X-Press Magazine #1367

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38,000 OCTOBER 2011- MARCH 2012 AUSTRALIA’S HIGHEST CIRCULATING STREET PRESS

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YOUR MUSIC GEAR & TECHNOLOGY FEATURE INCLUDING

SUPER WILD HORSES

MARGARET CHO

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Big Scary

SUPPORTIVE RAINY DAY WOMEN

AGWA Nights. Photography: Courtney McAllister

Jacob Diamond And His Band, Hatched Opening

GAME’S SET FOR HATCH

GAMING THE SYSTEM

As we mentioned last week, PICA again plays host to Hatched, a huge graduate exhibition of emerging Fresh from supporting Mutemath on their recent artists from across Australia, kicking off this Friday, Australian tour, Melbourne’s alt-pop outfit Big Scary April 19. has announced four-piece local outfit Rainy Day From 6pm in PICA Bar Hatched gets Women as local support for their upcoming gig at launched with a splendid party featuring Jacob Amplifier. With a knack for melodic, sun-drenched Diamond And His Band, Timothy Nelson & The pop reminiscent of The Beach Boys and Fleetwood Infidels and The Chemist. Free entry. Go to pica.org.

Mac, Rainy Day Women have performed at Big Day au for more info.

Out and Laneway. Big Scary will also be joined by Caitlin Park as they preview new material off their forthcoming debut album Not Art, due out at the end of June. Catch them all at Mojos on Thursday, April 18, and Amps on Friday, April 19. Tickets from heatseeker.com.au.

The Art Gallery of Western Australia is devoting the night of Friday, April 19, to GAME ON! - a celebration of the art of winning. You can play against friends, family or complete strangers on AGWA’s giant checkers board, or try your hand at regular sized chess or checkers. Finalists will go on to try their luck at the Championship on Friday, May 10, during the final days of the excellent Picturing New York exhibition.

Games start at 6pm, and music by DJ Charlie Bucket kicks off at 7pm.

John Butler

BUTLER BENEFITS

Bruno Mars

MARS’ MOONSHINE

Hot on the heels of his performance at The Logies, Bruno Mars has just announced his national Moonshine Jungle tour which will bring him to Perth Arena on Friday, February 28, 2013.

The Grammy Award-winning, multiplatinum, ARIA #1 star has achieved worldwide sales of eight million albums and 58 million singles to date. My Ticketek will be holding presale purchasing from 9am this Friday, April 19, until 5pm on Sunday, April 21. General public sale is from 9am, Monday, April 22, from livenation.com.au.

Thelma Plum, National Indigenous Music Awards

THE SECRET OF NIMA

Nominations for the National Indigenous Music Awards are now open. A celebration of indigenous music that honours both contemporary and traditional musical artists, the NIMAs are an important cornerstone of the Indigenous music community.

This year, NIMA will partner up with JJJ Unearthed to undertake the only national Indigenous unearthed competition. Last year, this search brought the amazing Thelma Plum to national attention and it remains to be seen what fresh talent 2013 will discover.

To find out more information, go to nima.musicnt.com.au

John Butler is to perform a benefit concert with all proceeds going to refurbish the Mandurah Performing Arts Centre this Saturday, April 20.

The centre’s chairperson, Karrie-Anne Kearing, will also be screening her latest documentary, Bal Bidi. The centre is a local focal point for young people and families and is in desperate need of an upgrade. Butler, a former resident of Pinjarra, is currently mixing a new album and is soon off on a tour to the US.

SUPERJESUS ALIVE AGAIN

After an overwhelming reaction to a recent one-off show in their hometown Adelaide, The Superjesus are planning a national tour. The Resurrection Tour will see the four-piece touring for the first time in 10 years and they’ll no doubt deliver all of their anthemic songs (Gravity, Shut My Eyes, Secret Agent Man) from a decade ago. They’ll be taking over Amplifier Bar on Friday-Saturday, June 21-22. Presale tickets are $40 (plus booking fee) from Heatseeker, Moshtix and Oztix.

The Superjesus

TATTOO YOU

The Buzzcocks

BUZZIN’

UK punk pioneers The Buzzcocks are back in Australia for East Coast dates on the Hoodoo Gurus’ Dig It Up invitational, but have locked in some sideshows as well. That brings them to Perth for a show at the Rosemount Hotel this Thursday, April 18, supported by The Coalminers Sect and The Floors.

Tickets through oztix.com.au, 78 Records and Mills Records.

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Reactions/Comp Thing Music: In The Pines Music: In The Pines Music: Super Wild Horses/ The Black Seeds/ Dying Fetus/ Epica New Noise Eye4 Cover: Margaret Cho Eye4 Movies: News/ Oblivion/ The Company You Keep Eye4 Movies: Midge Ure/ The Other Son Arts Listings Salt Cover: Ben Klock Salt: News/ Torro Torro/ Pimps of Sound Salt: Surecut Kids/ Test Pad Salt: Club Manual Salt: Rewind: Chasm Scene: Live: Katy Steele/ The Growl Tour Trails Gig Guide Volume

COVER: Turnstyle’s Adem K, RTR FM’s Peter Barr, Simone & Girlfunkle’s Bridget Turner and Beaverloop’s Leon Ewing get reverent in St George’s College Chapel ahead of the 20th In The Pines at UWA’s Somerville Auditorium this Sunday, April 19. Memories abound on pages 11-12.

Cover photo: Michael Wylie

SALT COVER: Ben Klock is a lord of Berlin techno. He’ll be joined by the master of the Detroit version, Derrick May, at Capitol Amplifier on Anzac Day Eve. www.xpressmag.com.au

The Australian Tattoo Convention returns to Perth for a second time on Friday-Sunday, May 3-5, at The Perth Convention Centre. The 2010 Perth event saw 9,000 people in attendance and with renowned tattooists visiting from the US, Japan, Borneo, Bali and the Eastern States, there’s sure to be plenty for ink enthusiasts to be excited about. There’ll be studio/trade booths and a tattoo competition plus entertainment from Carnies With Candy, Dread Pirate Roller Derby Girls, live bands and much more. Check out National Tattoo Convention 2013 on Facebook or head to pcec.com.au.

JONNY GONE SOLO

Jonny Craig’s musical journey has seen various incarnations, having fronted influential outfits Dance Gavin Dance and Emarosa. From the ashes of a tumultuous career, which led to his departure from both acts and a period of soul searching, Craig has discovered a passion for creating solo material.

Having released his stellar debut solo album A Dream Is a Question You Don’t Know How to Answer, Craig is now working on an EP, due out later this year. Early bird tickets are now available for his Wednesday, July 17, show at Amplifier via oztix.com.au.

Bill Oddie

ODD BUT GOOD

Comedian, television personality, author, musician, composer and wildlife enthusiast, Bill Oddie is a man of many talents. His one-man show, An Oldie But A Goodie, will hit the Astor Theatre on Thursday, June 27, featuring reminiscences about his crazy days as one third of The Goodies. Considered a national treasure in the UK, since his days in The Goodies, Oddie has since gone on to present wildlife shows Springwatch and Autumnwatch and is well-known for his environmental efforts and love of birdwatching.

Head to billoddietour.com.au for tickets and the chance to enter a competition to ask Oddie a question.

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with Casey Hayes... Send your name, address and daytime phone number to win@xpressmag.com.au with the name of the competition in the subject line or enter online at www.xpressmag.com.au. Snail mail entries can be sent to Locked Bag 31, West Perth 6872. Entries close 4pm Monday. By entering you agree to X-Press Magazine’s Terms and Conditions, which can be found online. All competition entries will automatically enable you to become an X-Press subscriber! No details will be given to a third party.

Print and Digital Editions Publisher/Manager Joe Cipriani Editorial

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Managing Editor Bob Gordon: editor@xpressmag.com.au Fashion Editor Emma Bergmeier: fashion@xpressmag.com.au Dance Music & Features Editor Jo Campbell: danceeditor@xpressmag.com.au Local Music & Arts Editor Travis Johnson: localmusicarts@xpressmag.com.au Gig & Event Guides Co-ordinator Casey Hayes - guide@xpressmag.com.au Entertainment Services Co-ordinator / Competitions Casey Hayes - win@xpressmag.com.au Photography Callum Ponton, Stefan Caramia, Daniel Grant, Sammy Granville, Matt Jelonek, Denis Radacic, Emma Mackenzie, Guang-Hui Chuan, Max Fairclough Contributing Writers Henry Andersen, Ashleigh Whyte, Nina Bertok, Shaun Cowe, Derek Cromb,Chris Gibbs,Alfred Gorman,George Green,Alex Griffin,Chris Havercroft, Joshua Hayes, Brendan Holben, Coral Huckstep, Rezo Kezerashvili,Tara Lloyd, Adam Morris, Andrew Nelson, Chloe Papas, Tom Varian, Ben Watson, Jessica Willoughby, Miki Mclay, Morgan Richards, James Manning, Joe Cassidy, Shane Pinnegar For band gigs and launches - plugyourgig@xpressmag.com.au

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Last we checked we were extremely close to reaching the big 10,000 likes on facebook page! It’s hopefully all going down this week so stay tuned on facebook! If you haven’t done so, check out our ridiculously good prize list online! We have a crazy amount of CDs, DVDs, movie passes and a whole bunch passes to a range of events. To get things moving, head to our facebook and share the love with your friends, the more likes we get the quicker a winner can be chosen! X-Press would like to thank everybody for helping us get this far!!

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The Black Seeds

THE BLACK SEEDS

New Zealand reggae-soul heavyweights The Black Seeds are stopping by Metro Freo next Wednesday on their national tour. Earning the title of ‘Best reggae band on the planet right now’ you’ll want to check them out! We have quite the prize pack to giveaway!

It includes a double pass to the show, a copy of Dust And Dirt and a T-shirt to giveaway. Want to win? Get your entries in now!

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Spring Breakers

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SPRING BREAK 4EVER!

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ROCKET ROOM & VOODOO LOUNGE

This week is a massive one at the Rocket Room and Voodoo Lounge! We have been given four double VIP Distribution 92132853 passes to two of the biggest nights all year! Tonight Distribution distribution@xpressmag.com.au is the opening night of Picture Perfect Wednesdays at The Voodoo Lounge. A red carpet event with CAB AUDITED CIRCULATION: performances from Trinity Porter and her girls and 38,000 OCTOBER 2011 – MARCH 2012 tonnes of prizes and giveaways! Then on Friday, the Rocket Room comes alive with the Howler’s Launch Deadlines Party! Multiple shows every hour, seven dance sets, EDITORIAL six band sets, along with strips and party games, General: Friday 5pm,, Eye4 Arts: Thursday 10am, Comp’ Thing: Monday Noon,, Salt Clubs: Monday 5pm , Local Scene: dress in your best cowboy’s and Indian’s costumes!

Monday Noon,, Gig Guide: Monday 5pm Don’t miss this one! Enter now to win a double VIP ADVERTISING pass to both nights! AWOOOOO! Lillian Buckley

Spring Breakers is four college girls who land in jail after robbing a restaurant in order to fund their Spit Syndicate spring break vacation. They find themselves bailed out by a drug and arms dealer who wants them to do some dirty work. Featuring ex-Disney stars, James Franco, Gucci Mane and the ATL twins, this is not what Spit Syndicate’s Sunday Gentleman tour rolls into you expect! We have 10 doubles to give away to a Perth this weekend! Last week we gave away two preview screening at Luna! Enter now to win! doubles to their show at Amplifier. If you missed out we have two more doubles to give away to their C5 Freo show on Sunday. Catch them with support from Jackie Onassis and Creed Birch. Enter now to grab one!

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The Chemist

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Sugar Rush

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Got a sugar craving? Need it delivered straight to your door? Then you are going to love Sugar Rush!

Launching in early May, this WA Company specialises in delivering all your favourite sweeties from the US! For more info and to check out their menu, head to Sugar Rush Dessert Delivered on facebook. We’re giving away a giant hamper of goodies valued at $100 to satisfy your sweet cravings! We also have some $10 gift vouchers to giveaway. To win let us know your favourite item on their menu!

HATCHED 2013

Hatched has become a vital compass in identifying the most dynamic emerging practices from a new generation of artists. This year’s Hatched features 37 artists from 20 art schools across Australia.

The opening party is a free event happening this Friday in the Perth Cultural Centre Amphitheatre with live entertainment and a cash bar to celebrate the 22nd year of exhibition. Bands playing on the night are Jacob Diamond and his band, Timothy Nelson and the Infidels and The Chemist. To celebrate we are giving away new releases from each of the performing artists. Enter now!

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In The Pines has sold out, but some tickets may be available at the door from 11am (check rtrfm.com.au for updates). To read Bob Gordon’s review from the first In The Pines in 1994, head to xpressmag.com.au.

played live, but used to sometimes play in rehearsal called High Annoying Notes which was basically just that - all of us playing the highest note on our instruments really loudly and Tim bashing his cymbals.

We don’t dislike any of our songs but it’s probably fair to say that one didn’t have too many redeeming features.

IN THE PINES Roaring 20

RTR FM’s In The Pines celebrates 20 years this Sunday, April 21, from 11.30am at UWA’s Somerville Auditorium with Adam Said Galore, The Bank Holidays Lite, Beaverloop, Circus Murders, Felicity Groom, ‘EXQUISITE CORPSE STYLE’ The Fergusons, Gata Negra, O!, The How’s it feel to regroup with the old faces and the Panics, Red Jezebel, Schvendes, old tunes?Awesome fun. Once we warm up, playing Simone & Girlfunkle, 6s & 7s, is a bit like an exciting and slightly disorienting ride. faces are older but we’re working on that. There Spank, The Tigers, Timothy Nelson Our is still an awful lot of love between us.

It’s a good sign that we can remember what & the Infidels, Tuckers Bs, Turnstyle, the hell we played – muscle memory is a grand thing!

Usurper of Modern Medicine and Although it’s also kind of a relief that we know the The Volcanics. BOB GORDON chats expectation is that we will be somewhat shambolic. to some of the bands who have What are your best memories of In The Pines, performing and/or otherwise? reformed for the event.

O!

O!, 1995 Photo: Monica Vecchiotti The Pines back in the day so, although three of us have played it in other bands since, for O! it will be a strange new experience. Tim’s favourite memory of In The Pines was when those pimply upstarts the Tucker B’s tried heavying us up a bit – they wanted to prove themselves or something. We returned the love like the elder statesmen we are. Everyone learnt something valuable that year.

O!’s songs were so unique. Odd, even, but with melodies that grew on you even if you thought they wouldn’t. What the hell was the songwriting process?

Process? There’s a game we used to play where you’d fold up a piece of paper and take turns drawing bits of the body on each bit of folded paper.

I’d draw the head, you’d draw the torso, someone else would draw the legs, etc. At the end you’d unfold it and marvel at the griffin-dwarf with robot legs you just created. It was a bit like that but with less process.

Can you even remember why you broke up?

We didn’t really, we just stopped for a long time. Perhaps it felt like the ride was slowing down and there was other stuff to do (including therapy for some of us), so it was just time to get off for a break.

In the midst of revisiting that chapter of your life, what do you now make of that chapter in your life?

We are really proud of what we did and Looking back, what was O!’s best song? the pretty unique musical vision we seemed to Everyone has their favourites. Geoff has a have. There were periods of time wasting, lack of soft spot for 3rd Icefloe Off The Ranks, Liquid Paper Mum direction and contrariness, and in retrospect we were and Secondhand Liquor Store but says “there are some astonishingly lucky to be so well supported and other good ones too. Honestly”. encouraged despite that. Overall though we had a hell of a lot of fun and went through a hell of a lot of crazy stuff together. We went to China for fuck’s sake!

And worst?

There’s one that we never recorded or How many bands can say that?

O! never actually got asked to play In

BEAVERLOOP LEON EWING, VOCALS/BASS How’s it feel to regroup with the old faces and the old tunes?

It’s like looking at teenage photos of yourself. Mostly cringe worthy, and for better or worse, you realise how little people change over time.

The chemistry is the thing, though. Impossible to manufacture, it’s just a shame we are still such idiots.

What are your best memories of In The Pines, performing, or otherwise?

The tag team sets with Cinema Prague.

We’d have the stage set with both bands’ gear, and tag in and out like WWF title fight. No matter how hard we tried to out do each other, rock’n’roll was always the winner.

Beaverloop, 1997 Photo: Toni Wilkinson

The sweetest of all ironies. I can still remember rolling around on the floor pissing in my pants with Beaverloop being the leading story on the national news networks landing a major label in hot water over our videos. Actually all of our singles were either recalled or banned with the threat of legal action. I think it is what I am most proud of.

A true rock and roll swindle.

More agonising was our own internal dynamic. I wish we’d gone out with more of a *bang*.

Can you even remember why you broke up?

Like it was yesterday. I left on a principle and would again. I wouldn’t say the principle has been actively resolved, but after 13 years of trying to distance myself from it, it began to feel a bit like cutting off my face to spite my nose.

We have reformed with Simon Kennedy on drums, the original line-up. Maybe a drummer who Looking back, what was Beaverloop’s best song? actually owned a drum kit might have been a good I think Serpent holds up the best over time.

Unexplainably funny, elegant in its simplicity and it idea, but it felt fitting to do this with Simon - 20 years since the band formed, playing the debut album, etc. rocks.

He’s still less of a hippy than Brad (Coleman, guitar).

We probably won’t play it.

I thought it might be easier this go around.

Older, wiser, more relaxed, with the benefit of time.

And worst?

It’s not.

To be honest, I find them all so unlistenable that it is really hard to pick a definitive stinker.

In the midst of revisiting that chapter of your life, Most fans were savvy, but did you ever think that what do you now make of that chapter in your life?

Looking back, you experience first hand just the finer points of the Beaverloop ethos were lost how much fashion moves in cycles, and the backlash on idiots who could only feel the energy?

I’m not even sure some of the band is directly proportional to the apex. To be receiving members truly understood what we were trying to do... that sort of attention again reminds you that when It was a pretty savvy fanbase though, people piss in your pocket, they are really telling you cultish even. And quite switched on. I know a number more about their own egos than any sort of actual of professional environmentalists or artists who trace validity. And similarly, obscurity can be a blessing, and their inspiration back to seeing us as kids. In fact, I can not an indicator of the quality or value of your work. remember some of WA’s most high profile musicians If art is of any real value at all... hype has less.

It was an interesting time in Australian in our audiences as youngsters. music, pre interwebs, pre digital. And Perth really was But it was never an easy ride for the idiots who came to see our shows. They were often ridiculed a hotbed of unique talent. It was rougher around the edges, but I think more genuine. Quite kooky even. mercilessly.

The important thing is to be true to Sometimes, I would ridicule whole audiences. Thank god, for punter barriers... and yourself, and to your work, and really enjoy the absurdity of it all. Nothing lasts for ever. getaway vans.

Not bands, not life, not civilisations...

But fuck it, I’m single and the lead singer of Signing to Sony Music - ironically delicious yet your favourite band in high school. What’s not to love? agonising at the same time? www.xpressmag.com.au

THE TIGERS CHRIS COBILIS, VOCALS/ GUITAR

The Tigers, In The Pines 1998 Photo: Toni Wilkinson In a review of a gig at the Grosvenor in ‘97 I called you a young Elvis. Did I get that right or wrong?

I forgot about all that. The crooning stuff and the ‘cabaret punk’ tag. My mum reminded me of that the other day. Elvis didn’t always croon, mind you. I used to use hair gel and have a kind of slick look, but the gel would dissolve with sweat over the duration of the performance and go in my eyes and face so I learned that product was a bad idea. I was more insecure then. Now I’m going bald so there’s not much scope for hair styling. But yes you were spot on, I was a young Elvis. Presumably that means I’m entering/have entered my Fat Elvis phase.

How’s it feel to regroup with the old faces and the old tunes?

Guy (Howlett, Tigers guitarist) said last week it felt like we are about to attend our own wake. Now that I think about it, it could very well be that. Now that the tickets are sold out I can say things like that.

I’m terrified that I’m looking back over 16 years and thinking, ‘what on earth have I done with my life? Why did I never make it in music? Will I ever?’.

Not all of these people were friendly. Some of the people in these bands were total arseholes to You were young upstarts then. Are you old me and I’m not looking forward to seeing them. Some upstarts now?

Yes, I’m afraid so. I have come to of them probably think the same thing about me. understand that the middle finger was out as a What are your best memories of In The Pines, defence mechanism, because we didn’t want anyone to think we were taking ourselves seriously when performing or otherwise?

