2
X-Press – First on the street, Wednesdays
www.xpressmag.com.au
3
4
X-Press – First on the street, Wednesdays
www.xpressmag.com.au
5
6
X-Press – First on the street, Wednesdays
HE’S YOUR MAN
Sometimes once in a lifetime experiences come around, paradoxically, more than once. Such is the case here, as music legend - and the term is not used lightly - Leonard Cohen will be returning to Perth for one show only at The Perth Arena on Wednesday, November 13. If you missed him last time, you’re going to want to pounce on this. Tickets go on sale through Ticketek on Monday, August 12, at 10am.
LIKE POW! WIPEOUT!
Local good-timers Boom! Bap! Pow! will release their new album, So Heavy, on iTunes on Friday, August 9. Of course, they’re not lettin’ that one go without a party, and so it is that they’ll head to the Rosemount Hotel on Saturday, August 10, to launch the release with special guests The Love Junkies, Huge Magnet and Dux N Downtown. Tickets available from oztix.com.au. More details next week.
Leonard Cohen
Purple Sneaker DJs
Lilt
LILT @ LIVE
Lilt will be playing Live @ Antics this Saturday, August 3, at The Claremont Hotel. With a brand new live show incorporating a drummer, the next batch of Lilt since their latest EP, Swim, is more dancefloor oriented with elements of UK garage and drum ‘n’ bass in the mix. They’ll be supported by These Winter Nights and a mix of indie/pop tunes from the Antics DJs. Entry is free.
ROOFTOP SNEAKERS
Purple Sneaker DJs are set to perform at Aviary Rooftop Sessions on Sunday, August 25. These guys have played on the same bills as acts like Odd Future, Star Slinger, Hot Chip, Sleigh Bells, Digitalism, Floss, Bloc Party and The Rapture and are well known party starters. They’ll be supported by locals Micah, Troy Division and Paradise Paul. Entry is free, doors open at 4pm.
>Boom! Bap! Pow!
HUGE WEEKEND
Tura New Music’s Totally Huge Music Festival is the place to be next weekend if you really want your hair blown back by the bleeding age of sound culture. Featuring a monstrous line-up of local and international talent and taking the Cultural Centre as its centre of operations, this will be ground zero for the music that’ll be melting minds over the next few years. Head to thnmf2013.tura.com.au for details.
Stonefield
PLAYING THE ‘FIELD
Rockin’ up-and-comers Stonefield recently completed recording their debut album, and have released the first single, Put Your Curse On Me, produced by Ian Davenport (Band Of Skulls) and mixed by Tim Palmer (U2, Pearl Jam). The LP will be released in October, but before then the awesome foursome will tour the single around the country. Catch Stonefield on their WA leg on Thursday, August 29, at the Prince of Wales, Bunbury; Friday, August 30, at Players Bar, Mandurah; Saturday, August 31, at Amplifier, and Sunday, September 1, at the Indi Bar. For more, dead to stonefield.com.au.
Reactions/Comp Thing Flesh Music: Pond Music: Cold War Kids/ Bardo Pond Music: Greetings From Tim Buckley/ Springsteen And I/ Darling Downs & Bastille 16 Music: Muse 17 New Noise 18 What’s On Guide 21 Eye4 Cover: The World’s End 22 Eye4: News/ The World’s End/ The Way Way Back/ Nat Faxon And Jim Rash 23 Eye4: 100 Bloody Acres 24 Eye4: Russian Film Festival 25 Arts Listings 27 Salt Cover: DMC State Finals 28 Salt: News/ Test Pad/ Disco Fries/ Vltrn 29 Salt: Dialectrix/ Timmy Trumpet 31 Salt: Rewind: James Blake 32 Scene: Live: ALT-J/ Tangled Thoughts Of Leaving/ The Big Splash 35 Tour Trails 36 Gig Guide 38 Volume
Russell Woolf, ABC Exhumed
GO RUSTY GO!
Next, Wednesday, August 7, at Mojos, see a bunch of Perth bands get Exhumed. It’s the Perth final of the ABC’s national band competition - ‘it’s not for the has-beans, not for the wanna-bes, it’s for the never weres!’ Apparently! Catch Perth’s best amateur bands who never made it, battle it out on stage in a bid to make the national Exhumed final, with your 720 ABC host, Russell Woolf. It’s a free event but you’ll need a ticket. Listen to 720 ABC Perth through this week and keep an eye out on abc.net.au/perth.
8 11 12 13 14
COVER: Rottofest is back, and will be held from September 7-9.We’ve got an interview with local boy, comedian Joel Creasey, on page 11. SALT COVER: We’ve got a run-down of the turntablists battling it out this Friday, August 2 as part of the WA State DMC Championships. www.xpressmag.com.au
Alex Lloyd
BACK WITH A PLEDGENESS
Alex Lloyd is back with a brand new single coinciding with the launch of a Pledge Campaign to complete the release of his sixth studio album, Urban Wilderness. Check out Better The Less You Know on YouTube and go to pledgemusic.com/ projects/alexlloyd to make a pledge. Lloyd will also soon be announcing a national tour, tipped for this September. 7
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
9213 2888
Managing Editor Bob Gordon: editor@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 guide@xpressmag.com.au Entertainment Services Co-ordinator / Competitions 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, Ben Watson,Jessica Willoughby,Miki Mclay,Morgan Richards,James Manning, Joe Cassidy, Shane Pinnegar For band gigs and launches - plugyourgig@xpressmag.com.au
LONE PACK
E DOWNLOAD TH P QR READER AP ING! AND GET WINN
IT’S ONLY THE BEGINNING
This Is The End follows six friends trapped in a house after a series of strange and catastrophic events devastate Los Angeles. As the world unravels outside, dwindling supplies and cabin fever threaten to tear apart the friendships inside. Eventually, they are forced to Advertising 9213 2888 l e av e t h e h o u s e, facing their fate and Sales and Marketing Manager the true meaning Keeley Warren-Langford - advertising@xpressmag.com.au of friendship and Online Marketing redemption. It stars Keeley Warren-Langford - advertising@xpressmag.com.au Seth Rogan, James Music Services / Musical Equipment / Franco, Jonah Hill, Bands / Record Labels Danny McBride, Jay Dez Richardson - musicservices@xpressmag.com.au Baruchel and Craig Entertainment Venues / Live and Dance Music Promoters Robertson. We’ve Tim Milroy - entertainment@xpressmag.com.au got three cool prize Lifestyle Development Manager packs up for grabs, Natasha Bederson - eye4@xpressmag.com.au including a copy Agency / Movies / Education / Sponsorship of the soundtrack , Keeley Warren-Langford - advertising@xpressmag.com.au a double in-season Classifieds Linage pass, USB memory classifieds@xpressmag.com.au This Is The End stick and a beanie.
Production Department
NOW YOU SEE IT
Featuring an all-star cast including Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, Isla Fisher, Morgan Freeman, Woody Harrelson and Michael Caine, Now You See Me is the story of a super team of the world’s greatest illusionists use their dazzling skills to orchestrate a series of spectacular heists against corrupt businesses during their performances, showering the audience with the stolen profits. Playing a game of cat and mouse in staying one step ahead of the FBI, could the illusionists have an insider working for them? Or could it really be… magic? We’ve got some Now You See Me prize packs up for grabs, including include a T-shirt and an in-season double pass.
Dwight O’Neil
Design + Production Andy Quilty, Anthony Jackson, Kasia Mazurkiewicz
Printing Rural Press Printing Mandurah
Administration
9213 2888
Entertainment Services digiservices@xpressmag.com.au
Accounts accounts@xpressmag.com.au
Distribution
9213 2853 distribution@xpressmag.com.au
CAB AUDITED CIRCULATION: 38,000 OCTOBER 2011 – MARCH 2012
Deadlines EDITORIAL General: Friday 5pm,, Eye4 Arts: Thursday 10am, Comp’ Thing: Monday Noon,, Salt Clubs: Monday 5pm , Local Scene: Monday Noon,, Gig Guide: Monday 5pm ADVERTISING Cancellations: Monday 5pm, Ads to be set: Monday Noon Supplied Bookings / Copy: Tuesday 12 Noon, Classifieds: Monday 4pm
Circus Oz is 35 years and still kicking (and tumbling and soaring). As part of Circus Oz anniversary celebrations, we’re giving away a double pass for the performance on Friday, August 29 at His Majesty’s Theatre. Get ready for the beautiful and the absurd, the downright kooky and the breathtakingly brilliant as Circus Oz thrills you with their renowned collective mayhem that never stops from the moment the band strikes up until the last curtain call.
100 Bloody Acres
GORY ENTERTAINMENT
Circus Oz
Luna Leederville have given us some doubles to give away for 100 Bloody Acres staring Angus Sampson and Damon Herriman. Bothers Reg and Lindsay Morgan are struggling to keep their organic blood and bone fertilizer business in motion and turn to using dead car crash victims in their product to keep things afloat. Email us!
WARRANTY AND INDEMNITY
Advertisers and/or their agents by lodging an advertisment shall indemnify the publisher, and its agents, against all liability claims or proceedings whatsoever arising from the publication. Advertisers and/or their representatives indemnify the publisher in relation to defamation, slander, breach of copyright, infringement of trademarks of name of publication titles, unfair competition or trade practices, royalties or violation of rights or privacy and warrant that the material complies with revelant laws and regulations and that its publication will not give rise to any rights against or liabilities in the publisher, its servants or agents. Any material supplied to X-Press is at the contributor’s risk.
Mushroom Rock
YOU’VE BEEN WARNERED
We’ve got free copies two copies of Warner Music’s new compilations to giveaway - Classic Americana and Mushroom Rock, both out this week. Mushroom40 covers all the rock classics released on Mushroom over the past 40 years while Classic Americana includes hits from the UA west coast from The Beach Boys, Bob Dylan, The Doors, Fleetwood Mac, Simon & Garfunkel and more over two CDs.
WHAT’S ON AT MY PLACE
Published by: Columbia Press Pty.Ltd. A.C.N. 066 570 803 Registered by Australia Post. Publication No PP600110.00006 Suite 55/102 Railway Street, City West Business Centre, West Perth, WA 6005 Locked Bag 31, West Perth, WA 6872 Phone: (08) 9213 2888 Fax: (08) 9213 2882 Website: http://www.xpressmag.com.au
8
Now You See Me
CIRCUS OZ ANNI
Art Director
Distribution
Lone Ranger
9213 2854
production@xpressmag.com.au
Lillian Buckley
Lone Ranger is the story o f n a t i ve A m e r i c a n warrior Tonto (Johnny Depp) and man of the law John Reid (Armie Hammer) who are brought together by fate and must join forces to battle greed and corruption. We have six Lone Ranger prize packs containing a T-shirt, Watch, iPhone cover, eye mask and notebook to give away valued at $90 each.
HIT WWW.XPRESSMAG.COM.AU SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER FOR LOADS OF EXCLUSIVE COMPS, NEWS & MORE!
My Place
X-Press What’s On and My Place Bar & Restaurant present this fantastic competition, for a fun night out for you and your mates. Over the next month we will collect entries for a complimentary $100 food & beverage voucher at My Place. Simply send your name and contact number to win@ xpressmag.com.au with the email title ‘What’s On @ My Place’, and list three cocktails from the My Place menu to go into the draw. This one ends August 28.
X-Press – First on the street, Wednesdays
www.xpressmag.com.au
9
10
X-Press – First on the street, Wednesdays
JOEL CREASEY Oh For The Rotto Life
’Continental’ Robert Susz and Tanya Lee Davies
Joel Creasey
Local boy done exceedingly good, Joel Creasey, returns to the old home town to perform at Rottofest 2013 from September 7-9. TRAVIS JOHNSON has a word with the talented and wildly popular comedian. Things have been a bit quiet for comedian Joel Creasey of late. Not that he hasn’t kept busy - a cursory examination of his website or the TV listings shows that he’s rarely taking any downtime, and he’s a familiar voice on 92.9fm’s breakfast programming. Still, any fan of Creasey’s knows that one of his favourite pastimes is skewering the egos of the rich, famous and entitled, and right now he’s having a hard time thinking of anyone who’s earned his ire of late. Well, there are always... “The Kardashians have really been getting my goat of late,” he says. “I think they really need to be put down, now that there’s another one of them in the world. I find that very dangerous.” All well and good, but other than them? “I haven’t had any clashes with any celebrities lately,” he sighs wistfully. “I’m just trying to think! I’ve been on my best behaviour. Maybe I should start a Twitter war with someone. Maybe I should troll someone.” Still, Creasey will doubtless have plenty of material by the time he hits town for Rottofest 2013, the weekend-long comedy and music festival where he’ll perform alongside fellow mirth-makers Heath Franklin (as Chopper, naturally), Greg Fleet, Tahir, Chris Franklin, Sami Shah and more, in between musical performances by the likes of Sticky fingers, Grace Woodroofe, The Brow Horn Orchestra, The Love Junkies and Boys Boys Boys!. Creasey, of course, is no stranger to Rottnest - he grew up in Applecross, after all, before
Wendy Matthews
LET ME STAND NEXT TO YOUR FIRE
This September sees the irrepressibly awesome Wendy Matthews return to WA to perform songs from her new album, The Welcome Fire, which hits the shelves on August 23. You can catch Ms Matthews at Friends Restaurant on Thursday, September 12; the Ravenswood Hotel on Friday, September 13; at the Charles Hotel on Saturday, September 14, and the Bridgetown Hotel on Sunday, September 15.
making a big splash on the stand up circuit. He does admit, though, that it’s been a long time between visits to the island. “I haven’t been there since Leavers!” he exclaims. “The last time I was at Rotto, I was drinking Barcardi Breezers on Pinky Beach, so hopefully nothing’s changed and I’ll be doing the same. I can’t wait!” He does frequently return to Perth, though, unlike some formerly local entertainers we could mention. His family, with whom he remains close, are still in Applecross, so trips across the Nullarbor are a regular occurrence. “I’m back all the time. I do 92.9 in the mornings, but people don’t really realise that I do it out of Melbourne, but yeah, I’m back all the time. My parent still live here, so they love having me back and I try to get back as much as possible and buy mum a fresh box of wine each time.” Returning to Perth, for Creasey, mandates hitting a few of the old familiar haunts, a ritual he clearly relishes.“My parents live in Applecross, so I like to go there. I really like the village in Applecross and the cafes there, where I can see all the freshly botoxed women in Applecross. I also like getting back to Connections, which is my spiritual home, and seeing a really bad drag show - there’s nothing better than a really bad drag show! I enjoy doing that and just enjoying the sunshine, basically. I live in Melbourne, and we get, basically, three days of sunshine a year.” And he does have one item on his wishlist he wants to cross off this time. “ I do want to have a fight with Ben Cousins, so maybe if he’s around when I come back and he’s free, we can have a bit of biffo! Ben Cousins and I actually went to the same school. A lot of footballers went to my school - a lot of footballers and one gay comedian! Really good fun growing up in that milieu.” Rottofest 2013 taker place on Rottnest Island on Saturday, September 7, and Sunday, September 8. For the full line-up, tickets and accommodation packages, head to rottofest.com.au
ROBERT SUSZ & TANYA LEE DAVIES Soul Requirement
‘Continental’ Robert Susz and Tanya Lee Davies will bring soul to Devilles Pad on Friday, August 2; Clancy’s Fremantle on Saturday, August 3, and the Perth Blues Club (Charles Hotel) on Tuesday, August 6. BOB GORDON checks in. What are your earliest soul music memories, and what drew you to soul music first up? RS: I think my first soul grooving was way back when I was eight or nine years old hearing Ray Charles on the radio doing Hit The Road Jack which I thought was the greatest thing ever! Then later on - 15 or 16 - listening to my big brother and his buddy’s Stax/Atlantic record collections. I really loved Wilson Pickett, Sam & Dave, Otis Redding and Aretha Franklin. Then I saw James Brown on TV. They used to show the T.A.M.I. Show on TV during summer school holidays. It was recorded live in the TV TLD: I fell in-love with soul music via R&B, Gospel and Girl Groups. White British bands introduced me to Ray Charles and Arthur Alexander. Janis Joplin led me to the R&B gals and was a huge influence on me - I was spellbound by her abandon and then when I saw Ike and Tina, Sam & Dave (those famous TAMI shows) I was further bewitched. I COULD NOT believe what I was seeing. It was SO untamed and powerful. As a gal it was incredible to see all these women doing their thing and being so accepted and acknowledged. I love the way Soul music respects women musicians….and then… I saw a doco on James Brown. Speechless. You’re doing some of the classic boy/girl duets. Describe the dynamic involved in performing those songs and giving justice to them? RS: Doing the duets is a new experience for me but me and Tanya-Lee get along well and she’s a great singer so I’m sure we can work off each other to make it an exciting, feel good, tasty, experience... and there’s a cookin’ band! TLD: Ooh, it’s tricky! You want to have fun and yet you want to do well. Robert
Robert - Dynamic Hepnotic’s Soul Kind Of Feeling has become a pretty iconic Australian song over the years. It jumped out of the blocks back in ‘84 and still clearly sums up a time and a feeling that remains. What’s it like to have a song like that in your life? RS: When Soul Kind Of Feeling came out it was pretty unbelievable. I’d hear it coming out of jukeboxes in amusement parlours while walking down the street and I’d have to look in to see if anybody was tapping their feet! It was a thrill seeing it on all the charts in the newspapers, next to artists like Madonna and even Aretha Franklin. Pink Cadillac! Dave Brewer is performing with you guys in Perth. What does he bring to the show? RS: He’s my long time musical collaborator, who played with me in The Mighty Reapers, Dynamic Hepnotics and lots of other combos, Dave Brewer one of my favourite guitarists & a gas singer too! TLD: Dave has got a beautiful ease about him. He feels energetically light to me. He’s just a beautiful, beautiful player. Not all musicians like working with singers, but whenever I’ve sung with Dave he’s just right there, on your team.
Red Engine Caves
SPLASH FOR CASH
Any local music fan worth their salt has been following The Big Splash Band Competition like a gambling junkie follows the ponies, and now the excitement’s really heating up with the second semi-final taking place at The Bakery on Thursday, August 1. Get on down to catch the heat winners, including Man The Clouds, Ensemble Formidable, and Red Engine Caves, go head to head for the prize. It’s all a bit like Highlander. Head to thebigsplashbandcomp.com for more.
British India
GOOD DOOGS
For all the fun of a music festival with none of the attendant hassles, point yourself towards Nannup on the weekend of October 4-5 for the inaugural Camp Doogs. Described as more of a friendly gathering of likeminded souls with added music, it’s a two-day art, music and wellbeing festival. The line-up is apparently ultra hush hush and going to remain so, but the $110 ticket price includes transport to and from the festival site and two nights camping, which is pretty sweet. Mysterious? Possibly. Intriguing? you bet. Head to campdoogs.com to uncover more. www.xpressmag.com.au
is effortless, he’s just about sheer joy and you feel uplifted listening to him. I have to remind myself it’s not about getting it right, it’s about making it happen. It’s easy to be self conscious when you sing songs that have been sung by great artists so I try to pick obscure tunes for a start and then do my own thing with them. I’ve always loved the boy/girl thing, it has so many wonderful aspects. It’s romantic, playful, sonically interesting and you can bounce off each other.
INDIA NOTION
Frequent flyers to WA, British India are on a 15-date Winter Tour on the back of the band’s fourth album, Controller, which received critical acclaim nationally and scored them their third consecutive ARIA Top 10 debut. Catch British India on Friday-Saturday, August 2-3, at Amplifier. You know you want to. 11
POND
Said Songs Say So Much Pond release their fifth album, Hobo Rocket, this Friday, August 2. BOB GORDON checks in with singer/guitarist, Nick Allbrook. They’ve not played a gig since the Perth leg of the Laneway Festival back in February, but it’s already been a big year for Pond. Their fifth LP, Hobo Rocket, is released this week, and has already been preceded by worldwide curiosity-cum-satisfaction over its singles, Giant Tortoise and Xanman. From triple j ‘first play’ announcements, to NME headlines/Soundcloud links to said songs, the fact is there is indelible evidence that people are not only waiting to hear new Pond material, but they can’t wait to hear it. “What is it like to know that people are eager to listen to your music?” asks vocalist, Nick Allbrook. “I can’t even say. I’m not sure. It sort of seems like a non-reality. It’s such a hard thing to grasp that it doesn’t even really fit in my head so it doesn’t really make much of an impact. “I know and am fucking shocked that anyone listens to our music more than anyone else’s (laughs). It’s pretty flattering. But it doesn’t affect the making of the music, I don’t think... that much.” Giant Tortoise and Xanman arrived on the airwaves, all soaring and epic and panel-beaten icecream orgasms with it. The rest of Hobo Rocket is somewhat between and beyond those songs. “ The rest of it’s pretty far departed from both of those,” Allbrook says. “For some reason we’ve just got this knack for releasing the most cock rock Aerosmith songs first, from all the albums (laughs). The rest of it’s a little bit less like that.” It was only in May that Allbrook bid farewell to the bass playing role in Tame Impala (to be replaced by Pond bandmate, collaborator and singer/guitarist in The Growl, Cam Avery) onstage at Belvoir Amphitheatre. It wasn’t without some fond feelings. “Oh, just typical sentimental bullshit, you know?” he offers. ‘I’m gonna miss everyone, great’, etc. But genuine. But brief.” Of Tame Impala’s subsequent appearance at the Glastonbury Festival, which was
12
highlighted all over social media, he says he felt like “a Dad watching his daughter’s marriage or something.” It’s not like he doesn’t keep himself busy. While Hobo Rocket is ready for lift-off, the sixth LP is apparently already approaching the launch pad. “We haven’t recorded it,” Allbrook qualifies. “We haven’t actually laid it all down or anything. It’s just that we’ve got all these songs that we’ve written and played together and sat around and nutted out ideas for. We’ve pretty much dissected and practised the entire recording process (laughs). “We’ve just been waiting to go in and have a nice stint somewhere, some place together to do another record. Because we had time with that last one (2012’s Beard, Wives, Denim), to go down the farm and stuff. We just haven’t had time to do something good like that yet. But it’s all ready.
