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

# 17 • 04 . 1 2 . 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

RDGLDGRN AN D T H E M AN Y C O L O U R S O F VA N S WA R P E D

film

CATHERINE DENEUVE

eat

NEW EATERIES

soundwave

A DAY TO REMEMBER

tour

BENI

THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013 • 3

4 • THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013

THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013 • 5

6 • THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013

NORTH

MISSISSIPPI ALLSTARS HAMMOND ORGAN LEGEND WRITER OF GREEN ONIONS AND THE BEDROCK INFLUENCE TO ALL WHO FOLLOWED WE ARE DEEPLY PROUD TO PRESENT

THE CORNER - SUN 20 APR ALSO APPEARING AT BLUESFEST, BYRON BAY 2014

BOOKER WITH SPECIAL GUEST

VALERIE JUNE “COMBINATION OF COUNTRY MOONSHINE AND DEEP SOUTH SOUL MAKE HER A MAJOR STAR-IN-WAITING” EVENING STANDARD

THE CORNER - FRI 25 APR ALSO APPEARING AT BLUESFEST, BYRON BAY 2014

TROUT

THE CORNER - FRI 18 APR ALSO APPEARING AT BLUESFEST, BYRON BAY 2014

PRESENTS

WITH SPECIAL GUESTS

ALSO APPEARING AT BLUESFEST, BYRON BAY 2014

WITH SPECIAL GUEST

WALTER

CHARLIE

THE PALAIS - MON 21 APR

FIRST AUSTRALIAN TOUR LEADER OF THE LEGENDARY ALLMAN BROTHERS

GREGG ALLMAN GOV’T MULE

WITH SPECIAL GUESTS

DJ ‘WHISPERING’ BOB HARRIS

GUY

MUSSELWHITE

JOHN BUTLER (TRIO)

ROBBEN “WORLD’S GREATEST ROCK GUITARIST”

BUDDY

THE JAMES BLUES COTTON BAND

“A GREAT BAND TAKING ROOTS MUSIC TO A NEW PLACE, RESPECTING TRADITION BUT AT THE SAME TIME ACKNOWLEDGING ALL THE BEST THAT CONTEMPORARY MUSIC HAS TO OFFER.”

FORD HAS PLAYED WITH THE LIKES OF JONI MITCHELL MILES DAVIS GEORGE HARRISON BONNIE RAITT BOB DYLAN JOHN MAYALL GREG ALLMAN

FORD

JIMI HENDRIX

AND

T. JONES

“HEAVEN IS LYING AT BUDDY GUY’S FEET WHILE LISTENING TO HIM PLAY THE GUITAR.”

GODFATHER OF SLAP BASS, SLY & THE FAMILY STONE’S

LARRY

GRAHAM

& GRAHAM CENTRAL STATION THE CORNER WED 23 APR ALSO APPEARING AT BLUESFEST, BYRON BAY 2014

AND

DEVON ALLMAN

THE FORUM - WED 23 APR ALSO APPEARING AT BLUESFEST, BYRON BAY 2014

ALSO AARON NEVILLE w/ DR JOHN & THE NITE TRIPPERS ALLEN STONE BEN CAPLAN & THE CASUAL SMOKERS TOURING JIMMIE VAUGHAN & THE TILT A WHIRL BAND w/ NIKKI HILL KC & THE SUNSHINE BAND KT TUNSTALL MORCHEEBA w/ CHALI 2NA & HOUSE OF VIBE SUZANNE VEGA THE SOUL REBELS THE MAGIC BAND w/ GRANDMOTHERS OF INVENTION STEVE EARLE & THE DUKES w/ KASEY CHAMBERS

TICKETS AND INFO FROM 02 6685 8310 BLUESFESTTOURING.COM.AU VISIT BLUESFESTTOURING.COM.AU FOR ALL TOURING ARTISTS THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013 • 7

themusic 4TH DECEMBER 2013

“THERE’S THIS WONDERFUL FASCINATION FOR SEEING WHAT THE PEOPLE ARE DOING OUT IN THE COMMUNITY.”

#017

INSIDE FEATURES RDGLDGRN On My Way I Exist Muse

feature

Steel Panther Christian Wagstaff

PRODUCTION DESIGNER/ARTIST CHRISTIAN WAGSTAFF (P30)

Insane Clown Posse Primitive Calculators Beni Boyz Noize The Gin Club A Day To Remember

REVIEWS Album: Gurrumul & The Sydney Symphony Orchestra Live: Sunbeam Sound Machine Arts: Gilbert & Sullivan Cabaret Review Film: Carrie Gear: Traktor Kontrol S4 MkII

THE GUIDE Cover: The Big Design Market

“WHEN WE WERE AROUND IN THE ‘70S NO ONE UNDERSTOOD US, IT ALL JUST SOUNDED LIKE HORRIBLE NOISE.” - STUART GRANT OF PRIMITIVE CALCULATORS (P32)

“IT ONLY RARELY WORKS THE NERVES OR GETS UNDER THE SKIN THE WAY KING’S BOOK OR DE PALMA’S FILM DID.”

TUMBLEWEED @ CENTRAL CLUB HOTEL. PIC: DAVID HARRIS

GUY DAVIS REVIEWS CARRIE (P50)

SICK TUNES HAVE ANOTHER FIVE SONGS TO KEEP YOU HAPPY THIS FRIDAY

ON THEMUSIC.COM.AU

Eat/Drink: In With The New

review “THE THING IS A MONSTER SLAB OF FUZZY STONER ROCK THAT SEES TUMBLEWEED FULLY EMBRACE THEIR PSYCHEDELIC PREDILECTIONS.” - TOM HERSEY REVIEWS TUMBLEWEED (P48)

Local News Opinion Gig Guide The End: Cartoon Deaths

JESSICA MAUBOY @ THE ARIAS. PIC: COLE BENNETTS

8 • THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013

awards

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

VANCE JOY

z NOVAK DJOKOVIC z RAFAEL NADAL z

THE RUBENS

BRITISH INDIA z ROGER FEDERER z DARYL BRAITHWAITE z SERENA WILLIAMS z VICTORIA AZARENKA z CLAIRE BOWDITCH

z MARIA SHARAPOVA z

MELBOURNE PARK 13-26 JANUARY 2014

THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 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, Simone Ubaldi, Dominique Wall, Glenn Waller, Matthew Ziccone

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

attend

SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER Kane Hibberd

see

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

The 2014 Nextwave Festival will be held from 17 Apr to 11 May. But first, they’re holding a fundraiser exhibition, NeXmas, at Gallery One Three from 5 to 7 Dec. Artworks featured in the exhibition (which range from coffee mugs to two-metre long prints) have been created and donated by Nextwave’s catalogue of visual artists past and present, including Abdul Abdullah, whose work Elephant (2012) is pictured here.

For the fourth year running, one of our favourite The Music photographers, Jay Hynes, has extraordinarily awesome backstage shots from Cherry Fest on display in the most rock’n’roll laneway in the world, AC/DC Lane. Running for 11 days from 27 Nov, you’ve still got time to ogle his skills as he captures bands such as The BellRays, Kadavar, Blues Pills and The Powder Monkeys through his lens straight after their sets. Art-C/DC Lane, indeed.

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

We’ve always thought Abbe May is simply awesome and her Kiss My Apocalypse single remains on high rotation through our earbuds. May’s bringing Mathas (who’s intent on redefining hip hop) over from Perth with her for support duty. As if you need another reason to head to her gig at Howler on 6 Dec!

watch MELBOURNE

film

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

lol

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

giveaway read

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

A couple of weeks ago the fine folks at Nokia gave us a couple of their new Lumia 1020 handsets, which we’ve been using to film interviews and take live shots of bands with. Why do that with a phone? Because it’s got a 41 fucking megapixel camera. Yep, 41. It’s actually ridiculous – we did all our red carpet and ARIA Award filming and photos on it last Sunday. You probably want to play with it yourself, so we’re chuffed to be able to give one of these handsets away (should note, the phone does actually make calls and send text messages/ emails as well) to a The Music reader. Head to theMusic.com.au/win-prizes/ to enter. THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013 • 11

national news news@themusic.com.au ARCTIC MONKEYS

POISON CHALICE

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

PUT IT IN GEAR

TIME TO LOOK GOOD ON THE DANCEFLOOR

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

EUROPEAN DREAMING

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

KEEP ON DIGGING

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

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

Compatibility is taken to a whole other level on Her, the new feature film written and directed by Spike Jonze. Based around a developing love affair between man and machine, it’s a unique take on romance that piques curiosity while warming your heart. Starring Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams, Rooney Mara, Olivia Wilde, Scarlett Johansson – who won a Best Actress award at the Rome Film Festival despite never appearing on screen – the movie also features a film score by Arcade Fire and music from Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ Karen O. It arrives in cinemas 16 Jan. 12 • THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013

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

ILLY. PIC: KANE HIBBERD

PICTURESQUE MUSIC

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

national news news@themusic.com.au X

DAN SULTAN

IN TOO DEEP

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

ROCK WITHOUT THE ATTITUDE

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

SUPER WILD HORSES

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

AND THE WINNERS ARE...

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

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

HUGE THINGS MATTER

MAINTAINING THE SHADE

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

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

BACK TO BASICS

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

TURN UP THE SMOKE MACHINE

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

national news news@themusic.com.au X

DAN SULTAN

IN TOO DEEP

ROCK WITHOUT THE ATTITUDE

SUPER WILD HORSES

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

AND THE WINNERS ARE...

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

HUGE THINGS MATTER

MAINTAINING THE SHADE

BACK TO BASICS

TURN UP THE SMOKE MACHINE

local news vic.news@themusic.com.au ?UESTLOVE

BOYS BOYS BOYS!

KILLIN’ IT

ON A QUEST

Founding member of The Legendary Roots Crew, ?uestlove will perform an exclusive DJ set in Melbourne at Roxanne following the band’s performance at Festival Hall on 28 Dec. As one the world’s most famed music lovers, producers, tastemakers and DJs (who played over 200 sets in 2012 alone), his crates carry an almost mythical quality. Don’t miss the opportunity to witness one of popular music’s true icons spinning in the flesh.

SAY CLEESE

One of the most influential and important comedians in entertainment history, John Cleese is a founding member of Monty Python and responsible for some of the most iconic films and television comedies ever made, including The Life Of Brian, Meaning Of Life and Fawlty Towers. He’s also starred in such major Hollywood hits as A Fish Called Wanda and Fierce Creatures. Catch him in person at the Comedy Theatre on 18 and 19 Mar.

BELOVED GODS

Melbourne’s New Gods will play launch shows this month in support of their independently released debut LP, Beloved. Beloved takes the best of ‘90s indie rock gods like Pavement and The Pixies, filtering it through the tape-warp hallmarks of hypnagogic pop. It was released as a digital cassette available online, accompanied by a handwritten track list and a series of photographs for that extra personal touch. Hear it live when New Gods comes to The Toff In Town, 21 Dec

HUGHESY’S BACK

Following the announcement that he’s saying goodbye to over a decade of pre-dawn Nova 100 breakfast shifts alongside Kate Langbroek, Dave Hughes has decided that 2014 will mark his return to stand-up. See Hughesy in his element at his show, titled Pointless, at the Comedy Theatre, 25 Mar to 20 Apr.

DICKTATION LIVES ON

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

THE LAST WOMAN

The Hanging Of Jean Lee combines lyrical poetry and original post-punk music to tell the story of the last woman hanged in Australia. Poetry written and performed by Jordie Albiston combines with a dark and emotive score performed by seven musicians, including Shane Gillespie, to create an emotive and original presentation of Jean Lee’s story. With a Bad Seed, Hugo Race, in the cast, it looks like a performance not to be missed. Strictly limited season at North Melbourne Town Hall on 7 and 8 Dec.

THE RADIO CIRCUIT

Jazz-fusion sensation Robert Glasper Experiment are set to play some concerts here with very special guests soul-jazz fusion pioneers Roy Ayers and Lonnie Liston Smith in a unique collaborative performance. After taking out the Grammy for Best R&B Album for his stunning 2012 album release Black Radio, Robert Glasper went on to storm the European Summer festival circuit, gracing the stage at a host of Europe’s biggest and best festival events. He now presents his fifth album Black Radio 2 and comes to the Forum Theatre on 7 Mar.

“GARFIELD’S RIGHT. JON IS A FUCKING LOSER” @MICHAELIANBLACK HATES MONDAYS. 14 • THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013

The St Kilda Festival has unveiled the first round of acts for the 2014 New Music Stage: they include Tully On Tully, The Dandens, House Of Laurence, Lester The Fierce, Artist Proof, Ten Thousand, Boys Boys Boys!, Private Life and Brow Horn Orchestra. The Festival will open with Yalukit Wilum Ngargee: People Place Gathering in O’Donnell Gardens on 1 Feb, featuring artists including Yirrmal & The Yolngu Boys, Crystal Mercy and Benny Walker. From 2 to 8 Feb, Live N Local features acts such as Baberaham Lincoln, Bella & The Mellows, Riot In Toytown, Sunday Chairs and White Summer. The full program is announced on 6 Jan.

KINGFISHA

TAKING FLIGHT

Brisbane six-piece Kingfisha have been laying down weighty reggae and dub to eager audiences for going on six years now. The’re touring in celebration of Fallen Empire, the last single to be lifted from their self-titled debut album. Check out their modern reggae and Jamaican rhythms at The Workers Club, 21 Dec, with El Moth and Echo Drama.

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THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013 • 15

local news vic.news@themusic.com.au

BURNIN’ BERNIE

REMI

Performing a rich selection of Broadway songs from her extensive songbook, including standards, Rodgers & Hammerstein and Stephen Sondheim to name a few, Broadway’s brightest star, Bernadette Peters will dazzle audiences when she brings her concert to Australia in a glamorous evening of song. See her live at Her Majesty’s Theatre on 7 and 8 Apr. She will also make a special appearance during a masterclass conducted by her long time vocal coach, Adrienne Angel, at the venue on 8 Apr.

BABY’S GOT THE BLUES

Here’s another announcement of Bluesfest sideshows for ya. Will they ever stop? Not that we’re complaining; quite he opposite, in fact. Soul music icon, Rock And Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Musicians Hall of Fame inductee and Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Booker T Jones stops by the Corner Hotel on 25 Apr with special guest Valerie June and her amalgamation of blues, folk, gospel, soul, appalachian and bluegrass. Leading figure of the early-’80s folk revival, Suzanne Vega, will perform at the Recital Centre on 19 Apr. Bringing with them their new album, World Boogie Is Coming, the North Mississippi Allstars will play at the Corner Hotel on 20 Apr. Fivetime Grammy nominee Robben Ford takes to the Corner Hotel stage on 18 Apr, with guest Walter Trout, who’s earnt titles such as the sixth position on BBC Radio One’s countdown of the Top 20 Guitarists of All Time and the 2013 British Blues Award for Best International Artist. Eight-piece New Orleans brass ensemble The Soul Rebels play their first ever Aussie sideshows, stopping by the Recital Centre on 15 Apr. Bluesfest is proudly presented by The Music.

PUSH IT

Push Over is set for another huge year! The line-up has just been announced and you can get a solid dose of hip hop, punk, hardcore from all around the country at our favourite all ages festival. Set for the Labour Day public holiday next year the line-up is Remi, Allday, Bam Bam, Citizen Kay, PEZ, Chance Waters, Dream On Dreamer, Cub Sport, Deez Nuts, In Hearts Wake, Sierra, Buried In Verona, Luca Brasi, Make Them Suffer, Saviour, Outright, The Smith Street Band and The Bennies. One huge day, Sidney Myer Music Bowl, 10 Mar. Tickets on sale now.

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

THAT’S WARP’D

THE PRESETS

CONFETTI PARTY

Marking the opening of Midsumma 2014, Confetti is Melbourne’s first queer summer festival bill, happening on 12 Jan at the Palace Theatre. Curated by local party starters Grouse Party, John Homosocial and Flawless Queer Salon, Confetti is the official Midsumma Dance Party, following on from Carnival Day, featuring the crème de la crème of performing artists and DJs from around the world. Here’s the tasty line-up: The Presets, Zebra Katz, World’s End Press, Raf Daddy of The 2 Bears, Stereogamous, DJ Sveta, Gavin Campbell, Yo! MAFIA, DJ Kiti, The Sweats, Fletch and DJ People. Proudly presented by The Music. 16 • THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013

A direct response to the Warped Tour organisers’ perceived lack of support for local and Australian bands and lack of knowledge of the Australian punk scene, the inaugural Nevermind The Warp’d Tour Festival will take place at the Brunswick Hotel on 7 Dec. The punk, ska and silliness fuelled day features 27 Aussie bands across two stages, all for free from 12pm. The huge line-up includes Myrtle Place, The Unprettier, Beerfridge, Fatty Esther, The Worst, The Resignators, Strawberry Fist Cake, The Ramshackle Army, Spew’N’Guts, I Am Duckeye, Admiral Ackbar’s Dishonourable Discharge, Dixon Cider, Liquor Snatch, The Murderballs, Kodiak Throat, Bombs Are Falling, 12FU, The Outfit, The Cruntburgers, Hopes Abandoned, The Savages, Stoned To Death, One Girl Army, All We Need, Punch The Clown and Lord Justin & His One Man Band.

KRISSY’S COMING

American country music legend Kris Kristofferson will be coming to Australia for an extensive national Australian tour on the back of the release of his 28th album, Feeling Mortal. Fans can look forward to the 76-yearold Country Music Hall of Famer performing in an intimate mode, playing guitar and sharing the stories of his life both on and off the road. Catch him at the Geelong Arena, 5 Apr; Eastbank Centre, Shepparton, 6 Apr; and the Palais Theatre, 8 Apr.