I have a fond memory of sitting with a girl we in fact were on some level. I’m doing it right now once at In The Pines. I have a memory of someone as I’m answering these questions. The unease and complaining in the letters to the editor section in purposeful confounding is something built into us as X-Press that the music at In The Pines wasn’t metal performers but not as people. We do it on stage and enough and The Tigers, cited by the same author, in song so we can be nice and get along with others won the best swimsuit competition that year. I cut in real life. We won’t be giving anyone what they want out that letter and I have it somewhere. It made little at In The Pines because nostalgia is a death trap. sense, but it was hurtful nonetheless. I wonder where that person is and whether he or she is planning on Can you even remember why you broke up?

Actually, did you break up? coming to In The Pines?

No we never broke up. The Tigers were inactive last year because I was on residency in Looking back, what was The Tigers’ best song?

You’re asking the wrong guy. I hate Taiwan for the first quarter and Chris Hudson (bass) them all. I still feel like we haven’t written our best re-located to New York soon after. So The Tigers have song and that we still can have a hit one day. The been on ice but not dead yet. 2012 is the only year consensus with our three fans is that Slayer Bells we haven’t played since 1997. We’re hoping to get was a good one. Smells Like Greek Spirit always got a back into the swing of things and make a new album chuckle and applause. Marry Him Off got some yells this year. from the crowd.

In the midst of revisiting that chapter of your life, what do you now make of that chapter in And worst?

Probably Smells Like Greek Spirit was our your life?

I just hope that this isn’t the end. I don’t worst song. We are our own worst enemies when it comes to performance and contrary behaviour. You’ll want this to bookend the group into ‘90s revivalism be remembered for your joke songs so don’t make - rather I would like this to be a new beginning for jokes. Now that I’ve said that, I guarantee you some us. It’ll all be over when I sell my instruments and say half-cut genius will yell out for it at In The Pines. That’s out loud, ‘I’m never playing again’. Until then, I’m still in alright, I’ll smash him on the head with my guitar and the chapter where I’m trying to write a hit song and make it big.

I’ll be like, ‘I’m El Kabong, what’s your name?’

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In The Pines has sold out, but some tickets may be available at the door from 11am (check rtrfm.com.au for updates). To read Bob Gordon’s review from the first In The Pines in 1994, head to xpressmag.com.au.

interview with Mike Tucak and staring at his mouth; holding court with The Panics, my legs going numb and being unable to stand. The last time I threw up from drinking too much was after the 2006 In The Pines.

Looking back, what was Turnstyle’s best song?

You probably mean my favourite. I like Flank Attack - a real, organic band moment.

It’s only now with The Community Chest that I get a similar, unforced thrill. I love the whole Turnstyle Country album. It’s one of the best. It has aged well. I’m confident enough to say that now.

And worst?

I am still perplexed as to why a band signed to such a revered indie label like Spunk would offer up a steaming turd called Crime Beat.

TURNSTYLE

Turnstyle, Chewbacca Day 1998

ADEM K, VOCALS/GUITAR How’s it feel to regroup with the old faces and the old tunes?

It’s always great to see everyone. Paul (Fanning, bass) and I have been the best of friends since the Turnstyle days and Todd (Griffiths, guitar/ keyboards) and I got reacquainted at the late, great Sue Hammersley’s funeral. The idea of regrouping musically came from that meeting. Dean (Davies, drums) lives in Brisbane so we catch up whenever we’re in each other’s town. We’re having a lot of fun with the old tunes and because we’re doing a side show two days before, we have 20 songs to rehearse.

Only eight or nine will make it to the Pines set.

I loved that song! You always played up the geek thing, but the songs were really pretty cool.

Thoughts?

The geek thing was just an idea used to promote the Geek Party album. I thought it was a bit silly but it did annoy and divide people which doesn’t really happen any more.

However, if we’re talking gimmicks, then the Casio one is the best. I still use them. We had strict quality control and an ear to the ground.

I’m A Bus and the requisite Bus Dance. Will the two chaps get up for this at In The Pines?

Only one of them is in touch these days. I’m not sure. Perhaps we’ll get some of the audience up.

Can you even remember why you broke up?

Of course I can. I instigated it! It was a slow decline after Turnstyle Country and I cut it off before we hit the ground. If it had have been any later then we probably wouldn’t be playing again today.

In the midst of revisiting that chapter of your life, what do you now make of that chapter in your life?

It still opens a few doors for me for of which I’m grateful. I have a few regrets, but the good moments eclipse those. My life has been defined by those past experiences and with all of us getting What are your best memories of In The Pines, along and playing well I feel like I’m there again. performing or otherwise?

I don’t remember the shows too clearly but Turnstyle will also play a warm-up gig with I remember always being really nervous. I remember The Tigers, The Dianas and Ermine Coat at the eating suspect baked goods, doing a live (RTR) Rosemount Hotel on Friday, April 19, from 8pm.

Circus Murders managed to combine quirk with energy and strong instrumentalism - it opened up the band’s appeal to many. Did you have a vision or was it just what spilled out of y’all?

If it was a vision it was a pretty obscure one at the time, especially considering what was happening in popular music with grunge and rock in general, we weren’t into that at all. The fact that we all had a similar idea of what we wanted to do made us a pretty tight unit, though. I think it was just really different. We were more influenced by the local bands we were playing with in a lot of ways.

Cinema Prague certainly comes to mind.

CIRCUS MURDERS

Soy - whose idea was the skulling moment and will you do it at In The Pines?

I’m not sure whose ridiculous idea that was. Respect to punter Jamo for having the balls to even attempt skulling a whole bottle of Soy sauce. I’m not sure we’d find that kind of hardness amongst the indie kids these days, but you never know. Might bring a bottle just in case.

Can you even remember why you broke up?

Yeah, I guess we’d spent so much time and energy on the band after five or so years that Circus M Murders urders and and d th their heiir b biggest iggestt fan ffan, an 1996 it was time to do something else. It started to feel like it was restricting things a little. Chris (Horan, drums) wanted to live overseas for a while and I was getting into the more electronic side of music and video at the time. Mat (Cheetham, bass) and Joe How’s it feel to regroup with the old faces and (Scholz, keys) probably would’ve hung in there a bit longer but I think it gave us all an opportunity to the old tunes?

The faces are very familiar as we still see get out and do something different without being each other all the time. The tunes are a different tied down. Perhaps we also realised that this wasn’t story. I’m trying to remember how to play them... the type of music that was going to earn us a living curse ourselves for making the music so tricky to any time soon. play when our fingers were young and nimble!

In the midst of revisiting that chapter of your What are your best memories of In The Pines, life, what do you now make of that chapter in your life? performing or otherwise?

Big question... I guess that time was Lots of memories of the sun going down through the big pine trees, playing to appreciative part of our youth including all the action, fun and crowds and seeing some great acts too. I’ve been confusion that goes along with it. Looking back on bringing my four year old daughter along since she it I just see a lot of good times and youthful, risky was born and it’s been great seeing her get into the behaviour that most of us managed to survive relatively unscathed. You could play in a band, get music in a big way. Nice memories there. on the dole and rent a two-bedroom house in West Looking back, what was Circus Murders’ best Perth for $90 a week.

Apparently we were in the middle of a song? dreadful recession but I remember having a pretty And worst?

That’s an impossible question, but if you good time. Not sure the riches of the mining boom must know our best song was The Borkum Riff and offers up quite the same deal for young musicians our worst was called Bars... just my opinion, of course. these days.

ROLY SKENDER, VOCALS/ GUITAR

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The Fergusons Photo: Nat Brunovs

THE FERGUSONS WAYNE BEADON, GUITAR

And worst?

We actually wrote a song called Why Don’t You Grab a Spoon And Eat My Ass. Not only did we demo it but we also sent it to our label. That was really the beginning of the end of that relationship...

Record company politics put the kybosh on your debut album. Was that heartbreaking?

We were devastated. We were pretty sure that we had a solid collection of songs for the album.

To make things worse, we’d already completed preproduction with Jonathon Burnside and only weeks away from recording.

Can you even remember why you broke up?

Two members decided to move on within 12 months. We felt that the five of us had a special chemistry and bringing in new members wouldn’t have been The Fergusons anymore.

How’s it feel to regroup with the old faces and the old tunes?

It doesn’t feel strange at all. We’ve all kept in touch over the years and finished the band on good terms. But it does feel strange playing the songs sober.

Last time you played as a ‘surprise’ acoustic trio in 2007 Al jumped off the stage and proposed to his girlfriend. What could potentially happen at In The Pines?

Mike has threatened to wear a boob tube.

We know it’s not a wedding proposal, but it’s just as What are your best memories of In The Pines, entertaining. performing or otherwise?

My most vivid memory of In The Pines In the midst of revisiting that chapter of your life, was Al (Nistelberger) accidentally snapping the neck what do you now make of that chapter in your life? of his guitar five minutes before we were supposed It was an amazing ride. We got to travel to go on. If I remember correctly, Red Jezebel came around the country, playing our music with our to the rescue! We had a big day that day and can’t favourite bands to some massive crowds. Not many remember much else. people get to do that. We have no regrets except Looking back, what was The Fergusons’ best song? maybe the journey was cut a little shorter than it I think either Sea Down South or As Time should have been.

Goes By represented who we were the best musically.

We got a little frustrated that we were known for our The Fergusons will also play an acoustic warm-up ‘radio songs’ and they didn’t really represent what we gig at The Moon Cafe on Wednesday, April 17, from were about.

8.30pm. Free entry.

SPANK ANDREW FULLER, BASS How’s it feel to regroup with the old faces and the old tunes?

It feels pretty dosh garn good.

The line-up playing ITP is the ‘original’ line-up, with Andrew Lippiatt on drums. We’d love to play with both Lippy and Stu Leach - who joined for 1999 – 2001 - and maybe we will another time. Because we all live in different cities now, it’s fun to get together and have a few laughs about some of the adventures we had.

We’re also looking forward to working again with Stu McLaughlin who looked after our live sound.

Spank, In The Pines 1995 Photo: Stewart Dawes which we hoped would make us so rich and famous that we could have leopards as pets wearing leopardskin shorts. We got close.

I always recall the band teetering on the edge of getting signed. A bunch of lunches and boat rides and such? Was it a frustration?

Nah. We had a few lobster lunches and bottles of Kristal on the record companies and music publishers but unfortunately weren’t inspired by their visions for us. Spank made good money playing gigs and we ploughed it all back into our projects including two European tours, playing shows around the UK, Ireland and Europe. Gigs in Copenhagen, Trieste and What are your best memories of In The Pines, Robert Plant’s local, the King’s Head in Fulham, were particularly memorable. Drinking Moet with Veruca Salt performing or otherwise?

I’ve been fortunate to play In The Pines a at Metropolis was fun. As was Lippy going wild in front few times over the 20 years – twice with Spank, one of the Fuck Fucks at the Espy one time. None of us have with Pete Stone & The Assistance and once with any regrets. It was a lovely way to spend our 20s.

Voodoo Economic. We loved playing in 2009 as Voodoo Economic, just before Abbe May, one of my favourite Can you even remember why you broke up?

We didn’t really break up – we just went artists. I wore my dad’s cossack hat in his memory - he had passed away a few months before - which made onto other things after the release of the Loony album that gig special for me. Some of the best fun happens in 2001. Sam moved to Sydney to get into the film business, Sascha and Stu started One Horse Town and I backstage though. went back to university and played bass for Pete Stone.

Life’s for living and we gave it a red hot go with Spank.

Looking back, what was Spank’s best song?

People still love Awkward and You Make Three releases, and a stack of shows in Australia and Me Nervous, which is cool. A woman came up to Sam Europe – my dream of getting on a plane with a guitar (Hobbs) and I in a bar in Melbourne last year to say how and playing music got fulfilled. Plus we made a bunch much she loved the band – pretty random. My favourite of friends in music who we still love today. The School song is Jack The Train Pervert from the Loony album. Of Rock was good to us and we all kept playing.

Horses for courses. Not ours, but we played a version of the Beastie Boys’ Sabotage at the Cactus Stories CD In the midst of revisiting that chapter of your life, launch with the Freud’s Pillow gents... Kav, Joel and what do you now make of that chapter in your life?

We were fortunate to play with bands Simon, who all went on to be genuine rock stars. That we’d admired as punters – Cinema Prague and Circus was a highlight.

Murders in particular. Prague’s album Meldatype A lot about Spank seemed unlikely. The marriage showed us that it was possible to make an ambitious of Led Zeppelin-esque-ness with one of the most album in Perth and to believe in yourselves. When we unusually beautiful female voices, all within a ‘90s got together for rehearsals in Melbourne last year we watched a bunch of videos we have in our archive of indie band. Discuss...

Spank was a marriage of folk, blues and us recording Electric Mistress at Poon’s Head, with the CP rock influences. Sam and I were always into the blues gents, Tim and Cam from the Rosemary Beads and the and with Lippy, we found our ‘Mitch Mitchell’. We also Dirtbag dirtbags, and video of Prague and Lamia rocking loved Led Zep, the Stones, The Pixies, The Breeders, The at The Orient. Two incredible bands and still dear friends Beasts Of Bourbon and PJ Harvey, so perhaps that’s today. As are Louvre Beep. Oops, I meant Beaverloop. our provenance. Sascha has always been an amazing presence and we were fans of her previous band, The Spank also play a warm-up gig at the Norfolk Swooners. When we were getting the band together, Basement on Saturday, April 20, with guests Sam rang Sascha to ask if she wanted to be in our band Louvre Beep.

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THE BLACK SEEDS

SUPER WILD HORSES I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter

Shunning the comforts of a recording studio, Melbourne-based garage rock two-piece Super Wild Horses crafted their new record in a butter factory.

LINDSAY WEIR chats with Hayley McKee about the recently released Crosswords ahead of the duo’s homecoming show at The Bakery on Saturday, May 25.

Over music’s colourful history there have been no shortage of songs recorded in strange places. Deep Purple recorded Smoke On The Water in a hotel corridor, Bon Iver shut himself up in a rural hunting cabin to record For Emma, Forever Ago and Johnny Cash recorded Folsom Prison Blues (you guessed it) in the heart of the Californian prison.

But has there ever been an album recorded in a butter factory? Super Wild Horses’ Hayley McKee doesn’t think so.

“It was a big factory that was used in the ‘50s and ‘60s out in the country and it wasn’t used for anything for a very long time,” she explains of the setting used to record the 13-track LP, Crosswords.

“It’s a massive space, and it was very, very raw and it was freezing cold because it was the middle of winter.

But we were really lucky to be able to take over that space completely and set up a studio and use it until all hours of the night.”

Twenty-two tracks were initially recorded over three days, but instead of relying on a purely live recording limited to the sound they could make

Spreading Their Roots

Super Wild Horses as a two-piece, they decided to head to a Melbourne recording studio to flesh out the songs with some extra instrumentation, percussion and vocals courtesy of friends Liam Kenny (Bitch Prefect, Peak Twins) and Rick Milovanovic (Boomgates, Twerps).

Also integral to the recording process was engineer Jack Farley, who has previously worked with the likes of Twerps, Beaches and St Helens.

“Probably the best thing about him is that sometimes we would finish a take and think that we nailed it and we would look up at him and he would say, ‘you know, I reckon you can do one more better’,” she says. “So just to have someone who was 100 per cent focused on what you were doing and listening to every single note you were strumming and would say, ‘nah you fucked that one up, let’s do that one again’ or ‘yep that was excellent’.”

Having released Crosswords earlier this month, McKee says she is now looking forward to the challenge of translating the songs into the live setting during their upcoming national tour.

“There’s a bunch of the songs where we did overdubs, so we added extra vocal parts over the songs when we came back to the recording studio in Melbourne, so in terms of those songs we have been thinking about getting guest musicians up where available or playing around with different loop pedals and other special effects pedals to try and flesh out it as it sounds on the record,” she says.

“That being said, we have been playing a lot of those songs live recently and it seems to be going well, without any major hitches. So I don’t think there will be a massive gap between what you hear on the record and what you hear on stage.”

DYING FETUS

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a group that consistently released albums every two or so years, from their 2001 debut Keep On Pushing through to 2008’s Solid Ground. The time outside the studio was well spent, with a number of European tours expanding their fanbase beyond the antipodes. There won’t be such a long wait for their next effort, though.

“We haven’t really had time to do studio work, but we’ve got a whole bunch of tunes which are either unfinished or that we’d want to put on our next album, and I think we just need time later in the year to work on a new album,” Weir says.

“We need that time to get stuck in at the studio and also do some writing, and that doesn’t always happen together – sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn’t – and our plan is to get stuck into it this year for a release next year.”

Before that, their latest Australian tour will have something for fans, old and new.

“We are gonna be DJing ourselves right from doors open,” he says. “We don’t pretend to be club DJs but we would like people to come and hang out with us, and just listen to the kind of music that we’re into at the moment, and I think that would just give a nice little chance to see what we’re in to, and build up a really good vibe before we play.

“I think our live show is probably the best thing we do, and so it’s a good time to come and check us out if you haven’t already.”

EPICA Dying Fetus

Consistency is the key that death metal outfit Dying Fetus has used to forge their career.

It may seem an entirely unromantic notion on which this extreme American three-piece built their name. But after more than two decades of solid albums and a still-growing legion of fans on their heels, it is hard to deny the power of their ethos.

Their seventh LP, Reign Supreme, continues the trend for these Maryland-based musicians. No bullshit and raw-as-fuck but with a bit more groove, according to drummer Trey Williams.

“Our main thing was we didn’t want to stray too far from the Fetus sound on this release,” he says. “ But we still wanted a really broad sound with a lot of different styles incorporated into the mix. I do admit there are a few songs that are very unusual, even for us though. I won’t say which song, because I want our listeners to figure it out, but we basically wrote our first hardcore-influenced song on this album. There was no blast on that track and that’s

The Black Seeds

The Black Seeds have had a busy year since releasing Dust And Dirt, squeezing in two European tours (including playing to crowds of thousands at The Netherlands’ Lowlands festival and France’s Rock En Seine), a jaunt through America and Canada, and numerous shows in New Zealand and Australia.

Having built a strong international following with their brand of dub reggae tinged by funk, soul and afrobeat, Dust And Dirt expanded the band’s sound even further into, at times, punk and hard rock. That doesn’t mean, though, that the album is a complete departure for The Black Seeds – as shown by their more recent single, Love Me Now, released late last year.

“We just liked the flavour of that one; it’s more of a lover’s style rhythm and track, and we just wanted to put out something that was probably more ‘classic’ Black Seeds, or what people think is ‘classic’ Black Seeds material, as well as some of the more challenging and different sounds that we’d put out earlier,” Weir says.

“We really had big discussions about what we thought was best, and we really wanted to surprise people, and not say ‘hey, we’re just a reggae-sounding group from New Zealand’ – even though we are partly, but we’re also quite eclectic in our style.”

Dust And Dirt was the band’s first studio album in four years – an unusually long time for

Epica

Scrutineering Off the back of their latest album, Reign Supreme, Dying Fetus will be joined by fellow US extreme death metallers Putrid Pile for the national Supreme Slaughterhouse tour hitting Amplifier on Tuesday, April 23, JESSICA WILLOUGHBY chats to drummer Trey Williams ahead of the show.

A year on from the release of their critically acclaimed fifth studio album, Dust And Dirt, The Black Seeds’ latest Australian tour brings the Wellington eight-peace reggae outfit to Metropolis Fremantle on Wednesday, April 24. JOSHUA HAYES touches base with guitarist and vocalist, Barnaby Weir.

definitely different for us.

“Sometimes it’s like every song has to have blast, but it puts the song in the trenches and that’s not always good. I know John (Gallagher, guitarist) is inspired by hardcore and stuff like that, so, in my eyes, the hardcore song on the record is like a combination of Cannibal Corpse meets Terror. I also love how there are a few more dark, melodic passages throughout; that’s the stuff I really enjoy. So, for those looking for a bit more variety, we tried to make sure it wasn’t all shred this time around.”

But how is it that these men are able to achieve the same level of precision on each offering?

By using intense scrutiny in the songwriting process as their guide.

“I admit, we definitely tend to go to the extremes when we are working on new material,” Williams explains. “We still sit down and scrutinise each individual riff we write, believe it or not. So it is always a challenge for us. The main question we always ask ourselves is if a riff is ‘heavy’ or ‘brutal’ enough. If it meets our criteria, then we file it away until we come to constructing the songs and we see what works together.

“It sounds pretty complicated but that’s just the way we do things. Still, our main thing is we don’t want to stray too far from the sound we have worked so hard to establish. I’d even go as far to say that Reign Supreme is a bit more simplistic than our last few records. It’s not as technical.

