BSide Magazine #26

ISSUE 0026 / April 9th - April 15th 2015

IT’S FREE - www.bsidemagazine.com.au

British India ALSO INSIDE: Joseph Tawadros, Fenrir, Mark Holden Serena Ryder, The Elles Have It!, Moni Lashes, The Ocean Plus BOB’s BITS, TOUR GUIDE & LOCAL MUSIC NEWS

Presented by Ramblin’ Promotions, the rootsy Ramblin’ On The Riverbank inaugural event will feature The Hushes, The Heggarties and The Cherry Pickers and will take place from 8pm on Saturday 25 April at The Adelaide Rowing Club (on the riverbank behind Adelaide Convention Centre). Tickets are now available via Moshtix.

Johnny Roy’s Liberty are set to rock the Gaslight Tavern, 36 Chief St, Brompton, on Saturday 2 May at which they will be joined

by Already Gone.

The Franklin Hotel, 110 Franklin St, has live acoustic music and great vibes from 3pm every Sunday. Check out Blue Lagoon on Sunday 12 April, JB3 on Sunday 19 April and Little Big Words on Sunday 26 April. And did you know you can now purchase a jar of Frank’s rather delicious jalapeño relish at the bar?

Sun Theory, formerly known as Cow, only seem to do the occasional gig so make sure to catch ’em when they undertake a free entry show to launch a brand new album, Fine Dust, at The Wheatsheaf Hotel, 39 George St, Thebarton, from 9pm on Friday 24 April.

Ghyti is heading off to Canada to play Canadian Music Week but not before doing a farewell show from 9pm on Friday 17 April at Vinyl, 20 Gilbert Plc, with One Thousand Couples. Ghyti also boast a new line-up with Nicholas Pipe joining on guitar and Luke Eygenraam on the other guitar.

Adelaide keyboard player and vocalist Samantha White will be launching her new album, Grace Under Pressure, at Goodwood Institute, 166 Goodwood Rd, Goodwood, from 2.30pm on Sunday 19 April. Bringing together noted South Australian musicians, vocalists, dancers and video work for Sam’s independent production house, The Neumeria Art Collective, Grace Under Pressure is a heartfelt ode to the human spirit and its formidable capacity to maintain grace amidst steep adversity. Sam’s long-term musical collaborators, Julian Barnett, Celia Craig, Michael Bryant, John Appleby, Mark Carey, Cindy Macdonald and Bronwen Taylor will take to the stage with tango dancers Janett and Russ Jackson and dancer Ade Suharto. The stage at Goodwood Institute will also feature stunning, atmospheric visual clips by Lindsay Smith, shot in beautiful South Australian locations. Tickets will be available at the door for $10 and there will also be merchandise for sale including the CD. Applications are now open until Friday 1 May for musical artist to perform at Semaphore Music Festival, which is to be held from Friday 2 October until Monday 5 October at the picturesque seaside suburb of Semaphore. Please send a press kit and also an MP3 to <info@ semaphoremusicfestival.com> or Artists, SMF, PO Box 302 Semaphore, SA, 5019 Fresh from a hit out down south, Blues Deluxe will now be heading to The Gaslight Tavern, 36 Chief St, Brompton, on Friday 17 April to play some deluxe blues with relatively new Adelaide rock band Tapir Kingdom who are in the process of recording their debut EP. Battle Of Flowers are pleased to announce a totally rockin’, free entry show at the Grace Emily, 232 Waymouth St, from 9pm on Thursday 23 April at which they will be joined by Kitchen Witch who are currently in the process of recording some new material. Battle Of Flowers are also set to open for Hugo Race at the Wheatsheaf Hotel on Sunday 3 May. Steve Salvi, of Salvi’s Fine Guitars, is holding another Guitar Swap Meet, at

2

The Wheatsheaf Hotel, 39 George St, Thebarton, from high noon on Saturday 11 April. Take any musical gear along and swap it for something else.

The next AMC (Adelaide Music Collective) Session will take place from 7.30pm on Friday 10 April at Goodwood Institute, 166A Goodwood Rd, Goodwood, and will feature Archie Roach, Mark Holden, The Yearlings and Max Savage with Archie, Mark, Ruby Hunter, Paddy McCartney and Peter Brideoak to also be inducted into the Hall Of Fame during the course of proceedings. Tickets, and be quick, are now available via <trybooking.com.au>.

Port Adelaide’s Railway Hotel, 247 St Vincent St, has opened its doors to live music on Friday evenings from 5pm and also Sunday afternoons from 4pm. Catch Ukalalas from 5pm on Friday 10 April, Diamond Duo on Friday 17 April and Duke on Friday 24 April, while Sundays has Big Smoke from 4pm on Sunday 12 April, The Memes on Sunday 19 April and Ozwiete on Sunday 26 April. All gigs are free entry too.

Scorcherfest is back with a brand new model that includes a live recording option for bands and 30 free tickets to acts that can see a dozen tickets online. The next event, featuring over 30 acts, happens on Sunday 12 April at Producers Hotel, 235 Grenfell St. Applications are now open at <scorecherfest.com.au>. Applications are also open for Scorcherfest in Perth, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.

Relatively new live music venue Vinyl, 20 Gilbert Plc, is up and running and now boasts two regular nights during the week as well as its eclectic weekend program.

Commencing from Wednesday 15 April, Ronny Davidson and Chris Finnen will now be playing a blues show from 8pm each Wednesday, while The James Muller Quartet drops some world class jazz in the intimate venue every Thursday evening from 8pm and that’s an easy $5 entry.

The Blues Lounge, hosted by stalwarts Ronny Davidson and Peter Harris, happens as a well-attended, free entry blues jam at The Gaslight Tavern, 36 Chief St, Brompton, every Tuesday evening from 8.30pm until late. Expect surprise special guests each week and the return of the BBQ out the back.

Satisfaction - The Stones Show, will make a return to the main room of the Governor Hindmarsh Hotel, 59 Port Rd, Hindmarsh, armed with a new singer, Simon Jonz, on Friday 24 April. Book via the venue or OzTix.

Hotel Metro, 46 Grote St, has lots of varied musical goodness happening in its band room with Sick People, Scab Eater, Starvation and Cum from 9pm on Thursday 9 April, The Zebras, Glaciers, Alpha Beta Fox and DJ Edub from 9pm on Friday 10 April and Johnny Telefone, Cold Lies (an Egypt Lies and Cold Life collaboration), Meat Market and Leitmotiv Limbo from 9pm on Saturday 11 April. DJ Prison Bars will also be spinning away at Hotel Metro from 4pm on Sunday 12 April.

Created by veteran Adelaide music guru Rob Dunstan, BSide Magazine is a weekly magazine totally focussed on what’s going on in the Adelaide Music Community.

Adelaide-based singer songwriter Christian Andrew has announced his national November Rain tour that will kick off in his hometown on Sunday 12 April at Tenth & Gibson which is conveniently located on the corner of Tenth and Gibson Sts, Bowden.

Our goal with BSide Magazine is to help rebuild the Adelaide Music Community, to refocus the emphasis on local music and uniting the different tribes encouraging and further enhancing a prosperous live music industry for all.

Kaurna Cronin has announced a national tour to promote a bluesy new single, Inside Your Town Is Inside Your Head, which will have him heading to Sydney and Melbourne before heading back home to play Nexus Arts, North Tce, on Saturday 16 May. Chunky Custard, who seem to have been around for ages, have announced their 25th Anniversary show which will have them performing at the Governor Hindmarsh, 59 Port Rd, Hindmarsh, on Saturday 13 June. Put your spandex in the wash, book tickets via OzTix or the venue and prepare to boogie the night away.

Boston Girl is the duo of Kelly Breuer and Alicia Vega and the pair will now launch their debut double A-sided single, Time and Good Company, at the Exeter Hotel, 246 Rundle St, on Friday 1 May with support from Melbourne’s Aine Tyrrell and a solo set from The Brouhaha. It’s free entry too!

The Toss, Pigsteerer and Soberphobia will be playing a punk rock show at Gaslight Tavern, 36 Chief St, Brompton, on Saturday 25 April to ask the question, “What is more Aussie than going to a pub and watching three bands on ANZAC Day?” Sunday Vibes is a brand new, free entry, music event organised by Music SA and Riverbank Precinct which takes place at the newly restored Elder Park rotunda from high noon fortnightly on Sundays with several acts performing each week. Grab a picnic basket and get set for The Timbers, Banjo Jackson and Paige Renee Court on Sunday 12 April and Mr Goodnight, Lazy Eye and Vincent’s Chair on Sunday 26 April. There will also be food and drink vans as well.

If you’re young and looking for some fun, then the SLAM Youth Event at the Northern Sound System is just for you. City Of Playford’s Mayor Docherty said the free event is part of national Youth Week festivities, which is the largest celebration of young people within our communities.

The free SLAM Youth Event is on Saturday 18 April from noon until 5pm at Northern Sound System, 73 Elizabeth Way, Elizabeth.

There will be heaps of cool activities including rock climbing, a Velcro wall, three point shoot‐out, henna tattoos, sumo suits and an aerosol art display which has been created by some of the local young artists.

Food vendors will also be available for people to purchase food and non‐alcoholic drinks.

OUR PHILOSOPHY

Every week we will be bringing you the latest news and up-to-date information.

We want BSide Magazine to be like Gaffa Tape. The thing that will hold everything together.

IN THIS ISSUE Page 2 Around The Traps Our Philosophy Page 4 Heading To Town Page 5 BSide Tour Guide Page 6 Feature Article: British India Page 7 Serena Ryder Moni Lashes Page 8 The Clothesline Page 9 Mark Holden The Elles Have It! Page 10 Music SA CD Reviews Page 11 Bob’s Bits Joseph Tawradros Page 12 Benny C & The Associates Fenrir Page 13 ThreeD 20+1 Chart The Ocean Page 14 BSide Gig Guide Dwayne Johnson (The Rock) Page 15 The Bizzo BPlus: Phat Panda Advertising Enquiries Ph: (08) 8346 9899 sales@bsidemagazine.com.au

ISSUE #0026 April 9th April 15th, 2015

3

affair from 9pm the Grace Emily Hotel, 232 Waymouth St, on Saturday 11 April with local bands The Monikers, The Motive and Mad Maxman & The Heck Yeahs.

Sydney band Fenrir are coming to town to play an all-ages show at The Gaslight Tavern, 36 Chief St, Brompton, from 7.30pm on Saturday 18 April. The metal band, deeply rooted in Nordic folklore, will be joined by local combos Stoved, Sedulous Rouse and Isolation Valve all for an entry free of only $15.

In between trips to SXSW and Canadian Music Week and following on from a massive 2014 which saw them release their second album, Blowing On The Devil’s Strumpet, and hitting the road with Gyroscope, Perth’s The Love Junkies have found time to squeeze in a quick lap of Australia in April including a show at The Ramsgate Hotel, 328 Seaview Rd, Henley Beach, on Wednesday 22 April. Book via the venue or OzTix. Melbourne’s Harry Howard & The NDE are quickly heading back to town and will be playing The Wheatsheaf Hotel, 39 George St, Thebarton, from 9pm on Saturday 18 July. Tickets will be $15 plus booking via the venue or OzTix. Miss Quincy, famed for her dirty blues and straight up rock’n’roll, began her music career in the wild mountains of northern British Columbia and released her debut Your Mama Don’t Like Me in 2010 and follow-up Like The Devil Does in 2012. In the past two years with The Showdown, Miss Quincy has chalked up over 250 shows and 15 festivals through seven countries in Europe and North America, winning fans from near and far. Find out what all the fuss is about when Miss Quincy plays the Governor Hindmarsh, 59 Port Rd, Hindmarsh, on Saturday 11 April. Book via OzTix or at the venue.

The rather infamous Mobb Deep has announced a 20th anniversary tour which will have the New York hip hop duo performing at HQ Complex, cnr North and West Tces, alongside New York’s DJ Skibeatz, Delta, Dialect & Despair and more on Thursday 9 April. Book via OzTix. Hailing from Seaford, Victoria, heavy but melodic rock band As Crows Fly will be heading to town to make their Adelaide debut at Producers Bar, 235 Grenfell St, on Friday 22 May and will be performing alongside like-minded local bands SoundGasm, Wicked Empire and Hi Speed Life.

Melbourne’s Killerbirds will be heading over the border to be special guests of Ricochet Pete when they wind up their residency on Friday 24 April with The Villenettes also on the bill. And on Saturday 25 April, Killerbirds will again rock out at The Cumberland Hotel, 76 Causeway Rd, Semaphore, with local champions Juliette Seizure & The Tremor Dolls and Meatbeaters. It’s free entry too!

Welsh post hardcore act Funeral For A Friend have announced a tour to promote new studio album, Chapter & Verse, that will bring them to Fowler’s Live, 66-68 North Tce, on Thursday 23 April at which Sydney’s Vices will be their special touring guests.

Tickets on sale now via Moshtix.

Folk rockers The Rumjacks are about to go out on a national tour which will take them everywhere before they wind it all up at Crown & Anchor, 196 Grenfell St, on Saturday 18 April.

Singer songwriter Benny Walker is set to launch his new Shane O’Maraproduced album, Through The Forest, at the Wheatsheaf Hotel, 39 George St, Thebarton, from 4pm on Sunday 19 April.

Tickets will be at the door for $10 or can be bought online via OzTix. Hawaiian-born ukulele player Jake Shimabukuro, who became a YouTube sensation for his version of While My Guitar Gently Weeps, is heading back to Australia to once again perform at Byron Bay’s Bluesfest as well as undertake some selected sideshows which will have him at the Governor Hindmarsh, 59 Port Rd, Hindmarsh, on Friday 10 April with

4

Australian-born guitar virtuoso Daniel Champagne as special guest. Book at OzTix or via the venue.

