ISSUE 0027 / April 16th - April 22nd 2015
IT’S FREE - www.bsidemagazine.com.au
Jeff Martin ALSO INSIDE: Love Junkies, Ramblin’ On The Riverbank Record Store Day, Samantha White, Sun Theory, Banjo Jackson Plus BOB’s BITS, TOUR GUIDE & LOCAL MUSIC NEWS
Banjo Jackson will be armed with a full band when he launches his new album at Vinyl, 20 Gilbert Plc, from 8pm on Thursday 23 April with special guests Max Savage and Jesse Davidson and tickets are available from OzTix. Big Daddy’s Discotheque, The Systemaddicts and Tom WayArmy are getting set to undertake a huge gig at Hotel Metro, 46 Grote St, on Friday 17 April. And it’s a free show from 9pm in the band room. World music collective Gypsyjunkies will be playing Brompton’s Organic & Sustainable Markets, Fifth St, Brompton, from 9am until 1pm on Saturday April 25. 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. The British Hotel, 13 North Pde, Port Adelaide, is now hosting a monthly Sunset Sessions. Held on the last Saturday of the month from 5-8pm, Saturday 25 April will feature Kelly Menhennett. Then it’s Koral Chandler on Saturday 30 May, Matt Ward and Max Savage on Saturday 27 June and Brenton Manser on Saturday 27 July. Free entry and the hotel is also a great dining experience with wine of the month being the 2013 Wirra Wirra shiraz cabernet. 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.
intimate venue every Thursday evening from 8pm and that’s an easy $5 entry. Port Lincoln’s Ill Starred Captain, who now live in WA but are in the midst of recording at Adelaide’s Big Sound Studio, are heading to town to play some of their folk rock at Corny Point’s Howling Dog Tavern on Friday 24 April, Aldinga’s Aldinga Hotel from 2-6pm on Saturday 25 April with special guest Rafa Gody and later that very same evening at The Jade Monkey, 160 Flinders St, with Shane Labady and Wade Francis. The band also play Edithburgh Hotel over on Yorke Peninsula on Saturday 26 April. Tabula Rasa, Filthy Lucre and Athletic Teenage Joggers have banded together to play a show at The Jade Monkey, 160 Flinders St, from 9pm on Friday 17 April. It will be a special one for Filthy Lucre as the city venue is where the rockin’ duo did their first ever gig three years ago. Tickets will be on the door for $10. 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. Emily Davis and her new band, The Rising Tides, have announced a free entry show from 9pm at The Wheatsheaf Hotel, 39 George St, Thebarton, at which they will be joined by singer songwriter Benjamin James Caldwell who hails from Canada via New Zealand.
Disappointed that their show with The Black Keys won’t actually happen next week, Bad//Dreems have announced a show at Jive, 181 Hindley St, on Friday 12 June, to launch new single, Cuffed & Collard, with tickets available from Friday 10 April from Moshtix.
The Governor Hindmarsh Hotel, 59 Port Rd, will play host to a Blues Spectacular on Friday 10 May that will feature Hall & Dow Blues Band, the award winning Lazy Eye and Rhumboogie (featuring legendary guitarist Chris Finnen). Tickets, at $15, are now available via the venue or OzTix.
Local rockers Ricochet Pete are undertaking their final shows forever and ever as part of a free entry Friday evening residency at the Grace Emily Hotel, 232 Waymouth St, and on Friday 17 April will be joined by punk rockers Standard Union, while the very final night of the three shows will have Ricochet Pete saying a very final farewell alongside Killerbirds and The Villenettes.
Fresh from supporting Augie March, Adelaide indie pop trio Cosmo Thundercat will be heading back to where it all began for them and undertaking a free entry gig at Jake Ruby which is located in the basement of 89 King William St, on Friday 17 April. The delightful trio will hit the stage at 10pm sharp and there will be delicious food available until quite late.
Boutique bar Nook Nosh, 111 Unley Rd, Unley, will be awash with the acoustic sounds of Andrew ‘Wash’ Washington from 5pm on Sunday 19 April, David Robinson on Sunday 26 April and AP D’Antonio on Sunday 3 May. Pop in for sips ‘n’ nibbles.
Before heading off on a huge Australian tour, award winning local blues outfit Lazy Eye are set to launch their third album, Single Malt Blues, at The Promethean, 116 Grote St, on Saturday 18 April. Tickets are now available via OzTix and doors will swing open at 8pm.
Babylon Burning play rootsy reggae, Argus & The Liar play punky hip hop and Jupiter play neo soul, so it will be a great night of local music at Vinyl, 20 Gilbert Plc, from 9pm on Saturday 8 May. Spiral Dance have shows coming up with the first one being at Crown & Sceptre, 308 King William St, from 9pm on Saturday 18 April followed by a performance as part of The Druids Of Oz Gathering at Mylor Hall up in Mylor on Saturday 16 May. And, of course, the medieval-inspired group will once again celebrate the Winter Solstice on Saturday 13 June with full details to come in due course. 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 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 boasts 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. 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 event will also feature stunning, atmospheric visual clips by Lindsay Smith which were 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.
OUR PHILOSOPHY 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. Every week we will be bringing you the latest news and up-to-date information. 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. 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: Jeff Martin Page 7 Banjo Jackson Ramblin’ On The Riverbank Page 8 The Clothesline Page 9 Samantha White (Neumeria) The Love Junkies Page 10 Music SA CD Reviews Page 11 Bob’s Bits Sun Theory Page 12 Record Store Day Page 13 ThreeD 20+1 Chart Crackle & Pop Page 14 BSide Gig Guide Page 15 The Bizzo BPlus: Alex De Porteous Advertising Enquiries Ph: (08) 8346 9899 sales@bsidemagazine.com.au
Club 5082 again comes to Prospect Town Hall as a free entry all-ages show from 6.30pm on Friday 17 April and will feature Frontline at 7pm followed by David Christie, Orangutang and Chloe Warwick with Evolution Rock Band from St Andrews Primary School winding it up by hitting the stage at 9.40pm. 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 Diamond Duo on Friday 17 April and Duke on Friday 24 April, while Sundays has The Memes on Sunday 19 April and Ozwiete on Sunday 26 April. All gigs are free entry too. 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. 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
2
ISSUE #0027 April 16th April 22nd, 2015
3
Finally! Fleetwood Mac have now added an Adelaide date to their Australian tour and are set to play Coopers Stadium, Hindmarsh, on Wednesday 28 October. Tickets and more into at <livenation.com. au>. Let there be rock! AC/DC will return to one of their old haunts when they play Adelaide Oval on Saturday 21 November. Tickets on sale from Monday 20 April via <acdctour. com.au>. Let there be funk! Tim Rogers and The Bamboos will hit the Governor Hindmarsh, 59 Port Rd, Hindmarsh, on Friday 3 July. Tickets on sale now via the venue but be quicker than quick to score a ticket. 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. 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. Noel Fielding, star of multi-award winning comedy duo The Mighty Boosh, will return to Australia for a national tour in April of 2015. Expect a magical mix of his unique brand of stand up comedy, live animation, music and some of Fielding’s best-known television characters including The Moon and Fantasy Man. There will also be muscular support from the loose stylings of Mike Fielding of Naboo/Smooth. Catch all the action at Thebarton Theatre on Friday April 17 with tickets on sale now via <ticketmaster.com.au>. 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. Tickets at the door for $15. Sydney outfit Fenrir are hittin’ 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 bands Stoved, Hidden Intent, Sedulous Rouse and Isolation Valve all for an entry free of only $15. Kiwi Marlon Williams, who spends much of his time in Melbourne, is on an Australian tour with his band, The Yarra Benders, and if you have been clever enough to buy tickets, you can catch them play a SOLD OUT show at the Grace Emily Hotel, 232 Waymouth St, from 8pm on Thursday 16 April with Jim Lawrie and Julia Jacklin. Young pop band Short Stack have announced an all-ages tour that will have them performing at the Governor Hindmarsh, 59 Port Rd, Hindmarsh, on Sunday 19 April. Book very, very quickly, even if it’s only for your young offspring, at OzTix or via the venue. Guitar wizard Lloyd Spiegel will celebrate 25 years on stage with a double live album that will have him playing Semaphore Workers Club, 93 The Esplanade, Semaphore, from 8pm on Friday 26 June and The Wheatsheaf Hotel, 39 George St, Thebarton, from 9pm on Saturday 27 June. 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
4
Strumpet, and hit 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 with special guests Skullcave who also hail from WA, Book via the venue or OzTix. The Controllers, who hail from the Melbourne suburb of Berwick, have a new EP, Animals, and to celebrate they’re taking their live show on the road and will be joined by local mates Horror My Friend and Super Best Friends. See ‘em at Crown & Anchor on Friday 17 April. No bull! Sydney’s Andy Bull, who had three entries in triple j’s recent Hottest 100 and who sold out his late Adelaide show, is embarking on a national tour to further highlight his most recent album, Sea Of Approval, which has won a sea of approval from fans and critics alike. Catch him when he plays the Governor Hindmarsh, 59 Port Rd, Hindmarsh, on Thursday 16 April. It will also mark Andy’s last big tour before he begins work on a new studio album. Tickets are now available via OzTix or at the venue. Sydney duo Uncle Jed are heading back to town to undertake a very special early evening farewell show at the Grace Emily Hotel, 232 Waymouth St. The gig, will which mark their final tour, will happen from 7.30pm on Sunday 19 April with tickets on sale now via OzTix or the venue. My Empty Phantom hails from Texas and is comprised entirely of one person, Jesse Beaman, who is able to create dramatic soundscapes reminiscent of leaders in the genre such as Explosions In The Sky. Catch My Empty Phantom at Crown & Anchor on Thursday 30 April with Molly, Last Days Of Kali and Stranger Things Have Happened. Fresh from Byron Bay’s Bluesfest, indie rockers British India are on a national tour in support of their 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 very quickly via OzTix or at the venue. 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. Kamelot, a power metal band from Tampa, Florida, are returning to our shores and in Adelaide will play the Governor Hindmarsh, 59 Port Rd, Hindmarsh, on Wednesday 5 June with special guests Matronarch and Raven Black Night. Tickets via the venue or OzTix. Melbourne band Coffin Wolf will be joined by Blind Man Death Stare (who hail from Melbourne via Brisbane and were once known as The Pints) along with Stabbbitha & The Knifey Wifeys when they play a free entry show with local punk rock headliners Dead Joe at Crown & Sceptre, 308 King William St, on Friday 1 May. Nexus Arts, located at North Tce’s Lion Arts Centre, has announced its eclectic lineup for its Nexus Live series which kicks off on Friday 17 April with The Joseph Tawadros Quartet with 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 the series on Friday 15 May.
