2
X-Press – First on the street, Wednesdays
www.xpressmag.com.au
3
4
X-Press – First on the street, Wednesdays
www.xpressmag.com.au
5
6
X-Press – First on the street, Wednesdays
OH HARK!
Following in the footsteps of her folk contemporaries Seeker Lover Keeper, elfin folk songstress Lisa Mitchell is packing her knapsack and heading out on the road to play an innovative run of shows in churches across the country. This June, Mitchell will showcase her new single, the aptly titled Spiritus, with the help of a backing choir. The beguiling chanteuse will enchant listeners at St Joseph’s Church in Subiaco on Friday, June 15. Tickets go on sale from this Friday, April 2, and are available from Ticketek. Georgia Fair supports.
Lisa Mitchell
Anchorman
RAISE THE ROOFTOP
Since launching at the end of February, Rooftop Movies has become a smash hit among cinema-lovers and it looks to become a staple of Perth summers for years to come. But it’s not over for this summerish season yet, as they’ve just announced their April screenings. Highlighted by a screening of cult comedy Napoleon Dynamite on Friday, April 13, following the movie, the character known as Pedro from the film will dazzle you with his DJ skills. Yep he DJs in character too. Other flicks due to be screened include The Castle, Anchorman, Some Like It Hot, Kill Bill 1 & 2, Grease and oh so many more! Head to rooftopmovies. com.au for more information.
Karnivool
TOO VOOL FOR SCHOOL
Get ready, get excited, get absoloutely psyched – The Vool are back, ready and rearing to show off a stack of new tunes. Having spent the last year working on side projects, in the studio, and playing to “8000 screaming Dutch fans”,Karnivool are well overdue for a national jaunt.This June and July the band will head out on their Melodias Frescas tour (which translates to “fresh tunes”), revealing some of their newest material after agonising over it for the better half of last year. The hugely anticipated tour kicks off at the Mermaid Hotel in Dampier on Friday, June 22, and Saturday, June 23; then heads to the Prince Of Wales on Wednesday, July 3. After a string over shows over east, the boys are back in town to finish up the tour on Friday, July 27, at the Rosemount Hotel. Redcoats and sleepmakeswaves support at the Rosie.
Hard-Ons
TALES FROM THE PUNCHBOWL
The Novocaines
HOLA PARTY PEOPLE!
From tequila to tacos and ponchos to maracas, the Mexicans sure do know how to party – that’s why we’ve joined forced with the Leederville Hotel to present Mexican Standoff, our next X-Press Reader’s Party! We’ve invited some of WA’s most rockin’ local bands to strut their stuff, including The Novocaines, Emperors, Cal Peck & The Tramps and Sugarpuss, plus there will Mexican-themed drink and food specials to keep you well and truly satisfied all night long, not to mention giveaways galore. It all goes down on Friday, April 20, and is free entry! So pencil it in the diary folks – this is one party you won’t want to miss. Arriba!
Coming straight outta the underprivileged suburb of Punchbowl, The Hard-Ons are one of Australia’s most unlikely success stories. Yet, after nearly three decades together they’re launching a reissue series - a surefire sign of a band’s importance. Smell My Finger will chronicle the years between 1984 and 1987, and will be the first part in a five-issue series. The three-piece punk outfit is also heading out on tour. So make sure you see them at the Civic Hotel on Friday, May 11; the Prince Of Wales on Saturday, May 12; and the Indi Bar on Sunday, May 13.
11 Flesh 12 Music: The Specials 13 Music: Gin Wigmore/Zydecats/The Seals 14 West Coast Blues ‘N’ Roots Feature 15 Music: Belle & Sebastian/The Cranberries 17 Music: The Morning Night/P.O.D. 18 New Noise 21 Eye4 Cover: Fremantle Street Arts Festival 22 Eye4 Music: Tura New Music 23 Movie: Wish You Were Here 24 Movie: The Hunger Games 25 Arts Stories/Arts List 27 Salt Cover: DJ Fresh 28 Salt News 29 Salt: Marten Horger/The Freestylers 30 Club Manual 32 Live 35 Local Scene 36 Tour Trails 38 Gig Guide
On the cover: The Specials play West Coast Blues & Roots
Salt cover: DJ Fresh plays Metro City this Friday, March 30 www.xpressmag.com.au
It’s not worth getting this upset about
GEEKS VS JOCK The latest in a long line of highly negative stories on the festival business going bust is a beat up about certain major festivals looking unlikely to come to Perth in the future. This all stems from the fact that Claremont mayor Jock Barker is showing his age and saying that festivals that take place at Claremont Showgrounds constantly breach the 72 decibel noise limit. Jock also says that the people of his council are concerned that festival punters also bring anti-social behaviour to their neck of the woods. Let’s bear a few things in mind here: rock concerts are usually 120dB; 72dB is equal to the sound you hear when you’re standing 25 metres from a busy road; and antisocial behaviour at a festival? If there’s tens of thousands of people surrounding you, I would think you’d be being hyper-social. If Claremont council wants to ban festivals, then so be it. The Royal Agricultural Society of WA runs the Showgrounds, and they’re the ones who are claiming that the major festivals will be lost if the Council puts it foot down, because they’re the ones with something to lose. But I don’t see how anyone else will lose. For the last three or so years, a certain futuristic music festival that has never been at Claremont Showgrounds has attracted similar, if not higher numbers, than the fests at Claremont. So if the dinosaurs running the Town of Claremont don’t want the crowds, then you can be sure that plenty of other councils will happily embrace a popular festival, and the crowds of people and mountain of parking fines that come along with it. _MATTHEW HOGAN 7
with Melissa Erpen... Send your name, address and daytime phone number to win@xpressmag.com.au with the name of the competition in the subject line or enter online at www.xpressmag.com.au. Snail mail entries can be sent to Locked Bag 31, West Perth 6872. Entries close 4pm Monday. By entering you agree to X-Press Magazine’s Terms & Conditions which can be found online. All competition entries will automatically enable you to become an X-Press subscriber! No details will be given to a third party.
Publisher/Manager Joe Cipriani
Editorial
9213 2888
Music Editor Matthew Hogan
musiceditor@xpressmag.com.au
Dance Editor Annabel Maclean
danceeditor@xpressmag.com.au
Arts & Fashion Editor Emma Bergmeier
artsfashion@xpressmag.com.au
Ball Park Music
Staff Writer Jennifer Peterson-Ward
localmusic@xpressmag.com.au
Photography Stefan Caramia, David Chong, Daniel Grant, Sammy Granville, Matt Jelonek, Denis Radacic, Mike Wylie
Contributing Writers Reuben Adams, Nina Bertok, Shaun Cowe, Derek Cromb, Graham Frizzell,Chris Gibbs,Alfred Gorman,George Green,Chris Havercroft, David Geoffrey Hall, Joshua Hayes, Brendan Holben,Travis Johnson, Rezo Kezerashvili, Joanna Lettenmaier, Tara Lloyd, Adam Morris, Ely Nas, Andrew Nelson, Chloe Papas, Daniel Parkinson, Ben Swan, Conan Troutman, Tom Varian, Mike Wafer, Ben Watson, Chela Williams, Jessica Willoughby
Advertising
9213 2888
BALL PARK MUSIC
Off the back of not one, but two entries into this year’s Hottest 100, Ball Park Music announces their most ambitious national tour yet – The 180 Degree Tour. After being officially unearthed by triple j just over a year ago, Ball Park Music have become one of Australia’s must-see musical outfits. We have two awesome Ball Park Music prize packs up for grabs consisting of tickets to their show at the Newport on Sunday, April 8, a copy of their latest album and a super cool t-shirt. Get in now for your chance to win this seriously rad prize.
Sales and Marketing Manager Paul Morgan
advertising@xpressmag.com.au
Music Services / Local Music Des Richardson
Entertainment Venues / Live Promoters Luke Andrioff
Agency / Movies / Education
A Dangerous Method
Paul Morgan
Arts / Fashion / Lifestyle / Salt/ Corporate Alia Bannani
Classifieds Linage / Entertainment Services Coordinator Melissa Erpen classifieds@xpressmag.com.au
Production
9213 2854
Production Co-ordinator Bryony Crowe
production@xpressmag.com.au
Art Director Dwight O’Neil
Design + Production
art@xpressmag.com.au Brooke Gerrick, Andy Quilty, Anthony Jackson
Printing
Children Collide
CHILDREN COLLIDE Ghostbusters
GHOSTBUSTERS
Come and join the AccessReel.com team to celebrate their second birthday by watching one of the world’s most popular supernatural comedies, Ghostbusters, in a newly remastered 2K digital presentation! We have a whopping ten double passes up for grabs to attend the special screening at Reading Cinemas, Belmont on Wednesday, April 12. Get in now as you do not want to miss this blast from the past!