Speaking of bubbly champagne, world traveller and guitar virtuoso Daniel Champagne will return to play The Wheatsheaf Hotel, 39 George St, Thebarton, on Saturday 2 May with his special guests to be announced soon.

New York’s RA Thornburn, better known as American rapper R.A The Rugged Man, has announced his Shoot Me In The Head Australian Tour which will have him rapping away at the Governor Hindmarsh, 59 Port Rd, Hindmarsh, on Monday 8 June.

Book quickly via the venue or OzTix. Brisbane’s Art Of Sleeping will be bringing their Voodoo national tour to town and will play Jive, 181 Hindley St, on Saturday 13 June with special guests Jesse Davidson and Sunbeam Sound Machine. Tickets via Moshtix.

Speaking of Jive, the popular live music venue will be opening three days per week as a record bar stocking vinyl and many other goodies in late April. Watch this space for more details.

Melbourne’s Laura Jean is heading to town for Naomi Keyte’s new modern folk venture, Down On The Plains, which will take place at The Wheatsheaf Hotel, 39 George St, Thebarton, on Saturday 18 April from 8pm with New Zealand’s Aldous Harding now confirmed as an opening act.

Tickets will be $12 at the door.

Atlanta-based hardcore act Norma Jean will visit Australia for the first time in a couple of years and are set to play Fowler’s Live, 68-70 North Tce, on Saturday 11 April with special guests Louis Blanc, A Ghost Orchestra, Life Pilot and Disaster Path.

After a sold out tour last year, singer songwriter Taylor Henderson, who found his way into the spotlight as a finalist on Australia’s Got Talent in 2010 before becoming a firm fan-favourite and finalist on The X-Factor in 2013, will again be hitting the road and performing some new songs at The Governor Hindmarsh, 59 Port Rd, Hindmarsh, on Tuesday 14 April. Book via OzTix or at the venue.

Country outlaw Justin Townes Earle will make a welcome return to the Grace Emily Hotel, 232 Waymouth St, on Thursday 9 April and will have very special guest Sam Outlaw from the US with him. Tickets are available now via Moshtix.

APIA Good Times Tour is making a return and will feature Joe Camilleri, Brian Cadd and Glenn Shorrock with Kate Ceberano as a special guest at Adelaide Entertainment Centre on Thursday 30 April. Book via Ticketek.

Four-piece band This Will Destroy You hail from San Marcos, Texas, and play post rock.

They will now be making the trek across the oceans to play some at Jive, 181 Hindley St, on Monday 8 June with tickets available via Moshtix.

Fresh from Byron Bay’s Bluesfest, indie rockers British India have announced a national tour in support of their just released fifth album, Nothing Touches Me, which will have the Melbourne outfit playing the Governor Hindmarsh Hotel, 59 Port Rd, Hindmarsh, SA, on Saturday 18 April with Grenadiers and Perth’s Tired Lion as special guests. Book via OzTix or at the venue.

Heck yeah! Launceston-based indie rockers The Saxons are heading to Adelaide for the very first time and will play a free entry

Grungy Adelaide pop quartet Moonfaker, who formed in 2013, have invited Melbourne’s Destrends and locals Valkyries to play at their upcoming CD launch which is to be held at Pirie & Co Social Club on Friday 10 April. Tickets are now available via Moshtix.

Huge Race, once a member of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, The Wreckery and Hugo Race & The True Spirit, will be playing another of his enchanting shows at The Wheatsheaf Hotel, 39 George St, Thebarton, from 4pm on Sunday 3 May with special guests Band Of Flowers.

Tickets via OzTix. Sydney rock band The Lockhearts are comin’ to Adelaide to play Punk Ass Kids at Rocket Bar, upstairs 142 Hindley St, on Wednesday 15 April and will be joined by Dusty Lee’s Wasted Wanderers, Throwing Flowers and Luke Louie Trio for what will be the launch of The Local Hour.

Andrew Strong & The Commitments have announced another Australian jaunt after selling out shows around the country last October. Catch them kick off their next tour at the Governor Hindmarsh, 59 Port Rd, Hindmarsh, on Thursday 7 May with tickets available via the venue or OzTix. Germany’s premier post metal act, The Ocean, are returning to Australia to play their highly acclaimed 2013 record, the 53-minute Pelagial, in full for the very first time in this country. Get set to experience The Ocean when they play Jive, 181 Hindley St, with Caligula’s Horse on Thursday 16 April. Book at Moshtix.

Sun Rai is a jazzy duo featuring Rai Thistlethwayte of Thirsty Merc fame playing bass and synthesiser at the same time and noted jazz drummer Ben Vanderwal from Perth and they will play COMA Sessions at The Wheatsheaf Hotel, 39 George St, Thebarton, from 8pm on Monday 20 April. Also performing at COMA Sessions from 8pm on Monday 13 April will be Vulkan, a jazz combo made up of players from Denmark and Sydney.

Noted Canadian songstress Serena Ryder, who has collected multiple awards during her career, will play the Governor Hindmarsh, 59 Port Rd, Hindmarsh, on Sunday 12 April at which she’ll have sensational Canadian blues guitarist Matt Andersen with her as special guest. Tickets via OzTix or at the venue.

It’s been a long time between drinks but Carus Thompson is heading to town to play no less than two sets of his engaging folk rock music from 4pm until 6.30pm at the Grace Emily Hotel, 232 Waymouth St, on Sunday 17 May. Expect new songs alongside many old favourites.

Melbourne’s Dave Graney & The mistLy will return for two big shows at the Wheatsheaf Hotel, 39 George St, Thebarton, from 9pm on Anzac Day and from 4pm on Sunday 26 April to promote a new album, Play mistLY For Me. Book via OzTix. Originally hailing from The Blue Mountains, hip hop crew Hermitude will drop a new album, Dark Night Sweet Light in May and then take it on the road which will bring them to HQ Complex, cnr West and North Tces, on Thursday 18 June where they will be joined by Sydney’s Basenji and Newcastle’s Jayteehazard. Tickets on sale now via Moshtix.

To promote her new album, Sometimes I Sit & Think & Sometimes I Just Sit, Northcote songstress Courtney Barnett has announced that she will play the Governor Hindmarsh, 59 Port Rd, Hindmarsh, on Thursday 30 April and also Friday 1 May (which is now sold out) with Teeth & Tongue as special guests. Tickets for the just announced Thursday evening show are now available at OzTix or via the venue.

May day, may day. Delightful Victorian duo Victoriana Gaye are heading back to town to play a free entry show with Adelaide’s Brillig from 9pm at The Wheatsheaf Hotel, 39 George St, Thebarton, on Friday 1 May. The Great Australian Tailgate Party will come to the car park of Hahndorf Old Mill, 96 Main Street, Hahndorf, on Sunday 12 April and will feature Australian country music artists Adam Brand, Wolfe Brothers, Jasmine Rae, Matt Cornell, Nathaniel O’Brien and Gary Daniel and will also support and honour fire fighters from the recent Adelaide Hills fires. You can book tickets by calling 08 8388 7888 and children under 10 will be admitted free if accompanied by an adult.

The mighty King Parrot have just announced a huge national tour to promote the release of new album, Dead Set, and will hit Fowler’s Live, 68-70 North Tce, on Friday 15 May with special guests High Tension and Coloosvs.

Perth-based progressive rockers Karnivool will celebrate their 10th anniversary by touring their now classic debut album, Themata, and will do so in Adelaide at the Governor Hindmarsh, 59 Port Rd, Hindmarsh, on Tuesday 19 May with Cairo Knife Fight as special guests. That show is now SOLD OUT but another has been added for Monday 18 May so book quickly via OzTix or the venue.

Jeff Martin, of Canada’s The Tea Party, has announced a show at Jive, 181 Hindley St, on Sunday 22 April. Book very, very quickly via Moshtix.

Clint Boge is quickly returning to our town for another solo acoustic tour and you can catch the former frontperson of The Butterfly Effect when he plays some songs of a delicate nature at The Royal Oak, 123 O’Connell St, North Adelaide, on Thursday 7 May, Slug & Lettuce, 130 Martins Rd, Parafield Gardens, on Friday 8 May and Ramsgate Hotel, 328 Henley Beach Rd, Henley Beach, on Saturday 9 May. Pre-sale tickets at Moshtix or the venues.

WEDNESDAY 6 MAY Ace Frehley (US) and The Babes at Governor Hindmarsh THURSDAY 7 MAY Everclear (US) at Fowler’s Live Clint Boge (Brisbane) at Royal Oak Andrew Strong & The Commitments (Ireland) at Governor Hindmarsh

THURSDAY 9 APRIL Justin Townes Earle (US) and Sam Outlaw (US) at Grace Emily Mobb Deep (US), DJ Skibeatz (New York), Delta, Dialect & Despair and more at HQ Complex Mariachi El Bronx (US) and The Peep Tempel (Melb) at Governor Hindmarsh FRIDAY 10 APRIL Jake Shimabukuro (Hawaii) and Daniel Champagne at Governor Hindmarsh Architects (US), Stick To Your Guns (US), Being As An Ocean (US) and Stories at HQ Complex Moonfaker (CD launch), Destrends (Melbourne) and Valkyries at Pirie & Co Social Club The Kill Devil Hills (WA), Timberwolf and The Sloe Ruin at Crown & Anchor The Elles Have It! (Victoria) at Naracoorte Hotel (Naracoorte) SATURDAY 11 APRIL Miss Quincy (Canada) at Governor Hindmarsh The Saxons (Launceston), The Monikers, The Motive and Max Madman & The Heck Yeahs at Grace Emily John Farnham (Melbourne) and Olivia Newton-John (Sydney) at Adelaide Entertainment Centre Gypsy Kings (US) at Thebarton Theatre Norma Jean (US), Louis Blanc, A Ghost Orchestra, Life Pilot and Disaster Path at Fowler’s Live The Elles Have It! (Victoria) at The Manse (Norwood) With Confidence (Sydney) at Producers Bar SUNDAY 12 APRIL The Elles Have It! (Victoria) and The Yearlings at Wheatsheaf Hotel Blues On The Parade: Donavon Frankenreiter (US), Dusty Lee’s Wasted Wanderers, Gab Hyde, Craig Atkins and China Doll at Norwood Live Serena Ryder (Canada) and Matt Andersen (Canada) at Governor Hindmarsh The Great Australian Tailgate Party: Adam Brand, Wolfe Brothers, Jasmine Rae, Matt Cornell, Nathaniel O’Brien and Gary Daniel at Hahndorf Old Mill Car Park MONDAY 13 APRIL Vulkan (Sydney/Denmark) at Wheatsheaf Hotel TUESDAY 14 APRIL Taylor Henderson (Sydney) at Governor Hindmarsh WEDNESDAY 15 APRIL The Lockhearts (Sydney), Dusty Lee’s Wasted Wanderers, Throwing Flowers and Luke Louie Trio at Rocket Bar THURSDAY 16 APRIL Andy Bull (Sydney) at Governor Hindmarsh Nana Mouskouri (Greece) and Alfredo Malabello (Sydney) at Festival Theatre (Adelaide Festival Centre) The Ocean (Germany) and Caligula’s Horse at Jive Marlon Williams & The Yarra Benders (Melbourne/NZ) at Grace Emily FRIDAY 17 APRIL Atilla (US) at Fowler’s Live Super Best Friends (Melbourne/ACT) at Crown & Anchor Joseph Tawadros Quartet (Sydney) at Nexus Arts Centre SATURDAY 18 APRIL The Rumjacks (Sydney) at Crown & Anchor Laura Jean (Melbourne) and Aldous Harding (New Zealand) at Wheatsheaf Hotel British India (Melbourne), Grenadiers and Tired Lion (Perth) at Governor Hindmarsh Fenrir (Sydney), Isolation Valve, Sedulous Rose and Stoved at Gaslight Tavern Working Dog Union and Aine Tyrrell (Ireland/Melbourne) at Blueebee Room

SUNDAY 19 APRIL Citizen (US) at Adelaide Uni Bar Short Stack (Sydney) at Governor Hindmarsh Jeff Martin (Canada) at Jive Benny Walker (Melbourne) at Wheatsheaf Uncle Jed (Sydney) at Grace Emily MONDAY 20 APRIL Sun Rai (Perth/Los Angeles) at Wheatsheaf Hotel WEDNESDAY 22 APRIL The Love Junkies (Perth) at The Ramsgate Hotel THURSDAY 23 APRIL Funeral For A Friend (Wales) and Vices (Sydney) at Fowler’s Live FRIDAY 24 APRIL Oscar Key Sung (Sydney) and Swimming at Nexus Arts Killerbirds (Melbourne) Ricochet Pete and The Villenettes at Grace Emily SATURDAY 25 APRIL Mick Pealing’s Stars (Melbourne) at Governor Hindmarsh Groovin’ The Moo: A$AP Ferg, Ball Park Music, Broods (NZ), Carmada, Charli XCX (UK), The Delta Riggs, DMA’s, Flight Facilities, Hermitude, Hilltop Hoods, Hot Dub Time Machine, Meg Mac, Northlane, One Day, Peace (UK), Peaches (Canada), The Preatures, RL Grime (US), San Cisco, Saskwatch, Sticky Fingers, Tkay Maidza, Wolfmother, Timberwolf and You Me At Six (UK) at Oakbank Racecourse Dave Graney & The mistLY (Melbourne) at Wheatsheaf Killerbirds (Melbourne, Meatbeaters and Juliette Siezure & The Tremor Dolls at Cumberland Hotel (Semaphore) SUNDAY 26 APRIL Dave Graney & The mistLY (Melbourne) at Wheatsheaf Bill Chambers (Sydney) and Four Crying Out Loud at Governor Hindmarsh THURSDAY 30 APRIL Courtney Barnett (Melbourne) & Teeth & Tongue at Governor Hindmarsh APIA Good Times Tour: Joe Camilleri, Kate Ceberano, Brian Cadd and Glenn Shorrock at Adelaide Entertainment Centre FRIDAY 1 MAY Paul Grabowsky (Melbourne) and Gian Slater Trio at Nexus Arts Sam Smith (UK) at Adelaide Entertainment Centre Theatre Thundamentals (Blue Mountains) at Fowler’s Live Courtney Barnett (Melbourne) & Teeth & Tongue at Governor Hindmarsh (SOLD OUT) Baby et Lulu (Melbourne) at Trinity Sessions Victoriana Gaye (Victoria) and Brillig at Wheatsheaf Hotel Aine Tyrrell (Ireland/Melbourne), Boston Girl and The Brouhaha at The Exeter SATURDAY 2 MAY The Australian Doors Show (Sydney) at Governor Hindmarsh Daniel Champagne (Sydney) at Wheatsheaf Hotel SUNDAY 3 MAY Hugo Race (Melbourne) and Band Of Flowers at Wheatsheaf Hotel MONDAY 4 MAY Opeth (Sweden) at Governor Hindmarsh TUESDAY 5 MAY Ricky Martin and Delta Goodrem at Adelaide Entertainment Centre Metalum Manifestatione MMXV: Suffocation (US) and Decapitation (Poland) at Governor Hindmarsh

