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2 • THE MUSIC • 20TH AUGUST 2014
THE MUSIC • 20TH AUGUST 2014 • 3
themusic 20TH AUGUST 2014
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INSIDE FEATURES Vance Joy Busby Marou Jonathan Boulet
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Queensland Poetry Festival Knapsack The Inbetweeners 2 Porter Robinson Pig City Author Andrew Stafford The Bombay Royale Lawrence English The New Christs King Buzzo
“I THINK IF YOU KEEP TOO MANY CONSIDERATIONS IN MIND, YOU CAN EASILY THROW YOURSELF OFF AND LOSE THE COURSE.” THE FULL SOUNDWAVE LINE-UP AS SOON AS IT’S REVEALED.
VIDEOS, PLAYLISTS AND MORE FOR ALL OF THE RECENT FESTIVAL ANNOUNCEMENTS. HIT UP THEMUSIC.COM.AU
REVIEWS Live: Kasabian Arts: The Inbetweeners 2
THE GUIDE Cover: Fieu Food/Drink Frontlash/Backlash Indie News Indy Features Gig Guide
“BY THIS STAGE MEIGHAN HAS SLID INTO A DELTA RIGGS JACKET, WITH THE SUPPORT BAND COMING OUT TO LITTER THE STAGE WITH BODIES DURING THE FINALE.”
- KASABIAN MADE SURE WE HAD SORE HEADS ON EKKA SHOW HOLIDAY (P28)
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PIC: OPETH
STREAMS FROM TEENAGE MOTHERS AND OPETH. EXCLUSIVELY AT THEMUSIC.COM.AU
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- HELEN STRINGER GETS YOU EXCITED FOR THE QUEENSLAND POETRY FESTIVAL (P16)
- PRODIGIOUS PRODUCTION SUPERSTAR PORTER ROBINSON (P20)
AT THEMUSIC.COM.AU Album: The New Pornographers
“POET CANDY ROYALLE IS A PERFORMANCE POET AT THE VERY TOP OF HER GAME, A WOMAN ABLE TO MOVE AUDIENCES TO TEARS AND LAUGHTER.”
“THESE GUYS SHOULD NOT REALLY BE THERE. THEY’RE NOT BACKPACKING, THEY’RE NOT AUSTRALIANS AND THEY’RE NOT MANLY ENOUGH TO TAKE ON ALL THINGS THAT AUSTRALIA HAS TO THROW AT THEM.” - WE GET THE DIRT FROM THOSE FILTHY INBETWEENERS BLOKES (P20)
JONSON STREET BYRON BAY FRI 22 AUG THE FLOATING BRIDGES DAWN CHORUS, THE SILVER DOLLARS
SAT 23 AUG JIMMY THE SAINT & THE SINNERS, WAXHEAD, DEAD BOOKS
FRI 29 AUG LYALL MOLONEY, FRANKIE
SAT 30 AUG DEAD BEAT BAND, HYPNOTIC BEDROOMS, BETH LOWER
THURS 4 SEPT KING GIZZARD & THE LIZARD WIZARD
FRI 5 SEP DALLAS JAMES & THE GRAINS
SAT 6 SEPT MESA COSA
FRI 12 SEPT THE PIERCE BROS & TIMBERWOLF
SAT 13 SEPT THE OWLS
SUN 14 SEPT JOHN GARCIA
FRI 19 SEPT MT WARNING
SAT 20 SEPT GOONS OF DOOM
TICKETS AVAILABLE ONLINE WWW.THENORTHERN.COM.AU
THE MUSIC • 20TH AUGUST 2014 • 5
CREDITS PUBLISHER
Street Press Australia Pty Ltd
GROUP MANAGING EDITOR Andrew Mast
EDITOR Steve Bell
ASSISTANT EDITOR Benny Doyle
ARTS AND CULTURE EDITOR Cassandra Fumi
MUSO EDITOR Michael Smith
GIG GUIDE EDITOR Justine Lynch gigs@themusic.com.au
CONTRIBUTORS Alice Bopf, Amorina Fitzgerald-Hood, Anthony Carew, Baz McAlister, Ben Marnane, Ben Preece, Benny Doyle, Bradley Armstrong, Brendan Telford, Brie Jorgensen, Carley Hall, Chris Yates, Cyclone, Dan Condon, Daniel Johnson, Dave Drayton, Guy Davis, Helen Stringer, Jake Sun, Jazmine O’Sullivan, Lochlan Watt, Madeleine Laing, Mandy McAlister, Mitch Knox, Paul Mulkearns, Roshan Clerkea, Sam Hobson, Sky Kirkham, Sophie Blackhall-Cain, Tessa Fox, Tom Hersey, Tony McMahon, Tyler McLoughlan
THIS WEEK THINGS TO DO THIS WEEK • 20 AUG - 26 AUG 2014
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ART DIRECTOR Brendon Wellwood
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ADMIN AND ACCOUNTS
It’s that time of year where you’re asked to dig deep and help community radio station 4ZZZ stay afloat by supporting their Radiothon subscription drive. There’s gigs and parties galore over the next week and swags of prizes for those who subscribe, but mainly you’ll get that warm, fuzzy feeling from knowing that you’ve helped sustain the viability of one of the most important resources for our independent music sector.
This Saturday evening at The Flying Cock in the Valley (ex-Tempo Hotel) you can take an awesome adventure for the senses with the Future Shorts Film Festival, a travelling pop up film festival which features a slew of award-winning shorts from across the globe. Factor in the food and music also on offer and we’re talking one brilliant evening of high class culture. Grab a beanbag and get amongst the action from 5pm.
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CONTACT US Phone: (07) 3252 9666 info@themusic.com.au www.themusic.com.au Street: Suite 11/354 Brunswick Street Fortitude Valley QLD 4006 Postal: Locked Bag 4300 Fortitude Valley QLD 4006
BRISBANE
It’s family fun for everyone as Valley Fiesta returns this weekend to the streets of Fortitude Valley with an intoxicating amalgam of music, markets, fashion, art and food colliding for one epic two-day party! Over Saturday and Sunday the precinct turns into a free shindig of ludicrous proportions, where you can catch bands the calibre of The Preatures, Dan Sultan, The Creases, Allday, Remi, Jeremy Neale and many more, in the process celebrating the rich culture and diversity of our great city. Plus, did we mention that it’s a freaking two-day party!!
party
THE MUSIC • 20TH AUGUST 2014 • 7
national news news@themusic.com.au
FORCE MAJEURE
WHEN IT ALL FALLS DOWN JIMMY EAT WORLD
BACK TO THE FUTURE(S)
They’ve already toured Australia once this year, and now Jimmy Eat World are gearing up to return and celebrate the ten-year anniversary of iconic LP Futures. One of the band’s most successful records, you can hear Futures cover to cover and a selection of back catalogue favourites at Metro City, Perth, 11 Nov; Forum Theatre, Melbourne, 17 Nov; The Tivoli, Brisbane, 20 Nov; and Enmore Theatre, Sydney, 22 Nov.
MASKED HERO
“Spazz-trash punk” – we couldn’t have described it better ourselves. That’s the descriptor for Nobunny, who returns to Australia with no pants and a bunny mask to show off his third album Secret Songs. He’ll be playing with psychedelic duo The Hussy, 29 Aug, Amplifier Bar, Perth; 30 Aug, The Tote, Melbourne; 5 Sep, Crowbar, Brisbane; and 6 Sep, Goodgod Small Club, Sydney.
Thematically smart and visually stunning, filmmaker Ruben Östlund’s Force Majeure has been brought over from Sweden to screen nationally, 16 Oct. A family’s holiday in the French Alps is turned upside by a freak avalanche. Unexpected actions from father Tomas leave his wife Ebba questioning their marriage, with the film standing as a unique and entertaining expose into the role of the male in modern family life.
THE DEVIL YOU KNOW
Mighty Michigan post-hardcore sextet Chiodos have recently welcomed founding members back and new faces too and will show off that fresh dynamic when they arrive Down Under to tour latest record Devil: The Hi-Fi, Brisbane, 29 Jan; Factory Theatre, Sydney, 30 Jan; Corner Hotel, Melbourne, 31 Jan; and Amplifier Bar, Perth, 4 Feb.
TOUCHING BASE STEVE SMYTH
ESCAPE PLAN
All roads lead to Steve Smyth’s 45+ date metro and regional tour, which celebrates his debut album Exits. Having recently spent time soaking up the sun on tour in Spain, Smyth will continue to enjoy some warm nights, hitting everywhere from Gympie to Newcastle, Bendigo to Bunbury, and everywhere in between. Capital city dates include The Bearded Lady, Brisbane, 5 Sep; Shebeen Bar, Melbourne, 11 Oct; Newtown Social Club, Sydney, 31 Oct; and Four5Nine, Perth, 19 Nov, with the full list of dates at theMusic.com.au.
JUSTIN TOWNES EARLE
AMERICANA MATTERS
The Out On The Weekend festival (Seaworks, Williamstown, 18 Oct) has announced a couple of spin-off sideshows. Renowned purveyor of evocative Americana Justin Townes Earle (pictured) will play headline dates in support of new LP Single Mothers: Astor Theatre, Perth, 11 Oct; Metro Theatre, Sydney, 15 Oct; Corner Hotel, Melbourne, 16 Oct; Meeniyan Town Hall, 19 Oct; and The Tivoli, Brisbane, 22 Oct with Linda Ortega and Marlon Williams. Ryan Bingham, meanwhile, will be joined by Harry Hookey and Tim Wheatley for shows at Newtown Social Club, Sydney, 14 Oct; Lizottes Kincumber, Central Coast, 15 Oct; Black Bear Lodge, Brisbane, 17 Oct; Mojo’s Bar, Fremantle, 19 Oct; and Northcote Social Club, Melbourne, 21 Oct.
“IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO EAT POPCORN AND LOOK LIKE YOU HAVE YOUR SHIT TOGETHER.” THAT’S WHY WE HEAD TO THE CINEMA AND INDULGE IN THE DARK JOSH HARA [@YOYOHA]. 8 • THE MUSIC • 20TH AUGUST 2014
Don’t let Melbourne-born indie duo Luluc pass you by on their way back to Brooklyn. They’re heading back home to tour in support of their album Passerby, and having already claimed The National’s Matt Berninger, J Mascis and the Sub Pop Records crew as fans, it’s time to get on board this folk train when they play Northcote Social Club, Melbourne, 28 Nov; Black Bear Lodge, Brisbane, 3 Dec; Newtown Social Club, Sydney, 4 Dec; and Four5Nine, Perth, 10 Dec, with more dates on theMusic.com.au.
WHAT THE WAT
Alt hip hopper Watsky touch down on Australian shores for the first time ever this December to promote his new record All You Can Do. The record and live show are an outlet for Watsky’s storytelling prowess, which includes spoken word poetry as well as conventional rap structure. Catch him and his six-piece band at Alhambra Lounge, Brisbane, 10 Dec; The Small Ballroom, Newcastle, 11 Dec; The Underground, Sydney, 12 Dec; Evelyn Hotel, Melbourne, 13 & 14 Dec; Prince Of Wales, Bunbury, 18 Dec; Leisure Inn, Rockingham, 19 Dec; and Amplifier Bar, Perth, 20 Dec.
DROP THE BASS
Critical Sound’s Kasra, Enei and Mefjus are bringing their underground dance into the clubs of our capital cities next month. The three European d’n’b merchants play 12 Sep, Trinity Bar, Canberra; 13 Sep, La Di Da, Melbourne; 17 Sep, World Bar, Sydney; 19 Sep, Coniston Lane, Brisbane; and 20 Sep, Villa Nightclub, Perth.
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local news qld.news@themusic.com.au
MARK SEYMOUR
WORTH THE TRIP
HUSKY
SMALL TOWN, LARGE TIMES
As it does every year, the Mullum Music Festival makes our springtime that much brighter, and in 2014 the four-day event is wielding out a huge list of names to fill the northern New South Wales town full of music. Happening 20 – 23 Nov, the festival will feature sets from The Church, Husky, Hurray For The Riff Raff, Harry James Angus Band, Saskwatch, Nahko, The Bombay Royale, Mia Dyson and more. For the full list of bands and ticket details head to the event website – proudly presented by The Music.
THE JEZABELS
BRIGHTEN UP YOUR LIFE
If you’re a music festival lover then it’s a good week for you. Festival Of The Sun down in Port Macquarie are yet another event who have dropped a bonza line-up on us, with the likes of The Jezabels, Violent Soho, Shihad, Allday, Dune Rats, Jackie Onassis, The Cairos, Apes, Steve Smyth, Goons Of Doom, The Lazys, The Stiffys, Tora, Sons of The East, Tropical Zombie, Pelican Itch, I Oh You DJs, Karl S Williams, Tim Chaisson, Timberwolf, Chris Rose and Tegan Wiseman all visiting the coastal town, 12 – 13 Dec. Tickets through the event website, with the shebang proudly presented by The Music.
REGGIE WATTS
MEGAWATTS
Put simply, Reggie Watts is entertainment personified. Whether he’s acting, telling jokes, beatboxing or sharing that huge vocal range with an audience, you can’t take your eyes off him – and that’s before we even talk about that incredible hair! Over here for Sydney’s Just For Laughs festival, the inventive, charismatic performance artist is squeezing a number of headline shows into his schedule, playing 12 Oct, The Tivoli.
HURRICANE DRUNK
On Friday the disbanded House Vs Hurricane finally make it to Brisbane to play a long-awaited farewell show – one year after they broke up! They’ll be joined by Prepared Like a Bride and Deadlines for a raucous punk evening at The Brightside.
“SECOND WEEK OF TOUR. MY SHOES SMELL LIKE REALLY REALLY REALLY GOOD CHEESE.”