A DANGEROUS METHOD
On the eve of World War I, Zurich and Vienna are the setting for a dark tale of sexual and intellectual discovery. Drawn from true-life events, A Dangerous Method explores the turbulent relationships between fledgling psychiatrist Caarl Jung, his mentor Sigmund Freud and Sabina Spielrein, the beautiful but disturbed young woman who comes between them. Starring Michael Fassbender, Keira Knightley and Viggo Mortensen we have a bunch a double passes to giveaway to this intriguing film.
SIGNED COPY OF N’FA JONES EP
Front man of genre bending Australian Hip Hop collaboration 1200 Techniques, N’fa Jones is set to launch his brand new solo EP Babylondon with four very special performances. N’Fa Jones hits WA shores on Friday, March 30, for a show at The Manor and to celebrate the release of his EP out on April 6, we have three signed copies up for grabs!
Children Collide are back in full force with a brand new single Sword To A Gunfight. In true Collide fashion, the band will embark on a tour across the country in March/April giving audiences their first taste of the new album. We have 15 double passes up for grabs to see them play at either Capitol on Friday, March 30, Player’s Bar on Saturday, March 31, or Mojo’s on Sunday, April 1. Enter now with your preferred night and be quick as these are sure to fly out the door!
7 WORLDS COLLIDE
We have five copies of this special double DVD up for grabs so get in now for your chance to win the unforgettable experience that is 7 Worlds Collide. In 2001, Neil Finn invited a collective of world renowned musicians to come to New Zealand and put on three very special shows at the gorgeous St James Theatre. Seven years later, Neil does it again. The double DVD of 7 Worlds Collide follows this amazing group of artists day and night for three weeks offering a unique “behind the scenes” insight into their song writing process. Get in now for your chance to win a copy.
Rural Press Printing Mandurah
Administration
9213 2888
Receptionist Melissa Erpen
reception@xpressmag.com.au
Accounts Lillian Buckley
accounts@xpressmag.com.au
Distribution Distribution
9213 2853 distribution@xpressmag.com.au
CAB AUDITED CIRCULATION: 38,000 APRIL 2011 – SEPTEMBER 2011
Deadlines EDITORIAL General - Friday 5pm, Arts - Thursday 10am, Comp’ Thing Monday Noon, Clubber’s Guide - Monday 5pm, Rock X-tras - Monday Noon, Gig Guide - Monday 5pm
ADVERTISING Cancellations - Monday 5pm, Bookings / Copy - Tuesday 12 Noon, Classifieds - Monday 4pm Published by: Columbia Press Pty.Ltd. A.C.N. 066 570 803 Registered by Australia Post. Publication No PP600110.00006 Suite 73/102 Railway Parade, City West Business Centre, West Perth, WA 6005 Locked Bag 31, West Perth, WA 6872 Phone: (08) 9213 2888 Fax: (08) 9213 2882 Website: http://www.xpressmag.com.au
WARRANTY AND INDEMNITY Advertisers and/or their agents by lodging an advertisment shall indemnify the publisher, and its agents, against all liability claims or proceedings whatsoever arising from the publication. Advertisers and/or their representatives indemnify the publisher in relation to defamation, slander, breach of copyright, infringement of trademarks of name of publication titles, unfair competition or trade practices, royalties or violation of rights or privacy and warrant that the material complies with revelant laws and regulations and that its publication will not give rise to any rights against or liabilities in the publisher, its servants or agents. Any material supplied to X-Press is at the contributor’s risk.
8
Australian rockers Jet have called it a day, so we asked our Facebook fans to tell us their favourite Jet moment… Brett I had my favourite Jet moment... today when I heard the news. Adriana I concur! When they broke up was by far my favourite Jet moment. They are musical abortions! Rob ...they were still together? Travis I liked the bit where they utterly failed to capitalise on their early promise and momentum, and subsequently faded into obscurity. Timothy Get Born is still damn good... But everything after... Anthony I’d forgotten that they even existed. Isn’t breaking up pretty much the only thing they’ve
done in the last decade? Andrew Yeah Get Born was a dope covers album. Sarah I liked it when they said they were going to save America from bands like Nickelback yet they were so much worse. Jasper The best thing they ever did was inspire TISM lyrics...
SUMMER FESTIVAL ANTHEMS
If the recent over whelming success of Stereosonic around Australia is anything to go by, then Australians love their festivals! With the world’s hottest acts and biggest stars touring across the country this summer, Summer Festival Anthems 2012 is the essential one stop, double CD mix compilation that puts all your favourite festival anthems together across two non stop DJ mixed CDs. We have five copies up for the taking so get in quick for your chance to relive your favourite Summer Festival anthems all over again and again!
Adam They had a few good songs but they certainly prove the tall poppy syndrome is alive and well amongst our musical elitists. Ben Whatever you can say about Jet (all you turncoats), in the end they made the music they wanted to make. On all of their albums there were some good tracks, Shine On album definitely the worst though. They summed themselves up perfectly in one of their first interviews: “We just wanna be like the Faces.”
CHECK OUT WWW.XPRESSMAG.COM.AU AND SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER ONLINE FOR LOADS MORE EXCLUSIVE COMPS!
X-Press – First on the street, Wednesdays
www.xpressmag.com.au
9
10
X-Press – First on the street, Wednesdays
FOR CORNELL
Vince Lovegrove with Bon Scott
R.I.P. VINCE LOVEGROVE
X-Press would like to send condolences to the family and friends of Vince Lovegrove, who passed away over the weekend near Byron Bay. Lovegrove was a true pioneer for West Australians in rock music, and is best known for being the cofrontman of The Valentines alongside Bon Scott; introducing Scott to AC/DC; writing for The Go-Set music magazine; and managing The Divinyls. He also knew loss, as he lost his wife and his young son within six years of each other to AIDS. More recently, he was seen onstage at the Bon Scott Celebration Concert in 2007, where he performed early-AC/DC track Show Business with an all-star tribute band. This is what he told the current X-Press music editor shortly after the show: “That was a buzz mate. That was probably one of the biggest thrills of my life. Even though it was only a couple of songs, it was really the first time that I’d actually got up with a band in a long, long time, many decades, but was probably more thrilling than the first time I ever did it.”
Lapalux
JUST BEAT IT
Hailing from two of electronic music’s most exciting labels, Lapalux and oOoOO bring their unique brand of beatcraft to Perth for a co-headline show. Lapalux is the moniker of 22 year old Stuart Howard, the newest signee to Los Angeles based record label Brainfeeder. He was thrust into the spotlight by L.A star-picker Flying Lotus last year and recently released his first widely available EP, the beautifully woozy When You’re Gone to critical acclaim. oOoOO (pronounced ‘Oh’), is the moniker of San Fran producer Christopher Dexter Greenspan. He deviates from standard electronic conventions by taking shoegazey beats into eerily ethereal drag territory. See them at The Bakery on Saturday, May 19. Tickets are available from lifeisnoise.com, Oztix, Heatseeker and Nowbaking.com.au
www.xpressmag.com.au
GEEK CHIC
Whether you’re seven or 70, Supanova Pop Culture Expo is where the adoring public comes face to face with Supa-star celebrities and the creative talent that inspire their imaginary worlds under one big roof. Gathered from and surrounded by the wonderful worlds of science-fiction, TV, movies, toys, gaming, trading cards, animation, comics, books, internet sites and fan-clubs, the result is an amazing atmosphere tailor-made for expressing your inner geek and where getting into cosplay (cos-tume role-play) is the obvious thing to do! This June, Supanova will celebrate its 10th anniversary with a Perth event featuring a stellar line-up of guests including Back To The Future’s Christopher Lloyd, the original Batgirl Yvonne Craig, Smallville’s Michael Rosenbaum, Heroes’ Hayden Panettiere, Buffy The Vampire Slayer’s Mercedes McNab, Harry Potter and Game Of Thrones actress Natalia Tena, and fantasy novelist Christopher Paolini. It happens at Claremont Showgrounds on Saturday, June 23; and Sunday, June 24. Hit up supanova.com.au for more info.