FRIDAY 8 MAY Microwave Jenny (Sydney) at Wheatsheaf Hotel Anastacia (US) at Festival Theatre The Angels at Governor Hindmarsh Red Fang (US) and Beastwars (New Zealand) at Fowler’s Live Lurch & Thief (Melbourne) at Rocket Bar Clint Boge (Brisbane) at Slug & Lettuce Emma Donovan & The Putbacks (Melbourne) and Kylie Audist & The Glenroy Allstars (Melbourne) at Nexus Arts SATURDAY 9 MAY Silverstein (Canada), Dream On Dreamer and Young Lions at Fowler’s Live The Angels at Governor Hindmarsh Tragic Earth (Melbourne), Burn Collect, Letters To Amy, Mind Remover, Azzurra and Puritan at Bridgeway Clint Boge (Brisbane) at Ramsgate Hotel SUNDAY 10 MAY The Spoils Duo (Melbourne) at Wheatsheaf MONDAY 11 MAY America (US) at Thebarton Theatre THURSDAY 14 MAY Paloma Faith (UK) at Adelaide Entertainment Centre Theatre FRIDAY 15 MAY Beat Spacek (UK), Julien Dyne and Inkswel at Nexus Arts King Parrott (Sydney), High Tension and Coloosvs at Fowler’s Live SATURDAY 16 MAY Infinity Broke (Sydney), Matthew Hayward and Blush Response at Hotel Metro SUNDAY 17 MAY Riblja Čorba (Serebia) at Governor Hidnmarsh Carus Thompson (Melbourne) at Grace Emily MONDAY 18 MAY Nickelback (Canada) at Adelaide Entertainment Centre Karnivool (Perth) and Cairo Knife Fight at Governor Hindmarsh TUESDAY 19 MAY Karnivool (Perth) and Cairo Knife Fight at Governor Hindmarsh (SOLD OUT) WEDNESDAY 20 MAY Enter Shakari (UK) at HQ Complex THURSDAY 21 MAY Mötley Crüe (US) and Alice Cooper (US) at Adelaide Entertainment Centre Brad Butcher (Mackay) at Grace Emily Voyager (Perth) and Klone (France) at Jive FRIDAY 22 MAY Shaggy (UK) at HQ Irish DeMent (US) and Pieta Brown (US) at Governor Hindmarsh Brad Butcher (Mackay) at The Singing Gallery (McLaren Vale) As Crows Fly (Melbourne), SoundGasm, Wicked Empire and Hi Speed Life at Producers Bar SATURDAY 23 MAY Diesel (Sydney) at Governor Hindmarsh Nick Barker & The Heartache State (Melbourne) at Grace Emily FRIDAY 29 MAY The Getaway Plan (Melbourne) at Fowler’s Live sleepmakeswaves (Sydney) at Adelaide Uni Bar Allday at HQ Complex SATURDAY 30 MAY Charlie Parr (US) at Lefties (Whyalla) Supersuckers (US) and The BellRays (US) at Governor Hindmarsh Defeater (US) and Bane (US) at Fowler’s Live Decimatus (Melbourne) and Envenomed (Melbourne) at Enigma Bar SUNDAY 31 MAY Boris (Japan) at Fowler’s Live

5

BRITISH INDIA

By Robert Dunstan Melbourne-based indie rockers British India have now been together for the best part of a decade and have just issued their fifth album, Nothing Touches Me, and are embarking on yet another huge national tour.

BSide Magazine speaks to lead vocalist and guitarist Declan Melia just a few days prior to the release on Nothing Touches Me – on Friday 13 March no less – and he begins by suggesting there’s always a certain amount of tension just prior to a new offering going out into the world.

“We’re obviously very excited but absolutely terrified and at our wit’s end as to how people are going to perceive it,” Declan says.

“We always felt we were making a great record but there’s always this indefinable X factor as to whether it’s going to actually connect with people.

“That kind of thing is just impossible to really predict,” he continues. “So many great records get released and no one seems to take any notice of them and then some really average records come out and people go mad about them.

“It’s really hard to gauge,” Declan then adds with a sigh, “although we do feel kind of confident with this one.”

“Yeah, it feels like people are willing to accept some pretty different sounds which was also a big learning curve for us,” Declan says. “And it was same with our last album, Controller, because we were a bit concerned how people might take to certain songs on that album.

“But the funny thing was some people took to those songs more so than the ones that had that more familiar British India sound,” he adds. “And the reaction to some of those songs gave us the confidence to really embrace changing things around a bit on the new album.”

Before signing to Mushroom Records for the release of Controller in 2013 and now the new album, British India were kind of in limbo following a heady start to their career.

“Yeah, I kind of think that those first three albums came out in a kind of a big blur,” Declan says of the albums Guillotine, Avalanche and Thieves.

“We were all in our mid-20s and in danger of becoming borderline alcoholics and then Matt [O’Gorman – drums] began dating a girl over in Hong Kong and we all kind of really needed some time off,” he continues.

“But, like a shark, it was a case of us really needing to keep swimming otherwise we were going to quickly sink to the bottom.

“So we refreshed and then, when we got back together and started writing again, we actually felt we’d lost our sense of purpose and needed to reconnect,” Declan admits.

“And we kind of felt that way while we were recording Controller.

“But then the record came out and it became what’s probably been our most successful one,” he says. “And that was

6

really invigorating for us so, when we came together to write the songs for the new album, it all came together really easily and felt like we were on a kind of victory lap.

“And that was really refreshing because when the songs come together so easily, it then gave us the confidence to add some different instruments and things like that,” Declan adds. “We were trying to get a bit more creative with the recording process.”

“We’ve played a festival there before,” Declan says, “but it’s going to be interesting because we have no expectations of what to expect.

“And that’s the great thing about touring because you learn to expect the unexpected,” he continues. “And the other good thing about touring a new album is that the record is done and it is what it is.”

It wasn’t all easy-going, however, as the band aborted an attempt to write and record the new album in Berlin.

Declan says the band enjoying playing the Governor Hindmarsh Hotel when they come to Adelaide.

“Yeah, we’d actually started recording the album over there,” Declan says, “but we hadn’t gone over there with the intention of doing that. But those Berlin sessions actually became really important because we went there and then decided to record but certain songs didn’t feel quite right. And we also realised some probably weren’t quite ready to record.

“We love playing there,” he says of the award winning live music venue. “We always do a good show there and we have a lot of love for Adelaide audiences. And that’s reciprocated.

“So it made us really look at the record and say to ourselves, ‘Let’s make sure everything fits together properly’,” he continues. “We wanted to make sure the narrative, the sequence and the connections were right.

“And it was when we came back from Berlin that we realised how good a record we could make without making it sound like a British India greatest hits rehash and just following on from the other four records,” Declan then says. “So it was then just a process of going to Sing Sing studios in Melbourne, filling in the gaps and re-recording the songs to get Nothing Touches Me to where it needed to be.

“Having said that, I can still hear a lot of Berlin on the record,” he then announces with a laugh. “And I actually now look back on that experience as one of the best times we’ve had as a band. We didn’t play any shows while we were over there but we went to a lot.

“And summer in Berlin is really lovely and we were all getting along really well as we were all locked into the same head space,” Declan adds. “It was definitely one of my very favourite times.”

The band members (Declan alongside drummer Matt O’Gorman, bass player Will Drummond and guitarist Nic Wilson) all attended St Bede’s College in Melbourne and have been firm friends ever since.

“Y’know, I think that when you put four guys into a tour van when they are in their late teens there’s always going to be some kind of tension,” Declan says with a laugh.

“But we were able to iron out any of those concerns, such as whose turn it was to drive, really early on.

“And it’s fortuitous that none of our four personalities ever clash,” he adds. “I’d say we’ve been really lucky in that respect. So we’ve actually become even closer although I reckon that’s also because we’re now older and more mature.”

British India, who recently played Byron Bay’s Bluesfest at short notice due to The Black Keys having to pull out at the last moment, will officially kick off their national tour in Alice Springs.

“And it’ll be great playing with Grenadiers because it’ll be a hometown show for them which will also help make it pretty special,” Declan says. “And the show at the Gov is right in the middle of the tour so we’ll be well-oiled but not yet jaded.

“And we always have a good time after our shows at the Gov,” he quickly adds.

“Adelaide’s nightlife is very underrated and we’ve had some great times there.”

Nothing Touches Me is to also be released on limited edition different coloured vinyl.

“We’ve always wanted to do vinyl but never had the chance before,” Declan reveals. “So we’re excited about that and it’s something we’ll cherish. At the same time it’s also a scary thing because a band is defined by its public.

“And we are all totally grounded so we can appreciate that extra attention [that vinyl brings with it] without getting carried away by it,” he reasons.

British India recently performed an acoustic session on a Melbourne tram as part of an ongoing series.

“It was fun because acoustic stuff is never something we’ve embraced,” he says. “But it’s made us make a conscious decision to get better at it because if you can make an acoustic show work where you are pretty much naked, then it’s a real feather in your cap.

“It’s a long, long way from the kind of manic, punk rock shows we used to do in Melbourne pubs back in the early days,” Declan then considers. “And while acoustic gigs can sometimes feel like there is something missing, they are also gratifying to do. So we’re glad whenever we get an opportunity to do one.”

Earlier in the year, the band played as opening act for UK rock veterans The Rolling Stones.

“Yeah, that was great,” Declan enthuses.

“Absolutely wonderful. And someone asked only the other day what we learnt from that.

But I don’t think we learnt anything from it really apart from the fact it was just a really good experience.

“I just look back at it as being a totally fabulous day,” he says. “We got to see The

Stones do their soundcheck and then got to meet them, so it’s now all just a fabulous memory. But it was not something we ever expected to happen.

“And, strangely, I don’t think any of us felt particularly nervous before playing,” Declan recalls. ‘I think we just said to each other, ‘Let’s just get up and do what we do’. We were just up for some fun.”

Following their current tour, the band will head to Japan and then New York for shows during our winter months.

“And the overseas things are great – the new album is getting released in Japan too – and then I’d say we’ll do another Australian tour before the end of the year,” Declan reveals.

In closing, I had to ask if the band had ever dined at Adelaide restaurant British India?

“Ha, yes, we’ve eaten there more than once,” Declan laughs. “The first time we ate there was the last night of a tour so we racked up a huge bill.

“We had about a thousand entrees and just as many bottles of champagne,” he concludes. “It actually remains one of the most impressive restaurant bills we’ve ever racked up.”

Melbourne’s British India play the Governor Hindmarsh Hotel, 59 Port Rd, Hindmarsh, on Saturday 18 April to launch their new album, Nothing Touches Me, with Adelaide’s Grenadiers and Perth’s Tired Lions as special guests.

Book via the venue or OzTix.

SERENA RYDER

By Robert Dunstan

she says of schools such as Rogers Middle School often including the song in their concerts.

MONI LASHES

By Khiara Elliott

Canada’s multi-award winning singer Serena Ryder has made her way back to Australia to promote the release in this country of her album, with a national tour that also includes Byron Bay’s Bluesfest over Easter.

As well as being a singer and multiinstrumentalist – she is proficient on guitar, piano, mandolin, ukulele, harmonica, banjo, clarinet, drums and bass – the mezzo soprano with a three-octave vocal range also dabbles in visual art.

Monica Macjen, known better by her stage name ‘Moni Lashes’, has set a world record for being the first female in the world to drum non-stop, with no break, for 24 hours.

Serena had only just flown into Sydney from Toronto when we spoke over the telephone and BSide Magazine begins by welcoming her back to Australia after an absence of some seven years.

“I find doing that very therapeutic and a bit of a relief for me,” Serena says. “So I love doing that in my time off to fill myself up doing something creative that’s not going to be judged. It’s not something that people will ever see, so there’s no real pressure.”

“It’s been eight years now,” Serena corrects with a laugh, “so it’s good to be back. And we just flew in today.”

Serena has won numerous awards and now has five studio albums to her credit, numerous EPs and four live albums, one of which, Live In Oz, was recorded on her Australian tour of 2005.

Serena will be touring Australia with her latest album, 2012’s Juno award winning Harmony, which is now being released in this country to coincide with her visit.

“Yeah, we’ve already toured Harmony for the last two and a half years,” she says, “but I guess for the last six months or so we’ve had a pretty big break.

