The Music (Melbourne) Issue #8 by TheMusic.com.au

# 0 8 • 0 2 . 1 0 . 1 3 • M E L B O U R N E • F R E E • I N C O R P O R AT I N G

music

JUNGLE LE GIANTS

eat

HOMEMADE EMADE

travel

AYAHUASCA HUASCA

drink

STUDENT UDENT DRINKING

THE MUSIC • 2ND OCTOBER 2013 • 3

SECRET SOUNDS PRESENTS

SOLANGE WITH SPECIAL GUESTS

TUE 7 JAN PRINCE BANDROOM TICKETS ON SALE WED 9 OCT SECRET-SOUNDS.COM.AU | SOLANGEMUSIC.COM

4 • THE MUSIC • 2ND OCTOBER 2013

THE MUSIC • 2ND OCTOBER 2013 • 5

6 • THE MUSIC • 2ND OCTOBER 2013

LONG WAY DOWN TOUR SPECIAL GUEST

“ODELL PROVES HIMSELF A MASTER OF BOTH JOY AND DESPAIR” THE SUN

“A SUPERSTAR IN THE MAKING”

DAILY TELEGRAPH

SATURDAY 28 DEC CORNER HOTEL BOOK AT CORNERHOTEL.COM

ON SALE WED 9 OCT FOR EXCLUSIVE PRE-SALE INFORMATION GO TO FRONTIERTOURING.COM FRONTIERTOURING.COM TOMODELL.COM

‘LONG WAY DOWN’ THE STUNNING DEBUT #1 UK ALBUM’

THE MUSIC • 2ND OCTOBER 2013 • 7

themusic 2ND OCTOBER 2013

#008

“I THINK MUSIC IS THIS FANTASTIC FIELD OF SEX AND DEATH. PARTICULARLY POP MUSIC.”

INSIDE FEATURES Spring Racing Carnival

- MICHAEL KANTOR, DIRECTOR OF THE BOY CASTAWAYS (P41)

Archie Roach Carlton Dry Independent Music Awards

feature

The Rite Of Spring Amorphis The Jungle Giants Chvrches The Beast Steven Wilson Soilwork Dizzee Rascal Jae Laffer Me First & The Gimme Gimmes The Boy Castaways Canyons Bring Me The Horizon Loon Lake

REVIEWS

Album: The 20/20 Experience 2 Of 2 Live: Swervedriver Arts: Fringe Festival Games: Saints Row IV

THE GUIDE Cover: Damn Terran

“I GOT TO A STAGE WHERE I WAS FEELING REALLY MESSED UP BECAUSE I’D PUT MYSELF UNDER WAY TOO MUCH PRESSURE.” - SAM NOLAN OF LOON LAKE (P44)

“I’VE JUST FORCED DOWN A GLASS OF MUDDY LIQUID WITH THE CONSISTENCY OF BLENDED SOCKS – ALL IN THE NAME OF SPIRITUAL AWAKENING.” - SARAH REID ON AYAHUASCA (P66)

live

PIC BY ANDREW BRISCOE

“PHILIPPAKIS DECIDES TO TAKE A TOUR OF THE TOP BALCONY DURING THE BAND’S FINAL SONG FOR THE NIGHT.” - DOMINIQUE WALL REVIEWS FOALS (P53)

Local News Gig Guide Eat: Baking Drink: Student Drinking Travel: Ayahuasca Culture: Space Month Fashion: New Romantics The End: TV Finales

review 8 • THE MUSIC • 2ND OCTOBER 2013

“THERE’S A CERTAIN ATTITUDE THAT SEEMS SYNONYMOUS WITH JOAN JETT THAT IS LACKING IN MANY OF THESE TRACKS.” - LUKAS MURPHY REVIEWS JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS’ UNVARNISHED (P49)

AUSTRALIA’S HOME OF LIVE MUSIC SINCE 1878

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‘L.A. WOMAN’ CELEBRATION

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THE MUSIC • 2ND OCTOBER 2013 • 9

CREDITS

PUBLISHER Street Press Australia Pty Ltd GROUP MANAGING EDITOR Andrew Mast EDITOR Bryget Chrisfield ARTS AND CULTURE EDITOR Cassandra Fumi EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Stephanie Liew MUSO EDITOR Michael Smith GIG GUIDE Justine Lynch vic.giguide@themusic.com.au SENIOR CONTRIBUTOR Jeff Jenkins CONTRIBUTORS Aleksia Barron, Atticus Bastow, Steve Bell, Luke Carter, Anthony Carew, Oliver Coleman, Rebecca Cook, Adam Curley, Cyclone, Guy Davis, Dan Condon, Simon Eales, Guido Farnell, Sam Fell, Tim Finney, Bob Baker Fish, Cameron Grace, Tom Hawking, Andrew Hazel, Brendan Hitchens, Jeff Jenkins, Kate Kingsmill, Baz McAlister, Samson McDougall, Tony McMahon, Fred Negro, Matt O’Neill, Josh Ramselaar, Paul Ransom, Dylan Stewart, Stephanie Tell, Izzy Tolhurst, Nic Toupee, Dominique Wall, Glenn Waller, Matthew Ziccone

THIS WEEK THINGS TO DO THIS WEEK • 2 OCTOBER - 8 OCTOBER 2013

wow

SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER Kane Hibberd PHOTOGRAPHERS Andrew Briscoe, Holly Engelhardt, Jay Hynes, Lou Lou Nutt NATIONAL SALES MANAGER Brett Dayman ADVERTISING DEPT Leigh Treweek, Tim Wessling sales@themusic.com.au ART DIRECTOR Nicholas Hopkins ART DEPT Eamon Stewart, Brendon Wellwood, Julian De Bono

see Conceptual artist Christos Linou will peel 1,200 oranges over a period of 12 hours in a live art performance titled Naked Peel. The live artwork honours Linou’s parents’ journey from Cyprus to Australia in the early ‘50s and is a personal reflection of his heritage. Afterwards, Linou will sew the orange peels together to form a large shelter over his body, representing the homes his father built as an immigrant in Australia. The event takes place at the Docklands Gallery on 5 Oct from 9am to 9pm.

Critics, musos, music lovers – everybody loves Pikelet. If you haven’t yet experienced Evelyn Morris live under this moniker, plus her talented friends who round out this synth-pop quartet, head on down to The Curtin on 5 Oct to help celebrate the launch of her new album Calluses.

vic.art@themusic.com.au ADMIN & ACCOUNTS Loretta Zoppolone Shelley Neergaard Jarrod Kendall Leanne Simpson accounts@themusic.com.au DISTRO Anita D’Angelo distro@themusic.com.au SUBSCRIPTIONS store.themusic.com.au CONTACT US Tel 03 9421 4499 Fax 03 9421 1011 info@themusic.com.au www.themusic.com.au 584 Nicholson St, Fitzroy North 3068 Locked Bag 2001, Clifton Hill VIC 3068

Michelle Ashford’s new tv series is here: Masters Of Sex airs 3 Oct on SBS One. It’s set during the sexual revolution of the 1950s and ‘60s with the research work of sexologists, Dr William Masters and Virginia Johnson, who are to be played by Michael Sheen and Lizzy Caplan. With the look of BBC’s The Hour and the sex-drive of Mad Men, this show is sure to get us hooked. MELBOURNE

watch

BEEN TO A FESTIVAL IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS?

WHY YOU DON’T GO TO LOCAL GIGS

industry

AGE GROUPS 80

100

60 91.9%

93.2%

94.7%

68.7%

96.4%

50 40

7.5%

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2.3%

3.3%

4.7%

7.5%

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81.3%

AFFECT A BIT OR A LOT

52.2% 72.8%

68.9%

82.4%

92.6%

83.5%

79.1%

94.2%

98.6% 29.2%

33.2%

35.4%

39.6%

11.1%

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19.4%

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State Of The Industry 2013 Australians don’t go to festivals because they don’t like the line-ups and they cost too much. That’s the conclusion we can take from the Moshtix State Of The Industry 2013 report, which The Music has exclusively got its hands on this week. Covering festival habits to local gigs (“But there are no venues near me!”), the report’s latest edition surveyed 5,000 people from around the country and we take a snapshot of the key facts on this page. The festival stats are incredibly interesting given the upheaval in the market at the moment (Harvest cancelled, Soundwave’s AJ Maddah buying into Big Day Out) and confirm that at the end of the day it’s the music that matters. “When we started the survey we hadn’t been exposed to some of the stuff that has come out recently,” says Moshtix CEO Harley Evans. “We didn’t have the context then that we have now.”

Recent festival developments, including an event’s decoration or theme, food and drink variety and after parties, ranked low in the poll – with few saying they had any effect on the festival experience. Out of the respondents, 93.7 per cent have been to a festival in the past two years. “It’s difficult to come up with an all encompassing festival statement,” says Evans. “Some festivals are known for their line-ups and headliners and others are hoping to have a mix of artists and may not

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What Stops Aussies Going To Festivals?

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need a headliner… I think nirvana is for a promoter to announce their festival without a line-up and still get a response.” Compare the reasons not to go to a festival over the past five years to the same question over the past two years and both costs and sub-par line-ups are growing concerns. Evans says, “Artists aren’t getting cheaper, but [promoters have] got to keep ticket prices in check. We’ve seen that once prices get to a certain point people start to fall off.” Alternatively, the talent and costs aren’t the biggest hurdles to local shows in Australia – it’s the lack of venues. With the sustainability of live music venues and the perceived illegality of small ‘warehouse’ venues ever in the news, 68.7 per cent of Australia believe there’s no local venues in their area. All figures published with permission from the Moshtix State Of The Industry Research Report 2013, carried out by CoreData THE MUSIC • 2ND OCTOBER • 11

national news news@themusic.com.au LORDE

LANEWAY IN THE SKY WITH DIAMONDS

From little things big things grow, and Laneway Festival continues to move on up. With dates already announced for this year – 31 Jan, RNA Showgrounds, Brisbane; 1 Feb, Footscray Community Arts Centre and the River’s Edge, Melbourne; 2 Feb, Sydney College of the Arts, Rozelle; 8 Feb, Esplanade Park and West End, Fremantle – we can now tell you who will be delivering the soundtrack to the festivities. In alphabetical order: Adalita, Autre Ne Veut, Cashmere Cat, Cass McCombs, Chvrches, Cloud Control*, Danny Brown, Daughter, Dick Diver, Drenge, Earl Sweatshirt, Four Tet, Frightened Rabbit, Haim*, Jagwar Ma, Jamie xx, King Krule, Kirin J Callinan, Kurt Vile, Lorde*, Mount Kimbie, Mt Warning, Parquet Courts, Run The Jewels (EL-P & Killer Mike), Savages, Scenic, The Growl, The Jezabels*, Unknown Mortal Orchestra*, Vance Joy, Warpaint, XXYYXX and Youth Lagoon. And if you see this * next to the name above, guess what, you can only catch them at Laneway. Don’t miss out on what’s already shaping up to be one of the festivals of 2014; tickets go on sale Thursday from 9am.

A DIFFERENT SHADE OF RHYME

MARCH AS ONE

After a 15-year gap, the mighty Hunters & Collectors have announced they will once again headline nationally, bringing their no-bullshit, total passion approach to fans right across Australia. Responsible for some of our most iconic songs, the guys will be expecting your full voice when they play A Day On The Green concerts 25 Jan, The Hill Winery, Geelong; 1 Feb, Bimbadgen Winery, Hunter Valley; 2 Feb, Sirromet Wines, Mt Cotton; 22 Mar, Rochford Wines, Yarra Valley; and 29 Mar, Kings Park and Botanical Garden, Perth, with a cracking selection of undercards that include the likes of You Am I, Something For Kate, British India and Diesel. H&C also clock in for a couple of special headline performances, taking place 4 Apr, Enmore Theatre, Sydney and 11 Apr, Palais Theatre, Melbourne. Both these shows are all ages, with support from The Panics; grab your tickets from 11 Oct.

DOWN WITH THE DOUCHEBAGS

Perennial party starters Bluejuice are back at it once more with baiting pop gem S.O.S, and are keen to remind you just how they get down with some capital city shows to celebrate the release. Dress up, dress down – whatever the fuck you want to do, the lads all but encourage it. Just be at Corner Hotel, Melbourne, 1 Nov; Capitol, Perth, 2 Nov; Prince Of Wales, Bunbury, 3 Nov; Metro Theatre, Sydney, 8 Nov (all ages); and The Hi-Fi, Brisbane, 9 Nov. THE JOHN STEEL SINGERS

Beat poet, spoken word artist, battle rapper, indie hip hop artist; however you know Sage Francis, you’ll be happy to learn the husky American is coming to Australia with first time visitors from Sweden Looptroop Rockers and local flavour Tenfold. Microphones will be rocked at The Hi-Fi, Brisbane, 12 Dec; The Hi-Fi, Sydney, 13 Dec; The Hi-Fi, Melbourne, 14 Dec; and Villa Nightclub, Perth, 18 Dec.

OUT OF THE CANE FIELDS Since emerging from the sleepy Northern Rivers town of Mullumbimby to chase her American dreams as a 15-year-old, Iggy Azalea has had a one-way ticket for stardom. The American-based MC will be returning to Australia at the end of this month as main support for Beyonce’s arena tour. If you want to see the Aussie freestyler in more intimate surrounds, however, you can catch one of her headline club shows, happening at Trak Live Lounge, Melbourne, 25 Oct; Arena, Brisbane, 27 Oct; and Metro Theatre, Sydney, 2 Nov.

ONCE MORE WITH FEELING

Pulling the final cut, Blinded, from their ARIA top ten album, Controller, British India will make one final play on the road to cap off 2013. The evergreen Melbourne rockers play The Hi-Fi, Melbourne, 18 Oct; Metro Theatre, Sydney, 1 Nov; Play It Loud, National Convention Centre, Canberra, 15 Nov (all ages); The Zoo, Brisbane, 22 and 23 Nov; Prince Of Wales, Bunbury, 28 Nov; Settlers Tavern, Margaret River, 29 Nov; and Capitol, Perth, 30 Nov.

“JUST SERVED JOE STRUMMER A PINT IN NYC. SO HAPPY”

UM, ODDS ARE YOU DIDN’T AJAX KENTISH [@THEAKA]. 12 • THE MUSIC • 2ND OCTOBER 2013

WELL AND TRULY BACK

Brisbane’s favourite sextet The John Steel Singers are ready to remind us all what we fell in love with not that long ago. Three years on from debut record Tangalooma and the guys are set to give us Everything’s A Thread, a colourful collection of indie rock which they’ll launch on a national tour, happening 8 Nov, Ding Dong Lounge, Melbourne; 9 Nov, Karova Lounge, Ballarat; 13 Nov, Beach Road Hotel, Sydney; 14 Nov, The Den, Wollongong; 15 Nov, Small Ballroom, Newcastle; 16 Nov, Oxford Art Factory, Sydney; 28 Nov, The Spotted Cow, Toowoomba; 29 Nov, The Zoo, Brisbane; 30 Nov, Solbar, Maroochydore; and 7 Dec, Slanted & Enchanted Festival, Perth. Tickets on sale now, with all dates proudly presented by The Music.

national news news@themusic.com.au BLACK REBEL MOTORCYCLE CLUB

FRANZ FERDINAND

LUCKY LUCKY

Harvest has been canned – it sucks, we know. But on the upside, there’s a bunch of buff headline tours being announced from some of the biggest names that were featured on the 2013 bill. First up we’ve got stylish Scot rockers Franz Ferdinand, who will bring their brand new record Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action to Aussie stages for the very first time. Catch them along the east coast: 14 Nov, Forum Theatre, Melbourne; 14 Nov, Metro Theatre, Sydney; and 17 Nov, The Tivoli, Brisbane. Tickets on sale Thursday.

HALF MOON RUN

RISING UP

Since visiting us as an unknown quantity almost one year ago, Canadian indie folkies Half Moon Run have been constantly kicking goals and now, after getting a worldwide release for their record Dark Eyes and touring with the likes of Mumford & Sons and Of Monsters and Men, they return to our parts invigorated and ready for anything. Proudly presented by The Music, the quartet’s tour will wrap right around the country: 2 Jan, Solbar, Maroochydore; 3 Jan, Old Museum, Brisbane; 4 Jan, The Northern, Byron Bay; 9 Jan, The Small Ballroom, Newcastle; 10 Jan, Heritage Hotel, Bulli; 11 Jan, The Standard, Sydney; 14 Jan, The Brass Monkey, Cronulla; 16 Jan, Fly By Night, Fremantle; 18 Jan; Karova Lounge, Ballarat; and 19 Jan, Corner Hotel, Melbourne.

GET STUFFED

Never Loved Elvis, the much celebrated third record by The Wonder Stuff, was the pinnacle of the alt. rock group’s career, and now the quintet will celebrate that landmark full-length with their fans this side of world. The Brits will play four capital city shows, taking place 27 Feb, The Zoo, Brisbane; 28 Feb, Corner Hotel, Melbourne; 1 Mar, The Factory, Sydney; and 2 Mar, Rosemount Hotel, Perth. Tickets available this Thursday.

FULL THROTTLE ROCK

Another Harvest casualty who is running the red light is Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, with the band arriving off the back of their scintillating sixth album, Specter At The Feast. Inspired by the death of bassist Robert Been’s father, the record is heartbreakingly honest, with the aching lyrical content dictating sonics that are both awkward and inspiring at once. Catch the leather-clad fury on stage at Metropolis, Fremantle, 13 Nov; Billboard The Venue, Melbourne, 15 Nov; The Hi-Fi, Sydney, 16 Nov (all ages); and The Hi-Fi, Brisbane, 17 Nov.

“IF YOU WANT TO GET TO KNOW SOMEONE, ARGUE WITH THEM” [@KELLYOXFORD] CALLS FOR A DIFFERENT KIND OF BONDING.

PRECIOUS METALS

NEVER TOO LATE

SMOKING ‘WEED

LARGER THAN LIFE

The brains and creative soul behind American FM rockers Live, Ed Kowalczyk, will be celebrating the release of that band’s seminal second record Throwing Copper by performing the fulllength in its entirety, plus a collection of fan favourites from the band’s and his own catalogue. He will pull into Metro City, Perth, 5 Feb; Forum Theatre, Melbourne, 8 Feb; Enmore Theatre, Sydney, 11 Feb; and The Tivoli, Brisbane, 12 Feb. Tickets on sale this Friday.

Wollongong legends Tumbleweed are well and truly back, with new album Sounds From The Other Side yet another victory from a group with nothing left to prove. They’ll let it out on stage at Rosemount Hotel, Perth, 21 Nov; Mojos Bar, Fremantle, 22 Nov; Central Club Hotel, Melbourne, 29 Nov; The Tempo Hotel, 5 Dec; Metro Theatre, 6 Dec; and Waves, Wollongong, 7 Dec.

Since their Timbaland assisted single, Apologize, gave them a number one in 16 different countries, OneRepublic have continued to present us with hit after hit. Hear the back catalogue and tracks from their latest LP Native when they play 9 Nov, Metro City, Perth; 11 Nov, The Tivoli, Brisbane; 12 Nov, The Star, Sydney; and 14 Nov, The Palace, Melbourne. Local lass Emma Birdsall supports on all dates, while American pals Boyce Avenue will be on the bill in Sydney and Melbourne.

After setting the hip hop world alight with his Kendrick Lamar assisted sonic boom Control, Big Sean has become one of the most buzzedabout rappers on the planet. Now, the GOOD Music artist is going to get your head nodding to the bangers when he hits Australia, taking over the Arena, Brisbane, 14 Nov; The Hi-Fi, Sydney, 15 Nov; The Prince, Melbourne, 16 Nov; and Capitol, Perth, 17 Nov. THE MUSIC • 2ND OCTOBER • 13

local news vic.news@themusic.com.au

THE ROOTS

JAMES VINCENT MCMORROW

THE FAUVES

SILVER AND FAUVE JOHNNY MARR

LONDON GRAMMAR

FALLING FOR IT

Music fans who can’t make it to Falls Festival or have an aversion to camping, we have some excellent news for you: the first wave of Falls sideshows. Taking a break as the resident house band for talk show Late Night With Jimmy Fallon, The Roots come to Festival Hall on 28 Dec, with guest Urthboy. Singer-songwriter Tom Odell teams up with our own Melody Pool to play at the Corner Hotel on 28 Dec. Philadelphian rock outfit The War On Drugs will take to the Northcote Social Club stage on 28 Dec. Celebrated guitarist Johnny Marr plays his first ever solo headline shows, coming to the Corner Hotel on 4 Jan. Californian singer-songwriter Hanni El Khatib performs at the Corner Hotel on 5 Jan with guests White Denim. Irish troubadour James Vincent McMorrow will perform at the Corner Hotel on 7 Jan. And UK trio London Grammar will play at the Prince Bandroom on 9 Jan.

CUP EVE SPECIAL

Fresh from the highly successful 20-date Hi Fi Daily Double National tour, You Am I return to the familiar stage of the Price Of Wales to perform two special Cup Eve shows. After a five-year hiatus from these traditional Cup Eve shows, the band will perform back to back shows on 3 and 4 November, with support from Bittersweet Kicks and Drunk Mums. As for regional fans, you can catch You Am I at Whalers Hotel, Warrnambool on 1 Nov and Leongatha Memorial Hall on 2 Nov.

The Yarraville Club is stoked to present The Fauves’ 25th Anniversary Silver Jubilee Show, with guests Even, for one special night on 5 Oct. As many of you already know, The Fauves are a pretty pivotal name in the Melbourne – and indeed Australian – rock scene, famous for their tongue-in-cheek lyricism on Australian life, sung to some seriously catchy melodies. Go help them celebrate.

SEX MYSTERY

The transvestite tale of d’Eon de Beaumont is re-envisaged by Simon Morrison-Baldwin at the Fringe Festival. He combines the exchange of bets on gender, spies and betrayals in this riveting performance that makes us question our preconceived notions on sex. Playing between 1 and 6 Oct at the Butterfly Club.

IN AW(M)E

More acts have been announced for the Australasian World Music Expo, which takes place from 14 to 17 Nov at several Melbourne music venues. The latest round of acts added to the line-up includes neo-soul sensation Ngaiire (PNG/Australia), The Public Opinion Afro Orchestra, Mama Kin, Blackchords, Warren H Williams, Cash Savage & The Last Drinks, The Shaolin Afronauts, Manran (Scotland), Quarry Mountain Dead Rats, Kooii and The Deans among many others. N’FA JONES

“JIM MORRISON’S POSTER CAREER IS FAR SUPERIOR TO HIS MUSIC CAREER” CAMDEN MARKET VENDORS WOULD AGREE WITH JULIAN MCCULLOUGH [@JULEZMAC]. 14 • THE MUSIC • 2ND OCTOBER 2013

BEST PLAYER

N’fa Jones, formerly of much loved oldschool hip hop trio 1200 Techniques, is back with the first taste of his latest solo venture with the track Life’s A Game. Taken from forthcoming studio album Black + White Noise, out early 2014, Life’s A Game has Jones looking back on his rollercoaster of a life and sees the singer catching up with his new take on life. N’fa Jones will embark on a national tour this spring to celebrate. See him on 23 Nov at Revolver.

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THE MUSIC â&#x20AC;¢ 2ND OCTOBER 2013 â&#x20AC;¢ 15

local news vic.news@themusic.com.au

COURTNEY BARNETT

SELLING SESSION

Want To Know How To Sell Music In 2013? Face The Music and AIR present a panel of legends for this session, including some of Australia’s biggest and smallest indie music companies, selling different music to different audiences in different ways. See Blake Raynor (Dew Process, Create Control and Artist Manager), Jacqui Wilson (Shock Records), Ashley Gay (Xelon Entertainment), Andrew Hayden (Poison City Records) and Courtney Barnett (Solo Artist and Milk! Records Owner/Founder) exploring motivations and methods behind getting music into the hands of the people that matter most – the fans. Details at facethemusic.org.au.

GET MAGGOTED

Maggot Fest charges into its fourth year, celebrating music of the rowdy and raucous persuasion. This year the line-up extends to four venues over four days with over 30 acts. It kicks off 1 Nov at Gasometer Hotel with Boomgates and DHDFD’s (NZ), then on 2 Nov Straightjacket Nation head a massive 15-band line-up as well as a huge garage record sale/swap. North Melbourne Town Hall takes over for 3 Nov for an afternoon show featuring Housewives and at 9pm there’s a Drain Rave (location TBA) with Oily Boys. On Cup Day, 5 Nov, it’s the special ‘Maggot Mass’ at Northcote Social Club. All dates and details can be found on The Guide.

SCREAM DREAM

As well as joining indie rock icons The Breeders on their Australian tour, Screamfeeder have now confirmed more dates. Catch them at The Tote on 26 Oct with Lincoln Le Fevre & The Insiders and Tender Bones, and The Thornbury Local with Tim and Kellie solo/duo sets and Small Storm.

STRONG WEEK

The full Melbourne Music Week program for 2013 has been revealed. Featuring more than 230 artists across 110 events over 10 days, MMW will take over the city from November 15 to 24. Newly announced acts include a Federation Bells performance from MMW headliner Pantha du Prince (GER), an apocalyptic underground party at the Melbourne Uni car park with Tyvek (US), Ooga Boogas, Ausmeteants and Nuns, music video exhibition with special guest speaker Gotye at ACMI, the return of MMW’s Live Music Safari, and more. But that doesn’t even scrape the surface; for the full MMW line-up visit melbourne.vic.gov.au/mmw. 16 • THE MUSIC • 2ND OCTOBER 2013

SOLANGE

TRUE THAT

A singer, songwriter, dancer, model, actor and fashion arbiter, Solange Knowles is an artist with many strings to her bow. With two solo albums and a bunch of other songwriting credits behind her, Solange released True in late 2012. She now brings her alt-R&B tunes to Australia, performing a Falls sideshow at the Metro Theatre on 8 Jan. Proudly presented by The Music.

“I’D RATHER DRINK ROOT BEER THAN CRAFT BEER” [@DAVESTONECOMEDY] SAYS WHAT THOUSANDS OF FAUX-HIPSTERS WANT TO.

CELEBRATORY FEAST

Let Them Eat Cake is a secluded garden party with secrets lurking round every corner, and it’s set to return to Werribee Mansion this coming New Years Day. As well as Melbourne’s most acclaimed artisanal cuisine, cake and secret cocktail bars, the festival features a spectacular line-up, which includes Bicep (UK), Cyril Hahn (CAN), Digital (UK), DJ Koze (GER), EPROM (USA), Estere (NZ), Julio Bashmore (UK), Kode9 (UK), Mark Pritchard (UK), Wolf + Lamb (USA) and more.

DEATH TENSION

Melbourne’s High Tension will tour the east coast in support of new album Death Beat this November. The four piece – consisting of members of The Nation Blue and Young & Restless – will perform at The Tote on 15 Nov. They offer up a preview of their live show in the new video for the ominous Mountain Of Dead, which was recorded in the depths of the Aussie bush (terrain courtesy of The Cosmic Psychos’ Ross Knight).

DRUNKEN HALLOWEEN

Following the success of 2012, Drunken Moon Festival is set to continue to promote the best punk/roots/blues/garage/rockabilly acts with a beautifully menacing line-up just announced for the 2013 event. At The Espy on 31 Oct, see the likes of Brothers Grim & The Blue Murders, King Of The North, Chris Russell’s Chicken Walk, La Bastard, Digger & The Pussycats, Batpiss, Mesa Cosa, Sheriff, Guthrie, Rattlin’ Bones Blackwood, Yard Apes and The Drunken Poachers.

30 YEARS AND A MILLION BEERS

In support of their recent documentary Blokes You Can Trust, Cosmic Psychos return to The Espy. For 30 years, the Psychos have blazed a trail of empty beer cans and busted eardrums around the globe with their quintessential Australian drawl and pounding buzzsaw punk rock songs. Help them celebrate this milestone with special guests Spazzys on 1 Nov in The Espy’s Gershwin Room.