Brooklyn-based hip hop artist Necro, founder and operator of Psycho+LogicalRecords, is on his way to play the Governor Hindmarsh, 59 Port Rd, Hindmarsh, on Friday 15 May with tickets on sale now 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.
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 with Young Offenders and The Timbers.
Brisbane-based indie pop band We All Want To will bring their Haze album launch tour to Hotel Metro, 46 Grote St, on Saturday 30 May where they will be joined by some local guests.
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. World traveller and guitar virtuoso Daniel Champagne will return to play McLaren Vale’s The Singing Gallery on Friday 1 May and The Wheatsheaf Hotel, 39 George St, Thebarton, on Saturday 2 May with very special guests to be announced soon. 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. Morgan Bain, a singer songwriter who hails from Perth and plays soulful blues rock with his band, is on a national tour to promote his Why Don’t You Stay? single and will undertake a free entry show from 9pm at The Exeter Hotel, 246 Rundle St, on Thursday 30 April with Luke Carlino as his special guest. 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! Delightful Victorian duo Victoriana Gaye are heading back to town to play some soft core prog (that rocks) at a free entry show with Adelaide’s Brillig from 9pm at The Wheatsheaf Hotel, 39 George St, Thebarton, on Friday 1 May. The duo will also play McLaren Vale’s Red Poles Gallery on Sunday 3 May from 12.30pm until 3.30pm. 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. 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.
ARIA Hall Of Famers and much revered band The Church will hit the Govenor Hindmarsh Hotel, 59 Port Rd, Hindmarsh, on Saturday 11 July at which they’ll be concentrating on their second album, The Blurred Crusade, which boasted such classic songs as Almost With You and Field Of Mars. Tickets are now on sale via the venue or OzTix. 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. Melbourne’s Harts will bring his soulful, funky, electronic pop rock to Rocket Bar, upstairs, 142 Hindley St, on Friday 5 June to launch his Breakthrough EP before heading off overseas. 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. 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. 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. 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.
FRIDAY 15 MAY Beat Spacek (UK), Julien Dyne and Inkswel at Nexus Arts King Parrott (Sydney), High Tension and Coloosvs at Fowler’s Live Necro (US) at Governor Hindmarsh SATURDAY 16 MAY Infinity Broke (Sydney), Matthew Hayward and Blush Response at Hotel Metro SUNDAY 17 MAY Riblja Čorba (Serebia) at Governor Hindmarsh Carus Thompson (Melbourne) at Grace Emily 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 (Brisbane) 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), Horror My Friend and The Controllers (Berwick) at Crown & Anchor Joseph Tawadros Quartet (Sydney) at Nexus Arts Centre Emily Davis & The Rising Tides and Benjamin James Caldwell (New Zeland/ Canada) SATURDAY 18 APRIL The Rumjacks (Sydney), Young Offenders and The Timbers at Crown & Anchor Laura Jean (Melbourne), Naomi Keyte and Aldous Harding (New Zealand) at Wheatsheaf Hotel British India (Melbourne), Grenadiers and Horror My Friend at Governor Hindmarsh Fenrir (Sydney), Isolation Valve, Sedulous Rose and Stoved at Gaslight Tavern Working Dog Union and Aine Tyrrell (Ireland/Melbourne) at Bluebee 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) and Skullcave (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 Ill Starred Captain (WA) at Howling Dog Tavern (Corny Point) SATURDAY 25 APRIL Ill Starred Captain (WA), Shane Labady and Wade Francis at The Jade Monkey 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 Ill Starred Captain (WA) and Rafa Gody at Aldinga Hotel (Aldinga from 2pm) 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 My Empty Phantom (Texas), Molly, Last Days Of Kali and Stranger Things Have Happened at Crown & Anchor Morgan Bain (Perth) and Luke Carlino at Exeter Hotel FRIDAY 1 MAY Paul Grabowsky (Melbourne) and Gian Slater Trio at Nexus Arts Sam Smith (UK) at Adelaide Entertainment Centre Theatre Daniel Champagne (Sydney) at The Singing Gallery (McLaren Vale) 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 Victoriana Gaye (Victoria) at Red Poles Gallery (McLaren Vale) MONDAY 4 MAY Opeth (Sweden) at Governor Hindmarsh The Seekers Story with Athol Guy (Melbourne) at Her Majesty’s Theatre TUESDAY 5 MAY Ricky Martin and Delta Goodrem at Adelaide Entertainment Centre Metalum Manifestatione MMXV: Suffocation (US) and Decapitation (Poland) at Governor Hindmarsh 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 The Shrines (US) at Crown & Anchor 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
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 Shikari (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 We All Want To (Brisbane) at Hotel Metro 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 MONDAY 3 JUNE Bad Manners (UK) at Governor Hindmarsh WEDNESDAY 5 JUNE Kamelot (US) at Governor Hindmarsh Brian Kennedy (Ireland) at Trinity Sessions THURSDAY 4 JUNE In Hearts Wake (Byron Bay), We Came As Romans (US) Beartooth (US) and We Storm The Sky at HQ Complex FRIDAY 5 JUNE Against Me! (US) and Joyce Manor (US) at Adelaide Uni Bar The Peep Tempel (Melbourne) at Crown & Anchor Dallas Frasca (Melbourne) at Pirie & Co Social Club Harts (Melbourne) at Rocket Bar SATURDAY 6 JUNE Ry Kemp, Shelby Clements (NSW), Heath Anthony and Bec Stevens at Exeter Hotel SUNDAY 7 JUNE Karise Eden (Sydney) at Governor Hindmarsh MONDAY 8 JUNE R.A. The Rugged Man (US) at Governor Hindmarsh This Will Destroy You (US) at Jive THURSDAY 11 JUNE Deez Nuts (Melbourne/New York), Antagonist CD (New Zealand), Relentless and Earth Caller at Fowler’s Live FRIDAY 12 JUNE Yngwie Malmsteem (Sweden) at HQ The Funkoars, DJ Total Eclipse (US),
5
JEFF MARTIN By Rob Lyon
impact and there has to be levity, darkness, romance, the esoteric and so I try and get it all in to the acoustic show,” Jeff declares.
Last year was a massive one for Canada’s The Tea Party with a resurgence that included another Australian tour and a new album The Ocean At The End.
“I have points in the show where I can interchange songs and see what works and what doesn’t. There’s a lot that just has to stay there – the standards and it’s just like what it is. Every band has them, every band has their talismans and if you didn’t play particular songs people would revolt.”
It keeps getting better for fans with frontman Jeff Martin going on a solo tour, the last for a while, and playing a whole raft of new tunes acoustically which has already gone down a treat on the east coast. There is plenty on the horizon for Jeff Martin as he launches 93 Records which will feature the releases of his two side projects Black Diamond Express (featuring Sarah McLeod and Mick Skelton) and Revelator (featuring Mick Skelton). It’s been an amazing year for The Tea Party with a new album and Australian tour. How could it get any better? “It really couldn’t you know, 2014 was the year for the three of us to be extremely proud of. It’s now 2015 and moving on I have this one opportunity or pocket of time to go out there and do not the last solo tour but one last solo tour for quite some time. “It is something I very much enjoy and there is an audience demand for it especially after the success of The Tea Party tour so I’m taking the opportunity to do it. “What is coming up on my dance card as far as the rest of 2015 is concerned is that I’m starting up my record label which is called 93 Records and then what is going to be released before the end of the year on that label is two projects. One is Black Diamond Express which is myself, Sarah McLeod and Mick Skelton and the other project is called Revelator which is just myself and Mick Skelton. “The two are very different from one another but will have a sound that is achieved through my production studio in Fremantle”. How do you fit it all in? Do you forget what band you’re playing in? “Not really man! My thing is that when I go in to something I go in absolutely head first. I don’t have much of a peripheral and it is all about focusing on the task at hand. I do know what is coming in the future but for this moment right now I’m concentrating on these acoustic shows and making my performances as best as can be as well as bringing to the table versions of songs off The Oceans At The End that no one has heard in an acoustic fashion. “I’ll be playing The Black Sea, Water’s On Fire and Black Roses acoustically and judging by the response of fans on the Sunshine Coast, the first show on the tour, people absolutely loved it, lots of cheers in the audience.” Is it a hard job arranging these new songs to play acoustically? “Not really because for the most part even the most grand productions from The Tea Party, 90% of them started with just me and a acoustic guitar. Especially with how I have experimented over the years with all these alternate tunings even on twelve string acoustics and what not. “When I play solo the way that I have set up the technical side of things, pedal board and what not, it is a lot of sound coming from just one person. The dynamics I explore within a song allows the light and shade to come through so ultimately the solo shows are glorified campfire fests. “If I can distil it, it is just my voice and an acoustic guitar so even the biggest of Tea Party productions and that the power still comes through then in its essence you know it is a great song.” With the choice of songs you could potentially play, are you planning on a three or four-hour solo set? “I have sign posts along the way of a performance. At those signposts I can interchange for songs and I know that from over time what songs that have worked really well acoustically for what I’m trying to achieve. “I am trying to achieve that emotional
6
Will there be a live CD to capture this moment in time? “Either in Melbourne or Sydney because that’s where I can really capture things or maybe even in Newcastle because the room there is awesome. It is an excellent room for my voice and acoustics as it’s an old art deco theatre. So in one of those three places I’m going to capture this tour then it will become available on my label 93 Records for anyone who would want it.” Are you planning to tour your other side projects? “Oh yes, definitely! It is a little complicated because Sarah [of Adelaide band Superjesus] is a very busy girl, but we are going to do something even if it is just one run of capital cities perhaps at the end of this year or early next year. It will be worth it as the album is really something else and something I’m incredibly proud of. “It is diverse and the three of us are touching on gypsy jazz and music from the ’20s to crooner stuff from the ’40s to doo-wop from the ’50s and the Elvis ’68 comeback. There are all these different sounds on one record and it still sounds like the same band. “As a producer I’m very proud of the Black Diamond Express and what has been achieved,” Jeff adds. It must be exciting having total control over where you take your record label? “I lived my career and been blessed to have had such a long career and all the experiences that I have gone through. I know what works and what doesn’t which I don’t profess to be a businessman but creatively, yes, I know what the right decisions are and what the wrong ones are. “I have a business manager who is a genius at marketing and a finance manager, so they take care of whether the artist is marketed properly and making sure they get paid properly. I think it will be a good thing and in a year’s time we’ll be talking about 93 Records and it will something that a lot of people will know about for all the right reasons.” Will you be looking at other young artists and bands to join your label? “Absolutely! Once this tour is done I will be heading over to Canada over June and July because the Tea Party is headlining some festivals over there but then after that all my focus is going to go on 93 Records and the projects at hand and the projects I want to discover for the future.” Does the whole digital revolution influence the way you go about releasing music through 93 Records? “It certainly helps to get the music out to the masses but the audiophile that I am I will be very much pursuing the world of vinyl because that is making such a renaissance. “Really, truly, if you have the equipment there is no better way to listen to music so that is something I will be figuring out as well.” Is The Tea Party going to keep bubbling away in the background or will the band be taking a break? “I think we will be taking a break and perhaps by the middle of 2016 we might start writing again. We’ll see how it goes but I need to take some time for myself now and Jeff [Burrows – drums] and Stuart [Chatwood – bass] need to do the same and would want to do the same. “I’m very passionate about 93 Records and what it can be, so I want to be able to see it through,” Jeff concludes. Jeff Martin plays Jive, 181 Hindley St, on Sunday 19 April with tickets via Moshtix.
