X-Press Magazine #1307 by X-Press Magazine

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

www.xpressmag.com.au

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

www.xpressmag.com.au

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

CREEPING BACK

Missy Elliot Pond

BIG FISHES

After the sky-rocketing success of 2010’s Frond, psychedelic rockers Pond are raring to release album #4 Beard, Wives And Denim this Friday, March 2. The record is a series of songs that read like a diary detailing the efforts of a ragtag group of friends trying to live harmoniously as a family band. You’ll get a chance to experience these fresh tracks when the guys take the new album on the road in April. They will be fresh from performances in the US and Canada including the SXSW Festival and Canadian Music Week. Joining them on the tour will be their pals The Laurels. You can catch the quixotic quartet when they come home on Saturday, April 28, to play The Bakery. Tickets from nowbaking.com.au.

SUPA-EXTRAS

The lineup for the already huge Supafest 2012 has previously been announced and there are already plenty of draw cards, including P.Diddy, Kelly Rowland, Ice Cube, Lupe Fiasco, Rick Ross and Trey Songz. But organisers of the R&B, rap and hip hop festival have also just announced that there will be several other big names added to the line-up including smash hitter Chris Brown, rap queen Missy Elliott, Grammy Award-winning American hip hop trio Naughty By Nature and Sean Michael Anderson aka Big Sean. This year’s festival will now play host to one of the biggest hip hop line-ups to grace Australian shores. The band of urban music brothers is coming to Perth on Sunday, April 22, at the Joondalup Arena and tickets are available at supafest.com.au.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, it’s likely you’ll have already heard that Radiohead are set to tour Australia for the first time in eight years, however unfortunately the influential British band won’t be gracing us with their presence over here on the west coast. However, if you’re still keen as a jellybean to check out the iconic outfit, Thom Yorke & co will start their tour at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre on Friday, November 9, before shows at the Sydney Entertainment Centre (November 12-13) and at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne (November 16-17). Tickets go on sale from Ticketek on Thursday at 9am. The price will be $130 each plus booking fee (plus whatever it costs you in flights to get over there).

Thom Yorke

360

Last Dinosaurs

SNEAK ATTACK

The powerhouse duo that are Sneaky Sound System are set to unleash their sneakiness once again on Australian shores when they return for a national tour. Miss Connie and Black Angus are coming home from some time spent in Asia and the US to showcase their third album From Here To Anywhere which was released late last year. Tracks like We Love and Big have already enjoyed massive success on pop charts around the world and you can catch the electro pop funksters before they leave our land once more for the likes of Europe. Before they get here, their latest track Really Want To See You Again will be released in early March with remixes from Jam Xpress and Funkagenda as well as others. The From Here To Anywhere Tour arrives in Perth for one night only on Saturday, April 14, at Villa. Tickets are available from Moshtix.

ROCK AND ROAR

Sneaky Sound System

Stomping their big feet around this year are Queenslander guys Last Dinosaurs who have just signed up with British label Friction. This new development means they will become label mates with the likes of the Kaiser Chiefs, Snow Patrol and Crystal Castles; so needless to say big things are expected from the guys, not only at home but overseas as well. Their latest hit track Zoom has been getting some serious airtime of late and their soon to be released album In A Million Years (out early March) has been given some serious cred with Bloc Party’s Russell Lissack tweeting his admiration. The hype for these guys is growing tremendously and as a result they are now embarking on a national tour entitled The Million Years Tour, turning the great big land of Oz into their own Jurassic Park. You’ll be able to hear them roar when they roll into town on Saturday, April 14, at Amplifier in Perth and then in Mojo’s Bar on Sunday, April 15. Tickets are available from Moshtix.

HIGH FLYER

Following unprecedented demand, a sold out national tour and chaotic scenes from in-store signings, 360 announces The Flying tour featuring both 18+ and underage shows to cater for the entire army. Rather than taking his stadium-sized album into stadiums, Uncle Sixty is rewarding followers by playing at venues that will allow fans to get up close and very personal with him. Plus, after an amazing response at selected shows on the most recent tour, special guest Gossling will be joining the entire tour and will be singing her part on the summer smash hit Boys Like You. In WA, fans can catch the talented MC on Friday, June 22, (18+), and Saturday, June 23, at the Astor Theatre, for a special all ages gig from 1pm. If you’re desperate to nab tickets, join the 360 mailing list via 360music.com.au by midday on Friday, March 9, to get pre-sale information. The pre-sale begins midday Saturday, March 10. Tickets will go on sale to the general public at 9am local time on Thursday March, 15, from Oztix.

News

Reactions/Comp

Flesh

Music: Mastodon

Music: Hellyeah/ A Day To Remember

Music: Black Lips/ Sticky Fingers

Music: Pond

Music: Diesel/ Oka

Music: Cathedral

New Noise

Eye4 Cover: Cold Chisel

Eye4 News/ Eye4 Music

Eye4 Movies: Like Crazy/ Drake Doremus

Eye4 Movies: Carnage/ Neds

Eye4 Arts: Flickerfest

Eye4 Arts List

Eye4 Lifestyle

Salt Cover: Paul van Dyk

Salt: Future Music Festival Feature

Salt: News/ Rewind: Cut Chemist

Salt: Testpad/ DJ Mishtee

Club Manual/ Scenery

Scene: Live

Scene: Pub Blurbs/ Pub Scene

Scene: Local Scene

Tour Trails

Gig Guide

Volume

The Jezebels

ENDLESS SUMMER

After taking home the gong for ‘Album Of The Year’ at the 2011 Rolling Stone Awards, securing a number 10 position for their single Endless Summer in the Triple J Hottest 100, it has been a bumper summer for anthem-lovin’ pop-rockers The Jezabels. Early 2012 has heralded ARIA and APRA Award nominations and AIR Award wins for their gold selling debut LP Prisoner, and record audiences at the Big Day Out shows nationally. The gifted quartet will continue with their relentless schedule of international touring on the back of the release of Prisoner in the US, UK, Europe, Asia and Canada, but not before they charm local audiences once more during their most ambitious national tour to date, which includes a massive show at Metro City on Tuesday, June 5. Canadian electro rock sensation LIGHTS will be bringing her Juno winning dream-step, grit-pop sounds to support. Tickets are available from Oztix and Heatseeker.

WE HAVE LIFT OFF Cover: Mastodon play Soundwave on Monday, March 5, at Claremont Showground Salt Cover: Paul van Dyk plays Future Music Festival on Sunday, March 4, at Arena Joondalup www.xpressmag.com.au

This Sunday, March 4, the Rocket Room is set to host the newest and hottest Sunday Session this year. With the exotic dancers from Allure Entertainment, tunes provided by prolific guitarist Lindsay Wells and the best party people on the west coast it’s gonna go off like a Rocket. Entry is free before 9pm and $10 thereafter. 7

with Melissa Erpen... Send your name, address and daytime phone number to win@xpressmag.com.au with the name of the competition in the subject line or enter online at www.xpressmag.com.au. Snail mail entries can be sent to Locked Bag 31, West Perth 6872. Entries close 4pm Monday. By entering you agree to X-Press Magazine’s Terms & 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.

Publisher/Manager Joe Cipriani

Editorial

9213 2888

Music Editor Matthew Hogan

UPPER REACH WINERY

musiceditor@xpressmag.com.au

The Upper Reach Twilight concerts are in full swing and what better way to spend a summer’s night than under the stars watching an amazing live band to the backdrop of the beautiful lush vines in the Upper Reach winery located in the Swan Valley. We have one double pass up for grabs to see Annabelle Harvey & Aarons Crusade on Friday, March 9, so get in now for your chance to win what is sure to be a delightful evening.

Dance Editor Annabel Maclean

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Arts & Fashion Editor Emma Bergmeier

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Staff Writer Jennifer Peterson-Ward

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Photography Stefan Caramia, David Chong, Daniel Grant, Sammy Granville, Matt Jelonek, Denis Radacic, Mike Wylie

Contributing Writers Reuben Adams, Nina Bertok, Shaun Cowe, Derek Cromb, Graham Frizzell,Chris Gibbs,Alfred Gorman,George Green,Chris Havercroft, David Geoffrey Hall, Joshua Hayes, Brendan Holben,Travis Johnson, Rezo Kezerashvili, Joanna Lettenmaier, Tara Lloyd, Adam Morris, Ely Nas, Andrew Nelson, Chloe Papas, Daniel Parkinson, Ben Swan, Conan Troutman, Tom Varian, Mike Wafer, Ben Watson, Chela Williams, Jessica Willoughby

Advertising

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Sales and Marketing Manager Paul Morgan

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Music Services / Local Music Des Richardson

Entertainment Venues / Live Promoters Luke Andrioff

Agency / Movies / Education Paul Morgan

Arts / Fashion / Lifestyle / Salt/ Corporate Aaron Nathan

Classifieds Linage / Entertainment Services Coordinator Melissa Erpen classifieds@xpressmag.com.au

Production

9213 2854

Production Co-ordinator Bryony Crowe

DIRTY THREE PURE BLONDE DOME @ FUTURE MUSIC FESTIVAL

Future Music Festival is around the corner y’all and thanks to the Pure Blonde Dome, we’ve got a double VIP pass to the festival to giveaway which includes a case of Pure Blonde beer, VIP treatment at the Dome and a meet and greet with DJ Anna Lunoe who’s just been added to the lineup. The competition is simple – the first person to guess what this image is as we slowly reveal pieces of it over the next week on our Facebook page wins! Head to facebook.com/XPressmagazine and get guessing!

PROJECT X

Three high school seniors throw a birthday party to make a name for themselves. As the night progresses, things spiral out of control as word of the party spreads. We have a bunch of double passes up for grab so get in now for your chance to win.

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Design + Production

art@xpressmag.com.au Brooke Gerrick, Andy Quilty, Anthony Jackson

Printing Rural Press Printing Mandurah

Administration

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Receptionist Melissa Erpen

The planets will once again align in 2012 as Dirty Three tour Australia and release their first new album since 2005’s Cinder. Get in now for your chance to win a double pass to see them live when they hit the Astor Theatre stage on Friday, March 9. It is sure to be a knockout show!

Anna Lunoe @ Future Music Festival

Oka

OKA @ MOJO’S

With a signature sound and unforgettable live reputation, OKA are set for the release of their new album Milk & Honey. Renowned for celebrating Australian culture with a very present, powerful and uniting indigenous cultural overtone running throughout the music, see OKA again live this March when they return to Western Australia. We have two double passes up for grabs to their show at Mojos on Thursday, March 8, and a signed copy of their new album. Get in now as this is sure to be a knockout show!

SIONE’S 2: UNFINISHED BUSINESS

The boys are back! They’re five years older, but are they any wiser? Five years ago our heroes the Duckrockers thought they had figured it all out - they had found themselves girlfriends and the future was looking bright. Fast-forward five years and things haven’t quite gone as they might’ve planned… We have five double passes up for the taking as well as a copy of Sione’s Wedding which is the first film in the sequence and we want you to win them!

LIKE CRAZY

Art Director Dwight O’Neil

Dirty Three

THE DEVIL INSIDE

In Italy, a woman becomes involved in a series of unauthorized exorcisms during her mission to discover what happened to her mother, who allegedly murdered three people during her own exorcism. Want to win tickets to see this nail biting thriller? Then get in now as we have a bunch of double passes to giveaway!

Winner of the Grand Jury Prize for Best Picture at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival, Like Crazy is about a British college student (Felicity Jones) falling for her American classmate (Anton Yelchin) and they embark on a passionate and life-changing journey only to be separated when she violates the terms of her visa. To celebrate the release of this incredible film, we have five double in season up for grabs. Get in quick to be in the running.

CHECK OUT WWW.XPRESSMAG.COM.AU AND SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER ONLINE FOR LOADS MORE EXCLUSIVE COMPS!

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Accounts Lillian Buckley

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Distribution Distribution

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CAB AUDITED CIRCULATION: 38,000 APRIL 2011 – SEPTEMBER 2011

Deadlines EDITORIAL General - Friday 5pm, Arts - Thursday 10am, Comp’ Thing Monday Noon, Clubber’s Guide - Monday 5pm, Rock X-tras - Monday Noon, Gig Guide - Monday 5pm

ADVERTISING Cancellations - Monday 5pm, Bookings / Copy - Tuesday 12 Noon, Classifieds - Monday 4pm Published by: Columbia Press Pty.Ltd. A.C.N. 066 570 803 Registered by Australia Post. Publication No PP600110.00006 Suite 73/102 Railway Parade, 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

This week Chiddy Bang pulled out of the Groovin The Moo lineup, replaced by Ball Park Music. Here’s what our Facebook fans had to say about the caper…

Dear X-Press, Scotty Shattered. They were top of my list. Forrest No way! Ball Park Music is way better than Chitty Bang, their Ray Charles song is terrible, reminds me of LMFAO. Tom Completely agree with Forrest. Chiddy Bang are rubbish. Ball Park Music will be great! Tadhg Chiddy Bang no loss.

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.

BADU BUMMER

Chris I don’t even know who Ball Park Music are either. Bet you they’re better than Chiddy Bang! They’re local and not mind washingly commercial so I’ll give ’em the thumbs up!

I would like to formally present my disappointment with Belvoir’s management of the Erykah Badu concert on the 25/2/2012. Running out of virtually all alcohol options other than passionfruit and vodka UDL by 8.30pm showed an incredible lack of foresight, planning, managerial skill and preparation. By the time Erykah was playing, the bars were serving only bottled water for $5 and some retched red “goon” from flagons that were found in some shed for $8 each. Seriously. How many years have you been running events there? Your bar staff copped the brunt from disgruntled patrons only to explain that (although there’s some 4,000 people in attendance) “... we didn’t think you guys would drink a lot tonight.” I would pull whoever was operating your bars aside for a full dressing down, because not only did you loose thousands in revenue. There would have been more stock at an 18th. Utterly hopeless. You’ll have some explaining to do to the promoters, who will be the face of your failure. David Spencer Via Email

X-Press – First on the street, Wednesdays

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

HENRY OF ALL TRADES

STRIKING OUT

Iconic punk rockers Anti-Flag are known for their socially aware lyrics and, unsuprisingly, will continue to spread their dissident messages on their soon to be released eight studio album The General Strike which ruminates anti wage slavery. With a string of new songs to showcase, the guys from Pittsburgh are headed our way for a tour of our wide brown land. Coming along for the ride is Virginian band Strike Anywhere and Toronto’s The Flatliners. They’ll all be hitting Perth first to kick off the tour which starts on Thursday, May 24, at Capitol. Tickets can be purchased from Moshtix.

Calling All Cars

SLOW RIDE TO HELL

PLAYING WITH THEIR DELIRIUM

Talk about head spin! Just last year, Calling All Cars released their second album Dancing With A Dead Man, supported industry heavyweights The Foo Fighters on their national Australian tour and joined the East Coast run of the Big Day Out. Unfortunately vocalist Haydn took a blow to the jaw on stage in Sydney and that ended their run for the year; but 2012 is upon us now and the boys have recovered from the madness. In order to showcase the success of their latest album and new single She’s Delirious, the lads are embarking on a national tour entitled The Delirium Tour. Joining them on the road will be local rockers Arts Martial. The victory lap of the country will see the guys stop in WA on Thursday, April 19, at the Indi Bar, then onto the Prince Of Wales in Bunbury on Friday, April 20; and then finishing up at The Rosemount in Perth on Saturday, April 21.

BITTER SWEET

EL NATURALE

Using the art of taking one’s own body and making it the instrument and ultimately creating an entirely unique sound, NYC-based outfit Naturally 7 employ both the vocal art of a cappella along with beat boxing and smooth R&B vocals to create something that is energetic and enthralling. The seven piece group has only just recently finished a world tour with Canadian crooner Michael Buble where they received standing ovations, and they’re sure to impress local audiences too when they take to the stage at the Perth Concert Hall on Saturday, May 19. Tickets can be purchased from Bocs.

One of the brute and fierce forces in the hardcore music scene, San Antonio-based outfit Bitter End are set to showcase their explosive lyrics, boneshaking vocals and shattering instrumentals at The Den on Saturday, May 26, and then onto the YMCA HQ on Sunday, May 27. Support comes from local rockers Blkout.

In order to celebrate the long weekend that Easter brings around, Capitol and Amplifier have pulled together some really hot buns. Tonite Only (DJ Set), The Medics, Yes You, Mind Electric, The Halo Effect, The Brown Horn Orchestra, Death Disco DJ’s, Scenic, Kno Agents, Sun City, Stillwater Giants, Tapeheads, FTW, Jus Haus? and DJ Cody will all be playing at the venue on Thursday April 5. That’s fifteen events going on three of the stages available at the duo club, so needless to say there will be plenty of happy bunnies hopping around that night. Tickets are available from Moshtix.

HOUSE PARTY

Having already gotten his gypsy on touring through New York, Los Angeles, Paris, Berlin, Tokyo along with Oz, Ben Single aka Beni is set to do it all again with the debut of his LP House of Beni. Beni brings his energetic live set to Metropolis Fremantle’s new Frat House Fridays night (which had a crowd of over 1000 people partying until the wee hours for its inauguration) on Friday, March 9, and Amplifier on Saturday, March 10. Death Disco DJs support at both shows with Bastian’s Happy Flight and Lightseed joining the bill at Amplifier.

Now in its 25th year, Gozzy Rock is WA’s longest running battle of the bands competition. The final was held once again at Centennial Pioneer Park Amphitheatre, in Gosnells, and featured the eight Gozzy Rock finalists, plus eight guest bands, including 2012’s headliner, the awesomely rockin’ Abbe May! This year, tight, catchy, staccato style outfit The Long March took out top honours, with metalheads Smooth Intentions taking out second place. Also a big shout out to Hey Hurricane who earned themselves the ‘Encouragement Award’. Bring on Gozzy Rock 2013!

ISLAND LIVING

With his island flavour songs, crooner Bobby Alu and his faithful ukulele are set to bring a Pacific sound to the west coast for the first time this year. On Thursday, March 1, Alu will play Mojo’s Bar and will be supported by both the Grace Barbe Band as well as Loren (NSW). Drawing on his Samoan heritage and influence from artists such as Ben Harper and Finley Quay, Alu’s soulful sound is sure to impress. Tickets are $12 on the door at 8pm.

MAKING THE SHORT LIST ORANGE YOU LUCKY

Tinpan Orange frontwoman Emily Lubitz has previously been described as “Edith Piaf in the body of Jessica Rabbit”. Intrigued? Well yes of course you are. Having already toured through Europe and the UK, Lubitz and her talented band are set to charm local audiences with a night of peaceful sounds on Monday, March 5, at Mojo’s Bar in Fremantle. Tickets are just $17 plus booking free from Heatseeker or $20 on the door. Bargain! www.xpressmag.com.au

Having released their first single, hook-heavy synthinspired Pick Up Your Tricks from the anticipated sophomore album due out later this year, Amy Meredith are raring to showcase their brand new material to fans across the country. Luckily the Sydney pop darlings will be afforded the chance to do so when they join Professor Green and Ruby Rose as the supports for British sensation, Jessie J during her upcoming national tour. To add to the excitement, the Sydney leg the tour has recently sold out, with the rest also hot on it’s heels! We’d advise you to get in touch with Ticketmaster ASAP to secure your seat before they’re all gone. It all goes down on Monday, March 5, at Challenge Stadium.

Beni

GOZZY GOZZY GOZZY, OI OI OI!

Tinpan Orange

IT’S TRICKY

Back for another year, the much-loved local day of music that is RTRFM’s In The Pines has released its first lineup. Drawing on a real variety of artists, the event is set to showcase the likes of indie artist Benedict Moleta, country rockers The Ghost Hotel, fuzzed up psych-punk band The Love Junkies as well as local favourites Sugar Army, The Sunshine Brothers and Drowning Horse. Keep your eyes and ears active on RTRFM’s channels for more details about any other artists that may be added to this already diverse list. The day of music is due to include at least twenty local bands and will take place at UWA’s Somerville Auditorium across two stages. The events takes place on Sunday, April 22, and tickets are currently $15 for RTRFM subscribers and $20 for regular folk.

Due to some TV and radio commitments in the US of A that will enhance their upcoming album, Chiddy Bang will no longer be joining in the fun at this year’s Groovin The Moo. It is quite a shame but these things happen. To make up for it the people at GTM have lined up Triple J Unearthed Artist of the Year winners Ball Park Music. These indie rockers hail from Brisbane and will be a nice addition to the GTM team. Any Chiddy Bang fans out there will be disappointed but as they crew from Ball Park Music sing,“don’t stress, that’s dumb,” instead enjoy the change. Ball Park Music will be joining the likes of 360, The Getaway Plan, Matt Corby, City and Colour, the Hilltop Hoods and Parkway Drive for the festival which takes place on Saturday, May 19, in Bunbury at Hay Park.

EASTER TIDINGS

Amy Meredith

IT’S A PINE LIFE

BANG OUT OF ORDER

It’s not long to go now until the Nukara Music Festival hits the Chapman Valley near Geraldton. Already headlining the event are the likes of Mick Thomas’ Roving Convention, The Go Set, Blind Lemon, Minnie Marks, Folklore and The Fancy Brothers. But they are about to be joined by one more; international artist Shelley Short. Hailing from Portland Oregon, Shelley will fit right in with the crowd at Nukara, having grown up with good food, good music and good people. Short is also joining Mick Thomas for a couple of shows on his national tour this year. The pair is hitting Friends in Perth on Thursday, March 15, and The Norfolk Tavern on Friday, March 16, as well as the Nukara Music Festival on Saturday, March 17.

We all know him as British funnyman Lenny Henry, but it turns out there are many facets to this friendly giant. Henry has worked around the world as a comedian, actor, radio host, writer and presenter, but amongst all that, he is a lover of music as well. Cradle To Rave is the one man show that Henry is taking around the country detailing his obsession with music and thwarted attempts in the business. Funny to think that he provided the backing vocals to a Kate Bush track once upon a time hey? Anyhow, among the line of discussion for the evening is Henry’s history with music, his love for it and many a funny anecdote along the way. Add an eclectic soundtrack to that and you’re in for an interesting evening. For one night only on Friday, June 15, you can catch Henry at the Perth Burswood Theatre. Tickets are available from Ticketek.

Local satanic-themed hangout Devilles Pad is presenting their annual Low Brow Kustom Kulture Extravaganza. The jamboree is a celebration of all things ‘hot rod’ and will showcase the best of Perth’s Hot Rods, Kustom Cars, Kustom Bikes and American Muscle Cars. The selection of vintage cars will be on show on Sunday, March 25, on Aberdeen St in Perth and in keeping with the theme of vintage classics, Sea Of Tunes and Screamin’ Lord Miff And The Cadillac’s will provide the entertainment. Rather a carnival affair, the folks at Devilles Pad are also putting on food, a Tiki Bar and The Devilles Kitchen (meals on wheels anyone?), vintage market stalls, pinstriping, Rockin’ Record Hop Disc Jocks, rides in the Magic Kiddie Land, Al Kazam the Magician and a showing of rare vintage drag racing films. Any vintage inclined honeys out there will be sure to enjoy this one. The event starts of at midday and tickets are $10 on entry, children are free.

RUDD’S BACK FOR ANOTHER ROUND

Don’t worry it’s not Kevin, rather it’s indie fellow Xavier Rudd who has announced that he is adding a couple of extra shows to his tour. The additional show will take place at Fly By Night in Fremantle on Wednesday, April 4, as well as the previously announced show taking place at The Astor Theatre in Perth on Thursday, April 5. All ticket details are available at xavierrudd.com

THE GIFT OF GIVING

Having a birthday is all about getting your closest friends and acquaintances together and making sure the fun lasts for as long as possible. Over the last 10 years, The Norfolk Basement has hosted some big local and international names in live performances, and as their birthday approaches they’re set to celebrate like nobody’s business with a month long lineup of performances. Joining in the festivities will be Pond on Friday, March 2, Sonpsilo Circus on Saturday, March 3, and Felicity Groom on Saturday, March 10. In the later half of the month, you can catch Mick Thomas on Friday, March 16, The Tumblers on Friday, March 30, and Holly Throsby on Saturday, March 31. The main birthday shindig will take place on Thursday, March 29. There will be many more acts taking to the stage to celebrate so head over to norfolkhotel. com.au for all the deets.

Fu Manchu

WHO THE FU ARE YOU

Hailing from Southern California, Fu Manchu have been around for a long time. When they formed in 1985 they were by definition a hardcore rock band. Since then, they’ve added and lost a few members and now consider themselves to be originals of the stoner rock genre. Over the years they’ve released an impressive 10 albums and numerous tracks and gained success in the states when they toured with Monster Magnet back in 1995. Last year they toured in honour of their ’96 track In Search Of and now this year they will tour again, this time showcasing their 1997 hit The Action Is Go. Joining them on tour will be Black Cobra, who hail from San Francisco, as well as Matt Sonic & The High Times and local rock’n’rollers The Devil Rides Out. Altogether offering a night of high energy rock, you can catch the Californians at The Rosemount on Saturday, May 5. Tickets are $45 plus booking fee and are available from lifeisnoise.com.

RUN WITH THE PACK

Wolfpack are a three-piece punk rock juggernaut spawned from the ashes of Australian stage-smashers and Perth’s favourite rock export Sin City. With a dynamite live show driven by belting vocals, intense riffs and a turbo-charged rhythm section, the talented trio are excited to strut their stuff during a three date WA tour, which includes a show on Friday, March 23 at The Den; Saturday, March 24, at The Prince Of Wales; and Sunday, March 25, at The Newport.