“I’ve actually been writing songs for my next record, so this tour is going to be exciting for me because it’s been a while since I toured,” Serena quickly continues. “It’s all going to be refreshing and new because, by taking that break, it’s not like we’ve gone from one big tour to the next.

“And because we’ve been off the road for a while, I haven’t seen my band for six months or so, so that’s exciting as well. It’s kind of going to be like a little reunion show for us.

“So there will be a lot of energy on stage because we are all excited about being back together,” she laughs. “We miss each other so you are going to see a lot of that high energy on stage.”

Will you be throwing some of the new songs you’ve been writing into your set?

“No, no, not yet,” Serena laughs. “My band hasn’t even heard any of them yet. So they don’t know how to play them.

“But I have about 30 new songs written and it’s another new sound for me,” she reveals.

“I think my next album is going to be a disco rock record because I’ve always wanted to make an album that makes everyone just wanna get up and dance, “Whenever I play live, I just like to see people get up and dance,” Serena adds.

That must happen when you play the stompin’ Stompa, the opening song on Harmony and which featured in an episode of television’s Grey’s Anatomy.

“Oh, yeah, they totally do,” Serena says with a laugh. “And when people dance along to one of your songs and know all the words to it as well, I think it’s one of the biggest compliments an artist can get.

“And there’s been a whole bunch of kids doing performances of Stompa at their schools and that’s been a lot of fun to see,”

So, there’s no thought about an exhibition of your art?

“Oh, no, never,” the singer laughs. “I’m not that good at it. I just do it for fun. It’s a bit like finger-painting.”

Serena will be joined on her trek around our country by fellow Canadian Matt Andersen, a guitarist and singer with nine blues albums to his credit who has also toured Australia several times in the past.

“Matt’s cool and his music is awesome so it was kind of like a no brainer to bring him down with us,” she remarks.

Is it likely Matt may join you and your band on stage?

“It’s possible,” Serena suggests. “If Matt wants to get up on stage with me and do something, he can totally do that.

When I tour Canada, I usually get people up on stage because I enjoy that kind of collaboration. So, if Matt’s into it, that would be totally great.”

“I definitely underestimated how cold it would be. I got there at noon then all of a sudden it was midnight and the wind was like ice on my neck! It kept me awake though I suppose,’’ she laughs.

Lashes’ father was diagnosed with a very rare case of multiple sclerosis. There is a treatment in Moscow that has a 99.9% success rate of stopping and, in some cases, reversing the disease, but it comes at a hefty price of $50,000.

In addition to the weather, Lashes also had to deal with the type of characters who can be found lurking around in the wee hours of a Friday night.

With her father booked in to leave on August 18th, Lashes and her family have been raising money any way they can.

“My family has been doing lots of different fundraising events over the last year. My sister runs a small dancing business so she’s done lots of dance fundraisers and stuff like that.

“The only thing I can really do is drum,” Lashes laughs.

“So I thought, ‘What’s something that will be really interesting for people as well as challenging for myself at the same time?’ and drumming for 24 hours straight was all that I could come up with.”

Using her abilities to help her father also held a sentimental value to Lashes, as he was the first person to nurture her talent.

“When I was little he was the first person to teach me drums. He taught me everything he knew, all the important stuff, from the age of five,”

“Right, yeah, Blackie & The Rodeo Kings are amazing and are all good friends of mine,” Serena says. “They are such talented musicians and some of the nicest people you could ever wish to meet. So they’ve had me sing on a bunch of their stuff which is such an honour because they are so amazing.”

“I feel really good and really proud of the fact that the biggest strength I have is something he gave me.”

Despite this tremendous effort being entirely in his name, Lashes’ father was initially unsupportive of his daughter’s idea.

“When I told him, dad was not impressed.

He was not happy,” she laughs.

“It was a pretty physical task and he didn’t want me to injure myself, both for me and for the band.”

“Doing festivals and pub gigs are totally different,” she announces. “My favourite thing in the world is playing outdoors. I love playing outdoors.

However it seems that Lashes and her dad share more than just a love for drumming, as he eventually came around.

“And playing festivals is great because it’s not all about you,” Serena continues. “And you get to see other bands at festivals and sometimes get to play with them.

“He knows me too well, and he knows I’m just as stubborn as he is,” she explains.

“Instead of fighting it he decided to help any way he could.”

“But playing clubs is a whole other world because you get to really connect with your audience,” she adds. “And there are sometimes some amazing things that happen when you do that.”

Twenty-four straight hours of any physical activity with no break is a challenge that would intimidate an athlete at his peak performance levels, but Lashes admitted that although she intended to, she did not keep to a rigorous training regime.

Canada’s Serena Ryder plays the Governor Hindmarsh, 59 Port Rd, Hindmarsh, on Sunday 12 April with fellow Canadian Matt Andersen as special guest. Book via the venue or OzTix.

Lashes not only had to battle her own physical and mental capabilities, but she was also challenged by a few outside factors as well.

This feat alone may seem impressive, but the cause driving the 27-year-old from Lonsdale, who drums with Adelaide rock band The Babes, was nothing short of incredible.

Speaking of collaborations, you have sometimes worked with Canadian bands The Trews as well as with Blackie & The Rodeo Kings.

As well as playing Byron Bay’s Bluesfest, Serena has a bunch of club and pub gigs on her Australian itinerary. What are your preferences?

weights and every now and again I’d just sit and drum for a few hours after work but I always knew it was going to be more of a mental challenge than a physical one.”

“In my head I had great intentions. I told myself I was going to do heaps of cardio.

Then it got to the day and I just went, ‘Oh my God, I haven’t done anything!’,” she laughs. “I mean I did a bit of air drumming with hand

“I have a few friends in the police force and they stayed with me overnight because there were a few characters and troublemakers around. One drunken guy vomited near us then tried to fight my singer. I’m pretty sure there’s footage of me yelling at him while I’m drumming. That kept me awake too.”

Amongst her support team that stayed overnight with her was also her brother who works in nightclub security.

“He was on night shift so he finished at about four am then he came and stuck around.”

Despite all these distractions, Lashes stated that she never once thought about stopping.

“I didn’t even really feel like I was playing after a while. It was like my body was in a trance. The only time I had to think about what I was doing was when there was about twenty minutes to go. I think I had just hit a point of exhaustion. I had to really consciously think about what I was doing because by then I was just so tired.”

At the culmination of her event, Lashes was left with a bruised foot, a whole lot of publicity, and $9,000 left to raise to go towards her father’s treatment.

“I went into it hoping to make two hundred dollars but it turned out to be a lot more than I expected. People recognise me in the street, it’s really weird,” Lashes laughs.

“It’s really good for the band [The Babes] though. Today we found out that we got a support gig for Ace Frehley from KISS which is just ridiculous. We’ve got a record and a video coming out within the next few weeks too.

“Stuff like that is really cool. It’s like a dream for us,” Moni concludes.

Lashes’ father is booked in for surgery on August 18th. With all the fundraising efforts, Lashes and her family have raised above $40,000. You can donate as well as keep up to date with all things Lashes and her band The Babes at <thebabesrock.com>.

See The Babes in action when they support Ace Frehely of KISS at the Governor Hindmarsh, 59 Port Rd, Hindmarsh, on Wednesday 6 May. Book via the venue or OzTix.

7

QUARTET

By Sian Williams Adelaide’s longest running Arts Repertory Theatre are fast approaching the debut of their next performance, a production of Quartet which, as its name suggests, is being shown with four lead characters in a sentimental, bittersweet yet comical tale of music, friends, aging and mortality.

Commencing Thursday 9 April and continuing until Saturday 18 April, Adelaide’s oldest theatre group is proud to showcase yet another high quality and professional show to the arts-loving community.

The Clothesline speaks with one of the four main performers within this story. Theatre veteran Russel Starke, who performs the role of Reg, is enthusiastic about the return to the stage after taking a rest for the last few years while he has focussed on the myriad of other artistic roles he plays in his real life.

“I’m thrilled to be involved with this performance,” he begins. “It’s a mix of humour, human angst, sadness, memories, regret – so many things. I haven’t performed for a few years as I have been so heavily involved in other projects but I am itching to get back on stage.

“The plot of the performance is interesting,” Russell says. “Quartet is about a group of aged opera-singing friends who are reunited to perform Rigoletto for 19th Century Italian Romantic Giuseppe Verdi’s birthday anniversary, in a celebration of the composer’s birthday, his music and, indeed, his life. They all live together at Beecham House – a home for retired musicians and performers – and the interruption of their learning and preparation for this show comes as Jean Horton, the once popular Opera diva and former wife of one of the residents, arrives and causes a social uproar among the group.”

What exactly does this show examine within the storyline?

“It is a hysterical tale; we look as an audience at aging people, and specifically these artists,” he replies. “They are all still young inside, and each of them still posses their musical and vocal talents; that doesn’t fade, nor does the spirit. We get to see how they live, and how they lived before their retirement. There is a genuine banter between the different personalities which is funny and sad all at the same time. I am thrilled to be working with some amazing performers as part of Quartet.

8

Brian Knott performs the role of the everflirtatious baritone Wilf, Julie Quick is the shy and forgetful contralto Cissy and Jean Walker perform as soprano Jean – the exwife of Russell’s character, celebrated tenor Reg who is still heartbroken by her infidelity so long ago.

“The personalities bounce off one another and add a great deal of interest to the story,” Russell says.

Originally written as a play by Academy Award-winning screenwriter Ronald Harwood, Quartet was adapted and released as a movie in 2012. It was directed by Dustin Hoffman in his directorial debut, with an all-star cast including Billy Connolly, Dame Maggie Smith, Tom Courtenay, Pauline Collins and Michael Gambon.

The Adelaide Repertory Theatre production of Quartet is co-directed by Ian Rigney and Sue Wylie who are embracing the years of experience these local performers have between them.

“I have had such a varied and busy theatrical career,” notes Starke, as we discuss his lengthy list of accolades. “I wrote as a critic for years, for radio stations and newspapers, in academic papers and in just about every capacity. I love the theatre; it is such an honour to step back into a role such as this. I am excited to also have been recently asked to present a poetry program on the ABC (radio) and generally being out and about.

I am sure we will have a healthy group of attendees who will really love the storyline of this quaint tale.”

For those interested in our city’s historical background with The Adelaide Repertory Theatre, everything the group presents, they do so with the highest quality and is the oldest surviving amateur theatre company in the Southern Hemisphere. Russell Starke and his thespian colleagues offer a fabulous evening of laughter and poignant thought, and he closes our conversation by suggesting that everyone makes sure they come along to Quartet, to bring a friend or two, and support local entertainment while witnessing some of what he feels to be the best theatre Adelaide has to offer.

Quartet runs at The Arts Theatre, 53 Angas St, at 8pm from Thursday 9 April until Saturday 18 April with a 2pm matinee session on Saturday 18 April.

Book at TryBooking.com

CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG

By Rosie van Heerde Musical Theatre Company Pelican Productions are all set for the unveiling of their most ambitious project yet - the staging of that eminently enchanting childhood tale, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

Based on James Bond author Ian Fleming’s only children’s story, the 1968 classic film has become a ‘fantasmagorical’ favourite for generations of children since.

In grappling with the sheer logistical intricacies of recreating such a huge production, it’s clear that company founders and co-directors Kylie Green and Jen Frith are blessed to be surrounded by a strong team of singer/actors, musicians and technical crew.

The Clothesline speaks with Kylie and Jen, via email, and begins by asking how closely they’ve been able to follow the film?

“We both have fond childhood memories of the film and you can certainly see the influence of Ian Fleming with the heroes and villains in the story, one of them being a flying car. The musical is quite different to the film and while the story is quintessentially similar, the musical brings many of the imagined scenes into reality.

“We’ve worked very hard with our young actors to bring authenticity to their roles that so many of our audience will be familiar with the real hero; Chitty herself has been our focus from the very beginning. The question that everyone asks is ‘Will she fly?’

Our answer? Well, you’ll need to come and see for yourself!”

Getting a story like this on the stage must be a huge challenge for an amateur theatre company.

“Bringing Chitty Chitty Bang Bang to the stage has been our toughest challenge yet. The easiest part has been telling the story; our cast are all incredibly talented and cohesive.

It has been behind the scenes that has been the most challenging. The sets are complicated and intricate, after all most of them were invented by the eccentric character Caractacus Potts. We have an amazing team of volunteers, from costumes to craft, building to blue prints; we couldn’t pull this production together without them.”

Where did you find the 1923 Model T Ford and what has been done to transform her into Chitty Chitty?

“We debated whether to build a car from scratch and in the end decided to use a

body from the 1920s era. We found a partly restored 1923 Model T Ford for sale in Geelong. The owner had been restoring her over a 40-year period but had decided he wouldn’t finish it and was happy for her to be transformed into Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

“We engaged a mechanical engineer to work out the technicalities of lifting the car and, together, we have set about transforming it into the magical flying car. One of the many highlights has been working with the simplicity of the Model T where the body is only held in by six bolts to it becoming a far more complicated vehicle with retractable wings, air-powered hovercraft with a real personality all of her own.”

The roles of children Jeremy and Jemima Potts are shared by three sets of sibling pairs Flynn Miller and Aliyah Goodburn, Joshua Spiniello and Gemma Dandie and Finnegan Green and Zara Blight.

“Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is a musical that requires actors with a vast age range, which makes it a unique show in itself. Our production has actors from the age of seven all the way through to Grandpa Potts played by iconic Adelaide actor Max Rayner – who has devoted much of his life to theatre and has directed, choreographed or acted in 90 shows around Adelaide. His first role was in 1978 in the Met’s production of Viva Mexico.

“We have a young cast of fresh faces with many professional credits to their names.