When Gary Cornell passed away a week-and-ahalf ago at age 34, the local music community was left in shock. Cornell was known around the Perth music scene for his tireless work in such bands as Pyramid Of The Coyote and, prior to that, Lost Saints and heaps more bands. This Sunday, April 1, a host of local bands will be paying tribute to Cornell and raising money for his two daughters with a benefit show kicking off at 4pm at the Civic Hotel and The Den. The show will see Baby Jane, Craig Skelton, Midnight Boulevard, We Build Pyramids, Jupiter Zeus, Joy Elevation, Stone Circle, Diamond Eye, One Armed Scissor, Something Humble, Gazman’s Crown Jewels, Damien Thornber & The Orphans, Ichora, Mud Guts, Walker, Ben Blend, To The Depths and Beyond Never hit the stage. If you wish to donate to the Madison & Trinity Trust Fund, here are the bank details: Bank: ANZ, Branch: West Perth, BSB: 016498, Acc: 531167555.
MYTH BUSTERS
Prepare yourself for a night of Pagan music when Adelaide-based folk rockers Spiral Dance take to the stage at the Bassendean Hotel on Saturday, April 14.
THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT Get ready for an exhilarating ride through the Big Band era and the most popular pop, rock and R&B hits of today as the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts’ stars of tomorrow take centre stage at WAAPA In The Park on Saturday, March 31, at the Ron Stone Park on Bradford Street in Mount Lawley.
(NOT SO) LITTLE BRITAIN
After spending much of last year locked away writing new material, Melbournian foursome British India are set to return to the touring circuit to debut their soon-to-be-released fourth album. The band makes their way to WA this weekend to play the Joondalup Festival on Sunday, April 1, where they’ll take to the stage at 6pm. They will also play a special one off headline show this Friday, March 30, at The Civic Hotel, where they plan to treat Perth fans to a live preview of some new songs from their upcoming album, which is expected to hit the shelves in August.
JEFFERSON AIRBLUES Multi award-winning musician PJ O’Brien is set to impress local blues lovers with his signature muscular guitar work and soulful vocals when he embarks on an extensive WA tour this May. O’Brien’s new album Jefferson Blues debuted at #1 on the Australian Blues and Roots Airplay Chart on it’s release last February and this accompanying tour marks his much awaited comeback following a career-threatening neck injury. Catch the talented troubadour on Thursday, May 3, at the Albany Blues Club; Friday, May 4, at the Southwest Blues Club in Bunbury; on Saturday, May 5, at the Hyde Park Hotel; on Sunday, May 6, at the Mt Helena Tavern; on Tuesday, May 8, at the Perth Blues Club; on Wednesday, May 9, at Mojos Bar; and on Saturday, May 12, at the Settlers Tavern. NSW-born bluesman Chris Mawer will play support sets on select dates. Check out pjobrienblues.com for more info.
Reef
RIDE THE REEF
Can you believe it’s been 12 years since Reef last graced our shores? The Brit rockers best known for the much-covered tune Place Your Hands are still going strong and they’re all set to return with their killer live show. You can see them in the flesh on Friday, June 1, at Metropolis Fremantle. Grab your tickets from Oztix, Moshtix and Heatseeker.
11
THE SPECIALS A Message To You
A band that rose to prominence against a backdrop of a tumultuous decade in British history, ska legends The Specials finally bring their reunion tour to WA this weekend. PATRICK EMERY talks to founding member Lynval Golding ahead the band’s slot at West Coast Blues ‘N’ Roots this Sunday, April 1. The Iron Lady portrays an England beset with social, political and economic strife. Strikes, food shortages, racial conflict played against the pomp and ceremony of the Silver Jubilee. By the late 1970s, with the Winter of Discontent eroding into the English people’s traditional resilience, the Conservative Party swept to power, winding back welfare programs and cracking down on industrial unrest. Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher asserted that there was no such thing as society, only the individual. It was into this tumultuous environment that multi-racial ska band The Specials were born in 1977. The Specials came from the same sub-cultural and political melting pot as punk, first challenging the staid post-war institutions that had come to suffocate English society, and subsequently firing
rhetorical bullets at Thatcher’s brutal social and economic policies. Lynval Golding, guitarist and founding member of The Specials, describes it as “strange” to see the events of his youth portrayed on the big screen in The Iron Lady. In fact, Golding says when he thinks back to his early days in The Specials, he’s immediately drawn to the images shown in the movie. “My recollection of that time is seeing part of it on the big screen in The Iron Lady,” Golding says. “We played a gig in 1979 that’s shown in the film, although we’re not actually on the soundtrack – our songs would never be used in that film! But I can remember the miners strikes and all the unrest that’s shown in the film. There can’t be many bands that can go back to their roots in that way!”
The Specials Golding was born in the then-English colony of Jamaica in 1951. A few years later his family migrated to England, where they settled in Coventry. In 1977 Golding, Horace Panter – also known as Sir Horace Gentleman – and Jerry Dammers formed The Coventry Automatics, which eventually morphed into The Specials. The Specials were soon joined by Silverton Hutchinson (who left early in the band’s career), Neville Staple, Roddy Byers and Terry Hall. Dammers had already sowed the seeds of the band’s political stance, which would subsequently become a significant ingredient in the band’s public and musical image. Ska had its roots
in the Caribbean islands, most notably in Staple and Golding’s home country of Jamaica. While England wasn’t the only country with colonial interests in the Caribbean, the concentration of post-war Caribbean migration toward England meant that it became the focus for the fledgling European ska movement. “The ska in the band came from me and Neville,” Golding says. “I think The Specials played a huge part in educating people Europe about ska music, and reggae.” While paying tribute to Bob Marley’s efforts in bringing reggae to the attention of the world, Golding has a surprising nomination for his own favourite band. “When we were touring in Europe we played with AC/DC,” Golding recalls. “They’re my favourite, favourite band! We did a gig with Bon Scott just before he died. It was absolutely fantastic!”
“When we were touring in Europe we played with AC/ DC. They’re my favourite, favourite band! We did a gig with Bon Scott just before he died. It was absolutely fantastic!” The other critical influence on The Specials was The Clash. Joe Strummer had been to see The Specials play in 1977, and suggested them as support act for The Clash shortly after. The tour introduced The Specials to an audience well beyond their Coventry roots, and led eventually to The Specials’ nation-wide popularity. “The Clash tour probably gave us our audience,” Golding says. “It proved to us that we could crossover. I don’t think that without Joe Strummer and Mick Jones there would be The Specials. They are just fantastic guys.” Jerry Dammers formed the Tru-Tone label in 1979, which released The Specials’ debut single, Gangsters. The Specials had already adopted the pork pie and suit look adopted partly from the mod sub-culture – of which Dammers had once been a member – and partly from Golding and Staple’s own Caribbean roots. “Back then when I was leaving Jamaica, you’d have your best clothes on – you’d be wearing a suit and looking very nice. You dressed up in your best clothes,” Golding says. “So dressing up like did was part of my roots.” The Specials went on to release a series of successful singles, including a re-worked version of Dandy Livingstone’s Rudy, A Message to You (retitled A Message to You, Rudy), Too Much Too Young and Ghost Town. The Specials were at the forefront of Rock Against Racism, a project instigated in the punk and ska music community to stem the rise of racism, and to counteract the insidious influence of right-wing rhetoric in the punk movement. 30 years on, and Golding says England has evolved since that time for the better, though he’s regularly disappointed with what’s seen as a return racist commentary. “England is no longer just white – and that’s a good thing - but I’m also very saddened that racism is being used, even on the football field. I’m a big football fan, I follow Chelsea, and I’ve gone to games where there’s been lots of racism directed at players on the pitch. I am really embarrassed when there’s this chanting at black players on the pitch – calling them ‘black bastard!’ I was at a game when someone was calling the black players black bastards, and then he turned to me and said ‘I’m not talking about you – I’m just talking to the players’. How can it not be about me as well?” In the early 1980s, and with internal tensions rising, the members of The Specials went their separate ways. Hall, Staple and Golding formed Fun Boy Three, while Dammers pursued his own political agenda under the moniker The Special AKA, including chart topping Free Nelson Mandela. Over the next 20-odd years the members of The Specials participated in the occasional part-reunion and one-off project. Golding says the seeds of The Specials’ 2009 reunion – albeit without Jerry Dammers – began when Golding tried to organise a 25th anniversary tour. The ongoing absence of Jerry Dammers – guitarist, principal songwriter and arguably the band’s political protagonist – has been something of a sore point. “Jerry Dammers isn’t playing with this line-up,” confirms Golding. “We couldn’t agree with his idea with what to do with the 30th anniversary tour. There are lots of members in this band, and it’s a democratic decision. That’s the thing about democracy – you have to go with the majority decision.” 12
X-Press – First on the street, Wednesdays
GIN WIGMORE Crossing Over
Kiwi chanteuse Gin Wigmore may not yet be a household name in Australia, but if her colossal homeland success is anything to go by, it’s only a matter of time. Ahead of her performance at the West Coast Blues ‘N’ Roots festival, JENNIFER PETERSON-WARD spoke to Wigmore about her latest record Gravel & Wine, out April 9. Like the brothers’ Finn, Shihad and Kimbra before her, New Zealand lass Gin Wigmore is hoping to carve her name into the Australian psyche with the upcoming Australian release of her acclaimed second LP Gravel & Wine. Having already secured praise, adulation and radio saturation since the original New Zealand release of Gravel & Wine last November, Wigmore says an Australian release “does seem like the next logical step.” “I dunno how it’s going to go for me,” she continues. “I tried to give it my best when my last album [2009’s Holy Smoke] was released [in Australia], and it did okay, but it would be great to go even further with this new one. It is the ‘bigger pond’ after all.” Although Gravel & Wine was recorded in the Golden State of California (Santa Monica to be more specific), Wigmore points out that sonically, it’s very much rooted in the south of the USA. “Before I recorded it, I spent two months on the road, touring around the southern states, from Mississippi to Memphis and that was a huge influence,” she says. “All the memories from that trip were a highlight – like, seeing Al Green at the Gospel Tabernacle church, that was totally rad. I never thought I’d be able to experience something like that.”
