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

Alpine

A IS FOR AWESOME Xui Xui

Tortoise

ROAD TO NOWHERE

While it would appear that Perth is back to its old games of missing out on some the biggest tours of the year, there’s a few things we’ve got that make the other states envious. Case in point: Life Is Noise’s brand spanking new ‘boutique event’, This Is Nowhere, announced this week. Here’s the lowdown: it’s going to take place at Somerville Auditorium (and surrounds) on Sunday, October 14. The only other things that happen in Somerville’s fenced off square of pine trees are RTRFM’s In The Pines, and the Perth International Arts Festival’s film season. Life Is Noise have lined up rarely seen wonders including headliners Tortoise, who will be playing Australia for the first time in 12 years; in addition to international experimental and indie heavyweights Xiu Xiu, Grails, and Beach Fossils. On the national front, indie pop ex-pats The Bank Holidays will play their first performance in two years (and only show for 2012), while former Melbournians HTRK (that’s “hate rock” for all the folks playing at home) will play their first Perth show, as will Victorian psych-rockers High Tea and the USA’s Puro Instinct, who’ll be touching down on Australian soil for the first time. There will also be a selection of local acts (including Mayor Dadi, Chris Cobilis), local DJs (Adam Trainer, Claude Mono, Andrew Sinclair) and buskers (Amber Fresh, David Craft, Rachael Dease, Alex Griffin, Andrew Ewing, Peter Bibby) at the event. If that weren’t enough, there’s still a bunch of dance acts still to be announced (don’t worry, we’ll keep you in the loop). Culture and the environment will play key roles in the festival, with the event’s website boasting a day that will give punters the chance to “feast your ears on tasty tunes in a clearing beneath a canopy of pines where the light only dapples, in a theatre where the audience is one with the acts on the stage, and in a courtyard full of giant manmade mushrooms”. It will be a strictly 18+ event with plenty of bathrooms, food and booze. Tickets are on sale now for $99 plus BF from thisisnowhere.com.au, lifeisnoise.com, Heatseeker, Oztix, 78 Records, Mills Records, Planet Video and Star Surf.

WONDER WONDERLAND

Ruby Boots

Reactions/ Comp

Flesh/ Music: Band Of Skulls

Music: A Rhythm & Blues Variety Revue

Music: Jonathan Boulet/ King Cannons

Music: The Ghost Inside/ The Joe Kings

Music: Metric/ Damo Suzuki/ Motion City Soundtrack/ The Impiety

New Noise

Eye4 Cover: Picasso To Warhol

Eye4 News/ Music/ Movies: Polisse/ Margaret

Eye4 Movies: Snow White And The

Eye4 Eye2Eye/ Art Stories

Eye4 Art Listings

Huntsman

Salt Cover: Logistics

Salt: Cover Story/ Club Scene/ News/ Rinski

Salt: Wooshie/ Yung Warriors

Salt: Club Manual/ Scenery/ Rewind: 360

Scene: Live

Scene: Pub Blurbs/ Pub Scene

Scene: Local

Tour Trails Gig Guide

Volume

X-Press Education & Careers Feature

Cover: Band Of Skulls play The Bakery on Monday, July 23

Salt Cover: Logistics plays Shape next Friday, July 6 www.xpressmag.com.au

WHIP IT GOOD

After last year bringing us Icehouse, Ronan Keating, Sade, and more, An Evening On The Green returns to Kings Park on Tuesday, December 4, with a great line-up. Best known for their hit Don’t You (Forget About Me), from The Breakfast Club, Simple Minds will headline, while Devo return to our parts after a great show at Metro City in 2008. If the last show is anything to go by, expect Whip It, (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction, Gut Feeling/Slap Your Mammy, and even an appearance of Booji Boy. Just to sweeten the deal, The Church will again prove why they are one of Australia’s most enduring art rock bands, while Sean Kelly will lead ARIA Hall of Famers Models onto the stage to kick off the show. Tickets start at $110 and go on sale from Ticketmaster on Monday, July 2.

With their annual Quiz Night taking place at the weekend and seeing a certain local promoter-led team getting a near perfect score to claim victory, the good folks at RTRFM have announced their next major fundraiser for y’all. The RTRFM Fremantle Winter Music Festival is set to go down on Saturday, July 21, all around our port city. Who’s playing? At the Railway Hotel, see Felicity Groom, Usurper Of Modern Medicine, French Rockets, and Mezzanine. In The Swan Basement catch The Weapon Is Sound, Ensemble Formidable, Shangara Jive, and Dilip & The Davs. Upstairs in the Swan Lounge witness Ruby Boots, Spoonful Of Sugar, The Flower Drums, and Tim Gordon. Over at Mojos, experience Rocket To Memphis, Blazin’ Entrails, The Continentals, Cal Peck & The Tramps,. and High Learys, while Razor Jack, Alissa Jane, Holly Doll, Cavebeat, Coaster T, and Seventh Son do their thing in the beer garden. Grab your tickets from rtrfm.com.au.

Devo

Alpine are one of Melbourne’s hottest exports at the moment. Following their sold out Zurich EP tour last year, alongside shows with Matt Corby, The Naked & Famous, Sia and Sparkadia to name a few, Alpine have announced that they’re set to pack their bags and hit the road again, this time to celebrate the release of their full-length debut A Is For Alpine, which hits shelves on Friday, August 10. They’ll be bringing local girl Georgi Kay along for the ride, which includes pit stops in Freo at the Newport Hotel on Thursday, August 23; Bunbury at the Prince Of Wales on Friday, August 24; and The Bakery on Saturday, August 25. Tickets are available now from Moshtix, Oztix and nowbaking.com.au (Bakery show only). Already highly acknowledged by Triple J and Pitchfork, along with a scheduled appearance at this year’s SXSW festival, don’t miss this opportunity to catch Alpine in an intimate environment, which is sure to become a rarity with their rapid popularity escalation.

OWLFIELD

High flying Melbourne artists Owl Eyes and Stonefield are set to join forces for a national, coheadline tour this August. Under the moniker of Winter Road Trip 2012 the tour will promote and support the Australian Government initiative The Line, which promotes respectful relationships among Australia’s youth and raises awareness about everything from sexting, texting, and cyber-bullying to inappropriate physical behaviour. They’ll team up to play Settlers Tavern in Margaret River on Friday, August 17, and Studio 146 in Albany on Saturday, August 18. Tickets are available from Oztix. In addition, Owl Eyes will play a solo show at the Art Gallery of WA on Thursday, August 16, and Stonefield will play the Newport Hotel the same night.

Troy Cassar-Daley

BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS

This year’s NAIDOC Week is about more than education, it is about breaking down barriers and sharing a unique culture with the wider community. NAIDOC Week 2012 is set to be a big celebration in Perth, with five week long events and over 40 individual events occurring throughout the City. Running from this Sunday, July 1, ‘til Sunday, July 8 (with a couple of special events later in the month), NAIDOC Week will get off to a lively start will a $35,000 opening ceremony funded by the City of Perth. Happening at Wellington Square in East Perth, between 12pm and 4pm, this year the free event will consist of two big tops, with a music stage and dance stage, where crowds will be entertained by dance from Kwarbah Djookian and the Urban Dancers; and music from Angela Rule, Oz Island, Bad Influence and country music legend, Troy Cassar-Daley. This event also offers food, community stalls, an Elders area and children’s activities. The Perth Blues Club’s fourth NAIDOC Night continues celebrations with seven-piece soul-roots outfit Bartlett Brothers headlining, with support coming from legendary jazz-blues singer Lois Olney, blues stalwart Patrick Woodley and Boom! Bap! Pow!’s Clint Bracknell. Catch all these acts on Tuesday, July 3, at the Charles Hotel, from 7.30pm. For more info hit up perthbluesclub. com. The celebrations will continue through the week as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people display their cultures through speeches, music, dance, comedy, art, children’s activities, community stalls and much more. For information about the week’s events hit up naidocperth.org. 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.

Print and Digital Editions Publisher/Manager Joe Cipriani Editorial

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Music Editor Matthew Hogan: musiceditor@xpressmag.com.au Arts & Fashion Editor Emma Bergmeier: artsfashion@xpressmag.com.au Dance Music & Features Editor Annabel Maclean: danceeditor@xpressmag.com.au Staff Writer Jennifer Peterson-Ward: localmusic@xpressmag.com.au Gig & Event Guides Co-ordinator Melissa Erpen - guide@xpressmag.com.au Entertainment Services Co-ordinator / Competitions Melissa Erpen - win@xpressmag.com.au Photography Callum Ponton, Stefan Caramia, Daniel Grant, Sammy Granville, Matt Jelonek, Denis Radacic Contributing Writers Henry Andersen, Ashleigh Whyte, Nina Bertok, Shaun Cowe, Derek Cromb, Chris Gibbs, Alfred Gorman, George Green, Alex Griffin, Chris Havercroft, Joshua Hayes, Brendan Holben, Coral Huckstep, Travis Johnson, Rezo Kezerashvili,Tara Lloyd, Adam Morris, Andrew Nelson, Chloe Papas, Daniel Parkinson, Tom Varian, Ben Watson, Jessica Willoughby For band gigs and launches - plugyourgig@xpressmag.com.au

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KATY PERRY: PART OF ME 3D

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DETHTONE GUITAR PRIZE PACK!

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Sales and Marketing Manager Sue Raddon - advertising@xpressmag.com.au Online Marketing Sue Raddon - advertising@xpressmag.com.au Music Services / Musical Equipment / Bands / Record Labels Des Richardson - musicservices@xpressmag.com.au Entertainment Venues / Live and Dance Music Promoters Luke Andrioff - entertainment@xpressmag.com.au Agency / Movies / Education / Sponsorship Sue Raddon - advertising@xpressmag.com.au Arts / Fashion / Lifestyle Alia Bannani - eye4@xpressmag.com.au Classifieds Linage Melissa Erpen - classifieds@xpressmag.com.au

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CAB AUDITED CIRCULATION: 38,000 OCTOBER 2011 – MARCH 2012

Deadlines EDITORIAL General: Friday 5pm,, Eye4 Arts: Thursday 10am, Comp’ Thing: Monday Noon,, Salt Clubs: Monday 5pm , Local Scene: Monday Noon,, Gig Guide: Monday 5pm ADVERTISING Cancellations: Monday 5pm, Ads to be set: Monday Noon Supplied Bookings / Copy: Tuesday 12 Noon, Classifieds: Monday 4pm 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

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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.

Thanks to our awesome friends at Kosmic Sound we have a monster prize pack up for grabs! We are giving you the chance to win a brand new Dethtone CL15M guitar, 15watt amp, bag, tuner, lead and strap, all valued at $499! If you haven’t heard what these babies can do, head on down to The Charles Hotel this Saturday, June 13, to check out Croz & The Monters featuring guitar extraordinaire Jamie Page ripping it up on stage with his ver y own Dethtone guitar! For the next three weeks we will be taking entries for this killer prize so enter now for your chance to win and be the envy of all your mates!

POLISSE Katy Perry

GET DOWN FEST

It’s winter time, so cosy up and get down and dirty with some of Perth’s finest music acts. The Get Down fest is the perfect way to celebrate our diverse and exciting local music scene. With a line up jam packed full of goodness, The Get Down will have you busting a groove to a mix of funk, roots, reggae and blues. Headliners include Blue Shaddy, Toby, Grace Barbe, Matt Gresham and the Funk Club House band. We have two doubles passes up for grabs to what is going to be a knockout show on Saturday, June 30. Enter now for your chance to win.

GOOD FOOD & WINE SHOW

From July 13-15, the Perth Convention Centre will be jam packed with a winning combination of sensational dishes by celebrity chefs including the master of fresh, fun, accessible cuisine, English Chef Ainsley Harriott! You will also find innovative shopping ideas, highly sought after master classes, brand new attractions and of course, food and wine tasting galore. Other visiting chefs include French favourite Manu Feildel and household name George Calombaris. If this tantalizes your taste buds, enter now as we have ten double passes up for grabs.

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Receptionist Melissa Erpen

To celebrate the release of Katy Perry: Part Of Me 3D, we are giving you the chance to win a double pass to see this brand new motion picture, which provides a 3D backstage pass, front row seat and intimate look at the fun, glamorous, heartbreaking, inspiring, crazy, magical, passionate, and honest mad diary of Katy. Katy Perry: Part Of Me 3D hits the cinemas on July 2. Get in now for your chance to win tickets. Check out Facebook.com/ KatyPerryPartOfMeMovieAU for more info.

SAY ANYTHING

After more than 10 years, four studio albums and an immeasurable amount of anticipation, the wait is finally over! Indie punk rockers Say Anything will voyage down under for their first ever Australian headline tour. The tour will be the band’s first in over three years and they will be wowing audiences at Perth’s Amplifier on Wednesday, July 11. We are giving you the chance to win a double pass to the show so enter now to be in the running.

NOCTURNAL BALL

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll know the 16th Annual Nocturnal Ball is only weeks away, to be held Monday, July 2, at Metro City, Northbridge! This year’s theme is ‘Myths and Legends’ – and to celebrate we’re looking for a true legend and nine of their friends for a true rock star arrival! The prize includes 10 tickets to the Nocturnal Ball, a huge stretch limousine to transfer you to the event, and some drinks to get you started! Rockstars get followed by paparazzi right? And we wouldn’t expect any different from the legends that win this year’s major prize! We’ll film your arrival, for this year’s video review of the 2012 event! To enter, simply email win@xpressmag.com.au Full event details available at nocturnalball.com.au, and check out the advertisement in this week’s X-Press.

Manu Feidel

This is the story of the Child Protective Unit of a French police force. Forget Law And Order SVU. Forget any of the dour films and TV shows about cops who are in the thick of darkness, that’s not real, this is! Polisse was the winner of the Jury Prize at Cannes 2011 and nominated for 13 Cesars, it is certainly worth a watch! Get in now for your chance to score a double pass.

BURSWOOD BEACH BOYS Dear X-Press, How is it that Burswood Dome is still allowed to stand? It should be bulldozed immediately and The Beach Boys show that is scheduled to take place there should be postponed until the summer is here and moved to the beach. Why are The Beach Boys playing at a place as drab as Burswood Dome? There’s no good vibrations about that place, just bad reverb. Nobody wants to be confined to a plastic seat 100 metres away from the stage. People want to rip their shoes off and be dancing. What about the fact that a lot of older people will there because the band is celebrating their 50th anniversary tour? A lot of the people who will be going have been listening to them for 50 years, so they won’t be able to see them without binoculars. Brian Wilson didn’t forget about decades worth of lawsuits against Mike Love just to come to Perth and play in a big ugly white dome that stands in the middle of casino car park. Is that monstrosity in the city still being built? Crack it open and put the Beach Boys in there FFS! Mike Via Email

Blanche Dubois

BLANCHE DUBOIS

Perth’s Blanche DuBois return to The Ellington on Thursday, July 5, for a special show. Their music is a unique blend of sweet acoustic pop, tinged with a hint of country and a smattering of heart. We have five double passes up for grabs so get in now because you do not want to miss this show.

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

X-Press – First on the street, Wednesdays

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

MELODIAS POSTPONED

AWESOME TWOSOME

Bunbury fans awaiting Karnivool’s Melodias Frescas Tour tonight, Wednesday, June 27, will have to wait before the band is back in action. Due to lead singer Ian Kenny coming down with throat infection, the show has been postponed until Tuesday, July 31. All tickets are valid for the new show, but if you can’t attend get a refund from the point of purchase. The hard rock titans also do a three night sold out stand at the Rosemount on Friday, July 27 - Sunday, July 29.

Emerging pop-rock duo Reilly And Chris have taken out top honors in this year’s Sound Overload battle of the bands. Impressing the judges with their unique blend of good old fashion rock‘n’roll and contemporary acoustics, the pair beat out other finalists Splinta and The Foctaves to win studio recording time, a professional photo-shoot, cash and an X-Press promotional package. Congrats guys!

GET YOUR SKATES ON

CLOSING TIME Little Lovers

THE WEST IS THE BEST

Sydney-based songwriter and vocalist Wintah Thompson was born in WA but was whisked east before he had a chance to call it home, but now, 28 years later, he’s heading back with his band, The Little Lovers, in tow. The Little Lovers will be packing their best indie hooks and cheeky charm as they look to introduce Perth to their best guarded pop gems as the main support for The Wine-Dark Sea’s album launch at the Rosemount Hotel this Friday, June 29. They’ve also snuck in a sideshow at the Velvet Lounge on Sunday, July 1. For fans of The Go-Betweens and Custard, you’ll feel right at home as Wintah’s father Glenn Thompson (member of both) has inspired the straight up, striped back three-piece to ensure they live up to their previous generations’ legacy.

FASHION FOLLIES The winter edition of X-Press Fashion hits the street today with all of the latest threads and trends captured for your pleasure. Speaking of fashion news,WA owned and operated Live Clothing have just launched a new online store. Sign up to their newsletter at liveclothing.com.au.

HOT AND BOTHERED

Hot Chelle Rae

BAND OF SKULLS

Perth Roller Derby League’s first round victors the Bloody Sundaes are set to defend their win against rivals the Mistresses Of Mayhem when they go head-to-head at the second home game of the season on Saturday, July 7, at the Herb Graham Recreation Centre in Mirrabooka. Having previously faced off at the full contact sport’s national competition in Adelaide earlier this month, the girls are ready to bring their hot wheels and short hemlines for a cutthroat match fans won’t want to miss. Head to perthrollerderby.com.au for the latest.

If you’re an original, unsigned WA artist, duo or band and aged between 12 and 25, and you want to showcase your tunes to a new audience – plus go into the running to win more than $15,000 worth of prizes, including over $3,500 worth of musical equipment and a Gibson Les Paul guitar – hurry up and fill in an application form for this year’s AmpFest! AmpFest application forms are available online from ampfest.com.au and wam.asn.au or from council offices, WAM or CIT Leederville, and entries close this Friday, June 29.

If you managed to catch the support act at Taylor Swift’s show earlier in the year and wondered who those immaculately dressed long-fringed boys were, wonder no more – they’re called Hot Chelle Rae and they play pop songs with titles like I Like To Dance, I Like It Like That and Why Don’t You Love Me. If that sounds like your scene, you’ll want to snap up tickets to the WA show of their Australian headlining tour which goes down at Challenge Stadium on Thursday, November 1. Hot Chelle Rae will be joined by X Factor UK star Cher Lloyd for the shows. Tickets go on sale on Friday, July 6, from hotchellerae.com, cherlloyd.com and livenation.com.au.

Holy Balm

BALMY WEATHER

From the volcanic molten lava of Sydney’s music underground spews forth Holy Balm.The three piece - whose experiments within dance music and synthbased realms have had them evolve into an upbeat and daring live band - have shared stages with the likes of Total Control, Black Dice, The Boredoms and Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti. The enigmatic trio are gearing up to release their debut album It’s You this year on RIP Society in July. The release coincides with a national tour which includes a live performance at PICA with local experimentalists Mental Powers on Saturday, August 11, marking Holy Balm’s first visit to WA.Tickets will be $15 on the door from 8pm.

MORE CHILDREN

The boys from Melbourne based outfit Children Collide last month announced that their lead singer Johnny Mackay would be relocating to New York to write new material for the band. Beyond that, however, they announced a swag of live dates that will see them shuffling their way across the country from early August through to the middle of September. Great news today for the band and their fans, is that there are now second dates added in most of the major centres, including an added show at Amplifier on Saturday, August 4, in addition to previously announced shows at the Prince Of Wales on Thursday, August 2; and Amplifier on Friday, August 3. Tickets are on sale now from Oztix and Moshtix.

Defeater

DOUBLE TROUBLE

News of a forthcoming Australian tour from Massachusetts’ Defeater should come as no surprise to fans of the melodic hardcore masters – the plans have been in motion for a while and the band members have hardly been secretive of their desire to return to our shores following a wellreceived tour of the nation last year. Once again they’ll be showcasing tunes from their double LP Empty Days & Sleepless Nights which was released in 2011 to great acclaim in the punk rock community. There’s extra special news to go along with this announcement, being that the band will be joined by the ever-evolving Philly post-hardcore dudes Blacklisted, who will hit our shores for the first time since 2008. Fans can catch the double act at Amplifier on Wednesday, October 3; and at YMCA HQ on Thursday, October 4 (for al all ages show). Tickets go on sale from Moshtix this Friday.

“ We played a festival out in Tennessee called Bonnaroo and I think when we first went on stage, Matt was hitting the kit so hard that the amp started rattling with sounds of like lightning.”

Sweet & Sour

English alternative rockers Band Of Skulls took over airwaves globally in 2009 with their debut album release Baby Darling Doll Face Honey. Having recently released their follow-up record Sweet Sour, bassist and vocalist Emma Richardson tells ANNABEL MACLEAN that they’re excited to be heading down under. Band Of Skulls play The Bakery on Monday, July 23. Since releasing their sophomore record Sweet Sour earlier this year, Band Of Skulls have been on the road showcasing their new material to fans across America and Europe. “Fans are loving it,” bassist and vocalist Emma Richardson says softly down the line from Southampton, in a clipped English accent. In fact, one fan was “loving it” so much that he ended up getting tasered during the band’s set at Beachside Festival in San Diego during You’re Not Pretty But You’ve Got It Going On. “It is true,” Richardson confirms. “I think this guy had just taken way too many drugs. “I don’t know what happened but he was rocking out to the music a little bit too much. I don’t know exactly the reason that he got tasered, but all of a sudden we looked out in the crowd and there was this big kind of scuffle right near the stage and some dude was being pushed to the floor and tasered. It was quite scary, it was quite horrible actually.” But, luckily for Matthew Hayward (drums), Russell Marsden (guitar, vocals) and Richardson, there have been happier moments on tour recently. “We played Washington DC in America for the first time on this run and we got an email from this guy a few days before saying, ‘Are you going to be playing Fires because I’m going to propose to my girlfriend just after the song’. So we thought ‘Oh great, we’ll email him www.xpressmag.com.au

Band Of Skulls back and tell him where it’s going to be in the set’,” she says. “On that night, I think Russell shouted out, ‘Hey Joe, what did she say?’ and he’s like ‘she said yes!’ from the back of the crowd. First marriage proposal and acceptance at a Band Of Skulls gig.” The band have also taken mistakes and mishaps from their live gigs and turned them into positive elements. “We played a festival out in Tennessee called Bonnaroo and I think when we first went on stage, Matt was hitting the kit so hard that the amp started rattling with sounds of like lightning,” she says. “The reverb tubes in the amp were getting pounded. We watched the DVD recording of bits from the show and we were like ‘Wow that sounds great, we should just put it on the record’.” And that’s exactly what happened. Filled with gritty and grungy guitars, dirty, raw melodies and heavy build ups and choruses, Sweet Sour is a slice of the band’s sound from being on the road, their signature riffs and hard-hitting vocals and is designed for bigger stages and crowds – something the trio have been doing since playing a sold out London Forum in October 2010. “It’s daunting,” Richardson says, speaking of bigger shows. “Every

time we play a large show it’s a big deal but there’s an adrenaline buzz, there’s nothing quite like it. It’s exciting.” Having met at university, it wasn’t until they decide to host a monthly club night together called Club Skull - which they ran for two years - that Band Of Skulls was formed. “It was basically an excuse to try out new songs every month and we ended up playing every month just to test out new material really and so it ended up being just an excuse to see all of our mates and bands that we liked and we’d get in friends and DJs and it was just a great party,” she says. Hosting the likes of Anna Calvi, The Moulettes, and The Jim Jones Revue, Richardson says her favourite muso who performed at Club Skull was solo blues crazy-man Bob Log III. “He wears like an all in one jumpsuit and a motorcycle helmet with a phone attached and he bounces ladies on his knees while playing really fast slide guitar,” she says. “He’s from America. He’s an amazing musician.” With Richardson being the artist behind the album artwork for Sweet Sour and the band installing the talents of Ian Davenport (producer of

their debut record) once again for the record, the creation of the album was a collaborative effort. “It was just great to work with him again,” Richardson says of working with Davenport. “He knows how we want things done and how we want things to sound and he also takes risks and pushes us. Obviously we had a new set of songs and some new equipment and we were in a new studio so we had to keep one constant and we knew that as a team we work really well together. You’ve got to bare your soul a bit when you’re recording so he’s a good man to go to and ask advice or push you in a certain direction if you’re not sure. Also we can tell him things and say ‘we want this to go this way’.” Richardson says the band are looking forward to their debut show in Perth before heading over east for Splendour In The Grass. “We’re really excited to be in Perth because we’ve never played there before so everyone’s really up for it,” she says. “The live show – we’re combining both records and it’s quite a heavy set but there’s some beautiful moments in there so hopefully anyone who comes to see us will have a good night.” 11

A RHYTHM & BLUES VARIETY REVUE A Trip Down Memory Lane

In a special gig designed to remember and celebrate, the Perth Blues Club stages its ninth annual memorial showcase, A Rhythm And Blues Variety Revue, at the Astor Theatre on Friday, June 29, starring Dave Hole, Matt Taylor, Rick Steele and more. Part proceeds of the concert will be donated to help Legacy in its work supporting widows and children of deceased servicemen. JENNIFER PETERSON-WARD talks to Perth Blues Club president Rick Steele.