Angus Birdseye and Jason Bensen share the role of Caractacus Potts, the eccentric inventor and father to Jeremy and Jemima.

Angus made his professional debut playing Kurt in The Sound Of Music at the Festival Theatre back in 2001 alongside famous stage father Captain Von Trapp and is now he’s performing as a famous stage father himself.”

What do you feel will be the highlight scenes for those intending to see Chitty Chitty Bang Bang?

“Audience members are sure to be wowed when Chitty first floats and then stretches her wings to fly. While we may not have a million-dollar budget, we do have some fantastic tricks up our sleeve to surprise and delight.”

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang runs at Scott Theatre, University Of Adelaide, at various times from Sunday 19 April until Sunday 26 April.

Book at TryBooking.com For the full interview, go to theclothesline.com.au

MARK HOLDEN

By Robert Dunstan Adelaide’s Mark Holden, famous for his numerous appearances on television’s Countdown in the ’70s, his acting role in The Young Doctors as well as in several films and as a judge on reality talent shows Australian Idol and The X-Factor, was quite chuffed when AMC (Adelaide Music Collective) announced that he was to be inducted into the SA Music Hall Of Fame.

and even Steve Jones of Sex Pistols and Fleetwood Mac. Mark also produced and wrote songs for David ‘The Hoff’ Hasselhoff before returning to Australia in 1996 where he kick-started Vanessa Amorosi’s career.

“I’d came back to finish my law degree but working with Vanessa quickly put paid to that,” he says.

And then came Australian Idol which quickly catapulted Mark back into the spotlight.

“I was quite stoked when I was told,” Mark, who has three Logie awards to his credit, says. “I think what AMC is doing with the Hall Of Fame is a great initiative – a really, really lovely initiative – so I’m really honoured to be inducted.”

“That came completely out of the blue,” he says. “I got a call and it was a huge break for me – a fantastic break – and it was a fantastic show to be involved in. I love it and was so disappointed when I was fired but that’s life.

Mark’s induction will take place at AMC’s current home, Goodwood Institute, and he will enter the Hall Of Fame that evening alongside Archie Roach, the late Ruby Hunter, Paddy McCartney and Peter Brideoak.

‘But, looking back, it was perhaps a good thing because I was able to go back and finish my law degree and become a barrister,” Mark reasons. “It I hadn’t been fired from Idol, I may not have done that.”

As well as the event boasting performances

by Archie Roach, The Yearlings and Max Savage, Mark will also be taking to the stage alongside his brother, Craig, who is to be inducted next year due to his involvement in The Moonshine Jug & String Band.

“And I’ll also have my son, Cane, playing a song with me and an indigenous fella, Mick Ryan, and we’ll be singing a song we wrote together called Kill Party about reconciliation. So it’ll be lovely to have Mick singing that song with me.”

Mark was a well-known pop singer in the ’70s with hit songs such as Never Gonna Fall In Love Again and appearances on Countdown.

“And I put a lot of that early success down to [television identity] Ernie Sigley who had me on his show Adelaide Tonight and, later, when he moved to Melbourne, his television variety show over there,” Mark says. “That kinda kick-started it all for me.

“Ernie had open auditions and I lined up just like all the Australian Idol and The Voice people do today,” he laughs. “And it was the same when I auditioned for Showcase in 1974 because it was just like today’s reality talent shows on TV except there was none of the stuff that went on in between.

“And it was John Bromell, a great publishing and A&R guy, who saw me on those shows and signed me up,” Mark recalls. “John then took me up to Sydney and set me up with an audition with Peter Dawkins from EMI but my first album of original songs stiffed.

“And then Colin Peterson, the original drummer with The Bee Gees, found Eric Carmen’s Never Gonna Fall In Love Again for me [to record] and it changed my life.”

The singer was known for wearing a white suit and carrying a carnation but looks back at it all fondly.

“Oh, it was all a heck of a lot of fun at the time,” Mark says. “It was fantastic.”

Following a stint on television soapie Young Doctors and appearances in the films Newsfront and Blue Fire Lady, Mark ventured over the US where he wrote successful songs for artists such as The Temptations – a top 10 US hit with Lady Soul – Belinda Carlisle, The Manhattans, Donny Osmond

Mark thinks the resurgence of vinyl is just a blip and that streaming, while it can be great for some artists, is hurting songwriters.

“I heard a song the other day that I really liked but, try as I might using Google and all that, I just couldn’t find out who actually wrote it,” he sighs. “That kind of thing can’t be good for songwriters.”

Mark was speaking to BSide Magazine from Oodnadatta.

“I’m on a trek called the Queen Of The Desert Festival Trek because I am involved in the Blue September organisation,” he responds. “Blue September is a cancer charity and it’s all about getting men to go for a check-up before it’s too late.

“My father died of cancer and I’ve had it too but survived,” he continues with a sigh, “so it’s all about getting men to acknowledge that there’s nothing wrong with having regular check-ups.

“These days most cancers, if they are detected early enough, can be controlled, so Blue September is all about encouraging men to go to their doctor for regular checkups.

“But that’s hard enough to do in the city, let alone up here where there’s a shortage of medical centres in these tiny settlements,” he says. “It’s really hard to access any kind of health care up this way because it’s just so remote.

“But we really need men to become more pro-active about their health and get them to go for regular check-ups,” Mark concludes. “And that’s what Blue September is all about.”

AMC (Adelaide Music Collective) Session will take place from 7.30pm on Friday 10 April at Goodwood Institute, 166A Goodwood Rd, Goodwood.

Tickets, and be quick as there a now not many left, are now available via <trybooking.com.au>.

THE ELLES HAVE IT!

By Robert Dunstan The Elles Have It! are Sarah Carroll, Jackie Marshall (AKA The Peppercorn Queen) and Irish-born Aine Tyrrell and the trio are coming our way for a couple of gigs this coming weekend after popping into the Naracoorte pub along the way.

We speak to Sarah (pictured and also known as the ukulele queen of the Bellarine) who begins by saying she has known Brisbanebased Jackie Marshall for a number of years.

“We first met up in Tamworth about 10 years ago – we were actually introduced

by The Re-Mains – and have been devoted to each other ever since,” Sarah reveals.

“She lives in Brisbane but travels pretty constantly up and down the east coast as well as doing a fair bit of stuff overseas.

“So there’ll be a fair bit of variety and I dare say we’ll be hopping up and down to play on each other’s sets,” she says. “I’d say there’ll be a fair few stage invasions happening. I might help sing on a song with Aine or she might get up and help sing on one of mine.”

The final show of the tour will have Adelaide’s The Yearlings at The Wheatsheaf as special guests.

“It’ll be lovely to spend time with Bob and Chris,” Sarah says of The Yearlings’ Robyn Chalklen and Chris Parkinson. “We’ve toured and recorded together so I’m dead keen to spend time with them because they are two of my very favourite people.”

Leigh Ivin of The Re-Mains recorded Jackie Marshall’s most recent release, an EP entitled The Good People.

“And when Jackie was in Melbourne recently with her small son, because we are such big fans of each other, we got talking about doing something,” she continues.

“And Leigh’s now set to do a full album for Jackie,” Sarah says. “And then I’m going to go up [to Rindo Valley near Tamworth] to record with him. That may be just before or after he does the next album for The ReMains.

“And the idea of Jackie bringing her little boy with her on the road suddenly seemed doable because Aine [Tyrrell] has just bought a bus that’s fitted out to sleep four kids,” Sarah adds.

“Leigh’s got a great studio and has just invested in a 52-track recording desk,” she adds. “So he’s getting pretty serious about it.

And he and Jackie have also done some gigs as a duo.”

“Hey, did you ever come across Gleny Rae Virus and Dougie Bull’s tour bus?” Sarah then asks. “No, well, Aine has just bought that. She also became a single mum with three kids last year and needed somewhere to live and I happened to know that Gleny Rae and Doug were looking to sell their bus.”

Via the wonders of Facebook and Soundcloud, Sarah has been asking fans intending on catching The Elles Have It! this weekend if they would do her the small courtesy of learning the last part of her song Small Courtesy.

Aine (pronounced Anya) is from Ireland but is now making her home in Australia and recently took the gong for Emerging Talent 2014 award at November’s Queenscliff Music Festival.

“I’d really like to get some film footage of at least one of the gigs of people singing along to that song,” Sarah reveals. “It’s a song I haven’t officially recorded yet but am hoping to get some footage I can use as a kind of montage.

“She and I first met at a Push Songs mentoring session when Aine was given to me to mould and shape,” Sarah chuckles.

“But Aine already had her own ideas about writing so there was no moulding and shaping to be done.

“The dream would be to record the song with a whole lot of singers as some kind of boozy chorus, but I thought I’d try it out first on this tour to see how it goes,” she adds with a laugh.

“She’s actually the daughter or Seán Tyrrell, a musician from Galway [Ireland] who tours Australia from time to time,” she continues.

“So Aine grew up in a musical environment and while she wasn’t doing too much music when I first met her, she’s really gotten back into it over the last year or so.

“And she’s just finished her debut album which she recorded with Mark Stanley who used to work with The Frames but is living here now,” she continues. “And it was recorded at Bridgette’s Hall which is in Crossley, just outside of Port Fairy.

Is there anything in the name, The Elles?

“No, not really,” Sarah concludes. “It was just that we realised that all our surnames ended in double ‘l’.”

The Elles Have It! play Naracoorte Hotel on Friday 10 April, Norwood’s The Manse (Clayton Wesley Uniting Church) on Saturday 11 April and The Wheatsheaf Hotel, 39 George St, Thebarton, from 4pm on Sunday 12 April with the final show of the visit being with very special guests The Yearlings.

“Aine has made friends with Shane Howard and his mob down there and I believe Shane’s wife is behind the saving of Bridgette’s Hall,” she adds. “It was going to be knocked down but it’s such a beautiful old place so I’m glad it’s now being used as a live music venue. So that’s fantastic and that’s the place we’ll be doing our first gig before heading over to South Australia.”

What format will the shows take?

“We’ve roughly worked it out,” Sarah responds with a laugh. “We’re going to do a little set each – probably just half an hour or so – and then we’ll do a set together at the end.

9

CD REVIEWS

CHRISTIAN ANDREW November Rain Reviewer: Matthew Jolly 3/5 Imagine a world in which sincerity is the new cynicism - where it is clichéd to be knowingly cool. Where it is original to be earnest and good. Christian Andrew could well provide the soundtrack to that world.

Chances are you will see Christian Andrew before you hear him. If you do then the music is a bit of a surprise. Jack Johnson not withstanding, it is jarring that the athletically built surfer on the cover of the CD for his latest single sings with such sensitivity and plays so melodically.

He clearly has talent. The filigree guitar picking and the clarity of voice remind me of Tracy Chapman. The big difference is that Tracy Chapman draws on her experience of gender, class and race to inform the songs that she writes – you can hear it in her voice immediately. Christian writes with a naiveté that is endearing, but this makes it difficult for him to bring anything new to the form.

“November Rain” tells a simple story where true love leads to marriage but through some tragedy (death or rejection?), it is not the singer that will be walking down the aisle. Religious imagery features, but not in Nick Cave “fire and brimstone” sort of way.

Christian’s is a more heavenly vocabulary of wings, guiding light, fields of gold and angels. His pain is forgiving and accepting rather than malicious. And that may be the twist – if we have to listen to men in their twenties sing about love (and let’s face it, we do) anguished redemption may be more original than angst ridden resignation.

The single is well-recorded acoustic rock that sits somewhere between Jack Johnson and Life FM. The CD comes with two extra live tracks. The second song is a live solo acoustic version of the single, which I prefer.

The third track “Open Up Your Eyes” would probably be an anthem if KT Tunstall sang it.

He feels it and he can certainly play it. He just needs to work out how to say it.

10

FELATIO HORNBLOWER No More Reviewer: Savvy 4/5 Imagine sitting in a 1950s cocktail bar sipping on a martini with live lounge music coming from a small stage.

Beyond the haze of cigarette smoke, band members are dressed in full period attire.

That’s what I picture when I listen to Felatio Hornblower’s debut single ”No More”, taken from their upcoming album Bonhomie. It’s a relaxed style of music that you listen to when enjoying a casual drink.

This single has an adept balance of guitar, drums and sax that compliment each other well in the track. The different instruments are expertly mixed, and the layered textures really give this track depth. The lead vocals are perfect for this style of music, and sound very professional. There is also a lot of emotion in the track, and overall it has an almost dark mysterious feel to it.

Felatio Hornblower is a strange name for an artist, but the music is not strange at all. It’s an interesting listen and a great effort for a single debut.

Music SA and BSide Magazine proudly bring you reviews of new releases by South Australian artists.

If you’re a local act and have a new single, EP or LP, visit musicsa.com.au for details on how to submit it.

PETER TILBROOK Living In The Sixties Reviewer: Michael Hunter 4/5 The ‘middle period’ of classic Adelaide band the Masters Apprentices was around 1967, with hits like “Elevator Driver” and a line-up that included guitarist Peter Tilbrook.

After a few years service he moved on to other projects, and nowadays works consistently with The Party Cats and The Twilight Zone, the latter featuring John Bywaters from The Twilights. When Tilbrook recently put together a Fringe show called Living In The Sixties to celebrate “the time of his life”, the title track came easily when he remembered the highlights of a more innocent time, and several new, original songs on similar themes were soon to join it for the show and associated album.

The title of many of these may give a clue to their sound – a fairly standard, but appropriate structure to songs like “Everybody Rock’n’Roll” and “Little Dancing Girl”. These are played with skill and empathy by a full band, also including John Bywaters. To my ears, highlights include songs written in the era rather than about it such as “My Girl”, a great song from Tilbrook’s time in the Masters but unrecorded until now. Elsewhere, “Support Live Music” has a self-explanatory theme that can’t be stated often enough.

