monkeys: BEC 7 May
The Angels: Caloundra RSL 28 Mar, Coolangatta Hotel 29 Mar; Caloundra RSL 20 Jun, Queensland Lions Club 8 Aug, North Leagues & Services Club 9 Aug
The Rolling Stones: Brisbane Entertainment Centre 2 Apr Kylesa: The Hi-Fi 2 Apr A$AP Ferg: The Hi-Fi 3 Apr
3 Inches Of Blood: Crowbar 10 Apr Killswitch Engage: Eatons Hill Hotel 11 Apr (AA) Suzanne Vega, Seth Lakeman: Brisbane Powerhouse 15 Apr Steve Earle & The Dukes: The Tivoli 15 Apr Allen Stone: The Zoo 16 Apr The Wailers: The Tivoli 16 Apr Kris Kristofferson: Lismore Workers Club 16 Apr, Empire Theatre 17 Apr, QPAC 18 Apr, Jupiters Theatre 19 Apr Adrian Edmondson & The Bad Shepherds: Black Bear Lodge 16 Apr
Temples: The Zoo 8 May Disclosure: Eatons Hill Hotel 8 May Jonny Craig: Crowbar 8 May, Tall Poppy Studios 9 May (AA) Kanye West: BEC 9 May Michael Buble: BEC 12 May Fleshgod Apocalypse: The Hi-Fi 14 May The English Beat: The Zoo 18 May Gary Numan: The Tivoli 28 May We Are Scientists: The Zoo 29 May Meat Puppets: The Zoo 30 May James Blunt: BCEC 2 Jun
The Holidays: Elsewhere 6 Mar, The Zoo 7 Mar, The Spotted Cow 8 Mar Christine Anu: Southport RSL 7 Mar, Old Museum 8 Mar Caravãna Sun: Solbar 7 Mar, Cafe Le Monde 8 Mar Frenzal Rhomb: Coolangatta Hotel 7 Mar, The Hi-Fi 8 Mar
Boom Crash Opera: Lone Star Tavern 28 Mar, Racehorse Hotel 29 Mar, Sirromet Wines 30 Mar
Mondo Rock: Eatons Hill Hotel 20 Jun
The Beards: The Spotted Cow 2 Jul, SoundLounge 3 Jul, The Tivoli 4 Jul, Solbar 5 Jul, The Northern 6 Jul
The Jungle Giants: Ric’s 29 Mar, Alhambra Lounge 30 Mar (U18)
FESTIVALS
Jimmy Barnes: Sirromet Wines 30 Mar
Mojo Burning Festival: New Globe Theatre 15 Mar
Harmony: Black Bear Lodge 3 Apr
Bluesfest: Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm 17-21 Apr
Megan Washington: The Rev 3 Apr
Easterfest: Queens Park 18-20 Apr
John Farnham: BEC 10 Mar
Loon Lake, Jeremy Neale: The Zoo 5 Apr
Groovin The Moo: Townsville Cricket Grounds 4 May
The Smith Street Band: The Zoo 14 Mar
Kate Miller-Heidke: The Tivoli 5, 6 Apr
Hits & Pits Round 3: The Hi-Fi 9 May, The Northern 10 May
The Gin Club: The Underdog 14 Mar
Sally Seltmann: Black Bear Lodge 10 Apr
Brisbane International Jazz Festival: BEMAC 4-8 Jun
Jakarta Criers: Oh Hello! 7 Mar, The Loft 8 Mar Elizabeth Rose: Alhambra Lounge 8 Mar, The Factory 28 Mar Dan Sultan: The Zoo 8 Mar Nina Las Vegas: Bowler Bar 8 Mar
1000S OF GIGS AT YOUR FINGERTIPS. FOR MORE HEAD TO THEMUSIC.COM.AU THE MUSIC • 5TH MARCH 2014 • 45
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ALBUMS INTO FILMS TOMMY
WHERE ARE THE TUNES FROM? The Who’s 1969 concept album about a deaf, dumb and blind Jesus figure who’s good at pinball. Yeah, great imagery there.
WHO’S IN IT? The Who obviously, plus Tina Turner, Eric Clapton, Elton John and pre-zombie Jack Nicholson.
BEST SCENE Tommy beats Elton John at pinball; Elton John does not flip out and attack anyone.
MORAL OF THE STORY If you’re non-responsive, you can still become really good at amusement games.
THE WALL
WHERE ARE THE TUNES FROM? Pink Floyd’s attempt to stop kids from going to school. That might be a slight generalisation.
WHO’S IN IT? Bob Geldof, being marginally less charitable than he is now thanks to his acting skills.
BEST SCENE When Pink shaves off all his hair and becomes a Nazi. You probably have to watch it for any of this to make sense.
MORAL OF THE STORY Yeah, school sucks sometimes, but that doesn’t mean you should beat up minorities.
SGT PEPPER’S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND WHERE ARE THE TUNES FROM?
The album where the world’s greatest band started getting bigger than four guys from Liverpool.
WHO’S IN IT? Not The Beatles, but Bee Gees and Peter Frampton. Even Aerosmith. Not a joke.
BEST SCENE Every time Ringo has a line. Enthralling stuff.
MORAL OF THE STORY No matter how bad you screw up, at least you’re not making Magical Mystery Tour... 46 • THE MUSIC • 5TH MARCH 2014
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48 • THE MUSIC • 26TH FEBRUARY 2014