Produced by Butch Walker (Pink, Hot Hot Heat, Pete Yorn), mixed by Claudius Mittendorfer (Glasvegas, Interpol, Arctic Monkeys) and featuring notable guest stars in Screaming Trees/Queens Of The Stone Age alumni Mark Lanegan and The Presets’ Julian Hamilton, Gravel & Wine showcases Wigmore’s beguiling mix of pop, country and blues. “There aren’t any subliminal messages, I just wanted to get a sense of my presence on the album. I wanted it to mimic how I live my life with confidence and swagger,” Wigmore says. “I loved creating this world of skullduggery, of having love affairs with men and then killing them. I love all that stuff. I love hearing males singing backing vocals instead of women, that kinda thing.” Interestingly, in direct opposition of her imaginative lyrics, Wigmore divulges that she found it “really difficult” to come up with the title for the record. “I wish there was a more interesting story behind it, but the title Gravel & Wine is just one of the lyrics of one of the songs – Black Sheep. I really struggle with titles. Like, how do you come up with something – some small sequence of words – which says it all. I can’t even think of a sentence, let along something that sums up an entire body of work,” she explains, adding with a laugh: “Actually, I do love wine, and gravel is pretty awesome too.” A few weeks out from her album’s Australian release and pending national tour dates, Wigmore is philosophical as to her music will be received by critics and fans down under. “I’ve had a lot more success in New Zealand so I feel this immediate love and openness from audiences over there. They welcome me with arms wide open, which is what you want as an artist,” she
“I loved creating this world of skullduggery, of having love affairs with men and then killing them. I love all that stuff. I love hearing males singing backing vocals instead of women, that kinda thing.”
Gin Wigmore says.“I’m [also] not a huge fan of playing festivals. I just feel you don’t get long enough to put your stamp on it, which is what I most love about making music – that attention to detail, that challenge of winning people over. I’d rather have an hour and a half to do my own thing, to create my own little world.” That being said, Wigmore is quick to add that she is looking forward to heading to the west coast to perform a set at the highly-anticipated West Coast Blues ‘N’ Roots festival. “I’ve wanted to play this festival for a while. I’m [particularly] looking forward to seeing John Fogerty play,” she concludes. “Plus there are all these cash, money, dollar things [inherent with touring] to
Zydecats
ZYDECATS
Striking Accordion Representing the hometown at West Coast Blues ‘N’ Roots this Sunday, April 1, is the fancy fivesome known as the Zydecats. MATTHEW HOGAN chats to the band’s fearless leader, Lucky Oceans. One of WA’s most well known musical personalities, Lucky Oceans sounds very excited to be returning to the stage of the West Coast Blues ‘N’ Roots with his long-standing local band Zydecats. Last year he was at the festival as a the guest of Bob Dylan’s bassist Tony Garnier - Garnier and Oceans were in Grammy Award-winning western swing band Asleep At The Wheel together in the ‘70s. He found himself on the side of the stage for the Dylan show, claiming the best seat in the house. This year sees the Zydecats return to the festival for the first time since 2005, which is also the same year that they released their latest album, Live At Clancy’s.“That’s right - we’ve been slack,” says Oceans. “It’s one of those home bands where everyone goes and does different things, and when they come back they know that there will be a Zydecats gig because they’re just so perfect for a number of people. We’ve been putting our energy into other projects.” Oceans is constantly busy, and late last year he found himself touring with Dave Stewart and Stevie Nicks. Oceans joined The Panics in Dave Stewart’s custom built backing band and had a ball playing classic Eurythmics tracks on the tour. “Dave’s www.xpressmag.com.au
a fantastic guy, and the music speaks for itself,” Oceans says.“In person, he’s just totally approachable, no ego, and he ended up giving me all of his guitar solos; I was playing these wild blues solos on pedal steel. During rehearsal he said, ‘you’re wearing a top hat - go get this man a top hat!’ That’s how rock’n’roll works, you decide what someone should wear, and get your people to get it!” Oceans talks about his bandmates in Zydecats with equal excitement, and you can tell how proud he is to be involved in such a talented outfit after almost two decades. “We started out as a Zydeco band, but then with everyone’s diverse interests we thought there was lots of different roots music that we could address,” recalls Oceans. “Kent [Hughes] is a great guitarist in many different styles - particularly blues and rockabilly and Hendrix - those are his three main areas and he’s a great singer too. Billy Rogers comes up because he played with Cold Chisel and Dragon before returning to Western Australia to raise a family. He’s just the ultimate soul man and a 110 per cent on stage. He plays sax and sings and plays keyboard and harmonica. He’s a real focal point for the band. Drummer Ric [Eastman] is the #1 session drummer in Perth - he can play anything from free jazz to country music. He’s got the best time out of any drummer I’ve ever heard. Absolutely world class, and the bassist Graeme Bell, he makes a mistake once every six months! He’s absolutely perfect! The master pedal steel player even recalls why he started the band. “When I moved to Western Australia one thing I missed was Cajun and Zydeco from Louisiana and all those great Louisiana grooves,” says the Philadelphia-born muso.“Although I lived in Texas before I moved to Western Australia, there’s a real sister state connection between Texas and Louisiana. So I decided if I was going to have to hear those sounds, I’d have to go out and make them myself, so I went out and bought the emblematic instrument; I bought the accordion.”
Perth, as it’s so far away, so it’s just nice to be able to get the chance to come over and perform for everyone.” While the former Aucklander is keen to start calling Sydney home (she’s recently bought a house there), Wigmore says she’s more than happy not to spend too much time in one place. “I’m going to try to stay alive with as little sleep as possible,” Wigmore laughs when questioned over her plans for the rest of 2012. “But seriously, I think I’m going to move over to London for a while a little later in the year, just try and sink my teeth into Europe.”