IMAGINE HOW TASTY THE SHOES OF @ MARKHOPPUS WILL SMELL AFTER A MONTH! 10 • THE MUSIC • 20TH AUGUST 2014
Been looking for an excuse to visit The Whitsundays? Well, Airlie Beach Music Festival have just announced their line-up, and it includes The Screaming Jets, Mark Seymour, Eurogliders, Wanita & Her Honky Tonk Bar Dwellers, Transvaal Diamond Syndicate, Tasha Zappala, Shaun Kirk and more. Guess you’ll be planning a little trip for 7 – 9 Nov. Details and tix can be found at airliebeachmusicfestival.com. au – proudly presented by The Music.
THAT TIME OF YEAR
Some seriously good sounds will be heard at North Byron Parklands, 30 Dec – 3 Jan as part of Falls Festival 2014, with a killer line-up featuring the likes of Alt-J, The Black Lips, Cold War Kids, Glass Animals, Joey Bada$$, John Butler Trio, The Presets, Run The Jewels, SBTRKT, Sticky Fingers, The Temper Trap, Todd Terje, Vance Joy and loads more. Head to theMusic.com.au for the full line-up.
PARTY LIKE IT’S 1975
Britain’s The 1975 have well and truly broken out – and not in the shitty acne sense. They just visited for Splendour and knocked four sold-out sideshows out of the park, and now they’re set to come back for a headline tour in January. Get your fix at The Tivoli, 18 Jan when they play an all ages show.
STILL RISING
After the overwhelming response given to his first Brisbane Festival show, Danny Harley, aka The Kite String Tangle (aka Danny Harley), has just added an extra hometown show to his schedule. Don’t miss out on his sweet grooves: The Telstra Spiegeltent, 18 Sep.
RIGHT INSIDE YOU
There are few Aussie acts doing lush electronica better than interstate pairing Collarbones, the Adelaide/Sydney duo set to steal hearts once more with their third LP, Return. Before they do just that though, they’re giving us a first taste in the way of gorgeous new single Turning, and with Black Vanilla supporting, they’ll launch the track at Alhambra Lounge, 29 Aug.
BUILDING THE HYPE
Topping Hype Machine, destroying dancefloors, appearances at Splendour In The Grass and Groovin The Moo – it’s safe to say that SAFIA are having a huge year. The Canberra dance band are keen to keep the momentum going at The Factory, Maroochydore, 19 Sep; Alhambra Lounge, 20 Sep; and Stranded, Gold Coast, 21 Sep.
THE MUSIC • 20TH AUGUST 2014 • 11
music
THE TIDE IS HIGH Vance Joy has traded a footy for a hacky sack to singlehandedly focus on his musical career. Bryget Chrisfield also discovers the humble singersongwriter’s English teacher mum has influenced his songwriting and he rates Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman. Cover and feature pics by Kane Hibberd.
V
ance Joy ( James Keogh on his footy records) possesses such a welcoming smile and warm presence that he’d be capable of making a jonesing crackhead feel at ease. He’s casually dressed, seated at a table in a boardroom at Mushroom Group’s
kinda running it – and it was a very low-key gallery for just, like, local artists and stuff. And I said, ‘Can I have a small – you know, family, friends and a few media people and record people to come and celebrate the EP release, and I’ll just set up?’ Yeah, those things are really cool, really special, ‘cause you’re just in the room with people – very intimate.” Since then, Keogh has graduated to not-so-intimate performance spaces such as Glastonbury, Lollapalooza and Splendour In The
as no surprise that his mum is an English teacher. “She gave me a lotta tips,” Keogh admits. “I think around Year 9 I started getting better [at English] – when I was about 14 – because I’d have an essay and I’d need a conclusion, and mum would just reel off a conclusion. Off the bat!… So I think having someone that can give you an example of good work helped me get better at English and I eventually got decent and, you know, loved English. And I never was a massive reader, but I’d really hone my essays with her help and I think that’s definitely influenced my songwriting.” It’s easy to assume that masterfully written lyrics take their sweet time and torture lyricists, but Keogh agrees the phrases that connect with listeners are impossible to predict: “You might not even be aware when you’ve written a line that will react with people.” There’s a line in Keogh’s smash hit single Riptide (also known to many as the Medibank song) that suggests Keogh has a massive crush on Michelle Pfeiffer: “Closest thing to Michelle Pfeiffer that you’ve ever seen.” He confesses: “Ah, I do! I do for those films, like, Fabulous Baker Boys and Batman Returns.” Catwoman,
“I DON’T REALLY MISS PLAYING, BUT I LOVE WATCHING GOOD GAMES AND KICKING THE FOOTY WITH MATES. I’VE GOT A HACKY SACK AT THE MOMENT, WHICH IS KIND OF TIDING ME OVER FOR JUST, AH, ENTERTAINMENT.”
HQ in Albert Park and those trademark unruly curls frame a genetically blessed face that’s too kind to be intimidating. He thoughtfully sips on black tea, teabag left in the cup, throughout our chat. Having attended a Lorde concert the previous evening, during which the Kiwi songstress thanked her fanbase for every letter and handcrafted offering, this scribe wonders what kind of gifts Keogh receives. “I’ve only received a couple of small things, you know,” he shares. “I got one when I was signing at Groovin The Moo and this girl, actually she was a jeweller, she had written some lyrics on this little necklace thing. [She] gave it to me and it was so good! Then I got a teddy bear with a little card. And I got this beautiful, handwritten note saying, ‘I love your songs’… It’s so nice to have someone saying that to you.” Keogh speaks at a million miles an hour, which necessitates the activation of slow playback on this dictaphone for transcribing purposes (for the first time ever). We go on to discuss an early Vance Joy performance at House Of Bricks – a small, boutique studio space in Collingwood. “Oh, god,” he whispers. “I think that might have been my little EP thing.” The EP of which Keogh speaks, God Loves You When You’re Dancing, was released back in March 2013. “That was a special night,” he remembers. “Yeah, House Of Bricks, that was just through a friend that I know – he was 12 • THE MUSIC • 20TH AUGUST 2014
Grass (twice) well before his debut album was scheduled to drop. Keogh’s diction is outstanding throughout the Ryan Hadlock-produced Dream Your Life Away, which highlights the artist’s endearing turn of phrase. “Oh, thank you,” he says sincerely, before handballing credit to Hadlock: “I think you’re not always the best judge of [what] your best vocal take [is] and I feel like Ryan was good at coaching a great vocal take.” When you delve into Vance Joy lyric sheets, his words are carefully considered, drenched in charm and also surprisingly unique for such a young songwriter. So it comes
huh? He laughs self-consciously, “She looked so good in that! Like, amazing… Yeah, I’ve got a crush on her, but I think at the time I was just writing the song and I guess – what comes to mind when you think of a larger-than-life actress, you know? Big star power. I feel like her impression on the movie industry is – I dunno, I feel like it’s a lasting reference in that sense ‘cause, yeah! I mean, a lot of those things, like, you look at Family Guy – it’s all these references and you can totally date a movie by referencing popular culture.” And also Michelle Pfeiffer is one helluva pretty name that just rolls off the tongue. “Yeah, maybe that’s what it is as well that makes it work,” Keogh allows. Riptide is right up there (to this pair of ears anyway) with Gotye’s Somebody That I Used To Know and Pharrell’s Happy in terms of it being a song that, despite extreme over-exposure, still stands up due to undeniably stellar songwriting. The song transports the listener back to family seaside holidays, teen crushes, first pashes at surf lifesaving club discos (or in the sand dunes if you were a bit slutty) and endless beach time discussing the previous night’s activities. “Riptide Motel is this motel in Queenscliff,” Keogh says. “I dunno if that actually was the reason why I said ‘Riptide’ but there was some kinda connection in some way to that beach ‘cause it’s so beautiful. We used to go holidaying in Queenscliff my whole life and it’s my favourite beach place. For me, [the song] brings back
SAY MY NAME If you plan on getting Vance Joy’s attention, you’re probably better off shouting out his real name, “Jaaaames!” and pretending y’all go way back. See below reference for other artists who adopted (almost) believable pseudonyms: Frank Black Charles Michael Kittridge Thompson IV Alice Cooper Vincent Damon Furnier Patsy Cline Virginia Patterson Hensley Elvis Costello Declan McManus Lana Del Ray Elizabeth Grant Billie Holiday Eleanora Gough Fagan Etta James Jamesetta Hawkins Elton John Reginald Kenneth Dwight Bruno Mars Peter Gene Hernandez Freddie Mercury Farrokh Bulsara those memories of going there for holidays.” Although he’s yet to feature on a Queenscliff Music Festival line-up, Keogh offers, “Actually, that was my first live music experience: going there when I was a little kid.”
to be around people ‘cause you could just get told one-on-one and be like, ‘Sweet!’”
The song came in at number one in our most recent Hottest 100, ahead of Lorde’s Royals, and Keogh is the first to point out the result was an upset of sorts: “She was hot favourite, you know? Yeah, it’s crazy.” So where was Keogh as the results unfolded? “I was in New Zealand,” he recalls. “We were playing Laneway Festival, and we were in Auckland, and got off the plane and, um, we heard that Play With Fire was number 95. So it was just, like, we were in the 80s or something, and we had the afternoon to chill out. And then we kinda knew that – the station tell you that you might be in the top ten. They don’t know [the results], but they’re going, ‘On all our intuition, we think this is probably going to be in the top ten so we’re going to get you on the phone at this time.’
There was no chance Keogh could wake up the next morning and wonder whether his win was a dream. “I got a bunch of text messages and I saw some good videos,” Keogh tells. “My mates were at a party, at a barbecue, and it was so good! They were losing their shit, so I’m so glad that that happened – to be able to see that, like, them at that party just dancing around
“So you’re with, like, ten other artists on the phone and counting down. You’re sitting in a studio and my managers were there, my band was there… There was a few Mushroom people and label people from New Zealand, and then there’s the radio people, ‘cause they brought us into some New Zealand studio. And so we were just sitting there and, yeah! It was unexpected, but that was a cool moment. It was nice
and screaming. It was epic. So much elation, you know?” If this music thing doesn’t work out for him (unlikely), Keogh played VFL footy for two years with Coburg Football Club. Does he miss kicking a ball around? “Ahhhh, a little bit,” he ponders. “Not in the sense that – I don’t really miss playing, but I love watching good games and kicking the footy with mates. I’ve got a hacky sack at the moment, which is kind of tiding me over for just, ah, entertainment.”
Billie Ocean Leslie Sebastian Charles Joey Ramone Jeffrey Ross Hyma Nina Simone Eunice Kathleen Waymon Nikki Sixx Frank Carlton Serafino Feranna, Jnr Dusty Springfield Mary Isobel Catherine Bernadette O’Brien Ringo Starr Richard Starkey Tina Turner Anna Mae Bullock Dinah Washington Ruth Lee Jones Jack White John Anthony Gillis
WHAT: Dream Your Life Away (Liberation) WHEN & WHERE: 30 Dec-3 Jan 2015, Falls Festival, North Byron Parklands THE MUSIC • 20TH AUGUST 2014 • 13
music
A BIT OF BUZZ With a reputation as solid acoustic-folk storytellers, Tyler McLoughlan learns from Tom Busby that Queensland’s Busby Marou have a lot more than that going on as they rack up a gold debut record ahead of another national tour.
I
n 2011, Busby Marou dropped their debut self-titled record to critical acclaim, and then proceeded to earn their place in Australian music by tirelessly touring through regional centres and cities alike. Three years on, Tom Busby considers the recent achievement of selling 35,000 units of the album to earn gold status in Australia “We never expected that a few years back!” exclaims Busby. “[It was an] awesome experience; we were given big gold plaques – they look flash. We went down to Warner and they presented us with these plaques and it was quite surreal and [that’s] when it really hit home. It’s been a long time coming – the album’s been out for a while, but it means it’s still selling which is quite amazing really, three years down the track. We never gave up hope on it and I think it’s just about to get a second wind.” Album sales were certainly spurred along by the album’s calling card, the acoustic lead single Biding My Time that gently worked the pair’s love of harmonies, and ultimately their recognition that a great song must work in a totally stripped-back form. Following the release of their second album Farewell Fitzroy last year, which debuted at number five on the ARIA charts, Busby has been writing as much as possible, and in genres that may surprise. “I’ve been writing a heap of pop songs while I’m down here [in Sydney]. I love it, I absolutely love it!” Busby says excitedly. “I started out just writing for other people and it’s just so fun to write and playing them live is just a different kettle of fish. I wrote a song a while back and I went in [to the studio] with this guy and said, ‘Here’s a bit of a melody, can you try and help me turn it into a Katy Perry song?’ We were thumping out these beats and it was an awesome experience – I’m glad we did that because we found a little bit of a different direction for Busby Marou; it’s not as pop as we initially wrote it but we’ve got a couple of new songs comin’ out that have got a bit of bounce and a bit of groove. “For me being a musician, staying in the game is also about – not re-inventing or anything – but doing different things. I get a bit bored staying on the same kind of wavelength, but in saying that I also love nothing more than singin’ with a couple of acoustic guitars and Jeremy [Marou]. For us, that’s the basis of a good song
14 • THE MUSIC • 20TH AUGUST 2014
whether it’s pop, rock, folk or country; if you can pull it down after all the instruments are gone and you’ve got one guitar and a vocal and it’s still solid, then it’s a winner.”
or wives, but we love that as well, but when you finally get back to catch up with the boys it’s really cool; we’re just high fivin’ and everyone gets excited and a bit of a spring in the step.”