“For some reason we’ve just got this knack for releasing the most cock rock Aerosmith songs first, from all the albums (laughs). The rest of it’s a little bit less like that.” “There’s not really any deadlines. Most of the time all of us... us and Kevin (Parker) and any other associated projects, is just like the deadline is nonexistent because it’s all done and we’re waiting. ‘Put it out, put it out!’ (laughs).” Which is pretty much a reversal of the whole record industry deadline dynamic... “Yeah, but there’s so much awesome shit coming out all the time,” Allbrook notes. “There’s no need for people to get antsy waiting for something.” Given though, that a deadline is usually the only thing that rings the bell on an album’s completion, one wonders how Allbrook and co. (multiinstrumentalists Jay Watson and Joseph Ryan) known when they’re finished? “I don’t know... I mean, probably what finishes it is just everyone’s kind of thinking let’s give it this final push to get it out of the imagined realm. Everyone keeps on fucking listening to it and saying, ‘we should do this. We should record something else here. We should change the level on that’, but you’ve just got to say, ‘fuck it. Just get it away’ (laughs). So we all get to a certain point where we’re like, ‘we’ve got time let’s do it’. And as much as that works, so be it.” Five albums. In any other band life that would’ve taken a good 15 years, not to mention Allbrook’s other creative involvements. By this time there’s a fine line between what influences Nick Allbrook the most - the psychedelic rock’n’roll that he grew up listening to, or the people that he plays it with now. “Probably, mainly, the friends that I play with, I guess,” he ponders. “Both are big influences, but all these people are bigger influences, for sure.”
Pond Photo: Garth Cawardine
X-Press – First on the street, Wednesdays
COLD WAR KIDS Expectations U Expectations Unknown nknown Californian indie rockers, Cold War Kids, hit Capitol this Friday, August 2. BOB GORDON chats with vocalist, Nathan Willett. It’s been a time of change for the Cold War Kids, something that is reflected on their recently released fourth LP, Dear Miss Lonely Hearts. Long-time guitarist, Jonnie Russell, left the band and was replaced by former Modest Mouse guitarist, Dann Gallucci, who also co-produced the album with Lars Stalfors (Matt & Kim, The Mars Volta). “I think it was a very sensitive and interesting time for the band,” says vocalist, Nathan Willett, on a tour stop in Ann Arbor, Michigan. “Having a new member is always a big deal and a big change, but also on top of that Dann was producing, engineering and mixing the record. And on top of that doing it in our home studio for the first time, there was a lot of curveballs that we were throwing to kind of shake ourselves up. I think we were being a little more brave with arrangements and keyboards and synthesisers and different things, we just wanted to experiment more. So expectations were in some way, unknown. We just wanted to make the best record we could.” Willett says there’s a few songs that sum up the process and the time for the band and indeed where they’re at now. “I think Bottled Affection, Loner Phase, Lost That Easy... those are the kinds of songs that have more of an electronic feel,” he notes. “Those songs stick out about the record. Miracle Mile was a song that we felt could almost have been on the first record, it kind of has something that we’ve done all along, but is almost much more mature in ways.”
www.xpressmag.com.au
Cold War Kids
Now that they’re up to album number four, Willett acknowledges that it’s becoming harder to draw up setlists for their shows with a satisfying balance of new songs and fan favourites. “When you have four records of material it’s interesting. You’re making a setlist and sometimes you’ll realise like, ‘oh, we didn’t even put one song from the second record in here’. We also have a handful of EPs, we have a whole lot of material, so you have to find the balance between making yourself happy, playing what you want to play and also know that there are also, of course, the songs that people want to hear, be they singles or whatever. “It just makes it fun; you see how it makes it harder for bands to survive when you have more material and you have people who aren’t familiar with it all, but you have to kind of trust that giving them a variety is what’s best for you as a band, as far as staying creative. I think as far as the amount of material that we’re playing from we couldn’t ask for better fans just in terms of having stuck with us for a long time.” The band have been on the road since April, touring in support of Dear Miss Lonely Heart, and there’s a fair bit of road left for them to travel in 2013. It helps to find things that may be reminiscent of home comforts. “It’s always kind of a jarring thing, life on the road and all of its... challenges,” Willett notes. “It’s the little things that can be really great - a good meal or a good conversation, neither are easy to find and it’s hard enough to just take care of yourself and not be sick and not go crazy. It’s hard to describe (laughs).” Bassist, M att M aust, was recently documenting his new touring regime on the band’s website - visiting local museums and posing for topless photos. Each to their own, then? “Yeah that’s an example of being creative on the road,” Willett suggests, “and also losing your mind on the road (laughs).”
BARDO POND Investigations In Sound For the first time in their 12-year career, American psychedelic space rockers Bardo Pond are embarking on a full Australian tour. Guitarist, Michael Gibbons, chats to JESSICA WILLOUGHBY ahead of their Perth show at the Rosemount Hotel this Sunday, August 4. Bardo Pond’s ninth full-length LP, Peace On Venus, will be out before the end of this year. Very exciting news for fans of these psychedelic rock heavyweights, who have been living off the Rise Above It All EP since March. Though this is not a feat to take lightly, the 40-minute, twosong release is an exercise in “totality” for the band – according to guitarist, Michael Gibbons. “The two songs are deeply revered by us as a band,” he tells X-Press. “They are kind of road maps for what we are trying to look towards in our future. Maggot Brain was recorded in 2011 and The Creator Has A Master Plan was recorded in 2009, I think. I believe we were asked by a friend of ours to do The Creator Has A Master Plan for a collaboration with our buddy brother, JT. He did vocals on it for a video recording session. We practiced the song and
Bardo Pond
recorded a version of it as Bardo Pond. We then sat on that recording a couple years. “A couple years later I started working on the chords for Maggot Brain and I asked the guys if they were interested in doing the song and everyone was interested. We wound up doing a few takes of it and one of them, the one that’s on the record, was cool. The recording process was to basically capture the two songs as best we could while at the same time making them ours. Both songs architecturally are very similar in that they combine minimalism with open improvisation. Which was perfect for us because that’s what we generally do a lot of the time anyway. “So we devoted ourselves to the tones and the chords and used them as departing points for our own investigation of sound. After that the idea came to me to release the two songs together as possibly a volume, one of our Volume series. I asked Fire Records about releasing it and they were into the idea. But we ended up releasing it exclusively as a EP for Record Store Day earlier this year.” Peace In Venus will see the band once again walk down the open improvisation path. Not giving too much away about the release, Gibbons says Australia would be among the first to see a chunk of the new material live. “We are working on another record right now,” he says. “As a matter of fact it is in the can. We are just finishing up the artwork ideas and it should be ready for release in the fall. This record will be a shorter record than the last couple, hanging in the 40-minute range but a proper record. It’s kind of rocking, kind of all electric but not much acoustic music on it. We’re very psyched about it and will be playing some of the songs at the Australian shows.”
13
THE DARLINGDOWNS It’s A Small World After All He’s been a Scientist, Beast and Surrealist. Kim Salmon tells SHANE PINNEGAR how he came to again team up with Died Pretty frontman, Ron Peno, for a third trip to The Darling Downs upon the release of their new album, In The Days When The World Was Wide. There’s probably a bunch of words that could describe the new Darling Downs album, In The Days When The World Was Wide. Americana, it seems, is not one of them. “When people use the word ‘Americana’ I arc up a little bit.” The man dubbed ‘The Godfather Of Grunge’ bristles. “Our U.S. record label put it on a press release, and I said, ‘Well, we’re not really Americana’ and they said, ‘Well actually you are - you got it all from this and this’. I really don’t need an American telling me how they saved us in the war! I mean, for a start we called the album When The World Was Wide - that’s Henry Lawson, not Hemmingway!” Salmon insists his influences are more local. “I would say that as much as we’ve been influenced by something from another place, it really is our own experiences which have gone into it, and our own experiences from where we are, and from our culture.” Peno originally suggested The Darling Downs as a country music project after a few beverages one late night, but it took several years before they sat down to write any songs. Two critically acclaimed albums of folk and country infused blues followed, then a six-year gap.
The Darling Downs Photo: James Pipin
“We never really had any goal,” Salmon says, “other than to make music when it feels right to do it. And we had done two albums, one hot on the heels of the other, and there was really nothing left to say.” After an offer to play some gigs, they sat down, “just me and an acoustic guitar and Ron, and we just made up songs each time we got together. So it didn’t happen for a while but we’re back for no reason apart from that it felt right to do it then!” Salmon says the album title, lifted from a Henry Lawson poem by Peno, summons a time full of a sense of possibility that seems to be rapidly diminishing as the world gets smaller, but had to persuade his partner to use it. “I just went, ‘we have to use that, we can’t not use that’. And he went, ‘Well it’s a Henry Lawson poem, people are gonna think it’s Australiana and ockerisms, John Williamson and Old Man Emu and all that’. He just couldn’t get away from that, so I explained, ‘Look Ron, you’re assuming too much here about people, they’re just going to respond to those words, that beautifully evocative title’.” That longing for a simpler time extends to the music industry which Salmon and Peno have devoted their careers to. “If everybody’s being heard, people haven’t got the time any more,” he exclaims. “It’s a different thing now, presenting music in the world today - you’re presenting a much smaller thing because there’s that much more of it to be found. You think you’re able to have that (instant worldwide) coverage but you don’t. When I was a kid, you’d buy an album that had eight tracks on it and you’d know every one of those tracks intimately after a week. That wouldn’t happen these days, there’s a different way of consuming - people consume a lot more for a lot less, and value it in a different way.”
BASTILLE
The New Pompeii
Dan Smith, Bastille
UK outfit, Bastille, are opening all kinds of doors with their debut LP, Bad Blood. ALASDAIR DUNCAN speaks with vocalist, Dan Smith. The past few months have been a flurry of activity for Bastille. The good-natured British indie band have seen their debut album, Bad Blood, released to great acclaim, and a million and one acoustic covers of their song, Flaws, hit YouTube. The strangest experience by far, though, has been a gig at The British Museum, where they played an acoustic version of their song, Pompeii. “They had an exhibition that apparently they’d been getting together for years, about Pompeii and Herculaneum,” singer, Dan Smith, explains. “Our single, Pompeii, had come out just as the exhibition was about to open, and out of the blue, I got a call from the museum asking if we’d come along and play. They felt like it was a wonderful coincidence, really serendipitous, and that we should mark the occasion somehow.” The chaps from Bastille were invited to come and see the exhibition before it opened to the public – an amazing experience, Smith says. “We felt very privileged to do that, and the exhibition was really fascinating, even if we were a bit nervous,” he tells me with a laugh. “The people who put the exhibition together really liked the song, and they were really keen to have us perform it there. They showed us to the reading room, which is a huge, cavernous space, and told us that we would be the first band ever to perform there. They really wanted it to happen, they were really excited, but I was a little bit reluctant, mainly
because the idea of performing in the British Museum was a bit scary and a bit overwhelming.” A museum is a place of hush and quiet and reverence, after all.“Our drummer Woody said that it felt wildly inappropriate for us to be there,” Smith explains, “but one of the women who was there setting up the exhibition heard him say that and she really liked it. She said that there’s a perception that history museums should be quiet and hushed, but actually the people of Pompeii were wild and inappropriate people, so it was totally right for us to be there.” Finally convinced, the band agreed to give it a shot. “We started the song, and the second I opened my mouth to sing, there was huge reverb all around the room,” Smith says. “It sounded massive and epic. I had been mildly dreading it, but it sounded so good that we all got comfortable really quickly.” In addition to a penchant for history, Smith is a life-long cinema buff. The first ever Bastille video was not, in fact, a video of the band at all – it was a collection of clips that Smith edited together from Terrence Malick’s classic 1973 film, Badlands. “We wanted a level of anonymity at the beginning,” he explains. “We wanted to put a song out without really having to put ourselves out there. We thought it would be interesting to re-edit the movie as a music video.” Similarly, as a struggling young band with no money to spend on clips, re-editing Malick’s film was a more attractive option. “We didn’t really anticipate that we’d get to the level where it would draw a lot of attention, and we’d eventually have to take it down,” Smith laughs. “It’s funny the number of people that thought I was Martin Sheen. There were a lot of people who were really annoyed at me for kicking the cow, which he does in the movie.”
Penn Badgley stars in Greetings from Tim Buckley
Springsteen & I
SPRINGSTEEN & I Who’s The Boss? Directed by Baillie Walsh Starring Fans and Bruce Springsteen Earlier this week Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band’s March tour of Australia was named as ‘Best International Contemporary Concert’ at the 2013 Helpmann Awards. Sadly (and a little infamously) the tour didn’t make it to Perth, but having made the trek for a Sydney show, it was an amazing spectacle. Not for bells and whistles, at all, but for the clear bond that was on display between artist and audience. Performing songs of struggle, redemption and celebration, Springsteen sings to a spirit than resides in a great many people. He also has a gracious understanding of the fact that he makes people feel good - he makes people feel special by embracing the every day, the regular guy and the normal girl. In Springsteen & I this is evoked best by a regular guy describing what his girlfriend told him after a Springsteen concert - ‘Sometimes he made me feel like I was the only person he was playing to. Just me’. The regular guy smiles. ‘I told her I knew just what she meant. I felt exactly the same way’. Based in format on Life In A Day - the award-winning crowd-sourced 2011 documentary - Springsteen & I herds together some 300 hours of fan-filmed video contributions from all over the world, 14
coupled together with some excellent live footage of Springsteen over the years, going right back to a black-and-white filmed acoustic version of Growin’ Up, circa 1974-75. There are many, many testimonials given to The Boss. Some describe him in just three words (it sounds simplistic but in abundance the words chosen give greater insight that you might think). Some folks are more articulate than others, but it is often the most awkward that are most revealing. One woman reveals that she used to hold up Springsteen’s photo to her baby son and say, ‘daddy’. A man driving behind the wheel of his car speaks of the insight he has received into the songwriter’s life (and perhaps his own) and promptly bursts into tears. He keeps driving. The camera keeps filming. An Elvis impersonator recalls (with attendant footage) about the night ‘The King Got To Sing With The Boss’. One English fellow talks of how he’s been dragged all around Europe (eight concerts) with his Boss-crazy wife and what a drag it’s been. However, to him, Bruce Springsteen means ‘love’ - for his dearly beloved. There’s some stalker-like moments but nothing too gross, all up Springsteen & I is equal parts poignant and funny. It’s certainly one for the fans, but if you’re obsessed by anything in life and see this one you certainly won’t be dancing in the dark. _ BOB GORDON
GREETINGS FROM TIM BUCKLEY Hallelujah Chorus
Directed by Daniel Algrant Starring Penn Badgley, Imogen Poots, Ben Rosenfield While he was most certainly on his way to a compelling musical career, Jeff Buckley’s tragic death by drowning in 1997 imbued him in mystery and mythology, a condition already set in motion by his ethereal songwriting and performance style and his thought-heavy disposition. In some ways it’s surprising that it’s taken this long for a feature film to be released about him, given the multitude of posthumous albums put out by Sony Music in the time since. Even so, numerous scripts have been making their way around Hollywood for some years - as they do for rock stars who pass well before their time - and this is no doubt only the first of a flood. Greetings from Tim Buckley tracks a younger, pre-fame Jeff Buckley, invited to perform at a tribute concert for his father, the also iconic and prematurely departed (in 1975) Tim Buckley. Up until this time Jeff was a bar-room singer and session guitarist, obscenely talented but yet to find his place in the scheme of things, especially given his infamous father, who left his mother, Mary Guibert, when he was as
small child and other than a singular visit paid scant regard to either of them up to his death. Jeff (Penn Badgley, Gossip Girl/Easy A/Margin Call)) accepts the invitation to perform and brings with it his distrust and disappointment of his father. The organisers and fellow performers, meanwhile, bring their memories of Tim to the show as well as their predictable comparisons about paternal resemblance, both physically and musically. Jeff, already quiet and brooding, is non-plussed and unsure of what is expected of him (and quite possibly what he expects himself). He befriends Allie (Imogen Poots, The Look Of Love), a production assistant for the concert who sees Jeff a little more as his own man than the assembled musical brethren perhaps allow themselves to. Romance seems to beckon, but there’s issues to see through and a concert to stage. It’s a sturdy film focussing on universal father/son issues, creative communion and boymeets-girl dynamics, though often in a within a pretty vague narrative. The absence of the young singer’s mother is possibly explained by her involvement in another working script, but it would seem accurate to say that Jeff Buckley was formed in many ways as much by his mother’s presence as by his father’s absence. As such, Jeff seems like a young stranger with little background. And while Badgley does well in performance moments - having undertaken both vocal and guitar tuition for the role - he does little to evoke Jeff Buckley as a character, in (speaking) voice or movement, so it becomes a little difficult to suspend one’s disbelief. Still, this event was pivotal in Jeff Buckley becoming widely known to the public and someone will no doubt make another film that continues this story, destined for that sad ending as it may be. _ BOB GORDON X-Press – First on the street, Wednesdays
www.xpressmag.com.au
15
MUSE
Laying Down The Law Muse return to WA for a huge show at Perth Arena on Saturday, November 30, supported by our own Birds Of Tokyo. LACHLAN KANONIUK reports.
Muse
16
Muse drummer, Dominic Howard, is “pretty good... chilled” as he enjoys some touring respite in the South of France. Last time we spoke, the Muse drummer was in the hungover nexus of the band’s Olympicsclosing performance and the imminent touring cycle of new album, The 2nd Law. Back then, he assured us that the all-conquering UK trio would touch down in Australia towards the end of 2013. And whaddaya know, they made good on their promise. The 2nd Law, Muse’s typically bombastic sixth studio LP, will have reached its first birthday by the time it arrives in the live setting on Australian shores, representing the measured touring approach
of one of the world’s biggest bands. “We’ve been touring, just really busy since the album came out in September,” Howard recalls. “We did a few special shows in smaller venues, then we hit the road in October with the bigger production. We’ve been all over Europe, the States, all over Asia, now we’re just coming towards the end of the European stadium tour, which is amazing. This summer’s been awesome, we’ve been outdoors in these football stadiums playing these huge shows – 60 to 70 thousand people, that type of vibe. But we’re coming towards the end of that, then loads more touring for the rest of the year, and next year.” The stadium-sized Australian tour is a far cry from their first visit to our land over a decade ago, where they plugged away at the entry-level echelon of relatively quaint pubs. As Howard explains, the band still manages to fit in more diminutive-sized performances along the way. “They’re great, really cool. Just recently we did one in Shepherds Bush as a charity gig for War Child. We haven’t really played a venue like that in a while, and it was great to get in there and play a theatre without any massive production, and floating pyramids. It was so great to be close to the fans. We came out of that gig thinking it would be great to do a whole lot more of that in the future, somehow. We might go for a few little special gigs next year. The band is actually going to be 20 years old next year, so we plan to do something special,” he forecasts. Over those two decades, Muse have built a most impressive canon of modern rock classics. Despite the lavish and involved production value of their live performance, they still manage to incorporate surprise cuts within the setlist. “Each album you do, the harder and harder it gets to do the setlist – you have more songs to choose from,” Howard states. “There are times when you think, ‘Really, we can’t play that tonight?’ We’ve been keeping it quite varied. We have a list of 10-12 songs we are constantly rotating that go in and out, but there are moments in the set that are very fixed – especially with the new songs. There are songs we have to play every night because certain things are happening in the show. But that’s cool, that’s the way we structure the show. It does involve a certain choreography with the production, with screens moving up and down. But we leave gaps where we can throw a few songs on that we haven’t played in a while. But that’s something we love doing, putting on a big show that incorporates all that choreography,” he pauses. “Not dance moves, obviously. ” At this stage, Muse have honed a touring schedule which affords that elusive work-life balance. It’s a factor which becomes a necessity eventually, according to Howard. “I’ve been taking it easy the past few weeks down here, drinking too much rosé wine and sitting in the sun. We tour a lot, but we don’t tour as intensely as we used to. When you do bigger shows, you can’t do so many back to back because it takes time to move all the gear around. So you end up with a slightly lighter schedule. “We’ve changed the way we tour. The guys have families, Chris (Wolstenholme) has six kids, Matt (Bellamy) has just had one, and that changes the way you feel about being away. We tend to tour for a few weeks, have a gap, then continue touring. That way of doing things takes the edge off a little bit and lets you stay on the road longer. A lot of bands die out because they go away from friends and family and loved ones for months at a time, then they come back and their life’s gone to shit,” (laughs). “Then you’ve got to split up – either with the girlfriend or the band.” Close to clocking up that 20 year mark, why is it that Muse are one of the very few to have maintained the same line-up from inception through to unimaginable success? “Shit, I dunno,” Howard answers. “It’s partly to do with the fact we’re schoolmates and we’ve known each other for so long. It’s partly to do with where we’ve came from as well. Teignmouth, Devon is a very small town and detached from the music scene, so we were left to our own devices. It’s not a place where anything can happen particularly quickly. I think we’ve just had this feeling like we’re a gang, we stick together, and we believe in the music. We want to take it as far as possible. That, and we are like, ‘What the bloody hell else are we going to do?’” he chuckles. “I can’t see us being in any other bands. We’ve become institutionalised within ourselves. We’ve definitely had ups and downs as a band, but we all know that it’s this or nothing. People in other bands probably don’t think like that – thinking, ‘Let’s do this for a bit, then fuck it, let’s split up, join another band, do a solo project’. For us, it’s either this or go back to Devon and become a painter and decorator, or clean out caravans, which is what we used to do before we signed as a band. “So this is it, our life is to keep Muse going. And we’re doing a pretty good job of it so far.” X-Press – First on the street, Wednesdays
ROGUE WAVE Nightingale Floors
MARK MOLDRE An Ear To The Earth
Vagrant
BOARDS OF CANADA Tomorrow’s Harvest Warp/Inertia
Boards of Canada came onto the electronic scene as a warmer, more accessible alternative to some of the more abrasive, experimental Warp artists. Their fourth album is unmistakable a Boards of Canada record, though the nostalgic feel of their debut has been further diminished, despite the continued reliance on warm, analogue sounds from the ‘70s. Where the choice of a human element was once a child gasping ‘Orange / Yeah, that’s right!’ the first human element on Tomorrow’s Harvest is a sinister vocoder voice counting over and over. Despite this being their least playful album, its pre-release marketing campaign was a light-hearted treasure hunt for music-lovers, with unmarked vinyl offering cryptic clues to Record Store Day shoppers, an introduction to single, Reach For The Dead, at a busy Tokyo intersection and a full playback in a desert’s abandoned leisure park. It was as if the Scottish duo were competing with Daft Punk in a ‘biggest tease’ competition, though the style of their campaigns were very different, as was the resulting music. (The introverted Tomorrow’s Harvest is worlds away from Daft Punk’s disco flash). The cute fanfare that opens Tomorrow’s Harvest is like a movie studio’s intro jingle for a film, which is apt considering the album’s cinematic feel. This is the end of the world, but not in a flashy, big-budget way. To capture the sobering environmental woes of our planet, Boards Of Canada mark out a subtle yet rewarding soundscape that is moody and submissive to its doomsday setting.