BANJO JACKSON By Robert Dunstan Adelaide’s Banjo Jackson enjoys a solo career as well as playing with indie rock band Jimmy & The Mirrors. He is now set to launch his Mick Wordley-produced debut album with a full band at boutique Adelaide venue Vinyl. We chat to Banjo on a Sunday evening just after he’d played two shows earlier in the day with the first being at Sunday Vibes at the Elder Pk Rotunda along with The Timbers and the other being a spot at Bowden’s That Dapper Market in the early evening. “Elder Pk was pretty nice with about 100 odd people just cruisin’ I reckon,” he begins. “It was nice. “And That Dapper Market was just crazy,” Banjo says. “It was really nice there. And they’ve been doing that for a while now and I think this one might have been the third.” Banjo says he is now all set for his upcoming CD launch. “Well, as much as I can be,” he laughs. “The album feels like it’s been a long time coming so it’s good to get it all launched.” The album was recorded under the guidance of award winning Adelaide producer Mick Wordley at his Mixmasters studio in the hills. “And that was a great experience doing it with Mick,” Banjo says. “I’d recorded a song with him a while back and then was thinking of doing an acoustic album. But then, with Mick’s help, I got a grant from Arts SA. “So, from that, I got the band together and then went up to Mixmasters to record a full band album,” he adds. The recording was done over a period of time. “Yeah, it was done over a couple of months with bits and pieces here and there,” Banjo explains. “I’d say it was five full days – although it would be more like six days if you counted up all the hours. “So we did three days of tracking the whole band and then a day doing overdubs and then mixed it in one day,” he adds. “And Mick mastered it as well.” Banjo goes on to say that Jimmy & The Mirrors have been absent from the scene of late due to singer Jimmy Meegan currently being overseas. “Yeah, Jimmy’s over in New York,” he says. “And I’m actually going over there in a few weeks. So I’ll do a little launch over there as well as a few other little gigs. A CD launch in New York will be pretty cool. “So Jimmy & The Mirrors haven’t played for a while but Jimmy is coming back soon so I’d imagine we’ll so something later in the year because we haven’t done anything in quite a while.” Banjo got into music as a youngster. “But there are two sides to me because there is the expression side through writing which I’ve done since I was very young,” he says. “And I didn’t start playing guitar until I was about 13. “Someone had asked, ‘Hey, do you want to learn to play guitar?’, and I thought, ‘Hey,
that sounds nice’, so I began writing songs and just playing around with stuff. “I was playing around with ideas,” he laughs, “and trying to write songs like Bob Dylan.” It took Banjo a while to get onto a stage however. “I’d never even thought about performing because I was afraid to sing in front of people,” he now admits. “But Jimmy [Meegan] was doing some solo gigs around the place and asked me to play guitar with him when he sang my songs. “And then Jimmy and I started to do a few open mic nights around town,” he adds. “That’s how I got into it I guess.” Banjo launched Western River Cove, a single from his new album, earlier this year at the Wheatsheaf Hotel with guests Delia Obst and Max Savage. “That was great,” he enthuses. “It was really nice with lots of lovely people and went really well. And I always try and do headline shows like that with my band. “I always want to give a good representation of what I’ve recorded and the band I play with is the same as the one on the album more or less.” The musician will, therefore, be using his band when he launches his album. “So, yeah, on bass I’ve got Dom Symes, who plays in a few bands around the place and with Jesse Davidson and Timberwolf, and on guitar I’ve got Chris Panousakis (AKA Timberwolf) and then Kaurna Cronin is on drums and then there’s Ben Zubreckyj who plays trumpet and plays with Brokers and Jimmy & The Mirrors as well,” Banjo says “And at the album launch, Brokers, who are a cool band, will be doing a bit of a DJ set afterwards,” he adds. Jesse Davidson and Max Savage will also serve as special guests at Banjo’s launch. “And I’m pretty sure Max is doing a little trio sorta thing for my launch,” he says. “But Jesse will be playing solo.” Banjo has chosen new, boutique Adelaide venue Vinyl at which to launch his debut. “I’ve only played there once before and that was supporting Simon Hudson from Melbourne,” he says. “And that wasn’t with the band. “So I wanted to try out a new venue and help support them as well because I’ve played at the Grace Emily and The Wheatsheaf plenty of times now,” Banjo concludes. “I think it’s gonna be nice. And I know that Max has played there a few times now.” Banjo Jackson launches his debut album with his band at Vinyl, 20 Gilbert Plc, Adelaide, on Thursday 23 April with Jesse Davidson and Max Savage as special guests.
RAMBLIN’ ON THE RIVERBANK By Robert Dunstan Presented by Ramblin’ Promotions, the inaugural Ramblin’ On The Riverbank will feature rootsy Adelaide bands The Hushes (pictured above), The Heggarties and The Cherry Pickers and will take place next weekend at Adelaide Rowing Club on the River Torrens. We speak to Paul Heggart, who runs Ramblin’ Promotions with partner Wren Heggart (also of The Heggarties), and he says it’s something they’ve wanted to stage for a while. “I had it in my mind to get together with some other bands and organise some gigs that weren’t necessarily at pubs,” he says. “I thought it would be good to find somewhere that was a bit different and out of the ordinary. “We wanted to put on a gig that had a point of difference
involved as well. It may be that we can incorporate a local restaurant into the concept for future events.” The Heggarties have recently added drummer Max Tulysewski to the line-up of Paul and Wren alongside Steve Lennox and Tim Bodman. “Max is our most recent member although he has actually been with us for over a year now,” Paul says of the original drummer with The Bearded Gypsy Band who now also fronts Max Madman & The Heck Yeahs. “We originally had Dylan O’Brien on drums from Whiplash but it wasn’t really what he wanted to do although he said he would continue to play with us until we found another drummer,” he says. “So I put a classified on-line and Max answered because he liked our influences – stuff such as The Decemberists, Lucinda Williams and Drive-By Truckers and things like that – and it’s funny because I then remembered first seeing Max play with The Bearded Gypsy Band.
“And then I happened to be cycling along the Torrens riverbank with my sons and saw Adelaide Rowing Club,” Paul continues. “So I had a look online and saw that the venue was available for functions.
“Max might not remember it now but The Heggarties did a benefit gig with The Bearded Gypsy Band when he must have been about 16 at that stage but looked about 12,” Paul laughs. “It was a Fukushima benefit back in 2011.
“So I approached them and they indicated they would be into it and it all just went from there,” he states. “It’s generally used for 21st birthday parties and wedding receptions and all that as well as their own functions, but I got the feeling they were up for getting some different kind of business.
“And then we played with them a bit later at the Grace Emily and it was a funny gig because The Heggarties were on last and everyone had pretty much cleared out by then.
“And the good thing is there is plenty of parking around that area,” Paul says before adding that it is also in close proximity to Adelaide Railway Station and tram and bus services. Adelaide Rowing Club, often known as ARC and now this city’s largest rowing club, was established in 1882 but was completely destroyed by flood in 1889 and again by fire in 1931 with today’s club being the third such building. “So, once we got the venue sorted, we started thinking about a line-up although I’d already mentioned it to The Cherry Pickers about doing something somewhere together to play alternate sets,” Paul then says. “But once we got Adelaide Rowing Club happening, I got in touch with The Hushes because we felt it needed a big act – a big draw card if you like – to really make it work,” he says of the rootsy local band that features Cal William Jr, Emily Davis and Korey Horwood. “We’d also seen The Hushes at Semaphore Music Festival at Semaphore Workers Club last year and really liked them and the huge crowd there loved them too,” Paul adds. “Having them on board also makes for a pretty varied line-up because The Cherry Pickers are a bluegrass string band, The Heggarties are more alternative country rock in the Lucinda Williams and Ryan Adams vein and The Hushes have that bluesy, rootsy thing goin’ on.”
“It really should have been the other way around,” Paul suggests with another laugh. “It should have been The Heggarties and then The Bearded Gypsy Band. “And Max has fitted in really well with The Heggarties because he’s a really humble guy and not just a drummer because he plays other stuff and he’s a composer as well,” he adds. The Heggarties, who already have a debut recording to their credit, have penned some new material which they plan to record later this year. “I have a mate, Leigh Ivin, who I went to university with up in Lismore who plays with The Re-Mains and who has his own studio up near Tamworth,” Paul says. “And Leigh has just bought himself a huge analogue mixing desk that looks like it should be in an air traffic control building. “So Leigh basically said, ‘Get your new album tracked down in Adelaide and then just bring it up here and we’ll mix it’,” Paul concludes. “And that’ll work because Leigh has done a fair few CDs of bands I’ve been in over the years.” The Hushes, The Heggarties and The Cherry Pickers will play the inaugural Ramblin’ On The Riverbank at Adelaide Rowing Club (behind Adelaide Convention Centre) on Saturday 25 April. Tickets are $15 plus booking fee and available via Moshtix.