As he prepares to head out for an extensive east coast tour to commemorate the Farewell Fitzroy track My
“We were introduced to Karl by our co-manager who’d been telling us about this kid from the Gold Coast for quite a while and how amazing he is. Jeremy went and had a jam with him at a festival on the Gold Coast that he was playing… He was like, ‘You’ve got to see
Busby Marou are joined on the tour by rising talent Karl S Williams, and a well loved name in Darren Middleton.
“WHEN YOU FINALLY GET BACK TO CATCH UP WITH THE BOYS IT’S REALLY COOL; WE’RE JUST HIGH FIVIN’.” Second Mistake, Busby explains that the road is where he and Marou really come to life. “We’ve got a great rhythm at the moment; we’ve got a four-piece and we’ve broken it back down into acoustics. We’re havin’ so much more fun on stage, so this is gonna be a great tour. It’s our favourite thing to do – touring and meetin’ up with the boys – it’s always good. We don’t often get home to see our girlfriends
this guy. He looks like a big time hippy but he’s a gun muso.’ So we went and saw him and he’s incredible musically; [he’s] unreal on keyboards, guitar, everything – he can do it all, and he loves to collaborate and that’s gonna be great. And Darren Middleton, well he’s sort of the legendary Darren Middleton from Powderfinger, so it will be kind of strange him being our support really and then us going on after him! I was a bit nervous about that but no doubt we’re gonna have a jam with all of them and gettin’ them on stage. Who knows what’s gonna happen, but I know that Jeremy and Darren Middleton are some of the best guitarists in Australia, and Karl too – I think it’s gonna be a bit of a hoot.” WHEN & WHERE: 29 Aug, Soundlounge, Gold Coast; 30 Aug, Eatons Hill Hotel
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music
YO GUBBA GUBBA
was enjoying myself way more when playing with them than anything else I was doing, and it makes more sense; it was easy to understand straight off the bat.
Jonathan Boulet steps out of Australia for a stint in Europe, and the quasi-doom headiness of Gubba is the result. He talks to Brendan Telford in a London graveyard.
J
onathan Boulet has never been a man to take himself seriously – yet the general music-buying public might not have picked up on that. Kicking off in acoustic mode with his eponymous 2009 debut, it’s been his brooding sojourns with Sydney band Parades and his acclaimed “shouty indie” second effort, 2012’s We Keep The Beat, Found The Sound, See The Need, Start The Heart, that has seen him move into the spotlight. But most of those songs were two to three years old by the time the album came out, and the band was already beefing up the live performances, lending it a heavier, headier bent. It
poetry
took a trip to Berlin for Boulet to fully awaken the riffage beast within. “There were the riff sessions in my bedroom before I left, so things were already heading that way,” Boulet admits. “Our shows were getting heavier, we were getting more distorted with more impact, and people were reacting to it much more than when we started. I used to have an acoustic guitar – what was I thinking? So there was this folder on my laptop that read ‘New Boulet Stuff’, and inside were other folders of stuff I’d been trying – there was some electronic stuff there and some other weird shit. Then there were these riffs and I
“For a long time we wanted to move. We had gotten to that age where you think I’ve been here a while and I need to see other places, and Berlin was the obvious destination. We just wanted to expand; there’s an easy striking distance to a lot of cities, a lot of culture and a lot of people in a smaller space that is useful for a band. Just the usual when people make that jump really. But Berlin was like starting anew, where nobody knows your name, yet it is surprisingly small yet warm – there is enough going on there within a population the size of Sydney that it was obvious that we would revel in that.” Gubba is the result – Boulet’s third album is a doomladen smorgasbord of eclecticism, jumping from sun-drenched psychedelia to raucous adrenal-punk and garage pomp without pause for breath. Akin to the cracked whirr of Thee Oh Sees or the self-assured shift in rock dynamics that bands like The Men or Ceremony have employed, Gubba is an ambitious effort – and an assertive statement of intent. “Berlin put us outside the comfort zone, but I think I was already in that headspace; Gubba was going to happen no matter where we landed. It was freeing and fun to jump into something outside everything I had done previously. And the people who get it will get it, y’know? Music lovers aren’t as particular as is often made out.” WHAT: Gubba (Popfrenzy/Stop Start) WHEN & WHERE: 28 Aug, Black Bear Lodge
TO THE HEART OF IT
Poet Candy Royalle and Queensland Poetry Festival Director Sarah Gory tell Helen Stringer about the vision of a poet being a “beret-wearing, red wine-drinking person reading some abstract stream-of-consciousness” – and how the poets at QPF aren’t like that at all.
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andy Royalle is a performance poet at the very top of her game, a woman able to move audiences to tears and laughter with her fearlessly honest musings on love, sex and politics. Even over the phone she doesn’t disappoint, articulating her thoughts in perfect rhythms. Royalle started performing over ten years ago but didn’t take a serious stab at being a full-time poet until five years back. “[Artists] have this constant internal battle of ‘Am I good enough? Is this work going to be loved?’” But, she asks, “What are we measuring ourselves against? I was totally engrossed more in myself than in my work. I had an epiphany where I realised I had to stop worrying about how great I could be and just [focus on] how good the work could be.” Soon Royalle will make her way to Brisbane for the Queensland Poetry Festival, an event that has gone from a relatively small gathering of Australian poets to a nationally renowned festival which boasts packed-out appearances by some of the best poets from Australia and abroad. QPF Festival Director Sarah Gory has been instrumental in building the festival since coming to the helm three years ago, and since then QPF has
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expanded dramatically. “We look for a demographic diversity,” says Gory, “We want quite a few local poets but also a lot of poets from other states in Australia. Poetry is really broad. It’s become increasingly popular through slam, but what we want to do is make sure that all types of poetry are represented.” But as much as QPF has become more and more popular, both Gory and Royalle recognise that there are still less-thanattractive assumptions about poetry. Says Royalle, “We have this vision of a beret-wearing, red wine-drinking person reading some abstract
stream-of-consciousness. That exists as well, but for those people who have never seen or experienced poetry, I would say that poetry is the art that speaks directly to the heart.” Gory adds that the common misperception is that poetry is hard to understand. “A lot of people think that it’s really intellectual and esoteric. My hope is that as it gets more popular people will engage with it more and realise that it’s actually not scary.” Royalle says that her work is deeply personal, leaving her nakedly vulnerable. “If I were to perform and didn’t feel vulnerable there would be something wrong.” On that note, says Gory, “I think Queensland has one of the most supportive poetry communities across Australia, it’s a really warm and welcoming community.” WHAT: Queensland Poetry Festival WHEN & WHERE: 29 – 31 Aug, Judith Wright Centre
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BALANCING ACT
Californian rockers Knapsack burned brightly in the ‘90s before disappearing from view. Frontman Blair Shehan tells Steve Bell about revisiting the past and reconnecting with a younger self.
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hen Knapsack were first announced as headliners of this year’s Poison City Weekender festival it was quite a surreal moment for fans of the Californian quartet. They’d quietly pulled up stumps in 2000 after three strong albums that straddled the then-blurry divide between indie rock and emo, and few had even realised that they’d quietly reformed last year for a festival in Florida which in turn prompted a low-key reunion tour. But given that Knapsack had never before played even a solitary show outside the States or Canada, the prospect of them hitting Australia after
all these years verged on mind-blowing. Knapsack frontman Blair Shehan – who went on to form acclaimed outfit The Jealous Sound – reflects fondly on their initial tenure, recalling that there was no acrimony in the split and that the band just seemed to have run its course. They may have shared stages with revered acts like Pavement, Jawbox and Rocket From The Crypt, but they never quite achieved the same popularity of those bands, and soon saw the writing on the wall. “It was the ‘90s so it was a little bit different,” Shehan reflects. “We’d play with those bands when
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they’d come through town, and it was always really exciting for us to play with bands that we looked up to. But as time wore on a little bit with Knapsack, we ran into the same bands a lot and became friends with them more on our level – more of our scene. “I guess we were the tougher side of indie rock, what they consider that ‘’90s emo sound’ or whatever that everyone looks back on, and we were on parallel courses with a lot of bands that we’d hook up with regularly and go on small tours with. It was pretty scrappy for the most part. I don’t really care what terminology’s used. [Emo]’s a catch-all phrase that can evoke a certain idea of how something can be classified, so it’s never bothered me. Certainly the version in our era is pretty defined in my mind of what the bands were like and what we were like. It’s never been an issue with me – you can call it what you like, just show up!” Revisiting the Knapsack catalogue has also given Shehan a fresh perspective on the band’s music. “It’s been nice to play those songs,” he admits, “and there’s an economy of style that I used when I wrote them and a simplicity to the delivery of those songs out of necessity because I maybe didn’t have a grasp of how to do things in a more complex way, and there is the mind of a young man who’s going through whatever I was going through at those times discussing that and reaching to be more than I was which is fun to re-examine. And the songs are really visceral songs – they’re urgent and fun to play, and overwhelmingly with the crowd interaction it becomes a celebration and feels really good to do that.” WHEN & WHERE: 23 Aug, Crowbar
A CALL TO ARMS
It’s been a tough couple of years for The Used frontman Bert McCracken. He’s conquered an addiction that once ruled him, but is still in the depths of another fight. Daniel Cribb prepares for battle.
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n 2012, The Used frontman Bert McCracken checked himself into rehab to deal with drug and alcohol abuse. “I was on a real destructive blackout phase, drinking, lying to everyone, and even in rehab still sneaking [in drinks]. I did check myself in and I did get help, and I think in that context, that’s the only real way I was able to climb on top of my so-called [demons],” he says. “My life is just so much more balanced and happy without [alcohol]. In Australia there’s a lot of heavy drinking going on which is culturally more acceptable than even smoking weed, and it blows my mind.” Since moving to Australia with his wife and daughter in 2013, the drinking culture isn’t the only thing McCracken still hasn’t come to grips with. He’s seeking citizenship, but is willing to go to jail rather than vote in Australia because he believes the country’s political system is closer to “fascism” than democracy. “It’s hard because the Commonwealth was written so long ago. I don’t believe that democracy is possible when it’s based on antiquated ideas. When the rules of the system to control people only reflect old and out-of-date ideas, then we need to rethink all the rules, and who writes the rules is a really important part of this ‘democracy’. Being an anarchist at heart, I don’t
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believe in that type of democracy. “Being in Australia, with free healthcare, the system is so much better in ways, and it’s so much worse in ways. There’s bipartisan nonsense everywhere – I think in the last election for prime minister, it was really tough… you could either vote for the guy who hates homosexuals or the guy who doesn’t care for fags, you know. It’s pretty discouraging.” Overcoming his addiction allowed McCracken to break his sights from internal turmoil and direct it towards political
issues. For the first time, The Used have produced a record with a political edge in the form of their latest, Imaginary Enemy. “People have to become informed about what’s going on in the world; what’s going on with the business of their government systems and politics or nothing will change. In the new record we talk about how this revolution has to start with each person; whether or not you’re ready to take the ride, that’s up to you.” Long-time fans needn’t fret though, as The Used’s new mindset is still accompanied by the sort of hook-riddled sonics we’ve come to expect from the Utah band. “The magic behind the record is that it’s a snapshot of [time], but I doubt very much that I will lose passion for people who have no ability to fight for themselves.”
WHAT: Imaginary Enemy (Anger Music Group/Unified) WHEN & WHERE: 22 Aug, Eatons Hill Hotel
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film
FOREVER INBETWEEN Although their characters come up against the worst Australia has to offer, actors Simon Bird, Blake Harrison, Joe Thomas and James Buckley tell Liz Galinovic they weren’t even bitten by a spider while filming The Inbetweeners 2.
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our 20-something British boys known as The Inbetweeners have debunked our reputation as a scary, dangerous country. In real life, that is. The socially awkward characters they play – originally as the protagonists on hit TV sitcom The Inbetweeners and now in the follow-up to 2011’s successful The Inbetweeners Movie – are unlikely to be a disappointed when they head Down Under for a gap year. “It starts a couple of months after the first film ends,” says Simon Bird who plays Will McKenzie, the
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sarcastic nerd-type with a habit of putting his foot in his mouth. “Will’s at university, Simon’s at a different university, Neil’s been given a job – well done, don’t know how that’s happened, don’t know what the interview process would be that would allow Neil to get a job – and Jay’s gone off to stay with his uncle in Australia. And I think for Neil, Will and Simon, life isn’t panning out quite like they’d hoped. Then suddenly they get this email from Jay which is classic Jay bullshit, saying what an incredible time he’s having in Australia, how he’s become the country’s
number one DJ and he’s had sex with both the Minogue sisters. Neil laps that up and suggests they go visit him.” From Byron Bay to the tiny South Australian desert town of Maree, Will, Simon, Jay and Neil traverse the Aussie landscape and find that between the backpacker scene and the locals, they’re failing to fit in anywhere. “With this film, I feel like there aren’t really any other inbetweeners in Australia,” explains Blake Harrison who plays lovable idiot Neil. “These guys should not really be there. They’re not backpacking, they’re not Australians and they’re not manly enough to take on all things that Australia has to throw at them. They are very much on their own.” All four actors promise that The Inbetweeners Movie 2 is set to be even better than its predecessor, with the show’s creators Damon Beesley and Iain Morris producing a script the boys claim is genuinely funnier than the last one. And, while we can expect The Inbetweeners to come up against the kind of challenges Australia is internationally famous for, Bird, Thomas, Harrison and Buckley were disappointed to find that while on location in Oz, no one was bitten by a snake or a spider. “We didn’t see anything poisonous,” Joe Thomas, who plays Simon Cooper, offers, mystified. “Weirdly, we were quite disappointed about that.” “We were gutted,” says James Buckley, who plays Jay Cartwright. “Before I was gutted I was like, ‘Oh, better be careful.’ I was literally going to buy ziplock bags for my shoes and shit but there was absolutely no need. Where we were in the outback it was like, no animal is stupid enough to be here.” WHAT: The Inbetweeners 2 In cinemas 21 Aug
PLAY ON WORLDS
Porter Robinson might be regarded as a worldtier house DJ, but his new direction is anything but crowd-pleasing. Cam Findlay finds out more.