THE QUIET ROOM All The Frozen Horses Reviewer: Tom Gaffney 4/5 Hidden gem The Quiet Room may very well be our answer to the trip-hop hole that Adelaide unfortunately has. Made up of vocalist Matt Cahill and producer Andrew Muecke, the duo utilise elements of dark pop, new wave, and their own little avantgarde twist, to make some chilling tunes.

They’ve recently released their debut album All The Frozen Horses through Paper Rock Scissors records. From start to finish, the release contains lush analogue synths alongside vocals that are unique, if not a little creepy.

The star of the whole album is no doubt its ability to give you goosebumps, especially when you’re listening late at night in the dark. This is very evident in track “Mayan Dream”, where children’s laughter seemingly pops out of nowhere, accompanied by cold, expansive vocals.

There’s also the neat, trivial instrumentation that may go unnoticed through passive listening. Instruments such as the trumpet in “On the Corner of Loss & Gone”, and “Noir De’sir” only add to the unique, cold feeling that The Quiet Room are certainly attempting to pass on to listeners.

The album finishes with a change of pace, the acoustic “Goodbye My Friend”, written the day after the passing of bandmate Jim Keays. The song, utilising the musical theme of “Because I Love You” in places, is clearly heartfelt and an entirely apt tribute to a lost legend of Australian music.

The production is good, and the composition is unique throughout – it’s all you need from an avant-garde band. There’s enough variation for you to listen through a couple of times, whether it’s an accompaniment for a late-night drive in the car, or as a little bit of ambience while you’re telling a ghost story.

One could say that the phrase Living In The Sixties applies as much to the age range of the musicians as the era about which they reminisce these days, ut enjoyment of the music needn’t be limited to any particular age group, as this CD clearly proves.

In some aspects, though, the vocals feel a little tacked on to the underlying instrumentation – it would have been nice to hear them a little more gelled together. The Quiet Room have still put out a quality debut record worth checking out.

Football, meat pies, kangaroos and Mark Holden.

THE JOSEPH TAWADROS QUARTET

By Robert Dunstan Nexus Arts recently announced its eclectic line-up for its Nexus Live series which kicks off on Friday 17 April with The Joseph Tawadros Quartet.

Other acts set to play the weekly series will be Oscar Key Sung and Swimming on Friday 24 April, Paul Grabowsky and Gian Slater Trio on Friday 1 May, Emma Donovan & The Putbacks and Kylie Audist & The Glenroy Allstars on Friday 8 May and Beat Spacek (Steve Spacek of Ninja Tune), Julien Dyne and Inkswel winding up Nexus Live on Friday 15 May. Egyptian-born Joseph will be highlighting numbers from his ARIA award winning Permission To Evaporate album of last year along with a smattering of tunes from his latest album, Truth Seekers Warriors & Lovers which will be released on the day he plays Nexus Live.

We caught up with the ever dapper Joseph over lunch at the restaurant directly behind The Art Gallery Of SA shortly after he’d given a solo recital at nearby Elder Hall as part of the venue’s well-attended Lunchtime Series.

“It was great,” Joseph says as he takes a sip of peppermint tea. “A full house during the afternoon is always really good. It’s great that people get out and come and see some solo oud.

“And, with a subscription series like that which covers a lot of bases, it’s often hard to know how people are going to take it,” Joseph laughs. “Solo oud is a lot different to hearing something like Schubert’s Song Cycle because it’s all my own compositions.

“But I like to work towards the emotional value rather than an ethnic one as I don’t see the oud as that way,” he adds. “I just see it as just another instrument in the same way as the violin or guitar. The emotion carries across in the playing.”

Joseph’s recital was a well-balanced, onehour program of dazzling, uptempo pieces alongside more reflective ones.

“I guess if you know that the audience aren’t especially going to be familiar with what you are about to do, it’s good to have that balance,” Joseph reasons. “And a concert for me is like a journey with a story and I’m part of that journey and its story just as much as the audience.

“So that’s how I approach all concerts because every piece has something to say,” he adds.

Joseph had announced from the Elder Hall stage that, often when playing solo oud, he imagines other musicians playing around him.

“It’s interesting because those pieces have been arranged for a lot of things – I’ve played them with quartets and full orchestras – so it’s funny to hear what parts come out when I’m alone on stage,” he laughs. “The funny part is, knowing my pieces so well, trying to recreate those other instruments.

“They’ve often been arranged and rearranged and you think to yourself, ‘Oh, the double bass would come in there’, and I kind of do a little bass line.

“For example, in Give Or Take I was actually playing a lot of the bass line,” Joseph adds.

Later, over lunch, Joseph tells me he once did a concert at which he played some of his music that had been inspired by the poetry of Kahil Gibran. Looking around at the older audience, he’d then announced, ‘Some of you may have been here for his book launch’, which, Joseph then said, was not greeted warmly.

“Joseph will launch a new album in mid-April, Truth Seekers Lovers & Warriors.

“The title comes from the Hunter S Thompson quote, ‘Walk tall, kick ass, learn to speak Arabic, love music and never forget you come from a long line of truth seekers, lovers and warriors’,” the musician says.

“And I thought that was perfect and suited me to a tee. The title made sense for my life right now.

“There’s a lot of things going on but, like a warrior, you just keep chugging along,” Joseph adds with a laugh. “And we are always looking for some kind of truth. And some lovers.”

The album features Joseph’s brother, James, on percussion, James Greening of the catholics on trombone, James Crabb on concert accordion and Matt McMahon on piano.

“It was good to have those musicians in mind before I recorded the album as I was composing it to suit their strengths,” Joseph says.

“And, with James Greening, I probably wouldn’t ever choose another trombonist,” he continues. “He’s an incredible player with an incredible tone and it was funny because Carl Crossin [Adelaide Chamber Singers] said to me, ‘If I didn’t already know that was a trombone, I would ask what awesome instrument it was’.

“And James doesn’t play corny trombone and that’s all I ask of people who play with me,” Joseph says. “I want them to make the music their own otherwise it just becomes a mish-mash.”

James Crabb is Scottish and plays classical concert accordion.

“He’s incredible,” Joseph enthuses. “I first met him when I was a teenager and we toured Italy together about 10 years ago.

And he lives in Sydney now so it makes it easy to work with him. James married an Australian.

“He’s also fun to hang out with,” he adds.

“You can have amazing musicians but if I don’t get on socially, it just doesn’t work for me. I need people to just drop any ego and just serve the music.”

How tricky was it to have no less than three people named James in the band?

“Very tricky, especially because the engineer’s name was also James,” Joseph laughs. “Everyone got called by last names. It was awful. I mean, Crabb.”

Joseph Tawadros Quartet play Nexus Live at North Tce’s Nexus Arts Centre on Friday 17 April.

I note that, along with the return of winter weather, it’s also been the return of football season. How co-incidental or ironic depending on which team you happen to support.

You can’t get any more Aussie than a game of football (footy) and you can’t be more Aussie than if you are actually a Holden.

Mark Holden is to be inducted, via Adelaide Music Collective, into the SA Music Hall Of Fame on Friday 10 April and it caused me to recall one of my first encounters with the Adelaide entertainer who has released albums, played a young doctor on the telly, featured in some feature films and, perhaps most famously, been a judge on Australian Idol as well as being closely associated with night rider The Hoff.

Many years ago, in what now seems like another life entirely, I was gainfully employed by the Postmaster General’s Department and found myself working on the parcel counter of the Adelaide GPO. It was back in the days when security wasn’t quite as tight as it is now but, even so, there were certain items back then that you were not allowed to put into a parcel and send it off.

So, it was always important to ask the customer what was inside their parcel and one day I remember vigourously shaking a customer’s package and asking, ‘What’s in here then?’

He then peered at me in horror and said, ‘It’s my dead mum’s ashes’. I can’t readily recall what happened next but I do recall turning towards the more experienced Post Office parcel counter assistant on my left and whispering, ‘Hey, are you allowed to send a dead person’s ashes through the post?’

Anyway, I digress, but this incident stood me in good stead when, a few days later, a welldressed young gentleman in a white suit came up to me at the Post Office counter and presented me with his package.

working with Dave because he’s such a lovely, lovely guy.

“Fleetwood Mac had recorded Blow

By Blow for an official FIFA World Cup Soccer album,” he says of 1994’s Gloryland which also featured Queen’s We Are The Champions, Bon Jovi’s Blaze Of Glory and Santana’s Luz, Amor Y Vida.

“And there’s also another song that Dave and I wrote together that’s not finished,” Mark had added. “I was actually thinking about it only the other day because it has the beginnings of being a really great song.

I’d love to finish it off.”

I then mention that Dave Mason would be easy to contact via Facebook as he’s an avid user with a great collection of regular, highly informative posts such as the one he posted very recently about The Beatles’ song Good Morning, Good Moring.

Dave had written that John Lennon thought it would be good idea to add animal noises to the end of the song but the animals needed be in order of which one could feasibly eat the one before it and then added, with what might have been a chuckle, “I bet you are all dashing off to listen to Good Morning, Good Morning now’.

Mark also mentioned, during the course of the interview, that he was very proud of his son’s band, Gorilla Jones (who scored a 4.5 Star review from Music SA in the last issue of BSide Magazine for their debut album, Third In The First World) and that he loved the closing song City Where You Live.

The next AMC (Adelaide Music Collective) Session will take place from 7.30pm on Friday 10 April at Goodwood Institute, 166A Goodwood Rd, Goodwood, and will feature Archie Roach, Mark Holden, The Yearlings and Max Savage with Archie, Mark, Ruby Hunter, Paddy McCartney and Peter Brideoak to also be inducted into the Hall Of Fame.

Tickets, and be quick, are now available via <trybooking.com.au>.

Without a whole lotta shakin’ going on, I asked the question, ‘What’s in here then?’ and he told me it was one of his demo recordings he was sending off to a wellknown record company for consideration.

And I recall white-suited man did this several times over the next month or so and then suddenly ceased venturing into the GPO. All was revealed when suddenly, without warning, the bloke in question suddenly popped up in my television set and I realised that at least one of his many parcels had found its ways into good hands.

This topic was breezed over when, for the first time in some 40 years – apart from that time at someone’s birthday party on the balcony of a popular city pub – I once again spoke to Mark Holden.

It was for an interview, which can be found elsewhere in this issue of BSide Magazine, and in doing some research I discovered that Mark had once penned a song that had been recorded by no less than Fleetwood Mac. Not only that, the song in question, Blow

By Blow, from the band’s Time album of 1995, was penned by Mark alongside Dave Mason of legendary UK band Traffic with help from John Cessario.

“I still love that song, Blow By Blow,” Mark had told me. “And it was a great experience

11

BENNY C & THE ASSOCIATES

By Robert Dunstan Adelaide’s blues and soul outfit Benny C & The Associates have only been around for a little over a year but the combo have already played a number of gigs, won an ARBA award and have just recorded their debut album, Red Dress.

The band will launch their offering at the Governor Hindmarsh on Friday 11 April and will be joined by several special guests including Snooks La Vie on mouth harp.

The core band is Benny C Cunningham on guitar and vocals, Angela Portolesi on vocals, Steve Portolesi on bass and Kelvin Sugars on drums, with ‘associate’ members Pete Lymbo (guitar) and Mitch Rosmini (keyboards) usually playing also.

“We’ve been together in this band since late 2013 although all of us have played in different bands together over the last few years,” Steve Portolesi says when we hook up for a chat. “So we’ve all know each other for the last 10 years.

“But we’d always wanted to get together and do a blues band,” the bassist continues.

“The blues is one of our main influences and major passions, so we finally got around to doing it when we got together and started writing songs for an album.

“In fact, we kind of wrote and recorded the album before we ever did our first gig which was in the middle of last year,” Steve adds.

“And since then we’ve done gigs at The Gaslight Tavern and recently did a show at Casablabla which was great because they usually only have contemporary soul kinda bands.”

Red Dress, which has already topped the Australian iTunes Blues Chart, was pieced together in Adelaide but then finished off in Nashville, USA. “It’s kinda funny because were going to do it all locally and get it mixed here and everything,” Steve announces. “And then Angela saw Alabama Shakes on TV and we all fell in love with them.

“So we did some searching and found that Andrija Tokic had produced their album, Boys & Girls, which got nominated for a Grammy, and got in touch,” he continues.

“And he emailed straight back and said he liked what he’d heard and to come on over to Nashville and get it finished.”

While in Music City USA, Benny C & The Associates also added some extras to the album.

“Yeah, we thought if we were going to go all that way, we may as well make the most of it,” Steve laughs.

“So we added a bit of percussion and then Andrija lined us up with Jack White’s keyboard player, Isaiah ‘Ikey’ Owens,” he says of the Grammy award winning musician who has also been a member of Long Beach Dub Allstars and The Mars Volta.

“And that was great, but then Ikey died a couple of months later of what they think was a heart attack,” Steve sighs. “He was only 39 or something so it was all very sad because he was such an amazing player.”

Benny C & The Associates, who were special guests at Craig Atkins recent Fall Or Fly launch, snaffled an ARBA (Adelaide Roots & Roots Association award late last year as Best Rising Talent and band will now take

12

part in the upcoming ARBA heats to win a spot in The Memphis Blues Challenge.

Steve considers, after spending time over the last decade in Sydney and Los Angeles, that Adelaide’s live music scene is currently very healthy.

“Especially the blues scene which is very strong and really flying,” he suggests.

“Adelaide has some really amazing blues bands. Just look at how well Lazy Eye are doing and what they’ve achieved.”

The band had considered launching Red Dress in a private warehouse they have access to, but eventually elected on the Governor Hindmarsh.