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carnival

Words Guy Davis, Simon Eales, Greg Phillips and Grace Robertson. Illustrations Sophie Blackhall-Cain.

eat

PLENTY OF PARKING Simon Eales urges us to embrace the call of spring and all it encompasses through some good, old-fashioned picnicking.

t happened on the weekend. I could smell it with my subconscious. But it actually struck me yesterday as I walked past the park at lunchtime. All the girls out in their summer dresses. All the boys in their cut-offs. And all wearing Ray Bans. They are laughing and lying on their stomachs and picking at pieces of grass and drinking cider. They’re eating sandwiches and twerking unironically. Twerking with joy! It’s spring, yeah? This means a whole bunch of things – like the fact you can be unproductive because it’s nice outside, not because you’re watching too much TV. It means that glorious train-wreck of a phenomenon, the Spring Racing Carnival, is on again and we’ll be

commemorating the fact that we can, in good conscience, get dressed in a pretty pricey outfit and trash it, or lose half of it, by the end of the day. It also means that pollen and pheromones are in the air. The world is beautiful and copulating again. And what better place to meet someone to copulate with than at a picnic? Hell, what better place to copulate than at a picnic. They’ve been copulating at the races for years. Stallion mounts a mare: you’ve got yourself a thoroughbred favourite. Ricko mounts a Claire: maybe not the same result, but fun for all concerned. Every day over 20 degrees from now until April, people will be sitting on tartan

drink

rugs, doing ice-runs, getting sunburnt, accidentally not inviting that awkward friend (who’ll get a bit upset but, hopefully by Christmas, will get the message), and getting really cold because they start drinking at 2pm when it’s roasty and are trying to get home at 11pm when the temperature’s halved and they’re wet from running through the sprinklers. It’s an ubiquitous bloody Aussie tradition, mate, and one of a special kind. Your blokes with utes, VB tinnies, wife-beaters and Billabong trucker hats can enjoy a picnic just as much as your Hegel-reading hipster who’s concocted a rum punch and is trying to pretend she’s in McCarren Park, Brooklyn. Your new mum loves nothing more than seeing her 18-month-old eating dirt-covered agapanthus buds and there is, no doubt, some exhilaration for your pensioner taking a slow walk in dodging the odd errant Vortex. But, you can always pimp your picnic, so here’s a couple of tips: Use the restrooms provided. Edinburgh Gardens in Melbourne got so packed last Australia Day that picnic pee-ers took to nearby laneways for relief. Local residents, armed with garden hoses, literally sprayed them back to stop them weeing on fences. Suck it up and line up. Park piñatas never work. The effort-to-make versus punter-enjoyment ratio is always lopsided to the former. Always have balls and games on-hand, even though they’ll never be used. Also, match the booze to your occasion; if it’s a races picnic, it’s champagne and Peroni. Never alter this, lest you cause some cosmic glitch. Any time is picnic time. When you’re home from work, picnic with mates. Picnic with a lover. Have an epic, allweekend picnic. If you go camping, you have no option but to picnic. Music festivals are just three-day picnics with really good entertainment. Don’t fight it. Picnic.

BUBBLING OVER Grace Robertson raises her glass to get to the bottom of what the Spring Racing Carnival is all about: champers.

an you hear the braying of shrill, girlish laughter? What about the familiar clopping of skyscraper heels? Yes, the racing season is here again. It’s that time of the year where all the beautiful people trot to Flemington to get sozzled, turn money into confetti and populate mainstream media for weeks. Many of you would probably prefer to bury your head in the nearest horse’s behind than cover yourself in fake tan and fascinators. But before you step behind that stallion, remember there is one aspect of the Spring Racing Carnival we can all enjoy: champagne! The dry bubbly is to the races as ridiculous names are to the horses. For those that love the glitzy season, champagne adds to the fun. For the rest of you, it makes the occasion bearable. As Napoleon said of the beverage: “In victory we deserve it, in defeat we need it.” But how much do we know about the yellow fizz? Well, firstly, your champagne is probably not actually champagne. ‘Champagne’ is a trademark designating only those bottles that come from the eponymous Champagne region in France. In 2010, Australia signed a treaty with the EU to limit the term ‘Champagne’ to these few wines. As a result, real champagne is as golden in value as it is in colour, costing at least a couple of hundred for a mere bottle. But, luckily for us, Australia has never shied from a little adaptation and appropriation. Take our versions

20 • THE MUSIC • 2ND OCTOBER 2013

of Mexican food and the English language as some examples. There are plenty of tasty ‘sparkling wines’ (better keep the EU happy) originating from our own backyard, and they barely scratch the savings account. The purists will kick up a fuss as they consume their hourly wage with each sip of Moet and Dom Perignon, hissing that the quality of our champers will never match the real stuff. Maybe they’re right. On top of originating in the region, champagne must satisfy strict guidelines on grape selection, secondary fermentation, and maturation of over three years to earn the trademark. But just because our sparkling is different doesn’t mean it won’t be good. Take our versions of Mexican food and the English language as some examples. Countless food guides, wine connoisseurs and bubblyloving bloggers have compared cheaper sparklings with extortionate champagnes, consistently finding the former to be just as enjoyable. As The Wine Trials editor Robin Goldstein writes in his guide to hip pocket friendly bottles, “The price of a wine does not significantly correlate to the pleasure it brings.” Due to their deceptively light taste, sparkling wines are easy to down and generally move us to the giggly state of tipsiness quicker than other beverages. Their dry flavour also means they go well with most food, but especially with the spring picnic fare of creamy cheese, apples, oranges, grapes and berries. What’s more, they are

served chilled, making them an excellent sunny afternoon companion. Whilst race-goers and race-haters have little else in common, we will all be unified in the fizzy contents of our flutes this spring carnival. And, in solidarity, we’ll all be lugging the same headaches the next morning.

A SPORTING CHANCE Guy Davis talks us through the basics of the omen bet, for those who are still unsure of their race day picks.

here’s always going to be an element of the unknown and the unexpected in any form of gambling, whether it involves a roll of the dice or a race between horses. Quite frankly, that’s what makes gambling so much fun – the thrill that comes with defying the odds or cheating the cosmic forces. Also, it can be nice to win money. Let’s not lie to ourselves.

Now there are people in this world who gamble a fair bit, and they tend to be types who do their research, monitor past results, look for patterns and lay their bets accordingly. But any game of chance is full of variables, and when all a gambler’s due diligence adds up to zip, that’s when a little something called the ‘omen bet’ starts seeming like the smart play. Its creepy-sounding name aside, the omen bet actually brings a personal and emotional aspect to the flutter. And as the Spring Racing Carnival approaches, bringing champagnefuelled gamblers out of their winter hibernation, many of the people flocking to racecourses

will be looking to signs both internal and external to guide them as they approach the bookie, cash in hand. Sure, there are racehorses out there that tend to be as reliable as Swiss watches and provide a neat little return on one’s investment. But many amateur gamblers look for a deeper connection with their pony of choice. It can be in its name, in the colours of its jockey’s silks, in some weird, nebulous link you feel with its trainer or owner. It’s not something you can rationalise; it’s just something you feel. Because of an omen.

bet

The writer of a blog titled The Track Philosopher sums it up as such: “The basics of an omen bet [are] two parts: The name of the familiar and something familiar with the familiar.” What that means is it’s not enough that a horse shares the name of a dearly departed relative or a jockey wears a shitload of purple and, hey, you also tend to favour that particular shade. No, the omen bet goes a little deeper – the connection must be personal and specific. As an example, let’s look at some of the horses running at upcoming Spring Racing Carnival events. At the Caulfield Guineas Day on 12 October, there’s one named Dissident – if your favourite book of all time is Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn’s One Day In The Life Of Ivan Denisovich, well, you may well be inclined to throw down a few bucks on this anti-authoritarian nag – because it’s an omen that a horse with that name is racing that day. Experience your first kiss during a screening of GI Jane? There’s a good chance you’ll be backing Dear Demi at the Caulfield Cup on 19 October – because of the connections you’re making in your mind, your memory and your heart. And while a fan of Italian house and techno may have no plans to place a bet on 5 November (that’s Melbourne Cup day!), the fact that a horse named Fiorente – probably not named after DJ and producer Michael Fiorente, but you never know – is in the field is an omen impossible to ignore.

CANTER ATTACK

music

The Living End return from a triumphant European tour and head straight to the race track. As bass player Scott Owen tells Greg Phillips, for a band that has played bikie buck’s nights, funerals and boxing rings, it’s all in a day’s work.

elbourne’s Spring Racing Carnival is upon us and it’s time to frock up, lay down the picnic basket, pop the sparkly and this year, after the last race at the prestigious Caulfield Cup, you can even rock out with The Living End. It’s not the first time the band has played a race track. “We’ve done this horse race in California, which was hilarious,” says Owen. “We played in the middle of the race track and we had to stop the set a couple of times for the horses to run around. It was a very down-home affair but we’ve never done anything this serious.” As a kid, Owen remembers being taken to the nags by his uncle. “He was into the punt big time. The closest I get is a gentlemanly bet on Melbourne Cup day.” The band is no stranger to playing unconventional venues either. They’ve played weddings, car yards, markets, ritzy ballrooms and, as Owen recalls, Bakersfield – their worst gig ever. “It was just frightening. It’s a really outer, outer suburb of Los Angeles. There were people smoking crack pots outside the venue all day. It was next to a prison, we were told not to go wandering anywhere and we were stuck there all day.” The Living End have just returned from a tour of the UK and Germany where they played to festival crowds of up to 40,000 people. The hard yards they put into

last year’s Retrospective tour when they rehearsed around 80 songs came in handy too, as they were able to deliver some tunes the crowds had never heard before. “It was unreal because we were able to pluck songs out of the repertoire that we just never played live up until the Retrospective tour. Now they are all fresh in our heads and it’s really cool. I think that’s what made some of those little club shows in Germany so good.” The nature of the Retrospective tour (playing every song from every album) had scribes and fans speculating that the tour might have been a fond farewell.

While the guys have no real plans for 2014, Owen is quick to deny a split is on the cards. “We haven’t got any solid plans. I mean, we will one day. We will put pen to paper and get things happening again. The trip to Germany was really inspiring in that respect. It was a lot of fun and something that we really want to keep going but we also realise that there are other things on our plates at the moment so we haven’t made any solid plans for 2014 – we’ll take it as it comes.” But for now, will Owen be ‘suiting up’ for the races? “Oh wow, I’m glad you mentioned that because I wouldn’t have even thought about it. I’d probably roll up in a sleeveless T-shirt and a pair of jeans if you hadn’t have said that!” The Living End play after the last race at the BMW Caulfield Cup on 19 Oct, Caulfield Racecourse THE MUSIC • 2ND OCTOBER 2013 • 21

fashion

THE HORSES AND THE HAIR Not into fascinators? Here are five other ways to let your hair do the talking at the races.

2. The Hair Is The Hat

1. Hair Jewellery Yes, such a thing exists. Essentially necklaces or bracelets for your head, they’re designed to perch daintily atop your crown, perhaps wrapping around your forehead or even trailing down among your tendrils.

More suited to those with long locks, and not for the meek. If you’ve got the means, a hairdo that doubles as a hat is sure to stand out. You could also think of it as a scalp statue; art. Let your hair pull shapes for you so that you can stand around idly sipping champers instead.

3. Wreaths

4. Headbands

You can’t get more classic than Ancient. For a look that stands the test of time, do as the Ancient Greeks did and invest in a wreath of leaves to frame your follicles. Get it in gold for extra glamour factor.

Basically the modern day version of the wreath, the best thing about headbands is how versatile they are. Bold or subtle, singular or several – you can be as simple or creative as you like.

5. Floral Garlands/ Flower Crowns From making daisychains as children, to the Rookie Mag/teen fashion blogger/ Lana Del Reypopularised flower crown, these will always shout, “I am young and wild and free”. Cue Bryan Adams’ Heaven playing softly in the background.

THE SPRING RACING CARNIVAL 21 SEP TO 24 NOV BMW Caulfield Cup Carnival (Caulfield)

Melbourne Cup Carnival (Flemington)

BECK Caulfield Guineas Day 12 Oct

AAMI Victoria Derby Day 2 Nov

Schweppes Thousand Guineas Day 16 Oct

Emirates Melbourne Cup Day 5 Nov

BMW Caulfield Cup Day 19 Oct

Crown Oaks Day 7 Nov

Sportingbet Cox Plate Carnival (Moonee Valley)

Emirates Stakes Day 9 Nov

Sportingbet Manikato Stakes Night 25 Oct Sportingbet Cox Plate 26 Oct

Country Racing 65 race days spread across Victoria including Country Cups and unique regional race days

Get Social With The Races F: facebook.com/springracingcarnival T: twitter.com/springcarnival I: instagram@springcarnival P: pinterest.com/springcarnival Y: youtube.com/thespringcarnival For a full list of events during the Spring Racing Carnival head to springracingcarnival.com.au

22 • THE MUSIC • 2ND OCTOBER 2013

T I C K E TS SA L E N O O N W!

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THE MUSIC • 2ND OCTOBER 2013 • 23

bit, and just be grateful. [You] start to look at the more positive things in life and not dwell too much on the negative things in society and the negative things that have happened. I s’pose not forgetting things, you know, not forgetting that things happen, but getting on top of it and saying, ‘Well, we’ve got to get on with things now, we’ve got to start living ahead and getting on with life rather than talkin’ bout just surviving’,” he acknowledges. With such a sentiment in mind, there’s no better place for Roach to premiere his new Creation show than on the box-set’s day of release at the inaugural Boomerang Festival – a new world Indigenous festival for all Australians.

music

“It’s great,” Roach starts, listing fellow songwriters Thelma Plum and Shellie Morris alongside comedian Sean Choolburra as festival acts he’d like to catch. “A lot of Indigenous performers and musicians, of course we’ve been on many festivals that they have throughout the country, but there’s never really been a festival [of this scale for Indigenous artists] – except for maybe The Dreaming Festival at Woodford when that was happening. But since then there’s been nothing else and there’s just a gap as far as just a festival to showcase Indigenous up-and-coming and I s’pose older acts like myself. In Australia it just provides for us now, so I think it’s great – it’s exciting.”

STILL STANDING Archie Roach’s Took The Children Away is counted amongst Australia’s most important sound files, and now the respected storyteller shares details of Creation – an earlycareer, box-set retrospective – with Tyler McLoughlan.

t’s been a tough few years for Archie Roach. After losing his beloved partner and musical muse Ruby Hunter in 2010, he suffered a stroke, followed by the removal of half a lung to cancer. Roach’s inimitable spirit, though – which has communicated afflictions of the mind, body, heart and soul so gently yet effectively throughout his career – guided him through the writing and recording of 2012’s life-affirming Into The Bloodstream. “They’ve been going really well. I’m working with a choir and a band and strings and horns – it’s been a joy,” Roach says of the shows for the gospel and soul-tinged record that has taken him to the festivals of most capitals since the October release. “The last couple of years have been a bit rough and just doing this album and writing again was a good way of dealing with that and coming through those times. I think actually recording it was a way of getting better and overcoming the last couple of years.”

Roach is marking the year since Into The Bloodstream’s release with another very special project: a fourCD box-set titled Creation that compiles the albums he made through Mushroom Records between 1990 and 2002 – Charcoal Lane, Jamu Dreaming, Looking For Butter Boy and Sensual Being – with over a dozen unreleased bonus tracks. “My manager and dear friend Jill Shelton talked about it, and got in touch with Warner Music who had the backlog of my music; it was decided to do a box-set of my first four albums, but also to incorporate songs, some live recordings and songs that were demoed for those albums but never made it onto those albums. They’ll be remastered. Some of them were recorded back in the day when it was still reelto-reel,” he says, describing some of the recorded rarities he’s happy to have finally found a place for. “Nowhere To Go is a song about when back in the day they tried to close the schools down here in Victoria; they closed a lot of schools down here. One school in 24 • THE MUSIC • 2ND OCTOBER 2013

particular that a lot of Aboriginal kids went to, they tried to close it down and we finally managed to get that reopened, so there’s a song about that school. Dancing Shoes is one that we recorded for Into The Bloodstream. It’s just about, you know, it doesn’t matter what happens, you just pull on your dancing shoes; no matter what happens we’re still here, we’re still standin’ and we’re still dancing,” he says with a chuckle. Roach has a lovely manner; kind and thoughtful, he speaks with the same calmness that permeates his vocal delivery. He explains how he’s managed to maintain such a demeanour regardless of whether he is singing a song of injustice or one about the sacred land of his people. “As the years go by you feel a lot better about – not just about what’s goin’ on in the country – but a lot better about yourself I think, and you start to learn to appreciate yourself a bit more and look after yourself a little

The much-loved performer will be joined by a ten-piece musical ensemble featuring a string quartet under the direction of Jen Anderson, a collaborator of both Roach and his late partner, with backing vocals from Lou Bennett, Emma Donavan and Deline Briscoe, His 1990 song Took The Children Away – a personal account of being forcibly removed from his family as a very young boy – will no doubt be a moving festival highlight.

“YOU START TO LEARN TO APPRECIATE YOURSELF A BIT MORE AND LOOK AFTER YOURSELF A LITTLE BIT.” “Yeah, we’ll play it at Boomerang. It’s become more of a release now – a healing song – rather than a song condemning policy or what happened. Every time I sing it it’s like you let that much more of it go,” Roach admits quietly of the track that was last month added to the National Sound And Film Archive. Behind the tragic chapter, Roach’s sense of purpose as a historian for Indigenous culture remains an enduring motivator above awards, accolades or acclaim. “I was very proud but also it’s an old way, it’s an old tradition – not just in Aboriginal people but throughout history. Throughout all cultures, storytelling and the preserving of stories through music and art and keeping those stories for further generations [is important], so it just seems right I s’pose.” WHAT: Creation (Warner) WHEN & WHERE: 4 and 6 Oct, Boomerang Festival, Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm, Byron Bay

THE MUSIC • 2ND OCTOBER 2013 • 25

n how she found out she was nominated for two Carlton Dry Independent Music Awards this year, Courtney Barnett reveals, “I think [how] you find everything else out – on social media.” Was it a tweet? “Yeah, I think maybe someone like you guys [TheMusic],” she laughs. When asked what the last thing was that she won, Barnett chuckles, “I don’t think anything. I came runner-up in a colouring-in competition in primary school… And I only know that because when I was at the APRA Awards, I was gonna say that in my speech if I won. But I didn’t win.” It was a Lego colouring-in competition, so the prize was “a pack of Legos”, but Barnett admits, “I’ve always felt guilty about it ‘cause my dad did most of the colouring.”

awards

GET LUCKY

The eighth annual Independent Music Awards have partnered up to become the Carlton Dry Independent Music Awards this year. Bryget Chrisfield checks in with some of this country’s rising stars (all multiple nominees) – Courtney Barnett, Seth Sentry, Harley Streten (aka Flume) and Jo Syme (Big Scary) – to find out about the changing income streams of independent artists and the secrets behind their success.

After financing the manufacturing costs of first EP (I’ve Got A Friend Called Emily Ferris) with “all [her] own money”, Barnett was “lucky enough to get a grant from Arts Victoria” for follow-up EP, How To Carve A Carrot Into A Rose. When asked about the endless paperwork one needs to fill out when applying for a grant, Barnett confesses, “My manager wrote the majority of the grant. I tried to write grants over the last few years when I didn’t have him and I just failed.” When Barnett was 21, she was fortunate enough to meet her manager, Nick O’Byrne, through The Push’s FReeZA Mentoring Program “for people under 25 or something”. “I was flailing around for years, not getting very far,” she reflects. Increased motivation and success followed once she paired up with O’Byrne: “It’s just being put in touch with people and, you know, socialising with those like-minded business people.

courtney barnett

n how Big Scary financed th their Best Independent Album-nomin Album-nominated album Not Art, drummer/vocalist Jo Sy Syme shares, “All our finances have come… it’s a little bit of touring, a little bit of album sales from Vacation and I guess we’ve got a really great publisher [Gaga Music]. I think for independent artists, the publishing is really the mother lode ‘cause it’s really changed, people’s income stream. But if you can sync your songs on some TV or movies – the big payers are on adverts and I think we had a bit of that [money] stored away.” This will be the first time the duo grace the awards stage. “I think it’ll be really fun,” Symes enthuses. “I get along with everyone at AIR [Australian Independent Record Labels Association], and all the other bands playing, so I just said to them, ‘Can we please not be last?’ ‘Cause I still wanna have a drink [laughs].” Syme and her Big Scary musical partner in crime, Tom Iansek, recently collaborated with Sydney producer Jonti. “People would say they wanna collaborate all the time and I’m always like, ‘I think it would be awkward’,” Syme reflects, on previously being skeptical about collaborating with other musicians. The Jonti experience made her change her tune, however: “That was so fun. He came in and we just started playing… I think ‘cause it was so easy it made me much more open to wanting to work with people. A unique situation has occurred this year in that the Best Independent Artist nominees are exactly the same as those for Best Independent Album. So much for the Death Of The Album, huh? Syme raises a good point when discussing the genre divide: “Dance bands

26 • THE MUSIC • 2ND OCTOBER 2013

“We work together on every single thing that comes up. So it’s really good having that kind of support… Just to bounce ideas off each other, it really helps, as opposed to just being in complete charge and – you know how you can go a bit crazy by yourself?” Barnett’s History Eraser single is also available as part of a split-7” (with Jen Cloher’s Mount Beauty). Barnett plays in Cloher’s backing band and, before they embarked on a double headline tour earlier this year, the pair decided, “We need something to take with us,” because they were both in between releases. Although technically Barnett defines being an independent artists as “not being part of a major”, she adds, “but to me it just means being in control of my own career, or my own music.”

Two nominations: Breakthrough Independent Artist Of The Year and Best Independent Single Or EP (History Eraser).

are really forging the single release and that’s working for more electronic dance music, but I think you need the album to promote the tour and you need the tour to promote the album, you know?” As such, it’s become increasingly important for artists to be able to back it up live in order to balance the books. “It shouldn’t be that the artist has to be good live if they’re just good at making songs,” Syme laments. “Sometimes [it seems] they have to be to make a living. I find that unfair. “[Even] if festivals and shows have kinda taken a bit more precedence over the money coming in from albums, I think people are still enjoying album tracks. Like, we get comments from people on songs that aren’t singles, so that’s really cool.”

big scary

Three nominations: Best Independent Artist, Best Independent Album (Not Art) and Best Independent Single Or EP (Luck Now).

f you have a visual of indie artists packing their own EPs into boxes and driving around to record stores, begging for some shelf space and hoping to leave ten copies on consignment, this fits Seth Sentry (if you rewind four years). To distribute his The Waiter Minute EP, Sentry says, “I’d go around to shops and – because I wasn’t very good at it, ‘cause I’m not a very good businessman – I’d forget what shops I’d go to, I wouldn’t write down how many [copies] I left. I only recently went into a shop in Brunswick and I was gonna buy a hat and, when I was in there, I was like, ‘Fuck, this shop seems familiar!’ And then I remembered I’d given the guy ten of my EPs to sell, like, four years ago and never came back in to see whether he’d sold ‘em or anything. And when I asked him, he was like, ‘Ah, I can’t remember’… and I couldn’t remember, so I was like, ‘Oh well, that’s why I shouldn’t do everything myself ’.” Nowadays, Sentry operates as part of a trusted team. It all began when he was approached by his nowmanager, Rowan Robinson, after “a random show in WA” in “late 2008, maybe early 2009”. At the time, Sentry was working in hospitality. “To be honest it wasn’t a particularly good show, either. There was just something that he liked about the music.”

seth sentry

Two nominations: Breakthrough Independent Artist Of The Year and Best Independent Hip Hop Album (This Was Tomorrow).

eflecting back on the recording of his self-titled debut album, Flume (aka Harley Streten), shares; “There was nothing fancy about it, really, and that’s the beauty of it I think: You really don’t need money at all to write music these days: Good music doesn’t require money. I think that’s what a lot of artists who get signed to major labels don’t realise.” Streten’s the first to admit that his story would be markedly different had he found himself in the centre of a major-label bidding war. “If a major label had stumbled across me I would’ve just signed some huge contract with them and, um, I would be nowhere near where I am right now. And I think there’s a lot of luck involved with that,” he muses. “I think [advances] put a lot of pressure on the artists once they’ve spent some of the money and they realise, like, ‘Man I’ve gotta make this back!’ I wasn’t really offered money and stuff and I think that worked in my advantage... It was a really healthy environment to write in.” Streten remembers his first meeting with Future Classic well. “It would have been a year and a half ago or something like that and I came home from the meeting, and the last thing that they said to me was – essentially as I was walking out the door – they were just like, ‘So what we want you to do is basically make your own genre,’ like, as a joke. “It was about the attitude of the label. It just ticked all the boxes in the sense that, first of all, it wasn’t a money thing – like, any major label, you know, they need to make money really badly and unfortunately a lot of the time that’s what it’s focused around. And [Future Classic] just wanted to put out new interesting stuff that they liked and it seemed really legit.”

For his debut album This Was Tomorrow, Sentry wanted to create an album that people would want to purchase in its physical form and digest in full. In recruiting the same artist who designed his EP cover for the album artwork, Sentry created an incentive for fans: “If you fold out my EP and my album, the artwork makes one long panorama if you join them up together.” He builds a strong case for CD buyers, recalling excitedly: “I remember my dad playing me Dangerous by Michael Jackson – that was the first album that I ever bought – and it was a two-hour drive back from the record shop, which was in the city. I spent the whole two hours just reading that shit front to back, like, reading every liner note and looking at the artwork. I think that’s starting to get lost these days when people just download stuff off the Internet and, you know, listen to a couple of the singles and maybe a couple of

Don’t worry; Streten is acutely aware that Future Classic uses Warner’s back-end “to do some of the things like distribute the record, which a company like Future Classic could never do”. “I don’t wanna be badmouthing majors or anything,” he stresses, “they have their pros, they have their cons. I feel very fortunate to not be on one… I think it’s just about having a good balance and, depending on the kind of artist you wanna be depends on where you should be. I mean, if you’re gonna be a pop star, I definitely would recommend going with a major over an indie. So it really just depends on your situation.” Although Streten’s “never been one to wanna be in the spotlight”, he’s getting used to it. “At first, like, doing interviews and going and playing in front of people every weekend, I was very uncomfortable,

the album tracks and then [they’re] kind of done and move onto the next thing.” Sentry won the Channel [V] Oz Artist Of The Year Award in 2012 and still sounds shocked. “I don’t even know how I won it, but I won it. “There was obviously a lot of exposure and stuff after that, and that led to a lot of cool things,” he reflects, “and I guess I felt like maybe people took me a bit more seriously in the music scene or whatever.” More than 1.66 million votes were tallied Australia-wide before Sentry was presented with this “cool trophy”. The fact that the rapper enjoys social networking would certainly have helped. “I really dig [social networking], it’s never really seemed like a hassle or something that I had to do or anything.” Even though Sentry is no longer a one-man operation (“we’ve got a great publicist and we’ve got a great booking agent that we really trust”), he still approaches music as a hobby: “It still doesn’t feel like a real job to me and I’d like to maintain that attitude as long as possible.”

Five nominations: Best Independent Artist; Best Independent Album and Best Independent Dance, Electronica Album (Flume); Best Independent Single Or EP and Best Independent Dance, Electronica Or Club Single (Holdin’ On).

flume

but after time I knew that would fade and it would be easier and I would benefit from that. So I just persevered and didn’t turn down any opportunities and always kinda put myself out there as much as possible… It definitely forces you to grow up quickly and I got dropped in the deep end pretty hard, but I feel like now I’m way more on top of it all and I’m pretty comfortable with everything.”