SKANK IT UP

Due to the overwhelming success of their first ever tour of Australia in 2012, ska forefathers, The English Beat – led by Dave Wakeling and his all-star posse – are coming back for a repeat skanking session next May. Hear their hypnotic, cosmic blend of ska, punk and reggae when they come to the Corner Hotel, 15 May and Caravan Music Club, 16 May.

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music

IT’S EASY BEING GREEN

Words Danielle O’Donohue. Feature pics supplied by Vans Warped Tour. Original cover pic Phil DiFiore.

THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013 • 19

RDGLDGRN frontman Pierre “Green” Desrosiers tells Danielle O’Donohue why he’s bringing a touch of hip hop to Warped Tour.

s you’re wandering around taking in the sights and sounds of this year’s Warped Tour, don’t be surprised when the high-energy hip hop sounds of RDGLDGRN capture your attention and draw your over to the front of their stage. Hip hop isn’t the usual fare for Warped, but this Washington DC trio are just as well versed in the sounds of Minor Threat and Bad Brains as they are Bob Marley. Besides, as frontman Pierre Desrosiers aka Green explains, hip hop has never been about one type of music. “I come from a hip hop perspective where musically there is no sound that is hip hop,” Desrosiers says. “Hip hop derives from so many things. That’s why the music we make I still think of as mostly hip hop more than anything else. Just instead of using a regular soul sample breakbeat we’re going to actually use a go-go beat or instead of completely looping that beat we’re going to have someone play it. We’re going to put guitars on it so that it sounds like any of the music we like or it

Europe before landing in Australia, RDGLDGRN have been preparing for their first visit Down Under by making friends with the locals. “We have friends in bands like Hands Like Houses and Tonight Alive and The City Shake Up, and they’ve told us a lot about Australia and we’re really excited.” Desrosiers knows his band isn’t exactly like most of the other bands on Warped, but believes they share the same punk spirit of his festival mates. “We definitely have a punky vibe to it and we have a perspective of playing our own instruments. We definitely have those little things in our

day.” “It’s just what you know you like, and what you know you are. You ask a child at five years old what his favourite colour is and he won’t hesitate. There is no metaphor or cool meaning to why exactly the colour is picked other than the fact that you know what the colour is. The focus is I knew what I liked, it’s embedded in you. That’s the idea we’re going with, instead of like, green is the colour of earth or things people say like, ‘When someone wears green it makes other people horny’. When you’re a colour you hear so many things about your colour. But those other things don’t define what your colour is. I actually define what the colour is but I’m the only person that is Green, the only living, breathing person that is Green.” Already the trio are making famous friends. It’s not often a young band can boast a production credit from Pharrell Williams on their album, and a cameo on drums from fellow DC native Dave Grohl. “It doesn’t really make any sense,” Desrosiers says when asked how the famous cameos came about. “They did it solely on the sound of the music and how they enjoyed it. There was no reason for them to do that at all. And that’s the purest form of anything I think.” As a kid growing up writing raps, Desrosiers still sounds shell-shocked that his band was able to spend

“I ACTUALLY DEFINE WHAT THE COLOUR IS BUT I’M THE ONLY PERSON THAT IS GREEN, THE ONLY LIVING, BREATHING PERSON THAT IS GREEN.”

sounds like Caribbean music ‘cause I like that. It’s just basically sampling. All three of us are really just hip hop producers who enjoy taking it too far.” Joining Desrosiers are also Gold (Andrei Busuioceanu) and Red (Marcus Parham), with the live band adding drums and bass to the mix. It’s a thrilling dynamic. The band’s debut album RDGLDGRN blends hip hop, rock and pop-punk elements to make something highly charged and fun. When he was a kid, Desrosiers spent time living in France before his parents settled in DC when he was around the age of 12, so growing up there was a lot of French pop being played at home alongside the Marley and Michael Jackson records. It’s given Desrosiers an appreciation for world music that is evident in the spirit of the music his band plays, that melting pot of influences that make up a glorious, lively whole. It also made him a musical sponge so when he started watching documentaries about the local DC music scene when he was 18-19, it was inevitable that he’d fall in love with punk music. “That musical discovery time when you’re first getting into playing music yourself, going from that, you just go on a binge, going through all the history. You just start listening to all these things in the past and it’s like you’re discovering your own shit.” A part of the Warped juggernaut that this year has traversed the US and is currently making its way across 20 • THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013

show that makes us try to win over a crowd. We converse with the crowd a lot and try to get the crowd to do a lot of things and the music’s fun. You’ve got to be a jackarse to not want to have fun y’know, but there’s a lot of jackarses out there.”

time with Williams in the studio. “Pharrell gives you advice. You don’t need to try and get it out of him. He’s like the Dalai Lama or something. He’s this way cool, humble guy that lets you know stuff and he leads by example in how he makes the work. He’s a genius, just a genius. Even our producer [Kevin Augunas] who’s a producer himself saw him work and was just amazed by it, at how he works. He just doesn’t second guess himself at all. He just goes with the flow. It was like there was another one of us in the room that was just smarter and cooler and more experienced.”

Each adopting the name of the colour they wear constantly, the band makes for a striking looking trio on stage and off. Half ode to one of their heroes Bob Marley and half sesame street sketch. Desrosiers says the decision to each turn themselves into a colour has a lot less hidden meaning than most people think. “I think it’s been like eightten years of wearing the same colour every

Though the Williams credit was exciting and unexpected, it was notorious nice guy Grohl who stuck around long enough to record drums on every track on the album, even though he was only asked to record one. In a lucky twist of fate, the group can thank Grohl’s movie Sound City for the chance to work with the rock music legend. When RDGLDGRN album producer Kevin Augunus bought Sound City studio in 2011, he sold Grohl the rare Neve console that he was replacing, and which fuelled Grohl’s inspiration to make a documentary about all the famous albums and artists to pass through the legendary studio. It was that connection that led Grohl back to Sound City to record drums for these three guys from DC. “Our producer sent him an email with our song and CCed us and asked him, ‘Hey, these guys don’t

BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE There’s a lot going on at Warped, so we thought we’d highlight some other bands you should see at the festival.

HANDS LIKE HOUSES This Canberra sixpiece will be looking for some love after spending the last couple of months on the US Warped Tour. With the intricate guitar lines and singer Trenton Woodley’s soaring vocals, they’ll be at peak match fitness after their gruelling trip Stateside.

NEW FOUND GLORY Punk-pop legends New Found Glory are the benchmark for everyone else in their genre. Live, this well-travelled five-piece know exactly how to get the party started.

MILLENCOLIN

have a drummer in their band and we wanted to know if you’d drum on this song?’ and he said, ‘Yeah, the song sounds great and because they’re from DC, let’s do this’. Two months later we go into the studio and we meet him and he takes some shots for his Sound City movie and plays that one song, and [then] he asked for another one and another one and he did the whole half of the album in that one day, like five hours, sixseven songs. Then he left because he had to go – ‘cause Dave Grohl has things to do – and he tells us, ‘I wanna come back and finish your album. I want to play the rest of the songs on the album’, which was great.” Desrosiers is happy to confirm Grohl is the nicest guy in rock music and it’s a seal of approval that the young artist says his band are going to commemorate in their latest video. “We’re going to do a video for our song Doing The Most, the one we wrote with Pharell that’s basically going to answer all questions about how, when and what Dave Grohl said. It’s maybe going to be a tiny little documentary on who we are and what we are so the whole world can see us, so it will be there out there so everyone will know and remember forever and we ourselves can remember forever.” WHEN & WHERE: 7 Dec, Vans Warped Tour, Birrarung Marr

Millencolin have been playing festivals almost as long as most kids in the crowd at Warped Tour have been alive. With the average length of their skate punk songs standing at around 2.45, theirs is the perfect catalogue to build a festival set out of.

KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES It’s not just that each new Kids In Glass Houses album is a great leap forward, let’s be honest. The main reason this band is a must see at Warped is because frontman Aled Phillips has a gorgeous Welsh accent for all that between song banter. THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013 • 21

22 • THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013

THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013 • 23

film

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

Deneuve calls it “an incredible scene” and it’s easy to agree – offering a blessed, unexpected moment amidst On My Way’s plotted drama. But when asked about it, she initially seems like she wants to guard its magic: “What more is there to say than what you’ve already seen!” Deneuve laughs. The 70-year-old grand dame of French cinema is holding court, in front of a small press corps, in an opulent Parisian hotel: a vision of royalty in a Keith Haring jumper, questions answered through plumes of cigarette smoke. When Deneuve’s arrival nears, PR preparations go into overdrive; the actress, almost 50 years after starring in Jacques Demy’s The Umbrellas Of Cherbourg, is still one of the most famous faces in France. But Deneuve is no cold star, but warm and endearing, a sentiment echoed by Bercot: “Catherine would never take advantage of her status... to pull rank on certain things.” Bercot wrote the leading role, of a grandmother who embarks on a spontaneous roadtrip, with the star in mind. “My number one inspiration for this movie was working with Catherine – she inspired me from start to finish,” she says. Deneuve is just as complimentary of the director: “She’s always very prepared, she’s done her homework, and so on the set she’s really present. That’s contagious, that kind of energy.” And she’s aware that, at 70, still having roles written for her is a privilege. “It’s exciting,” Deneuve beams. “You have done so many films, been in so many roles, and yet directors, when they write something for you, they have the impression that they can write something that you have not done yet. 24 • THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013

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

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

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

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

THREE INTO SIX

to submit to genre boundaries. The past two years have included dates with Eyehategod, Frenzal Rhomb, Psycroptic, Every Time I Die and Doomriders, and slots on Hardcore 2012 and Bastardfest.

The world beckons, but Aaron Osborne, one of Canberra riff-mongers I Exist’s many axemen, prefers mateship, performing and getting plastered, Brendan Crabb discovers.

espite boasting three guitarists and six members, a total of zero egos drive heavy-hitters I Exist. “I’m not great at guitar; I just know how to play I Exist songs,” songwriter Aaron Osborne emphasises. “The other dudes are way better at guitar than me… I think if anyone’s ever put in their head that, like, the image that their band puts out [is] more than, like, hanging out with their mates, they’re just a pack of dickheads. There’s nothing better than hanging out with your mates, playing guitar and getting drunk. I don’t know why anyone would want to do it any other way.

“People sometimes give us shit about it, but it’s my band, so I can do whatever I want with it. I like hanging out with five of my friends, not four of them. So I’m going to do that.” Said cohorts can do far more than bang on their instruments, as new LP, From Darkness, attests. Melbourne-based Osborne (remaining members still call our nation’s capital home) says the disc is their most collaborative work yet. Regular gigging throughout Australia, New Zealand, Europe and the UK has further sharpened their ferocious meshing of doom, blues, sludge and hardcore. Their touring history reflects this unwillingness

music

“When I started the band, everyone in the band was in other bands together. We were all in hardcore bands. But until I started playing in hardcore bands, I’d never really listened to hardcore. I grew up listening to shitty nu-metal. Then I started listening to death metal, then pretty much listened to death metal, doom and stuff ever since. I just happened to play in hardcore bands. When we started I Exist, the idea for me anyway was just to play with the people who I was in bands with and friends with, but make it like as metal as I could, without having to play different shows. ‘Cause at the time I liked playing in the scene I was a part of.” The Music likens their genre-hopping appeal to that of Parkway Drive, who are largely associated with the hardcore world, but whose music is predominantly metallic. Osborne agrees. “The thing for us is we started out in the hardcore scene, play in the hardcore scene and we’re on a hardcore label… As much as some people may label it as a boys’ club, and may see it as some tough guy bullshit, I think there’s still the parts of it that I involve myself with and that I like. It’s probably one of the more welcoming areas of ‘alternative’ music to play. People don’t really care about what you do in a band. They may have some really superficial shit to say about people, but when they listen to bands they don’t seem to care too much about what goes on.”

WHAT: From Darkness (Resist) WHEN & WHERE: 13 Dec, Bendigo Hotel

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THE MUSIC • 13TH NOVEMBER 2013 • 25

music

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

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

26 • THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013

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

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

WHEN & WHERE: 6 & 7 Dec, Rod Laver Arena

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THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013 • 27

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

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

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

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

WHEN & WHERE: 8 Dec, Sidney Myer Music Bowl

MIKHAEL PASKALEV with special guests

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SUBVERSIVELY SUBURBAN

drive past and take photos of. I thought, ‘Well, why don’t we do a little homage to that phenomenon that actually people have more interest in than, in some ways, the Myer windows?’ There’s this wonderful fascination for seeing what the people are doing out in the community – and they are really quite bizarre!”

Christian Wagstaff has taken the Arts Centre Melbourne’s inaugural Christmas installation and made it into something a bit voyeuristic, writes Cyclone.

hen Christian Wagstaff was approached by the Arts Centre to create a Christmas installation, he knew what not to do. “I said, ‘Please don’t ask me to do a Christmas tree or stick a bow on top of the tram out the front or something ridiculous like that. Let’s do something that has more interest to it, rather than just a bit of decoration’.”

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A thrilled Wagstaff remembers observing the Arts Centre’s construction in the ‘70s – as a kid he was “obsessed” with the world of performing arts and even ran his own puppet theatre at home in Blackburn. So for the complex’s inaugural Christmas display, on the lawn, the production designer had something subversively suburban in mind. “There’s this bizarre phenomenon all over the world, and Melbourne does have a bit of a reputation for it as well, where [at Christmas] people decorate the facades of their houses – put on shows for people to

The Yuletide spectacle has proliferated thanks to the internet, but Wagstaff was wary of trying to replicate the “beautifully amateurish” charm of the kitschmas houses. Instead he’s designed the reflective metallic frame of a house with neon lights. Passersby can peer inside where there are LED cubes screening video of the real homes. “There’s this whole voyeuristic nature about it,” says Wagstaff. The “big plan” is for the festive installation to be an annual event, with new ‘houses’ added. “So it’ll become a new attraction in Melbourne.” Today Wagstaff presides over Creative Production Services, also responsible for Stickwork, 2012’s collaboration with American Patrick Dougherty in Fed Square. Wagstaff ’s art is inherently ephemeral; Stickwork played with the very notion of temporality, the willow castle sculpture disintegrating in situ. “I’m never really disappointed when things go,” Wagstaff admits. “I’m terrified of doing anything permanent, anyway. I would rather work on a project and take more risk and [have] it possibly not satisfy me, or in my eyes it may not necessarily 100 per cent work, and then let it disappear again. Then it’s just a memory. It’s like putting on any show – it’s there and then it’s gone, curtain up and curtain down.” WHAT: Deck The Houses WHEN & WHERE: Now until 2 Jan, Arts Centre

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

t’s taken over a decade, but now that everybody is off probation Insane Clown Posse are returning to Australia. Shaggy 2 Dope laughs almost sheepishly that the Detroit group’s criminal past has kept them away for so long, but assures long-time fans and those new to the ‘family’ that their old partying ways haven’t changed. “The only difference in our show is going to be the shape and size of the soda we got, because bottles are geometrically different in different countries,” he says, referring to the soft drink spray that goes down at every ICP show, typically with ‘ghetto pop’ brand Faygo. “[The shows] are going to be full of mayhem and very wet – it’s going to be awesome. And it’s summer there right? So no one will have to worry about leaving the shows being all cold and shit, it’ll be nice and warm out.” In their 20-plus years as MCs, Shaggy 2 Dope and his partner in crime Violent J have managed to develop a following that borders on fanatical. How else would you describe a fanbase that paint their faces like clowns, all to be part of the juggalo family? In Shaggy’s mind though, you can’t really put your finger on exactly what a juggalo is; he simply summarises a member of the ICP clan as somebody who’s a free thinker. “[Someone] who doesn’t conform to what mainstream media wants you to do [when] they manipulate you; someone who can think with their own free mind – they don’t give a fuck about nobody else,” he explains in an

30 • THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013

atypical drawl. “They live their life the way they want to live it instead of having everybody tell them what to listen to, instead of having everybody tell them what they’ve got to watch and what they’ve got to do.” From their songs and stage show to the muchpublicised Gathering Of The Juggalos they hold annually, it’s this idea of family that remains at the core of everything Insane Clown Posse do. “A lot of juggalos don’t have nowhere else to turn, so they rely on other juggalos,” reasons Shaggy. “A juggalo from the North Pole could be marinating in Israel or something, and a juggalo from the South Pole could be marinating in Israel; somehow they

bump into each other and they’re going to be down. So even if you don’t know each other you’re the same person – just like family. You might not be related but you’re from the same mould, the same mindset.” And with the band soon beginning work on a follow-up to last year’s The Mighty Death Pop!, juggalos can expect more tales of the Dark Carnival – ICP’s description of the afterlife – to be heard Down Under in the future. “This is not going to be a one-time thing,” promises Shaggy. “This is just the tip of the iceberg, it’s the beginning of a new worldwide domination, we’ll be back again and again and again, and we ain’t going to stop coming back. Nobody is going to be getting into trouble this time with the law so it’s all good.” WHEN & WHERE: 6 Dec, The Hi-Fi

THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013 • 31

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EVERYTHING IS FUCKED Thirty years between Primitive Calculators’ implosion and resurgence, and Stuart Grant assures Brendan Telford that nothing has changed – we are all living meaningless lives.