Catcall

CALL OF THE WILD

Having provided the soundtrack to summer with her electro pop track Satellites, Catcall, also known as Catherine Kelleher, is set to release her debut album The Warmest Place this May and will be touring the country to preview some of her new tunes. Supporting her will be Sydney-siders Palms featuring Al Grigg and Tom Wallace. The WA stint of the tour will take place at Amplifier on Saturday, May 26, and tickets will be available through Moshtix.

TIJUANA RHYMES WITH MARIJUANA

Having very recently played with Cat Empire, this Saturday, March 3, and Sunday, March 4 catch the one and only dance floor filling, flamenco guitar toting, all around scintillating Tijuana Cartel at Mojo’s Bar! Limited Presale tickets are available for $35 plus booking fee and are available from tijuanacartel.com or will be $40 on the door if available on each night. 11

“With The Hunter, I went in and did the songs I wrote with Brann [Dailor, drums], and then Brent [Hinds, guitars/vocals] went in and did the songs he wrote with Brann,” he explains “Because of the time restraint, we didn’t really jam the whole record as a band in the studio like we used to. We had so many riffs and we threw some stuff together. Once we got three or four riffs we put them in a row and just recorded them. We wanted the freedom to just be able to write and not over think it and immediately record it, capture it and remember it. It just grew out of that really, and happened so fast. Pretty soon we had all these different songs and we were writing out of control.” A powerful guitarist in his own right, Kelliher has been influenced by a lot of bands and musicians, especially in the early days while honing his craft. “Metallica is the whole reason I started playing guitar and changed my amps and my guitars,” he admits. “I bought a white Gibson Explorer and Marshall amps and changed from the punk rock tone to the heavy metal tone right away after I heard Master Of Puppets. I was just blown away so I played their records and would learn every single riff and same as Slayer, I would put their records on and try and learn every guitar riff. I soon started my own cover band where I was playing Metallica songs. I tried to emulate James Hetfield when I was a kid, I had long hair, I was in to it.” These days Kelliher is rocking some facial hair very similar to James Hetfield’s ’90s handlebar Mastodon mo, so is the Mastodon master also taking style cues from his musical heroes? “I don’t know, kind of,” he says with a chuckle. “A few years ago I grew a moustache and “The Hunter is more about my wife thought it was kinda funny and at first joked that I grow a handle bar but in the end my letting you imagination go wife really liked it so I have been told not to shave it and I have kept it for her. I shaved it a couple of months ago and she was like ‘no no no, I can’t look wild. We had to sit back at you without it, you need to put it back on’.” It’s 5.20am in Perth when Mastodon’s riff writing machine Bill Kelliher calls Getting back to Mastodon and their and just remember that we CONAN TROUTMAN. As the sun rises over Perth, Kelliher chats about the band’s impending tour of Australia, Kelliher sounds more than happy to be travelling and performing in new album The Hunter, which Perth fans can expect to hear songs from at their weren’t such a serious band, good company. “We have known Slipknot for years impending Soundwave Festival set. and they are all great guys, they put on one of the I mean we are serious, but ultimate shows you know, crazy explosions and fire, “The Hunter is more about letting your “It was a really spontaneous record you know, it was spinning drum sets and obviously the masks,” he we needed to take the piss just the exact opposite of Crack The Skye,” Kelliher imagination go wild. We had to sit back and just explains “No one can beat them, they really know says down the line from a hotel room in Cologne, remember that we weren’t such a serious band, I how to control their crowd. And the same with here and there” Germany, where he’s taking a night off from playing. mean we are serious, but we needed to take the Machine Head and Lamb Of God, they are all great “Crack The Syke we laboured over, piss here and there and see what people thought guys and we have known them for years”. rearranged every song and tried it every fucking about that.” Will we be hearing Mastodon tear After a listen or two, hardcore Mastodon their previous albums in favour of shorter, tighter, through The Hunter in its entirety at Soundwave different way. Compared to a lot of bands that spend a year in the studio, we were only in the fans will realise that the sound on The Hunter marks more melodic songs that deliver plenty of surprises, Festival this weekend like we did Crack The Skye studio for a month. And that was just laying stuff new territory for the band; it’s an album that sees sonically and emotionally. Kelliher elaborates on this at the Big Day Out in 2010? Only time will tell but X-Press damn well hopes so. Mastodon move on from the concept themes of new approach. down here and there as far as writing.

MASTODON

Hunting A New Sound

X-Press – First on the street, Wednesdays

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A Day To Remember

Hellyeah

HELLYEAH Alive And Well

American heavy metal supergroup Hellyeah are currently adding the finishing touches to their third full-length Band Of Brothers. Guitarist Tom Maxwell is not giving too much away ahead of the band’s slot on the Soundwave Festival bill this Monday, March 5, at the Claremont Showground. JESSICA WILLOUGHBY reports. “This album is going to make people remember a little bit of what made each of the individual members of Hellyeah come together,” guitarist Tom Maxwell speaks of the band’s upcoming third offering. Hellyeah can no longer be called just another side project. After six years and two albums, with another on the way, the five men that make up this hard-rocking act have finally developed their own stand-alone identity under the moniker. Choosing to step away from their namesake acts, with reference to Mudvayne and former Pantera glory, they mustered the Hellyeah banner to explore their love of more groove-influenced southern tones. On the eve of their third release this June, Band Of Brothers will signal a darker turn for the outfit – as Maxwell explains. “It is definitely a little darker and heavier,” he says. “Vinnie’s (Paul) drums really shine through on this record, as well as Chad’s (Gray) personal vocal style. I’m not saying they didn’t come through on the last two records, but they really owned this release. This album dug all the way back to out roots. And what came out of the whole process was something very real. We’re really excited about where it will take us.”

The band’s first slice on their new label,Eleven Seven Music, was recorded at the drummer Vinnie Paul’s personal studio, VP’s Upstairs, last year. Carrying on the ‘feel-good’vibe of their first two LPs,Stampede (2010) and their 2007 self-titled, the album draws from the band’s collective metal origins. A move, according the Maxwell, designed to distance themselves from the experimental hooks of their earlier releases.“It is very song oriented,”he says.“With our first two albums, we were still a new band and wanted to do something really different.We wanted to branch out from our more traditional projects and do something we’ve never done before. But now that’s all out of our system and we were ready to focus on our metal roots for this release. So we’ve gone back to the groove on this one.” With rumours of Hellyeah set to record their first cover song on their third release, Maxwell is not giving too much away.“I can’t say what song and who it was by, but it was a big one from a huge band back in the day,” he says. “But we’ve made it our own and put the Hellyeah stamp on it. The music is all done for it, we just haven’t heard the finished product yet. We chose it because this song reminds us of the mentality we take towards our band, so it has personal significance for us. That’s all I can tell you!

A DAY TO REMEMBER Jawsy Shore

With less than a week to go, the Soundwave Festival is already cranking up around the rest of the country. One of the bands atop the enormous lineup are hardcore heroes A Day To Remember. GEORGE GREEN spoke with guitarist Kevin Skaff. When X-Press caught up with A Day To Remember’s Kevin Skaff, he was fresh off the stage from a tour the band were doing in the lead-up to their trip to Australia as apart of the Soundwave festival. “We’ve literally just got off the stage about 15 minutes ago”,explains Skaff.“This is the first non-headlining tour that we’ve done in about three and a half years, so it’s been great for us to take a step back from being the main attraction, I guess you could say. We’re the main support for Rise Against, and tonight we just played a huge-ass arena, which was pretty sweet”. A Day To Remember have been one of the success stories of the hardcore and punk scenes in recent years.They didn’t do it by creating anything drastically new, but more so by combining elements that were already popular. As hardcore and poppunk were already well-established genres in their own right, bands were starting to bridge the gap between the two, by creating a fusion of the two sounds. A Day To Remember simply eradicated the bridge, and created a sound that was clearly divided into hardcore and pop-punk influences.

Their quick rise to fame has meant that the band has become one of the staples of the heavy music scene, and has already been out to Australia on several occasions, but not yet on a tour that parallels the scale of the Soundwave Festival tour. “I always have a good time in Australia. This will be our fourth or fifth time I think, and the shows are always great. I’m sure you hear this a lot, but Australia really is one of the best places in the world to tour. The people are great, the weather is always good, and we always seem to have a blast while we’re there,” says Skaff, adding “I’m really looking forward to the shows, but I can’t wait to get back to the beach.” Despite Jaws being an American film, there still seems to be an alert awareness of one of Australia’s most iconic animals, the kangaroo. I’m kidding. Of course, it’s the great white shark. “Americans have this fixation that we’re going to get ripped apart by a huge sea creature if we go out into the water at any point in time,” Skaff concludes. “It’s kind of ingrained in my mind that I am going to get eaten by a shark if I go swimming at the beach, but if it’s going to happen I hope it’s after the last show of Soundwave so I can go out a happy man.”

X-Press – First on the street, Wednesdays

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STICKY FINGERS

Happy Together Blending together classic rock chords with laid-back acoustic folk and a little bit of dub, self-proclaimed “rude boys” Sticky Fingers are roaming the country again. Bassist Paddy Fingers has a cheeky chat to CHLOE PAPAS ahead of their shows at the Indi Bar on Thursday, March 1; Ya Ya’s on Friday, March 2; and Settlers Tavern on Saturday, March 3. With a number of EPs under their rather young belts and a significant fan base around the nation, Sticky Fingers have done rather well for themselves over the past few years. Paddy Fingers takes X-Press back to where it all started

on the streets of Sydney. “Some years ago, myself and [drummer] Beaks were half pissed walking down the main drag of our home turf in Newtown. We found Dizza [vox, guitar] busking outside a pub. He’d recently moved from NZ. His vocal chops were crash hot…Next thing we were best mates hanging out nearly every day,” he says. “One of our first gigs was at World Bar in Kings Cross at roughly 3am. We were totally off our

show you mine.” Paddy explains what it’s all about: “Eddy’s Song was written by a very special friend of ours who’s name is Eddy…I’m pretty sure it’s about being lazy with picking up girls or boys and wishing the whole thing would be easier.” The natural progression for a band from a couple of EPs is to record a full-length, but Paddy briefly mentions that that won’t be a reality just yet. “With Dizza just 20…we realise we are in no rush. After the 2QETUILAZ [tour], we are getting stuck right into our third and hopefully best EP to date,” he says. Sticky Fingers have quite a reputation for touring hard, fast, and a little messily. When asked if he can recall any particularly insane touring stories, Paddy Fingers doesn’t bother to hold back on the dirty details, and explains that while touring together, the band have quite a “poisonous chemistry”. “We were staying at a hotel that will remain unnamed in Brisvegas. The owner of the place encouraged her daughter to go along with us to our show as she was trying to make it as a singer. Later on we were chilling back in our hotel room with a few Sticky Fingers girls and a bit of a smoke. The hotel owner lady burst faces and had a great time. The performance was through the door with a bottle of vodka and insisted on taking us out on the town. We ended up hitting sloppy, rude, and totally out of tune. Seamus [guitar] the strip club circuit. We were treated to lap dances was there watching in the crowd. He thought it among other pleasures. This sort of thing wasn’t that looked like we were having a lot of fun, and being a big a deal to us, with Dizza’s Mum owning a brothel fellow deadbeat he joined the band soon after.” in Kings Cross,” he concludes. “I ended up doing the Sticky Fingers’ most recent release, Happy daughter while our tour manager did her [the owner] Endings, is diverse in both genre and lyricism. Eddy’s on the other side of the wall. Next morning we had Song is a particular standout and crowd favourite at to wave bye to the dad, who was sitting at the hotel their gigs, with the lyrics: “Show me yours and I will reception desk.”

BLACK LIPS Lips Guide To Travel

Black Lips

One of the most worldly bands you’ll ever meet, Black Lips return to Perth for a show at The Bakery on Thursday, March 8. Bassman Jared Swilley chats to MATTHEW HOGAN.

If you ever have considered yourself well-travelled, then you must be unaware of Atlanta’s finest flower punk band, Black Lips. The band has been to territories where most bands fear to tread, such as India and the Middle East. At the time of our chat, bassist Jarod Swelley was preparing for the band’s maiden voyage to Thailand. “Wednesday morning we’re heading out,” he says. “We’re really excited about it. The first few days we’re in Bangkok and that’s where we’re playing a show, and then we’re going to this island called Ko Tao for a week, I guess we’re just going to hang out on the beach and go scuba diving and do stuff like that.” Sounds like a tough gig; their planned return to the Middle East mid-year looks like it actually will be a tough one though. “We’re going to Lebanon and Iraq and some of Emirates like Abu Dhabi,” says Swilley. “We were supposed to go Syria last year and we got visas and stuff, but then the shit really started to hit the fan and we couldn’t do it. So we had to reconvene and figure out another way to go.” Visas don’t always stop Black Lips from getting where they want to go though. On a trip to Israel, they had to sneak in because they didn’t get proper visas.“That one was kinda sketchy because we had to go in with some people from Vice,” he says of the magazine that also doubles as the band’s record label. “We all had to pretend we didn’t know each other. There were secondary inspections and we all had to sit in the same room and get questioned and pretend we didn’t know each other.” Swilley says the worst trouble he’s had at customs was in care of his northern neighbours. “The only place we’ve ever had trouble has been Canada,” he says. “They have a really strict border policy between Canada and the US. I’m allowed there now but there was a good five years there where I was banned, and I got deported a couple of times. The first time was for not having proper visas and we had a fake one, and there was another from a drinking charge I got when I was a teenager that’s like a felony in Canada. I made it over a few times when they didn’t scan my passport but it’s really strict now especially since all the terrorist stuff.” You’d think it would be pretty boring for the band to come to western countries like Australia, but Swilley assures us this is not the case.“I think Australia’s a really fun place because we always go at a really fun part of the year,” he gushes.“It’s always summer when we go and people seem like they’re always in vacation mode or festival mode. So every time we’ve gone it’s been super fun. It’s like a vacation for us because we’re not in a van driving from city to city. We usually hang out in every city for at least a day or two, and then go to the next one, so it’s always pretty fun and relaxing.” X-Press – First on the street, Wednesdays

POND

Ready To Rock “Hippie” is a term that’s been thrown around liberally when describing Nick Allbrook and Jay Watson of psych rock troupe Pond, yet the enigmatic duo believe their recently released fourth LP Beard, Wives, Denim will reveal the Pond who had been typed as intergalactic, twentysomething paragons of mind-expanding pop pastiche to be serious inheritors of the ‘60s tradition of classic rock. JENNIFER PETERSON-WARD investigates. “We’re a lot less ‘hippie collective’ now, we fancy ourselves a lot more ‘rock‘n’roll band’,” begins Jay Watson, one fifth of much-loved local outfit Pond. His bandmate Nick Allbrook agrees: “We’re a lot more cynical now.” “I think we would find it cheesy now,” Jay continues. “Like, flowers and headbands and all that shit. Even the whole psychedelic thing, we’re kind of over it. We didn’t even think of [making it sound psychedelic] once when we were making this album. The only thing I remember thinking was ‘I want to make a classic rock record’.” “Quite a few years ago now, I remember having this new revelation about psychedelia – thinking ‘man, this is so cool’ – but we’ve had a lot of time to grow and change and now I just don’t quite like it as much anymore, so I think ‘streamer and headband, Hawkwind, Gong collective’ is probably not going to be a high priority from now on,” Nick says. “I think the Pond model would best be based on someone like Beck – where each album is indulging in his new thing,” Jay says. “I mean, more and more his albums have been getting a more and more similar ‘Beck sound’ but I think his first three or four were all wildly different.” “The same thing is happening with us. Soon we’ll be beige-ing out,” Nick says, although Jay disagrees: “I think the next one will be the ‘ultimate Pond one’ and then the next one after that is going to be really different – like really punked-up or something.”

before Tame Impala duties take up Jay and Nick’s time once again in the second half of 2012. Yet despite their hectic schedule, the quixotic quintet are already hard at work on their next album and have already picked the title – Man, It Feels Like Space Again. “Joe [Ryan] said it on a whim in Japan – of course while he was tripping balls,” Nick says, to which Jay laughs “Joe’s kind of like – it’s a pretty harsh word, but – our ‘idiot savant’. He’ll just talk shit all day and no one except us understands what he’s talking about. It’s terrible, he’s always thinking of names for things – he’ll just be like ‘What about Sugar Mackenzie?’ or ‘What about Flooblewobbleha?’ or ‘What about John Lennon?’. Like, just the other day we were trying to think of fun pseudonyms for Cam and he just goes ‘What about Sean Connery?’” “He’ll just say shit and we just tell him he’s an idiot all day, every day and then once every few months he’ll come up with something that’s completely genius. Like there’s a song on Beard, Wives, Denim that’s called Sorry I Was Under The Sky and that’s one of his,” Jay continues. “You know, a lot of The Beatles’ titles were Ringoisms, like A Hard Days Night and Tomorrow Never Knows. It’s kind of like that.” “It still means I’ve got to write all the lyrics,” Nick adds. “It’s just that he says something inspired and I’m like ‘I’m taking that!’” “They’ve got that kind of ‘cosmic vibe’ without being too cheesy,” Jay concludes. “Man, It Feels Like Space Again just sounds cool. Any album with ‘man’ in the title is pretty cool.”

Pond

“Pond’s awesome because we’ve had heaps of different members and drummers,It’s just another way we do the ‘classic rock’ cliché – the exploding drummer.” “Nah, then we’ve got to make shit, washed-up ones where we’re clearly past our prime and we make albums like [Creedence Clearwater Revival guitarist Tom Fogerty’s sophomore solo record] Excalibur,” Nick says. “We even thought of a title for our ‘crap album’ – we were going to do an album which was really crap, like a washed-up ‘80s-inspired synthedup album called Emotion And Commotion,” Jay continues. “And then we were reading street press the other day and there was a Jeff Beck album that came out last year called Emotion And Commotion, with this CGI eagle holding a guitar on the cover, which is exactly what we were going to do. I was so impressed with our ability to stereotype rock‘n’roll. We nailed the ‘old rocker’s washed-up album’ title. ” In conjunction with their decision to challenge themselves sonically comes a line-up change, with former drummer and Tame Impala frontman Kevin Parker handing over duties on the skins to Cam Avery, best known in local music circles as the frontman of rock‘n’roll juggernaut The Growl. “Pond’s awesome because we’ve had heaps of different members and drummers,” Jay says, with Nick adding: “It’s just another way we do the ‘classic rock’ cliché – the exploding drummer.” “Yeah, like Deep Purple or Spinal Tap – it’s such a rock‘n’roll pastiche. So hopefully at some point Cam will go and we can get a new drummer,” Jay laughs. “Nah not really. But we’re lucky that Pond isn’t going to be a fulltime thing, because of Tame Impala, because we’d hate for Cam not to be the superstar heart-throb lead singer that he’s destined to be.” As Nick and Jay attest, it is precisely these “contractual obligations” which spur them to use every minute of their time dedicated to Pond wisely. Not a band to rest on their laurels, Pond have a busy six months planned, with a North American tour and local album launch at The Bakery on Saturday, April 28, to squeeze in www.xpressmag.com.au

DIESEL

Heavy Fuel Australian rock and roll veteran Diesel plays his latest album Under The Influence at the Quarry Amphitheatre on Friday, March 16. TRAVIS JOHNSON has a chat with him about bikes and the blues. Although he was born in Massachusetts, Diesel (formerly Johnny Diesel, also known as plain old Mark Lizotte) considers himself a Perth boy, and it was here that he began his career in music some 25 years ago. It’s unsurprising, then, he looks upon his upcoming Perth show with a considerable amount of excitement. “It’s always good,” he says enthusiastically. “It’s never stopped being good, even right at the very start of my career, when I made my first record and we came back. It’s always a joyous occasion, especially when the shows are selling out like they

are. It’s really nice to be thought of.” His latest album, Under The Influence, is a collection of classic blues and rock covers, with original instrumental compositions scattered throughout. An unabashed fan of the blues, Diesel admits to having no small amount of trouble winnowing down his initial wishlist to the 18 songs contained on the record. “This record, Under The Influence, I probably could have done a 150 volumes,” he tells us. “Because when you start scratching, there are so many songs you don’t want to leave behind. For me it was very hard. There’s no rhyme or reason to the ones that I picked - I just shot from the hip. I did know that I needed to be diverse - that’s why I ran from The Sonics’ Have Love Will Travel to Link Wray to a song like It’s All In The Game which has been recorded by people like Nat King Cole. It’s a really beautiful melody. We just put it all in a pot and brought it to a boil - that’s how we did it. There’s a whole galaxy of songs out there that I would have liked to have gotten to, but 18 songs recorded in seven or eight days - you just have to put a cap on it. I think I managed to get to a lot of different terrain. Whether it’s Hendrix’s psychedelic blues-influenced thing to the Freddie King more Texas-styled blues, to B.B. King, Albert King - all the Kings. Those are my big milestones of blues guitar players.” And it’s this combination of diversity of sound combined with a solid grounding in bluesrock structure to which he attributes his continued popularity. “I started with a very diverse crowd, which was pointed out to me by my manager at the time. He noticed that we had a very wide demographic,

I suppose because of our blues influences, which attracted the kids, parents, and even the parents’ parents, you know? So it was like three generations right from the start. And he said, ‘You’ll keep that. That’s a rare thing’,” he concludes. “It didn’t really mean much to me at the time because I didn’t have anything to really gauge it by. I didn’t have any hindsight. To this present day, I do have a very diverse, wide cross-section of people, so I guess that’s good. I’m happy with that. I’ve always wanted to play all kinds of people.”

Oka

OKA

Got Milk?

Diesel

From street performances to prominent international shows, Queensland’s progressive roots group Oka are as diverse sounding as they are experienced. Ahead of Oka’s six-date WA tour (see Tour Trails for more info), CHELA WILLIAMS speaks to guitarist Chris Lane about their indefinable sound and recently released LP Milk & Honey. With a busy line up of shows throughout WA, Oka will no doubt leave a trail of tranced and impressed, albeit slightly confused, victims of their infectious sound in their wake. “ When people hear the music, because it’s a blend of everything I don’t think they necessarily know what it is,” laughs guitarist Chris Lane. “I think it’s the overall experience, the vibe of the music that initially gets people – and then maybe afterwards they might try and work out what just happened.” Electric didgeridoo, haunting slide guitar and flute amongst other instruments all magically blend together to produce a mix bag of dub, electronica, blues and world music which is fondly referred to as self conceptualised ‘progressive roots’. “We call it ‘progressive roots’ which is a genre we made up ourselves. We couldn’t find one [which aptly described our sound],” Lane explains. “The only reason we can sort of can explain a little bit about what we’re all about is because people ask us all the time and you have to kind of have something to answer. But essentially for us it’s just about getting together and making music that makes us feel good.” Performing together for over a decade Chris, Didgeristu (beats, didgeridoo and vocals) and Zappa (vocals and rhythm specialist) have crafted their sound from humble days busking on the streets to performing to international audiences yet their sound remains faithful to their collective cultural heritages. “We just kind of got together and started playing music. I think just where we’re situated in Australia, right next to New Zealand, has definitely influenced [us] – all the different cultures that we get to experience just being part of Australia including the indigenous part of it,” says Lane. “Like Stu (Didgeristu) is TorresStrait Islander and Charles (Zappa) is Samoan so there’s definitely that pacific-islander kind of vibe and there’s a bunch of other stuff in there as well. [It’s a] bit of a mash up.” The group are touring Australia on the strength of their latest yet proudest release to date, Milk & Honey. Fans will distinctively notice Ok a’s embrace of new territories including vocal tracks. “We did a tour in Canada last year in February which [was] our first winter tour. And that was pretty good fun but kind of brutal at the same time because it was so cold,” Lane exclaims. “But it gave us a chance to develop a lot of the tracks that are on Milk & Honey album because we did like 25 dates in 30 days or something ridiculous. We wanted to have an album that we could go out and play live for the most part. Rather than the previous albums that have been more about collecting songs over a period and then going into a studio. Milk & Honey was more like develop the tunes on the road, see which ones work in an actual live situation and put those on the album.” Milk & Honey will definitely be heard as Oka tour WA kicking off with the Nannup Music Festival, on Sunday, March 4. “WA hasn’t seen us since the new album’s come out so [fans] will expect to see a whole bunch of tracks off the new album which consequently is a lot more [of ] Charles featuring a lot more vocally,” Lane concludes. “And if they’ve never seen us before expect to see something’s that gonna make them dance.”

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Cathedral

CATHEDRAL

Cathedral, one of doom metal’s finest, will be playing their last show ever in Perth as part of the Soundwave Festival next week. After more than 20 years, drummer Brian Dixon explains why the band’s ending is bittersweet. JESSICA WILLOUGHBY reports ahead of their final slot on Monday, March 5, at Claremont Showground.