The Seals
THE SEALS
Break On Through Following in the footsteps of James Teague’s triumphant set at West Coast Blues ‘N’ Roots last year, The Seals have won the last spot at the festival after taking out Breakthrough To Blues ‘N’ Roots last week. MATTHEW HOGAN chats to banjo picker Tom Gourlay ahead of their big stage debut this Sunday, April 1. Rapid risers on the Perth radar for the past year, The Seals have just added another notch to their increasingly scratched belt after beating out Spoonful Of Sugar and Morgan Bain to claim the opening spot in Blues ‘N’ Roots’ Big Top tent this weekend. As banjo picker and occasional Sunday paper cover boy Tom Gourley says, they didn’t think they had a chance. “We thought it was a bit of a long shot to be perfectly honest, but were stoked to make it through to the final, and to win it is just huge,” he exclaims. “There are some awesome acts playing the festival this year, as usual, and we figured it will be great for us to be named on such a bill – one other thing, and this is perhaps on a more personal note, being a big fan of Crosby, Stills & Nash, the idea of playing on the same stage was pretty exciting. If I get the opportunity I really want to ask Graham Nash what it was like making out with Joni Mitchell!”
Gourley says the thought of competition at Mojos last week had him nervous. “As a matter of fact this was the first time I’ve ever been nervous for a gig – it wasn’t until Morgan Bain opened his mouth to begin singing that I thought to myself,‘Boy! We’ve really got to pull out all stops and raise one hell of a ruckus!’,” he recalls. “He was followed by some other good friends of ours Spoonful Of Sugar, and they played an incredible set. They just have such great songs and are so tight. A well-polished unit – they had everyone up and dancing. We knew it was going to be tough!” Gourley is a veteran of the festival - he even went to the first one ever held. “Years ago, the first one I ever went to, it was at Kings Park Women’s Memorial Garden, and it had James Brown,” he says. “Wow! Man, he was old, but boy could he move. He still had it. And that band. They were so tight! They could turn on a dime – responding to his every move! That year I remember Dr John played too. Awesome. Other highlights include Bella Fleck & The Flecktones, true musical adventurers; blues masters Larry Carlton & Robben Ford and of course The Cat Empire – a live show that always impresses.” The band has also been studying classic cinema for ideas on what to request in their rider. “I like the idea of 1000 brown M&M’s in a brandy glass,” Gourley ponders. “But I’m not even sure we’re able to make such demands!” Leaders of the WA ‘neo-bluegrass’ scene, the band has declared 2012 the “year of The Seal” and are working on some interesting collaborative projects. “Our most recent experiment is with local hip hop legend The Apprentice as well as one with up and coming singer-songwriting talent Jacob Diamond,” reveals Gourley.“We’ve got an interesting little release planned for release in the next month or so - recorded in the traditional bluegrass manner, around a single microphone. It’s pretty hip, if I may say so myself. There’s talk of more recording an a few shows on the east coast later in the year too. It’s exciting times in Seals country.” 13
Crosby, Stills & Nash
CROSBY, STILLS & NASH John Fogerty
JOHN FOGERTY
John Fogerty is a true American treasure, one of popular music’s all-time greatest singers, guitar players, and songwriters. His remarkable career began in his hometown of El Cerrito, California, soon earning massive popular and critical success with the one and only Creedence Clearwater Revival. As leader of that outfit, Fogerty forged a distinctive, groundbreaking sound all his own, equal parts blues, country, pop, rockabilly, R&B, swamp boogie and Southern fried rock‘n’roll, all united by his uniquely evocative lyrical perspective.
The Specials
As three of the most influential and revered figures in American contemporary music history, David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash could be excused for taking a little time off. After all, they’ve been recording albums and touring the world for the better part of 5 decades, building up a back catalogue that is now beyond compare. First forming in the late 1960s as one of the first ever “supergroups” CSN were almost immediate superstars. Their first self-titled album was a huge hit and led to their constant collaborations with on again/off again member Neil Young. They’ve gone on to release numerous multi-platinum albums including 1971’s stone cold classic live record 4 Way Street. In fact, they make up the only group of musicians to have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice! Once each for their solo work in seminary bands like The Hollies, The Byrds and Buffalo Springfield and again as a collective. A rare and unparalleled pleasure to witness live, Crosby, Stills & Nash have been kind enough not to kick their feet up just yet and are bringing their incredible songs, amazing guitar work and of course, those breathtaking harmonies to Fremantle Park for your aural and visual pleasure.
As far as musical legends go, there aren’t many bigger fish in the sea than Buddy Guy. Born and raised in Lettsworth Louisiana, the man formerly known as Friendly Chap carved an early reputation based on his flamboyant performance and showmanship. Never before had a guitarist showed such incredible on stage flair whilst simultaneously melting faces with chops thicker than General Burnside. As his career progressed Buddy travelled the world, recording for the legendary Chess Records imprint and playing with luminaries such as Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Little Walter and Sonny Boy Williamson. After a quiet period, he was finally given well deserved recognition in the blues revival period of the late eighties and early nineties, which eventually led to his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005.
TROMBONE SHORTY STEVE EARLE
My Morning Jacket
MY MORNING JACKET
With their latest album Circuital, My Morning Jacket cemented their reputation not only as one of the best American bands of the past 20 years, but one of the finest rock bands in the world at the moment. Led by elastic voiced lead singer Jim James, Kentucky’s finest five piece have proven themselves to be the masters of the slow burn.
Getting his start in Nashville circa 1975 where he made time with the likes of Townes Van Zandt (after whom he would later name his son, Justin Townes Earle) Texan Steve Earle’s early work was of a rockabilly flavor. He wrote songs for Patty Loveless, Carl Perkins and Emmylou Harris as he established himself as an honest troubadour of the era. He went on to live the true country lifestyle and was musically born again in the nineties with his well known hit Copperhead Road. This marked a move to more rock n’ roll influence, an inspiration that has affected his prodigious output since. In fact, since his emergence as a performer, Steve Earle’s songs have been covered by artists such as Johnny Cash, Levon Helm, Percy Sledge, The Proclaimers and The Pretenders.
A true exponent of that unforgettably distinctive New Orleans sound, Trombone Shorty represents everything that residents of the Big Easy hold dear. Enthusiasm, energy, wistfulness and most of all a deep, life long love for the magic of music. After getting his start playing with Lenny Kravitz’s band, Trombone Shorty (aka Troy Andrews) was an integral part of getting the New Orleans music scene back on it’s feet after the levee’s broke in 2005. Since then, Shorty and his Orleans Avenue collective have been recording a releasing records such as Backatown and this years’ For True and touring the world.
Blitzen Trapper
BLITZEN TRAPPER
New Zealand chanteuse Gin Wigmore, whose sound is something of a mash up of Neil Young, Blondie and Macy Gray has been performing and writing since the ripe age of 12 and had penned an album’s worth of songs by her 15th birthday. Soon after her first recording session in 2002, the Wigmore family was dealt a tragic blow: Gin’s father died of cancer. Gin stopped writing and playing altogether and spent some time abroad. Back home, she wrote a tribute song to her father called Hallelujah and on a whim her sister entered Gin’s song in the US-based International Songwriting Competition. She won both the Teen and Grand Prizes, making her the youngest and only unsigned Grand Prize winner in the history of the competition.
After surviving the rough streets of ‘80s London and careering through three decades of Celtic madness, everyone’s favourite roustabouts The Pogues are finally making their return to our shores for the first time since 1989. Led by erstwhile and always well lubricated front man Shane MacGowan, The Pogues represent a lurking danger, mystery and downright rowdiness that is long since extinct from popular music.
Trombone Shorty
Steve Earle
Gin Wigmore
GIN WIGMORE
THE POGUES
BUDDY GUY
THE SPECIALS
Forming in Coventr y, on the outskir ts of Birmingham, The Specials have spent the better part of two decades giving a voice to the voiceless and documenting the plight of the common man. In fact, at their peak, they managed seven consecutive Top 10 UK singles, including of course the smash hit A Message To You Rudy. While they were at it they popularised the two-tone ska sound still prominent today. Just because the mother country seems to be descending into chaos quicker than the proverbial football riot, doesn’t mean that we can’t have a good time, and when they’re not busy soundtracking chaos, The Specials have a pretty brilliant knack for starting a party.
The Pogues
Buddy Guy
Forming in 2000, genre-straddling has always been a bit of a specialty of Blitzen Trapper, who have masterfully blended indie, folk-rock with alt-country. But at their heart, they have a classic rock‘n’roll sound that is drenched in warming harmonies. These Portland veterans really know how to write a song. Alongside their acoustic finger picking, bluesy harmonica and gently clinking tambourine, sit electronic throbbing bass and emphatic stomping that meld beautifully as the backdrop to their clever and engaging lyrics.