Rick Steele The history of the blues is complex, meandering its way from rhythmic African chants to Southern spirituals to Chicago pop hits. At the Perth Blues Club’s annual event, A Rhythm And Blues Variety Revue, however, this history gets the local treatment. Based at the Charles Hotel, the Perth Blues Club has been raising the roof since 1992, featuring musicians of varying capabilities on its stage. Age, gender and race are no barrier to music at the Blues Club – the music belongs to everyone. In the last nine years, the Blues Club has staged a memorial show recognising the memories and achievements of those musicians who have passed on. “It’s somewhat remarkable that the blues genre of music, from the other side of the planet and from such humble beginnings should draw together so many people from such diverse nationalities and occupations,” explains Blues Club president and legendary local musician Rick Steele.“With this in mind we celebrate the lives and contributions of those made to our club.” Steele is the first to admit that music is his life and he has met and played with many great artists over the years. “I was the vice president for the first few years of the club and I was a founding member… through music I’ve met so many diverse people and it felt to me some of them, not all of the musicians, it was a shame they fall off the pike and nobody cares,” he says. “Cut a long story short I think these people need remembering. In our little community – the blues community – there’s probably about a thousand or so people in Perth and there’s some people in the list that other people might not come into contact with.” From renowned blues/rock guitarist Paul

“There’s a song that came out in the ‘60s that said ‘If there’s a rock’n’roll heaven / Well you know they’ve got a hell of a band’.” Fenton (best remembered for his 10 year stint in Perth’s massive no-holds-barred rock band The Jets) who passed away in 2010 to The Statesman’s Darrel Chance who passed away just six short weeks ago, the memorial showcase will be celebrating the lives and times of no less than 32 locals associated with the Perth Blues Club. “There’s a song that came out in the ‘60s that said ‘If there’s a rock’n’roll heaven / Well you know they’ve got a hell of a band’,” Steele says. And how does Steele think these musicians would feel to know they’re being recognised by the local community? “They’d probably be annoyed they couldn’t be there,” he laughs. “But I guess they’d be chuffed.” For the last three years, part proceeds of the memorial showcase concert have been donated to help Legacy in its work supporting widows and children of deceased servicemen, and Steele says the Perth Blues Club plans to keep forging this connection in years to come:“It’s a good thing for blues and soldiers and I think somehow it’s connected.” This will be the third time the Blues Club Memorial Concert has been moved outside of the Charles Hotel to the grandeur of the Astor Theatre in Mt Lawley. “I think it opens the doors to the families of the deceased a bit better, because even though the Charles is such a lovely venue, some people in the real world don’t like going to hotels and they don’t feel comfortable there…I think it’s better for an occasion like this to be in an art deco theatre,” he says. “Its good fun and we don’t get the chance to perform in a theatre very often so it’s good for the performers.” Giving audiences a strong sense of the elasticity and longevity of the form, the memorial show will showcase the blues in every permutation: country, city and churchy blues; happy blues and sad blues; slow burns and fast-talking come-ons. “I model the show off the London Palladium and that’s why it’s called the Rhythm And Blues Variety Revue,” he says. “There are not many other places you’ll see a show like this… I don’t see [events like this] happening that much in Perth. “Then there’s the quality of the performances – [jazz stalwart] Annie Neal, she’s sung with all the biggest people, and Bob Patient toured the world along with Dave Hole, and The Rippin’ Horns are probably seen as the best horns band in our section of the world. I think it’s going to be a damn good show.” Tickets are $30 and available from Bocs, and the Astor Theatre box office. X-Press – First on the street, Wednesdays

www.xpressmag.com.au

King Cannons

KING CANNONS Shining Bright

King Cannons are the latest group of working class heroes who have made a big splash in Melbourne and are set to launch their national profile. CHRIS HAVERCROFT spoke to vocalist Luke Yeoward about their debut The Brightest Light. With a sound that melds the punk rock energy with the blue collar outlook of Bruce Springsteen, King Cannons are on to a winning formula.

The six-piece whose members all have a similar crown tattoo and moved from country Victoria to Melbourne town on the smell of an oily rag, have

forged a place for themselves through hard work and a unbridled passion for rock’n’roll. “The working class background is not something that we try to do, it is just something that we are,” claims Yeoward of the roots of King Cannons. “Our background is that we all grew up in small towns and we all come from hard working backgrounds. We all still have day jobs and are at the entry point as far as a musical career goes. We just sing about what affects us and the world around us. It is not an intentional thing where we went out and said lets be a working class rock’n’roll band. We just tried to be truthful and honest and have passion and that is the end result.” When King Cannons first relocated to Melbourne they were seven people living in a three bedroom house where they made the lounge room and various other spaces of the house into temporary bedrooms. The advantage was they didn’t have far to travel whenever it was time to pull out the instruments for rehearsal. “You do what you have to do when you move into a new city and you don’t have too much money and you need to make things happen. It’s not something that I regret but it is something that I admit I’m glad that I’m not part of it anymore. We could make that work, but some bands could never do that. I’m glad we had those ups and downs at the start in retrospect because we learnt a lot through trial and error and found out what we are good at.” When it came to putting together the tunes for The Brightest Light, Yeoward treated it as a job. For two months he would get up at 8am and after having a coffee and breakfast would spend time writing music until the early evening. It was a project that resulted in

the band having between 40 and 60 tunes to choose from when it came to hitting the studio. “Some of them are complete shit and will never see the light of day but you have to write the bad ones to get the good ones – it is just the ratio of life! I treated writing like a day job for a couple of months. It is just what was necessary at the time because we couldn’t afford for the whole band to go into a studio for a month and just jam and see what happens. All songs take on their own form and there is more than one way to skin a cat. It turned me inside out and upside down some days, because you can’t force things.”

JONATHAN BOULET Marching To His Own Beat

Sydney-based singer-songwriter Jonathan Boulet is shy offstage, fierce onstage, and every bit as intense as his lyrics suggest, finds JENNIFER PETERSON-WARD. Boulet plays Amplifier on Saturday, July 7. Jonathan Boulet sums up his music making process in two simple words: “no rules”. The music he makes – raucous, bold, bawdy – exemplifies this motto. Despite his involvement in a plethora of east coast outfits (most notably Parades and Snakeface), when performing under his own name, Boulet and his band are unmissable. Rhythms collide and keys crash wildly, but the real virtuosity is in Boulet’s voice: he can croon, he can yodel and he can roar. It all makes for a sound intoxicating enough to have propelled the 23-year-old from the lowest of lo-fi beginnings to as close to a superstar as a young Australian indie rock singer-songwriter can get. While his 2009 self-titled debut generated widespread popular and critical adulation, Boulet is quick to downplay its many merits:“It wasn’t really that successful,” he says. “But I’m glad people liked it.” But pride unavoidably creeps back into his voice when talking of his recently released sophomore effort We Keep The Beat, Found The Sound, See The Need, Start The Heart: “It’s so different this time around. The first one was just a collection of songs but since then I’ve leant a lot more and I’ve been able to include a couple of weird instruments. This time around it’s more intentionally an album from start to finish, so I feel good about it.” As with his debut, the new album was recorded in his parent’s garage (which was also the birthplace of Parades’ stellar 2010 LP Foreign Tapes), Boulet says his DIY recording ethic is born of necessity rather than intentionality.“I was looking to move out but I couldn’t find anywhere I could make music as loud as a wanted whenever I wanted,” he says.“I wanted to make a record that didn’t let up; a record that was at 11 the whole time.” Snagging feature album slots on Triple J and FBI radio We Keep The Beat… is making waves across Australia and although Boulet says he’s “grateful” to receive the support, he’s very aware it can be fleeting. “It’s a little bit sad that it’s such a key thing in Australia,” he says. “It’s so much harder for bands who don’t get that support.” Having launched the record last month, Boulet celebrated with an appearance at annual music event Vivid Live in Sydney.“It was such an honour to play at the Opera House. It was a really amazing experience,” he says. With a proper launch tour, plus some overseas touring, in the pipeline, Boulet is geared up for a massive 2012, although he admits he’s hoping to get his band more involved this time around.“This time around I was still being selfish during the recording process, but they’re such a big part of the ‘Jonathon Boulet’ sound,” he says. “I stupidly started it out under my name and now it’s just so hard to let it go, I don’t know if I could give up [control] now, but I’m trying.” 14

X-Press – First on the street, Wednesdays

THE JOE KINGS

You Must Be... Perth expat blues-rockers The Joe Kings play their new album, Strange Individuals, at Fremantle’s Fly By Night on Thursday, July 5; Albany’s White Star Hotel on Friday, July 6; and Settlers Tavern on Saturday, July 7. TRAVIS JOHNSON chats with singer Jack Stirling.

THE GHOST INSIDE Give Til It Hurts

Get What You Give, the new album from Los Angeles-based metalcore outfit The Ghost Inside, is out now on Epitaph. TRAVIS JOHNSON has a word with vocalist Jonathan Vigil about recording for a new label and working with a new member.

awesome for us. It’s great. We’re busy every day, doing signings and press stuff, so the days just fly by.” He’s got a lot to be happy about, with the band’s first album in two years, Get What You Give, about to drop from their new label.“It’s our first album on Epitaph Records,”Vigil explains.“I think that, with our When we talk to singer Jonathan Vigil, he and his first label, it was more... I don’t want to say DIY, but it was bandmates in The Ghost Inside are a couple of more kind of ‘what happens, happens.’ Whereas, when days into the Vans Warped Tour, the massive, pan- it came time to do this album, it was planned out a lot American rock and extreme sport roadshow. better, and we had more freedom to choose what we This early in the tour, he’s still high on wanted to do. It’s just really well put together, is all I can adrenaline and adventure, with the road having not yet say, compared to our last album.” extracted its toll. “We were in Salt Lake City yesterday,” The album was produced by Jeremy he tells us enthusiastically. “And today we’re in Denver, McKinnon of A Day To Remember, a band that The Colorado. It was great, man. It was cool to be able to tour Ghost Inside have shared the stage with on numerous with some of the bands that we’ve looked up to for so occasions. Vigil is effusive in his praise of McKinnon, long, and to be on a tour of this calibre, and to play to citing him as the key organising force behind their this many people and get this much exposure is pretty latest effort. “Jeremy’s kind of always been a fan of our

The Ghost Inside band - we found out through friends of friends that he’s really into our band.We got the chance to tour with him in Europe, and the idea came up for him to produce the album, and we were totally on board. He’s one of the most talented and creative people in the music industry right now, and to have someone like that on board with our album - we were just so stoked to have him there.” The album also marks the recorded debut of new drummer Andrew Tkaczyk, who officially replaced KC Stockbridge in February 2011. Tkaczyk quickly became an integral part of the act, bringing his own writing talent to the creative mix. “He used to play drums in a band called For The Fallen Dreams,”Vigil recounts.“And he was a major songwriter for that band, so when it came time to write this album, it was great to have an extra songwriter on board to bounce ideas off of.

The Joe Kings The Joe Kings, blues rockers with a terrible pun for a name, have been around for a while now, and it’s frankly a bit surprising that they haven’t released a full-length album before this juncture. Now the long-awaited Strange Individuals is finally seeing the light of day, and vocalist/guitarist Jack Stirling insists that the long gestation period was absolutely essential to the album’s final success. “We have released a few EPs,” he reflects. “But we’ve sort of always been so inspired by touring and the live shows that the recordings have never been the first move, so to speak. We’ve allowed ourselves to try out a lot of different styles of playing live, and I think we pretty much seemed to come into it in the last year, in terms of getting used to what we were doing and understanding what we liked in the music we were making, so that we could start to write. The EPs that we released, we are proud of them, but this album is the closest thing to what we can hear in our heads. But it’s been so long because we’ve spent that time coming into our own style, I think. We didn’t want to rush into anything.” Thus, the album is not a collection of live favourites, nor a completely fresh slate of material, but an offering that lies somewhere between the two extremes, with existing material having been reworked and combined with fresh sounds into new and interesting forms. “It’s definitely a combination of the two,” Stirling affirms. “There’s parts of this album that I’ve definitely tried to incorporate into some of the earlier EPs and stuff. By the time we got around to really working on these songs, I had a better idea of what I liked from all the previous releases and that sort of thing. We definitely wrote in a new style; we shortened a lot of the songs and we didn’t indulge ourselves too much. A lot of the writing we’d done has been based on the jam, you know what I mean? We’ve never worried too much about how long the song is, or cutting it down to radio length, or putting in three choruses, that sort of thing. But this record, I think, was one half us writing to cater to a newer style.” Stirling also tells us that input of prolific producer and engineer Steven Schram, who has worked with everyone from The Cat Empire to The Vasco Era, was indispensible. “We wanted to work with him for a long time,” Stirling says. “About a year ago I heard the stuff that he’d done with Little Red, and I really liked the sound that he got - still quite poppy and contemporary, but also raw and to the point. From the get-go, he knew straight away what he wanted, and it was great to have someone that had such a direct idea, such a vision. The record is sounding the best we’ve ever sounded.” www.xpressmag.com.au

DAMO SUZUKI

Sound Carrier

Metric

METRIC

Artificial Intelligence Metric’s recently released fifth studio album Synthetica is about humanity and the eternal search for meaning in a world of quick fixes.Yet as JENNIFER PETERSONWARD learnt, these new wave mainstays are too clever to settle into a simplistic “technology is bad”argument. In February this year, singer Emily Haines announced the arrival of her outfit’s fifth studio album Synthetica with a letter to fans (posted on Metric’s website) that deliberately laid it all out on the table: “Synthetica is about staying home and wanting to crawl out of your skin from the lack of external stimulation,” she wrote. “It’s about what is real versus what is artificial.” Taking the networked world as its subject – a world in which people exist virtually as well as materially, connected through an infinite web of links with no fixed structure or hierarchy – Synthetica complicates the alltoo-tidy “post-internet” tag by bringing into focus the many contrasts at the heart of Metric’s music: tensions between pop structure and diffuse atmosphere, between technology and the human body, between sensory-overloaded hyper-presence and transcendence. “It’s about isolation and picking apart what is real and what is fake,” explains Jimmy Shaw, the band’s guitarist (who also plays synth and theremin).“[The title]

came from somewhere deep inside Emily’s brain… It happened really early on in the process and we were waiting for the moment to come where we would stop liking it, but it never happened.” Metric’s 2009 breakout Fantasies earned the band fame and acclaim, with all the accompanying publicity perks and side projects that entails (like writing the theme song for a Twilight movie). “The pressure [to repeat that success with Synthetica] is definitely there but I try to do my best to ignore it, because it’s not necessarily a productive force,” Shaw explains. “It really wasn’t until after we were done that we sat down and made a conscious decision – ‘are we confident this should be the thing to follow up Fantasies?’”. More solidly constructed and a lot more fun to listen to than anything the outfit have put their name to so far, the electro cotton-candy of Synthetica is an inviting entrance into Metric’s peculiar kind of bliss. In fact, the record’s first half is dominated by the haunting sonic landscapes, creeping guitars, driving percussion, and icy vocals that have defined the band’s catalogue thus far.“We have a bunch of tricks [and] we have a bunch of different sounds we like to use…so you can hear elements of every record we’ve ever made,” explains Shaw. While Synthetica isn’t so much a departure from the band’s sound as a continuation, Shaw says his band hasn’t lost their passion for experimentation. “At the beginning of the process I found myself in Chicago recording the last Broken Social Scene record and in the studio was this old analogue synth… I knew I wanted to be surrounded by those instruments [when recording Synthetica],” he says.“We’re not tired of what we do – it’s the greatest job on earth, we can’t believe we have it. All four of us are genuinely excited about what we do.”

MOTION CITY SOUNDTRACK

As lead guitarist and co-founder Joshua Cain attests, Motion City Soundtrack are in the midst of a career renaissance. After putting out one album on Columbia, the band have returned to their long time label Epitaph to release Go, the most mature and developed album of their 14-year career. “Columbia, at some point, decided not to go to the radio with our next single and really the only reason you sign to a major label is because you want them to go to the radio with your single,” Cain explains. “We talked to a bunch of labels and everybody was awesome. It was actually tough because everybody was cool and we thought there could have been a lot of good places for the record. In the end Epitaph just felt right, they’re our family, and it felt like going home.” With Go, Cain reveals that Motion City Soundtrack really felt they could stretch out during the recording process due to the fact that, at the time, they had no label to report to – a creative freedom they hadn’t experienced since recording 16

Like many before and after him, Damo Suzuki felt it necessary to leave his home country of Japan at a young age and see what the world had to offer. “Place like Australia or Japan, isolated from continents, people is much curious about other countries, it’s normal to be out for a while,” he begins. “When I was teenager, I was good in geography, much free time I spend time watching at world atlas. So, at least one time must come, one day to travel to all those countries. If you travel you need money so far you don’t have rich parents. I [was] just busking around [to] make money move to next step.” The next step came in Munich, where Holger Czukay and Jaki Liebeziet saw him busking and asked him to join them on stage that night in Can. Suzuki doesn’t like to talk about this period of his life, “I put this period on another planet,” he says, and adds that he wasn’t involved with the recent release of The Lost Tapes, a compilation of rare Can tracks from the ‘70s. After some time away from the stage following his time in Can, Suzuki re-emerged with an idea to travel the world and enlist a new band in every city. “I’m doing this so called ‘Never Ending Tour’ since 2003,” he says. “I was touring with my friends sound carriers before, but since sickness of the violence US bombing Iraq on March 19, 2003, kill many children and civil people. I thought I have to go something against this violence. You need long process, so I start to begin to communicate with people, create time and space of the moment with ever-changing local sound carriers. There is no real communication in our society. Music is communication, especially music that not involved in this system...”

Damo Suzuki For each performance, Suzuki asks the promoter to find him a band and it’s pretty much as simple as that. “I’ve no rehearsal, no concept, [for the music] I make with local sound carriers and that’s it,” he says.“I go on stage as Damo Suzuki, I don’t have to wear with attractive pieces. Once Vivian [Lees] from Big Day Out told to my friend Tim, ‘Damo is craziest artist he knows as he don’t know what will happen on the stage’. After sound check we don’t talk about how music should be. I just like to harmonise with nature, she brings storm, snow, seasons, all beautiful because they are not artificial. Every moment is free. God made us free to think, free to decide. Free to walk. Just look at around you everything is controlled by authority. This has begun with developing kingdom.” Having played with The Tigers on previous visits to Perth, this time Pond add to their stellar year with this unique opportunity. “I ask for someone from my taste of music making,” Suzuki says. “Mainly I don’t know sound carriers before we sound check on the performing day - sometimes even without sound check. And also I don’t like to get information before the performance, so I don’t listen to sound carriers music at all before. All what [is being] done is not important as [what] we create now. So, I don’t know Pond, but we’ll be friends after the show like we [have] known [each other] for years. Also audience will have an experience [to] travel together with us. It’s quantum physics, everybody involved has part of it. It’s interactive. It’s communication.”

Impiety Motion City Soundtrack

Defying Labels

Five albums into their career, poppunk outfit Motion City Soundtrack ditched major labels and producers to record latest album Go on their own accord. JENNIFER PETERSONWARD finds out why breaking free from the corporate machine is one of the best things they’ve ever done.

He made his name as frontman of seminal krautrockers Can, and now he travels the world to improvise with a new band in each city. He is Damo Suzuki, and he chats to MATTHEW HOGAN ahead of his show with Pond as his sound carriers this Thursday, June 28, at The Bakery.

their debut album I Am The Movie in 2002. “At that point in our lives, I think we were really happy about the idea of being kind of cut off from the world… It was like, ‘We have nothing to do. Let’s just go make a record. We don’t have to worry about what label it’s on, we don’t have to worry about anything. Let’s just make a record and be happy with that’. It kind of brought us back to the way we made our first record, just no strings attached,” he says. “After 15 years of playing together our egos are gone. We’re comfortable with our roles in the band. We just want to make music together. “It’s really hard having someone come in and go ‘oh that could be the single’ – it changes the whole way you record a song. Sometimes your least favourite songs end up being the best ones, but at least when your recording on your own you can work that out for yourself.” On Go, Motion City Soundtrack have successfully navigated both personal and aesthetic maturity, making this a win-win situation for themselves and fans. “It’s about love, life and death. With an arching theme of mortality, but in a positive way,” Cain says. While this might seem like heady subject matter for a band who burst on the scene more than a decade ago with their pop-culture-referencing single The Future Freaks Me Out, in reality Motion City Soundtrack have always maintained a striking dichotomy between upbeat music and darker lyricism and Go sees the band entering the next stage of their career in a flash of brilliance. “It’s slightly our therapy,” Cain concludes.” We write sad songs and sing them happy, and we write happy songs and sing them sad.”

IMPIETY Praise Satanic Death

Mighty Singaporean black metallers Impiety will be coming to Perth this weekend for the first time off the back of their eighth full-length, Ravage And Conquer. JESSICA WILLOUGHBY caught up with founder Shyaithan and recent local drummer addition Louis Rando ahead of their show at Amplifer Bar on Friday, June 29. “No compromise, no mercy – just total fuck off,” Impiety mastermind Shyaithan says of the band’s grounding principles. This Singaporean-based black metal outfit have always held fast to the path of chaos. With more than two decades behind the flags, the old violent conventions they embody are still strong after all these years. War and rebellion, in all art forms, serve as their doctrine. With the brute influence of ‘power’ acting as muse for fonder and only remaining original member Shyaithan, he signals their latest effort drew off their base ethos. “Ravage And Conquer (2012) is based on power and domination in all strategies and the art of death,” he tells X-Press. “I speak about unholy crusades against the religious, defeat and punishment without mercy and the triumph of evil over good. Such topics are not uncommon when it comes to Impiety, but this time more focus was put into the way death was commanded, from above and below.” But their eighth full-length also heralded a shift within the three-piece. One which saw two new line-up additions. Nizam Aziz, producer of their last three releases, took up on shredding duties. While Perth drummer Louis Rando, with roots from local acts Mhorgl and the now defunct Furor to Dubai death brigade Nervecell, joined their ranks last year. Spurred by a swap of information and videos on the

internet, Rando noted his introduction to the band akin to a baptism of fire. “I’ve been with the band for nine months and I’ve already done three tours and recorded an album,” he says. “It’s a lot to cram into such a small amount of time. When we go away, we’re just totally 100 per cent focused on the job at hand. But when we come back and I’ve got time to think about it, I just think ‘…shit, this is crazy’. I’ve accomplished more with this band than I have in the last five years of playing in Perth. “I started as a raving Impiety fan and the transition to becoming a member just happened so quickly. I just thought it’d be awesome, as a fantasy, to join the band. After being friends with Shyaithan for years on Facebook, I messaged him out of the blue and he came back to me really enthusiastically. Within the first month he was already organising tours and recording sessions for the new album. I was dropped in the deep end basically but I figured it out as we went along. All the music made sense to me.” Embarking on their first Australian tour this month, Shyaithan is ready to annihilate crowds down under.“All these years, we’ve struck in Europe, Asia, the US, Canada, Japan, even Mexico – but never Australia,” he says. “So this will be a historical affair. That’s rad enough to cause tremors and shake-up the entire continent. Praise satanic death and hellfire.” X-Press – First on the street, Wednesdays

www.xpressmag.com.au

FIONA APPLE The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do

A PLACE TO BURY STRANGERS Worship Dead Oceans

Epic Records / Sony

A songwriter whose greatest flaw is a tendency for verbosity, Los Angeles singer and pianist Fiona Apple has, on her latest record, ironically offered her most focused, refined and best-edited album in the 16 years since her (one-worded) debut, Tidal. That’s not to say she doesn’t indulge in a little loquacious lyricism (just look at that title!). Apple has always been a first-person songwriter unafraid of sharing intimacies and speaking in absolutes, and throughout the album she calls herself “a tulip in a cup” (Valentine),” a dewy petal” and “a moribund slut” (Left Alone) among other things. Trying to label the way Apple’s craft has evolved since Tidal in a sentence or two is impossible, but it’s safe to say that her melodies have become cleaner, her arrangements less mannered, and her singing more straightforwardly heartfelt. Apple sounds most centered on closer Hot Knife, which stacks layers of acappella vocals until a trilling cacophony emerges, simulating fluttering lust: “I get feisty/Whenever I’m with him.” The confidence in the song is uplifting, ending a lovely album on a high note. It might take a week, a month, or even a year for it to yield up all its treasures; but after only a week in its company, one can’t help but feel that The Idler The Wheel is a masterpiece. It is a stunning and ambitious piece of work; one for the ages.

You enter a party. It’s been cold recently. Are you getting older? Everything is either too fast or annoying. Alone and burning his fingers on a candle in the kitchen is Worship. You size him up. He is oblivious. His gaze is fierce on his singed digits, and his train of thought so loud and intense that you managed to make out the following. “I am riding a motorcycle. The women love me but I don’t care. I’m burning, baby, burning. Wear nothing but my leather jacket and slap me in the face. Call you a slut in front of your family. Whatever. It’s all a blur because I move so fast and live so hard. You like Jesus & Mary Chain, babe? Swervedriver? My Bloody Valentine? The sound of breaking glass? Whatever. The moon will rise, white and cold over the dirty street as I blow smoke through the open window of my 67’ Pontiac. It’s as far away as I am from everything. I feel dangerous and thin. Feel the metal coursing through my veins. Everything I do is wrong. Every choice I have is wrong. The best sounds sound like exploding gashes. I want to play a guitar that sounds like a three foot open sore. May the drums pummel the same way I make a woman. May the bass throb like my hands shake unless I have a bottle to grip onto or something to hit. Gonna show em all I don’t and never have given a fuck. Ice cold.” “Yep, that’s Worship,” you think. “Bit boring though.” _ALEX GRIFFIN

_JENNIFER PETERSON-WARD

BAMBINO KORESH Up And Left

KING TUFF King Tuff

Laughing Outlaw

Sub Pop

Folks, embrace the ridiculously tacky weirdness that is King Tuff. Embrace the garish fluorescent cover art. Embrace the fact that this is a guy who calls himself King Tuff, for goodness’ sake—a 21st Century Wayne’s World longhair with a moustache in a hat and denim jacket wearing ridiculous glasses. If this sounds to you like the kind of thing that could go either way, then you’re a damn sight more optimistic than X-Press was when this, his second album, landed in the office. But rest assured, this is an awesome, awesome slacker rock’n’roll record that encompasses a whole variety of styles across its 12 tracks. This was recorded in Detroit and its creator is clearly a rock guitar talent, but not a showy one. When it comes to the important stuff – the music – all tackiness goes out the window. While Anthem kicks the record off with some riff rock, compare a track like Swamp Of Love, packed full of easy, Sunday, sunny melodies; or the celebratory, piano powered, acidfueled honkey tonk celebration that is Hit & Run. Chock to the roof with joyous hooks and memorable songs, this album is nothing short of glorious. File alongside Wavves for its next level punked up weirdness, and Dandy Warhols or early Blur for sheer rock mastery.