“I would continue with the band but I’m not a main writer,” Cathedral drummer Brian Dixon comments on the band’s looming curtain call. All good things must come to a close. Although not many have the choice when it comes to their end of days, this luxury was afforded to longstanding Coventry doom outfit Cathedral. Making the final mark in their own history book by playing their last live show ever in Perth to round off the national Soundwave Festival run next week, they will shy away from the stage to record one more offering. Already titled, The Last Spire will be Cathedral’s crowning glory – the only release where these four musicians will take on the entire creative process themselves. “There is the feeling in the band that this last album is really going to be something special,” Dixon tells X-Press of the upcoming LP.“We’ve done about seven tunes now and it’s definitely heavier than the last album. It’s going to be selfproduced, for the first time ever. We’re not going to be holding back on anything. We decided to do it this was as the final experiment, because we’ve never done it all ourselves. After doing so many records, you would think we’d know what we want. We’re also putting it out through Lee’s [Dorrian; vocals] label and we’re not going to record it in one block. We’re going to do it as and when we can, so there’s less pressure on us. We want it to be out this year, before people forget about us completely.” Signalling the 10th chapter, The Last Spire will carry on from their acclaimed 2010 release – The Guessing Game – an album which revealed a new direction for the band, one which saw them tread down a jazz-infused path. Along with this fresh

outlook came a whole string of different challenges, according to Dixon. “Personally, I think it could have done with being remixed,” he explains. “We were fairly well rehearsed by the time we went to the studio. But we ended up actually adding about three songs that we hadn’t worked on. While drums were being done, Lee just kind of squirreled away and wrote lyrics for them. Of course, that takes times and the process was just getting slower and slower and later and later. In the end, I think we’d used up all our allotted time and all the recording had been done, but it hadn’t been mixed. With Warren (Riker; producer), it was either keep him in the UK for another week or he’d take it home to Los Angeles and mix it there. So he took it home, which was fine, but none of the band was there. It’s a bit daunting having someone mix the album like that. But songwise it’s great.” When asked why the band chose to release their last full length in almost a post-mortem sense, Dixon just laughed. “It is a bit of a strange one,” he says. “Most bands would do it the other way around by doing a last album, the final tour, then calling it a day. We seem to be doing it the other way around and I have no idea why. It also feels weird doing a festival run for out last shows. It’s funny because we announced out last UK show, then literally a day later we were offered Soundwave and we were like ‘Oh! What do we do?’. We all obviously wanted to come out, for selfish reasons of our own. Our last ever show will be in Perth, then 10-minutes later someone else will be on and we’ll be gone. It’s all just circumstance, you know?”

“We’ve been out for so long now and so many bands have come and gone. But at least we’re bowing out by choice and we’ve got 10 albums to our name. I would have liked to continue on though.”

Playing their last show on home soil in December 2011 to a crowd of more than 2,000 people, one of their largest crowds drawn for a Cathedral performance, Dixon was positive with their UK sign-off. “It was definitely a good way to end our UK side of things,” he says. “It was a bit of a strange one because obviously we knew we had Australia, so it wasn’t really ‘The End’. There was so much stress involved, as our bass player Scott (Carlson) lives in Los Angeles. So he comes over at the last minute and we had to rehearse quickly, there was about three songs we hadn’t played before. Lee had been working with the lighting guy, hooking up some huge screens on the side of the stage to show old horror films. We were trying to sync them up with us playing somehow, but I couldn’t even see them. So we had to get the occasional nod for timings for that, which was pretty funny. But we pulled it off and I’m happy we were able to get a good send off.” Outlasting many of their fellow genre peers, one may assume the four musicians that make up Cathedral are content with their achievements. But Dixon is not one of them. “I don’t know whether we’ve actually peaked as a band,” he says. “We’ve been out for so long now and so many bands have come and gone. But at least we’re bowing out by choice and we’ve got 10 albums to our name. I would have liked to continue on though.”

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STEVE AOKI Wonderland Dim Mak Records/Ultra Music/ Liberator Music

PULLED APART BY HORSES Tough Love

Well shit, if you decide to release a debut album after a hugely successful career Pulled Apart By Horses already, then this is the way to do it. made their name as a live After many years of mixing and producing act, all quick-fire energy and some great dance hits around the world, Steve Aoki adolescent impatience. Their has got quite the contact list (enough to make any self-titled first album was a journalist or high end hooker jealous). rough but engaging collection of dada-punk cut-ups. Many of these contacts have lent their skills Its lack of cohesion is its biggest asset. to Aoki’s first album; the long haired beauty has teamed For Tough Love, Pulled Apart By Horses up with the likes of Rivers Cuomo, Lovefoxx, LMFAO, have raised the production standards, working with Wynter Gordon, Zuper Blahq, Travis Barker(Gym Class producer Gil Norton (who produced the Pixies’ Doolitle, Heroes) and Kid Cudi but to name a few. an album which spawned many of the tropes that The result is a mix of tracks that seems to Pulled Apart By Horses are playing with here). The cater to a variety of dance fans. For those that enjoy a album retains the live feel of the first album, but with a song that is a little more mainstream charts a la Guetta, little more polish and a few moments of studio magic there is Aoki’s collaboration with Wynter Gordon, Ladi to strengthen its impact. Dadi; which seems to be a little too radio friendly for Their second album has lost some of the hardcore fans. Similarly there is track Come With Me with absurdity of their first but none of the impatience. At Polina Goudieva whom sounds scarily like Katy Perry. just over half an hour, and with barely a moment under For those looking to stray away from the 130 bpm, it is an album with no time for loose ends. lady vocals, there is Emergency which features Lil John Tough Love’s strongest moments are when and Chiddy Bang whose smooth rap works incredibly it embraces this impatience as a tool such as in the well with the sick beat and of course Lil John antics. jagged disco edges of Night of the Living (I’m Scared). Lastly for the strictly electro fans there is The album’s closer, Everything Dipped In Steve Jobs featuring Angger Dimas, which in a tribute Gold, is another highlight with the guitars flitting to the man employs video game sounds to accompany nervously about whilst being slowly swallowed up by the harder dance beat. Basically each of the tracks takes Norton’s idling synths: Pulled Apart By Horses defiant on the flavour of the featured artists so comfort can be to the end. found for all. Transgressive Record

_HENRY ANDERSEN

_HAYLEY MIDDLETON

ALLBROOK/AVERY Big Art

THE DEAD LEAVES Cities On The Sea

Spinning Top Music

Liberation Music

Previously released only digitally, Big Art is exactly as its title suggests – the soulful side of two of Perth’s greatest contemporary singersongwriters. Big Art finds Nick Allbrook (Pond, Tame Impala, Mink Mussel Creek) and Cam Avery (The Growl) firing off shimmering guitar lines and then simmering into a thick haze, alternating between sunny afternoon clang and after-hours sulk. These are tunes that niggle away ‘til they lodge firmly in the memory tissue. They bring to mind alienated youthful evenings spent in identikit housing, so cut adrift from the world that the only place to escape is deep into your own head. It never deviates from this central riff, which coils over and over, locked down in a journey with no particular goal in mind. Even at its most tuneful, there’s a sense that these songs are fragments of works that could easily be pushed out into intergalactic-sized spaces. Using his voice as a vehicle for dynamic singing and pseudo-profound lyrical messages, Avery’s deep baritone blends low into the mix, the use of reverb rivaling that of an epic fantasy movie narrator. Particularly endearing is the scope Allbrook and Avery work within, where elements of folk, girlpop romance and psychedelia blur in and out of focus, serving to prove that music can be as much about design and execution as it is about voyage and discovery.

Cities On The Sea, the debut from Melbourne quartet The Dead Leaves, has an inescapable feeling of déjà vu. Specifically, The Dead Leaves are channelling Brooklyn band, The National in a big way. The National are one of my favourite bands. I have listened to their albums innumerable times, seen them twice and spent hours trawling through youtube videos, but hearing them imitated so exactly was uncomfortable. The Dead Leaves employ the same off-beat drum feels as the National (For example, Harm has an identical beat to Anybody’s Ghost), the same guitar sounds, the same hushed openings and cathartic codas, the same string, piano and brass arrangements and the same fractured, intimate lyrics. Most of all, Dead Leaves front-man Matt Joe Gow has a voice nearly identical to Matt Behringer. This isn’t really his fault. It’s an excellent voice. But with the other similarities it’s impossible to hear without wondering how Behringer would inflect the same line. There is nothing else wrong with the album, the lyrics are good, the song-writing is coherent and the performances are elegant and assured. If The National hadn’t released their last three albums, Cities On The Sea would be beautiful, and occasionally it is, but for a genre that thrives on personal intimacy, this feels like a love letter in someone else’s hand. _HENRY ANDERSEN

_JENNIFER PETERSON-WARD

THE RAINYARD A Thousand Days

BLANCHE DUBOIS Young Heart

Independent

Streetcar Productions/ Mushroom Music Publishing

As the ‘80s were drawing to a close real men had their hair cut into a bob, wore striped shirts, tight black jeans, purchased imported copies of NME and studied them like a bible and if they were from Perth, they’d listen to local upstarts The Rainyard. The Rainyard were the band that all the boys wanted to be in and all the girls wanted to date, but more importantly they were one of the finest exponents of jangle pop to come out of this town. Sadly most of their music was compiled on the format of the era - the humble cassette, but with two decades since their glory days, bandcamp gives everyone the opportunity to grab a copy of their fledgling years on this download only collection. Their tunes of summer and young love were captured in the innocent voice of principal songwriter and the man responsible for the wandering basslines Liam Coffey, with the evergreen Jeff Baker being the perfect foil. Jangle pop doesn’t get much better than So Happy Now and Hellbent Suicidal Over You, Baby and the band clearly discovered The Wonderstuff during What Kind Of Joke Do You Call That. With many of the ‘now’ bands jumping on the C86 bandwagon, The Rainyard take you on a stunning trip directly from the source. _CHRIS HAVERCROFT

With a four year break between records, Perth’s sister duo darlings Blanche Dubois have finally released their third full-length, Young Heart.With considerable past success over their decade-long musical careers, including a number of huge support slot gigs and support from some massive industry names, this album has been much anticipated by fans and the industry alike. There’s no doubt that the Begovich sisters have stunning vocal abilities that perfectly complement one another, and are capable of writing and creating well-formed songs. Credit must be given for the way the talented duo approach pop music; elegantly and without the restrictions of appealing to mainstream audiences through overproduction and bland subject matter. Though simple, the lyricism explored throughout Young Heart is evocative and expressive. Young Heart features a few darker-thanusual songs like Hell and Run For Miles, undoubtedly brought on by the tension that occurred during the sisters’ brief hiatus. First single The War In Me is a moody, floating yearn for an end to conflict, encompassing the theme of the album and paying homage to similar songstress, Sarah McLachlan. Although some songs fall by the wayside when listening to the album in full, others stand out as solid, worthwhile expressions. Young Heart will please fans and new listeners alike, and all up, is a beautiful collection of affecting, nostalgic songs. _CHLOE PAPAS

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

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FILM FESTIVAL FUN

Filmmakers across Australia are invited to enter the Revel-8 Film Fest, an initiative of the Revelation Perth International Film Festival.To enter all you need to do is shoot a film – whether that be drama, documentary, animation or comedy - on just one cartridge of Super 8 film (which lasts for 3.5 minutes), inspired by the theme ‘An Apple A Day’. The top 25 entries will have original soundtracks for their films composed by students from the WA Academy Of Performing Arts, with the final products set to be screened as part of Rev on Friday, July 13. Interested? Hit up revelationfilmfest.org to find out more. Registrations close on May 11.

REEL APPEAL ON ROTTO

A celebration of comedy, film, music and more on picturesque Rottnest Island, Rottofest returns in 2012 for a weekend of sunshine and good times in September. In the lead up to the weekend event, organisers are calling on filmmakers to submit short flicks up to 15 minutes in length to be in the running to win a share of up to $3,000 in cash and prizes. There are prizes on offer for Funniest Short Film, Funniest Sketch and People’s Choice Awards, and entries close on July 20, so there’s still plenty of time to put together a short film or sketch. Find out more at Rottofest.com.au.

Youth Focus Virtual Ride

CYCLE FOR CHARITY

Ali Bodycoat performs at the Ellington’s 3rd Birthday Bash

BIRTHDAY BASH

Forget about cake and candles, this weekend The Ellington Jazz Club will celebrate its third birthday in true Ellington style – with fantastic live music and plenty of it. In three short years The Ellington has built a reputation for being one of the best jazz clubs in Australia, so you can be guaranteed that their birthday festivities are sure to go off with a very stylish bang! The fun begins this Thursday with BK’s Birthday Bash featuring Empire at 8pm; continuing on Friday, March 2, when James Flynn takes to the stage at 8pm, followed by a celebration of the music of Whitney Houston by Amanda Dee at 11.30pm. Head on down to the Ellington on Saturday, March 3, at 8pm for the Ellington 3rd Birthday Bash show featuring The Ali Bodycoat quintet; or on Sunday, March 4, at 6pm to catch June Smith and the Apple Band. Bookings are essential – hit up ellingtonjazz.com.au to secure your spot. Happy Birthday Ellington Jazz Club, here’s to many more years to come!

If you love to jump on your bike and ride then listen up, because Youth Focus is on the hunt for keen cyclists who want to make a difference. The Virtual Ride is a new fundraising event which will help support Youth Focus in the prevention of youth suicide and depression. During March participants will ride 20 hours to replicate the 700kms that 88 riders will cover in the Hawaiian Ride For Youth, which will see charitable cyclists pedal from Albany to Perth in only five days. Less physically challenging than the Hawaiian Ride For Youth, the Virtual Ride is perfect for just about anyone because your hours on the bike can be clocked in the gym or on the road, making it very convenient indeed. For more information and to register your interest and help a very deserving charity hit up everydayhero.com.au/ event/2012virtualride.

Xanadu

WHEEL APPEAL

It’s time to stretch your legs, squeeze into a leotard and strap on some skates because the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts is set to present a rendition of the uplifting musical adventure that is Xanadu, this March at the Geoff Gibbs Theatre. Having taken Broadway by storm, Xanadu will roll into Perth to tell the tale of Clio, a Greek muse who descends from Mt. Olympus to Venice Beach to inspire a struggling artist to open a roller disco. How romantic…? Directed by Crispin Taylor, Xanadu is suitable for young and old, and will be on show from Saturday, March 17, ’til Saturday, March 24. Bookings can be made via waapa.ecu.edu.au or by calling (08) 9370 6895.

AWESOME ANIMATION

Local and international animators will get their time to shine at the Northbridge Piazza on Thursday nights for the next few weeks thanks to Animators Hour, a new initiative that aims to showcase work from this often overlooked genre. Curated by local animator Aska with support from City Of Perth, the eight week program kicked off last week, and runs ’til Thursday, April 12. Every Thursday night from 8.30-9.30pm a series of animations will be projected onto the big screen for all to see, and audience members can get in on the fun thanks to the Bunny Cakes competition. Got an idea for a crazy or quirky animation but can’t draw to save your life? Fear not because you can submit an idea in written, drawn or animated clip format which professional animators will then combine with other people’s ideas, creating an original three minute film. Find out more at animatorshour.com.

COLD CHISEL

Back By Popular Demand After selling out every show of their 2011 Light The Nitro national tour in just days, and their single Perth gig in mere minutes, Cold Chisel promised Perth they would return in the not too distant future. Keeping true to their word, the lads are returning for a special one-off show in the Swan Valley. Catch them at Sandalford Estate in the Swan Valley on April 7. Bookings via sandalford.com. Not many acts produce fans as passionate as those who worship at the shrine of Cold Chisel, last year helping the band sell out all 36 shows for their reunion tour, Light The Nitro. The iconic act played two shows in WA, one in Margaret River and the other at Belvoir Amphitheatre, both of which sold out in minutes, leaving many fans in Perth wanting another chance to see their idols. “We unfortunately had to leave Perth underdone,” explains legendary guitarist Ian Moss. “Perth has always been so supportive of Cold Chisel, so it’s exclusively Perth we are returning to.” 34 years after their eponymous debut made a massive splash on the Australian music scene, and nearly 30 years since a major tour, the guys still underestimated their lasting appeal and ravenous fans. “Yeah we did those one off shows in 2009, and then our new management proposed the Light The Nitro tour and started booking these arenas around the country, and we told them we can’t fill venues that big anymore! Then tickets went on sale and the first one in Sydney sold out in ten minutes, second show in Sydney sold out in 20 minutes and the third in an hour,” continues Moss. “We were blown away by that, but as it turns out the reaction from right around the country was that good. So we were humbled and proud and blown away all at the same time.” Can fans expect a similar set list to what was played last year for the Nitro tour? “Very much so. We might chuck in one or two new tracks because the new album is very imminent, and there’s some fantastic rock on the album; just a very memorable album. But first and foremost we want to give fans what the rest of Australia got on Light The Nitro tour, just a great coverage of all the Chisel classics.” Moss dropped news of a new album at the end of last year, the first studio outing by Chisel since 1998’s The Last Wave of Summer, and fans can’t wait. 24

Cold Chisel

“We had that one off gig in 2009 in Sydney and it just seemed to be an epiphany, or a wake up call. We’d been a bit squabbly for some time, said we’d never work together and all that, but every time we get on stage we have a really good time. It just works, no matter what sort of shit is going off stage.”

“We are well past recording; it has been sequenced and album art work has been finalised, it just has to go to the printer and away we go. We are still umm’ing and ahh’ing over the final title, but all the tracks have been chosen and sequenced. So a proper announcement is imminent!” As for the sound of the album, Moss states that Cold Chisel will be tipping their hats to music from eras past. “There’s a strong kind of connection to perhaps early ‘60s rockabilly going on. But it’s certainly still contemporary, you can just feel that tip of the hat towards that era of music. Plus there’s always that blues element in everything we do. Chisel tend to rock out, then do a dangerously sweet song, but there’s none of that this time. It’s all great songs, great lyrics and great stories. Just fantastic lyrics from Don Walker. It’s probably 90 per cent Don Walker really, with a couple of contributions from myself and Barnes.” As for what prompted the new album and tour, Moss says a recent epiphany led to the band getting back together. “We had that one off gig in 2009 in Sydney and it just seemed to be an epiphany, or a wake up call. We’d been a bit squabbly for some time, said we’d never work together and all that, but every time we get on stage we have a really good time. It just works, no matter what sort of shit is going off stage. So we thought let’s just do something, let’s do a new album. Everyone got stuck in to it, everyone had to

come up with ten songs by such and such date and typical of Don, on the day there’s ten songs in the dropbox by him, all really good.” Playing to a sold out crowd at Belvoir Amphitheatre in the Swan Valley is a dream many local Perth acts fantasize over. Arguably the best venue in Perth right now, Moss reflects on the experience. “Very memorable, just a really unique gig. I’d never seen it before; that really steep gladiator ring. Everyone was in your face and we were in theirs; I’d be more than happy to play that place again! “Personally my two favourite gigs are either a really small pub that’s really packed and hot and sweaty, but you can still play nice and loud ‘cause there’s so many bodies being assaulted by and absorbing all the volume. Or the bigger gig; that outdoor, lazy afternoon with a big PA and you know, the more gear the better for me. I love a big sound.” So is Perth getting the only Chisel show this year, or will they be back to tour the new album? “At this stage just Perth, it’s always best to leave them wanting more. We feel we’ve done that job, and we’re happy to get this album out. We’ll wait sometime before we tour it too, we’ll put it out and promote it and see where it takes us after that. But as of now there are no further plans for tours this year.” _TOM VARIAN X-Press – First on the street, Wednesdays

DRAKE DOREMUS

Expert In Long-Distance Love

Like Crazy

LIKE CRAZY

A Tale of Two Cities Directed by Drake Doremus Starring Felicity Jones, Anton Yelchin, Jennifer Lawrence Like Crazy is a beautiful and bittersweet look at long distance relationships. The story follows Anna (Felicity Jones) and Jacob (Anton Yelchin), two university students studying in San Francisco. After an instant attraction, they start dating and fall headover-heels in love. The only problem is that Anna is on exchange from the UK, and her visa is about to run out. After a whirlwind romance, Anna makes the somewhat stupid decision to stay in America over the summer instead of going back home, and only returns to the UK for a week instead of the two months she is supposed to. After she tries to get back into San Francisco, she’s picked up at the gate and promptly put on a plane back home, and is not allowed to enter the US until the ban on her visa is lifted. What follows is a heartbreaking account of what it’s like to be in a long distance relationship. While at first it’s somewhat of a novelty for Anna and Jacob, it quickly turns into a whole mess of affairs, secrets, mistrust and simply the pain of missing someone. Felicity Jones and Anton Yelchin are fantastic in the lead roles. Jones in particular is absolutely gorgeous on screen and plays the part

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of dejected girlfriend wonderfully; even though it’s technically her fault that this happened, we just really want things to work out for them both. The film strays far away from the usual Hollywood formula of boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl back. It’s a more honest and intimate look at human relationships. Drake Doremus includes all the awkward pauses in Jacob and Anna’s first date conversation, captures all the tired expressions, and includes every last agonizing moment of their time apart. It feels almost voyeuristic watching them at times; their conversations and actions are imperfect and not the schmaltz that we’ve come to expect from romantic comedies of recent years (think Justin Long and Drew Barrymore in Going The Distance). The film does seem a little self-aware that it will be watched mainly by indie film lovers and serious filmgoers; the odd camera angles and short snippets of songs (instead of a “real” soundtrack) make it feel like an extended music video for an indie love song at times. The supporting cast is excellent, particularly Jennifer Lawrence as Jacob’s alternate love interest. Even though she’s technically the bad guy, Doremus portrays her in such a way that you can’t help but feel sorry for her, caught up in this mess. Although it seems a bit depressing, Like Crazy really is a beautiful film that will make you appreciate having your lover in the same country and, if you’re lucky, watching the film right next to you. _TARA LLOYD

Even if you haven’t been in a long-distance relationship, surely you’ve romanticised the idea in your head. Whispered phone calls, letters of adoration, passionate reunions... Sadly, it doesn’t always turn out that way. Drake Doremus decided to channel his personal experiences at attempting to do long-distance into the film Like Crazy. “It was really emotional to put those moments on screen,” Doremus says on the phone from Los Angeles. “But that was the point, to dig deep and try to do something emotional. “I used a lot of emotional truth, but at the same time it was still the characters’ story and it was important for me to make it something beyond me. It’s my emotional feelings, but it’s still their story. “It was really cathartic and special. Hopefully people can connect with the film because it’s true and it comes from somewhere real.” The result is a sometimes gritty, realistic portrayal of falling in love and trying to continue a relationship across two continents. Felicity Jones and Anton Yelchin are superb in the roles of Jacob and Anna, two students who fall in love but are torn apart when Anna violates her student visa conditions. “Anton was the first actor I met with; he was the only actor I met with,” Doremus says of choosing the leads. “Felicity sent me a tape from England, doing Anna’s closing scene. It blew me away because it was so bold and vulnerable. “I just took a chance that they might have chemistry. I brought them to LA and when they started working together, it was incredible.” When it comes to his characters, chemistry is of the utmost importance. Instead of working with a conventional script, Doremus creates impeccably detailed back stories for his characters and lets the actors improvise their way through the movie. “We had an outline that was really specifically laid out. It was really important, but what it doesn’t have is specific lines of dialogue. “At first I think it’s scary for actors, because I think they’re used to following a script and using that as a guide. But after a few days they find it so exciting to really explore a character from the inside out, rather than the outside in. It’s really difficult, especially in the editing room,” he laughs.“But I think really it’s a blessing, for me and for them too. Once they get into the rhythm of it, they feel liberated about not having to do what they normally do.”