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orter Robinson fits easily into that niche of DJ wunderkinds that have sprung up over the last couple of years. He started producing on pirated software on his mum’s computer at age 12, toured with Skrillex when he was 18, and spent the years since impressing pretty much everyone with his on-the-ball house sound. Last year, the in-demand DJ shelved the touring cycle to spend time back at his parent’s house in North Carolina. He’s emerged with Worlds, an album that still harbours skerricks of big-room house but is, in essence, something entirely different. “Worlds is really about my nostalgia for video games and fictional words and humans,” Robinson explains. “The homecoming helped in precipitating that nostalgia. Being at home and in that same environment [with] all these things that inspired me to take these journeys in my own head was liberating. It was critical for me when I decided to start down the Worlds path that I wasn’t on tour all the time and that I was absorbing as much of that nostalgia as I could. “The goal of the album originally was to really invoke this sense of fiction in people. My whole aim was to build these fictional worlds that, well obviously, don’t exist. I’ve heard people reference the movie Her, which is a movie about being in love with a robot girl, and people have said Sad Machine [Worlds’ first single] is thematically similar.
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But that’s a movie I’ve never seen. And then other people have [said] that it reminds them of Portal 2, which is a game that has a similar kind of idea. I have played Portal, the original one, but there’s so many of these coincidences. Like, the opening vocal in that song is, ‘Is anyone there?’ That’s apparently in Portal 2, but I’ve never played Portal 2. And the Final Fantasy references, never played that either. To me it was so weird to see people relating it to all these different fictional worlds and getting their own meaning out of it. It was an album I made for myself.” The early reviews are largely positive, but there’s an
underlying current of antagonism to Robinson’s decision to waylay the big, all-inclusive state of electronic music right now. And when you put out an album like Worlds, you have to be ready for it. “There’s always going to be backlash. I was trying to do something really sincere, and it’s an example of my environment and what I stand for. I think if you keep too many considerations in mind, you can easily throw yourself off and lose the course. After the album was done, I did expect people to say that it wouldn’t be hard or energetic enough for what they were expecting. But hell, when someone says something like that on the internet, a whole lot of other people go, ‘Ah, go back and listen to your shit music,’ or whatever. That being said, there are a lot of people who are really connecting with the record and really like it, so I’ll take that.” WHAT: Worlds (Astralwerks/EMI) WHEN & WHERE: 7 Dec, Stereosonic, Brisbane Showgrounds
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MARCH OF THE PIGS
Ten years after its release, author Andrew Stafford is relaunching Pig City with a discussion about the Brisbane music scene then and now. Steve Bell discovers it’s a great time to know our product.
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t’s been a decade since Brisbane author Andrew Stafford released Pig City, the book examining the history and shifting façade of our city against a musical construct, and shining a light on our rich musical heritage. The tome was incredibly well-received, prompting much discussion and even lending its name to a kick-arse music festival. Now a decade on – with Brisbane once more under conservative rein – Pig City is being relaunched with a new introduction examining
ANDREW STAFFORD AND PIG CITY
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the changes in the intervening years, both musically and politically. “It was quite overwhelming, but in some ways I wasn’t surprised,” Stafford reflects on Pig City’s initial success. “Brisbane seemed to be in the middle of a love affair with itself, and [the book] seemed to be saying exactly what Brisbane wanted to hear about itself. I bragged that it was the story of how Brisbane had grown up, which is something that embarrasses me deeply now. In hindsight, I think of Brisbane as a city with growing pains now rather than a city that’s actually grown up.
“And I couldn’t have believed in my wildest dreams that there would be a concert in 2007 wherein the three principle members of The Saints would reunite. That’s something I still shake my head [about]. I was very proud of that – not that I’m assuming that the bands were endorsing the book as such – but the fact that it was a catalyst for something like that was fairly monumental.” Obviously the Brisbane political landscape has changed significantly since Pig City, and Stafford attests that things have changed on the music front as well. “This is an astonishingly fertile period in Brisbane music – it’s more exciting than I’ve ever seen it anytime in the past,” he enthuses. “I started writing for Time Off in the early-‘90s and Brisbane music was starting to boom then; Custard were starting to gain traction, Powderfinger were coming through, Regurgitator were up and running and Screamfeeder had been around a few years too. They were the big four that were starting to make waves interstate, and it was an exciting time for Brisbane music. Plus the city itself was booming and finally shaking off the shackles of the Bjelke-Petersen years. “Back then, however, record companies were still investing in young talent, and major labels were actively investigating what was going on in Brisbane – that doesn’t happen now which is both a good and a bad thing. Things now are more DIY – more punk than they ever were in a way – and people are making records for exactly the right reasons. They don’t have anyone looking over their shoulder, and you can afford to make a cool record in your house, which wasn’t possible back then unless you were some kind of evil genius.” WHAT: Pig City 10th Anniversary Edition (UQP)
NEW WORLD ORDER
Drama, romance, danger – expect it all with The Bombay Royale. ‘Mysterious Lady’ Parvyn Kaur Singh speaks to Benny Doyle about Bollywood and making a kick-arse character her own.
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t’s a bit James Bond film – there are the characters that stay the same, but they are all on a different adventure and [in] a different story. And I do think this one is a lot more complex than You Me Bullets Love; it’s got a lot more imagery with it.” That’s the opinion of ‘The Mysterious Lady’, discussing The Bombay Royale’s latest merger of musical brilliance and cinematic imagery in the form of sophomore release The Island Of Dr Electrico. Calling in out of character, Parvyn Kaur Singh says the Melbourne ten-piece were committed to exploring the extremes of their Indianleaning fusion sound, leaving behind the self-professed “party time” of their 2012 record You Me Bullets Love for more sonic intricacies and plotline intrigue. The ‘60s Bollywood feel that was prevalent on their debut once again comes through. “There are so many awesome Bollywood film clips where they are just wearing the most ridiculous things, and when I say ridiculous I mean it in a really good way. We definitely use that as inspiration,” Singh remarks. “[Bollywood’s] so fantastic in a sense that it’s all about [possibility], and to dream and the vivid colours and music and vibrancy of it – you get lost in the fantasy world. So it’s really good escapism, and in India that’s what it has been used for forever; forgetting about however stressful or not so hunky dory your own life is, and
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getting lost in that love story and dreaming the impossible can happen.” Many additional threads are also woven within The Bombay Royale’s cloth, from spaghetti western to strains of funk and surf. A newfound focus on space within the music, meanwhile, has allowed vocalists Singh and Shourov Bhattacharya (The Tiger) to make the melodies more rich and complex. “It’s really important that we share something with our audience and give the listener their own moments to reflect within the music as well, so they have their own experience,” she adds. The world-renowned act are soon to be donning
their costumes domestically, bringing to life the twists and turns of their music. Expect stories to play out on stage, but done more subtly than theatre as “it’s still about the music”. However, the more Singh lives inside the identity of The Mysterious Lady, the more she has found an excuse to become who she really is and express the freedom of her character in everyday life. “I feel like we’re becoming more intertwined and connected,” she says of her stage front, “and now it’s just me that’s there. That feeling of a powerful, strong and courageous woman who is also sexy and holds herself with grace and poise, but can kick butt whenever she wants; that’s what I want to be in real life!” WHAT: The Island Of Dr Electrico (HopeStreet) WHEN & WHERE: 24 Sep, Brisbane Festival, The Spiegeltent
DROWNING IN MIRRORS Lawrence English tells Brendan Telford he wants his music to feel good in the way that “someone surviving a drowning feels good”.
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awrence English has always desired to create, in atmospheric anomalies, the abject experiences that surround him. With latest album, Wilderness Of Mirrors, the title of which comes from a TS Eliot poem and has since been reappropriated to include the subterfuge of political intrigue and double-guessing of world superpowers, the experiences are more pointed if no less profound. “I came across that term in a few different places. I’m pretty sure it’s in one of (British documentarian) Adam Curtis’ films where someone is talking about that period,
the CIA/KGB period, and I was then drawn to that phrase in another couple of places. I started to think about what implications such a phrase might hold, and how a phrase can be so provocative when you read, but also be wide and varied. And that is something I am interested in – a collation of information that is also a feedback loop into nothing. Such an approach was really useful for me and was the root of what the album was, this idea of something I wanted to erase through the duration of the record.” This slow erasure of one thing by another may feel heavy-handed in other hands, but with English he explores such
thoughts through the manipulation of noise and how moods undulate through the strong guidance of another.
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“There is that idea that once an album is completed, it is actually abandoned. I think a lot of people abandon things too soon. With Wilderness Of Mirrors I feel I abandoned it at the right time; I see it as a fully realised work. Yet music, apart from being multi-representational, the beauty is that anyone that comes to it brings all their social baggage with them, they are going to relate to that material in a way that their socio-political experience allows them to. Even the physiology – how it is that they hear and listen, whether or not they have heard anything like it before, their ability to listen, whether they can lend themselves for five minutes or 40 minutes – all of that comes into the deal. To be honest, the more you invest in anything, the more you get out of it.” English may be trying to expand on notions of creating music, but he admits he sees music as being an experiential prospect in which anyone can engage. “You should be able to listen to songs, but what I wanted is for people to feel good in the same way that someone surviving a drowning feels good. They have to work and take it inside them, be choking for a little bit, then have that euphoric moment of everything rushing out, and to me that’s good. That’s exciting, this idea that somehow you have worked for it. Mystery in music is what makes it so sexy, and I think people have forgotten that you don’t just fuck, there is foreplay. There is much more to music than just saying, ‘Here’s a big dick, deal with it.’ That’s super, that’s fantastic, I’m really happy for you – but that is just another big dick, and there are plenty of big dicks out there.” WHAT: Wilderness Of Mirrors (Room40)
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RISING AGAIN
The New Christs just keep on delivering, emerging from the wilderness clutching epic new album, Incantations. Frontman Rob Younger explains to Steve Bell why he’s happy ploughing the same furrow.
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or a band cobbled together as a side-project over thirty years ago, The New Christs have sure had an eventful journey to date. The brainchild of Radio Birdman frontman Rob Younger – the band’s only constant member – the band’s ranks have included a revolving cast of some of the biggest names in Australian rock’n’roll, and accordingly they’re responsible for some of the best garage punk to emerge from the country. New album Incantations is no exception. A heady mix of killer riffs, robust grooves and expressive imagery, it’s seemingly the product of one of the most stable line-ups in The New Christs’ history, but Younger has a more laissez faire view of the band’s creative ambitions for the album.
“We let it run its own course and have its own way with us, if you like,” he smiles. “The very nature of the new material is governed by all sorts of factors – external and internal – so to me it’s always been pointless worrying about that sort of thing. You shape it as it goes along, and try to ensure that you like what you’re hearing at each stage of the process. That’s the way we operate by necessity – we don’t have a big budget, so it’s not like we can block out four months in the best studio in Sydney, banging cocktail waitresses two at a time. “You might be more adept at refining
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a process, or your methodology might be more incisive and more efficient, but that doesn’t infer that what you’re doing is necessarily inspired. It comes down to the material – there’s no rule to it. I find [songwriting] easier now than before, except you run out of things to write about. I think I just write about the same shit from different angles basically.” Hence there’s no lyrical theme or motif running through Incantations, just an overarching tone of eloquence. “It’s pretty glib,” he chuckles. “It’s usually just a litany of complaints about the way that people treat each other or treat themselves, or I go into part and blather on about something I’ve done but pretend it’s some other slob that’s done it. It could be about anything. I’d like to be more concise, perhaps even more of a narrative writer – telling a story that’s not only instructive but entertaining – but a lot of those people just sound like journeyman dickheads, that whole world-weary, rustic blues traveller paying his dues and all that sort of shit. I wouldn’t want to get into that territory. “The lyrics aren’t the main thing to me anyway – I like the tune and a good beat, and if the lyrics aren’t completely bloody stupid then I’m happy to listen to the music on that basis. It doesn’t have to be high art. It doesn’t have to be literature. You want it to hold together, that’s all, and if it stands the test of time or has some insights in there or it’s just beautifully wrought phrases – whatever it is – then it’s justifying itself.” WHAT: Incantations (Impedance) WHEN & WHERE: 22 Aug, Beetle Bar; 23 Aug, Italo-Australian Sports Club, Lismore
ACOUSTIC OSBORNE It’s not Dylan going electric, but then Melvins’ frontman Roger ‘Buzz’ Osborne aka King Buzzo always did have a kind of backwards approach to rock’n’roll. His first Australian solo acoustic tour locked in, the fuzzy-haired grunge god talks to Tom Hersey.