Who would have thought that it would be such a great idea to attempt to play Creedence Clearwater Revival like tunes with indie rock hands? Sydney three piece Bambino Koresh that’s who! Their debut Up And Left is 14 tracks of no nonsense straight ahead slacker rock splendour. Bambino Koresh are a spousal supergroup that would make The White Stripes turn red. Argentinian/Spanish singer Leticia Nischang teams up with her indie rock hit machine husband Tom Morgan to create a set of tunes that are melodically suave. Whether it be the punchy punk of Terracotta Warrior or the loose twang of Just Accept It, Bambino Koresh hit all the right lo-fi buttons. Nischang may be in charge of songwriting duties here, but she clearly shares Morgan’s turn of phrase with titles such as If So Defacto, Satan Do Me A Solid and Red Spot Always Meant Sale. Nischang has an unusual guitar technique that give the tunes warmth and charm, and the band are armed with tunes like What I’m Gonna Do Know which would be an instant hit if placed in the hands of Evan Dando or Ben Lee. Up And Left is irresistible. Bambino Koresh write classics for dummies. _CHRIS HAVERCROFT

_BEN WATSON

MUSCLES Manhood

SHADY LANE Built Guilt

Modular

Rice is Nice / Inertia

With his last album Guns Babes Lemonade being released way back in 2007, Muscles has just stepped back into the recording game and brought back out with him Manhood. Expectations are at a disgustingly high level due to the hype surrounding Muscles’ music in general, the success of Guns Babes Lemonade and his lauded appearance at Groovin the Moo earlier this year, but on this new album he has been able to create, mix and push new style dance/house music through effectively and in interesting and unique ways. Opening track Kiss Hello represents what Muscles loves creating – something chaotic and crazy all mixed together by a string of powerful beats. Having strong tracks such as Brainfreeze and The Night really allows listeners to gain a sense of what experimental electronic music is all about and the talent involved for cutting and mixing music. Muscles succeeds in capturing the experience of being in a chaotic state. Yet as much as there was a whole new level of awesome when it came to the tracks, the clashing genres between vocal and tune recorded can be, at times, distracting. That being said, this album is a definite must-have for all club goers and party rockers.

Built Guilt is the second album from Rice Is Nicesigned Sydney soloproject-turned-band Shady Lane, and it is quite a departure from the outfit’s diminutive 2009 debut Here We Go Down The Black Hole. The album is centered around the lilting pop sensibilities of main songwriter and vocalist Jordy Lane, with his breezy melodies being obscured by smears of synths and electronic noodling. The album is a home recording job, pulled together fairly quickly using cheap equipment. By now such lo-fi recording techniques are pretty matter of course in this kind of music but here they do an excellent job at capturing the cosy intimacy of the band holed up in a friend house in the Blue Mountains. But Shady Lane are wanderers at heart. They swing through sleepy dream pop, 8-bit game sounds and Postal Service sounding popgrooves. The result is an album that is heartfelt but unfocussed. There are enough gorgeous or unexpected moments throughout to make it a good album, certainly, but its numerous departures into soupy electro-noodling stop it from ever being a great album. At the end of the day, the playful arrangements are enjoyable but it is Jordy Lanes’ melodic ear that is the group’s real asset.

_AILIE MCALEENAN

_HENRY ANDERSEN X-Press – First on the street, Wednesdays

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

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LUCY GOOSEY CALLING ALL REV HEADS

The much loved Revelation Perth International Film Festival returns to the Astor Theatre next month but before the popcorn machine and projector can get fired up, the team at Rev needs to find some volunteers. If you’re keen to help out Perth’s favourite international film festival, email guests@revelationfilmfest.org with ‘I wanna be a Rev volunteer!’ in the subject line. Find out what’s on and when at revelationfilmfest.org.

Get ready Perth because Australia’s queen of droll humour – the incomparable Judith Lucy – is heading to town with her Nothing Fancy tour. Expect comedy with no frills but plenty of big laughs, covering everything from cockroaches to terrariums. Never one to bite her tongue, Lucy has a quick wit and isn’t afraid to use it. Catch her doing what she does best at the Octagon Theatre at UWA from Thursday, July 26, ’til Sunday, July 29. Bookings via BOCS.

The Reef (Photo: Taylor Miller)

THE REEF

Sounds Of The Sea

Open House Program 2012

The Australian Chamber Orchestra (ACO) and Tura New Music present The Reef, a unique combination of music and film inspired by surf, sea, and Ningaloo Reef, at the Perth Concert Hall on Wednesday, July 18. Bookings can be made through BOCS.

OPEN ISLAND

Most West Aussies have visited Rottnest before but few of us know about the island’s rich architectural history, which is where the Open House Program 2012 comes in. Launching on June 28, the program will take visitors to the island inside historic buildings that are rarely open to the public, shedding light on the fascinating history of each structure. The program runs from 11am-3pm from June 28-July 1, June 26-29 and August 9-12. For more information hit up enquiries@rottnestisland.com or call (08) 9372 9732.

Perth Fashion Festival 2011

BACKSTAGE PASS SEA CHANGE

One of WA’s most loved annual art exhibitions, Sculpture By The Sea returns to Cottesloe Beach in March next year, with a whopping 250,000 visitors expected to attend the event. Organisers of the large-scale open air exhibition are currently on the hunt for artists who want to have their work showcased as part Sculpture By The Sea 2013, which will take place over three weeks in the peak of summer. Interested artists can apply to be involved by hitting up sculpturebythesea.com or emailing lucy@sculpturebythesea.com before Friday, July 27.

If you have a passion for fashion and want to find out exactly what goes on behind-the-scenes at the Perth Fashion Festival then you’re in luck, because PFF has put the call out to stylish guys and gals who want to volunteer at their world class event in September. With opportunities to work front of house and backstage, PFF volunteers will get to experience all aspects of the fashion events industry, playing a crucial role in making sure everything runs smoothly. If you are available between September 19-25, have a good work ethic and aren’t afraid of a challenge, email volunteer@perthfashionfestival.com.au with a cover letter and resume before June 30.

The Reef is a different project. Born of the love ACO musical director Richard Tognetti holds for both surf and music, it tells a story of sand, surfing, and sea in a sublime combination of Ningaloo Reef footage and music from all walks of life. Tos Mahony, artistic director of Tura New Music, Steve Pigram, Indigenous musician, and Iain Grandage, Australian composer, all had their say how The Reef came about. Each perspective was different yet all started with the same testament:‘we’re more likely to drown than surf’. Iain Grandage: “So Richard Tognetti, the head of the Australian Chamber Orchestra and the leader of ACO2, is a keen surfer, well he has two great passions – one is music and one is surfing, and finding ways to join those two into some type of magnificent baby is a long time passion of his. “There’s some old Steve Pigram songs and he’s also written some new songs for the project, and I’ve written a piece in collaboration with Mark Atkins on didgeridoo so that there’s 12 string players and a didgeridoo, in addition to the film footage. But in addition to the stuff we’re creating Richard himself

has written some music which reflects the experience of surfing, but then there’s Bach and Beethoven, and Alice In Chains arranged for strings, with some of the surfers who are up there at Narloo Reef, they’re coming on tour with us singing.” Steve Pigram:“We just sort of spent a week at Ningaloo Reef sitting around sitting around the fire! The Australian Chamber Orchestra – some of them surf – but I don’t surf. I was just there enjoying the scenery which I hadn’t seen before, even though I’m from WA. So it was more of a chance to sit around and, I guess I showed them a couple of songs and that. It was a pretty isolating place – beautiful sort of wild country to the ocean. It’s a whole heap of different artists coming together on a unique kind of project.” Tos Mahony: “All those things started to blend into creating a new project, with people who knew Ningaloo, and knew the surf there. I was keen that Steve was involved in this tour – not only did I see the obvious connection between his work and the ACO, but also that there was that element of regional Indigenous artistry.” “Tura has a fairly well-developed regional program, and one of them is this annual pilgrimage [in this case to Ningaloo Reef], with a different program each year and different artists. It’s about taking new Australian compositions to the regions, and there’s also a strong agenda of taking Indigenous content to the region. So that’s happening every year and it’s something that we’re very passionate about and it’s something that’s very dear to my heart.” _LEAH BLANKENDAAL

Margaret Polisse

POLISSE

Parisian Procedural Directed by Maiwen Starring Maiwen, Joeystarr, Frederic Pierrot, Marina Fois, Karin Viard, Emmanuelle Bercot Actor-turned-filmmaker Maiwenn (The Professional, High Tension) directs, co-writes, and co-stars in this gritty and gripping look at the battle against systemic child abuse in contemporary Paris. Maiwenn plays Melissa, a photographer who is assigned to shadow the Parisian police’s Child Protection unit as part of a publicity stunt. At first treated with suspicion and more than a little contempt by the team, she is soon embroiled in both their personal lives, and their never-ending battle against a seemingly limitless horde of paedophiles, rapists, abusive parents, and slippery bureaucrats. As a director, Maiwenn adopts a pseudodocumentary, fly-on-the-wall approach. Polisse is driven by character and theme, rather than plot; there is no main villain, no overarching storyline, no strong redemption or resolution in the final act; only the soul-crushing, workaday hell of dealing with the worst excesses than modern French culture has to offer. In press interviews, Maiwenn has said that the individual cases in the film are based on actual events that she witnessed while researching the film with the real-life CPU, a claim which is both shocking and all too believable. Even on a case by case basis, we get no catharsis from seeing the unit’s collars get 22

prosecuted; we’re on to the next case, never learning if the arrestees are successfully prosecuted or not. The ensemble cast all bring their A game, balancing the harrowing nature of the film’s milieu with nuanced portrayals of bruised but warm humanity. French rapper Joeystarr is a standout as the driven, vitriolic Fred, a family man whose dedication to the job has ironically taken a toll on his own home life, while Frederic Perrot, recently seen in the medical drama Declaration Of War, gives an typically avuncular performance as unit commander Baloo, who is tortured by the necessity of balancing the moral imperatives of catching sex offenders with the political realities of his job. Occasionally the film lapses into melodrama as it tries to articulate its own sense of outrage and moral anger, but though that’s a failing, it’s an entirely understandable one. For the most part, Maiwenn shows commendable restraint in showing as an endless parade of atrocities without ever descending into exploitation or titillation. In fact, it’s that treatment of such horrors as mundane - even banal - that lends the film its gravitas. Polisse has been frequently compared to the magisterial television series The Wire, and while that’s a pretty pat critique, it’s also a fair one, in that both works share a cynical view of human institutions, while retaining a hopeful attitude to humanity itself. It’s those two seemingly contradictory drives that make the film such a compelling experience. While it’s by no means for everyone, those with the stomach for it will find it unforgettable. _TRAVIS JOHNSON

MARGARET Flower of Youth

Directed by Kenneth Lonergan Starring Anna Paquin, Mark Ruffalo, Matt Damon, Kieran Culkin, Matthew Broderick, J. SmithCameron, Jeannie Berlin, Jean Reno Writer/director Kenneth Lonergan’s meditation on guilt, blame, and the transition into adulthood was shot way back in 2005, but a tangled behind-thescenes fight over the film’s length kept it from our screens. Now here it is, and though it clocks in at an impressive two and a half hours, even that is a significantly truncated version of Lonergan’s original vision. Anyone spending that much time on a topic better have something important to say. So does he? Well, yes, emphatically so. Even though it is clear that many of the film’s subplots have suffered in the editing suite, Margaret remains a masterful, compelling work. The story follows the exploits of Lisa Cohen (Anna Paquin), a wealthy, somewhat sheltered, 17 year old New Yorker, as she negotiates her path out of adolescence. Her insular, largely consequence-free world is shattered when she is involved in - arguably responsible for - a traffic accident which results in the death of a stranger (The West Wing’s Allison Janney in a short but incredibly powerful cameo). Wrestling with her own feelings of guilt and incredulous that no blame is being assigned for the woman’s death, she embarks on a crusade to see Jason Berstone (Mark ‘The Hulk’ Ruffalo), the driver of the bus involved in the accident, pay for his alleged crimes. On paper it all sounds pretty straight

forward, but Lonergan astutely populates Lisa’s world with a large number of textured characters, all seeking connection and absolution in their own ways. Her actress mother, Joan (J. Smith-Cameron, wife of Lonergan), seeks companionship form the wealthy but lonely Ramon (Jean Reno); her teacher, John Van Tassel (Matthew Broderick), struggles to connect with the students in his literature class; Emily (Jeannie Berlin), best friend to the dead woman, wrestles with her own grief even as she acknowledges that, at her age, death is no longer the shocking tragedy it was in her youth. In developing such a varied web of relationships, Lonergan his themes from the specific to the universal in a way that is sure to resonate with every audience member. Anchoring it all is Paquin’s nuanced portrayal of Lisa. In lesser hands, the character could have come across as thoroughly unlikeable, and in truth there are more than a few moments when Lisa’s narcissistic worldview borders on the loathsome, but that’s kind of the point; we’re watching someone develop the emotional skills necessary to be a functional human being in the most painful and traumatic way, and Paquin’s work ensures that it is never less than a thoroughly arresting experience. Though at times a bit woolly and scattered - likely a result of the tortuous post-production process - Margaret is a compelling and thoughtful examination of both the cost and necessity of empathy, and as such is one of the most provocative and interesting films in recent memory. _TRAVIS JOHNSON X-Press – First on the street, Wednesdays

Snow White And The Huntsman

SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN All’s Fair In Love And War

Directed by Rupert Sanders Starring Kristen Stewart, Charlize Theron, Chris Hemsworth It’s easy to roll your eyes at the endless fairy-tale “reimaginings” Hollywood thrusts upon us each year, but not even the credited authors of many of them, the Brothers Grimm, could claim them as original works. No, stories of lore are but a never-ending game of Chinese whispers, passed down through time from one raconteur to another, each adding their own personal flair to the fable. In Snow White And The Huntsman, the whisperer is young British director Rupert Sanders, and although his account of Snow White isn’t about to be crowned the fairest of them all, a vibrant visual palate ensures it’s no bad apple either. In a 15 minute cliff notes introduction, we’re quickly, and yet slowly, introduced to the reactionary Snow White (Kristen Stewart) as a child. After the death of her sickly mother and the murder of her father she’s banished to a jail cell by the evil queen, the bird hearteating Ravenna (Charlize Theron). More than 100 years old, the viciously vain Ravenna keeps her good looks by literally sucking the life out of pretty young girls. To her, Snow White (famed across throughout the lands for her beauty) is a prize above all others. When Ravenna learns through her mirror that Snow White (who has now come of age) is now the fairest in the land, she orders her brother (Sam Spruell) to kill her. Snow White manages to escape, but since her village has been ravaged by Ravenna’s dark army, she is

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forced to flee into the dark forest. Knowing that Snow White’s heart is needed to remain eternally young, Ravenna enlists the help of Eric, a widowed huntsman (Chris Hemsworth), with the promise that if he succeeds in finding Snow White, his wife will be brought back to life. The huntsman is quick to locate Snow White in the dark forest, but learns that he has been tricked by the queen and so agrees to help Snow White overthrow the throne, though he is still unaware of her true identity. As their journey progresses they eventually enlist the help of a band of dwarves (played by a veritable who’s who of British acting royalty, including Bob Hoskins, Ian McShane, Nick Frost and Toby Jones). Snow White has never been a children’s story and Grimm’s fantasy plays better as an adult hallucination, which is how Sanders rather brilliantly interprets it until a pointless third act flies off the rails. After spending two hours developing an intriguing story, it then dissolves it in routine and boring action. Why does Snow White have to end with an action sequence? Characters not rich enough? Story run out? Or is it that executives, not trusting their artists and timid in the face of real stories, demand an action climax as insurance? Insurance of what? That the story will have a beginning and a middle but nothing so tedious as an ending? Still, to say that Sanders doesn’t bring any flavour to the familiar would be to discount Snow White’s gorgeous mise-en-scène, from the majestic and painterly sets to the wonderfully ostentatious costumes. Yet for all its clever design, beguiling creatures and A-list actors, in the end, the film feels far more conventional than it should. _JENNIFER PETERSON-WARD

POLES APART WA’s fittest and most flexible pole dancers made their way to the Convention Centre on Saturday, June 23, to battle it out for a spot in the grand final of Miss Pole Dance Australia. Fifteen professional pole dancers competed for the coveted title, with the lovely Ruby scoring herself a spot at the Sydney final on November 10. Good luck Ruby!

PICASSO TO WARHOL: 14 MODERN MASTERS Iconic Art Skye & Champayne

Photographs by Courtney McAllister

Garret, Christine, Danica & Salvatore

Hayley, Sam & Alice

Lisa, Nicole, Vicki & Georgie

Ashleigh, Jye & Rienna

Larissa, Ashleigh, Kira & Rebecca

Picasso To Warhol: 14 Modern Masters is on show at the Art Gallery Of WA until Monday, December 3. More information can be found at picassotowarhol.artgallery.wa.gov.au. We’ve all seen iconic works such as Andy Warhol’s Campbell’s Soup Cans and Pablo Picasso’s Painter And Model reproduced on a small scale in text books and on the internet, but nothing beats viewing these and other genre-defining creations in the flesh. Thanks to an unprecedented partnership between the Art Gallery Of WA and the Museum Of Modern Art, New York, WA art fans have been gifted the rare opportunity to get up close and personal with some of modern art’s most influential works with Picasso To Warhol: 14 Modern Masters. After much preparation, this landmark exhibition is now open to the public, and Art Gallery of WA Project Curator Robert Cook couldn’t be happier about how the show is being received. “You have a million meetings and there’s all this preparation and planning and so to see people walking through the door looking at stuff is pretty amazing,” Cook explains while watching visitors file into the gallery. When asked which works are attracting the largest crowds thus far, Cook reveals that Picasso’s Painter And Model appears to be the main drawcard. “People are directly drawn to that because of its primary colours; it sums up what the show’s about. We have a few video pieces in the show such as Ballet Mécanique by Fernand Léger and there was a crowd around it which is absolutely amazing for a 1945 experimental film – people were so captivated by it. Pieces that stretch people’s mind conceptually seem to be crowd favourites.” Other pieces that seem to be resonating strongly with visitors to the exhibition include Trafalgar Square by Piet Mondrian, one of Cook’s personal favourites. “That was the first picture we hung and that moment has stayed with me. I had

Henri Matisse (French, 1869-1954) Interior with a Violin Case Nice, winter 1918-19 Oil on canvas 28 3/4 x 23 5/8” (73 x 60 cm) The Museum of Modern Art, New York Lillie P. Bliss Collection © Succession H. Matisse / Licensed by Viscopy

seen it reproduced but when you see it in person it’s amazingly electric. Where the black grids join there’s these throbbing white orbs, it’s an optical illusion, and it makes it seem like it’s alive. In the flesh the works are incredible, they’re truly mind blowing. Getting Andy Warhol’s Screen Tests up and just seeing how enticing it is as a piece – with all these famous figures hovering in front of you – it’s really beautiful. “What’s significant about that is the density of the exhibition. It’s not just one or two pieces by each artist, it’s a considerable amount. Someone like Mondrian you can track the beginnings of his practice to where he ended up; with Picasso you get a snapshot of him moving through his various phases; so you get a good understanding of what these artists were about rather than just one or two pieces that speak on their behalf.” _EMMA BERGMEIER

X-Press – First on the street, Wednesdays

Sacred Gardens For The Blind: Perth Centre For Photography, Northbridge Patricia Casey’s exhibition Scented Gardens For The Blind displays her artistic creativity in the form of black and white photographic prints on cotton, with embroidered details of metallic threads, and handmade lace. These works are firmly embedded in the tradition of photography forming a partnership with high end Kaleidoscope: Claremont Quarter, Claremont A self-taught artist, David Bromley has emerged as digital imaging and old world crafts. Runs Jun 28-Jul 29. one of the most recognisable and innovative painters in Australia. He has fostered widespread acclaim and Magnesium Light: John Curtin Gallery, Curtin notoriety both nationally and internationally and University, Bentley has been a finalist in the prestigious Archibald Prize Magnesium Light is a two-part video project by six times. With a view to seeing the world through experimental media artist Dennis Del Favero which different eyes, the exclusive Western Australian investigates the interrelationship between war and exhibition titled Kaleidoscope encapsulates a fun, identity. In the provocative You And I, Del Favero explores events around the infamous Abu Ghraib photographs joyous and playful vibe. Runs ’til Jul 12. from Baghdad of 2006. Australian-born Del Favero is At Her Majesty’s Pleasure 2011: Turner Galleries, an internationally-recognised artist and academic who has exhibited throughout Australia and Europe. Runs Northbridge Debra Dawes has earned the reputation as one of ’til Aug 5. Australia’s finest contemporary abstract painters. On the surface it appears that her new series of paintings Suburblia And Other Exotic Locales: Elements Art have taken a sharp change of direction, gone are Gallery, Dalkeith the hard edge patterns of recent years, replaced by Suburblia And Other Exotic Locales is Bryan Bulley’s carefully reproduced excerpts from hand written first-time showing to a Perth audience. The established letters. Her new series, At Her Majesty’s Pleasure 2011, Darwin-based artist lives and works in the Northern is based on a series of letters received from a young Territory, where he has been exhibiting his paintings for man incarcerated for 18 months. Debra has known over two decades. Bulley’s new body of work captures this young man since his birth, and she’d seen him imagery of an Australian suburbia we all recognise, but get into some real trouble in his teenage years, can not quite put our finger on. His landscapes and resulting in a prison sentence in 2010 when in his suburb-scapes are not based in the reality of Darwin, early 20s. In reproducing his words, including the but echo aspects of an imaginary utopian Australia. grammar, acronyms and prison slang, and using his Runs Jun 28-Jul 15. handwriting style, Debra draws us into his daily life. Runs ’til Jul 21.

VISUAL ARTS

IHART @ The Claremont Hotel, Claremont Af ter raising a whopping $6000 in five hours for the Heart Foundation last year, IHART returns triumphantly in 2012, this time rallying behind the Make A Wish Foundation. IHART II will feature a force of local, national and international artists who have volunteered their skills to customise a series of Crystal Skull Vodka bottles and skate decks, and have donated prints and original pieces. All of their awesome creations will be on sale on the night of the event, with every cent raised going straight to the Make A Wish Foundation. Exhibition takes place this Friday, June 29, from 7-12pm.

IHART by Matt Redway

New York First Day by Kathryn Sprigg New York Stories: Moore’s Building, Fremantle Perth photographer Kathryn Sprigg celebrates the frenetic pace of New York City with her latest show New York Stories. This major solo exhibition comprises over 25 large scale photographic images, each paying homage to the city that never sleeps. The artist expertly captures the iconic, world-famous imagery of NYC: soaring sky-scrapers, brash billboards and canary-coloured taxis. But more than this, she explores beauty in the everyday, fixating on the simple things: a crumpled bed sheet, a coffee shop window or an art deco skyline in the rain. Runs til Jul 8.

THEATRE/DANCE Black As Michael Jackson… And Other Identity Monologues: Blue Room Theatre, Northbridge Presented by Yirra Yaakin, Black As Michael Jackson… And Other Identity Monologues is a raw, emotional and at times irreverent look at race and what it’s like to actually want to be proud of identifying as Aboriginal. This first time collaboration between emerging writer Michelle White and Noongar Radio drive announcer Karla Hart (co-writer and performer) will see the pair draw on their own real life experiences for the variety of monologues. Runs Jun 21-Jul 7. Bookings via blueroom.org.au. Summer Of The Seventeenth Doll: Roundhouse Theatre, WAPPA, Mt Lawley Since its premiere in Melbourne in 1955, Ray Lawler’s Summer Of The Seventeenth Doll has become one of the pillars of our national theatre, hailed by theatre historians as one of the most significant of all Australian dramas. It was one of the first ‘naturalistic’ theatre productions in this country to attempt to convey Australian life, and the story has an enduring rapport with audiences. Presented by the WA Academy of Performing Arts, Summer Of The Seventeenth Doll explores the nature of happiness, the pursuit of idealism and the struggle to accept change. Runs Jun 15-23. Bookings via (08) 9370 6636 or waapa.ecu.edu.au. The School For Wives: State Theatre Centre, Northbridge A beguiling comedy filled to the brim with witty repartee, hilariously misguided decisions and a delightful feeling that we should all just relax and have a wine, The School For Wives is the story of an man with a problem. He wants desperately to get married but is afraid that a smart woman will cheat on him. His ingenious solution? Enlist the help of a local convent to raise a girl so stupidly innocent that she won’t know the first thing about cheating – let alone the last. In his mind she will be ever-faithful. The perfect wife. Or is she? Runs Jul 11-14. Bookings via BOCS. www.xpressmag.com.au

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

LOGISTICS fear not UK DJ and producer Matt Gresham, aka Logistics, never intended to head down the path he has. Now signed to Hospital Records like his brother Dan Nu:Tone, Matt Gresham is one of the hottest names in drum’n’bass. ANNABEL MACLEAN chats with Cambridgebased lad about his new record Fear Not and his journey since signing to Hospital. Matt Gresham never intended to become a DJ and producer. Although he’s gotten used to the career path he’s headed down, he says it’s still not in his nature to put his hands up in the air and jump around behind the decks when he’s smashing out beats at a gig. “I’m still not the most animated DJ behind the decks but it depends on the gig really, I think I’m less shy than when I first started out but I don’t really jump around or throw my hands in the air unless it really feels natural to do so,” he says down the line from his home in Cambridge where he’s currently sorting visa paperwork and getting new earplug impressions done. “Most of the time I’m focusing on the task at hand. I’ve always felt that it should be about what’s coming out of the speakers and not so much about me; the music is the important thing as far as I’m concerned.” In fact, since signing to Tony Colman’s highly successful, independent drum’n’bass label Hospital Records a good seven years ago, Gresham hasn’t looked back. “It was all a bit of a whirlwind to start with to be honest although there were lots of stand out points; I particularly remember the Hospital nights at Heaven in London being moments where I stood back and struggled to take it all in; also playing in random parts of the world like Siberia and Okinawa in Japan made me realise how far my music had travelled,” he says, talking of his musical journey so far.