lot of bands throughout history get unnecessarily buoyed by the title ‘ahead of their time’, yet few actually leave a legacy that rings true. Melbourne noise punks Primitive Calculators barely left any artefacts of their short time on this mortal coil – calling it a day in 1980 after only a few years on the scene – yet their reunion since 2009 has underscored their importance to 21st century music. Taking the road more confrontational when the punk community were finding their inner David Bowie, the band took their instruments, introduced electronica as it stood at the time, and crafted a performance that was designed to inflict pain. “When we were around in the ‘70s no one understood us, it all just sounded like horrible noise,” Grant explains. “There were a few bands around the world that were interested in making noise as a musical medium, like Half Japanese and Chrome, but we weren’t in a scene like that, so people would hear this noise that attacked them and just walk out. We were all part of the punk uprising, but there came this fork in the road where people chased a power-pop edge, and that’s where The Boys Next Door and The Models went. For us, we were still angry. We wanted to capture that sheer raw savagery that that first year of punk brought to us, and in order to do that we got more repetitive, more primitive and more savage. We always knew that eventually what we were doing would find an audience; we never doubted that.” Thirty years in the making, Primitive Calculators have released their debut record, The World Is Fucked. With a maelstrom of white noise assaults and nihilistic bile thinly veiled as lyrics, the album picks up where the band from 1980 left off, creating a tome of pain and the gnashing of teeth that back then turned the punters away in droves. But since those heady days there have been so many musical, cultural and technological touchstones that have filled in the gaps so Grant feels they are understood now – well, as understood as a band espousing the end of the world can be…

“It’s the album we would have made if we knew how 30 years ago,” Grant admits. “We heard it in our heads, but there were no technological means of making it. And if you look at the reviews, people are getting it, they

1980s that Grant feels validates what Primitive Calculators were attempting to do. “Around 1989 when techno landed, I thought ‘Jesus, we nearly invented that!’ When we were making beats, we thought to be punk you had to fuck with it. Then when techno came out and it was that thumping insistent beat, a light went on in our heads. That relentless doof doof doof – it breaks you down.” The World Is Fucked is a testament to Primitive Calculators’ worldview – it’s there in the title – and it’s one that Grant maintains is prevalent today. “When we were 18, we thought we could change people’s lives by assaulting them with horrible noise. We thought we could cure people, purify them and take them to a higher existence where they’d realise their lives were meaningless. When we first heard the Ramones in 1976 and there was this punk uprising, it was the sheer sonic attack that we experienced as this rush, like a cleansing. It told our story – hippy music and country rock had come and gone, and here came our voice. But you appropriate what

“AROUND 1989 WHEN TECHNO LANDED, I THOUGHT ‘JESUS, WE NEARLY INVENTED THAT!’” know what we’ve done; we’ve created a piece of art. There have been enough stepping stones along the way that what we’re doing is starting to make sense to people. Throughout the ‘90s you had things like Nine Inch Nails and Ministry, and this idea of industrial music became an accepted norm. It wasn’t unusual for bands to stand with their guitars making excessive feedback.” Yet it’s another musical milestone from the

you know. We grew up in the suburbs listening to pub boogie bands like Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs, then the explosion of disco with Donna Summer – it all fuelled the beast. It’s the same today – we’re still trying to show people the light of futility.” Therefore it’s easy to see how a Primitive Calculators performance is something of a purge or an exorcism, an exercise in overwhelming the senses until everything is seen for what it truly is – redundant. “I love performing, it’s who I am, but it is so exhausting! I just want to die on stage,” Grant deadpans. “In the middle of Dead too – just after I say “And soon I will be dead”, I could drop to the floor a happy man.” WHAT: The World Is Fucked (Chapter Music) WHEN & WHERE: 7 Dec, The Toff In Town

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TEACHER’S PET

I guess, who inspires you to do things differently to make yourself better. He was a mentor figure.”

On working with The Presets’ Kim Moyes as producer, Beni tells Kane Sutton: “It’s like having a school teacher, I guess, who inspires you to do things differently to make yourself better.”

eni is a man of many monikers. He plays as a solo artist, was formerly one half of the Riot In Belgium duo, and configures the mash-up stylings of Bang Gang Deejays. This new EP, however, sees Beni creating something to strengthen his artistic abilities. “I feel really good about it”, he chirps. “The whole anxiety behind releases thing doesn’t really happen to me anymore. I think these days I’m just feeling proud of the accomplishment regardless of how it’s taken – it’s just good to get it out and the reaction has been good by the people I’ve shown so far.”

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The EP was produced by long-time friend and tour buddy Kim Moyes of The Presets, a man Beni considers himself very lucky to work with: “He has this amazing studio at his house – the whole bottom floor. And just to have the opportunity to work with all the machines he has was incredible. Working with him made it almost like a joint project. He’s definitely the silent partner and, without him, the record would probably sound completely different. He just pushes me in a different direction, but then I always bring it back to myself and how I can learn from the lessons. It’s like having a school teacher,

The two originals on this EP, Love On The Run and Summer’s Gone, are very different beasts. Featuring New York’s Prince Terrance on vocals, the former track offers a serving of future house, the vocals instilling the dystopian landscape with a lovelorn sense of humanity. By contrast, the latter sees Terrence harmonising with the track’s bitter, techno heart, the end result something of a sinister acid workout. While sounding quite different, however, Beni assures it was a naturally occurring process. “They both started off sounding similar but then parted in different directions,” he muses. “I think that working with the same vocalist on both tracks brings the cohesiveness with them. It’s good though, now there’s diversity to the record and I think people will enjoy that.” About to begin his tour across the country, Beni’s constantly trying to discover new ways to entertain his audience. As such, the man is attempting to add a whole new dimension to his work: a visual show. “DJing is fun, but sometimes it can get a little boring. We’re thinking of adding a visual element to the performances to make them more interesting. It’ll be something of a show, but I’m still trying to work on the idea and that’ll be a challenge. It’ll still be DJ-focused, but I’m all about learning and making things interesting. I’m really looking forward to the shows around the country and I hope these ideas become more concrete in the process.” WHAT: Love On The Run Summer’s Gone EP (Modular) WHEN & WHERE: 7 Dec, The Bottom End; 15 Dec, The Plot, Palace Theatre

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

ome Stereosonic time, Alexander Ridha is appearing as Boys Noize and was billed to perform as part of Dog Blood with Skrillex, before the latter’s cancellation. Ridha was enthused about the project; “It’s a really wild DJ set – we just play back-to-back, really quick mixes, and we go all over the place.” That a German techno rebel should introduce a vehicle with the US dubstepper is wild in itself. The friends premiered with 2012’s Next Order/Middle Finger and have since remixed A$AP Rocky’s (Skrillexhelmed) Wild For The Night and DJed at Miami’s Ultra Music Festival, Coachella and Glastonbury. “Both of our sounds are different – and I think that’s what makes it exciting, creating something new.” The ravers just issued the Middle Finger Pt 2 EP – and Ridha references Dog Blood on this month’s Fabriclive 72. Yet he stresses that Dog Blood is about spontaneity with no grand designs. “It’s a new project, so we wanna take it slow and let it grow naturally – but also we’ve still got our own shit going on. So it’s good to have it now on the side. Every time we get together in the studio, we make something new. But there’s no real plan now.” The Hamburg native, entering the biz as a teen in the dance-pop guise Kid Alex before shunning major labels and reinventing himself as the EDM anarchist Boys Noize, signing to DJ Hell’s International DeeJay Gigolo Records. 34 • THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013

Ridha has long been equated with punky electro-house or ‘noise’, but in recent years he’s snuck back into popdom. He produced music for Kelis’ future-disco Flesh Tone. Ultimately, he just enjoys messing with sounds. Late last year Ridha presented a third Boys Noize album, Out Of The Black. Though committed to the LP format, he admits it’s “tough” selling them. “I can’t really say if I’m gonna work on a new album or not because I make music all the time. If it feels like an album, then it probably is. I have a lotta time at the beginning of next year, so I will definitely work on some new music.” This year

the banger specialist has unleashed the Go Hard EP and remixed Donna Summer’s Bad Girls (not on the official compilation Love To Love You Donna). Incredibly, Out... boasted a collab with Snoop Dogg (yup, Dogg) in Got It. “It took a long time to really get together with him,” Ridha admits. “He always liked my stuff, but then it was really tough because he was signed to a major label and they have ways of getting the music together and so it never really worked out before.” Ridha is amused by the gangsta rapper’s metamorphosis into the peace-loving reggae artist Snoop Lion, if unconvinced. “I don’t think he’s gonna be ‘Snoop Lion’ forever – even though they said it when the record [Reincarnated] came out (laughs). But he’s already making new rap tracks as well. I think it’s kinda funny to see him being this [Snoop Lion], and it’s a cool project, but it’s definitely funny because it’s talk in the end.” WHEN & WHERE: 29 Nov, Billboard; 8 Dec, Stereosonic, Melbourne Showgrounds

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THE AUTOMOBILE WAS INVENTED IN GERMANY. NOW IT’S BEING EVOLVED AT DEAKIN.

Since 1886 the automobile has been re-invented and evolved to become the many modern vehicles you see today. In fact, cars are so widespread it’s hard to imagine a world without them. But now the automobile as you know it is being transformed at Deakin University. Emerging as a global leader in carbon fibre research, Deakin’s Carbon Nexus facility is developing new composite materials to make cars lighter and safer. Imagine your vehicle being made of the same carbon fibre used in a Formula One race car or Boeing aircraft. Not only would it be lighter, faster and more fuel efficient, but its performance in an accident would be greatly improved. It’s just another way Deakin is changing the world of the automotive industry. Discover the world of Deakin research and innovation at deakin.edu.au/worldlythinking

THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013 • 35

music

DRUNK WITH YOU The Gin Club are celebrating their tenth birthday by doing what they know best – hitting the road. De facto band leader Ben Salter talks to Steve Bell about nebulous formations and beautiful friendships.

ou don’t get a much more ad hoc beginning to a band than that of Brisbane alt-folk collective The Gin Club. Step back in time one decade and Ben Salter was supplementing his meagre income from fronting rock behemoth Giants Of Science by running an open mic night at inner-city venue O’Malley’s Irish Pub – remunerated in the age-old musical tradition of a trickle of money and a river of beer – where he happened upon a disparate but talented group of singersongwriters fronting up on a weekly basis to show their wares, and before you knew it a loose collective was born. The trail from an unruly group of like-minded drinkers and performers to a band proper was as haphazard as it was organic, but over time The Gin Club steadily became one of Australia’s most respected outfits in their field. Over the last ten years they’ve ticked off all of the big festivals, toured extensively overseas and played alongside acts such as Paul Kelly, The Drones, You Am I, Band Of Horses and Iron & Wine (to name but a few), and to mark their first decade together they’re re-releasing their eponymous 2004 debut album on vinyl and hitting the road to celebrate as only they know how. “I’d cut my teeth doing open mic nights in Townsville, so when I got the chance to do the one at O’Malley’s I was really excited,” Salter recalls. “It’s something that I enjoy doing anyway, encouraging other people musically, and it was a perfect outlet for that. I guess having done all that stuff with Giants and seen the industry side of things and how horrendous it can be, seeing all these people who had no aspirations, or very limited aspirations, to do music as any full-time concern – they’d just written a few songs and had vague ambitions – was pretty cool. “Also the fact that I couldn’t believe how good these songs were; I don’t know if I’m a weak judge but I really thought their songs were fantastic, spanning the whole gamut from Brad [Pickersgill], who in his mind was writing commercial songs like Crowded House or something, but when he sang them they were just totally different – really weird and fragile – and maybe in Conor [MacDonald]’s mind he was writing sort of weird, fragile songs but they were really something else as well. It was just great to meet all these people totally

36 • THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013

randomly – people from all over the place – and it was just a really cool group of people as well.” Even though you’d imagine that such a voluminous membership would be a logistical nightmare – The Gin Club’s current live roster is eight, but ebbs and flows and the band

solo album, but I think I’m the only person out of the whole band who’s actually managed to do one,” Salter laughs. “But for a group of such good songwriters we’re just mainly friends first and everything else second, and to be honest everyone is pretty good with me bossing them around – which I wouldn’t expect from any other group of people – but they’re pretty good with me yelling and hollering at them, because I think they know I’m doing it because I’m a big fan of all their stuff. “When you start a band – whether you work it out or not – fairly early on you have this set of rules or expectations that you’ll go about things a certain way,

“THE ORIGINAL IDEA WAS FOR IT TO BE LIKE THE WU-TANG CLAN” can subsist in myriad configurations – one thing that’s been notable throughout is the complete lack of ego as the gaggle of songwriters cede the limelight and back one another on each other’s material. “Sometimes it’s almost like I’m pushing people to take more of the spotlight or to do more stuff outside the band. The original idea was for it to be like the Wu-Tang Clan and for everyone to do their own

and with The Gin Club I think early on we set it up so that we could do gigs without people there, so we’ve never had to have the whole complement of people. I think Conor’s the only person who’s played at every single Gin Club show; everyone has missed at least a stint. For a while there I had to be there, but I said, ‘C’mon guys, you can do shows without me’, so they’ve done a bunch of shows without me, which is awesome. But I think it makes everyone that’s not there a bit jealous and want to come back and do the shows more, so it’s sort of a good system. I can’t think of any other band who operates in the same way really.” WHAT: The Gin Club (Plus One) WHEN & WHERE: 5 Dec, Bridge Hotel, Castlemaine; 6 Dec, John Curtain Hotel

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THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013 • 37

38 • THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013

THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013 • 39

music

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

WHAT: Common Courtesy (3Wise/Sony) WHEN & WHERE: 28 Feb, Soundwave, Flemington Racecourse

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reviews

ALBUM OF THE WEEK

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

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

★★★★½

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

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

Part educational tool, part work of great depth and beauty, Gurrumul’s Yolngu Matha language songs are introduced by family members sharing a special invitation into the culture of his Elcho Island home. The growling of crocodiles, the music of ceremony, tales of wild cats and pythons and the sounds of his community and identity meet orchestral grandeur in a magnificent union of urban and rural Australia. New vitality is brought to Djarimirri as sweeping, uplifting strings and grounding brass rhythms recall the earthy sweetness that comes after a spring shower, making absolute sense as an Aunty explains, “He’s singing about himself, how he was bought to the world and he’s covered with rainbow.” Baru, the fun, upbeat, call-and-response story of Gurrumul’s totem – the saltwater crocodile – is given a spirited, almost Latin reworking, while Gurrumul History (I Was Born Blind) – as moving as ever in its English-language insights – peeks through the orchestral movements to reveal the power that is simply Gurrumul, his voice and guitar. Tyler McLoughlan THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013 • 43

album reviews

7 DAYS OF FUNK

JAMES VINCENT MCMORROW

7 Days Of Funk

Post Tropical

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

Dew Process/Universal

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

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

CHILDISH GAMBINO

TOY

Glassnote/Liberator

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

The album’s title refers to the all-pervasiveness of the interwebz, the set in equal parts 44 • THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013

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

Join The Dots

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

★★★★½

Heavenly/[PIAS] Australia

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

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

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

album reviews

★★★

★★★½

★★★★½

★★★★

JIMI BEAVIS

THE LEAP YEAR

CRISIS ALERT

MASTODON

Independent

Hobbledehoy

Resist

Warner

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

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

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

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

Gentleman Giant

Lukas Murphy

The Narrowing

Urban Decay

Mark Hebblewhite

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

Justine Keating

★★½

★★★★

Live At Brixton

★★★★

★★★

UNITY FLOORS

KILL DEVIL HILL

RAE & CHRISTIAN

BRITNEY SPEARS

Popfrenzy

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

Night Time Stories/Balance/ EMI

RCA/Sony

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

Exotic Goldf ish Blues

Revolution Rise

Pete Laurie

Mercury Rising

Britney Jean

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

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

Mac McNaughton

Ben Preece

Brendan Telford

THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013 • 45

singles/ep reviews

★★★

★★★½

★★★★

JEN CLOHER

ASTRID & THE ASTEROIDS

INDIAN RED

GLASS ANIMALS

Julia

Glass Animals

In Blood Memory

Astrid And The Asteroids

Independent

Wolf Tone/Caroline

Milk! Records

Sugarrush

Inspired by Cloher’s parents’ relationship and her mother’s battle with Alzheimer’s, weighted emotion drips through every note of her vocals.

Frontwoman Astrid Jorgensen has personality in abundance, which often results in her backing music being hidden beneath her dominant vocals. Shrouded in a veneer of quirkiness, the EP opens with single West End, which features playful, spoken word-style vocals. While the vocals don’t take themselves seriously, the music certainly does – in a jazzy, ‘90s pop way. Second single Autopsy is more interesting in terms of dynamics, speed and energy, however this release will largely appeal to fans of that particular style of sultry R&B-pop, as it doesn’t transcend the genre.

Julia draws on the overused whimsical forest animal aesthetic of indie-pop du jour, but occasionally reinvents it in a way that really shines. For instance, almost oriental-infused string elements are paired with soaring vocals in the upbeat title track, endowing it with a magical touch. Contemplative opener Heavy Hearted Girl doesn’t necessarily grab you in the same way, but its scratchy tone and production endows it with a unique atmosphere – like the musical version of an old film reel. Maintaining a coherent, spirited vision, later tracks are much folksier.

Fully embodying their name, this release integrates the delicateness of glass with a more animalistic earthiness. Opener, Psylla weaves a spacey, tribal atmosphere over which frontman David Bayley spits groove-laden, almost bluesy lines in a rolling, mantric fashion. Black Mambo is less explorative, playing on a revitalised ‘90s trip-hop sound, incorporating a dubstep wobble within its unique, mellow groove. Perhaps the stand-out track, Exxus slowly seeps into mystical, wilderness sounds driven by a great beat. These contemporary, electro-pop soundscapes really evoke the Oxford forest in which the EP was written.

SCOTDRAKULA Break Me Up Independent Ambling bass and harmonised, heavily reverbed vocals occasionally let loose with a yowl and tangled, grungy guitar, all possessing a subtly eerie edge. Engulfing.