WHEN: 9 Oct, Carlton Dry Independent Music Awards THE MUSIC • 2ND OCTOBER • 27

dance

THE CHOREOGRAPHY OF VIOLENCE We don’t normally associate contemporary dance with sacrificial slaughter but when Stravinsky’s The Rite Of Spring returns to the stage next month, blood will flow. And yet, as Paul Ransom discovers, choreographer Michael Keegan-Dolan is amazed there isn’t more openly violent dance.

ne hundred years ago the ballet still had the power to cause riots. Well, almost. When Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes first presented The Rite Of Spring, featuring choreography by Nijinsky and an arresting score by young Russian composer Igor Stravinsky, the well-dressed denizens of Paris were in collective, near riotous uproar.

When Irish company Fabulous Beast bring their centenary version of Rite to Australia it’s unlikely to cause pandemonium; although according to choreographer Michael Keegan-Dolan there will be violence. “I think Stravinsky famously said that he was inspired by the violence of the ice cracking in the lakes of Russia that signalled the start of the spring.” This merely cracks the surface on KeeganDolan’s reinvented

music

Rite. As a contemporary choreographer he is unique in openly canvassing violence in his work. “I’m amazed, really, because dancing is quite violent in a way. As a dancer you have to be very careful not to get caught up in violating yourself, or being violated by a choreographer. There’s a kind of erosion going on that can mean you can’t really walk after ten years; that’s the kind of violence I mean. There’s violence and there’s violence; and I think that’s what’s great about the pagan manifesto,” he argues, referring to the pre-Christian ritual and sacrificial violence prominent in The Rite Of Spring. “There’s violence everywhere in nature, creatures born and dying all the time, and it’s great to embrace and accept that. But there’s another kind of violence that perhaps is a by-product of the way we commodify violence in the cinema. It’s like pornography. You’re making money from the pornographic nature of violence, and that is to be avoided at all costs.” Keegan-Dolan will also bring his reimagining of Stravinsky’s 1911 piece, Petrushka. “There’s sections in Petrushka where you can hear the seeds of what became Rite Of Spring. I thought it was going to be easier musically because there’s big waves of joyous free-flowing music but again, because it’s Stravinsky, it’s not simple. It was quite a job to make the dance to it.” Fortunately for Keegan-Dolan the inherent difficulties of Stravinsky’s music are somewhat ameliorated this time because of his experience doing Rite in London in 2009. Although pared down, it remains ostensibly unchanged. “Except maybe it’s a little more mature.” WHAT: The Rite Of Spring/Petrushka WHEN & WHERE: 11 to 14 Oct, Melbourne Festival, Comedy Theatre

MARGINAL SUCCESS A chart topping progressive death metal band might sound like an oxymoron, but Finland’s Amorphis are anything but ordinary. Vocalist Tomi Joutsen speaks to Lochlan Watt.

morphis is a curious beast, having evolved from more brutal death metal roots to their hyper melodic progressive sound showcased on this year’s 11th studio album, Circle. Tomi Joutsen was a fan of Amorphis long before he became their frontman in 2005, and recalls his first exposure to the group through the radio. “The first song I heard was Signs Of The North Side,” a track from their 1992 debut The Karelian Isthmus. “They played the song [on a] radio show, and I got really interested about Amorphis. At that time I was into death metal a lot, and was in all kinds of death metal bands, and Amorphis… I think it was something special. After a year I went to see them in Helsinki. I think [it] was Tales From A Thousand Lakes [1994], when that came out they were something new and fresh in metal scene. I was a fan of the band before I joined the band, so I am still living in my dream in a way. It’s incredible.” For a metal band to have had even one number one album on their nation’s charts, let alone four, as well as five other top ten releases, is unheard of in most parts of the world. Joutsen, however, doesn’t think it’s “so strange”, and explains how strong the metal scene in Finland really is. 28 • THE MUSIC • 2ND OCTOBER 2013

“We are not the only metal band from Finland that’s huge – Children Of Bodom, Nightwish, HIM, Sonata Arctica – I think when they release their albums they also go really on top of the charts. For us as a band it’s great that we are quite big in Finland. We can play lots of shows in Finland in festivals and in clubs also. It helps a lot in our career that we are in Finland. I think that lots of people think that Finland is a heavy metal country, and that’s true in a way. We have lots of heavy metal music here, and when you are listening [to] radio

station they play some of really heavy metal bands also. It’s great to be in a metal band of course in Finland.” While the massively dreadlocked man believes that “the heavy metal scene in Finland is big, and I think it’s getting bigger everywhere,” he also thinks that, “It will always be marginal in a way. It has to be kind of underground music, but of course I’m happy that it’s getting bigger all the time. “I’ve been waiting [for] this moment for many years,” he says of the band’s debut Australian run. “There has been some plans before… two years ago there was some plans to go there in New Year’s Eve. I don’t know what happened. It’s business every time. Now it seems that it will happen, and I’m really, really happy about that. It’s going to be crazy. I’ve heard some really good stories about Australia from other Finnish bands that played there. It’s gonna be great, I’m really happy.” WHAT: Circle (Nuclear Blast/Riot) WHEN & WHERE: 14 Oct, Billboard The Venue

THE MUSIC • 2ND OCTOBER 2013 • 29

music

CLEARING HEADSPACE What do you do after you break up with your girlfriend? If you’re Sam Hales of The Jungle Giants, you get her to play a bass line on your new record. And as Benny Doyle learns, that totally makes sense.

oaking in the combination of sunshine and nicotine, Sam Hales is feeling good: “We can’t wait to get it out and just let the music speak for itself.” The Jungle Giants frontman is of course talking about the band’s debut record Learn To Exist, a release that feels like it’s been a long time coming, although the reality remains that it’s arrived fairly promptly; the band are only two years old and have also cracked out a pair of EPs since forming in 2011. The Brisbane four-piece have found themselves on the radar of indie pop fans ever since the blissed out guitar bounce of single Mr Polite positioned them as Australia’s answer to Two Door Cinema Club. And now we get a musical snapshot of the interim time which has seen them mature as musicians and songwriters without turning their back on the vibrant sheen which endeared the gang to us originally. Learn To Exist isn’t a concept album by any stretch. It’s simply a warts-and-all documentation of life in your early twenties. Take the bare bones ramble of Devil’s In The Detail. “It’s a positive spin on a low point,” Hales says. “When you’re changing and you’re deciding the person you’re going to be forever or getting an idea who you’ll be, there’s moments of loneliness. That’s what that song focuses on – sometimes you feel like you don’t know yourself but stick to it and you’ll figure it out.” With all the reflections and ruminations taken from last year, Hales and his bandmates – Cesira Aitken (guitar), Andrew Dooris (bass) and Keelan Bijker (drums) – were clear with their ideas and made sure they followed them through when recording. There’s plenty of lust across this debut. There’s remorse, too. There’s laughter and heartbreak also. But no matter the outcome of these (mis)adventures, relationships have been maintained. “I’m friends with everyone man,” he smiles. “The first segue after Devil’s In The Detail, the one that splits A and B side, my ex-girlfriend was over at my house one time in my little studio in my bedroom and I was just like, ‘Hey, pick up the bass and play some stuff if you want’, and she didn’t know I was recording. But I told her, then I put a bunch of effects on it so it didn’t sound like a 30 • THE MUSIC • 2ND OCTOBER 2013

bass – it was ambiguous – and then I put a beat to it. It’s almost creepy but it’s cool, it’s my ex playing that instrument, and the motion between the record is this memory of her, and she was a big part of 2012.” But as far as personal recording touches causing

Birthed from his bedroom, Hales says the writing period for Learn To Exist: “was a lonely time but one I needed and wanted”. Luckily, his bandmates encouraged this introspective journey and shared his musical vision. By the time they called on producer Magoo to finish tying up all the tracks at his studio, Applewood Lane, they were left with what we have now – a downright charming record that humbles with its consistent quality. Progress hasn’t changed things at the heart of The Jungle Giants, but growth is a constant – in music and life. Luckily for this lot, the fun’s only just getting started. “We are such best friends that we’re like

“WHEN WE’RE SIXTY WE’LL BE HANGING OUT ON THE FRONT DECK WITH NO TEETH.” on stage insecurities, Hales is unaffected. “Maybe if my ex was there and it’s a song about her, but I think I got over that after the first while of touring because I realised that if you’re feeling insecure while you’re singing you can’t really pull it off as much as you can if you’re feeling confident and believing in the song,” he reasons. “I sing it the way it should be sung and not worry about my ex; if she’s going to be upset, she’s going to be upset.”

fucking retard,” Hales shrugs. “We just run around acting like idiots all the time and we just have such a good time together. In that way we’re just the same, we’ll be friends forever man; even if we’re not in a band together when we’re sixty we’ll be hanging out on the front deck with no teeth. But we have changed so much in how we play together because we’ve been learning how each other plays. We’re just getting this feel for each other and finding out how we can make things sound good together. We’re always learning.” WHAT: Learn To Exist (Amplifire) WHEN & WHERE: 4 Oct, The Hi-Fi; 5 Oct, Karova Lounge, Ballarat; 6 Oct, The Hi-Fi (under-18 matinee)

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THE MUSIC • 2ND OCTOBER 2013 • 31

music

HEAVENLY SOUNDS

They’ve made one of th i the mostt progressive pop albums of the year, but Iain Cook and Chvrches are still keeping it as real as possible, writes Benny Doyle. Pics by Kane Hibberd.

ecause of its mid-September release date you won’t see The Bones Of What You Believe on the 2013 shortlist for the Mercury Music Prize. Doubt it will be there in 2014, either. But for Chvrches, that’s inconsequential. The electro pop trio from Glasgow are happy to avoid the hyperbole that comes with a record as consistently brilliant as their debut, with Iain Cook more interested in the experiences he and bandmates Martin Doherty and Lauren Mayberry are squeezing from their music. “People keep mentioning that things are going so good and we don’t even have an album out,” Cook says, on the phone from Chicago after soundcheck for a soldout show at the Metro. “And I guess it is, but we’re just trying to stay focused and not think too much about things like hype and buzz – these things that people keep saying to us. We run a day-to-day operation; we’re just trying to do what we do and not get carried away with everything or not get bogged down about stuff. But the positive side is definitely worth dwelling on and we feel really honoured to be out here [in Chicago] and indeed in Australia in a couple of months, playing to people that really enjoy our music so far away from home – it’s a really exciting thing for us.” Forming a couple of years ago after falling for the voice of diminutive Mayberry, whom Doherty and Cook had called in to do some backing vocals, Chvrches took a variety of different elements – carnal synths, hip hop beats, earthy electronic textures – and let them spark off each other. Album opener The Mother We Share “first defined the band”, but the full-length was still a slow build as opposed to a specific “eureka moment”,

32 • THE MUSIC • 2ND OCTOBER 2013

as Cook calls it. “There were quite a few [times] in the studio where we all got really excited and started shouting and jumping around, and those things are essential because if you don’t get excited about what you’re doing then it’s tough to expect other people to get excited about it,” he says. While tinkering in Cook’s basement studio in Glasgow, the band drip fed our ears with further singles Recover and Gun. Each new song brought with it further waves of excitement; it also showcased Mayberry as a special kind of frontwoman, her purity managing to cleanse whatever production Doherty and Cook put behind her. “I think the vocals are probably the most significant contributing factor to [our] sound,” Cook agrees. “Obviously

we’ve all played in other bands before and they sound nothing like Chvrches, but I think there’s just something about the juxtaposition of [Lauren’s] voice against what we’re doing with the production and the dirty synths with that sweetness put against that harshness – that’s really what [makes] the sound of the band. As well, I think she has a very natural sounding voice and her accent comes across in a really gentle but honest way which doesn’t sound affected – those are things that are really important to the sound of the band.” The balance works so well that it would have been easy for Chvrches to throw a few more singles in, pad the record out with a bit of filler and watch the blog-generated hipster dollars flow into the coughers. Instead, they challenge us and keep us intrigued, taking the 12-track everywhere from the dark and depraved to the washed out and come down. There’s not a dull moment found on The Bones Of What You Believe, and it comes back to the group’s commitment not to dwell on contentment. “I think it’s really important that when we put out an album it has a shape to it; a sense of purpose and momentum, and something that you can listen to from start to finish,” Cook reasons. “We grew up listening to music that way, particularly on vinyl, and we had that in mind when we were sequencing songs. We didn’t just want to top-load it with the songs everyone knows and have it then taper off, we wanted to maximise the impact of the peaks and the troughs and try and show everyone the full picture of what we were doing.” Having just been a part of Laneway Festival’s first foray into America, Chvrches are thrilled to be

“IF YOU DON’T GET EXCITED ABOUT WHAT YOU’RE DOING THEN IT’S TOUGH TO EXPECT OTHER PEOPLE TO GET EXCITED ABOUT IT.”

a part of the Australian event next year. And if Cook’s vibe is anything to go by, the shows will arrive fully formed for audiences Down Under; just make sure you Insta that shit so the band can continue improving their dancefloor sermons. “We all come from indie and rock backgrounds – we’re not just standing there and pushing buttons, we really want to put on a show and a performance, and it’s something that we’ve grown into in the last year since we’ve been playing live and hopefully we’ll continue to do so,” he explains. “We’ve grown into just the three of us on stage and we’ve worked really hard to try and fill the stage in terms of what we’re doing and the interaction with each other, but also in terms of lighting production. We’ve got this guy Louie who has built a set for us based around our artwork and iconography, and some of the stuff he’s doing with a reasonably small set-up is pretty mind blowing, but I don’t get to see it because I’m facing the other way. But I’ll jump on Instagram after the show and just [look at] what people are seeing, and it’s like, ‘Holy shit!’. So we want to keep working on that, on the production, because there’s only three of us on stage and there’s no live drums so it’s just trying to make things as exciting as possible.” WHAT: The Bones Of What You Believe (Goodbye/Liberator) WHEN & WHERE: 1 Feb, Laneway Festival, Footscray Community Arts Centre THE MUSIC • 2ND OCTOBER 2013 • 33

theatre

SATIRE AND SELF-REFLECTION Eddie Perfect’s new play The Beast explores our obsession with organicism. Actors Travis Cotton and Kate Mulvany chat to Simon Eales about playing wanky characters.

ddie Perfect (perhaps most widely known for his roles in Channel 10’s Offspring and Shane Warne: The Musical) has penned a new play, The Beast, which opens at the MTC in early November. A satire of our society’s obsession with organicism, The Beast places three idealistic couples in an oh-so eco-chic setting, where they have to face some basic truths about the world, as well as truths about the fact that we’re all basically wankers. One of these couples, Marge and Baird, played by Kate Mulvany and Travis Cotton, are trying to climb the

social ladder through a kind of manipulation of the genteel economy of wholefoods, as Cotton explains. “[My character, Baird] wants to learn about things. He wants to learn about bread and lettuce; what bread’s in at the moment. Sourdough? Foccacia? Whatever it is... That’s his journey.” Marge, on the other hand, as Mulvany tells, “loves her husband very much” but “spots the bullshit a lot more readily than he does”. She puts up with Baird’s organi-fetish as a way of helping him recover from a recent traumatic event. “She just

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wants to go along with him on this to help him out and help him get through, knowing full-well that the other couples he’s trying to impress are a bunch of cunts!” It’s this tension between actually doing something good by the planet for the sake of it being good for the planet, and doing it for social kudos, that Perfect so brilliantly explores, Cotton and Mulvany suggest. “I think [the play’s] about class, and wanting to be something other than yourself,” Mulvany says. “It’s about your moral grounding in this very complex society. It’s about three couples who are very displaced and trying to find themselves. The answer they come up with is getting ‘real’ in the country. Little do they know, they’re in a lot of trouble.” I can’t quite work out if Cotton really agrees. “I’ll give you a sound bite: I think it’s a play that David Williamson could have written if he went through a crack-cocaine period,” he laughs. “It deals with the middle class. It deals with sustainability and authenticity... but ramps those things up to a hundred.” ‘That being said,” Mulvany interjects, “there is plenty of dialogue on this show where I think, ‘Oh god, I’ve had this conversation at a dinner party,’ and that’s appalling.”Amongst this satirical humour designed to surprise its audience into self-reflection is a more gruesome edge, Cotton says. There could be a lot of blood. “There is a calf in the play. It’s like a War Calf, you know, like War Horse.” Mulvany laughs. “I don’t know how much we’re allowed to give away on that!” WHAT: The Beast WHEN & WHERE: 3 Oct to 9 Nov, Melbourne Festival, MTC, The Sumner

REPEAT AFTER ME

style vocals and basing a lot of the songs around that. Basically, I saw a big, Gregorian church.

Mantra’s Telling Scenes found Rob Tremlett digging deeper than ever. And, as the Melbourne MC tells Matt O’Neill, getting piano lessons.

“T

o be honest, it wasn’t really a conscious decision... I actually made the decision to start learning to sing a couple of years ago. It was after the release of my last album [2011’s Speaking Volumes],” Tremlett reflects on what eventually led him to piano lessons. “It was just about strengthening up my vocal performance as a rapper... But, while I was doing it, my teacher started teaching me piano. So, I was learning chords, melodies and the actual structure of music, which is not something I’d looked at since I was a kid. Learning about that stuff in the context of what I’m doing now was a big help.”

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“And that’s where I was spitting my raps. I was taking it back to the abbey. I was the fucking monk, y’know what I mean,” Tremlett jokes. “A lot of those early ideas managed to get onto the album in some way, but I think I just wasn’t in that dark, brooding place. There’s a few lighter tracks, there’s a few hardcore banging tracks. There’s both sides.”

Telling Scenes isn’t just another album for Rob Tremlett. His third solo outing as Mantra, it finds him getting ambitious. “Lyrically, I did a few things that I’d never really done before. I address a lot of personal issues on this album that I’ve never touched on in a song before. I don’t want to use the term ‘soul searching’ – but I guess I just did,” he quips. In discussing the album’s initial direction, he talks of minimalism and cathedrals: “It was way darker than the final album ended up being... I was working with a few vocalists and we were writing these almost choir-

There’s genuine darkness and struggle to Mantra’s narrative. One of his closest friends was murdered at the outset of Tremlett’s career. More pragmatically, his early albums have a far broader stylistic palette. “I’m still really proud of everything I did on those first two albums. When I listen to my first solo album, I kind of go, ‘Wow, I don’t write like that anymore’. Sometimes, I look back and go, ‘Wow, I wish I could think like that again’,” he reflects. “It was much more dreamy, much more abstract. A little bit cryptic. That was just the starting point, but it’s gotten me to the point where I’m at now – which is much more of a complete artist. I feel like I’ve honed it. I’m a much better songwriter now.” Tremlett still maintains that nationalistic sense of larrikinism (see: recent single Loudmouth) but there’s always something going on beneath the surface. “I’m quite adamantly not a religious person... But I feel like I definitely consider myself a spiritual person in that I know what my soul needs to be happy and content. Can’t always get it, but I know what it is [laughs]... I think the spiritual connotations of the albums are often simply a product of me thinking about the world and my place within it.” WHAT: Telling Scenes (Ten To Two Records) WHEN & WHERE: 11 Oct, Evelyn Hotel

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music

EPIC RETURN Free from compromise and with a point to prove following a founding member departing, Sweden’s Soilwork again set about becoming a “melancholy, melodic, epic metal band”. Drummer Dirk Verbeuren and Brendan Crabb revel in this momentary bliss.

“I

’m not sure how the pressure got there, but when I joined, I started touring with them for (2003’s) Figure Number Five and went through to (2005’s) Stabbing The Drama,” Soilwork sticksman Dirk Verbeuren explains. “I would say that definitely at that time, certain band members had got to this point where they wanted to kind of simplify things a little bit, and make the music more accessible. Which ultimately produced some really great songs for us, I think… I’m not really trying to criticise that, I just think that in the event of that happening, the initial feeling of the band may have got lost a little bit. “The band initially started out being this melancholy, melodic, epic metal band and some of that kind of got lost because I think we more simplified our stuff. So over the years, I didn’t fight that because I was one of the people that wanted the band to have just more angles. You could have some songs like that, but not every song needs to be like that… You can’t be one of those people who can really voice their opinion in the band; you don’t do that the week you join the band. But eventually over time I became more vocal about those things, and I think now we’re definitely at a point where everybody gets to truly express what they feel about stuff, and other people will listen to them and not just dismiss them, which in the past may have happened.”

After the aforementioned period whereby they lost sight of their initial modus operandi, the Swedish sextet sought to redress the balance. The inaugural step was 2010’s excellent The Panic Broadcast, which was rammed home by this year’s The Living Infinite, touted as melodic death metal’s first double-album. The progressive effort contrasts their signature shred-fests and 260BPM hyperblasts with much tantalising ear candy. What makes tackling such an ambitious venture more admirable is it represents their first long-player since founding guitarist, songwriter and producer Peter Wichers’ latest exit. Verbeuren chuckles when the “first ever melodic death double-record” tagline is raised, suggesting while it could

be correct, it was merely a label promotional tool. “For us, it was really just about making a statement in the first place to ourselves. We’ve been through some turmoil in recent years with the line-up, and just

music for us,” the drummer admits. “Peter’s talent is undeniable, but I think every musician in this band is very proficient as far as what they do, and that includes songwriting. After separating with Peter for the second time, we definitely wanted to prove that, ‘hey, Peter’s not just the only guy who makes Soilwork what it is’.” Further galvanizing the troops was the only prior Wichers-free long-player, 2007’s Sworn To A Great Divide being widely viewed as a creative nadir. “That’s definitely a record that I personally feel is flawed because the band was torn between musical directions. Some people wanted to go one way, some people wanted to go another way, and we didn’t really manage to fit those things together. Even though there’s some great tracks on that record, in the end I don’t think it came out as well as it could have, if we had been more on the same page.” Nowadays, they are. Obviously any double-album risks someone’s vision being compromised or quality of material being diluted. They weren’t unaware of this

“FOR US, IT WAS REALLY JUST ABOUT MAKING A STATEMENT IN THE FIRST PLACE TO OURSELVES.” the band being a little bit torn musically in different directions. For us The Living Infinite and this new line-up was really something where we wanted to prove to ourselves that we still have a lot to say. We can still grow, become a better band and even take it to the next level.” The result was a twoLP set projecting a far more collaborative ethos. “Peter was a very active songwriter and did write a lot of classic

prospect: “We first had the idea to do a double-album, pretty much before we had a note of music written. We didn’t want to have filler; we didn’t want to compromise anything. If it was going to be a double-album, we needed it to be a strong double-album. That was the first requirement for us. So we started writing. We got a bunch of demos together, looked at it, and said, ‘there’s so much variety here, there’s so many different ideas; this can work’. That’s when we sealed the deal on it. “I would definitely say that starting with Panic Broadcast, we really had that spirit, where there’s not a worry about radio songs, singles or this or that. It was just to write kick-ass tracks. If it’s a good song and we’re all feeling that, we’re gonna put our heart and soul into it.” WHEN & WHERE: 4 Oct, Billboard

THE MUSIC • 2ND OCTOBER 2013 • 37

hire. “It’s basically just the best of the best – they’re putting me in there with the biggest people.” Mills modestly suggests that he was “lucky” the hitmakers agreed to work with him. Overall, creating The Fifth was “a different process” – but one the MC enjoyed. Curiously, Mills has given little consideration to how old grime heads feel about his transformation – or balancing pop and street tracks. His main concern was the album’s potential “live aspect” – he wanted “big sing-a-longs” and “hooks”. Grime is too “easy” for Mills now. “It’s the pop stuff that’s the gamble – and that’s the one that takes work to perfect it.” Admittedly, in his grime days, Mills claimed the indie crowd were more accepting of him (Arctic Monkeys are champions). Today Mills, long an American college fave, holds that it’s still hard for a UK MC to break the US. “It’s like trying to take Chinese food to China, innit?,” he quips. The market is competitive – many US rappers fail. “The good thing about me spending so much time here in the last year or so is that I realise how different the culture is.”

music

EAST END KID Dizzee Rascal has discovered pop, the US and Robbie Williams, as Cyclone discovers.

izzee Rascal (AKA Dylan Mills) has finally moved on from UK grime with his poppiest album yet, The Fifth, recruiting Robbie Williams for its lead single, Goin’ Crazy. He’s even recorded in the US. But will the MC’s fans buy it? Mills, speaking from Los Angeles, grants he’s “anxious” for his (yes!) fifth album to drop. “I’ve been sitting on it for so long – I just want it to come out. I’ve listened to it a million times and I’m almost sick of it myself!” The Brit last ventured out with 2009’s blockbuster, Tongue N’ Cheek. But he’s remained visible with tours and cameos – Mills features on EDMster Calvin Harris’ 18 Months. “I kinda never stopped making music, in a sense, but then I took a year out to just live,” Mills says. “I mean, I bought a place in Miami. I was out in America a lot, but all the while still making the album... I guess I wasn’t keeping track of the time like that. I didn’t realise it was four years. I didn’t realise like [it was] ten years since I put out my first album [2003’s Boy In Da Corner]... I was just getting on with it.” Last year the council estate kid performed at the opening of the Olympic Games – a symbolic and personal triumph. “To be represented as part of British history to the world like that was amazing to me, man – especially in the area that I grew up, because I’m from around that way, like East London, in Stratford... My mum was there. Everyone was proud.” Mills, then a DIY teen, debuted with grime record Boy..., which won the prestigious Mercury Prize – and impressed a junior Tinie Tempah. Mills outgrew the genre. For Tongue... he collaborated with Harris on electro hits like Dance Wiv Me. The Fifth serves as a new chapter for Mills since he’s lately signed to the major, Island Records – although he describes it as “a partnership” with his Dirtee Stank stable. (Liberator is Mills’ Australian label, however.) Island approached him at the BRIT Awards, “offering a load of money”. “We had to just kinda tell ‘em 38 • THE MUSIC • 2ND OCTOBER 2013

like, ‘Nah, actually, that’s not enough!’” Mills boasts. What ensued was a year of negotiations. “Then they came back with something that made sense.” Mills sought a label with global reach – and “a big machine”. As such, The Fifth is commercially ambitious. Nevertheless, Mills didn’t contact Williams for Goin’ Crazy because he’s iconic (which he isn’t Stateside). Rather, he’d met the maverick and liked him. “He’s someone I actually sit down and get on with and have a chat with and just chill.” Other guests on the album include Tinie, Jessie J and will.i.am (singing, not producing). But the biggest surprise is that, at a time when American urban acts are looking to the UK, Mills cut The Fifth in the States. In the album’s credits are RedOne (Lady GaGa) and Warren “Oak” Felder and Andrew “Pop” Wansel (Miguel), Mills conferring with his management and label on who to

Mills may be keen to conquer the US charts, but he’s unsure if he wants to be as huge as Kanye West. “That’d be crazy. But the other side of it is obviously it drives him a bit mad – it drives people a bit mad. I think it’d be more intense to be famous here. At least I know I can manoeuvre with fame in the UK, but in America it’s a whole different ball game. So that would be interesting if I did get famous – to see how I’d handle it and how you’d manoeuvre around that, ‘cause it’s a crazy place. But I just want my music to be big everywhere... We’ll just see what happens, man. I’ve got a lifetime to be big and famous in America as well. If it doesn’t happen this time, it might happen next time. All that matters is that I’m ready for it when it does happen.”

“IT’S BASICALLY JUST THE BEST OF THE BEST – THEY’RE PUTTING ME IN THERE WITH THE BIGGEST PEOPLE.”