Paul says the inaugural event may well be the first of many. “We’ll see how this one goes but we definitely want to do more,” he suggests. “We are learning with this first one and by the next one we may have some food
7
SLEEPING BEAUTY By Catherine Blanch Moscow Ballet La Classique is bringing back to Australia one of ballet’s most loved fairytales, Tchaikovsky’s masterpiece Sleeping Beauty. Formed by artistic director Elik Melikov in 1990, the company have forged a reputation for producing visually spectacular shows filled with lavish costumes and amazing stage sets. It was 2013 when Moscow Ballet La Classique were last in Adelaide with The Nutcracker, and now they are excited to return with another Russian ballet favourite. Elik Melikov is in London as we speak with the assistance of a translator. With so many amazing classical pieces to choose from, we ask if he has a particular personal favourite?
“This particular production will be travelling with a group of about 50 people. This will include dancers, choreographers and behind-the-scenes staff. We will also be travelling with a strong crew of Australian technicians as well as working alongside the stage workers and staff of each venue we perform in. “There are three prime female dancers who will perform the role of our main character of the show Aurora, on a rotating basis,” Eliz says. “They are all very nice ballerinas and each of them toured with us to Australia back in 2013; Nadegda Ivanova, Ekaterina Shaliapina and a very young but promising ballerina Idaliya Nazmutdinova. The role of Prince Charming will be performed by Serge Kuptsav, Aleksandr Tarasow and Dmitriy Smirnov.” Will the ballet be performed to a live orchestra?
“Although my answer will sound strange to those who know many of the classical ballets, but my absolute personal favourite of all is Don Quixote by composer Ludwig Minkus,” Elik says. “But we know that on a whole, the public favourite seems to be the so-called Tchaikovsky’s Trio: Sleeping Beauty, Nutcracker and Swan Lake.”
“Unfortunately, not this time,” he replies, “but we hope that on our next time coming to Australia we can perform with the local symphony orchestras. For now, this also keeps ticket prices down and therefore making our show accessible to everyone to come and enjoy the ballet. By no means will the recorded music take away any of the quality of the performance.”
For people who have never attended a ballet performance, will they be able to understand the story and do you feel that this is a production that anyone could enjoy?
The Sleeping Beauty was originally written to be performed in three Acts, although the Moscow Ballet La Classique production will be presented in two Acts.
“Although the ballet has no words, both children and adults can easily understand everything,” he replies. “That’s why this ballet is so popular all over the world, because with no words there is no language barrier. Everything is understood though the music and the gesture of movement.
“At the end of the 19th Century when the ballet was composed and staged, people would come to the theatre to spend the whole day there,” Elik explains. “For example, Tchaikovsky wrote music for this ballet that covered five hours. Today, things are different and we don’t spend five, six or seven hours sitting in the theatre watching a performance. So over time, Tchaikovsky’s ballets have become more compressed.
“Australian dance lovers are famous all over the world because there are many theatres and ballet schools around Australia, so people are already quite prepared to understand. In particular, Adelaide has The Pavlova School of Russian Ballet founded by Valentina Pavlova, who is a former dancer with our company. We are looking forward to her coming to the show with her pupils to see our performances. “So, even though there are many people who already understand the ballet,” Elik adds, “those that are coming for the first time will understand that Sleeping Beauty is a favourite children’s fairytale; everyone will come and find something that they will like most of all for themselves; some will like the story, others will like the music and others again will like the ballet art.” How many dancers are touring for Sleeping Beauty?
8
“In Moscow, just as the Bolshoi Ballet does, we still perform Sleeping Beauty in three Acts, but on tour, we perform in only two which takes nothing from the quality of the performance.” Elik imparts that he is very excited to be returning to Australia to present Sleeping Beauty and is hoping that people of all ages, whether they have seen a ballet before or not, will come along and enjoy the show. Moscow Ballet La Classique perform Sleeping Beauty at Festival Theatre, Adelaide Festival Theatre, from 7.30pm on Saturday 9 May. Book at BASS.
ROTUNDA By Bobby Goudie
them. Providing continuity is New Zealand Army band percussionist Cameron Lee who will travel across Australia with the dancers.
The Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) formed in Egypt in 1915 and operated during the Battle Of Gallipol. In this Centenary Anniversary Year, are a number of theatrical commemorations are being staged to honour the soldiers who sacrificed their lives for their country.
“If you think about the performers in these brass bands, a hundred years ago they would have been the people that everyone came to see on a Sunday afternoon as they played under the rotunda for the delight of the local community.
One of these is New Zealand Dance Company’s Rotunda, which celebrates the contributions of community brass bands during the war. The company will kick off their Australian tour with three Adelaide performances of Rotunda in a combination of highly physical contemporary dance with a distinctive New Zealand-style of choreography performed onstage with the 24-piece Kensington and Norwood Brass Band. The Clothesline speaks to award-winning choreographer Shona McCullagh via telephone from Wellington. “This project started after I discovered a whole catalogue of amazing contemporary brass music,” she begins. “I was very ignorant to this style of music and thought that brass bands only played old dusty marches and waltzes; I had no idea this stunning new brass music even existed. “I researched the history of brass music in New Zealand and Australia and a lot of it came back to military roots. They played such an important role in white European entertainment. By the 1860s there were around 60 brass bands across New Zealand. “It started me thinking about the role of these bands in society, both then and now. They are often volunteer groups and play an incredible role to help us feel a sense nationalism and patriotism’ their music creates a sense or order and clarity, and they assist us in celebrations to welcome and to farewell, to commemorate and to grieve. “During this very important Centenary year we are reminded of the landings at Gallipoli in particular by the ANZACs,” Shona adds. “It got me thinking about how this could be a fantastic collaboration about brass bands and a very historical look at these two countries across the Tasman Sea. Australian’s and New Zealander’s journeyed together to serve the empire and there was incredible sacrifice and loss of so many lives.” Conductor Mark Taddei has been rehearsing with the local brass bands in each Australian city, including South Australia’s Kensington and Norwood Brass Band, to ensure they are prepared for when the dancers join
“When I was growing up we would go on car trips to visit my grandmother half way up the New Zealand North Island,” Shona recalls. “We would go through a lot of small towns and I would see these empty ghostlike rotundas and wondered what used to happen there. “I knew they were important, but they were always empty. By engaging a circular performance area, we are rekindling and bringing back to life that circular rotunda space again.” What kind of contemporary dance can we expect in Rotunda? “Dance is a language that can express an amazing number of emotions,” she replies. “So in this work we kept a very linear structure that anyone could come see and clearly understand. What is interesting about the First World War is that we call it the Silent War because so of the many men that did survive came back completely traumatised and just could not talk about what happened. “We hope through this language of dance we are able to give those men a voice to somehow express the grief, courage, loss, compassion, camaraderie, hope, joy and love that they had for their fellow men and for their country” Is there anything else you would like to add? “This is really a ‘three generations’ show. We have had amazing audience feedback; people have been very moved by the work and are thrilled that they connect so easily with the work. “We really encourage people to come along – as families – to commemorate this special time in our shared history,” she concludes. “Rotunda is highly entertaining, really moving and a very rich and beautiful experience.” The New Zealand Dance Company presents Rotunda at Grote St’s Her Majesty’s Theatre at various times from Friday 1 May until Saturday 2 May. Book at BASS. To read the full article and for your chance to win one of eight double passes to see Rotunda on Saturday 1 May, head over to <theclothesline.com.au>.
SAMANTHA WHITE & THE NEUMEIRA ART COLLECTIVE By Robert Dunstan Adelaide-based keyboard player and vocalist Samantha White is all set to launch her latest offering, Grace Under Pressure, which she has recorded with the help of a number of local musicians and dancers. These performers include musicians Julian Barnett, Celia Craig, Michael Bryant, John Appleby, Mark Carey, Cindy-Anne Macdonald and Bronwen Taylor as well as tango dancers Janett and Russ Jackson along with dancer Ade Suharto under the name The Neumeira Art Collective. The launch, set to take place at Goodwood Institute, will also feature, some stunning, atmospheric visual clips by Lindsay Smith to be screened as The Neumeira Art Collective performs the songs from Grace Under Pressure. We enjoy a chat to Samantha, a former member of Adelaide reggae outfit The Radics who have a vinyl album to their credit along with an appearance on ABC’s Countdown, about the project and begin by asking how long it had been in the pipeline. “It’s probably about two years,” the musician, who enjoys a day job as a music teacher, responds. “I was doing little bits of it at a time because, as usual, I was just so busy doing other things. “I worked on it with [award winning guitarist and producer] Julian Barnett and we recorded it bit by bit and, because it’s very strongly a piano album, I ended up recording much of it on the grand piano in the family home,” Samantha says. “Julian and I have slid in and out of different projects together over the years and he produced my second album, Big Rain, back in 2006 or was it ’07,” she adds. “So Julian now comes on board, as a session player and producer, for much of what I do and we’ve just kept that flow going.” Samantha says she is now excited about the launch being almost upon her and that rehearsals are going very well. “The initial rehearsals were just us jamming away on the songs but, because we’ll be playing along to some video clips at the launch, it’s all had to become very, very precise,” she laughs. “We have to play the songs at the launch exactly as they are on the album to synchronise with the videos. “And I actually popped into Goodwood Institute again yesterday and feel better now that I’ve had another look at the theatre,” Samantha says with another laugh. “It was quite a while ago [after performing at the venue in another area with The Texettes] that I booked it and I couldn’t quite remember too much about the theatre.” Goodwood Institute, the current home for AMC Sessions organised by Adelaide Music Collective, has much musical history as, back in the heady ’60s, it was known as The Oxford Club and Adelaide band The Twilights performed there regularly. “Yeah, when I was there with The Texettes that time, I’d been shown the theatre and thought, ‘Oh, this would be a good place to do my album launch’. I immediately thought it was really quaint and quite lovely. So I booked it on the spot. “Lindsay Smith will also be filming the concert which we can then look at and go
over and also use in promotional ways,” Samantha then reveals. Samantha formed Neumeria Art Collective in 2002 as a vehicle for her original work. “It’s virtually my own production house,” she states. “I’d released my first album and became an independent record label by default. And since that time different bits and pieces have come my way and I’ve become very interested in doing some soundtrack work. “I’ve done a fair bit of that in the past and basically, with Neumeria, whoever I can draw together to do that commissioned work become part of the collective for that project. But some of them have now been with me since the very beginning. And that list includes video artists, dancers and musicians. “It’s whoever is floating by at the time and wants to do something, so it’s quite organic,” Samantha adds. Samantha goes on to say that much of her soundtrack work has been for theatre. “We’ve done the score for about four or five of [award winning local playwright] Stephen House’s plays,” she says. “That was a great collaboration and I also did the score for one of Stephen’s short films as well.” The musician was also involved in Rolf de Heer’s 2007 silent film Dr Plonk which boasted a cameo appearance by Mike Rann and was premiered at that year’s Adelaide Film Festival. “Graham Tardif had composed the score but they then needed someone to record it to then be played while the silent film was screening,” Samantha says. “And it was an incredibly huge score because, with it being a silent movie, the music lasted for the whole film. “So I was called in at the last minute and went over to Melbourne to record the soundtrack,” she continues. “And that was incredibly hard because I had to play Graham’s score live while the film was being screened. It was actually very demanding and quite difficult. “But I do love that kind of collaboration – working with images as well as dance – and I am trying to grow that area with Neumeira,” Samantha states. “And the CD launch on the weekend, because I often seem to disappear under a rock for a while, is almost like a relaunch of Neumeira. “It will show the music, video and dance elements that we do. It will show that music can work well when combined with dance and video. “It will also help remind people that we do actually still exist,” Samantha concludes with a wry laugh. Samantha White will launch her new album, Grace Under Pressure, at Goodwood Institute, 166 Goodwood Rd, Goodwood, with Neumeira Art Collective from 2.30pm on Sunday 19 April with $10 tickets available at the door.