INDIAN RED Coming Home Independent

Stephanie Tell

An over-reliance on being ‘atmospheric’ means the soaring vocals and layered crescendos result in a song that’s more of a stale breeze than a whirlwind.

★★

MARIAH CAREY The Art Of Letting Go

★½

★★★★

ELAPSED TIME

SHAUN KIRK

GUNSLINGERS

Walkabout Johnnie

Giving

My First Trip To Mexico

Independent

Shaky vocals that don’t quite hit the notes can occasionally have a charm to them, but not here; they dull the energy of the instruments.

The overly simplistic beat of Home Is Where I Belong quickly begs the question, haven’t we heard this brand of safe, confessional Aussie hip hop a thousand times before? Lyrically, Elapsed Time (aka Lachlan Emes) can’t decide if he’s a high school counsellor or a weed-smoking, bar-tabskipping delinquent. Similarly, Walkabout Johnnie wavers between attempted edginess (with oh-so sneaky marijuana references) and sanitised pop. Where The Light proves the EP’s best, mostly due to Jordan Rusu’s R&B-style vocals, however this essentially inoffensive offering is utterly ordinary in both subject matter and delivery.

Given Kirk is kind enough to donate part of this EP’s proceeds to charity, it’s doubly unfortunate when this bland, derivative release falls utterly flat. Opener Give To The Needy’s didactic lyricism attempts the working class aesthetic of original blues musicians, but without their gruff minimalism or any authenticity, it just feels trite. Kirk’s forced, Americanastyle vocals are littered with scratchy, affected fury, while a woefully simple, boring solo in Tranquility demonstrates his flaccid musical stylings. The last of three unnecessary live tracks, the ten inexcusable, repetitive minutes of Find Me A Lady are the last straw.

Gunslingers’ turbulent sophomore release flaunts a country-rock edge and raw gringo aesthetic, underpinned by vocalist Thomas Lutrov’s unrestrained wails and unmistakable Australian accent. This playful offering revels in a contemporary western pastiche, riddled with stylised cinematic tones that could easily work in a Tarantino film. A steady bass hook in the lengthy title track punctuates a clanging melody, while dramatic ups and downs in The Winger Song flavour an interesting, memorable closer. These fun songs will quickly ingratiate themselves with listeners and worm their way into your brain.

Stephanie Liew

Stephanie Tell

Island Records/Universal A voice as strong as Carey’s will never not sound great, even in a slightly off effort such as this too-bare torch song.

SAMPHA Too Much Remote Control Drake’s sample was perfection, but this solo version holds its own with only piano and Sampha’s smoky yet milky vocals.

THE AVES Remote Mirador Records

46 • THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013

live reviews

SUNBEAM SOUND MACHINE, LIONESS EYE, WILDS The Tote 28 Nov In the intimate, nook setting of The Tote’s Cobra Bar, Wilds (aka Joel Hanna) kicks off the night with his jangly guitarpop. It feels as if Hanna might have been tacked onto the bill at the last minute with his disorganised, late start plagued by sound problems – perhaps a bad omen for his set. Hanna’s soaring, gentle voice struggles with higher notes and he often misses the mic, causing an unintentionally disjointed sound. An emotive soloist, Hanna’s

the floor filled while others stand on benches against the walls. Along with his live band, Sowersby begins with eerie, twanging notes to anticipate the lush, gentle glow of Cosmic Love Affair. While more upbeat follow-ups Sound Of Glass Breaking and Little While also demonstrate his textured brand of warm alt.rock, these tracks really showcase Sowersby’s exceptional knack for dreamy soundscapes, contained within keen pop melodies. Sowersby proves both a dynamic and lackadaisical frontman – his shaggy blonde mop recalling a certain someone from the ‘90s. Back-up vocalist Sophie Treloar demurely lets Sowersby take centre stage, while contributing to well-blended harmonies. However, these would be further enhanced if her vocals

SUNBEAM SOUND MACHINE @ THE TOTE. PIC: DAVID HARRIS

thin guitar chords would be greatly enriched by a backing band when playing live. The noise unleashed by greasyrock outfit Lioness Eye pierces the tiny space with powerful bass and tambourine played simultaneously to great effect. However, it’s a hairy drunken mosher who steals the show; appreciatively thrashing and playing air-guitar, completely out of sync with the hip, neat young men lining the room. The set itself comprises lengthy, sprawling psych songs in the vein of ‘70s classic rock. These songs are largely instrumental, littered with plenty of “yeow”s from frontman Bill Patching. Here for the last night of their residency, Sunbeam Sound Machine, the sparkling brainchild of Nick Sowersby, play to a perfectly packed-out space;

clear and amenities are great. The two stages – Stage Paradise, set up on a toboggan run, and Clubland, in the basement of the Lake Mountain Visitor’s Centre – are inspired set-ups.

29 Nov – 1 Dec

Dark Arts’ shoegaze, surf-haze and washed out lines are the perfect starting soundtrack on Stage Paradise in the early evening. Only 36 people watch on, but the vibe’s still there, as frontman Gabe Strachan points out after the show: they’re stoked to be here. The Red Lights follow, rocking their new EP with happy, Brit-smash energy and some pretty cute drum lines to offset the real catchy, rolling melodies. It’s also really fucking cold. Like, the bands are having trouble hitting keys. And the fog’s rolling in. Cold and empty. Feels like Canberra.

Lake Mountain Ski Resort, Marysville Friday

On paper, the inaugural Paradise Music Festival is a beautiful mix of ingredients: homegrown, up-and-coming talent; an insanely gorgeous mountaintop location in the Marysville region, still rebuilding after the ’09 bushfires; a slick image and friendly vibes on the preparatory emails. A carpark attendant directs punters from the back of her early ‘80s V8 ute. “I don’t know where you should camp, but everyone seems to be heading

SUNBEAM SOUND MACHINE @ THE TOTE. PIC: DAVID HARRIS

were turned up a notch. She occasionally drives some of the more revved-up melodies, which evoke a sunnier, surfy vibe and result in enthusiastic retro-style dancing up front. Unfortunately, the drunken mosher returns to ‘dance’, barging into people in an obnoxious, inappropriate manner given the style of music. Sowersby and Treloar smile at his scene-making, but they’d be forgiven for being put off. Luckily the exhibitionist takes off before the buzzing, frenetic goodness of closer Odd Connection, which sees Treloar dancing and really getting into the music along with the crowd. For a luminous new example of contemporary psych-pop, keep your eyes peeled for Sunbeam Sound Machine. Stephanie Tell

PARADISE MUSIC FESTIVAL

SUNBEAM SOUND MACHINE @ THE TOTE. PIC: DAVID HARRIS

that way,” she says, pointing up the hill between Lake Mountain’s two massive, brand new – and only – summit-top buildings. It’s 3pm on Friday, there are only 40 cars here. Certainly no two-hour crawling queue for entry. Campsites are dotted throughout the bush a few hundred metres away, which means Eskies, chairs and tents are lugged Tough Mudderstyle uphill through the thin mountain air. Not a great start. But the whole mountain is populated by these haunting dead gum trees, desolated by the fires. They’re a blanket of light, light grey that creaks in the wind and creates stunning silhouettes in the daylight, twilight and moonlight. There are clearly not nearly enough people here, but the setting is just insane. Campsites are well grassed and close to the action, signage is

Up in the Alia Arts House (cafeteria area) Kumbucha Tea and Mountain Goat is flowing and Polat’s on deck in the bar throwing out easy trip hop to the pre-drinking crowd. Downstairs in Clubland, through the installation-style glitter cave entrance, and past Paradise’s first passed-out patron (face down and inert only a couple of hours in) in-house party starters Soccer Legends cheese things up to a half full, but jumping and smiling, crew. The standard set is 40 minutes on the main stage and things move quickly. Melbourne cuties Alta really amp things up with a tightas, grooving set that’s oozing with control. A few months of solid gigging on the back of their Workers Club residency is paying dividends. Tell Me makes the hill-dwellers shake hips. Later in the night, headliners – inasmuch THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013 • 47

live reviews as Paradise has headliners – Elizabeth Rose, Oisima (getting trippy) and Client Liaison all kill it in a special trilogy. Client Liaison are a weekend standout – ‘80s synth-stepping for loving. Their cracker End Of The Earth echoes out fittingly, the duo bathed in a red stage glow, set against the alpine wind. Naysayer & Gilsun round out the night on the toboggan run, while Glass Mirrors and Mu-Gen explore whacked out territory in Clubland, to blissful yachting projections, way past the hour of three. Despite the lack of numbers (maybe 500 people all up), the punters are responsive and down to party. Saturday The gorgeous acoustic stylings of WAFIA ease the hungover into a picture-perfect day on Saturday. Only the sigh of relief

TUMBLEWEED @ CENTRAL CLUB HOTEL. PIC: DAVID HARRIS

from organisers threatens to interrupt the enraptured picnic vibe on the hill. This is what Paradise was supposed to look like. Like Elizabeth Rose the night before, WAFIA works in some ‘90s R&B, mashing and looping XX’s Angels into TLC’s Scrubs to finish. I’lls follow with a set of cruising, glitchy, soulful numbers – a cross between Thom Yorke and Wild Beasts that gets hard-driving and swirly at the end. Squarehead bring a bigstage oceanic sound next, working tension nicely, while up at Alia ZTN DJs keep the latte-sippers happy with some easy listening. Keeping the hazy guitar bands coming, The McQueens send out some The Kooks-sounding gap filler – Phoenix and Lana Del Rey covers – before House of Laurence class things up with their heavier, sunny beach rock. Bloody Marys are passed ‘round the hill, skin is roasting 48 • THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013

(a guy at the info desk says it’s because the air’s much thinner at altitude), and the espresso machine in the bar is doing a roaring trade. One gripe for many is on the food front: there was talk of food trucks, but instead there’s only fries and sausages served out of the bar. The token system (one token for $2.50, two tokens for a beer) works well. Into the evening, Rat & Co build up their simple chord progressions into a set of impressive jams – sparse and spacey with some real sweet work on the kit. This is howling dog music à la Explosions In The Sky. The slow jam to finish, with its reflective lead guitar line, is nice and mushy. The cute cheek of Brisbane garage crooners Millions fills out the little dance space at the front of the stage. Slow Burner breaks hearts and

image projections setting things off in what is really a fucking awesome space to party in.

trio channel the 1960s through a grunge sensibility and the crowd is in there with them.

Sunday

It’s a thing of marvel that The Meanies vocalist Link Meanie can still look good in tight jeans. But that’s the thing about The Meanies; they’ve always been able to pull it off. Their propulsive power pop/punk rock is always a winner and classic cuts such as Scum, 10% Weird and Lyin’ are as effective as ever on tonight’s crowd.

Saturday night’s high is not really repeated on the lacklustre, strangely post-punk/Aussie rock-leaning last day line-up. As the carpark empties, Darts and The Supporters push through, throwing out the weekend’s best banter at the expense of a poor dude chundering conspicuously on the grass. Paradise has the right set-up, it just needs the people. A slightly stronger technical setup on the main stage, better food options and playing up to ‘the art’ potential of Paradise’s brand (projections into these awesome trees, surely!?) should make next year a ripper. Simon Eales

TUMBLEWEED @ CENTRAL CLUB HOTEL. PIC: DAVID HARRIS

there are plenty of super fun moments in a tight collection. Chief Sydney act Glass Towers don’t disappoint, although their Halcyon suffers from sound-tech issues. A giving bunch, obviously stoked to be here, triple j airtime hasn’t exploded their egos too much. Melbourne Euro-drum machine, trance duo Forces deserve a larger crowd. Their mock elemental sound is almost the sound of the festival: super evolved, but playing the roles of primal creators. Their ‘80s disco tracks are a nice changeup. Young ones, Animaux, smash their big-band party set, replete with stage invasion, while post-funk derivers No Zu battle through more tech issues to thrash out a rocking end of night on Stage Paradise. Friendships particularly, but also Boom and Deer, have Clubland going baller, with Thomas Russell’s moving

TUMBLEWEED, THE MEANIES, SEEDY JEEZUS, THE ELECTRIC GUITARS Central Club Hotel 29 Nov Tumbleweed are back! Long live Tumbleweed! The Aussie legends have returned to promote their new album and the punters are anticipating a good time. Locals The Electric Guitars start the fun with a set that sounds like a slow and hazy trip that you’d take again, knowing full well that it could fry your brain. With plenty of fuzz, wails and solos of all manner, trio Seedy Jeezus deftly continue to build on the psychedelic atmosphere that the openers create. The

When Tumbleweed reformed to play a few shows back in 2010, they were unfocused onstage and seemed like they had an axe to grind with the people who screwed them over during their first go-around. The tunes were great, but it felt a bit like an excuse to drink beer and be a little belligerent about their unfortunate demise. Fast forward three years and the band is an entirely different beast; it feels like they’re moving

TUMBLEWEED @ CENTRAL CLUB HOTEL. PIC: DAVID HARRIS

forward, rather than stewing on bitter memories from the past. A lot of the clarity in the band’s set can be attributed to their new record, Sounds From The Other Side. The thing is a monster slab of fuzzy stoner rock that sees Tumbleweed fully embrace their psychedelic predilections, not worrying about having to stand under the shadow of the grunge zeitgeist. And as much as the crowd assembled here tonight wants to hear old hits like Hang Around and Carousel, they’re just as stoked when the band introduce material from Other Side. Tumbleweed get heads banging with cuts such as Mandelbrot and Like A Night Owl; no one in the crowd is screaming, “Shut up and play the hits!” at the Wollongong five-piece, because the new stuff is too damn good. It’s a triumphant set for the guys and, when it draws to a close, it feels like Tumbleweed have finally reclaimed, if not

live reviews exceeded, the glory of their past existence. Welcome back, boys. Tom Hersey

CHAPTERFEST 21: DICK DIVER & TWERPS, GEOFFREY O’CONNOR, BUSHWALKING, THE STEVENS, DARREN SYLVESTER, THE ANCIENTS The Residence 20 Nov Kicking of Chapterfest 21 for Melbourne Music Week, The

showcases their shared approach to lead vocals. Demonstrating what great contemporary Melbourne indie-rock can be, they prove an event highlight. Driven by disjointed, dark melodies and simple, rhythmic drum patterns, Bushwalking feature deep, spectral harmonies between bassist Ela Stiles and drummer Nisa Venerosa, notably in impressively long, fluid notes. However their set suffers from self-indulgence: lengthy instrumental segments of scratchy guitar and repetitive basslines. Similarly to Darren Sylvester, groovy Geoffrey O’Connor plays synthy, ‘80s-influenced pop. Opening with the simultaneously retro and futuristic Proud, his almost karaoke-style music feels incongruous with the other acts on tonight’s bill. Given this, plus his more dance-happy set,

SONGS THAT MADE ME, MARTHA MARLOW @ THORNBURY THEATRE. PIC: DAVID HARRIS

Ancients warm us up with their easygoing brand of ambient garage-pop. The venue’s impressive dome structure is well suited to housing their softly experimental sound, with touches of flashing, coloured lights and a wisp of dry-ice creating a unique atmosphere. As dusk falls, Darren Sylvester hits the stage with brighter projections to impress the quickly growing crowd. His brooding, spectral electro-pop transforms into a livelier ‘80s-style sound, infused with artificial, retro horns. He’s solid, but his set feels generic, perhaps due to the genre’s current ubiquitousness. Tight and sharp, The Stevens’ garage-style scrappiness and great energy is carried off fantastically. At once jangly and raw, their set is littered with bass hooks and unpretentious male harmonies while Teenage Satellites

with Dick Diver guitarist Ru Edwards, the pair perform a stand-out duet. The bands play insipid covers (many obscure) – perhaps more fun for them than the audience, especially given both bands’ excellent back catalogues. Frequently screwing up and laughing, ultimately they don’t seem to take this event particularly seriously. However their playful personalities can’t help but win punters over every time.

Little Bridges, which was written about Hart overhearing a friend talking about her (dramatised for the purpose of songwriting). Several other songs follow – including covers and originals, together with some anecdotes and a tiny bit of mutual admiration between the four women. Before the intermission, all four ladies come together to perform Kylie Minogue’s Confide In Me. It’s a theatrical ending to a successful first half.

Stephanie Tell

During intermission, we make the strategic move to use the downstairs toilets (along with everyone else). As if lining up for the toilet isn’t bad enough, we find ourselves subjected to the escaping sounds of a Damien Leith concert taking place in the Velvet Room. We rush back to our seats and pretend nothing happened.