Drake Doremus Such an intimate film required an intimate cast; the crew for the film was comprised of only 15 people. “It gives the actors the sense that they’re not really in a movie,” Doremus says. “It gives them the sense that they’re living these characters and everything is real, and it’s happening.” Creating such an acclaimed film, which won the Grand Jury Prize and Special Jury Prize for Best Actress at 2012’s Sundance Festival, doesn’t mean that Doremus is content to take a break. Doremus has made a film a year for the last four years and shows no sign of slowing down. He’s just finishing work on a new film with Felicity Jones and Guy Pearce. “It’ll be done in a couple of months, and then it’ll be out in the States later this year or the beginning of next year. It’s darker than Like Crazy in many ways... it’s sort of a love story between Guy and Felicity.” And judging from Like Crazy, he’s somewhat of an expert in telling those love stories. _TARA LLOYD

Neds

NEDS Carnage

CARNAGE

War Of The Words Directed by Roman Polanski Starring Jodie Foster, Kate Winslet, Christoph Walt, John C. Reilly Controversial director Roman Polanski uses comedy as a scalpel to dissect notions of class, gender and civility in this hysterically funny locked-room farce, based on the play God Of Carnage by French writer Yasmina Reza. A playground fight between two children that ends when one clocks the other with a tree branch brings together four concerned parents who are, to varying degrees, committed to navigating the fallout of the fight with maturity and grace. Gathering in the Manhattan apartment of Michael and Penelope Longstreet (John C. Reilly and Jodie Foster), the parents of the injured child, the quartet attempt to thrash out an accord with gentility and mutual respect. But it’s not long before things get a little heated, with Alan and Nancy Cowan (Christoph Waltz and Kate Winslet) balking at the abject apology Penelope demands. Lines are drawn, crossed, and redrawn, it’s not too long before all and sundry are at each others’ throats. And then the booze comes out... There’s an old axiom that society is only three missed meals away from anarchy, and Polanski revels in the exploration of that idea here, peeling back the thin skin of civilization to reveal the bitter animosity underneath. It takes a game cast to embody such a thesis, and a talented one to do so and actually

make it funny. Luckily, Polanski has assembled a fearless ensemble of top-notch thesps, and they all get to butt heads with each other as alliances shift and old wounds are reopened over the course of the film. Foster shines as the desperately politically correct ultra-liberal Penelope, and is balanced nicely by Winslet’s withdrawn, troubled upper-class intellectual. Reilly’s patented aw-shucks regular guy persona is used to good effect, particularly when it is shucked to reveal a roiling mass of long-held grudges and prejudices. The most valuable player here, though, is Waltz, whose cynical lawyer refuses to buy into the situation at all, spending much of his time taking business calls on his cell phone. It’s this acerbic ubermensch who gets the majority of the laughs, cutting through the other characters’ selfdelusions and skewering their hypocrisy. Waltz has demonstrated his gift for comedy before - his turn in Inglourious Basterds is by turns chilling and hilarious, and he was the best thing in the messy Green Hornet but he absolutely kills it here, using his laser-like gaze and sharktooth grin to excellent effect. If there’s a problem with the film, it’s that, for all its intellectual jousting, there’s nothing being said here that we haven’t heard before - the idea that we’re all shrieking savages under the right circumstances is hardly a new one. But Polanski and his cast explore the old trope with such wit, style, and courage that it feels fresh, and anyone looking for a laugh that’s a cut above the usual gross-out fare will be well served by Carnage. _TRAVIS JOHNSON

The Kids Are All Shite

Directed by Peter Mullan Starring Conor McCarron, Martin Bell, Grant Wray, Martin Nash, Linda Cuthbert Scottish actor Peter Mullan (last seen in Spielberg’s War Horse) isn’t the first British actor to try his hand at directing - Tim Roth took a stab at it with the searing The War Zone, for example, and Gary Oldman explored similarly bruising territory in the well regarded Nil By Mouth - but he is one of the few who seems to actually do more than dabble. Neds marks the third time Mullan has called the shots on a feature, following the promising Orphans and the excellent The Magdalene Sisters. Unfortunately, it’s also his weakest effort so far. A Ned, for the uninitiated, is a NonEducated Delinquent - the Scottish subspecies of chav, essentially.The film follows the exploits of young John McGill (Conor McCarron), a bright kid from the wrong side of the tracks in ‘70s Glasgow, as he faces a choice between a promising academic career and a life as a street-savvy thug, much like his older brother, the savage yet charismatic Benny (Joe Szula). That, in effect is the whole plot of the film - a plot that can be found in any number of S.E. Hinton novels, by the way - and yet Mullan teases it out for over two hours. Two long, sluggish, grey and miserable hours. There’s nothing wrong with reportage in films, and there’s certainly merit in mining one’s own experiences for material, as Mullan clearly has here, but problems arise when fidelity to the facts comes at the expense of emotional engagement and narrative drive. There’s little doubt about the verisimilitude of Mullan’s film - the dour tenements, the hand-me-down fashions wrested into a

statement of individuality, the slang and the tone all reek of authenticity, but to no real effect. John is almost a complete cypher of a character; mostly taciturn and inarticulate when he isn’t, unlikeable and - worse - unengaging. It’s nigh-on impossible to care about his eventual fate, which means that all of Mullan’s ponderings on class and poverty are wasted - without a strong central character, it’s a lecture, not a film, and is weighed down by its own worthiness and commitment to ugliness. Ironically, the best thing in the film is Mullan himself, who puts in a striking appearance as John and Benny’s alcoholic, abusive, and mostly absent father. Every moment he’s on screen is absolutely captivating, and only serves to highlight the lack of interest prevalent throughout the rest of the film. Ultimately, Neds is too caught up in being ‘important’ and ‘accurate’ to stoop so low as to be actually ‘good’. Previously, Mullan’s eye for detail and passion for social issues has served him well - the aforementioned The Magdelene Sisters is a minor masterpiece. This time, by preferencing worthiness over narrative, he’s come undone. Hopefully this is just a one-off misfire rather than the start of a trend in his directing work - it would be a shame to lose a talent like Mullan to his own sense of importance. Neds screens as part of Perth International Arts Festival’s Lotterywest Festival Films season at Joondalup Pines from Tuesday, February 28, ’til Sunday, March 4. _TRAVIS JOHNSON

X-Press – First on the street, Wednesdays

Crosshairs

FLICKERFEST Short and Sweet

Once again Flickerfest, Australia’s premier short film festival, is upon us, screening at the Camelot Outdoor Cinema from Thursday, March 1, ’til Sunday March 4, and Movies in the Vineyard at Margaret River on Friday, March 10, and Saturday, March 11. It’s now one of the most prestigious short film festivals in Australia, and the quality of its films is recognised internationally, but it was not always so for Flickerfest, whose travelling arm is about to descend upon WA. In fact, the festival’s origins were quite humble, as Festival Director Bronwyn Kidd explains. “Flickerfest started off with eight short films in the grounds of the Balmain High School way back in 1991,” she says. “I’ve been the festival director since 1997, and since then we’ve grown to become Academy accredited. We’ve grown from 200 entries up to 2200, and we have also grown from three touring venues - one of the original ones being the Camelot outdoor picture garden where we’ve been screening since 1995 - through to 37 venues around the country now.”

“Essentially, we’re looking for something creative and something that looks at the world in a different way. New ways of telling stories in cinema - something a bit unconventional.” Indeed, the Flickerfest travelling show is one of the main attractions for budding filmmakers; the festival’s determination to bring short films to every corner of the country from Broome to Hobart means that accepted films get exposed to one of the widest potential audiences this side of YouTube. Add to that the fact that being accepted by Flickerfest qualifies a film for Academy Award consideration, and it’s little wonder that the number of entries received has ballooned, and Kidd admits that narrowing down the range to a manageable number is no easy task.

“Essentially, we’re looking for something creative,” she explains. “And something that looks at the world in a different way. New ways of telling stories in cinema - something a bit unconventional. In order to choose 108 films out of a field of 2000 it’s really about grabbing the films that jump out, that have unique and new things to say about the world - that’s what we’re looking for.” And the field this year is particularly impressive, with strong showings from both local and international filmmakers. Kidd describes it as simply “Fantastic. We have many multi-award winners, an incredibly strong programme of Australian film, some quite delightful comedies. There are some really wonderful films screening across our festival in Perth, and most of them are local as well, which I’m really pleased about. There are loads of really strong Western Australian films that made it into the competition this year that we’ll be featuring them across the four nights. So it’s not only a chance to engage with world cinema, but also to see the really strong films that are being made in WA.” Of the local content, one of the most impressive films is the grim country-gothic drama Crosshairs from director Mike Hoath and screenwriter Peter Templeman, which sees two brothers caught up in a tense standoff after they make the mistake of trying to steal a sheep from a remote rural property. Hoath shows an excellent command of mood and suspense, and it’ll be interesting to see what he could achieve if given a broader canvas to work on. Of course, it wouldn’t be an Australian film festival without some offering from the prolific Blue-Tongue Films, and this year sees the release of Bear from director Nash Edgerton (The Square) and co-writer David Michod (Animal Kingdom). This black and bizarre little comedy sees Edgerton playing a man trying to surprise his girlfriend (Teresa Palmer of The Sorcerer’s Apprentice and I Am Number Four) for her birthday, and features the oddest use of a bear suit since Nicolas Cage donned one in The Wicker Man. The most acclaimed film on the docket is without a doubt the New Zealand made Ebony Society, which sees two young urban Maori ne’er-do-wells (James Rue and Darcy Ray FlavellHudson) find themselves caring for a little boy and a baby one night. Writer and director Tammy Davis handles the shifts in mood adroitly, and the film is by turns funny, touching, and ultimately quite poignant. There’s little wonder as to why it managed to pull down the ING Direct Award for Best Short Film. The most popular section of the festival is always the comedy programme, and this year is no exception. The most intriguing offering this year is Anna Broinowski’s Fish & Chips, a political fable that sees a young Pauline Hanson (Leah Benstead) pitting her culinary skills against a multicultural range of opponents in a garish cooking game show. We also get another chance to see the winning animated film Nullabor, by Alister Lockhart and Patrick Sarell, which screened as part of last year’s Revelation Film Festival. But the strangest work on offer is Brick Novax’s Diary by American Matt Piedmont, a wilfully weird, barely animated satirical adventure reminiscent of the Sweded movies in Be Kind, Rewind. _TRAVIS JOHNSON

Ebony Society www.xpressmag.com.au

VISUAL ARTS

along with childhood camping trips, which started her love of the environment. With an eye for intricate detail, Christine focuses on the environmental, human experiences and the interplay between the two. Runs ’til Mar 4.

Instant2: Linton and Kay Contemporary: Subiaco Paul Stojanovic bravely utilises the notoriously unreliable plastic toy box cameras, the Diana, which first appeared in the ’60s, and the Holga, that followed in the early ’80s in an engaging exhibition entitled Instant2. With both cameras synonymous with major faults such as light leakage, multiple exposures, dust and vignetting, Stojanovic exper tly captures the ever yday moments that we tend to overlook as we navigate our surroundings, crafting quietly beautiful images that evoke a memory of a particular Constructing Nature: Gallery East, North Fremantle period or childhood memory. Runs Mar 8-15. The depth and intimacy of the work of Western Australian artist Christine Atkins has been greatly The Unknown By The More Unknown: OK Gallery, influenced by her experiences as an art therapist, Northbridge In his first solo exhibition, The Unknown By The More Unknown, David Egan presents a charismatic constellation of paintings and objects examining pop culture mysteries and vernacular theories - in which established methods of knowing are hijacked and subverted by the incurably curious - investigating the infinite potential of interpretation and understanding in cultural communication. Runs ’til Mar 18.

Penelope, Odysseus And The Time It Takes To Reach The Beginning: Moores Building, Fremantle Homer’s Odyssey provides the narrative inspiration for a series of photographs by local photographer Lloyd Hughes. Penelope, Odysseus And The Time It Takes To Reach The Beginning is an exhibition that seeks to capture core human experiences, emotional and turmoil reflected both in the epic poem and in the everyday travails of people everywhere. Runs ’til Mar 4.

Boom: The Oats Factory, Carlisle Western Australia has been in the grip of a resources boom since 2006. But, what does this mean for the people who live here? What is our individual or collective experience? Utilising sculpture, painting, jewellery and film; 11 artists explore the phenomena of ‘boom times’. This exhibition showcases a diverse and vibrant group of artists who have collaborated on various projects and exhibitions for over ten years. Features work by Jill Ansell, Clare Bestow, Vanessa Bradley, Louise Carre, Beba Hall, Georgina Moss, Diana Papenfus, Geraldine Pillinger, Sandra Perry, Gail Putz and Tineke Van der Eecken. Runs ’til Mar 18.

Bear On Trike by Bethany Marchman Panem Et Circenses, Elements Art Gallery, 131A Waratah Avenue, Dalkeith Using traditional oils to create parallels between innocence and influence/history and popular culture, Bethany Marchman’s Panem Et Circenses series pulls imagery from old fashioned (largely depression era) Americana entertainment. Runs Mar 8-25.

Sculpture By The Sea: Cottesloe Beach, Cottesloe Sculpture By The Sea will again transform the beautiful Cottesloe Beach into an international sculpture park during March. The much loved event, Perth’s largest free outdoor art exhibition, attracted over 200,000 visitors last year. This year 30 West Australian artists will show their works on Cottesloe Beach, including renowned West Australian sculptors Lou Lambert, Tony Jones and Paul Caporn. They will be joined by 10 artists from NSW including Margarita Sampson and Orest Keywan, as well as artists from Victoria, South Australia, the ACT, Northern Territory and Queensland. Runs Mar 1-19.

experimental techniques and effects to create lighting sculptures and ‘lumiscapes’, including Onqotô & Parabelo: His Majesty’s Theatre, Perth ground breaking use of chemiluminescence, Drawing on urban and rural folk styles, this Luminaire is designed to take your breath away. Runs distinctly Brazilian contemporary dance company Mar 13-31. Bookings via blueroom.org.au. combines the grace and technique of ballet with the raw vitality of swaying limbs, sexy swagger Men In Pink Tights: Regal Theatre, Subiaco and pulsating rhythms. For the 2012 Festival Making their world premiere season in Australia, Les they present two strikingly visual and spirited Ballet’s Eloelle are bringing their new production performances – Onqotô and Parabelo. Season runs Men In Pink Tights – the most spectacular, talented and hilarious all-male comedy ballet ever, to Perth. Mar 1-3. Bookings via perthfestival.com.au. The greatest troupe of it is kind around the globe; Blackbird: Studio Underground, Northbridge Les Ballet’s Eloelle features over 50 ballets in its Perth Theatre Company will produce Blackbird repertoire and an array of the best international by Scottish playwright, David Harrower as the professional male ballet dancers from 13 nations. Company’s first production in 2012. Inspired by Season runs Mar 23-24. Bookings via Ticketek. a true story, Blackbird is a riveting play that raises challenging questions about society, morality Arcadia: Heath Ledger Theatre, Northbridge and how the past irrevocably effects the present. Sidley Park, Derbyshire, April 1809. Surrounded by Blackbird exposes the story of two people who eccentric family members, fastidious house guests shared a forbidden relationship fifteen years earlier, and surly staff, tutor Septimus Hodge is in charge when she was 12 and he was 40. Una confronts of educating Lady Thomasina Coverley, aged 13. Ray at his workplace, and the unflinching study of their affair that follows reveals the brutal truth of Beyond the grand windows are the 500 acres unconventional love with shattering consequences. inclusive of lake, where Capability Brown’s artificially manicured naturescape is about to give way to the Season runs Mar 10-31. Bookings via BOCS. fashionably ‘picturesque’ Gothic style of landscape Luminaire: The Blue Room Theatre, Northbridge gardening. 180 years later, garden historian Hannah The brand new theatrical work by Renegade Jarvis and academic Bernard Nightingale stand in Productions, Luminaire has been cleverly crafted to the same room, trying to shed light on the garden’s produce a beautifully existential piece about love, secrets and uncover the scandal which is said to life and infinity. This is not your ordinary theatre have taken place when Lord Byron stayed at Sidley experience; it considers light as another performer Park in Lady Thomasina’s time… Runs Mar 17-Apr 1. on stage. Exploring a range of innovative and Bookings via BOCS.

THEATRE/DANCE

Life/Life by Choi Jeong Hwa Solo: Artitja Fine Art, Fremantle Respected Indigenous artist Maureen Hudson Nampitjinpa from the remote community of Mt Allen in central Australia returns to Perth for Solo. Through a skilful application of paint and her dotting technique, Nampitjinpa creates a three dimensional view of sand blowing over the desert sand dunes in a flowing movement across the canvas, and other images of her homeland. Runs Mar 9-25.

Life/Life: G a l l e r y Ce nt ra l , Northbridge Internationally renowned South Korean contemporary artist Choi Jeong Hwa creates art that celebrates the peculiar beauty of synthetic materials and ever yday objects while provoking reflections upon both consumption and harmony in our modern lives. Choi’s ephemeral installation of more than 10,000 balloons at Gallery Central is a complement to his Perth International Arts Festival commissioned public installations. His carnival of colour and plastic mimics and honours the beauty in nature as well as the processes of decay that are part of being alive. Runs ’til Mar 10.

by practice into the metaphor of the garden and migrant experience. Runs Mar 17-27.

Year 12 Perspectives: Ar t Galler y O f WA, Northbridge An annual survey of work by WA’s top Visual Arts students, Year 12 Perspectives promises to deliver works of technical excellence and emotional complexity. Works depict relationships between self and the wider community, amongst family members We Must Cultivate Our Garden: Perth Cultural and explore the relationship one has with one’s self. Centre, Northbridge Fifty-one artists challenge us to reflect, explore and Scottish artist Nathan Coley is bringing his sculpture understand the world in which they inhabit and We Must Cultivate Our Garden to Perth, the Australian provide us with an opportunity to connect to the debut of this internationally acclaimed artwork. experiences of the young people of Western Australia. Nathan Coley is an eminent Scottish artist and Turner Prize nominee, whose practice is based Exhibition runs ’til Apr 9. on the exploration of public space and the social aspects of our built environment. The ten metre long Larry Mitchell: A Pilbara project Exhibition: FORM sculpture is made from fairground lights, suspended Gallery, Perth on a temporary scaffolding structure; creating an It takes a skilled and sensitive artist to interpret the intriguing juxtaposition between the profound complexities and contradictions of the Pilbara, and text and dingy travelling fairground aesthetic. On show its scenery in a fresh light. In Larry Mitchell: A Pilbara Project Exhibition, we have the opportunity to display’til Mar 26. witness the encounter of one of Australia’s leading visual artists with this vast region, from the industrial The Floating Garden: Free Range Gallery, Perth Perth based artist Fran Rhodes presents her first solo landscapes of the Burrup and Port Hedland to the exhibition of photographic imagery that reflects Spinifex-studded hills way east of Newman. Larry on the experience of an immigrant to Australia in Mitchell’s paintings offer a perspective of the Pilbara an increasingly globalized culture. The works in in painstaking and sometimes painful detail. Runs this exhibition are part of her ongoing research ’til May 29.

Spaced: Art Out Of Place: Fremantle Arts Centre, Fremantle Spaced: Art Out Of Place explores the relationship between globalisation and local identity with imaginative and stimulating works in sculpture, photography, painting, installation and multimedia. The culmination of a two year cycle of residencies, this ground breaking project involved 21 Australian and international artists and collectives spending time in 16 regional Western Australian communities to consider their social and physical environments. The results are surprising and provocative. Runs ’til Mar 11. Headspace by Julia Davis 28

X-Press – First on the street, Wednesdays

PEDAL TO THE METAL

Though the term ‘Heavy Metal’ is usually synonymous with bands such as Mastodon, Slayer and Judas Priest, this month a group of eight Western Australian designers will change the way we think about the phrase with a fashion event set to raise funds for a group of very deserving charities. An initiative of WA designer boutique Hatch, Heavy Metal will feature eight metallic creations crafted by labels such as Tindale, Zhivago, The Butcher & The Crow, Bernice Sara. Martini + Coz, Raspberry + Pop, Sewellery, Lavish Accessories and Catini Designs, which will be auctioned off in the coming weeks. The designers’ one-off pieces will be sold via silent auction, with money raised supporting Alzheimers WA, Oxfam, Make a Wish Foundation, Breast Cancer Council and Red Kite. The full range of Heavy Metal creations will be on show at Hatch from this Friday, March 2, at shop 55 Carillon City in Perth.

Catini Designs will take part in Heavy Metal (photo: Libby Edwards)

_EMMA BERGMEIER

Style Stalker is stocked at The Closet Monster

COVET THE CLOSET

Home to highly covetable labels such as StyleStalker, Finders Keepers, Fairground, Kiss Chacey, Mezi, Nique and Faux Pas, among many others, new Perth online boutique The Closet Monster is set to become a fast favourite of stylish lads and lasses around the globe. Boasting more awesome Australian labels than you can poke a coat hanger at, The Closet Monster stocks plenty of threads for guys and girls, with everything from dresses to swimsuits, tees, shorts, singlets and accessories. As a special treat for X-Press Magazine readers, The Closet Monster is offering a discount code of 25 per cent off all orders, available from today Wednesday, February 29, ’til Thursday, March 8. Simply enter ‘XPRESS’ at the checkout to get 25 per cent off your order. Hit up theclosetmonster.com to start shopping!

OP SHOP CHIC This weekend the Victoria Park shopping strip will welcome a new store to its ranks with the grand opening of a new concept Salvos Store. Located at 408 Albany Highway, the store will be packed to the rafters with preloved goodies from eras past, with clothing, accessories and books at bargain prices, and all funds raised from sales will support The Salvation Army’s numerous charitable programs. Decked out in a chic recycled style, the store is a must see for op shop aficionados. The store opens for business this Saturday, March 3, at 9am.

Envoy Australia

IF THE SHOE FITS

Men of Australia: it’s time to throw out your thongs because Envoy Australia is here and their summer shoes are a whole lot more stylish and comfortable than your ol’ rubber pluggers. Available in nine colours, with a supportive cork midsole to keep your feet feeling happy, Envoy is a great alternative to other summer footwear available, and best of all, you can wear Envoy from beach to bar. Brodie Brown, one of the masterminds behind Envoy Australia, sheds some light on the label. “Envoy came about as we found it really difficult to find a well made pair of shoes for summer. A lot of shoes were way too expensive or really poor quality. When we looked into it further, it was clear a lot of established brands in Australia were selling very similar slip-on shoe styles and just attaching their own label to it. So we set out to freshen up the men’s shoe market with a super comfortable, made for summer range.” Head to envoyaustralia.com to check out the full range and find out what all the fuss is about. www.xpressmag.com.au

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

T H E

M A N

W H O

B E G A N

R E V O L U T I O N

German globally acclaimed DJ and producer Paul van Dyk started out in the early ‘90s and since then, he’s dominated the top 100 DJ lists around the world. In 2007, the Berlin-based lad had sold over 4.5 million records worldwide and yet he continues to work tirelessly. From Berlin to Ibiza, to Perth and everywhere in between, the godfather of what is now known as the ‘PVD sound’ still has plenty of work left in him. RK talks to him about Berlin, beats and his upcoming sixth studio record Evolution. If you were to believe everything that Paul van Dyk said then you could be forgiven for thinking that the world really was perfect – a collage of disparate elements, fused together to create one simple, parallel universe. Surround yourself with family and friends; enjoy the sunshine of a morning and the blossoming of spring time flowers. Find luxury not in material things but in the opportunity to relate and connect with mankind.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 32

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• FUTURE MUSIC FESTIVAL FEATURE •

E R E H S I E R U E FUT

That’s right everyone, the big day is finally arriving this Sunday, March 4. Massive amounts of partying, moshing, sweating and general madness is about to occur. Over the last couple of months, X-Press has been chatting with a bunch of artists on the lineup and we’ve kept a few of our interviews up our sleeves for this Future Music Festival Feature. It’s going to be a big day, as Chase & Status have said in their interview here – “anarchy is a guarantee” so peeps, get your shit together if you haven’t already snatched up a ticket, get a load of the info below and prepare for a day of utterly delicious music.

TRANSPORT

If you’re sensible, you’ll catch the free public transport to and from the festival. Your Future Music Festival ticket includes travel on all Transperth services for three hours before, during and after the event until the end of service. Show your ticket to the driver or inspector on the way to the festival and wristband on the way home. There will be a shuttle bus ride to Joondalup Arena from Joondalup Station.

PARKING

You know the deal, don’t get on the piss and drive folks. If you’re driving, make sure you’ve got a nominated skipper for the day. There are many car parks within walking distance of Arena Joondalup and all parking is free on Sundays. Festival punters will not be permitted to park at Lakeside Joondalup Shopping Centre as it is open for trading on event day. Don’t get fined now.

COLLECTIONS & ENTRANCE

If you don’t already have your tickets by now, get to your local Ticketmaster outlet to get them or if you’ve bought them online then print them out before getting to the festival. If you have chosen the Ticketfast option then remember you will need to log into your Ticketmaster account to print the tickets. If you can’t get your tickets before the event, your tickets can be collected on the day from the Ticket Box located outside the main gate. Beware – you could be waiting a little while.

CONDITIONS OF ENTRY

All bags are subject to a safety and security search upon entry. Prohibited items will be confiscated. No pass outs peeps.

DROP OFF/TAXI ZONE

There will be a dedicated drop off/pick up area along Piccadilly Circle. Cars and taxis will enter via McLarty Ave and Grand Blvd. It is then a short walk to the venue.

OVER 18S ONLY

This event is strictly for those aged 18 years and over. Current photo ID must be shown upon entry to the event. The only acceptable forms of photo ID are: current Australian drivers license, current passport or current Australian proof of age card. Entry may be refused without adequate ID and there will be no refund on your ticket.

ATM

There will be ATM facilities onsite but who wants to wait in those queues.

DOS AND DON’TS

» NO RECORDING EQUIPMENT – NO VIDEO, TAPE RECORDERS OR PROFESSIONAL CAMERAS » NO ALCOHOL, SOFT DRINKS OR FOOD IS ALLOWED TO BE BROUGHT INTO THE VENUE » NO GLASS ITEMS » DRUGS OF ANY SORT WON’T BE TOLERATED » SEALED BOTTLES OF WATER ARE ALLOWED » REMEMBER TO SLIP, SLOP, SLAP! » HAPPY PARTYING IS THE GO!