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“It’s been great working with them [Hospital Records], I work closely with all of the people involved in the label and I know it sounds cliché but there is a real family vibe between everyone,” he says. “As far as memorable gigs go, it’s really difficult to pick just one or two but some of my favourites have been the Hospitality nights at both Matter [Nightclub] and Brixton Academy which both happen in London.” Although Hospital Records has played an important part in Gresham’s musical journey in the drum’n’bass scene, he says his brother Dan has played a part as well.“I’ve always looked up to Dan in that he was into production quite a while before I was so I was always trying to gain knowledge from him about how to go about actually creating music,” he says. “I have to take credit for introducing him to drum’n’bass though as he was abroad in the US when I discovered it. I used to make mixtapes of my favourite tunes from that era and send them over to him. From that point on we both used to spend pretty much all our time hunting down new tunes or going out to hear DJs play, we were both completely hooked.” Having released several tracks and three records on Hospital already, Gresham has just unleashed his fourth studio album Fear Not on the label, one of his most ambitious projects to date. With a title which was intended to “not scare away fans”, Fear Not sees Gresham switch to a completely new studio set up and is more vocal based. “I completely switched up the way I was working as I felt I’d hit a bit of a brick wall with my last studio set up,” he says. “This time around I was using Ableton primarily with a bit of rewiring using Reason 4. I then used a few hardware synths such as a Prophet 08, a Moog and a Juno 6 as well as some smaller synths like the Monotribe. I was also using things like the Moogerfooger pedals which I’m in love with as well as various other guitar pedals alongside hardware reverbs, delays and compressors.” The album artwork for Fear Not is inspired by Gresham’s father who is screen-printer. Showcasing a pop-art theme, the artwork is surprising yet deliciously pleasant on the eye. “He’s [Gresham’s father] been a screen-printer for his entire life so I’ve always grown up around art,” he says. “He didn’t do the artwork but the way the album looks is definitely down to his influence. I hadn’t necessarily decided that the pop art theme was something I was after when writing the album it just kind of came about naturally.” With the release of Fear Not and Gresham’s hectic touring schedule, he says future productions, collaborations and remixes are on hold for the moment. “It’s hard to say as I haven’t really had too much time to get in the studio lately,” he says. “I’ve

HOLY HOLY

XXX Brookes Brothers

BROTHERS IN ARMS

More like brothers in beats yo! That’s right folks, just in case you haven’t already heard, UK drum’n’bass maestros Brookes Brothers are coming to town. Having established themselves as one of the A-list production power-houses in the scene at the moment, these guys have been smashing it. Signed exclusively by Breakbeat Kaos in 2007, it was their debut single Hard Knocks/ Mistakes which saw them garner support from the likes of Andy C, Grooverider, Zane Lowe, Pete Tong and more. They’ve collaborated with Culture Shock and Danny Byrd and have remixed the likes of Norman Cook and Chase & Status. The lads play Villa alongside dubstep young gun BARE on Friday, July 20. Tickets are $30 plus booking fee, hit up Moshtix.

Logistics managed to do a few studio sessions with both of my brothers - Nu:Tone and Other Echoes so I’m sure they’ll surface at some point. “In terms of touring, I’m obviously over in Australia and New Zealand at the beginning of July and I’m also doing a mini tour of South Africa later in the year which is somewhere I’ve never played so I can’t wait for that. Towards the end of the year there’s another big tour lined up with some of the other Hospital artists but I’m not sure if I’m allowed to say any more than that at this stage.” Although we’d love to hear more about the big Hospital tour, Gresham’s gig at Shape shortly is where it’s at. “Over the next few weeks I’m hoping to get in the studio so that I can do a few specials for the tour,” he says. “I still have plenty of my own unreleased music that nobody has heard so I may bring some of that with me as well. I guess the best way to find out is to come to the gig!”

» LOGISTICS » FRIDAY, JULY 6 @ SHAPE

SUPER SUNDAY PARTY Sarah & Samantha

Min & Ermeira

Andrew & Emma

Katcha, Ben, Anna & Jamison Douglas & Ben

Kyle & Adri

Paper Chain are putting on a night for scratching enthusiasts. If you’ve ever been into turntablism or are an avid user of the cutting method then this might be for you. Grab your record artillery, some beverages and head on down to Fat Shan Records this Saturday, June 30, for a super scratch session and basic break down of scratching for those who are willing to learn or those with interest. It’ll be a night to catch up with like-minded peeps about town. It’s $5 on the door and what’s even better, it’s BYO. If you’d like to head along, email info@paperchainpeople.com and get on down from 8pm.

Wooshie

RECORD RELEASE PARTY

Four producers from the east coast and three of Perth’s finest will be taking over The Bakery on Saturday, July 14. Melbourne-based producer Dylan Michel, aka Wooshie, will be launching his debut EP Boyfriend Material (make sure you read this week’s edition of Salt to find out all about him). Having attracted the ears of international listeners Matthewdavid, Gaslamp Killer and Ras G, Wooshie is a total dude. Sydney solo artist and producer Outerwaves will be bringing his nostalgic psychedelia to the gig, Andras Fox will be launching his Daydreaming mini LP. Local lad James Ireland will also be bringing his textured beats to the show. Tickets are $10 on the door.

Robyn plays Parklife 2012

FOR MUSIC HEADS AND DANCING FEET

That’s right guys, general tickets for Parklife 2012 go on sale next Tuesday, July 3, from 12pm midday AEST. They’re $138 plus booking fee. Parklife hits Wellington Square on Monday, October 1 (Queen’s Birthday long weekend). Get pumped!

BLOOD CURDLING BEATS

Club Scene photos (Photos by Courtney McAllister)

SCRATCH PAD

RINSKI

Sugar Sundays East End Bar Sunday, June 17, 2012 The East End Bar & Lounge launched Freo’s first gay and lesbian friendly Sunday session last Sunday night. DJs Timbee and WasteLand were pumping out beats from behind the decks while everyone got their $12 cocktails on.

Sydney dance outfit Holy Balm have been per forming on the outsk ir ts of Sydney ’s underground music and arts scene and have shared the stage with bands like Total Control, Black Dice, The Boredoms and Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti. With a batch of independent releases behind them, it was their debut 7” which saw them support a string of international artists and embark on their own national tour in 2011. They’re about to release their debut record It’s You and to celebrate, they’ll be performing alongside local act Mental Powers on Saturday, August 11, at PICA Bar. It’s $15 on the door from 8pm. Get on down.

Georgia & Matt

Local hard dance DJ and producer Ryan Weddell, aka Rinski, is one of the residents for Perth’s new hard dance, trance, drum’n’bass, tech trance (and more) night Electrified which launches this weekend. ANNABEL MACLEAN chats with the local lad about growing up in England and getting into the hard dance scene. Ryan Weddell is a massive fan of the horror movie series Saw. He’s watched all seven of the films and even samples bits from some of the movies in his soon-to-be released hard dance banger on Chemical Solutions, There Will Be Blood. Having grown up in England, Weddell was immersed in the hard dance scene from a young age but it wasn’t until roughly two and a half years ago when he made the leap from being “always into music but never really involved with it” to DJing and producing. “I got into the music when I was about 10 years old when I was living in England,” he says of the hard dance scene. “I was born in Oxford but I lived up in Durham up towards the north of England. It was basically happy hardcore which I listened to back then which was kind of a popular thing at school and then I got more into the trance side of things. We used to go to a regular, all ages disco sort of thing. “I moved over to Australia when I was 12 and everybody was listening to punk and rock and I was sort of the outcast in the music scene so pretty much until about two and a half years ago, I never went to any [hard dance] gigs because I had no one to go with.” Weddell met his sister’s boyfriend who was a DJ at Rise and his life did a bit of a turnaround. He entered Rise’s Bedroom To Bigroom DJ Competition roughly two and a bit years ago and, although he didn’t take out the winning title, he began getting booked to play numerous hard dance club nights and events. He took up residencies at We Like It Hard and Alpha 6 and went on to support international and national artists including Ben Stevens, Tommy Pulse, Nomad, Steve Hill and other big players in the scene. He’s been involved with the Dominate nights and now, he’s taking up a residency at Perth’s freshest hard dance crossover night Electrified. “I think it’s going to be really big too,” he says, excitedly.

Rinski “Damien’s [Blaze, DJ, producer, organiser] onto a good thing. He’s obviously blending the genres so there’s some drum’n’bass, trance and stuff in there as well rather than just all hard dance. I think that’s sort of the problem with hard dance is that a lot of people don’t get to hear the music so they don’t know about it so mixing it up a bit like that will help.” Weddell says he’ll be mixing it up in his set on the night too. “I’m going to go for a big set with probably a bit more melodic and vocal tracks rather than sort of dark and nasty,” he says. “Not more commercial and cheesy but a bit more crowd pleasing sort of music.” And, as if all this isn’t enough, Weddell has three hard dance tracks to be released within the next six months – Let The Bass Go on Digitally Infected, Golden Age on HiFish Digital and There Will Be Blood on Chemical Solutions. “I’d love to do an album or an EP but I don’t think I have enough time at the minute,” he says, laughing. “Each track I probably spend 50 or 60 hours on… time is definitely an issue with full time work.”

» » » »

RINSKI ELECTRIFIED SATURDAY, JUNE 30 @ GILKISONS SATURDAY, JULY 14 @ DUSK, JOONDALUP X-Press – First on the street, Wednesdays

WOOSHIE

LESS SAYS MORE Melbourne based beat-maker Dylan Michel, aka Wooshie, has just released his debut EP Boyfriend Material. The chilled out DJ and producer has been running This Thing, a collective home to the likes of Perth’s own James Ireland and Sydney producer Rainbow Chan. ANNABEL MACLEAN chats with the lad who has been “smoking pot every day for the last 10 years” of his life. Boyfriend Material is “a bit of a joke” according to Dylan Michel. “It’s just taking the piss out of myself,” he says down the line from his home in Brunswick where he’s currently living on a diet of juice and smoothies to get over the dreaded flu. Put together in a month (along with many other songs), Michel says the EP – and his sound in general – is about “trying to say a lot by using as minimal elements as possible”. “Basically anything to avoid vocals on my tracks just because I’d rather get those ideas across with sounds. A lot of it is simple and just really raw ideas,” he says. Based around relationships, the cover for the cassettes and artwork for the EP contains a pretty hilarious picture of Michel’s father sitting on a couch smiling. With luscious long locks and an engaging smile, it’s a smattering of awkwardness fused with humour. “I’m not really close to my dad or anything but I have crazy respect for him,” he says. “He’s an Oscar-winning cinematographer and a workaholic. I guess I have that sort of similar blind motivation. “I’ve been smoking pot every day for the last 10 years and I find it keeps me motivated. I do a lot with my time. Often it’s an internal battle like ‘I wish I didn’t have this vice, is it bad? Is it affecting my health?’ but I’ve kind of gotten over that complex and just accepted that it’s part of who I am… I had this perception that I was a vague, stoner beat-maker and then I realised I had this other skill set to use.” Aside from being a DJ and producer, the skill set which Michel talks of includes running the collective

Wooshie This Thing. Having started up roughly a year ago as a Google group that a bunch of similar, likeminded artists used to communicate through, Michel took it a step further and formed a collective.“There’s a whole bunch of us who are beat-makers, broadcasters and DJs, just people who are interested in music, and a lot of us were coming up and doing some interesting stuff and we all had a similar taste so we figured if we joined forces then we could probably do a lot of stuff,” he says. During the creation of This Thing, Michel was booking a late night venue called the Buffalo Club. “It enabled This Thing to have a platform because we had that monthly,” he says. Michel says This Thing has been really lucky in Australia in terms of recognition and opportunities and their aim is to now reach out overseas. “We’re going to America in July and we’re going to play some shows over there and we’re going to try and speak to some people and crew in terms of distribution,” he says. Michel has come a long way since dropping out of his composition course at WAAPA (“I was mainly only studying because my girlfriend at the time was studying at the same institution as me and I didn’t have much else to do. It was a really good course but I just found myself making less music than I would normally”) and Boyfriend Material is just one collection of tunes which he plans on releasing this year. “I’ve got another EP following which will be four tracks in July,” he says. “I’m really going to be doing a whole retrospective I guess, a whole bunch of music I made when I was like 16.”

» » » »

WOOSHIE BOYFRIEND MATERIAL [THIS THING] OUT NOW SATURDAY, JULY 14 @ THE BAKERY

YUNG WARRIORS

FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH Indigenous hip hop duo Yung Warriors are hard at work. Tjimba Possum-Burns says that he and his brother-in-beats D-Boy completed about 70 interviews in just the last day or so. They’ve just begun their own first national tour in celebration of the release of their record Standing Strong. ZOE RADAS chats with Burns about the record out now. Experimenting with different genres was something Yung Warriors, the Aussie hip hop sibling duo, wanted to do with Standing Strong, their sophomore record. “We make the beats straight out because I’ve played all sorts of music; guitar, keyboards,” Burns explains. “I can do a lot of stuff with guitar. I play a lot of Led Zeppelin, metal stuff, all the old school jazz, Larry Carlton and all those guys. And I took that in [to the studio].” One of the stand-out tracks from the album, Black Deaths In Custody, contains some pretty impressive and extravagant scratching, which came about from producer Momo’s input.“He got a couple of people in to work on it, like a flute player, and one of his DJs to do the scratching,” he beams. The album has a definite arc to it. Beginning with Black Deaths and Standing Strong, it moves from this specific kind of social commentary to some beautiful rhymes about kinship through an indigenous lens, such as on Family Love and Childhood Days. It’s these tunes which are particularly compelling, showing a real insight into the duo’s formative years and what it’s been like for them moving between, and attempting to enmesh, two facets of their lives in Australia. When the subject of the anthemic Standing Strong video clip comes up, Burn’s peaceful manner becomes animated. It’s a brilliant video with several young kids rapping and gesticulating along www.xpressmag.com.au

Yung Warriors with the Warriors.“That’s all our little family!,” he says, enthusiastically. “That’s D-Boy’s little sis and stepbrothers. That’s what we thought with these clips; the album is sort of family orientated. So we thought we’d get our mob in. Especially when we went to Alice [Springs, where Warriors are originally from], we went straight to all our mob. They’re loving it.” The overriding message which the Warriors try to impart to their young audience is to be resilient when obstacles are put in their way and that dreams are paramount. “It may be complicated but just grab it: grab the opportunity,” Burns explains. This idea rings true on a sample in track six of the album, Hold On, when a mature male’s voice declares “We don’t try and explain it: we live our spirituality; we live our dreaming.” Besides hitting the road for their Standing Strong tour, the Warriors have had a busy 2012 to date. A few months ago, they played a number of gigs for Survival Day. “That day’s really busy for us; we did a lot,” he says.“My father, he’s a guitarist, and I do a lot of stuff for [his band] as well.” Burns’ father Selwyn Burns (Mixed Relations, Blackfire) encouraged the boys in their youth to play instruments live and also accompany him on stage. “I love the band stuff and working with other people; helping them out,” Burns says. Mentioning performing with his uncle, he starts a deep chuckle: “What’s so funny about him is, he forgets his lyrics and he forgets the music, so we come in and we’re like ‘here, here it is!’. You’ve got to help the old fellas out too ‘cause we’re family. Building that empire, you know.”

» YUNG WARRIORS » STANDING STRONG [PAYBACK RECORDS/ SHOCK] » OUT NOW 29

X RATED FT BLOKHE4D

WEDNESDAY 27/06 Captain Stirling – Fiveo Clancy’s (Applecross) – Upbeat – DJ Andy Connections – DJs Joby /JJ /Rueben Eurobar – Wild Wednesdays - DJ iPod/ Ben Pettit Flying Scotsman – UniQue DJs/ DJ Bones/ DJ Moflow Flying Scotsman (Defectors) – Beaufort Bop ft DJ Anton Maz Gold Bar–DJ Adroc Hipe Club – DJ Roger Smart Leederville Hotel – We Love Wednesdays ft DJ Slick Metro Freo - Rapture Mustang – DJ Giles Newport – Newport Wednesdays Sovereign Arms – Josh Tiley The Deen - DJ Zelimer/ DJ Viper/ DJ Benny/ T– Zone 1 The Queens – Wriggle on YaYa’s - DJ Agent 85/ Dr Zaius

THURSDAY 28/06 Blvd Tavern – DJ Andy Clancy’s (Canning Bridge) - DJ Wrighteous Claremont Hotel- DJ Double Dee/ Jimmy Thorne/ Matt & Millie Club Marakesh – DJ Simon

AMBAR

Cottesloe Hotel – DJ Shots/ DJ Andy M Empire Bar – Halo/ DJ Bojan/ DJ Ben Sebastian Eve – DJ Tony Allen Flawless - DJ Zelimir/ DJ Minna Flying Scotsman – Cowboys & Indie Kids DJs Leopold Hotel – DJ Riki/ Roger Smart Library - Dorcia Llama Bar – DJ Maxwell/ EMAS/ Lukas Wimler Mint Nightclub – DJ Simon Barwood Mt Henry Tavern - DJ Matty J Mullaloo Beach Hotel - DJ John Paul/ DJ Slick Mustang – DJ James Paramount – DJ Johnny Boi/ DJ Jordan Players Bar – MASH South St – DJ Castasia/ Dpad Swinging Pig – DJ Simon The Avenue – Jon Ee The Carine Tavern – Punchy & Juicy/ Little Nicky The Causeway – EMAS DJs The Craftsman – Roger Smart The Deen – DJ Flex/ DJ Nano/ DJ Surge/ DJ Don Migi The East End Bar - The Prestige ft Az-T The Queens – Kapitol The Velvet Lounge – Hexx ft Chris Cobilis The Whale & Ale – Josh Tilley The Whistling Kite - DJ Gareth

Rinski

ONESIE PARTY

Tiger Lils – Paul Malone/ Adam Kelly Woodvale Tavern – DJ Melvin

FRIDAY 29/06 Ambar – Fresh Produce ft Benny P/ WasteLand/ 4by4/ Axon/ ElKymbo Amplifier – DJ Jaime Mac/ Shannon Fox Bar 459 - DJ Smurf Bar Orient – Higher Fyah Reggae Club ft Nick Toth/ DJ Skooby/DJ Jahmin/ The Empressions/ Mumma Trees/ Sista Che Boheme Bar - DJ Majiika Boulevard Tavern – DJ Andyy Broken Hill Hotel – DJ Nick Alexander Brooklands Tavern - DJ Misscheif Mel Capitol – Retro Mash Capitol (Upstairs) – I Love ‘90s Carine Tavern – Greg Packer/ MC Assassin Clancy’s (Canning Bridge) - DJ Boogie Claremont Hotel – DJ Pasha Hayat/ Jon Ee Club Bayview – Amnesia ft Fendi/ Axon/ Fellis Como Hotel – DJ Gazz Eastern Hotel – DJ Munch Empire Bar – DJs Halo/ Bojan/ Ben Sebastian Eve – DJ Don Migi/ DJ Danny Boi Flawless – DJ Ryan Flying Scotsman – DJs Jo19/ Rok Riley/ Armee Flying Scotsman (Defectors) - Back To Mono DJs 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 – Dorcia 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 Mullaloo Beach Hotel - DJ John Paul Mustang – Swing DJ/ DJ James MacArthur Paddy Hannans – Crazy Craig Paramount - DJ Johnny Boi/ DJ Jordan Players Bar – Sugar Queens Tav – DJ Rueben Rocket Room – DJ Brett Rowe/ DJ Cain Sail & Anchor - Balcony Beatz/ DJ J-MAC Sovereign Arms – Dylan Hammond

FLAWLESS

NEWPORT

The Avenue – Fiveo The Carine – Mind Electric/ Little Nicky/ Az-T The Causeway – 4by4 DJs The Court - Sebastien Drums The East End Bar – Funk Fridays The Generous Squire - DJ Anaru The Queens – DJ Rueben The Saint - DJ Jordan The Shed – DJ Glenn 20 The Whale & Ale – Josh Tilley Tiger Lils – Paul Malone/ Adam Kelly The Vic - DJ Giles The Wembley Hotel – Lokie Shaw Windsor – DJ Riki and Ray Victoria Park Hotel – DJ Giles Villa – Speakeasy 1st Birthday ft Flume YaYa’s – Junk ft DJ Whoa!

SATURDAY 30/06 Ambar – Japan 4 ft DNGRFLD/ Carla/ Oli/ Tee EL/ Mr Ed Amplifier – Pure Pop ft Eddie Electric Basement On Broadway – DJ Ricky Boheme Bar – Carte Blanche DJs Broken Hill Tavern – DJ Roger Smart/ Matt Richards/ Ben Dallin Capitol – Death Disco DJs Capitol (Upstairs) – Cream Of The ‘80s ft DJ Ryan Clancy’s (Canning Bridge) - DJ Dood Claremont Hotel – Jon Ee/ Fiveo Club Bay View – Little Nicky Empire Bar – DJ James Ess Eurobar – Roger Smart/ DJ Raci East End Bar - Fiveo Eve Nightclub – DJ Crazy Craig Flawless – Offset/ Jackness/ Travis LeBrun Flying Scotsman - Under The Influence DJs Flying Scotsman (Defectors) - Fore DJs Gilkisons - Electrified ft DJs Damien Blaze/ Rinski/ Hutcho/ Greg Packer & MC Assassin and more High Road Hotel – DJ Simon High Wycombe – DJ Matt 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 - Seven Deadly Sins ft DJ Angry Buda/DJ Matty S/DJ Makka/DJ Kenny L Metro City (R&B Lounge) - DJ Slick/ DJ Ruthless/DJ Soso/DJ Brett Costello Metro Freo – DTuck/ Darren Briais/ DJ Wazz Mint Nightclub – Pop Life ft DJ Aaron/ AJ Mullaloo Beach Hotel – DJ Danny

Flume 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 Players Bar – Embrace Queens Tav - Gareth Richardson Rocket Room – Delicious (Ladies Only) ft DJ Brett Rowe South St Ale House – DJ Jay Sovereign Arms – Rockwell The Avenue – Jon Ee The Brighton (Upstairs) – Micah/ Kill Dyl/ eSQue The Boheme – DJ Sneakee The Causeway – Sun City DJs The Clink – Az-T The Cornerstone – Tammy Stevens The Craftsman – Tammy Stevens The Deen - DJ Birdie/ DJ JJ/ DJ Tony Allen The Generous Squire – On Tap ft James Nutley The Saint – DJ Anaru The Shed –DJ Tony Dee The Wembley – Lokie Shaw The Whistling Kite - DJ Craig The Vic – DJ Kristian Tiger Lil’s – DJ Bojan/ DJ Ben Sebastian Victoria Park Hotel – DJ Melvin Villa – Tantrum Desire & State Of Mind Windsor – DJ Ray Woodvale Tavern – DJ Real McCoy YaYa’s – Saturday Social ft The Kings Of Cheese DJs

SUNDAY 01/07 Captain Stirling – DJ Jay Claremont Hotel – DJ Double Dee Clink – DJ Tony Allen Club Bay View – Fiveo

Empire Bar – CB3/ DJ Riki/ DJ Vicktor Euro Bar – DJ Flex Eve – DJ LStreet Flying Scotsman – Nathan J/ Nizbet/ Pasha/ Chris Flying Scotsman (Defectors) – Eclectic Picnic Mint - Chris McPhee Mustang – DJ Rockin Rhys Paramount – Glo/ DJ Slick/ DJ Benny C/ DJ Matty S Players Bar – Electro House Battle Rocket Room – Coyote Ugly Sovereign Arms – Josh Tilley The Avenue – Az-T The Causeway – Lukas Wimmler The Cott – Cott Sessions The Kiosk – DJ Cinder The Saint - DJ Anaru The Shed – DJ Tony Dee

MONDAY 02/07 Bar Orient - DJ White Label Broken Hill Tavern - DJ Mario Tavelli The Deen – Plastic Max/ The Token Gesture The Paddo – DJ John Paul The Shed – DJ Andyy

TUESDAY 03/07 Bar Orient - DJ Lyndon Eastern Hotel – Jon Edwards High Road Hotel – DJ Matty J High Wycombe – DJ Ricky Hipe Club – DJ Roger Smart Players Bar (Norma Jeans Bar) – Stevie M Victoria Park Hotel – DJ Melvin

X-Press – First on the street, Wednesdays

SHAPE

BIG APE

CAPITOL

FRAT HOUSE FRIDAYS

METROS FREO

IN THE THIS WEEK: Beaufort Bop ft DJ Anton Maz Wednesday, June 27 @ Defectors (Flying Scotsman) Fresh Produce ft Benny P/ WasteLand/ 4by4/ Axon/ ElKymbo Friday, June 29 @ Ambar Speakeasy 1st Birthday ft Flume (What So Not) Friday, June 29 @ Villa The Lick ft guest DJs Friday, June 29 @ Shape Tantrum Desire & State Of Mind Saturday, June 30 @ Villa Electrified ft DJs Damien Blaze/ Rinski/ Hutcho/ Greg Packer & MC Assassin and more Saturday, June 30 @ Gilkisons