“But that’s the way we do things. If this album wasn’t that technical, you can bet our eighth release will be.”

Orchestral Maneuvers In The Darkness After more than a decade on the road, Dutch symphonic metallers Epica are making their Australian debut this month. JESSICA WILLOUGHBY chats with frontwoman Simone Simons ahead of their Perth show at Capitol on Tuesday, April 23.

March 23 marked 10 years of bringing symphonic metal to the masses for Dutch outfit Epica.

A huge milestone for the band with five albums already to their name, 2013 continues to be a year of achievement as they prepare to head to Australia for the first time. It’s a trip frontwoman Simone Simons is more than a little excited about.

“It took us 10 years but we made it,” she says.

“We’ve been contacted before a couple of times about coming to Australia but no one could accommodate for our needs because we have so many members in our band, plus the crew we need to bring our show to life. We definitely need our crew, so it was impossible for us before as our shows are just too big to do alone.

Now we have a lovely offer, it just took a long time to reach our goal.”

Fresh off the back of a huge retrospective show in the Netherlands - the first to carry a full live

orchestra and choir for the band - Simons admits the logistics of trying to bring the whole ensemble downunder would be a nightmare. So Australian audiences will see a scaled-down show. But that does not mean the six-piece look to sacrifice the on-stage energy.

“You can at least expect almost two hours of pure Epica,” she explains. “We play songs from all the records. Just because we released a new record last year doesn’t mean it’s only going to be those songs. It’s definitely going to be a trip down memory lane. Unfortunately, we won’t be taking any orchestra members on the road for the Australia tour – it’s just too far to travel. But it’s definitely going to be a very energetic show.”

Although the band brought out their latest offering, Requiem For The Indifferent, last year reports are already rife that a majority of their sixth album is already well under way. Simons heartily admits 10 tracks are in full formation mode.

“Yeah, very basic though,” she says. “They are waiting to be finished. After we come back from Australia, we will then go to the studio to finish the songs. Later this year, we are hoping to record. 2014 is the set release date for us. So it’s never-ending touring and writing for us.”

Agreeing the 2012 release saw the band step back from their namesake full orchestra sound to let guitars shine a bit more, she points to Epica hoping to strike a balance on their next release with the addition of Rob van der Loo on bass.

“With new band members, which are also writing music, we let everybody in the band be part of it. That means sometimes you have to sacrifice things. Some songs are more guitar-oriented because we now have a guitar player that just creates killer melodies (Isaac Delahaye). In the past, it was always the orchestration that did this. So it’s about looking at each song individually.

“But Epica will still keep its name in symphonic metal and we will never, ever give up the orchestration.”

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X-Press – First on the street, Wednesdays

UNDERGROUND LOVERS Weekend

STICKY FINGERS Caress Your Soul Sure Shaker/MGM

Rubber Records

SUGARPUSS Psychotic Teenage Supermodels Independent

According to Urban Dictionary, Sugarpuss is “the cutesy nickname Logan Echolls gives to Veronica Mars (off the CW’s mystery/detective show aptly named for the character) in the episode Ruskie Business.”

Sugarpuss the band, from right here in WA, do not, as far as we know, include in their line-up any plucky teen detectives, but they have solved the mystery of crafting some damn fine pop-rock ditties.

This is music created by musicians without recourse to production trickery. Danceability is achieved by the rhythmic propulsion of the drums and bass, and that hard-to-define quality which, for simplicity’s sake, we’ll just call sing-a-long-ability, created through deliciously dark lyrics juxtaposed against toe-tappingly buoyant beats.

Take, for example, the fantastic first track, Falling Outta Love, which is so fun and upbeat it’s easy to gloss right over the references to heartbreak (‘At night I sleep inside a shot gun; The days they play out like a re-run’), even when you’ve pressed repeat so many times you know the lyrics off-by-heart (and believe us, it’s so catchy you will).

While none of the other tracks quite deliver this same sunny-but-bitter disposition in quite the same way, Drinking Alone and Place For A Gun provide balance on the palate. Meanwhile, behind the neat surfaces of Insomnia, Masquerade and They’re Gonna Close The Planet Down, oddities thrive. A killer debut.

DICK DIVER Calendar Days

Underground Lovers were one of the most universally loved and lauded Australian bands of the ‘90s with their hybrid of guitar pop and electronica. The band wound down activities around the time that band leader Vincent Giarruso turned his hand to filmmaking for the revered Mallboy.

Invited to reform for the 2010 Homebake Festival, the Melbourne outfit have continued to work together, culminating in the release of an album of new material, Weekend. Philippa Nihill fronts the opener that is a spacious atmospheric piece with some subtle glitches littering the background.

Almost 20 years since the outfit ’s heyday, Underground Lovers are still firmly rooted in the ‘90s. At times this works for them, but on occasion it sounds like nothing more than a pastiche. Can For Now could have literally been lifted from a Yo La Tengo rehearsal and Signs Of Weakness hints at My Bloody Valentine before sounding like the Echo & The Bunnymen song you used to tease your hair too.

So, Underground Lovers return as if they have never been away. That will fill some familiar listeners with glee, but to newer punters there will be little to make them prick up their ears.

Weekend is a fair to middling return that, although passable, adds nothing to their legacy.

_ CHRIS HAVERCROFT

Chapter Music

This is the debut album from sick Sydney bros Sticky Fingers, who are apparently renowned for their wild live shows. This is quite astonishing considering how utterly boring this album is. It sounds like a Bra Boy bustin’ some pseudo patois over the top of the Foxtel TV guide screen. Their frat reggae is played competently enough, quite well even, it’s just a major snooze.

Wouldn’t be so bad, but for the awful lyrics.

Take These Girls, a tender ballad about thinking about porn stars while boning your girlfriend, as an example: ‘Even when I look discretely (sic) down into her eyes; You know I’m thinking about that time; I spent between your thighs; Even then I wondered deeply through your glances; This girl will never care’.

Let’s just ignore the hilarious thighs/eyes rhyme. This shit don’t make sense. It’s just words mashed together in an attempt to approximate meaning. It’s not poetic and it doesn’t even scan well.

To be fair though, they’re certainly not the only young band guilty of this sin.

Speaking of guilt, the band has been kind enough to include in the CD booklet a letter to their management complaining about their crazy antics at some festival. I couldn’t care less if they pissed off some nerds by being drunk, sounds like it woulda been kinda funny, but boasting about it is just lame.

So it’s a pretty forgettable listen. Having said that, the last song, Let It All Out, is actually a pretty decent cross between Tattoo You-era Stones and Oasis’ Don’t Look Back in Anger. It seems way more in keeping with the good-time image these dudes are trying to put across than the rest of the record. File next to Ras Trent.

M elbourne bands have always had a handle on lo-fi indie and not only are Dick Diver no exception, they are at the forefront of the current pack. Their second album, Calendar Days, reaches even further into their bookish appeal.

No one knows how to wallow quite as well as those who live in a shared terrace house as they push back their glasses and hug their cardigan, and Calendar Days serves as the soundtrack to their lives. The characters are likeable in their mundanity as Dick Diver add some understated humour to the characters first world problems.

The loose guitar of Water Damage is a standout and Alice has gentle jangle, laconic vocals and a lazy melody that ticks all the right boxes.

Stephanie Hughes steals the show again as the accomplished drummer and female voice behind the twee boy/girl vocals.

There isn’t a weak track within sight with even the imperfections adding an extra layer of authenticity to these irresistible tales. Two Year Lease is sparse and affecting having all the hallmarks of a tune that was recorded in one take - warts and all.

Dick Diver appear at a glance to be a band without too much ambition or pretence.

Calendar Days draws you in like an old friend and never outstays its welcome.

_ CHRIS HAVERCROFT

_ SAM SCHERR _ LINDSAY WEIR

PLACE OF INDIGO Illuminate

DEAD OWLS Small Talk

Each of the six tracks bounce along one Gun Fever after the other, not one feeling out of place. There is Small Talk is the debut EP a consistency here that shines through, particularly from Perth two-piece, Dead Place Of Indigo reach for a on Shapes Shiver and the terrific Waiting for Someone O wls. From your faithful soulful synth infused post- which respond loudest to their ‘80s pop influence. correspondent’s perspective, Illuminate is a great record from a band punk that conjures both a they’re on a hiding to nothing sad yet hopeful resonance that is truly in control of their sound. However, on two fronts. Their name on their new EP, Illuminate. there is room for evolution. They have the talent The band expertly to push their style into new directions which will contains the words ‘Dead’ and ‘Owls’ and they also weave a tapestry of danceable rhythms and make their next release something to anticipate. don’t have a bass player. Not to worry, however, as this a nice chunk of indie rock, with a power-pop slant. weeping synths that call back to Interpol and The EP’s five songs are well crafted, well The Church while still maintaining a sound that played and expertly recorded by the ever dependable is all their own. _ LIAM DUNN Dave Parkin at his Blackbird studio. Take the opening Independent

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track, Only Child, which builds up to a big pay-off and has an almost epic quality despite only being twoand-a-half minutes long. That kind of taut, economical songwriting is a valuable asset to a young band. Sure, there’s only five songs, but there are no missteps. The tunes cater to the band’s musical strengths, namely the interplay between the guitar and the drums, and while most bands of this ilk suffer from having a large hole in their sound where the bass guitar should be, its absence is hardly noticeable on record.

This is a pretty great sounding first release.

Good luck to ‘em.

_ SAM SCHERR

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The Cho Must Go On

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The outspoken and outrageous Margaret Cho brings her new stand up comedy show, Mother, to The Astor Theatre on Wednesday, April 24, as part of the Perth International Comedy Festival. Tickets are available from showticketing.com.au. TRAVIS JOHNSON reports.

When we ask what Margaret Cho has been up to lately, the answer comes as quite a surprise. Cho, who has frequently and fearlessly tackled the issues she faces as an Asian-American woman, is getting in touch with her heritage by learning Korean, the language of her parents.

It’s a bit surprising that she doesn’t have a handle on it yet, but Cho explains the situation.“My father is from Korea, and he was deported when I was a little girl, so we were not allowed to speak Korean and, basically, when we were speaking it, to speak it was to basically say that you want your father to go away! So I have this trauma about speaking Korean. I’m actually very fluent in the language in my mind, but I speak it at a five year old’s level, which is ridiculous because I’m a 43 year old woman. But I’m learning!”

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EYE ON FTI

Tonight, Wednesday 17, FTI CEO Paul Bodlovich and FTI chair Lisa Bradock will be presenting the outcome of the Film and Television Institute’s yearlong internal review of their policies, products, Northbridge O-Day is upon us this Sunday, April services and initiatives at The Australian Writer’s 21. With over a hundred things to do and see, Guild in Northbridge. For anyone involved in the WA including designer markets, food stalls, music, film industry, this is sure to be an informative and dancing workshops and more, all of Northbridge from educational look at the future direction of cinema the Piazza to the Cultural Centre will be alive with culture in Perth. Head to fti.asn.au for more details. movement and merriment. Keep an eye out for the Mysteryfest @ Real to Reel Pop Up Recording Studio, or pick up some sweet vinyl at Moogy’s Mobile MOVE ME, a solo exhibition by Perth illustrator Lilly Record Store. Go to onwilliam.com.au for details.

Kaiser, is on display at The Bird until Sunday, May 12.

O SAY CAN YOU SEE?

I LIKE TO MOVE IT MOVE IT

SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN

The students of The Actors’ Hub set out to explore notions of curiosity and forbidden fruit in their new production, A Little Rain Must Fall. The self-devised show encompasses clowning, physical theatre and mask work to tell the story of what unfolds when a housemaid opens a mysterious box. It runs from Thursday, April 18 to Saturday, April 20 at The Actors’ Hub in Subiaco. Tickets are available from trybooking.com.

Move Me

Margaret Cho

WASH AND WEAR

CONTINUED FROM COVER...

We’re a little fuzzy on where she find the time, though. At the moment, Cho is mid-tour, presenting her latest show, Mother. The title doesn’t mean there have been any recent arrivals in the Cho household, though; quite the opposite.

“I t ’s about being about as old as everybody’s mother,” Cho tells us. “I’m old enough to be somebody’s mother, but I act like a child. It’s kind of about acting childish in a world where you don’t have those social signifiers - when you don’t have those social signifiers, like you’re not married and you don’t have kids, you sort of don’t know exactly how to figure out when maturity is supposed to wash over you - at least that’s what it’s like in my case. So I’ve kind of put a show together about it.”

From outward appearances, Mother appears to be an examination of the current state of play for Generation X, the ‘90s rebels who are now moving into middle age, with all its attendant soulsearching and trepidation.

“I guess it brings up the question of exactly what is maturity?” Cho asks rhetorically. “What am I supposed to be doing? What am I supposed to be? It’s sort of weird to actually be older and trying to figure

out how to deal with it and what to be, and I think that happens a lot if you’re not straight, if you’re kind of not a conventional person, if you’re not what society tells you to be. It’s always a struggle to figure out where you’re supposed to be.

“I think something that happens to people - and I think it’s definitely people my age and a little bit older and younger than me - is that we’re slackers.

We’re supposed to be slackers, but when you get older, what do you do? If your heyday was in the ‘90s, what do you do?”

It’s also about Cho’s mother and the relationship between the two. Cho describes her mother as a quiet but strong woman, and a huge influence on her own life. “I think that the idea of feminism is really different in Korea and many women my mother’s age are practically invisible, so the fact that I get to talk about her in my work makes her a real star. That’s really exciting for her and exciting for her friends and for my family. She’s had a huge influence on me, and I think that when I do my characterisation of her in my show, she’s kind of the voice of my own Asian-ness, which I really don’t understand either, because I’m so American.”

Dirty car? Dirty mind? Urge to improve the lives of sick kids? All three? Then Sunday’s the day to get down to Auto Masters Morley for the Burly Girl Charity Car Wash 2. The best burlesque beauties that Perth has to offer will be mixing up the suds and wiping down the wax from 10am on April 21, and all porceeds go to No Matter What - The Evie Charitable Association, which exisits to improve the lives of children suffering from cancer.

A Little Rain Must Fall

LOOKING AT THE LAND

Land Lines, a new exhibition by Jo Darvall and Bo Wong, opens at Fremantle’s Feast Your Eyes Gallery this Thursday, April 18. Wong’s photos, taken during a 40 day sojourn in the desert, are complimented by the paintings of Pilbara artist, Darvall.

Oblivion

OBLIVION

Stuck In Cruise Control Directed by Joseph Kosinski Starring Tom Cruise, Olga Kurylenko, Andrea Riseborough, Morgan Freeman, Nikolaj CosterWaldau, Melissa Leo Around the age of 16 or so, every writer takes a crack at writing their first novel. It’s generally overly long, self-important, ponderous, and gleefully plagiarises everything the writer thought was cool at the time.

Anyone with a lick of sense locks it away in a drawer and never lets it see the light of day again. Tron: Legacy director Joseph Kosinski filmed his.

The result is a fairly hollow exercise, filled with recognisable and arguable interesting sci-fi tropes that fail to amount to anything when strung together along the thread of the anaemic plot.

Tom Cruise is Jack, whose job it is to maintain the combat drones who hunt the remnants of an alien invasion force on a post apocalyptic earth. As far as he knows, he and his partner/lover, Victoria (Andrea Riseborough) are the only people left on the planet, everyone else having scarpered to Titan, one of Jupiter’s moons. That changes when a spacecraft crashes, and the only survivor, Julia (Olga Kurylenko), is familiar to Jack from a recurring dream. Jack begins to question everything he holds true, and the plot unfolds pretty much as it must.

If that sounds overly complicated, it is, and not in an interesting way. The story is actually pretty straightforward, but it’s bogged down with a laborious back-story and a few too many heavily telegraphed twists. In this day and age, where Philip 20

K. Dick is the most adapted SF author of all time, it’s de rigueur to have notions of identity and reality played with in mainstream cinema, but here it’s handled clumsily, and the revelations land without power.

Now, there’s nothing inherently wrong with a dumb fun sci-fi romp, but Oblivion thinks it’s smart, and really takes its time laying out it’s sophomoric philosophical musings, with soporific results. The pace is leaden, and even the occasional big action set-piece does little to liven things up, with each burst of violence feeling like it’s been lopped out of a video game and dropped into the film.

The cast do what they can, more or less. Cruise is eminently watchable, and Kurylenko and Riseborough give grounded and emotionally resonant performances. Everyone else is barely in it, bar Morgan Freeman, who essentially plays Morpheus from The Matrix, right down to the sunglasses.

The Matrix isn’t the only source Oblivion cribs from; elements are lifted from everything from everything from Mad Max to 2001, although it’s Pixar’s Wall-E that provides the most DNA. As a result, even when the film is being engaging and there are some nice moments here and there, and a good, occasionally even beautiful, visual aesthetic - it’s often because it’s reminding you of other, better films.

And there are an awful lot of those. While not a complete waste of time, Oblivion is eminently forgettable. It’s a frustrating film, mainly because its ambition is so clearly at odds with its actual achievements, which are minor. _ TRAVIS JOHNSON

Burly Girl

The Company You Keep

THE COMPANY YOU KEEP All My Sins Remembered

Directed by Robert Redford Starring Robert Redford, Shia LaBeouf, Julie Christie, Susan Sarandon, Richard Jenkins, Brendan Gleeson, Brit Marling Screen legend Robert Redford examines the legacy of the ‘60s political landscape to interesting if not thrilling effect in this adaptation of Neil Gordon’s novel.

When Sharon Solarz (Susan Sarandon), a former radical left militant, is arrested after spending decades under an assumed identity, an ambitious young reporter, Ben Shepard (Shia LaBeouf) smells a bigger story. His investigation leads him to Jim Grant (Robert Redford), a recently widowed lawyer who is also living under an adopted name, as he is still wanted for the murder of a bank guard during a botched robbery back in the day. With the FBI closing in, Grant goes on the run, but Shepard begins to suspect that he’s not on the lam, but rather trying to clear his name.

The film is a kind of paean to Baby Boomer regret, examining the way the ideals and convictions of the past impact on the present. Through the course of Grant’s journey he reconnects with a lot of relics of the ‘60s-‘70s radical counterculture, and we see how the passage of time has affected them. Some have drifted into comfortable complacency, while others still fight for their political beliefs – or at least think they do.

This is the most interesting element of the film, helped in no small part by the calibre of Redford’s cast, which includes Richard Jenkins, Nick Nolte, Julie Christie, Sam Elliot and Stephen Root as the hippie leftovers. In fact the entire film is populated with great actors, including Terrence Howard and Anna Kendrick popping up as the FBI agents in pursuit of Grant, Stanley Tucci putting in an appearance as Shepard’s long-suffering editor, Chris Cooper as Grant’s estranged brother and Brendan Gleason playing a retired police chief who knows more about the crime than he’s letting on. If nothing else, Redford can still put together a hell of an ensemble.

He’s not great at trusting his audience to connect the dots for themselves, though. While his restrained directorial style is refreshingly mature, he and his screenwriter, Lem Dobbs, heavily telegraph some important plot twists, and there are points where any moderately engaged viewer will know where the story is going long before Redford deigns to let the penny drop in the actual film. It’s an annoying tendency that smacks of condescension, but it’s not enough to sink the film. What does hamper the piece is the third act, which relies on artificial stakes-raising and a sudden character aboutface to deliver a sense of catharsis. Frankly, it’s a cop out.

The real value of The Company You Keep is in the performances it contains, and it’s great just to spend some time with such great actors. As a thriller it’s pretty rote, and as an examination of radical left politics it’s pretty glib, but it’s still worth checking out. _ TRAVIS JOHNSON X-Press – First on the street, Wednesdays

Midge Ure

MIDGE URE The Pioneer

Veteran British rocker Midge Ure, of Ultravox and Live Aid fame, plays at the Charles Hotel on Saturday, April 27. ALISDAIR DUNCAN reports.

Midge Ure has carved out a pretty astonishing musical career over the past four decades. He has played with the likes of Visage and Thin Lizzy and, together with Bob Geldof, was behind the tremendously successful Band Aid charity supergroup. For all these accomplishments, Ure may be best known as the

singer from the band Ultravox. When he tours Australia this month, he promises a setlist that combines all of these eras and more.

“I’ve got a fairly long, varied career,” he says. “I’ll be doing some of my solo stuff, and of course, I’ll be doing Ultravox songs – I think I’d be shot if I didn’t perform certain ones! You might even get to hear a bit of Fade To Grey, which I wrote with Visage. It’s going to be a real crosssection of stuff.”