Now, if all this imagery sounds a little improbable – then think again, for Paul van Dyk isn’t the high flying, disagreeable operative you might think he is. Accomplished and revered worldwide - yes, but he is a man with his feet firmly attached to the ground nonetheless. The first thing that strikes you about this great man is his fervent demeanour – it flows with every word he utters – articulated with warmth and passion – he knows his place, yet is honoured with the reputation bestowed upon him. And his musical incarnation came with as much focus and determination back then as his spirit and character demonstrates today. Having been part of the most recent Ibiza season, van Dyk has been enjoying the ride. “Obviously, the Ibiza season is still up and running and I’m happy to be a part of the best night out there at Cream,” he says.“It combines all of the great things about electronic music and it brings people together from all over the world.” Not surprisingly, in 2012 he is still based in his native city Berlin and admits it is his home, for the most part, which fuels his inspiration. Certainly one of the sentimental birthplaces of electronic music, he loves being based there despite having enough frequent flyer miles to buy an airline and be based anywhere. “First of all my inspiration is coming from all the travel I do – because somehow it ends up in my music,” he says. “But before all of that, I’m a homeboy and I like Berlin very much. It’s the best city in the world! This is what the visitor will never find; you can live a very individual lifestyle or you can have the space and freedom and creativity to do whatever you want to do. And of course you can do it and enjoy it in all of the quiet places or you can do it in one of the clubs or opera houses, theatres, phenomenal restaurants – it’s an absolutely fantastic city to live in.” Clearly, for a man who has been at the forefront of the electronic music scene since virtually the beginning, he remains as focused and committed as ever, to delivering for fans and importantly, for the industry. “For me, electronic music has always been about breaking the rules and pushing the boundaries,” he says.“Put it this way - I have a clear idea of what I want to do when I play or produce but the balance comes down to the interaction with the audience so I want to keep my music fresh and exciting. Electronic music started 20 years ago as a small subculture and now it’s like this society; a whole new concept of a multimedia world.Ten years ago we didn’t have iTunes and Beatport for example – these are the things that have changed the music world.” As for current projects, van Dyk has been on the road touring and has been lining up studio

Paul van Dyk time to work on completing his upcoming sixth record Evolution as well as the remixes for it which will follow the album’s release. “If you listen to the first track [on Evolution], you feel the diversity of sounds that I enjoy; it’s a tough house sort of track and it’s in that PVD handsin-the-air style,” he says.“I like the tension of a few of the tracks and the fusion of different elements on there. For me, I can draw an analogy to eating the same meal all of the time. It gets boring after a while so that’s why I like to keep my style distinctive and changing it up.” Paul van Dyk hits town for the Future Music Festival tour this weekend and while he doesn’t relay the common childhood sense of excitement of many of his younger compatriots, his maturity and experience is far more evident.“I do it because I enjoy it,” he says.“I’m a musician and making music is what I have done and it is what I will do. I do what I think should be done and interact with my audience. I want to communicate with the audience and try to keep things authentic. When I am on stage, I don’t need a wig or wear fake glasses – I hope it’s enough that I am up there enjoying myself!”

PVD PRESENTS EVOLUTION STAGE

DUBFIRE

TRIUMPHANT TECHNO Ali Shirazinia is a name that is written in EDM folklore. Initially part of the supergroup Deep Dish with partnerin-crime Sharam Tayebi, the Iranian DJ and producer now goes solo by the name Dubfire. RK talks to the man behind the SCI+TEC imprint. From the beginning, Deep Dish always did their own thing – as Shirazinia describes, they were about bridging the gap between house and techno. “We loved what was going on in Chicago and New York in the early days and in many ways it has come full circle,” he begins. “Within the evolution of music, it was always about reintroducing things to an entirely new generation. It’s what we did then and it’s what I’m doing now. But now, technology is allowing us to transform what we were doing before. Everybody pretty much has access to new technology. But on the flip side, the market is super saturated with a lot of mediocre stuff – not even bad stuff – just okay stuff, so it’s hard to maintain a level head about how you judge a track.” Regardless, the Deep Dish legacy remains alive – and the guys are still friends and often talk about doing something again – but not for that sake of it. “We have to do it for the right reasons,” he says. “We need to make sure that we can recreate that creative cycle again. We reached our pinnacle in 2005 so if we do something again, we do it with the right intentions and importantly, we need to have something musically relevant to say to one another and more importantly, to our fans.” As a solo artist, Shirazinia has been playing a heap of shows and only recently has had the time to get back into the studio. “I had so many ideas I’d been saving for the moment where the gigging would stop so I could sit down and just flesh out some ideas and try to make some tracks without any distractions,” he says. “I’ve been in the studio literally every single day and I’ve come up with some really great music. And since, I haven’t really come up for air!.” While Shirazinia’s studio time has seen him up his output, he’s in no hurry to get tracks out quickly. “I’ve finished up a lot of tracks that seem promising,” he says. “Eventually I want to do an album as well but there has to be a concept around it. The problem is - the idea of a traditional album I think doesn’t exist anymore. I don’t want to come 32

Chase & Status

CHASE & STATUS

HUMBLE & HYPED

London drum’n’bass duo Chase & Status released Hurt You/Sell Me Your Soul on Ram Records back in 2007 before hitting a massive commercial breakthrough in 2009 with End Credits Ft. Plan B – their first top 10 hit.With two records under their belt and having taken out Best Live Act and Best Producer at the 2011 Drum & Bass Awards, these lads are worth the hype. ANNABEL MACLEAN gets the lowdown.

Dubfire out and release an album of singles that I could have released individually or sporadically throughout the year so I have to find a good enough concept. So I think for now, the tracks will come out during the year but individually.” Impressively, he remains his staunchest critic, admitting he feels pressure from all around. “I would be lying if I said that in this day in age you could rest on your laurels and stuff,” he says. “You have to be 10 steps ahead all the time. All of that goes away when it’s you in front of your computer and when you’re fleshing something out that is first and foremost important to you… the pressure seeps into that creative process but you have to please yourself at the end of the day and that creates double the pressure – especially for me.” But, Shirazinia isn’t feeling too much pressure for his upcoming set at Future Music Festival. “I don’t really know the vibe to expect because the festivals are pretty diverse but I do know that I’m in great company with the lineup which looks totally amazing. I think our stage is going to rock… fans there [Australia] are so appreciative for us coming out there and playing our brand of crazy, wacky music, it’s a real honour to do it all again!”

THE LIKES OF YOU STAGE

Every man has a breaking point – it’s the tagline for Harry Brown, the crime-thriller starring Michael Caine and Ben Drew, or as he’s better known, Plan B. It could also be considered the underlying tagline for Chase & Status’ track End Credits. Ft Plan B – “it’s basically about someone dying,” Saul Milton, one half of the duo says of the track.The video for the track has over 10.5 million hits on YouTube – featuring Plan B and Michael Caine, it was also included on the soundtrack for Harry Brown. Milton, Will Kennard (Chase & Status’ other half) and Plan B had been friends for a while and wrote End Credits. Ft Plan B the day before BBC Radio 1’s Pete Tong got in contact with them. “The next day we get a phone call from Pete Tong who was working as a [sound] coordinator for Harry Brown,” Milton says. “He was putting together the soundtrack [and he said] ‘have you guys got a song which we could use that you’ve done with him [Plan B]?’ [and] we said ‘well Pete, we actually just made a song with him yesterday called End Credits’. He obviously thought we were having a laugh.” Having started out as bedroom DJs in London, Milton and Kennard began DJing in the public arena in the late ‘90s and early noughties.“We just tried to DJ out anywhere we could – be it a squat party, an illegal rave, warehouse raves and all that kind of stuff,” Milton says. “We tried to get about, playing on pirate radio stations; it’s quite hard to get anything good if you haven’t got anything to back it up with. When we were in Manchester, around about 2000/2001… we just started learning how to make beats and we basically just gave everything up and that became that.” Since then, it’s been a steady rise to stardom for the duo who remain humble about their

achievements, saying that there wasn’t really a defining moment when they cottoned onto their increasing support and success. “I think after we released the first album really we realised that things were picking up,” he says. “We don’t really think about it like… we just keep making music and doing what we’re doing. We don’t try and get caught up with all of that. We feel how we did about five years ago; just making music because we like to make music.” The lads have collaborated with a bunch of artists - particularly on their 2011 sophomore record No More Idols - including Tinie Tempah, Liam Bailey, Sub Focus, Dizzee Rascal, Delilah and Plan B, but they’ve taken the last three months off to write their new record which Milton says will be less about collaborations and more about the duo themselves. “Obviously we’ve covered a lot of different vocalists on the new album and our next album will have less of that,” he says. “We’ve written tracks for Rihanna and Jay Z and people like that so we’ll still do that. We’re doing bits and bobs but for now we’re really just trying to concentrate on Chase & Status.” Aside from that, their label MTA Records is “going from strength to strength” and the boys are looking forward to Future. “We will have a couple of special guests with us; it’ll be our full live show - full visuals, lights, which is pretty full on. Maybe by then we’ll be playing a couple of new tracks… we’re really excited to bring it on the road and bring absolute carnage. Anarchy is a guarantee.”

LAS VENUS STAGE X-Press – First on the street, Wednesdays

• FUTURE MUSIC FESTIVAL FEATURE •

ANNA LUNOE

GYM CLASS HEROES

A DAMN FINE OPPORTUNIST Sydney DJ and producer Anna Lunoe needs someone to buy her car. After the Future Music Festival tour, she’s making Los Angeles her new home base. ANNABEL MACLEAN talks to the ex-model, competitive horse-rider and spring board diver about DJing at fashion shows, meeting her favourite producer and 2012. Anna Lunoe would love to share the stage with Prince but she’d be batshit scared. “I absolutely love Prince but I’m actually petrified, if that was actually to happen – if Prince was be like ‘Hello Anna, I want you to play with me tonight’ then I’d be like ‘holy shit’, I’d probably come down with measles or something,” she says, laughing.“I’d love to play the tambourine or something in his show.” If the opportunity came up for her to play the tambourine with Prince, there’s no doubt she’d take him up on the offer but, she’s got a list of achievements and projects under her belt which sail way above smashing out a tambourine solo. She’s toured throughout Asia, Europe and America – has played Mad Decent and Dim Mark joints in L.A, Ed Banger parties in Paris and has even played fashion shows for the likes of Prada, Hugo Boss, Fendi and Chanel. “Last night I played a Chanel event in Sydney and that was really beautiful as well, they put so much effort into these things; it’s just a really nice thing to be involved in,” she says. “It’s great, you’re behind your little DJ booth… You can just do your work and kind of get to see it from an outside point of view.” But, the stand out fashion show she’s been part of goes to Fendi. “I played at the Fendi flagship store which was a Fendi and Vogue event in New York City and that was amazing because it was one of the first shows I did in New York City,” she says.“It was massive with celebrities there and everything and I’m dressed head to toe in Fendi which is just ridiculous.”

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MORE THAN A PAPERCUT PARTY The genre-spanning American rap rockers Gym Class Heroes will be rocking out at Future Music Festival this weekend. Far-removed from the pre-festival hype, guitarist Disashi Lumumba-Kasongo chats with SHAUN COWE about the upcoming tour. Anna Lunoe As for post-show freebies, well – “they did give me a little cuff and a little bag but I didn’t get to keep all the clothes, no.” Alongside the Fendi event, meeting Switch while playing a Sunday night party in L.A. was pretty sweet too.“Switch - who’s one of my favourite producers - he was there with Brodinski. It was amazing to have producers who you love just come up to you in the DJ booth and you’re like ‘woah, he is crazy big and he likes my music’ which is cool.” Lunoe has always been an opportunist and her plans for 2012 are reflective of this.“I’ve been playing in America every six months or so for the last four years and now,” she says.“I’ll base out of the U.S and I’ll come back here for festivals and club tours but I’ll also be over there a fair bit of the time as well… I’m releasing a lot of songs that I’ve been making over the last year or two years, also I’ve started singing on my own tracks, I’ve started producing.” Having sung live for the first time at Field Day earlier this year, Lunoe isn’t sure if it’s a move which will become a regular part of her set.“Honestly I don’t know,” she says. “I did it because I woke that morning and I thought ‘I’m going to sing these lines today’ and I really felt that it was something ridiculous and something that I was kind of afraid of doing.” As for Future though, Lunoe will be drinking Pure Blonde all day given she’s performing in the Pure Blonde DOME. “I was wondering if they were going to make me dye my hair blonde,” she says, jokingly. “It’s cool, I’m excited. It’s got airconditioning which is nice because all the other stages will be probably outdoors and quite packed.”

PURE BLONDE DOME STAGE

Having just arrived in Missoula, Montana, for the band’s final date on the Snowstorm Music Tour with T-Pain, Lumumba-Kasongo talks candidly about his expectations for the tour - as well as his last visit to Australia for Good Vibrations 2010 and the special place it holds in his heart. “We got a lot of opportunities to see Australia last time we were there and I actually proposed to my wife over there,” he says. “So it was really a great experience; it was the best few days of my life.” Following the auspicious Good Vibrations tour, the band weathered rumour and gossip to produce last year’s fifth record The Papercut Chronicles II. Lumumba-Kasongo explains that the album was designed as a themed sequel to their 2005 release of The Papercut Chronicles, drawing elements from the original while showcasing the band’s fresh and more mature style. “There will be times where fans might recognise [something], like ‘Oh, I remember this from the old one,’” he says. But, he acknowledges with a grim laugh, “Of course there are always the disgruntled original fans.” The release was a milestone in recovering fan confidence after rumours circulated over the possibility of a band split as frontman Travis McCoy’s music career took off. The downtime between touring and Papercut Chronicles II saw the members focus on their own side projects and recover the lives they had left behind while touring. Now reunited and packed in the tour bus, the band are raring for the next leg of their tour. Future Music Festival will see the Americans share the stage with a handful of British acts, including New Order, The Wombats and Friendly Fires. When asked about the differences between British and American bands, Lumumba-Kasongo cites the Brits’ openness to new musical ideas. “I really love this really cool vibe they [British bands] have, as well as in Australia,” he says.“They’re open to lots of different kinds of things which excites me as a musician.”

Gym Class Heroes As for Gym Class Heroes, LumumbaKasongo advertises the band’s live show as an energetic rock show with hip hop roots. “We go out and rock out,” he exclaims. “Even on the T-Pain tour, there are things we’ve added to the show to spice things up a little bit.” However, Lumumba-Kasongo preaches musicianship above theatrics and stresses his band’s hard work toward evolving their sound. “I think, especially on this tour, we’ve been working on making the show flow together as best we can and really working on ourselves as musicians,” he admits. “I feel like today’s audiences focus a little bit less on image and a little bit more on music.”

MAZDA2 FLAMINGO STAGE

SHUFFLING ON THE BEACH

The lineup for Sets On The Beach Vol. 7 is out and it’s a cracker – Canberra boys The Aston Shuffle will be bringing their live show alongside Ballarat’s Yacht Club DJs, Ajax, Sampology (DJ/AV show), Canyons (live) and New Navy. It’s the final volume of Sets and it’s a killer bill so we suggest you hit up setsonthebeach. com.au and offworldproductions.com.au at once if you wish to get your hands on tickets. It’s all happening on Sunday, March 25, at Scarborough Beach Amphitheatre. Get down from 1.30pm ‘til 9pm. Do it.

Roger Sanchez

IN STEALTH FORM

That’s right, the one and only Roger Sanchez is coming to town. Coming out of New York as a professional break-dancer, the man has gone on to become an international DJ and producer. You all know that track Another Chance which has the film clip of the girl walking the street with a gigantic love heart? Yep, look it up if you don’t know what we’re talking about. He’s won a Grammy, he’s scored a trio of tracks in the top 25 Billboard Charts and he’s got his own label Stealth Records which has been going from strength to strength. It’s all happening on Friday, April 20, at Villa. Tickets are $37 plus booking fee. Snatch them up from Moshtix and the Boomtick Shop.

SUPAFEST GETTIN’ NAUGHTY

The final announcement for the Supafest 2012 lineup is out – joining the likes of Kelly Rowland, Lupe Fiasco, P.Diddy, Rick Ross, Ice Cube and Trey Songz will be smash hitter Chris Brown, hip hop mental lass Missy Elliot, America’s Big Sean and Naughty By Nature. Supafest hits Arena Joondalup in full force on Sunday, April 22. Hit up Ticketmaster for tickets. Get yo bling ring on!

GET YOUR CLUB ON

Ministry Of Sound are once again prepping for a big tour – the Clubbers Guide To 2012 is loading up on sound ammunition to cause absolute annihilation when it hits Villa on Saturday, March 31. Bringing the party will be Melbourne duo Denzal Park and Brisbane’s Danny T. Prepare for big room sounds, house, apocalyptic anthems and raucous dancefloor action. Tickets are $25 plus booking fee. Hit up Moshtix, Boomtick iPhone App and Live clothing stores.

M.A.N.D.Y MADNESS

Habitat and Lucid Dreaming are teaming up to bring the legendary Detroit techno innovator Stacey Pullen to town alongside German duo M.A.N.D.Y who have been smashing it with their Get Physical label for a while now. It’s all happening on Thursday, April 5, at Shape. Tickets are $35 plus booking fee, hit up Moshtix now. This one will be big.

RUNNING THE NIGHT

Forget about running the night, DJ Havana Brown seems to have taken over the world – the Aussie DJ is currently sitting at #1 on Billboard’s Dance Club Chart with her first single We Run The Night. Madness. She’s recently been touring, recording and living it up in LA and has got herself a 12 month residency as Paris Las Vegas’ Chateau nightclub spinning for all the superstars. Having supported the likes of Lady Gaga, The Pussycat Dolls, Rihanna and a score of VIP parties and concerts, Brown hits town on Thursday, April 5, at Metro Freo. Doors open 9pm. Hit up Moshtix for tickets.

Cut Chemist (Photo by Stefan Caramia)

CHEMISTRY LESSON CUT CHEMIST Festival Gardens Thursday, February 23, 2012 Los Angeles DJ and producer Cut Chemist brought a musical melting pot of a set to the Perth International Arts Festival, juxtaposing a diverse range of genres – from hip hop to Ethiopian jazz, Nigerian Afro-beat to Brazilian Bossanova – and succeeding in showing the common ground shared by all music with its roots in funk. The show was split across two setups. The first, consisting of multiple turntables as well as a CDJ, gave Cut Chemist an opportunity to show off his exceptional scratching, mixing and beat juggling skills. He also played some of his own tracks including (My 1st) Big Break, and Storm, as well as a remix of Nas’ recent single Nasty and an audiovisual remake of J Dilla’s Stepson Of The Clapper. His visual artist, Tom Fitzgerald, added to the experience with a montage of footage from b-grade horror films, ‘80s cartoons and music videos projected onto a screen behind the stage. It was on Cut Chemist’s other setup, though – one turntable, one mixer and a loop pedal – that the set really got going with his acclaimed Sound Of The Police routine. The kit enabling him to layer loop upon loop live, utilising original vinyl pressings from Africa and South America. Cameras captured the turntable and the loop pedals so the audience could observe the complexity of Cut Chemist’s performance. The most intense part of the night came when he performed the closing part of his Sound Of The Police routine – Adidas To Addis – layering at least six layers on top of each other into a driving mix of up-tempo drum beats and funky Ethiopian horns. He then used the loop pedal to speed the mix up to breakneck pace, before slowing it down to the point where the audio began glitching and then, to top it off, manipulating the loop pedal like a drum machine. The one turntable setup had the potential to be quite volatile but Chemist managed it with aplomb, having only one minor slip-up - while trying to beat juggle the Incredible Bongo Band’s Apache which he quickly recovered from. He returned to his other setup, mixing a remix of What’s The Altitude into The Mod Trade by Indian psych rock band The Black Beats, and showing a great sense of humour by playing a track he described as his “first love ballad” and a “work in progress” – him warbling “hate, kill, destroy” over folky guitars. He also debuted the first video from his upcoming album Outro featuring Blackbird. The high energy clip had a punk aesthetic that Chemist hasn’t explored much – needless to say, it suggests interesting new directions for his music. He capped off an incredible crowd participation routine – filming members of the audience and then loading the footage into a DVDJ so it can be ‘scratched’ live. It’s a routine he performed when supporting De La Soul in 2009, but it lost none of its novelty. For those that wanted to dance, Cut Chemist’s worldly selections hit the spot. But for those with eyes glued to Cut Chemist, what was amazing was the complexity of his routine, and the way he made it all seem so effortless. There are a few turntablists who are also pushing the boundaries of their art form – Kid Koala and QBert come to mind – but his PIAF show proved that none are simultaneously as entertaining as Cut Chemist.

» JOSHUA HAYES 34

X-Press – First on the street, Wednesdays

KID MASSIVE

VISIONQUEST

If you know house music, you know Kid Massive. Originally part of the dance act Geeza, the Danish DJ and producer has gone down the downbeat jazz road but it wasn’t until the mid-noughties that house music came calling for the lad. He signed to Slip & Slide, his 2008 hit Get Busy hit #2 on Beatport’s Top 100 and he went on to release several tracks, collaborations and garnered support from Roger Sanchez, Avicii, Pete Tong and more. But, after all these years, Kid Massive has only just released A Little Louder, his debut record. Packed with vocals from the likes of Peyton, Sam Obernik and Jay Colin, A Little Louder is a big room record which would go down well in the ‘big house’ but there are no catchy, stand-out tracks on this house driven record. Get Wild featuring grime MC Face J is the only highlight on this album. If you like Wiley, MC GQ and Tinie Tempah then you’ll be a fan of Get Wild but, if you like listening to the music played in your gym then the rest of this record could be a winner. Although the record is evidently well produced, the vocals don’t add anything exciting to the tracks. It’s a repetitive and predictable collection of tracks which mould into one long underwhelming house tune that neither instigates the desire to dance nor calls on an addition to the iPod.

The latest release in Fabric’s long running compilation series proves once again that 10 years down the line they still have their finger on the pulse of electronic music. Comprising of Seth Troxler, Lee Curtiss, Ryan Crosson and Shaun Reeves, Visionquest are the next generation of exciting producers emanating out of Detroit and they have put together an intelligent collection of tracks with roots firmly in techno’s birthplace. Melancholic opener, Tinman’s Wasteland, conjures up images of driving around the aforementioned city’s collapsed CBD as dusk falls, trying to track down that elusive underground club, before the mix eases itself into some deep, cerebral techno including the excellent Hal 2010 by Soul Center. But there’s much more depth to this CD, Carl Craig brings warmth and strings into his remix of the Catz’N’ Dogz track I’m Free and if you’re looking for a track that epitomises a peak-time groove in the group’s now adopted homeland of Berlin then Uneins by Kollektiv Turmstrasse and Florian Schirmacher fits the bill to perfection – quality. Proving that you don’t have to reach for the brash synths and overblown reverb effects to produce killer tunes, this release - like others in the series - should last long in any discerning listener’s playlist.

A LITTLE LOUDER LIBERATOR

FABRIC 61 FABRIC RECORDS

» ANNABEL MACLEAN 2/5

» ANDREW NELSON 4/5

THIS WEEK Belgian DJ and production duo Mumbai Science have just released The Unified Theory. Pt 2. There are two tracks on the EP – Reality and Transcendence. Big basslines and even a monologue of LSD guru Timothy Leary is added in to remind everyone of those ‘90s raves. Dutch duo Mason have their bubbling track Superimposer out now too. Also check out Human Life’s track Don’t Fade Away.

DJ MISHTEE LOVES KANYE Perth’s DJ Mishtee relocated to Sydney last September with her husband. She tells ANNABEL MACLEAN that “it was quite a jolt to the system” moving over east but she’s now seen Kanye perform twice and is about to perform herself at Perth’s first white party Blanca. She’s already got her dress sorted for the occasion – “I looked at all of ASOS.” “He wasn’t a princess at all,” Mikhaila Kennewell, or DJ Mishtee, as she’s known, says down the line from a rainy day in Sydney of New York rapper Theophilus London. Kennewell was chosen as Theophilus London’s DJ on the Big Boi/Theophilus London Australian tour in September last year, a big break for the young lass. “He’s such a cool guy, he’s so fashionable,”she continues. “When we were at airports, he did his own luggage; he wasn’t a princess at all. And all his band are cool, they’re all Southern so they all had fried chicken everywhere and were really lovely.” Although Kennewell didn’t partake in any of the fried chicken feasting, she says being a part of that

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tour was a great experience and taught her “what you think happens on tour, really does happen on tour.” It’s been a big few months for the previously Perth-based lady – she married last August, jet-setted around the country for the Big Boi tour (with only a week’s notice) and then moved to Sydney with her husband last September. Currently working with Southern Cross Austereo and settling into the Sydney scene, Kennewell says gigs and DJ opportunities are only just starting to take off now. “I kept thinking it [Sydney] would be like Bondi Rescue but it just never stops raining,” she says. “I moved here because of my husband’s work. We got married in August and… I thought ‘why

DJ Mishtee not?’ because I may as well try my DJing in Sydney, it’s something different… it took a while to get used to it. It was a shock to the system being in Perth and then in two or three weeks moving to Sydney, it was quite a jolt to the system. I’ve only just started to like it as a city. And it’s different. I lived in Melbourne for

four years and I loved Melbourne but Sydney’s just taking a little bit longer.” But, moving over east has had its bonuses so far – seeing Kanye’s live show twice in one week ain’t too bad. “It was the best show I’ve ever seen,” she says, still thrilled by the memory. “We went to Big Day Out and then the next night he played at Sydney Entertainment Centre and it was just amazing. He had belly-dancers up there in g-string costumes… the piano and everything was white. I’m such a big fan of his and every single song of his he did – my jaw was just open in awe.” Kennewell is pumped to be heading back over to the west for her six hour set at Blanca, Perth’s first premier white party. “I’ve put music into hour blocks so I can pick and choose [what to play when],” she says. “I love doing ambience music, some of my favourite stuff you don’t really get to play so I’ve kind of put together a Daft Punk song called Something About Us but really slow – I think it’s 104 bpm - and I’ve also got Marvin Gaye in there, Ohmega Watts. This is the type of party that I’d want to go to so I’m really happy to be a part of it.”