“I
’m always ready to try something new and see how it goes,” says Buzz Osborne in a kind of matter-of-fact monotone that doesn’t break for the entire conversation. That’s just about all the thought the lauded singer/guitarist, who’s been melting faces with his mega-driven sludge rock guitar riffs for over 30 years, gave to trading in his wall of amplifiers for an acoustic guitar. Apparently that’s about all the thought he’s put into any of the major left turns in his career thus far. Like when Osborne and long-time Melvins cohort Dale Crover decided to add a second drummer to the band, or when they wrote an album with Trevor Dunn playing upright bass, or when they wrote an album where Crover, one of the all-time greatest alt-rock drummers, was playing bass instead of drums. All the decisions that have made The Melvins a kooky, brilliant and perpetually misunderstood band have been exercises in ‘seeing how it goes’. “It’s a formula that doesn’t really have one,” Osborne reckons. But then Buzz, doesn’t that lack of formula hamstring the band at times? Don’t you have people all the time coming up and pestering you to play songs from the Atlantic years? Or to play the Melvins Lite stuff? 24 • THE MUSIC • 20TH AUGUST 2014
“Yeah, there are those people. But they tend to just fall by the wayside. And there are plenty of bands out there that are willing to do whatever people want them to. And people shouldn’t expect us to. That’s it. I mean, really. It never felt like I had an obligation to anybody other than I was going to make music that was good. That was it. I didn’t really feel like I was obligated to make sure such and such people like this. Well I have no idea what people are going to like; all I know is if I like it, and then I’ll just take it from there.” That bravery has made his debut acoustic
full-length, This Machine Kills Artists, another lauded left turn from a project that was initially only going to be several shows and a limited edition 10” record. “The ten” was all it was going to be, and then I realised I could make a whole album. And I mean I only pressed 500 of that ten”, so it wasn’t like a full release… But then I was thinking about what else I was going to do with the project and then once I get going on something it’s kind of hard to stop, I’m definitely a workaholic. “I just realised that I could probably do it – one whole album – and then have Ipecac put it out as opposed to the ten” that only 500 people would hear. So I just filled out the whole thing, and ended up with a bunch of extra material that I’ll probably save for something else...” WHAT: This Machine Kills Artists (Ipecac/Shock) WHEN & WHERE: 24 Aug, Black Bear Lodge
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★★★★½
album reviews
THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS
BROODS
Brill Bruisers
Island/Universal
Matador/Remote Control
Not so much precocious as frighteningly well-polished, siblings Georgia and Caleb Nott’s debut is devoid of missteps, hesitancy or anything wobblylegged. With the help of producer Joel Little (Lorde), Broods seem to have sprung fully-formed from their Auckland cradle, instantly hitting a propulsive mid-stride of synth pop craftsmanship. In the mind’s eye, Evergreen feels equally at home soundtracking a year 12 dance in Wellington as wafting from the speakers inside a Brooklyn hairdresser. It’s an intriguingly pre-globalised sound – like it was written on a cruising Airbus, but before the world tour was even booked. What’s undeniable though, is that the two Notts can craft a melody. Medicine is nocturnal and hypnotically beautiful, Georgia’s voice like a mournfully looped cassette track. With the dancefloor candy-wrappers off, these are songs of darkly ticking minimalism. With them on, Broods sound as good as anything
ALBUM OF THE WEEK
Until The Zit Remedy from Degrassi Junior High reunite, the title of Canada’s leading alt. super group will remain with The New Pornographers. And with Brill Bruisers, it’s clear they have no intention of giving up that title anytime soon. That patented eclectic but somehow unified Pornographers sound is immediately evident. From Champions Of Red Wine, built on dancing electronica, subdued guitars far off in the distance and hypnotic Neko Case vocals; to Fantasy Fools, which uses what sounds like the synthesiser from the opening credits of Rugrats; to Backstairs, dabbling in a little Daft Punkstyle vocodering – this is loud and loose, calm and quiet, slickly produced and stripped back, new and vintage. Brill Bruisers does an impressive job of jumping from every corner of the music spectrum at their disposal, while
Evergreen
always sounding like a coherent album, headed in one direction. The New Pornographers’ greatest strength has always been their ability to take these strong and disparate artistic voices and ideas and somehow make gorgeous harmonies, instead of just a big mess of butting heads. Long past the slack cut via their novelty, super group status, this album shows that The New Pornographers isn’t just some side project for its members when they have time away from their main bands and solo careers. The sum of this band’s parts would be impressive enough, but like their entire catalogue, Brill Bruisers exceeds that sum in every way. Pete Laurie
OPETH
THE GRISWOLDS
Roadrunner/Warner
Chugg Music/MGM
There are artists who aim to satisfy the fans. Then there are those who plough ahead with their own vision irrespective of fashion or expectations. Revered doyens of epic Scando-metal, Opeth, caused a stir on their last outing, Heritage, abandoning heaviness almost entirely as main man Mikael Akerfeldt explored a style similar to the ‘70s prog-rock he grew up on. The album sold well (#12 in Australia) but many of the faithful were disappointed at the lack of death roars on tour.
Sydneysiders The Griswolds have released their gossamer debut album with all the hyped-up fairy floss energy they can muster. The four-piece moved to New York to write Be Impressive, trading their guitar sounds for synthesisers.
Pale Communion
Pale Communion is another of Opeth’s unified listening experiences, where tracks blend into one typically complex beast that can’t be absorbed entirely in one session. Numerous highlights still shine through, and they don’t come much grander than the organ heavy opener, Eternal Rains Will Come. Melancholy, windswept, stoic… if you’re having an existential crisis and feel like moping around near the edge of a cliff (but not too 26 • THE MUSIC • 20TH AUGUST 2014
★★★★ else on the radio. In the case of Mother And Father, Superstar and L.A.F, they sound even better. Irresistibly constructed, catchy and with a thin veil of tugging loneliness, 12 tracks of similarly sweet-spotted pitching would have made Broods an unassailable over-night phenomenon. Instead, everything else falls to one side or the other – bare-bones indie sadness or swirling hard-edged dance. Perhaps the album was consciously divided into these roughly equal thirds. Crowdpleasers, navel-gazers and somewhere in between, there’s no reason why Broods should not be ubiquitous – they need only choose in which form to exist. Naaman Zhou
Be Impressive
★★★★ close) – this is your music. The galloping single, Cusp Of Eternity, carries the momentum into Moon Above, Sun Below, which features gorgeous mid-section interplay between electric and acoustic instruments. River is about the heaviest thing here, migrating from gorgeous alto harmonies into a double-time electric hoedown, but it’s a far cry from the bludgeoning of old. The bad news for Heritage haters: Akerfeldt’s conviction to explore less extreme plains is more entrenched than ever. But with material this good, who really cares? If Pale Communion doesn’t bring the naysayers back on board, nothing will. Christopher H James
If you’re thinking the fairy floss allusion implies this album has an artificial sound, then you’re correct! The band’s squeakyclean guitar riffs on Beware The Dog and the bright America are peddled straight from Paul Simon’s Graceland, while their synthesisers shine like the midday sun. The band hired producer Tony Hoffer for the album (M83 and Foster The People). His studio gloss often leaves Be Impressive sounding as spotless and adrenaline-rushed as a Passion Pit album, but he finds nuances to draw out in the band’s slower moments. Live This Nightmare is perhaps The Griswolds’ most downbeat and coherent moment on the album. Thread The Needle likewise
★★★ thrives off the space provided by this change of tempo, as violins weave in between the vocals of lead singer Chris Whitehall. The songwriting across these tracks, Aurora Borealis, Not Ready Anymore and If You Wanna Stay is generally stronger. Their honest reflection is darker than the band’s previous material. When Whitehall isn’t writing the childlike cheerleader chants of title track Be Impressive, which sounds straight out of The Go! Team’s songbook, his voice is pleasingly malleable. These syrupy songs are icing on the cake if you’re not blinded by the shine of Be Impressive’s production. Roshan Clerke
albums/singles/eps
★★★
★★★★
★★★½
MERCHANDISE
SOUNDS LIKE SUNSET
TY SEGALL
Modern Version
4AD/Remote Control
Tym
Spunk
Pouring Dream
Tampa DIY stalwarts Merchandise have moved miles from their origins on After The End, morphing from a trio to a quintet and in the process changing their vibe and demeanour exponentially to now mirror an atmospheric ‘80s pop band more than their own rich post-punk roots. Selfrecorded and then mixed by Gareth Jones (Depeche Mode, Interpol), the production is top-notch but it’s hard to get a handle on their ambition – the songs are consistently solid, but it almost takes a suspension of disbelief to accept this is the same Merchandise.
Sydney shoegazers Sounds Like Sunset missed the zeitgeist in the ‘90s and never really got the kudos they honestly deserved. With the second wave of acolytes coming through though it’s high time the trio stood up and be counted – and We Could Leave Tonight is a strong testament to a band that knows how to write strong compositions with emotional heft and sonic might. Songs like Misunderstand and Sunshine float along with the ring of Swervedriver in their ears, while Fears tugs at the heartstrings. A studied exhibition of sonorous nostalgia.
San Fran psych rocker Segall’s latest is mostly a return to the electric guitar, following the acoustic sobriety that was last year’s Sleeper. This time he revisits 1970s hard rock but saves some room for a bit of Americana, with a good measure of psych to boot. The quality is still surprising given his penchant for releasing an album a year (sometimes three) and it borders on the uncanny how raw and emotional the tracks remain. That said, Manipulator’s strength is in its feeling of spontaneity and unpredictability. At 17 tracks, it’s ambitious but lots of fun too.
Brendan Telford
Adam Wilding
LEAVING
Beautifully vast, ambient track from Perth solo artist Rupert Thomas (aka Leaving). There’s plenty of space but it’s peppered with little events and subtle highlights along the way, helping it mark its territory.
HOMEBOY SANDMAN
America, The Beautiful Stones Throw Stones Throw gets back to the roots of hip hop, heavy boombap beat by Jonwayne with a big snapping snare and an all too rare commentary on modern America from Sandman. Super.
CAKES DA KILLA
After The End
Steve Bell
We Could Leave Tonight
Manipulator
Livin Gud, Eating Gud Independent
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Cakes continues to challenge hip hop tropes and stereotypes using the genre itself to have an all too rare unique voice and message. The big bass beat is unstoppable.
TEEN
Tied Up Tied Down Carpark/Stop Start Music Teen’s first album was a nice if unfocused mesh of sounds and style – it will be interesting to see where the Brooklyn group go after this catchy, bass-driven pop rock number and if it will solidify their identity.
KAREN O Rapt Cult Very under-produced little two-minute sad pop track, YYY’s Karen O manages proper yearning and sadness without sentimentality, and this track has no tricks or gimmicks whatsoever. Chris Yates
★★★★
★★½
STRAND OF OAKS
ARKELLS
Dead Oceans/Inertia
Cooking Vinyl/Dine Alone
The songwriting of Timothy Showalter on his fourth release as Strand Of Oaks is direct, cathartic and vulnerable. John Congleton’s production complements the brokenness and urgency in the lyrics with a musical energy and ferocity in driving drums, squealing guitars and layered synths. It’s painfully honest but accessible, beautiful and affecting. There’s not a weak song on the album, the opening numbers immediately grabbing attention. Emotional highlights are Mirage Year and JM, the former the heart-wrenching yowl of a man confronting his wife’s infidelity, the latter an ode to the late musician Jason Molina.
The pounding focus of Fake Money and the synth-tinged glitter of Cynical Bastards recalls Cold War Kids or The Killers at their peak, but soon the energised intensity dissipates into MOR pap like What Are You Holding On To?. You could imagine Arkells’ alt. pop-rock soundtracking a lame university party, and High Noon, although assured and accomplished, celebrates an everyman sound that’s about as inoffensive as soda pop. Closer Systematic is so damn ridiculous it needs to be heard at least once. But maybe overwrought strings, keys and a Boston-esque chorus is your idea of a good time – I don’t know?
Amorina Fitzgerald-Hood
Benny Doyle
HEAL
High Noon
Basement Jaxx – Junto Dragonforce – Maximum Overload Laura Jean – Laura Jean Royal Blood – Royal Blood Teenage Mothers – I Wish I Was Beautiful The Wytches – Annabel Dream Reader Cold Specks – Neuroplasticity
THE MUSIC • 20TH AUGUST 2014 • 27
live reviews
KASABIAN, THE DELTA RIGGS Eatons Hill Hotel 12 Aug The overtly confident rock’n’roll pomp of The Delta Riggs sometimes rubs up Aussie crowds the wrong way, but their cocksure attitude and undeniable talents combine for a perfect introduction tonight. Frontman Elliott Hammond loses his leathers after a few tracks and jumps on keys for a barnstorming rendition of America, but stylish hats remain firmly on heads, and new tunes like The Record’s Flawed are just as sexy. In their best moments they’re not that dissimilar to The Hives; in their worst
– even Meighan’s raver glasses/ suit jacket combo doesn’t come across as contrived. In fact, it makes complete sense when he leads a dancefloor meltdown with UK rave redux Eez-eh, the lights on stage going into blinding overdrive as the bass smothers us. That same bottom-end sound then kicks even harder during golden oldie Processed Beats; the song just another one that shows off the band’s humble weapon, bassist Chris Edwards. His head rocks in time with the Leicester City FC flag waving in the front corner of the room, before Pizzorno takes centre stage for Bow, which is then followed by a ripping version of Club Foot with Meighan back in the fold. Immediately after, Kasabian offer up the two
KASABIAN @ EATONS HILL HOTEL. PIC: DAVE KAN
moments they’re a little too close to Jet. A bottle of brown spirit being passed about is making everyone smile. It’s pandemonium in the packed venue when Kasabian stride out to a hero’s reception. The calls of “I’m in ecstasy” in Bumblebeee seem to sum up the feelings of practically everyone in the room, and when the boys bleed the intro of Kanye’s Black Skinhead into Shoot The Runner – with Ian Matthews pounding incessantly on the drum kit – punters move in unison. This is a band that have headlined Glastonbury Festival and The O2 in London, so they know a few things about working a crowd, and shaggy-haired guitar ruler Sergio Pizzorno and vocalist Tom Meighan are strutting and pouting with the best of them. It’s all endearing though 28 • THE MUSIC • 20TH AUGUST 2014
Beetle Bar 16 Aug
Not even biblical downpours can keep a sizable crowd from turning up early tonight, and those punctual attendees are treated to a strong set by local relative newcomers Woolpit. The band aren’t yet a household name but there are some very familiar faces – especially the rhythm section of Skritch (Gota Cola, Mary Trembles) and Tony McCall (Resin Dogs) on bass and drums respectively. However, it’s frontman Pete O’Brien who seems to be driving the bus with his innovative,
KASABIAN @ EATONS HILL HOTEL. PIC: DAVE KAN
sides of their sound back to back – the straight-ahead rock of Re-Wired making way for the club throb of Treat, with Pizzorno tossing his maracas into the pit towards the latter track’s end. They then proceed to put on a clinic coming home, breaking up Empire and L.S.F. with a cover of Fatboy Slim’s Praise You played in tribute to Robin Williams, before taking things next level with an encore of Switchblade Smiles, an absolutely frightening Vlad The Impaler and Fire. By this stage Meighan has slid into a Delta Riggs jacket, with the support band coming out to litter the stage with bodies during the finale, adding vocals, tipsy dancing and plenty of man-love as beers go skywards everywhere you look. Benny Doyle
HARMONY, KEEP ON DANCIN’S, WOOLPIT
There’s a solid crowd jostling at the front of stage for prime listening vantage points by the time the six members of Melbourne mood-rockers Harmony file into position and kick into the discord, guitarist Tom Lyngcoln stripping his vocal chords at the onset of No Family before the choir of heavenly female vocals drops in to offset the darkness with some light – the trio of Amanda Roff, Quinn Veldhuis and Erica Dunn in typically fine fettle – and the whole shebang meshes into a tuneful cacophony unlike any other. Throughout the performance the efforts of ex-Mclusky bassist Jon Chapple – who has his back to the crowd for the duration, seemingly transfixed on the job at hand – and drummer Alex Kastaniosis are absolutely critical to the band’s
HARMONY @ BEETLE BAR. PIC: MARKUS RAVIK
angular guitar work and often angsty vocals. Their sound flits between vibes at the heavy end of the guitar spectrum, playful at times and then moody, but never less than interesting. Local quartet Keep On Dancin’s have been going from strength to strength in recent times, and their offering tonight is no exception. They concentrate on their more morose, reflective side with an exhibition of sultry psych-rock which is abetted nicely by the visuals showing the newly installed screens behind the stage, the sights and sounds combining to emit a nice ambience. Compelling frontwoman Jacinta Walker is laidback and laconic but still acts as an emotional fulcrum, with the densely atmospheric Hewitt Eyes the highlight of a resolutely strong performance.