Ultravox were among the pioneers of the British synth-pop explosion. Ure joined the band in 1979 and went on to write some of their biggest hits. Looking back on that period, when electronic elements were not yet standard in music, they had little idea they were helping to revolutionise pop.

“I think back then, the main thing is that you weren’t really trying to compete with anyone else,” he says. “You had very basic technology – Vienna was recorded on a fourtrack tape machine. The biggest thing, back then, was that you had to be very precise, and you had to know exactly what you were trying to record. These days, you have computers, and everything’s malleable – you can instantly change the arrangements.”

Ure recently reformed Ultravox for a series of live shows, and though he had very few expectations going into the reunion, he found that the process reawakened his love of music. “The call went around to the original band members, and though most had since built lives and careers outside of music, everyone was curious about what a reunion might entail. When we got together and started talking about it, we were all up for the idea of playing those songs one more time.”

Thinking back on Ultravox’s peak period in the early ’80s, Ure’s one regret is that he and the band didn’t value their vast collection of gear. “The electronics that we used on the Vienna album were incredibly basic,” he says. “The moment someone brought out a new synthesiser that had patches, that had memory allowing you to store sounds, we instantly got rid of the old stuff and bought that, because it was new, cutting-edge technology. It was only later we realised we were getting rid of classic electronic gear, and by then, it was too late.”

Generations of younger musicians have covered and paid tribute to Ure’s work – in particular, snippets of Fade To Grey frequently show up in pop and club tracks. “Music should inspire, and I always think it’s great when younger musicians want to emulate or pay tribute to some of the things we did,” he says.

“It feels like a gesture of respect, and I’m always happy to hear it.”

The Other Son

THE OTHER SON

Mother Father Gentlemen Directed by Lorraine Levy Starring Jules Sitruk, Mehdi Debhi, Emmanuelle Devos, Pascal Elbe, Areen Omari The old ‘switched at birth’ plot hook is as hoary a trope as you can find in fiction, but French director Lorraine Levy manages to utilise the old war horse to examine notions of culture, family and identity by the simple expedient of laying her scene in modern day Israel.

When young Israeli man Joseph Silberg (Jules Sitruk, of the criminally under-seen Son Of Rambow) undergoes a routine blood test in preparation of his mandatory stint in the Israeli Defence Force, it reveals that he is not the biological son of the people who raised him, Alon (Pascal Elbe) and Orith (Emmanuelle Devos, seen in Coco Before Chanel), but of a Palestinian couple, Said and Leila Al Bezaaz (Khalifa Natour and Areen Omari, respectively).

Their son, Yacine (Mehdi Dehbi), is the Silbergs’ blood heir, having been switched at birth with Joseph when the hospital where both mothers were giving birth was evacuated during a bombing.

It’s a scenario fraught with dramatic, even violent, potential, but Levy chooses to handle the material more lightly and deftly, letting us look closely at the personal implications of the mix up while the broader political ramifications largely hang in the background. The difference in lifestyle between the two families is obvious – compared to their Israeli counterparts, the Al Bezaaz family live in near-poverty – but it’s never shoved in our faces; www.xpressmag.com.au

rather the contrast is simply allowed to exist as a part of the film’s world. The boys’ fathers are somewhat aghast at the notion of their sons being raised by ‘the other side,’ while their mothers want to reconnect with the children that, up until now, they didn’t even know they’d lost. The only real hostility comes from Yacine’s brother, Bilal (Mahmud Shalaby), who is angered and confused by the revelation.

Indeed, perhaps Levy’s smartest choice was to remember that her characters are human, rather than racial or political archetypes. Joseph and Yacine are recognisably normal young men, each with their own hopes, fears and aspirations.

Joseph wants to be a musician, while Yacine, educated in Paris, yearns to return to Europe.

These are modern young men, knowledgeable about the world and appreciative, at least to some degree, of each other’s culture, and it is this that allows them to bond once they’ve begun to accept their bizarre situation.

The low-key, level headed approach, however, does rob the scenario of some of its dramatic potential. The Other Son is, by and large, a small, personal film and though the IsraeliPalestinian conflict informs every element of the film, ultimately it demurs from making any statements rather than a heartfelt wish that we could all just get along. While that’s a noble sentiment, it’s certainly not a dramatic one, which results in an amiable and well intentioned film which, although it’s enjoyable enough, fails to capitalise on its own intriguing premise. _ TRAVIS JOHNSON 21

The natural world has long been a source of inspiration for artists of all stripes, and so an exhibition centred around the theme ‘animal’ doesn’t exactly come as a surprise. However, curator Saschka, herself an emerging photographer with several exhibitions under her belt, assures us that the approach the nine artists involved have each taken have resulted in a notably diverse collection of works.

“My friend and I,” she explains. “He’s a painter, David Maisano, decided to start this thing about a year ago. He does sculpture and installations and painting. It just kind of started from there, because I met him and we became friends, and it just kind of grew into this thing. For the last six months I’ve pretty much been organising bits, and we’ve just kind of gradually asked artists along the way to join us as we’ve grown the idea and decided what we really wanted to do, because we want something that’s honest, and we want something that’s gonna challenge boundaries, and we want something that’s intriguing. We found a bunch of other artists along the way; we got a few painters, another photographer, a textiles lady who does organic textiles, we’ve got an installation artist who’s going to be building a giant birdcage in the gallery, another painter - most of them are local, Fremantlebased artists.”

Saschka and Maisano settled on theme together - “We decided to call it Animal because it’s a really interesting concept for both of us. I’m quite passionate about animals, animal rights and such, and he likes the idea of the animal inside of us.” - but shied away from putting any real strictures on their contributors, instead letting each artist explore the meaning of the word in their own way, and through their own chosen medium. “Basically what we’ve done is, to each artist we’ve invited to join the show, we’ve just said, ‘Look, this is the theme, but we want your interpretation of that. Express to us what that means to you, what you see as animalistic in itself, or what you want to portray to the community.’”

Asked to pick a standout from the exhibition, which includes works from Mark Welsh, Glenn Jon Langsdale, Luke Hartley and Annette Orr, among others, Saschka demurs. “I can’t pick, but everything is going to be incredible. Everything is so different, it’s impossible to compare any two. You have to look at each from a unique perspective, I Venus in Decay - Xavier Turisini think.”

She does admit, however, to being excited at the opportunity afforded her by Perth’s changing artistic landscape. “Perth is slowly becoming a real cultural centre, especially for the arts, is something I’m really excited about, especially growing up here Animal, a g r o u p ex h i b i t i o n c u ra t e d by and having so many friends move to Melbourne, photographic artist Saschka, runs at The Moores because that’s what Perth’s like.”

Building Contemporary Art Gallery in Fremantle until Sunday, April 21. _ TRAVIS JOHNSON

ANIMAL

I Gotta Feel It In My Blood

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Alreis Summer Collection

INNOVATION MONTH Innovation Fixation

C o n t i n u i n g u n t i l Tu e s d a y, A p r i l 3 0 , Northbridge Piazza will come alive with seminars, demonstrations, performances, musical acts, film, and fashion shows. To check out the full list of events, hit up showmeperth. com.au.

You can be successful without innovation but, as Innovation Month serves to prove, in order to be great you have to be willing to push the envelope.

A celebration of technology, ingenuity and innovation, the City of Perth’s Innovation Month celebrates all ideas that can help change the world for the better. Ultimately, the aim of the month is to look at innovation from different angles and inspire everyone to see themselves as forward-thinking and full of ideas.

The month has kicked off with the Biopic Film Season on the Piazza Super Screen, aptly featuring screenings of some truly superb

films based on the lives of ver y famous innovators, including Coco Chanel (Coco Avant Chanel), Mark Zuckerberg (The Social Network), Bill Cunningham (Bill Cunningham New York) and more.

Not content to merely pay tribute to some of history’s greatest innovators, the brains behind Innovation Month have pulled together an impressive programme of activities and classes intended to challenge individuals to explore innovation.

Every day there will be free, hourlong well-being and health classes – whether you’re wanting to de-stress through yoga or tai chi, or work up a sweat in a zumba or martial arts class, there’s something to suit every taste and fitness level. Plus, if you’re up for something a little bit different then you’ll love krump chi – a new discipline mixing tai chi and the hip-hop dance form krumping, with hilarious results – and bokwa – an easyto-follow yet effective total body workout inspired by South African dance.

Innovation has been crucial in the development of music, art, dance and fashion throughout history, so it’s hardly surprising these art forms will take centre stage during Rock The Bridge, a free event that celebrates home-grown ingenuity.

Dancers, per formers, ar tists and musicians will descend on the Northbridge Piazza on Saturday, April 20, between 7-10pm, to showcase their talents and impart a little of their wisdom during live tutorials in film, music production, fashion and much more.

Hosted by Rami Barz the event will include DJ sets by Angry Buda and DJ Karl Blue and live performances by Luxury Mob, S.O.X, I and the Village, and Rubbabandmusicgroup.

Instructors Filozway, Producer DAZ from Downsyde and Taufique will also be at the Piazza to help guide raw talent and fuel the creative drive of the community.

Fashion labels Alreis, Ninety Kings, Captain of the Ship and D’Vuas Ettiquette will also showcase their latest threads during a series of fashion parades.

Celebrating ideas, and helping create new ones, is what Innovation Month is all about.

As the huge list of activities serves to prove, it is essential to take inspiration from around the world so that we can learn from others as hopefully others learn from us. In this way ideas will help make us, and our city, better places. _ LINDSAY WEIR

X-Press – First on the street, Wednesdays

VISUAL ARTS Picturing New York: Photographs From The Museum Of Modern Art: Art Gallery Of WA, Northbridge Depicting the iconic New York that captivates the world’s imagination and the idiosyncratic details that define New Yorkers’ sense of home, this exhibition from MoMA’s extraordinary photography collection celebrates the city in all its vitality, ambition and beauty. Made by approximately 90 artists responding to the city as well as professionals on assignment, including Henri Cartier-Bresson, Walker Evans, Lewis Hine, Helen Levitt, Cindy Sherman, Alfred Stieglitz, and Weegee. Runs until May 12.

Made To Remember: Ar t G a l l e r y O f WA , Northbridge Made To Remember is a beautifully considered display of significant Indigenous objects from the State Art Collection. With a diverse selection of works including glass and ceramic objects, textiles and clothing, as well as examples of traditional sculpture, Made to Remember encourages dialogue about the place of an object not only in Indigenous art and culture, but in the broader Australian context. Runs until Jun 30.

Wendy Sharpe - Artist and Model: Buratti Fine Arts, Fremantle A selection of works by the Australian painter Wendy Sharpe. Runs until Apr 18

Anna Nazzari, The Oracle – Reflection 2013 Wood, clay, paint, gold leaf and UV lights 70x55cm (framed)

Land Lines: Feast Your Eyes Gallery, Fremantle An exhibition of Bo Wong’s photographs, taken during a 40 day sojourn in the desert last year, coupled with Jo Darvall’s paintings from the Pilbara.

It runs from April 18 - May 1.

The Oracle: Turner Galleries, Northbridge In this new collection, Anna Nazzari examines the prophet-like abilities of the octopus through a series of images that allude to the impending fates of notable Australians. The exhibition runs from April 19 - May 18. Go to turnergalleries.com.au for more.

Year 12 Perspectives: Art Gallery of WA, Northbridge An exhibition of works from the best, brightest, and most creative graduating high school artists in the state. Runs until June 30.

From War to Remembrance - A Living History of the RSL: The State Library of WA An exhibition on the history, goals and activities of the RSL in Western Australia, encompassing art David Bromley - Every Day A Sunday: Jahroc installations, interactive displays, archival photographs Galleries, Margaret River and objects, film screenings and guest speakers. It An exhibition by internationally acclaimed artist runs from April 20 - June 30.

David Bromley which includes works across a variety of media, including paper, canvas, textile, bronze and surfboards. This is a rare opportunity to view a collection by an artist whose efforts have been lauded on the world stage. It runs until April 27.

The Agony, The Ecstasy and i: The Blue Room Theatre This debut offering from fresh-faced dance theatre outfit Toyi-Toyi Theatre inaugurates The Blue room Theatre’s new performance season. This provocative piece by Laura Hopwood and Tarryn Runkle, partly inspired by Mike Daisey’s now largely debunked monologue, The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs, examines our relationship with technology, consumerism and ethics. The season runs from April 16 - May 4. Go to blueroom.org.au for session times and tickets.

THEATRE/DANCE/ PERFORMANCE

Death of a Salesman: The Heath Ledger Centre Perhaps the greatest American play of the 20th century, Arthur Miller’s sobering Death of a Salesman is a perennial favourite amongst theatre aficionados.

This version by The Black Swan State Theatre Company stars Austin Castiglione, Adrianne Daff, Luke Hewitt and Eden Falk. It runs May 4 - 19. Go to bsstc.com.au for session times and tickets.

MUSIC Flippin’ Pictures: A Symphonic Jazz Oddyssey, The Astor Performance April 21. Tickets via showticketing. com.au Barry Humphries Weimar Cabaret, Perth Concert Hall Performance May 8. Tickets via aco.com.au

FESTIVALS FolkWorld Fairbridge Festival: Fairbridge Village A friendly celebration of folk, roots, blues, acoustic, Celtic, a capella and world music in a traffic-free, selfcontained bushland site at Fairbridge Village. Three days of the best folk music that Australia and the world has to offer, including Kristina Olsen, Tinpan Orange, and Pugsley Buzzard. It runs Apr 26 - 28.

Bookings through folkworldfestival.com.au

Peter Dailey, Abnegate, 215 x 68 x 88cm, mixed media, 2013 Apparition - The Syndicate II: Fremantle Arts Centre Renowned WA sculptor Peter Dailey presents a series of ten life-size human figures presented under specific lighting designs in a darkened gallery in order to allow the viewer to contemplate the cultural, economic, political and environmental mechanism they are a part of. Runs until June 2. www.xpressmag.com.au

Perth International Comedy Festival: numerous locations across Perth Encompassing over 50 acts and 150 performances over 19 days, the 2013 Perth International Comedy Festival brings together the world’s top comic talent for a concentrated blast off laughs. Guests this year include 30 Rock’s Tracy Morgan, Margaret Cho, Jim Jefferies, Stephen K. Amos, and The Wayans Brothers.

It runs May 1 - 19. Head to perthcomedyfest.com.au for details.

Audi Festival of German Films: Cinema Paradiso, Northbridge Offering up a smorgasbord of contemporary German cinema, this festival, now in it’s twelfth year, comes to us courtesy of the Goethe Institute. With a program that spans every conceivable genre, this is one of the highlights of the year for any serious connoisseur of world cinema. Runs May 9 - 13. Head to lunapalace.com.au for tickets and info.

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X-Press – First on the street, Wednesdays

BEN KLOCK HOME IS WHERE

THE BERGHAIN IS DJ/ producer Ben Klock’s marathon sets are the stuff of legend. Alongside Marcel Dettman, the Berliner is a resident at the legendary power station turned sweat fest for the technocommitted - Berghain nightclub.

JO CAMPBELL talks with the man who is quite literally the current definition of cutting edge techno.

At home in Berlin for three days before journeying for the weekend to Switzerland and Italy to play his dark, driving form of hypnotic minimalism to the techno-obsessed, Ben Klock sounds as though he has a cold. In the last couple of weeks he’s been to Paris, Miami, Portugal and London and is most definitely a man in demand, not least of all down to his sheer diligence to providing the party, some of which roll on into Monday mornings.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 26

www.xpressmag.com.au

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His monthly sets at Berghain inspire awe, often going for an epic 11 hours, begging the question of where he draws energy from, let alone that amount of fresh material on a regular basis.

“There is something magic about this place,” he says of the now legendary spot. “Maybe also I have such a special connection to the club and the people in the club. They appreciate what I do and I get so much energy back from them.

“Even two weeks ago when I played the last time, I had three massive shows before then and three nights without sleep and I felt like ‘I can’t play today’ and then as soon as I get into Berghain all the tiredness is just gone and I play for ten hours.

“I don’t even look at my watch one time and I don’t even want to hear from people what time it is - as soon as I know the time I would get tired, but otherwise I will just play and play and all of a sudden, it’s been 11 hours.”

Known previously as Ostgut, the Berghain opened in 2004 with Klock scoring residency after just one go on the decks. “That was a life changing moment,” he says.

“It’s a very special, place to me, yeah - my whole career started off there. Every place has a different energy and it’s really important for me to come back to my home club.

“With so many hours you can go deeper and you don’t have to do that festival set where you play one hour of banging high energy. In the Berghain you can really send people on a hypnotic trip -something that you can’t really do in a one hour slot.”

Being asked to perform the Berlin Boiler Room in February indicates his notoriety as one of the leading and most in demand DJ/producers from his home country, but Klock is modest, without a hint of arrogance when this is put to him.

“I’ve grown into this step by step, really slowly, so now I’m at a point where I’m really confident of what I do. I don’t take anything for granted. Every show is important no matter if it is small or big and I’m always trying to make it a magical night and want to deliver every time, even if I’m really tired and exhausted.”

His latest release was his Fabric 66 mix compilation; not such an unusual platform as he plays in the London club around four times a year.

The release follows his revered debut album One on Ostgut Ton and his Berghain mix.

“That was actually kind of a funny coincidence because I had this idea that it would be cool to do a mix for Fabric and Fabric had the idea that they wanted me on board but both sides were too shy to ask for quite a while,” he says of Fabric 66.

Flume

FLUME SIDETRACKED

“They thought I was busy with the Berghain and the mix series there and I thought they wouldn’t be interested because I’m a Berghain guy.”

The mix features tracks from Burial, Octave One, Mathew Jonson and Floorplan along with Klock’s own tracks and some from Dettmann and Klock’s prodigy, DVS1, who features on Klock’s own label, Klockwork.

Klock is soon to be joined in Perth by the godfather of Detroit techno, Derrick May. Suprisingly, the two have never met, with Klock saying he’s never witnessed May’s set.

“He’s a big influence for all of us. I’ve never met him and I also have never heard him play live so I’m looking forward to that. His label was a big influence in the early days.”

» BEN KLOCK » WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24 @ AMPLIFIER CAPITOL

YOU GOTTA KNOW

MC Optamus from the legendary Downsyde is back with a new LP to be a launched live at The Rosemount on Saturday, May 4. The Optamus Trio also includes Moondog on vocals and Impostor on keys. This, their second album, will continue in vein of hip hop/ soul/ blues fusion and will most likely be a corker. They’ll be supported on the night by a huge lineup including: Daz & Layla, Lstreet, Mortar, DJ Armee, Paulie P, Complete & Omac, SMA (DJ Jamu), Adam Crook and Kaiser Sozaye. Tickets are $15 on the door or $10 presale via oztix.com.au.

Joe Starwarz

Daft Punk

PUNKS GETTING LUCKY

The Daft Punk hype continues to grow with the first single from the new LP Random Access Memories to be released to radio this Friday, April 19. Get Lucky is a funky disco number featuring Pharrell and Nile Rogers. Part of it was aired last weekend on day one of Coachella and on Saturday Night Live. In true Daft Punk mystery, the full album will be unleashed alongside dog jumping trials and sheep mustering shows at the 79th Annual Wee Waa Show, 500 kilometres northwest of Sydney on May 17. The town of Wee Waa’s 2000 residents have already started preparing for the sounds of cybernetic disco alien invasion.

ALTERED FREQUENCIES

RTRFM’s stellar afternoon dance music program Full Frequency is putting on a big night showcasing Perth’s thriving house, techno and electro scene at Geisha on Friday, May 17. Soma Records producer Joe Starwarz will headline the Altered States bill, bringing his blissed out brand of ambient-house and techno. He’ll be joined by Reece Walker who will deliver a live show with new collaborator Emerald Cabal; emerging left of field beat maker Basic Mind; Allstate; El Dario; Declan Doherty and Craig Hollywood. Secure your presale tix from rtrfm.com.au - $10 for subscribers, $15 for non-subscribers.

PIMPS OF SOUND

Torro Torro are coming to Australia for the first time this month, bringing lasers, wubs, bass and some bad language with them.

The genre crossing duo spoke to TOM KITSON ahead of their Perth appearance.

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OPTAMUS PRIMED

Ben Klock

TORRO TORRO

Mike ‘Digits’ Gonek and Evan ‘Yo Ev’ Norton have come a long way since their first exposures to DJ mixtapes and raves at a young age. The American/ Canadian duo now has a dense discography of remixes of big names including Knife Party, Clockwork and Zeds Dead to name just a few. As their recently released club banger Gotta Know hits the airwaves, Gonek discusses how the track came to be.