» DJ MISHTEE » BLANCA » SUNDAY, MARCH 4 @ MATILDA BAY

CUBAN BROTHERS

THE BAKERY

NEWPORT

THURSDAY 01/03

Surge/ DJ Don Migi The East End Bar - The Prestige Bolt Bar (Maylands Peninsular The Queens – Kapitol Amplifier – Fluxx Tavern) – DJ NVS/ DJ Mental/ The Whale & Ale – Josh Tilley Beat Bar (Bar Open) – DJ Antrax DJ Steve C/ Rexop/ MC Treppa/ The Whistling Kite - DJ Gareth Captain Stirling – Fiveo/ Mind MC Haste Woodvale Tavern – DJ Melvin Electric Clancy’s (Canning Bridge) - DJ Clancy’s (Applecross) – Upbeat – Wrighteous DJ Andy Claremont Hotel – DJ Double FRIDAY 02/03 Connections – DJs Joby /JJ / Dee/ DJ Matt/ DJ Millie Ambar - Fresh Produce ft Lemon Rueben Club Marakesh – DJ Simon Lime N Love Town/ Lady L/ Carla/ Double Lucky – Last Wednesday Cottesloe Hotel – DJ Shots/ DJ Lizness Eurobar – Wild Wednesdays - DJ Andy M Amplifier – Cowboys & Indie Kids Eve – DJ Tony Allen iPod/ Ben Pettit Bar 459 - DJ Smurf Leopold Hotel – DJ Riki/ Roger Bar Orient – Higher Fyah The Eve – DJ Don Migi/ Skooby Smart Reggae Club ft The Empressions/ Gold Bar–DJ Adroc Llama Bar – DJ Maxwell/ EMAS/ Weapon Is Sound System/ Hipe Club – DJ Roger Smart Tutomath/ Badd Dan Leederville Hotel – We Love Lukas Wimler Mint Nightclub – DJ Simon Beat Nightclub - Play Wednesdays ft DJ Slick Barwood Boheme Bar - DJ Majiika Mustang – DJ Giles Mt Henry Tavern - DJ Matty J Boulevard Tavern – DJ Andyy Norma Jeans – DJ Mischief Mullaloo Beach Hotel - DJ John Broken Hill Hotel – DJ Nick – Lokie Shaw Paul/ DJ Slick Alexander The Deen - DJ Zelimer/ DJ Viper/ Mustang – DJ James Brooklands Tavern - DJ Jayden DJ Benny/ T– Zone 1 South St – DJ Castasia/ Dpad Capitol – Retro Mash The Rosemount - Cowboys & Indie Swinging Pig – DJ Simon Carine Tavern – Greg Packer/ MC Kids DJs The Avenue – Jon Ee Assassin The Queens – Wriggle on The Causeway – EMAS DJs Clancy’s (Canning Bridge) - DJ YaYa’s - Vintage Dance Party ft DJ The Craftsman – Roger Smart Boogie The Deen – DJ Flex/ DJ Nano/ DJ Claremont Hotel – DJ Nick Agent 85/ Big Ear Chad

WEDNESDAY 29/02

MC Oddisee

Hudson Mohawke

BIG APE

Sheppard/ DJ Max Club Bayview - Infexious ft Ben Stevens/ Nomad Como Hotel – DJ Gazz Deville’s Pad - Funk Club ft Charlie Bucket Eve – DJ Don Migi/ DJ Danny Boi Flawless – DJ Zelimir Ginger Nightclub – Rondevoo Fridayz Gosnells Club – DJ Now Hipe Club - DJ E-Funk Lakers Tavern – Fresh Fridays - DJ Dooey Left Bank – DJ Frankie Button Library – Sneaky Little Creatures Loft – Marine Beats Llama Bar – DJ Reuben/ DJ Morris Malt Super Club - Fiveo Merriwa Tavern – DJ Real McCoy Metro City (Solace Bar) – DJ Slick Metro Freo – Frat House Fridays ft Death Disco DJs Mint Nightclub – Club Retro ft Chris McPhee Mojos – Fisherman Style #70 ft DJ Sorted/ Kriti-cal/ Earthlink/ Sabata Mullaloo Beach Hotel - DJ John Paul Mustang – Swing DJ/ DJ James MacArthur Paddy Hannans – Crazy Craig Paramount - DJ Johnny Boi/ DJ Jordan Queens Tav – DJ Rueben Sail & Anchor - Balcony Beatz/ DJ J-MAC Shape - Outlook Festival Launch Party ft LTJ Bukem/ Kryptic Minds/ Spectrasoul/ Icicle/ Ulterior Motive/ Zanetic Sovereign Arms – Aiden Wallis The Avenue – JMC The Carine – Mind Electric/ Little Nicky/ Az-T The Causeway – 4by4 DJs The Eastern – DJ Midfield The Generous Squire - DJ Anaru The Manor - MC Oddisee/ Kitpop (Live)/ Klean Kicks The Queens – DJ Rueben The Saint - DJ Jordan The Shed – DJ Glenn 20 The Whale & Ale – Josh Tiley Tiger Lils – Paul Malone/ Adam Kelly The Vic - DJ Giles The Wembley Hotel – Funky Bottoms/ Jon Ee Windsor – DJ Riki and Ray Victoria Park Hotel – DJ Giles YaYa’s – Junk ft DJ Whoa

SHAPE

Rustie

SATURDAY 03/03 Ambar – Challenger Ready ft Armee v Fdel/ Oli v JMC/ Micah v Tonic/ Bobnoceros v Dead Easy/ Marko Paulo Amplifier - Pure Pop ft Eddie Electric Basement On Broadway – DJ Ricky Boheme Bar – Carte Blanche DJs Broken Hill Tavern – DJ Nick Alexander/ James Wilson Capitol – Death Disco DJs Capitol (Upstairs) – Cream Of The ‘80s Clancy’s (Canning Bridge) - DJ Dood Claremont Hotel – DJ Tone Def Club Bay View – VIP Saturdays ft DJ Ryan Eurobar – Roger Smart/ DJ Raci Eve Nightclub – DJ Don Migi/ DJ Stevie M Flawless - Stache Saturdays ft DJ Zelimir/ DJ Minna Geisha - Soul Project ft IIIya/ Anyo High Road Hotel – DJ Simon High Wycombe – DJ Matt Hyde Park Hotel – Ragga Ragga ft Jah Moko/ Tutomath/ The Empressions Hipe Club – DJ E-Funk Library – MKT ft DJ Riki/ DJ Richie G/ DJ Vicktor Little Creatures Loft – Marine Beats Liquid Nightclub - DJ Klar55/ DJ Stevie M Llama Bar – DJ Reuben/ DJ Melvin Malt Super Club – Fiveo Metro City (R&B Lounge) - DJ Slick/ DJ Ruthless/ DJ Soso Metro City - DJ Stevie M/ DJ Matty S/ DJ Ruthless/ DJ Makka Metro Freo – DTuck/ Darren Briais/ Wazz Mint Nightclub – Pop Life ft DJ Aaron/ AJ Mojos – Gappy Ranks/ Earthlink Sound/ Sabata Sound/ Iron Palm/ Kriti-Cal/ MC Benitton

Mullaloo Beach Hotel – DJ Danny Mustang – Rockabilly DJ/ DJ James MacArthur Niche – Frankie Button/ Cee/ Jonny Zimber Norma Jeans – DJ Darren Oxford Hotel – DJ Sequeria Paramount- DJ Cornflake / DJ Jordan/ DJ Johnny Boi Queens Tav - Gareth Richardson Rocket Room – DJ Brett Rowe South St Ale House – DJ Jay Sovereign Arms – Rockwell The Avenue – Jon Ee The Bakery - Hudson Mohawke/ Rustie/ Rok Riley/ Ben Taaffe/ Move and more The Brighton (Upstairs) – Micah/ Kill Dyl/ eSQue The Boheme – DJ Sneakee The Causeway – Sun City DJs The Clink – Az-T The Cornerstone – D ylan Hammond The Deen - DJ Birdie/ DJ JJ/ DJ Tony Allen The Empyrean - Mask2012 ft Benny C/ Double Dee The Generous Squire – On Tap The Saint – DJ Anaru The Shed –DJ Glenn 20 The Wembley – Az-T The Whistling Kite - DJ Craig The Vic – DJ Kristian Tiger Lil’s – DJ Bojan/ DJ Ben Sebastian Victoria Park Hotel – DJ Melvin Windsor – DJ Ray Woodvale Tavern – DJ Real McCoy YaYa’s – Saturday Social ft The Kings Of Cheese DJs

Tinie Tempah

X-Press – First on the street, Wednesdays

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

THE CAUSEWAY

SUNDAY 04/03 Arena Joondalup - Future Music Festival ft Swedish House Mafia/ Fatboy Slim/ Tinie Tempah/ Paul van Dyk/ Chase & Status/ Skrillex/ Aphex Twin/ Die Antwoord/ Gareth Emer y/ James Murphy & Pat Mahoney (LCD Soundsystem/ DFA)/ Sven Vath/ Alex Metric/ Azari & III/ Horse Meat Disco/ The Stafford Brothers/ Friendly Fires/ Knife Party/ Professor Green/ Dubfire/ Flux Pavilion/ Orjan Nilsen/ Porter Robinson/ Ruby Rose/ tyDi/ Kill The Noise/ Timmy Trumpet and more

Clink – DJ Tony Allen Euro Bar – DJ Flex Eve Nightclub – DJ Birdie Mint - Chris McPhee Mustang – DJ Rockin Rhys Salt On The Beach - Punchy & Juicy/ Charlie Bucket The Avenue – Az-T The Causeway – Lukas Wimmler The Cott – Cott Sessions The Kiosk – DJ Cinder The Saint - DJ Anaru The Shed – DJ Andyy YaYa’s - Northern Soul Alldayer

MONDAY 05/03

Bar Orient - DJ White Label Broken Hill Tavern - Sophie Jane Broken Hill Tavern - DJ Mario Captain Stirling – DJ Jay Tavelli Claremont Hotel – DJ Double Dee Eastern Hotel – Adam Morris The Deen – Plastic Max/ The Token Gesture The Paddo – DJ John Paul The Shed – DJ Andyy

TUESDAY 06/03

The Stafford Brothers

Bar Orient - DJ Lyndon Eastern Hotel – Jon Edwards High Road Hotel – DJ Matty J High Wycombe – DJ Ricky Hipe Club – DJ Roger Smart Metro City - The Game The Cott (Upstairs) –Maxwell/ Jus Haus?/ Damian John Victoria Park Hotel – DJ Melvin

THIS WEEK MC Oddisee/ Kitpop (Live)/ Klean Kicks Friday, March 2 @ The Manor Outlook Festival Launch Party ft LTJ Bukem/ Kryptic Minds/ Spectrasoul/ Icicle/ Ulterior Motive/ Zanetic Friday, March 2 @ Shape

Funk Club ft Charlie Bucket Friday, March 2 @ Deville’s Pad DJ 4our5ive (Lil Wayne’s DJ) Fr i d ay, M a r c h 2 @ C l u b Bayview Challenger Ready ft Armee v Fdel/ Oli v JMC/ Micah v Tonic/ Bobnoceros v Dead Easy/ Marko Paulo Saturday, March 3 @ Ambar

Hudson Mohawke/ Rustie/ Rok Riley/ Ben Taaffe/ Move and more Saturday, March 3 @ The Bakery

FUTURE MUSIC FESTIVAL SUNDAY, MARCH 4 @ ARENA JOONDALUP

Sven Vath/ Alex Metric/ Azari & III/ Horse Meat Disco/ The Stafford Brothers/ Friendly Fires/ Knife Par ty/ Professor Green/ Dubfire/ Flux Pavilion/ Orjan Nilsen/ Porter Robinson/ Ruby Rose/ tyDi/ Kill The Noise/ Timmy Trumpet and more Sunday, March 4 @ Arena Joondalup

Fresh Produce ft Lemon Lime N Love Town/ Lady L/ Surprise act Carla/ Lizness announced soon Friday, March 2 @ Ambar Tuesday, March 6 @ Villa

Mask2012 f t Benny C/ Double Dee Saturday, March 3 @ The Empyrean

Die Antwoord

FRAT HOUSE FRIDAYS

METRO FREO

IN THE

Soul Project ft IIIya/ Anyo Saturday, March 3 @ Geisha

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FLAWLESS

STACHE SATURDAYS

Future Music Festival ft Swedish House Mafia/ Fatboy Slim/ Tinie Tempah/ Paul van Dyk/ Chase & Status/ Skrillex/ Aphex Tw i n / D i e A n t w o o r d / Gareth Emery/ James Murphy & Pat Mahoney (LCD Soundsystem/ DFA)/

Jungle Fever ft Aphrodite Friday, March 23 @ Villa

The Herd/Thundamentals Diafrix & Joelistics Sunday, April 1 @ Norfolk Saturday, April 14 @ The Rosemount Basement

The Butternut Slap/ Sunmonx/ Russ Liquid/ Machine Drum & Jacques JPS/ Opiuo Greene/ Nik Ridikulas Saturday, March 24 @ Capitol vs Ben Taaffe/ Ylem vs R achael Dease/ Rok DJ Hype/ Sigma Riley/ Kit Pop/ Solar Saturday, March 24 @ The Barge/ Clunk/ Modo/ Oni Overflow (The Court) Cash/ Sleepyhead Thursday, April 5 @ The Japan 4 ft Vengeance Saturday, March 24 @ Ambar Bakery

Roger Sanchez Friday, April 20 @ Villa

Supafest ft P.Diddy/ Ice Cube/ Rick Ross/ Trey Songz/ Kelly Rowland/ Lupe Fiasco/ Chris Brown/ Missy Elliot/ Big Sean/ Naughty By Nature Villa’s 3 rd Birthday ft Sunday, April 22 @ Arena The Freestylers/ Marten Joondalup Hørger/ DNGRFLD/ Black The Funkoars & Blunt Thursday, April 5 @ Villa Friday, April 27 @ Bar 120

Sets On The Beach Volume 7 ft The Ashton Shuffle (live)/ Yacht Club DJs/ Ajax/ Sampology (AV/ COMING UP DJ set)/ Canyons (live)/ New Navy James Lavelle S u n d a y, M a r c h 2 5 @ Hot Cross Buns Easter Friday, March 9 @ Ambar S c a r b o r o u g h B e a c h Thursday ft Tonite Only/ Amphitheatre The Medics/ Yesyou/ DJ Krush 20th Anniversary Mind Electric/ Death World Tour Yelawolf Disco DJs/ Kno Agents/ Saturday, March 10 @ Villa Tuesday, March 27 @ Capitol Sun City/ Jus Haus?/ DJ Anthony Pappa Cody and more Hermitude Saturday, March 10 @ Geisha Friday, March 30 @ Mojos T h u r s d a y, A p r i l 5 @ Amplifier Capitol SmithAgentSmith (LFMAO) Diafrix & Joelistics Wednesday, March 4 @ Club Friday, March 30 @ Bar 120 DJ Havana Brown Bayview Thursday, April 5 @ Metro Freo Peo De Pitte 360 Friday, March 30 @ Ambar Friday, March 16 @ The M.A.N.D.Y & Stacey Rosemount Hotel DJ Fresh Pullen Friday, March 30 @ Metro City Thursday, April 5 @ Shape Bootleg ft The Bootleg Brothers/ PDS/ Tee EL/ Boom Box Boat Party Van She Tech FTW/ The Barons Red ft Darren Brais/Menis V Saturday, April 7 @ The Friday, March 16 @ Ambar Leroy/Hutcho v Kev Aviary Friday, March 30 @ Barrack DJ Minx Street Jetty Soul Project ft Miss Saturday, March 17 @ Villa M i n i s t r y O f S o u n d Honey Dijion KRS-One Clubbers Guide To 2012 Tour Saturday, April 7 @ Geisha Friday, March 23 @ Metro City ft Denzal Park & Danny T Saturday, March 31 @ Villa Trafik: The Drum & Bass Reunion ft Rintel/ Rufkut/ Full Frequency ft Micah/ Ben Mac/ Massiv Trav/ Dart/ Diafrix & Joelistics Frantik/ JRippa/ Armee/ Sardi/ Declan/ Ben M/ Rok Saturday, March 31 @ Hyde Xsessiv/ Mystique/ Dazz Riley/ James A/ Miranda Park Hotel K/ Roller Crew/ Dart/ Menzies/ JoLettenmaier/ Devo/ Kent/ Teneacity/ FTW/ Bezwun & JS/ Ari Hermitude Webbz S a t u r d a y, M a r c h 3 1 @ Friday, April 13 @ The Sistym/ Puff/ Ru-Kusa Amplifier Friday, March 23 @ Shape Rosemount Hotel

Derrick May Friday, April 27 @ Ambar The Funkoars Saturday, April 28 @ The Rosemount Hotel Soul Project ft JT Donaldson Saturday, May 5 @ Geisha Creamfields ft David Guetta/ Above & Beyond/ Dirty South/ Alesso/ Excision/ W&W/ G i u s e p p e O t t av i a n i (live)/ Congorock/ Vitalic/ Sied van Riel/ Tritonal/ Downlink/ ShockOne/ MaRLo/ Bombs Away/ MC Stretch S a t u r d a y, M a y 5 @ Supreme Court Gardens Groovin’ The Moo ft 360/ Hilltop Hoods/ Adrian Lux/ Beni/ Digitalism/ Hermitude/ Muscles/ Purple Sneaker DJs/ Wavves Saturday, May 19 @ Hay Park, Bunbury Mickey Avalon Saturday, May 26 @ The Rosemount Hotel

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

all it ultimately took was the arrival of Fat Freddy’s Drop onstage just after dusk. The popular seven piece Kiwi band had plenty of fans in the audience, judging by the loud cheer that went up when they opened their set with Blackbird. The band’s hypnotic dub reggae rhythms and spacey synths perfectly suited the laidback feel of the evening, with the only misstep coming as MC Slave joined the band onstage during Roady for a call and response routine that went on too long. After the band left the stage, calls for an encore were rewarded with an energetic performance of Shiverman. Erykah Badu’s four piece band took Capitol the stage at 9.30pm, playing for several minutes Friday, February 24, 2012 before being joined by four backing vocalists. The amphitheatre perfectly captured the impeccable sound Capitol was packed from the get-go on Friday - especially the deep bass grooves provided by regular night, with a strange mix of punters: regular fans Badu collaborator Stephen ‘Thundercat’ Bruner. As the mixed in with old Idol fans, and an unfortunately Erykah Badu (Photo: Denis Radacic) crowd’s anticipation continued to grow, she confidently large percentage of top 40-ers who felt the need strode to the front of the stage and stood still in the to sing the opening ‘oohs’ to Brother at regular spotlight to loud cheers, before performing her opener inappropriate intervals. 20 Feet Tall. First act Bedouin Sea (previously known In a set drawing from each of her five albums, as the Conradie Brothers) are headed for big things early highlights included The Healer and On & On, as this year – you heard it here first, folks. For an act that well as stirring renditions of her OutKast collaborations haven’t released an EP or even any singles yet, Bedouin Liberation and Humble Mumble. Back In The Day (Puff), Sea pulled a massive crowd, and there’s no doubt that meanwhile, ended fittingly with a joint being leisurely support for them will only grow. past around amongst the musicians onstage. Second support band Hang On St A performance of I Want You ended with Christopher didn’t receive quite the same reception. a spacey, down tempo cover of More Bounce To The Maybe it was the pressure of performing between the Ounce with Badu performing on a drum machine, super-talented Bedouin Sea and Matt Corby, but there Belvoir Amphitheatre prompting her to quip “we’re just making shit up, I hope was something lacking in their performance. The band Saturday, February 25, 2012 that’s alright” to warm cheers. Her infamous Window seemed to have all the right elements for a sweet little Seat video was then projected, showing her, in reverse, indie band – excitable members, brass instruments and Per fect weather greeted punters at Belvoir stripping naked as she walked down the Dallas street the perfect hipster look – but all up, the music was Amphitheatre for soulstress Erykah Badu’s eagerly where John F Kennedy was shot. not very well put together. With a little tweaking and awaited performance on Saturday. She ended the night with Didn’t Cha Know?, work, Hang On St Christopher could enter the ongoing LA-via-Detroit soul singer Mayer Hawthorne which she dedicated to the song’s producer, the late J competition to be a famous indie band in Australia – opened the show, backed by a four piece band. Decked Dilla, recalling how he taught her how to sample. Badu but right now their songs are just okay, not great. out in questionable attire – a white suit with 3/4 showed off her stunning voice, singing the refrain “There And then, Matt Corby. There’s no doubt pants – his Motown-revivalist sound warmed up the will be a brighter day” as the song faded into ambient that the man is an unbelievable talent – but first, we small dance floor and entertained the punters dotted keys. around the Amphitheatre. Kicking off with Maybe So, As the stage started to be cleared it became Maybe No, his set drew evenly from his debut A Strange obvious there would be no encore – a fact underlined Arrangement and last year’s follow up How Do You Do, when Justin Bieber began blaring through the speakers with a cover of J Dilla’s Rico Suave Bossa Nova thrown in (surely they weren’t in that much of a hurry to clear the for good measure. He finished with an upbeat medley venue) – but everyone was more than satisfied with her Jewel Cave of Hooked and The Ills. enchanting 90 minute set. Sunday February 26, 2012 Hawthorne did an admirable job of trying to get the dance floor filled from the start of his set – but _JOSHUA HAYES Whether performing a stunt for Jackass, uttering a two hour long selection of his delicate songs, barely a word in a picturesque art-house film or punctuating them with genial chat. fronting his band, Will Oldham AKA Bonnie ‘Prince’ Musically, Adams was in an expansive Billy is an instantly recognisable figure. On Friday mood. The set offered an overview of his career, from night the talented troubadour played a superb alt country beginnings with the band Whiskeytown set chock full of ‘hits’ at the Festival Gardens, but to his current album, the 2011 released Ashes & Fire, before the weekend was out the Kentucky country/ with the melancholy journey of Oh My Sweet Carolina folk luminary was to offer an even more unique (from his now-classic 2000 album Heartbreaker) and experience by playing a show inside Jewel Cave. a reworked, piano-led version of New York, New York A lucky 40punters were granted admission (from his best-selling, Grammy-nominated 2001 album to Western Australia’s largest show cave as they made Perth Concert Hall Gold) proving to be just a couple of the many musical their way underground along stairs and platforms Saturday, February 25, 2012 highlights of the evening. to take up vantage points above the platform that If the show had one fault, it was tempo: Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy and his band would give their About halfway through Ryan Adams’ solo acoustic rare acoustic performance. The four members of the set at the Perth Concert Hall on Saturday night, even Adams acknowledged that it erred on the band huddled around a single lamp on the makeshift the shaggy-haired singer looked up from the soporific side:“I hope I can play enough songs tonight stage as they waited for the crowd to be ushered into crowd as he was tuning his instrument and made to make you feel incredibly depressed.” He also a confession: “I know I’m paranoid, but sometimes pointed out the deficiencies of tonight’s solo acoustic position. when I play the guitar it seems like hundreds of setup. Without his now-defunct Cardinals backing No amplifiers or microphones were set band to provide camouflage, the onus was on him to people are watching me.” up, leaving the natural reverb of the cave to work Though he was joking, Adams’ devil-may- “work the stage”,he said wryly, which he did by “sitting its magic. Quail And Dumplings saw Oldham cock his care attitude and between-song mumbles did suggest here and talking about my feelings”. leg and make hopping movements as he wandered But Adams has a more puckish side too, around the stage looking towards the concealed that we – meaning the audience in the 2,200-seat, sold-out hall – were just passersbys who’d stumbled one that came out in his between-song monologues. sky where his voice carried. The til now subdued One man who was sneezing throughout the show Angel Olsen moved out of the shadows to bring across a random dude jamming in his backyard. Following a mesmerizing, countrified inspired Adams to improvise a ditty involving talk her stunning timbre to an emphatic version of support set courtesy of Drive By Truckers’ frontman of boogers and spraying his DNA over the person Troublesome Houses. Jason Isbell, alt-country superstar Adams walked next to him, while a teenage boy was chastised by Van Campbell was armed with some onto the stage as though he’d just gotten off the Adams for bringing his date to “probably the most brushes and a snare resting on its side, but he pulled bus in his crumpled jeans, faded jean jacket and Dio depressing concert ever”. Adams also showcased a out a diverse and creative percussive experience as T-shirt. Flanked by an upright piano on one side and lengthy ode to his “best friend” and fellow Jefferson the time keeper clapped, stamped feet and clicked a music stand, microphone and plush leather chair on Airplane enthusiast Mr Cat which culminated in some fingers when not creating shade with tambourine. impassioned purring into the microphone. It was the the other, the 37-year-old North Carolina-born singer Among the golden glow of the Jewel Cave picked up his guitar (striped red, white and blue) and purrfect edition to an A+ performance. the unfettered voices of Oldham, Kelly and Olsen declared his intent: “Let’s all get sad together,” he said found the band treading into gospel territory where before surefootedly guiding his audience through _JENNIFER PETERSON-WARD they were giving a sermon as much as they were

MATT CORBY

Bedouin Sea / Hang On St Christopher

ERYKAH BADU

Fat Freddy’s Drop / Mayer Hawthorne

must address the crowd. Capitol was a terrible venue choice; a cramped, rowdy club with a never-ending supply of beer for an artist whose tunes are best served to complete silence? Oops. Even more worrying than the obvious venue mistake was the crowd. A significant section of absolute wankers showed such blatant disregard for not only those around them, but for the artist: if a musician kindly asks you to be quiet because he can’t hear himself play – shut the fuck up. The strangest part was that the night was sold out; surely if you have paid to see an artist, it’s to see him perform, not to get totes pissed and fall over like every other night? Get your shit together, Perth. Though visibly shaken by the crowd’s behaviour, Corby’s musicianship was stunning. Juxtaposing his garden shows, a full band backed him for most songs, giving the performance a more rounded sound. Corby proved his talent with some beautiful looping work, and an unmatchable voice that, at times, is so emotional that it gives you chills. It’s the tunes from the young artist’s recent EP Into the Flame that are the most impacting live: they have this completely fearless, unbridled sound, and Corby lets his voice go wherever it takes him; it’s obvious that these are the songs he is the most passionate about. Though tunes from previous EP’s are still played flawlessly, they are reined in and somewhat restrained: Corby works best when given the freedom to write and perform as he pleases. The crowd got what they wanted when Corby played his rendition of the Black Keys’ Lonely Boy, followed a few songs later by his massive single Brother. Final song Soul’s A’Fire was performed with the most passion – raging guitar strums and a vocal crescendo that finally managed to drown out the crowd – not surprisingly, considering the song was written about a crowd who spoke over the top of a previous performance. Oh, irony. _CHLOE PAPAS

BONNIE ‘PRINCE’ BILLY

RYAN ADAMS Jason Isbell

www.xpressmag.com.au

Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy (Photo: Daniel Grant) singing songs. Easy Does It could have been from the Will Oldham ‘Good Book’, though it was when they gave a spacious take on Leonard Cohen’s A Bunch Of Lonesome Heroes that the evangelical nature of the performance came to the fore. A gentle sneeze from the front man mid-song only served to highlight the spectacular acoustics of the glorious setting, even when Oldham joked that when in Jewel Cave he now realised Gollum’s fascination with the underground during in Lord Of The Rings. A theatrical display from the singer led into After I Made Love To You and a crisp version of The Sounds Are Always Begging. The single light on the stage was turned off as I See A Darkness was fittingly performed before the band disappeared among the stalactites. While the setlist on the Friday night may have just shaded this nights offerings, being in the presence of Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy in Jewel Cave was more than just a gig, it was an experience. _CHRIS HAVERCROFT

MUSTANG BAR

Get on down to The Mustang Bar this Sunday, March 4, for some honky tonk country music with Peter Busher & The Lone Rangers plus DJ Rockin’ Rhys, then Blue Gene will to the stage to play all your fav top 40s and many more with DJ James MacArthur on the decks till late.