Mills has unlikely fans, one being Prince Harry, whom he met at a festival. The MC joked about punching HRH in the face – and he loved it. “He’s obviously a bit of a rascal himself, innit? That’s what I got from meeting him – it’s like, All right, then, okay... A few of them super-rich kids that I’ve come across are actually a bit naughty – and they’re a bit more like me (laughs). It’s only money that separates us, to an extent. But it’s cool. That’s the good thing about music – it just brings people together. It’s not about class. It’s just about what you’re stimulated by. Music don’t see colour, race, creed, class or none of that. So I’m just glad that I can do that.” WHAT: The Fifth (Liberator/Dirtee Stank)

THE MUSIC • 2ND OCTOBER 2013 • 39

music

BURNING HUNGER Better known as the frontman for The Panics, Jae Laffer is gearing up to release his debut solo album When The Iron Glows Red. He tells Eli Gould why people should never give up on their dreams.

nspiration can come in mysterious ways. For The Panics’ frontman Jae Laffer, the inspiration for his solo debut release came from a quote in a viral news story about the last blacksmith in Beijing, China. A certain quote stuck out to Laffer so much that he decided to use it for the title of his album. “When the iron glows red, you earn your money. That is your life,” was the quote said by the blacksmith and one that resonated with Laffer to the point where his entire album is influenced by that philosophy. It’s this blacksmith’s story and philosophy

that helped spawn Laffer’s creative, reflective and contemplative thought processes. With an already impressive back catalogue with The Panics, Laffer insists he needed to reignite his own spark in his music, and the by-product of this is his impressive ten-track debut full-length When The Iron Glows Red. It was a feeling heavily influenced by the spontaneity of life that had his musical sense flowing freely again. Laffer’s songwriting ability was able to grow dramatically; his goal was to write and record an album as quickly as possible

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to show that he could achieve this. “[I was] keeping that state of mind where I was like, ‘Yes, I will walk out of that room with a fucking song’,” he muses. “It just kind of got the momentum up and was the whole point, to prove I could do that and it was all about that momentum. It just felt like I peaked – like my soul was in that creative mind and if you keep that kinda hunger going you can only benefit everything in your life.” The main theme of the album relates back to its title and to Laffer’s interactions with people through his old workplace. Despite being a full-time musician, the songwriter hasn’t shied away from the working life, and found himself unloading shipping containers on the docks of Melbourne not so long ago. His track Leaving On Time was written in response to seeing how people are sometimes too scared to live their dreams and continue working to get by. “It’s that struggle and that kind of thing when you’re in a job and [while you’re] not necessarily stuck it just feels that time can, after a while, start grating at you a little bit. It’s kinda like, ‘How do you balance your life and all the pressures we have that society places on us?’” the singer questions. “But you need to keep your dreams alive and keep a legitimate hunger to them. That’s what life’s about, you know, and how strong you can be. It doesn’t matter if you were working any job or what you’re actually doing with your time, but more so how you keep your spirits completely free.” WHAT: When The Iron Glows Red (Dew Process/Universal) WHEN: 12 Oct, The Toff in Town

TAKE COVER Battling homeless folk and an anti-Semitic Elmo for spare change in a post-apocalyptic San Francisco is all in a day’s work for Me First & The Gimme Gimmes frontman Spike Slawson. Daniel Cribb chats with the vocalist about it all.

well-known San Francisco tourist attraction and great family getaway, Fisherman’s Wharf is the perfect location to set up shop as a busker. When he’s not rocking out and partying around the world with punk rock supergroup cover band Me First & The Gimme Gimmes, vocalist Spike Slawson usually takes to the area with his solo project, Uke-Hunt, to play some easygoing covers on his ukulele surrounded by balloon animals, clowns, graffiti artists and another unusual occupant. “Anti-Semitic Elmo was out and he was out sort of trolling around. He talked to me; it was really freaky. He’s got a video called Welcome To The Rape Camp and he dresses up in a fucking Elmo suit and high-fives kids; he’s twisted,” Slawson says, trying to decide whether or not to watch World War Z with his other half. The film’s post-apocalyptic zombie-fuelled essence wouldn’t be too far from the Warf ’s darker side. “Sometimes you go out there and it’s like a horrible splash painting, like something out of the bible. There’s a lot of freaky people in this city; San Fran is getting to an apocalyptic level of this crazy drunk or otherwise addicted homeless people, and you have to play in the middle of it and keep your stick together, which is really good for disciple, so that’s what I’ve been doing.” With 40 • THE MUSIC • 2ND OCTOBER 2013

Gimmes only touring occasionally and Slawson no longer doing much with his other bands, Re-Volts and Swingin’ Utters, it’s not surprising he’s branched out into other projects. “The difference between doing your own songs and covers is, theoretically, your own songs come from this special place and once you get it right it feels really good to express and natural and rewarding. Whereas playing covers, touring for more than a few weeks is just not feasible because it just gets sort of old for us, but playing with a different cast of characters kind of keeps it interesting.”

Being invested fairly deeply within the punk rock scene for years and withdrawing somewhat over the past couple, Slawson’s developed a new outlook on the genre. “In this day and age, listening to punk itself requires a few layers of irony. It’s not 1976, and there’s no garbage strikes in my city, and the main thing I complain about in this city is how god damn expensive it is… approaching [punk] with humour definitely helps me. It helps me deflate the people that take punk a little bit too seriously.” But not everyone finds Gimmes’ approach to humour appealing. “We asked Eagles if we could do a video for Desperado – God knows why, not my idea – but we asked the Eagles’ management and they responded with a resounding ‘no’, and furthermore, they hated our version. . I consider that a red badge of courage; give me a medal.” WHEN & WHERE: 5 and 6 Oct, Corner Hotel Hotel; 9 Oct, Barwon Club, Geelong

CAST YOUR NET WIDE

film

In Michael Kantor’s new film about dark desires and dreams, Paul Capsis plays a male character who explores femininity. Simon Eales chats to them both about some of the film’s motivations.

x-Malthouse Theatre Creative Director Michael Kantor premieres his first feature film, The Boy Castaways, at the upcoming Melbourne Festival. Shot in three weeks at Her Majesty’s Theatre in Adelaide and featuring an all-star cast of actors, musicians and performance artists, the film promises to be a unique and electrifying piece of metaphysical Australian cinema. Accompanying the film’s release at the Festival will be the one night only performance at the Forum Theatre, Songs Of Wreck And Ruin, consisting of songs from the movie performed by its leading players, Tim Rogers, Megan Washington and Paul Capsis. As director and co-writer (with Raimondo Cortese) Kantor explains that The Boy Castaways follows the mental journey of four men who play out their deepest fantasies in a theatre under the watchful eye of their leading lady, Sarina (played by Washington). “Quite extreme hidden fears and strong death-wishes are revealed through their desires and dreams. The end of the film kind of realises their ultimate desires. It’s quite dark.” It’s essentially an abstract Peter Pan story of recalled and reverberated childhood memories, playing on the characters’ efforts to negotiate a perilous adult psychological world. Indeed, the film takes its title from one of JM Barrie’s more obscure stories.

any song. They tend to re-trigger their memories. We can use them as a narrative device.” “I think music is this fantastic field of sex and death. Particularly pop music,” Kantor says. “Those things drive away through most powerful music. It’s just haunted

geniuses,” he says. “Tim’s got such a hard music background, Megan’s quite melodic, and Paul’s got one of the most unique voices in Australia. It’s quite a dynamic combination.” Locked away together on one location, Kantor says his cast, which also includes Mark Winter and Marco Chiappi, thrived on the improvisational and constantly evolving nature of the film’s development. It was a remarkable experience for Capsis, who is one of Australia’s most revered cabaret artists and made his film debut in 1998’s Head On opposite Alex

“NOT EVERYONE KNOWS EVERY SONG THERE IS, BUT THERE ARE REFERENCE POINTS FOR SO MANY PEOPLE IN ANY SONG. THEY TEND TO RE-TRIGGER THEIR MEMORIES.”

Drawing on his vast experience as a live performance maker, Kantor aims to bring corporeal rawness to the film. “I’m intrigued by the kind of hot house that’s generated inside a theatre and I wanted to get some of that heat into the film,” he says. “I find film quite a cold medium, and one thing that’s great about theatre is that it’s about the heat exchanged between the actor onstage under the spotlight and the audience. It’s tactile in that way.”

by the desire to have sex and the desire to die. I’m also really attracted to the whole pathology and hagiography of the rockstar and the modern day hero and anti-hero. I love watching those people perform.”

As with much of Kantor’s work, The Boy Castaways is driven by music, featuring live performance of songs from Buzzcocks, Fleetwood Mac, The Psychedelic Furs and The Waterboys, all arranged by Peter Farnan. “It’s about how songs sort of sit in our collective subconscious. Not everyone knows every song there is, but there are reference points for so many people in

This, no doubt, goes some way towards explaining the casting of Rogers, Washington and Capsis. “They’re a fantastic collection of diverse musical

Dimitriades. Playing a chameleon-like, gender-bending performer, the film, for him, involved embodying the spirit of some of his music idols. “That’s kind of what I do nowadays, not so much replicating the person as getting into where the song’s coming from.” His character is “not really a drag queen, as such,” Capsis says, “but, rather, a character that explores femininity, not just the surface experience. It’s a deeper layered, more ambiguous thing.” WHAT: The Boy Castaways and Songs Of Wreck And Ruin (music from the film) WHEN & WHERE: 15 Oct, Melbourne Festival, Forum Theatre THE MUSIC • 2ND OCTOBER 2013 • 41

music

AUDITORY PAINTING Ahead of Canyons’ audiovisual performance at Melbourne Music Week, Anthony Carew finds out that one half of the duo, Leo Thomson, is both a former metalhead and a cinephile. “From a pretty young age, I was pretty obsessed with being the lead guitarist in a metal band,” admits Leo Thomson, one of the two multi-instrumentalists/ producers behind Perth-born, Sydney-based epic psychedelic dance duo Canyons. “I was pretty into Metallica. I remember going to guitar lessons and getting the teacher to transcribe Metallica solos for me so I could learn them. If I ever could shred back then – and I gave it a red hot go – I certainly can’t shred anymore.”

definitely could’ve done with more exposure. We only really got to tour in Australia. I don’t think it’s anyone’s fault; sometimes things just all fall into place and sometimes they don’t.”

So if the 13-year-old Thomson could see himself now, would he be impressed at the grown-up Thomson getting to live out the rock’n’roll dream? Or dismayed at the all the synthy, clubby sounds? “I think he’d be dismayed at all the rigid kick drums that’ve lodged their way into the music.” Maybe that can be the direction of Canyons’ second LP: double-kick drumming mania? “Maybe, a return to my metal roots.”

Since their debut,, Canyons have been hard at work on another

Canyons are open to suggestion. The duo are bunkered down in beachside studio, testing out sounds for their forthcoming, still-yet-to-be-really-begun second album – the follow-up to their debut LP, 2011’s Keep Your Dreams, whose brassy highlights made it a natural fit in indie music’s Year of the Saxophone. “We’re just trying to finish off the first song; we really want to get some new music out,” Thomson says. “We want to make something more focused, and of a particular sound. Which is why we’re going through this process of experimenting, now, trying to find out what exactly that sound is.” The “all-over-the-shop” stylistic collisions of Keep Your Dreams were, Thomson thinks, a test for certain listeners. “We had all these good ideas, but in some ways we had trouble fitting them all together. Who we were wasn’t always clear, and maybe that influenced the way that people perceived what we were doing. Some people have a broadness of taste and can appreciate that diversity, but then there are others who if they hear a slightly more rock-y song on the radio, when they listen to your music and hear heavy house influences, they’re going to be disconcerted and confused.” In hindsight, Thomson feels a little deflated by the reception afforded to Canyons’ first-ever opus. “We 42 • THE MUSIC • 2ND OCTOBER 2013

Having been performed at GOMA and MONA, Canyons are bringing 100 Million Nights to town from Melbourne Music Week, where they’ll perform in front of a three-panel video installation, sound and vision working in sync. “We wanted it to feel like a unified experience between both elements; that it wasn’t a visual work with some ambient background music, and it wasn’t a band playing with projections behind them,” offers Thomson, on its genesis. “We’d start with a specific landscape or place, then we’d write music that we’d hope would conjure that place; like, there’s a section that’s more

“WE HAD ALL THESE GOOD IDEAS, BUT IN SOME WAYS WE HAD TROUBLE FITTING THEM ALL TOGETHER.” project: 100 Million Nights, their audiovisual collaboration with artist Daniel Boyd. “He’s a painter, but he’d been working on these projected moving images that he sets up alongside his paintings, and he asked us to make the music to go with this installation,” Thomson explains. “After doing that, we decided it’d be cool to work on a project together. So we applied for an Australian Arts Council grant, and once we got that, we threw ourselves into it.”

evocative of a city, where the music is electronic, industrial, more abrasive, and then slowly it moves out towards some kind of paradise, where the music has more space and colour. We’d keep the concepts very simple, then we’d flip it to Dan, and he’d put his spin, his personal angle on what that meant to him. “Working on this project, we’ve been forced to, if not shed old habits, at least approach writing and performing music in a completely different way,” Thomson says. “It’s still us making the music, and on stage we still have the Canyons live band, but you’re taking these familiar elements and sounds and trying to do something completely different with them. I feel like it can only benefit our music, and what we do on the next record.” WHEN & WHERE: 21 Nov, Melbourne Music Week, The Residence

GETTING IT RIGHT

Brendan MacDonald in the ranks, Sykes gushes that the chemistry and energy in the band has never been better. “It’s like we’re six completely different people and it works for that reason I think. It feels like a real team where it hasn’t done in the past; no one’s got any hidden agendas or no one’s got any other goals apart from touring and being in this band, and that’s how it should be.”

It’s taken many bottles and misjudgements to make Bring Me The Horizon the band that they are, but as frontman Oli Sykes tells Benny Doyle, they wouldn’t change a thing.

t’s all finally come together for Bring Me The Horizon, the British metalcore band that unwittingly became martyrs of the genre in the late-noughties. After a massive northern hemisphere festival season that saw them play in all corners of America and Europe, proof of their current standing was seen no better than during the Sheffield group’s afternoon set at Reading Festival this year. On that same main stage in 2008, the band were pelted with objects after replacing Slipknot. This year, they commanded one of the festival’s biggest pits and had punters screaming every word back at them. “It’s nuts man, it’s one of them things where you just look back at where we were a couple of years before that, we were just getting bottled – a tremendous amount of shit was thrown at us,” Oli Sykes recalls with a laugh. “And in a couple of years to turn it around and have that many people going nuts to us, I dunno, it’s pretty funny in a way.” Not that Bring Me The Horizon had any indication they’d written the album of their career when they put Sempiternal, their fourth full-length, together last year. Consumed in the process, Sykes admits the band didn’t even think about how people were going to react to a record that would become their second straight number one in this country and go on to be the group’s highest charting release in the US, UK and Europe. “My thought was we need to push ourselves and see what we could do as musicians more than just push what we could do with different sounds, which I think is what we worked for on our last two albums,” he says. “It’s why I decided that I wanted to bring a bit more melody into my voice; that was something I’d never done before. I’d never tried to sing before and I was fucking awful at it, and I’m still learning now – I have to work on it every day – but we’d been a band ten years, I think it was time. “There’s only so much you can say with just screaming,” he continues. “I wanted to display more emotion and get what I’m saying out there better, for it to stay with

more people more often because you can write the best lyric in the world but if it’s not got any melody behind it it’s not going to stick in anyone’s head or it’s not going to make anyone think about it.

The statement seems to indirectly reference this year’s falling out that Bring Me The Horizon had with former Aussie guitarist Jona Weinhofen of I Killed The Prom Queen. Sykes draws out an audible pause before giving a straight “no” when asked if he’d been in contact recently with Weinhofen, however, the frontman’s polite and relaxed nature during our interview suggests that, in their minds, the drama has passed. Bring Me The Horizon have leant how to cope when presented with such hurdles; it’s what they’ve been doing for years. “No one in the world is a ‘rock star’; no one’s that guy that’s portrayed on the front cover of magazines being photoshopped,” Sykes states.

“I’D NEVER TRIED TO SING BEFORE AND I WAS FUCKING AWFUL AT IT, AND I’M STILL LEARNING NOW – I HAVE TO WORK ON IT EVERY DAY.” So I wanted to try and achieve that with this album, and also with Jordan [Fish – keys/ programming] coming into it, he really opened the doors for what we’ve always wanted to do but never had the expertise to do it, so in a way it’s the album we’ve always wanted to write but never had the ability to in the past.” With Fish and touring guitarist

“People make their own mind up about you and a lot of the time it’s not true. I spent a lot of time [in the past] trying to prove people wrong and also trying to live up to the person that people thought I was, but at the end of the day I was neither of those people and I turned myself a bit insane with that and so I didn’t really want to be me anymore if that makes sense. But it’s just accepting who you are isn’t it, not letting other people’s perceptions of you warp yourself. Once you’ve figured out that [being in a band is] a piece of piss, you couldn’t have any more fun in the world.” WHAT: Sempiternal (Sony) WHEN & WHERE: 9 Oct, Festival Hall

music

DROWNING OUT THE BUZZ Forget second album syndrome. Instead, the teeth-gnashing and self-doubt hit Loon Lake early. Sam Nolan tells Simone Ubaldi about the challenges of their debut album.

oo much success, too soon, and the songwriting process goes off the rails, says frontman Sam Nolan. “I got to a stage where I was feeling really messed up because I’d put myself under way too much pressure. I had writer’s block and the songs just weren’t coming out. I knew that there were heaps of people who had invested time and money into it and it was just getting to a point where it was too much.” Loon Lake rocketed into the spotlight on the strength of their 2011 EP, Not Just Friends. Barely a year old, the band went into high rotation on triple j, RRR and FBi with the infectious garage pop tunes Easy Chairs and In The Summer. There was a flash of brilliance there, a rough and ready exuberance. From nowhere, they were suddenly everywhere. In 12 short months, Loon Lake had released a follow up EP, Thirty Three, spawned the indie hit Cherry Lips and toured mercilessly, quickly escalating through support slots and headline club shows to appearances at major festivals. For this band of brothers (Sam, his biological siblings Simon and Nick, and honorary siblings Tim Lowe and Dan Bull), it was a breathless, intoxicating climb. “I remember the first time we were played on triple j, it was a real buzz,” Nolan says. “[And] I guess the more things that happen, the more you want it. People were taking us seriously so we had to too, so we kept raising the bar for ourselves.” By the time they came to record a full-length, Loon Lake had already started to evolve away from their signature sound. There was a feeling amongst the band members that the sugary insta-pop that had paved their way to success wasn’t substantial enough; the boys wanted to sink their teeth into something more challenging. As chief songwriter, Nolan struggled initially to meet their expectations. “We went to Bali on a surf trip in April and I wrote some stuff there. I took MIDI keyboards and a laptop and wrote loads of stuff, but the boys just weren’t taking it. It was probably too shiny and catchy, loads of stuff in the vein of Cherry Lips, but it wasn’t what they wanted.” Nolan was crippled by the stress, but his brothers told him to lighten up. Move faster, they advised, don’t labour 44 • THE MUSIC • 2ND OCTOBER 2013

on things. He responded by putting his guitar down altogether. Instead of writing, Nolan listened, drowning himself in pop music: Florence & The Machine, Frank Ocean, Rudimental, Rihanna. He also watched BBC songwriting lectures by Mark Ronson and Calvin Harris. Somewhere in the process, he found his voice again.

crap and we realised that we had some great ideas.” The ten-day working vacation was a huge restorative for the guys, who had reached the point where the thought of hitting a rehearsal room in Melbourne was nothing but a drag. “We surfed, we ate well and played all night... We had to find a way to get the buzz again and it worked, we just had a ball. Everything just fell in place.” Three months later and Loon Lake’s debut album is ready to hit the shelves. Called Gloamer, it is both a first step and a mature step forward for the band: dynamic, reflective and surprisingly textured. This is still a garage pop band, but the boys have stretched their wings a little, adding synth keys and the odd electro inflection to their sound.

“WE SURFED, WE ATE WELL AND PLAYED ALL NIGHT… WE HAD TO FIND A WAY TO GET THE BUZZ AGAIN AND IT WORKED.” In late May, the band rented a house in the Victorian coastal town of Johanna to see what kind of album was taking shape. “We decided that it was time to get away from everyone and take every single idea that we had in our computers and work through them,” Nolan explains. “Every idea that was good went up onto this blackboard, then we nutted out the tracks and improved them. It was great because we got rid of heaps of

“We just want to be like everyone else,” Nolan jokes. “I think it’s tastefully done. We didn’t want to end up sounding like those triple j bands with the mad synth lines and everything, but instead of thinking that we couldn’t use synth because we’re a guitar band, we just forgot about the rules. Even if we wanted to program beats, if it sounded good it, it was going in. Honestly, I was worried about losing fans at the start. I thought it was arrogant to completely change, but the guys were like, ‘it’s good stuff, believe in it’. And they were right.” WHAT: Gloamer (Caroline) WHEN & WHERE: 11 Oct, Howler; 31 Dec, NYE On The Hill, The Farm; 24 Jan, Big Day Out, Flemington Racecourse

THE MUSIC • 2ND OCTOBER 2013 • 45

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46 • THE MUSIC • 2ND OCTOBER 2013

DEBUT RECORD IF YOU WAIT OUT NOW

reviews

ALBUM OF THE WEEK

This Week: embrace old school gameplay (and shooting aliens) in Saints Row IV, Gooch Palms are lo-fi with potential and Nicholas Jaar gets in touch with his Darkside to fantastic results.

PANIC! AT THE DISCO

Too Weird To Live, Too Rare To Die! Fueled By Ramen/Atlantic/Warner Always fond of the vaudevillian and the histrionic, in their earlier days it was near impossible to disentangle this element of their music from the overly wrought angsty and verbose theatricality of so many of their peers. With Too Weird To Live, Too Rare To Die! (a title lovingly lifted from Hunter S Thompson’s Fear & Loathing In Las Vegas) Panic! At The Disco have grown into their idiosyncrasies and now own them. Always ambitious, past incarnations of the band seem, looking back, to have been hampered by generic affinity – a pop punk band can only do so much (so too a slightly older pop punk band who had now found The Beatles) but unburdened this ambition abounds, the transition to the cutting edge of pop is complete.

★★★★

TRACK LISTING

However, having not decreed themselves to be the saviours of rock’n’roll, it doesn’t seem incongruent when Panic! At The Disco deliver an album of quirky wigged out pop. Similarly, the ego of such big, arty pop isn’t let loose. At ten songs in a little over half an hour it doesn’t overstay its welcome; it doesn’t vainly clasp at opus-like length in search of the cutting edge. It’s just weird, slightly nerdy – a hybrid of sci-fi leaning, classicallyinfused, incredibly taut, expansive pop.

1. This Is Gospel

6. Girls/Girls/Boys

2. Miss Jackson ft Lolo

7. Casual Affair

3. Vegas Lights

8. Far Too Young to Die

4. Girl That You Love

9. Collar Full

Early indications of a penchant for excess, blossoming across subsequent releases, now seem fully realised; this is weird and rare and still pretty odd… and thoroughly impressive.

5. Nicotine

10. The End of All Things

Dave Drayton THE MUSIC • 2ND OCTOBER 2013 • 47

album reviews

KORN

BUSBY MAROU

Prospect Park/Caroline

Footstomp/Warner

This is the album Korn fans have been waiting for. The guys have moved past their dubstep flounderings and Brian ‘Head’ Welch has let go of the holy hand and returned to the line-up. The Paradigm Shift should, all things considered, be exactly that for the science of nu-metal.

After wowing lovers and allcomers with their 2011 debut self-titled record, Tom Busby and Jeremy Marou return with Farewell Fitzroy, a full-blooded sophomore effort that will consolidate the pair as one of the premier songwriting duos in the country.

Farewell Fitzroy

The Paradigm Shift

Shame it’s not. Ray Luzier’s drumming is incessant and gives these songs a lot more power that they deserve. The newly reunited axe duo of Head and Munky reel out sludgy chords end-to-end, with Fieldy’s unmistakable slap bass fattening the riffs out further. But Jonathan Davis sounds like he’s on autopilot – a parody of the Freak On A Leash insanity we once knew. Prey For Me, What We Do, Never Never – it all follows the same formula. Sonic chaos surrounds Davis, while he just phones it in. And even when he does explode briefly – Paranoid And Aroused

★★ for example – it’s clear that studio knobs and production sheen are creating the intensity more than the man on the mic. After driving through the heart of Bakersfield, California, on a scorching spring day earlier this year, this reviewer can understand where Korn’s angst and rage once stemmed from – the city is soulless. But now, with 12 albums under their belt, a 20-year career behind them and an undisclosed pile of Benjamins in the bank, it’s hard to see the band’s aggression as anything more than a uniform that has to be slipped on every few years. Benny Doyle

Hailing from Rockhampton (the Fitzroy River flows by the city’s sunny streets, seemingly providing the album’s name), Farewell Fitzroy is filled with three- to fourminute acoustic tunes – country inflections regularly rearing their heads but rarely overwhelming (Luck being a notable exception, with lap steel guitar and lyrics like “We were chasing after gold and we blew it/We were young and were in love and we knew it”). The pair’s vocal harmonies are pitch perfect as one would expect – the principal difference between Farewell Fitzroy and their debut being the morphing from a duo to a band. The rhythm section and arrangements are more than nominal, the Nashville recording experience obviously having an

ELEVENTH HE REACHES LONDON

WORLD’S END PRESS

Hobbledehoy

Supporting everyone from Bloc Party to Hot Chip this year, World’s End Press have had no shortage of exposure in the lead-up to their debut album release. There’s a hunger for these songs from the indie set, and understandably so; favourites like To Send Our Love and Drag Me Home were easy to like, what with their grand textures and the ever-bouncing bass work of Sashi Dharann. The thing is, away from small pockets of glorious dream disco, this self-titled record doesn’t do enough to hold your attention.

Calling EHRL’s previous records “high concept” might be a bit of a cop-out, but it’s pretty hard to argue against the vast themes and environments the five-piece build into everything they do – one of the reasons there are such big gaps between albums. It’s a matter of perfection, and you can immediately tell how much effort they’ve put into each track. Where 2009’s Hollow Be Thy Name upped the dark elegy stakes, Bānhūs sees a lot more technicality and space. Openers The Dragging Cloud and Code Entwined kick things 48 • THE MUSIC • 2ND OCTOBER 2013

effect on the band’s sound; they recorded with Brad Jones ( Justin Townes Earle, Josh Rouse, Missy Higgins) in that city. It would be unthinkable that Farewell Fitzroy would not succeed in America, where the likes of Zac Brown Band are all-conquering, but with the familiar Australian twang ever-present and Marou’s Indigenous roots firmly planted in home soil, mainstream success on the domestic scene is only a matter of time. It’s a sidestep from their debut and its unashamed love ballads, but Farewell Fitzroy is a well structured, restrained record that destines the band for great things. Dylan Stewart

World’s End Press Liberation

Bānhūs

Bānhūs is the perfect title for Eleventh He Reaches London’s long-awaited third album. Translating from Old English to “bone-house”, it’s dark, mysterious and takes a while to wrap your head around. This album of seven droning, knife-edge tracks doesn’t let up; morbid, curious and ever-present, it’s a pretty strong statement from the Perth band.