Ruby Boots
RUBY BOOTS
There is no mistaking that Ruby Boots are a “band”. They look like a band, play like a band and the chemistry between them is more like glue. With electric and acoustic guitars, banjo, mandolin, violin, washboard, keys, bass, drums and vocal harmonies some bands would look crowded. Ruby Boots just look downright good and they play downright excellent music. While there’s something of a resurgence in traditional roots genre, Ruby Boots are making it their own. Chain gang chants and blues guitar through to western-swing and honky tonk piano, then across to folk-country and back around again, it’s all there and it’s sounding really fresh.
Keb’ Mo’
KEB’ MO’
Husky
HUSKY
With their debut album Forever So Melbourne folk four piece Husky have established themselves as one of the finest up and coming groups in Australian music. They trade in sweet, pastoral melodies enhanced by four part harmonies that have to be seen to be believed. They were recently “Unearthed” by Triple J and have toured with the likes of Gotye, Kimbra, Noah & The Wale and Devendra Banhart in the short space of only six months. 14
Keb’ Mo’ (aka Kevin Moore) is one of the finest blues musicians working today. Just ask Martin Scorcese. Mo’ was handpicked by the legendary director to feature in his series of films entitled The Blues, going so far as to commission Keb’ to contribution a disc to the soundtrack. Established as a fine sessions musician and songwriter throughout the ‘70s and ‘80s, Keb’ Mo’ first struck out on his own in 1994 with his first self titled album. It didn’t take long for the momentum to build and by 1996, Keb’ had a Grammy under his arm for his second album Just Like You. From that point on, there was no stopping Keb’ as he released a further 8 albums, appeared on the finale of The West Wing, picked up a second Grammy and established himself as a legend of blues music.
The Sheepdogs
THE SHEEPDOGS
Emerging from a small town in Canada, The Sheepdog’s latest EP Five Easy Pieces portrays the sounds of decades past. Influences like Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Allman Brothers and the Grateful Dead are coupled with a mix of modern rock sensibilities resulting in their signature sound. Over the years, The Sheepdogs have trekked across Canada in their beaten-down van, but now they are ready to capitalise on the opportunity as they hit the road, play some kick-ass shows, and get ready to impress people with a new record. X-Press – First on the street, Wednesdays
Felicity Groom
FELICITY GROOM
Joining West Coast Blues ‘N’ Roots for the first time is home grown songstress Felicity Groom. Fresh from the release of her debut album Gossamer, Felicity is enjoying widespread acclaim for her heady mix of Cat Power-esque vocals and instrumentation that could be akin to the likes of Portishead or PJ Harvey. Featuring member of bands like Tame Impala, Jebediah and Kill Devil Hills, Gossamer was three years in the making and has realised the potential of one of Western Australia’s finest voices.
Zydecats
ZYDECATS
Escaping from the smoking wreck of the widely and critically acclaimed Dude Ranch, Lucky Oceans (world renowned steel guitarist, and by now button accordionist) decided to approach buddy Bill Rogers (vocals, sax and harmonica) about starting a band to play some Zydeco. With ex-Dude Ranch guitarist/vocalist and rock and roll encyclopaedia Kent Hughes involved, this trio began to rehearse while they searched for both repertoire and rhythm section. From the start, the idea was to combine Zydeco with ‘Cat’ music – swing, jump blues and rockabilly, plus any other style that suited the line-up, including rock and roll, country blues, soul, R&B, Cajun and New Orleans R&B, plus a handful of Lucky’s and Kent’s own songs from the Dude Ranch song book. The end result is one of Perth’s most established five piece ensembles who are engrained in WA’s music scene, delighting every audience they encounter. www.xpressmag.com.au
15
Belle & Sebastian
BELLE & SEBASTIAN Worth Staying Up For
By taking on the guise of “late night DJs” twee purveyors Belle & Sebastian are attempting to lead their fans “down new musical paths.” JENNIFER PETERSON-WARD caught up with keyboardist Chris Geddes to discuss their latest endeavor Late Night Tales: Belle and Sebastian (Volume Two). While Belle & Sebastian’s extensive catalogue may take up a significant chunk of ram on the iPods of indie-pop lovers across the globe, the iconic Scottish outfit has revisited their own collections to craft their second volume of the Late Night Tales series. Having already produced a well-received compilation for the series back in 2006, the musicians have delved deeper into their shared influences and inspirations and unearthed more unheard gems for this latest release. Psychedelic jams from Broadcast thread the mix together, which charts the history of popular music, from‘60s dreamers The Wonder Who? through to modern chillwave purveyor Toro y Moi. “The bulk of the tracks were picked in one session a couple of years ago now, although I didn’t realise it at the time…I spent an evening making a playlist and sending [it] around [to] everyone. I thought other people might do the same and we’d end up with a lot of songs, maybe 100 or so, and start narrowing it down, but in fact other people tended to just come up with tunes one or two at a time, so that initial selection formed the backbone of the collection,” keyboardist Chris Geddes explains. “When we were quite far on with working on it Paul at Late Night Tales suggested we added a couple of newer things as everything chosen up to that point was pretty old, and the hip hop and electronic things on the last one had been popular tracks, so we had another think and that’s when Gold Panda, Toro y Moi and Remember Remember got added. [Then] we discussed which tunes were essential, especially the ones chosen by
other band members as I had an excess, and where the mix should start and end.” The compilation also includes a specially recorded cover version of Primitive’s 1988 poppunk classic Crash, recreated in the band’s own inimitable style. “It was an idea Stuart had had for a long time, to do it in a kind if jazz style, so as we needed a cover we gave it a go,” Geddes says. “I’m not certain we really nailed his vision – I think he’d envisaged a classy big-band type arrangement and it’s turned out more garage-y, but it works ok in the context of the mix which is a relief when you’re putting something you’ve done yourselves in amongst what you regard as some of the best music of all time.” While the eclecticism and obscurantism of the compilation may deter many Belle & Sebastian fans, Geddes says the group made a conscious effort to include tunes which tapped into a similar indie pop vein. “In recent years I’ve been listening to a lot of afro rock, colombian music, bollywood and turkish stuff, but as that’s very far removed from what the group does it would have been a bit of an indulgence to include it,” he says. “I think you could easily say to someone that if you like Belle & Sebastian you might like Broadcast, or Marie Laforete, or the Lovin’ Spoonful, MacDonald and Giles. For some of the weirder stuff it might be harder to draw the connection, although I’d heartily recommend that fans of the band do check out stuff on Finders Keepers, Now Again, Soundway, etc.”
THE CRANBERRIES Lingering Zombie
After a six year hiatus, ‘90s rockers The Cranberries reunited with a run of tours, culminating in a new album, released last month. TOM VARIAN had a talk with guitarist Noel Hogan on reuniting and getting back to the studio. Roses is out now through Shock. Some people might not remember the name The Cranberries but mention Zombie or failing that, try your hardest to sing that infamous chorus and if they were conscious in the ‘90s, they’ll remember it. After over a decade together, in 2004 The Cranberries went their separate ways. Six years later they decided to jump back on the wagon, and spent the next couple of years touring. Guitarist Noel Hogan comments on that first day back together,“I was really nervous on the first day of rehearsal, I don’t know why, I thought it might be weird but it wasn’t. It felt like we’d done it just a week or two earlier. It’s really strange how you can fall back into things, as if someone has just hit pause and then hit play again.” After a run of successful tours in North America and Europe, the band set about recording their new album Roses, released this year, at Metalworks Studios in Toronto with producer Stephen Street, who is best known for his work with The Smiths. “It’s been amazing. We finished the album a year ago, so you’re mad to get it out there and let people hear it, and then over time you start to get nervous and wonder if anyone will like it,” Hogan says, in his heavy Irish accent.“But we’ve been getting lots of great feedback on the website, and our hardcore fans really love it. The most common comment we get is it’s quite close to the first two album.” Noel continues, “we used producer Stephen Street again, who actually produced those first few albums, and Stephen really wanted to catch that vibe, so it seems to have worked.” Most bands get burnt out by their biggest hit fairly quickly, tired of playing it everywhere they go. The Cranberries are definitely a prime example of a band having an early hit that was then hard to get out of the shadow of, with Linger and Zombie. Noel comments on the staying power of their breakaway hit Zombie. “Yeah the crowd still goes nuts for it. When I play the first couple of bars, strumming the opening guitar part, the whole room goes mental.” Fans would say they waited too long for the new album, but luckily now that the fire is stoked, it seems fans won’t have to wait so long for the follow-up. “We haven’t really talked about it, this year is obviously 16
The Cranberries a busy year with Roses coming out. But Dolores and I started writing in the last few weeks again, just a few ideas that have been floating around. We don’t want to get back into the rut of album, tour, album, tour because you start banging out stuff without working on it properly. So if we work on another album over the next year or two, then we do, but I don’t think you’ll have to wait ten years again, that was a bit extreme!” X-Press – First on the street, Wednesdays
THE MORNING NIGHT Morning Has Broken
For an album that was recorded over a year ago, The Morning Night’s debut LP Otis is anything but outdated. JENNIFER PETERSON-WARD sat down with vocalist and songwriter Adrian Hoffman ahead of the launch for the album this Saturday, March 31, at Mojos Bar. The Morning Night’s debut LP Otis was recorded in 2010, but despite this being an annoyance for the band and those searching for another local beach-rock hit after their EP Decide What You Want
P.O.D.