appeal with their thunderous rhythms and deep grooves, but it’s the way that Lyngcoln’s guttural screams clash against the spectral harmonies that really brings the goosebumps, like two disparate entities that somehow intertwine to equal far more than the sum of their considerable parts. As they pour through powerful tracks like Big Ivan, Fourteen and Extinction Debt the crowd is sucked towards the noise like a vacuum, the experience intense and primeval and somehow confusing and enlightening at the same time. Harmony also make good use of visuals with their distinctive artwork featuring prominently behind them – the creepy great white shark from the cover of the Diminishing Returns seveninch particularly evocative – but its naturally the music which stuns, the choral crescendo of recent single Water Runs Cold
live reviews captivating in the extreme. It’s an exquisite performance throughout and they top off a slew of great tracks at the back end such as Carpetbomb and Vapour Trails with the massive Heartache, which finds Lyngcoln desperately strangling his guitar to extract every last inch of emotion, this closing rush both tremendously visceral and utterly inspiring.
creates solid grooves, melodic guitar lines lifting the choruses. The songs are structurally unsure at times, and some feel underwritten. The sound however is confident and engaging, if at times a little monotonous. The guitarist mysteriously leaves the stage halfway through the set, though the band seem unfazed and carry on regardless.
Cam Shenton
Malo Zima are all colour and energy following the spacey Allthingslost. Led by the diminutive and feisty frontwoman, Amela Duheric, the five-piece get the crowd dancing to their infectiously fun indie-rock. Duheric’s voice is the real treasure though, rich and beautiful, swooping high and low across the melodies. The slower tracks in the set lack the intensity of the first half ’s performance and loses the crowd’s attention. This is remedied by a killer final song, packed with groove and drama.
FOXSMITH, BASKERVILLAIN, MALO ZIMA, ALLTHINGSLOST The Zoo 16 Aug The usually darkened corners of The Zoo are lit tonight, illuminating the visual art displayed by local artists. It’s a neat addition to a fine line-up of acts kicked off by the dreamy and anthemic strains of Allthingslost. Anchored around vocalist and synth player Abraham Tilbury’s performance, the rhythm section
Raucously loud and boasting impressive heads of hair, Baskervillain open with an onslaught of harmonica-drenched rock. Each song is more fun than the last, with psychedelic
jams in one, ‘60s harmonies in another and some ‘90s fuzzed-out introspection to round it out. They are entertaining, with a tight enough performance to let the right amount of wildness out. Launching their single, Pentimento, tonight, Foxsmith aren’t sure if they want to seduce you, make you laugh or make you cry. Maybe they want to do all three. The set is a mix of moodiness and wry humour, in both the songwriting itself and the use of video projections. Earlier songs like highlight Collarbones, show the band’s darker and sexier sounds, underpinned by melodic bass lines and elegant guitar riffs, though the drums could afford to be a touch looser to groove more, and experiments in guitar tone could really elevate these songs.
single, Wake Up, wants to get the crowd moving, though always feels like it needs to be about five BPM faster. Pentimento is a return to the darker side of the band, and again shows the strength of the instrumental hook-writing of the fourpiece. The accompanying video clip to the single is unfortunately not screened during the performance, but it doesn’t detract from what is a great offering of local talent. Amorina Fitzgerald-Hood
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The second half of the show plays more to the playful pop side of the band. The vintage comedy skits screened during Little Creatures synchronise well with the offbeat tune and add a dose of humour. Previous
arts reviews
THE INBETWEENERS 2
THE INBETWEENERS 2 Film
In cinemas 21 Aug Having been a 14-year-old boy at one stage in my life, I can say with some confidence that the mind of a 14-year-old boy is an unpleasant place to
spend any amount of time. It can get grimy, steamy, sweaty and sticky in there. Now, the quartet of lads at the core of the Inbetweeners franchise – once a hilariously smutty UK television comedy, now a less-hilariously smutty series of movies – have chronologically moved beyond that delicate age but emotionally and psychologically they remain rooted (fnar fnar) in place. So does The Inbetweeners. That’s all well and good if you’re in the market for tacky, tawdry
(and occasionally funny) gags about bums, boobs and bad taste. But that’s 95 per cent of what these movies offer, so anyone seeking something more substantial should move along. In The Inbetweeners 2, Jay, the most sex-obsessed of the bunch, has relocated to Australia and regularly regales his pals back home with extraordinary tales of erotic conquest and koalapunching (not a euphemism). Their lives sucking in various
ways (Will is friend-free at uni, Simon has a nightmarish girlfriend, Neil is a fucking moron), they decide to pay him a visit, only to find (a) Jay is full of shit, and (b) Australia has been overrun by backpacking wankers sporting dreadlocks, toting guitars and spouting new age crap. Adventures involving poo, the objectification of women, waterslides, gay panic, the outback and sexual humiliation ensue. Guy Davis THE MUSIC • 20TH AUGUST 2014 • 29
30 • THE MUSIC • 20TH AUGUST 2014
the guide
FIEU Name/instrument played: Emily Brewis (Fieu) – vocals/keys. How long have you been performing? Since I was about 6 or 7. I performed at the Sydney Opera House with a mass children’s choir when I was in first grade. You’re on tour in the van – which band or artist is going to keep you happy if we throw them on the stereo? Phil Collins, Lionel Richie or Michael Jackson. Would you rather be a busted broke-but-revered Hank Williams figure or some kind of Metallica monster? I think I’d just like to be me ;) Which Brisbane bands before you have been an inspiration (musically or otherwise)? Katie Noonan is a huge inspiration to me! What part do you think Brisbane plays in the music you make? I studied music in Brisbane and made some amazing friends and connections along the way. I find my music is always a refection of my experiences. Is your music responsible for more make-outs or break-ups? Why? Ha ha! I am not sure on this one. I’ll have to run some surveys. If you had to play a sport instead of being a musician which sport would it be and why would you be triumphant? I’ve never been good at sport, and I have tried… Perhaps I can give badminton a go? What’s in the pipeline for you musically in the short term? We’re about to release our first EP ever and the launch show is set for Wednesday 17 September at Black Bear Lodge! Fieu play Black Bear Lodge on Wednesday 17 September.
Pic: TERRY SOO.
THE MUSIC • 20TH AUGUST 2014 • 31
eat/drink
SWEET & SAVOURY Because why should you have to choose one or the other? Words Dina Amin. Illustrations Sophie Blackhall-Cain.
APPLE CINNAMON SWIRL & GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICHES Yikes. Imagine a cinnamon swirl from Brumby’s or Baker’s Delight coupled with thick apple slices and cheese. Surprisingly good, it’s best served with caramelised apple and cheddar.
PRETZEL M&MS When you don’t feel like cooking or sticking something in a sandwich press, get down to your local USA foods for some pretzel M&Ms. Although they will make you violently ill if consumed above the average serving size, they’re sooo good. Challenge your self control.
STRAWBERRY BALSAMIC PIZZA WITH CHICKEN, SWEET ONION & BACON Substitute pineapple with strawberries and you’ve got an equally
yummy pizza. Quick to melt in your mouth, we can imagine the recipe wouldn’t hurt with some goat’s cheese or feta.
WATERMELON & FETA BITES Another successful cheese and fruit combo. Perfect for the much anticipated summer months, the juicy treat is even more delectable with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. Preferably designed with a chunk of feta between two pieces of watermelon, held together with a skewer. You could even grill the watermelon.
BEEF TENDERLOINS WITH RASPBERRY CHIMICHURRI Utterly incomprehensible, the beef and raspberry combo is fab. The Argentinian condiment chimichurri can be made by blending packaged raspberries with parsley, orange zest, lemon zest, garlic and cumin. Don’t knock it ‘til you try it.
HOW MUCH SUGAR IN FRUIT? SOURCE: US DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Sugar per 100 grams of selected fruit:
Rasberries: 4.42 grams Strawberries: 4.66 grams Watermelon: 6.20 grams Cantaloupe: 7.86 grams Peaches: 8.39 grams Apricots: 9.24 grams Oranges: 9.35 grams Apples: 10.39 grams Bananas: 12.23 grams Mango: 14.80 grams Pomegranate: 16.57 grams 32 • THE MUSIC • 20TH AUGUST 2014
THE MUSIC • 20TH AUGUST 2014 • 33
the guide qld.live@themusic.com.au
FRONTLASH
INDIE NEWS
THE BIRDMEN FLY
Internal disharmony notwithstanding, the news that legendary Oz rockers Radio Birdman are reforming and putting out a new vinyl boxset is super cool! Hey-up!
SUPERNATURAL Meredith Music Festival have outdone themselves with an incredible and diverse lineup; the gorgeous ampitheatre down in Victoria is going to be rocking! So many great bands!
GATHER AROUND! Holy mother of God, the Juggalos are coming Down Under! ICP have announced a Gathering in Australia for 2015 – this is going to put the G-20 to shame!!
THIS LAND OF OURS
DROWN IN SOUND
WANT WOOD?
The Peep Tempel will release Tales this spring, a record which glorifies modern Oz and its inhabitants. Get your fix of lowbrow sarcasm and loud guitars at The Spotted Cow, Toowoomba, 17 Oct and The Bearded Lady, 18 Oct.
Get under the reverb when Lowtide bring their southern brand of shoegaze north to launch their self-titled record. The Melbourne quartet play The Brightside, 6 Sep with Roku Music, after a 2pm in-store at Tym Guitar that afternoon.
Adelaide folk-rock quartet The Timbers head up the east coast following the hometown launch of the new film clip for single Mean Streak. See them 12 Sep, The Rails, Byron Bay and 14 Sep, Queen Street Mall.
WEEPING GUITARS
A BEAUTIFUL MORNING
TRENDY BASTARDS
Guitarists Ralph Towner, Wolfgang Muthspiel and Slava Grigoryan are bringing their Travel Guide tour Down Under. Hear them come a strumming into Byron Bay Cultural & Community Centre, 26 Oct and Brisbane Powerhouse, 27 Oct.
Independent singer-songwriter Toni Childs will swing by Solbar, Maroochydore on Friday, showing off songs from her forthcoming album, It’s All A Beautiful Noise. She’ll be supported by Old Man Friday.
Brisbane instrumental surf-rock favourites The Wet Fish are keeping things ticking over with a couple of upcoming shows. Lose yourself in their immersive yet fun sound at New Globe Theatre, 22 Aug and Beetle Bar, 27 Sep.
CARRY ON
TASTE THE HONEY
CRANK IT UP
Forever Came Calling go all pop-punk on your arse on Thursday at The Brightside, finally reaching our fair city as part of their national tour in support of a new split EP. Bring your full voices.
The Buzzbees launch their debut EP Hivemind at New Globe Theatre on 29 Aug with a little help from The Reversals, Black As Blue and The Whitney Kapa Band, before they play a special show with The Owls at Broadbeach Tavern, 14 Sep.
New Globe Theatre is the place to be, 18 Oct, with two stages hosting the likes of Aerials, pictured, Drawcard, These Four Walls, Mass Sky Raid, Harlequin and more, while DJs will be filling in the gaps until late. $15 through Oztix.
A BIT POLITICAL
FRET AND FIDDLE
TASTE SENSATIONS
On 19 Sep you’ll find Chocolate Strings and The Mouldy Lovers at The Motor Room with brand new singles to show off. They’re playing as part of South Brisbane Greens candidate (and renowned poet) Jonathan Sri’s campaign launch party.