COMING UP

Snowbreeze Dance Party Brookes Brothers/ Friday, July 13 @ Villa BARE Dirtyphonics Friday, July 20 @ Villa The Substance Showcase Thursday, July 5 @ The Saturday, July 14 @ Villa Rosemount Hotel Major Bass ft Rennie Pilgrem/ Cutline/ Nick Wooshie/ Rainbow Thayer Van She Chan/ Outerwaves/ Thursday, July 5 @ Capitol Saturday, July 21 @ Villa Andras Fox/ James Addicted To Bass ft Bombs Ireland and more Clubfeet/ Yuksek Saturday, July 14 @ The Away/ Kid Kenobi Friday, July 27 @ Villa Bakery Friday, July 6 @ Villa Lee Coombs The Big Ape Tour ft Logistics Friday, July 27 @ Ambar Joker/ Skream/ Sgt Friday, July 6 @ Shape Pokes/ Plastician Doorly Wednesday, July 18 @ District ft Zeke/ Get Sunday, July 29 @ The More/ Philly Blunt v Meet Villa Bakery Mark/ Riot Class/ Genga/ Bootleg ft Mind Electric/ Zombie Crawl Benny P Joe Revell/ Tapeheads/ Friday, August 3 @ Villa Friday, July 6 @ Ambar The Bootleg Brothers/ DNGRFLD Alex Smoke Z-Trip Friday, July 20 @ Ambar Saturday, July 7 @ Geisha Saturday, August 11 @ The Bakery TWERK ft Nebula/ Kit C&C Music Factory Friday, July 13 @ Metro City Pop/ SaussBauss/ Oni Mental Powers/ Cash/ RobiHusslin/ Holy Balm Boy P Ajax Saturday, August 11 @ Friday, July 20 @ The Friday, July 13 @ Ambar PICA Bar Bakery Parklife ft Chairlift/ Modestep/ The Presets/ Nero (live)/ Passion Pit/ Plan B/ Justice (DJ set)/ Robyn/ Benga (live)/ Rusko/ Wiley/ Labrinth/ DJ Fresh (live)/ Flume/ Alison Wonderland/ Lee Foss/ Jack Beats (live) and more Monday, October 1 @ Wellington Square This Is Nowhere ft dance artists’ lineup TBC Sunday, October 14 @ Dolphin Theatre & Lawrence Jackson Court, UWA

Tantrum Desire

TANTRUM DESIRE & STATE OF MIND SATURDAY, JUNE 30 @ VILLA

www.xpressmag.com.au

Stereosonic ft Tiesto/ Destructo/ Dillon Francis/ Gesaffelstein and more TBC Sunday, November 25, at venue TBC

FUCKING FLYING 360/ Hermitude/ Bam Bam Villa Friday, June 22, 2012 “Shoosh Cunt” hoodies, 360 snap backs (worn by dudes AND chicks) and Nike shoes filled Villa from wall to wall as hip hop lovers, tweenage booty, bogans, old school 360 lovers and new fans swarmed Villa for a night dedicated to Aussie hip hop’s hottest name right now – outspoken Melbourne rapper Matt Colwell, aka 360. Warming up the stage super early in the evening was up and coming Melbourne MC Bam Bam who has been creating a buzz with his reworks of Hermitude, Flume, Delphic, Pretty Lights and more. Similar to 360 in his stage set up, Bam Bam got the already large crowd gathered on the d-floor headbumping and torso grinding. The perfect support for 360, Bam Bam was charismatic and fits into the category “be so good they can’t ignore you”. With adrenaline pumping through the crowd as Bam Bam finished up his set and the lads from Elefant Traks and Luke Dubs and Elgusto of Sydney duo Hermitude plugged in equipment and took over the reigns, one couldn’t help wondering whether their forthcoming set would be appreciated by a predominantly 360-loving crowd. Kicking off with the appropriate intro The Lion Sleeps Tonight from The Lion King, Dubs and Elgusto had the crowd in the palm of their hands from the get go. Having released their incredible fourth record HyperParadise in February, the lads smashed out instrumental beats complete with some epic scratching, MPC action and keyboard madness. Popular tunes HyperParadise, badass The Villain and Speak Of The Devil got the crowd pumping but the response from the audience was short of what Hermitude deserved. Hermitude are one of the best hip hop acts in Australia releasing brilliant work – respect to 360 for getting the boys on board for his The Flying Tour. Since releasing his sophomore record Falling & Flying last year, 360 has shot to the top of the charts, festival lineups and his name is on the tip of everyone’s tongues. Accompanied by his DJ and fellow collaborator and tour support Bam Bam for his set, 360 set the bar sky high for his energetic and straight-talking set kicking off with the grimey, catchy Killer. Smothered in tattoos and donning black Ray-Bans (which he later took off, thank god – who wears sunglasses in nightclubs? Fuck off), ’60 doesn’t have the same ‘jump around’ enthusiasm as the likes of the Hoods or Drapht but he’s compelling and captivating to watch. Of course, with any 360 show, there’s a few dickheads. About five minutes into his set, 360 found

360 (photo by Stefan Caramia)

himself telling a couple of fight-starters to “fuck off”. It wasn’t long before the crowd joined in and the setdisturbers were removed by security. It was like a giant sing-a-long for the duration of his set with the majority of 360’s lyrics bouncing off the walls of Villa as the entire crowd joined in on the chorus of Meant To Do, shouting “What the fuck am I meant to do?” and “When I was just a child, I didn’t know much about ya” during Child. Hammer Heard saw all hip hop arms in the air bouncing and a mixed crowd reaction occured when Victorian songstress Gossling made an appearance on popular track Boys Like You. But it was Just Got Started and album title track Falling & Flying which had the crowd in a euphoric state, limbs thrashing and loving life. Even 360 acknowledged the madness that surrounded him:“You’ve officially topped Adelaide, best show on the tour so far.” And you believe him because he’s 360 and he puts on a fucking grand show.

» ANNABEL MACLEAN

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

SUBURBAN & COKE

CHARGE GROUP / JOE MCKEE

Burning Fiction / Ex-Nuns / Scalphunter Ya Ya’s Saturday, June 23, 2012

Rabbit Island / Mitchell Freeway Dada’s Saturday, June 23, 2012 Fortunately for everybody ever, Dada Records are hosting gigs on the regular again.What’s better is that the venue is starting to host more jaunts by primo interstate acts, with visits from The Bonniwells and the Bedroom Suck stable from Brisbane booked in coming months. Take that, Pure Pop, Melbourne! Dadas was already an institution amongst local bands, but it’s exciting to see the space increasingly used to witness some of the best from over yonder. Likely the greatest ever one-man-krautgaze band to have ever come out of Mandurah, Mitchell Freeway opened, building kinetic, metronomic grooves out of live loops. Previously Cardboard Lamb, he’s expanded his sound, incorporating ambient passages for those who remember Tago Mago has four sides to complement his motorik explorations, which are solidly roll-downthe-window-and-yell kinda stuff. Whatever Mitchell Freeway lacks in spontaneity for his patient builds, he recoups with an attentiveness to tone and texture that animates his explorations. Those guitar solos don’t just noise at you, they sizzle and crack, like bacon in a noir film. It was a shame when he stopped playing guitar and finished up, because I realised how freezing it was as I waited for Rabbit Island. The temperature only dropped further as Amber Fresh drew on her suite of downcast hymns, playing a set of pure, unaffected clarity on piano and guitar. My Own Private is well and truly one of those songs now, and it got the hushed response it deserved. Up next was prodigal son Joe McKee, now toting an acclaimed solo debut. With Snowman and solo, McKee has always worked big. There’s such

MEZZANINE The Love Junkies / Trigger Jacket / Dead Owls / Foam The Rosemount Hotel Friday, June 22, 2012 If there’s a very loose, possibly dangerous term that could be employed to describe the attitudinal thread that united all of tonight’s bands, then the controversial old classic ‘grunge’ would have to be it. This was especially relevant in the case of openers Foam, a three-piece with a big scuzzy, Incesticide, marijuana Nirvana angle. Undoubtedly they were the band on this line-up that most closely resembled a specific influence, but as far as bandsthat-sound-like-Nirvana go, Foam were streets above the pack. It is, after all, an absolutely classic sound that has suffered more from people doing it badly than from any inherent shitness. Foam’s was a strong opening performance. Dead Owls mined a similar mid-paced vein.The two-piece band demonstrated an engaging grasp of dynamics and a lovely, subtle understanding of hooks.Guitarist/vocalist Jordan Tjhung employed a warm guitar sound and a melodic sensibility that gave the band a pleasantly understated angle. Importantly for a two-piece, it never felt as though there was a bass missing from their sound, while Sam Maher’s drumming kept things interesting, often morphing from rock beats to more rapid, indie dance rhythms over the course of a song. Utterly conventional in comparison,

an overarching attention to the expressive qualities of sonic detail that the substance of his songs has become inextricably intertwined with the nature of the sounds being used to bring them to life on record. Live, he looped guitars and keyboards to reinterpret the cavernous spirals of his recorded output. There’s no doubt that McKee has ambition and conviction, but without his characteristic and charismatic ornamentation, the bones of his songs don’t strike with the same force or depth. Burning Boy might be one of the records of the year, but live, he’s not flaming up in the same fashion. Sydney’s Charge Group are midway through a national tour with McKee promoting their second LP, and they played a taut, dynamic set that may as well have been subtitled An Essay on the Direction of Post-Rock. Though they lean on the fundaments of post-rock (nervy build-ups, spare arrangements, the word ‘filmic’) they sidestep cliché, eschewing the purely instrumental approach (with craggy vocals providing an engaging kind of detachment.) It’s always genuinely exciting to see the violin being put to use in a rock band (as opposed to making a folk song weep), and whether bowed or plucked, the violin acted as a sometimes-thrilling counterpoint to the more straightforward playing coming from the guitars. The band wandered into Dirty Three territory at points, but Charge Group are too itchy a bunch to linger on familiarity, leavening the dread by working spy Trigger Jackets’ songs moved slowly. Their lumbering, straightforward rock reminded one of Soundgarden, or Green River, and it would have been easy to write them off as such. But Trigger Jackets are smarter than that. Just as they threatened to get boring, the band would lift into a big chorus, the two guitarists and bass blending together to reveal intelligently constructed, harmonising riffs that would grab everybody’s attention. Then, just as suddenly, they’d let go and settle again. The same carried over into their stage show. Almost totally devoid of between-song banter, they barely engaged the audience at all apart from a few offthe-cuff quips by lead man Chris Simmons, which were warmly received, but there should have been more of them. As the clock ticked past ten, this was a crucial timeslot and a band with Trigger Jackets’ experience should have been able to use it to warm up the punters more effectively. And then there’s The Love Junkies, who were absolutely ballin’ and a joy to watch. What these fellows had, in spades, was star quality. They were charismatic, they sounded gigantic, they had a pop sensibility and put on a kick-arse show. If we were to belabour the grunge angle, then Love Junkies would be “Nirvana played by Hendrix”. They utterly flattened every band that came before them. With the half-full Rosemount now sufficiently buoyed, Mezzanine’s set became a joyous formality. Considerably less generic than most of their supports, it wouldn’t be right to suggest that Mezzanine were aping The Pixies, but there was certainly a great deal of knowledge of ‘80s underground in their mid-speed distorto-pop. Certainly, where The Pixies would rise and fall over the course of a song, Mezzanine used

Punk rock’n’rollers Scalphunter were supposed to be headlining this show ahead of their EP launch next month, but fate conspired against them. Fortunately, by 8pm Ya Ya’s was half-full and in high spirits. Keen punters moshed away in the front row while frontman Steven Knoth, a big burly Englishman, dominated proceedings and Charge Group (Photos: Callum Ponton) generally took the piss. Mid-way through the set he asked bass player Matt van Leeuwen for a pint, theme tension and vague pop moves into a set that skulled half of it and handed it to a punter to drink, was convincing and sharp. then turned around and informed the guy he’d just _ALEX GRIFFIN given the beer to that he owed him an entire drink. It is rock star malarkey that fits well with the band’s style: Motorhead riffs with a hefty dollop of hepped-up Zeke punk, and it’s also strongly reminiscent of former Perth legends Jed Whitey. More heart than ego, Scalphunter’s set was relentless and stacks of fun, and as it drew to a close, Knoth apologised to the audience, not for playing unexpectedly early, but for taking the place of whoever their favourite bands happened to be. Touché. In contrast, the bleak post-hardcore of Ex-Nuns began solemnly, their singer yelling in a suitably desperate manner over repetitious guitar riffs—like early Against Me! covering a Fugazi set. The night was now in full swing, and after a couple of songs the vibe adjusted and they began to engage properly with the swelling crowd. This band are about to take six months off, and it’s telling of their relative youth that the singer repeatedly claimed that ‘six months is ages!’ Fortunately, that’s not really the case, and it’ll be interesting to see where the band pick up upon their return. Certainly this was an accomplished set, although it is a shame that the vocals weren’t Joe McKee significantly louder in the mix as lyrics are clearly a focal point in their music. Burning Fiction come from a similarly post-hardcore background where the willingness to express oneself is elevated above most other concerns. They come at it from a more ‘singy’ stylistic angle—not so much ‘melodic’ as it’s difficult to discern a catchy tune per se, but given they are now veterans in the field it is highly likely that Burning Fiction just don’t care about that. They seemed quite happy to simply get up and play in front of their mates and enjoy themselves. This they clearly did, and they were warmly received in kind. It’s funny how some of the least serious bands in punk rock turn out to be totally awesome, and Suburban & Coke are a perfect example. A side project for Alan from Grim Fandango and Christian from Chilling Winston, they were supposed to have played their last show some time ago, and yet there were punters in the crowd who came specifically to see them. They started out life as a punk covers act but, apart from a surprisingly awesome version of Hole’s Celebrity Skin, there was little sign of gimmickry in tonight’s show. Instead, the band brought their significant experience and a whole bunch of original material to the stage in a fun and light-hearted manner. Like all the bands tonight Mezzanine (Photo: Emma Mackenzie) they play within a particular stylistic context and don’t really break from that, but there’s little doubt their first song to rise up, and then just bloody-well that their intention is to have fun with what they’re stayed there – a relentlessly strong wall of fuzz pop. doing, rather than changing the world on a grand For a lesser band, this might have caused the set to scale. In any case, they sure showed Ya Ya’s a plateau, but for Mezzanine it was the point where charisma took over. Vocalist Cory Rist and bass player good time and it made for a suitable ending to a David Jago, in particular, put on a helluva show and strangely disjointed but ultimately satisfying show. had the eye transfixed. It was a triumphant end to an _BEN WATSON enjoyable eve. _BEN WATSON

X-Press – First on the street, Wednesdays

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

THE GET DOWN Winter Warmer

It’s winter time, so cosy up and get down and dirty with some of Perth’s finest music acts at The Get Down Festival at the Fly By Night this Saturday, June 30. Tickets are on sale now at flybynight.org.au. A brand-spanking-new local music festival is set to wake the music community out of hibernation. The inaugural Get Down Festival is aimed at bringing the livelihood of the music community that the festival’s organisers, Toby Beard and Amy Papalia, say is absent during the winter. Featuring a veritable who’s who of local talent, Blue Shaddy, Matt Gresham, Grace Barbe, Simon Kelly, Dilip and the Davs, Mitch Becker, Funk Club House Band and The Augustines will be taking to the stage at the Fly By Night this Saturday evening. “It’s an all local line-up with a view to showcasing the West’s best. There’s no ego involved. It’s about having a good time and appreciating the incredible music on offer,” the organisers explain. “We went with local acts to highlight and showcase some of Perth’s finest. We chose bands that we know have a reputation for creating an awesome party atmosphere and for getting crowds of all sizes and ages down on the dancefloor. We also chose some up and comers we are expecting to burst onto the scene, like The Augustines.” With such an eclectic lineup the mixed bill is expected to bring mixed crowds, meaning lots of new eyes and ears for each band. “Apart from awesome, raw talent, we are expecting a fun loving crowd

Toby with plenty of dancing to the mix of groove, funk, roots, blues, reggae and more that will be showcased on the night. It should be a great, friendly crowd,” they conclude.“It’s going to be awesome! Support original music! Support home grown local bands! You won’t be disappointed!” The festival is particularly special for Beard, who says she is looking forward to hitting the stage with her own band. “We often do extremely rocky shows and we are known for our pub style dancey shows. It is rare for us these days to put on a more chilled out show, so we will do all our favourite dance-able tunes on this night,” she says. As Beard and Papalia explain, the festival aims to restore those connections between artists, fans and friends so often strained this time of year. “We are expecting the lineup to draw an energetic and eclectic crowd of live music lovers who aren’t afraid to break trend and venture out during our winter months,” they say.“It’s a good reason to get out of hibernation! Aside from supporting these fantastic local acts, they should expect an incredible night of live music and great party crowd.” _JENNIFER PETERSON-WARD

BON VOYAGER Perth prog metal masters Voyager have just returned home from a tour of North America and Canada with power metal heavyweights Rhapsody Of Fire and to celebrate they’ve divulged their travel tales… Where was the favourite place you visited? A lot of the major cities were amazing - places like Montreal, Quebec City, San Francisco and San Diego are so massive and filled with crazy architecture that it’s like another world. Driving through Utah was gorgeous too, the landscape is so picturesque. However, one of the best times we had in the US was on a day off in a little town called Chapel, Nebraska. We had to pull into a dirt-cheap RV park to stop and weather out a severe storm that was heading straight towards us. A short walk from the park we found a little diner called Burgies’ that offered cheap food, $1.75 pints, and bowling. They also didn’t close until you left. That was a good night.

Voyager and potato chips for Scott. Ice coffees were a mainstay, as were oranges. I’d [Danny] go for habanero beef jerky. What did you do to keep yourselves entertained on the long-haul flights? Do your best to try and sleep. Failing that, you can knock off about eight movies in the time it takes to get from Sydney to LA. I was determined to beat the trivia game on the in-flight entertainment, and found that you can memorise the answers to all of the questions over a 12 hour flight. I win.

What was the most ‘touristy’ thing you did? Visiting Niagara Falls was pretty touristy I suppose, but awesome and well worth the detour. The Did you find the audiences overseas very different to a homegrown place that made me [Danny] feel the most touristy was Universal City in crowd? Very much so. American fans seem to be really appreciative and LA - a big, glittery, overcrowded tourist trap. supportive of bands. So many people would come and talk to us at the merch desk or at our RV after the show. And there were so many gifts! Best meal you ate overseas? Hands down, lunch at our US label boss Ken Home-cooked food, cookies, chocolate, beers, wines. When you play, they Golden’s house. We had been driving for two and a half days straight to really get in to it... especially when you give them the chance to yell, cover the distance from LA to Philadelphia to make our first show of the “America.. fuck yeah!”. tour, and Ken’s house was not too far from the venue. He cooked us ribs in his custom-built meat smoker, and his wife, Lauren, made us ‘Next Level What country would you like to take Voyager to next? It didn’t feel like Brownies’, which were full of chocolate, peanut butter and marshmallows. we spent enough time in Canada, and the people there seemed really After so many truck-stop snacks and Subway, this meal was just the ticket. into what we were doing. Rhapsody of Fire headed to Central and South America straight after the US tour and have been having an amazing time. Best drink you drank overseas? America has so many great beers once It would have been nice to join them on that, I think our sights are set on you get past the Buds, Coors and Miller. Anything I drank from the New Europe for now though - particularly towards the east where the album Belgium brewery was awesome. Also, we were introduced to Sortilège seems to have been doing quite well. - maple whiskey - courtesy of Dania in Quebec City. That bottle did not last very long. You’re playing a homecoming show on Saturday, June 30, at the Rosemount. Why should punters come down? Punters should come How did you keep your stamina up during the extensive touring? down to see if our accents have been affected, and to see a set that has For Danny it was fresh blueberries, Red Bull for Alex, Cheetoes for Simone been thoroughly road tested and well rehearsed!

X-Press – First on the street, Wednesdays

OUR FESTIVAL Yours, Mine, Ours

Our Festival is a union of nine of Perth’s best new guitar bands, all under the same roof, on the same night, all in the aid of getting people who don’t normally go to gigs to get out and go to them. JENNIFER PETERSON-WARD spoke to festival creator Ben Pattison (who also plays guitar in Wash) ahead of the festival on Friday, June 29, at The Bakery, which will also feature sets from The Morning Night, Foxes, The Tumblers, The Spitfires, 44th Sunset, Lanark, The MDC and Misty Mountain.

Wash Despite the abundance of huge musical acts coming out of our state, as Ben Pattison attests, when it comes to comparisons with our east coast counterparts little ole Perth is often left off the map. But the introduction of a brand-spankingnew music and arts festival is set to change all that. “Our Festival is all about getting the wider public into realizing that the music being produced by the bands and individuals in this city is in most cases better than the national and international alternatives. Our Festival is about awakening everyday people to this fact and demonstrating the excellent standard of our local music to those not yet in the know,” Pattison says.“It’s about having music patriotism and confidence in your city, your fellow people and yourself: having that good decorum, intuition and selflessness. There’s got to be no prizes for sheer existence either: what’s good should be proudly heralded as so and likewise identifying what’s not so good (and what needs addressing) shouldn’t be shied away from or deemed punishable. This goes for bands, media and punters alike. It’s about honesty and confidence. Thant’s how a thriving gig-culture comes about. Our people aren’t stupid, deep down they know that this is the best place in the world and I know that very soon people are going to realise that the best music for them is from right here. Our Festival is the first step in the right direction it’s a great chance for people who aren’t in the know to see some of the best new bands this city has to offer.” If that weren’t enough, a contingent of this city’s best new photographers and artists will be exhibiting selections of their work. “All the visual artists we have on the night are all out there being active in the field and they’re producing excellent work. What’s more

SHE’S GOT THE SOUND

is that they’re doing it because they feel they have and need to: it’s all from the heart. It’s also very parochial and Perth-orientated. It’s relevant and goes really well with all the bands playing,” Pattison says. In order to educate the people of Perth about the musical goodness under their noses, Pattison has gathered nine outfits - each with their own style and calibre yet all firmly under the broad umbrella of guitar music. “This is a city of 1.7 million people. We’re not a small place. Never before have there been more bands. Never before have there been more venues. Yet never before has there been so little a gig-going public or culture to populate these bands and venues. Sure, there’s a great musical and artistic presence in this city, served by many niches and passionate, proactive people: but the reality is that the bulk of the audiences to local gigs across the entire city every weekend don’t equate to more than a thousand (generally musicaffiliated) people at best out of 1.7 million,” he says. “For a variety of reasons, the broader Perth public isn’t identifying or realising the exceptional quality of what is out there every night. I know for a fact that every day people, when shown a great piece of guitar music, connect with it: young or old. The power of songs will never diminish. I don’t think it’s the fact that people are lazy or unwilling (or that they genuinely, actually like fast-food music made and played by laptop warriors). I think they’re just not being delivered the proof enough of how good the musical produce of this city really is: Our Festival is about breeding a new mentality.”

SPIN ME RIGHT ROUND

Troubador James Teague is gearing up to voyage east, but before he goes good friends Rabbit Island, Lucy Peach and Mulder will be sending him off at Fat Shan’s Inside Out at the Norfolk Basement this Friday, June 29.

Watch live improvisational and experimental ‘homemade instrument wielding’ band Brown transform the humble Baker y into a whole new universe when they host a special carnival event this Saturday, June 30, to celebrate the release of a new record. Bands will play ‘in the round’ as the stage is abandoned and acts play in the middle of the room – in true Brown style – audiences will get to witness acts from 360 degrees including the return of GILGAMESH in addition to Frozen Ocean, Kucka and Abe Sada and a plethora crazy costumed freaks for the ‘freaky beer garden sideshow’ including Fur Chick, SubOrdnance (with live chainsaw) and more.

PENCIL IT IN

JUKE BOX HEROES

Songstress Sophie Jane has been turning heads around the traps with her sweet tunes for the last 10 years and now with the addition of a solid backing band in the Chilly Bin Boys her star is set to rise even further. Catch the beguiling ensemble when they hit the stage at the Hyde Park Hotel this Friday, June 29, with support from Gerard Mcartney and Ryan Webb. Tickets are $10 on the door.

BON VOYAGE BASH

After a six-month hiatus to write new tunes, Perth indie-pop-tronic artist Carl Fox is back with a new single, Pencil Warrior, and a brand new live set which he’s playing for the first time at Mojo’s Bar on Friday, June 29.

STORY MAKERS

On Friday, June 29, The Wine-Dark Sea will launch their much anticipated debut release Stories Better Never Told at the Rosemount Hotel. Support comes from Umpire, Archer & Light and Sydneysiders Little Lovers who are flying over especially for the launch.

HOOK, LINE & SINKER

It’s been a pretty good 12 months or so for local rock monsters Chainsaw Hookers, with a steady gigging schedule spiced up with some high profile support slots - Dropkick Murphys, anyone? - and the release of their debut LP. The onslaught continues when they hit the stage at the Rocket Room this Friday, June 29, with Blunt Force Trauma, Lucille, The Shakeys, Leeches and WPO. It’s a ball tearer of a line-up that is sure to shake the foundations. www.xpressmag.com.au

If you haven’t been to a local show in a while and you want to get back into the rock side of the scene, the fine folks at Mojos have you covered with a massive local line-up this Saturday, June 30. Psych-rockers Sonpsilo Circus and Blackmilk will be teaming up with aggressive post grunge purveyors The Love Junkies for a night exploring the full spectrum of rock. Entry is $10 from 8pm.

VELVETY GOODNESS

This Friday, June 29, Sonic Velvet sees the eclectic line-up of Cape Town Lullaby, Starcleaner, Zealous Chang, Rich Widow and Moustache hit the Velvet Loung. Entry is $10 from 8pm.

WITHOUT A TRACE

It’s been two years in the making, but now indierock singer-songwriter Joel Barker is finally set to unleash his new album Traces at Ya Ya’s this Friday, June 29. 37

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.