THE QUIREBOYS Beautiful Curse Off Yer Rocka Recordings
Laughing Outlaw Records
Zach Schwartz lost his job during the dot-com crash and turned to song early last decade. He quickly saw his demos turn into an official release and his solo project Rogue Wave become a full blown band. The heady days of that debut are a fair way behind Rogue Wave, as is their Subpop recording deal, but their fifth album Nightingale Floors is a return to form for the gentle pop act. Death is no stranger to Rogue Wave with former bass player, Evan Farrell, having passed away in an apartment fire, and this time around it is the passing of Schwartz’s father that is the backdrop for a good deal of Nightingale Floors. Acoustic guitars and Schwartz soft voice gives I Figured It Out, the feel of a Fountains Of Wayne ballad with a darker bent. There is some drone and drum machine on Siren Song to balance out the indie jangle, but it is the tune’s killer hook that sticks in the memory. The straight ahead melody of College is the obvious single as the second half of the album is a lot more muted affair. Nightingale Floors is no guarantee to be the most heard Rogue Wave album even if it is head and shoulders their most impressive collection of songs to date. _ CHRIS HAVERCROFT
With Mark Moldre having grown up learning an appreciation of his parents’ Bob Dylan, Neil Young and Roy Orbison records it was no wonder that he became the kind of confessional singer songwriter that is bred out of a man spending too much time with his guitar. The outwardly folk explorations of his previous releases have been pushed to the side as Moldre looks to change things up on An Ear The The Earth. Moldre has moonlighted in jazz quartets, played his share of psychedelic rock and has also dabbled in calypso music over the years, but never before have these styles seeped onto his recorded works. Nothing was taboo on An Ear To The Earth, where Moldre refused to draw on his own feelings or experiences for the subjects of the songs, preferring to get inspirations from newspapers, books, movies and other external sources. Any album that starts with a tuba sets the bat pretty high and Moldre’s late night tales for a dark room and a mulled drink hit the mark every time. I Don’t Know What Becomes Of Her is calypso tinged, if that island was a deserted one. An Ear To The Earth is a loose yet stylish romp through the lives of the lonesome as Moldre comes across as a younger and less wearied Tom Waits (with an Australian accent)
The Quireboys set the controls for the heart of The Stones on their seventh album. Spike’s rasping vocals have always reminded of an early Rod Stewart, and the band deliver with a Faces meets The Rolling Stones authenticity, augmented by the excellent production of Chris Tsangarides, who captures the lightning in the bottle and leaves just enough dirt under the fingernails to keep things gritty. Spike’s raw and melancholy delivery has always set The Quireboys apart from the glam bands they were often lumped in with, and nowhere is that more evident than on slower tracks Talk Of The Town and Mother Mary. The first, ostensibly a peacock-strut of a lyric, sees Spike sing with regret and a contemplation. The latter is a wonderful tear-jerker which everyone from Ian Hunter to Slash would be thrilled to have written. Despite all the Stonesy references shoehorned into Beautiful Curse, it’s testament to the chops of this under-appreciated band that they never sound any less than the band they’ve always been. Last word goes to the slinky, soulful closer I Died Laughin’. Whereas a song seemingly this simple could be ham-fisted into blandness or parody by a lesser band, The Quireboys know just how to do it right, rendering it a spirited romp into ‘fuck you’ territory at the pointy end of a relationship. This is rock n’ roll.
_ CHRIS HAVERCROFT
_ SHANE PINNEGAR
_ CHRIS GIRDLER
TYLA J PALLAS The Devil’s Supper Cargo Records
Tyla, The Bulletproof Poet of cult favourites Dogs D’Amour, is back with his 20-somethingth solo album and it’s one of his best in years. As upbeat as this wry and battered old poet ever gets, The Devil’s Supper will likely strike a chord with fans of the old Dogs, as the man’s wit and weariness balance especially well in this collection of songs about love in all its joy, mystery and heartbreaking sadness. An artist in the true sense of the word, there’s no ‘party all night’ banality here – through 15 rocking blues tracks we’re invited into the sometimes dark (but ever hopeful) heart of a man who has lived hard n’ fast and emerged older, wearier and wiser. Keys, strings, horns and even a squeezebox provide extra depth to songs equally heart-warming and heart-wrenching. Green Eyed Girl’s trumpets lend a mariachi feel, The Meaning Of Fortune And Fame’s riff recalls Gimme Shelter and Yeah (I Love You Baby) is a boisterous shuffle about a wicked woman – just a few of the high points herein. The Devil’s Supper sees Tyla embracing his own past and that of his music, delivering beautiful poetry (‘if you stand up strong and shout out loud/somebody may hear you in the maddening crowd/and that someone is all you’ll ever need’ - That Someone) and music to touch the soul, culminating in the evocative Ode To Jackie Leven, celebrating the Scottish folk muso, which provides a side to Tyla most won’t have seen before. _ SHANE PINNEGAR
FAT FREDDY’S DROP Blackbird The Drop Ltd
Back in the day, Fat Freddy’s Drop were but a support act for the likes of New Zealand music royalty Salmonella Dub. Today, having survived where said band has perished, the fellow Kiwis have flourished on local and international soil. Planted a seed, in fact, and watched their tree grow and grow. Now an undeniable force in the dub scene, hundreds upon hundreds of live shows have amassed a huge fan base and, incredibly, this latest album is only their third full-length release. Blackbird was recorded in FFD’s own studio in New Zealand and, according to the band, directly resonates its environment. By the sound of the album opener and title track, this place is one mighty funky chill pad for the ska, reggae and, of course, dub inclined. And what an entrance to Blackbird – at almost 10 minutes, it makes up for one-sixth of the whole album. In fact, none of the songs on Blackbird seem to be over too quickly – just like the band, they linger and leak and lull through each beat with deliberation and purpose. Clean The House, three tracks into the album, welcomes frontman Joe Dukie’s butter-wouldn’t-melt vocals back to where they belong, continuing in the sensual groove of Bones… we certainly ‘can’t get enough of those bones’. Lead single, Silver And Gold, is obviously a stand-out track and, while it’s a bit anti-cool to brandish, as the album’s best track it does have a hellishly catchy chorus. Crouching in the more electroinfluenced corner of the Fat Freddy’s room, Never Moving pulses with scattered energy as it broaches trance, psychedelic and deep house. Blackbird is a fine example of what Fat Freddy’s Drop do, but it’s not a pinch on what they’re really capable of. _ JEN WILSON www.xpressmag.com.au
17
Pondering what to do next month? What’s On, this issue, checks out what’s up over the coming weeks. Cast your eye on the month of August...
FAUX PAS
The first exhibition at Perth’s newest art space, La Petite Galerie, opens this Thursday, August 1, with an exhibition by former X-Press Magazine Art Director, Steven Maske. Friend Or Faux is a series of graphic images inspired by the now-ubiquitous QR codes. Maske usually works in oils and canvas, but the works here are hand-crafted glass tiles and screen prints commenting on modern modes of communication and the intersection of the virtual and the physical. Go to lapetitegallerie.com.au and stevemakse.com for more details.
SHIFT THEM SHAPES
Ranked as New Zealand’s #1 live electronic act for their fifth LP, Delta, Shapeshifter are soon hitting our shores, welcoming some of the best local electronic talent to join them. On home ground, Perth born and bred brothers Ekko and Sidetrack, aka Jeff and Jono Hansen, will back up the electronic soul outfit on stage at Metro City, on Saturday, August 17. Tickets are on sale now from Oztix.
Shapeshifter
INK TANK
Friend Or Faux, Skull by Steven Maske
ISRAEL LIGHTS
A co-presentation of the Australian Israel Cultural Exchange and Luna Palace Cinemas, the 10th Anniversary Israel Film Festival runs at Cinema Paradiso from August 21-28. The program encompasses a wide range of genres, topics and cinematic forms, including opening night film The Ballad Of Weeping Spring, Zaytoun, The Gatekeepers, Out Of The Dark and Good Garbage. Head to lunapalace.com.au for session times and tickets.
As part of its new exhibition Anarchy, Rock & Ink, Fremantle Arts Centre presents a series of three intimate Thursday-night gigs in the coming month, kicking off on Thursday, August 15. First out are 2011 WAM Song of the Year winner Timothy Nelson and 2010 WAMI Guitarist of the Year Luke Dux, followed in Timothy Nelson, ensuing weeks by other Anarchy, Rock & Ink WA leading songwriters, Photo: Michael Wylie Brendon Humphries, Todd Pickett, David Craft and Hayley Beth. The exhibition itself, runs until September 15 and celebrates political, rock and art printmaking, featuring masterpieces from New York collective Black Cat, St Kilda design studio Beyond The Pale and WA’s own Rachel Salmon-Lomas. More details and full event line-up at fac.org.au.
Out Of The Dark, 10th Anniversary Israel Film Festival Sugar Army
STANLEY WORLD TRAVEL
Perth’s five-piece of power pop, The Stanleys, have just finished up their massive The Kid’s Gonna Rock tour of the US, Europe and China, travelling around 35,000 miles to play 21 awesome shows in 23 days. Now they’re home, you can give ‘em a big hug on Thursday, August 8, at the Mustang Bar and Friday, August 8, at Beat Nightclub.
GET ON BOARD
This year’s Radiothon Opening Party will kick off RTRFM’s annual pledge drive with a massive Northbridge-wide music celebration across five venues on Saturday, August 17. The Bakery, The Bird, Ya Ya’s, PICA Bar and The Beat Nightclub will open from 8pm with 24 of our best local outfits including Emperors, Sugar Army, Runner, Dianas, Mezzanine and NAIK. Tickets are available from rtrfm.com.au. Lock it in.
SHRINE ON
Set above the rocky headlands of the South Coast of Western Australia, between a forest and the sea is Shine, the third play by The Stanleys Tim Winton about the iconic Western Australian landscape and its inhabitants. I t ’s w i n e c o u n t r y, a n d a privileged young man, Jack, has been killed Nor thern Blues N’ Shrine driving friends back Roots WA are hosting to Perth from his parents’ beach house. He leaves in another night of his wake a wreck of a father, a shadow of a mother, fine music at The and the promise of a love affair that never quite Northshore Tavern, happened. A year later, Jack’s father Adam meets Hillarys. This Thursday, the small town girl, June, who shared a strange and August 1, Paul Daly life changing night with Jack hours before he died. & The Heavy Hitters Domestic heartbreak transcends into mythology in will be headlining a landscape inhabited by ghosts. with support from Dilip n The Drew Shrine is on at the Black Swan Theatre Fr e o d u o, D i l i p n The Drew and On The Level. Entry is $10 and Company from August 31-September 15, as part of tables can be booked for dinner via bookings@ the 2013 City of Perth Winter Arts Season. For more, head to bsstc.com.au. thenorthshoretavern.com.au.
HEAVY HITTING BLUES
18
X-Press – First on the street, Wednesdays
A PREVIEW of EVERYTHING HAPPENING IN THE PERTH SCENE this August ADVERTISE: ADVERTISING@XPRESSMAG.COM.AU
FULL MOON FEVER
The Full Moon Party series is back with the best party DJs in Australia at the Newport Hotel. Be sure to catch the Purple Sneakers DJs on Wednesday, August 21. The Full Moon crew are giving one lucky winner the chance to win the Ultimate Prize Pack at our Full Moon Launch. All you have to do is post your favourite Party Tune Video on the Facebook event wall by Monday, August 5, and get your friends to like it. The video with the most likes by 4pm, Tuesday, August 20, will win a prize pack that includes: a meet and greet with Purple Sneakers DJs; $100 Bar Card for the event; a Pioneer DJ controller (worth $400); a case of Red Bull and a Newport shirt/cap. Plus, if you check in and take a photo with the Newport app, at every one of the Full Moon Events until December you’ll go into the draw to win a trip for two to Thailand.
Purple Sneakers DJs, Newport Full Moon Party
PUB GRUB MY PLACE IS YOURS
My Place Bar & Restaurant is really just like home. Located in the heart of Perth, My Place Bar and Restaurant is open seven days a week offering an extensive menu of Modern Australian cuisine, using only the freshest, locally sourced produce. The menu includes a range of vegetarian, gluten free, and halal options and is guaranteed to satisfy all tastebuds (a children’s menu is also available) and a full range of local and imported beers (available on tap and bottled), Western Australian wines, spirits and tasty cocktails are available. Whether you are looking for a venue for a social drink with friends, a nice meal out in the city or a corporate sun downer, My Place has something to offer you.
HEY BREW!
Hey Brew 2, the latest in a series that became world famous in Fremantle…. since ages ago! Celebrate the best that New Zealand has to offer, with a Kiwi Beer Guest Tap Take Over at the Sail & Anchor. They’ll be offering some of the best NZ beers around, as well as Kiwi-inspired food specials, and Live Four Nations Rugby all month long! It all kicks off with the Hey Brew 2 launch party on Saturday, August 17, live music all day long, with the Manawa Mai Tawhiti Maori Cultural Group performing just before the All Blacks vs Australia match at 6pm, followed by the sweet sounds of Howie Morgan ‘til late. There’ll be spot prizes for the best dressed Kiwi and maybe even a meat pack up for grabs if you’re really lucky.
My Place Bar and Restaurant
BEEN COURT VIBIN’
There’s food and drink specials all week long at The Court. Enjoy their home made pizzas every Monday and Tuesday night for only $10. On Wicked Wednesdays they serve up cheap beers and cocktails plus $6 pizzas from 6pm. On Thursdays play their free quiz night and enjoy a seafood platter for two for only $39. Top off your week on Sunday with a $20 jug and pizza deal!
The Court
Sail & Anchor, Hey Brew 2
A GREAT CAUSEWAY
The Causeway is a warehouse venue playing old school hip hop to triple j indie. It’s a house party vibe with a no turbo policy. Easy to party, dance and drink inside a venue that’s littered with New York inspired artwork. Thursday night hosts Xport Thursdays. Emu Export drink specials and $4.95 large pizza with live acoustic sets by some of Australia’s finest artists. There’s free buses to the city every Friday and Saturday, with only a $5 entry fee after 9pm. Before then enjoy free entry with live acoustic music from 5-9pm every Thursday-Saturday.
ULTIMATE DUDE FOOD CHALLENGE
Reckon you’ve got quite the appetite? Then The Publican’s Ultimate Dude Food Challenge could be for you. ‘All’ you do is eat one large Publican burger, chicken wings, chips, coleslaw and a pint of beer - in 30 minutes. If you finish it you get it for free and your photo on the wall of fame. If you fail the challenge you pay $40 and get your photo on the wall of shame! It ’s strictly six contestants per session, every Sunday at the Publican happy hour between 2–5pm. Registration at 2.30pm, challenge star ts at 3.30pm. The Publican is found at 774 Albany Hwy, East Victoria Park. The Publican, Ultimate Phone: (08) 9470 5818. Dude Food Challenge
ACROSS THE UNIVERSE? The Causeway
LOVELY BURNLEIGH
Located in the heart of leafy Nedlands, The Byrneleigh strikes the perfect balance between relaxed bar and contemporary restaurant. Ideal for long lunches or an afternoon drink that eases into dinner, this hotel offer the relaxed fell of a quality local pub. Bursting with personality an style, The Byrneleigh offers Fox Sport on numerous big screens inside an out, plus trivia night every Tuesday and a great selection of $20 dining specials to keep everyone happy. Check thebyrneleigh.com.au for full details.
The Burnleigh www.xpressmag.com.au
The Universal Bar has long been a destination for those who have good taste. Since 1993, Universal has been known for its professionally run functions, decadent cocktails, great drinks and food, and the best customer service in town. Recently Universal Bar has introduced amazing daily specials running Wednesday to Sunday and combined with the new addition of tap beer for the first time in 20 years, there has never been a better excuse to come and visit one of Perth’s iconic venues. For all of you party people the Universal Bar 20th Birthday happens this Saturday, August 3. Doors open at 5pm to celebrate 20 years of good times in Northbridge.
Universal Bar 19
20
X-Press – First on the street, Wednesdays
though, Wright, along with co-writer and star, Simon Pegg, have turned the notion on its ear. “I think in this one we make nostalgia the villain of the piece,” he muses. “What we wanted to do was deal with this subject and give it a sense of finality. The way that the movie wraps up gives it a very full stop.” The World’s End sees Pegg’s ageing high school hero, Gary King, reunite with four of his best friends to re-enact a fateful pub crawl that they failed to complete back in the day. The wheels come off Over the course of two films - Shaun Of the Dead and when they discover that their old home town has Hot Fuzz- and two seasons of the cult Britcom, Spaced, been invaded by robots (it’s an Edgar Wright film - you Edgar Wright and company have championed the have to expect these things) but, for Wright, the true man-child, making unlikely heroes out of grown men antagonist is King’s inability to let go of his youth. “We always liked that theme,” he says.“And who still wax lyrical about Star Wars, zombie movies, ‘80s action flicks and Nintendo. In their latest outing, it’s something that goes right back to Spaced. We had
The last instalment of the Three Colours: Cornetto Trilogy reunites onscreen sparring partners Simon Pegg and Nick Frost with their frequent behind-the-scenes collaborator, director and co-writer Edgar Wright.
www.xpressmag.com.au
this idea of, like, how long can you be an adolescent before you have to start being a professional or a grown up? In this one it’s like the adolescence is the villain. You’ve got five friends, four of whom are adults and one of whom desperately wants to be a teenager again, and unfortunately his wish comes true in the worst way possible.” Part of the fun in making the film was getting Pegg to reconnect with his own youthful obsessions. Did you know the likable star of Paul and Star Trek, in common with his World’s End character, went through a Goth phase? “Oh yes,” Wright laughs. “He used to be into The Mission and Sisters of Mercy and Fields of the Nephilim, so it seemed like a great idea. Simon always had this idea that... you know how sometimes when American soldiers commit suicide, they put their military uniform on before they do it?
So it’s almost like he’s gonna put on his drinking outfit from 1990 before he goes on this mission to hell.” One of the most difficult challenges they faced right from the get-go was getting the tone of Gary right, balancing his self-destructive and untrustworthy qualities with an essential likeableness at his core. “In this one, Simon was very keen to do something different and we felt it was a nice antihero role for him. We like finding characters who are unlikely heroes and almost the whole theme of The World’s End is that our flaws are what make us human. Do the mistakes make the man, you know? In that sense we needed to conjure up this almost wraithlike car crash of a man who’s going to be your very irresponsible King Arthur at the centre of the quest.” _ TRAVIS JOHNSON
21
IRIS IN FREMANTLE FOLLIES
The 2013 Fremantle Festival runs from October 27 - November 10, and potential performers are fast running out of time to throw their hat into the proverbial ring. If you want to be a part of Australia’s oldest festival, whether by putting on an event or performance, or participating in Wardarnji, The Children’s Fiesta, The Street Parade or Black Box Theatre, you’ve only got until Friday, August 16 to register your interest. Head on over to fremantle. wa.gov.au for more details
The results are in for the 2013 Iris Awards, which recognise outstanding achievement in the field of photographic portraiture. Maria Cecilia Sauri received the Judges Commendation Award for Juana, Joshua Rampling took home the Student Award for his rustic untitled piece, while The Iris Award itself went to Jackson Eaton for Melfies. The 2013 Iris Exhibition continues at the Perth Centre For Photography until August 18. Go to pcp.org.au for more.