SONGS THAT MADE ME

Thornbury Theatre Nov 30 After walking along High Street, where a dodgy character is trying to sell a used iPad,

SONGS THAT MADE ME, ABBY DOBSON @ THORNBURY THEATRE. PIC: DAVID HARRIS

the show’s trajectory would have benefitted from O’Connor playing after the headliners. The unusual collaborative set between Twerps and Dick Diver finally arrives, beginning with Twerps playing two songs on their own before Dick Diver come out as the crowd roar in approval. While there aren’t enough instruments for everyone, this is easily remedied by three people sharing drumming duties for their first collaborative song, a scrappy rendition of Dick Diver’s Languages Of Love. Dick Diver then play alone, including crowd-favourite Calendar Days. During this, Twerps frontman Marty Frawley comes back on stage, uninvited, to boogie and play out-of-time tambourine. Twerps guitarist Julia McFarlane then sings her own New Guy with Dick Diver, her distinctive, nasally vocals evoke a bell singing. Matched

it’s with some relief that we arrive at a buzzing Thornbury Theatre. Angie Hart leads Katie Noonan, Abby Dobson and Martha Marlow onto a stage doused in flora. The presence of wine and abandonment of shoes onstage give the night a sense of casual. Noonan introduces the show as one showcasing some of the key songs that have made each artist a person, woman and songwriter. Next up is Marlow, who is experiencing her first night in her twenties. A Marlow original, Day Of Roses, leaves no question as to why she is included alongside three of Australia’s most enduring female talents. Dobson, who uses her distinctive vocals to perform an acoustic version of Carole King and James Taylor’s Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow? follows. Finally, it’s Hart’s turn and she chooses a song she co-wrote with Mark Seymour called

SONGS THAT MADE ME, KATIE NOONAN @ THORNBURY THEATRE. PIC: DAVID HARRIS

The show continues on its smooth song/chat/song routine with much success and very little awkwardness. Although there’s a slight speed hump in the form of Criminal by Fiona Apple, which surprisingly comes across as a bit of a karaoke moment when delivered by Dobson. The set winds up and is met with a standing ovation. Very little encouragement is needed to convince the performers to come out for an encore. However, it’s not one that befits the main portion of the set, which included some inspired song choices. This encore is a little too cheesy, but the memory of the rest of the night is strong enough to withstand it. Jacqueline Flynn

THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013 • 49

arts reviews

CARRIE

sympathy for Carrie (Chloe Grace Moretz, whose natural self-possession makes it hard for her to effectively convey the character’s awkwardness).

Film

In cinemas Whenever I thought about the folly of making a new film adaptation of Stephen King’s horror novel Carrie – which was already brought to the screen somewhat superbly back in 1976 by director Brian De Palma – I reminded myself to consider the reaction genre fans might have had back in the day when remakes of much-loved movies like Invasion Of the Body Snatchers or The Thing were announced. In those cases, filmmakers like Philip Kaufman and John Carpenter managed to combine their obvious respect for the original with a different take on the material and their own sensibilities and style. And some new classics were created as a result. It’s been nearly 40 years since De Palma’s take on Carrie, the story of a shy, victimised teenager who uses her nascent telekinetic powers to wreak terrible revenge

on her high-school tormentors, and the world has changed a lot since then. With the undeniably talented Kimberly Peirce (Boys Don’t Cry) at the helm, an updated version would surely be relevant and meaningful to modern audiences while retaining the story’s surface shocks and underlying sorrow, right? Well, sort of. Peirce’s Carrie isn’t a dud – it’s a wholly competent, occasionally inspired piece of work – but it only rarely works the nerves or gets under the skin the way King’s book or De Palma’s film did. For the most part, Peirce takes an understated approach to the story, and that works well in generating 50 • THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013

THE WELL (REDUX)

NICA to 7 Dec

La Mama to 8 Dec

Chirpy flight attendants welcome us into the National Institute of Circus Arts Showcase, and advise us to strap ourselves in. The class of 2013 are taking us on a journey and they’ve packed everything, even the kitchen sink.

The most notable thing about this revisited version of The Well is its structure. Welding an unwieldy 11-strong ensemble to a text that veers from selfdeprecating self-awareness to megaphone profundity and keeping them ‘in sync’ is no mean feat. It’s the creative elasticity that director Kate Brennan brings to this often spooky, doomsday cult cum theatre piece that makes the whole stew work.

Circus

But horror is a genre that requires a particular skill-set, and Peirce doesn’t seem technically suited to the task of unsettling or terrifying viewers with this type of story. Consequently, Carrie feels more like a missed opportunity than anything else. Guy Davis

Right from take-off, the colourful cast literally adopt all the usual metaphors for doing everything to make sure we are enjoying the ride. Some casually walk tightropes as others bend over backwards whilst balancing in handstands on poles.

GILBERT & SULLIVAN CABARET REVIEW

The adventure makes us reconsider all things we’ve previously thought impossible. Cast gracefully swing and plunge from ropes, clothes, poles and anything else that they can get their hands on. Liam DeJong somehow makes throwing his woman (Tamika Bell) around not only acceptable, but sexy

Theatre

The Owl & The Pussycat to Nov 30 It’s warmth and fuzziness a-gogo tonight as the gang from 5pound Theatre tackles the inimitable Gilbert & Sullivan. Kicking things off with a bit

CARRIE

NICA SHOWCASE

NICA

Theatre

Indeed, there is a distinct sense of mash with this. The spotters will be ticking off the nods one by one: post-war avant-garde, Brecht, Absurdism, physical theatre, etc. The Well succeeds in bringing together a welter of discontinuous ideas to create an eerie sense of global apocalypse and dark subterranean ceremony. At times you wonder if what they’re really doing up there is

THE WELL. PIC: SARAH WALKER

of audience participation sets a jovial mood for the evening, the relaxed cast making a mockery of each other as they dissect the essence of the G&S catalogue. Archetypes are analysed and with piano accompaniment the five actors get to showcase their pipes, Lelda Kapsis’ falsetto bringing the house down. Tim Wotherspoon plays a rogue with aplomb, his ad-lib ribbing surprising his cohorts on stage whilst drawing guffaws from the crowd. Tonight’s performance puts smiles on dials and is a lighthearted affair that’s easily enjoyed even if you’re not a G&S aficionado.

and effortless too. And Hanne Grant turns heads as easily as she does hoops, spinning too many to count on all available digits (we tried) whilst flashing just as many teeth. But even without the juggling, human-wheeling and a whole lot of other stuff that we had never even imagined, the show would have entertained with humour and dancing alone. Twerking, shimmies and high kicks run rife throughout, with one kiss-locked sequence really putting the ol’ side-step to shame. Returning back to reality, we fear we will never be impressed by another party trick again.

The Well whirls around its audience, whom they manipulate and cajole, in a continuous flow; rather like the sound of constant chatter. Its noise and pacing are hectic; a rapidfire, cross-city conversation gone viral. Unfortunately, much of it gets lost in the adrenalised buzz and rush. Then there’s the cringeworthy, drama school philosophising to contend with, such that, in the end, this feels more like a charming undergrad experiment than well rounded drama.

Glenn Waller

Grace Robertson

Paul Ransom

celebrating the prospect of an overwhelming cosmic force and our ultimate surrender to it.

THE MUSIC • 20TH NOVEMBER 2013 • 51

muso

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

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

Reza Nasseri

Benny Doyle

NATIVE INSTRUMENTS TRAKTOR KONTROL Z1

Another pint-sized powerhouse in Native Instruments’ Kontrol series is the Z1, a controller and audio interface with headphone and RCA out, USB and a power supply that’ll charge your iPad/ iPhone while you play. The Z1 acts more like your mixer and your iPad as the control surface, utilising the touch screen to play tracks, set loops, hit points and to scrub through to different sections. The Z1 gives you a two-channel mixer, with multipurpose FX control on each channel and three-band EQ, 52 • THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013

URBANEARS BAGIS

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

NATIVE INSTRUMENTS TRAKTOR KONTROL S4 MKII

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

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

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THE BIG DESIGN MARKET 2013 6 TO 8 DEC, ROYAL EXHIBITION BUILDING

THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013 • 1

design market

OUR PICKS

FRANKIE AND SWISS

AIMEE SUTANTO JEWELLERY

CATHERINE DAVID DESIGNS

WINNIE NECKLACE BY EMILY GREEN

JEWELLERY Aimee Sutanto Handmade cube- and emoticonbased jewellery designs Dani M Handmade contemporary jewellery and porcelain tableware Emily Green Hand-formed polymer clay necklaces and earringsm as well as scarves and prints

ACCESSORIES Branched Wooden eyewear and watches CycleStyle Stylish and practical cycling clothing and accessories Kitty Came Home Handmade clutches, wallets and fabric journals Hello Polly Stationery, artwork, jewellery, bags and wallets, cushions, cookie cutters, ceramics, brooches, cacti, homewares

Answered by: Michelle Francis

Answered by: Aimee Sutanto

Answered by: Catherine David

Briefly describe your product(s): Together with help from ‘Florence’, our two-tonne stainless steel digital textile printing machine, Frankie and Swiss present The Leaf Series, Limited Edition Art Fabrics. We bring together natural fibre fabrics and beautiful images by Australian artists to produce an eclectic range of limited edition illustrated textiles and graphic linens.

Briefly describe your product(s): Contemporary jewellery with the main focus on structures that are derived from deconstruction and reconstruction of cubes. Other than this geometrical range, I also work on developing the decorative New Baroque range and whimsical Emoticon range. All of my pieces are handmade by myself in Melbourne.

Briefly describe your product(s): Functional, witty and original designer products made in New Zealand. Most of the range allows for customer participation in the product. For example, the cross-shaped clear shelves can be interpreted in a number of different ways and filled to suit the mood or season.

What inspires your design aesthetic? Having our own digital textile printer opens up a world of design opportunities not easily achieved in traditional textile printing. Experimentation and exploration are the core, as we seek out new concepts and creative processes in textile design. Which product in your store needs re-stocking most? The hot pink kilim bird cushion is super popular as are the Emily Green Hobes. In the custom printing side of our business, the most popular fabric is the Belgian cotton linen blend, smooth with a slight lustre, and the 100% linen, with a more rustic weave. Where is your favourite area to shop? Coventry Street in South Melbourne, hands down, with some great shops and delicious eateries and the market just down the road. Love the hidden Chez Dre and while not in Coventry, St Ali is definitely a fave. Where can we buy your products? 8/199 Toorak Rd, South Yarra / shop.frankieandswiss.com.au

TASMANIA BY HAND BY DUNCAN MEERDING

56 • THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013

What inspires your design aesthetic? I am often attracted to the grotesque in art and literature; the element of unexpected and wonder draw me. Even though my design aesthetic tends to be minimalist with the simple clean lines, sometimes they could be quite ornamental in way the lines and points are juxtaposed with each other. Which product in your store needs re-stocking most? I would say that the Double Cubes Necklaces (both on short and long chain) and Three Cubes Necklaces are the ones that needs re-stocking the most, followed not far behind by the Cube studs in oxidized finish. Where is your favourite area to shop? Clothes shopping is not exactly in my favourite thing to do, so I shop here and there depending on necessity. With local labels, I love Dizingof, Antons and Alistair Trung. I place more importance on shoes; I normally go to Collins Street for a hunt for a good pair. Where can we buy your products? Stone, Glint & Bone: 322 Coventry St, South Melbourne Market, So:me Space Design Precinct, shop 154 Aisle E South Melbourne / aimeesutanto.etsy.com

What inspires your design aesthetic? I am inspired by everything and anything. I design my products across a range of materials and methods and often find myself creating something that I feels is missing in the market, like my designer shower curtains or the moveable Josefine Sconce wall lights. What is more important, the Christmas present or the wrapping? Of course the wrapping! The curiosity, the excitement and the anticipation before the unwrapping can never be matched by the material. Which product in your store needs re-stocking most? The Kiss lights: the colour range and range of use makes owning one often not enough. Also the “Jelly” Marys; they make great gifts and often people buy them for others but end up keeping them for themselves. Where is your favourite area to shop? I am a great shopper that does not limit herself by area... Where can we buy your products? catherinedaviddesigns.com

design market

OUR PICKS

BRANCHED

DUCKFEET/ALL THE KINGS MEN

MAKE ME ICONIC

THE MOD COLLECTIVE

APPAREL Duckfeet Original, handmade, quality Danish shoes Otto & Spike Woollen and knitted gloves, beanies, scarves, blankets and ties Monolog Uniquely printed, handmade tops, leggings, scarves and accessories Luna Gallery Knitted textiles – bedding, baby and lifestyle garments

SUSTAINABLE 321 Water Durable, BPA-free plastic water bottles with an inbuilt filter Apple Green Duck Reusable calico, jute and paper bags, shoppers and pot plant holders Joco Cups Reusable glass coffee cups in a sleek design and array of colours

Answered by: Jonathan Hill

Answered by: Simon King

Answered by: Natasha Skunca

Briefly describe your product(s): WeWOOD is where fashion and nature meet. We are rebuilding ecosystems and planting trees, one watch at a time. One watch. One tree. One planet. Proof Wooden Eyewear makes the finest quality sustainable wood eyewear in the world. Proceeds help give the gift of sight to those in need.

Briefly describe your product(s): Duckfeet are Danish-designed shoes boots and sandals. They are handmade from all natural materials and made in Europe, the same way that they have been since 1975. All The Kings Men is the name of our label under which we make leather and canvas bags here in Melbourne.

Briefly describe your product(s): Make Me Iconic is taking an entirely new tack on designer homewares and premium souvenirs. We produce high quality products that people enjoy, connect with and want to talk about. Our goal is to bring the unsung icons of the city to life and into people’s homes.

What inspires your design aesthetic? Form follows function. Classic over fashion. Longevity over consumption. Natural over synthetic. Simple over complex. We choose materials that get better with age so that they have your character, your story and are yours. We like things that become distinctly yours.

What inspires your design aesthetic? I love industriallooking pieces; I love the rough edges and the worn-in bits. So when I designed my range I wanted them to have a real urban feel to them so that both boys and girl liked them. I am not really into flower prints.

What inspires your design aesthetic? We are inspired by all natural, sustainable materials. From vintage to modern, no style is ruled out. We are always inspired by nature and the world around us. By using repurposed materials, you are not only helping the planet but you are carrying on a legacy. What is more important, the Christmas present or the wrapping? The wrapping is a statement piece and there are so many ways to express yourself for the occasion! We personally like minimal, biodegradable packaging and wrapping – much like our recycled cardboard boxes and repurposed wood boxes. Which product in your store needs re-stocking most? Proof ECO Collection, Ontario “Wayfarer” and Sawtooth. WeWood Date Collection, Alpha Collection and Jupiter Collection. Where is your favourite area to shop? Online! There are so many amazing finds and designs waiting to be discovered. Where can we buy your products? branched.com.au

What is more important, the Christmas present or the wrapping? The present. It’s what’s inside that counts. Which product in your store needs re-stocking most? Probably our Brown Faborg Boots. They are a personal favourite of mine so I tend to encourage people that way. They are a simple classic boot that gets ridiculously comfy and looks sexy on both men and women. Where is your favourite area to shop? Fitzroy. Not because I’m lazy. Because there is so much good stuff and lots of variety. Between Smith, Gertrude, Brunswick and Johnston Streets, there is very little you can’t get. Where can we buy your products? Rear 169 Fitzroy St, Fitzroy / duckfeet.com.au / allthekingsmen.com.au

What is more important, the Christmas present or the wrapping? It has to be the wrapping paper! I love watching children just rip into it! They have no idea what is hidden beneath and the excitement in their eyes is just wonderful to watch. Which product in your store needs re-stocking most? Our iconic directions teapots and mugs based around the Melway map. Each teapot has an amazing overall print of the Melway map including the handle and the lid. Try and spot your favourite locations in Melbourne! Where is your favourite area to shop? I love shopping down Chapel Street. I used go shipping on Saturday with my girlfriends and chose outfits for what we would wear that night. That was such a long time ago and I still love the buzz. Where can we buy your products? makemeiconic.com

HELLO POLLY WIREWARE

THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013 • 57

design market

OUR PICKS

LUNA GALLERY

321 WATER

APPLE GREEN DUCK

ANGUS & CELESTE

HOMEWARES Catherine David Lights, shower curtains, furniture, wall art, bins and mail boxes Frankie And Swiss Boutique textiles printed onto cushions Sandra Bowkett Pottery and ceramics, beakers, bowls, spoons, plates and vases Make Me Iconic Designer homewares and premium souvenirs Angus & Celeste Ceramic jewellery, vases, tiles and planters The Mod Collective Lighting and porcelain tableware Stephanie Ng Design Home decoration and design, lighting and furniture Tasmania By Hand Lights, sculpture, tableware, artworks

Answered by: Beverley Armstrong

Answered by: Gretha Oost

Answered by: Wendy Pollard

Briefly describe your product(s): Exquisite knitted textiles. Bedding, baby and lifestyle garments created for feel, function, style and sustainability. Designed with integrity, constructed for quality, texture and fluid form. Made in Melbourne.

Briefly describe your product(s): 0 is different. Pronounced as ‘eau’ it is the fancy French word for water. 0 as in BY0 means ‘bring your 0’ or ‘bottle your 0’. Black and bold, 0 is a reusable water bottle made of 100% recycled plastic. 0 is part of Project 0; a much bigger picture.

Briefly describe your product(s): A range of funky reusable shopping bags, which includes calico totes, hemp/cotton bags, jute shoppers, mesh totes and our famous biodegradable jute hanging pot plant holders.

What inspires your design aesthetic? The hunt for beautiful natural yarns is inspiring – seeing how they can add new elements to a style, organically creating their own look and feel. But knitting is not finite, it is sometimes unpredictable. This is also our greatest challenge, but we love it.

What inspires your design aesthetic? The big picture is Project 0, which is about redesigning our water drinking habits in public spaces. We have created a drinking fountain that functions as public art. Each fountain is a canvas for a local artis. Inspiration for the Project 0 drinking fountain is a sculpture with organic form.

What is more important, the Christmas present or the wrapping? Both the gift AND the wrapping, or presentation, are important. I think it is the experience of receiving and giving, the thought and intention behind it, that is most lovely. Which product in your store needs re-stocking most? Our products are seasonal and our seasons are unpredictable. We were selling wool and mohair way into August and September this year. Now it is our cotton and sheer cashmeres that are rocking out. And knitted baby blankets: always the most beautiful gift. Where is your favourite area to shop? Gertrude Street is always great, as is Smith Street, Greville Street and the lanes in Melbourne. Where can we buy your products? Luna gallery knitted products are stocked nationally: see lunagallery. com.au/luna-gal-stockists.