“We had made an early version of the track after the release of compilation album Go Deep, more so as an experiment with our ‘signature bass’ to see what it might sound like at the slower tempo of 111bpm,” he says.

“When the opportunity came around to be a part of the compilation we further developed the idea as a song, adding some additional melodic parts to the track. This gave the song a theme and helped create more of a journey throughout the piece.”

Both producers started out plying their musical trade in high school, meeting only later through a mutual friend in Toronto.

“I was in Rochester, New York and Evan was in Toronto and we hadn’t met yet,” Gonek says.

“We gained initial insight into the music scenes from visiting local record shops and seeing older kids with more developed skills in DJing and production.”

Gonek refers to the coming together of himself and Norton as a result of the similarities in the musical landscape of both New York and Toronto.

“A lot of cool new music was being made in both cities, from rap to dance, D‘n’B and house, which increased the connection between two places, which are only a couple hours apart,” Gonek says.

“We had both been working actively in the music scene, and were both at a time eager to create less conventional dance and club music.”

The name Torro Torro is a loose adaptation of ‘Toronto,’ which they say reflects the origins of both artists. The two developed their sound in Norton’s hometown of Toronto, with Gonek providing the influences from NYC.

Optamus Trio

Jeff and Jono Hansen of Ekko & Sidetrack fame have just reached 3000 listens on Soundcloud for their remix of Flume’s Sleepless. Put together for Flume’s remix competition on Beatport, the Perth duo have made a large drum’n’bass tune in the style of Hospitality Records. It’s available for free download from their Soundcloud page. Flume is also currently giving away a free download of Ta-ku’s remix of his Left Alone featuring Chet Faker via his Soundcloud and has just announced an all-ages show on Monday, May 13 at Challenge Stadium to complement his Groovin’ The Moo and sold out Metro City gigs of the same weekend.

LIQUID LOVIN’ Torro Torro “Our name stems from our surroundings, and our cities of birth,” Gonek says. “It captured both places. We wanted a name to reflect the idea of a future urban landscape and the sounds of that space.”

As they aren’t tied down to any particular genre, Torro Torro have the freedom to pursue any area of music that takes their fancy with a strong desire to break down boundaries and create original material.

“We try to keep an open ear to all sounds, always asking ourselves how that would sound in the club or other specific environment,” Gonek says. “Playing our music for people all over the globe and seeing how our productions are received by different places is incredibly rewarding.

It’s an invaluable experience to meet so many great positive people, which is very encouraging in the creative process.”

Their recent releases include remixes of Cowboy by Zeds Dead featuring Omar Linx and Zedd’s hit Clarity, as well as forays into moombahton with self-produced Gotta Know, but they’re quick to distance themselves from being a group that plays just one or two genres.

“Fans commonly know us for our 128 and 110bpm work, but we know that restricting musical creativity based on genres can really kill your vibe,” Gonek says. “Our initial experimenting with the moombahton ‘genre’ came from lowering the tempo of our early electro/bass tracks.”

The duo are set to bring their “high energy, creative mixing and unique song selections” to Ambar, with musical pandemonium set to ensue.

“We use our own productions to create the atmosphere of the party - lasers and wubs are our weapons of sound,” Gonek says. “Expect lots of Torro Torro bass and bad language.”

» TORRO TORRO » FRIDAY, APRIL 19 @ AMBAR

Zen ‘The Sith’ Fusion and Rob Ferrari head up another of Perth’s burgeoning live D’n’B bands. With live vocals and sax, their sound channels the more soulful, liquid side of the genre and will get you boogiebound to say the least. Ferrari tells more...

What’s the story behind the band name?

A few years back, Zen and I ended up hanging out at the Funk Club jam nights. The Funk Club House Band would play their set and then they’d invite other musicians up for a jam, which is when Zen and I would jump up. After every jam, both Zen and I were approached by people wanting us to join their band. We ended up in a funk band, a soul band, a reggae band, an African band, an acoustic pop band, an R&B band and a few others.

We were pretty much a ‘rhythm section for hire’.

It was at that stage a friend labelled us the ‘Pimps of Sound’, due to the vast array of genres we were playing. When we started to put together our own band doing live D’n’B, it seemed natural to keep the name.

Pimps Of Sound How much of what you do is live and how much is pre-programmed?

The majority of it is live, only some synths are pre-programmed but they are triggered in real time, so what you are hearing is what we are playing.

It’s such a buzz to get that D’n’B sound from a live performance when it’s normally done by DJs and producers.

What’s this about a wireless bass?!

Hahaha… That’s the reason I get to run around so much. I’m really energetic on stage and I used to end up with my lead all tangled and twisted at the end of the gig. Then I got a wireless set up and with my new found freedom I found myself running around everywhere I could… onto the dance floor, on top of tables, onto the bar. I once ended up playing on top of a 20 foot wall at one gig. I came back down when I nearly fell off. It’s a lot of fun.

Favourite gig so far?

Hands down, it was when we played the headliner spots at the Nannup Festival (local stages) on both nights. We had to go on after Nicky Bomba who is a great performer and it’s a festival in the country; so we weren’t sure how the crowd would take to D’n’B. They went nuts. You could see the dust What do you guys play and what’s the set up? rising from the ground as everyone was dancing so We play music inspired by electronic hard. They gave us so much energy and we gave it culture, but we base ourselves in D’n’B. As his name right back. The feeling after that gig was amazing. implies, Zen loves to mix or ‘fuse’ genres and that has seen us mix D’n’B with Latin, jazz, reggae, Afro Three words to describe Pimps of Sound? beat and jungle. It’s still very much D’n’B, but with a Live Liquid Energy definite liquid feel.

The core is Zen on drums and a multi 12 synth pad and myself on bass (with effects). We bring » PIMPS OF SOUND in Simon Montgomery on sax (with effects) and out » FUNK CLUB’S SHAKE IT - GROOVE MUSIC SHOWCASE front we have Milly James delivering her soaring » THURSDAY, APRIL 25 @ SALT ON THE BEACH vocals with her beautiful voice.

X-Press – First on the street, Wednesdays

SURECUT KIDS SURE THANG

Gold Coast DJ/producer duo and good time guys Surecut Kids are soon to make their way to Ambar.

They speak with TOM KITSON about finding turntables on kerbside collection and sucking at rapping.

Surecut Kids

Mikey Likey and Benjo are Surecut Kids, a pair of bass music lovers who are doing what they love: making music and making people party. They are known to don strange costumes for their sets, including female attire and beard wigs, and exude fun loving attitudes, never taking themselves too seriously.

They’ve just released a new single on label Klub Kids called Pour That Cup, which packs a banging bassline with party-focused lyrical themes.

They’ve also released a remix of Flume’s Sleepless and on the B-side of Pour That Cup a tune called No Guilt.

They are collaborating on Trap Bombs Volume 1 with the likes of Spenda C and DJ Butcher and making a name for themselves across multiple genres.

The duo started playing house parties at Likey’s house, until they graduated to the next step and began scoring gigs. He says opportunities began

coming in and the next logical step was to make their own tunes.

“We threw parties every weekend at my place for ages, until that eventually evolved into playing proper shows,” he says. “Then one day it was our job, so the next step was to start producing music.”

The two have risen from humble beginnings with limited funding and equipment, but in the midst of one assumingly inspiring house party set, they made the call to invest in some quality gear.

“We started together because we could only afford one set of turntables,” Likey explains. “At one party at my place we had so much fun that we both decided at the same time we should both buy turntables. That’s where it started for us - we were patched to each other from there.”

They picked up an old, rusty turntable left on the side of the highway and set to work with their combined collection of just two records. That was ten years ago now, and the former graphic artist and boilermaker haven’t looked back.

Mixing, remixing and producing for the best part of a decade has involved a solid commitment to spending Monday to Thursday each week in their home studio working, while also enjoying some of the perks of their location.

“It’s cool working from home, you can just run across the road and go for a surf,” Likey says before going on to explain that the name Surecut Kids is an incorporation of the hardware brand ‘Shure’ and ‘cutting up,’ stemming from the duo’s initially hip hop focused style.

“It was back in the day when we used

to be sort of hip hop DJ’s,” Mikey says. “The people that influenced us to DJ used to do little raps in the breakdowns of tracks, and we obviously wanted to be like them. The ‘Sure’ came from Shure microphones, and the ‘cut’ was from cutting up. We then realised we can’t rap for shit, so stopped doing that, cut out the ‘h’ in Shure and became Surecut Kids.”

Rather than citing individual names as their biggest influences, Surecut Kids are inspired by forward thinking artists from their broad range of interests.

“Because we like such a broad spectrum of music, I’d say anyone who is pushing things forward, anything that’s progressive,” Likey says. “All the people we know absolutely ruling at what they do are pretty influential. There’s a lot of talent around Australia and we seem to be friends with a lot of talented people.”

Another less expected skill in their repertoire is the art of tattooing, and both can no longer count how many tattoos they have, sometimes even doing each other’s ink just for fun. Their likeable, partying demeanour is a resounding factor in their popularity around the country, a vibe they are excited about bringing to Ambar.

“We’re always looking for the opportunity to come to Perth since it’s always a great time,” Likey says. “It’s not a bad job we’ve got, and we just want to be friends with everyone.”

» SURECUT KIDS » SATURDAY, MAY 4 @ AMBAR

LIL WAYNE I AM NOT A HUMAN BEING II CASH MONEY

A new Lil Wayne album used to be a bit of an event. There’d be some odd collaborations that would somehow work, a couple of huge beats that you’d never heard the likes of before, and a steady stream of bizarre one liners that would leave you stunned and/or chuckling heartily. I Am Not A Human Being II essentially fits that mold, but just isn’t very impressive. It’s hard to tell whether Weezy has run out of ideas, or just doesn’t care any more.

The album starts out interestingly enough, the lead track IANAHB being one long stream of consciousness verse over a live piano backing, with no drums. It brings to mind some of Jay Electronica’s work, but just as that thought enters your head, the track’s over, and we’re back into familiar Lil Wayne territory - complete with autotune.

None of the tracks on here are really bad, as such, but there’s nothing particularly engaging about them either. A standard roster of guest features come and go - 2 Chainz, Gunplay, Soulja Boy, Drake, Juicy J - none of them sounding very excited to be involved. Hopefully the next inevitable release has a bit more creative energy.

» NICK SWEEPAH

SASHA INVOL<3R

MOS UK/BALANCE/EMI UK House legend Sasha is back with the highly anticipated third installment in his Involver mix series, the cutely named Invol<3r.

The mix comprises exclusive remixes Sasha has produced for the album, as well as a new track Shoot You Down featuring Kicki Halmos.

He’s been prolific of late and is in great form. There are a lot of reworkings of vocal rock tunes, a feature of previous mixes. It seems to be more about the individual tracks than the overall mix, but there are some absolute crackers.

His mix of Little Dragon’s Crystal Film is a smooth groove based around the beautiful vocal, and segues nicely into the awesome remix of The xx’s Chained. He doesn’t mess with the tune much, simply setting it over an insistent house beat and adding some soft melodic synth washes.

This in turn blends into the album’s standout track, his stunning reworking of Benjamin Damage & Doc Daneeka’s gorgeous tune Battleships – while the original is quite ambient, Sasha weaves his magic to turn it into a slow burning, deep house stormer. The infectious melody hooks you in with a hypnotic beat, before the incredible vocal from Abigail Wyles comes in.

Sasha’s back at the top of his game, with possibly the finest edition yet in the Involver series.

» ALFRED GORMAN

www.xpressmag.com.au

27

Deadline Monday 5pm. The Club Manual is a service to advertisers listing all DJs & Dance Music.

All inclusions are at the discretion of X-Press. Email guide@xpressmag.com.au

FRIDAYS

AMPLIFIER/ CAPITOL

WEDNESDAY 17/04 Bar Orient – DJ Ben Renna Beat Nightclub (Downstairs) – SWAG Boulevard Tavern – Wub Wub Wednesday Capitol – Harlem Wednesdays ft Genga/Benny P Captain Stirling – Fiveo Club Red Sea – Cheek Connections - LMW Flying Scotsman – DJ Armee Llama Bar – Akuna Club Mustang Bar – DJ Giles Newport Hotel – Tom Drummond/Angry Buda/Mind Electric/Mr Phat/Wot Evs Rosemount Hotel – DJ Anton Maz Sovereign Arms – Lokie Shaw The Court – Wicked Wednesday The Grand Central – DJ ANG3L

THURSDAY 18/04 Boulevard Tavern – 151 Thursdays Old Skool R&B Brass Monkey – Vicktor/James Ess/Green George Capitol - Retro Mash Capitol (Upstairs) – I Love ‘90s Connections – BINGAY & POP! ft BarbieQ/Hannah & Maude Devilles Pad – Rock N Roll Karaoke

SATURDAYS

Eve Nightclub – Retro Thursdays DJ Crazy Craig Flying Scotsman –Gidget Duck/Muldoon Wing Lakers Tavern – Grizzly & Friends Leisure Inn – DJ Peta Lost Society – Burger Malt Supper Club – Kabaret Thursdays Mullaloo Beach Hotel - DJ John Paul/ DJ Slick Mustang Bar – DJ James MacArthur Newport Hotel – DJ Tim Paramount –DJ Jordan Sovereign Arms – DJ ANG3L The Avenue – Jon Ee The Craftsman – Fiveo The Deen – Chase The Sun ft DJ Flex/ DJ Nano/ DJ Surge/ DJ Don Migi The Grand Central – Roger Smart The Queens – DJ Riki The Saint - Mikeee Toucan – DJ Matty J

FRIDAY 19/04 Ambar – Torro Torro ft Kill Dyl/ Tapeheads/Micah Art Gallery Of WA - AGWA Nights ft Paul Lindsay

DC Breaks

28

AMPLIFIER/CAPITOL

Bar Orient – The Reggae Club ft DJ Cutnice/DJ Ed Kays/DJ Prezi/The Empressions/Mumma Trees/Sista Che Beat Nightclub (Downstairs) – Control Boulevard Tavern – 151 Thursdays Old Skool R&B C5 Freo – Residence ft K.La/ Eddie Electric Capitol - Retro Mash Capitol (Upstairs) – I Love ‘90s Devilles Pad – Claude Mono/ Razor Jack Eve Nightclub –DJ Don Migi Flying Scotsman –Gidget Duck/Muldoon Wing Geisha Bar - Plush ft Josh Kidman/Dan McNab/Qwerk/ Jimi J/Tom Love Ginger Nightclub – Mondo Fridays Leisure Inn – DJ Peta Lost Society – Burger Malt Supper Club – Kabaret Thursdays Mustang Bar – Swing DJ/DJ James MacArthur Newport Hotel – Sardi/Wot Evs/Tom Drummond/Tahli Jade Norma Jeans – DJ Dwayne Paramount –DJ Jordan Players Bar – DJ Matty J/Danny Bau Prince Of Wales – Spit Syndicate ft Jackie Onassis Rocket Room – Howlers ft DJ Frank N Bean The Avenue – Jon Ee The Aviary (Rooftop) – Troy Division/Paradise Paul The Aviary (Birdcage) – Tomas Ford The Craftsman – Fiveo The Deen – Chase The Sun ft DJ Flex/ DJ Nano/ DJ Surge/ DJ Don Migi The Grand Central – Roger Smart The Queens – DJ Riki The Shed – DJ Glenn 20 Toucan – DJ Grizzly Villa – Plump DJs ft Black & Blunt/Marko Paulo/Tonic

AMBAR

LOOPS OF FURY

SATURDAY 20/04 Admiral Hotel – Insane Dwaine Ambar – Japan 4 ft Qwerk & Mo’Fly/Dead Easy & Tee El/ Bezwun & Philly Blunt/Micah & Mr Ed/DNGRFLD & Miss Demeanor Amplifier – Spit Syndicate ft Jackie Onassis Bakery – Tomas Ford Bar One Twenty – Little Nicky Bar Orient – DJ Troy Beat Nightclub (Upstairs) Canvas Boheme Bar – JMC Brass Monkey - DJ Peta (downstairs)/ DJ Jewel (upstairs) Brighton Hotel - Misschief Capitol – Death Disco Capitol (Upstairs) – Cream Of The ‘80s ft DJ Ryan Claremont Hotel - Safari Club Bay View – DJ Roger Smart Connections – Sleepover Pyjama Party ft Feminem/Tim Bee/Reuben/J’aimez Bruine/ Lara/Kapitol P Devilles Pad – High Leary’s/Les Sataniques Empire Bar –James Shipstone Eurobar – DJ Fat Albert/DJ Zoom Flying Scotsman – Andrei Maz Flying Scotsman (Defectors) – Future Wives Club Geisha Bar – Hedkandi ft Shaun Warner/Ace Basik/Marko La Kulcha/Saul Bliss/Lizé Liquid Nightclub - DJ Klar55/ DJ Stevie M Llama Bar – DJ Reuben Malt Supper Club – Scotty J Metro City – Havana Brown ft DJ Angry Buda/DJ Makka/DJ Ruthless Metro Freo –Roger Smart/DJ Wazz/Ben Carter Metro Freo (Upstairs) – I Love 80s 90s DJ DTuck Mint Nightclub – Pop Life ft DJ Aaron/ AJ Mullaloo Beach Hotel – DJ Danny Mustang Bar – Rockabilly DJ/ DJ James MacArthur

Spit Syndicate Newport Hotel –Tahli Jade/ Tom Drummond/Steve Parkin Norma Jeans – DJ Phat Daz Paramount- DJ John/DJ Jordan Players Bar – LUXE ft DJ Francesco Sail & Anchor – Catch The Child’s Play DJs Sovereign Arms – The Jinx Project The Avenue – Jon Ee The Aviary (Rooftop) – Troy Division/Paradise Paul The Aviary (Birdcage) – NDORSE The Causeway – Luke Miguel/ Clint Turner The Cornerstone – Mixx The Court – DJ Flex/DJ TimBee The Craftsman – Jeremy Stark The Generous Squire – On Tap ft DJ James Nutley The Grand Central – Armee The Queens – Kenny L The Saint – Az-T The Shed –DJ Andyy The Wembley – Lokie Shaw Tiger Lil’s – DJ Bojan/Benjamin Sebastian Toucan – WHIP ft DJ Kevvy T Villa – DC Breaks ft Illusiv & Dvise/Joust/Traction Ya Ya’s - Sass @ Ya Ya’s ft DJ Dan/Pup

Eve Nightclub –DJ Slick Flying Scotsman –Nathan J/ Nizbet/ Pasha/ Chris Ginger Nightclub – DJ Rudebean Luna Outdoor – Season Closer Party ft DJ Moogy Metro Freo - Spit Syndicate ft Jackie Onassis Mullaloo Beach Hotel – DJ Vi Son Mustang Bar – DJ Rockin’ Rhys Minq Bar – DJ Don Migi/ Dannyboi/Skooby Newport Hotel –Tom Drummond The Avenue – Az-T The Aviary (Rooftop) – Matt Mclean/NDORSE The East End Bar –DJ Gold Finger/AZ-T The Queens – Samuel Spencer The Saint – Fiveo/Ruben The Shed – James Wilson and more

SUNDAY 21/04

TUESDAY 23/04

Claremont Hotel – James Thorne/Dan Delstra Club Bay View - Fiveo Empire Bar –DJ Riki/ DJ Victor

Bar Orient - DJ Lyndon High Road Hotel – DJ Matty J Llama Bar – Charlie Bucket Victoria Park Hotel – DJ Melvin

MONDAY 22/04 Eve Nightclub - DJ Don Migi Llama Bar – Jo 19 Malt Supper Club – Industry Night The Deen – DJ Birdie

X-Press – First on the street, Wednesdays

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RESIDENCE FRIDAYS

C5

WEDSNESDAYS

THE NEWPORT

FRAT HOUSE FRIDAYS

METRO FREO

IN THE THIS WEEK Plump DJs ft Black & Blunt/ Marko Paulo/Tonic Friday, April 19 @ Villa

Handpicked ft ShockOne/ Baauer/ Eats Everything/ Mosca Wednesday, April 24 @ Metro City and The Bakery