★★★½

★★★½ off with noisy dirges, before the Nick Cave-ish Body Unbind lets in some air with a slight country twang over a driving beat. Deep harmony ebbs through both No Funeral and Veil, with banjo effectively leading the latter from the start. Glass Harmonium and To Whomever excel in delivering punches of warped sound between muted lines of shadowy dialogue. It’s pretty hard to top EHRL’s effort here, the one major problem being its inaccessibility to those who aren’t already fans. The band’s style is, well, different, especially in the Perth musical climate. But it’s a tradeoff: what EHRL do, they do well, and Bānhūs is yet another example of that. Cam Findlay

It just seems to go to sleep in parts, a fact that John Parkinson’s vocals – as lush and syrupy as they are – don’t help with. Someone’s Daddy is all kinds of living-for-theweekend, with the keyboards and percussion leading this fluid Balearic journey. But then your vibe is snatched

★★ ½ away by the piano meandering of Vanguard. Showing full artistic scope is great, but here it just feels like a hurdle. The latter track sees in the record’s most tedious passage, and it’s not until Your Time Will Come (Part 1 and 2) that you remember why you’re here in the first place. This album is fine – it would be a pretty amazing soundtrack for a blazing beanbag session with your pals. But every element here could do with an energy lift and, overall, it fails to capture the conviction that the World’s End Press live experience is continually delivered with. Benny Doyle

album reviews

★★★½

★★★★½

★★★

GLASSER

JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE

DARKSIDE

GOOCH PALMS

Interiors

The 20/20 Experience 2 Of 2

Psychic

Novo’s

Modular/Universal

Anti Fade

Young American Nicholas Jaar continues to surprise. Joining him for their first full-length album is guitarist and instrumentalist Dave Harrington, whose gentle krautrock sensibilities push Jaar in fascinating directions. There’s a terrific sense of balance to the record that reveals a fully successful collaboration between the two artists. Heart has a swagger to it that must be all Harrington’s doing, but then it drops the muffled kick and bleeds out purple synth over the arrangement, while Golden Arrow has Jaar’s sinister alchemy all over it. Psychic is a fantastic listen: a fluid blues/ deep-house cocktail that boasts breathtaking depth. Dive in.

This debut from Newcastle natives The Gooch Palms, aka Leroy Macqueen and Kat Friend, is quick to disappoint. They’re a pair renowned for raucous live shows, but Novo’s fails to capture their raw energy and intensity, instead relying on punk chords and plenty of shouting to fill the gap. But it’s a lo-fi album with potential, even if you only realise each song is different after repeated listens. They really hit their stride with the catchy teen angst-ridden Loudest Mouth, but never quite measure up to opener, their lead single We Get By.

True Panther/Remote Control Interiors, the second record from Glasser (aka Cameron Mesirow), is the natural progression from 2010’s Ring, adding lysergic beats and space to her redolent vocals while intimating an intricate relationship with urbanity, architecture and identity. Opener Shape is the epitome of hypnotic pop; the synth and snaking bass that underpins Design evokes the pop world’s fascination with nostalgia.. Much of Interiors’ instrumentation wouldn’t be far removed from a ‘hip’ label such as Not Not Fun, hence Interiors proves to be bridging the gap between awesome ingenuity and mainstream accessibility – hopefully this is the future of pop.

Sony JT fans have been spoilt rotten in 2013 – two albums in one year is almost unheard of in modern music. Here Timberlake continues to throwback to the good ol’ soul days with single Take Back The Night and the romantic You Got It On. He’s playful and slightly twisted on True Blood and Gimme What I Don’t Know (I Want), and with Drake on Cabaret, he’s come up with another classic collaboration. The album’s predecessor was a more solid fit overall, but part two is bold enough to be justified. Sally-Anne Hurley

Brendan Telford

Hannah Story

Matt MacMaster

★★½

★★★★

★★★½

JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS

THE APE

DR. DOG

PINK MARTINI

The Ape

B-Room

Get Happy

Unvarnished

Ape Records

Anti-/Warner

Rogue/Inertia

Blackheart/Liberator Maybe it’s the grandiose expectations, justified though they may be, but the latest release from the lady with punk rock’s biggest lady-cajones leaves a little to be desired. It kicks off with a powerful hit into Any Weather, and rolls on pretty strong from there. However, there’s a certain attitude that seems synonymous with Joan Jett that is lacking in many of these tracks. Admittedly, those which do foot-stomp – such as Reality Mentality and Fragile – do it damn well. In all, the album is passable, yet there’s a want for another (more ballsy) release.

Tex Perkins, man of many musical faces, has adopted The Ape for his new outfit. Crawl Back is a rollicking, rambunctious statement expertly fitted to the pub stages Perkins has made his home for a long time, with the track building QOTSAstyle stagger-rock into pure sex. Meanwhile Man On A Mission punches out grungy rock from the start. The album is much the same for the entire length, with swift injections of punk and funk at opportune times, and then some beautifully bluesy ballads halfway through. Not anything new, but a kick-arse Perkins record, like most.

Philadelphia’s Dr. Dog aren’t here to set the world alight with their originality, but what they can do is breathe new life into an overtly retro/throwback sound. The dual singing/songwriting and incredibly prolific front of Toby Leaman and Scott McMicken can certainly hold their own as top-shelf tunesmiths and the finest of vocalists on this here eighth long-player. The band channels more soulful references here than ever before but, as always, the genre-jumping sextet simply can’t sit still – The Truth is a sublime slow-burn, Cuckoo turns a little psych-rock while Phenomenon keeps it folky.

Lukas Murphy

Cam Findlay

Ben Preece

Another classy foray into the glamour and sophistication of lounge and easy-listening music. Supported by frou-frouescent arrangements, China Forbes wraps her icy cool vocals around standards Quizás and Sway. Forbes steers the ship, but an unusual roster of guests almost steal the show. The late Phyllis Diller sings the old Charlie Chaplin song, Smile, and The Von Trapp Family Singers of Sound Of Music fame provide backing vocals for Rufus Wainwright. Get Happy and Happy Days come together in a stunningly beautiful and complex duet. A Pink Martini is all you really need to get happy. Guido Farnell

THE MUSIC • 2ND OCTOBER 2013 • 49

singles/ep reviews

★★★★

CANNON

SONS OF THE EAST

THE TROTSKIES

It’s Cool, No Worries

Sons Of The East

The Trotskies

I Don’t Know How

Bon Voyage

Independent/MGM

Independent

Jewel City/Kobalt

This manic, garage offering consists of fuzzy pop hooks and erratic melody lines that draw the mind to speedy ‘70s power punk. Frontman Callan Jon Murray sounds like he’s wailing his vocals while drunk, but in the best way possible. Though a little repetitive, this steadily fast-paced, seriously fun release could only be improved upon in a live setting. You can just imagine hearing them at your local pub, where you’d actually move onto the sticky, beer-stained floor to listen. It closes with Cannon’s hilariously raw version of Fleetwood Mac’s Everywhere; the perfect final touch.

This stripped-back, folksy release combines strummed guitar with interesting instrumentation, over which Jack Rollins’ worldweary, raspy voice takes centre tage. The melancholic Miramare chorus merges into a denser, more exuberant section, a technique revisited in Hold On. These lively segments are the brightest on the EP. This understated energy also underpins the keyboard/ harmonica combo, plus dual yearning vocals in Come Away. These ecstatic moments call the bluegrass intensity of Mumford & Sons to mind, but this is a more contemplative brand of folk music. The grinding didge in California is a nice touch.

This EP opens with wavering, sci-fi notes mixed with fastpaced but gentle drumming and grinding distortion. The cinematic track Running congeals these varied elements smoothly, and its cooing chorus exemplifies lead singer Jack Rudich’s warm voice as well as his great control and range. The rest of the release has a heavier emphasis on chordy guitar and a combination of dark and light keyboard tones, blended into a dreamy ‘80s sound. The synth-pop of Vis A Vision certainly evokes Joy Division and The Cure, overlayed with the emotive strength of Rudich’s contemporary (but quite distinct) poppy vocals.

Stephanie Tell

BEST COAST Bethany Cosentino has never sounded better. First half: wistful folk ballad. Second half: Best Coast’s upbeat surf pop all grown up. All gravy.

SHEZBOT Bethena The A&R Department Pretty piano, pop-rock melodies and dainty, unsure vocals among heavy prog compositions – the equivalent of mixing nice colours together and getting poo brown.

LINKIN PARK X STEVE AOKI A Light That Never Comes

Stephanie Tell

Warner Rap verses, Vocoder-harmony choruses and shaking synth and bass that make your pupils dilate to the beat. What a team.

JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE

★★★ ½

TKO RCA/Sony

★★★

★★★ ½

SHE REX

4 LETTER LIES

She Rex

…And So

PIERS TWOMEY & THE ADVISORS

Independent/MGM

Independent

Pop Kills

The unfussy, melancholic rock of Fleetwood Mac is channelled in the title track while its chorus, and that of All The Same, also evoke a pleasant, country-pop flavour. While the first of these tracks never gets into first gear in terms of energy, the latter does feature pounding drums in its mournful, effective build. The standard rock format of the EP is pierced by Georgina Sayer’s mature, silky vocals. Her rich voice has a lovely ethereal quality, giving this release a certain special prettiness where otherwise it might be lacking for something to set it apart.

Independent/Laughing Outlaw

The kind of sweeping, forest/ beach-scenery-evoking indie pop that’s probably only good to use as Home & Away montage music.

This unique four-piece deserve credit for their creativity and unapologetic brutality. Swaggering frontwoman Nikkita Rast’s breathy, unaccompanied rapping on Prologue is cringeworthy and its political theme feels contrived. However, once the drum beat and keys enter, it’s suddenly transformed into an understated, catchy hip hop beat. Gritty, multilayered single POWER exudes attitude and energy. It consists of grinding distortion and militant, marching drums in the vein of RATM. Rast alternates between rapping and singing with ease throughout the EP, and when the girls occasionally sing in unison, She Rex’s fierce potential is really put on display.

Stephanie Liew

Stephanie Tell

This second single/teaser doesn’t bode too well for The 20/20 Experience 2 Of 2. Sounds like a weaker version of the JT of old. Three minutes too long.

DISCO IS DEAD The Feeling’s Gone The A&R Department This rock, glam, grunge, pop amalgamation is delivered through anthemic vocals and sharp, aggressive guitar riffs. Far from generic yet could easily soundtrack a footy ad.

BEAUTIFUL FOOLS Smalltown Independent

50 • THE MUSIC • 2ND OCTOBER 2013

Stephanie Tell

Opener 23 Seconds sounds like it could be the backing to a montage in a rom-com. It’s pure pop, unashamedly so; melting harmonising dreamboat vocals into naïve, melodic rock tunes. This inoffensive, teeny-bopper offering has a certain ‘90s air, but evokes a more general, timeless pop sound. The folksy, lyrical Road Rage is the gem of this release. Backed by his full band, Twomey’s beautifully crooning vocals mesh into a track that is simultaneously emotive and upbeat. While ‘serious’ music enthusiasts might cringe, ultimately this EP doesn’t pretend to be something it’s not. Stephanie Tell

THE MUSIC • 2ND OCTOBER 2013 • 51

52 • THE MUSIC • 2ND OCTOBER 2013

live reviews

FOALS, ALPINE Palace Theatre 26 Sep The queue of people waiting to get in to Palace Theatre tonight snakes around the building’s corner, serving as a reminder that tonight’s show is sold out. It moves fast though and before too long the crowd are warmed up by the sounds of Alpine, who are busy doing their thing onstage. Their thing, however, is both annoying and good in equal parts. Musically they are a good band, however, they are let down by the vocals of their co-frontwomen, Phoebe Baker and Lou James. An impressive light show heralds the arrival of Foals, the band the capacity crowd is here to see, yet the five young British men don’t arrive on stage quickly.

band’s main set wrapping up with an impressive version of Inhaler. “That’s for you,” announces Philippakis at the end of Hummer, the first encore song, before adding. “Take that as a compliment.” The adoring crowd certainly do take it as a compliment and are thrilled even more when Philippakis decides to take a tour of the top balcony during the band’s final song for the night, Two Steps, Twice, leaving Smith, Jack Bevan, Walter Gervers, and Edwin Congreave to continue the track while he’s absent from the stage. After what seems like an eternity, he makes it to the other side of the balcony, only to climb over the railing and, after ensuring that those below will catch him, he jumps into the crowd. A high point of what has been a highly impressive show. Dominique Wall

FOALS @ PALACE THEATRE. PIC: ANDREW BRISCOE

Guitarist Jimmy Smith is the first to finally grace the stage, playing the opening notes of Prelude, the opening track on their most recent album, Holy Fire. As his bandmates join him, the light show steps up a notch, with the kind of decadence befitting arenafilling, ultra-high-profile types, including a seizure-inducing strobe light extravaganza. Yannis Philippakis is in fine voice tonight. He and the rest of the band are in top form, with not a single bad note to be heard throughout their set. This is testament to their talent and finely honed live skills. Foals delve into all three of their albums. Olympic Airways, My Number, Blue Blood, Late Night, Providence (during which Philippakis launches himself into the crowd) and Spanish Sahara all get an airing tonight, with the

Man’s Summerisle. Wearing a face-obscuring hat, Rees-Lee and her octet hit highlights from recent album Court Music From The Planet Of Love and bewitch us in the process. Intricate and subtly atmospheric arrangements boast harp, strings, guitar and keys and push the rich songs. Parts interweave, enhance and echo each other, though Rees-Lee often seems as though she’s singing louder than she’d like to be. Closing with one of the year’s best songs, Morning, this is a set bursting with originality and talent, and a charismatic singer committed to making her own way. Oozing in from the electropop of DJs Darren Sylvester and Hannah Higher Power comes programmer Andras Fox. Warm bass pulses meld beneath mellow Kompakt-style tones;

FOALS @ PALACE THEATRE. PIC: ANDREW BRISCOE

MONTERO, ANDRAS FOX, PRUDENCE REES-LEE Howler 27 Sep Simultaneously dwarfing and inarguably enhancing tonight’s performances is the impression of this new Brunswick venue, Howler. Resplendent with floor-to-ceiling timber and purple lights and boasting a phenomenal PA system, Howler will hopefully be figuring far more commonly in readers’ gig schedules in the near future. Tonight begins with chamberpop songstress Prudence ReesLee leading us on the musical equivalent of a tour of The Wicker

Montero himself is so committed to the performance and fearless in his expression that the stage is a playground, allowing other personalities in the six-piece to shine through. Guitarist Geoff O’Connor’s slick chops and smoother visage sits comfortably next to Gerald Wells, a perfectionist intently dispatching fluid analogue synth melodies. Guy Blackman’s cheery avuncular electric piano work blends impeccably with drummer Cameron Potts’ wild and accurate additions and the bass and vocal work of Bobby Brave; it’s brilliant stuff. Mumbai is a glorious spin in the sun. Clear Sailing loses its freewheeling nature in a new rushed arrangement, but the band can’t be blamed for reinventing a song with which the audience are familiar. Dead

FOALS @ PALACE THEATRE. PIC: ANDREW BRISCOE

it’s pretty sweet but ultimately samey stuff. Fox dabbles with African percussion and clipped, delayed melodies to inoffensive ‘80s-ish ends. Claiming he’s not dancing due to a squash injury, Fox churns through several sound-alike pieces of tinkly warm elevator techno from forthcoming album Café Romantica over which people happily chat. Beginning with life-affirming album opener Adriana, Montero celebrate the long-delayed release of their debut The Loving Gaze in a glorious rush of bright, fizzing glee. Over projections of colour-saturated explosions, singer and songwriter Bjenny Montero arrives looking like a cross between Chrissy Amphlett and a young shaman. While the band has never sounded bigger, there is a sense of euphoric freedom here that seems rare in other bands.

Heads Come To Dinner and Glam Campbell are closing highlights in a night full of revelations, and one the packed room rewards with deafening cheers. Andy Hazel

SEABELLIES; I, A MAN; AL PARKINSON The Workers Club 26 Sep One of the best kept secrets around Melbourne’s northern suburbs is the quality of bands that turn out to relatively quiet band rooms on school nights, which is perfectly demonstrated by tonight’s unassuming yet fun midweek line-up. Al Parkinson kicks off with an acoustic set coupled with THE MUSIC • 2ND OCTOBER 2013 • 53

live reviews beautiful lyrics of loves lost and broken hearts, delivered by a velvety voice that wouldn’t sound out of place in a blues club. Although she’s playing to a halffull room, everyone is captivated by Parkinson’s beautifully written tracks such as Mess Around Man. Next up, I, A Man, an alt.rock four-piece whose reverb-filled angsty rock ballads draw clear influences from bands like Deftones and Sonic Youth. Dreamy, sparse guitars come to a screeching climax in You’re Boring Us All, which brings to mind surfy landscapes. Midway through the set, the band pay tribute to their ‘90s indie-rock influences with an emotional cover of Low’s Murderer. The band do such an amazing job at whipping up the crowd enthusiasm for Seabellies that there’s an

occasionally give way to gentle cooing as in Atlantis – a slow, piano-driven ballad. It’s clear Grenell’s energetic and emotive performance is truly genuine rather than simply an attempt to get the crowd going. Several songs into the set, the lead singer admits to getting emotional and slightly worn out after singing the new single, It’s Alright. Seabellies end this schoolnight gig with crowd favourite Paper Tigers from their debut By Limbo Lake, starting with a synth-heavy intro before breathily delivered verses give way to a rousing chorus sung by the entire band. Their energetic performance is infectious and gets the sparse crowd yelling for

LAMB OF GOD @ FESTIVAL HALL. PIC: MATT ALLAN

audible sigh of disappointment when their set ends. Hailing from Newcastle and tonight launching the first single off their forthcoming second record Fever Belle, Seabellies explode onto the stage with Young Cubs. The five-piece serve up a different brand of indie rock from their support band and resemble more recent (and less angsty) incarnations of the genre with radio-friendly hooks and catchy riffs. Case in point: during Board The Apartment Up, desperate calls of, “Don’t go, don’t, don’t go” accompanied by surging guitars and militaristic drums layered on pre-recorded drum tracks result in a sound more like Yellowcard than Deftones. Each track is laden with pop hooks and backed up by frontman Trent Grenell’s ear-splittling howls, which 54 • THE MUSIC • 2ND OCTOBER 2013

Ten rows from the front the concussive battery from the drums, eight-string guitars and bass is so strong it shakes your bones. The mix is absolutely thunderous but clear and punchy, giving Meshuggah’s alien, polyrhythmic material massive weight and immense power. This is how live metal should sound! As usual the Swedes play flawlessly, producing a stellar performance of difficult material, drawing mostly from their last two albums Koloss and Obzen. Their tight performance combined with the physical assault from the bass frequencies makes for an awesome experience. HR Giger-esque banners and a backdrop featuring artwork based on the Koloss album art add atmosphere, with a dynamic

LAMB OF GOD @ FESTIVAL HALL. PIC: MATT ALLAN

more. No doubt a weekend slot would bring in more bodies and probably the odd mosh every couple of tracks. Delima Shanti

LAMB OF GOD, MESHUGGAH Festival Hall 22 Sep Punters are still queued in a long line to enter general admission when Meshuggah start up with Swarm from latest album Koloss, but even from outside the sound is impressive. Once inside the sound is nothing short of titanic, almost deafening, and the low end is so powerful it literally rattles the floorboards.

light show tightly synchronised with the lurching riffs and battery of the drums. There’s not a lot of verbal interaction with the crowd apart from a few words now and then from vocalist Jens Kidman, though he frequently glares out at the crowd and gestures for raised horns as he prowls the stage with a menacing grimace. Bleed is always a Meshuggah live show highlight, so much so that one punter screams out, “Play it again!” afterwards, and no one would be disappointed if they did. After the eerie interlude of Mind’s Mirrors a massive pit opens up for In Death – Is Life and In Death – Is Death, capping a remarkably intense set with this epic trio of tracks from Catch Thirty Three. Meshuggah usually play their robotic riffs with mechanical precision, so that’s nothing new, but tonight they transcend, manufacturing an amazing

concussive sonic barrage that is simply awesome to experience. You know what you’re going to get with Lamb Of God – straight up metal, played hard and heavy – and they deliver it with the energy and effortless intensity of road-hardened veterans. As good as Meshuggah are, it’s Lamb Of God who deservedly have the headline slot and they do not disappoint. There’s little stage show to speak of, just a wall of Mesa Boogie and Ampeg cabinets and a large backdrop, with a hectic light show supplying visual dynamics. Otherwise it’s just flat-out, frenzied riffs with brutal vocals, one power-packed aural punch after another. While Meshuggah’s sound is weighty and massive, Lamb Of God’s sits more in the mid-range and is razor sharp and abrasive. Again, the volume

MESHUGGAH @ FESTIVAL HALL. PIC: MATT ALLAN

is intense – though at times the vocals could be more prominent in the mix, overshadowed by the attack of the guitars. Guitarists Mark Morton and Willie Adler shred out vicious riffs influenced by Slayer and Pantera, and bassist John Campbell lays down the heavy groove with Chris Adler in a very solid rhythm section, driving the band with relentless momentum. Lamb Of God are definitely a killer live act, seasoned by years of countless gigs with the same remarkably stable line-up and it shows in the consistency of their set. Desolation, Set To Fail and Walk With Me In Hell set the floor off from the start and the intensity never lets up. Vocalist Randy Blythe doesn’t mind a chat with the crowd and references his recent welldocumented legal troubles after the tragic death of a fan in the

live reviews Czech Republic in the best way possible, simply telling everyone in the pit, “Have fun, but if someone falls down, pick them up.” He goes on to effusively expound upon why the band love Australia so much, gives a shout out to Melbourne acts Sydonia and I Am Duckeye before Contractor, then remarks how we have the weirdest possible names for country towns (with an approximate pronunciation of what is probably meant to be Woolloomooloo) before Redneck. Finale Black Label causes GA to explode, with crowd surfers everywhere and a chaotic mass of heaving bodies jumping in one final burst of energy. It’s a fitting end to a fantastic double bill that leaves the crowd sweaty, exhausted and satisfied. James O’Toole

It’s a slightly muted audience who return for headline act Mind Over Matter. It soon becomes clear that the ‘bros’ are gone, with only the hip hop enthusiasts and loyal fans left. Touring their newest single Somebody’s Love, the duo have DJ Ntaprise and vocalists Ernst Carter Jnr and Kiki in tow. What’s overwhelmingly obvious when watching Willow and Smiles Again is that they’re acutely aware of one another’s presence: The way they weave around one

SWERVEDRIVER @ CORNER HOTEL. PIC: LOU LOU NUTT

MIND OVER MATTER, TJM, GIO

The Workers Club 27 Sep Grand Final Eve is usually a pretty rowdy affair; just add an Aussie hip hop show for an exceptionally rambunctious evening. A sparse crowd gathers as Gio displays an aptitude for the mic that, once nurtured, could become something great. Then, after enough time for a toilet break and beer run, TMJ appears on stage. Energy ripples through the boozy crowd as they play the kind of set that wouldn’t be out of place at Future Music Festival. Older tracks like Fire Away and Thank You

these guys really ‘get’ hip hop. They rap with cadence, ride their beats, keep their energy levels high and tie their tracks together with really strong hooks. Suffice to say that if they keep it up, big things are in store for Mind Over Matter.

soon make way for newer offerings such as Bad Wings and The 13th, each delivered with more energy than the last. TMJ end with Decay and it’s a “stomper”, they tell us. Sure enough, the crowd dissolves into a pit of broish, fist-pumping ecstasy.

SWERVEDRIVER, IOWA, WHITE WALLS Corner Hotel 28 Sep It’s grand final day in Melbourne town and clusters of revellers across the road from the Corner Hotel are showing signs of excessive refreshment following the Hawks’ win

SWERVEDRIVER @ CORNER HOTEL. PIC: LOU LOU NUTT

another is masterful and the considered way they allow the other to shine hints at a solid, committed friendship. Rapper’s Wonderland and Off The Chain are highlights of the first half of their set, while Adele and Barry White singalongs encourage crowd participation. Be A Pirate is an endearing addition to the night, a song that perfectly demonstrates the duo’s ability to not take absolutely everything so seriously. Somebody’s Love and Real harness the powerhouse vocals of Ernst Carter Jnr and Kiki respectively, while DJ Ntaprise gives us an impressive scratching solo (he also kindly thanks Centrelink for being his sponsor). After 40 minutes of quality music, Mind Over Matter leave the stage and we’re left with the impression that

Marissa Paine

today. While numbers are minimal inside the Corner, it isn’t stopping first Swervedriver support, White Walls, from delivering a rockin’ set of tight, fuzzed out tunes. Operating as a three-piece with no bassist and two guitars doesn’t detract at all from the thump these boys produce, with hard-hitting drums giving the tunes urgency. Second local support, Iowa, continue the thick guitar tones with more of an indie sensibility, creating an impressive wall of sound for a three-piece. The crowd is slowly starting to trickle in now, and the band makes the most of the spotlight, with vocalist Dylan Stewart periodically giving his voice box a damn good throttling. Iowa’s sound harks back to ‘90s guitar-driven indie rock, a la Dinosaur Jr, complete with screeching guitar bends.

In the time it takes to sink a pint, the room is suddenly packed with punters keen to witness shoegaze royalty, Swervedriver, performing their first album Raise in its entirety. The stage’s red curtain opens to reveal the band, and the four members nonchalantly get to work, with the tremolo guitar line from first track, Sci-Flyer, cutting through the mix nicely. The lighting tonight is minimal, with flashing bursts occasionally firing in sympathy with drum rolls and grainy footage projected over the band adding mystique. The rhythm section is a focal point, with the rakish Steve George’s bass locking in tightly with the remarkably quick Graham Bonnar, whose drumming is flamboyantly precise. Lead singer Adam

SWERVEDRIVER @ CORNER HOTEL. PIC: LOU LOU NUTT

Franklin engages little with the crowd, however, and while this is a shoegaze trademark it’s still a little disappointing, given the decent turnout. As if in defence of this, Franklin at one point remarks: “You can’t really call out any songs can you, ‘cos...” and trails off, leaving the crowd to figure it out. Having played Raise fully through, the encore brings with it Last Train To Satansville, and the change in audience mood is immediate, bodies moving with renewed vigour. Deep Wound, The Birds and crowd pleaser, Duel, pump energy levels up, the band airing new track Husk to complete the set. Whilst not a stinker of a show by any means, Swervedriver punch their time cards and exit the stage having done their duty. Glenn Waller THE MUSIC • 2ND OCTOBER 2013 • 55

fringe reviews

ANOTHER POINT OF VIEW Circus

Gasworks (finished) It’s no small feat to stretch your legs behind your back and cradle your smiling face with your feet. But Jacinta Rohan and Ella Rose make such unimaginable positions look as easy as brushing your teeth and eating breakfast (which they do with their toes, of course). Another Point Of View sees the doll-like duo stuck in their whimsical toy box room, with only a fuzzy TV to distract them from their quirky customs. The clumsy and affectionate one yearns to break from the schedule, irritating her bossier counterpart and causing havoc in the process. Rohan and Rose wordlessly fill their hour-long show with comic mimes, a spectacular bitchy hoop dance, and contortionism

comedy hour FML (Fuck My Life). It’s the type of sketch comedy that takes a cheap punchline or an unseen angle on an overdone idea and makes a meal out of it. The pair are mostly at an advantage for delivering big on the ‘uninterrupted’ concept in their title. We get the sense that the hour has been crafted out of whatever impersonation, pun or sheer ridiculousness has made the other girl giggle, and we are laughing out loud with them. This type of chemistry between the performers allows small, simple and silly ideas to become infectiously hilarious scenes. The consequence, however, is that some interruption is needed in the form of cuts to scenes that don’t work and a critical eye to address the show’s incoherent premise. Ultimately, the girls’ bravado to take on stereotypical comic goldmines like bogans, blokes and the elderly, combined with an unapologetic silliness, keeps us laughing. While the show requires development, their performances remain memorable. Suzanne Truman

ANOTHER POINT OF VIEW

– both on ground and in a captivating aerial hoop sequence. An impressive last-minute understudy, Rose, tells whole stories with her face. Rohan is made of rubber. Both will bend over backwards to make sure you have a good time.