LUNA LANA BY STEPHANIE NG DESIGN

58 • THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013

What is more important, the Christmas present or the wrapping? The present needs to surprise, the wrapping needs to build suspense. For both 0 EAU the water bottle and the Project 0 fountains, wrapping is key. It ‘wraps’ tap water and makes it look and taste delicious. Now we feel good about drinking tap water and won’t buy bottled water. Which product in your store needs re-stocking most? We sell one product, which is 0 EAU, with or without filter system. If you are a fan of filtered water you may want to purchase 0 complete, which comes with a filter system. The best thing you can do then, is to sign up for a filter subscription. Where is your favourite area to shop? I love the Greville Street precinct as it has a European feel. Where can we buy your products? project0.co

What inspires your design aesthetic? Colour, design, textile, patterns and a desire to create unique environmentally friendly products. What is more important, the Christmas present or the wrapping? Both! With our products you often get both in one! We have a huge selection of shoppers: printed calico, jute and cotton. Twine everyday bags. Colourful yetty bags that fold up to pocket size... These can all be used as both Christmas present and wrapping! Which product in your store needs re-stocking most? Our gorgeous pot plant holders and our lovely silk scarves. Both are popular presents and come in lots of colours and designs. Our pot plant holders are perfect for inner-city balcony gardens and our scarves are great gifts for the special ladies in your life. Where is your favourite area to shop? Melbourne has so many fantastic areas to shop and all different. I just love Gertrude Street in Fitzroy, top end of Smith Street. I also can’t forget the market shopping at the Queen Victoria Market and the summer night market. Where can we buy your products? 31-33 Best St, North Fitzroy / applegreenduck.com

THE MUSIC • 20TH NOVEMBER 2013 • 59

eat/drink

IN WITH THE NEW TUCK SHOP TA K E AWAY

273 Hawthorn Rd, Caulfield North With its dotted and lined page sign, canteen trays, “Hello, My Name Is” labels and milkshakes (in flavours like nutella, peanut butter and Redskin) served in glass milk bottles, Tuck Shop Take Away will bring you back to your primary school days. Tuck Shop has a menu that consists of burgers, jaffles, soft-serves and much more. Storm In A Teacup teas are served in a thermos and single origin coffee comes from Monk Bodhi Dharma.

THE HERBERT CAFE

113 Saint David St, Fitzroy

41 Arthurton Rd, Northcote Two local builders and an architect from Germany fitted out this small, new warehouse space with a raw exposed concrete bench top and recycled timber seating, and then recruited managers Amanda Skipper and Lindsey Galbraith to take over the industry side. With a simple but staple-filled menu (plus a specials board), sweets by Divine and house-blend coffee by Padre, this might be the new go-to for locals living in the area.

JIMMY GRANTS

From George Calombaris comes this souvlaki bar, named after the Aussie rhyming slang for ‘immigrants’, with souvlaki options named after the journey from Europe to Australia as well as artwork and decor to go along with the historical and cultural references. There’s a selection of chips, dips, pita and salad, plus house-made Greek doughnuts and other sweets from Darren Purchese. A fully licensed bar will keep your thirst quenched.

FOOD IS ART

M E AT M O T H E R

167 Swan St, Richmond Every day at Meatmother, they smoke slabs of freerange pork, beef brisket and ribs over beech and oak for up to 12 hours so that their customers’ American BBQ experience is as good as you’d get in the US. Wash down those trays of meat (plus sides of BBQ beans, chipotle slaw, mac cheese, gravy mash, smoked corn, and sprouts with lardons) with their top-notch selection of American and Australian craft beers, bourbon and cocktails.

60 Commercial Rd, Prahran The dudes behind Coin Laundry and Station Street Trading Co. now bring us Tall Timber, all courtyard, plants and communal tables. With dishes like pumpkin fritters (a bit of a change from your regular corn ones), meatballs for breakfast, pear and pistachio with rosewater bircher muesli, superfood cereal with berry yoghurt, pulled pork tacos and Nicccolo coffee (roasted on-site) – be prepared to wait in line on weekends. PIC BY ELLYCE WALLACE 60 • THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013

TA L L TIMBER

eat/drink FOOD TRUCKIN’

What is an ingredient you couldn’t live without? Why? Ketchup... really?

required, loves workin’ up a sweat handling wieners in the kitchen.

What food fad do you see being popularised next? Pasta.

Where do you eat out? Jafflechutes, Hanoi Hannah, Huxtaburger, Sauced, My Resturant, Shangai Dumpling House, Trippy Taco, I Love Pho, Taco Truck, Beatbox Kitchen, Gumbo Kitchen, Fancy Hanks, Claypots, Lentil As Anything Abbotsford Convent, 7 Apples.

What is your dream festival to cater for? Defs Golden Plains... Best festival everrrr!

MASSIVE WIENERS

Answered by: Liam Magee

226 Chapel St, Prahran / Cart: various locations massivewieners.com

What is the best aspect of having your business mobile? Allows us to get our wieners into as many hands and mouths as possible.

Who is serving/cooking and what makes them special? Serving = wiener slinger... Old school charm, service with a smile. Cooking = wiener artisté... Dedication to the wiener arts, six years of hot dog uni

What should I order when you pull up? Massive Classic: 12 inches of simple satisfaction.

OUR PICKS

MILKSHAKES Get ‘em while they’re cold. Here’s where to go if you are tired of the ol’ vanilla, choc, strawberry options. Tuck Shop Take Away, Caulfield North Redskin, Peanut Butter, Salted Caramel, Nutella, Milko

HOT SPOT QUEEN VICTORIA NIGHT MARKET The Night Market at the Queen Vic is now in full swing. Celebrating its 16th year, this season sees 60 food stalls providing you with the likes of crab burgers, peking duck, Afghan food, Jamaican chicken, Mamak’s famous roti, macarons, gelati. Plus, there’ll be old and new traders selling locally designed and made apparel, homewares, crafts, cycled products and even tarot readings. It’s on every Wednesday night until 26 Feb (excluding Christmas and New Year’s Days).

Shop Ramen, Collingwood Salted Caramel & Coconut, Choc Malt, Queensland Strawberry Shake Misty’s Diner, Prahran Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup, Butterfinger, Jaffa, Oreo & Mint Candied Bakery, Spotswood Apple Pie, Coffee Trunk Bar & Restaurant, Melbourne

EATIN’ OUT

Tim Tam Slam, Golden Gaytime, Liquid Lamington

THE CUTTING TABLE 126 Smith St, Collingwood thesocialstudio.org/food Answered by: Susan Yengi What’s the design/ atmosphere of your cafe? The Cutting Table has a very warm and welcoming ambience: from its bright interior colouring and decorations to the type of music played inside. Who is serving/cooking and what makes them

special? Our main chefs Korlu (from West Africa) and Mumu (from Burma) put in a lot of effort and creativity to make dishes that not only taste good but stand out also. What breakfast meal is the best hangover cure? Nothing beats the Aussie Breakfast... Grilled or poached eggs, tomato and spinach served with toast and spicy lovers sauce. The spicy lovers sauce is what makes this

brekkie stand out from the crowd, and is sure to wake anyone up. Where do you eat out? I like to eat at various places along Smith Street. Besides The Cutting Table cafe, I frequent Jimmy Grants, Pastry Art Design, N Lee Bakery and Shobu.

What is an ingredient you couldn’t live without? This is probably a little crazy because I hate to eat tomatoes, but I couldn’t live without them. Tomatoes are used in so many dishes... I know in a lot of African cuisines they’re used to thicken the stock and to make meals a little more robust. THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013 • 61

the guide vic.live@themusic.com.au

FRONTLASH

LIVE THIS WEEK

THE MUSIC ARIA PREDICTIONS

Well done us predicting 11 out of 15 of the major ARIA categories on the night. That’s about triple our normal hit rate so hell yeah we’ll gloat about that fact.

PUBERTY TWOS A sneak peak for Season Two of Puberty Blues, soundtracked by Australian Crawl’s mighty Reckless, is doing the rounds on telly at the mo’ and it looks incredible.

BITCHES ‘N BIRDS The long awaited follow-up guitar-pop album, Bird Nerds is the second work to emerge from Adelaide-via-Melbourne outfit, Bitch Prefect (pictured). They launch it at The Tote on 6 Dec with Super Wild Horses and Woollen Kits Bitch.

PIMP MY RIDE Our new favourite thing: Cookie Monster hanging car air freshener. And it’s cookies and cream scented!

C IS FOR…

BACKLASH TRAIN IN VAIN

REVOLTING DAYS

REEDY BANKS

Seminal folk-pop band Mutiny (pictured) play at Northcote Social Club on 7 Dec, launching Drink To Better Days, conatining 22 tracks celebrating each of the band’s 22 years. Fear Like Us and James Brook support.

A cross between an archetypal troubadour and David Attenborough, singer-songwriter Pete Reid (pictured) plays Dane Certificate’s (Brunswick) on 3 Dec for the first of three Tuesday sessions, playing his Songs From The Edge Of The World.

LOVE SERIES

GLOBAL PROGRESSION

Headlining Reverence Hotel on 5 Dec, Ceres (pictured) have been smashing out more of their ‘90s emo while recording their debut album. They’re joined by beardy punk rockers Have/Hold and Collapse.

The new self-titled debut album from World’s End Press (pictured) is expansive, featuring intimate ballads nestled between house driven bangers. It’s launched at Corner Hotel with Movement and Darren Sylvester.

Great news for summer commuters: according to The Age, trains will be reduced over the so-called holiday period. Some lines will be losing half their services. Might be quicker to get around on Santa’s sleigh.

BAG LADIES Some clueless ladies need licences to wear handbags. Spatial awareness should extend to your accessories when mixing it up with the general public, particularly in the front rows of gigs.

THIS WEEK’S RELEASES… NEIL YOUNG Live At The Cellar Door Reprise/Warner

I, ROBOT

8 FOOT SATIVA The Shadow Masters Caroline

Are people at all surprised to be ejected from restaurants for wearing Google Glass?

TOY Join The Dots Heavenly/PIAS SUNNYBOYS Our Best Of Warner

62 • THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013

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THE MUSIC â&#x20AC;˘ 4TH DECEMBER 2013 â&#x20AC;˘ 63

the guide vic.live@themusic.com.au

ALBUM FOCUS

HAVE YOU HEARD

THE GOOD SHIP Answered by: John Meyer Album title: The Seven Seas

SLEEP PARADE Answered by: Dan Teng Album title: Inside/Out Where did the title of your new album come from? It is essentially a comment on how we as individuals in this modern society have it the wrong way around and might be putting too much value on things that we shouldn’t. How many releases do you have now? Two albums releases and an EP. How long did it take to write/record? We wrote and recorded the album over the course of five years. Was anything in particular inspiring you during the making? Life. Getting older and experiencing new things. So much great music irrespective of genre that made us feel something. What’s your favourite song on it? The title track because it shows a different side to the band fusing rock and electronica. Will you do anything differently next time? Definitely; try and push in new directions and challenge ourselves. There is no point making the same album again. When and where is your launch/next gig? 14 Dec, Corner Hotel. Website link for more info? facebook.com/sleepparade

Where did the title of your new album come from? It’s a track off our second album from last year. There are actually fuckloads of seas, but from ancient times it’s been a common term. Seven is a very magical and sacred number.

LIVE THIS WEEK

DO A RUNNER

SKY KINGDOMS

Sydney psych-rockers Adrift For Days (pictured) prepare for the vinyl launch of their psychedelic doom epic Come Midnight. They launch their LP on 7 Dec at The Bendigo with Clagg, Broozer and Horsehunter also featuring on the night.

If you reckon rock is dead, wait till you hear the second EP from Palace Of The King (pictured), Palace Of The King II: Moon & Mountain. They kick off their weekly Cherry Bar residency on 4 Dec to celebrate new single Black Heart.

OBVIOUS GAWKERS

CAT VICTIMS UNITE

Brisbane duo The Phoncurves (pictured) launch their new single at Victoria Hotel on 6 Dec with The Drooling Mouths. The stunning folk-pop of Heartstring is sure to make you swoon.

Following the recent release of their first full-length album Exotic Goldfish Blues, Unity Floors (pictured) are celebrating with a Melbourne launch at new Brunswick venue Dane Certificate’s on 6 Dec with Chook Race and Wet Blankets.

TIMELESS HORIZONS

BUCKING BULLS

At The Public Bar on 7 Dec, Infinite Void will be joined by Sydney’s Narrow Lands launching their debut LP Popular Music That Will Love Forever, along with Shaking Hell and Masses.

Folk troubadours Buffalo Tales (aka Wes Carr) and Sam Buckingham team up for a run of shows, each playing solo sets and sharing the stage. They play Revolver Upstairs on 4 Dec.

FEARING AGEING

GHOST ORCHIDS

Born and raised on rhythm and green, The Braves are fine young fiends with firing Fenders and beating battle drums that strike with sonic prowess and an outlaw intent. They play at Retreat Hotel on 6 Dec following The Pension.

Playing a fresh blend of pop, indie, roots, folk and sometimes country, Zoë Ryan & The Dandy Lion launch their debut single Your Ghost of forthcoming EP Our Patchwork Hearts at The Curtin on 5 Dec with Ayleen and Murdena supporting.

How long did it take to write/ record? The album developed over a couple of years, going back to before the last album. It’s an unusual one, a concept album: all the songs tell a single story. Was anything in particular inspiring you during the making? We were trying to make this album as theatrical as possible, really dramatic, as it’s all part of a big theatre show we wrote. Mostly we inspire each other to sordid acts. Will you do anything differently next time? The next album will probably be quite different, certainly not a concept album. Probably some swearing, you know, getting back to our roots. When and where is your launch/ next gig? Launching the album at The Toff In Town on Sun 8 Dec. Website link for more info? facebook.com/thegoodship

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LIVE THIS WEEK

KISS OF DEATH

HOMEWORK AVOIDANCE

Following the acclaimed release of album Kiss My Apocalypse, Perth’s Abbe May (pictured) launches the album’s fourth single – pairing fan-favourite Perth Girls with new track Total Control in a double A-side – at Howler on 6 Dec with Mathas.

The Hypnotiser, the stunning second album from Cash Savage & The Last Drinks (pictured), captures soulful confessions from the jewel of dark country blues. Catch them at The Bridge Hotel (Castlemaine) on 7 Dec with Eaten By Dogs.

ANIMAL VALLEY

LESSER MAN

Pop-funk seven-piece Animaux (pictured) exploded onto the local music scene, drawing huge crowds every time without fail. The young guns launch their excellent EP Vale St at Northcote Social Club on 5 Dec with Tully On Tully and Albert Salt.

Celebrating the release of his new single Coward, electro-folk artist Hayden Calnin (pictured) launches it at The Workers Club with his band. Joining him on main support will be the divine Jordan Leser with Tom Milek opening the night.

EP FOCUS

GIVEAWAY

GENA ROSE BRUCE

KILL YOUR DARLINGS

EP title: Wild One Babe

The next in the line of films exploring Beat Generation writers of ‘40s and ‘50s America, Kill Your Darlings explores the untold story of murder that brought about the friendship of Allen Ginsberg (Daniel Radcliffe), Jack Kerouac ( Jack Huston), and William Burroughs (Ben Foster) at Columbia University in 1944, sparking the lead-up to the Beat Revolution. Kill Your Darlings is screened Australia-wide on 5 Dec. For your chance to rate Radcliffe’s American accent compared to Emma Watson’s in The Bling Ring, or his take on Ginsberg compared to James Franco’s in Howl, head to themusic.com.au/win-prizes for your chance to win one of five in-season double-passes.

How many releases do you have now? One. Was anything in particular inspiring you during the making? The problem with listening to so much good music is that I am inspired by almost everything. But when I pick up the guitar the inspiration has to come from my head, or my heart. What’s your favourite song on it? Old Love (track 2). We’ll like this EP if we like... Powerful female artists! When and where is your launch/next gig? The Evelyn Hotel, 8 Dec. Website link for more info? facebook.com/ genabrucemusic

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THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013 • 65

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SINGLE FOCUS

GIVEAWAY

LITTLE MAY

METZ

Answered by: Hannah Field

Toronto power trio Metz hit Australia for the first time with a Melbourne show at Howler on 5 Dec. Personally hand-picked by Metz, stoner-hardcore trio Batpiss plays support as well as local quartet Deep Heat. In his review of Metz’s debut self-titled album last year, The Music reviewer Chris Familton wrote that Metz are “kicking out a new take on post-hardcore, industrial-grade punk rock… Raw, concise and as much about the sound as the songs, this is the kind of music the world needs right now”. For your chance to win a double pass to their Melbourne show, head to themusic.com.au/win-prizes.

Single title: Hide What’s the song about? Hide explores emotional and/or physical infidelity, mind games... how both of those things can destroy relationships. How long did it take to write/record? We wrote it in one night on the way to Melbourne in a beachside town called Mallacoota. Recording was a long process due to experimenting with percussive aspects to really bring the song to life. Is this track from a forthcoming release/existing release? Hide is our second single release. It is definitely one of our favourites off our forthcoming EP! What was inspiring you during the song’s writing and recording? During the songwriting process I was inspired by one of my previous relationships. Trust and respect left the equation and we ended up really hurting each other; we should have separated before that happened.