Dexter Jones, June 28, Breakers Bar & June 29, Beat Nightclub

Nadia Ackerman, June 28, The Ellington

Diesel, July 5-8

JONATHAN BOULET PENNYWISE / THE HYPERFEST (line-up EMPRA MENZINGERS / 3 Rocket Room 7 Amplifier TBA) SHARKS 4 Prince Of Wales LADY GAGA 7 Midland Oval 29 Metropolis Fremantle CANNIBAL CORPSE 7 & 8 Burswood Dome SNAKADAKTAL SLASH FEAT. MYLES SAY ANYTHING / THE 4 Astor Theatre / DISENTOMB / KARNIVOOL KENNEDY & THE THE BRIDE GETAWAY PLAN 27 Prince Of Wales ENTRAILS ERADICATED CONSPIRATORS 4 C5 Metropolis 11 Amplifier 9 Capitol 30 Metro City Fremantle TERROR STEEL PANTHER ILLY 5 YMCA HQ NADIA ACKERMAN 12 Amplifier 31 Metropolis Fremantle 11 Metro City ED SHEERAN / BENNY LACKNER HOUSE OF SHEM 6 Riverside Theatre PAUL CAPSIS 12 Wanneroo Tavern TRIO TIM BARRY 11 Artbar 13 Elliot Bar Bunbury SEPTEMBER 28 The Ellington 8 The Den 14 Rosemount Hotel THIS IS NOWHERE ILLY JINJA SAFARI / 15 Leisure Inn 1 Capitol (line-up TBA) OPOSSOM / WHITE DAMO SUZUKI & Rockingham THE ENGLISH BEAT 14 Somerville ARROWS POND JACKSON FIREBIRD 1 Astor Theatre Auditorium 8 Astor Theatre HOWARD JONES 13 Hyde Park Hotel 28 The Bakery COUNT BASIE BELL BIV DEVOE / 5 Astor Theatre SET SAIL ORCHESTRA GINUWINE JOSE FELICIANO 13 Rosemount Hotel DEXTER JONES 14 Perth Concert Hall 5 Regal Theatre 14 Melville Youth Centre 9 Astor Theatre 28 Breakers Bar BOB BARRETT EVERCLEAR THE BEACH BOYS 14 Mojos Geraldton 9 The Ellington 6 Burswood Dome 14 Capitol 15 Clancy’s EVEN / THE FAUVES 29 Beat Nightclub DAMIEN LEITH THIS IS NOWHERE Dunsborough 9 Prince Of Wales 7 Mandurah Performing (Tortoise, Xiu Xiu, FLIGHT OF THE 10 Rosemount Hotel Arts Centre CONCHORDS IMPIETY Grails, Beach Fossils, 8 Astor Theatre 11 Mojos 18-20 Challenge 29 Amplifier The Bank Holidays, THE MEDICS 12 Indi Bar Stadium HTRK, Puro Instinct, HOUSE VS HURRICANE 8 Amplifier TROY ROBERTS High Tea, and more) SUBHUMANS / CONFESSION / IN BREAK EVEN / 19 The Ellington 12 Amplifier 14 Somerville HEARTS WAKE MILES AWAY DOC NEESON AMERICA 10 Prince Of Wales Auditorium and 29 Prince Of Wales 19 Friends Restaurant 11 Amplifier 12 Perth Concert Hall surrounds 30 Amplifier MELISSA ETHERIDGE 12 YMCA HQ PATRICK WOLF TODD MCKENNEY 20 Riverside Theatre KATE MILLER-HEIDKE / 14 Fly By Night 18 & 19 Astor Theatre HEROES FOR HIRE KATCHAFIRE LITTLE LOVERS THE BEARDS PAUL HEATON 20 The Den 14 Astor Theatre 11 Astor Theatre 29 The Rosemount 21 YMCA HQ 15 Settlers Tavern 21 Fly By Night HOLY BALM 1 Velvet Lounge 16 Prince Of Wales KID MAC BASTARDFEST(Astriaal, 11 Pica Bar 20 Mojos Fuck I’m Dead, and TOMMY EMMANUEL EARTH / MARGINS JUDITH DURHAM 21 Settlers Tavern 12 Perth Concert Hall 15 Rosemount Hotel more) RUFUS WAINWRIGHT 30 Riverside Theatre BAND OF SKULLS NASUM / PSYCROPTIC 27 Civic Hotel 19 Riverside Theatre 23 The Bakery 15 Amplifier ROCK IT (The Black WHEATUS LADYHAWKE TRANSIT BREAK EVEN / 20 Metropolis Fremantle Keys, Royal Headache, 24 The Bakery 15 YMCA HQ MILES AWAY HANSON and more TBA) METRIC 16 Amplifier Bar 22 Metropolis Fremantle 28 Joondalup Arena 1 YMCA HQ 25 CANCELLED THE BEAUTIFUL GIRLS GYROSCOPE ROSETTA 15 Prince Of Wales 22 Rosemount Hotel 25 Rosemount Hotel CEREMONY 16 Settlers Tavern JULIA STONE NOVEMBER DARYL BRAITHWAITE 3 The Den 17 & 18 Fly By Night 28 Astor Theatre HOT CHELLE RAE / 25 Friends Restaurant OWL EYES KATIE NOONAN & CHER LLOYD THE TEA PARTY 16 Artbar KARIN SCHAUPP JULY 26 Metro City HUNTING GROUNDS 28 Winthrop Hall UWA 1 Challenge Stadium CEREMONY THE SMASHING EMMYLOU HARRIS 16 Prince Of Wales 29 Mandurah 4 YMCA HQ PUMPKINS 17 Amplifier Performing Arts Centre 6 Perth Concert Hall MENTAL AS 26 Challenge Stadium HILLTOP HOODS XAIVER RUDD JOSH PYKE ANYTHING 17 Challenge Stadium 25 Goldfields Arts CLUBFEET 8 Artbar 4 Friends Restaurant NORTH WEST Centre Kalgoorlie 27 Villa GEORGE MICHAEL 5 Elmars In The Valley KARNIVOOL FESTIVAL (Hilltop 26 Esperance Civic 10 Perth Arena 6 Charles Hotel Centre Hoods, The Living End, / REDCOATS / 7 Atrium Hotel STEREOSONIC (line-up 28 Albany SLEEPMAKESWAVES The Cat Empire and Mandurha Entertainment Centre TBA) 27-29 Rosemount Hotel more TBA) TIM FINN 29 Fremantle Arts 25 venue TBA NARISSA CAMPBELL 18 Port Hedland Turf 5 Artbar Centre 27 & 28 The Ellington Club VAN SHE 30 Caves House EIFFEL 65 / N-TRANCE KENNY ROGERS / 5 Capitol DECEMBER Yallingup 28 Metropolis Fremantle GLEN CAMPBELL THE JOE KINGS RUSSIAN CIRCLES / SIMPLE MINDS / 21 Riverside Theatre KIM SALMON 5 Fly By Night EAGLE TWIN DEVO / THE CHURCH / 27 Hidden Treasures FTI BURNING LOVE 6 Whitestar Hotel 30 The Bakery 22 The Den MODELS 28 The Bakery 7 Settlers Tavern HERMAN’S HERMITS 4 Kings Park & Botanical LOADED DICE DIESEL 22 Friends Restaurant OCTOBER 28 & 29 Charles Hotel 5 Friends Restaurant Garden PASSENGER 6 Drakesbrook Hotel JOE BANAMASSA 22 Rosemount Hotel Waroona 1 Perth Concert Hall AUGUST PITBULL / TAIO CRUZ PARKLIFE (The Presets, JANUARY 2013 7 Boulevard Tavern MARK GARDENER / HAVANA BROWN / Nero, Passion Pit, Plan SOUTHBOUND (line-up Joondalup 1 Fly By Nightclub TIMOMATIC B, Rusko, Tame Impala, TBA) 8 Icon Restaurant DENI HINES / 23 Burswood Dome Chiddy Bang, Robyn, Karratha 4 & 5 Sir Stewart Bovell MONIQUE MONTEZ ALPINE and more) THE BAMBOOS Park Busselton 2 Bunbury 23 Newport Hotel 1 Wellington Square 6 The Bakery Entertainment Centre 24 Prince Of Wales DEFEATER / BUSBY MAROU / CHILDREN COLLIDE 25 The Bakery BLACKLISTED LEADER CHEETAH SEPTEMBER 2013 3 Amplifier BONNIWELLS / THE HELLO MORNING / DUNE RATS / BAD ONE DIRECTION DREEMS 4 YMCA HQ 24 Velvet Lounge 6 Prince Of Wales 28 & 29 Perth Arena MARTIKA 2 Prince Of Wales 25 Dada Records 7 Rosemount Hotel 4 Metropolis Fremantle 8 Newport 3 & 4 Amplifier Bar 26 Mojos Bar

THIS WEEK JUNE 27 – JULY 03

X-Press – First on the street, Wednesdays

www.xpressmag.com.au

Sophie Jane, Friday at Hyde Park Hotel

WEDNESDAY 27.06 BALMORAL Nathan Gaunt BAR 120 Felix BLVD TAVERN Swing Thing Something Savoy CLANCY’S CANNING BRIDGE Rachel Charles The Big Swill CLANCY’S FREMANTLE Chet Leonard’s Bingotheque CLAREMONT HOTEL Open Mic Night ELLINGTON JAZZ CLUB Nadia Ackerman GREENWOOD Bernardine HALE ROAD TAVERN Fenton Wilde HYDE PARK HOTEL The Abbey Foster Falle Trio Tal Cohen INDI BAR Saint Ravine Ryan Webb Spoonful Of Sugar LUCKY SHAG Howie Morgan MOJOS BAR The Aunts The Lucky Numbers Old Blood MUSTANG Blue Gene PADDO Trevor Jalla Nat Ripepi Ezereve PADDY HANNANS 5 Shots ROSEMOUNT The Daniel Firkin Trio Room At The Resvervoir The Midnight Mules Lucas Jones

ROSIE O’GRADY’S (NORTHBRIDGE) David Fyffe THE BROWN FOX Courtney Murphy THE MOON Sean O’Niell James Teague Boston & Chevy UNIVERSAL Strutt YAYA’S Community Stereo

THURSDAY 28.06 AMPLIFIER I Am Giant BAKERY Damo Suzuki BELGIAN BEER CAFÉ Adam James BLVD TAVERN Midnight Escapade Trio Lucas Jones BROOKLANDS TAVERN Celebrations Karaoke DEVILLES PAD Rock ‘N’ Roll Karaoke ELEPHANT & WHEELBARROW Blue Hornet ELLINGTON JAZZ CLUB The Benny Lackner Trio FUSE BAR Howie Morgan HYDE PARK HOTEL The Spitfires Benny Mayhem INDI BAR Bex’s Open Mic Night INGLEWOOD HOTEL Easy Tigers LUCKY SHAG Nathan Gaunt MARKET CITY TAVERN Peter Watkins Allison Bell Marcilo Agro Mike Anderson Riley Pearce Conan Chapman MERRIWA TAVERN Spritzer

Carl Fox, Friday at Mojos Bar MOJOS BAR Crooked Colours Leafy Suburbs Leure Sun City Halcyon Youth Paper Plane George Mair MUSTANG BAR The Autumn Isles The Reductors NORFOLK BASEMENT Rachel & Henry Climb A Hill Patient Little Sister Chloe McGrath Sarah Pellicano NORTHWOOD TAVERN Avenue Karaoke OCEAN BEACH HOTEL Open Mic Night OXFORD HOTEL Johnny Taylor PADDY HANNANS Dr Bogus RIGBY’S Open Mic ROSEMOUNT The Devil Rides Out Wizard Sleeve Ol’ Bouginvillea Dom DiBlasio ROSIE O’GRADY’S (FREMANTLE) Clayton Bolger ROSIE O’GRADY’S (NORTHBRIDGE) Bill Chidgzey SOVEREIGN ARMS David Fyffe SWAN LOUNGE Rob Hinton THE BOAT Jen De Ness THE BROOK Open Mic Night THE GATE One Trick Phonies THE SHED The Healy’s UNIVERSAL Off The Record WOODVALE Two Plus One YA YA’S Solomon Drive The Loved Dead The Neutral Natives

FRIDAY 29.06

The Morning Night

OUR FESTIVAL

THE MORNING NIGHT WASH,FOXES THE TUMBLERS THE SPITFIRES 44TH SUNSET,LANARK THE MDC,MISTY MOUNTAIN

FRIDAY,JUNE 29 THE BAKERY

7th AVENUE Pop Candy AMPLIFIER Impiety BAILEY BAR Mod Squad BAKERY Our Festival Foxes Wash The Morning Night The Tumblers 44th Sunset Lanark The Spitfires The MDC Misty Mountain BALLYS BAR Christian Thompson BALMORAL Dirty Scoundrels BEAT NIGHTCLUB Dexter Jones The Disappointed iChora Honeywheeler BELMONT TAVERN Everlong Acoustic

Chainsaw Hookers, Friday at Rocket Room

BENNYS Faces BENTLY HOTEL Dove BLACK BETTYS Everlong BOAB TAVERN Blue Hornet BRASS MONKEY Bernadine CAPTAIN STIRLING Bluebottles CARLISLE HOTEL Reload CHASE BAR Chasing Calee CLANCY’S CITY BEACH The Limelights CLANCY’S FREMANTLE Tom Fisher & The Layabouts The New Beast COMO HOTEL Trevor Jalla CRAFTSMAN 5th Avenue DEVILLES PAD The Rusty Pinto Combo Les Sataniques EAST 150 Luke Dewing EASTERN HOTEL Matt Milford ELEPHANT & WHEELBARROW Daren Reid & The Soul City Groove ELLINGTON JAZZ CLUB Tom OHalloran Trio Natalie Gillespie Danny Martin EMPIRE Halo FLY BY NIGHT CLUB Guitar Gods V 3 Kings & A Queen FUSE BAR Groove Karaoke GREENWOOD Greg Carter HERDSMAN Sugarfield HIGH ROAD HOTEL Damien Cripps Band HYDE PARK HOTEL Nathan Gaunt Sophie Jane The Chilly Bin Boys Ryan Webb Gerard McCartney INDI BAR Vdelli INDIAN OCEAN BREW Ben Merito KULCHA Richard Walley & Family LAST DROP TAVERN Neil Adams LEGENDS BAR The Organ Grinders MERRIWA TAVERN Overload MOJOS BAR Carl Fox MMHMMM Leure Umphetico Paper Stacks MOON & SIXPENCE Soul Corporation MUSTANG BAR Oz Big Band Cheeky Monkeys

NEWPORT Party Rockers NORFOLK BASEMENT James Teague Rabbit Island Lucy Peach Mulder OXFORD HOTEL Recliners PACE ROAD TAVERN Powertrain PADDO Simon Kelly PADDY HANNANS Gun Shy Romeos PARAMOUNT Flyte PRINCE OF WALES Break Even Miles Away Toy Boats White Oak & Stuyvesant Jamie Hay Nighthawker PRINCESS ROAD TAVERN Acoustic License PRINCIPAL B.O.B RAILWAY HOTEL Tall Poppy Syndrome Oak Tree Suite The Government Yard The Littlest Fox ROCKET ROOM Chainsaw Hookers Blunt Force Trauma Lucille The Shakeys Leeches WPO ROSE & CROWN Adam James ROSEMOUNT The Wine-Dark Sea Little Lovers Umpire Archer & Light ROSEY O’GRADY’S (FREMANTLE) Spyce ROSEY O’GRADY’S (NORTHBRIDGE) Neil Colliss SAIL & ANCHOR Howie Morgan SOUTH ST ALE HOUSE Robbie King Karaoke SPRINGS TAVERN Greg Carter Karaoke SWAN LOUNGE Queens Boulevarde Mat Cammarano Violet Scene SWINGING PIG The Mojos Greg Carter THE BIRD Ben M Ben Taaffe THE BOAT Deuce THE GATE Smoking Section THE SHED Kickstart UNIVERSAL Nightmoves VELVET LOUNGE Cape Town Lullaby Starcleaner Zealous Chang Rich Widow Moustache VICTORIA PARK HOTEL Ivan Ribic

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.

The Wine-Dark Sea, Friday at Rosemount Hotel

Friday Friday TravisCaudle Caudle Travis Joel Barker, Friday atNight Ya Yas FlyBy By Night Fly

HYDE PARK HOTEL One Armed Scissor Sticky Sweet Wrongtown INDIAN OCEAN BREW CO The Mojos INDI BAR Blue Shaddy KULCHA The Beaten Luthier LEISURE INN Parker Avenue LEOPOLD HOTEL Hepple SATURDAY 30.06 Steve LOBBY LOUNGE 7th AVENUE (BURSWOOD) Karaoke John & Shaun AMPLIFIER Sandosham Break Even METRO FREO Miles Away Switch Toy Boats MIGHTY QUINN The Others Kontraband Jamie Hay MOON & SIXPENCE Foxes Blaze BAKERY M ON THE POINT Brown Rhythm 22 BALLYS BAR MOJOS BAR Sophie Jane Sonpsilo Circus BALMORAL The Love Junkies The Recliners Blackmilk BAILEY BAR MUSTANG Chris Murphy & The The Continentals Holy Rollers Milhouse BAR 120 NEWPORT Flyte Kizzy BEAT NIGHTCLUB Gravity 90s Flashback NORFOLK BASEMENT BELGIAN BEER CAFÉ Freya Hanly Howie Morgan Joe Black Trio BELVEDERE TAVERN Sean O’Neil Retro Men NORTHWOOD TAVERN BLACK BETTY’S Keith Karaoke J Babies OSBORNE PARK BLVD TAVERN HOTEL Empire Nathan Gaunt BURSWOOD (PRIZE PADDY HANNAN’S DRAW STAGE) Decoy Hi NRG PARAMOUNT CLANCY’S CANNING Felix BRIDGE PEEL ALEHOUSE Zarm CLANCY’S CITY BEACH Overload QUARIE BAR Urban Gypsies Electrophobia CLANCY’S RAILWAY HOTEL FREMANTLE Stone Bleeder Tourist Subject To Change Saint Ravine Pokkets Of Resistance CLAREMONT HOTEL ROCKET ROOM The Zydecats Kickstart DEVILLES PAD ROSEMOUNT Johnny Nandez Voyager Hammond Explosion Nexus Les Sataniques Meridian ELEPHANT & Bend The Sky WHEELBARROW ROSIE O’GRADY’S Gun Shy Romeos (FREMANTLE) ELLINGTON JAZZ Flavor CLUB ROSIE O’GRADY’S Penny King Trio (NORTHBRIDGE) Jade Crompton With Blue Gene The Graham Wood SAIL & ANCHOR Quartet Kickstart John Mayer Trio - Try SEAVIEW Tribute Open Mic Night FLY BY NIGHT CLUB SOUTH ST ALEHOUSE The Get Down Shawne & Luc Blue Shaddy STEVE’S BAR Toby Funk Club House Band Ezereve SWAN LOUNGE Grace Barbe Trouble On Deck Matt Gresham Brendan Taylor Simon Kelly SWINGING PIG The Augustines Greg Carter Mitch Becker THE BIRD Dilip & The Davs MmHmMm GREENWOOD Savoir Pretty Fly Hamjam HIGH ROAD HOTEL Ben M Losing Julia

VILLA Speakeasy 1st Birthday Flume What So Not WANNEROO TAVERN Clayton Bolger WOODVALE TAVERN Dr Bogus YA YA’S Joel Barker & The Deep Sea Swell Justin Walshe Boston & Chevy

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Ben T Nik Ridikulas Jo Lettenmaier THE BOAT The Organ Grinders THE GATE Dirty Scoundrels THE SHED Huge THE WHALE & ALE Damien Cripps Band UNIVERSAL Soul Corporation WANNEROO TAVERN Greg Carter WOODVALE TAVERN Modsquad YAYA’S Young Alaska Sparks Vertigo Spilt Cities Japanese Tongue Sisters

Brown, Saturday at The Bakery

NEWPORT Tim Nelson The Reductors Sidewalk Diamonds Nosey Parker OCEAN VIEW TAVERN Fenton Wilde PINK DUCK Kevin Conway PRINCIPAL Luke Dewing ROSEY O’GRADY’S (NORTHBRIDGE) Jonathan Dempsey SAIL & ANCHOR Shawne & Luc SEAVIEW HOTEL Mopoke Blues Band SOUTH ST ALE HOUSE Sean Scott SOVEREIGN ARMS Ivan Ribic SPRINGS TAVERN Ryan Dillon SWAN LOUNGE SUNDAY 01.07 The Basement Sea Trio TH 7 AVENUE Kathleen Ann Good Karma SWINGING PIG BALLY’S BAR Adam James Greg Carter Darren Gibbs BALMORAL THE BIRD Cranky Sean O’Neill BAR ORIENT GreyJoy Clayton Bolger Rachael Dease BLVD TAVERN Leafy Suburbs Annabelle THE GATE Better Days John Winter Chris Gibbs Trio Jason Baker THE SAINT BROKEN HILL HOTEL Howie Morgan Project Chris Murphy THE SHED CAPTAIN STIRLING The Healy’s Christian Parkinson Renegade CHASE BAR UNIVERSAL One Trick Phonies Retriofit CLANCY’S VICTORIA PARK DUNSBOROUGH HOTEL Dillip & The Davs Neil Colliss CLANCY’S FREMANTLE WOODVALE TAVERN The Zydecats Damien Cripps CLAREMONT HOTEL YMCA HQ Sunday Driver Break Even COMO HOTEL Miles Away David Fyffe Toy Boats EAST 150 BAR Vanity Jamie Powers Jamie Hay ELEPHANT & Monuments Ruthless WHEELBARROW Daren Reid & The Soul City Groove ELLINGTON JAZZ CLUB Juliana Areias Sean O’Neill EMPIRE CB3 FLY BY NIGHT CLUB Rock Academy HIGH RD Christian Thompson INDIAN OCEAN BREW CO Retriofit INDI BAR Toby KALAMUNDA HOTEL Karin Page LAKERS TAVERN Jamie Powers LAST DROP TAVERN Brett Hardwick M ON THE POINT Electrophobia MOJOS BAR (ARVO) Peter Bibby MOJOS BAR (NIGHT) Hundred Acre Wood Dirtwater Bloom The Sun Orchestra MUSTANG BAR Peter Busher & The Lone Rangers

MONDAY 02.07 BRASS MONKEY The Organ Grinders ELLINGTON JAZZ CLUB Callum G’Froerer LOBBY LOUNGE (BURSWOOD) Courtney Murphy MOJOS BAR Wide Open Mic Night MUSTANG BAR Marco & The Alley Cats THE DEEN Plastic Max & The Token Gesture

TUESDAY 03.07 CIVIC HOTEL (THE DEN) Ceremony Wartheat Helta Skelta Frozen Ocean ELLINGTON JAZZ CLUB Ecila HYDE PARK Rock Scholars LOBBY LOUNGE (BURSWOOD) John Sandosham LUCKY SHAG Leighton Keepa MERRIWA TAVERN Celebrations Karaoke MOJOS BAR The Crooked Cats 44th Sunset Red Engine Caves Wendy’s Chamber PADDO Simon Kelly PRINCE OF WALES Open Mic Night SETTLERS TAVERN Open Mic Night THE BIRD Open Mic Night TWO ROCKS TAVERN Jump For Joy Karaoke X-WRAY CAFE Open Piano Night YAYA’S The Government Yard Tuxedo Pig Figure 23

Grace Barbe

THE GET DOWN

TOBY,BLUE SHADDY MATT GRESHAM GRACE BARBE,SIMON KELLY DILIP AND THE DAVS MITCH BECKER FUNK CLUB HOUSE BAND THE AUGUSTINES

SATURDAY,JUNE 30 FLY BY NIGHT

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

DANCE CLASSES BELLYDANCE CENTRAL STUDIO CLASSES Free class Fri 13th July.Special fun beginners courses.Term 3 starts Mon 16th July. For brochure, info & free class invite shaheena@iinet.net.au 0409 511 125. www. bellydancecentral.com.au

MUSICIANS AVAILABLE DRUMMER AVAILABLE 45, very experienced, pro gear, own P.A, can travel. Ph: 0412 231 126.

MUSOS WANTED BASS & KEYBOARD PLAYERS WANTED For a AUS hiphop artist band, 20-27yrs. Email danielraysound@ hotmail.com BASS PLAYER WANTED For 3 piece Rock cover band. Backing vox, gigs waiting. Scott: 0417 182 784. DJ WANTED For experienced, original rapper. Influences- Ice T, MC Lyte, MC Hammer, NWA. Contact Chad 0433 328 777. FEMALE VOCALIST WANTED For corporate/ cover band.Please email details + demo to the_amplifiers@ bigpond.com GUITARIST MALE WANTED 30+ for original band. Influences Melvins, God Speed You Black Emperor, Asghan Whigs. Call Will (Drummer) 0417 900 876. LEAD GUITARIST WANTED To join Duran Duran established 80s tribute band. Must be experienced, dedicated & punctual. A good team player. Call 0404 722 598. LYRIC WRITER/ GUITARIST/ INSTRUMENTALIST Preferably with vox wanted for classic Rock Ballads. 30 yrs exp. Own private mini studio. Ph: 0434 994 315. MATURE PIANIST/KEYBOARDIST WANTED To Join Female Vocalist/Songwriter in a long term Trad Jazz to Funk + Trip Hop Project. Vocals an advantage/ Live experience essential. PH or TXT 0451 117 461 for more info. OPEN MIC NIGHT every Thursday night at Indi Bar. Just call Tash on 0458 095 364. OPEN MIC NIGHT Every Tuesday night at The Court. Call 9328 5292 to register. Free drink and pizza for all performers and the chance to win a $50 bar card. OPEN MIC NIGHT Every Tuesday night at the Craigie Tavern 8-11pm. Call Corey for bookings 0431 448 235

OPEN MIC NIGHT Northwood Alehouse Mirrabooka. Call Damien 0411 367 783. SINGER WANTED Male or Female for working band. All pro players. Ph: 0432 213 282. VOCALIST WANTED For Retro electronic project. Email info/demo to redkerbkiss@ hotmail.com WANTED BASS PLAYER & GUITARIST For Rod Stuart tribute show by internationally acclaimed Rod tribute John Crane. Gigs awaiting. Professionals need only apply. Contact Luee on 0404 230 270. WANTED: FUNK/ SOUL/ RNB FEMALE SINGER For est. coverband. Must have prof attitude. Long term commitment & exp preferred. 18-35 yrs. Inf. Whitney, Chaka etc. Gigs booked. Grant 0423 429 363. PHOTOGRAPHY PROJECT PHOTOGRAPHY Promo photography, studio, live, location. Mike Wylie 0417 975 964 www.projectphotography.com When its time to ice the cake... PRODUCTION SERVICES CD & DVD MANUFACTURE Check out our latest CD & DVD specials online at www. procopy.com.au 9375 3902 M AT R I X P R O D U C T I O N S AU S T R A L I A Lighting, staging, sound systems, smoke machines, night club FX, intelligent lighting, strobes & mirror balls, crowd barriers, video projectors. 9371 1551 MEGA VISION SOUND & LIGHTING Suppliers of the best quality hire equipment - Speakers, DJ and IPod Packages. FX Lighting, Smoke Machines, Mirrorballs, Plasma, LCDís & loads more! Come see us at 25 Gordon Rd West, Osborne Park or Ph us on 9444 6556. PA HIRE Vox P.A’s and Funktion-One concert systems. Beat any quote. 9307 8594/ mob 0404 410 020. perthconcertsound.com.au. PA HIRE, PRO SYSTEM, FULL FOLD BACK Experienced operator. Optional light show. Fidelity sound on 0404 331 320.