Tijuana Cartel

MOJOS BAR

This Wednesday, February 29, Fremantle Blues and Roots Club present Pre Nannup featuring Faye Blais and Benny Walker. Then on Thursday, March 1, Bobby Alu’s debut WA tour comes to Mojos Bar for some pacific grooves, afro rhythms, smooth harmonies and good vibes. As if that weren’t enough to satiate your live music needs, on Saturday, March 3, and Sunday, March 4, catch the one and only dance floor filling, flamenco guitar toting, all around ecstatic and scintillating Tijuana Cartel! Mojos is giving away double passes to the Sunday show, just email mojos@coolperthnights. com with “ I luv Mojos” in the subject line.

INDI BAR

One of Australia’s finest roots percussionists, Bobby Alu is the musical alter ego of Charles Wall. Charles has spent the past six years touring Australia, New Zealand and Canada as a member of OKA and Kooii, as well as being a regular co-conspirator with the likes of Nicky Bomba, Mista Savona, Saritah, The Red Eyes, Watussi, Mal Webb, Georgia Potter, Golden Sound, Grassroots Street Orchestra, Cool Calm Collective, Kafka, Afro Dizzi Act, and Dubdoubt. It’s a CV that reads like a ‘who’s who’ of the Australian dub / reggae music scene. He hits the Indi Bar on Wednesday, February 29, tickets on sale at the door.

PADDO

Tonight, Wednesday 29, enjoy your extra 2012 February evening down at Paddo POW. Tunes kick off at 8pm with Elk Bell, followed by The Stanleys and Helen Shanahan. Entry, as always, is 100 per cent free!

THE ELLINGTON JAZZ CLUB

It’s a week of threes at The Ellington – they’re turning three, it’s a three day weekend and they’re inviting local punters to celebrate with them this weekend with three jam-packed special birthday shows. Ellington co-owner BK is hosting his personal birthday bash on Thursday, March 1, with Empire, plus there will be all new shows this week from Phil Hatton & the Madhattons and a celebration of the music of Whitney Houston with Amanda Dee.

ROSEMOUNT HOTEL

This Thursday, March 1, is a night of kickass rock‘n’roll courtesy of Cal Peck and the Tramps, Blazin’ Entrails, The Coalminer’s Sect and Creature. Doors 8pm, entry is $8. If you’re strapped for cash you can catch Stevie C (SnowBros, The Panda Band) spinning tunes from 7.30pm outside.

POLES APART The Voodoo Lounge Friday, February 24, 2012 Last Friday Night saw The Voodoo Lounge packed to the rafters with 150 women as they jostled for the best vantage point to see an array of very flexible girls take to the stage for the Voodoo Lounge’s first annual Professional Pole Competition. The competition was hot and the performances were breath taking but in the end the overall winner was Tammy from Pole Fever Fitness Studio in Malaga. First runner up was a tie between Naomi (Voodoo Lounge) and Niamh (Polersize WA - Bunbury) and amazingly second runner up was also a tie between - Ruby from (Bobbi’s Pole Studio Perth and Minx (Voodoo Lounge. For those that missed out there will be the Amateur Pole Comp later in the year so check out the website at www.thevoodoolounge.com.au to see if one of the 35 events in 2012 takes your fancy. Photographs by Deric

RAILWAY HOTEL

The Railway Hotel continues its open-mic sessions in the Beer Garden this Sunday, March 4. It happens every Sunday until March 18 from 2-6pm,interested acts should contact the arvo’s host Turin Robinson on 0425 171 585, or just pop on down and enjoy a free sausage sizzle and some acoustic tunes.

METROPOLIS FREMANTLE

Featuring Death Disco DJs and heaps of special guests throughout the night, massive student night Frat House Fridays at Metros Freo is the perfect party to end your week. Make sure you head down on Friday, March 2, to enjoy seriously cheap drinks and entry. Get ready to get messy and it’s a dress up theme this week so come dressed in toga gear!

Tammy from Pole Fever Fitness took out the top title

X-Press – First on the street, Wednesdays

STONEY JOE Electro Cowboys Average Joes by day; spoon slapping, beat wielding, genre bending country folk artists by night. That’s the life for the lads from Perth’s own Stoney Joe who are set to unleash their debut album Brown Bread And Rice on Saturday, March 3. HAYLEY MIDDLETON reports. “No, it actually seems really natural at this stage of game, it has just become part of our sound,” says Roly Skender, vocalist and guitarist for Stoney Joe. Skeptical as you all may be about the mixing of country and electronic sounds, Skender is right in saying that the band has become a natural at it. “We all have a pretty good idea about what the Stoney Joe sound is,” he says. “Occasionally we will come up with songs that we don’t feel need an electronic element but we if we feel it starts to get left behind we definitely pick it back up, it’s just a really unique sound.”

Mixing a vintage SH 101 synthesizer with traditional acoustics, ocarinas, spoons, wobble boards and programmed beats is no easy feat, not to mention throwing in a ukulele, mandolin and harmonica. It’s country music on steroids. Trying to slap your knee in the manner of line-dancing, boot-wearing folk would require some level of fitness when listening to Going Down To Freo and other fast paced tracks that pay homage to our great state. “We have all travelled up north and around this state.We all know about the mining booms and the craziness of it all and it [has] fed into the music and this

Sugarpuss Fremantle Arts Centre Sunday, February 26, 2012

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particular album especially,” says Skender. After just over a couple of years together, the band is set to release their first album, Brown Bread And Rice, with a launch party that Skender says anyone with an inkling towards country music (whether they have admitted it or not) should head on down to.

ACCESS ALL AGES

SAN CISCO The Fremantle Arts Centre might look a little gloomy and forbidding, but on Sunday night it came alive as punters of all ages filed in for a soldout San Cisco gig. Since the release of their track Awkward the band have had a meteoric rise to fame - it’s hard to believe that the group’s age only averages 18. They’ve played at Laneway and Big Day Out, and Awkward made it to number seven on the 2011 Triple J Hottest 100, so it’s nice to see them return to their old stomping ground of Fremantle and even better to see them play an all-ages gig. The suddenly chilly weather wasn’t enough to deter punters from turning up early to see excellent local band Sugarpuss. Comprising of four very indie-looking fellas, the band is reminiscent of fellow Perth band Tame Impala. Although they seem fairly young themselves, this hasn’t stopped them from writing some truly epic, grandiose tracks. While some of the wailing, psychedelic guitar solos may have been a little bit lost on such a young crowd, it didn’t stop the assorted teenagers from getting up and having an awkward shuffle after lead man Jake Webb stated “I was going to ask you to get up and dance, but you seem so comfortable sitting down.” After a criminally short set, Sugarpuss opened up the stage for local heroes San Cisco. Decked out in ironically retro threads, the band took to the stage with such confidence that it’s hard to believe they’ve only been playing together for a couple of years. Met by a chorus of pubescent screams, they launched into a polished version of Golden Revolver. The band sound so slick and professional - it might be their young age and earnestness that takes away the grittiness usually heard in live acts. Sliding effortlessly into Lover, drummer Scarlett Stevens provided some very sweet sounding vocals which fitted right in to the band’s kitschy, poppy hooks. No matter how you feel about

Stoney Joe

San Cisco (Photo: Callum Ponton) these youngsters, you have to admit that their songs are irresistibly catchy. One of the highlights of their set was the slow, sweet ballad John’s Song. When lead singer Jordi Davieson explained that, “It’s a story about an old man who told me about how hard his life was”, the assorted teenage girls gathered around the stage answered with an audible “Awww!”, serving to remind anyone over 20 in attendance that old people are, like, totally cute. Luckily it didn’t take away from the gorgeous song, which sounded almost like a forgotten Paul Kelly track with its lilting story and its ability to leave the audience spellbound. Another highlight was Toast, introduced by Davieson as “a song about someone I really don’t like” (which is probably about as gritty as San Cisco get). It was followed by Reckless, which is hopefully a sign of some slightly more complex songs to come. Capping off the night with their smash hit Awkward, San Cisco inspired a spirited sing-along and some self-conscious bopping around from the young audience. It was the perfect end to an unfortunately short set - well, it was a school night, after all. It was an intimate gig that those in attendance were lucky to be at - it’ll probably be the closest to San Cisco that we’ll get in a while as these bright young things keep getting bigger and bigger. _TARA LLOYD

Rock Scholars is Perth’s very own ‘rock academy’, if you like, taking the young musos from around town and giving them the chance to develop their skills and flourish in a rock community. Not just content with nurturing these creative minds however, the Rock Scholars program and those that run it now want to provide monthly all ages’ friendly gigs as part of their service. Beginning the program six years ago in Kalgoorlie, Emily Urquart says she wanted to “create a thriving hub of young musicians and bands that support and nurture each other,” as well as allowing access to recording facilities, mentors and the chance to play their own gigs. Now it seems that the next step in facilitating young artists is the monthly concerts organised by Rock Scholars. Urquart says that licensing restrictions make it hard for young artists and fans to connect with musicians that play in Perth.“We’re hoping to fill a void and give the under 18s the chance to watch a whole range of awesome bands on a regular basis,” she says. This month’s concert takes place on Saturday, March 3, with neo-bluegrass folk artists The Seals headlining. Also joining them will rock bands Hootenanny and Foam as well as indie band The Strangeways. The gigs take place between 6pm and 9.30pm and tickets are $10 on the door.

RIDING HIGH

Perth’s denim clad lords of the riff The Devil Rides Out play their first headline show for 2012 at the Rocket Room this upcoming Friday, March 2. To mark the occasion they’ve put together a particularly nasty selection of local sludge rock/metal sounds in the form of support acts Brutus, Wizard Sleeve and Born On The Bayou. Tickets are just $10 at the door from 8pm.

THE POWER OF THREE

Well rock fans, the wait is over – this Saturday, March 3, will see Beltane Fire take to the stage for their debut public show, which is also the pre-requisite to the first of a series of Original Rock Showcases at The Den, presenting some of Perth’s best and upcoming original hard rock bands. With support coming from power metal force Silent Knight and heavy rockers Foulplay, you can expect a full-to-the-brim evening of uplifting, melodic, dark, and very catchy rock tunes that are bound to resonate in your head, at least for a while.

While they are not looking for world stardom, Skender says they hope to embark on a couple of tours maybe taking the best of the West to the east coast.“We are nobody’s poster boys!” he says, rather just a couple of guys laying down the best of WA down in some really good jam sessions.

BERLIN BABY

Sure to rouse rabbles and warm cockles in equal measure, indie-folk five piece Our Man In Berlin will play tunes to soothe your soul at the launch for their debut split single False Sun / Losing Soul on Friday, March 2, at The Rosemount. Joining in the celebration will be Rainy Day Women, Run Fox Run and Husband who will showcase a broad spectrum of styles, pulling in Appalachian folk, Americana alt-country, indie-rock and pianodriven pop. Doors open at 8pm and entry is an absolute bargain at a mere $10. There will be limited copies of the single available for only $5 on the night so get there early to grab your copy!

JAH MAN

This month at Ragga Ragga is a special treat, as Ragga Ragga goes Reggae! With a live reggae band, and ragga DJs tearing it up at The Hydey! Jah Moko, The Empressions and Tutomath will be tearing up the stage this Saturday, March 3, from 8pm.

SIREN SONG

In the lead up to the release of their debut album, The Siren Tower will be launching their new single All Things Will Change at The Rosemount Hotel on Saturday, March 3. A stellar support cast has been assembled for the single launch which includes the superlative pop sounds of Arts Martial, the bombastic blue’s power of The Floors and the beautiful sounds of Hoot And Howl. It’s a long weekend, so get it in your party planners now, it’s gonna be a cracker!

FLOWER POWER

Stereoflower hit the Velvet Lounge this Friday, March 2, for an edition of Sonic Velvet also featuring Misty Mountain, Sticky Sweet and Count. Doors open 8pm and entry is $8.

EATS AND BEATS

This Wednesday, February 29, Going Solo at the Moon late night cafe presents three wily eyed songwriters. Yep, the artists playing this night will be Rabbit Island, Pete Bibby and Naked News. This week the artists will go on at 8pm. Entry to the restaurant is always free!

Bon Iver, March 3, Red Hill Auditorium

FEB 29 – MARCH 6 PENGUIN

ROXETTE

CAFÉ

3 Perth Festival 29 Challenge Stadium Gardens

EDDIE PAMIERI RAGGA RAGGA 29 Perth Festival REGGAE Gardens (Jah Moko, DAN MANGAN Tutomath & The 29 Fly By Night (Fly Empressions) Trap) 3 Hyde Park Hotel

BOBBY ALU 29 Indi Bar

J.WASTE 1 Villa Nightclub

BON IVER/ SALLY SELTMAN 3 Red Hill Auditorium

BOBBY ALU

FUTURE MUSIC FESTIVAL (Fatboy Slim, Tinie Tempah, CHAIN Paul van Dyk, 1 Albany Blues Club The Wombats, 2 Burlington Hotel 4 Saint Helena Tavern Chase & Status, Jessie THE MAGNETS Skrillex, J, The Rapture, 1 Perth Festival Aphex Twin, Gardens Die Antwoord NAIK feat. PAT GOSSLING (Sugar Army)/ 1 The Bird Anna Lunoe/ 6 Fly By Night Brown Horn Orchestra/ STICKY Black & Blunt/ FINGERS Death Disco 1 Indi Bar DJs/ Darren J/ 2 Ya Ya’s Mind Electric/ 3 Settlers Tavern Kenny L/ Jason Creek/ STEVIE Massiv Trav/ WONDER Progress Inn/ 2 Sandalford Estate Junior vs. Raji/ Cut & Paste ADAM HALL Soundsystem/ 2 Fremantle Arts Valle Zoo/ Still Centre Water Giants/ German/ Riot STAFF BENDA Class/ Jack Masel/ Ekko/ BILILI Sidetrack/ 2 Perth Festival Gardens Lukas Wimmler vs. TAYLOR SWIFT Chris Moro) / HOT CHELLE 4 Arena Joondalup RAE 2 Burswood Dome UNEARTH/ IN THIS MOMENT/ NANNUP KITTIE/ MUSIC HEAVEN FESTIVAL SHALL BURN (Lanie Lane, 4 Amplifier Mojo Juju, Lou Bennett, Adalita, Oka, PACIFIC VIBES Sietta, Swamp (Rebel Soul Thing, Gossling, Jahz, 1814, Tinpan Orange, House Of Albert Wiggan Shem, Three Band and Houses Down, more) 2 - 5 Nannup Sonz Of Zion) 1 Mojo’s Bar 2 Prince Of Wales 3 Settlers Tavern

4 Redhill Auditorium

Adam Hall, March 2, Fremantle Arts Centre

SOUNDWAVE (System Of A Down, Slipknot, Limp Bizkit, Marilyn Manson, A Day To Remember, Machine Head, Lamb Of God, Trivium, Alter Bridge, Lost Prophets and more) 5 Claremont Showground

JESSIE J / PROFESSOR GREEN / RUBY ROSE / AMY MEREDITH 5 Challenge Stadium

TINPAN ORANGE 5 Mojos Bar

OKA/ DECLAN KELLY 5 White Star Hotel Albany

ADAM COHEN / GOSSLING 6 Fly By Night

MARILYN MANSON 6 Metro City

MARCH OKA/ DECLAN KELLY 7 Indi Bar 8 Mojos Bar 9 Prince Of Wales 10 Settlers Tavern 11 Mojos Bar WILD FLAG 7 The Bakery BLACK LIPS 8 The Bakery ST. VINCENT 8 The Rosemount DIRTY THREE 9 Astor Theatre KERSER 9 Civic Hotel BONOBO 9 Capitol BENJI 9 Metro Freo 10 Amplifier THE BEARDS 9 Settlers Tavern 10 Fly By Night 11 Indi Bar SWEET 10 Regal Theatre NANO STERN 13 Burswood Theatre CHARLES BRADLEY 14 The Bakery MICK THOMAS 15 Friends Restaurant 16 The Norfolk 17 The Oxford Leederville

Adalita, March 2-5, Nannup Music Festival

THE GO SET 15 Clancy’s Fremantle 16 Indi Bar DIESEL 16, 17 & 18 Quarry Amphitheatre 360 15 & 16 Rosemount Hotel TANIA DOKO 16 Bamboo Bar TENORS UNLIMITED 16 Octagon Theatre BELINDA CARLISLE 16 Mandurah Performing Arts Centre 17 Astor Theatre NUKARA NUSIC FESTIVAL (The Go Set, Mick Thomas, Blind Lemon, Minnie Marks, The Fancy Brothers, Shelley Short) 17 Chapman Valley SEEKAE 17 The Bakery 18 Mojos Bar JOHN BUTLER 17 Fremantle Arts Centre 19 Goldfields Arts Centre Kalgoorlie 21 Mandurah Arts Centre 22 Clancy’s Fish Pub Dunsborough 23 Albany Entertainment Centre 25 Queens Park Theatre Geraldton 26 Carnarvon Civic Centre 29 Astor Theatre 30 & 31 Sun Pictures Broome AQUA / RADIO INK 18 & 20 Metropolis Fremantle BOMBAY BICYCLE CLUB 18 Astor Theatre BORIS 20 The Bakery BABY ANIMALS 23 Charles Hotel 24 Endeavour Hotel WOLFPACK 23 Civic Hotel (The Den) 24 The Prince Of Wales 25 The Newport HETTY KATE 24 The Ellington DANIEL O’DONNELL 24 Riverside Theatre BRIAN SETZER’S ROCKABILLY RIOT 24 Fremantle Arts Centre DURAN DURAN 24 Sandalford Estate Swan Valley DARYL BRAITHWAITE 24 Bunbury Entertainment Centre SETS ON THE BEACH 25 Scarborough Beach NICK LOWE 26 Astor Theatre THE NECKS 26 The Bakery FRANKIE VALLI & THE

FOUR SEASONS 27 Kings Park PIERRE BENSUSAN 27 The Ellington YELAWOLF 27 Capitol LENNY KRAVITZ / THE CRANBERRIES / WOLFMOTHER 28 Athletics Stadium Mount Claremont ADAM ANT 28 Metro City CHE-FU 28 Burlington Hotel Bunbury 29 Settlers Tavern 30 Metro Freo GRACE KNIGHT 29 Fremantle Arts Centre 30 The Ellington DIAFRIX/ JOELISTICS 29 Prince Of Wales 30 Bar 120 31 Hyde Park Hotel WOODEN SHJIPS 30 The Bakery SNAKADAKTAL 30 Villa CHILDREN COLLIDE 30 Capitol 31 Players Bar GEORGE MICHAEL 31 Sandalford Estate Swan Valley HERMITUDE 31 Amplifier EDDI READER QUARTET 31 Fly By Night PETULA CLARK 31 Mundaring Weir Hotel HOLLY THROSBY 31 Norfolk Basement DEEP SEA ARCADE 30 Capitol 31 Players Bar

APRIL DIAFRIX & JOELISTICS 1 Norfolk Basement DEEP SEA ARCADE 1 Mojos Bar PETULA CLARK 1 Albany Entertainment Centre CHILDREN COLLIDE 1 Mojos Bar WEST COAST BLUES ‘N’ ROOTS (Crosby, Stills & Nash, The Pogues, The Specials, My Morning Jacket, Buddy Guy, Keb Mo, Steve Earle, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Husky, John Fogerty and more TBA) 1 Fremantle Park XAVIER RUDD 4 Fly By Night Club 5 Astor Theatre YES 5 Riverside Theatre MACHINE DRUM/ JACQUES GREENE 5 The Bakery DEAD MEADOW / PINK MOUNTAINTOPS 7 The Bakery

X-Press – First on the street, Wednesdays

Listing deadline is Monday 5pm. The Gig-Guide is a service to advertisers listing bands. All inclusions are at the discretion of X-Press Magazine. Email reception@xpressmag.com.au or fax 9213 2882.

Marilyn Manson, March 6, Metro City BALL PARK MUSIC 7 Amplifier 8 Newport Hotel STRAWBERRY JAM MUSIC FESTIVAL (P.O.D., Hawk Nelson, Mike Mains & The Branches and more TBA) 8 Albany SUBLIME WITH ROME / MATT McHUGH 11 Metropolis Fremantle SETH LAKEMAN/ CARUS THOMPSON 12 Clancy’s Fish Pub Fremantle 13 Hyde Park Hotel PASSENGER 13 Fly By Night Club FAIRBRIDGE FESTIVAL OF WORLD & FOLK MUSIC (Paul Brady, Seth Lakeman, My Friend The Chocolate Cake, Chipolatas, Chris While, Julie Matthews, Kavisha, Tjupurru, Stiff Gins, The Woohoo Revue and more TBC) 13 - 15 Fairbridge Village Pinjarra THE HERD 14 Rosemount Hotel SEAL 14 Sandalford Estate SNEAKY SOUND SYSTEM 14 Villa LAST DINOSAURS 14 Amplifier 15 Mojos Bar JUSTIN TOWNES EARLE 14 Fly By Night 15 Rosemount Hotel

Chris Brown, April 22, Supafest

AMON AMARTH 19 Capitol ROGER DALTREY (CANCELLED) 19 Riverside Theatre BIG SCARY 20 Amplifier BLUEJUICE 19 Settler’s Tavern 20 Capitol CALLING ALL CARS 19 Indi Bar 20 Prince Of Wales 21 The Rosemount LIAM BURROWS 21 The Atrium Mandurah 22 The Ellington DEEZ NUTS 21 Amplifier 22 YMCA HQ SUPAFEST (P. Diddy, Chris Brown, Missy Elliot, Naughty By Nature, Big Sean, Ice Cube, Rick Ross, Trey Songz, Kelly Rowland, Lupe Fiasco and more TBA) 22 Arena Joondalup LOU BARLOW 22 Rosemount Hotel RTRFM’S IN THE PINES 2012 (Benedict Moleta Band, Drowning Horse, The Ghost Hotel, The Love Junkies, smRts, Sugar Army, The Sunshine Brothers) 22 Somerville Auditorium UWA BURT BACHARACH 23 Riverside Theatre AUGUST BURNS RED 25 Amplifier AN HORSE 25 Rosemount Hotel

THE FUNKOARS 27 Bar 120 28 The Rosemount BLEEDING KNEES CLUB 27 Amplifier 28 Mojo’s Bar THE HOODOO GURUS 28 Astor Theatre

MAY THE MOUNTAIN GOATS 1 The Bakery MIKE STEWART 2 The Ellington HUSKY 4 The Bakery FU MANCHU/ BLACK COBRA 5 The Rosemount BOY & BEAR 10 Albany Entertainment Centre 11 Bunbury Entertainment Centre 12 Fremantle Arts Centre DEAD LETTER CIRCUS 10 Prince Of Wales 11 Metropolis Fremantle 12 Capitol SICK OF IT ALL / AGNOSTIC FRONT 11 Amplifier KRISTIN BERADI 11 & 12 The Ellington LANIE LANE 12 Fly By Night Club 13 Amplifier WAVVES 18 Rosemount Hotel DAVID CAMPBELL 16 Mandurah Performing Arts Centre

Black Cobra, May 5, The Rosemount

17 Queens Park Theatre Geraldton 18 Perth Concert 19 Bunbury Regional Entertainment Centre ANDREW W.K. 17 The Bakery FLORENCE + THE MACHINE/ BLOOD ORANGE 17 Burswood Dome THE MACCABEES 18 Capitol KAISER CHIEFS 18 Metro City GROOVIN THE MOO (360, Andrew W.K One-Man-Party Tour, City and Colour, Digitalism, The Getaway Plan, Hilltop Hoods, Kaiser Chiefs, The Maccabees, Public Enemy, Wavves, Ball Park Music and more TBA) 19 Hay Park Bunbury NATURALLY 7 19 Perth Concert Hall CITY AND COLOUR 20 Fremantle Arts Centre MUTEMATH 20 Amplifier GINUWINE / BELL BIV DEVOE 24 Astor Theatre ANTI FLAG/ STRIKE ANYWHERE/ FLATLINERS 24 Capitol CATCALL 26 Amplifier BITTER END 26 Civic Hotel (The Den) 27 YMCA HQ

LIAM BURROWS 26 Friend’s Restaurant 27 Jazz Fremantle BARNEY MCALL 27 The Ellington NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK / BACKSTREET BOYS 29 Burswood Dome BOB HIRST 30 & 31 The Ellington

JUNE JOSH KYLE 2 The Ellington THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT 2 Prince Of Wales 3 Metro City THE JEZABELS 5 Metro City TINA ARENA 8 Riverside Theatre LENNY HENRY 15 Burswood Theatre GUY SEBASTIAN 19 His Majesty’s Theatre 20 Mandurah Performing Arts Centre 360 22 Villa 23 Astor Theatre NADIA ACKERMAN 28 The Ellington

JULY LADY GAGA 7 Burswood Dome MELISSA ETHERIDGE 20 Riverside Theatre

SOUNDWAVE FESTIVAL

Bush

Bad Religion

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This Monday, March 5, Soundwave Festival returns to give local heavy metal, punk, alternative and rock fans the best line-up of any Australian festival this summer! Featuring more than 90 international acts, the highlights of this year’s massive line-up are likely to be many, but here at X-Press we’ve got a few ideas about who’s going to absolutely kill. Slipknot’s 2008 tour was an incredible sight, and we’re predicting they’re only going to raise the bar this time around. The festival also heralds the return of controversial rap/rock band Limp Bizkit (11 years after the death of one of its fans at the 2001 Big Day Out) and legendary British rockers Bush will also be making a comeback of sorts as they showcase tunes from The Sea Of Monsters, their first album in over a decade. Also promising a trademark outrageous stage show is shock rocker Marilyn Manson, although we’re predicting The Pretty Reckless (fronted by Gossip Girl actress Taylor Momsen) will also put on a show that will be, well, pretty reckless. If you’re after something a little bit left-of-centre, Los Angeles glam metal jokersters Steel Panther are sure to delight, as will Cobra Starship’s unique brand of punked-up electro-pop. Then, of course, there’s all the heavy hitters – Mastodon, Machine Head, Lamb Of God, System Of A Down, Cathedral, A Day To Remember, Bad Religion, the list goes on and on and on. For all of you that were bummed by the cancellation of Soundwave Revolution, this day of music madness should prove to be a pretty sweet consolation prize. Except, of course, if you had your hopes up to see Hole.