stand by this one. It’s us at our best,” he attests. Otis was conceived after Hoffman crossed paths with multi-instrumentalist Ricky Maymi (best known for his work with the neo-psychedelic rock hit the shelves back in 2009, the delay is unlikely to band The Brian Jonestown Massacre) during a reunion adversely effect the young local outfit’s chances of gig for local legends The Triffids in early 2009. Maymi success. was so impressed with Hoffman’s performance that “Everything’s been ready for a while,” night that he instantaneously picked up the mantle of explains frontman Adrian Hoffman. “There were a few championing the young musician, taking the young reasons [for the delay]. Firstly we had to make sure we man as his musical protégé with an offer to take over were abiding by our record contract and secondly there the production reigns on his outfit’s debut LP Otis. were some artwork issues – basically we couldn’t settle “Ricky came over to WA to have a child on something we all liked.” with his girlfriend and they ended up naming their Despite the holdup, Hoffman says the son Otis. We though it was fitting to name the album record still accurately represents his outfit’s musical Otis because it was our first album and it was his first vision. “I’m still happy with it, which is quite surprising kid. If it wasn’t for Otis we might not have made the because I thought by now I would be really picky with album we did,” Hoffman says.“During the recording we it. Whenever I’m writing songs I always want to change really bounced off Ricky and he introduced us to a lot things or I’ll listen back to something and think ‘I wish I of music we’d never heard before. There was this big had done that in a different way’, but I’m really happy to combination of creative juices floating around.”
The Morning Night While much of their music still revolves around guitar maelstroms lost within a whirl of melody, Hoffman declares the gestation period has allowed his tunes to “take on a new life” and he is looking forward to debuting The Morning Night’s intriguing new live sound during their impending national tour. “It’s been coming for a long while now so we really wanted to make it special. It’ll be action-packed. We have an 18-piece ukulele band, and some awesome support acts which will help the night flow nicely and then a Morning Night bang right at the end,” Hoffman concludes,revealing that fans won’t have to wait long to get their new material:“We’ve been recording another album – it’s basically finished. Our plan is to release it at the end of the year. For now, we want to give [Otis] an opportunity to be in people’s faces. We definitely didn’t want to be one of those bands who releases an album and then doesn’t do anything for a year or two. It feels like we’re on a bit of a roll right now.”
P.O.D.
Youth Group Metal aficionados P.O.D. are getting ready to let their new album loose, so frontman and all round nice guy Sonny Sandoval has a chat to CHLOE PAPAS ahead for the foursome’s show at WA’s biggest Christian music festival, Strawberry Jam at the Handasyde Strawberry Farm in Albany, on Sunday, April 8. Calling from his home in LA, Sonny Sandoval explains that the band is currently in the mixing process of their eighth album, due to drop midyear. The group took a four year hiatus prior to this yet-to-be-named new record, but are back again working with producer Howard Benson, who mixed their first three records back in the early ‘90s. “We have a great relationship with Howard,” explains Sandoval.“We made our first few records with him, then we ventured off and I think in our hiatus… I think we just put P.O.D. aside, and I was at peace with that. Then I got my own things together, got my priorities back in order. And we respect everything that Howard does… He just loves the music. He’s said that he feels like he’s done the same record for the past five years. There’s so many writers in Hollywood and everyone writes the same way. And P.O.D. is kind of like a fine oiled machine.” P.O.D. have been pumping out the alt-metal for two decades now, but it seems current musicians seem to come and go quicker than you can say ‘Bieber’, and when asked his opinion on why, Sandoval groans. “Personally, I don’t even listen to today’s music,” he sighs. “I think the majority of it is just garbage. There’s no passion for music anymore, the industry caters to the consumer. Anybody can do whatever they want. There’s no heart, and no one’s looking for the next Led Zeppelin or AC/DC anymore. They just want a band that can have a single and make some money for them, and then they’re gone and they go onto the next 12-year-old.” It’s pretty common knowledge that P.O.D. were part of the Christian hardcore movement in the ‘90s, and the band have always been quite outspoken about their faith. But they’ve not always been received well by other Christians. “When we were teenagers and we started making music; I wasn’t raised in the church – I didn’t know there was such thing as Christian music and non-Christian music or secular music - I was just making music,” he recalls. “And we happened to just say that we believed in it and we spoke about it. And then when people realised that we were so up front about it, they wanted to categorise us. And it’s the Christians that categorise you so they can put you in a box and say to others, ‘Well, you can’t listen to this if you’re not a Christian because it’s for Christians only’. Which is ridiculous, because when we started we were playing anywhere that they would let us play – it’s not like we played in churches or anything.We didn’t know that stuff existed.” Though P.O.D. have a tendency to project their faith through their lyrics and some of their songs take on an evangelistic approach (take 2001’s Youth Of The Nation, for example), Sandoval explains that the band don’t intend to make music just for Christians or to push their faith onto others. “We’re just a rock band,” he says. “For me, I do believe in Jesus, and I’ve been an open book since the beginning. I’ll never deny my faith and my love for God, I’ll scream it to the world.” www.xpressmag.com.au
17
HILLTOP HOODS Drinking From The Sun
RUNNER Indiana
Golden Era Records / Universal
Independent
The previews from the Hilltop Hoods’ latest effort Drinking From The Sun - lead single I Love It and leaked track Rattling The Keys To The Kingdom – stood out as two of the best songs in the Adelaide trio’s acclaimed career, and seemed to indicate that the album would be an instant classic. It isn’t, but it’s still an excellent piece of music from the kings of Australian hip hop. Drinking From The Sun is the group’s most serious and personal work to date. It finds the group exploring the strains of success for the first time – Pressure’s weary rhyme “stayed in a thousand homes and not one of them mine” on opener The Thirst Pt. 1 stands in stark contrast to Suffa’s celebratory “thanks to hip hop I got a bed in every state” from The Calling - while Suffa’s reflections on going sober on Shredding The Balloon are deeply affecting. The most notable difference on Drinking From The Sun is the production, which relies more on live instrumentation than the Hoods’ sample-heavy earlier work. Unfortunately, this means the album often lacks the warmth and funkiness of, say, Stopping All Stations or Still Standing. It’s a world class effort, worthy of the group’s push into the American market.
Young bucks Runner have had a pretty impressive start. Taking out the National Campus Band Competition makes our patriotic Western Australian hearts swell with pride, and when you consider that they did it with their own take on a hybrid post-rock sound it is as unlikely a win as it is impressive. The spoils of that win come in the form of their debut effort, the Indiana EP. Runner ease into the recording with the bright instrumental Salt Lamps, a tune that glistens like morning dew before they really show their wares. Flaws is far more primal in its approach, and sees the endearing tunes grow legs as it breaks into a folk like sing-a-long and a blistering conclusion. It is spellbinding to say the least. It’s not all beer and skittles for the new wunderkind though as Outlines And Colours is the type of tune that Art Of Fighting would shunt to a b-side (if they let it see the light of day at all) and is a tepid example of what Runner have to offer. It is fantastic to see a band like Runner getting the accolades and attention at such an early juncture. Despite some unremarkable moments Indiana hints that there are times when Runner will live up to the hype.