SCHOLARLY PURSUITS
Friends of the Art Galley of Western Australia are proud to present History, Tales And Arts Of The Middle Eastern Empires, a continuation of The ASA International Scholars Series. Doctor Iain Shearer will present two lectures: Glories Of The Great Kings: The Achaemenid Adventure In Iran, on Wednesday, august 7; and Artists, Astronomers And Conquerors: The Timurid Legacy In Uzbekistan on Thursday, August 8. Both lectures take place at the Central Institute of Technology and promise to provide some fascinating insights into the medieval period of the Middle East. For information and bookings, go to artfriends.com.au
Tweed Run - Fremantle Festival 2013
MOMENTARY LAPSE OF REASON
Brief Moments Of Sanity, a joint exhibition by Renata Wright and Harry Davies, runs at Joondalup’s Blend(er) Gallery from September 15 - 28. The show includes 50 paintings from both artists, as well as music designed to interpret some of the pieces, and will be officially opened by noted artists Carl Altman. go to theblender.org.au for more info.
HOUSE PARTY HORRORS
Sorority House Of The Dead, the latest stage play by Dark Psychic Productions, has its Australian premiere at Hamilton Hill’s Phoenix Theatre from August 29 September 7. A loving paean to the horror flicks of the ‘80s, director Ryan S. McNally promises us plenty of blood, shocks and black humour. The cast includes Kathleen Uhlmann, Kate Lloyd, Jessica Lowes, Jayde Clark, Leah Fitzgerald and Macauley Bremner. As a nice touch, all monies from program sales and donations go to the Haemophilia Foundation of WA. Tickets are available through TAZTix.com.au.
TO THE WHITE SEA
The current cultural penchant for reworking old fairy tales to mature effect has had its hits and misses, but this new take on Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid should prove to be interesting. The Blue Room Theatre and Houston Sinclair have filtered the old story of love, longing and sacrifice through a contemporary lens. Director Ian Sinclair is joined by performers Georgia King, Jacinta Larcombe and Ben Gill. the season runs from August 20 - September 7. Blueroom,org.au is your destination for bookings and session times.
Sorority House Of The Dead
The Way, Way Back
NAT FAXON AND JIM RASH The Boys Of Summer
Having picked up the 2012 Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar for co-writing The Descendents with director Alexander Payne, long-time friends Nat Faxon and Jim Rash decided to try their hands at helming their own film. The Way, Way Back is the result. The opening scene of The Way, Way Back is a painful and awkward one, wherein the obnoxious Trent (Steve Carell), having asked young Duncan (Liam James) how he rates himself on a scale of one to 10, tells him that he’s actually a three. “That actual conversation, unfortunately, came from my life,” Rash, perhaps better known as Dean Pelton from the cult comedy series, Community, tells us. “I was 14 at the time, and my friend Duncan was in a station wagon headed to our summer destination, and we’d just got that conversation. So we kind of knew that we wanted that to be the first scene of the movie.” That’s not the only autobiographical element present in the film, although both Rash and Faxon assure us that the film is not any kind of memoir. Still, a lot of their childhood experiences did find their way into the work. “Nat and I grew up on the east coast of the States,” Rash continues. “And we both had these sort of vacations where people would go to the same destination year after year, so we had all those little elements that contributed to it.” Not just content with writing and directing
the film, both Faxon and Rash have doubled down by appearing in small but significant supporting roles in the production, something that Faxon admits may have been a bit too much to bite off. “Yeah, it was certainly a challenge and one that we had never done before, and so obviously there is a certainly breaking in period and, really, you can only learn by doing. We had lots of conversations with fellow friends who are directors and tried to gain as much advice as we could from them, but you really can’t totally prepare yourself for the stress and the responsibility that’s stood upon you. We just tried to drown ourselves, not only with a incredible talented cast, who we had long admired and respected, but were also good people and understand that making that small movie on a small time frame on a small budget is a collaborative effort.” Rash is particularly effusive in his praise of Steve Carell, who was one of the first actors considered for the ensemble piece. Indeed, Rash credits Carell with elevating the character of Trent above the usual run of the mill antagonistic authority figure. “The thing that was key about casting and why Steve came in mind so fast was that Steve has this ability to find something sympathetic in any part, and that was sort of pivotal to have as part of Trent’s character in a sense. You know, to make him... not just to demonise him but rather to sort of to understand him as this fully realised complicated tragic male character. think, you know, what’s going to be surprising to people with Steve Carell is it’s just so wonderful that he embraced it and that he jumped right into it.” _ TRAVIS JOHNSON
The World’s End
THE WORLD’S END Bitters End
Directed by Edgar Wright Starring Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Martin Freeman, Paddy Considine, Eddie Marsan, Rosamund Pike, Pierce Brosnan The thematic arc that began all the way back in the brilliant British TV series, Spaced, comes to a hilarious and trenchant conclusion in this, the third part of the so-called Three Colours: Cornetto Trilogy (the other two being Shaun Of The Dead and Hot Fuzz but, of course, you already knew that). This time we’re riffing on sci-fi fare like Invasion Of The Bodysnatchers and Village Of The Damned, as ageing ne’er-do-well Gary King (Simon Pegg with slicked back hair and a Sisters Of Mercy tattoo), still hung up on a high school pub crawl that he and his mates failed to complete, gets the old gang back together to give it another crack. For Gary, it’s a chance to recapture the glory of youth; for Andrew (Nick Frost), Oliver (Martin Freeman), Peter (Eddie Marsan) and Steven (Paddy Considine), it’s a grudging obligation to an old friend that, frankly, they’d rather not have set eyes on again. Yes, this time around Wright and company are looking at the dark underbelly of nostalgia. Whereas their previous work has elevated the overgrown manchild to a level of heroism, in The World’s End Gary is a pathetic figure, possessed of a kind of superficial charisma, but otherwise a complete failure of a human being. The willingness to acknowledge the essential dysfunction that often accompanies the desire to relive the past gives the film some much-needed pathos. 22
Of course, if that’s a little too heavy for you, there’s an army of Stepford Wives-style androids in dire need of murderising in hectic and hilarious fashion. The feelings of alienation Gary and friends are accosted by are not solely due to their bittersweet return to their old stomping grounds; the citizens of our heroes’ home town, Newton Haven, have largely been replaced by malevolent, unfeeling robots, and the gang, along with Oliver’s sister, Sam (Rosamund Pike), must fight their way to the last pub on the crawl, the eponymous The World’s End. The action is fast and frenetic - it’d be interesting to see Wright tackle a pure action film one day - and the jokes come thick and fast. The cast are across-the-board-great, but top marks go to regular collaborator Nick Frost, who gets to start out as the straight man before alcohol and necessity transform him into a deadpan, brawling bruiser. What has always set Wright’s work apart is his ability to marry geek cultural conceits with universal humour and genuine emotion. His use of pop culture trappings has always been precisely on the money - witness the soundtrack here, which encompasses such ‘90s British mainstays as Primal Scream and Happy Mondays, and goes so far as to include The Housemartins - but that’s never been his primary concern. Boil them down to the basics and all Wright’s efforts are about relationships, both platonic and romantic, and the way they change. The World’s End is no exception, and if you dug his earlier offerings, there’s little chance you won’t enjoy the hell out of this, too. _ TRAVIS JOHNSON
The Way, Way Back
THE WAY, WAY BACK Summertime Blues
Directed by Nat Faxon and Jim Rash Starring Liam James, Sam Rockwell, Steve Carrell, Toni Collette, Allison Janney, Rob Corddry, Amanda Peet, Maya Rudolph Not much fresh earth is turned in the is coming of age comedy/drama from writers and debut directors Nat Faxon and Jim Rash, who scored an Oscar for their screenplay to The Descendents a while back, but that doesn’t mean it’s not worth your attention. Our pubescent hero is Duncan (Liam James) roped into accompanying his mother (Toni Collette) on a beachside vacation with her boyfriend (Steve Carrell, bringing his ‘jerk’ persona out to play again) and his daughter (Zoe Levin). For the introverted Duncan, still an emotional mess from his parents’ divorce, it’s a nightmare scenario, but he finds unexpected solace at Water Wizz, a rundown amusement park, where he is taken under the wing of happy-go-lucky manchild Owen, (Sam Rockwell, great as ever). In fairly familiar fashion, lessons are learned, courage is mustered, bullies are stood up to, and familial bonds are strengthened. You’ve seen this story before - probably more than once - but you haven’t seen it told quite this way. The Way, Way Back gets by largely on self-deprecating charm and a nice line in witty repartee. Every character is broken in some manner, and the thesis seems to be that healing isn’t as
important as learning to be comfortable with your damage. Duncan gets his share of victories over the course of the film, but as a result of accepting his shortcomings rather than overcoming then, which is not a lesson than mainstream culture tends to peddle too often. The cast is great, bordering on flawless. Rockwell gets the showiest part, all bluster and goofy charisma, and the longer he continues to simmer just below superstardom boiling point the more inexplicable his second string status becomes, but the entire ensemble does excellent work here. Amanda Peet and Rob Corddry have fun but still find pathos as Joan and Kip, an ageing hedonistic couple, while The West Wing veteran Allison Janney turns up the volume but has a lot of fun as the alcoholic, gleefully inappropriate Betty. Faxon and Rash themselves both turn up in supporting roles as Water Wizz staff, meaning they’re pulling triple duty - quite a challenge for neophyte filmmakers. And this does feel like a first film enjoyable without being too ambitious. There are no surprises in the narrative, and a canny viewer will see every story beat coming from a mile away, but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing of worth to be found here. The Way, Way Back is a warm, sweet film, nostalgic without being sappy and emotional without being gauche. The themes it deals with are universal, and it’s kind of hard to tackle those with any real originality; instead of complaining, just relax into this beachside break - you’ll have a much better time of it. _ TRAVIS JOHNSON X-Press – First on the street, Wednesdays
100 Bloody Acres
100 BLOODY ACRES Living And Working On The Land
Directed by Colin Cairnes and Cameron Cairnes Starring Damon Herriman, Angus Sampson, Anna McGahan, Jamie Kristian, Oliver Ackland, John Jarratt Our peculiarly Australian brand of hillbilly horror, still best exemplified by Wolf Creek, gets another airing courtesy of sibling filmmakers Colin and Cameron Cairnes, who make their feature debut with this assured splatter flick. The basic narrative framework - hapless, reckless young folk encounter rapacious rednecks; slaughter ensues - is as hoary as they come, but things are immediately made much more interesting by placing our sympathies with one of the killers, namely Reg Morgan (Damon Herriman, an Australian actor ironically most familiar from the American series, Justified). Reg and his brother, Lindsay (Angus Sampson) run an organic fertiliser business, and if you can’t figure out what their secret ingredient is, you may need to bone up on your genre tropes. Trouble visits the happy, hardworking Aussie battlers when a trio of largely unlikeable backpackers bum a ride from Reg. By all rights, they should be going straight into the grinder, but Reg has taken a shine to one of them, the rather attractive Sophie (Anna McGahan).
Sympathising with the murderer in a horror movie is no new thing - we’re all on Ja son’s side, yeah? - but the Cairnes brothers try to have it both ways. A lot of time is spent on the attempts of Sophie and her fellow travellers, boyfriend James (Oliver Ackland) and secret lover, Wes (Jamie Kristian), to escape, and they’re clearly being positioned as somewhat sympathetic, but the problem is that they’re pretty horrible people. It’s hard to feel much for these three, selfish and self absorbed as they are, and you quickly find yourself hoping that Reg and Lindsay will patch up their differences and get back to making the best damn fertiliser in the shire. Sure, Lindsay’s a menacing psychopath with a sweet beard who constantly refers to Reg as ‘fuckarse,’ but he’s streets ahead of the narcissistic triumvirate they’ve got trussed up in the shed. It goes without saying that there are lashings of blood and plentiful bodily mutilations, which will please horror hounds, as will a brief cameo by everyone’s favourite Aussie backpacker butcher, Mick Taylor himself, John Jarratt. On a practical level, the Cairnes brothers show themselves to be astute, efficient filmmakers, with an almost classical sense of pacing and suspense, coupled with an understanding of composition that wisely eschews the current handheld/found footage penchant. 100 Bloody Acres is solid without being exceptional, and that’s no capital crime - not every film needs to push to envelope or redefine genres. It’s a brisk, brutal, blackly funny horror flick, and that’s good enough. _ TRAVIS JOHNSON
See yourself? Tag yourself! Head to our Facebook
EMPIRE Crown Entertainment Complex Saturday, July 27, 2013 Once again, the Spiegeltent was packed to capacity for a senses-shattering night of entertainment by one of the finest circus and cabaret troupes to ever visit Perth. Out photographer was on the ground to capture the delight of some of the luck punters. Photos by Emma Mackenzie
Beth, Darren
Rob, Kayleyn
Shannon, Britney, Bianca, Moon Dog, Kendal, Karen
The Lime Green Lady, Sue-Jean, Sue-zann
Troy, Margaret
www.xpressmag.com.au
23
Love with An Accent - The Russian Resurrection Film Festival
2013 RUSSIAN RESURRECTION FILM FESTIVAL Moscow to the Movies
The 2013 Russian Resurrection Film Festival will be held from August 1 - 11 at Cinema Paradiso, Northbridge. For screening info and tickets go to lunapalace.com.au. Celebrating a decade of bringing the latest and greatest Russian cinema to Australian shores, the Russian Resurrection Film Festival returns to Perth this August with a veritable nesting doll of Eurasian cinematic delights which are dwarfed in their breadth and variety only by the continent
itself. With genres and styles ranging from romantic comedy to animation and even Russia’s first disaster film, the festival promises 10 days of extraordinary films with that distinct Russian flavour. The opening night film, SoulLess, centres on Max, the manager at a large international bank who, with his expensive tastes and glittering social life, is a shining example of the ‘new Russia.’ However, his hedonistic lifestyle comes to a crashing halt when he meets a group of young activists who open Max’s eyes to the hollowness of his life and take him on a journey of self-realisation. Directed by Roman Prigunov, SoulLess looks to be an insightful analysis of Russian society and youth culture in the 21st century. The Snow Queen is a beautifully rendered computer animated film which follows the titular character as she decides to destroy all art and
blanket the globe in ice. The only person standing in her way, according to her magic mirror, is glassmaker Vegard, whose own mirrors have the power to reflect people’s souls. When Vegard and his wife are blown away by an icy polar wind the Snow Queen’s prayers are answered, but it is years later when Vegard’s son Kai comes of age that it appears the mirror’s prophecy may become fulfilled. This fairy tale will definitely be a hit with families, and at only 76 minutes long, it certainly will not overstay its welcome. Love with an Accent is a portmanteau film, with disparate characters appearing across a variety of storylines, but there is a connectedness between these elements which promises an ironic comedy about true love which knows no bounds. Among the characters portrayed in the film there is a Lithuanian woman who travels to the country
of Georgia upon hearing tales of the fertility of Georgian men; a Russian man who travels to the wilds of the Caucasus to meet his fiancé’s crazy family; and a celebrity couple on the verge of divorce who rekindle their relationship on a trip through the Georgian mountains. A co-production between Russia and Georgia , this film proves cinema’s ability to cross not only cultural but political divides. Metro is Russia’s first disaster movie, and depicts the outcome of a crack in the earth which forms between two metro stations. Water from the Moscow River floods the tunnel which not only spells doom for hundreds of train passengers caught in the raging torrent, but threatens the foundation of Moscow itself. This taut and exciting thriller looks to be somewhat of a Russian Poseidon Adventure and it will be exciting to see familiar genre tropes in an Eastern European context. The documentary Anton’s Right Here promises to be a hard watch, but undoubtedly a must-see. Anton has autism and lives in squalor on the outskirts of the city. When Anton is set to become a patient at a neuropsychiatric institution, which can prove fatal for children in his condition, director Lyubov Arkus begins to blur the lines of observational documentary as she and her cameraman become increasingly involved with the events on screen. The film asks important questions not only about the state on mental health in Russia but also the role of documentarians in the lives of their subjects. Screening at the festival this year is not only the 1971 Soviet comedy classic Gentlemen of Fortune but also its 2012 remake. Both films follow the exploits of a mild mannered teacher who, being a lookalike for a notorious Russian criminal, is thrown into the deep end of international intrigue and must discover the whereabouts of a stolen treasure. Needless to say, hijinks will ensue in this fish out of water comedy. As both original and remake are screening within days of each other, this is a unique opportunity to see how the same film is represented during both the Soviet and post-Soviet era. Since the fall of the Soviet Union, Russia has seen many turbulent times in its most recent history, and when such significant changes occur in a country they can always be seen reflected in its national cinema. The 2013 Russian Resurrection Film Festival delivers many films seem to do just that; attempt to engage with the current cultural landscape of Russia and also use the power of cinema to transcend any social or political obstacles that the country may be facing at the present time. That is what great cinema does it seeks out connections across all boundaries, and as history proves the Russians make some pretty great cinema. _ LIAM DUNN
AURELIO VOLTAIRE Renaissance Man
Multidisciplinarian Aurelio Voltaire has been many things in the course of his life, but it’s as a musician that he makes his first visit to Perth as part of his The Plunder Down Under Tour. We check in with the midnight troubadour.
Braden la Marr, The Enkor Project
THE ENKOR PROJECT Clothes Maketh The Man
The Enkor Project (locally known as EP), clothing designer Braeden la Marr’s new label, launches here in Perth on August 5 at the Ezra Pound. So what exactly is the philosophy behind it? “Our mission is to bring a quality streetwear style that fits to a person," la Marr says. "A lot of the time you’ll find a large shirt that’s a little too tight, and the extra large is wider but the same length, which isn’t what you want. Pants come in multiple sizes, so why not have a Tall Skinny Men's size, a Short Wide and so on? It’s predominantly a streetwear label, but I also want to do slow-wear. Slow-wear is a new trend that is emerging from streetwear that isn’t as... fast? It’s not a casual look or a tuxedo, it’s a middle ground. Well thought out, matching, stylish clothes that’s a step above the regular. But the main hub of the business is the streetwear.” La Marr’s art career began in his teenage years, sketching icons and logos and teaching himself to use Adobe Photoshop to restore damaged photographs. Designs came naturally to him later during his Diploma in Visual Art at Central TAFE, where he studied traditional oil painting on canvas. Content took precedence over context.“A lot of the art community is really into context - why you did something rather than what it is. That approach 24
is good, but I cut down on the traditional arts and moved into the design side of things. Braeden is young to be starting in fashion, only 21, but says he has to start somewhere. “The process itself was very natural, I was sort of thrown into it.” So what direction is the label going in? “So many t-shirt labels in Perth have come and gone in the last couple of years, but our main mission is to be high in design and streetwear quality and design our own garments. Tailored to the everyman, if that makes sense.” And what does the future hold? “I’m also moving into fabrication, making tools like bar blades, cutthroat razors, drinks jiggers, moleskinestyle notebooks - I’m a barman, my craft is slinging drinks - but each person is an artist in their own right. Every craftsman has that one handy tool, whatever you keep on you all the time, we want to manufacture. It’s the same philosophy we have with our clothes - we want to tailor to the everyman.” With the rise in cheap t-shirt brands and shirt-only stores popping up these days, it remains to be seen whether Enkor can make their mark in Perth and abroad. But the label has a fire under it to provide quality, which definitely sets it apart from the bigger boys. Tickets to the August 5 Enkor Project Launch Event, which features performances from K-La and Klean Kicks, are available over the bar at Ezra Pound. _ SHAUN FRENEY
Aurelio Voltaire’s most well known album is called Riding A Black Unicorn Down The Side Of An Erupting Volcano While Drinking From A Chalice Filled With The Laughter Of small Children, and that should tell you everything you need to know about his music. Since the mid-’90s he’s released an impressive 11 albums and EPs, but it was not as a musician that he first made his mark. “I did start out as an animator,“ he explains on the phone from his New York base. “I made stop motion animated films with a Super 8 camera from the time I was 10 years old. I ran away from home when I was 17 and got a job as a stop motion animator and then later started directing TV commercials when I was about 19. So, actually, music is my third career, and I played my first show when I was just about 30.” Since then, he’s been remarkably prolific, not only musically, but in his other fields of endeavour as well. “I do lots of different things. I just released a novel called Call Of the Jersey Devil, I try to make a short film about once a year and I design a lot of toys these days as well. But I’d definitely say that music is what people know me for now.” Voltaire’s recorded output is marked by a big, baroque sound; he’s been called everything from dark cabaret to Gypsy rock to steampunk, labels that speak to a certain grandeur and sweep to his work. Yet, on tour, it’s just him and a guitar. “Now, that may sound boring but it’s really quite the opposite, because not having a band with me gives me a tremendous amount of liberty to do things like change the set list at a moment’s notice or make up a song on the spot or see something in the audience that amuses me and have a conversation with the audience about it. “I think a lot of people come away from the show feeling that no only have they seen a singer/songwriter,” he continues. “They’ve visited the perverted uncle who drinks a gallon of rum a night and wrestles krakens and dates zombie prostitutes. It really is like stepping into my living room. It’s a twisted living room, but it’s my living room.”