FLINCH & EPTIC Saturday, April 27 @ Shape

Seth Sentry Friday, May 10 @ Villa Sunday, May 12 @ Newport Hotel

Aviary Rooftop Sessions Launch ft Linda Marigliano/ Flight Facilities ft Elizabeth Tim Ayre/Clunk/Electonic Throw The Hammer ft Derrick DJs Rose Torro Torro ft Kill Dyl/ MayBen Klock/Clunk/ Sundau, April 28 @ The Aviary Saturday, May 11 @ The Bakery Tapeheads/Micah Allstate/Ben Taffe/Everyteen/ Friday, April 19 @ Ambar Milanov Groovin The Moo Festival Movement Festival Wednesday, April 24 @ Capitol ft Nas/Bliss N Eso/Chiddy ft Alison Wonderland/DZ AGWA Nights ft Paul Lindsay Bang/Joey Badda$$/Iggy Deathrays/Example/Flume/ Friday, April 19 @ Art Gallery SUPAFEST ft T.I./50 Cent/ Azalea/ Spit Syndicate Midnight Juggernaughts/ Of WA Waka Flocka/Akon/Ne-Yo/ Tuesday, April 30 @ Metro Pez/Seth Sentry/Shockone/ Young Jeezy/Mindless City Tuka w/ Ellesquire/Urthboy/ DC Breaks ft Illusiv & Dvise/ Behaviour/DJ Unk/Kevin DJ Woody’s Big Phat McCall/DJ Nino Brown/Dizzy Joust/Traction Blokhe4d Mixtape/Yacht/Yolanda Be Doolan/Phinesse Saturday, April 20 @ Villa Friday, May 3 @ Geisha Bar Cool Thursday, April 25 @ Perth Saturday, May 11 @ Hay Park Arena Havana Brown ft DJ District: Turntables & Bass ft Bunbury Angry Buda/DJ Makka/DJ Zeke/Kill Dyl/Marko Paulo/ Otto Knows Ruthless Fellis/Klean Kicks/Joe Macc/ Flume ft Chet Faker Saturday, April 20 @ Metro City Saturday, April 25 @ Villa Pussymittens Sunday, May 12 @ Metro City Friday, May 3 @ Ambar Funk Club’s Shake It Japan 4 ft Qwerk & Showcase ft Agent Double LAPALUX Mo’Fly/Dead Easy & Tee El/ Third Party O Soul/Beni Chill/Benjamin Friday, May 17 @ The Bakery Bezwun & Philly Blunt/Micah Dog/Charlie Bucket/Diger Friday, May 3 @ Black Betty’s & Mr Ed/DNGRFLD & Miss Rokwell/Foxman/General DJ Afrika Bambaataa Demeanor Wilkinson Justice/The Impressions/Jay Saturday, May 18 @ The Bakery Saturday, April 20 @ Ambar Hurry/Joe Revell/Klean Kicks/ Friday, May 3 @ Shape Mama Cass/Micah/Shazam/ Delta Heavy ft Fred V & Hedkandi ft Shaun Soul Purpose DJs/Vino/Zeke/ AGWA Nights ft Chris Grafix/Killafoe/Illusiv & Warner/Ace Basik/Marko La Zeus Rock and more Wheeldon & Craig Dvise/Gracie/Systym Kulcha/Saul Bliss/Lizé Saturday, April 25 @ Salt On Hollywood Saturday, May 18 @ Villa Saturday, April 20 @ Geisha Bar The Beach Friday, May 3 @ Art Gallery Of WA Atari Teenage Riot Spit Syndicate ft Jacki Onassis Rufus Sunday, May 19 @ The Bakery Saturday, April 25 @ Newport Bombs Away Saturday, April 20 @ Amplifier Hotel Saturday, May 4 @ Villa Sunday, April 21 @ Metro Freo Elite Force ft Oli/ Monday, April 26 @ Amplifier STRANGERTHANDIGITAL Surecut Kids ft Dead Easy/ Friday, May 24 @ Ambar The Potbelleez Bezwun/Tee El/Black & Friday, April 26 @ Capitol Blunt tyDi Saturday, May 4 @ Ambar Saturday, May 25 @ Villa Speakeasy pres Bondi The Aston Shuffle (DJ Set) Hipsters Untzz Showcase ft Freddie ft Mo’Fly/DNGRFLD/Black & Japan 4 ft Nick Thayer/ Friday, April 26 @ Villa Norwood/HVCK/Babicka/ Blunt Tee El/Micah/Dead Easy/ Dass/Mic Mills Wednesday, April 24 @ Ambar Fresh Produce ft BMB/ Mr eD Saturday, May 4 @ Hellenic Crystaleyez/Ben Vital/Stone/ Club Of WA Saturday, May 25 @ Ambar Polyxo Friday, April 26 @ Ambar Dash Berlin ft Marlo Example ft Sun City Sunday, June 2 @ Metro City Friday, May 10 @ Metro City AGWA Nights ft Craig Hollywood Tommy Trash ft ACEBASIK/ Break-A-Holics Friday, April 26 @ Art Gallery Chiari Anonymous ft Tom Of WA Sunday, June 2 @ Villa Drummond/Tee El/Tone /Ben Mac & Wish/Micah/ Heavy Industrial Concern ft DJ Rashad & DJ Manny ft Oli/Philly Blunt Motet/D-Jeong/Ourobonic Rok Riley/420 Crew/Oni Ca$h Friday, May 10 @ Plauge/Sub Ordnance/ Vs Starks/Allstate Vs Clunk Ambar Furchick/Sonic Smut/ Sunday, June 2 @ The Bakery DJ Asciimov/The Golden Yacht Plump DJs Quadrangle/Strunkdts Saturday, April 27 @ The Perth Friday, May 10 @ The Bakery A$AP Rocky Sunday, June 30 @ Metro City Artifactory, Osborne Park PLUMP DJS Frat House Fridays Groovin The Moo Pre Party ALT-J OPIUO ft Get More/ FRIDAY, APRIL Armee/Genga/Zev Saturday, July 27 @ Challenge ft Alison Wonderland 19 @ VILLA Friday, May 10 @ Metro Freo Stadium Friday, April 26 @ Shape

COMING UP

www.xpressmag.com.au

CHASM

BEATS AND BEYOND Mathas/ Empty/ DJ Silence/ Zeke/ CHASM YA-YA’S Saturday April 13, 2013 Sydney based producer Chasm hit Perth last weekend, showcasing his diverse beat catalogue over two nights. Having quietly launched himself into the Australian hip hop public with a self-titled EP on Awakenings back in 2004, Chasm’s discography has expanded in leaps, with records released on Elefant Traks, Central Station and Obese Records. Assisting on the night was a quality assortment of local DJs, producers, and MCs, in keeping with the essential role that collaboration has played over Chasm’s career.

Kicking things off with his unique charisma and presence was a man who performs consistently, week after week, whether the crowd be in their tens or hundreds. Unfortunately this early in the night, it was more the former, with only around 20 people milling about the bar and booths. Those that didn’t arrive until later missed out though, as the bare footed Mathas owned the stage - and a large part of the dancefloor - delivering insight and sarcastic barbs via his infectious and melodic raps. Older tracks like Plasticate and Bubble Boy were interspersed between some brand new ones, providing a little preview of what we can expect from his forthcoming album.

There really is no reason that this guy isn’t all over the airwaves.

Empty, the next artist up to the plate, has a similar effect. After his set, you’re left scratching your head trying to figure out why this place isn’t packed with eager fans. The crowd had started to build a little at this point, soaking up Empty’s own brand of rapping, singing, and freestyling. Seemingly adept at anything he turns his hand to, he effortlessly switches between belting out the hook from Riposte For JL, to improvising lyrics off the cuff, for minutes at a time.

DJ Silence manned the turntables for the duration, skillfully laying cuts and scratches over the beats, and contributing his own instrumental, over which Empty impressively freestyled to bring the set to a close.

Silence stayed on stage, spinning his typically tasteful selection of underground hip hop tunes during the break, while we waited to see what would be brought to us by Perth’s champion DJ, Zeke. After the thoughtful but largely chilled out styles of Mathas and Empty, Zeke’s set came as a bit of a shock. Bass-heavy electronica, trap and dubstep abruptly blew the doors off the place. Not quite

Chasm (Photo by Daniel Grant) appropriate for the night, the set was nevertheless intricately crafted and high-energy. Zeke bounced around executing live cuts and edits, so that despite the odd selection, his huge amount of skill is clearly evident.

Finally, it was time for main event. With the crowd now reaching a respectable level of rowdiness, Chasm hit the stage in his nonchalant manner, grinning as he mixed track after track from his extensive discography. Seamlessly blending tunes from his solo album Beyond The Beat Tape with other collaborative efforts, Chasm effectively provided a retrospective of himself. Tracks like Superpowers and Cyanide Tip clearly hit the mark with the happy, dancing punters. It was a quality night with all acts clearly demonstrating their respective talents, easily proving that the music of Perth can hold weight alongside its Eastern neighbours.

» NICK SWEEPAH

29

Cam Avery, The Growl Photo: Daniel Grant

KATY STEELE Ben Witt Artbar Thursday, April 11, 2013 There was certainly a feeling of homecoming at the ARTBAR last Thursday. A lot of love in the room, as they say. And it was familial, whether it was actually family, close friends or fans of Katy Steele who had very clearly waited a long time to see her perform again.

Local bandolier Ben Witt of The Chemist opened proceedings, with solo versions of songs from The Chemist’s just released debut LP, Ballet In The Badlands. An old friend of the Steele clan, on his lonesome it’s not a matter of playing stripped down versions of band songs, but alternative visions for them. Had a few more people listened they might’ve even noticed.

Katy Steele looked a little nervous waiting at side of stage as she was announced.

It was clear that while this gig was just one of an Australian run, being and feeling at home brings with it a sense of occasion and responsibility. The moment she hit the stage, however, nervousness crystallised into energy.

From that moment Steele managed to successfully achieve a very difficult thing indeed.

In a set featuring about a dozen songs, only two of them (Relapse, Brother) were well known Little Birdy numbers. That would amount to set-suicide for a good deal of established performers as people

Katy Steele Photo: Daniel Grant

mostly want the hits they know. But such was the audience’s regard of Steele’s obvious commitment to her craft - if you dream big you often end up doing it tough - that they hung on, in the moment, to the brand new material. With Steele the only guitarist in the band, song dynamics were mostly structured on bass and keyboards, leaving more space in the songs for her voice, which in higher climes is now near-operatic.

There’s clearly a good thing going in the band, with NYC bassist Caitlin Oliver-Gans, Empire of the Sun drummer Tony Mitolo and Sydney keyboardist Alex Gooden, making light of the odd false start or off-the-cuff comment and firing up when the next song came calling. Steele seemed a little more strident onstage, with some Motown moves punctuating new single, Fire Me Up, and a confident saunter-sans-guitar gracing the already sassy Everybody Else. Elsewhere the driving Empowered seemed to encapsulate where the singer is at these days and Mother saw a certain mama in the crowd beaming proudly with a mistyeyed blues giant by her side.

Introducing her last song and thanking the audience, Katy Steele from Yokine’s voice faltered with some emotion, as a huge banner bearing the legend Picturing New York hung above.

It seems Steele may have been picturing this moment for a long while whilst living in New York and she certainly brought it home for one and all. _ BOB GORDON

RAILWAY HOTEL

This Friday, April 19, catch local rockers Tuxedo Pig launching their debut album with support from Figure 23 and Fuzz Bucket. Saturday, catch the rock ‘n’ roll trio of Swiss Shepherd, The Cold Acre and Rubbertime. Doors open 8pm, $10 entry for each night.

THE MUSTANG

Saturday, April 20, catch The Burger Kings and The Wal-Tones. They’re a little bit Elvis, a little bit Jerry Lee and a whole lot of Perth talent. The Burger Kings play a mix of southern fried Elvisonic rock ‘n’ roll and cool cabaret. Catch them on stage from 7pm and Mr Mullaloo 2013 is on this Friday night, April 19. dance your heart out.

Catch heat two in the search for the Mullaloo Beach Hotel’s hunkiest patron. Come for a perve or enter with the chance to win $1000! To enter or for more Friday, April 19, catch another Gun Fever Showcase information phone 9401 8411 or email general@ with Perth punk favourites Burning Fiction and mullaloobeachhotel.com.au. support from Sincerely, Grizzly, Spilt Cities, White Oak and Stuyvesant. Doors open from 8pm. Keep it rolling on Saturday and get down for a double event This Friday, April 19, catch iconic Perth ‘90s indie-pop of old school floor shows. From 8pm ‘Northbridge darlings Turnstyle playing a full set reunion show Hardcore’ lines up Worst Possible Outcome, Cabin prior to their In The Pines appearance. Support will be Fever, Rainbow Nightmare, Stead Fast and coming from The Tigers (also reforming for Pines), Friendzone. Then from midnight we have the next along with Dianas and Ermine Coat. Doors open 8pm instalment of WITCHING HOUR, featuring Malignant and tickets are available from Rosemounthotel.com.au. Monster. WARNING: Not for the faint hearted!

THE GROWL Shy Panther / Rabbit Island The Bakery Friday, April 12, 2013 According to Wikipedia (the source of all knowledge for the modern world), the phrase “What would Jesus do?” became popular in the United States in the ‘90s as a personal motto for adherents of Evangelical Christianity who used the phrase as a reminder of their belief in a moral imperative to act in a manner that would demonstrate the love of Jesus through their actions. Last Friday at The Bakery, however, the similar phrase “What would Christ do?” was a rallying cry to bow down to a different bearded figure – the enigmatic frontman of The Growl, Cam Avery.

Early in the evening Rabbit Island (aka soft-spoken chanteuse Amber Fresh) delivered deeply personal, uncompromising songwriting tucked into intelligent and clever lyrics. Fresh’s delivery is not always up to her ambitions, but hers is a brave, brash sound that deserves a close listen.

While the slow swing and drowsy drop that Shy Panther favours could be comparable to the likes of Balam Acab, Holy Other or even, in some moments, Chet Faker – there is a vivacity to their sound and a liveliness they have developed which thrusts them above all those other bloodshot bedroom beatmakers making the rounds right now.

While Dan Fragomeni’s distinctive vocals are the initial drawcard, it’s the subtle atmospherics that stand out in their live show and create a dazzlingly

THEM’S THE BRAKES

Fantastic folk rockers Olly Knights and Gale Paridjanian, aka Turin Brakes, are wending their winding way to Perth. Following the success of their album, Outbursts, and The Optimist LP Anniversary Tour, they’re doing a quick run of one-off dates before locking themselves away to work on their sixth album. Catch them at The Fly By Night Club on Sunday, May 5. Tickets via turinbrakes.com.

Mr Mullaloo 2013

MULLALOO

BEAT NIGHTCLUB

THE ROSEMOUNT

SWAN BASEMENT

Saturday, April 20, we have Feel Lucky Freo. There will be a little bit of ska, reggae, folk meets punk, rock‘n’roll and indie rock as eight bands hit the two stages. Catch King Of The Travellers, Them Sharks, Latch Key Kids, SSA, The Bob Gordons, Evergone, The Shakeys and Tooth & Claw. All starts from 7.30pm, only $10 entry on the door.

30

CORBY COMES CALLING

After a whole year gallivanting around the US and Europe in support of his fourth EP, Into The Flame, Matt Corby is coming home to give local fans a taste of the album he’s been putting together over LA way. Catch the bluesy troubadour at the Astor Theatre on Thursday, May 23, with support from our own Grace Woodroofe.

Big Scary

MOJOS BAR

Melbourne outfit Big Scary will be playing Mojos this Thursday, April 18, with a preview of their forthcoming album Not Art. This upcoming tour will see Tom Iansek and Jo Syme expand their live set-up to include an additional player, hinting at the fuller sound of Not Art. They will be joined by special guests Caitlin Park and Rainy Day Woman. Tickets available through heatseeker. com.au. To win a double pass to the show, email mojos@coolperthnights.com with ‘Big Scary’ in the subject line.

Evolution, the new single from New Zealand-bred, Melbourne-based four-piece Bonjah, is in stores now.

To see them live, though, you’re gonna have to wait a little longer. Not too long, the rootsy alt-rockers have announced they’re about to embark on a national tour that’ll bring them to WA in the first week of May. Get an earful of their new stuff at Bunbury’s Prince of Wales Hotel on Thursday, May 9; The Quindanning Inne in on Friday, May 10, and the Fly By Night Club on Saturday, May 11. Tickets are on sale from the venues now.

JUST DRIVE

_ LINDSAY WEIR

PIE IN THE SKY

Mr American Pie himself, Don McLean, is on his way to Perth.

The legendary singer/songwriter, who encapsulated the wistfulness of youth and the tumultuousness of the ‘60s with the timeless American Pie, will be joined by Australia’s own Catherine Britt at the Perth Concert Hall on Monday, August 19. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster.



Don McLean

A BAND YOU CAN DEEP END ON

Victorian rockers The Deep End recently signed a worldwide publishing/distribution deal with Foghorn/MGM and Fogsongs Music for the release of their debut LP, Cop This. They’ve been tearing up the countryside all month and are headed our way, kicking off on Wednesday, April 24, at the Rosemount Hotel; Thursday, April 25, at the Mustang Bar; Friday, April 26, at C5 in Fremantle and Saturday, April 27, at the Civic Hotel.

Matt Corby

BOOYAH, IT’S BONJAH

YA YA’S

Wednesday, April 17, see one of Australia’s most celebrated up and coming bands, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard! They are hitting up Ya Ya’s for one of their characteristic high energy garage rock shows. Supported by the enigmatic Electric Toad and Catbrush, entry is $10 from 7.30pm. Over to Thursday, led by local legend ‘Limpin’’ Dave Foley, The Straight Legged Freaks take their rightful place centre stage.

Supported by The Branson Tramps, Calectasia and The Midnight Mules. Entry $5 from 7:30pm. Then for the triple whammy and head down Friday for From the Dunes, hot off the launch of their latest EP! Supports come in the capable hands of These Winter Nights and Room at the Reservoir. Entry $10 from 8pm.

Turin Brakes

shimmering surface that skips and skates to deliriously disorienting effect.

The Growl’s Cam Avery has a great voice, and a powerful presence, as anyone who has heard him perform with his other, inarguably more successful band Pond will attest, yet it has taken him a while to forge a personal style as an artist.

His previous EP under The Growl moniker, Cleaver Lever, essayed a Jon Spencer-influenced style with songs such as Smoke It Down and 3,6,9: sultry, dirty-blues basement-birthed recordings underpinned by non-flashy guitar playing and distinctive deep-throaty vocals.

Recently released LP What Would Christ Do?? takes this further with the help of local renaissance man James Ireland, whose downtown sensibilities (in addition to his work on the keys, accordion and samples) add a touch of 21st century paranoia to the melange. With the recent-ish addition of Marc Earley on bass - as well as long-standing members Clint Oliver on guitar/bass and Samuel Kuzich and Michael Jelinek both on percussion/ drums - the live result is a collection of breast-beating, modern blues songs that hark back to old blues.

They may not be able to heal the sick, walk on water, or turn water into wine, but with impressive songs, including John The Revelator, In The Belly Of The Beast and Cleaver Lever in their hymn books, it’s not hard to imagine The Growl eventually progressing to God-like stature.

Australian hardcore kings Parkway Drive are at it again, celebrating a decade of destruction with a special anniversary tour this December. They’ve come a long way from the Byron Bay Youth Centre where it all started, as last year’s triumphant Atlas proved, and this tour will reward the faithful by spanning material from their entire career and utilising intimate venues for that sweaty, in your face Parkway experience of yesteryear.

Hit the pit on Sunday, September 15, at Capitol. Tickets go on sale Friday, April 19, from Oztix.

The Deep End

HUMPERDINCK’S HITS

The guy with the strangest name in show business, Engelbert Humperdinck, will be hitting Perth this July. His Greatest Hits & More tour will see him blissing out Crown Theatre with an evening of classic love songs on Saturday, July 13. Humperdinck is probably best known for his song Release Me (And Let Me Love Again) from his debut album of 1967, which was a number one hit in 11 countries and he recently re-recorded his song 10 Guitars for The Break’s new LP, Space Farm.

Tickets will be on sale from 9am, Monday, April 22 from ticketek.com.au.

Engelbert Humperdinck

X-Press – First on the street, Wednesdays

How did you and singer/guitarist Jordan Tjung first get together?

We started jamming out of boredom in Melbourne post-highschool.

It was a house full of young people with too much time and few responsibilities. We didn’t have television, radio, or even internet for a long time, but we had a tonne of instruments. Jordan and I would have many a drunken night just fiddling about with our instruments until we decided we had enough to show people. That wasn’t until 2011, after a relocation to Perth.

How would you describe your sound?

We had a guy come up to us at a show we played in Melbourne and tell us that if The Drones were to make babies with Silversun Pickups, that would be us. I guess we were pretty stoked about that. Our influences are broad, and generally they don’t reflect what we put into our songs.

We were just a couple of bored dudes locked in a garage in Melbourne.

I guess that’s the sound?

How did recording the EP go?