RECORDING STUDIOS ALAN DAWSON’s WITZEND RECORDING STUDIO Prof quality albums or demos, large live room, experienced engineer, analog to digital transfers, mastering..Alan 0407 989 128 or Jeremy 0430638178 www.witzendstudios. com ANDY’S STUDIO International multi award winning songwriter / producer. No band required. Broadcast quality. A songwriter’s paradise. Ph 9364 3178 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 BASE CAMP KUTZ Recording Rehearsing Graphics All Media Any Genre. Located in Yangebup 24/7 Ph: 9434 5889. 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 M O B - H A N D E D R E CO R D I N G & M U S I C PRODUCTION Professional multi-track recording for singer/songwriter, electro, hip hop, metal, pop, groove, all styles catered for. Services also offered: Audio editing, mastering, voice over recording etc. PLUS: Unique & original orchestral string arrangements written and recorded for your songs. Ph: 0468 363 380 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

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 LION MACHINE REHEARSAL STUDIO Professional rehearsal space. Wanneroo area. Air-conditioned. Semi-rural setting. Mob: 0417 900 876. PLATINUM SOUND ROOMS Professional rehearsal rooms, airconditioned, quality PAs mob 0418 944 722 STREAM STUDIOS The place to rehearse in Perth.. Phone: 0403 152 009 www.streamrehearsal.com.au

TUITION ***GUITAR LESSONS*** The Guitar Specialist. Beg-adv, all styles and levels including bass. Cliff Lynton Guitar Institute. Mt Lawley 9342 3484 / www. clifflynton.com BASS LESSONS Rock, funk & jazz. Tony Gibbs 9470 6131 DJ TUITION Specialises in scratching & cutting. Over 15 yrs experience. Beg-Adv welcome. Potential gigs waiting. Ph DJ Munch: 0412 334 510. DRUM LESSONS All styles, WAAPA prep. Modern techniques, rudiments, soloing, favourite songs. Beg-Adv. Ph: Pascal 0413 172 817. Available 7 days & all holidays. GUITAR LESSONS For beginner students. Learn how to start from the beginning, play your favourite songs, chords, solos and more. 6 years teaching experience. Guitars and Amps available for hire. Lessons in Duncraig, call Luke on 0400021560. 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.

TUNE IT UP

Tuning used to be a necessary evil. The last barrier before you could get truly rocking. But now, tuning is ready to get blasted into the 21st century with PolyTune, the stomp-box sized tuning miracle from TC Electronic! PolyTune is the world’s first polyphonic tuner, and a game-changing total tuning turnaround. The magic lies in a never before seen approach to tuning aimed at speed, accuracy and ease of use. With PolyTune, you simply strum all strings on your guitar or bass at once, and it will immediately tell you which strings need tuning! It really is as simple as strum, tune, rock, and this quantum leap forward allows you to get in tune fast, and back to doing what you love: playing. Take advantage of Concept Music’s deal on the TC Electronic Polytune Chromatic Tuner for just $138 (it usually retails for around $199). For more info hit up conceptmusic.com.au.

ON THE SHORT LIST

Three local outfits have been announced as semifinalists in this year’s Unsigned Only competition. Funk ensemble The Brow Horn Orchestra, indiepop band Rainy Day Women and R&B songstress Cle Morgan are among the 725 semi-finalists who were selected from nearly 7,500 entrants from 80 countries worldwide. There’s still another selection round before their tunes will be sent to celebrity judges (including Cyndi Lauper, Kelly Clarkson and Robert Smith) who will then select the winners. Finalists will be announced on Thursday, July 19, and winners will be announced in August.

PURE IMAGINATION

Hohner has had a long relationship with John Lennon and The Beatles, dating right back to the early days of Beatle mania. Now, by special arrangement with the John Lennon estate, Hohner has released a limited edition John Lennon Signature Series harmonica. The instrument features reproductions of John’s signature and five-colour self-portrait on a specially engraved white cover plate. It also features a transparent acrylic comb, screwed construction throughout and MS style reed-plates. This special edition harmonica is distributed locally through Pro Music Australia. Click over to promusicaustralia.com for full specs and prices. 42

Tweaker-88

GIVE IT A TWEAK

Bruce Egnater’s contributions to the amplifier world are a big deal – just ask any guitarist who’s used a master volume and gain control. At the height of arena rock in the ‘70s, Egnater was at the forefront of developing amp designs that provided high gain tones at reasonable volumes. Today, Egnater Amplification remains revered by high-gain nuts and the Tweaker amplifiers are designed with the same mindset that drove Egnater three decades ago – to build an amp with immense amounts of gain, crystal cleans, and great tone at a manageable volume. His newest introductions to the series, the Tweaker-40 and Tweaker-88, are built to satisfy those who need a little more kick, with enough volume on tap to cover the biggest gigs. Egnater’s new beefed up Tweaker amps are arriving in Australia shortly, and will be distributed via CMC

Music. Click over to cmcmusic.com.au for full specs and prices.

IT’S ALL IN THE DETAIL

Nothing plays like a clean guitar. Music Nomad’s Guitar Detailer puts everything you need to care for your guitar in one easy spray and wipe product. A single spritz from the atomizer cleans fingerprints, dust and smudges on your electric guitar, acoustic guitar, bass guitar or ukulele like no other product. A silicone free, biodegradable formulation infused with gloss enhancers and UV protectants will give your guitar a long lasting great shine and polish. Plus, an anti-static agents helps reduce dust from binding to your guitar. Small in size but big in results you can take it everywhere, and it even smells great. Click on over to promusicaustralia.com/other/MusicNomad to check out the full range of Music Nomad cleaners, conditions, detailing towels, polishing clothes and cleaning tools. X-Press – First on the street, Wednesdays

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SAM MAXWELL PLAYER AGENT & PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES MANAGER AGE

EMERSON LIEVENSE INLEC MAINTENANCE TECHNICIAN AGE

COURSE

COURSE: BACHELOR OF LAW/COMMERCE

COURSE: CERT III IN ENGINEERING (ELECTRICAL), CERT III IN PROCESS PLANT OPERATIONS/ CERT IV IN ENGINEERING (INSTRUMENTATION), CERT IV IN OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY, BACHELOR OF ENGINEERING

You run your own business – Sam Maxwell Sports Management – tell us what you do here. I work as a player agent/manager for professional athletes. We do everything from the sponsorships and commercial sides of an athlete, to their travel and accommodation bookings, as well as all their media and public appearances. Essentially, we look after the lives of the athlete for when they are not competing or training.

Sam Maxwell with Ben Offereins and Jody Henry

How useful has your degree been to your current endeavors? Without a doubt this background has been a big asset to me. While I’m not practicing law at present, a large amount of what I do centers around contracts and having the ability to review, understand and negotiate these for my clients. The structured education that I received from my university days has definitely assisted me in this area.

athletes who I assist on an ad-hoc basis as they are growing and developing. In terms of the international athletes in alphabetical order, I look after: Alana Boyd (pole vault), Lisa Corrigan (athletics), Matt Ebden (tennis), Michael Freiberg (cycling), Jody Henry (athletics), Rhys Mainstone (open water swimming), Kevin Moore (athletics), Ben Offereins (athletics) and Lisa Weightman (marathon).

Were you still studying when you started the business? I started running my business in my third year of university. Originally for me, it was more of a hobby than anything else and I always had aspirations to work in a commercial law firm post-study. The more involved I became in the business, the more I enjoyed it and I soon realised that this was where my passion lay and what I wanted to do longer-term.

Tell us some successes and challenges you’ve had along the way. Working with athletes, I think you can get caught up with their results and how they perform. I can’t measure the success or ‘failure’ of my guys in one race, tournament or event. That’s probably something I maybe was guilty of at the start. It is important to put it in perspective - the focus has to be more long term, not just on one result.

Do you have any advice for year 12s who are thinking about studying law or commerce at uni, or who want to pursue a career like yours? I can’t stress enough how lucky I feel to be a b l e to ‘ wo r k ’ o n s o m e t h i n g t h a t I re a l l y love. To specifically enter the area of athlete management, there are numerous ways this can be done. A tertiary qualification is important, however it doesn’t need to be law like mine was. Which athletes do you represent now? I have a mix of who I would class as international Something with a solid foundation in business, level athletes who I spend most of my time with, negotiation skills, marketing and management and then a number of junior and developing will provide a solid starting point. How did you come up with the idea of starting this business? It came from conversations I had been having with athletes that I had known and had been friends with for some time. There were a few areas that they needed help with and I was happy to assist them.

BACHELOR OF ENGINEERING (CIVIL) ECU

Civil engineering is the branch of engineering that deals with the design, construction and maintenance of the human-made environment, including buildings, roads, bridges, tunnels, dams and other large physical structures. This course focuses on the development of knowledge and skills relevant to professional engineering practice and includes strong elements of practical problem solving, team work and project development. Course Duration: Four years full time or part time equivalent, on campus. More Info: ecu.edu.au.

You commenced your apprenticeship in 2007 as the youngest person employed in the offshore oil and gas industry – what was that like? My most immediate challenge was convincing offshore personnel of my maturity and ability to cope with the fly in-fly out lifestyle (having come straight from high school). I also had to develop the stamina to deal with the physical stress of completing three weeks of 12-hour shifts while maintaining an alert mental capacity to work safely on a Major Hazard Facility. As a 17-year-old my career journey stood out from my friends - as the only one catching planes and helicopters to work, completing emergency response training and working in an industry categorized by a much older workforce my life experience and understanding increased exponentially.

You’re currently working on the Pluto LNG project – how long have you been involved with that for? Can you tell us a bit about it? After completing my apprenticeship in 2011 I was fortunate to be employed by my apprenticeship host employer Woodside Energy on their foundation Pluto LNG project. Commencing employment on the Pluto LNG hub at the dynamic commissioning stage of the project has seen my duties progress from commissioning related activities to start-up support and frontline maintenance, alarm management and planned maintenance activities.

You were Volunteer Of The Year last year and Apprentice Of The Year too - that must’ve been an honour? Why did you want to work offshore? These two awards were both huge honours that I I became aware of career opportunities in the accepted merely as a representative for all youth within offshore oil and gas industry through conversation our community and recognition of young people’s with family friends who ended up becoming my commitment to the betterment of themselves and industry mentors. Employment in the oil and gas their community. industry provides exciting personal and professional challenges, an extremely flexible lifestyle and an What advice would you give to year 12s who array of opportunities for employment across the are finishing high school and are keen to study international industry. engineering, electrical instrumentation and/or work offshore? You’ve done your fair share of emergency Engineering and electrical/instrumentation are both response training courses – what do they involve? exciting and rewarding career pathways with incredible Before you can even step foot onto a helicopter opportunity for a wide range of both national and you have to be trained to survive and evacuate in international careers, however it’s important to realise an emergency situation requiring the ‘ditching’ of that opportunities only come to those who seek the helicopter into the sea. This particular training, them - don’t be naive and expect to be successful known as the Helicopter Underwater Escape Training in any career pathway without putting in the effort. was my formal introduction into the industry which Vocational education and training and higher education, I sought a future. As a 17 year old, the prospect of are not mutually exclusive. The two career pathways being strapped into a replica helicopter, dunked and blend well to develop both highly technically skilled rolled underwater and told to escape was an almost trades people and mechanical and practically minded engineering staff. overwhelmingly exciting experience.

CERTIFICATE II IN ENGINEERING

CERTIFICATE IV OF OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY

Challenger Institute Of Technology

Polytechnic West

This will provide you with practical skills and knowledge in a range of metals and engineering industry areas. You will learn skills in using tools, measuring and calculating, technical drawing and drafting, load shifting, thermal cutting, using forging and casting equipment, and welding. You will also learn about safety in the workplace, computing and maths. You will practice the skills you have learned in a workshop environment. Course Duration: Two semesters full time, on campus. More Info: challenger.tafe.wa.edu.au.

You’ll learn all the ins and outs to applying solutions to a defined range of unpredictable problems and analyse and evaluate information from a variety of sources. After completing this certificate, you’ll be able to check out the diploma. You’ll be indentifying hazards and assessing risks as well as learning all about emergency response and procedures. Course Duration: Varies More Info: polytechnic.wa.edu.au.

Want to do what Sam and Emerson do? Check out these course options.

BACHELOR OF ENGINEERING (METALLURGICAL ENGINEERING) CurtainUniverstity

This course deals with the processing of minerals and the production of metals, mineral concentrates and mineral products. It will offer you sound training in mineral processing, hydrometallurgy and pryometallurgy. You will explore environmental considerations and mine finance and management and focus on plant and process design and industrial research. FYI you’ll be spending two years in Kalgoorlie as part of this degree. You’ll also do 12 weeks of practical experience in the industry before graduation. Course Duration: Four years full time, on campus. More Info: curtin.edu.au.

Emerson unrolling the floating crude oil offtake hose on site

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE (SPORT SCIENCE) UWA

A Sport Science major provides you with expertise in the sport sciences and trains you for a career in the sport and recreation industries. Your studies will provide you with a mix of core units and your choice of elective units to give you the knowledge, skills and understanding you need. You will be prepared for careers in areas such as sport management and delivery, and in service delivery essential for athlete preparation and specialised fitness industries. Course Duration: Full time for three years or part time. More Info: uwa.edu.au.

CERTIFICATE IV IN SPORT (DEVELOPMENT)

BACHELOR OF ENGINEERING (ELECTRICAL POWER ENGINEERING) Murdoch University

There are prerequisites for this one so make sure you check them out. You’ll be looking at engineering computer systems, circuits and systems, power electronic convertors and systems and a bunch of other crazy systems which are included in the course units. Course Duration: Four years full time or part time equivalent, on campus. More Info: murdoch.edu.au.

Central Institute

This qualification will provide you with the practical skills and knowledge to develop, coordinate, coach and officiate in a wide range of sports. You will learn to facilitate the development of competing athletes to improve performance for themselves and/or that of a team. You will also learn to coach children and people with special needs. You will learn skills in sports science, sport psychology, nutrition, and planning and conducting training programs. As part of this qualification you will undertake a supervised work placement where you will be able to apply the skills and knowledge you have learned. Course Duration: One year full time. More Info: central.wa.edu.au.

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE (ENGINEERING SCIENCE) UWA

Studying this major will see you complete a strong, broad foundation of engineering and science units before moving into your third year to study a more specialised area of engineering. Course Duration: Three years full time or part time equivalent, on campus. More Info: uwa.edu.au. 44

LUCY DURACK MUSICAL THEATRE PERFORMER AGE

ANDREW SHUGG COCKTAIL MAKER & BUSINESS OWNER AGE

COURSE

COURSE HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT

BACHELOR OF MUSICAL THEARE

You’ve been in the food and beverage industry for over four years – how did you initially become involved? While I was at university studying architecture, I needed a job. I had just turned 18 and I was just casually surfing seek.com.au and I saw a job for a company that offered a Certificate II & III on the job while working at different venues; it was a labour hire service that primarily serviced Burswood conventions and events. So I was permanently placed there and started my career as a banquet’s wait staff and have worked my way through departments and positions.

You studied at WAAPA. What were the best and most challenging aspects of the course? The thing that I’ve enjoyed the most is the network of like-minded people you develop over your three years there - both personally and professionally - it made moving from Perth to the east a much easier experience than I imagine it would have as I had an instant bunch of friends over there that I already knew and had experienced so much with. The most challenging aspect is that the course really is very intensive - the sheer number of hours you are there for through the week and then we all used to go in on our weekends and practice scenes, songs, dances, poems. Tell us about a particularly stressful situation which happened during the course of your degree and how you handled it? While I was in third year I got cast in the ABBA musical Mamma Mia which meant that I got to rehearse it in the mid year uni holidays over east and them come back to WAAPA and book rehearsal studios after my classes had finished and keep rehearsing Mamma Mia while rehearsing my final show of my WAAPA days (Into The Woods). On the closing night of Into The Woods I caught the midnight flight over east to start full time work on Mamma Mia the next day! I had to pack up my life as well and get ready to move out of home for the first time. It must’ve been difficult to handle WAAPA commitments with family, work and social activities – how did you manage and balance that one? WAAPA really did become my whole life for a while there. It gives you an instant social life of new friends. I realised that I had to make sure I made time for my family and non WAAPA friends - I had to make more of a conscious effort things balanced out. Having said that, as a musical theatre performer out in the real world I’ve had to sometimes sacrifice having much of a social life outside of a few close friends and my family so I can really focus on the job at hand and staying as healthy and rested as possible.

Lucy Durack as Glinda in Wicked (Photo credit: Wicked) You played Glinda the Good Witch in Wicked. Can you tell us about how you got involved with that? What was the audition and rehearsal process like? It was lovely to tour with Wicked, after ‘sitting down’ with the show in theatres in Sydney and Melbourne for over a year in both places. I got involved by getting an audition through my agent and I ended up doing two or three call backs and shortly after that I got told I’d scored the role which was very exciting! What projects do you have coming up? I have a few concerts in Perth in June, am currently recording an album and start rehearsals to play Elle Woods in the Australia Premiere of Legally Blonde The Musical in Sydney in August. What advice would you give to year 12s finishing high school who are thinking of auditioning for WAAPA? Definitely audition for WAAPA. Don’t be disheartened if you don’t get in first time. Some people take a number of goes to get in. There are lots of other ways to get into the industry and lots of other courses and classes. Sometimes places like WAAPA aren’t for everyone and it is definitely not a prerequisite. Some of the best actors learnt on the job or via lots of other ways. I believe if you want something badly enough you’ll find the right way of getting it for yourself.

You’ve travelled around Australia for industry events – can you tell us a bit more about those and how they went? September last year I went to Sydney for Barshow which was a blast, just five days of laughs, cocktail training, seminars, parties, networking and of course product tastings, all while learning a lot from the people around us and the culture we were within. Diageo, a beverage distributor, also took me to the Gold Coast for a Jose Cuervo Tequila Training Course last year which was as epic as you can imagine. What have been some of the biggest things you’ve learnt since you’ve been in the industry? The fact that if I can make a cocktail or pour a beer here, I can make a cocktail and pour a beer anywhere in the world; there is a much broader transferable skill set within the industry but you get the idea. You’re an avid cocktail maker – what’s your favourite cocktail? That’s a tough one. There are too many options! I have a new favourite every week. This week’s is a Tequila Old Fashioned – Tequila, agave syrup and bitters. You went to the national final for the Suntory Cup last year in Sydney, what other cocktail making competitions have you been part of? Not that many, I am a fan of watching Perth’s best from the right side of the bar! ‘Parlez Vous Chartreuse’ was a great night though, the judging criteria was

Andrew Shugg Photo: Wesley Nel 2010) made up of the French-ness of your drink, did you speak French, and how many Eiffel towers you blew up in your presentation. That was at Universal Bar in Northbridge, the team down there is ace. You’re the founder and director of Your Bartender, tell us how you started that and where you see the business heading this year? After learning how to make cocktails, I started doing friends parties where I would tell them what to get, and I would just make cocktails for them all night for a small fee of help myself to the bar. I have just expanded on that. I now have six staff, charge an hourly fee, have a website, and have just begun a small amount of advertising. What advice would you give to year 12s finishing school who are keen to jump into your industry? Whether you start at University, TAFE, or a workplace, make sure that you build up your foundation of knowledge and experience in anything you do. You might jump into a bar as a glassy and want to jump onto cocktails right away for example, just take it easy. Don’t advance to the next level on the basis you think you know enough to do so.

BEGINNERS ACTING FTI

MUSICAL THEATRE WAAPA

You’ll be working with guest artists and leading industry practitioners in this course. This is a hands on, hardcore, practical course which will provide intensive technical training in singing, dancing and acting. In addition to these core skills, students will be instructed in film, television and radio technique. There’s also components related to dramatic literature, the history of music theatre and arts management. You’ll do in classroom presentations, workshops, camber music theatre and full-scale musical productions. This course requires an audition. Course Duration: Three years full time, on campus. More Info: waapa.ecu.edu.au.

The Film & Television Institute is putting on a new beginners acting course called Hitting The Mark taught by NIDA graduate Michael McCall. It’s the first of a number of new evening workshops to be introduced by FTI. The six week program will run on Monday nights from 6.30pm until 9.30pm, from Monday, July 16. You’ll be taken through the various key aspects of acting for screen. You’ll be touching on the difference between stage and screen, creating emotional truth, how to read a script, conviction, ability to work with a team, know how important casting is, building a character through the analysis of the script, blocking for film and more. The course is suitable for students of all levels – beginners and those wishing to do a refresher course. Course Duration: One night a week for six weeks. More Info. fti.asn.au/learn/courses.

Want to do what Lucy and Andrew do? Check out these course options. BACHELOR OF COMMERCE IN HOSPITALITY AND TOURISM MANAGEMENT Murdoch University

This is definitely more book-orientated as opposed to practical. It’s all about learning tourism systems, tourism and hospitality law, sustainable tourism, destination management (crazy!) there’s even a unit called International Study Tour, interesting? Course Duration: Three years full time or part time equivalent, on campus and off campus. More Info: murdoch.edu.au.

BACHELOR OF PERFORMING ARTS WAAPA

This is a new course which will give you the skills to work as an arts practitioner across a broad spectrum of performance forms. You’ll be able to pursue one of two majors within the degree: performance making or practice transition. The performance making major provides students with theoretical knowledge of contemporary performing arts underpinned by core performance skills needed to get professional employment. The practice transition major is focused around students who already have an advanced diploma in a performing arts related course/ equivalent industry experience. Course Duration: Three years, full time, on campus. More Info: waapa.ecu.edu.au.

CERTIFICATE IV IN HOSPITALITY Challenger Institute Of Technology

You’ll get the skills and knowledge to be competent in skilled operations and team leading or supervision. You’ll be able to head down various pathways in hospitality including restaurants, hotels, motels, clubs, pubs, cafes and coffee shops. Course Duration: Full time, face to face, varies. More Info: challenger.wa.edu.au.

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

www.xpressmag.com.au

VORN HUNT FREELANCE VIDEOGRAPHER AGE

EBONY HARDING FASHION DESIGNER (LABEL: LITTLEGRACIE) AGE

COURSE

BACHELOR OF CREATIVE INDUSTRIES (MAJOR IN FILM & VIDEO)

CERT III & CERT IV IN CLOTHING PRODUCTION AND FOOTWEAR, DIPLOMA OF FASHION AND FOOTWEAR, FASHION DESIGNER (LABEL: LITTLEGRACIE)

How did you get into videographing? I’ve always had an interest in film and video as a hobby; whenever my friends I had some spare time we’d shoot short films and videos. Then last year a close videobro Rob Livings needed me to cover him when he couldn’t do some work and have just built off that since. Once you’ve got some work under your belt more comes so I started Pistol Shrimp (my freelance video business - facebook.com/Pistolshrimpyo) Why did you want to get into it? There’s the perks of free entries into shows and working in a party atmosphere where everyone is there to have fun, but they’re just bonuses. The true value of this work is when you get complete artistic control - nothing makes me happier than being told ‘Here’s what we want, go do it’. What’s the best part about your course? Lecturers are super cool and set really fun assignments that give you the opportunity to make some really bad ass projects if you’re creative. Oh and getting to see WAAPA dance students walking around in leotards. You’ve filmed a lot of musicians and gigs – what have been the worst and what have been the best gigs? Why? Best would easily have to have been Breakfest ‘11 – the festival is put together so well and the vibe all day was so party-friendly, also all the artists were super friendly and up for hanging out and chatting backstage. Worst was doing some work for another local videographer and to cut a long story short I was paid $50 for 10 hours of work while he pocketed $300 - this was after him trying to tell me I did it for free.