THE LOVE JUNKIES By Libby Parker
you want to purchase a physical copy of someone’s music, it makes more sense to own this big piece of art.”
On Wednesday 22 April, The Love Junkies are giving Adelaide another reason to get addicted to their indie, grunge, fuzz rock.
“It’s sentimental. And it comes with a download card so if you buy it, you can download it for free and have your digital copy. But what I enjoy about vinyl is that it’s a listening experience, because you can’t just hit shuffle and take off and go about your business because in fifteen minutes time, you’re going to have to stop what you’re doing and flip the thing over.
They’ll be playing The Ramsgate Hotel with Adelaide’s Kitchen Witch and fellow West Australians Skullcave. Taking time between attending SXSW and Canadian Music Week to tour their home turf, The Love Junkies are touring on the back of the release of their album, Blowing On The Devil’s Strumpet. The trip to Adelaide, will be fleeting for the trio made up of Mitch McDonald (guitar/ vocals), Robbie Rumble (bass) and Lewis Walsh (drums), which Mitch says is not new for the band. “We’ve been to Adelaide heaps of times but to be honest, every time I’ve been there, I’ve only been there for about a day. As far as I’ve seen, it’s not that much different from Perth, though I’ve only been to the coast once and that’s when we played at The Ramsgate Hotel for the first time. “It was nice to see the ocean but apart from that, I’ve only seen city, building and sidewalk,” he laughs. Supported by Skullcave, a band from their hometown, Mitch says The Love Junkies have always wanted to take a homegrown band on tour with them. “We have some friends who have just started a band. They’re pretty new and they haven’t toured yet. We’ve always wanted to take a local band on a tour so we’re taking Perth band Skullcave with us,” he says. Mitch, Lewis and Robbie all met in high school, but Mitch says Robbie joined the band later, under the condition he learned how to play an instrument! “We’re all buds from high school and Robbie picked up an instrument after. We told him if he learned how to play bass, he could be in the band. Let’s face it, it’s not that hard,” he laughs. “He does alright. He got there in the end.” Released late last year, Blowing on the Devil’s Strumpet was a whirlwind recording experience, which Mitch says he probably wouldn’t repeat. “I tend to have a pretty good idea of how I want things to go before we go into the studio and with Devil’s Strumpet, it was a pretty quick turnaround. A lot of those songs, we’d only jammed with as a band maybe once or twice,” he says.
“You can’t press skip, you have to sit there and take in the entire album, which is good; it’s the way I like to write and think. There are a lot of albums I can’t sit through, so vinyl demands that you do better, instead of focussing on one or two songs: the bangers, and the rest of it filling in the blanks,” he says. Having just returned from the SXSW conference in Austin, Texis, Mitch says the band came back with a wealth of knowledge and some new connections, which will help them out with their international tour later this year. “We got back from playing a bunch of shows in Austin, Texas a couple of weeks ago. It was awesome. There’s an annual music conference called South by Southwest and you get an official invite. It’s one of the biggest music conferences in the world and it’s about 2000 bands showcasing material, and a whole bunch of industry,” he says. “People can find new bands and do the networking thing. You go over there to establish working relationships with people. We made all the right contacts. We only had a release there the month prior. There are all these success stories of people who go over there and play and then become the biggest thing ever.” “We weren’t expecting any of that. We just wanted to go over there and brush some shoulders and make some friends. “So we’re going to Canada in a couple of weeks and then back to the US and a bunch of people we met this time around have helped us out with shows, so that’s great,” Mitch concludes Perth’s The Love Junkies play The Ramsgate Hotel, 328 Seaview Rd, Henley Beach Rd, Henley Beach, on Wednesday 22 April alongside WA’s Skullcave and local lot Kitchen Witch. Tickets via the venue or OzTix.
“The timing was purely because the space came up and we pretty much gave the guys a blueprint and said, ‘do the best you can and we’re going to make that an album’. I’m glad we did it but we probably won’t do it like that again.” Blowing on the Devil’s Strumpet is available on vinyl, and with Record Store Day this week, it would be remiss of us not to ask Mitch why they offer their music on this antiquated, yet beautiful technology. “It’s purely a taste thing,” he says. “Some people can crap on and say that the quality on the record sounds better but it doesn’t sound better. We don’t have to lie to ourselves here. It’s more the listening experience. “CDs are a complete waste of money and time, they get lost under car seats and we don’t need CD players in cars anymore. If
9
CD REVIEWS
BENNY C & THE ASSOCIATES LP, “Red Dress” Reviewer: Matt Saunders 3/5 The debut album from Benny C & the Associates offers an impressive platter of blues, funk, and jazz, but its sonic achievements can’t overcome underwritten songs. Technically speaking, the music is faultless, with sharp performances and a polished mix courtesy of Nashville’s Andrija Tokic. Red Dress showcases fantastic instrumental work from start to finish. Three distinct musical identities are vying for attention: an instrumental fusion band (such as heard on “Ladies & Gentlemen” and “Belt the Phelt”), a blues band (on “Killer Riff”, “1000 Ways”, “Cryin’ Mad”, “Serious Joe”), and a pop-funk band (“Smoke & Mirrors”, “Blue Back” and “Tea for Two”). These approaches work individually and likely make for a great live show together, but they combine for an uneven listen outside of a club environment. It’s difficult to envision the instrumental jazz fan who embraces “Ladies & Gentlemen” resisting the urge to skip the syrupy one-riff pop of “Tea for Two”, for instance. Unfortunately, “Tea for Two” is also notable for its undercooked writing even by blues/ dance/party music standards, a theme that sadly recurs throughout Red Dress. This is an album of one and two-riff songs, with words that repeatedly resort to cliché even in defiance of internal logic: “If the world’s a stage And that stage is you You lift me higher Gonna stay with you” The lack of harmonic changes is common to jazz and blues, but this album aims for crossover appeal, which usually requires that bridges and stories be built into the songs. Consequently, Red Dress comes off a bit too poppy for blues fans and a touch too bluesy for pop fans, but it’s generally content to groove to extended guitar solos.
10
KOOLTA Revolutions Per Minute Reviewer: Tom Gaffney 4.5/5
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.
RAYGUN The Future Was Yesterday Reviewer: Matthew Jolly 3.5/5
You may have heard the name Koolta around town. The established MC has grabbed slots from leading national festivals, played at the Clipsal 500, and has gained reputation around town for being a solid asset to Aussie hip hop.
The title of this release seems to be a statement of intent and there is a lot to like about the intentions of Adelaide band, Raygun. They are immediate without being disposable; they reference a bygone era without being trite.
The Adelaide heavyweight has unleashed a long-awaited album RPM, a jam-packed release containing fourteen varied tracks, including guest artists such as Sinks and Jesse Francis.
On first listen I could hear the gloomier side of 80s English electronic pop - Depeche Mode or Tears for Fears in 1983… but with rapping. A more contemporary comparison would be Yeasayer or Twin Shadow… but with rapping.
From the moment you hit play, you’re subjected to the overall theme of the release. Solid beats, addictive vocals, and, most importantly, a unique take on hip hop as we know it are thrown right in your face. Lead single “Keep On” is a fantastic example of how Koolta can be so versatile, both in his vocal ability, and in his production style. It’s a beautiful song accompanied by a no-less beautiful video release. It feels important to have more vocal tracks like this so as to contract really well with the higher energy tracks that incorporate more of a rap flow, such as “Big Brother Is Watching”, which – as you can probably guess – is a song that revolves around 1984-styled dystopia, only with a party feel. It’s so hard to ignore Koolta’s incredible take on the release’s instrumentation – it’s almost as though every track is a different feel, and that he’s taken influence from a different decade. Contrast “Revolutions Per Minute” against “Little Big Brother’”and ‘Toodaloo”, and you’ll certainly agree. Whether you hate, love, or simply regard Aussie hip hop as something you don’t listen to, there’s no doubt you’ll be involuntarily bopping along to what Koolta has passed around with this release.
The future they evoke is a dark and moody place - programmed beats take their time, synths squelch, arpeggiators swirl into infinity and the vocals ache in a way that was perfected in the 80s. Jesse Miles & Piri Eddy list Gorrilaz and The Flaming Lips as influences, and like these artists it seems that they are not afraid of using a dystopian Sci-fi theme in their work. “The Future Was Yesterday” could easily be a concept album (if it had more than 3 tracks). The lyrics mention galaxies, stars, rockets, thrusters and the void. The titles of the songs reference contemporary Science Fiction culture - “Psilence” is a telepathic superhero from the very cool publisher Image Comics, “I’ll Jet Alone” may or may not be a reference to the giant robot in the Anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion. It is pleasing that Raygun don’t just have a sound, they also have tunes, thoughtful arrangements and catchy choruses. Hiphop, however, was the element I was least sure of. While the rapping was not awful and it didn’t overwhelm the recordings, I am not sure that it was necessary. The rhymes were not particularly sharp and the fantastical nature of the songs did not lend themselves to the kind of real life observational hip-hop produced by the likes of Mike Skinner (The Streets), whom Raygun also identify as an influence. The Future Was Yesterday is a very visual set of songs. Listening to these three tracks reminded me of the Daft Punk Anime project - Interstellar 55555 (where each song soundtracks an episode of an animated science fiction movie). It is not hard to imagine these songs being used in a film or game.