“We were actually booked to do a Saturday night gig in the Gov’s front bar,” Steve says, “but then their main room became free on April 11, so we decided to do that instead and make it a launch.

“And we’ll have a few guests because we’ll have Snooks on harmonica and also a guy called Matt Williams who played guitar on some of the album,” he then announces.

“And we’ll also have a sax player.

The combo are strong supporters of World Vision’s anti child slavery and sex trade issues.

“I have a friend who is pretty high up in World Vision,” Steve says, “and Angela, especially, has always been a strong supporter of child safety and things such as that. So we want to make that aspect a real feature of what the band is about rather than just a token acknowledgement.

“And because everyone in the band has kids, it’s quite pertinent to us,” he states.

“So World Vision will have a presence at the CD launch with a booth,” Steve says.

“And then, later this year, World Vision are taking the band to Brazil to do a video for the song Red Dress which, potentially, the organisation will then use to promote their concerns about child slavery and the sex trade in general.”

Following their Adelaide launch, the band will head across the border to play a gig in Melbourne at Cherry Bar in AC/DC Lane.

“That’s a huge, huge opportunity for us,” Steve enthuses. “It’s a really prestigious venue, but we’ll just be going over as a fivepiece for that one. Pete Lymbo can’t make it so we’ll be going over with Mitch.

“And the good thing is, because we are all such great friends, we are looking forward to the drive over together as much as the gig,” he concludes with a laugh.

Benny C & The Associates will launch Red Dress at the Governor Hindmarsh, 59 Port Rd, Hindmarsh, on Saturday 11 April, with a number of special guests including opening act Charles & Joy Starling.

FENRIR

By James McKenzie According to Norse mythology, Fenrir was a monstrous wolf who also happened to be the son of the demoniac god Loki and the giantess Angerboda.

You don’t get much more metal than that, and you also don’t get much more metal than the Sydney band of the same name who are about to make their first trip to Adelaide as part of a massive metal line-up at The Gaslight Tavern next weekend.

We caught up with Duncan Jones (vocalist and flautist and, yes, you read that correctly) and drummer George Delinicolis to talk all things Fenrir, with the former kicking off by describing how the band got together.

“Like so many bands we started off in school. It was quite an ordeal getting it together; I think we had three false starts!

We spent a lot of the time testing the waters and figuring stuff out. This changed completely when we found George in 2011.”

Drummer George then picks up the story.

“I was seeking a thrash metal band to play with,” he reveals. “I wasn’t having any luck with most band auditions as I was too young at the time, but my American cousin suggested searching on craigslist and I got an email from a band called Revenant Shade [who were soon to become Fenrir].

“They were in my age group,” George continues, “so I decided to check them out.

From then on I guess you can say I brought the speed metal to the band!”

“Yeah, when George joined our average tempo went up 40 beats per minute!”

Duncan agrees.

Fenrir has a very distinct and unique musical style, encompassing various metal influences along with folk and classical elements. As George explains, this comes from the different tastes and backgrounds of the band members.

“My influences are mostly from blackened, thrash and speed metal along with punk and classic NWOBHM. Adrian (Suljanovic - guitar) is influenced by crossover punk, speed, grind and thrash. Anthony (Ierardo - guitar) likes glam and thrash, death and speed metal.

“So when you hear the new album, you will notice all our styles coming through and will surprise the people who just label us ‘folk metal’ because Duncan plays the flute.”

There is also Duncan’s classical music background to add to the mix.

“I’ve always had classical music around.

There have been moments stretching back years where there’s been Beethoven wrecking speakers in my house, but at the same time I’ve had Led Zep kicking about the car and Dire Straits jamming away while dinner’s being made.

“I just feel like I’m not so much a classical musician turning to metal, or a metalhead turned classical, but some kind of freakish hybrid, with one foot in each grave!” Duncan continues.

“I don’t like to think of the similarities between the two. I don’t like people who use neo-classicism as a mechanism to try and elevate their music above others because I don’t think we should be positioning metal that way,” he states. “What I end up with, I

hope, is some chimera which looks normal enough but the deeper you go, the weirder it gets – neither form should dominate the other.”

The band’s lyrical fascination with Icelandic and Nordic mythology comes largely from their singer’s upbringing.

“My grandparents on my mother’s side were both Danish,” Duncan reveals, “and her heritage meant a lot to her so from a young age the stories have been accessible – my morfar [grandfather] would tell me stories of Thor and Odin. From there, it’s always been a point of interest to me, and not just in the mythology and the violence of your typical ‘viking’ images.

“The sagas, stories of the Icelandic and Scandinavian people during the early medieval period have been a favoured area of reading for me. And in music, well, these stories have value to me in the way I can see the concerns, struggles and triumphs of a people living under very harsh conditions and who were massively ahead of their time in many areas, but still lively enough to write poetry about horse’s dicks.

“Sure their society had some issues, but if that spirit doesn’t speak to your heavy metal sensibilities, well I don’t know what will,” the singer adds.

Fenrir have been recording their debut full-length album, a lengthy process due to both a desire to deliver the best possible outcome and some unforeseen delays along the way, as George elaborates, “It’s a slow process, only because we want to bring out the best of what we’ve got and really want this album to ‘wow’ our audience world-wide and make them want more.

“At this point it’s hard to tell the release date, there have also been a few set-backs, mainly our guitarist Anthony injuring his finger at work.”

From the footage I have seen, it looks like Fenrir shows are an absolute blast, and Duncan certainly make it sound like a fine night’s entertainment.

“Loads of fake blood, battle paint and loud noises,” he reveals. “But hopefully not a super serious ‘we’re so brutal we can’t take a dump without it being a demon foetal apocalypse’ kind of attitude.

“Fast, fun and intense, well, that’s the goal at least! We are keen as hell to come out and meet new people, see new bands, play a new venue and probably get wasted beyond belief.

“Also, a massive shout-out to Angela [Darlington] at Mercenary Productions, who’s put in an incredible amount of work getting this show off the ground,” Duncan adds.

The final word, however, belongs to George.

“Tell all your mates to get down to our show, get drunk, and get ready to thrash the walls down!”

What more encouragement could you possibly need?

Get along to the Gaslight Tavern on Saturday 18 April to see Fenrir headline a massive all-ages show that also features Hidden Intent, Sedulous Rouse, Stoved and Isolation Valve.

THE OCEAN

By Robert Dunstan The Ocean hail from Germany and can be seen as a progressive metal collective when you consider that some 40 different musicians and vocalists have been in and out of the group since guitarist Robin Staps first formed it in 2001.

The band has six full-length releases (2004’s Fluxion, 2006’s Aeolian, 2007’s Precambrian, 2010’s Heliocentric and Anthropocentric along with 2013’s Pelagial) to its credit, but are essentially touring the latest offering, Pelagial, a concept album detailing the journey from the ocean’s surface to its deepest, darkest depths.

BSide Magazine speaks to Robin Staps while the band, last in Australia a couple of years ago, were over in New Zealand having just kicked off their tour in this part of the world.

The Ocean had just played shows in Auckland and Wellington and Robin begins by suggesting both went well.

“Auckland was interesting and bit rushed though because we’d just flown in and didn’t get any time to soundcheck,” he reveals.

“But it went well. And then Wellington last night was really good – the response was fantastic and it was a big crowd with really good energy – so now we are looking forward to having quite a few days off and looking around the South Island before heading over to Australia.

“And we are looking forward to that because we’ve never played anything from Pelagial in Australia before,” Robin adds.

Pelagial has an interesting story as it was written and then released as a 56-minute instrumental offering, but has since also been issued with Loïc Rossetti’s vocals added to it.

“When I was writing it, Loïc was having vocal problems so we didn’t think he’d really be able to sing it live on stage,” Robin says.

“And because it’s a journey from the surface to the very bottom of the sea, I wasn’t really sure how to approach that in terms of the lyrics,” he continues. “So, yeah, the concept for Pelagial began as a totally instrumental album.

“But when Loïc recovered – the issue with his vocal cords had cleared up – he said he really wanted to be on the album,” Robin says. “So we went back in and recorded his vocals over the top of what we already had and fooled around with some other bits and pieces.

“And, by the end of a week, we had a version of Pelagial with Loïc’s vocals on it and decided to also release that,” he continues.

“So there are now two versions. And when we play live we can now do either version.

“We screen it whenever we can,” he says, “but, ultimately, it depends on the venue. If there is a projection screen at the venue, we will use it when we can.”

Jive, the venue in which The Ocean are playing in our city, has such facilities so there is a strong possibility of the visuals accompanying the band’s performance of Pelagial.

Hitting the road with The Ocean will be Brisbane-based progressive rock outfit Caligula’s Horse who currently have a new album, The Tide The Thief & River’s End, on the go and were recently described by Bill Bostle, former drummer with Adelaide grunge band King Snake Roost, as, ‘one of the best bands to come out of this country in quite some time’.

Guitarist Jonathan Nido and drummer Luc Hess departed ways with The Ocean in 2013 and have since been replaced by Paul Seidel, formerly the drummer with German metalcore outfit War From A Harlots Mouth, and Australian guitarist Damian Murdoch.

How was Damian recruited to The Ocean?

“Damian used to live in Austria because he’s married to an Austrian – they live in Berlin now – but we found him through the magic of the internet,” Robin responds. “We’d found a video of him playing a couple of our tracks and they were very spot on.

“So when Jonathan left at the end of 2013, we were in need of a guitar player and Damian was one of many who applied,” he continues. “But we knew before he applied that he could actually play.

“So we invited him to Berlin to rehearse with us and found him to be a pretty cool guy,” Robin says. “So, after only two or three rehearsals, we invited him to join the band.

“And that’s always a difficult decision to invite someone into the band who you don’t really know all that well at the time,” he adds. “But, in this case, it has worked out really well because Damian was really keen to join the band and also really keen to tour.”

It must be great for Damian to be once again be getting set to play on Australian soil.

“I think it will be the first time he’s done that in quite a while,” Robin concludes. “So, yeah, he’s really looking forward to it, especially as this time he will be playing with a band from Europe.”

The Ocean will play Pelagial in its entirety at Jive, 181 Hindley St, on Thursday 16 April with Brisbane’s Caligula’s Horse as special guests and tickets via Moshtix.

“For example, we just did a tour of Europe playing only the instrumental version,” Robin adds. “And that comes with the visual projection as well. But it’s good to be able to do both versions because they each have their own kind of energy.”

The visual projection Robins speaks of comes from a Pelagial DVD put together by Craig Murray, who has worked with Nine Inch Nails, which is said to be a 56-minute long video clip.

Robin then says the visual component of Pelagial will be screened in Australian venues if they have the ability to do so.

13

TUESDAY 14 APRIL Exeter – Bitches Of Zeus DJs Gaslight Tavern – Blues Lounge Blues Jam with special guests Gilbert St Hotel – The Airbenders Governor Hindmarsh – Main Room: Taylor Henderson (Sydney) and Front Bar: Adelaide Ukulele Appreciation Society Grace Emily – On The Fly (improv) Hotel Metro – Acoustic Club Tuesday

APRIL 9TH - APRIL 15TH THURSDAY 9 APRIL Austral – SCALA (free entry) Bridgeway Hotel – Northern Exposure (allages rock event) Crown & Sceptre – Kelly Menhennett, Little Miss and The Motive Gaslight Tavern – The Groove Factory Jam Gilbert St Hotel – Aroza (from 7pm) Governor Hindmarsh – Front Bar: Gumbo Room Blues Jam with host Billy Bob Main Room: Mariachi El Bronx (US) abd The Peep Temple (Melb) Grace Emily – Justin Townes Earle (US) and Sam Outlaw (US) Hotel Metro – Sick People, Scab Eater, Starvation and Cum (from 9pm) HQ Complex – Mobb Deep (US), DJ Skibeatz (New York), Delta, Dialect & Despair and more La Boheme – Mike Bevan Trio THE PUBLISHERS 110 FRANKLIN STREET LIVE ACOUSTIC MUSIC (8pm) LIVE ACOUSTIC MUSIC Vinyl – The James Muller Quartet ($5 entry from 8pm) Whitmore – Rainbow Jam FRIDAY 10 APRIL British Hotel (Pt Adelaide) – Craig Atkins Crown & Anchor – The Kill Devil Hills (WA), Sloe Ruin and Timberwolf Crown & Sceptre – Jungle City, MF Jones (Melbourne) and House Of Jade Governor Hindmarsh – Main Room: Jake Shimabukuro (Hawaii) and Daniel Champagne Saloon Bar: Irish Sessions and Front Bar: Appalachian Sessions GLOBAL BATTLE OF THE BANDS VARIOUS GENRES GASLIGHT TAVERN 36 CHIEF ST BROMPTON Goodwood Institute (Goodwod) – AMC Sessions: Archie Roach, Mark Holden, The Yearlings and Max Savage Grace Emily Hotel – Ricochet Pete Hotel Metro – The Zebras, Glaciers, Alpha Beta Fox and DJ Edub HQ Complex – Architects (US), Stick To Your Guns (US), Being As An Ocean (US) and Stories Little Pub Off Hindley – Jamie K Acoustic Marion Hotel – Gary Isaacs Naracoorte Hotel (Naracoorte) – The Elles Have It! (Melbourne) Parafield Gardens Community Club – Pumpin’ Piano Cats Pirie & Co Social Club – Moonfaker (CD launch), Destrends (Melbourne) and Valkyries Railway Hotel (Pt Adelaide) – Ukalalas from 5pm Semaphore Workers Club – live blues from 8pm Tonsley Hotel – Firebird (Tavern Bar), James Abberley (5pm), Mr Buzzy (9.30pm) (Chrysler Bar) Victoria Sq – Twilight Sessions: Conchillia (from 5pm) Wheatsheaf – Mary Webb and Courtney Robb (free entry from 9pm) SATURDAY 11 APRIL Adelaide Entertainment Centre – John Farnham and Olivia Newton-John Arkaba Hotel – Mr Buzzy Bridgeport Hotel (Murray Bridge) – Jamie K Acoustic Crown & Sceptre – The Prophets Of Impending Doom, Bitchspawn, Stabbitha & The Knifey Wifeys Edinburgh Castle – Wild World Fowler’s Live – Norma Jean (US), Louis

14

WEDNESDAY 15 APRIL Brecknock Hotel – Open Mic Night Crown & Anchor – DJ Tr!p Exeter – DJ Oisima Gaslight Tavern – SCALA’s Midweek Melt Governor Hindmarsh Hotel – Front Bar: Open Mic Night Kensington Hotel – Uke & Play @ The Kensi The Lion Hotel – Proton Pill Vinyl – Chris Finnen and Ronny Davidson

Blanc, A Ghost Orchestra, Life Pilot and Disaster Path GLOBAL BATTLE OF THE BANDS VARIOUS GENRES GASLIGHT TAVERN 36 CHIEF ST BROMPTON Governor Hindmarsh – Main Room: Miss Quincy (Canada) Grace Emily – The Saxons (Tasmania), The Monikers, The Motive and Max Madman & The Heck Yeahs Hotel Metro – Johnny Telefone, Cold Lies (an Egypt Lies and Cold Life collaboration), Meat Market and Leitmotiv Limbo from 9pm Jive – Tkay Maizda (SOLD OUT) and Gosh!