Aurelio Voltaire Voltaire cites his influences as David Bowie, Adam Ant and Peter Murphy _ “really flamboyant crooners from the ‘80s” - as well as cello-centric dark folk outfit Rasputina and, perhaps inevitably, Tom Waits. “ I kind of fell into making this anachronistic music that sounds like it could have come out 200 years ago and there tends to be a dark streak to what I do, but at the same time most of the songs are humourous - there’s a lot of black comedy involved. One of my first reviews said ‘He’s the Weird Al of the coffin crowd.’ I remember being furious, I was just so angry, but now in retrospect I realise that that is largely true. A lot of what I do is dark, but at the same time it’s just a big piss-take.” Aurelio Voltaire plays Devilles Pad on Sunday, August 4, with support from Carnies With Candy. Tickets are available through Oztix. _ TRAVIS JOHNSON X-Press – First on the street, Wednesdays
The Figure: Buratti Fine Art An exhibition of works inspired by the human form that features pieces by Alex Proyas, Salavador Dali, Pablo Picasso, Johnny Romeo, David Spencer and more. Runs until September 1. go to buratti.com.au for more.
You & Me (Part 1): Ruck Rover General Store A collection of works by Perth based artist and writer Kate-Anna St. Valentine. It runs from August 3 - 31. Go to ruckrover.com.au for more. You & Me (Part 1) - Kate-Anna St Valentine
VISUAL ARTS
Here & Now 13: Lawrence Wilson Art Gallery This annual exhibition of contemporary Western Australian artists includes works from Katrina Barber, Patrick Carter, Clive Collender, Aquinas Crowe, David Guhl, Tim Maley, Julian Poon, Jane Ryan, Robert Turpin, Lisa Uhl and robin Warren. Runs until September 28. Go to lwgallery.uwa.edu.au for more.
Beyond The Pale - Hits From Australia’s Top Rock Poster Studio: Fremantle Arts Centre Take 12: Fremantle Arts Centre An exhibition of video works by young people inspired This fascinating tour through the history of rock art by contemporary pieces from the City of Fremantle Art runs until September 15. Go to fac.org.au for further Collection. It runs until August 18. Go to fac.org.au for info. more. Black Cat And Beyond... Diatribe Of The Squeegee: Secrets of the Afterlife: The Western Australian Fremantle Arts Centre A collection of political posters crafted by Black Cat/ Museum This collection of over 100 Egyptian artefacts from the Gato Negro, an anarchist collective formed in New British Museum collection - including two mummies! York City in the late ‘70s. It runs from until September - explores ancient attitudes to life after death. The 15. Go to fac.org.au for further details. exhibition runs until September 22. Go to museum.gov. Riley (the cow): Fremantle Arts Centre au for more. A look at the central character that has dominated Recent Acquisitions Your Collection: Art Gallery of WA the work of Perth artist Rachel Salmon-Loams for Many of the more recent additions to the gallery’s the past 18-odd years. It runs until September 15. extensive collection are on display until October 27. Go Go to fac.org.au for more. to artgallery.wa.gov.au for more. Sawdust Sex: Paper Mountain Van Gogh, Dali and Beyond - The World Reimagined: This installation by artist and cultural theorist Tim Gregory lets audiences see the traces and debris left Art Gallery of WA The third exhibition in AGWA’s MoMA Series by a sex act in a layer of sawdust. On display until encompasses works from Vincent Van Gogh, Paul August 11. Head to papermountain.org.au for more Cezanne, Richard Long, Frida Kahlo and more. The information. exhibition runs until Dec 2. Go to artgallery.wa.gov.au Strangers In My Palace: Heathcote Museum and for further information. Art Gallery Little Paintings, Big Stories: Lawrence Wilson Art This exhibition by Helen Seiver runs until August 17. Head to melvillecity.com.au/heathcote for further Gallery information. Runs until December 14. alitura: Heathcote Museum and Art Gallery Nature and nurture are compared and contrasted in this exhibition from Jillian Ciemitis, Miriam Gardiner, Del Hemingway and Debbie Oakley. It runs until August 11. Empire: The Great Lawn, Crown Perth melvillecity.com.au/heathcote has more. Inside a beautiful, 700-seat Spiegeltent, broaden your horizons in this burlesque blitzkrieg of Timeless Paradise: Elements Art Gallery This collection of paintings by Perth artist Jeremy theatrical excess and cabaret camp. The show runs Holton runs until August 13. Visit elementsartgasllery. until August 18. Head to empireaustralia.com for com.au for details. info and tickets.
THEATRE/DANCE/ PERFORMANCE
www.xpressmag.com.au
Ballet Revolucion: Crown Theatre The acclaimed Cuban dance troupe appears until August 4. Go to balletrevolucion.com.au for more. A Conversation: The Old Mill Theatre This production of the second in acclaimed Australian playwright David Williamson’s Jack Manning trilogy runs from August 2 - 17. for session times and tickets, head to oldmilltheatre.com.au. Swan Lake: His Majesty’s Theatre The renowned St Petersburg Ballet Theatre presents Tchaikovsky’s beautiful and moving ballet, Swan Lake. The season runs from July 31 - August 8. Tickets are available from ticketek.com.au. Hedda: The Blue Room Theatre This bold interpretation of Henrik Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler stars Norwegian actors Marthe Snorresdotter Rovik and Tone Skaardal and is directed by the brilliant Renato Fabretti. The season runs from August 13 - 31. go to blueroom.org.au for session times and bookings.
Rebecca Davis Conrad Coleby Other Desert Cities Photo by Gary Marsh Photography Other Desert Cities: The State Theatre Centre Continuing their excellent 2013 season, The Black Swan State Theatre Company presents Jon Robin Baitz’s story of family, secrecy and emotional brinkmanship. The play runs until August 4. Go to bsstc.com.au for information and tickets.
The Little Mermaid: The Blue Room Theatre This reworking of Hans Christian Andersen’s darker than you may remember children’s tale by director Ian Sinclair is a far cry from Disney - and that’s a good thing. It runs from August 20 - September 7. Head to 2013 Russian Resurrection Film Festival: Cinema blueroom.org.au for tickets and session times. Paradiso This pan-genre showcase of the best contemporary Cavalia: The White Big Top Russian cinema runs from August 1 - 11. Head This magnificent equestrian event combines spectacle to russianresurrection.com for information and and acrobatic skill reminiscent of Cirque Du Soleil with lunapalace.com.au for tickets. jaw-dropping displays of horsemanship and derringdo. From December 18 - 29. Head for cavalia.net for AICE Israeli Film Festival: Cinema Paradiso more. Opening with The Ballad of Weeping Spring, this celebration of Israeli cinema, which includes 19 feature films and documentaries, runs from August 21 - 28. Head to lunapalace.com.au for details. Aurelio Voltaire: Devilles Pad One performance only on August 4. For tickets and CinefestOZ: Orana Cinemas, Busselton This regional celebration of Australian and French info, head to oztix.com. cinema runs from August 21 - 25. Go to cinfestoz.com for more details. Tim Davies and WAYJO: State Theatre Centre Performance on August 9. HEad to wayjo.com for Rottofest: Rottnest Island information and booking. Our annual explosion of stand-up comedy, music The Whitlams and the Western Australian Symphony and film runs from September 6 - 8. Head to rottofest. com.au for details and tickets. Orchestra: Perth Concert Hall Performances August 30 - 31. Go to waso.com.au for The 2013 Perth Fashion Festival: Various Locations information and bookings. The biggest event on the calendars of WA’s fashionistas runs from September 11 - 16.
MUSIC
FESTIVALS
Perth Winter Arts Season: Various Locations Over 200 events are planned, encompassing film, comedy, cabaret, opera, literature, dance, music and fine arts. The season runs until August 31. Head to perthwinterarts.com.au for more information.
To have your performance, exhibition or cultural event listed, get in touch via
localmusicarts@xpressmag.com.au
25
26
X-Press – First on the street, Wednesdays
Now celebrating its 30th year anniversary, the World DMC Championships is now a revered testing ground for those innovative with their urban beats. JO CAMPBELL gets the low down from last year’s WA State champ, DJ Midsole, ahead of his attempt to defend his title this Friday at Rosemount. We also have a run down of his competition. This time last year DJ Midsole (Paulo Padernilla to his mates) was just a year into figuring his way around a turntable having never performed a set outside of the confines of his own bedroom. All night sessions working his way up from Baby Scratch to more technical tricks like Aqua Man paid off rapidly though, resulting in the then unknown entity taking out last year’s DMC WA State Championship. He performed a skillful set that blew the judges away with its composure, execution and originality. Not keeping his strategy close to his chest, Padernilla says that track selection is important when trying to sway crowd appreciation at the DMCs; one of the categories judges base their decision on. His set last year featured an impressive live remix of Wildfire by SBTRKT, a popular choice that got punters on side. “It’s important to play one or two songs that people actually know, then they can relate to it when you remix it; they don’t know what’s going on, but they like it. “That was really random,” Padernilla says of his Wildfire juggle. “I was practicing at home, mucking around with the beat and was just doing something stupid and came up with that randomly. With beat juggling you just sort of learn the basics and then incorporate your own style into it.” Dexterity is also key, with both hands being used to operate the two turntables simultaneously. “I’m right handed, so when I first started I tried to use my left hand more,” explains Padernilla. “I’d do little random things like, brush my teeth with my left hand or at the computer, operate the mouse with my left hand, just so I’d get used to it.”
www.xpressmag.com.au
Along with signing up to grandmaster turntablist Qbert’s Skratch University, Padernilla cites meeting locals Kit Pop and Zeke as a big influence on his road to becoming a better DJ. In 2010 Zeke was awarded as Qbert’s first ever Qbert Skratch University Valedictorian, recognising Zeke’s extraordinary skills and has recently set up his own DJ school, Lab Six. This Friday’s battle, hosted by DJ Armee, will also feature a set from 2005 World ITF Experimental DJ Champion, JRed. Competitors perform a six-minute set and are judged across multiple categories including scratching skills, beat juggling, crowd response and musicality. Padernilla says he’s been toying with scratching in double time recently but that the sixminute tourney feels like eternity on stage. “When you’re up there it feels like a whole hour. There’s so much stuff that you have to do and fit into a small space of time. It’s not like DJing a regular club set where you can have a rest in between to look through your track list or whatever; you’re constantly doing something, so it feels like it goes on forever. Since winning last year’s title, Midsole can be found playing R’n’B, hip hop and trap out and about most weekends but it hasn’t gone to his head. “I try not to be too confident because you never know what the other are like; they might have a few surprises up there sleeves,” he says of the upcoming battle. “I’ll just do my routine and not be too cocky.”
» 2013 AUSTRALIAN DMC CHAMPIONSHIPS WA FINAL » FRIDAY, AUGUST 2 @ ROSEMOUNT
Midsole
THE COMPETITION DIAMOND RENEGADE
With his cutting edge basslines, electro pop funk shows and renegade rhymes, Dan Warrington (Diamond Renegade) puts together a razor sharp mix of trap, electro, dub, glitch, tech, moombahton and hip hop. He’s been DJing for a decade, supporting Stafford Brothers, Danny T, SureCut Kids and Don Nardi and has produced his own originals with Dirty Disiple and Irish producer PH Zero.
U-Wish
DJ U-WISH
Diamond Renegade
Like a lot of DJs/producers, U-Wish’s (James Harris) musical quest started in the bedroom and over the years his style and passion grew, as did his vibratory emanations. He began to adopt his own brand of mixing which incorporated live mashups, blended with turntablism and is known for an eclectic genrebending style. He’s supported Grandmaster Flash, Mr Thing/Dexter, Peaches, Dead Prez, De La Soul, Chino XL, Obie Trice and Sen Dogg from Cypress Hill and battled in the Victorian heats of last year’s DMC, coming in as a runner-up.
27
VEGAS ACES
RUN THE JEWELS
Black and Purple is a very promising debut album from Brisbane hip hop duo Vegas Aces. The beats by Cam Bluff, who has emerged as one of Australia’s most acclaimed producers, are incredible - a blend of airy synths, booming drums and rumbling bass, with enough subtle change ups and transitions in the background that Black and Purple would work as a purely instrumental release. It’s unlike anything heard to date in Australian hip hop. Rapper 4TH, on the other hand, sounds very much like other Australian hip hop, with a voice eerily like Horrorshow’s Solo (not to mention similarly confessional lyrics) and a delivery that often comes very closely to the laidback swagger of Spit Syndicate. Despite this, he’s a very capable and personable presence on the mic, particularly on reflective tracks like Fly and Sidetracked. Lead single How I Feel is another standout, with warm horns and a head-nod inducing boom-bap beat reminiscent of M-Phazes’ best work. Although billed in a press release as Vegas Aces’ full length debut, Black and Purple barely earns this label at a slim eight songs and two musical interludes totalling 33 minutes (the inclusion of last year’s Departure EP, a free download, bolsters the CD’s runtime). It feels like it ends just as it’s getting started, but it certainly creates high expectations for what the duo do next.
Run The Jewels is the highly anticipated collaboration between producer/emcee/independent label champion El-p, and Atlanta’s rapping man mountain Killer Mike. Originally touted as a bit of fun, inspired by their recent work together for Mike’s album, on release it was revealed to be quite an epic beast. While these two are known for the delving into some deeply personal lyrics, and analysis of society’s ills, it’s clear that with this release they have dialled that back somewhat. Nevertheless, the opening self-titled track launches itself at you with a crushing synth line and intricate but powerful drum pattern. El and Mike proceed to spin double time raps that leave you basically shaking your head at their prowess. Seasoned El-p fans may crave the post 9-11 paranoia of his previous work, but he’s thrown himself into this sound with gusto, almost harkening back to the hungry backpacker vibes of his original crew, Company Flow. These two have been around a fair while now, and have seen some trends come and go. As such they’ve got a bunch of talented friends in tow on the album, in the form of Outkast’s Big Boi, Handsome Boy and general weirdo Prince Paul, and the UK’s avant R&B prodigy, Until The Ribbon Breaks. However it’s when Mike and El just jam together that their music really shines, something particular evident on the aforementioned title track, and the truly epic, droning closer A Christmas Fucking Miracle.
BLACK AND PURPLE SELF RELEASED
» JOSHUA HAYES
RUN THE JEWELS FOOL’S GOLD
Purple Sneaker DJs
SNEAKY SESSION
Aviary Rooftop Sessions are back again with another top shelf afternoon of free entertainment, this time with Purple Sneaker DJs on Sunday, August 25. They’ll be supported by locals Micah, Troy Division and Paradise Paul. Doors open at 4pm - lining up early is a recommended thing.
Rave Radio
RAVE RADIO @ FHF
Metropolis Fremantle’s Frat House Friday and Death Disco DJs are bringing out Gold Coast duo Rave Radio this Friday, August 2. Check out their current track, Make It Rain, made with Sydney rapper Xamplify. Tix are $10 on the door or $5 with a current student card.
Juzlo
DDWYT TURNS THREE
They’ve been a bit quiet lately but the DeadWeight! crew are back with a big one to celebrate their birthday on Friday, August 23. Their IIIrd Birthday Bonaza will be held at Gilkisons Dance Studio with a diverse lineup featuring a secret guest from the UK, Juzlo (Sydney), Strict Face (Adelaide), Percy Miracles (Brisbane) and all the DDWYT fam - Nebula and Modo, Saxon and Boy Prince, hosted by local emcee, Knoe. Tix are $15 from ticketbooth.com.au.
» NICK SWEEPAH
GOT A DJ HABIT?
Entries are still being accepted for Heat One of the 2013 Habitat DJ Competition. Starting up at Geisha on Saturday, August 17, aspiring DJs can enter their 30-minute mix at info@habitatinc.com.au up until 1pm next Monday, August 5. This year the categories have been expanded to include: nu- disco; garage; deep house; funky house; UK bass; tech house; progressive and techno. Working from CD, vinyl, Serato and Traktor is allowed but no Ableton sets. The winner will have lots of good things thrown at them.
THE DISCO FRIES TASTY BEATS
NYC electro house DJs Nick Ditry and Danny Danger form Disco Fries, a duo named after a fast food dish that’s ready to party hard. They’ll be the first internationals to play Northbridge’s newest club venue, Parker. TOM KITSON reports. Disco fries are an American fast food dish consisting of French fries covered in cheese, but in this case the name refers to two New York mates who started making music together at college. The opportunity to party while making music got them inspired, and they are now embarking on US and Australian tours with their brand of heavy bassline-focused electro house and trap. Ditry says that after the two met, they found a mutual love of music, which led to them putting up material online. “We met in college and started making music together,” he says. “In the last few years we started putting our stuff online and getting a reaction, so we just stick with it. “It was probably a year or so before I quit my day job waiting tables so we could really give it time. We both knew we had to go full time if we were really going to do it, and it was tough at the time but we’re both really glad we did it now.” Combining their contrasting musical backgrounds, Ditry and Danger were always able to mix it up and ensure they maintain diversity and an open mind. “I come from a hip hop background and Danny was more into electronic and rock music,” Ditry says. “Danny was into bands like Radiohead and I was into old school Dre and Timbaland, so we came from different angles but met in the middle with dance music.” In 2013 the boys have made it their aim to produce original material and showcase that in their performances. “That’s our focus this year, and looking forward we want to collaborate with other people as well,” Danger says. “We see that as a cool way to 28
Sempy and Conxept = Vltrn
VLTRN
DANCEFLOOR DESTROYERS The Disco Fries expand our sound and basically reach the widest audience possible.” Ditry says that playing back home in New York is interesting, with many clubs running bottle service and hosting clientele with cash to burn. “We usually play venues that are super-small, or people are there just to spend tons of money, so we kind of just play whatever we want,” he says. “New York is a melting pot and there’s so many venues but our favourite big venues like Pacha are great because we can really throw balls to the wall and play as hard as we want.” Going hard seems to be a slogan for Nick and Danny, evident in their favourite tour story to tell, taking place in Asia. “The one we always go back to telling is when we went to Asia with an MC friend who has known Nick since high school,” Danger says. “We all had a late night bite to eat at McDonald’s, I think. We woke up the next morning and all three of us had food poisoning. Our friend is a big dude, and he ended up being sick in the bath and then getting stuck in the kid-size tub in the hotel. It’s only ok to tell this story because he didn’t get seriously injured.”
» THE DISCO FRIES » FRIDAY, AUGUST 16 @ PARKER
When Conxept (Ross Bradley) and Sempy (Reece Mercadante) get together on the decks, new dimensions of D’n’B chaos are unleashed. JO CAMPBELL asks them about their work together as Vltrn. Your latest EP Time To Move/ Infamous is a techy, sci-infused dancefloor decimator. It also made it into Beatport’s top ten for drum ‘n’ bass releases. Have you gotten much feedback from fans about this one and what’s the next EP sounding like? The feedback was very overwhelming. It was a great way for us to cut our teeth and we drew a bit of attention from other labels, which is always a good sign. We were so stoked that everyone got behind the release and backed it; seeing our name charting against some of our favourite artists was inspiring and for it to get that high in a market that’s very competitive was unbelievable. The next EP will be five D’n’B tracks including a remix from one of our favourite Perth producers. You can expect a heavy bag selection on this release!
a bit boring for us, plus exploring writing at different tempos you learn different production techniques, which you can take and carry over to other styles. You’re onto number two in your The Riot Mix series and it completely rinses it. How do you select tunes for that? The Riot Mix series is a representation of what you can expect to hear from Vltrn when you see us live! If it’s aggressive, heavy and makes you want to lose your self on the dancefloor WE PLAY IT! What’s the story behind how you guys decided to team up as a duo and what individual talents do you each bring to your sets/production? We both had solo DJ careers for a number of years. During that time we played a fair few B2B sets together, which worked well as we both like the same style of music. We’d both been dabbling in production so it only seemed logical to team up and see what we could create as a team. We then wrote our first tune Hacker in one six-hour session. At that point we knew we were on to something that was going to work.
You’ve supported most of the big D’n’B names that have made their way to Perth. Who’s been your favourite and who have you partied with outside of the green room?! Sempy: Bit of a tough one, my favourite would have to be Audio. In my opinion he is one of the game’s top producers, not only that he is the most genuine and safest artist I have met and I always feel inspired after he has rocked the venue. In terms of partying, Drumsound brings the vibe but I’ll stop there... Conxept: Hard to pick one but Ed Rush, D’n’B is obviously your main route to working a Dieselboy and Calyx & TeeBee’s sets always kill it. crowd but you occasionally venture out into other forms of bass. Your remix of WASA3I’s KillerKing saw you take the BPMs down to 100 glitch styles. Can » VLTRN SUPPORTING CONCORD DAWN you tell us about the making of that one? » ROULETTE It was something we did as a bit of fun, » WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 7 @ GEISHA writing the same BPM over and over again would be X-Press – First on the street, Wednesdays
DIALECTRIX
DARK LIGHT OF DAY Dialectrix has watched his profile grow steadily over the last five years. ALASDAIR DUNCAN finds out how the release of his third album The Cold Light Of Day proves Dialectrix is one of Oz hip hop’s true stars. “The response has been much greater than I expected,” says the Blue Mountains emcee, whose new record arrived in late May.“As usual I get nervous about how a release will be taken by the public, mainly because this album has by far been the most eclectic sounding, and in some ways pushed out of what I think people expected.” The album reflects a particularly dark period in the emcee’s life – in many ways, The Cold Light Of Day represents a cathartic experience, an opportunity to work through and reassess certain major milestones. “I was mourning the loss of loved ones, while being over-worked and being flooded with stress, and learning to raise a child,” he says. “It was a chaotic time, and I see it far more clearly now than back then.” In retrospect, though the times were rough, they proved inspiring, and the album encapsulates his response to those tough life experiences. The Cold Light Of Day fuses beats and warm organic instrumentation, a sound that Dialectrix honed with the help of producer Plutonic. “Plutonic has been my favourite producer since I was young,” he says of the collaboration. “I was honoured to have the chance firstly to know him, and then to work with him. We’re close mates and we share very similar ideals about music. I could choose other producers but working with Plutonic has helped my sound become unique.” Of all the tracks on The Cold Light Of Day, Fire In The Blood is perhaps the most personal for Dialectrix, a product of the dark times he mentioned. The song is particularly candid in the way it deals with his family relationships. “I was analysing whether I was continuing my family history of violence and alcohol abuse and passing it onto my son,” he says. “The song
Dialectrix is about not being happy about the person I was becoming, and feeling like trying to exist in a way that challenges the norm is futile and rage-inducing, and is aiding the aforementioned. I was in a life rut and this track is an accurate snap shot of that time.” It seems to me that Dialectrix is unafraid to get political in his lyrics – What Is The World Coming To? from his Satellite EP being just one example – but when I put this to him, he disputes it. “I really don’t like to think that my lyrics are political,” he says, “simply because I know bugger all about the finer points of politics. I am however heavily opinionated, and consider my content socially aware. My songs are like social critiques put forth with the knowledge that these critiques won’t change the situations I’m talking about. “If I was politically-minded and genuinely cared about those things I wouldn’t make music, I would study and try to get into parliament to make an actual difference in the world,” he continues. “I think there’s a certain smugness that comes from musicians who claim to make political music with this notion that they’re making a difference. That’s not me, I just tell it as I see it and hope it has some people relating to certain life issues.”