ZEEQUIL Hope Reviewer: Tom Gaffney 3.5/5 It’s so wonderful to see Adelaide electronic artists continuously popping up out of nowhere, reinforcing the idea of diversity in the fantastic music scene on offer. Zeequil, a seasoned duo who successfully combine worldly beats and trip-hop vocals to create something else altogether, is a perfect example of this. The band, comprising of vocalist Lizzie Bradley and producer Mehdi El-Aquil, have recently released their debut album Hope. It’s a bold (and increasingly rare) move to release a full-length without having a single and/or an EP under the belt. Given that this release is an overall well-composed piece of work, it seems to be a good idea for the duo to lay this down as their foundation. Hope speaks out to those who adore the WOMADelaide events, as it is equally influenced by world music as it is modern electronica – in a similar vein as other local acts such as Xanga and Menagerie. This results in a unique landscape for originality where the duo can liberally swing between head-bopping beats, such as in ‘Rise Up’ and that famous lush house-like sound that can be found in ‘Hip 2 Hip’. The variety of genres that can be heard throughout the album give it a more sample disc feeling, where the duo have been trying out new ideas throughout the last two years they have been officially producing music for. This direction of composition does have its downfalls, however, such as that a lot of the production has a very unrefined, simple feeling behind it, which severely compromises the personalization of a wide range of the tracks. It would be fantastic to see some more modification on the basic synth and percussion sounds in future releases.
SUN THEORY By Khiara Elliott
“Anthony used to have a studio but for this album we recorded it all at Glyn’s place up in the country,” Rich says.
Sun Theory, formerly known as Cow, is the latest collaborative project brought to you by five of Adelaide’s most passionate and seasoned musicians.
“Glyn’s son plays drums as well so it was nice to have him involved,” he adds.
It’s that time of the year again when thoughts turn to the illuminating smell of new vinyl as, come Saturday 18 April, it will once again be Record Store Day.
Rich then went on to mention that it was very much an easy and relaxed recording process.
And, as someone who grew up listening to vinyl during the heady ’60s and the even headier ’70s, it’s a day I welcome with
“The drive up to the recording studio was great. It allowed us to sort of escape and get into a really good head space before recording,” he says
Along the way I have also learnt to use all the correct technical terms such as it’s a needle and not a stylus and that the plural of vinyl is vinyls and that it’s a record player and not a turntable. Or have I got these around the wrong way and I’m going backwards and hearing John Lennon sing, “Will Paul come back as Superman?”
The five-piece features Anthony Scott on electric guitar and backing vocals, Glyn Lehmannn on keyboard and altonium, Michael Boundy on bass, Sam Carpenter on drums and Rich Coldwell on lead vocals and acoustic guitar. In the lead up to their April 24th release of new album, Fine Dust, BSide caught up with Rich to have a chat about the evolution of the band, their new musical direction and the process of creating the latest album. Up until 2011, Sun Theory performed under the stage name Cow. Each member of Sun Theory had been involved in the music scene for a number of years, being a part of numerous other bands, before Cow was born. “I was playing in a band called Linus with another friend of mine,” Rich says. “But he started to sort of go off in another direction, and I had Cow sort of as a side project.’ Sun Theory has previously affirmed that a change in musical direction was the driving force behind steering away from any names that involved barnyard animals. “We all kind of sat down and talked about where we wanted the band to go, and did the whole ‘pull a name out of a hat thing’,” Rich laughs.
“Glyn bakes too so there would always be snacks and cookies and stuff. It was like taking a drive up to nana’s house!” Rich laughs. Amongst one of their favourite Adelaide venues, it seemed only fitting that the Sun Theory boys held their upcoming album launch at the Wheatsheaf Hotel in Thebarton. “We’ve played at the Grace Emily Hotel and recently at this pub in the country called The Bridgewater. There’s definitely something about a nice Sunday arvo, drinking beer and playing music, but we all love rocking out on a Saturday night as well. That’s what makes the Wheaty such a perfect venue.” In anticipation of their album launch, BSide asked Rich if Sun Theory had any major plans in the works, even perhaps a tour. “I think we’re all going to sit down and figure out what comes next,” he says “We’ve been playing together for nine years and we’re all parents at all different stages now, you know?
“We felt that Sun Theory was a very apt name, given the changes and evolution that the band was undertaking.”
“So we’ll have to sit down and figure out our next move,” he concludes.
Rich noted that the same nature of redesign and remodelling applied to the songwriting process as well.
Sun Theory are holding their Fine Dust album launch on Friday 24 April at the Wheatsheaf Hotel, 39 George St, Thebarton. It’s a free entry event from 9pm.
“It’s still always a process of evolution,” he says. “Some songs still have that country feel but you never know what they’re going to end up sounding like. I could write something that turns out completely different after sitting down with the boys. It’s a real collaborative effort.” Rich stated that he believes it is the wealth of experience each band member brings with them as the reason they are able to work so well together.
There’s more information via Sun Theory’s Facebook page at www. facebook.com/suntheory
Record Store Day
Speaking of The Beatles, as I so obviously was just then in that last, hastily written paragraph (see above paragraph directly above this paragraph you are currently engaged with), one of the first LP records I ever owned was a copy of aforementioned English pop band’s 1966 album, Revolver. It had been sent to me from sunny England by my grandmother for Christmas of that year following its release (to much response and vague concern about the completely non-colour cover which actually went on to win a Grammy for Best Album Cover) earlier in October. Anyway, as a young 11-year-old lad with an interest only in Elvis Presley records at the time, I am not sure what happened to my English vinyl pressing of Revolver which, in today’s market would be worth a mint if it were still in mint condition. From hazy memory, I think the rigours of my Christmas present travelling from England to Australia back in 1966 via surface mail had damaged its cover.
1964 film Roustabout and it’s highly likely I would have snaffled it during a trip into the city on the bus that would have included a visit to the Myer Record Bar where, when I had once again saved up enough pocket money, I would later revisit to buy such Elvis soundtracks as Blue Hawaii, Spinout, Harum Scarum and other such ’60s nonsense on LP records made of vinyl. I no longer have any of these apart from Roustabout but am glad I have kept hold of it as years later I was to find out, probably via the wonders of the internet, that the Ferris Wheel featured in the film and also on the front cover now resides down at Semaphore. Elvis and his co-star at the time – I’m pretty sure it wasn’t Barbara Stanwyck although I do believe she also featured in the film – had sat in carriage number two as he sang the lovely song It’s A Wonderful World. So, every time I am down Semaphore way, I always take a deep long look at the Ferris Wheel and see if I can spot carriage number two. Anyway, where were we if we are not spinning around Oh, yes, Record Store Day. Last Record Store Day I went to Mr V Music down at Semaphore – might have been before or after my visit to the Ferris Wheel – and purchased a 180gm vinyl copy of The Black Sorrows’ Certified Blue. So I am excited to announce that The Black Sorrows will release no less and no more than two vinyl albums for the current Record Store Day.
Maybe I swapped it with a school chum for something or other even though said album had a lovely tune on it called Doctor Robert buried away somewhere in the middle of side two. But I know something happened to it as, years later when I finally discovered some of the many wonders of the music put onto vinyl by The Beatles, I realised I did not have it in my ever-growing vinyl collection any more and had to venture out and procure another copy. And that would have been the Australian pressing I still have in my possession. Speaking of Elvis, as we just were a while back, one of the first records I bought of his would have been the soundtrack to his
They are what the band’s leader, Joseph Vincent Camilleri (pictured), calls Dead Man’s Records, as they both feature songs originally recorded by artists who are no longer here to celebrate the day in question.
“We’ve all been doing this for years and some of us have had the opportunity to play alongside bands like Hunters & Collectors and Midnight Oil, and a few of us have opened for INXS too,” Rich says. “Everybody just listens to each other. They can tell me, ‘No, you’re not playing guitar on this song’ and I sort of just go ‘okay!’’ he laughs. “Nobody tries to outdo the other and I think that comes with age and experience. Sometimes we arm wrestle about who’s going to play which show but that’s about it.” The country roots of Sun Theory’s music could have been attributed to the location of their recording studio, as Rich went on to discuss that the album was recorded at keyboard and altonium player Glyn Lehmann’s studio at his house in the Adelaide countryside.
11
RECORD STORE DAY By Robert Dunstan
also serves as ticketing outlet for visiting hip hop acts such as Necro who hits the Governor Hindmarsh on Friday 15 May.
Now its eighth year, Record Store Day is an international event held to celebrate independent record stores. The event has also become more popular due to the recent resurgence of vinyl with many artists releasing special albums especially for the day.
Mr V Music, 115 Semaphore Rd, Semaphore, stocks a wide variety of brand new vinyl and CDs along with also boasting quality secondhand albums and CDs. The store will celebrate Record Store Day by having live performances from high noon until late in the afternoon.
Some, such as two albums from The Black Sorrows’ Endless Sleep (Chapter 46) and Endless Sleep (Chapter 47) and Clutch’s From Beale St To Oblivion, will be brand new offerings, while there will also be a huge number of special edition reissues including Jeff Beck’s Hi Ho Silver Lining and Beck’s Bolero, The Jesus & Mary Chain’s Psychocandy and Brian May’s The Day After Halloween soundtrack from 1979.
The store is also hosting a free entry Record Fair at St Bed’s Hall, 200 Military Rd, Semaphore, from 10am until 4pm on Sunday 19 April which will have records, CDs, DVDs, books and more for sale from a variety of local and interstate sellers. It’s the eighth such Record Fair with the next one taking place in October as part of Semaphore Music Festival.
The David Bowie single, Changes, is to also be reissued on seven-inch vinyl as a picture disc, while a self-titled EP by The Pretty Things from the ’60s will once again see light of day on seven-inch vinyl. A Procul Harum single, Homburg, will also once again venture into the world.