With DJ Craig Marion Hotel – Frank F (5.30pm), Shaken Not Stirred (8.30pm) Mitcham Institute – traditional bush dance Pretoria Hotel (Mannum) – Scott Free Producers Bar – With Confidence (Sydney) Semaphore Pt Adelaide RSL – Zensationals The Manse (Norwood’s Clayton Wesley Uniting Church) – The Elles Have It! (Melbourne) Tonsley Hotel – The A-Team Wheatsheaf Hotel – Salvi’s Guitar Swap Meet (from high noon) SUNDAY 12 APRIL Arkaba Hotel – Vogue Duo Brompton’s Organic & Sustainable Markets – Gypsyjunkies from 9am Crown & Anchor – Sunday Rubdown Crown & Sceptre – DJ Samnation from 3pm Elder Park Rotunda – The Timbers, Banjo Jackson and Paige Renee Court (from noon) First Commercial Inn – Radio Hits (from 3pm) Franklin Hotel – Blue Lagoon from 3pm THE JAZZ HANDS (6pm) TRAD/FUSION/JAZZ GASLIGHT TAVERN 36 CHIEF ST BROMPTON Gilbert St Hotel – Vincent’s Chair (from 2pm) Governor Hindmarsh – Main Room: Serena Ryder (Canada) and Matt Andersen (Canada) Hahndorf Old Mill Car Park – The Great Australian Tailgate Party: Adam Brand, Wolfe Brothers, Jasmine Rae, Matt Cornell, Nathaniel O’Brien and Gary Daniel Hotel Metro – DJ Prison Bars from 4pm Kersbrook Tavern – Black Aspirin Nook Nosh – acoustic music from 5pm Norwood Live – Blues On Parade: Donavon Frankenreiter (US), Dusty Lee’s Wasted Wanderers, Gab Hyde, Craig Atkins and China Doll Pretoria Hotel (Mannum) – Rob Edwards (1.30pm) Producers Bar – Scorcherfest Railway Hotel (Pt Adelaide) – Big Smoke from 4pm Semaphore Workers Club – live blues from 4pm Tenth & Gibson (Bowden) – Christian Andrew The Jade Monkey – The Good Questions (CD launch), Courtney Robb and Andy & Marta (from 2pm) Tonsley Hotel – Zillah & 2Dogs Wheatsheaf – The Elles Have It! (Melbourne) and The Yearlings (from 4pm) MONDAY 13 APRIL Governor Hindmarsh – Balcony Bar: Lord Stompy Grace Emily Hotel – Billy Bob’s BBQ Jam The Lion Hotel – Brian Ruiz and friends Wheatsheaf – COMA Sessions (jazz): Vulkan (Sydney/Denmark)

Returning in the most recent Fast & Furious installment to reprise his role as bad guy Ian Shaw is Jason Statham (Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels), who appeared in Fast 6 in a cameo.

Dwayne reckons Jason, who is best known as the cockney thug in Guy Ritchie films, is great to work and fight, with.

FAST & FURIOUS 7’S DWAYNE JOHNSON

By Libby Parker The much anticipated latest film in the Fast & Furious franchise has now hit cinemas. Starring the usual suspects: Dwayne Johnson, Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster and Jason Staham, Fast & Furious 7 marks the final film appearance by the late Paul Walker.

Walker died in late 2013 with filming of Fast 7 only half-completed; after script re-writes, the decision was made to complete the film with Walker’s brothers, Caleb and Cody as stand-ins to complete his remaining scenes.

Actor and pro wrestler Dwayne Johnson also joins the Fast & Furious cast for his third time as Diplomatic Security Service agent Luke Hobbs.

Dwayne (AKA The Rock) says he loves playing Hobbs and has a lot of fun developing his character on set.

“I’ve got to tell you, the character of Hobbs continues to be one of the most fun challenges and rewarding characters that I’ve ever played. With each film, we continue to add these little layers to him. We created this scenario in Fast 5, where he comes in and there’s an independence he has from the core crew on this side of the law. He says things in a certain way, with a certain delivery when he’s talking trash,” Dwayne says.

“Now the beauty of it is when myself, Chris Morgan and our recent partner, Hiram Garcia, are able to spend time together and create the most absurd things for him to say, which we called ‘Hobbs’s speak’.

“The key is that Hobbs has to say it in a committed, profound way, like ‘Daddy’s gotta go to work’, and all the while the audience knows I am winking at them. I’m having fun. It’s been the best, and then to add the layer of Hobbs’ little girl now being in the movie is a lot of fun.

“I think where we can go with that in the future, if we do come back and run again in this thing, we’ll have a great time.”

Dwayne’s busy life as a professional athlete, actor, producer, and guest on TV shows such as Saturday Night Live, can sometimes make it difficult to commit to a filming schedule, but Dwayne says he tried to contribute to Fast 7 in a memorable way.

“I had other commitments, unfortunately, at that time, so we tried to fit in as much as possible and we all agreed we wanted to create a scenario with Hobbs at the beginning and end of the movie that was memorable and epic,” he says.

“Jason brings a great level of weight with him. He is one of the very few movie stars who is legit skilled at fighting. It was a really great breath of fresh air when he came on set and we were able to put together this incredible fight scene.

“We were even able to punctuate it with a ‘Rock Bottom’ through the glass table, because you’ve got to give the people what they want!” he jokes.

“I had a great time fighting with him. I think both Jason and James Wan deserve a lot of credit because this franchise is like a crazy family so it’s challenging when you’re new and you’re coming in, but also when you have the responsibility that Jason had of being the main bad guy. That’s a big deal when you’ve got all these other heroic figures on this side, and he’s carrying it on that side. I give him a lot of credit. I thought he did a great job.”

The ‘Rock Bottom’ Dwayne Johnson speaks of is his signature finishing move in wrestling, where he side slams his opponent.

He says choreographing his famous move into his fight scene with Jason Statham seemed like the natural thing to do, and his co-star was all for it.

“I love it, and fans have always said, ‘You should inject your wrestling moves into films.’ I didn’t want to blur the lines too much previously, but in this case it was appropriate.

“We were putting this fight scene together, which we knew was going to be explosive, and I said to Jason, ‘What if at the end, we punctuate it with the ‘Rock Bottom’?’ It’s never been seen before in cinema and fans are going to bananas over this thing,’” he says.

“Some stars would be reticent to include someone else’s signature move, but Jason said, ‘Oh yeah man, give it to me. Put me through the table’.

“It was a glass table and everything, which cut us up a little bit. He came with no ego, and when you come to a fight scene like that with no ego, you get magic. That’s what we had.”

Fast & Furious 7 is in cinemas now so check out the latest installment of everyone’s favourite car racing, detective action film.

THE BIZZO

MUSIC MARKETING CHECKLIST #4 - PRODUCT AND MERCHANDISE

By Corey Stewart

Some other merchandising product ideas to consider are:

“What’s the difference between product and merchandise?” I hear you ask...

- Stubbie holders - Key rings - Hats - USB drives - Postcards - Signed posters - Photos - Dog tags - Guitar picks - Coffee mugs - Necklaces - Artwork - Snow domes (only joking… or am I?)

1. PRODUCT Well, your product is anything you sell that is directly related to your core business which is promoting/selling you, your band and your music.

The more unusual and unique your merchandising idea is the more sought after it can be with your fans plus, it maybe the angle you need to get some really good press or viral online traffic to your website.

CD - This will be your primary means of selling yourself and your music. Making sure that lots of CDs are sold to the general public should be your biggest priority as it is one of the best ways to get the word out about what it is you do.

So what product/merchandising ideas can you come up with for you, your band and your music? If you want to share them with us just let us know. Call us on 8346 9899 or email us at info@bsidemagazine.com.au

In previous articles I’ve touched on the importance of your web presence, your social media presence and finally your posters and flyers but today is all about the importance of having your products and merchandise ready to go.

DVD - It’s important to note that everything that you do should be documented in some way either by photos or by video and the main reason for this is that the collected content can be bundled into a DVD format and sold alongside your CD. Do you have video footage of your band practises, studio sessions, sound checks, live gigs and interviews? If you do it can be made into something unique that your fans will be most grateful for.

If not, start collecting the content needed to create a DVD product. Ask your fans what they would like to see, create a mini documentary about how your band was formed, video a songwriting session to give your fans an insight into how your songs are written.

2. MERCHANDISE Your merchandise is anything you sell that is not directly related to your core business but is related to your branding and profile.

The most popular merchandise items created and sold are t-shirts, badges and stickers but with working out what type of merchandise to sell, the only limit is your imagination.

I’d love to hear what product/ merchandising ideas you can come up with.

BSide Media can also help you get your merchandising together at a very reasonable cost to you so if you’re wanting to find out what we can do for you, just call us on 8346 9899 or email us at info@ bsidemagazine.com.au and we can do the rest for you.

BPlus: PHAT PANDA

By Libby Parker This week’s feature BPlus band is Phat Panda; a group led by a couple of teachers who are educators by day and groove enthusiasts by night.

Made up of Matt Young (vocals and guitar), Brett Roman (saxophone), Shayne Tarling (bass), Pavlo Soteriou (percussion) and Aaron Austin (drums/vocals), Phat Panda are a fun blend of reggae, funk and jazz.

Vocalist Matt Young teaches primary years at Christ The King School in Warradale and says Phat Panda, who have been together for seven years, formed through old friends and acquaintances.

“I’m an old mate of the sax player. We used to play together many years ago and we got back together when we happened to move back to Adelaide at the same time.

Everything just clicked. Then we met this collection of guys through friends of friends and it stuck for the last six or seven years,” he says.

Matt and bass player Shayne (who also runs Woodside Jamz) are both teachers who balance school and music, while the other members are also maintaining full time professions and their commitment to the band.

Juggling the life of a teacher with that of a musician can prove challenging, but Matt says he uses it to improve his teaching.

“I dedicate time to practise, and I have recently taken up a guitar teacher because I think to be a decent teacher, you’ve got to be a learner. I’ve really enjoyed having a guitar teacher to help me improve my playing, but also to be a better learner.

Balancing music and life though can be tricky; my own kids get dragged to a number of sound checks and gigs,” he says.

Phat Panda play as often as they can without saturating their audiences, as Matt says, they like to keep it fresh and funky.

“We’ve done a lot of work over the past few years so we’re in a place where we try not to over-gig. Because we play all original music, it’s about finding the right number of gigs in the right amount of time so we’re not over exposing or running out of venues,” he says.

“Not a lot of venues in Adelaide want original world music, believe it or not. We

play Casablabla; they have a roster of really good international and world-music-type bands. And we played Crown & Sceptre last Thursday night with a bunch called Funk Latin Union.”

Despite limited venues for the band, they have enjoyed performing to audiences across Adelaide at venues and festivals, including the Civic Park Spectacular, Coopers Alive and the Adelaide Hills Jazz Festival.

Phat Panda released their debut album Paws For Reflection, in 2010, which ranked number 44 in Three D Radio’s Top 101 for that year.

Matt says the band are keen to release a new recording in the near future, to showcase the group’s growth, and evolution of sound.

“We’ve got one album that we did a few years ago, probably not representative of our current sound, but we’d love to get another recording done. We’ve certainly got the material together now to have another recording,” he says.

“It is a challenge though, to find all that studio time and space in people’s hectic schedules. When you are balancing it as a passion that you work as an aside to your main profession, those are the challenges; to find the time and make that time easily available.”

As the main songwriter, Matt Young says he focuses mainly on having a positive influence on his listeners, much like the way he uses music in the classroom.

“I write most of the music for Phat Panda. I write the lyrics and most of the guitar and bass lines, and I like stuff that’s spiritually uplifting; stuff that’s got positive messages about who we are and positive messages about the planet. That’s the sort of stuff I respond to,” he says.

“I play to the kids I teach. I’ve always got a guitar in the music room! I make up activities, like little musical adventures, or I’ll do Peter Combe songs. Recently at school we were writing gospel songs so I was playing guitar and the kids were helping to create lyrics for that, so I use song-writing in the classroom all the time.”

Phat Panda have a gig coming up on Saturday 18 April from midnight at Casablabla, 12 Leigh St, so get along to check out their addictive reggae grooves.

15