We recorded this down at Blackbird Studios with the infamous Dave Parkin, which was smooth sailing as usual. Parko has a funny way of creating a relaxed feel in the studio, which takes a lot of the pressure off.

It also makes you get your shit together. It didn’t take much stress, effort or time to finish the EP at all – which is exactly what it needed, seeing as our songs were made under the same conditions.

Dead Owls

DEAD OWLS

Grungy garage rockers Dead Owls have chosen The Bird as the place where they’ll unleash their new EP, Small Talk, on Saturday, April 20, with help from Stereoflower and Adelaide’s Sincerely Grizzly. We caught up with drummer and backing vocalist Sam Maher.

What was the process of selecting the songs for the EP like?

We selected five songs that, in our opinion, felt most complete as singles. Our writing process is casual; it usually consists of simply jamming in a room and picking out parts that felt fun or that created a vibe in the room. All the songs we chose were written this way. However, in the studio you have the freedom to add more parts and textures. In a jamming situation it’s just guitar, drums and vocals, but in the studio we felt we could add bass, extra guitars, percussion and general tones throughout the tunes whilst still keeping the minimal two piece feel.

These parts then leak into our live set through a triggering system that I have begun using. We never wanted to record anything that can’t be played live by just the two of us. We are stoked with the end result.

What’s up next?

We just finished up a national tour with our bros from Adelaide, Sincerely Grizzly, who are flying over to join us for out launch at The Bird. I’ll be spinning some vinyl down at Fat Shan’s that same day as part of Record Store Day, so feel free to come down and grab the EP from me personally! As for the rest of the year, we are hoping to land some supports, write some new tunes, and hopefully pop out another release as soon as we can.

Scalphunter

COUNTING COUP AND TAKING SCALPS

That unstoppable force of old school punk-inflected roaring rock and roll, Scalphunter, will be tearing it up at The Velvet Lounge this Saturday, April 20, along with six other bands! This one room minifestival also features Faim, Dyatlove, Leeches, Branson Tramps, In The Now and The De Niros. Now that’s a killer lineup! Doors open at 6pm, and entry is free!

LEND LOUIS A HAND The Justin Walshe Folk Machine

MACHINES OF LOVING GRACE

The Justin Walshe Folk Machine take to the stage at Mojo’s tonight, Wednesday April 17, with support from Melbourne bluesman Mike Elrington and Irish songsmith Bryan Rice Dalton.

It’s sure to be a great night of narrative folk rock in the classic oral tradition. Doors open at 8pm.

Local psych-popsters Louis and the Honkytonk like to put their personal stamp on things, and that’s why they’re planning on screen printing 100 limited edition sleeves to wrap around the beautiful 180g vinyl copies of their debut album, which is due out in early July. To get in on this action, click over to pozible.com/ lousiandthehonkytonk.

NO SLEEP FOR THIS LION

Local favourites Lionizer will be doing their thing at Ya Ya’s on Tuesday, April 23, as part of a killer lineup that also sees Toni E, Shaun McIlroy and Kallan Phillips gracing the stage. Doors open at 8pm, and entry is $5.

Local & Launching

Room at the Reservoir

RESERVOIR DOGS

Indie rock three piece Room at the Reservoir bring everything they’ve got to bear on Ya Ya’s this Friday, April 19. Joining them will be From the Dunes and quietly creepy alt-folk outfit These Winter Nights. Doors open at 8pm, entry is $10. www.xpressmag.com.au

20.04 Dead Owls Small Talk EP Launch @ The Bird 20.04 The Novocaines Freedom Please Single Launch @ The Rosemount 26.04 Bonekickers Devil in my Heart LP Launch @ Mojo’s 26.04 Place of Indigo Illuminate EP Launch @ The Bakery 26.04 Gombo View From the Crematorium Single Launch @ Rosemount 27.04 Sugarpuss Psychotic Teenage Supermodels EP Launch @ Mojo’s 27.04 Little City Dream Rise Above EP Launch @ Rosemount 03.05 Trigger Jackets Skinny LP Launch @ Amplifier 10.05 Underground Hound Soulless City/Sterile Streets LP Launch @ Ya Ya’s 11.05 Rockwell & Groom Impossible Alps Single Launch @ Mojo’s

Put the word to the herd about upcoming album, EP, single or video releases by dropping us a line at

plugyourgig@xpressmag.com.au 31

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X-Press â&#x20AC;&#x201C; First on the street, Wednesdays

John Butler, April 20

THIS WEEK ZUCCHERO 17 REGAL THEATRE

STU LARSEN 17 THE ELLINGTON

KING GIZZARD & THE LIZARD WIZARD 17 YA YA’S 18 PRINCE OF WALES 19 THE ASTOR

BUZZCOCKS 18 THE ROSEMOUNT

BIG SCARY 18 MOJOS BAR 19 AMPLIFIER

28 DAYS 19 CAPITOL

THE DRONES 19 THE ASTOR

SINCERELY, GRIZZLY 19 BEAT NIGHTCLUB 20 THE BIRD 21 MOJOS BAR

SPIT SYNDICATE/ JACKIE ONASSIS 19 PRINCE OF WALES 20 AMPLIFIER 21 METRO FREO

JOHN BUTLER

BEHAVIOUR, DJ UNK, KEVIN MCCALL, DJ NINO BROWN, DIZZY DOOLAN & PHINESSE) 25 PERTH ARENA RUFUS 25 NEWPORT HOTEL 26 PRINCE OF WALES 27AMPLIFIER BRITISH INDIA 25 PRINCE OF WALES 26 SETTLERS TAVERN 27 CAPITOL 28 INDI BAR MARILYN KELLER 26 THE ELLINGTON THE POTBELLEEZ 26 CAPITOL FAIRBRIDGE FESTIVAL (TINPAN ORANGE/ BUSTAMENTO/ FRANK YAMMA/ KRISTINA OLSEN) 26-28 FAIRBRIDGE VILLAGE MIDGE URE 27 CHARLES HOTEL SIX60 27 METRO CITY THE GRISWOLDS 28 NEWPORT HOTEL DIG IT UP (HOODOO GURUS, FLAMIN’ GROOVIES, BLUE OYSTER CULT, BUZZCOCKS, PETER CASE, THE STEMS) 28 THE ASTOR MOVEMENT FESTIVAL (NAS, BLISS N ESO, CHIDDY BANG, JOEY BADA$$, IGGY AZALEA, SPIT SYNDICATE) 30 METRO CITY

20 MANDURAH PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE

MAY

THE RUBENS 2 PRINCE OF WALES 3 CAPITOL SILVERSTEIN 4 SETTLERS TAVERN 22 AMPLIFIER BOB EVANS 2 SETTLERS TAVERN DYING FETUS 3 THE BAKERY 23 AMPLIFIER 4 PRINCE OF WALES TRUCKFIGHTERS 3 THE ROSEMOUNT EPICA BLACK SABBATH 23 CAPITOL 4 PERTH ARENA ROYSTON VASIE APRIL 3 AMPLIFIER THE BLACK SEEDS 4 BEAT NIGHTCLUB 24 METRO FREO 5 THE NEWPORT DAVE JACKSON TURIN BRAKES 24 THE ELLINGTON 5 FLY BY NIGHT HANDPICKED BETH ORTON / (SHOCKONE, EATS ALEXANDER GOW EVERYTHING, 6 ST JOSEPH’S BAAUER, MOSCA CHURCH AND MORE) HAPPY MONDAYS/ 24 METRO CITY PETER HOOK JEFF MARTIN 8 CAPITOL 24 FLY BY NIGHT NORMA JEAN 26 CLANCY’S 8 AMPLIFIER DUNSBOROUGH UNIDA 27 INDI BAR 9 THE ROSEMOUNT COLD WORLD TEGAN AND SARA 25 AMPLIFIER 9 METRO CITY SUPAFEST (T.I, 50 11 HAY PARK, CENT, WAKA FLOCKA, BUNBURY AKON, NE-YO, YOUNG EXAMPLE 10 METRO CITY JEEZY, MINDLESS

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Deftones, May 21

The Rubens, May 2 - 4 BONJAH 9 PRINCE OF WALES 10 QUINDANNING INNE 11 FLY BY NIGHT PEZ 10 AMPLIFIER 12 INDI BAR ALISON WONDERLAND 10 METRO FREO THE BRONX/DZ DEATHRAYS 10 CAPITOL 11 HAY PARK, BUNBURY THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS 10 THE ROSEMOUNT 11 HAY PARK, BUNBURY FLIGHT FACILITIES 11 THE BAKERY OM 11 THE ROSEMOUNT SETH SENTRY 10 VILLA 12 NEWPORT HOTEL GROOVIN THE MOO (ALISON WONDERLAND/ ALPINE/THE AMITY AFFLICTION/ THE BRONX/ DZ DEATHRAYS/ EXAMPLE/FLUME/ FRIGHTENED RABBIT/HUNGRY KIDS OF HUNGARY/ THE KOOKS/ KADYELLE/LAST DINOSAURS/MATT AND KIM/MIDNIGHT JUGGERNAUTS/PEZ/ REGURGITATOR/ SETH SENTRY/ SHOCKONE/TAME IMPALA/TEGAN AND SARA/THE TEMPER TRAP/THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS/TUKA WITH ELLESQUIRE/ URTHBOY/DJ WOODY’S BIG PHAT 90’S MIXTAPE/ YACHT/YOLANDA BE COOL) 11 HAY PARK, BUNBURY THE KOOKS 11 HAY PARK, BUNBURY 12 FREMANTLE ARTS CENTRE FLUME/CHET FAKER 12 METRO CITY DARYL BRAITHWAYE/ JOE CAMILLERI/ JAMES REYNE/ROSS WILSON 12 PERTH CONCERT HALL CRADLE OF FILTH 12 METROPOLIS FREMANTLE TENACIOUS D 15 RIVERSIDE THEATRE EVERMORE 16 NEWPORT HOTEL 17 PLAYERS BAR 18 THE CHARLES CHRISTINE ANU REWIND – THE ARETHA FRANKLIN SONGBOOK 17 & 18 THE ELLINGTON

DJ AFRIKA BAMBAATAA 18 THE BAKERY TAME IMPALA 18 BELVOIR AMPHITHEATRE FUNERAL FOR A FRIEND 18 PRINCE OF WALES BUNBURY 19 AMPLIFIER THE GASLIGHT ANTHEM 19 METRO CITY DEFTONES 21 METROPOLIS FREMANTLE JULIE ANDREWS 21 RIVERSIDE THEATRE MATT CORBY 23 THE ASTOR THE GHOST INSIDE 23 AMPLIFIER OWL EYES 24 AMPLIFIER BORN OF OSIRIS 25 THE BAKERY AND YOU WILL KNOW US BY THE TRAIL OF DEAD 25 THE ROSEMOUNT JINJA SAFARI 25 AMPLIFIER AIRNORTH KIMBERELEY MOON EXPERIENCE (GUY SEBASTIAN, MARK SEYMOUR, JAMES REYNE, GURRUMUL YUNUPINGU) 25 JIM HUGHES AMPHITHEATRE KUNUNURRA THE REVEREND HORTON HEAT 28 THE ROSEMOUNT BOOMTOWN RATS 28 CHALLENGE STADIUM THE SEEKERS 30 RIVERSIDE THEATRE DRAGON 31 THE ASTOR THEATRE

JUNE SAN CISCO 1 THE ASTOR CABLE SOUNDS (ICEHOUSE, THE STEPHEN PIGRAM QUARTET & DESERT CHILD) 2 CABLE BEACH AMPHITHEATRE NORTHLANE 4 YMCA HQ 5 YMCA HQ 6 AMPLIFIER KATE MILLER-HEIDKE 5 ST JOSEPH’S CHURCH 6 MANDURAH PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE 7 ALBANY ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE 8 MARGARET RIVER CULTURAL CENTRE SOMETHING FOR KATE 7 THE ASTOR THE BEARDS 7 AMPLIFIER 8 PRINCE OF WALES

KILLING JOKE 9 THE ROSEMOUNT EMMA LOUISE 13 PRINCE OF WALES 14 FLY BY NIGHT 15 AMPLIFIER THE BLACK ANGELS 17 CAPITOL GOLD FIELDS 21 METRO FREO 22 AMPLIFIER MUNICIPAL WASTE 21 THE ROSEMOUNT THE SUPERJESUS 21 AMPLIFIER 22 AMPLIFIER PINK 25, 26 & 28 PERTH ARENA BILL ODDIE 27 THE ASTOR A$AP ROCKY 30 METRO CITY

JULY LA DISPUTE 6 AMPLIFIER 7 YMCA HQ BALL PARK MUSIC/ EAGLE & THE WORM 12 METRO FREO ENGLEBERT HUMPERDINCK 13 CROWN THEATRE YOU AM I 13 ASTOR THEATRE JONNY CRAIG 17 AMPLIFIER ALT-J 27 CHALLENGE STADIUM

AUGUST DON MCLEAN 19 PERTH CONCERT HALL ANDREW STRONG: THE COMMITMENTS 22 METRO FREO JAPANDROIDS 26 THE ROSEMOUNT THE WHITLAMS/ WASO 30 PERTH CONCERT HALL

SEPTEMBER MANHATTAN TRANSFER 1 REGAL THEATRE AMANDA PALMER & THE GRAND THEFT ORCHESTRA 8 ASTOR THEATRE PARKWAY DRIVE 15 CAPITOL FOALS 22 METRO CITY RIHANNA 24 PERTH ARENA ONE DIRECTION 28 & 29 PERTH ARENA

OCTOBER SOILWORK 8 THE ROSEMOUNT ENSLAVED 31 THE ROSEMOUNT

33

Burning Fiction, Friday at Beat Nighclub

The Ascent, Friday at The Civic Hotel

WEDNESDAY17.04 PADDO BEAT NIGHTCLUB (DOWNSTAIRS) SWAG BRASS MONKEY Sugar Blue Burlesque CAPITOL Harlem Wednesdays CARINE Open Mic Chris O’Brien CLAREMONT HOTEL Acoustica ELLINGTON JAZZ CLUB Stu Larsen Natsuki Kurai FLYING SCOTSMAN DJ Armee GREENWOOD Bernardine GROOVE BAR (CROWN CASINO) 5 Shots INDI BAR Darren Guthrie Tashi Hall Lauren O’Hara LUCKY SHAG Howie Morgan MOJOS BAR Fremantle Blues And Roots Club Justin Walshe Folk Machine Mike Elrington Bryan Rice Dalton MOON CAFÉ The Fergusons Shane Corry Hudson P Hudson MUSTANG BAR Kickstart DJ Giles

DEVILLES PAD Rock’N’Roll Karaoke DUNSBOROUGH TAVERN Open Mic Night ELLINGTON JAZZ CLUB Let’s Hear It For Gen Y INDI BAR Bex’s Open Mic Night LUCKY SHAG James Wilson MARKET CITY TAVERN Michael Steane Karla Jonboy Tommy Jesmin Jimmy Rockets MERRIWA TAVERN Neil Adams MOJOS BAR Big Scary Caitlin Park Rainy Day Woman THURSDAY 18.04 MUSTANG BAR ADMIRAL The Stokies Karaoke With The Aztech Suns Robbie King Sexy Robot BALMORAL DJ James Big Al And The MacArthur Deacons NEWPORT BELGIAN BEER HOTEL CAFÉ Jay Hoad Acoustic Aly Junior Bowles BRASS MONKEY OXFORD HOTEL Rhythm Bound Perth Folk & Roots Karaoke Club BRIGHTON Some Irish Band Open Mic Night Paddy Reilly Rob Walker John McNair BROOKLANDS Keith Athonisz TAVERN Duet Celebrations PRINCE OF Karaoke WALES King Gizzard & COMO HOTEL The Lizard Wizard Adam James Nat Ripepi Rose Parker Anabelle Harvey REGAL THEATRE Zucchero ROSEMOUNT Gutter Drakes Suburban & Coke Alex The Kid White Oak Stuyvesant DJ Anton Maz UNIVERSAL Strutt Ses Sayer VILLAGE BAR Village People Open Mic VOODOO LOUNGE Picture Perfect Wednesdays Opening YAYA’S King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard Electric Toad Catbrush

Worst Possible Outcome

WORST POSSIBLE OUTCOME CABIN FEVER, STEAD FAST FRIENDZONE, RAINBOW NIGHTMARE SATURDAY 20TH BEAT NIGHTCLUB

34

The Novocaines, Saturday at The Rosemount

ROSEMOUNT The Buzzcocks The Floors The Coalminers Sect THE BOAT Jen De Ness THE GATE Greg Carter THE SHED Mikey T UNIVERSAL Off The Record WOLF LANE Injection DJ Crude YA YA’S ‘Limpin’ Dave Foley and the Straight Legged Freaks The Branson Tramps Calectasia The Midnight Mules

FRIDAY 19.04 AMPLIFIER Big Scary Caitlin Park Rainy Day Women BAILEY’S BAR HI-NRG BALMORAL Acoustic Aly BEAT NIGHTCLUB (DOWNSTAIRS) PLAY BEAT NIGHTCLUB (UPSTAIRS) Burning Fiction Sincerely Grizzly Spilt Cities White Oak & Stuyvesant BELMONT TAVERN Electrophobia BEST DROP TAVERN Avalon Duo BRASS MONKEY Dove BROOKLANDS TAVERN Celebrations Karaoke C5 FREMANTLE Residence CAPITOL 28 Days CARINE Velvet CHASE BAR & BISTRO James Wilson CIVIC HOTEL The Ascent Against The Tide

Tempest Rising Artifacts In Motion DEVILLES PAD Red Parrot Revisited Rob Baxter Claude Mono Razor Jack Les Sataniques EAST 150 BAR Jamie Powers EDZ SPORTS BAR Back2Back ELLINGTON JAZZ CLUB James Flynn Solomon Pitt The Spread EMPIRE BAR Howie Morgan FLY BY NIGHT Back To The 70s The Differentials The Rock Cods FLYING SCOTSMAN Gidget Duck & The Muldoon Wing GROOVE BAR (CROWN) 5 Shots HERDSMAN Astrobat HYDE PARK HOTEL Steve Parkin INDIAN OCEAN BREW Ben Merito INDI BAR Vdelli INGLEWOOD HOTEL Neil Adams KALAMUNDA HOTEL Almost Famous KANGAROO ARMS Gary Fowlie MAHOGANNY INN Kate Gilbertson MARKET CITY TAVERN Jukebox Lady Lauren O’Hara MOJOS BAR Seams Rabbit Island Electric Toad Andrew Sinclair MUSTANG BAR Oz Big Band Swing DJ Cheeky Monkeys DJ James MacArthur NEWPORT HOTEL Milhouse

NORFOLK BASEMENT Oats Supply PADDO Easy Tigers Stu Harcourt PEEL ALE HOUSE Acoustic Licence PICA BAR Hatched Opening Party The Chemist Timothy Nelson & The Infidels Jacob Diamond & His Band PLAIN ST BAR Kizzy PRINCE OF WALES Spit Syndicate Jackie Onassis RAILWAY HOTEL Tuxedo Pig Figure 23 Fuzz Bucket ROCKET ROOM Howlers Launch Party Big Guns DJ Frank N Beans ROSEMOUNT Turnstyle The Tigers Dianas Ermine Coat SAIL AND ANCHOR Howie Morgan Nightshift SOUTH ST ALEHOUSE Robbie King Karaoke SPRINGS TAVERN Die Hard Karaoke SWAN BASEMENT Bashman Jupiter Zeus In The Now Dirtwater Bloom SWAN LOUNGE Jimmy Rockets Agamous Betty Bath Anemone Flesh SWINGING PIG Frenzy Greg Carter THE ASTOR The Drones King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard THE GATE Dirty Scoundrels THE PRINCIPAL Shawne & Luc THE SHED Krank DJ Glenn 20

X-Press – First on the street, Wednesdays

Deadline Monday 5pm. The Gig-Guide is a service to advertisers listing all LIVE MUSIC. All inclusions are at the discretion of X-Press. Email guide@xpressmag.com.au