» DIALECTRIX » SATURDAY, AUGUST 10 @ YA YA’S
TIMMY TRUMPET
ELECTRO JAZZ FUSIONS Bringing live instrumentation to his DJ sets is what Timmy Trumpet is all about. TOM KITSON speaks with him about his early start in jazz and his hook-up with The Stafford Brothers ahead of his latest Ministry of Sound release. He’s toured the world as a jazz musician, played the likes of Ibiza and is making waves in the US while having developed his own brand in a short space of time. Timmy Trumpet says it was a chance meeting with some fellow DJs and the demise of the jazz club scene that got him into electro house and dance music. “I couldn’t cut it in the jazz world,” he says.“I was a jazz musician and tried as hard as I could, but it’s just too difficult these days with all the jazz clubs I used to play at closing down.” As a youngster he fell in with UK label Hed Kandi and played alongside Bob Sinclair and Martin Solveig, bringing the trumpet behind the decks and fuelling his new love for dance music. Coming back to Australia, he met two up and coming DJs who asked him if he wanted to play with them. “It was at a gig in Wollongong of all places where I met The Stafford Brothers, and they invited to me to play with them because their usual player was sick or something,” he says. “The gig was actually the festival Summafieldayze, and we played the main stage having never rehearsed together, and it just worked out.” This new beginning for the former high school trumpet tutor led to opportunities to mix Ministry of Sound compilations, play Pacha Ibiza and release his own singles. He has a collaboration in the works with Aussie rapper 360, and also wants to make the most of the US market with The Stafford Brothers now residing there. “I’ve got a US visa and am working with the Stafford’s who are kind of setting it up for me over there, which is great,” he says.“To really break through there I would have to live there, which they do, and their track Hello with Lil Wayne out now is doing really well.” www.xpressmag.com.au
Timmy Trumpet When he can find the time to listen, music in general is his sole inspiration and he says he loves to play what’s new, breaking down musical boundaries in the process. “I’m loving Spofity and listening to music through that, and although I don’t write any of it, I’m really getting into trap music,” he says. “I’m impressed by Flume, and I’ve always loved the Melbourne sound and Will Sparks as well.” The significance of the instrument he plays to his sound and the career he’s forged for himself is something he hasn’t forgotten. “I’ve always looked at myself as a trumpet player and not a DJ,” he says.“I’ve been playing trumpet since I was four years old, and I did trumpet tutoring through high school and jazz band world tours when I was young. The trumpet for me is everything. “I play trumpet about 50 per cent of the time in my sets,” he says. “I do that because it’s not about me, it’s about the music that I’m playing.”
» TIMMY TRUMPET » MINISTRY OF SOUND: SESSIONS TEN » FRIDAY, AUGUST 2 @ VILLA 29
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
SATURDAY
AMPS/ CAPS
I LOVE 80’S & 90’S
WEDNESDAY 31/07
Rosemount Hotel - 2013 Australian DMC DJ Championships WA Heats The Saint - Mikeee Sovereign Arms - ANG3L Shape - Spectrem Supernova EP Launch with Ekko & Sidetrack/ Traction/ ST1/ Motion Tiger Lil’s - Paul Malone/ Adam Kelly/ Alex Koresis The Vic - Friday Funktion ft. Jix Project Villa - Ministry Of Sound Sessions 10 ft Timmy Trumpet & SCNDL YaYa’s - ACE ft DJ Pup
Amplifier/ Capitol - Harlem Wednesdays ft. Js/ Genga/ Peter Payne Bar One Twenty – Captian Morgan Party with Felix The Bird – Barefaced Stories ‘How to Win Friends & Influence People’ Captain Stirling - DJ Lokie Shaw Club Red Sea – Cheek ft. LDRU Gold Bar - Famous Midweek Beats The Grand Central - ANG3L Groove Bar (Crown) – Normie Rowe/ DJ Crazy Craig Leederville Hotel (upstairs) Kreem ft. DJ Karl Blue and MishTee Leederville Hotel (downstairs) Arena Party ft. DJ Vi Son/ Pup The Llama Bar - Club Akuna Mustang Bar - DJ James MacArthur Newport Hotel - RnB Heaven with Mr Phat ft. DJs Tom Drummond/ Angry Budda/ Mel B Sovereign Arms - Five-o The Village Bar - Village People Wednesdays ft. Ruby May
THURSDAY 01/08 The Avenue - Jon Ee The Beat (downstairs) - Fantasy Thursdays Afro Night The Causeway - Xport Thursdays ft. Tilly Wylde Connections - Bingay ft. Hannah Conda Club Bay View - Dj-Vi Son The Craftsman - Five-o Eve Nightclub - Retro Thursdays ft. DJ Crazy Craig The Good Shepherd – Beat Lounge 11 The Grand Central - DJ Roger Smart Leisure Inn - DJ Peta Kalamunda Hotel - Merqury Mustang Bar - DJ James MacArthur Newport Hotel - Tiki Bar Open Mic Night Swallow Bar - Nick Sheppard The Velvet Lounge - Descentt ft. DJ Tyranny/ Sutekh/ Kill
CAPITOL
SATURDAY 03/08
Dialectrix
FRIDAY 02/08 Air Nightclub - VIP Platinum Fridays Ambar - The Last Laneway Party ft. Qwerk & escue/ Dead Easy/ DNGRFLD/ Philly Blunt/ Blend/ Bezwun/ MR eD/ Marko Paulo/ Genga/ Benny P/ Tapeheads/ 4by4/ Tonic/ Mr B Amplifier - Fridays Are Back ft. KLa The Avenue - DJ Lokie Shaw The Aviary (Birdcage) - Ben McIntyre The Aviary (Rooftop) - NDORSE/ Paradise Paul Bar Orient - The Reggae Club DJ Battle ft. DJ V’Ness and DJ INTI The Bird – James Pants The Beat (downstairs) - PLAY The Brass Monkey - Almost Famous ft. Jewel, James Ess & Jon Ee C5 – Bass Attic ft. Bass Attic DJs Capitol - Capitol Fridays ft. DJ Roger Smart Capitol (upstairs) - I Love 80’s & 90’s ft. Darren Tucker
The Carine - Az-T The Causeway – Oisima The Como - Funadelic Fridays ft. Philly Blunt The Craftsman – Michael Brittliff The Deen - Student Night Eve Nighclub - DJ Don Migi Flyrite - Self Help Ginger Nightclub - Mondos “Feel Good” Dance Party The Grand Central – Jay Mackay Groove Bar (Crown) - DJ Crazy Craig The Hyde Park - DJ Hages Lakers Tavern - Grizzly & friends Library - Sneaky Metro City - Flava Pimps & Hoes Edition Metro Freo - Frat House Fridays ft. Death Disco DJs Mustang Bar - Swing DJ/ Cheeky Monkeys/ DJ James MacArthur My Place - Karaoke Newport - Karaoke Classic with Steve Parkin with DJ Tahli Jade/ Angry Buda/ Sardi/ Mr Phat Paramount Nightclub – Flyte with DJ John Jordan The Queens - Reuben Rocket Room - Howlers ft DJ Frank N Bean
SATURDAYS
MUSTANG BAR
Hyde Park - DJ Hages Leederville Hotel (downstairs) – Under The Arena Party ft. DJ Vi Son/ Pup The Library - DJ Victor / DJ Riki Lost Society - Chalk 29 (indie/ hip-hop) Metro Freo – Metropolis Saturdays ft. Darren Tucker/ Dr Wazz/Ben Carter/ Shane Hewson Newport – Karaoke Classic with Steve Parkin Paramount Nightclub – Felix with DJ John Jordan The Queens - Kenny L The Saint - Az-T Sovereign Arms - The Jinx Project Tiger Lil’s - DJ Bojan/ Benjamin Sebastian/ Alex Koresis The Velvet Lounge – Frond Prom ft. over 15 DJs The Wembley - DJ Lokie Shaw YaYa’s - Arcadia August All-Nighter
Air Nightclub – Uni Relief VIPS Ambar - Japan 4 ft. Blend/ Bezwun/ Dead Easy/ Philly Blunt/ Oli & Tone Amplifier - Pure Pop ft. Eddie Electric The Avenue - Jon Ee SUNDAY 04/08 The Aviary - NDORSE/ Paradise Paul The Aviary (Rooftop) - Aviary Bar 120 - Little Nicky Rooftop Sessions ft. Ben Sebestian/ The Balmoral - Back To The 80’s Troy Division/ Charlie Bucket Beat Nightclub (Upstairs) CANVAS Beat Nightclub (Downstairs) Runaways The Brass Monkey - DJ Peta & Jewel C5 - I Love 80s + 90s ft. Darren Tucker + Dr Wazz Capitol - Death Disco ft. Death Disco DJs Capitol (Upstairs) - Cream of the 80’s ft. The Great RV The Causeway - House party ft: France China Club Red Sea – Fresh Saturdays Connections – Adam Love The Cornerstone - DJ Spinback East End Bar - Home Empire Bar - DJ James Shipstone/ Miggy Eve Nighclub - Rave Radio Flyrite - FΔMILY Flawless – Cube ft. Maxwell/ Jack Masel/ Raji D/ Shann The Generous Squire – James Nutley The Good Shepherd - Chocolate Jesus The Grand Central - Jay Mackay Groove Bar (Crown) - DJ Dan
Empire Bar - DJ Victor/ DJ Riki Eve Nighclub – DJ Slick Groove Bar (Crown) - DJ Crazy Craig Mustang Bar - DJ Rockin’ Rhys Newport - DJ Tom Drummond Rosemount Hotel - soundz like sundayz The Saint - DJ Jon EE/ Az-T Swallow Bar - Shotdown From Sugartown Villa – Passion Pit Wolflane – Alice
MONDAY 04/08 Ezra Pound – Enkor Project Launch ft. K-La/ Klean Kicks Mustang Bar - Triple Shots The Rosemount Hotel - Bada Bingo!
TUESDAY 05/08 Mustang Bar - Danza Loca Salsa Night
Timmy Trumpet
CSS PLANTA CSS – short for ‘Cansei de Ser Sexy’, a Portuguese translation of a ridiculous quote from Beyoncé stating that she was “tired of being sexy” – are currently mid-tour in the US for their brand spanking new fourth album, the delightfully eccentric and energetic Planta. THOMAS BAILEY has more. Written and recorded in, and indeed inspired by, the city of Los Angeles, Planta was produced by TV On The Radio’s Dave Sitek and features 11 gleaming songs about love, lust, sex, and ‘teenage tiger cats.’ This being their first album recorded outside their native Brazil, I ask Ana Rezende (one quarter of the São Paulo electro-pop quartet) if perhaps the tone of the album was affected by their new surroundings. “I think so!” she says. “But we are Brazilian, and we filter everything through our Brazilian brains. But LA is a great place to get inspired. A lot of people go there to record stuff, and work with art in general, so yeah – I think it definitely had an impact.” 30
Planta’s first single Hangover was cowritten by Rancid’s Tim Armstrong and is a perfect exemplification of the anything-goes sound that CSS have been harnessing for the last decade. Exhibiting traces of pop, punk, reggae, dub and even mariachi, CSS’s work is all over the musical map. Rezende chuckles when asked how a song of theirs is born. “The biggest thing, I think, is that we have a lot of freedom, and we never feel like we have to sit down and write,” she explains cheerfully. “We try to sit down to understand what we’re doing and how we are thinking, but we never think about, like,‘Let’s do a record like this or like that.’ It’s like, we just listen to an amazing
CSS reggaeton song, and we’re like, ‘Let’s do a reggaeton song!’ And then we try to do it, it doesn’t become a reggaeton song, it becomes whatever we do that we think is reggaeton! “A lot of songs [in which] we’re thinking of something it actually comes out differently than we’d originally thought. We’re not really trained musicians and we don’t conceptualise the band, what style we are or whatever; and also the music we’re making gives us the freedom to play or write anything we want!” CSS originally started out as a joke nearly a decade ago when these São Paulo art students thought it would be fun to wreak some musical havoc. Their 2006 self-titled debut, however, was anything but a joke, featuring the now-classic singles Music is My Hot
Hot Sex, Meeting Paris Hilton, and Let’s Make Love and Listen to Death From Above. Even today, this record retains its vitality and charm. From there, their sound has matured (they have, after all, learned how to play their instruments)…but their songs are as carefree, chaotic, and endearingly humourous as ever. Rezende ponders for a moment when asked how she feels they’ve grown since their inception.“Oh, a lot!” she exclaims.“I think when we started we were like 20, 21 years old; and now we’re all 30, 31! And I think [ten years] is a lot of time no matter what you’re doing. Also, it just becomes way easier to deal with whatever. Interaction becomes a really natural thing for us, so it’s like – it feels really nice, because it’s a ‘meant to be’ kind of thing!” X-Press – First on the street, Wednesdays
See yourself? Tag yourself! Head to faceboåok.com/XPressMagazine
ONSIE PARTY
BEAT NIGHTCLUB
THE CAUSEWAY
THE COURT
IN THE THIS WEEK
James Pants Friday, August 2 @ The Bird
COMING UP
2013 Australian DMC DJ Championships WA Heats The Last Laneway Party Friday, August 2 @ Friday, August 2 @ Ambar Rosemount Hotel
Concord Dawn ft.VLTRN/ Network/ Inflex Wednesday, August 7 @ Geisha
Ministry Of Sound Sessions 10 ft Timmy Trumpet & SCNDL Friday, August 2 @ Villa
Dialectrix Saturday, August 10 @ YaYa’s
Spectrem Friday, August 2 @ Shape Bar
Passion Pit Sunday, August 4 @ Villa Big Ape 2nd Birthday Saturday, August 3 @ Shape Bar
Philly Blunt
THE LAST LANEWAY PARTY FT. QWERK & ESCUE/ DEAD EASY DNGRFLD/ PHILLY BLUNT/ BLEND BEZWUN/ MR ED/ MARKO PAULO GENGA/ BENNY P/ TAPEHEADS 4BY4/ TONIC/ MR B
FRIDAY, AUGUST 2 @ AMBAR
www.xpressmag.com.au
FIERCE Friday, September 6 @ Geisha Bar Midnight Juggernauts Saturday, September 7 @ Capitol Ghost Poet Thursday, September 12 @ The Bakery
EDM Saturdays Launch The Aston Shuffle Party ft. TyDi (DJs) Saturday, August 10 @ Metro City Friday, September 13 @ Parker Bro Safari & Crizzly Saturday. August 10 @ Laurel Halo & Objekt Villa Saturday, September 27 @ Bakery Pangaea Friday, August 16 @ Geisha Bar Illy: On & On Tour Saturday, September 28 The Disco Fries @ Villa Friday, August 16 @ 133 Aberdeen Listen Out Sunday, September 29 @ CIRCO ft Flight Facilities/ Hermitude/ Ozone Reserve Chet Faker Saturday, August 17 @ Horrorshow Ascot Racecourse Thursday, October 3 Prince Of Wales Bunbury 2013 Habitat DJ Friday, October 4 Competition Amplifier Saturday, August 17 Saturday, October 5 Shapeshifter Mojos Bar Saturday, August 17@ Metro City Porter Robinson Saturday, October 26 @ The Substance Friday, August 23 @ Villa Villa HILINE ft. Big Chocolate Chet Faker Saturday, August 24 @ Thursday, October 31 @ Villa ARTBAR The Aviary Rooftop Sessions ft. Purple Sneaker DJs Sunday, August 25 @ The Aviary
Stereosonic Saturday, November 30 and Sunday, December 1 @ Claremont Showgrounds
James Blake (Photo By Matt Jelonek)
JAMES BLAKE SOUL/ DUBSTEP FRANKENSTEIN Oliver Tank/ JAMES BLAKE Astor Theatre Friday, July 26, 2013 Post dubstep poster boy and general all-round wizkid, James Blake showed us why he’s a master of emotional expressions last week at his sold-out, second gig at the Astor. Support came from Sydney’s Oliver Tank who performed a downbeat set of electronica solo, relaying the emotive lyrics to his songs with real feeling. His songs were deep but lacked the tension and dynamism delivered by the headliner. The drama was in full effect as Blake entered from stage left initially presenting himself solo to perform on piano under a spotlight like a cool beacon for the hipster massive swelling at the bass of the stage. The haunting I Never Learnt To Share from his debut LP was his first vocal number. He cleverly sampled his initial vocal line then looped it repeatedly complete with the sounds of the audience gushing in applause at the start, as he added live vocal harmonies over the top. The result was the up-swelling crescendo of a mesmerising, emotionally resonate landscape, which was sustained for the rest of this powerful performance.
As he brought up in an interview on RTR FM just the day before, Blake’s live performance is best suited to dark spaces and the Astor was a suitable venue, absorbing the ‘wub wub’ synthesised sounds of his bass-heavy grooves with tracks like CMYK then equally accommodating the powerful yet quiet meditations of other numbers such as Retrograde and To The Last, now fleshed out by the appearance of the rest of the band on drums/drum machine and synths. Although the current tour is in support of Blake’s second LP, Overgrown, the set comprised a few older tracks with Limit To Your Love being a definite crowd favourite. The trio transformed the original arrangement by adding in a dubstep interlude masterfully intertwined with Blake’s sentimental, gospel-inspired vocals. After a wait for the encore, which the resolute audience was not going to give up on Blake reappeared on stage just as he had began; solo under a spotlight. He performed his version of the Joni Mitchell cover, A Case of You, which was nothing less than riveting and left some members of the crowd teary eyed. Always cutting edge, with this current live show Blake has shown he is a master of combining sentimental vocals and unusual arrangements with dirty, down tempo beats while effortlessly deconstructing R’n’B and the lesser known world of early dubstep. Just in his early 20s with such an aweinspiring ability to seamlessly blend soul, gospel and dubstep, one can only wonder what genius to expect from Blake in the future.
» JO CAMPBELL
31
TANGLED THOUGHTS OF LEAVING Lanark/ Fall Electric The Bakery Saturday, June 27, 2013
Alt-J - Photo By Denis Radacic
ALT-J
City Calm Down Challenge Stadium Saturday, July 27, 2013 There was anticipation and the smell of an illegal substance or two in the air at Challenge Stadium on Saturday night, as punters of all ages filed in to catch a glimpse of Mercury award-winners Alt-J. First up, support band City Calm Down, a four-piece electronic group from Melbourne. Opening bands can often go down like a lead balloon at large venues, but this gig seemed to be an exception. The stadium was almost full by the middle of City Calm Down’s set, and the crowd were digging what they had to offer; easy 80’s-inspired electro-rock delivered via some fine musicianship. At 8.30 on the dot, Alt-J gathered up as much gangster swagger as four lads from Leeds possibly can and cheekily wandered on stage to the sound of Tyga’s Rack City, earning hollering and cheers from an already-loose audience. They launched straight into it, and the packed out stadium became a sea of swaying bodies making triangle shapes in the air. It was apparent from the very second that the foursome began the a cappella harmonies of Interlude I that their status isn’t just due to some great post-production work on their record – they’ve got the talent and stage presence to back it up. Frontman Joe
Newman’s voice is inimitable, a not-so-secret weapon that often proves the divisive factor for the band, with many lauding it and others finding it a little too grating. Gus Unger-Hamilton is a gun on the keys, never missing a stroke despite the pace. Bassist and guitarist Gwil Sainsbury channels a blonde, animated version of Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood, and drummer Thom Green continuously shakes things up on drums. The band ran through their entire catalogue much to the satisfaction of the audience, who understandably lost their shit at tunes like Breezeblocks, Fitzpleasure and signature cover mash-up, Slow Dre. The level of dedication to perform and entertain from each band member was palpable throughout their set – but it’s the song construction that makes Alt-J so different to their alt-rock counterparts; the odd use of percussion, the dub-drop, lyricism that manages to be both hyperintelligent and unassuming. The four-piece have hit the jackpot formula, and perhaps that’s why An Awesome Wave took so many years to conceive – from teens to middle-aged reminiscent-rockers, from the musically inclined to the straight-up stoners, the crowd bowed down to Alt-J’s mastery. Perhaps the only complaint of the night was the length of the set – barely an hour – but it’s hardly surprising, considering the band have only released around 45 minutes of material. No doubt that the excessively talented lads will be creating another masterpiece in the near future, and will grace us with their presence again in no time – we can only hope. _ CHLOE PAPAS
SWALLOW BAR
Shotdown From Sugartown is a freshly formed honkytonk blues band consisting of Rusty Pinto on guitar and vocals, Jay Mcivor slapping the doghouse bass and Jon Mathews scorching hell bent twang from a heaven sent telecaster. These guys play in Perth’s best rockabilly bands and tour nationally and internationally performing authentic rockabilly, jive and honky tonk. It kicks off in the front bar from 5pm this Sunday, August 4.