C E R T I F I C AT E I V I N D E S I G N (FASHION & TEXTILE DESIGN)

How did your courses prepare you for becoming a designer? Starting out with a new label is not very easy and you Have you had any disastrous gigs you’ve filmed don’t have a lot of funds to start off with. So I was or an event you were involved in where shit just very lucky in the sense where I was able to make and hit the fan? Fortunately so far haven’t seen anything go too prepare everything myself. So to cut costs, I made all horribly wrong at gigs. Kele from Bloc Party walked my samples for my first couple of collections; I made into a wall backstage because he thought there was all my patterns and graded everything. nothing behind a curtain – super full on I know. You studied at The Paris American Academy in What are your plans for 2012 and beyond in terms France during July 2011. Can you tell us how that all came about? of pursuing video-making? Will be doing stuff for Pistol Shrimp as I go, but two I entered a national competition about three years large projects I have for later in the year are filming the ago now and the prize was a scholarship to the complete Ampfest band comp series. The other is a big PAA. I got through to the finals as a representative collab project I will be doing with another videobro from Perth but unfortunately I didn’t win. Last year, when he comes back from the States which I can’t I thought it felt like the right time to apply again. I sent my application and portfolio off to study at their really say much about yet but it will be big. summer school program in July 2011. What are some of the big things you’ve learnt along the way since you’ve been involved in the What exactly did you study there? What did this place teach you about designing, and how did it industry? Contacts are everything, make sure money is organised compare to what you already learned at Bentley? and agreed upon clearly before any work is actually I studied ‘Couture Techniques’. It was an intense done and drunk people really like getting their photo course purely on hand sewing techniques (they call couture). We were taught by some of the world taken. best machinists and couturists, some of which who What advice would you give to year 12s who are had worked with YSL, Madame Gres and John Paul finishing school who’d like to become a freelance Gaultier. We were taught millinery by John Pierre who videographer and get involved in the music and/ is Madonna’s and John Paul Gaultier’s hat maker. We had classes learning all about feathers by Europe’s or film industry? Get out there and film, go film your friends’ bands/ leading feather extraordinaire. We also got to visit DJs and get some experience doing things on your three Paris Haute Couture fashion shows during own time. The more you shoot, the more you learn fashion week, helping backstage and watching the and when people see you out shooting they contact shows. you for jobs. What’s the concept behind your label LittleGracie? My label is named after my great nan Grace. When BACHELOR OF CREATIVE INDUSTRIES I was young I was very close with her. She was very

Central Institute Of Technology This course will give you the practical skills and knowledge to design, construct and adapt fashion garments and accessories. You will also learn skills in research, concept and design development. You will learn about the history of fashion and textiles, where to source textiles and marketing practices. You can then do a diploma and an advanced diploma. Course Duration: One year, full time. Approx 20 hours per week. More Info: central.wa.edu.au.

Vorn Hunt

(MAJOR IN FILM & VIDEO)

ECU This course is designed to meet the needs of the creative industries and enable graduates to meet the challenges of employment in today’s world in which creative industries are now playing a vital role. It’s all about learning the skills to give you an informed, critical and creative approach to understanding media, design and visual culture with creative industries. Majors include animation, environmental and spatial design, film and video, game design and culture, graphic design, interactive media and more. Course Duration: Three years full time or part time, at Mt Lawley campus. More Info: ecu.edu.au.

Want to do what Ebony, Lauren and Vorn do? Check out these course options. D I P LO M A O F A P P L I E D FASHION DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY BACHELOR OF ARTS (MASS COMMUNICATION – PUBLIC RELATIONS) Curtin University Public relations is all about relationship management – it aims to help businesses meet their goals while considering the needs of all stakeholders. This course will teach you how to plan, develop, implement and evaluate communication strategies which present an organisation in the best public light to the public and clients. If you’re an effective communicator and organised, this might be for you. Course Duration: Three years full time or part time equivalent, on campus. More Info: curtin.edu.au. Course Duration: Two semesters, flexible. More Info: challenger.tafe.wa.edu.au.

Challenger Institute You will learn skills that will enable you to construct complex patterns, estimate costs for fashion products, develop and present design concepts and produce fashion illustrations. You will learn about advanced construction techniques and product specifications. You will have the skills to operate a small business or work in the fashion industry as a member of a design and production team creating fashion garments in the role of designer, pattern maker and more. Entry requirements apply. Course Duration: Two semesters, flexible. More Info: challenger.tafe. wa.edu.au.

LittleGracie designs into crocheting and knitting and making all sorts of things. And I would just sit there in awe of her. Everything from LG is based around old traditions. Every collection has a memory based around the stories she used to tell me. What have you learned from being in the industry? Learning not to take things to heart. It’s a very tough industry and there are a lot of very honest people out there. I have learnt to take criticism and turn it into something amazing. I think you can only grow and mature as a label if you have the good and the bad feedback. What have you been up to this year and what are your plans for LittleGracie for the rest of 2012? This year I was preparing to show at MBFWA in the New Gen parade which went amazingly. I am working into getting more into the eastern states market. I have been designing a label to work alongside LG which will be named ‘LittleBobbie’. It will be a menswear label. All is still in sampling stage so it won’t be ready until later in the year.

LAUREN ELLIOTT PRODUCER & PUBLICIST AGE

COURSE BA COMMUNICATIONS (MARKETING & PR) When you started your degree did you know what you wanted to be doing at the end of it? I don’t think I knew exactly what I wanted to be, but I must have wanted to work in media since I was 15 years old because I chose GWN for my year 10 work experience placement. I worked on Peter’s Saturday Club. Witnessing that little puppet Zak pop out of a pink itty bitty bin live on camera was the day I knew I wanted to work in show business. You’re a director at Muse Bureau. What does your work there involve? When I’m not creating ‘90s playlists, I research and write press releases, create PR strategies and marketing plans, produce photo shoots, put together advertising artwork and schedules, pitch stories, set up interviews with journalists, manage guest lists, write sponsorship proposals, plan launch parties, liaise with clients, graphic designers and photographers, and generally give myself anxiety attacks trying to keep exclusive announcements under wraps and off Facebook. Tell us about some successful projects you’ve worked on there. What have been some highlights for you? Doing PR for the inaugural Fringe World and rebranding Perth Theatre Company as they moved into the brand new State Theatre Centre have definitely been two of my highlights. I got to meet some amazing international Fringe acts and hang out in a Spiegeltent, and I also got to work with a bonafide supermodel, Gemma Ward. Tell us about your producing role with Henry & Aaron: how did you meet them and why did you decide to join them to create Perfectly Adequate? I met the boys in 2008 through my housemate at the time. I saw their first Henry & Aaron short, The Yarising, and thought it was really funny. Henry and I realised we had identical taste in comedy so I just naturally started helping out with their shoots for fun. I initially assisted with locations and sponsorship and I loved helping out in the edit suite so coming

Lauren Elliot on board as producer was a really organic process. In 2010, I came across Movie Extra Webfest on Facebook and told the boys we had to enter. I produced our Christmas Special and web series Henry & Aaron’s 7 Steps To Superstardom and now the three of us are directors in our very own production company, Perfectly Adequate. At the beginning of this year Perfectly Adequate produced It’s A Snap! and it’s been very successful online. What’s next for the company? We’ve just secured our very own production office at the AWG in William Street, Northbridge and together with CAA, the boys and I are currently developing a half hour Henry & Aaron series pitch. We’re planning on pitching it to US and Australian networks in the next couple of months, which is very exciting! What advice would you give to any year 12s who are thinking about studying PR, marketing and producing? If you’re passionate, dedicated and willing to work hard, it’s a great and fulfilling career. It can be incredibly stressful and can also involve a lot of pretentiousness and hype but it will also introduce to some of the most fun, talented, creative and interesting people you’ll ever meet. 48

HENRY INGLIS & AARON McCANN FILMMAKERS, WRITERS, PRODUCERS, DIRECTORS & PERFORMERS

AGE

BA PERFORMING ARTS

Tell us how studying your course helped you realise your ambitions of becoming writers/producers/ directors/performers? Henry & Aaron (Henry): After doing three years of nothing but filmmaking, it did cement what I wanted to do in life. (Aaron): A lot of British humour. Big Train, The time after film school is probably the most vital to Spaced, Brass Eye, Darkplace and then for me I loved establishing a career though. Central set me on a path asian action films and they always mixed extreme but you have to find the will to see the journey through. violence with slapstick humour, you don’t really see that in western cinema too much. What advice would you give year 12s or other young people who are thinking about studying You received $50,000 in funding through winning your course? the Movie Extra Webfest Competition. Where were (Henry): Central Institute’s film course is definitely one of you when you found out you had won and what the best. Many of the guys we went to TAFE with have was your reaction? How did you start putting the gotten jobs in the industry as directors, editors, soundies money to use? and camera operators. (Henry): I was at work. So my boss told me I could have (Aaron): The course was three years and it the rest of the day off. That was nice. I promptly got was very hands on. We got to handle 16mm film and my balls waxed because I had just become a celebrity. get a really good education from industry professionals. (Aaron): I was actually at a funeral, so my My best advice would be: don’t fuck around. If you want reaction was very mixed and subdued. But it all sunk in to study film, it’s not a blow off course, it’s a serious a few days later. We blew most of the money on alcohol industry and you have to be dedicated and passionate. and then spent days upon days at the casino trying to If you don’t want to put in the time then don’t study recoup all of our losses. film. In the first episode, Aaron is forced to get a job in a When did you realise you could be working partners boring office. Have either of you had bad jobs in the and what were your initial ideas for your comedy past, and if so what were they? duo? (Henry): I worked on an animated kids show and one (Henry): The initial idea was to make a feature film of my primary jobs was to sit at the computer and blur before we were 25. We had written a thriller movie but all the backgrounds and smoke. I had another task for it became too ambitious to shoot. So we decided to a music video where I needed to fix a musician’s bad make something we could do for no budget, so that teeth frame by frame. meant that we should perform in it, because we’re (Aaron): I was one of those annoying assholes cheap. We had a cheaper idea about two podcasters that approached people in shopping centres and called Henry & Aaron. We wrote the script and read it asked if you’d like to sign up to Optus. It was awful, I out at a script reading. We had a lot of suggestions to sucked at it. I had to shave everyday and they only paid make it more episodic so from that point on Henry & commission. I quit after two weeks. Aaron was a TV project. What are your plans for the rest of 2012? Will your What’s the writing process like? Do you have days future projects follow in the same vein as the 7 when you can’t write funny material? step series? (Henry): We may throw around ideas and it can evolve (Henry): Plan is to pitch Henry & Aaron as half hour series, in interesting ways or we may sit independently and and hopefully start writing the episodes. Other than conceive ideas. I’d say most days I’m not inspired to that, maybe wash my car. write anything at all. It’s only very, very rarely that an (Aaron): I’m moving into writing and idea comes about where I’m furiously writing and it’s hopefully directing features as soon as the funds are all making sense. available, 2012 will be a big year.

FTI The Film and Television Institute is the premier professional development centre for screen production in Western Australia. Working closely with organisations such as ScreenWest, Screen Australia and the ABC, FTI provides industry focused courses which are delivered by professionals. All of FTI’s programs feature a high level of guest speakers who provide practical and up-to-date knowledge concerning the media sector. FTI has two working cinemas for showcases of student productions and industry showcases. They’ve also got awesome production suites and equipment. Course Duration: Varies. More Info: fti.asn.au.

BACHELOR OF DIGITAL FILMMAKING SAE You will learn to understand countless technologies and techniques used in modern film making through formal lectures, practical workshops, competency assignments, guest lectures and creative film projects. SAE has cutting edge equipment and software and it has schools around the world which means you can tailor your studies to the country, industry and lifestyle of your choice. Course Duration: Varies More Info: sae.edu. 49

COURSE

COURSE ADVANCED DIPLOMA IN FILM AND TELEVISION

FILMMAKING AND ACTING

PUPPETEER & ANIMATOR AGE

HENRY - 29, AARON - 28

Who or what influences your dark comedic tastes? (Henry): A whole mish-mash of influences - South Park, Ricky Gervais, Louie CK, Sarah Silverman, Tim & Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!, Ren & Stimpy. Anything that is smart and provocative.

TIM WATTS PERFORMER, DEVISOR, DIRECTOR, PRODUCER,

BACHELOR OF CREATIVE INDUSTRIES (FILM AND VIDEO) ECU You can choose majors in either animation, environmental and spatial design, film and video, game design and culture, graphic design, interactive media, screen studies, photo-media. It’s all about understanding media, design and visual culture within a continually evolving work context. Course Duration: Three years full time or part time equivalent, on campus. More Info: ecu.edu.au.

Want to do what Henry & Aaron ,Tim Watts and Nick Maclaine Do? Check out these course options.

You’re a graduate of the BA of Performing Arts at Notre Dame. Tell us about the course, what you got out of it and what you thought you’d get out of it but didn’t? The course doesn’t exist anymore. They wanted to turn the theatre into a basketball court so they shut down the course and completed us at WAAPA (at ECU Mt Lawley) as part of their ‘Theatre Arts’ course. The ‘Theatre Arts’ course that I was meant to be doing (now doesn’t exist) was incredible. The course was about making ‘theatre artists’, performers who can also write, direct, produce, design, basically artists who can make their own independent theatre. You’ve travelled the world hosting workshops and performing at various festivals and shows – have you a favourite place you’ve performed and/or favourite show you’ve done? I think my two favourites have to be the first tour of The Adventures Of Alvin Sputnik: Deep Sea Explorer to the New York International Fringe Festival in August 2009, and the Edinburgh Fringe in August 2011. Both seasons were sold out, got amazing reviews, and blew my expectations right out of the water. Both places are like the ‘mecca’ of the theatre world, and to have success there meant everything to me. Has there been a time during one of your shows when things didn’t go according to plan in performance/rehearsal? Alvin in New Delhi, India, we had a black out in the middle of the show, so we stopped while we waited for the power to come back on. I just played ukulele for the six or so audience members that were there. India was hard. As it turns out there was no blackout, a cleaner turned off the power to the venue.

Tim Watts You’ve currently been working on It’s Dark Outside alongside Arielle Gray and Chris Isaacs which will be on show shortly at the State Theatre Centre– can you tell us about this show and how you guys came up with the concept? It’s about an old man who wanders out into the wild at sunset. It’s kind of an epic western about death, redemption and dementia. Its got puppets, animation, and original music by Rachael Dease. It’s hopefully gonna be really fun, and pretty sad, a bit like Alvin.The concept came from many different inspirations but the main one was ‘sundowners syndrome’ which is a mysterious symptom of Alzheimer’s disease where people go wandering at sunset. They don’t know why this happens but it I found it poetic and we have kind of built the show around this image. What advice would you give to year 12 students who are finishing high school who are keen to get into the industry you’re in? If it makes you happy, do it! Know that you will never be out of work (even if it’s un-paid work) if you employ yourself and make your own shows. Never use lack of opportunity as an excuse - that will be your worst enemy. Give yourself permission to fail.

NICK MACLAINE ACTOR, SINGER, WRITER, COMEDIAN AGE

COURSE CERT IV IN MUSIC, CERT II IN MUSIC THEATRE, GRADUATE DEGREE IN LAW/ARTS, BACHELOR OF MUSIC How did you initially get into acting, performing, writing and then law on top of all of this? I’d always loved acting and did so at every opportunity during school. But I finished year 12 early, and was advised – sensibly – not to audition for WAAPA or NIDA straight away. So, armed with a vague notion that becoming a barrister would be exciting, I enrolled in a five year law/arts degree at UWA. I didn’t perform for three years, but when my politics major wrapped up and I was looking down the barrel of nothing but law units, I was raring to get back into ‘the arts’.

Nick Maclaine in Lord Of The Flies rewarding – it’s opened up so much of the history of performance to me, and I’ve got to work with worldclass directors, conductors and specialist coaches. One of the most challenging experiences was singing in my first opera because I was brought in at the last minute as an emergency understudy and had never done an opera before.

You’re currently devising and directly Guy/Doll for DownStairs at the Maj, what that’s about? Is there anything you wish someone had told you Guy/Doll is a cabaret built on the rule that our four about your law course before you started it? singers can only perform songs that were written for My honest wish is that UWA had offered then what it the opposite sex. What we’re doing is using gender offers now – generalist undergraduate degrees and to flip the context of a song, and make people think law at a post-grad level only. That model makes so about something familiar (like Michael Jackson’s Ben) much sense, because it’s a minority of teenagers who in a totally new way (giving it a single white female can know that a five year commitment to something kind of vibe, for example). they don’t fully understand is for them. I was 15 when I put down my preferences for university and 16 What advice would you give to year 12s who are when I started law. At 19 or 20, I would have made finishing high school who’d like to study law, go to a much more informed decision. But I don’t have WAAPA, become involved in the theatre, cabaret and comedy scene in Perth? regrets and law is a fantastic degree to have. The mistake I made with my first degree was thinking You’re studying voice at WAAPA. What was the that it was someone else’s job to make me passionate audition process like for this course and what about law. If you know you’re passionate about law, have been the most challenging and rewarding do it. You don’t need to go to acting school to be in the theatre but what I believe you do need is training. parts about this course? To get into the classical voice course at WAAPA, I Always be honing your craft! One last thing that I had to perform three songs in front of the course find reassuring and inspiring is that nothing you ever coordinator. At least one of them had to be in accomplish will have been achieved in isolation. If you Italian, French or German. I also had to sit a test on learn to love working with other passionate people, basic music theory. The course has been hugely you’re going to feel more creative and more fulfilled.

BACHELOR OF ARTS (MASS COMMUNICATION – SCREEN PRODUCTION) Curtin University If you take up the screen production major then you’ll gain knowledge and creative skills by working with professional-level equipment in a challenging and creative film and television environment. You will specialise in corporate production, learning how to effectively plan and implement corporate production projects. Course Duration: Three years full time or part time equivalent, on campus. More Info: curtin.edu.au.

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KNOW YOUR OPTIONS If you haven’t decided to trot on overseas for the rest of this year or work until you can attempt to get youth allowance (good luck!) then hopefully you’re considering studying for the remainder of the year rather than sitting on your ass. If you’re not sure about what to do yet - here’s a bunch of universities and institutes below, check out mid-year entry for them all. UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA

University Of Western Australia

MURDOCH UNIVERSITY Known For: Vet science, marine biology courses, chiropractic care to indigenous communities, awesome sports science performance lab and law moot court. FYI: It has over 18,000 students and 1,400 staff. There are 200 undergraduate degrees and postgraduate courses across a range of disciplines including law, veterinary science, teaching, psychology, business and nursing. Check out their open day on Sunday, August 19. Mid-year entry closes Wednesday, July 25. Study Options: Full time, part time, on campus and off campus. Students also have access to lecture recordings for most courses on a 24 hour basis. More info: murdoch.edu.au.

Known For: Being close to Chelsea Pizza, top notch degrees in medicine, law, finance and engineering. FYI: They’ve got a bunch of residential colleges for those who want to live on campus. If you’re looking to do a specialist type course offered (medicine, law for example) at UWA, you’re going to have to do a general arts degree first They’ve got four undergrad degrees in areas of sciences, arts, business and design which are available for mid year entry. Check out their open day on Sunday, August 12 (open.uwa.edu.au). Study Options: Full time, part time, off campus, on campus. More Info: uwa.edu.au.

WAAPA Known For: Being the joint that Hugh Jackman studied at, all things costume design, acting, musical theatre, dance, music, broadcast, backstage and arts management. FYI: Courses are rigorous and many require auditions and/or interviews as part of the application process. They have insanely awesome teachers who work in their fields in the arts. WAAPA puts on over 300 public performances a year at a range of venues. Applications for all courses open early July and close late September. New performing arts and contemporary music courses starting soon. Study Options: Full time. Hardcore. More Info: waapa.ecu.edu.au

BACHELOR OF MARKETING, ADVERTISING & PUBLIC RELATIONS ECU The combination of combining three core marketing disciplines will definitely stand you in good stead when it comes to job hunting in these areas once you’ve finished your degree. You’ll be learning how to develop and manage marketing and communication strategies with advertising and public relations. Course Duration: Three years full time or part time equivalent. More Info: ecu.edu.au.

BACHELOR OF COMMERCE (MARKETING) BACHELOR OF COMMERCE (MARKETING) Curtin University It’s all about having the competitive edge, this major will provide you with an understanding of consumer behaviour and how marketing works. You can also study this as part of a double major in the following areas: advertising, economics, entrepreneurship, finance, public relations, property and more. Course Duration: Three years full time, on campus, off campus and online. More Info: curtin.edu.au.

BACHELOR OF ARTS (MASS COMMUNICATION – PUBLIC RELATIONS) Curtin University Public relations is all about relationship management – it aims to help businesses meet their goals while considering the needs of all stakeholders. This course will teach you how to plan, develop, implement and evaluate communication strategies which present an organisation in the best public light to the public and clients. If you’re an effective communicator and organised, this might be for you. Course Duration: Three years full time or part time equivalent, on campus. More Info: curtin.edu.au. 51

Murdoch University You’ll learn the principles of commercial law, be introduced to accounting, statistics and the principles of marketing. You’ll also learn about marketing management, advertising law, consumer behaviour, marketing research and analysis and more. Course Duration: Three years full time or part time equivalent. More Info: murdoch.edu.au.

Want to do what Josie does? Check out these course options BACHELOR OF ARTS (COMMUNICATION & MEDIA STUDIES) UWA If you’re interested in journalism, media, filmmaking, multimedia, the web, computer games or any forms of communication then this might be the course for you. This major will provide you with theoretical knowledge as well as practical communication skills including the use of the latest digital multimedia technology. Course Duration: Three years, full time or part time equivalent. More Info: uwa.edu.au.

WCIT Known For: Industry-led training. FYI: West Coast Institute Of Training (WCIT) provides general and specialist skill training in commerce and technology, community services, health, hospitality, tourism and trades. The Institute is partnered with the WA Police to create an International Academy of Law Enforcement and Security. Mid-year entry is now closed but check out their website anyway. Study Options: Full time, part time, off campus, on campus. More Info: wcit.wa.edu.au

CHALLENGER INSTITUTE Known For: Practical, hands on approach to learning. Fashion and trades are big here. FYI: Challenger has multiple campuses throughout Perth, Freo and WA. If you’re interested in doing an apprenticeship,this could be the place to check out.Midyear entry closes for full time courses on Wednesday, July 4. Part time enrolments open on Thursday, July 5. Study Options: Full time, part time, on campus. More Info: challenger.wa.edu.au.

CENTRAL INSTITUTE Known For: Fashion courses, sport and education courses. FYI: Campuses are centrally located. They’ve got apprenticeships, traineeships and customised training programs. Mid year entry 2012 is closed but check out what they’ve got going anyway. Study Options: Full time, part time, flexible. More Info: central.wa.edu.au.

CURTIN UNIVERSITY Known For: The Tav, hands on courses in architecture, fashion, design and more. FYI: Main campus is in Bentley but they do have campuses in Kalgoorlie, Margaret River, Northam, Singapore, Sydney and more. Mid year entry closes this Friday, June 29, so hop on to jump onto their website and get applying. Sunday, August 5, is their open day. Study Options: Full time, part time, on campus, off campus. More Info: curtin.edu.au

ECU’s Mount Lawley campus

EDITH COWAN UNIVERSITY Known For: Being hands-on, having fresh looking campuses. FYI: Better known as ECU, it has two campuses – one in the hip Mt Lawley and one in Joondalup. The Joondalup campus has a multi-million dollar sport and fitness centre and an outdoor cinema in the summer months. There’s also on campus accommodation. ECU has a great rep for the arts – WAAPA (Western Australian Academy Of Performing Arts) is located on their Mt Lawley campus. Open day for their Joondalup campus is Sunday, July 29 and Sunday, August 12 at their Mt Lawley campus (ecu.edu.au/future-students/ openday). Study Options: Full time, part time, on campus and off campus. More Info: ecu.edu.au.

SAE INSTITUTE Known For: Hands on approach to audio education. FYI: SAE is all about audio, film, sound, electronic and music production. The Institute covers all aspects of audio engineering, live sound, postproduction, mixing, acoustics, filmmaking, game design, animation and more. Their partner school QANTM has an open night on Friday, August 3, from 6-9pm and will be taking applications for their electronic music production course until Saturday, August 25, when it commences. Study Options: Flexible, on campus, off campus. More Info: sae.edu.

JOSIE CLOUGH OWNER OF ITSNOWCOOL.COM AGE

COURSE BACHELOR OF MARKETING AND PR You studied a Bachelor Of Marketing and PR at Curtin University. Why did you decide to study this? What was the course like? Prior to studying this I tried out politics at UWA, then international relations at Curtin, followed by property/accounting at Curtin and then finally settled on marketing and PR. I really enjoy the creative side of life but still have an academic mind so marketing and PR was the perfect fit for me as it allowed me to combine these two facets of my personality into a three year course of study. How did studying this course help you get to where you are now in terms of work and the industry you’re in? In practical terms my course actually steered me into the creative world as I undertook my four week placement at Golightly PR in Sydney which is a fashion PR company that has a clientele from the top Australian designers right now. So this literally angled me towards fashion as it was such an Josie Clough amazing environment and creative people constantly surrounded me during this four-week internship that I was inspired to explore this career path. What direction do you see the mag heading in this year? You started the online magazine itsnowcool.com, At the moment I am in Melbourne expanding can you tell us about the site and how you came the reach of INC and consolidating a larger loyal to start it all up? readership over here then I’ll be travelling to Sydney Itsnowcool.com is about trying to harness the for a month to do the same up there and then back creative talent that WA has and showcase this to Perth. I’d just like to keep the magazine growing amazing talent to the rest of society both here in and going in the right direction and hopefully get a Perth and on the national level. The idea came to me larger contributor network happening. when I was travelling and working in LA, NYC and London as these places have such a strong creative Who has been the most interesting person you’ve industry and I thought it would be great to start interviewed? supporting and facilitating the emergence of WA’s Tony Baumann of Mecca Cosmetica was awesome own creative culture. as he is such a fun crazy and super-talented person who is an icon in the Australian beauty industry so I What’s the toughest part about your job? really enjoyed that. I have never learnt photography or Photoshop so I am still learning on the job and don’t have the What advice would you give to kids finishing year patience required to do this ‘properly’. I still don’t 12 who’d like to do what you do? know how to change a lens! Keeping a life balance Work really hard and don’t give up if something is also super tough as you always have so much doesn’t go perfectly. Make a plan (day-by-day, weekto do it’s easy to just sit at your desk and work by-week, month-by-month) and try and follow it and flat out! I didn’t have a drink for three and a half be willing to sacrifice some things to pursue what months as I couldn’t afford the time to be hungover! you want to do and to get where you want to be.

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