10:45PM WORLD RECORD SHOW Comedy

GIRLS UNINTERRUPTED

The Tuxedo Cat to 5 Oct

Fringe Hub, North Melb Town Hall to 5 Oct Girls Uninterrupted have hit the hub with their new sketch 56 • THE MUSIC • 2ND OCTOBER 2013

Full of unpredictable twists, messy accidents and occasional guest comedians, the hosts seem to be on a steep learning curve. Examining the detritus on stage at the show’s conclusion is testament to the lengths they’re willing to go to: whipped cream, ‘top shelf ’ white wine, chocolate sauce, flecks of blood and a huge number of broken eggs. Impossible not to laugh at, this bizarre, charisma-driven show is a safe bet for anyone with a funny bone and a memory of Le Snaks. Andy Hazel

SIDE EFFECT Performance

Fringe Hub, North Melb Town Hall steps (finished) The four parts that make up the MKA-produced Side Effect each offer something uniquely compelling, and as a whole

SIDE EFFECT

Grace Robertson

Comedy

careers. The ‘let’s see how many obscure (and previously nonexistent) world records we can break’ premise is more a vehicle for some excellent banter.

Despite starting half an hour late, from the moment this chaotically hilarious show begins you know you’re in good hands. The three hosts Adam Knox, Dave Warneke and Andy Matthews are each gifted comedians with timing and improvisational skills that could lead to long

combine to form one hell of a show. Hailed as a performance piece that plumbs the smuttier side of Brisbane life, from the start, tonight’s show lives up to the hype. And it doesn’t get much dodgier than being ushered as audience members into a dark alley by an MC wearing a garish gold jacket, sunglasses and a shredded mask. From here things get loco, as raving lunatics harangue the audience, druginduced wires are crossed, mean young women have their pecking order re-affirmed and horny strangers reassess where their fresh (or not so fresh) relationship is at. This

isn’t one for grandma – more for the discerning weirdo. Glenn Waller

GAME SHOW GAME SHOW Comedy

Portland Hotel (finished) At its most excessive, the game show is a carnival of desperation, where contestants compete with others, either by applying useless facts or through often-sadistic physical challenges, for moments of fleeting glory and prizes that probably aren’t what they seem. In Game Show Game Show, hosts Jack Tandy and Coco McCoco Kokomo-Calhoun, along with Oliver, the disembodied announcer, push game show conventions to these extreme conclusions. A Perfect Match-style game spoofs the creepy undertones of the dating show. “Personal Best” sees Tandy challenge himself to take multiple shots – 15, to be precise – of coffee in less than a minute (front row beware). And a game of Hangman takes a grim turn

WHY DO I DREAM?

by including… a real hangman. But don’t get the wrong impression. Game Show Game Show is funny and entertaining, driven by the energy and chemistry of its charismatic hosts. The stakes are low, and the prizes meagre, but it’s worth tuning in. Anthony Collebrusco

WHY DO I DREAM? Performance

Fringe Hub, Lithuanian Club to 5 Oct A slackly hanging crocheted tablecloth adorns the black

fringe reviews curtained stage, a homely totem giving no warning whatsoever of the bizarre world of psychosexual body poetry to follow. Sabrina D’Angelo’s third foray into the Fringe Festival establishes her as a major talent and a pioneer in physical theatre. While previous shows focused on puppets and asked you to ignore the master, in Why Do I Dream? it is impossible for your eyes to leave her. Ostensibly a theatrical interpretation of Madam Bovary, D’Angelo uses the text to explore notions of inhibition, desire and satiation, which she excels in expressing using mime, song, interpretive dance, ventriloquism and poetry. Frequently hilarious, occasionally confronting and often poignant, she manages abrupt shifts in tone with a deft physicality, and a constant sense of surprise in a show crammed with ideas. Possibly the first performer to connect Gustav Flaubert, Lionel Richie and an amorous bear, D’Angelo is fast forging a totally unique and utterly arresting body of work. One of the few true originals this Fringe is offering. Andy Hazel

entirely in the locker room, a.k.a. “the sheds”, the events unfold away from the public eye. Though nudity is required for authenticity, there are times where it seems somewhat misplaced or undirected, resulting in awkward encounters. The dialogue misses the mark on authenticity too, with an unimaginative and gratuitous use of “fucking” peppering each line. This seemed improvised in parts, showing, potentially, unpreparedness from the actors, who frequently fumble their lines and interrupt one another. Despite its shortcomings, “The Sheds” has an important subject matter and the potential to be much more after some reworking. Monique Sebire

RUN GIRL RUN Performance

Fringe Hub, North Melb Town Hall (finished) An impressive display of stamina and multitasking, Run Girl Run sees its two female and one male actors performing their show

RUN GIRL RUN

THE SHEDS Performance

Long Play to 4 Oct James Cunningham addresses the all too unspoken issue of homosexuality in the AFL in his play, The Sheds. Whilst a bold and admirable concept, the play falls short due to poor performances, undeveloped ideas and an overall lack of cohesion. Liam Greenwood (Ludwik Exposto) narrates the story of star player Darren Anderson (Patrick Chirico) and how his coming out affects his teammates and the club in general. Set

skewed gender stereotypes, they play around with not only what it “means” to be a man/woman, but also convey an entertaining yet accurate picture of gender inequality in modern Western society. Their message is nothing new or groundbreaking, but it doesn’t seem like it’s trying to push the boundaries; it’s just a simple analogy presented in an outlandish way.

Stephanie Liew

DROPPED

BARRY MORGAN: ORGAN IS NOT A DIRTY WORD

Fringe Hub, North Melb Town Hall to 5 Oct

Fringe Hub, Lithuanian Club (finished)

With a vague yet intriguing synopsis, and billed as “a dark comedy about waiting”, funnily enough one spends the entirety of Dropped waiting for something to happen. Katy Warner’s dialogue for the play’s sole two characters is rapid and witty; at times it comes across like a sitcom exchange (we provided the laugh track), while at others

Organ extraordinaire Barry Morgan spent the evening showing off his “tool,” the Hammond Aurora Classic, and serenading the audience with crafty covers and melodies.

Stephanie Liew

Performance

DROPPED

entirely on treadmills. Though they tend to force a lot of their conversation – purposefully changing or choosing their topics to footy, cars, shoes etc to fit whatever stereotype they’re portraying – the dialogue flows easily and naturally; it feels like we’re eavesdropping on three friends casually chatting. Exploring modern Australia’s relationship with gender, we watch as their representation of men begins at one end of the spectrum and makes its way to the other, while the treadmill setting goes from ‘walk’ to ‘sprint’. Then they do it all again with the representation of women. By utilising unbalanced,

the end we leave knowing only a little more about what Dropped is actually about.

it sounds almost like poetry. Certain lines and phrases are repeated during the play, which centres it, and strong performances from the actors keep your attention focused; thankfully, because the play’s narrative itself is so surreal and abstract that it often meanders throughout its 60-minute length. There’s talk of dropping and forgetting things; not knowing whether you experiences and memories are your own, someone else’s or something you heard; and lies, games and missions. It’s hard to engage due to this non-linear, abstract structure, and by

Comedy

A man with endless oneliners, an unnervingly creaseless Safari suit, and a bucket of life lessons from his beloved - but sadly passed

BARRY MORGAN: ORGAN IS NOT A DIRTY WORD

- mother Nancy, Morgan takes a stand against Braden Caden, who’s set up his shop “Digital DeciBells” right next door in the Sunnyside Mall. Threatening his livelihood, and selling instruments that are nothing but “weapons of mass distraction,” Morgan weaves a story that is hilarious and ultimately gives merit to Nancy’s favourite line, “there’s nothing a tin of pineapple can’t fix.” And if nothing else at all, Barry satisfyingly assures us that we can, “take comfort in the almost real sounds of the organ.” Izzy Tolhurst THE MUSIC • 2ND OCTOBER 2013 • 57

muso

STUDIO CREDITS

PRODUCER: Steven Wilson, assisted by Alan Parsons

ENGINEER: Alan Parsons, assisted by Brendan Dekora

STUDIO: EastWest Studios, Los Angeles

MIXING ENGINEER: Steven Wilson

ARTWORK: Hajo Mueller

IMMERSE YOURSELF English musician and producer Steven Wilson couldn’t have found a more sympathetic recording engineer than Alan Parson for the kind of music he makes, as he tells Michael Smith.

est known internationally as the founder, lead guitarist, singer and songwriter of progressive rock band Porcupine Tree, when English musician, engineer and producer Steven Wilson went into the studio to record his evocative third solo album, The Raven That Refused To Sing (And Other Stories) (Shock), one of the things he was very committed to was the idea that the album would be recorded as a band live in the studio.

well as making a string of beautiful-sounding records of his own. He was top of my list and luckily he was available and very interested.”

“That’s not a particularly common thing to do these days,” Wilson admits. “Records these days are made in a very modular fashion – the drums are recorded in isolation, the bass is done in isolation... and you get a lot of control over the recording process that way. But I really felt like we were losing something in terms of the kind of chemistry and vibrancy you get from having a group of musicians playing together, facing each other across the room.

“RECORDS THESE DAYS ARE MADE IN A VERY MODULAR FASHION.”

“I knew that if I was going to do that, I would have to be part of that process, part of that band, which meant that I couldn’t also be overseeing the engineering and the recording part of the process, which again is something quite unusual for me; I’m usually very hands-on in the technical side too. This time around I had to let go of that, and I wanted someone that would take over that side of things who was familiar with that approach to recording live musicians and was very good at getting a kind of organic, natural sound. Which of course is what these guys did in the ‘70s and were used to getting all those warm analogue tones that we all love. So Alan [Parsons] was the top of my list because Alan’s the guy, lest we forget, who recorded The Beatles and Pink Floyd, as 58 • THE MUSIC • 2ND OCTOBER 2013

As Wilson points out, Parsons was lucky enough to begin his audio engineering career in 1967 at Abbey Road Studios, earning his first credit on The Beatles’ Abbey Road album. He went on to engineer a couple of Paul McCartney’s solo albums, but more significantly engineered Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side Of The Moon. And though Parsons has his own studio in Santa Barbara, the album was recorded in Los Angeles in EastWest Studios’ Studio 2, which features a 40-channel Neve RCA Custom 8028 Console, one of only two built with Class A discrete electronics.

“EastWest is an amazing studio, and I was working on a sample library for EastWest anyway, so I could kill two birds with one stone if you like and do two projects together in the one studio. The rooms they have there have so much history – from Brian Wilson doing Pet Sounds to Frank Sinatra and Nelson Riddle doing their great records in the ‘50s and ‘60s to more recently Rage Against The Machine and Rick Rubin doing a lot of his records there – so it was great to be in an environment with so much history and fantastic-sounding gear. “We recorded to Logic Audio at a very high resolution – 96/24 – but everything else was analogue. There are no synthesisers. All the keyboards are real Hammond B3, real piano, real Mellotron; all the guitars are going through amplifiers and mic’d up. The only part of the process that was digital was the actual what you call ‘data capture’, and that was going through the desk into Logic Audio. Personally, it’s very important to have the editing capabilities available of hard-disc recording, because a lot of my music is… Shall we say, there’s a lot of editing going on before, during and after the recording process, and I like to have that option. And of course that’s what everyone loves, ultimately, about digital recording – the editing options available to you. I’m not really someone that understands analogue tape; I grew up learning how to make records with digital equipment.”

WHAT: The Raven That Refused To Sing (And Other Stories) (Shock) WHEN & WHERE: 2 Oct, Billboard The Venue

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THE MUSIC • 2ND OCTOBER 2013 • 59

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the guide

DAMN TERRAN Answered by: Leigh Ewbank (drummer) How did you get together? Lachy and I started jamming in the lounge room and annoying our suburban neighbours in the late 2000s. Damn Terran grew out of jams between bros. Lachy was initially the principle songwriter but we quickly moved into a more collaborative relationship. It was after watching Magic Dirt at a Big Day Out that we decided to start a band. The excellent Ali E came on board as DT’s bassist after she wrapped up with Little Athletics (a band that remains a local favourite). Sum up your musical sound in four words? Furious, raw, grunge, punk. If you could support any band in the world – past or present – who would it be? Adelaide’s Mark Of Cain in the ‘80s. You’re being sent into space, no iPod, you can bring one album – what would it be? Easy: Frank Zappa’s masterpiece Shut Up ‘N Play Yer Guitar. It’s something like four hours of paradigm-shifting guitar solos. That album captures some of the most Greatest rock’n’roll moment of your career to date? When Lachlan threw his guitar at a wall in Sydney and managed to sever his lead clean. It was a hilarious end to a show. Why should people come and see your band? Damn Terran play with passion. We hit hard and play each show as if it’s our last. We’ve developed a reputation in Melbourne and other cities for our live show. Come along, check it out, have a dance or heckle us. Whatever. When and where for your next gig? 5 Oct at Rubix The Venue together with a collection of Melbourne’s finest rock’n’roll bands including The Pretty Littles, La Bastard, The Battery Kids, Shoot the Sun and The Harlots to launch The D-files compilation, which is available as a free download from Bandcamp.

eat

drink

travel

fashion

eat

PIMP MY KITCHEN We pimp our rides, we pimp our phones so why not pimp our kitchens? And now the word ‘pimp’ must never be written again, okay? Cool. Pics by Holly Engelhardt

SUPPLIES Babushka Measuring Cups

Matryoshka $21.95 at sarahj.com.au

Heart Measuring Cups

DCI $17.43 at fishpond.com.au

Whisk Blue

Donna Hay $19.95 at belindajanes.com

Blue Mixing Bowl

Donna Hay $25.26 at etsy.com/au

Ice Cream Timer Cooking Alarm

Resin Kitchen US$6.99 at ebay.com

Mechanical Scales Red 5kg

Accura Venus $30.96 at jikoni.com.au

62 • THE MUSIC • 2ND OCTOBER 2013

eat/drink

FOOD IS ART

WHO’S COOKIN’

“LET’S TAKE A MOMENT TO APPRECIATE THE HUMBLE TOMATO” - ANON

SHAHEEN BILWANI

FOOD TRIPPIN’

Which cafe/bar/restaurant do you cook at? Fiesta Mexican Restaurant

EATING AROUND THE USA WITH SOFIE MUCENIEKAS AND LLOYD HONEYBROOK

Address: 175 Toorak Road, South Yarra Three words that describe the place? Authentic, festive, independent. If you were a patron of your establishment what would you select from the menu? Entree: Pollo flautas Served with? Sangria Main: Cajun chicken Served with? Midori/ pineapple margarita Dessert: Churros Served with? Patron tequila

would it be? A chilled out guitar with vocals like Jack Johnson: relaxed, unpretentious and prepared with love from the soul. What music is likely to be playing in the kitchen when you’re cooking? Some old school U2 with Bono inspiring the crew during a busy shift! Where do you usually eat after your shift? A quick pizza and flavoured vodka at Lucky Coq to wind down after work whilst listening to a house DJ. What’s your dish of choice to enjoy after work? I’m a big sushi fan, so a salmon hand roll or California roll makes me smile.

CHICAGO

What’s the average price of a main? $22.90

At Revolution Brewing we drank $2 ‘sample’ sizes of the 16 beers on tap with one bowl of bacon-fat popcorn, applewood-smoked wings with blue cheese potato salad, BBQ pulled pork burger with honey-jalapeño slaw, and for dessert Rosa beer ice cream with raspberryrhubarb coulis and candied hazelnut, and a Eugene Porter chocolate cake with Eugene Porter ice cream.

Three ingredients everyone should have in their pantry? Fajita seasoning, chipotle chile and black turtle beans.

Is your chef lifestyle more Anthony Bourdain or Pete Evans? Probably more Anthony Bourdain; I love to travel, try new foods, discover friends around the world and check out a live gig.

If your food was compared to music what style

Website link for more info? fiestamexican.com.au

ADVERTISE HERE

• the food •

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THE MUSIC • 2ND OCTOBER 2013 • 63

drink

DEAR RECENT GRADUATE Izzyy Tolhurst writes an open p letter to the university student that was was.

ere is a list of things you may not be proud of. It is a list of tactics crudely implemented to maintain frugality and limit the use of your Centrelink-funded allowance during your tertiary years, and some things you should, looking back, be ashamed of. It is a list of methods that shredded you of considerable dignity. It is also a list of activities and products that you will almost certainly indulge in again, but in this rare moment of clarity let’s together acknowledge the error of your ways. 1. First, drinking out of large pots and pans in the absence of glasses does not make you cool or make the drinks taste better – it simply makes them taste like pots and pans. 2. Second up, university drinking games, a common form of initiation at your institution, are silly at best and disastrous and career-ruining at worst. This misinformed attempt to build camaraderie and steadfastness between students can easily end with a degree’s worth of well crafted and embarrassing nicknames, no friends, and a bloke you wish would stop sitting so close to you in your Introduction To Fantasy Narratives 1 Class. 3. Thirdly, the internet and alcohol don’t mix: as pioneers of both binge drinking and social media, you’d think such crafty inventors would have better control of the fruits of their labour. However, we’re like Thomas Edison at a strobe light party, and it is relatively safe to say that most of what is affixed to the walls of Facebook in the throes of a night out is grossly unflattering, what is bought on eBay is random and unwanted, and your Google search predictor is likely to yield results that will shock and appall even you. As a result, you are particularly familiar with the “clear browser history” function of most operating systems. 4. Next, embarrassingnightclubphotos.com... Need I say more of the perils of young people and drinking? 5. Fifth up for scrutiny is goon: as Australian as a Hills Hoist or kangaroo, goon is a staple of the lowly university

64 • THE MUSIC • 2ND OCTOBER 2013

student’s diet. In drinking it, you conquer a rite of passage. A most reliable social commentator (Urban Dictionary) defines goon as: “Cheap wine that comes in a box and leaves the consumer with an extreme headache the next day. Convenient because the remains of the vessel can be inflated for use as a pillow after consumption.” If this wasn’t clear enough, used in a sentence it reads a little something like this: “I’ve only got $8 so I guess I’ll be drinking a goon bag tonight.” However, if offered this “vessel” now, I think I’d politely just take a turpentine on the rocks instead, thanks. 6. The hip flask is next in the line of fire: cheap and discreet, it was an easy solution to bartender arrogance and overpriced mixed drinks. However, your Lee Strasberg method acting is not of the calibre you had first envisaged, because you’re not fooling any of the venue staff when you order “just a llllemonade please, maaaaaate!” while falling over surrounding punters and laughing at an offensive volume. 7. The penultimate offence, and a true bottomshelfer, Passion Pop, is without doubt the worst mark against your name. Containing noticeable traces of fish, nuts and eggs – the absolute trifecta for any poor sod with allergies – it’s something no decent human should be subjected to. One particularly impassioned contributor to a Yahoo thread – thanking you, VioletVixen14 – wrote appropriately on the beverage, saying, “ahahahah u dummy passion pop is TERRIBLE!!!!!!” Well, VioletVixen14, after more than four-and-a-half years of moving steadily toward the Passion Pop, I couldn’t agree more. 8. Last on this list of assaults to your reputation: riding your bike home. You look ridiculous. With Barry White pumping through your headphones you are not only a hazard to yourself, but to everything else on the road. Engaging in an affected ride home may also result in your name appearing in the aforementioned Google Search, and really, haven’t you done enough already?

STUDENT DRINKING NIGHTS WHAT: Recession Hour – (Monday Nights) WHERE: Turf Club Hotel, North Melbourne CASH, MONEY: B&M Jugs $10, $5 Somersby Cider $6, basic spirits $5 and $7 after 10pm, $2 sparkling refills (7-10). MUST SHOW VALID STUDENT CARD WHAT: Drink Like A Prince – (Wednesday Nights) WHERE: Prince Alfred Hotel aka PA’s, Carlton CASH, MONEY: $5 selected pints, $5 vodkas and $5 selected shots. DRINK DEALS APPLY 8 TO 11PM WHAT: Uni Nights – (Thursday Nights) WHERE: Perseverance, Fitzroy CASH, MONEY: Free entry, $5 basics/$2.50 pots all night long WHAT: Student Nights – (Thursday Nights) WHERE: Pug Mahones, Carlton CASH, MONEY: $4 pints, $4 spirits FEED ME: $12.50 parma and chips WHAT: Bang! – (Saturday Nights) WHERE: Royal Melbourne Hotel, CBD CASH, MONEY: $2.50 pots, $5 basic spirits, $5 bangover shots DRINK PRICES ARE TIME-SPECIFIC CHECK WEBSITES FOR MORE DEETS.

THE MUSIC • 2ND OCTOBER 2013 • 65

travel HALLUCINATORY

JUNGLE FEVER

DRUGS

Peyote (aka cactus, mesc, buttons)

Usually found in Texas and Mexico, peyote is a type of cactus containing mescaline that’s been used for centuries by Indigenous Americans for its hallucinatory affects. It’s usually chewed or transferred into a liquid form then ingested.

Sarah Reid heads to the Amazon to get to the root of what’s got musos going gaga.

urling up in a hammock, I struggle to suppress my gag reflex. I’ve just forced down a glass of muddy liquid with the consistency of blended socks – all in the name of spiritual awakening. If you’ve backpacked through South America or have a keen interest in psychotropic medicine, you probably know I’m talking about ayahuasca. For centuries, Amazonian shamans have used this plantbased hallucinogen to treat spiritual and physical maladies. More recently, a growing Western interest has spawned a new style of holistic tourism. Sting, Madonna and Tori Amos were onto the stuff years ago. Today, a new generation of indie artists (including The Bees, Klaxons and Ben Lee, who named his latest LP, Ayahuasca: Welcome To The Work) are leading the charge to the Amazon to try this Quechua ‘spirit vine’. During a recent backpacking adventure, I sure as hell wasn’t going to pass up an opportunity to join them. Chaperoned by a local guide, I’ve been ferried to a remote jungle camp in the Ecuadorean Amazon. We arrive to find the local shaman stirring a cauldron over an open fire in preparation for the ceremony. Having fasted for the past 24 hours and abstained from tyramine-rich foods like cheese, salami and alcohol – which can hamper the effects of the natural brew – I am primed for life changing visions. Necking a small cup of the foul liquid, I recline into a hammock to wait for the show to begin. Struggling to stay awake, I’m soon distracted by the whomp-whomp sound of a helicopter trying to land in our camp. I ask my guide about it, and he just chuckles. “Relax,” he says. “It’s starting.” Then, Bam! Bright, colourful lights flash across my eyelids. They soon begin to contort into animals, people. A wise-looking black man appears, dressed in a loincloth. He points to the horizon, and I follow his gaze to watch a scarlet orchid unfurl, revealing a metallic emerald beetle clinging to its stamen. 66 • THE MUSIC • 2ND OCTOBER 2013

LSD (aka acid, blotter, doses)

It’s like a dream, but I’m totally lucid. The hallucinations are multi-sensory now, and I begin to wish the crickets had a volume dial. Opening my eyes briefly, I’m see every living thing in sight encircled by a quivering white light. I begin to laugh, but chunder instead. Violently. This is the most ungraceful aspect of ayahuasca – it can induce vomiting, sometimes from both ends, and often continuously. As Sting himself once told Rolling Stone, ayhuasca ain’t no party drug. Taking a swig of water and climbing back into my hammock, my body feels like a bag of sand. But my brain is buzzing. Unconscious memories begin to bubble up from a forgotten internal chamber, and I feel like my own therapist as I stumble into a session of self-evaluation. By morning, I’m knackered. But far from hungover or anxious, I feel calm and cleansed – as if I’d purged my psychic garbage along with the remaining contents of my stomach. I can see why scientists are increasingly looking at the therapeutic potential of ayahuasca, with numerous studies demonstrating its effectiveness in treating mood disorders. But the ritual isn’t without risk. While US studies have found no evidence to suggest taking ayahuasca in a ceremonial setting is harmful, several deaths have been linked with the drug. Other users report struggling with heavy visions caused by dimethyltryptamine (DMT), a naturally occurring psychedelic compound in ayahuasca. The legality of the drug remains a grey area in Australia, with no precedent for prosecution. There was a federal government plan posited in 2011 to ban plants containing DMT, but nothing has come of it. It’s a tricky subject, given our national flower, the wattle, is chock-full of it. While ayahuasca certainly isn’t for everyone, I admit my experience – as a cynical journalist – was unexpectedly cathartic. I don’t know, as Lee says, if it’s the “medicine of our time”, but if you’re mentally prepared for it, ayahuasca is one hell of a ride.

LSD was synthesised by Albert Hoffman in 1938 and is derived from a grain fungus. It’s been used for military chemical warfare and psychosis treatment throughout history.

Magic Mushrooms (aka ‘shrooms, mushies)

Magic mushrooms are a psychotropic fungus that, when consumed, cause euphoria and hallucinations. The substances act on the central nervous system and slow brain activity.

Angel Dust (aka PCP or wet) This has a similar affect on the brain as ketamine and was originally developed as a WWI anaesthetic.

DMT (aka dimitri)

DMT is usually vaporised and smoked, potentially mixed with other drugs like marijuana. The drug’s chemical agents are found in ayahuasca.

THE MUSIC • 2ND OCTOBER 2013 • 67

fashion

THE ORIGINAL ‘NEW’

GETTING BLITZED

STEVE STRANGE The ‘80s icon was not only a leading club promoter and frontman of band Visage, but he also appeared in David Bowie’s classic new romantic video for Ashes To Ashes.

With New Romanticism seeing a resurgence in recent times, Cyclone revisits its beginnings at The Blitz at the start of the ‘80s. Illustrations by Sophie Blackhall-Cain.

BOY GEORGE Culture Club singer George O’Dowd took a gender bending twist for his new romantic look and fooled many a straight man into thinking “phwor” when they first clocked eyes on him.

MARILYN

n a recent episode of Ricky Gervais’ sitcom Derek, a nursing home’s carers and residents recreate Duran Duran’s flamboyant styling to mime 1981’s hit Planet Earth for an unintentionally parodic – and tragic – “play”. In fact, Duran Duran belonged to a transgressive music and fashion subculture in the UK: New Romanticism. While the current ‘80s music revival commenced in the late ‘90s, the decade’s fashions, especially New Romantic garb, have been pushed to the back of the cultural wardrobe. But with punk officially ‘in’ again this season following the influential exhibition PUNK: Chaos To Couture at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, could there soon be a redux? After all, New Romanticism flourished during a recession – and Thatcher’s austerity – as young Britons sought escape. Perhaps the resurgence has even begun already. Lady Gaga’s love of eccentric attire – and endless charade – is very New Romantic. However, the American has better branded her freak couture with the Haus of Gaga – which, incidentally, turned stylist Nicola Formichetti into a star (he’s since served as creative director of Mugler and now Diesel). That’s ARTPOP for you. Three decades prior to Bad Romance, New Romanticism originated in the London nightclub The Blitz. Steve Strange had been promoting nights at Billy’s with DJ Rusty Egan for disillusioned punks, their soundtrack the glam-rock of David Bowie and Roxy Music. They’d move to a Convent Garden wine bar. Here, every Tuesday, with Strange as doorman, The Blitz became increasingly otherworldly – and exclusive. The club didn’t so much as have a dress as a costume code. Patrons had to dress individualistically – and wow. They’d take cues from history, the exotic, classic Hollywood, sci-fi, anything. It was a postmodern pantomime. The New Romantic scene was androgynous, too. Everyone wore cosmetics. And guys used hairspray – and hair dye – as liberally as the girls. Still, New Romanticism is routinely associated with the dandy’s frilly shirt.