Rerun Records in Renaissance Arcade off Pulteney St, who are open every day from 11am until around 5pm, also stocks a wide range of new vinyl releases and reissues as well as quality secondhand vinyl which ranges from the roaring ’20s through to the present day along with many hard to find rarities.
In Adelaide, a number of stores are taking part in Record Store Day and many would be surprised at how many still survive despite the popularity of digital downloads.
The store, which also stocks 12-inch singles as well as seven-inch releases, also has a huge range of old film cameras and a range of B&W prints of historic Adelaide.
Clarity Records, 60 Pulteney St, Adelaide, will celebrate Record Store Day in a big way as they will be open from midnight on Saturday 18 April and will trade through until midnight that evening.
Rocktherapy, 536 Goodwood Rd, Daw Park, has a huge range of secondhand and new CDs and vinyl including rock, alternative, jazz, metal, blues, soul, R&B, reggae, punk, rockabilly and hip hop. The store is also able to take massive collections that people wish to pass on for good prices. Owner Fraser McLay, who has now run the store for almost 20 years, is also very knowledgeable with a keen passion for vinyl.
The store, which is known for stocking much local product, will have brand new limited Clarity Record releases on offer including Weightless’ Perpetual Resitance seven-inch which is limited to 100 pressings on clear vinyl, as well as many of the day’s many special issue releases. There will also be lots of other stuff – T-Shirts and the like – available on the day. Modstore Records, who recently had a stall at Bowden’s That Dapper Market, and are located at 26b, The Strand Colonel Light Gdns and open from 10am until 3pm from Tuesdays through until Saturdays, stock brand new vinyl along with quality secondhand albums. The well-stocked store also pops up at local markets in around the city on the weekends. Big Star Records, named after the muchloved Memphis band Big Star and located at 160 Magill Rd, Norwood, and open for business every day of the week, have been an Adelaide institution since 1988 and buy and sell used vinyl and CDs, while specialising in seemingly every musical genre from jazz, blues and country through to metal, rock and hip hop. The store also offers a free, worldwide ordering service. clinic116, located at shop seven, Twin Plaza Arcade, 22-24 Twin St, Adelaide, specialises in hip hop and stock recently released vinyl hip hop albums, notably direct from the US, as well as CDs along with also stocking accessories such as backpacks, apparel such as hoodies, caps, runners, shorts and T-Shirts as well as books and magazines and arts supplies including cans of aerosol paint. The well-appointed stores also boasts a wide variety of accessories such as headphones, cartridges, slipmats and styli along with LP record sleeves and carrier bags. clinic116
12
Get out and grab something! Record Story Day takes place on Saturday 18 April with special events happening in and around town at various record stores.
CRACKLE & POP By Libby Parker Record Store Day, now in its eighth year, is a day to celebrate the unique culture of record stores and the important role they play in the music industry and community. Exclusive vinyl releases and promotional products are made exclusively for the day, and all over the world, artists, customers and vendors gather to pay homage to the humble record store. Crackle & Pop Records are one such company who will be joining the celebrations on April 18. Run by couple Mark and Brooke, the pop-up record store is a new kid on the block, but is already well into the groove of the Adelaide music scene. Mark says the idea for the company came simply from his love of music and desire to share it with others. “It started about six months ago. I was working at JB Hifi and then I got a Monday to Friday job in the finance industry; but my partner and I just love music so much that I felt I needed a music outlet so we thought we’d start this up and see how it goes,” he says. Crackle and Pop sell their wares at markets, venues and events and they specialise in new releases. “We go to different venues each weekend selling records and taking music to the people. Depending on circumstances, we have CDs as well but normally, it’s just records, but we never know where it’s going to expand next,” Mark says. “It’s all new stuff. We’re trying to be a bit different to all the second hand and antique places that sell pre-loved stuff. We just do all brand new. A lot of stuff coming out is all reissues of classic albums or brand new releases. A lot of the albums come with download cards as well so you can have the best of both worlds; you can have MP3 and also the record to enjoy.” The recent popularity of vinyl has brought back the beauty of a tangible product that music lovers can collect, but Mark says it also encourages the listener to appreciate the recording as the musician intended. “Vinyl was always bubbling away in the background a bit, but I think a lot of the artists are getting behind it now. You can see Jack White is crazy about his vinyl and that’s lifted the popularity and profile a bit. “Part of me thinks it’s a bit of a trend at the moment but I’m hoping it’s one that sticks around. The conversations we’ve had with our customers is that they’re really enjoying the fact they can put on a record now and listen to it in its entirety as the artist intended it to be,” he says.
something on iTunes, it doesn’t feel like you own anything but you know you’ve got that record and it’s yours and you can enjoy it for all it’s worth.” Many artists have special releases and promotions planned for Record Store Day and Mark says he’s keen to see what vinyl lovers like Jack White are plotting. “Jack White’s Lazaretto is amazing with the hologram and how you play it from the inside outwards. It’s so clever. I can’t wait to see what he has planned for Record Store Day. About four months ago, a first pressing, one of a kind Elvis record went to auction,” he says. Crackle & Pop are regulars at Gilles Street Market and are loving being a part of the local business and pop up community in Adelaide. Down the track, they are keen on exploring more partnerships with venues and local companies. “We’ve been doing Gilles Street Markets but eventually, we’d like to focus on collaborations with other venues. We’re also doing Roller Derby so that’s fun. “We’ve done The Wheatsheaf a couple of times, and that included the recent Courtney Barnett release, which was awesome,” he says. “We’ve done Bar 9 café at Parkside, Devour, we’re doing Record Store Day at Lindes Lane, just off Rundle which will be huge; it’s going to be really cool. We’re keen to get involved with other local, passionate business people, trying to help each other out and bring in new customers.” “It’s a really good vibe in Adelaide at the moment. Everyone is really keen on helping each other out and building each other’s brands. I was around buying CDs when Big Star were around and I saw that demise because JB Hifi opened up everywhere and flooded the market and I know they’re getting into vinyl because it’s popular again but I don’t think that will happen again because there’s that big local and community spirit now, which is really good,” he muses. Record Store day at Lindes Lane will be open from 8am and there will be DJs, food and drinks all day. Mark and Brooke’s passion for music and community is estimable and their dream of creating a music haven is one that we at BSide Magazine would be very happy to be a part of. “I’ve always wanted to own my own record store. At the moment we’ll keep it like this but eventually, I’d really like to get into more of the local scene and maybe evolve into a label and release local artists on vinyl. That would be a big goal,” he says. Sounds idyllic.
“If you’ve got MP3 or Spotify, often you’re flicking through tracks and skipping songs halfway through, but with a record, it’s a process. You have to sit down, put the record on, enjoy the artwork, the books that come inside of it, and that sort of thing. I think there’s a bit more appreciation for it. Maybe people are starting to get away from downloading, in that when you buy
13
Governor Hindmarsh – Main Room: Front Bar: Adelaide Ukulele Appreciation Society Hotel Metro – Acoustic Club Tuesday from 7.30pm WEDNESDAY 22 APRIL Breacknock Hotel – Open Mic Night Crown & Anchor – DJ Tr!p Daniel O’Connell – Open Mic @ The Dan Exeter – DJ Oisima Gaslight Tavern – SCALA’s Midweek Melt Governor Hindmarsh Hotel – Front Bar: Open Mic Night Kensington Hotel – Uke & Play @ The Kensi Ramsgate Hotel (Henley Beach) – The Love Junkies (Perth), Skullcave (Perth) and KItchenwitch The Lion Hotel – Proton Pill
APRIL 16TH - APRIL 22ND THURSDAY 16 APRIL Austral – SCALA (free entry) Brecknock Hotel – Breakaway Singalong Bridgeway Hotel – Northern Exposure (allages rock event) Café Komodo – Open Mic with Kelly Brueher from 6pm Crown & Sceptre – Chasing Claire, Thursdays Friend and Already Gone Festival Theatre – Nana Mouskouri (Greece) and Alfredo Malabello (Sydney) Gaslight Tavern – The Groove Factory Jam Gilbert St Hotel – Two Bugs & A Roach (from 7pm) Governor Hindmarsh – Main Room: Andy Bull (Sydney) Front Bar: Gumbo Room Blues Jam with host Billy Bob Grace Emily – Marlon Williams & The Yarra Benders (New Zealand/Melbourne) SOLD OUT Hotel Metro – Hello Newman, Nobodys Inn, Basty Hirsinger and friends Jive – The Ocean (Germany) and Caligula’s Horse (Brisbane) La Boheme – Mike Bevan Trio Lion Hotel – Bloky’s Boys (free entry from 8pm) THE PUBLISHERS 110 FRANKLIN STREET LIVE ACOUSTIC MUSIC (8pm) LIVE ACOUSTIC MUSIC VINYL LEVEL 1/20 GILBERT PL ADELAIDE JAMES MULLER QUARTET ($5 ENTRY) JAZZ/FUSION Whitmore – Rainbow Jam FRIDAY 17 APRIL Blue Gums Hotel – Jamie K Acoustic British Hotel – Cherry Soda Crown & Anchor – Super Best Friends (Melbourne/ACT), Horror My Friend and The Controllers (Berwick) Crown & Sceptre – Groove Jupiter, The New Yorks and Friday’s Fox Fowler’s Live – Atilla (US) Governor Hindmarsh – Main Room: Baila Latino and Saloon Bar: Irish Sessions and Front Bar: Appalachian Sessions BLUES DELUXE + TAPIR KINGDOM BLUES/ROCK COVERS GASLIGHT TAVERN 36 CHIEF ST BROMPTON Grace Emily Hotel – Ricochet Pete and Standard Union Hotel Metro – Big Daddy’s Discotheque, The Systemaddicts, Tom Way and Amcat DJs Jack Ruby – Cosmo Thundercat (from 10pm) Marion Hotel – John McKay Nexus Arts Centre – Joseph Tawadros Quartet (Sydney) Railway Hotel (Pt Adelaide) – Diamond Duo from 5pm Semaphore Workers Club – live blues from 8pm The Beach House (Encounter Bay) – Lily & The Drum Tonsley Hotel – Swapsides (Tavern Bar), Shane Wolf (5pm), The Incredibles (9.30pm) (Chrysler Bar) VINYL LEVEL 1/20 GILBERT PL ADELAIDE GHYTI + ONE THOUSEND COUPLES INDIE ROCK Victoria Sq/ Tarntanyangga – Twilight Sessions: Vincent’s Chair from 5pm Wheatsheaf – Emily Davis & The Rising Tide and Benjamin James Caldwell (free entry from 9pm)
14