SAT 7TH

BAKERSFIELD GLEE CLUB Cruisin’ Country from 5 to 7pm SUN 8TH

LABOUR CHRISTMAS PARTY With CHERRYWOOD - EATEN BY DOGS

MIGHTIEST OF GUNS - ROLLING BLACKOUTS Food - Music - Mayhem From 1.00 pm COMING UP IN DECEMBER

THREE KINGS LARGE NUMBER TWELVES DANNY WALSH BANNED BACKWOOD CREATURES

197A BRUNSIWCK ST FITZROY 3065 (03) 9417 5955

66 • THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013

LIVE THIS WEEK

We’ll like this song if we like... Running in the rain, zesty cheeses, a carafe of nice wine, Fleetwood Mac and sexy jungle beats. Do you play it differently live? When it is just the three of us we strip it back a little bit. With the entire band we definitely try to replicate the huge percussive chorus. When and where is your launch/next gig? 15 Dec, The Workers Club. Website link for more info? facebook.com/littlemaymusic

MORE DROOP Launching their bluesy debut EP at The Toff In Town on 5 Dec, Sagamore (pictured) are joined by the wonderful musicians who played on the EP, including Joe Cope on organ and Stu Mackenzie on guitar. Supports come from Atolls and more.

FROTHING MOUTH

PAPER QUEENS

Working their way into the hearts and earholes of postpunk lovers, The Sinking Teeth offer a high-energy, riffriddled debut EP White Water. They launch it at Ding Dong Lounge on 6 Dec with Damn Terran and Ceres supporting.

Often floating around parties, paddocks and pubs, what Straw King Eye deliver is guttural, yet intoxicatingly romantic. With a recently fashioned repertoire of new material, they kick off their weekly residency at Evelyn Hotel on 8 Dec.

GOLDEN TONES

HOMEBODIES

An up-tempo, swing-tinged, late ‘40s blues-RnB-rockabilly band, Coral Lee (pictured) & The Silver Scream play with steam train rhythms and vintage seductive vocals. They play at Retreat Hotel on 8 Dec following The Rechords.

Funky trio Thomcords have released their first EP and planned a killer launch at Evelyn Hotel on 8 Dec. Encapsulating punchy yet reflective lyricism, and coloured by rock, Latin and funk overtones, All Roads Lead Home moves body and soul.

HAPPY MEALS

EYES ON ENGLAND

Local garage duo Ross De Chene Hurricanes team up with Sydney’s finest purveyors of punk fuzz, Food Court (plus their debut EP Smile At Your Shoes) for a show at Grace Darling Hotel on 7 Dec. The Dead Heir supports.

Back from touring their new album in the UK, folk-rockers Zeptepi hit Reverence Hotel on 7 Dec with a brand new line-up and new foot-stomping folk tunes, sea-faring tales and murder ballads. They’ll be joined by Sarah Eida.

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! PERFORMING THE MUSIC OF

KING CRIMSON

PETER MURPHY PERFORMING SOLELY

BAUHAUS

TUES 10 DEC - THE HI-FI, BRIS WEDS 11 DEC - MANNING BAR, SYD THUR 12 DEC - THE CORNER, MELB

WEDS 22 JAN - THE ZOO, BRIS // THURS 23 JAN - THE GOV, ADEL FRI 24 JAN - THE FACTORY, SYD // SAT 25 - THE CORNER, MELB SUN 26 JAN - AMPLIFIER, PERTH

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THE MUSIC â&#x20AC;¢ 4TH DECEMBER 2013 â&#x20AC;¢ 67

opinion OG FLAVAS

ADAMANTIUM WOLF

WAKE THE DEAD

URBAN AND R&B NEWS WITH CYCLONE

METAL, HARDCORE AND PUNK WITH LOCHLAN WATT

PUNK AND HARDCORE WITH SARAH PETCHELL

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

MARIAH CAREY

68 • THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013

Brisbane record store, Kill The Music, is closing its doors on 5 Jan. The store was opened in 2006 by Paul Voge, an active member of the Brisbane music scene having played in The Paper & The Plane and currently playing in We Set Sail. THE AMENTA

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

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

For me, the saddest thing is that this is something endemic, not only in the Australian punk and hardcore scenes, but in music retail in general. The local music store has always been a vital part of any scene, but the changes in the way that we consume music has meant the importance of this institution is waning. There are a handful of independent retailers left in Australia, especially those that are friendly to punk and hardcore. My local record store as a teenager was Beatdisc in Parramatta, and it was through this store that my music tastes (however questionable) were shaped. It has remained my favourite, though having moved to Melbourne last year, it’s no longer my local. It was a place to drop into and hang out for an hour or two, chatting with the staff about good tunes, gigs we’d seen and what was currently on rotation. It becomes a relationship. Running a record store is a tough, sometimes lonely, sometimes scary gig. But every single record store owner I’ve encountered – from Kill The Music in Brisbane; Resist, Blackwire and Beatdisc in Sydney; and Poison City and Fist2Face in Melbourne – have all been people that have put their hearts, souls and passions into the scenes of which they are a part of, and deserve our full support. wakethedead@themusic.com.au

KILL THE MUSIC

opinion GOOD TIMING

DANCE MOVES

ROOTS DOWN

A COMICS GUIDE TO COMEDY WITH KIRSTEN LAW

NEW CURRENTS WITH TIM FINNEY

BLUES ‘N’ ROOTS WITH DAN CONDON

Last Monday, the radio show I work on, Lime Champions, was killed in a terrible boating accident off the coast of Rio, where it had been honeymooning with its second wife. It is survived by three children (to different mothers) Damien Lawlor, Josh Earl and myself, who are now embroiled in a bitter inheritance dispute with aforementioned second wife. The death of Lime Champions caps off a string of comedy radio exits nation-wide, including the RRR Breakfasters’ longserving anchor-woman, Fee Bamford-Bracher, triple j’s Tom Ballard and… of course… ergh – do I really have to go there? I choose not to. Hmmm… what else… oh yeah! It was announced last Wednesday that said Josh Earl will be the new host of Spicks & Specks! Josh is a quick-witted music knowit-all with the writing skills of a much older man (i.e. excellent) and whom I’ve been lucky enough to work with for the past two years. It was a pleasure planting the bomb under Lime Champions’ yacht with him. Hmmmmmmmm…what else…. oh yeah. Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2014 registrations closed last week, so that’s that – it’s too late for my one-woman Law & Order: SVU. Hmmmm… oh yeah! A funny thing happened at Puggs In Space last Tuesday (which is now at the Imperial Hotel). Due to the summer flu, I only caught the first bracket, but it was one of those nights where everyone was great. Everyone, including Fiona O’Loughlin, who made a surprise pop-in! Not bad for a free show. Not bad at all.

Ever mindful that December will usually humble the over-eager critic with a raft of astonishing last-minute releases, here’s a snapshot of what’s been floating Dance Moves’ boat in 2013. Above and beyond all else, UK dance music ruled the roost, provided you were looking in the right places: the simultaneously bumping and swirling vibes of Toyboy and Robin’s Jaded, Rudimental fusing deep house and pop on Baby, Gorgon City and Drums of Death deploying vocalist Yasmin to create moving vocal house on Real and True respectively, Sophie offering up twisted, wonky freestyle meets Technotronic on Nothing More To Say and Bipp, Jessie Ware stealing Roisin Murphy’s ideas on Imagine It Was Us, Disclosure’s classy Defeated No More and MK finally topping the charts with his remix of Storm Queen’s Look Right Through. The jackin’ scene continued to push its fascination with lumpen house as druggy machine noise: Lorenzo and Hannah Wants’ hypnotically dysfunctional Kneadin’, Lorenzo and Pete Graham’s Dorothy’s Forest, Tom Shorterz’s Smoke Machine and an unlikely vocal anthem in Sleepin Is Cheatin’s Darlin’. Outside the UK, I loved John Talabot’s melancholy and richly textured DJ Kicks, DJ Sprinkles’ expansive remix collection, Queerifications And Ruins, and The Juan Maclean’s early ‘90s house epic, Feel Like Movin’. R&B, still mired within a post-Guetta regime, pulled off some classy manoeuvres: Ciara reviving the Miami

Bass romance of Ghost Town DJs’ My Boo on Body Party (Remix), Mariah and Miguel short-circuiting Motown on #Beautiful, B5 making Usher meets dubstep an inviting proposition on Say Yes, Ariana Grande underscoring how great 2000 was with her album, Yours Truly; Kelis exploring Afrofunk vibes on Jerk Ribs, and Mike Will Made It coming up with the woozy goods on tracks for Rihanna and Kelly Rowland. Rap has far better specialists but even a dunce knows Chance The Rapper’s Acid Rap mixtape was gonzo brilliance, as were Gunplay’s Acquitted, Angel Haze’s Echelon (My Way) and various one-offs from Future (especially Karate Chop). On a more populist tip, I can’t deny the straightforward delights of Lil’ Wayne’s Rich As Fuck, 2 Chainz’ Netflix and Drake’s Started From The Bottom. I blame myself for keeping up with Africa and the Caribbean less rigorously this year, but what drifted into my consciousness was excellent. From Ghana, Guru’s fabulously weird Alkayida, and from Nigeria, Wizkid’s irresistible Jaiye Jaiye and Caro. Jamaica probably had the usual mountain of amazing music but for now I’ll single out Tommy Lee’s histrionic Manic and Step Middle Day. In the soca camp, Trinidadian Bunji Garlin blew me away with the oddly Balearic Differentology. My secret shame, though, was emotional pop-rock: best albums of the year, by some distance, were eponymous releases from Paramore and The 1975. But this makes sense: it was the best rock to cut dance moves to.

DISCLOSURE

DR BURT

The names Dr Burt and Adolphus Bell are far from well known. But just because an artist spends their career in obscurity doesn’t mean they weren’t great, and these gentlemen – who both passed away in recent weeks – were certainly among the greatest I’ve ever seen. Tim Duffy’s Music Maker Foundation brought both of these legends out as a part of the revue the organisation regularly puts on at the Byron Bay Bluesfest, and both were just about as affecting as an artist can be. Passion and pain had been poured into their songs and poured out of their performances; their tales of destitution and incarceration completely captivating and, as a middle class white boy, utterly frightening. But there was also a celebratory sprit to their performances; the artists were thrilled to be in Australia, but more so they just seemed thrilled to be able to play their music to people who actually gave a damn about it. Adolphus Bell died at 69 years of age, the one-man band succumbing to cancer that had plagued him for four years. It was this illness that kept him from returning to Australia after wowing crowds back in 2006. While on his deathbed, Dr Burt’s final wish was that someone could get him a gig close by so he could play one more show. He didn’t make it to that last gig, but the passion for singing the blues remained ‘til his dying breath. He was 76 years old. Let this be another reminder to embrace the chance to see the older musicians in our scene while we still can. THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013 • 69

the guide vic.gigguide@themusic.com.au Kataklysm + Whoretopsy + Gotsu-Totsu-Kotsu: Northcote Social Club, Northcote

THE MUSIC PRESENTS Catherine Traicos & The Starry Night: 6 Dec Spotted Mallard; 8 Pure Pop Records

The Magic Band, The Grandmothers Of Invention: 11 Apr Corner Hotel

The Nerve: 13 Dec Barwon Club Geelong

Allen Stone: 12 Apr Corner Hotel

Pond: 19 Dec Corner Hotel

The Soul Rebels: 15 Apr Recital Centre

Solange: 7 Jan The Prince

Morcheeba: 16 Apr Corner Hotel

Caravana Sun: 9 Jan The Espy; 10 The Loft Warnambool; 13 Feb Northcote Social Club

Jimmie Vaughan: 17 Apr Corner Hotel

Confetti ft The Presets: 12 Jan Palace Theatre The Julie Ruin: 15 Jan Corner Hotel Half Moon Run: 18 Jan Karova Lounge Ballarat; 19 Corner Hotel Avicii: 26 Jan Melbourne Showgrounds Parquet Courts: 29 Jan Corner Hotel Frightened Rabbit: 5 Feb Palace Theatre Wire: 21 Feb Corner Hotel Dan Sultan: 1 Mar Corner Hotel Mikhael Paskalev: 7 Mar Howler Future Music Festival: 9 Mar Flemington Racecourse Billy Bragg: 13 Mar Palais Theatre Absu: 21 Mar The Hi-Fi

WED 04

Songrider’s Club + Various: Baha Tacos, Rye Contrast + Miniatures + Hideous Towns + Braves: Bar Open, Fitzroy Singalong with Rebecca Barnard + Billy Miller: Caravan Music Club, Oakleigh

KC & The Sunshine Band: 18 Apr Palace Theatre Robben Ford: 18 Apr Corner Hotel Suzanne Vega: 19 Apr Recital Centre North Mississippi Allstars: 20 Apr Corner Hotel Aaron Neville, Dr John & The Nite Trippers: 21 Apr Hamer Hall Larry Graham & Graham Central Station: 23 Apr Corner Hotel Steve Earle & The Dukes: 24 Apr Forum Theatre Booker T Jones: 25 Apr Corner Hotel Arctic Monkeys: 9 May Rod Laver Arena

Marlon Williams: The Standard Hotel, Fitzroy

The Glorious North + Ben Birchall + The D Rogers Band: Grace Darling Hotel (Band Room), Collingwood

Simply Acoustic: Wesley Anne (Band Room), Northcote

Ben Salter + Justin Cusack: Spotted Mallard, Brunswick Lecherous Gaze + Kromosom + Zond + Gentlemen: The Bendigo, Collingwood Open Mic Night + Various: The Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick

Absolutely 80s feat. Dale Ryder + Brian Mannix + Scott Carne: Wellers, Kangaroo Ground

Snowy Buskins + Lachie Robertson + more: Empress Hotel, Fitzroy North

Sam Brittian + Nick Balcombe + Charlie Keller: Wesley Anne, Northcote

Warning Birds + The Trotskies + Sean Pollard: Grace Darling Hotel (Band Room), Collingwood

Birds of Tokyo + Guineafowl: Wool Exchange, Geelong

Voltaire Twins + I Know The Chief + DD Dumbo + Geoffrey O’Connor: Grace Darling Hotel (Basement), Collingwood

THU 05

Chelsea Wilson Quartet: 303, Northcote Beer Fridge + Wolfpack + Kodiak Throat + The Australian Kingswood Factory + Cruntburgers: Bar Open, Fitzroy Belle Roscoe: Bella Union, Carlton South A Concert Of Tom Waits Songs with Stewart D’Arrietta + Ross Hannaford + Philip Rex: Bennetts Lane, Melbourne Paulie Bignell & The Thornbury Two: Bessie’s Blues Bar, Collingwood Martin Martini: Captains Of Industry, Melbourne The Sweethearts: Cherry Bar, Melbourne

The Germein Sisters: Wesley Anne (Front Bar), Northcote

The Deans: Yah Yah’s, Fitzroy

FRI 06

Salad Days + Auranix: Great Britain Hotel, Richmond

Freya Bennett + Pete Carr: 303, Northcote

METZ + Batpiss + Deep Heat: Howler, Brunswick

Saritah: Baha Tacos, Rye

A/S/L + Dire Ears + Joel Stern + Oranj Punjabi + Abstract Mutation: Old Bar, Fitzroy Ceres + Have/Hold + Initials + Collapse: Reverence Hotel (Front Bar), Footscray

Fifth Friend + The Rosencrants + Lewis Moody’s Career Advice + Danika Smith: The Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick

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

Catherine Traicos & The Starry Night + Void Glorious Void: Spotted Mallard, Brunswick

Rise Pledge Campaign feat. Seth Sentry + Mantra + Grey Ghost + Diafrix + Briggs + Dialectrix + N’Fa + more: Corner Hotel, Richmond

DubHOUSE with Icehouse: The Espy, St Kilda

The Karmens + Woody Pitney + Halcyon Drive: The Workers Club, Fitzroy

Roots of Music feat. Buffalo Tales + Sam Buckingham: Revolver Upstairs, Prahran

GIG OF THE WEEK AUDEGO: 9 DEC BONEY

The Purple Dentists + The Mae Trio: Spotted Mallard, Brunswick

Disruptions feat. Oren Ambarchi + Robin Fox + Marco Fusinato: Corner Hotel, Richmond

Passenger + Special Guests: Palais Theatre, St Kilda

Muse + Birds of Tokyo: Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne

Wine, Whiskey, Women feat. Jemma Nicole + Gena Rose Bruce: The Drunken Poet, Melbourne

Jason Singh + Bec & Sebastian: The Toff In Town, Melbourne

BJ Morriszonkle + The Ukeladies + Groom Lake + Made For Chickens By Robots + more: Old Bar, Fitzroy

End Cancer feat. Outright + Urns + Caged Grave + Regrets + Yacht Burner + Feverteeth + Midwife Crisis: Reverence Hotel (Band Room), Footscray

Jake Bugg: 17 Apr Palace Theatre

Drunk Mums + Palace Of The Kings: Cherry Bar, Melbourne

Darts + The Fibs + Bobby Bouchet: Grace Darling Hotel (Basement), Collingwood

The Infants + Divide & Dissolve + Ohms + DJ Whiskey Cream: Old Bar, Fitzroy

The Gin Club + Van Walker: The Bridge Hotel, Castlemaine

John Montesante Quintet + Kimba Griffith: The Commune, East Melbourne

Toga Rock: Bar Open, Fitzroy The Little Stevies + Sal Kimber & The Rollin’ Wheel: Caravan Music Club, Oakleigh Grace of Spades Burlesque + Various: Cherry Bar (5.30pm), Melbourne 45th Anniversary of Beggars Banquet + Various: Cherry Bar, Melbourne Worlds End Press + Movement + Darren Sylvester: Corner Hotel, Richmond Unity Floors + Chook Race + Wet Blankets: Dane Certificate’s Magic Tricks, Gags & Theatre, Brunswick

Zoe Ryan & The Dandy Lion: The Curtin, Carlton

The Sinking Teeth + Special Guests: Ding Dong Lounge, Melbourne

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

Abbey Stone + Keagan Clothier + Jessie Hooper: Empress Hotel, Fitzroy North

The Peeks + The Elliotts + The Ugly Kings + The Zanes: The Espy, St Kilda

Rat & Co + Fascinator + Scotdrakula + DD Dumbo + Friendships: Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy

Jack Runaway + The Groves + Peter Dickybird: The Espy (Basement), St Kilda

Ben Keene: Famous Blue Raincoat, South Kingsville

Road Ratz + The Transitions + Street Fangs + NMA: The Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick The Gin Club + Chris Russell’s Chicken Walk + Plague Doctor: The Curtin, Carlton Traditional Irish Music Session with Dan Bourke & Friends: The Drunken Poet (6pm), Melbourne James Hazelden: The Drunken Poet (8.30pm), Melbourne Kings & Queens feat. Kilamaine + The Ugly Kings + Gecko Theory + Low Speed Bus Chase + Acolyte + Vultures Of Energy + Mary Washington: The Espy (Gershwin Room), St Kilda I, A Man + Them Swoops + Guineafowl: The Espy (Lounge Bar), St Kilda March In Moscow + Mick Cations Band + The Firing Line + Only Aliens: The Espy (Basement), St Kilda The Clits: The Gasometer Hotel, Collingwood Insane Clown Posse + Boondox + Big Hoodoo: The Hi-Fi, Melbourne Monster Cat: The Noise Bar, Brunswick Human Nature + Guests: The Palms, Southbank The Stillsons: The Post Office Hotel, Coburg Kingswood: The Prince, St Kilda A Concert Of Tom Waits Songs with Stewart D’Arrietta + Ross Hannaford + Philip Rex: The Substation, Newport Middissippi Bluestronica: The Thornbury Local, Thornbury Bitch Prefect + Super Wild Horses + Woollen Kits: The Tote, Collingwood

Human Nature + Guests: The Palms, Southbank

Mental As Anything: Flying Saucer Club, Elsternwick

Slow Club feat. Golden Shower + Grindhouse + Nutsack: The Tote, Collingwood

Suzannah Espie + Ian Collard: The Post Office Hotel, Coburg

Soma Coma + Idle Minds + Velvet Whip + Meter Men + Leather Lickers: Grace Darling Hotel (Band Room), Collingwood

Hayden Calnin + Jordan Leser + Tom Milek: The Workers Club, Fitzroy

Sagamore + Atolls + Guests: The Toff In Town, Melbourne Joyride: The Workers Club, Fitzroy Iris Dement + Catherine Britt: Thornbury Theatre, Thornbury Anna’s Go-Go Academy: Victoria Hotel (6.30pm), Brunswick Telstra Road To Discovery with Angie McMahon + Jesse Teinak + Michael Badger: Victoria Hotel (10pm), Brunswick

Abbe May + Mathas + Bertie Blackman (DJ Set): Howler, Brunswick

Gypsygrass Xmas feat. The Woohoo Revue + Mustered Courage + Guerilla Zingari: Thornbury Theatre, Thornbury

Cave + Love Of Diagrams + Cocks Arquette: Kelvin Club, Melbourne

Eureka Big Birthday Bash feat. The Bushwackers: Thornbury Theatre, Thornbury

Nathan Kaye + Guests: Kindred Studios, Yarraville

The Phoncurves + The Drooling Mouths: Victoria Hotel, Brunswick

Iris Dement + Catherine Britt: Meeniyan Town Hall, Meeniyan Abreact: Newmarket Hotel, Bendigo

1000S OF GIGS AT YOUR FINGERTIPS. FOR MORE HEAD TO THEMUSIC.COM.AU 70 • THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013

Lilith Lane: The Bridge Hotel, Castlemaine

Johnny Can’t Dance: Wesley Anne (Front Bar), Northcote

the guide vic.gigguide@themusic.com.au Songwriters In The Round + Various: Wesley Anne, Northcote Little Bird + Maddison Louisa + Wesley Fuller: Yah Yah’s, Fitzroy

SAT 07

Hollywood Or Bust! feat. Foxtrot + Max Goes to Hollywood + The Shadow League + Foley!: 303, Northcote Lilith Lane: Baby Black Cafe, Bacchus Marsh Kinematic: Baha Tacos, Rye Sammy Owen Blues Band + Shoeshine + The Mondlarks: Bar Open, Fitzroy Warped Tour 2013 feat. The Offspring + Parkway Drive + Simple Plan + Millencolin + The Amity Affliction + New Found Glory + The Used + Reel Big Fish + Hatebreed + Tonight Alive + The Summer Set + Kids In Glass Houses + We Came As Romans + Man Overboard + Crown The Empire + Confession + The Dangerous Summer + For All Those Sleeping + Veara + Anarbor + Hands Like Houses + Mallory Knox + Buried In Verona + RDGLDGRN + Hand Of Mercy: Birrarung Marr, Melbourne Cindy Boste + Jeremy Edwards & The Dust Radio Combo: Caravan Music Club, Oakleigh Christmassacre with In Malice’s Wake + Desecrator + Malignant Monster + Decimatus: Cherry Bar, Melbourne Toecutter + Mannik + Trigger: Club DV8, Melbourne Saskwatch + Atolls + Fraser A Gorman + Horns Of Leroy + DJ Chris Gill: Corner Hotel, Richmond The Migrations + Vicuna Coat: Empress Hotel (3.30pm), Fitzroy North The Sand Dollars + Altitude + Red X: Empress Hotel, Fitzroy North Bon Jovi + Kid Rock: Etihad Stadium, Docklands Pludo: Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy A Concert Of Tom Waits Songs with Stewart D’Arrietta + Ross Hannaford + Philip Rex: Flying Saucer Club, Elsternwick The Bamboos: Forum Theatre, Melbourne Ross De Chene Hurricane + Food Court + The Dead Heir: Grace Darling Hotel (Basement), Collingwood Honey Badgers + Galaxy Folk + Grand Prismatic: Grace Darling Hotel (Band Room), Collingwood The Dames: Great Britain Hotel, Richmond Barry Morgan: Knox Community Arts Centre, Bayswater

Stereosonic 2013 feat. Armin Van Buuren + The Bloody Beetroots + Axwell + Alesso + Aly & Fila + Stafford Brothers + Nero + more: Melbourne Showgrounds, Ascot Vale Mutiny + Fear Like Us + James Brooke: Northcote Social Club, Northcote Air Supply: Palais Theatre, St Kilda Jaju Choir: Rainbow Hotel, Fitzroy Zeptepi + Sara Eida: Reverence Hotel (Front Bar), Footscray Mason + Demonika + Demonhead + Party Vibez + Seppeku + Atomic Death Squad: Reverence Hotel (Band Room), Footscray Super Saloon + The Rift + Titch + Catcher Kite: Revolver Upstairs, Prahran A Day On The Green + Alicia Keys + John Legend: Rochford Wines, Coldstream Muse + Birds of Tokyo: Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne Bang feat. Perfect Fit + Hometown: Royal Melbourne Hotel, Melbourne Grumpy Neighbour: Shamrock Hotel, Kyneton

Primitive Calculators + Little Bands: The Toff In Town, Melbourne Soul A Go Go + Various: The Workers Club, Fitzroy Dan Waters Band + The Idle Hoes: Thornbury Theatre, Thornbury Ol’ Timey Music Jam with Craig Woodward & Friends: Victoria Hotel (5pm), Brunswick Sebastian’s Rock n’ Roll Swing Dancing: Victoria Hotel (6.30pm), Brunswick The Moonee Valley Drifters: Victoria Hotel, Brunswick Dandenong Ranges Hot Jazz Orchestra: Wesley Anne (Band Room/3pm), Northcote Ogrin-Gulina-Whyte Trio: Wesley Anne (Front Bar), Northcote She The Wolf + Mark Joseph + Bloom: Wesley Anne (Band Room), Northcote The Solicitors Xmas Party feat. The Wellingtons + The Solicitors + The Naysayers + Busy Kingdom + The Elliots + Bressa Voe: Yah Yah’s, Fitzroy

SUN 08

Vince Jones: Flying Saucer Club, Elsternwick

Moosejaw Rifle Club: The Standard Hotel, Fitzroy

Kisshead + Alexi + Sing, Create, Express: Grace Darling Hotel (Band Room), Collingwood

The Good Ship + Rich Davies & The Devil’s Union: The Toff In Town (2pm), Melbourne

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

All Our Exes Live In Texas + The Harpoons + Mighty Duke & The Lords: The Toff In Town (8pm), Melbourne

The Spheres + Ollie Olsen + Where Were You At Lunch: Northcote Social Club, Northcote Crown of Thorns + Dave Graney: Northcote Social Club (1.30pm), Northcote

Sheldon King: Victoria Hotel (5pm), Brunswick

Guerilla Zingari: Open Studio, Northcote

Gemma Tully & The Thornbirds: Wesley Anne (Band Room), Northcote

Salutes Vanda & Young + RocKwiz (Live): Palais Theatre, St Kilda Catherine Traicos & The Starry Night: Pure Pop Records (5pm), St Kilda Sarah Carroll: Rainbow Hotel (4pm), Fitzroy Nathan Seeckts + Luke Thomas + Dimitri Hondroudakis: Reverence Hotel (Front Bar), Footscray

Darebin Songwriters Guild: 303 (3pm), Northcote

Survivor! + Beni: The Bottom End, Melbourne

Ladders To The Moon + Various: 303, Northcote

Cash Savage & The Last Drinks + Eaten By Dogs: The Bridge Hotel, Castlemaine

Big Words + Jordan Walker + Kaity Dunstan + Lala: Bar Open, Fitzroy

Nevermind The Warp’d Tour feat. Beer Fridge + Myrtle Place + Fatty Esther + The Unprettier + The Worst + The Resignators + Strawberry Fist Cake + The Ramshackle Army + Spew n Guts + I Am Duckeye + Admiral Ackbar’s Dishonourable Discharge + more: The Brunswick Hotel (12pm), Brunswick

Cave + Kelpe + Dan Dare + Woody McDonald: Boney, Melbourne

Hugh McGinlay & The Recessive Genes: Royal Oak Hotel (4pm), Fitzroy North

Carry On Caravan Christmas Party feat. Billy Miller + The Love Brothers + The Trailer Trash Choir + South of the River Gospel Choir + more: Caravan Music Club (3pm), Oakleigh

Steel Panther + Buckcherry + Fozzy: Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne

Southern Lightning: Cherry Bar (3pm), Melbourne Black Cab: Cherry Bar, Melbourne

Pugsley Buzzard: The Drunken Poet, Melbourne

Alanna & Alicia: Clifton Hill Hotel (4pm), Clifton Hill

Pandorum + Shadows Of Hyenas + Veludo: The Espy (Gershwin Room), St Kilda

Kylesa + King Of The North + Sun God Replica: Corner Hotel, Richmond

Absolutely Live - The Doors Show + Shed Zeppelin: The Espy (Lounge Bar), St Kilda

Different Colours Made of Tears: A Tribute To Lou Reed + Various: Empress Hotel (3pm), Fitzroy North

The Workinghorse Irons + The Tarantinos + The Beggars Way: The Espy (Basement), St Kilda Leonard Cohen + Special Guests: The Hill Winery, Drysdale

Bon Jovi + Kid Rock: Etihad Stadium, Docklands Thomcords: Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy

Human Nature + Guests: The Palms, Southbank

Alexis Nichole & The Missing Pieces + Timothy Cannon: Evelyn Hotel (1.30pm), Fitzroy

Spoonful: The Post Office Hotel, Coburg

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

Khrstian Mitzi & The Sirens: The Thornbury Local, Thornbury

The Band Who Knew Too Much: Fitzroy Pinnacle (Beer Garden/4.30pm), Fitzroy North

Casual Band Blooger Melbourne Showcase feat. White Summer + The Naysayers + Louis Spoils: The Workers Club (1.30pm), Fitzroy

Mountain Goat Beersoaked Sundays + The Drunken Poachers + Rich Davies + Modesty: Old Bar, Fitzroy

Clagg + Adrift For Days + Broozer + Horsehunter: The Bendigo, Collingwood

Terrible Truths + Ivy Street + The Native Cats + Heart Beach + Catsuit + Treehouse: The Curtin, Carlton

Bored Nothing + The Ocean Party + Bearhug + Deep Space Supergroop: The Workers Club, Fitzroy

Revolver Sundays + Boogs + Spacey Space + T-Rek + more: Revolver Upstairs, Prahran Alicia Keys + John Legend: Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne

Shirazz: Spotted Mallard, Brunswick Tim Morrison: The Bay Hotel, Mornington Tim Hampshire + Lachlan Hicks + Josh Mann + Josh Newman + Jim Duggan + Brad Vincent: The Bendigo, Collingwood Checkerboard: The Bridge Hotel, Castlemaine Buck Jnr + Demi Louise: The Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick Premium Fantasy: The Curtin, Carlton Pheasant Pluckers: The Drunken Poet (4pm), Melbourne Jules Boult: The Drunken Poet (6.30pm), Melbourne Dale Ryder Band + Gary Eastwood Express + DJ Paz: The Espy (Lounge Bar), St Kilda

Louisa Trewartha: Wesley Anne (Band Room/3pm), Northcote

MON 09

Audego + Alta + Able8: Boney, Melbourne Cherry Jam + Various: Cherry Bar, Melbourne

Metric: Forum Theatre, Melbourne Monday Night Mass feat. Ghost Gums + Skyneedle + Mud Brick: Northcote Social Club, Northcote Leonard Cohen + Special Guests: Palais Theatre, St Kilda Let’s Get Funny At The Brunny + Various: The Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick Miss Eileen & King Lear + Max Savage: The Toff In Town, Melbourne

TUE 10

Super Unsigned Music Festival feat. Pyramid + Earl Spaceman + Inside Reality + For What It’s Worth + Animator + Sean Kirkwood + John Cashman + Real Now: Corner Hotel (7pm), Richmond Pete Reid + Steph Brett + Wolf Von Trapp: Dane Certificate’s Magic Tricks, Gags & Theatre, Brunswick Open Mic Night + Various: Empress Hotel, Fitzroy North Kylesa + Broozer + Clagg: Howler, Brunswick Map Ends + Adam Roche: Old Bar, Fitzroy

Emergenza Final + Various: The Hi-Fi, Melbourne

Discovery Night feat. Triumph Over Logic + Chachi + Jason Lives: The Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick

Human Nature + Guests: The Palms, Southbank

The April Maze + Nigel Wearne: The Toff In Town, Melbourne

John Kennedy: The Post Office Hotel, Coburg

Dimi Dero: Yah Yah’s, Fitzroy

1000S OF GIGS AT YOUR FINGERTIPS. FOR MORE HEAD TO THEMUSIC.COM.AU THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013 • 71

opinion HOWZAT! LOCAL MUSIC BY JEFF JENKINS READ ABOUT IT Australian music deserves more books. Rock Country ($75, Hardie Grant) sets the standard. Howzat! is perhaps biased, because this scribe contributed a piece on how Ian Meldrum became Molly and it’s an honour to be associated to this book. It’s funny (Coxy from The Fauves writes about being lost on the publicity trail), sad (Samantha Trenoweth documents the death of Marc Hunter’s longtime girlfriend) and revealing (Tony Wilson tracks down Keith Richards’ “Melbourne wife”). “I wanted to make a book where the words and photos are equal,” explains editor Christian Ryan. “Where Colin Beard’s wrenching photo of Gerry Humphrys roaring sits a page away from a Clinton Walker essay on the genius of Barry Gibb; where the young Olivia Newton-John posing in the long grass, or Martin Philbey’s shot of a sweatflecked Tim Rogers glittering, bounce off a David McComb

72 • THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013

essay called Fanlessness, built from never-published fragments. I hoped the effect would be a book that feels and reads exhilarating, thrilling.” It also features a unique poll – Christian asked every local artist who’d had a number one to vote for the greatest Australian rock star. “I wanted a poll that’s democraticfeeling – Dick Diamonde gets a vote, Garry Gary Beers gets a vote, Melissa Tkautz gets a vote…” And the five greatest, according to the chart-toppers? Michael Hutchence, John Farnham, Bon Scott, Johnny O’Keefe and Chrissy Amphlett. Rock Country is big, wild and unpredictable – like Australian music. “The book is built on revelation,” Christian says. “Right now, the line that’s slaying me – though deep down I did know it already – is Tyrone Noonan’s on the late Grant McLennan: ‘Grant felt that if he could write a song with enough longing and tenderness in it, his ex might

TIM ROGERS. PIC: MARTIN PHILBEY

hear it and come back to him’.” Explaining the title, Christian says Rock Country “implies there’s something about this place, its geographic location, the quality of the light, the feeling within its cities, that helps explain all this music. It’s not blind chance.” REED ABOUT IT Tune into Jonathan Alley’s Under The Sun (RRR, 6.30pm Sunday) for Some Kinda Love, a live all-Aussie tribute to Lou Reed, featuring Mick Harvey, Lisa Miller, Dave Graney, Kerri

Simpson, Rob Snarski, Harry Howard, Black Cab’s Andrew Coates and The Spoils. KING TIDE Kings Of The Sun haven’t played in Melbourne since May 1998, but Clifford Hoad’s band will be at Cherry on 22 Feb, launching their aptly titled new album Rock Til Ya Die. HOT LINE “And I always go unnoticed to everyone but myself” – Melody Pool, Somebody You’ve Never Met Before.

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the end

CARTOON DEATHS BRIAN GRIFFIN LIFESPAN

12 seasons.

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

PROS

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

CONS The writers have killed off their best asset.

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

KENNY LIFESPAN

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

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

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

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

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

MAUDE FLANDERS LIFESPAN

11 seasons.

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

PROS Homer finds a bobby pin on the floor.

CONS The Leftorium is now horribly understaffed.

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

74 • THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013