68 • THE MUSIC • 2ND OCTOBER 2013

The working-class Spandau Ballet, with frontman Tony Hadley, was The Blitz’s premiere in-house band. When they debuted on Chrysalis with To Cut A Long Story Short, the group had styled themselves (which maybe explains the headbands). Hadley, touring Australia with an orchestra next month, had started as one of those jaded punks who dressed outrageously for The Blitz. “You knew you looked different – and you needed to look different,” he recalls. “You wanted people to look at you and curse you – that’s what youth is all about. And that’s what rock ‘n’ roll is all about!” Successive acts were swept up by New Romanticism – from Japan to Ultravox to Liverpool’s A Flock Of Seagulls – though not necessarily contentedly. Being close to Saint Martin’s School of Art, The Blitz attracted fashion students like John Galliano. The Blitz Kids set fashion trends. Before long, ruffled shirts and knickerbockers were in high street stores, including Topshop. Punk doyenne Vivienne Westwood actually presaged New Romanticism with her first collection, Pirates, picked up on by Adam & The Ants. The movement was covered in magazines such as The Face – and inspired Ian Birch’s photographic The Book With No Name. Today Hadley reckons that New Romanticism is over-intellectualised: “At the core of it was a bunch of guys and girls having a bloody good time.” Ironically, mainstream media exposure, and pop success, doomed the phenomenon – or, rather, its music heroes shunned the theatrical space of the club for the screen by way of slick music videos in the MTV era. New Romanticism was rendered into an aspirational fantasy for the masses. Both Spandau Ballet and Duran Duran traded in frilly shirts for sharp suits as they led a new ‘British invasion’ in the US. Constantly on the road, Spandau Ballet found themselves relying on stylists. Says Hadley, “You [then] do need people who are gonna come in and say, ‘Look, this is the latest outfit from Moschino’ or whatever.”

Besties of Mr Gwen Stefani, the pair didn’t just gender bend together, they fully frocked up. And, Marilyn supplied the world with a string of glorious pop-funk hits.

LEIGH BOWERY The late Leigh Bowery fled Melbourne to become a leading fashion icon in the UK in the ‘80s. His influence continues to be seen in modern fashion design.

KATE GARNER She may now be a global fashion photography phenom but in the ‘80s she was all street urchin romantic as one-half of wonky poppers Haysi Fantayzee (with superclub DJ Jeremy Healy).

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THE MUSIC • 2ND OCTOBER 2013 • 69

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FRONTLASH

LIVE THIS WEEK

ACTING UP

Tips4Actors on Twitter (eg “In case it goes badly, always start your casting with an excuse. Try – ‘I’ll do my best but please bear in mind, this script is awful.’).

BIG SCREEN ALAN The Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa trailer promises great things. All your faves such as Lynn and Sidekick Simon make appearances and it opens nationally in cinemas on 24 Oct.

SHARKNADO FOR REAL Just found out the Golden Nugget in Las Vegas’ pool incorporates a shark tank with a three-story waterslide that goes through it.

TOO MUCH CHLORINE

HOLY CREPE

Check out the sludgy noise punk (and possibly shirtless) sounds of The Kremlings (pictured) at the Slow Club, upstairs at The Tote on 5 Oct. They’ll be joined by bratty garage-trashsurf punks Bad Vision, Going Swimming and Messed Up.

Synth-pop quartet Pikelet launch their third album Calluses, a darker, denser beast than its predecessors, at the Curtin Bandroom on 5 Oct. From the post-apocalyptic eeriness to the frenetic introspection, the album is bold, ambitious and layered.

BACKLASH SINGLES MONITOR

LISTEN IN

Heard about those rubber bracelets that announce to the world you’re single and ready to mingle? A couple designed them. Go figure. And they’re not even as cute as the Avril Lavigne ones from our high school days.

Listen Out brings quality dance music to the Observatory Precinct, Royal Botanic Gardens on 5 Oct. This carefully handcrafted party has a killer line-up and a philosophy of best, not biggest. Artists featured include Disclosure, Azealia Banks (pictured), TNGHT and more.

APPAREL FAIL Footy scarves worn on non-match days.

GET UNLUCKY How did Daft Punk get Dancing With The Stars promosexual? Make it stop. We don’t wanna visualise Cosentino every time we hear the song.

THIS WEEK’S RELEASES… GLASSER Interiors True Panther/Remote Control BLITZEN TRAPPER VII Shock SOULFLY Savages Nuclear Blast/Universal BUSBY MAROU Farewell Fitzroy Footstomp/Warner

70 • THE MUSIC • 2ND OCTOBER 2013

TERTIARY TRUNKS

YOUNG STRUMPETS

Mariah Jayne and Alex Latham (both pictured) are two of NMIT’s finest, up and coming singer-songwriters. They’re holding their end of year recital at the Evelyn Hotel on 3 Oct with special guests Elephant Eyes, Purple Tusks and Matt Kelly.

The Harlots (pictured) like to put bad dreams to music – making it right by doing it wrong. Catch their alt-rock goodness at the Cherry Bar on 5 Oct, supported by The Pretty Littles and Them 9s.

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LIVE THIS WEEK

DESERT WARS

PAID TRADE

A jovial persona and a lifetime of reflective brooding has given Olivers Army, the brainchild of Ryan Oliver (pictured), an indiefolk style of songwriting both deeply reflective and bursting with live energy. They play the Spotted Mallard on 4 Oct.

There’s something comforting that a bunch of guys who do jobs like manufacturing cassettes, mixing spice blends and boat restoration can also create a sophisticated brand of rock ‘n’ roll. Money For Rope play at the Curtin Bandroom on 4 Oct.

ALBUM FOCUS

BEHIND THE SONG NATHAN MULHOLLAND FROM BORN LION Single title: D For Danger What’s the song about? Needing to break step from the slow march toward death we all eventually find ourselves on. Born Lion play at Old Bar on 5 Oct

THE RUSTY DATSUNS Answered by: Sian Evans Album title: Riverbank Where did the title of your new album come from? Riverbank is the magical cohesion of experiences we can’t really understand right now. How long did it take to write/record? It’s been an on and off process over the last year. Was anything in particular inspiring you during the making? It’s been a pretty turbulent time for all of us and just playing together gives us the inspiration!

EATS ON TOUR

SEX-MEX Though Tijuana Cartel (pictured) still have plenty party flavour, there’s now a more serious musicality and quite a sexy theme that permeates their live sets; a groove that builds throughout their entire show. They play at the Evelyn Hotel on 5 Oct.

WORRIED PASSENGER

CLAP IN THE CLUB

Off the back of latest single Lost and their debut self-titled album, indomitable trio Damn Terran have announced a tantalising list of Australian tour dates, including a show at Ding Dong Lounge on 4 Oct with Drunk Mums and Mangelwurzel.

Melbourne’s answer to Gene Autry and The Sons Of The Pioneers, local seven-man-band Clip Clop Club’s performances are rare these days. They bring their fabulous harmonies and outrageous humour to the Caravan Music Club on 6 Oct.

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OWL EYES/BROOKE ADDAMO What is your staple meal when on tour? Whatever is on the rider, I guess. I do try to eat as many fruits and vegetables as I can so I don’t feel gross. Chocolate is also a staple for energy, of course! Owl Eyes is touring nationally. Check The Guide for dates.

What’s your favourite song on it? For me, Riverbank. It’s all about going with the flow otherwise life starts getting really hard. Will you do anything differently next time? More time... this tour was booked before we finished recording because Fern is taking off overseas. I don’t like deadlines when it comes to creativity! When and where is your launch/next gig? We play the Wesley Anne on 11 Oct, Grind n Groove in Healesville on 12 Oct and JamGrass Music Festival at the Thornbury Theatre 13 Oct. Website link for more info? facebook.com/rustydatsuns

THE MUSIC • 2ND OCTOBER 2013 • 71

the guide vic.live@themusic.com.au

AWARDS FOCUS

LIVE THIS WEEK

EP FOCUS

LURCH & CHIEF Answered by: Josh Lane

VANCE JOY (Two CDIMA nominations: Breakthrough Independent Artist Of The Year and Best Independent Single Or EP for God Loves You When You’re Dancing) How did you finance the EP God Loves You When You’re Dancing and how would you rate the experience of recording it? I paid for it with money from my part-time jobs. I recorded the song Riptide at Red Door Sounds with Ed my drummer in a day. The rest of the EP we recorded with John Castle in The Shed [Recording] Studio. We were very green and the experience was really cruisey. The songs took about a day each. They were well worn-in mostly by the time we went in. What was the last thing you won? I had a win on Jazz Singer the race horse. My friends and I all backed it and it was so good calling jazzy home. How many people do you have on the payroll? I have a licensing deal with Liberation in Australia. And a recording contract with Atlantic internationally. I paid for the EP and the film clips for it and am really proud of what came out. I sent Riptide off to all the radio stations I could once I got a mastered version. Put it up on SoundCloud before I had met my manager. I have a decent-sized team now. What’s been a highlight of your year? I think recording my songs and putting them in some nice clothing with the help of the producers and band members.

72 • THE MUSIC • 2ND OCTOBER 2013

EP title: Wiped Out How many releases do you have now? Two EPs and one stand-alone single. Was anything in particular inspiring you during the making? There are six of us and everybody is constantly listening to something different. So we were drawing influences from six individual directions and kind of just mashing everything together in these huge jam sessions. What’s your favourite song on it? I personally dig the closing track, Creeping Away. The instrumental side of that song is really fun to play live.

ALPHABET SOUP

VAMPIRE BRIDES

Electro-rock outfit 8 Bit Love’s triple-single ABC-Side can only be described with as ‘vulgar’ and ‘scuzzy’. They play at The Workers Club on 3 Oct with Going Swimming and The Mighty Boys.

Step Brothers, the debut album from indie-rock outfit Palms (pictured), is high-octane guitar pop. The band’ll be dropping by the Grace Darling on 3 Oct for the launch, with Scotdrakula and Working Girls supporting.

SHADY SET

SWIMMING IN BEER

Adelaide purveyors of punk The Secondhand Squad bring their signature sound and party vibes to The Gasometer upstairs on 6 Oct. They’re joined by folk-punk powerhouses, The Shadow League, Maricopa Wells and Tim Hampshire.

Indie-rock trio Leez Lido have an infectious sound, featuring jagged guitar hooks and a bustling rhythm section. Accompanied by I Am Mine, The Dark Ales and The Ugly Kings, they hit the Reverence Hotel on 3 Oct.

OCEAN ORCHARD

CRAZY HUNGRY

Melbournian blues-rockers The Groves (pictured) have released their latest single Down With The Ship. It features frenetic guitars and wailing vocals over a tight, pacey blues shuffle. The band are playing at the Reverence Hotel on 5 Oct.

The latest musical offering from Anna Smyrk (pictured) and The Appetites is their single Apocalypse, lifted from their forthcoming debut album of the same name. They launch it at the Babushka Lounge Cafe 59 (Ballarat) on 5 Oct.

SEA MACHINES

YELLOW TEETH

Canberra noisemakers Machina Genova bring their chaotic hardcore sound as part of their Weathered Heart EP launch tour, joined by Sick Machine, Watchtower and Yachtburner at The Gasometer on 4 Oct.

The legendary The Purple Dentists are bringing their dazzling versatility and musical brilliance back to Brunswick for a series of shows at the Spotted Mallard. Their show on 3 Oct features support from Saoirse.

We’ll like this EP if we like... Variety. There’s a lot of different sounds on there, but everything seems to gel quite nicely. Each song has its point of difference, but still sounds like the same band. When and where is your launch/next gig? We’re launching the EP at the Ding Dong Lounge on 5 Oct. Website link for more info? lurchandchief.com

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LIVE THIS WEEK

SUMMER VACATION

A SILVER LANING

Following new single Voices Drifting, The Holidays play some shows with friends Major Leagues (pictured) supporting. They play at Northcote Social Club on 3 Oct with Contrast.

The Good Borne Of Bad Tymes is the debut EP from electro-pop artist Davey Lane (pictured). He launches it at Karova Lounge (Ballarat) on 3 Oct and The Tote on 5 Oct.

BAD ENVIRONMENT

HOLLYWOOD BABY

Part dub, part disco, part trip hop and a whole lot of under the skin addictiveness, Passerine have been wowing crowds with their dynamic live show. They kick off their residency with Roots Of Music at Revolver on 2 Oct with Dear Plastic.

Zaiya recently began splitting her time between here and LA after being discovered by producer/ mixer Dave Darling. Check her out at the Espy’s Gershwin Room on 4 Oct with Maya, Belbel and Empress Child.

SINGLE FOCUS

ULTIMATE GUEST LENKA If you could have any artist join you on the album, who would it be and what would they be doing? I would have Prince come in and play guitar, and Tom Waits would do back up vocals. Ringo would be on drums, Flea on trumpet (that’s his first instrument) and Willie Weeks on bass… (Is he still alive?) Lenka is touring this month. Check The Guide for dates.

GINGER & THE GHOST Answered by: Melissa Gilbert Single title: The Mark Of Hearts What’s the song about? A moment can develop into a scar. Marching band beats and swelling vocals reflect an emotional state of mind. How long did it take to write/record? A couple of months in the studio but we spread that time out with small bursts of sessions, which allowed us to really have a bit a time to process the sounds we were making. Is this track from a forthcoming release/existing release? Forthcoming release which will be out early next year!

CHERRY BOMB

RULE OF THREES

The Love Bombs (pictured) play an addictive mix of fiery rock ‘n’ roll with punk undertones. They hit the Cherry Bar stage every Wednesday in October for a residency. Tonight (2 Oct) they’re supported by Rocket Queen and Uptown Ace.

The 3 Borrowed Minds Tour sees three intriguing musicians, Jordan Millar (pictured), Morgan Joanel and Dave Di Marco, joining their diverse musical stylings on an intimate and unique national tour. It stops off at the Grace Darling on 4 Oct.

POISONOUS SNAKES

SINK A LEMON

Sinking Darkness II: Embracing The Serpent hits the Bendigo Hotel (Collingwood) on 4 Oct. This night of mayhem features some of the best of Melbourne’s metal scene: Black Jesus, Mar Mortum, Malichor and Terra Australis.

The latest and most intimate project of singer-songwriter Craig Johnston, Delsinki Records captures a uniquely deep, raw and earthy sound, strong lyrics and melodies. He plays at The Toff In Town on 6 Oct with Citrus Jam and Karl Broadie.

FOR MORE HEAD TO THEMUSIC.COM.AU

VID OF THE WEEK OLD TIME ROCK AND ROLL/DANGER ZONE  GLEE MASH UP Did anyone catch the last episode of Glee that ran on Channel Ten (S04E15)? Who knew singing Old Time Rock And Roll over the top of Danger Zone could work so perfectly? It’s the ultimate tribute to Tom Cruise.

What was inspiring you during the song’s writing and recording? Nature and a pure state of urgency as we would have very minimal conversations about what we wanted to do in the studio. Our only intention was to create within the studio and environment. We’ll like this song if we like... Dramatic dark and energetic soundscapes. Do you play it differently live? Yes we do... by using sets, props, costumes and soundscapes with loop pedals and found objects. When and where is your launch/next gig? 3 Oct, Boney Nightclub. Website link for more info? facebook/gingerandtheghost

THE MUSIC • 2ND OCTOBER 2013 • 73

opinion

OG FLAVAS

ADAMANTIUM WOLF

WAKE THE DEAD

URBAN AND R’N’B NEWS BY CYCLONE

METAL, HARDCORE AND PUNK WITH LOCHLAN WATT

PUNK AND HARDCORE WITH SARAH PETCHELL

Is The Weeknd over before it even began? The critical response to Canadian illwaver Abel Tesfaye’s debut ‘proper’, Kiss Land, has been mixed. Tesfaye has already given us so much music since 2011 via de facto albums (repackaged for Trilogy). Kiss Land uses the same sound library, so its impact is diminished. Strangely, Tesfaye has sought new producers, rather than reuniting with Illangelo and Esthero’s Doc McKinney. Tesfaye’s quiet storm has never been immediate – he’s a master of sublimation. His vocal delivery evokes Michael Jackson’s soulfully quivering falsetto – yet lyrically he’s closer to R. Kelly, only less ‘ghetto-centric’. Some reviewers take exception to Tesfaye’s sexism – the women in his songs are anonymous and he treats them as disposable commodities. Tesfaye doesn’t ‘do’ romance like John Legend, who wrote piano ballad All Of Me for his now wife Chrissy Teigen. Kiss Land is a concept album about the touring life. As such, a sense of transience, loneliness and unrelatability is inevitable. Tesfaye is ambivalent about, and unnerved by, fame. The “insecure” singer told Complex: “Kiss Land is like a horror movie.” What is dope about Kiss Land is really dope. The two-part opener Professional harks back to Vangelis’ synthesised score for Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner, Tesfaye creating cinematic atmosphere (tellingly, the album’s last song is entitled Tears In The Rain). Professional also effectively borrows from post-dubstep techno type Emika (cooler than the Portishead ‘sample’ on Belong To The World). Tesfaye actually goes uptempo with Wanderlust – ‘80s disco. Other songs evaporate on listening, the least impressive being Tesfaye’s derivative – and predictable – current single, Live For, featuring his muso bestie Drake. ogflavas@themusic.com.au

THE WEEKND 74 • THE MUSIC • 2ND OCTOBER 2013

A SECRET DEATH AND PALM AT ULURU

This week’s Adamantium Wolf comes at you from the living room floor of a humble little house in Mildura, Victoria… the promoter for last night’s show recently broke his leg and had to be rushed to a hospital in Adelaide for surgery, sadly forcing him to miss the gig. After being unable to find 11 free beds at any of the four local backpackers, his mum dropped us off a key and we had free reign of the house. Fifty-three mostly receptive payers on a Wednesday night at an 18+ show in Mildura was pretty nice – I’d never before booked this town, and Palm were the first international metal act to ever visit. If you didn’t catch last week’s issue, I’m currently on a massive 18-show tour with Palm from Osaka, Japan, and A Secret Death from the Gold Coast/Melbourne. The run covers every state and territory of Australia and at the time of writing we’re exactly halfway through the shows. We’re also filming the journey for a forthcoming documentary. Alice Springs over the weekend just gone was a crazy experience. After the first scheduled show in Santa Teresa was cancelled, the bands ended up performing in a carpark out the front of 8CCC, a community radio station that was adjacent to a local fish and chip shop. Broadcast live to air and organised in under 24 hours, locals from all over town wandered over to see what all the racket was about. I’m fairly certain that no one but the people who attended will ever be able to say they have seen a Japanese metal/hardcore band incite a circle pit in a Northern Territory car park, but at the same time, I hope it somehow happens again one day. The actual Alice gig the

next evening was relatively small, with many competing events that night culminating in what many residents described as “the biggest weekend for Alice Springs music ever”, yet once more Palm delivered and converted a stack of wild metalheads. Foregoing proper rest, we decided to head off immediately after the show to our next destination, Uluru. In hindsight we should have just slept for a few hours, as just before sunrise a giant kangaroo decided to leap directly into the van at 110 kilometres per hour. Startled awake by what I assumed was to be our imminent deaths, I immediately regretted not paying the extra $15 a day insurance excess reduction. With a busted radiator, we gingerly made our way down the road another 30 kilometres to commence the sixhour wait for a replacement van. I’ll include this in the hope that this somehow gets back to them: fuck the staff and management at the Erldunda truck stop/ hotel. They were the most rude and unhelpful people we’ve had to deal with on this entire run. We did finally make it to Uluru. The sun was going down fast, the group got split in two, but most of us completed the circumference and we all saw the Milky Way like never before. Palm bassist Yoshiyasu Morita later stated that he “met God” at the rock. Nonetheless, I got the vibe they were pretty happy to get out of the desert, and the next evening played wonderful little gig at Mad Mouse Alley in Adelaide, where they were reunited with their former tour mates The Rivalry. Bendigo, Melbourne, Hobart, Gold Coast, Brisbane, Rockhampton and Cairns are to come.

When I was a kid, there were few things I looked forward to more than those samplers you got on the front of magazines, or the ones labels would sneak in with their products. It was a great way to find out about bands and for the label it was also cheap advertising. Nowadays, we have the digital sampler that most labels release about once a year and I feel that something is lost about the ritual and the excitement of finding new music when samplers are presented in a digital format. So while this may come across as an old person ranting about the death of a physical, musical product, here are my tips for the best digital sampler: 1. Don’t make it too long. I don’t want to trawl through 78 tracks to pick out 12 I want to check out further. 2. Check your metadata. Make sure when I upload the sampler to iTunes I get 30 tracks all belonging to the same sampler – not individual tracks from individual sources. 3. Create some snazzy artwork. It’s a cool visual reference point for music sites to post online. 4. Create the same sampler as a playlist on Spotify, Rdio or another streaming site. If you want an example of a label that does it well, look to Deathwish Inc. The sampler registers as a single album in my iTunes, has cool artwork and sits comfortably at 20-30 tracks in length. The sampler is a good idea. But please, labels, follow these guidelines to make listening to them easier. wakethedead@themusic.com.au

DEATHWISH SAMPLER

opinion

TEENAGE HATE

TRAILER TRASH

BUSINESS MUSIC

ROCKIN’ AND ROLLIN’, OUT OF CONTROLIN’ WITH TIM SCOTT

DIVES INTO YOUR SCREENS AND IDIOT BOXES WITH GUY DAVIS

WHEN YOUR CLUB NEEDS A BOSS BY PAZ

THE LEMONHEADS

The sounds of early-’80s Perth post-punk are unleashed through Division Four’s 1983 demo cassette released to 12” vinyl by US label Smart Guy (Total Control, Boomgates). Tracks such as Doctors Wife and Blank Prostitutes are menacing and tough with a perfect if unusual take on burly oi, synth and dual bass. One of the finds of the year. Cop through Distort (distortmag.bigcartel.com). Before Evan Dando discovered Gram Parsons and medicine cabinets, Lemonheads were a very good, fiery and melodic punk band. Dando and high school friend Ben Deily, the band’s primary songwriters and vocalists, first recorded together on 4-track cassette in 1985 and the early material had the spit and snarl of The Replacements melody with a more suburban-punk edge. Fire Records will be reissuing the first three albums – Hate Your Friends (1987), Creator (1988) and Lick (1989) – with Deily’s songs Second Chance and 394 off the first album, in particular, amazing pieces of punk rock. Clever Clever, the debut LP for crackin’ London garage/ punks The Love Triangle, has just been released on Static Shock. Featuring members of Shitty Limits/Sceptres/Fashion they blast a buzzy power pop that takes cues from the speed and melody of Protex and the Shivvers. Recommended. Velvet Whip are one of the more interesting, darker Melbourne bands whose Warm & Tough tape is out on Cool Death records. Think damaged ‘80s hardcore like Siege or Die Kreuzen with bleeding guitars that at times veer into a near-dark psych. Music that feels like it’s just about to punch you. They launch it at the Public Bar 17 Oct with Lakes, Soma Coma and Dribble.

Anticipation is high for Alfonso Cuaron’s Gravity, and deservedly so – it’s an intimate and richly emotional story, almost primal in its themes and ideas, but told on a scale that’s both grand and hushed. The technical virtuosity displayed by the Children Of Men director, with invaluable assistance by that film’s gifted cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki, is breathtaking stuff, with the opening shot one unbroken take that lasts 15 minutes or so, swooping through space, introducing the characters while providing an array of viewpoints that lay out the shining beauty and intimidating vastness of the environment they’re negotiating. Such shots can seem more like a clip for a showreel than something that actually enhances the storytelling or pushes the plot forward, but Gravity’s opening sequence moves with such languid, lyrical beauty while offering the audience information it needs to know that it pretty much sets a new benchmark in this regard. It’s a magnificent start to a movie. The story is a simple one. A mission 650 kilometres above Earth is thrown into jeopardy when catastrophic damage to a satellite sets off a chain reaction resulting in debris hurtling through the void at high speed. The shuttle that was giving scientist Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) and astronaut Matt Kowalsky (George Clooney) their ride home is destroyed, and soon the pair are untethered and floating free in space. There are still space stations nearby but there are several factors to take

into account – reaching them, hoping they remain undamaged, coping with the ongoing waves of “space shrapnel”, navigating their way back home. Every minute presents a new challenge. And as the film states at the very beginning: “Life in space is impossible”. Gravity is thrilling in ways I’d almost forgotten movies could be. I didn’t realise how inured I’d become to 3D – thanks to wave after wave of shitty post-conversion jobs that added close to nothing to the experience – until I found myself flinching as scraps of metal flew towards me. But that’s just a small part of the overall effect. Cuaron builds crescendos before offering brief periods of relief, then starts the process all over again. It’s masterful. But it’s a human story first and foremost – one about the will to live. There’s an old adage about storytelling that you put a character in a tree and then proceed to throw rocks at them for 90 minutes – that’s what Gravity does, and does well. But if you don’t care about the character being pelted with rocks, what’s the point? Caring about Stone and Kowalsky is easy, partially due to the deft, effective screenplay by Cuaron and his son Jonas but mainly because of astute casting and strong performances. Clooney’s relaxed charm and underlying confidence provides an ideal counterbalance to the reserve, panic and ultimate resolve shown by Bullock, who gives a performance that quietly, subtly runs the gamut of emotion. She’s incredible. So is Gravity. See it on the biggest screen you can, then go see it again.

GRAVITY

CASTRO

Moombahton producers are catching up, dancers slow their pace and DJs engage their pitch shift. Zouk Bass and its 90BPM Tarraxinha patterns have cast a deep trance spell on downloaders and ravers alike. Leading world bass label Enchufada/ Upper Cuts released Castro – Toot Toot (YouTube Live Re-Up will make you a fan). Castro has wow’d Enchufada’s A&R division (part Buraka Som Sistema) who originally engaged the Zouk Bass niche. While BSS showed minimal reprise after the infamous Boiler Room set (with the debut of their track Zouk Bass), the world’s exposure to ZB was taken on by DJ UMB and his Generation Bass label/blog/moniker. Big on the GB agenda was artist JSTJR (gesture) from the USA via Angola. The JSTJR – Cerveja release was trumped by an official remix comp on the GenBass site (Chong X – my winner). If you’re still undecided on Zouk Bass, check mixes by DJ UMB (Spacebounce released 27-092013) and the well-administered YouTube channel ‘Zouk Bass’. Some odd hybrids have emerged, helping the transitions. Leading Netherlands bubbling producer Danilo, captured the trance in his track – Monkey Roots, and still in high rotation is the Danilo and Hoodie collab – Wieliczka. From Australia, the transglobalsounding group Cumbia Cosmonauts have emerged with a cumbia/trap/zouk remix as part of the Dengue Dengue Dengue! release Simiolo (Chusma Records). If you need vocals, hunt for the genre’s forefathers, Tarraxinha or Kizomba; if you need to hate compare Zouk Bass to Moombahton, Kuduro or Cumbia. THE MUSIC • 2ND OCTOBER 2013 • 75

opinion

HOWZAT! LOCAL MUSIC BY JEFF JENKINS

BATTERED, NOT BRUISED

“Closing time,” sang Semisonic’s Dan Wilson, “every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.” Nick Batterham’s second solo album is called Closing Time At Yah Yah’s. Like Howzat!, a friend is a big fan of Nick’s evocative, confessional songwriting, so we asked if she had any questions for him. “Yes,” she replied, “I want to know what happened after the first record [Second Lovers]. He sounds so lost and broken. So can you start by asking, ‘Who battered your heart, Batterham?’.” Nick chuckles when the questions are put to him. “I accept there is a world-weariness to the record, but my heart is still intact and working just fine.” You could call Nick “Dylanesque”, but he’s a sweeter singer. Physically, he’s often compared to others – “the worst I’ve had are Austin Powers, Bill Gates and ‘that guy from the ‘70s show’”. Nick’s day gig is as a sound designer, working in film and TV. “I try to

76 • THE MUSIC • 2ND OCTOBER 2013

be transparent and bring emotive audio to a film without baring too much of my own personality – I serve the film’s needs. With my own music, I try to overload it with personality. It serves me.” As for the title, Nick admits, “I’ve spent many nights at Yah Yah’s, including a few closing times, but not for a while. I’m trying to be good.” How does he recover after a big night? “A toasted ham and cheese sandwich is the cornerstone of my diet, hangover or not. I also can’t achieve much without a cup of tea and a banana. I don’t tend to listen to music in the morning, especially if I have a sore head. I sometimes watch the end of Rage in bed, but that usually just pisses me off.” Finally, Howzat!’s friend wonders: “Is Nick single? I reckon a lot of chicks would love to fix him after listening to this.” Sorry, ladies, Nick is not available, “and I’m actually as happy as I’ve ever been”. But he adds: “The theme of trying to fix up a lover is present in a few

NICK BATTERHAM

songs, as is the desire to be better at life. The tension between hope and pessimistic fatalism is central.” Nick launches the album at The Workers Club on 6 Oct.