SATURDAY 18 APRIL Arkaba Hotel – Kinetik Bluebee Room – Working Dog Union and Aine Tyrrell (Ireland/Melbourne) Crown & Anchor – The Rumjacks (Sydney), Young Offenders and The Timbers Crown & Sceptre – Spiral Dance FENRIR, ISOLATION VALVE, STOVED HIDDEN INTENT, SEDULOUS ROSE (NORDIC) METAL GASLIGHT TAVERN 36 CHIEF ST BROMPTON Governor Hindmarsh – Main Room: British India (Melbourne), Grenadiers and Tired Lion (Perth) Grace Emily – The Hurricanes and Max Savage Hotel Metro – The Newsletters, Post War and The Yabbies Jive – Gosh! With DJ Craig Land Of Promise Hotel – Bulls On Parade (RATM Tribute Band) Marion Hotel – Franky F (5.30pm), Two Hard Basket (8.30pm) Northern Sound System (Elizabeth) – SLAM Youth Event from noon (free entry) Semaphore Port Adelaide RSL – Junk Mail The Promethean – Laze Eye CD launch Tonsley Hotel – One Planet (Tavern Bar), Clearway (Chrysler Bar) Wheatsheaf Hotel – Laura Jean (Melbourne), Naomi Keyte and Aldous Harding (New Zealand) SUNDAY 19 APRIL Adelaide Uni Bar – Citizen (US) Arkaba Hotel – Vogue Duo Brompton’s Organic & Sustainable Markets – Gypsyjunkies from 9am Crown & Anchor – Sunday Rubdown Crown & Sceptre – DJ Samnation from 3pm Franklin Hotel – JB3 from 3pm THE JAZZ HANDS (6pm) TRAD/FUSION/JAZZ GASLIGHT TAVERN 36 CHIEF ST BROMPTON Gilbert St Hotel – Cal Williams Jnr (from 2pm) Goodwood Institute – Samantha White (CD launch from 2.30pm) Governor Hindmarsh – Main Room: Short Stack (Sydney) Grace Emily – Uncle Jed (Sydney) Hotel Metro – DJ Patchwood Lockwood from 4pm Nook Nosh – Andrew ‘Wash’ Washington (acoustic music from 5pm) Old Spot Hotel – Iris and Dabigpig (from 3pm) Pretoria Hotel (Mannum) – Josh Morphett (1.30pm) Railway Hotel (Pt Adelaide) – The Memes from 4pm Semaphore Workers Club – live blues from 4pm Sunset Bar – Jamie K Acoustic Tonsley Hotel – Keira Nicole (Chrysler Bar) Wheatsheaf – Benny Walker CD launch (Melbourne from 4pm) MONDAY 20 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): Sun Rai (Perth/Los Angeles) TUESDAY 21 APRIL Exeter – Bitches Of Zeus DJs Gaslight Tavern – Blues Lounge Blues Jam with special guests Gilbert St Hotel – The Airbenders
VINYL LEVEL 1/20 GILBERT PL ADELAIDE CHRIS FINNEN & RONNY DAVIDSON BLUES
THE BIZZO
HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OUT OF OPEN MICS By Corey Stewart As a performing songwriter/musician, almost any opportunity to perform your music is valuable however when you’re just starting out and you don’t have much performance experience you instantly get caught up in a vicious catch-22 situation. How can you get the experience needed to secure the gigs you want unless you actually perform gigs to get the experience? This is where the Open Mic comes into play. Open Mics are just that, an open performance forum, an opportunity to play and to get you and your music out there (and they’re not just for beginners either). Established songwriters and performing artists regularly use Open Mics to showcase their best stuff or, to road test their brand new stuff to an appreciative and performerfriendly audience. Even though the audience is generally comprised of the other performers and their friends and fans, the atmosphere is one of encouragement and for anyone who’s just starting out that’s so important. Most songwriting organizations have their own showcase night that members can perform their songs to an attentive audience. That’s how I got started on my own performing songwriter journey by playing at SCALA showcases. Good songwriting organizations should also have information on where and on what nights Open Mics are on in your area. My suggestions for getting the most out of Open Mics are: 1. Decide that you are going to go and DO IT! I know how it feels to build up the courage to do something like this. You say you’re ready but then your inner critic tells you that you can’t. Physically going to an open mic session can be seen as a major win in the first place. Just do it!! 2. Don’t put yourself under any pressure to perform. Go and check it out first. Take your instrument if you like but if you don’t want to perform that night, don’t do it. Before I played my first ever solo gig at SCALA I went and just checked it out. I soaked up the scene and met some really nice people. It was those people that encouraged me to get up and perform. Even though my first gig was truly terrible, it was a start. 3. Make sure you’re prepared If you are going to perform make sure that you know the songs beforehand. If you need to use a music stand so you can read the lyrics then bring one. It’s ok to do that. If you’re musically prepared then that becomes one less thing to worry about. 4. Make yourself known to the MC Open mics have an MC that introduces the acts and keeps the night running smoothly. This MC is usually the person who runs the open mic night as well. Get to know them.
The more they know you the better your experience will be. The MC is someone who cares about nurturing new talent and in this music industry that seems to be running on instant gratification it’s a rare thing to find people who are willing to help out and develop talent.
BPLUS: ALEX DE PORTEOUS By Libby Parker This year, the 15th Adelaide Cabaret Festival kicks off from Friday 5 June until Sunday 20 June and it’s set to be a celebration of some great names and talent.
“Class of Cabaret has been absolutely wonderful. They opened auditions last year at the end of the year. It’s open to any students studying in South Australia, so I sent in an application form with the help of my school,” she says. “We waited about three months and I got a letter saying I’d been accepted. That was amazing. We’re halfway through rehearsals at the moment and we’re about to go on a bootcamp with the mentors.”
These are the people you want to have on your side when you’re starting out and learning the ropes.
Also celebrated, as part of this festival, is some of our up and coming South Aussie musicians in Class Of Cabaret.
5. Allow yourself to be nervous
On Sunday 14 June, the best and brightest performing arts students from secondary schools across South Australia will take to the stage to share their personal stories and songs.
“We are heading to Woodhouse at Piccadilly for four days for intense workshopping, where we’ll be working with the mentors on song choice, the key elements of cabaret and everything we need for our show,” she says.
They attend master classes and train for months in the lead up to the performance, and are supported by mentors who are prominent members of the cabaret scene.
The 27 participants are mentored by director Matthew Carey, along with Michael Griffiths, Kim Spargo, Amelia Ryan and Stacy McCandless.
Alex De Porteous is one such young musician who has been accepted into this prestigious event and is our featured BPlus performer this week.
The students are given expert advice, industry tips and support from some of the best names in the business.
Getting nervous is not a bad thing; it means that you care about what you do. I know of some performers who have been performing for over twenty years, who are still in the toilet 10 minutes before going on stage. Personally, if I ever stopped being nervous before a gig then that’s the time for me to quit as it means that I have stopped caring about my art, my audience and myself. In time you will learn how to channel your nerves in a positive way however, deep breathing and trying to relax before you go on is still the best thing to do. The most important thing to remember is to not compare yourself to the other performers and don’t overthink about what you’re going to do. Just focus on the here and now and perform. 6. Just enjoy yourself You have waited for this moment for a while and now you’re doing it so enjoy and remember, the audience is there for the music not because they have to be there, they want to be there. They want you to do well, play to them. Find out where the Open Mics are in your area and go to all of them, check them out, get to know people and have fun. You never know where the experience might take you.
Currently studying Year 11 at St Peters’ Girls’ School, she’s been working hard to establish herself as a performer in Adelaide. “I’ve been singing for about eight years now and performing for about five of those, and it really began at school. I did singing lessons at school, which was just a bit of fun - half an hour a week with an opera singer. We used to sing pop songs, which is what I was into when I was younger,” she says. “About three years ago, I moved to Revolution Vocal Studio. Then my understanding of music, live music and performing really developed. That’s brought me to where I am at the moment.” Also producing talent like Alex Hosking (who appeared on the cover of issue nine of BSide Mag), St Peters’ Girls appear to be very supportive of their budding stars, which Alex De Porteous confirms. “St Peter’s have a really good music program. I’m more into performing arts and drama at school, and most of my music is outside of school, but the program is really great; and so supportive, especially with the Class Of Cabaret,” she says.
Alex says the group are really benefitting from the program, and she’s loving working with such a diverse range of participants. “The group is really incredible. There’s a really broad range of musical interest. A lot are into musical theatre, jazz, and even kids into pop music. It’s been really good working with kids who have similar interests in many ways, but are different. That’s been really cool,” she says. Citing her main musical influences as cabaret stars, Ali McGregor, Amelia Ryan and Rhonda Burchmore, Alex is excited about being in this year’s Cabaret Festival and meeting some of her idols. “I’m really looking forward to being able to meet all the performers that I’ve admired for so long. I think it’s going to be a great experience, and building the connections is great too,” she says. Class Of Cabaret is on at 6pm and 8:30pm on Sunday 14 June at Space Theatre, Adelaide Festival Centre Tickets are available through BASS.
Through Revolution Vocal Studio, though, Alex has been able to play gigs at some of Adelaide’s premier music venues. “My vocal studio run about five or six shows a year at places like The Jade Monkey, The Gov, Nexus and The Soul Box. It’s been really cool to play at well-known venues across Adelaide. Cabaret came into my life through Brett from The Soul Box,” she says. Having conquered live performance, Alex is setting her sights on recording a demo, and producing her own show. “I’ve only done recordings from live gigs I’ve done at places like the Jade Monkey and The Gov, and a few from my vocal studio, but that’s something I’d be really interested in - recording a demo. I think that would be really cool, and something I haven’t done,” she says “My main goal, which I’m heading towards is to produce my own show and put it in the Adelaide Fringe or the Cabaret Fringe; not this year but next year when I’m in year 12. Just for some extra pressure!” she laughs. But until that, Alex is enjoying the whole process of Class of Cabaret from start to when that curtain falls.
15