The Chemist, Friday at The Fly Trap

WEDNESDAY 29.02 BALMORAL Nathan Gaunt BALLY’S BAR Greg Carter Karaoke BAR 120 Felix BLACK BETTY’S Everlong CHALLENGE STADIUM Roxette CLANCY’S FISH PUB (CANNING BRIDGE) Brooke Lee Rose Morgan Bain CLAREMONT HOTEL Open Mic Night ELLINGTON JAZZ CLUB Phil Hatton & The Madhattons HALE ROAD TAVERN Fenton Wilde INDI BAR Bobby Arlou Loren LOBBY LOUNGE (BURSWOOD) Courtney Murphy LUCKY SHAG Howie Morgan MERIDIAN ROOM Cherry Acoustic METRO FREO The Other Guys MOJOS BAR Faye Blais Benny Walker MUSTANG Millhouse PADDO Helen Shanahan The Stanleys Elk Bell PERTH FESTIVAL GARDENS Eddie Pamieri ROSIE O’GRADY’S (NORTHBRIDGE) David Fyffe ROSEMOUNT Red Sky Law Of Attraction Nevsky Prospekt SOUTH ST ALE HOUSE Christian Thompson THE FLY TRAP Dan Mangan THE GATE Dirty Scoundrels THE MOON Rabbit Island Pete Bibby Naked News

Our Man In Berlin, Friday at The Rosemount

UNIVERSAL Strutt

THURSDAY 01.03 BELGIAN BEER CAFÉ Bernadine Grigson BLACK BETTY’S Against The Tide Lakeside Kimura BOAB TAVERN Damien Cripps BROOKLANDS TAVERN Celebrations Karaoke CLANCY’S FISH PUB (FREMANTLE) Swamp Thing Dillip & The Davs Pimps of Sound COMO HOTEL The Other Guys DEVILLES PAD Jon Madd’s Karaoke ELEPHANT & WHEELBARROW Blue Hornet ELLINGTON JAZZ CLUB Empire FUSE BAR Howie Morgan HIGH WYCOMBE HOTEL Chris Murphy HYDE PARK HOTEL Open Mic INDI BAR Sticky Fingers Sam Carmody & The Warning Birds KALAMUNDA HOTEL Dirty Scoundrels LUCKY SHAG James Wilson MARKET CITY TAVERN Paige Barrett & Dan Wiggins Trojan John & Guest Jook Joint Band MERRIWA TAVERN Overload MOJOS BAR Bobby Alu Grace Barbe Loren MOON & SIXPENCE Bob & Clem MUSTANG BAR Sea Of Tunes OCEAN BEACH HOTEL Open Mic Night OXFORD HOTEL Jonny Taylor

Pond

POND

THE SILENTS BASTIAN’S HAPPY FLIGHT FRIDAY,MARCH 2 NORFOLK BASEMENT

PADDY HANNAN’S Dr Bogus PERTH FESTIVAL GARDENS The Magnets RIGBY’S Open Mic ROSEMOUNT Cal Peck & The Tramps Blazin’ Entrails The Coalminers Sect Creature ROSIE O’GRADY’S (NORTHBRIDGE) Fenton Wilde ROSIE O’GRADY’S (FREMANTLE) Clayton Bolger SOVEREIGN ARMS David Fyffe THE BIRD Gossling The Love Birds THE BOAT Annie Neil THE BROOKE Open Mic Night THE GATE Better Days THE NEW BLVD TAVERN The Crusaders Trio UNIVERSAL BAR Off The Record WOODVALE TAVERN Wayne Stanley YA YA’S The Raging Lincolns Sulu Battle Of The Planets Tall Poppies

FRIDAY 02.03 7th AVENUE Midnight Rambler AMPLIFIER Voyager BAILEY BAR Modsquad BAILEY BAR Mod Squad BALLY’S BAR Jamie Powers BALMORAL The Other Guys BAR ORIENT Crown Jewels BELGIAN BEER CAFÉ Feisty Burlesque BELMONT TAVERN Everlong Acoustic BENNY’S Faces BENTLEY HOTEL Dove BLACK BETTYS J Babies BOAB TAVERN Acoustic Highway BOHEME BAR Soul Corporation BRASS MONKEY Adam James BURSWOOD DOME Taylor Swift Hot Chelle Rae CAPTAIN STIRLING Bluebottles CARLISLE HOTEL Reload CIVIC HOTEL (THE DEN) Figure 23 Needles Douglas Lying Dying Taylor Ashlee CLANCY’S FISH PUB (FREMANTLE) Dave Brewer Lucky Oceans

Deep River Collective, Saturday at Norfolk Hotel

CLAREMONT HOTEL Nick Sheppard Aires Linares COMO HOTEL Tip Top CRAFTSMAN 5th Avenue DEVILLES PAD Junkadelic Big Band ELEPHANT & WHEELBARROW Daren Reid & The Soul City Groove ELLINGTON JAZZ CLUB James Flynn Music Of Whitney Houston With Amanda Dee FREMANTLE ARTS CENTRE Adam Hall FUSE BAR Groove Karaoke GREENWOOD Baby Piranhas HARBOUR TERRACE Neil Colliss HERDSMAN LAKE TAVERN Sugarfield HYDE PARK HOTEL One Trick Phonies Nathan Gaunt INDI BAR Toby LEFT BANK Frankie Button MARKET CITY TAVERN Nasty Dogz MERRIWA TAVERN Spritzer MIGHTY QUINN TAVERN Kontraband MOJOS BAR Kritic-cal Earthlink Sabata MUSTANG Harry Deluxe Cheeky Monkeys NEWPORT Party Rockers NORFOLK BASEMENT Pond The Silents Bastian’s Happy Flight OSBORNE PARK HOTEL James Wilson OXFORD HOTEL Recliners PADDO Stu Harcourt PADDY HANNANS Gun Shy Romeos PARAMOUNT Flyte PEEL ALEHOUSE Next Generation Karaoke PERTH FESTIVAL GARDENS Staff Benda Bilili PICKLED FIG Minky G PRINCIPAL James Wilson RAILWAY HOTEL Damon Smith & The Quality Lightweights The Seals The Shovel & The Gun RAVENSWOOD HOTEL Alan Webster

ROCKET ROOM The Devil Rides Out Brutus Wizard Sleeve Born On The Bayou ROSE & CROWN Tod Woodward ROSEMOUNT Our Man In Berlin Rainy Day Women Husband Run Fox Run ROSIE O’GRADY’S (FREMANTLE) Spyce SAIL & ANCHOR Switchback SANDALFORD ESTATE Stevie Wonder SOUTH ST ALE HOUSE Robbie King Karaoke SPRINGS TAVERN B.O.B SUBIACO HOTEL Empire SWAN BASEMENT The Branson Tramps The Other Woman Self Made Guru The Generators SWINGING PIG Dirty Scoundrels Greg Carter THE BIRD Rae The Amani Consort THE BOAT Pop Candy THE FLY TRAP The Chemist THE GATE Smoking Section THE SHED Kickstart THE VIC Jack & Jill UNIVERSAL Nightmoves VELVET LOUNGE Stereoflower Misty Mountain Sticky Sweet Count VICTORIA PARK HOTEL Ivan Ribic WANNEROO TAVERN Clayton Bolger WOODVALE TAVERN Dr Bogus YA YA’S Room at The Reservoir Nosey Parker Bedouin Sea Coaster T

SATURDAY 03.03 AMPLIFIER The Main Attraction BAILEY BAR Dr Bogus BAKERY Hudson Mohawke BALMORAL The Recliners BALLY’S BAR Stu Harcourt BAR 120 Flyte BELGIAN BEER CAFÉ Chris Murphy BLACK BETTY’S Redstar BURSWOOD CASINO Hi-NRG

BOOK NOW

X-Press – First on the street, Wednesdays

Listing deadline is Monday 5pm. The Gig-Guide is a service to advertisers listing bands. All inclusions are at the discretion of X-Press Magazine. Email reception@xpressmag.com.au or fax 9213 2882.

Hootenanny, Saturday at Rock Scholars CAPTAIN STIRLING Howie Morgan Duo CIVIC HOTEL BYP Broken English L-Street Down South Crew Original Fortune Omac CIVIC HOTEL (THE DEN) Foulplay Beltane Fire Silent Knight CLANCY’S FISH PUB (CANNING BRIDGE) The Morning Night Duo CLANCY’S FISH PUB (FREMANTLE) The Amani Consort CLAREMONT HOTEL Dan Butler The Zydecats COMO HOTEL Tip Top CRAFTSMAN Lush DEVILLES PAD Bongo Mania Santana Show Band Les Sataniques ELLINGTON JAZZ CLUB The Ali Bodycoat Quintet Music of Whitney Houston with Amanda Dee FREMANTLE ARTS CENTRE Stoney Joe launch Todd Pickett Lynda Smyth The Borrowed Few GYPSY TAPAS HOUSE Minky G GREENWOOD HOTEL In The Groove HYDE PARK HOTEL Ragga Ragga Reggae The Empressions Tutomath Jah Moko INDI BAR Zarm INDIAN OCEAN BREWING COMPANY The Other Guys LAKERS Greg Carter Karaoke LEISURE INN Rock A Fellas LEOPOLD HOTEL Steve Hepple LOBBY LOUNGE John Sandosham Duo M ON THE POINT Rhythm 22 MERRIWA TAVERN Celebrations Karaoke METRO FREO Karma MIGHTY QUINN TAVERN Kontraband MOON & SIXPENCE Blaze MOJOS BAR Tijuana Cartel MUSTANG The Rusty Pinto Combo 10 Cent Billionaire

NEWPORT Kizzy Gravity NORFOLK HOTEL Deep River Collective Sonpsilo Circus Blackmilk The Painted Bird OSBORNE PARK HOTEL Nathan Gaunt PADDY HANNAN’S Decoy PARAMOUNT Felix PERTH FESTIVAL GARDENS Penguin Café QUARIE BAR Electrophobia RAILWAY HOTEL Something Humble Nymph Honey Pyramid Of The Coyote Amberdown Midnight Boulevard We Build Pyramids Jupiter Zeus Splinta RAVENSWOOD HOTEL Parker Ave ROCK SCHOLARS The Seals Hootenanny Foam The Strangeways ROCKET ROOM Kickstart ROSEMOUNT The Siren Tower Arts Martial The Floors Hoot &Howl ROSIE O’GRADY’S (NORTHBRIDGE) Blue Gene ROSIE O’GRADY’S (FREMANTLE) Flavor SAIL & ANCHOR Better Days SPRINGS TAVERN Adam James STEVE’S BAR Adrian Wilson SUBIACO HOTEL Off The Record SWINGING PIG Greg Carter THE BOAT Deuce THE GATE Dirty Scoundrels THE NEW BLVD TAVERN Tod Johnson’s Peace Love & Stuff THE SHED Huge THE VIC James Wilson THE WHALE & ALE Renegade UNIVERSAL Soul Corporation WANNEROO TAVERN Christian Thompson WHALE & ALE J Babies WOODVALE TAVERN Daren Reid & The Soul City Groove YA YA’S Sticky Finger The Black Birds

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Friday Friday Travis Caudle Siren Tower, Saturday at Travis Caudle Fly ByNight Night TheFly Rosemount By

SUNDAY 04.03 AMPLIFIER Unearth In This Moment Kittie Heaven Shall Burn 7TH AVENUE Reckless Kelly 150 EAST RIVERSIDE (ASCOT QUAYS) Adrian Wilson BALLY’S BAR Greg Carter BALMORAL Cranky BROKEN HILL HOTEL Matt Milford The Organ Grinders BROOKLANDS TAVERN Greg Carter CAFÉ 58 The Aces CHARLES HOTEL Karaoke Party CLANCY’S FISH PUB (DUSBOROUGH) Matt Gresham CLANCY’S FISH PUB (FREMANTLE) The Zydecats CLAREMONT HOTEL Sunday Driver COMO HOTEL David Fyffe ELEPHANT & WHEELBARROW Daren Reid & The Soul City Groove ELLINGTON JAZZ CLUB June Smith & The Apple Band Music Of Whitney Houston With Amanda Dee FREMANTLE ARTS CENTRE Neil Murray GREENWOOD Chris Gibbs Duo HIGH ROAD HOTEL Mike Nayar HIGH WYCOMBE HOTEL Deuce HYDE PARK HOTEL Mike De Velta Stella Donnelly INDI BAR Boston & Chevy Ryan Webb Morgan Bain INDIAN OCEAN BREWING CO Retriofit Dove K1 BAR Steve Hepple LAKERS TAVERN Jamie Powers LAST DROP WARNBRO Peter Ashston LEISURE INN Ivan Ribic LOBBY LONGE (BURSWOOD) Courtney Murphy M ON THE POINT Bluebottles MOJOS BAR Tijuana Cartel MT HELENA TAVERN Chain MUSTANG Peter Busher And The Lone Rangers Blue Gene

Russian Winters, Sunday at The Bird

NEWPORT Tim Nelson The Love Junkies Stereoflower Puck OCEAN VIEW Midnight Rambler PADDY HANNANS 5 Shots PERTH CULTURAL CENTRE The Lammas Tide Tim Gordon John Mc Nair & Keith Anthonisz Duet PINK DUCK LOUNGE BAR Neil Colliss PRINCIPAL Bernardine Grigson QUARIE BAR Gotham City QUEENS TAVERN Big Bamboo RAVENSWOOD HOTEL Sophistkatz ROSE & CROWN Christian Thompson SAIL & ANCHOR Shawne & Luc SOUTH ST ALEHOUSE Helen Shanahan SOVEREIGN ARMS Wayne Stanley SPRINGS TAVERN Adam James SWINGING PIG Christian Thompson THE BIRD Russian Winters The Phonetics THE BOULEVARD Sunday Cellar With Graeme Blevins THE GATE Better Days Chris Gibbs Trio THE SAINT Howie Morgan Project Mike Nayar THE SHED Blue Hornet UNIVERSAL Meg Mac & The Squeeze Retriofit VICTORIA PARK HOTEL Paul Foster WANNEROO TAVERN Chris Murphy WHISTLING KITE James Wilson

WOODVALE TAVERN Good Karma

MONDAY 05.03 BRASS MONKEY Everlong Acoustic CHALLENGE STADIUM Jessie J Professor Green ELLINGTON JAZZ CLUB mUnk LOBBY LOUNGE (BURSWOOD) Courtney Murphy MOJOS BAR Tin Pan Orange Jordie Lane MUSTANG BAR Marco & The Alley Cats THE DEEN Plastic Max And The Token Gesture WHITE STAR HOTEL Oka Declan Kelly TUESDAY 06.03 EASTERN HOTEL Groove Karaoke FLY BY NIGHT CLUB Adam Cohen Gossling ELLINGTON JAZZ CLUB The Graham Wood Trio With Victoria Newton LOBBY LOUNGE John Sandosham LUCKY SHAG Leighton Keepa METRO CITY Marilyn Manson MOJOS BAR Kallan Phillips Paige Barret & Dan Wiggins Helen Shanahan Jessica Morhall Kate Gilbertson PADDO Stu Harcourt PRINCE OF WALES Open Mic Night SETTLERS TAVERN Open Mic Night THE BIRD Dux Stelious & Kruger THE FLY TRAP Adam Cohen X-WRAY CAFE Open Piano Night

The Devil Rides Out

THE DEVIL RIDES OUT BRUTUS WIZARD SLEEVE BORN ON THE BAYOU

FRIDAY,MARCH 2 ROCKET ROOM

Classiﬁeds and Music Services Hotline: 9213 2888 Display ads: musicservices@xpressmag.com.au Deadline: 4pm Monday Credit cards welcome

HAIR, HEALTH & HAPPINESS DOT TIE’S, BR AIDS & DREADS. Specialise in Dreads/Ex t/Maint, Weaves, Braids, Cornrows etc. Working 7 days & some evenings. For app call 0414 082 993. MENS WAXING/CLIPPING Itís a guy thing! Hair removal for men, private, qualified, experienced. Ph Athletes Effigy 9384 2950 MUSOS WANTED “OB” MIC NIGHT Ocean Beach Hotel. Thursdays. Interested open-mic artists contact Jysae on obhmicnight@gmail. com or 0429 779 744 ANY MUSICIANS want to perform original tunes? Kinda Buckley/Cornell 3/4 time sigs, some jazz & blues. Ph: 0415 252 323. B A S S I S T S E E K S G U I TA R I S T & DRUMMER Aged 20-32 to form Death Metal band. Influences: Cannibal Corpse, Morbid Angel, Immolation, G o r g u t s , N o c t u r n u s , A g r e s s o r, Metallica. 0419043293. EXP FEMALE VOCALIST For working Cover Band. 25+. 80’s to current. No timewasters please. Contact 0439 408 909. FEMALE SINGER WANTED For duo with male singer to perform cabaret style shows. Professional attitude with good vocal versatility & the ability to entertain. Able to rehearse once a week. For more details call 0433 234 417 MUSICIANS WANTED BY MANAGER to form all female punk/top 40 covers band. Lead guitar, drums, bass guitar, vocals. Guaranteed work waiting. Tony 0411118304 OPEN MIC NIGHT every Thursday night at Indi Bar. Just call Bex on 0404 917 632 OPEN MIC NIGHT - THURSDAY At Moondyne Joe’s. 8:30 - 12pm. Friendly atmosphere, good sound. To book ring Mark on 0409 137 850.

SEEKING PROFESSIONAL FEMALE VOCALIST For North of the river based corporate working coverband. Preferably between 19-29 years old. Call Pete 0439 301 718. WANTED TRUMPET & TROMBONE PLAYERS FOR BIG BAND Must be enthusiastic & Competent. Ph: 0451 458 533. PHOTOGRAPHY PROJECT PHOTOGRAPHY Promo photography, studio, live, location. M ike Wylie 0417 975 964 www projec tphotography.com When its time to ice the cakeÖ PRODUCTION SERVICES CD & DVD MANUFACTURE Check out our latest CD & DVD specials online at www.procopy.com.au 9375 3902 MATRIX PRODUCTIONS AUSTRALIA Lighting, staging, sound systems, smoke machines, night club FX, intelligent lighting, strobes & mirror balls, crowd barriers, video projectors. 9371 1551 PA HIRE FX Lights club to concert size. Pro Equipment www. perthconcertsound.com.au.. Ph 9307 8594 / mob 0404 410 020 / 9309 6219 RECORDING STUDIOS A L A N D A W S O N ’s W I T Z E N D 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 AVALON STUDIOS BIBRA LAKE One of Perths best equipped studio. Record to analog tape or digital, Avalon pre amps, Neumann mics, the latest and best universal audio, plug in’s for digital recordings. All

styles of music, $55 per hour call Tony 0411 118304 email - avalonstudios@ bigpond.com GOLDDUSTCONSTRUCTION.COM Production, mixing, recording and composition for your music. Unique award winning skills to take songs from ideas to finished mixes or to fulfill the potential in existing ones. Located in Subiaco. $60 p/h. Andrew 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 SONGWRITERS! - UNLOCK YOUR SONGS’ POTENTIAL +FREE BAND 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 TONE CITY RECORDING STUDIO Professional recording & mixing. Clients include Abbe May, Pond, Fe l i c i t y G r o o m & T h e S i l e n t s . Ph: 0409 297 362.

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. P L AT I N U M S O U N D R O O M S Professional rehearsal rooms, airconditioned, quality PAs mob 0418 944 722 ROCK FORCE PRODUCTIONS For more information please visit www.rockforceproductions.com 0409 102 246. STREAM STUDIOS The place to rehearse in Perth.. Phone: 0403 152 009 www.streamrehearsal.com.au TUITION ***GUITAR LESSONS*** JAN/FEB ENROLMENTS NOW. Beg-adv, all styles and all levels including bass. Cliff Lynton Guitar Institute. Mt Lawley 9342 3484 / www.clifflynton.com BASS LESSONS Rock, funk & jazz. Tony Gibbs 9470 6131 SINGING LESSONS Learn a technique that actually works! The method used by over 120 Grammy award winners. Certified Speech Level singing instructor. Call Simon 0431335495.

PRIMACOUSTIC HOME STUDIO ACCESSORIES While many home recording enthusiasts take great pains to ensure they are making the right choices in software, microphones, monitors and the like, there seems to be much less focus on ensuring that the actual recorded signal is as clean and authentic as possible. Many home studios are little more than decent recording set-ups in practice rooms, studies or even bedrooms. These locations may not necessarily lend themselves to good acoustics. Primacoustic have developed a line of products designed to help take home recording projects and home studios to the next level.Two of these products are the VoxGuard Nearfield Absorber and the London 8 room kit. CHRIS GIBBS reports. P R I M ACO U S T I C V OXG UA R D N E A R F I E L D ABSORBER The Primacoustic VoxGuard is a high performance ambient noise absorber designed to surround the microphone and reduce unwanted sounds from contaminating the recording. This nearfield absorber works by creating an acoustic boundary around the microphone that at once contains the voice while eliminating room reflections. Unlike competing products that employ complex steel parts, making them both heavy and cumbersome, the VoxGuard is light-weight and extremely easy to use. Straight out of the box, the VoxGuard is in one piece and comes with very simple attachment parts for fitting to a microphone stand. The design makes positioning the VoxGuard easy without the usual fear of the stand falling over. This

makes the VoxGuard effective when used with round base stands, tripods and even large studio booms as mics can be set on a stand positioned over or under the guard. Once mounted, a rear access cable port allows the microphone to be articulated and directed at a specific source, thus enabling the VoxGuard to also be used as an acoustic screen. A high-density open cell acoustic foam liner absorbs the voice range while keeping room ambience out to produce a dry rendering. This is particularly important when attempting to record in rooms with less than ideal acoustics or in noisy spaces. Since the VoxGuard is 50 per cent larger than competing products, unwanted noise is significantly reduced and performance vastly improved. The VoxGuard is an essential tool for recording clean vocal takes in a home studio setting. It retails for $149. PRIMACOUSTIC LONDON 8 ROOM KIT The Broadway London 8 room kit is designed for small rooms. Ideally suited for home studios, these kits are an affordable way to start the acoustic treatment of a home studio. The London 8 contains 12 select Broadway panels (four large rectangular panels and eight small square panels) that tackle problems affecting any room, such as primary reflections and flutter echo. In addition to acoustic panels, each London 8 room kit includes the corresponding mounting hardware, which is fitted to wall surfaces using a standard drill. The panels are made from high-density fibreglass, offering nearly five times greater absorption than typical low cost foam alternatives. This means that more absorption with less panels, while assuring an even absorption curve throughout the frequency range. The London 8 room kit is available in three fabric colours to help match the panels to various rooms. The only thing that the kit doesn’t seem to have included is a rough guide of where to place the panels for the less-experienced home engineer / producer. The London 8 Room Kit retails for $399. X-Press – First on the street, Wednesdays

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