Timothy Nelson, Sunday at The Newport Hotel INDI BAR Dave Mann INDIAN OCEAN BREW Chasing Calee INGLEWOOD HOTEL Neil Adams LAKERS Celebrations Karaoke SATURDAY 20.04 M ON THE POINT ADMIRAL Rhythm 22 Insane Dwaine MANDURAH AMPLIFIER PERFORMING Spit Syndicate ARTS CENTRE Jackie Onassis John Butler Trio BALMORAL MOJOS BAR Retriofit Fucking Teeth BEAT Weapon Is Sound NIGHTCLUB Doctopus (DOWNSTAIRS) Hamjam Worst Possible Hootenanny Outcome Rabbit Island Cabin Fever The Choke Stead Fast Mudlark Friendzone Theactualrhino Rainbow Shane Corry Nightmare MOON & BEAT SIXPENCE NIGHTCLUB The Damien (UPSTAIRS) Cripps Band CANVAS MUSTANG BELGIAN BEER The Wal-Tones CAFÉ The Burger Kings Acoustic Aly Rockabilly DJ BOAB TAVERN Milhouse James Wilson DJ James COMO HOTEL MacAurthur Chris Gibbs NEWPORT DEVILLES PAD HOTEL High Learys Kizzy Les Sataniques Gravity ELLINGTON NORFOLK JAZZ CLUB BASEMENT James Flynn Spank DD Soul Louver Beep Jamie Hall NORTHBRIDGE FLYING PIAZZA SCOTSMAN Rock The Bridge Under The Angry Buda Influence Karl Blue Andrei Maz Luxury Mob GOSNELLS S.O.X HOTEL I And The Village Sugarfield PADDO GREENWOOD Cheeky Monkeys Passionworks PEEL ALE GROOVE HOUSE BAR (CROWN Spritzer CASINO) PORT KENNEDY HI-NRG TAVERN HIGH ROAD Kate Gilbertson HOTEL QUARIE BAR Flame Galloping HOTEL Hatracks ROTTNEST RAILWAY HOTEL Helen Shanahan Swiss Shepherd HYDE PARK The Cold Acre HOTEL Rubbertime Tequila ROCKET ROOM Mockingbird Kickstart THE VIC Jen De Ness UNIVERSAL Nightmoves YA YA’S From The Dunes These Winter Nights Room At The Reservoir

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Friday Friday TravisCaudle Caudle Paper Plains, Sunday at The Travis Fly ByNight Night Swan Basement Fly By ROSEMOUNT The Novocaines Foxes Foam Black Birds ROYAL PALMS Kris Buckle SAIL & ANCHOR Chris Gibbs Childs Play STEVES BAR David Sofield SWAN BASEMENT & LOUNGE Feel Lucky Freo SSA Tooth & Claw King Of The Travellers Them Sharks Evergone Latch Key Kids The Bob Gordons The Shakeys SWINGING PIG Rock-A-Fellas Greg Carter THE BIRD Sincerely Grizzly THE GATE Dirty Scoundrels THE SHED Huge DJ Andyy UNIVERSAL Soul Corporation YAYA’S Sass @ Ya Ya’s DJ Dan DJ Pup

SUNDAY 21.04 ALEXANDER BAR Neil Adams BAILEY’S BAR Gary Fowlie BALMORAL Velvet Stone BELMONT TAVERN Dove BRIGHTON Danny Bau BROOKLANDS TAVERN Chris Gibbs CARINE Acoustic Aly CHASE BAR Chasing Calee CIVIC HOTEL Jean Proude COMO HOTEL Kizzy ELLINGTON JAZZ CLUB Nicki Gillis EMPIRE BAR CB3

FLY BY NIGHT Open Mic In The Fly Trap GOSNELLS HOTEL Conny The Clown INDI BAR Morgan Bain Matt Cal INDIAN OCEAN BREW CO Retrofit Shawne & Luc KALAMUNDA HOTEL Alitia Martin LAKERS TAVERN Wesley Goodlet Jamboree Scouts M ON THE POINT Third Gear METRO FREO Spit Syndicate Jacke Onassis Creed Birch MOJOS BAR (ARVO) Time To Jam MOJOS BAR (EVE) Runner Sincerely Grizzly Antelope Race To Your Face MOON CAFÉ Jonathan Brain Rich King Matthews MUSTANG BAR The Continentals DJ Rockin Rhys NEWPORT HOTEL Tim Nelson Burger Kings NORTHBRIDGE PIAZZA Marilyn Keller PADDO John Read Band PORT KENNEDY TAVERN Little Ebony

Falloway, Tuesday at Mojos QUARIE BAR & BISTRO Better Days QUEENS TAVERN Velvet SAIL & ANCHOR Mike Nayar SOUTH ST ALE HOUSE Blackhart & Strangelove SWALLOW BAR Sunday Sessions SWAN BASEMENT Paper Plains Alex The Kid Kills The Matador Chilling Winston SWINGING PIG Kris Buckle Adam James THE BOAT Blackpool Calling THE DEEN Plastic Max & The Token Gesture THE GATE Greg Carter THE SAINT Howie Morgan Project THE SHED James Wilson The Healy’s Renogade UNIVERSAL Retrofit WANNEROO TAVERN Frank Gemmiti WHISTLING KITE Nathan Gaunt

ELLINGTON JAZZ CLUB Song Lounge GROOVE BAR (CROWN CASINO) Chris Murphy & Courtney Murphy MOJOS BAR Wide Open Mic Night MUSTANG BAR Tripple Shots THE DEEN Plastic Max & The Token Gesture YA YA’S Big Tommo’s Open Mic Night

TUESDAY 23.04

AMPLIFIER Dying Fetus Putrid Pile Inanimacy BRASS MONKEY Open Mic Night CAPITOL Epica GROOVE BAR (CROWN) Ruby’s Groove LUCKY SHAG Ben Merito MERRIWA TAVERN Celebrations Karaoke MOJOS BAR Falloway Big Girls Blouse Jake Savins Mario McLean MUSTANG BAR Danza Loca Salsa Night MONDAY 22.04 THE COURT AMPLIFIER Open Mic & BBQ Silverstein Night Sienna Skies YA YA’S Still Water Claims Lionizer Make Believe Me Toni E BRASS MONKEY Shaun McIlroy James Wilson Kallan Phillips

Swiss Shepherd

SWISS SHEPHERD THE COLD ACRE RUBBERTIME SATURDAY 20TH THE RAILWAY HOTEL

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MUSIC GEAR & TECHNOLOGY

RECORD STORE DAY One For The Record Books

On Saturday, April 20, 2013, Record Store Day turns five.

It was way back in the heady days of 2007 that the idea was first mooted: one day to celebrate the - let’s face it, sometimes quite tenuous - existence of independent music retailers with an explosion of live performances, special releases, DJ sets, fun, frivolity and, above all else, music. It was Metallica themselves, long time combatants against digital piracy, who kicked off the first Record Store Day at San Francisco’s Rasputin Music on April 19, 2008, and the day is now marked on the third Saturday of every month.

It hit a nerve. Even with the rise of digital distribution and online streaming services, there’s something about the experience of hunting for music in an actual shop, and Record Store Day is now a global institution. With that in mind, we touched base with some of the best and brightest purveyors of music in Perth to find out what they had planned.

UNKNOWN TREASURES Where are you?

Coventry Village. 243-253 Walter Road Morley (opposite Centro Galleria).

How long have you been in the game?

Just 16 months so far but growing rapidly! Unknown Treasures opened it’s doors late 2011, when I was just 21 years old!

What’s your specialty or genre focus?

We personally love a lot of indie and alternative music, and this shines through. But the store caters for all genres. We have something for everyone, from metal to jazz and everything in between. The new vinyl section holds a great selection of both classic albums and new releases, and our second hand section is filled to the brim. Both new and used vinyl sections continue to grow. We are always on the hunt for more. It’s exciting! We also listen to our customers, and if they ask to see something in our store we do our best to do so, and also take orders if they do not find what they are after on the shelf.

How strong is the music retail industry now?

When we first opened our doors we had CD racks lining the store, and over time they have been replaced more and more by vinyl racks. It is definitely vinyl that keeps this store going. CD sales have dropped considerably. So we hope the vinyl resurgence continues! Judging by the crowds at our record fairs we are sure that it will.

Unknown Treasures want to become something of the past. We love chatting to people and recommending things, and it’s amazing the relationships you build with your regular customers. Getting to know what people like and being able to cater for that. You get none of these things online.

What have you got planned for Record Store Day? We are really looking forward to our second Record What makes a good record store better than Store Day! Unknown Treasures will have 10 per cent online shopping? off all records (new and second hand). We will have There is nothing quite like a record store, which is some cool Record Store Day limited releases in store why I wanted to open my own. The thrill of sifting for the day and have a DJ playing vinyl all day. Also through the racks and not knowing what you might anyone who makes a purchase on RSD goes into a find is all part of the joy for a music lover. Being able raffle to win one of three gift vouchers. Not forgetting to touch the records, read the sleeves properly, hear to mention cupcakes and goodies and laughs! so music playing in store, and not knowing where to come down and visit us and support your local indie look next is a wonderful experience that I do not record store!

SAFARI’S RECORD SHACK Where are you?

Rear of Shop 3, Arcade 189, 189 William Street, Northbridge.

How long have you been in the game?

About two months (still a newbie!).

What’s your specialty or genre focus?

Predominantly second hand and specializing in blues, funk, soul, jazz, reggae and tropical.

How strong is the music retail industry now?

Strong enough for fresh stores such as myself to be able to emerge. I think the vinyl buying market is very strong and very healthy right now. It would appear that the punters’ appetite for the tangible, physical experience that is vinyl is on the up and up.

What makes a good record store better than online shopping?

Primarily, I think it’s the experience of physically digging in the crates and the thrill of the search itself. It’s always much more satisfying to personally and physically find that one elusive record you’ve been hunting down for years.

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Safari’s Record Shack What have you got planned for Record Store Day? Heaps of quality stock on sale for the day - specials galore! DJs in Arcade 189 all day. Additional record sellers out front of the Shack, bulk fresh stock, good times all around.

X-Press – First on the street, Wednesdays

Edited by TR AV IS JOHNS ON

Send your Volume News to musicservices@xpressmag.com.au

Noise Pollution Records

NOISE POLLUTION RECORDS Where are you?

280 William Street, Northbridge.

How long have you been in the game?

15 years.

What’s your specialty or genre focus?

Rock, alternative, psych, punk, DJ breaks, beats and samples.

What makes a good record store better than online shopping?

Service, knowledge and postage costs. (I had to add that as people tell me they buy records very cheap online but never include postage in the conversation.)

With second hand I hear a lot people being burnt buying on the net as anyone can buy and sell vinyl but are clueless when it comes to gradings and pressings. Grading the records to a collector is very important and sometimes the record’s condition is not what they expected when it arrives in the mail. In a retail store you can physically look at the record and decide for yourself before buying, and if the record is faulty or buckled or not what you expected you can return it to some stores. But online it will cost at least seven dollars in Australia to post it back, and then there’s no guarantee of getting your money back either, so buy local

How strong is the music retail industry now?

Mediocre. I think it has levelled off , not booming as much as people say. Because there are so many people doing it as a cash business on the side on weekends at markets, swap meets, vintage fairs I don’t think retail is experiencing much sales growth What have you got planned for Record Store Day? at all as costs seem to be increasing and prices falling. 10 per cent off all new vinyl, free beers.

78 RECORDS Where are you?

Upper Level, 255 Murray Street Mall, Perth.

How long have you been in the game?

42 years.

What’s your specialty or genre focus: Vinyl, turntables and accessories, CDs, merchandise, tickets, imports, indie/alternative, jazz, blues, punk, metal, electronic.

How strong is the music retail industry now?

Music retail is strong, however it’s absolutely nothing like it was 10 years ago, but it was at a peak back then, internet trade didn’t exist. If we weren’t to compare to bygone days and just analyse how many people come into my record shop every day, every week or every month and pick up a healthy bunch of LPs or CDs I’d happily say music retail is doing ok.

78 Records really glad Record Store Day exists, it’s quite simply a reminder that whilst the digital age is upon us, it’s not the be all and end all of retail consumerism.

What have you got planned for Record Store Day? There’s a few hundred exclusive RSD releases spanning approximately 160 individual titles including that rad indie psych scruffy band Tame Impala’s debut EP rerelease and 15 per cent off all What makes a good record store better than stock (excluding RSD items, tickets & turntables). online shopping?

Live bands on the rooftop including In my online shopping experience, it only works if Catherine Traicos (NSW), Timothy Nelson, Josh you know exactly what you want, you can’t just type Fontaine (6s & 7s), Amanda Merzden, Bill Darby (O! / ‘rad indie psych scruffy no shoes band vinyl’ into eBay Tenbit Tonsil), Bridget Turner (Simone & Girlfunkle), and suddenly you’re buying a Tame Impala record. plus more bands to be announced AND a secret Record stores worldwide have always been places performance from one of the RTRFM In The Pines of evolving culture and tasteful musical curation. I’m 20th Anniversary bands, all kicking off from 9am.

JUNCTION RECORDS

What makes a good record store better than online shopping?

Having a good chat to people who enjoy what they do and can give them good recommendations.

Where are you?

Looking forward to seeing what new stock has Shop 48, 27-35 William Street, Fremantle WA. arrived. Finding something they weren’t looking for that they would not have thought of searching for on How long have you been in the game? the net. Plus just having the enjoyment of browsing More than 20 years. through records in a nice environment rather than sitting at home on their own. And despite what What’s your specialty or genre focus? people say most stores are as competitive on price It’s the stuff we don’t stock that makes us special. as the internet.

Or for a more serious answer: metal, ‘60s/’70s psychedelic, blues, hip hop and indie rock.

What have you got planned for Record Store Day? Buy one get one free sale on selected vinyl. 10 per How strong is the music retail industry now? cent off new vinyl (apart from RSD specials). Raffle With the resurgence of vinyl it is stronger now than a for a $50.00 gift voucher (1 ticket per each new vinyl few years ago. I think music lovers are rediscovering purchased). why they loved music in the first place and staff are more enthused about what they do.

PLANET

How strong is the music retail industry now?

Vinyl is taking over the world, watch out!

Where are you?

636 Beaufort Street, Mount Lawley.

What makes a good record store better than online shopping?

Touch it, feel it, listen to it then talk about it with staff or anyone else in the shop.

How long have you been in the game?

20 years.

What’s your specialty or genre focus?

Everything and anything you want and we can get our hands on. www.xpressmag.com.au

What have you got planned for Record Store Day? We have live music from 12-7pm, 10% off all our CDs and LPs and lots of RSD titles and a bunch more vinyl coming in this week for the day.

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MUSIC GEAR & TECHNOLOGY DANCE CLASSES BELLY DANCE CENTRAL STUDIO Free classes Fri 3 May. Special fun beginner courses. Winter term starts Mon 6 May. For brochure, info & free class invite email dance@bellydancecentral.com.au. 0409511125 www.bellydancecentral.com.au EMPLOYMENT & TRAINING Do you know what a roadie is? Have you got any background in AUDIO, LIGHTING or BACKLINE? Are you looking for CASUAL work in the entertainment industry?

If that sounds like you contact Events Personnel Aust.

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MUSOS WANTED ADVERSE REACTION NEEDS A DRUMMER!! We need a dedicated drummer to complete our line up. Must play double bass. Old skool metal style drummer. Influences are Motorhead, Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth. Phone Bagzy on 0427 799 089.

BASS PLAYER NEEDED For established original band.

Also seeking Sax/Trumpet/Violins/Back-up Singers Contact 0448 436 491 BASS PLAYER NEEDED To complete Hard Rock/Jazz trio. Must be enthusiastic, reliable and above all, in the pocket. An hour set of originals and film clip produced already. From 18 to 25 years old. Call Kyle - 0433 386 330 BASS PLAYER WANTED For cover band, 20-30 yrs old.

Professional and reliable. Gigs booked. Call 0488 174 895 LEAD GUITARIST LATE 40’S+ WANTED to form acoustic cover duo with vocalist/rhythm player. Will be covering a wide genre of music that’s a little fresher and unique.

No midi or lies. 0430 695 287 OPEN MIC NIGHT every Thursday night at Indi Bar. Just call Bex on 0404 917 632.

OPEN MIC NIGHT Every Tuesday night at the Craigie Tavern 8-11pm. Call Corey for bookings 0431 448 235 RHYTHM GUITARIST AND DRUMMER WANTED For Rock Band. Keen to jam & play anytime. To be part of the future greatest rock band. Contact Jesse 0409 684 136 VOCALIST WANTED For original project with view to record/tour within the year. Influences include Muse, Queen, Radiohead. Please contact Nick at nicks_wes@ hotmail.com for details and demos.

WANTED MUSICIANS Vocals, Trumpet and Trombone players. For more info contact 0451 458 533 PHOTOGRAPHY PROJECT PHOTOGRAPHY Promo photography, studio, live, location. M ike Wylie 0417 9 7 5 9 6 4 w w w. p r o j e c t p h o t o g r a p hy. c o m When its time to ice the cake....

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Send your Volume News to musicservices@xpressmag.com.au

Edited by T R AV I S J O H N S O N

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REHEARSAL STUDIOS AAA VHS REHEARSAL ROOMS Great facilities, great vibe & great price!!! Unit 5 /16 Peel Road, O’Connor. Phone 9418 5815 or 0413 732 885 BIGBEAT SOUND STUDIO Clean rooms, all new PA systems, air-con and good parking . Willetton Ph: 0425 698 117.

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Why not learn your favourite songs instead, at my studio or in your own home. Competitive rates. Rock, Pop, Metal, Folk and Classical 0403 223 958, 9319 9015 (Bicton area) jaymusic@optusnet.com.au.

GUITAR TUITION NOW AVAILABLE In Innaloo and surrounding suburbs. Rock, Blues and Heavy Stuff. Guaranteed Results! 0411 662 902 jcristie000@gmail.com WANTED JUNCTION RECORDS Open 7 Days, We Buy Sell Trade CDs, DVDs, Vinyl, T-Shirts & Posters. Junction Records @ Fremantle Malls, William St Freo 9430 9666 WANTED VINYL RECORDS! We pay cash! Rock, pop, punk, metal, prog rock, 60’s, 70’s, 80’s and 90’s. Please contact Sarah at Unknown Treasures on 0401539819.

To advertise in Classified call 9213 2888 or email musicservices@xpressmag.com.au

Pioneer DDJ SX DJ Controller

PIONEERING TECHNOLOGY

Developed with Serato DJ specifically in mind, but versatile enough to slot into any setup, the Pioneer DDJ SX DJ Controller is the number one choice for those who want to take their deck skills to the next level. This is the most advanced all in one DJ controller yet released, featuring tightly integrated controls, eight velocity sensitive performance pads, dual deck mode, touch sensitive platters, and a four channel stand alone hardware mixer, this is the new state of the art. RRP $1289 from kosmic.com.au.

CONSERVATION OF INERTIA

As you’ve doubtless read elsewhere in this issue, Saturday, April 20 is Record Store Day. To celebrate, Inertia Records have teed up some sweet releases for Perth vinyl vendors. Elefant Traks is proud to present Parallel Paradise by Hermitude - the first time the EP has been available on vinyl - and the Smokey’s Homies remix EP by Urthboy, which sees him polish up work by Hungry Kids of Hungary, amongst others.

In addition, Rice is Nice are releasing a limited edition of Strange Dreams by Good Heavens.

Add to that exclusive Record Store Day releases by Nick Cave, Mercury Rev, Roky Erickson and Public Image Ltd and you might want to start your day early, before all these goodies disappear.

Palm Beach Hula Start Pack Ukulele

NUKE THE UKE

Maybe it’s because we’re well overdue for a cold snap - and it’s really such a summery instrument, isn’t it? - but Kosmic seem to be in a mood to get rid of their current stock of ukuleles at some ridiculously low prices. For as little as $35 you can pick up a baby guitar, and by the time summer rolls around again, you’ll be ready to reap... whatever rewards ukulele players reap.

The occasional free pineapple, I expect.

Joe Satriani

ATTHEFEETOFTHEMASTER

The Joe Satriani Guitar Clinic, presented by Thump Music, is tonight, Wednesday 17! This is a once in a lifetime chance to learn some of the tricks of the trade from a man widely regarded as one of the real living legends of the music world. Satriani will be performing, answering questions and giving advice, while thump will be making sure no one goes home empty handed with an impressive range of giveaways. Head to thumpmusic.com.au to book your ticket. And hurry!

ROCK IN TO THE ROCK INN

No pianos, no recorders, no cellos or trumpets - that’s what The Rock Inn’s facebook page promises. What they do stock is guitars - loads and loads of ‘em. Since 1988, this Mt Lawley institution has been a destination for the more knowledgeable and discerning axemen of Perth, keen to peruse both the extensive vintage and second hand range, as well as their fresh selection of new gear.

Which isn’t to say that newcomers aren’t welcome. The Rock Inn sell guitar and amp packages by Squier and Essex, starting from around $299 - perfect for the budding shredder who wants to dip his or her toe into the world of rock. Head over to therockinn.com for more info.

The Rock Inn

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