Brisbane violin/guitar duo The Scrapes are headed to The Bearded Lady with Primitive Motion on Friday. Entry’s free. They’ll also appear at Melody Woodnutt’s installation, Love & Other Ecologies, at Judith Wright Centre, Saturday.
Trainspotters, Grand Central Hotel is gearing up for an alt-rock spectacular on 23 Aug with Flavour Machine, Gypsies & Gentlemen, Nova & The Experience and Junior Danger. Free entry from 9pm.
BIRDMAN ARE BACK!
BACKLASH DOWNSIZING
When they said Dylan was playing an intimate club show in Brisbane we thought it was Ric’s or Black Bear, not The Tivoli! That’s not a small club! Jokes of course, how amazement!
HEAD REST And good on Meredith Music Festival for banning native American headdresses, flippant cultural misappropriation is never cool. And it’s done to death anyway, find something new.
GC CREEP How disturbing is the guy accused of the balcony murder on the Coast, picking up women and recording them and then putting the details on a bodybuilding forum? WTF?
FOR MORE HEAD TO THEMUSIC.COM.AU 34 • THE MUSIC • 20TH AUGUST 2014
the guide qld.live@themusic.com.au
ALBUM FOCUS
ALBUM FOCUS was written and recorded over about 18 months, but some songs, or parts thereof, I have had sitting around for up to 15 years.
MARCUS BLACKE Album title: Temazepain Where did the title of your new album come from? Insomnia medication. How many releases do you have now? This is the second album.
Was anything in particular inspiring you during the making? As we were in the desert the environment played a huge part in the making and overall sound of the album.
next time? Clean my teeth more often. Get out of the house more. Spend more time with my cat. Probably record more at home. Write a song about whisky.
LOW FLY INCLINE
Marcus Blacke plays The Bearded Lady on Sunday 7 September.
Where did the title of your new album come from? When we recorded the album in the Californian desert, we would drive from our motel to the studio each morning past several signs that said ‘Other Desert Cities’. It’s a play on that.
How long did it take to write/record? One year to write and record. Was anything in particular inspiring you during the making? Inspiration lives in everything.
Member answering: Tarek Smallman Album title: Other Desert City
How many releases do you have now? We have two releases once this album is out in the next couple weeks.
What’s your favourite song on it? Aubergine Place.
HAVE YOU HEARD
How did you get together? Another band who met through school, we banded together slowly after graduating due to a desire to create music. Now we make music. Pretty simple. Sum up your musical sound in four words? Fun hardcore thrashy metal. If you could support any band in the world – past or present – who would it be? If the band as a whole had to decide on one, it would likely be Trivium.
Low Fly Incline play Beetle Bar on Thursday 28 August and Wharf Tavern, Mooloolaba on Friday 29 August.
ALBUM FOCUS
You’re being sent into space, no iPod, you can only bring one album – what would it be? Kieren (vocals): The Color Spectrum – The Dear Hunter; Kiel (guitar) and Daniel (bass): Shogun – Trivium; Shannon (guitar): Themata – Karnivool; Jordan (drums): Take To The Skies – Enter Shikari.
Member answering: Shannon Blinston
Will you do anything differently next time? The sounds on this one are trashy and dirty, but we have been continuing down this route even further with recent recordings, so the second will be even more filthy.
How long did it take to write/ record? The bulk of the album
Will you do anything differently
HOME BY SUDDEN LANDSLIDE
What’s your favourite song on it? Probably the title track as it was written the night before the morning it was recorded.
Greatest rock’n’roll moment of your career to date? The trip to Sydney for UBERfest Summer. We had a very generous donor for our small tour to Sydney which gave us all a blast of a time together instead of a hot, tiring road trip. Why should people come and see your band? We try to entertain your eyes as much as your ears, plus we’re generally fun guys! Home By Sudden Landslide play UBERfest Winter at the Jubilee Hotel on Saturday 30 August.
to write due to some line-up issues. Probably all up just over a year. It took around a month to record, mix and master.
FLAMING WREKAGE Member answering: Dave Lupton Album title: Catharsis Where did the title of your new album come from? ‘Catharsis’ translates to an emotional release. Being able to finally record this album was a massive relief after so many line-up issues and rewrites. Holding the master in my hand was a great feeling. How many releases do you have now? We have an EP which is no longer available and our current full-length.
Was anything in particular inspiring you during the making? Just having a solid release out there so that we could play more shows. That was my main inspiration. What’s your favourite song on it? I’d say Threats Of Revolt. That last part always gives me chills when we play that song live. Will you do anything differently next time? I’d probably invest a bit more time into the next album. Also make sure everyone is 100% prepared before we hit the studio. Flaming Wrekage play Indooroopilly Hotel on Friday 22 August and Tatts Hotel, Lismore on Saturday 23 August.
How long did it take to write/ record? It took a long time THE MUSIC • 20TH AUGUST 2014 • 35
the guide qld.gigguide@themusic.com.au Trainspotters feat. Flavour Machine + more: Grand Central Hotel, Brisbane
THE MUSIC PRESENTS Rise book launch: New Globe Theatre 23 Aug UBERfest Winter 2014: Jubilee Hotel 30 Aug Noosa Jazz Festival: Noosa 4-7 Sep Urthboy: The Telstra Spiegeltent 6 Sep Andy Bull: The Telstra Spiegeltent 7 Sep Phil Jamieson: The Telstra Spiegeltent 9 Sep Steve Nieve: The Telstra Spiegeltent 10 Sep BIGSOUND 2014: Fortitude Valley 10-12 Sep Com Truise: The Telstra Spiegeltent 11 Sep Ronny Chieng: The Telstra Spiegeltent 12 Sep
La Bastard: Lefty’s Old Time Music Hall, Brisbane
Spiegeltent 21 Sep Gareth Liddiard: The Telstra Spiegeltent 23 Sep
Declan O’Rourke + Sinead Burgess: Mick O’Malley’s, Brisbane
The Bombay Royale: The Telstra Spiegeltent 24 Sep
Rise Launch feat. Mantra + Briggs + more: New Globe Theatre, Fortitude Valley
Juana Molina: The Telstra Spiegeltent 25 Sep Midnight Juggernauts: The Telstra Spiegeltent 26 Sep
GIG OF THE WEEK PETER ESCOTT: 22 AUG, HAPPYFEST 14 @ THE UNDERDOG
DMA’s: The Brightside 2 Oct Bluejuice: SolBar, 1 Oct, The Hi-Fi 2 Oct Bonjah: The Zoo 10 Oct, Racecourse Hotel 11 Oct, Surfers Paradise Beer Garden 12 Oct Courtney Barnett: The Zoo 11 Oct The Blurst Of Times Festival: The Brightside, The Zoo 18 Oct
Rewind - The Aretha Franklin Songbook with Christine Anu: Old Museum, Bowen Hills
Flaming Wrekage + Sedation + Siv + Nescient: Indooroopilly Hotel, Indooroopilly
Boss Moxi + Scrape + DJ Valdis: Ric’s Bar, Fortitude Valley
Transvaal Diamond Syndicate + more: Irish Club Hotel, Toowoomba
The Orphans of Swing: Solbar, Maroochydore Brisbane Fringe Festival presents Silverbones Salon + Silver Sircus + Sissybones: The Bearded Lady, West End
La Bastard + Tracy McNeil & The Good Life: Lefty’s Old Time Music Hall, Brisbane
Vancouver Sleep Clinic: The Telstra Spiegeltent 13 Sep
Ball Park Music: The Tivoli 18 Oct, Alhambra Lounge 2 Nov (U18)
Joe Henry: The Telstra Spiegeltent 14 Sep
Airlie Beach Music Festival: 7-9 Nov, The Whitsundays
Forever Came Calling + Trophy Eyes + Anchors + Arrivals: The Brightside, Fortitude Valley
Solo & By Request with Ed Kuepper: Soundlounge, Currumbin
Miami Horror: The Telstra Spiegeltent 16 Sep
Gorguts: Crowbar 16 Nov
Anathema + Special Guests: The Hi-Fi, West End
Rewind - The Aretha Franklin Songbook with + Christine Anu: Southport RSL, Southport
The Kite String Tangle: The Telstra Spiegeltent 17 & 18 Sep HTRK: The Telstra Spiegeltent 19 Sep Dune Rats: The Telstra Spiegeltent 20 Sep Damien Jurado: The Telstra
WED 20
Denise Scott: Brisbane Powerhouse (Powerhouse Theatre), New Farm
Courtney Love + The Mercy Kills: Eatons Hill Hotel (Grand Ballroom), Eatons Hill Example Of + Ambience + DJ Redbeard: Ric’s Bar, Fortitude Valley Brisbane Festival: A Conversation with Mzaza: Secret Location, Brisbane Songwriters Circle - West End Girls feat. Hailey Calvert + Kristy Apps + more: The Bearded Lady (7pm) , West End
Jungle Love Festival: Lake Moogerah 21-22 Nov Mullum Music Festival: Mullum 20-23 Nov
Snitch + Forever Came Calling + Trophy Eyes + Anchors: X&Y Bar (Tickets at the door), Fortitude Valley
The War On Drugs: The Zoo 10 Dec Thy Art Is Murder: Crowbar 20 Dec & 21 Dec (U18)
Mello & Blaire: The Underdog Pub Co, Fortitude Valley
THU 21
FRI 22
House vs Hurricane + Prepared Like A Bride + Deadlines: The Brightside, Fortitude Valley Fishing + Special Guests: The Factory, Maroochydore
The New Christs + Hits + The Dirty F Holes + Dead Wolves: Beetle Bar, Brisbane
Kid Ink + DJ Markm + Ezra James: The Hi-Fi, West End
Millions + Jesse Davidson + The Furrs: Black Bear Lodge, Fortitude Valley Denise Scott: Brisbane Powerhouse (Powerhouse Theatre), New Farm
Stolen Violin feat. Jordan Ireland (The Middle East): Black Bear Lodge, Fortitude Valley
Dark Symphonica + Opus Of A Machine + more: Crowbar, Fortitude Valley
Denise Scott: Brisbane Powerhouse (Powerhouse Theatre), New Farm
Selahphonic + Michelle Xen & The Neon Wild + more: Currumbin Creek Tavern, Currumbin Waters
Wayward Smith: Dowse Bar (Iceworks), Paddington
Brisbane Fringe Festival presents Primitive Motion + The Scrapes: The Bearded Lady, West End
Diva Demolition: Barkly Hotel Motel, Miles End
The Midway Creatures + more: Beetle Bar, Brisbane
The Molotov + Crooked Face + more: Crowbar, Fortitude Valley
Toni Childs + Old Man Friday: Solbar, Maroochydore
The Used + Taking Back Sunday + Corpus: Eatons Hill Hotel, Eatons Hill
Forever Came Calling + Trophy Eyes + Anchors: The Lab, Brisbane 4zzz Radiothon: Happy Fest feat. Fatti Frances + more: The Underdog Pub Co (7pm) , Fortitude Valley
SAT 23
4zzz Radiothon: Kids With Arse Kicking Arse + Various Artists: 4ZZZ (Car Park), Fortitude Valley Passport to Airlie Beach Music Festival - Battle of the Bands + Various Artists: Albany Creek Tavern, Albany Creek Fishing + Tincture + Fancy Pants + more: Alhambra Lounge, Fortitude Valley
World-class mastering.