Tangled Thoughts of Leaving (TToL) emerged from their album pre-production cocoon on Saturday night to play their first gig in three months. Since returning from their first European tour in April the boys have been locked away putting together their latest full length. In an epic return to the stage, TToL put together a massive show, with an outrageous cacophony of experimental sounds and intense repetition. The set featured a variety of new and old material, with selected tracks from their new EP, Failed By Man and Machine. Front man/ keyboardist Ron Pollard gave an energetic and intense performance, thrashing out classically inspired riffs in a haze of Philip Glass minimalism and thrash metal. Each song became an endurance, with intense repetition and free improvisations lasting up to 25 minutes a song. Finishing up the set was …And Sever Us From the Present, a ridiculous pandemonium of sound that had every long-haired man in the audience thrashing his head back and forth. This said, there were times where these elongated tracks got in the way of music making. Although there is plenty of validity in creating 20 minute songs, in this context it made it difficult to discern between the musicality of each track: every song began to sound similar as it rose and fell through free improvisation and Steve Reich-style guitar riffs. Even one or two inclusions of something notably different would have contributed to the rise and fall of the set list. Supporting TToL were Perth bands Lanark and Fall Electric. Lovers of Radiohead will be quick to recognise the influences on Lanark’s
Tangled Thoughts Of Leaving - Photo By Daniel Grant frontman. This is a band that shows a good deal of potential – at present their song structure is a little odd and jarring and overall there were a few tuning issues, particularly in the higher vocal lines. This said, with time to mature, Lanark’s creativity is likely to develop into unique and powerful song writing. Conversely, Fall Electric ran the risk of upstaging the main act before they got on stage. Andrew Ryan’s song writing has a beautiful ebb and flow to it, with earthy open-tuned guitar and a little blues influence over a few key songs (particularly Christallized). However the stand out performance came from Tristan Parr on electric cello. Parr’s playing was superbly understated: he is a musician who understands the power of silence as well as playing - a maturity not often heard in contemporary bands. Tangled Thoughts of Leaving have an exceptional musicality and very interesting method of collecting sounds to create epic and powerful pieces. It is refreshing to hear a band that does not rely on the crux of a vocalist, but can instead create interesting and engaging instrumental pieces that explore new musical territory. Experimental music lovers will get a kick out of TToL’s unique sound and dynamic stage presence. _LEAH BLANKENDAAL
THE BIG SPLASH HEAT #7
Blackbirds/Ensemble Formidable/ Amani Consort/Our Man In Berlin The Rosemount Hotel Thursday, July 24, 2013
MOJO’S
Vanity
BEAT NIGHTCLUB
Vanity will be releasing their new record, The Cast Shade, upstairs at The Beat this Friday, August 3. There’ll be special guests appearances from Newcastle’s Safe Hands and Adelaide’s The Weight and support from locals Foxes, No Regrets and Cabin Fever. Saturday downstairs Runaways has the DeezNuts after party with Temporal and Iconoclast.
CRAIGIE TAVERN
Craigie Tavern’s Open Mic Night hosted by Ms Paula P and Ceelay, is on every Tuesday but you must book in early because spaces fill up fast! Acoustic soloists, duos, singers, instrumentalists, musicians of all genres, and music lovers welcome. Check out all the goss and photos from week to week at their Facebook page. It all kicks off at 7pm.
RAILWAY HOTEL
This Friday, August 2, catch some great local tunes courtesy of Bury The Heard, Needles Douglas, In The Dead Hours and Mitchell Jones. Doors open 8pm and entry is $10. Saturday you’ll find Tuxedo Pig, In Orbit, Ibis Elm and The Arthur Dent Project hitting the stage Doors 8pm, $5 entry.
CLANCY’S FISH PUB, FREMANTLE
This Friday, catch The Wishers. Saturday, it’s Continental Robert and Tanya-Lee Davies, while Sunday features the sweet sounds of The Zydecats. 32
Let’s blame the weather, shall we? It was a damn cold night and no mistake, and that meant the crowd for this heat of The Big Splash, Perth’s newest original band competition, was more than a bit thin. Not that it mattered much to the four bands on the bill that night; when you’re swinging for a $10,000 payday, you play your guts out whether it’s for five people or 500. It did, however, make the ‘crowd response’ section of the judging sheet a little hard to fathom. Three piece alt-rock outfit Black Birds have been pretty prolific since their debut a handful of years ago, and that productivity means, like rocks in a tumbler, a lot of their rough edges have been smoothed away. They certainly mine the heavier end of the spectrum, but what roughness that remains to This Thursday, August 1, see local heavy-hitters To their sound is deliberate, a sign of intent rather than Hell With Honour launching their debut EP, joined lack of technique. That also means that, in terms of by special guests One Of None, Afraid Of Heights genre, they stood out like a sore thumb next to the and Hello Darling. Doors open 8pm and entry is $10. other acts of the night, but still delivered a killer set. About the worst thing you can say about Fremantle’s Ensemble Formidable is that they take a hell of a long time to get set up, but what do you expect from an eight piece self-described ‘electro Gypsy swing’ band? They put out a big, brassy, 1940s sound shot through with world music rhythms, a warm, friendly, pulse-pounding experience, like Benny Goodman and Carmen Miranda getting it on in the back seat of an old Cuban banger. They’re huge and hypnotic and colourful and almost too much fun for the stage to contain. The flawlessly funky The Amani Consort were the third cab off the rank, and though they’re only half the size of Ensemble Formidable, they Chainsaw Hookers match them in energy. Lead singer, Aysha Amani, is a machine, boundless in her enthusiasm and truly impressive in her vocal range. Soulful vocals over a This weekend kicks off this Friday, August 2, with a fat, dirty bass and imaginative melodies add up to huge night of live and local music led by Chainsaw an infectious experience. Our Man In Berlin rounded out the Hookers! Then it’s time for another massive Arcadia this Saturday! Boasting YaYa’s characteristic party evening in a melodious fashion. They’re indie-pop to atmosphere, drink specials and the very best tracks the core, but with an undercurrent of real melancholy to get the dance-floor pumping all night long. Don’t that pushes them well above the median line in that miss out! particular field. Their set was an odd palate cleanser Saturday, August 3, marks the long awaited album launch for Perth act Fear Of Comedy. Titled Delapsus Resurgam, over 45 minutes in length and featuring 6 tracks, the album explores the musical territories of goth, doom, post rock, industrial and experimental rock while cathartically expressing themes of initiation, gnosis, self empowerment and improvement. The Leap Year, Like Junk & DJ Jessica Kill support. Entry is $12 from 8pm. To win a double pass to the gig, email your name and contact details to mojos@coolperthnights.com with Fear Of Comedy in the sbject line.
ROSEMOUNT HOTEL
YAYA’S
Ensemble Formidable - Photo by Shaun Freney after the big, bold and life-affirming Ensemble Formidable and The Armani Consort, but slotted into a line up more in tune with their genre and tonal intent, they’d do fine. Hell, they’d shine. Still, as is always the case in these situations, there could only be one winner, and it was Ensemble Formidable that impressed the judges the most, and who will go on to slug it out at the semi-final at The Bakery on August 10. We could trot out a cliché about there being no real losers on the night right about now, but the truth of the matter is that it was an exceptionally talented field, and all the bands on the bill deserve your attention. _ TRAVIS JOHNSON X-Press – First on the street, Wednesdays
Edited by T R AV I S J O H N S O N
in North Dandelup. We were a four piece at the time and we stayed in Pinjarra Caravan Park for a weekend in April 2012 while we recorded our parts. How have fans of your earlier style reacted to your change in direction? We’ve probably alienated a lot of people who liked our older styles. But we’ve also attracted a heap of new listeners. At the end of the day it’s something we decided to do so we could progress and not stagnate. You’ve supported a lot of big name int’l acts. Who’s on your dream list? In a perfect world we could share the stage with Nine Inch Nails, Faith No More, Depeche Mode, Swans or Crippled Black Phoenix.
FEAR OF COMEDY Experimental doom rockers Fear Of Comedy launch their new album, Delapsus Resurgam, at Mojo’s this Saturday, August 3, with support from The Leap Year and Like Junk. We caught up with frontman, Laith Tierney. Where did you record and who with? We recorded with Ron Pollard at Studio Sleep Walkers Dread
A DISAPPOINTING LINE UP
Local five piece post new wave outfit The Disappointed are knocking their national tour on the head this Saturday, August 3, at PICA Bar. Catch them alongside Mt Mountain, Sidewalk Diamonds and Luke Dux from 8pm. Tickets are $10 on the door.
How do you think Dunn’s departure will affect the band? It’s sad to see Dunn go, he’s an original member, a dear friend and we’ve shared a lot of musical influences. Even when fear of comedy split up for two years, I was still jamming with him, because he is my favourite drummer to work with. His departure means we probably won’t spend any more time performing or rehearsing the tracks from Delapsus Resurgam. It’s time to find a new drummer, and experiment with a new sound. What’s up next? We’re looking forward to some big changes. I’m confident that the combination of a new drummer and the return of Ben Waters on guitar will result in a really inspiring and prolific period for us. I want to see how heavy we can get and really do the stage stormin’ front man thing. No more falling. Just rising, thanks.
ATTACK! ATTACK! ATTACK!
The Velvet Lounge’s regular night of good tunes and good brews, Attack Of The Cheap Jugs, is on tonight, Wednesday July 31. Get a crew together and head down to the Flying Scotsman’s beloved back room to catch The Branson Tramps, supported by Anemone Flesh and Rag n’ Bone. Doors open at 8pm, entry is free.
The Disappointed
HONOUR BOUND
Perth heavy heroes, To Hell With Honour, unleash their debut five track EP, Conscious, this Thursday, August 1, at The Rosemount Hotel. also on hand to make sure the night is as noisy as possible will be One Of None, Afraid Of Heights and Hello Darling. Doors open at 8pm, entry is $10. To Hell With Honour
WELL, DO YA?
Regular punk-flavoured night Feel Lucky Punk? is on at The Rosemount Hotel’s 459 Bar again this Friday, SMRTS are playing The Bird this Thursday, August 1, which is always August 2. Get your mosh cause for celebration, particularly when they’re sharing the stage with on to the soothing sounds the likes of Craig McElhinney and Erasers, the latter of whom we of Sharron!, Facegrinder, Tooth N Claw, Circle One, haven’t heard from in a while. Doors open at 8pm, entry is $5. Postcard Bandits and the mighty Doctopus from 8pm.
SMRTS
A SMRT MOVE
WIDOW MAKERS
Ridiculously large alt-folk outfit, Rich Widow, will be doing their thing at YaYa’s tonight, Wednesday July 31, with their friends and fellow travellers The Kuillotines, Hoot And Howl, Catbrush and The Eerie Serpent. Sounds like a great way to warm up your spirit on a cold winter’s eve. Doors open at 7pm, entry is $5. Rich Widow
Doctopus
01/08/2013 To Hell With Honour Conscious EP Launch @ The Rosemount 03/08/2013 Fear Of Comedy Delapsus Resurgam Album Launch @ Mojo’s 09/08/2013 The High Learys Here Come The High Learys LP Launch @ Devilles Pad 09/08/2013 The Insinnerators Deadly Seven EP Launch @ Beat 09/08/2013 Ragdoll All I Want Is Everything EP Launch @ The Rosemount 09/08/2013 Simon Kelly And The Big Bamboo Ride On Album Launch @ Clancy’s Fremantle 09/08/2013 Water Graves Self Titled EP Launch @ The Bird 10/08/2013 Alex The Kid Cold Morning Video Launch @ The Civic 16/08/2013 Reapers Riddle Drop Video/Single Launch @ The Civic 16/08/2013 Tracey Barnett Blooming EP Launch @ The Bakery 16/08/2013 Dan Cribb The Memories Last EP Launch @ The Rosemount 18/08/2013 Triangle Fight Self Titled Album Launch @ YaYa’s 24/08/2013 Leure Holland Sky LP Launch @ The Bird 24/08/2013 Tempest Rising Dominion That Falls Single Launch @ The Civic 06/09/2013 Timothy Nelson & The Infidels Born In The ‘90s Single Launch @ The Amplifier 19/10/2013 Sirgin One Love EP Launch @ The Civic
Tourist
TOURIST SEASON
Rock outfit Tourist take the stage at YaYa’s this Thursday, August 1, along with China Doll and Jake and the Cowboys. Doors open at 8pm, so get down early to catch some solid, no-frills rock and roll. www.xpressmag.com.au
Bands Enrol now www.aaca.net.au 33
34
X-Press – First on the street, Wednesdays
Eskimo Joe, August 1 - 4
Claire Bowditch, August 30
THE SMITH STREET BAND 22 Rosemount Hotel 23 Prince Of Wales, Bunbury VANCE JOY 23 Fly By Night GRINSPOON 23 Astor Theatre GEORGE BENSON 24 Riverside Theatre NORTHWEST FESTIVAL 24 Port Hedland Turf Club BERNARD FANNING 25 & 26 Astor Theatre JAPANDROIDS 26 Rosemount Hotel ASH 27 Rosemount Hotel STONEFIELD 29 Prince Of Wales, Bunbury 30 Players Bar, Mandurah 31 Amplifier 1 Indi Bar THE WHITLAMS/ WASO 30 Perth Concert Hall CLAIRE BOWDITCH 30 Fly By Night CLOUD CONTROL 31 Capitol
FOR THE FALLEN DREAMS 11 YMCA HQ ESKIMO JOE 12 Amplifier 1 Prince Of Wales, THE GETAWAY PLAN Bunbury 12 Prince of Wales, 2 Settler’s Tavern, Bunbury Margaret River 13 Players Bar, 3 Studio 146, Albany Mandurah 4 Players Bar, 14 Rosemount Hotel Mandurah 15 YMCA HQ BRITISH INDIA Leederville 2 & 3 Amplifier RUDIMENTAL COLD WAR KIDS 13 Metro City (sold 2 Capitol out) VILLAGERS 14 Metro City 2 Fly By Night DEEZ NUTZ PARKWAY DRIVE 2 Prince Of Wales, 14 Metro Freo Bunbury 15 & 16 Capitol 3 YMCA HQ RED DIRT ft JIMMY 3 Rosemount Hotel BARNES 4 Newport Hotel 19 Kalgoorlie Boulder FIDLAR Race Club 3 The Bakery KVELERTAK BARDO POND 19 Amplifier 4 Rosemount Hotel DEAD LETTER PASSION PIT CIRCUS 4 Villa 19 Prince Of Wales, Bunbury 20 Metro Freo AUGUST THE PREATURES 20 Flyrite ATTILA 21 Mojos Bar 6 Amplifier THE PAPER KITES ALESANA 21 Fly By Night 7 Amplifier THE DRONES BARN OWL 21 The Bakery 9 The Bakery SEPTEMBER FOALS SENSES FAIL 22 Metro City 9 Amplifier MANHATTAN RIHANNA FAIM TRANSFER 24 Perth Arena 9 PICA Bar 1 Regal Theatre ROLO TOMASSI KARNIVOOL HIT THE LIGHTS/ 25 Amplifier 11 Metro City HEROES FOR HIRE/ LAMB OF GOD & GLASS TOWERS STATE CHAMPS MESHUGGAH 9 Newport Hotel 5 Amplifier 26 Metro City 10 Amplifier FAT FREDDY’S DROP CALEXICO THE 11th TOTALLY 27 Astor Theatre 5 Astor Theatre HUGE NEW MUSIC TWELVE FOOT JOSH PYKE FESTIVAL NINJA 9 – 16 Various Venues 5 Prince Of Wales, 26 Prince Of Wales, Bunbury SARAH BLASKO Bunbury 12 Margaret River 6 Fly By Night 27 Rosemount Hotel Cultural Centre 7 Astor Theatre MELBOURNE SKA CARTEL SNAKADAKTAL ORCHESTRA 14 Amplifier 5 Newport Hotel 27 Fly By Night, OBEY THE BRAVE 6 Capitol 28 Astor Theatre 14 YMCA HQ 7 Settler’s Tavern, 29 Wave Rock 15 Amplifier Margaret River Weekender COSMIC PSYCHOS THE CAT EMPIRE 16 Amplifier 7 Red Hill Auditorium WAVE ROCK WEEKENDER ANNIHILATE MUSIC MIDNIGHT 28 - 30 Wave Rock 10TH BIRTHDAY: JUGGERNAUTS Caravan Park MINDSNARE/50 6 Prince Of Wales, THE CULT LIONS/BATTLETRUK/ Bunbury 28 Metro City OUTSIDERS CODE 7 Capitol ONE DIRECTION 16 Prince Of Wales, REZUME 28 & 29 Perth Arena Bunbury 7 Civic Hotel XAVIER RUDD/ 17 Amplifier AMANDA PALMER & DONAVON 18 YMCA HQ THE GRAND THEFT FRANKENREITER/ DARYL ORCHESTRA NAHKO & MEDICINE BRAITHWAITE 8 Astor Theatre FOR THE PEOPLE 18 Newport Hotel CONVERSATIONS 28 3 Oceans Winery, DON MCLEAN Margaret River 19 Perth Concert Hall WITH GHOSTS 8 Perth Concert Hall 29 Fremantle Arts PAUL KELLY JAMES REYNE Centre 22 Regal Theatre LISTEN OUT ANDREW STRONG: 8 Newport Hotel FESTIVAL THE COMMITMENTS ANBERLIN 11 Metro Freo 29 Ozone Reserve 22 Metro Freo
THIS WEEK
www.xpressmag.com.au
The Preatures, September 20 - 21
OCTOBER SWERVEDRIVER 3 Rosemount Hotel HORRORSHOW 3 Prince Of Wales 4 Amplifier JINJA SAFARI 4 Prince Of Wales, Bunbury 5 Astor Theatre SOILWORK 6 Rosemount Hotel HARRISON CRAIG 11 Regal Theatre ME FIRST & THE GIMME GIMMES 11 Amplifier 12 Prince Of Wales, Bunbury BRING ME THE HORIZON 12 Challenge Stadium WELCOME TO THE VALLEY 12 Belvoir Amphitheatre RICKY MARTIN 12 Perth Arena THE DAVID LIEBE HART BAND 13 Amplifier DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT 15 Metro Freo AMORPHIS 16 Capitol REGURGITATOR 16 Indi Bar 17 The Prince Of Wales, Bunbury 18 Metro Freo 19 Rosemount Hotel SPIT SYNDICATE 17 Newport Hotel 18 Amplifier DIESEL 18 Fly By Night 19 Charles Hotel 20 Ravenswood Hotel MICKY AVALON 19 Amplifier EVERY TIME I DIE 24 Amplifier BEHEMOTH 24 Capitol THE AMITY AFFLICTION 26 Metro City 27 Metro Freo AA SLEEP 28 Rosemount Hotel ANDRE RIEU 29 Perth Arena TONY HADLEY 30 The Astor CHET FAKER 31 ARTBAR THE BREEDERS 31 The Astor ENSLAVED 31 Rosemount Hotel YELLOWCARD 31 Capitol
NOVEMBER BABY ANIMALS 2 Astor Theatre