ARIA SUPPLY

News Corp music writer Cameron Adams has done some detective work, tweeting: “ARIA Awards December 1 in Sydney. Air Supply play Sydney Nov 29. Surely it’s finally their year for Hall of Fame nod?”

LATERS RON

Bon voyage to Ron S Peno, who heads to Europe on Friday for shows with Cam Butler. Ron hasn’t been to Europe since touring with Died Pretty 20 years ago. He’ll be home in November to launch the second Superstitions album, Anywhere And Everything Is Bright.

HOT LINE

“Love is a dream” – Nick Batterham, Love Is A Dream.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Live At The Lomondâ&#x20AC;? THU 3RD 8.30PM

MELISSA MAIN BAND (Eclectic blues-folk cabaret)

FRI 4

FATS WAHWAH

9:30PM

Wed 2.7pm - Electric Shorts

(Chunky funky)

SAT 5

A showcase of short films fully self funded by the film maker.

PETER HOLMESâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; RAMSHAKLE BAND

9:30PM

(Cross-country)

Thurs 3 & Sat 5 - Simon Chugg is: Living the dream

SUN 6TH

Fringe Festival comedy show $15

5:30PM

WAZ E. JAMES BAND (Alt-country & urban)

Fri 4. 9pm - Global Bass Afro | Dancehall | Kuduro | Baile Funk DJs Kid Militan, So Fire, Lewis Can Cut, Unsoundbwoy. MC SK Simoen FREE ENTRY

SUN 6

9:00PM

MARTY KELLY & THE WEEKENDERS (Acoustic roots)

Sat 5. 10pm - Bananas

TUE 8

Bvlkns | Gingus | Alaska | 2Fuddha

8:00PM

Carmex | Suppressor Y FREE ENTRY

IRISH SESSION (Celtic ďŹ ddlinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; & diddlinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;)

ALL GIGS FREE

Sun 6. 3pm - Penguins The Dire Ears | Pronoun An afternoon of dissonance and light. FREE ENTRY

~ EXCELLENT RESTAURANT AND BAR MEALS

Tues 8. 7pm -Pleasure Forum Australia $10 on the door

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THE MUSIC â&#x20AC;˘ 2ND OCTOBER 2013 â&#x20AC;˘ 77

the guide vic.gigguide@themusic.com.au Sander van Doorn: Palace Theatre, Melbourne

THE MUSIC PRESENTS Xavier Rudd: Oct 2, 3 Forum Theatre

Nancy Vandal: Nov 2 Reverence Hotel

Twelve Foot Ninja: Oct 4 Corner Hotel

Bonjah: Nov 2 Ding Dong Lounge

The Jungle Giants: Oct 4, 6 The Hi-Fi; 5 Karova Lounge (Ballarat)

Dan Sultan: Nov 2 Thornbury Theatre; 9 Theatre Royal Castlemaine

Asta: Oct 4 Northcote Social Club; 5 Phoenix Youth Centre Horrorshow: Oct 17 Karova Lounge (Ballarat); 18 Wool Exchange (Geelong); 27 Star Bar Bendigo; 28 Saloon Bar Traralgon; 29 Ding Dong Lounge

Violent Soho: Nov 4 Corner Hotel

Yo La Tengo: Oct 18 Hamer Hall

Jordie Lane: Nov 7 Beav’s Bar Geelong; 8 Theatre Royal Castlemaine; 9 Thornbury Theatre; 10 Caravan Music Club Oakleigh

Archie Roach: Oct 18, 19 Arts Centre Playhouse

The Barons Of Tang: Nov 8 Corner Hotel

Katchafire: Oct 19 The Hi-Fi

Face The Music Conference: Nov 15, 16 Arts Centre

Andy Bull: Oct 20 Northcote Social Club Wolf & Cub: Oct 24 Northcote Social Club

Patrick James: Nov 22 Northcote Social Club Pond: Dec 19 Corner Hotel

New Empire: Oct 24 The Toff In Town

Solange: Jan 7 The Prince

Active Child: Oct 26 Melbourne Recital Centre

Half Moon Run: Jan 18 Karova Lounge Ballarat; 19 Corner Hotel

The Cribs: Oct 26 Ding Dong Lounge Boy & Bear: Nov 1 Wool Exchange (Geelong); 2, 3 Forum Theatre

Future Music Festival: Mar 9 Flemington Racecourse Billy Bragg: Mar 13 Palais Theatre

Takadimi: Paris Cat Jazz Club, Melbourne Daryl Roberts: Pirates Tavern, Williamstown Aitches + Summer Blood + Secondhand Squad + Tim Hampshire: Reverence Hotel (Band Room), Footscray

GIG OF THE WEEK ASTA: OCT 4 NORTHCOTE SOCIAL CLUB; 5 PHOENIX YOUTH CENTRE Xavier Rudd + Donavon Frankenreiter + Nahko & Medicine For The People: Forum Theatre, Melbourne Palms: Grace Darling Hotel, Collingwood

FRI 04

Jude Pearl Band + Alone With Tiger + Papa G: 303, Northcote Aimee Francis: Baha Tacos, Rye

Davey Lane: Karova Lounge, Ballarat

Cookin On 3 Burners + Kylie Auldist: Bar Open, Fitzroy

Melissa Main Band: Lomond Hotel, Brunswick East

Twin Beasts: Barwon Club, South Geelong

The Holidays + Major Leagues + Guests: Northcote Social Club, Northcote

Soilwork: Billboard The Venue, Melbourne

Leez Lido + I Am Mine + The Dark Ales + The Ugly Kings: Reverence Hotel (Front Bar ), Footscray Melbourne Fresh Industry Showcase+Various: Revolver Upstairs, Prahran

Good Rockin Tonight - Elvis Tribute: Burrinja Café & Bar, Upwey

Independent Music Awards feat. +Archie Roach + Violent Soho + Big Scary + Rufus + Saskwatch + Seth Sentry: Revolt, Melbourne Alan Jackson + Sara Evans + Morgan Evans: Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne Olivers Army + Velma Groove + Aaron Thomas: Spotted Mallard, Brunswick Taste Of Indie Collective feat. +Janana Beat + Gondola Kid + Lazybones + Bob Crain: Tago Mago, Thornbury Orsome Wells + Transcience + Alithia + The Nest Itself: The Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick Jan Preston: The Cube, Wodonga Money For Rope + Courtney Barnett + Grizzly Jim Lawrie: The Curtin, Carlton

Neil Murray & Jim Moginie: Caravan Music Club, Oakleigh

Traditional Irish Music Session with+Dan Bourke & Friends: The Drunken Poet (6pm), Melbourne

Archer: Cherry Bar (5.30pm), Melbourne

Celtic Drift: The Drunken Poet (8.30pm), Melbourne

The Purple Dentists + Saoirse: Spotted Mallard, Brunswick

WED 02

Collage+Various: The Espy (Lounge Bar), St Kilda

Julien Wilson Trio + Guests: 303, Northcote

Harrison Craig + John Foreman + Bobby Fox: The Palms, Southbank

Kalacoma + Big Dead + Amanita + Motion Picture Actress: Bar Open, Fitzroy

Disclosure: The Prince (Band Room / Under 18s / Afternoon), St Kilda

Steven Wilson: Billboard The Venue, Melbourne

Disclosure: The Prince, St Kilda

Open Mic+Various: Bonnie & Clydes Cafe & Cocktail Bar, Thornbury Singalong with +Rebecca Barnard + Billy Miller: Caravan Music Club, Oakleigh The Love Bombs + Rocket Queen + Uptown Ace: Cherry Bar, Melbourne Xavier Rudd + Donavon Frankenreiter + Nahko & Medicine For The People: Forum Theatre, Melbourne

Georgia Fields: The Standard Hotel, Fitzroy Woody Pitney + Grizzly Jim Lawrie + Trent Williams: The Workers Club, Fitzroy

THU 03

The Gooch Palms: Barwon Club, South Geelong

Root of Music feat. +Passerine + Dear Plastic: Revolver Upstairs, Prahran

Super Unsigned Music Festival feat. +Insignia + Low Speed Bus Chase + Cail Baroni + Jason Lives + The Anticks + Little Miss Remembering + Miff + The Dukes: Corner Hotel, Richmond

Wine, Whiskey, Women feat. +Jemma Nicole + Brooke Russel: The Drunken Poet, Melbourne

Open Mic Poetry, Storytelling & Song+Various: The Drunken Poet, Melbourne

Teale Jakubenko + Dale Winters + The Live Wires + Beni Smith: The Espy (Lounge Bar), St Kilda

The Sweethearts + DJ Vince Peach: Cherry Bar, Melbourne

The Quarters + The Pension + Miyazaki: The Curtin, Carlton

The Fabric + Up Up Away + Benny & The Dukes: The Curtin, Carlton

Stella Angelico + Richie 1250 & The Brides of Christ + The Reprobettes: Bar Open, Fitzroy

Keyim Ba + Lamine Sonko: Northcote Social Club, Northcote

Open Mic Night+Various: The Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick

Bonanza + Typical Dan + Elevator Talk + Benji: The Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick

Tim Neal Trio: 303, Northcote

Ross Wilson & The Peaceniks: Caravan Music Club (3pm), Oakleigh

The Spoils: The Bridge Hotel, Castlemaine

Steve Lane And The Autocrats + The Kings Republic: The Bridge Hotel, Castlemaine

Gabriel Antonio + DJ Kayz + DJ Tempaz + Shorty Mic + Icon Surafel: The Espy (Gershwin Room), St Kilda

Cold Hiker + Knitting For Gran: Grace Darling Hotel, Collingwood

Secret Good Times Club (Open Mic)+Various: Tago Mago, Thornbury

The Unholy Racket + Cat Jump Road + Tim Woods: Tago Mago, Thornbury

The Pierce Brothers + Jack Stirling: Ding Dong Lounge, Melbourne

Archagathus + Violent Gorge + Internal Rot + Doubled Over + Die Pigeon DIe + Pneumatic Slaughter: The Gasometer Hotel, Collingwood Soma Coma + School Girl Report + Dick Threats + Cross Brothers + Bearded Iris: The Gasometer Hotel (Upstairs), Collingwood Harrison Craig + John Foreman + Bobby Fox: The Palms, Southbank Hey Frankie + Jude Perl + The Bon Scotts: The Toff In Town, Melbourne

Bambini + LeBelle + Tom Kline: Empress Hotel, Fitzroy North

Good Evening with+Principal Blackman: The Toff In Town (Carriage Room), Melbourne

Mariah Jayne + Alex Latham + Purple Tusks + Elephant Eyes + Matt Kelly + James Southwell Band: Evelyn Hotel (6.30pm), Fitzroy

8 Bit Love + Going Swimming + The Mighty Boys + Tomb Hanx (DJ Set): The Workers Club, Fitzroy Holliava + Third Earth + The PK Team: Yah Yah’s, Fitzroy

TWELVE FOOT NINJA: OCT 4 CORNER HOTEL Even + more: Cherry Bar, Melbourne Twelve Foot Ninja + Caligula’s Horse + Toehider: Corner Hotel, Richmond Damn Terran + Guests: Ding Dong Lounge, Melbourne Jeremy Doolan + Famous Will + Lachlan Duthie + Broni: Empress Hotel, Fitzroy North Alien-esque+Various: Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy The Nexus Project: Famous Blue Raincoat, South Kingsville Normie Rowe + The Original Playboys: Flying Saucer Club, Elsternwick Jordan Millar + Dave Di Marco + Morgan Joanel: Grace Darling Hotel, Collingwood Fats Wah Wah: Lomond Hotel, Brunswick East Asta + Hayden Calnin: Northcote Social Club, Northcote Wendy Rule + Kellianna: Northcote Uniting Church, Northcote Born Lion + Super Best Friends: Old Bar, Fitzroy

1000S OF GIGS AT YOUR FINGERTIPS. FOR MORE HEAD TO THEMUSIC.COM.AU 78 • THE MUSIC • 2ND OCTOBER 2013

Zaiya + Maya + Beibel + Empress Child + DJ Cee:jay: The Espy (Gershwin Room), St Kilda Constant Mongrel + Rat Columns + Leather Towell: The Gasometer Hotel, Collingwood Machina Genova + Yachtburner + Watchtower + Sick Machine: The Gasometer Hotel (Upstairs), Collingwood Steve Lane And The Autocrats + The Kings Republic: The Golden Vine, Bendigo The Jungle Giants + Northeast Party House + The Creases: The Hi-Fi, Melbourne Tim Woods: The Thornbury Local, Thornbury Poprocks At The Toff with +Dr Phil Smith: The Toff In Town, Melbourne The Gooch Palms: The Tote, Collingwood The Poly’s: The Vineyard, St Kilda Manny Fox + The Wikimen + Kieran Ryan: The Workers Club, Fitzroy Cochlear Kill + Pretty City + Psalm Beach: Yah Yah’s, Fitzroy

THU 3RD OCT

Thursday Acoustic

VAN WALKER From 8.30 pm SAT 5TH

SECRET SHAKEDOWN 5 to 7 pm

Yes! The Labour again presents one of Melbourne’s HOTTEST acts in an intimate SECRET SHOW. Call us on 9417 5955 for info and book early as space is strictly limited SUN 6TH

CORAL LEE and THE SILVER SCREAM Two Sets 5 to 7 pm TUE 8TH

Tuesdays with Jimmy JIMMY STEWART (Clinkerfield/Miserable Little Bastards) Residency with Special Guests From 8.30 pm

197A BRUNSIWCK ST FITZROY 3065 (03) 9417 5955

140 Sydney Rd

BRUNSWICKHOTEL.NET

9387 6637

NO COVER CHARGE

WEDNESDAY THE 2ND OF OCTOBER - 8PM

THE BRUNSWICK HOTELʼS OPEN MIC

WITH YOUR HOST BRODIE GET IN AND REGISTER FROM 7PM ONWARDS $10 JUGS OF BOAGS DRAUGHT THURSDAY THE 3RD OF OCTOBER - 8PM TILL 1AM $3 SCHOONERS OF BOAGS DRAUGHT - $5 BASIC SPIRITS 8PM

BONANZA

WITH GUESTS TYPICAL DAN, ELEVATOR TALK, BENJI FRIDAY THE 4TH OF OCTOBER - 9PM

ORSOME WELLES

WITH GUESTS TRANSCIENCE, ALITHIA, THE NEST ITSELF SATURDAY THE 5TH OF OCTOBER - 5PM

TINSLEY WATERHOUSE BAND A BLUES LEGEND! 3 SETS! 9PM

ACID MONKEYS

(NSW) WITH GUESTS MUSCLE MARY, OLD TIME GLORY (NSW), HOPEʼS ABANDONED SUNDAY THE 6TH OF OCTOBER - 8PM

TERRIBLE LIZARD

WITH GUESTS 23 AOA, EMPRESS CHILD MONDAY THE 7TH OF OCTOBER - 8PM

PASSIONATE TONGUES POETRY

HOSTED BY MICHAEL REYNOLDS OPEN STAGE READINGS AND SPOKEN WORD WELCOME WITH FEATURE PERFORMERS EVERY FORTNIGHT $10 JUGS OF CARLTON DRAUGHT TUESDAY THE 8TH OF OCTOBER - 8PM

THE BRUNSWICK HOTEL DISCOVERY NIGHT

GIVING CHANCES TO UP AND COMING LOCAL TALENT! THIS WEEK: TRIUMPH OVER LOGIC, TRASH PALACE, MAURICE RODRIGUEZ

THE MUSIC • 2ND OCTOBER 2013 • 79

the guide vic.gigguide@themusic.com.au

SAT 05

Bele Bele Africa: 303 (4pm), Northcote

Cisco Ceasar: Rainbow Hotel, Fitzroy

Survival + Frozen Over + Born Free + Vicious Circle: The Gasometer Hotel (Matinee Show), Collingwood

Kaisha + Ziah Ziam + Yelema: 303, Northcote

50 Lions + Warbrain + Survival + Outsiders Code + Reincarnation: Reverence Hotel (Band Room), Footscray

Anna Smyrk And The Appetites + Mick Thomas + Glitter Rats + Heaps Tuff + Apollo Apples: The Gasometer Hotel, Collingwood

The Fuck Fucks + Waco Social Club + Drifter: Reverence Hotel (Front Bar ), Footscray

The Jungle Giants + Northeast Party House + The Creases: The Hi-Fi (Under 18’s / Afternoon), Melbourne

Anna Smyrk: Babushka Bar, North Ballarat Josh Owen: Baha Tacos, Rye Brooklyn’s Finest + Spunk Machine: Bar Open, Fitzroy Normie Rowie & The Original Playboys: Caravan Music Club, Oakleigh Mercies End + Rejuvenate + Incursions: CBD Club (DV8 Nightclub), Melbourne The Harlots + The Pretty Littles + Them 9’s: Cherry Bar, Melbourne Me First And The Gimme Gimmes + The Bennies + Burgworth: Corner Hotel, Richmond Lurch & Chief + Guests: Ding Dong Lounge, Melbourne Porcelain Pill + Quintessential Doll + Elephant Eyes: Empress Hotel (Afternoon), Fitzroy North The Sterlings + Actor/ Model + Fraudband: Empress Hotel, Fitzroy North Tijuana Cartel + Guests: Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy The Cult + Redcoats + Beaches: Festival Hall, West Melbourne Ross Wilson + The RWQ: Flying Saucer Club, Elsternwick The Midnight Mules + Tooth & Tusk + Greeves: Great Britain Hotel, Richmond Neil Murray & Jim Moginie: Harvester Moon Cafe, Bellarine Kill TV + Liquor Snatch + The Pension + Only Aliens: IDGAFF, Abbotsford Northeast Party House + The Creases + The Jungle Giants: Karova Lounge, Ballarat Phoebe Festival feat.+You Am I + Stonefield + Ella Hooper + Bonjah + more: Kilmore Trackside, Kilmore

Asta + Hayden Calnin: Phoenix Youth Centre, Footscray

Ricky Martin: Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne Bang feat. +Oceano + Aversions Crown + Feed Her To The Sharks + Ire: Royal Melbourne Hotel, Melbourne The Melvinator (DJ Eric Melvin): Royal Melbourne Hotel, Melbourne The D-files feat. +Damn Terran + The Pretty Littles + La Bastard + The Battery Kids + Shoot The Sun + The Harlots + Seri Vida + The Yard Apes + Digger & The Pussycats + Euphoriacs + more: Rubix The Venue, Brunswick Jarrod Shaw + Sarah Wilkinson: Shamrock Hotel, Kyneton You’re Looking At Country #2 feat. +Whitley + Laura Imbruglia + Sagamore: Spotted Mallard, Brunswick The Ol Faithfuls + Guy Parkman Band + James R Butt: Tago Mago, Thornbury The Schoenberg Automaton + Aeon Of Horus: The Bendigo, Collingwood

AIMEE FRANCIS: OCT 4 BAHA TACOS, RYE; 5 THE ESPY

Doomsday Festival feat. +Church of Misery + Clagg + Whitehorse + Summonus + Sotis + Fattura Della Morte + Agonhymn: The Hi-Fi, Melbourne Steve Lane And The Autocrats + The Kings Republic: The Post Office Hotel, Coburg Jan Preston: The Potato Shed, Drysdale Jemma Nicole: The Thornbury Local, Thornbury Pataphysics + Project NRT + The Darwin Project + Skomes: The Toff In Town, Melbourne Davey Lane: The Tote, Collingwood Slow Club feat. +The Kremlings + Bad Vision + Going Swimming + Messed Up: The Tote, Collingwood

The Acid Monkeys + Muscle Mary + Old Time Glory + Hopes Abandoned: The Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick

Asta: The Westernport Hotel, San Remo

Tinsley Waterhouse Band: The Brunswick Hotel (5pm), Brunswick

Mayfield + Bec & Sebastian: Yah Yah’s, Fitzroy

Pikelet + The Ancients + more: The Curtin (Band Room), Carlton Mick Daley: The Drunken Poet, Melbourne Aimee Francis + Peta Evans Taylor + Midnight Driver + Stars of Addiction: The Espy (Basement), St Kilda

Peter Holmes’ Ramshackle Band: Lomond Hotel, Brunswick East

Hard Ons + Dead City Ruins + Wicked City + Clowns: The Espy (Lounge Bar), St Kilda

Aus All Stars feat. +Dazastah & Layla + Delta + Bigfoot & Tornts + Briggs + Dwizofoz + Illergic + more: Northcote Social Club, Northcote

Upon The Nightmare Tide feat. +Obsidieth + Hybrid Nightmares + Myridian + Internal Nightmare + Knightmare + Stormtide: The Espy (Gershwin Room), St Kilda

Listen Out 2013 feat. +Disclosure + Azealia Banks + TNGHT + Duke Dumont + Alunageorge + Classixx + Miguel Campbell + John Talabot + Just Blaze + Rufus + Touch Sensitive + Laura Jones: Observatory Precinct, Royal Botanical Gardens, South Yarra

John Elliott (Spectrum Spools) + Angel Eyes + Glass Bricks: The Gasometer Hotel, Collingwood

Born Lion: Old Bar, Fitzroy

The Cartridge Family : The Standard Hotel, Fitzroy

Hydromedusa + Gentlemen + Dribble + Meter Men: The Gasometer Hotel (Upstairs), Collingwood

The Moonee Valley Drifters: Victoria Hotel, Brunswick

The Fauves + Even + DJ Max Crawdaddy: Yarraville Club, Yarraville

SUN 06

Rhiannon Thomas + Kim Humphreys + Toby Graham: Empress Hotel (Afternoon), Fitzroy North Crooks & Queens + Alyson Incorporated + The Red Brigade: Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy

Thomas Lorenzo: Toorak Uniting Church, Toorak

Marty Kelly & The Weekenders: Lomond Hotel, Brunswick East Pronoun + Dire Ears + Penguins: Loop (3pm), Melbourne Jan Preston: Montsalvat, Eltham Asta + Hayden Calnin: Northcote Social Club, Northcote Seagull + Special Guests : Northcote Social Club (1.30pm), Northcote Oceano + Aversions Crown + Feed Her To The Sharks + I Valiance + Earth Caller: Phoenix Youth Centre (All Ages), Footscray Jules Boult & The Redeemers: Rainbow Hotel, Fitzroy Jess Locke + Pete Hansford + Grace Lawry: Reverence Hotel (Front Bar / 3pm), Footscray The Bona Fide Travelers: Royal Oak Hotel (4pm), Fitzroy North

The Harmaniax: Spotted Mallard (4.30pm), Brunswick

The Midnight Mules + The Elliotts + oTee Tee: Cherry Bar, Melbourne Me First And The Gimme Gimmes + The Bennies + Burgworth: Corner Hotel, Richmond

Michelle Meehan: Tago Mago, Thornbury Terrible Lizard + 23 AOA + Empress Child: The Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick Big Volcano + Sean Peters & The Motherfucking Boogaloo Allstars + Shut Up Jackson: The Curtin, Carlton

MON 07

Lebowskis Present +Niran Dasika Quartet + Laura Nichols: 303, Northcote Cherry Jam: Cherry Bar, Melbourne Arthur Penn & The Funky Ten + Karate Boogaloo + Jackjackjack: Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy Monday Night Mass feat. +Whitehorse + Vaarallinen + Split Teeth + Masses: Northcote Social Club, Northcote Passionate Tongues Poetry+Various: The Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick The Black Molls: The Prince (Public Bar), St Kilda Stella Angelico + Sex On Toast Revue: The Toff In Town, Melbourne

TUE 08

Mal Webb: 303, Northcote Low Fly Incline + Monster Jeans: Cherry Bar, Melbourne Smith Street Soul Train + The Cactus Channel (DJ Set): Grace Darling Hotel, Collingwood Irish Session: Lomond Hotel, Brunswick East

Rebecca Barnard: The Drunken Poet (4pm), Melbourne

Karl S Williams + Andrew Swift + Alexis Nicole: Old Bar, Fitzroy

Alex Burns Duo: The Drunken Poet (6.30pm), Melbourne

Open Mic Night with +Nicolette Forte + Friends: The Prince (Public Bar), St Kilda

Dale Ryder Band + Bad Boys Batucada + Ms Butt: The Espy (Lounge Bar), St Kilda

s a e not ice Occasionally things get mixed up. Our back page ad for the SAE Certificate III in Music (Electronic Music Production) is an electrifying example. The good news is the course not only runs in Brisbane, but also Melbourne, Byron Bay, Adelaide, Perth and Sydney. The bad news is it doesn’t offer Fee or VET assistance. To find out more go to SAE’s new website at sae.edu.eu - To everyone our most sincere apologies.

1000S OF GIGS AT YOUR FINGERTIPS. FOR MORE HEAD TO THEMUSIC.COM.AU 80 • THE MUSIC • 2ND OCTOBER 2013

Ardeem: The Workers Club (10pm), Fitzroy Grand Wazoo: Thornbury Theatre, Thornbury

OPA: 303, Northcote

Chris Russell’s Chicken Walk + DJ Max Crawdaddy: Cherry Bar (2pm), Melbourne

Nick Batterham + Jimmy Hawk + Tim Guy: The Workers Club (4pm), Fitzroy

Waz E James: Lomond Hotel (5.30pm), Brunswick East

C3: Shamrock Hotel (Afternoon), Kyneton

The Clip Clop Club: Caravan Music Club (3pm), Oakleigh

Delsinki Records + Karl Broadie + Citrus Jam: The Toff In Town, Melbourne

Vincs & Wakeling: Famous Blue Raincoat (3pm), South Kingsville

Darebin Songwriters Guild: 303 (3pm), Northcote Hedonic Hypothesis: An Experimento feat. +The Electric I + Bachu Rose + Mayfair Kytes: Bar Open, Fitzroy

Two Doors Down: The Thornbury Local (5pm), Thornbury

Mischievous Thom + Bec Gorring: The Toff In Town, Melbourne

THE MUSIC • 2ND OCTOBER 2013 • 81

the end

TV FINALES [SPOILERS!!!] MASH KNOWN FOR

Ending 11 seasons of the Korean War-set US sitcom in 1983.

BANG OR SIZZLE It broke viewing records in the US – 121 million people watched.

PROS It was a mercy killing.

CONS Eight writers were credited for this final ep, it was all over the shop.

AND THEN…

It spun-off into AfterMASH – no one watched.

SEINFELD KNOWN FOR

Ending nine seasons of the ‘show about nothing’ in 1998.

BANG OR SIZZLE While never a ratings scorcher, the final of the US sitcom drew 76 million.

PROS It refused to get sentimental.

CONS That’s exactly what all the characters ended up as… (they were all jailed).

AND THEN… The greatest TV cast reunion ever? Yes… but you need to watch season seven of Curb Your Enthusiasm to see it.

DEXTER KNOWN FOR

Killing off the serial killing serial after eight years.

BANG OR SIZZLE

The AV Club rated it an F… we say that’s generous.

PROS Can’t think of any.

CONS Besides the worst CGI ever?

AND THEN… Oh gawd… there’s talk of a spin-off. Say it isn’t so.

82 • THE MUSIC • 2ND OCTOBER 2013