$
99
From $99 per song +GST
Diva Demolition: Barkly Hotel Motel, Miles End Hip Hop Inferno! feat. Shorty Main + more: Beetle Bar, Brisbane
Bam Bam: Solbar, Maroochydore Brisbane Fringe Festival presents Dreamtime + more: The Bearded Lady, West End Members Only Party + Warbrain + Deceiver + Deadlift + Suspect: The Brightside, Fortitude Valley Brisbane French Festival feat. Melody Woodnutt: The Judith Wright Centre (Shopfront Space), Fortitude Valley Progfest 2014 feat. Closure In Moscow + Helm + more: The Zoo, Fortitude Valley
SUN 24
King Buzzo + Blackie: Black Bear Lodge, Fortitude Valley Tina Arena: Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, South Bank The Recliners: Coorparoo Bowls Club (2pm), Coorparoo Valley Fiesta: Fortitude Valley Entertainment Precinct, Fortitude Valley BASQ Memphis Challenge + Devils Kiosk + more: Lefty’s Old Time Music Hall, Brisbane Blues Challenge feat. Devils Kiosk + Hat Fitz & Cara + more: Lefty’s Old Time Music Hall, Brisbane Valley Fiesta feat. Switchblade Suzie + more: Ric’s Bar (2pm), Fortitude Valley Super Hero Party with Jeremy Allen + Venus Envy + Steam Team DJs + DJ Indie Andy: Royal Exchange Hotel, Toowong Transvaal Diamond Syndicate: Taps Australia (6pm), Mooloolaba Brisbane Fringe Festival presents Some Jerks + La Bastard + Plastic Fangs: The Bearded Lady, West End 4ZZZ Radiothon Rock n Roll BBQ feat. Stone Chimp + The 52 Pickups + more: The Underdog Pub Co, Fortitude Valley
MON 25
Denise Scott: Brisbane Powerhouse (Powerhouse Theatre 5pm, 8pm), New Farm
Bob Dylan : Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, South Bank
Knapsack + We Set Sail + Seahorse Divorce: Crowbar, Fortitude Valley
4ZZZ Radiothon + Various DJs: The End, West End
Alex The Kid + Columbus + more: Crowbar, Fortitude Valley FMX Extreme Weekend feat. + Jebediah + more: Eatons Hill Hotel, Eatons Hill Valley Fiesta feat. The Preatures + more: Fortitude Valley Entertainment Precinct, Fortitude Valley
1000S OF GIGS AT YOUR FINGERTIPS. FOR MORE HEAD TO THEMUSIC.COM.AU 36 • THE MUSIC • 20TH AUGUST 2014
Valley Fiesta feat. Rabbit + Little Earthquake + DJ Valdis: Ric’s Bar, Fortitude Valley
TUE 26
The ARTPOP Ball + Lady Gaga: Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Boondall DJ Greg Mullens: Brothers Leagues Club (Shamrock Stage), Manunda
CAFÉ - BAR
321 BRUNSWICK STREET MALL, FORTITUDE VALLEY
WED AUGUST 20TH
EKKA RACE DAY (NO LIVE BANDS)
THU AUGUST 21ST
STUDENT NIGHT: BOSS MOXI (10:30PM) + SCRAPE (9:30PM)
FRI AUGUST 22ND
VALLEY FIESTA DAY 1: WAAX (9:00PM) + YELLOWCATREDCAT (8:00PM)
SAT AUGUST 23RD
VALLEY FIESTA DAY 2: LITTLE EARTHQUAKE (9:00PM) + RABBIT (8:00PM) ACOUSTIC ACTS INSIDE FROM 1PM
SUN AUGUST 24TH
VALLEY FIESTA DAY 3: RIC’S RECOVERY (RIC’S BIG BACKYARD 1PM ONWARDS)
FEATURING SWITCHBLADE SUZIE, BASKERVILLAIN, YOUTH ALLOWANCE, DON AND THE MOBSTER AND MORE. DEAD WOLVES (9:30PM) + GHOST AUDIO (8:30PM) ACOUSTIC ACTS INSIDE FROM 1PM
MON AUGUST 25TH
GRAHAM MOES (9:30PM) + DIRT SALESMAN (8:30PM)
TUE AUGUST 26TH
PIRATES OF THE TEMPTEST (9:30PM) + SCOTT DALTON (8:30PM)
FREE LIVE MUSIC AND INDIE DJS
WANT TO PLAY? EMAIL BOOKINGS@RICSBAR.COM.AU
WWW.RICSBAR.COM.AU
THE MUSIC • 20TH AUGUST 2014 • 37
tour guide qld.gigguide@themusic.com.au
INTERNATIONAL
Vincent Cross: Dowse Bar 20 Aug, The Treehouse 22 Aug Courtney Love: Eatons Hill Hotel 20 Aug Anathema: The Hi-Fi 21 Aug David Grubbs: IMA 21 Aug Forever Came Calling: Snitch 21 Aug, The Lab 22 Aug (AA) Kid Ink: The Hi-Fi 22 Aug
Samuel Kerridge: The Underdog 7 Sep
Reece Mastin: Brisbane Powerhouse 30 Sep
The Ghost Inside: Byron YAC 9 Sep, Kontraband 10 Sep, Coolangatta Hotel 11 Sep
DMA’s: The Brightside 2 Oct
Steve Nieve: The Spiegeltent 10 Sep
The Wonder Years: The Hi-Fi 11 Sep, The Lab 12 Sep (AA) Cannibal Corpse: The Hi-Fi 13 Sep
Taking Back Sunday, The Used: Eatons Hill Hotel 22 Aug
John Garcia: The Zoo 13 Sep, The Northern 14 Sep
Knapsack: Crowbar 23 Aug
Joe Henry: The Spiegeltent 14 Sep
King Buzzo: Black Bear Lodge 24 Aug Bob Dylan: BCEC 25 Aug Lady Gaga: BEC 26 Aug La Coka Nostra: Coniston Lane 27 Aug Bone Thugs-N-Harmony: Coolangatta Hotel 27 Aug, Arena 28 Aug Pentatonix: The Tivoli 28 Aug Pity Sex: Crowbar 29 Aug, Tym Guitars 30 Aug The Dandy Warhols: The Tivoli 30 Aug Kids In Glass Houses: The Brightside 30 Aug, The Lab 31 Aug (AA) Boyce Avenue: The Tivoli 3 Sep
Andy Bull: The Spiegeltent 7 Sep
NATIONAL
I Killed The Prom Queen: Byron YAC 9 Sep, Kontraband 10 Sep, Coolangatta Hotel 11 Sep
Kanye West: BEC 15 Sep
Ed Kuepper: Soundlounge 22 Aug
Night Beats: The Brightside 18 Sep, Elsewhere 19 Sep
House Vs Hurricane: The Brightside 22 Aug
The Bennies: The Spotted Cow 12 Sep, The Lab 13 Sep (AA), Crowbar 13 Sep, The Time Machine 14 Sep
American Authors: The Hi-Fi 19 Sep
The New Christs: Beetle Bar 22 Aug, Lismore Italo Club 23 Aug
Kasra, Enei & Mefjus: Coniston Lane 19 Sep
Fishing: The Factory 22 Aug, Coniston Lane 23 Aug
Damien Jurado: The Spiegeltent 21 Sep
Bam Bam: Coniston Lane 22 Aug, Solbar 23 Aug
Ingrid Michaelson: New Globe Theatre 21 Sep
Michelle Xen & The Neon Wild: The Loft 22 Aug, The Bearded Lady 29 Aug, Woombye Pub 30 Aug
El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico: The Hi-Fi 14 Sep
Robbie Williams: BEC 22 Sep Veruca Salt: The Zoo 24 Sep Sara Bareilles: The Tivoli 24 Sep Juana Molina: The Spiegeltent 25 Sep
Biffy Clyro: The Tivoli 4 Sep Protest The Hero: The Hi-Fi 4 Sep
Justin Timberlake: BEC 26, 27 Sep
DevilDriver, Whitechapel: The Hi-Fi 5 Sep
POP WILL EAT ITSELF: 5 SEP, THE ZOO Towner, Muthspiel, Grigoryan: Byron Bay Community Centre 26 Oct, Brisbane Powerhouse 27 Oct
Swollen Members: Coniston Lane 25 Sep
Nobunny: Crowbar 5 Sep
Allday: The Zoo 3 Oct, The Lab 4 Oct (U18)
Com Truise: The Spiegeltent 11 Sep
Toni Childs: Solbar 22 Aug
Declan O’Rourke: Mick O’Malley’s 23 Aug
Bluejuice: Solbar 1 Oct, The Hi-Fi 2 Oct, Coolangatta Hotel 3 Oct, The Northern 4 Oct
Stolen Violin: Black Bear Lodge 21 Aug
Jonathan Boulet: Black Bear Lodge 28 Aug Wil Wagner: Crowbar 28 Aug
Miami Horror: The Spiegeltent 16 Sep
Maybeshewill: Crowbar 28 Sep
The Aston Shuffle: The Zoo 29 Aug
Angus & Julia Stone: The Tivoli 18, 19 Sep The Arts Centre Gold Coast 21 Sep
Collarbones: Alhambra Lounge 29 Aug
HTRK: The Spiegeltent 19 Sep
Miracle: East 29 Aug
Nils Frahm: Old Museum 8 Oct Dire Straits Experience: QPAC 8 Oct
Mind Over Matter: Tatts Hotel 29 Aug, Beetle Bar 30 Aug
Slaves: The Brightside 15 Oct
Velociraptor: The Brightside 29 Aug, Coolangatta Hotel 30 Aug
Hardwell: Riverstage 5 Oct
Miley Cyrus: BEC 15 Oct Torche: Crowbar 16 Oct The Selecter: The Zoo 16 Oct Ryan Bingham: Black Bear Lodge 17 Oct
MUSIC SERVICES
Lil Jon: Eatons Hill Hotel 18 Oct (day, all ages)
RECORDING STUDIOS
Dwarves: Crowbar 19 Oct
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Luca Brasi: The Lab 13 Sep (2pm AA), Crowbar 13 Sep
Bombay Bicycle Club: The Tivoli 27 Sep
Sharon Jones & The DapKings: The Tivoli 5 Sep
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Ash Grunwald: Soundlounge 12 Sep, Bramble Bay Bowls Club 26 Sep
Rob Snarski: Junk Bar 29 Aug
Busby Marou: Soundlounge 29 Aug, Eatons Hill Hotel 30 Aug (AA)
ALCHEMIX RECORDING STUDIO
Oscar Key Sung: Alhambra Lounge 12 Sep
Vancouver Sleep Clinic: The Spiegeltent 13 Sep
Sepultura: The Hi-Fi 4 Oct
classies.themusic.com.au
Kingswood: Ric’s Big Backyard 12 Sep
Rise book launch ft Remi, Briggs, Mantra: New Globe Theatre 23 Aug
Pop Will Eat Itself: The Zoo 5 Sep
classies
Boy & Bear: The Arts Centre Gold Coast 12 Sep, The Tivoli 13 Sep
Russell Morris: Kedron Wavell Services Club 13 Sep
Dead Kennedys: The Hi-Fi 3 Oct, Coolangatta Hotel 4 Oct
Anberlin: The Hi-Fi 6 Sep
Sticky Fingers: The Hi-Fi 12 Sep
Tina Arena: Jupiters 23 Aug, BCEC 24 Aug
You Me At Six: Eatons Hill Hotel 5 Sep
Conan: Crowbar 6 Sep
Phil Jamieson: The Spiegeltent 9 Sep
Megan Washington: The Zoo 30 Aug Cameron Avery: Black Bear Lodge 4 Sep Dead Letter Circus: New Globe Theatre 4 Sep
Say Anything: The Hi-Fi 19 Oct
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard: The Northern 4 Sep, Alhambra Lounge 5 Sep, Soundlounge 6 Sep
Pat Metheny Unity Group: QPAC 20 Oct
The Amity Affliction: Riverstage 5 Sep
The Tea Party: Coolangatta Hotel 21 Oct, The Tivoli 23 Oct
True Vibenation: The Motor Room 5 Sep, Solbar 6 Sep
Justin Townes Earle, Linda Ortega: The Tivoli 22 Oct
360: Arena 6 Sep (U18 matinee/18+ evening)
Jillian Michaels: QPAC 24 Oct
Urthboy: The Spiegeltent 6 Sep
Comeback Kid: The Brightside 25 Oct, Byron Bay YAC 26 Oct (AA)
Lowtide: Tym Guitars 6 Sep (2pm), The Brightside 6 Sep
The Kite String Tangle: The Spiegeltent 17, 18 Sep
Hands Like Houses: Crowbar 19 Sep Safia: The Factory 19 Sep, Alhambra Lounge 20 Sep, Stranded 21 Sep One Day: The Hi-Fi 20 Sep Dune Rats: The Spiegeltent 20 Sep Icehouse: SEQ Outdoor Concert 20 Sep, Twin Towns 21 Sep Gareth Liddiard: The Spiegeltent 23 Sep The Bombay Royale: The Spiegeltent 24 Sep Rainy Day Women, Meg Mac: Black Bear Lodge 25 Sep Patrick James: Old Museum 26 Sep Midnight Juggernauts: The Spiegeltent 26 Sep Caravãna Sun: Miami Marketta 26 Sep, Solbar 10 Oct Missy Higgins: Caloundra Events Centre 26 Sep, BCEC 27 Sep, Empire Theatre 28 Sep, GCAC 30 Sep, Lismore City Hall 1 Oct
1000S OF GIGS AT YOUR FINGERTIPS. FOR MORE HEAD TO THEMUSIC.COM.AU 38 • THE MUSIC • 20TH AUGUST 2014
Tijuana Cartel: Beetle Bar 4 Oct, Verrierdale Hall 8 Nov, Buddha Bar 31 Dec Antiskeptic: The Brightside 4 Oct Northeast Party House: Alhambra Lounge 4 Oct John Butler Trio: Empire Theatre 5 Oct Bonjah: The Zoo 10 Oct, Racehorse Hotel 11 Oct, Surfers Paradise Beer Garden 12 Oct The Cat Empire: The Tivoli 10, 11 Oct, Rabbit & Cocoon 12 Oct Courtney Barnett: The Zoo 11 Oct Confession: Shark Bar 15 Oct, Byron Bay YAC 16 Oct (AA), The Brightside 17 Oct The Peep Tempel: The Spotted Cow 17 Oct, The Bearded Lady 18 Oct Ball Park Music: The Tivoli 18 Oct, Alhambra Lounge 2 Nov (U18) Thirsty Merc: Lismore Workers Club 23 Oct, Coolangatta Hotel 30 Oct, Mick O’Malley’s 31 Oct, Woombye Pub 1 Nov Jay Whalley: The Loft 24 Oct, Crowbar 25 Oct
FESTIVALS
4ZZZ Radiothon: Brisbane 22-31 Aug Valley Fiesta: Fortitude Valley 23-24 Aug Gympie Music Muster: Gympie 28-31 Aug UBERfest: Jubilee Hotel 30 Aug Noosa Jazz Festival: Lions Park 4-7 Sep Brisbane Festival: Brisbane 6-27 Sep BIGSOUND: Fortitude Valley Entertainment Precinct 10-12 Sep Originals Music Festival: Noosa AFL Grounds 13 Sep Mitchell Creek Rock ‘N’ Blues Fest: Mary Valley 19–21 Sep Toowoomba Carnival Of Flowers: Toowoomba 19-21 Sep Doomsday Festival: Crowbar 2 Oct Listen Out: Brisbane Showgrounds 5 Oct Caloundra Music Festival: Kings Beach 3-6 Oct Festival Of Small Halls: Sandgate Town Hall 10 Oct, Zamia Theatre 17 Oct, County Paradise Parklands 16 Nov The Blurst Of Times Festival: The Brightside & The Zoo 18 Oct Soulfest: Riverstage 25 Oct
THE MUSIC • 20TH AUGUST 2014 • 39
40 • THE MUSIC • 20TH AUGUST 2014