BEYONCE 8 & 9 Perth Arena SCOTT KELLY AND THE ROAD HOME 10 Rosemount Hotel LEONARD COHEN 13 Perth Arena BEAUFORT STREET FESTIVAL 16 Beaufort Street JILL SCOTT 17 Riverside Theatre AN EVENING ON THE GREEN 17 Kings Park NILE 17 Amplifier Bar BOY & BEAR 22 Metro Freo 23 Astor Theatre FLEETWOOD MAC 22 & 23 Perth Arena HITS & PITS 2.0 Black Flag, Boysetsfire, Bad Astronaut, Snuff, No Fun At All, Good For You, Off With Their Heads, Jugheads Revenge 24 Amplifier & Capitol EROS RAMAZZOTTI 23 Challenge Stadium THE ATARIS 29 Amplifier Bar STEREOSONIC 30 Claremont Showgrounds MUSE 30 Perth Arena
DECEMBER CITY AND COLOUR 7 Belvoir Amphitheatre AIR SUPPLY 8 Perth Concert Hall JUSTIN BIEBER 8 Perth Arena TAYLOR SWIFT 11 Perth NIB Stadium BON JOVI 12 Perth Arena
FEBRUARY BIG DAY OUT 2 TBA BRUNO MARS 28 Perth Arena
MARCH 30 SECONDS TO MARS 25 Challenge Stadium APRIL MICHAEL BUBLÉ 26 April Perth Arena
35
Vida Cain, Thursday at Mustang Bar
WEDNESDAY 31.07 AMPLIFIER Academy Anchored Surroundings Mindless BAR 120 Felix THE BIRD Barefaced Stories Jeffrey Jay Fowler Kyle Orton Sarah Kate Young Kristy Auld Ben Mulvey Don Smith BRASS MONKEY Sugar Blue Burlesque BROOKLANDS TAVERN Rodney Rude CARINE Open Mic Night Chris O’Brien CLAREMONT HOTEL Acoustica GREENWOOD Adam James ELLINGTON JAZZ CLUB A Saucy Little Secret GROOVE BAR (CROWN) Normie Rowe INDI BAR Darren Guthrie Daniel White LUCKY SHAG Howie Morgan MOJOS BAR Delson and Boyd Stokes Mixed Mob Elli Schoen Milly Taylor and Greg Hasting Gary ‘Curly’ Bonney MUSTANG BAR Kickstart DJ James MacArthur THE PADDO Pippa Drysdale Anthony Nieves Jason Aryes PICA BAR Young Lions Sean Little Jeremy Trezona
ROSEMOUNT Dry Dry River Water Retina 34a9er UNIVERSAL Retrofit VELVET LOUNGE Attack Of The Cheap Jugs The Branson Tramps Rag n’ Bone Anemone Flesh VILLAGE BAR Village People - Open Mic YAYA’S Rich Widow The Kuillotines Hoot & Howl Catbrush The Eerie Serpent
THURSDAY 01.08 THE AVIARY Empire THE BAKERY The Big Splash Semi Final #2 Man The Clouds Ensemble Formidable Red Engine Caves BEAT NIGHTCLUB (DOWNSTAIRS) Fantasy Thursdays BELGIAN BEER CAFÉ Jean Proude THE BIRD SMRTS Erasers Craig McElhinney THE BOAT Jen De Ness BRASS MONKEY Rhythm Bound Karaoke BRIGHTON Open Mic Night Rob Walker BROOKLANDS TAVERN Celebrations Karaoke THE CAUSEWAY BAR Xport Thursdays J Jordan Azor 3 of Diamonds Flat Stan France China LOBBY LOUNGE (CROWN ) Monarchy
Sensory Amusia, Friday at The Civic Hotel DEVILLES PAD Rock & Roll Karaoke DUNSBOROUGH TAVERN Pat Nicholson ELEPHANT AND WHEELBARROW 5 Shots ELLINGTON JAZZ CLUB A Saucy Little Secret Continental Robert and Tanya-Lee Davies Night Cap Session THE GATE Greg Carter GROOVE BAR (CROWN) Dr Bogus GOSNELLS HOTEL Rodney Rude INDI BAR Bex’s Open Mic Night LUCKY SHAG James Wilson MARKET CITY TAVERN Jenia Gladziejewski 16 Stories Lauren O’Hara Stu Capewell Hailee Norwood Ryan Lamb Lukoska Pedro Stylz Bee Anchor MOJOS BAR Matt Gresham MUSTANG BAR Vida Cain Midnight Mules The Arthur Dent Project DJ James MacArthur PRINCE OF WALES Eskimo Joe ROSEMOUNT HOTEL To Hell With Honour One Of None Afraid Of Heights Hello Darling SETTLERS TAVERN Acoustic Open Mic Night SWALLOW BAR Nick Sheppard UNIVERSAL Off The Record YA YA’S Tourist China Doll Jake & The Cowboys
FRIDAY 02.08
Dry Dry River
DRY DRY RIVER
WATER/RETINA 34A9ER THEROSEMOUNTHOTEL WEDNESDAY, JULY 31
36
AMPLIFIER British India Stillwater Giants Dead Owls BALMORAL Mike Naygar BAR ORIENT The Reggae Club BEAT NIGHTCLUB (UPSTAIRS) Vanity Safe Hands The Weight Foxes No Regrets Cabin Fever The Black Fridays BEAT NIGHTCLUB (DOWNSTAIRS) PLAY
Big Girl’s Blouse, Saturday at The Swan Hotel Basement
BELMONT TAVERN Chris Gibbs BEST DROP TAVERN Carbon Taxi THE BIRD James Pants THE BOAT Ben Merito THE BOAB TAVERN Almost Famous BRASS MONKEY Matt Angel CAPITOL Cold War Kids Cabin THE CARINE Velvet CHASE BAR & BISTRO James Wilson CITRO BAR Adrian Wilson CIVIC HOTEL BACKROOM Sensory Amusia DFC Tensions Arise Red Descending Amadeum CLANCY’S FREMANTLE The Wishers CORNERSTONE ALE HOUSE Madam Montage DUNSBOROUGH TAVERN Travis Caudle EAST 150 BAR Jonathon Dempsey ELEPHANT AND WHEELBARROW Darren Reid & The Soul City Groove ELLINGTON JAZZ CLUB Saffron Sharp The SPREAD EMPIRE BAR Howie Morgan THE FLY BY NIGHT Villagers Courtney Barnett GROOVE BAR (CROWN) Tod Johnson & Peace Love GREENWOOD Greg Carter HYDE PARK HOTEL Adam James INDI BAR Vdelli KALAMUNDA HOTEL Astrobat KULCHA Gabriella Scornavacche Trio LOBBY LOUNGE (CROWN) Decoy Duo M ON THE POINT Nathan Gaunt MAHOGANY INN Jamie Powers MOJOS BAR SimmoT DJ Ras Mwas MC S.O.X. Papa Flava Earthlink Sound DJ Sorted LEOPOLD HOTEL Kama
MUSTANG OZ Big Band Swing DJ Cheeky Monekys DJ James MacArthur NEWPORT HOTEL Karaoke Classic Steve Parkin PADDO Easy Tigers PADDY MCGUIRES Frenzy PARAMOUNT NIGHTCLUB Flyte PEEL ALE HOUSE Better Days PORT KENNEDY TAVERN Dirty Scoundrels PRINCE OF WALES Deez Nutz THE PRINCIPAL Shawne & Luc RAILWAY HOTEL Bury The Heard Needles Douglas In The Dead Hours Mitchell Jones ROCKET ROOM Big Guns ROSEMOUNT Australian 2013 DMC Championships DJ Armee DJ J-Red Midsole DJ U-Wish Diamond Renegade ROSIE O’GRADYS FREMANTLE GrooVe SAIL AND ANCHOR Howie Morgan Duo SAIL AND ANCHOR (UPSTAIRS) NightShift SETTLER’S TAVERN Eskimo Joe SOUTH ST ALEHOUSE Robbie King Karaoke SPRINGS TAVERN Die Hard Karaoke SWAN HOTEL (LOUNGE) Harley Rockets SWAN HOTEL (BASEMENT) Goat Got Sharks? September Sun SWINGING PIG Overdrive Greg Carter TRADEWINDS HOTEL Dean Anderson UNIVERSAL Nightmoves X-WRAY CAFÉ Whails Tawny Rajah Andrew Meredith WOODVALE TAVERN Hi-NRG YA YA’S Chainsaw Hookers The Order Of The Black Werewolf Celebrator Dan Cribb & The Isolated
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
Common Bond, Saturday at YMCA HQ
SATURDAY 03.08 AMPLIFIER British India Stillwater Giants Mezzanine THE ASTOR The Bootleg Beatles BALMORAL Pop Candy THE BAKERY FIDLAR Dune Rats BEAT NIGHTCLUB (UPSTAIRS) CANVAS BEAT NIGHTCLUB (DOWNSTAIRS) RUNAWAYS Reflections of Ruin Vultures BELGIAN BEER CAFÉ Mike Naygar THE BIRD Foam Catbrush Apache Lost Tuneless BOAB TAVERN James Wilson CHASE BAR & BISTRO Stackhammer CIVIC HOTEL BACKROOM Emberville Here Come The Cavalry Take It Or Leave It Defy The Leader Hollow Ground THE CLAREMONT HOTEL ANTICS Lilt These Winter Nights DJ Lukas Wimmler CRAFTSMAN GRooVe ELEPHANT AND WHEELBARROW Timeout ELLINGTON JAZZ CLUB AbbeyFosterFalle Brotherhood Double Drums Spectacular THE FLY TRAP (FLY BY NIGHT) The Cross Eyed Cats THE GATE Greg Carter GOSNELLS HOTEL Astrobat GREENWOOD Passionworks GROOVE BAR (CROWN) Hi-NRG HOTEL ROTTNEST Karin Page HYDE PARK HOTEL Howie Morgan Project INDI BAR Zarm INDIAN OCEAN BREWING CO Shawne & Luc KULCHA Chris Wilde & Julie Matthews LAKERS TAVERN Celebrations Karaoke LOBBY LOUNGE (CROWN) Why Georgia?
Friday Friday TravisSunday Caudle Dawn of Leviathan, Travis Caudle Fly ByNight Night at YMCA HQ Fly By
M ON THE POINT Rhythm 22 MERRIWA TAVERN Back2Back MOJOS BAR Fear Of Comedy The Leap Year Like Junk DJ Jessica Kill MUSTANG The Continentals Rockabilly DJ Milhouse DJ James MacArthur NEWPORT HOTEL Karaoke with Steve Parkin Gravity OCEAN REEF SPORTS CLUB Gary Fowlie PADDO Cheeky Monkeys PADDY MAGUIRES Frenzy PARAMOUNT NIGHTCLUB Felix PEEL ALE HOUSE Tequila Mockingbirds PICA BAR The Disappointed Mt Mountain Sidewalk Diamonds Luke Dux PORT KENNEDY TAVERN Stu McKay THE PRINCIPAL Shawne & Luc QUARIE BAR & BISTRO Dirty Scoundrels RAILWAY HOTEL Tuxedo Pig In Orbit Ibis Elm Arthur Dent Project ROCKET ROOM Kickstart ROSEMOUNT Deez Nuts Common Bond Temporal Surroundings SAIL & ANCHOR Better Days SAIL & ANCHOR (UPSTAIRS) Childs Play THE SHED Huge SOUTH ST ALE HOUSE Robbie King Karaoke SPRINGS TAVERN Die Hard Karaoke STUDIO 146 Eskimo Joe SWAN HOTEL (LOUNGE) Sarina Cooper Nicolas Brown Kate Ferguson SWAN HOTEL (BASEMENT) Big Girls Blouse Falloway The Brothers Duke SWINGING PIG Greg Crater Big Steve Spouse Band
www.xpressmag.com.au
The Aunts, Sunday at Kulcha
LAST DROP TAVERN Domenic Zurzolo M ON THE POINT Tequila Mockingbirds MOJOS BAR Doctopus Electric Toad Golden String Lionizer NEWPORT HOTEL Deez Nutz PLAYERS BAR Eskimo Joe QUARIE BAR & BISTRO Better Days ROSEMOUNT Bardo Pond Mt Mountain THE SAINT Howie Morgan Project SUBIACO ARTS CENTRE SUNDAY 04.08 Jane Germain BAILEY BAR & Ian Simpson BISTRO The Yahoos Gary Fowlie SWALLOW BAR BALMORAL Shotdown From Astrobat BEAUMARIS SPORTS Sugartown SWINGING PIG CLUB Matt Angell Double Take Jamie Powers BELMONT TAVERN UNIVERSAL Jonathon Dempsey Retrofit BOAB TAVERN VILLA Chriss Gibbs Duo BRIGHTON Passion Pit Nate Lansdell WANNEROO TAVERN BROKEN HILL HOTEL Adam James Nathan Gaunt YMCA HQ BROOKLANDS Dawn Of Leviathan TAVERN The Moment We Fall Gerry Azor Let The Evil Go East THE CAUSEWAY Take It Or Leave It Accoustic Sunday Idle Eyes CHASE BAR Defy The Leader Chasing Calee Vultures CIVIC HOTEL Mike Naygar MONDAY 05.08 COMO HOTEL Sophie Jane & The BRASS MONKEY Chilly Bin Boys Wire Birds ELEPHANT AND ELLINGTON JAZZ WHEELBARROW CLUB Darren Reid & The George Murphy Soul City Groove Gavin Kerr Trio ELLINGTON JAZZ GROOVE BAR CLUB (CROWN) Oz Big Band Louise Anton Trio Sam Brittain MOJO’S BAR THE GATE Wide Open Mic Greg Carter GOSNELLS HOTEL Conny The Clown GROOVE BAR (CROWN) Peace Love INDI BAR British India Still Water Giants INDIAN OCEAN BREW CO Retriofit KALAMUNDA HOTEL Sue Johnson KULCHA The Aunts Justin Walshe Quixotic Owen & The Voices Mel Hall DJ Cookie LAKERS TAVERN Wesley Goodlet Jamboree Scouts TRADEWINDS HOTEL Dean Anderson UNIVERSAL Soul Corporation WANNEROO TAVERN Rodney Rude WHALE & ALE Sweet Surrender YMCA HQ Afternoon Deez Nuts Common Bond Anchored Aveira Skies Night Vanity Safe Hands The Weight The Others Statues Protest
MUSTANG BAR Triple Shots REGAL THEATRE Bjorn Again YA YA’S Big Tommo’s Open Mic Night
TUESDAY 06.08 AMPLIFIER Attila Vanity Anchored Still Water Claims BRASS MONKEY Open Mic Night Chris O’Brien THE CARINE Rodney Rude THE COURT Open Mic Night THE CRAGIE TAVERN Open Mic Night GROOVE BAR (CROWN) Ruby’s Groove ELLINGTON JAZZ CLUB A Saucy Little Secret Abbey Foster Falle KALAMUNDA HOTEL Open Mic Anthony Kay LOBBY LOUNGE (CROWN) Hans Fiance MERIDIAN ROOM (CROWN) Howie Morgan MERRIWA TAVERN Celebrations Karaoke MUSTANG BAR Danza Loca Salsa Night MOJOS BAR Jay Grafton Eloise Ashton Bee Anchor Emilie Flynn REGAL THEATRE Bjorn Again YA YA’S Lone Rangers Mathas Odette Mercy Rae Zara Huts Danielle MacDonald
Jay Grafton
JAY GRAFTON
ELOISE ASHTON BEE ANCHOR EMILIE FLYNN MOJO’S TUESDAY, AUGUST 6
37
MUSIC GEAR & TECHNOLOGY FOR SALE HEADPHONES all brands & styles. 23 Harrogate Street, West Leederville. Contact Headphonic 08 93886333 headphones.com.au INTERNET SERVICES OZURBAN RADIO Soul, RnB, Hip Hop, Urban Tunes, Real music, Real presenters. Internet Radio 24/7 www.OzUrbanRadio.com MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS INSTRUMENT REPAIRS Guitars, violins, clarinet, Saxaphone, Servicing and repairs. Phone: 9403 3212 MUSOS WANTED BOYUP BROOK COUNTRY MUSIC BOOT CAMP Sep 27-29, 20 spots available. Contact countrymusicwa@westnet.com.au or 9765 1657 KEYBOARD PLAYER REQUIRED to complete exp. Rock/pop cover band “INSIDEOUT”. Must be committed and have a positive attitude. 0439 408 909 NCBC CALL OUT FOR ENTRIES Enter now at aaca.net.au for a chance at our huge prize pool! OPEN MIC NIGHT every Thursday night at Indi Bar. Just call Bex on 0404 917 632. OPEN MIC NIGHT @ THE CRAIGIE TAVERN Tuesdays from 8pm. Solos, Duos, Trios, Originals and Covers. Contact Paula or Ceelay 0420375670 or openmiccraigie@hotmail.com PHOTOGRAPHY P R O J E C T P H OTO G R A P H Y Promo photography, studio, live, location. M ik e Wylie 0417 975 964 www. projectphotography.com When its time to ice the cake... PRODUCTION SERVICES * L I G H T I N G * A U D I O * S TA G I N G * w w w. n i g h t s t a r l i g h t i n g a u d i o . c o m . a u w w w. n i g h t s t a r l i g h t i n g a u d i o . c o m . a u www.instandt.com.au www.instandt.com.au 9381 2363/ 9444 6651 CD & DVD MANUFACTURE Check out our latest CD & DVD specials online at www. procopy.com.au 9375 3902 D I S K B A N K P e r t h ’s p r e m i e r C D & D V D m a n u f a c t u r e r, w i t h o p t i o n s for all budgets. (08) 9388 0800. www.diskbank.com.au/specials. MATRIX PRODUCTIONS AUSTRALIA Lighting, staging, sound systems, smoke machines, night club FX, intelligent lighting, strobes & mirror balls, crowd barriers, video projectors. 9371 1551 RECORDING STUDIOS ALAN DAWSON’s WITZEND RECORDING STUDIO Prof quality albums or demos, large live room, experienced engineer, analog to digital transfers, mastering..Alan 0407 989 128 or Jeremy 0430638178 www.witzendstudios. com ANDY’S STUDIO International multi award winning songwriter / producer. No band required. Broadcast quality. A songwriter’s paradise. Ph 9364 3178
38
Send your Volume News to musicservices@xpressmag.com.au
Edited by T R AV I S J O H N S O N
BANDS! - UNLOCK YOUR SONGS’ POTENTIAL +FREE APPRAISALS. UK Producer, 40,000+ hours studio experience. 20 yrs in London with bands and songwriters. Kicking arrangements, great studio and the ability to really listen will give your material the edge you need. Call Jerry on 0405 653 338 or visit www.jerichomusic.com.au GOLDDUST Production Mixing, recording and composition. Leederville $70 p/h. 0408 097 407 POONS HEAD MASTERING Analog mastering at its best. Clients include Mink Mussel Creek, Jeff Martin, The Panics, Pond + The Floors. World class facility. World class results. www. poonshead.com 9339 47 91 RECORDING MIXING MASTERING PRODUCING Fremantle location. Call Pete Kitchen Cooked Records. Ph 0407 363 764 / 9336 3764 REVOLVER SOUND STUDIO Ph 9272 7505. www.revolverstudio.com.au S AT E L L I T E R E C O R D I N G S T U D I O www.satelliterecording.com 0419 908 766 ProTools..17 Years exp WINTER SPECIAL FREMANTLE RECORDING STUDIOS Record at a studio that’s had bands on JJJ! $120/hr. Prof recording sessions in one of the best rooms in WA. 10% off when you mention this ad. New:Live video shoot with recording, editing and mixdown $750. Perfect for your reel or press kit. Call 0433 1962 24 for bookings. 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. PLATINUM SOUND ROOMS Professional rehearsal rooms, airconditioned, quality PAs mob 0418 944 722 STREAM STUDIO’S 89 Stirling St, Perth. Mobile: 0403 152 009 info@streamrehearsal.com.au VISION REHEARSAL Perth’s premier rehearsal facilities. Visit www.visionstudios.com.au for all info. East Vic Park. Email rehearsal@ visionstudios.com.au or call 0432 034 122 TUITION ***GUITAR LESSONS*** Perth’s ultimate guitar studio. Beg-adv, all styles and levels including bass. Cliff Lynton Guitar Institute. Mt Lawley 9342 3484 / www.clifflynton.com BASS LESSONS Rock, funk & jazz. Tony Gibbs 9470 6131 G U I TA R & K E Y B O A R D T U I T I O N (Beginners- Professional) One on One lessons. Free guitar trial lesson. Burswood Ph 6460 6921/ 0415 238 729 www.gvkschoolofmusic.com.au GUITAR TUITION Teacher, performer with 30 yrs experience., No reading req. All ages, beg to adv. Ph Ian Wilson 9403 3212
Lee Groves
COME FLY WITH ME Ernie Ball Music Man Musician’s Toolkit
TOOLS OF THE TRADE
If you’re a muso (and if you’re reading this, we pretty much assume you are), you know that things go wrong with your gear on a pretty much constant basis. Now, with the Ernie Ball Music Man Musician’s Toolkit, you can nip those issues in the bud on the spot. All in one box, you get a hex wrench kit, metal straight edge ruler, 6-in-1 screwdriver, heavy duty string cutters, wonder wipes, microfibre polish cloth and peg winder, which is enough to deal with 90% of your small scale equipment issues in no time. RRP $69.95
SUCK MY KISS
The word has gone out - the Powers That Be are looking for submissions for inclusion on the annual and much loved Kiss My WAMi CD/DVD. Spread over three CDs and one DVD, approximately 80 WA acts will be showcased, and local music fans will know that the compilation gets a hell of a lot of airplay on triple j, RTRFM, 96FM and various and sundry other high-level radio outlets. Think you and yours deserve to be on there? Entries close August 12, so you better head to wam.asn.au right quick.
The closing date for entries in the Music category of the Qantas Spirit Of Youth Awards is almost upon us. In point of fact, you’ve got until 2pm on Tuesday, August 6, to get your applications in. Open to musicians aged 30 and under, up for grabs is a sweet $5000 in Qantas vouchers which can put you right where you think inspiration is likely to strike hardest, whether you’re in a New York State Of Mind or feel like Going Back To Miami. The winner also receives $5000 in cash and a professional mentorship from top notch producer, engineer and songwriter Lee Groves. Head to soya.com.au for further information.
ZUGME
Finally, a new way for musicians to keep in touch. Zugme is a new social media site tailored for those in the music industry. Designed to help artist collaborate, compare notes and exchange information ideas, as well as promote gigs, tours and releases. Content tagging by both topic and location means that anyone can find the music they like, and any musician can plug into the audience their chasing. The Zugme Android app is already available, and the iOS version is in the works as we speak. To check it out, merely head to zugme.com.
GEARBO X ERNIE BALL MUSIC MAN ARMADA GUITAR
We’ve had to wait since it was first shown to the world back in January, but the first in the new line of guitar designs from Music Man finally hits Australian shelves this month. A radical rethink from the boffins at Music Man, she features a solid mahogany body, an angled-back headstock on a rosewood neck, twin Music Man double humbucking pickups, and beautiful mother of pearl inlays. RRP is $4495, and you can check this sweet beast out an any Music Man retailer, or point your browser to cmcmusic.com.au
To advertise in Classified call 9213 2888 or email musicservices@xpressmag.com.au
X-Press – First on the street, Wednesdays
www.xpressmag.com.au
39
40
X-Press – First on the street, Wednesdays