_JOSHUA HAYES
_CHRIS HAVERCROFT
THE FRAY Scars And Stories
CHIDDY BANG Breakfast
Epic Records / Sony
EMI
The Fray have exper tly honed their soft-rock craft with third full-length Scars And Stories, producing a solid repertoire of uninspiring, emotion-filled, and utterly predictable piano-based songs. It’s as if the band sat down and said “Now, let’s write a bunch of songs that would be perfect for shitty rom-coms.” Though, listening to vocalist Isaac Slade sing does remind me of that scene in The Breakfast Club when Emilio Estevez does the fist pumping dance, you know the one? Slade has that earnest, eager quality to his vocals. This album showcases lyrics that are about as original as a cover band, like: “It changes everything when you’re close to me,” and “Will you lay your body down?” Phew, heavy. Ten songs in to the sickly lovefest, and your nerves will be fraying. Harhar. Third song Turn Me On should be a tingly sexy song, but it’s not. Mostly because it begins by mentioning Slade’s family, and then when he’s singing “I wanna touch you til you’re burning” you think about the fact that he’s like a funny little singing elf, and…um, anyway. No doubt Slade can sing, and for some reason The Fray are kind of endearing, but mostly in an oh-look-at-you-and-your-piano kind of way. It’s difficult to hate them, but more difficult to listen to them.
Chidera “Chiddy” Anamege and Noah “Xaphoon Jones” Beresin are the musical forces behind hip hop duo Chiddy Bang and it was in college in the US that they brought their interests and experience in music together and created tracks like Ray Charles, which have gauged success in the US and in the UK. However, despite what their lyrics say, the new Ray Charles they are not. The track features on their debut studio album Breakfast and it will no doubt become an anthem for the young hipsters out there, being a straight up mix of pop, R&B and rap. Many of the tracks on the album fit that description and they are incredibly in keeping with the style of music you can imagine American college kids are soaking up at the minute. Tracks like Run It Back, which bear a likeness to Drake or Chris Brown exhibit smooth synthesized vocals with rap solos and electro beats. The track that will really get your attention is Baby Roulette, and it’s not for the incredibly indie vocal stylings or the video game sound effects; but rather you’ll sit up and pay attention to the lyrics: “we gotta wear a glove if we’re gonna make love”. Essentially this album is for hipsters who appreciate the occasional nod to American college culture. _HAYLEY MIDDLETON
_CHLOE PAPAS
18
THE GHOST HOTEL Maiden Hill
MARGINS Divide
Walking Horse Records / MGM
Casadeldisco Records
The Ghost Hotel were quietly going about their business when all of a sudden Richard Kingsmill gave them his stamp of approval and ever since they have been beating off the likes of Powderfinger and Cold Chisel with a stick. No longer content with being the playthings of the big boys, the local lads mean business and they have an album to prove it. Not shy to show their wares, The Ghost Hotel kick things off as if they are holding back a stampede of frenetic drum rolls and a wall of guitars. Hand That Bleeds not only shows of the outfits new found muscle, but also a greater understanding of the genre than a group of city boys should be able to muster. With more hooks than Smithfield Packing Company, the riff-tastic For My Crown is the finest piece of guitar slinging to see the light of day south of the equator to date this year. Even when Juliette reverts to many of country music’s clichés there is plenty enough to like about it. The band even give a slight tip of the hat to the Black Crows for Sing It and nail classic rock for Said I’d Never Be Lonely. As an album, Maiden Hill is full of ridiculously good guitar tones, sweet harmonies and is overflowing with killer tunes. You can’t ask for any more than that.
Divide is the second album to be released from Melbournian four-piece Margins. Recorded in 2010 in and amongst various places in Melbourne, it is now being released nationally. It is a collection of songs that allow the listener to travel on an aural journey with the band in a peaceful and smooth manner. As well as in the recording studio, the band also harnessed their sounds in backyard sheds, old TV studios and home lounges and allowed any mishaps to remain on the final cut. As a result you will pick up on that sense of tranquility when listening to the 11 tracks. Most of the tracks are 100 per cent instrumental and it isn’t until the fifth track, Rabbit Head, that you hear delicate melodic vocals. As is the case with instrumental records, it does run the risk of being a little too relaxed; there are moments when the beat picks up, but a good portion of the tracks seem to blend in with one another. Tracks like Open and Gulag are a little to slow but things seems to pick up with E.J. Birdsworth which is evenly paced and demonstrates an interesting percussion mix. Overall it’s a good record for natural instrumental sounds and you could quite easily listen to provide some ambience for boring tasks like studying.
_CHRIS HAVERCROFT
_HAYLEY MIDDLETON X-Press – First on the street, Wednesdays
THE DECEMBERISTS We All Raise Our Voices To The Air Capitol / EMI
The recent history of Portland band The Decemberists has been quite a dynamic one. Their previous album went to #1 in the US and they started to get recognition beyond their wildest dreams, but with the ups came the devastating down of multi-instrumentalist Jenny Conlee’s fight battle with breast cancer. While they have never faltered over the course of their six albums and countless EPs, it is the live show that has been where The Decemberists excel. We All Raise Our Voices To The Air collects songs recorded at live shows during The Decemberists Popes of Pendarvia Tour across the United States containing tunes from as far back as the 5 Songs EP and the recent The King Is Dead full length. The Decemberists have the cornerstones covered with the expressive drumming of John Moen and one of the brightest and charismatic front men going around in Colin Meloy. Having a reputation for audience participation, We All Raise Our Voices To The Air is not only full of cracking songs, it has a fine collection of Meloy’s banter, one liners and stunts to draw the audience in. Whether having the crowd screaming as if in the belly of a whale or offering up stellar versions of Calamity Song, The Decemberists are a delight.
SUGAR ARMY - Hooks For Hands (Shock Records) Mixing tight pop-like rock beats and smooth vocals that move between high pitched androgynous notes and flat masculine tones, this track seems to have everything down pat. The track gains momentum immediately and keeps the listener plugged in with its chorus line which is incredibly catchy. Bloody good local fare. TEMPER TRAP - Rabbit Hole (Liberation) Rabbit Hole is a sampling from the second self titled album from The Temper Trap. With this track they’ve taken that crazy unique vocal from Dougy Mandagi and slowed the pace down to the extreme. Those that fell in love with Sweet Disposition will need to wait until the middle of the track to see some semblance to their former work but this track really works the idea of a slow build juxtaposing the vocals and melodies excellently.
PATRICK WATSON - Into Giants (EMI) This latest sampling from Canadian Patrick Watson will have you questioning whether you listened to two different songs without even realising. The beginning is quite different from the end; it starts with that pure indie pop-ness that is all over the airwaves and by the end you may be put in mind of a big band ensemble that might accompany a Disney _CHRIS HAVERCROFT film. Weirdly wonderful.
MACY GRAY Covered
JESS HARLEN - Let You Down (Obese Records) Melbourne based soul artist Jess Harlen might just 429 Records / Savoy be the next big thing. Let You Down is the super fresh single from Harlen’s soon to be released record Park Yard Slang. Produced by Mercury-Prize winning You all remember Macy Plutonic Lab, it’s an upbeat piece of pop which Gray right? No, probably not. shows off Harlen’s deep, soulful vocals. But, the song Well, this hack does, because itself is mundane and Harlen’s vocals even head into Gray’s single I Try haunted my formative years. How can a voice that annoying make monotone territory. This is a definitely a song which it into the mainstream?! *cue laugh track*. Anyway, will touch the hearts of those indie-pop kids but for Macy dearest has decided to go on a fun little jaunt everyone else, it’s beautifully boring. down the alley of Absolute Musical Wrongs and record a cover album, imaginatively titled Covered. TRACKSUIT - Beat Up Radio (Independent) Don’t bother trying to count the number of times Musical overlords, smite this woman. First off the rank is Eurythmics’ Here Comes the title of track made it into the lyrics because you The Rain Again. Gray sounds like a 12-year-old with will give up; but don’t deter as those three little a bad head cold – one gets the sense that it is words are incredibly catchy and you’ll find yourself supposed to be super emotional and ‘haunting,’ but singing along after just one listen. Stylistically think mostly it is just vomit inducing. If you manage to of a slower version of The Fratellis on their Costello make it halfway through the song, there are actual Music album; essentially an energetic pop rock song with a distinctive summer vibe. shoo-wops. I demand a Lennox-Gray lady fight. My Chemical Romance’s Teenagers also _HAYLEY MIDDLETON & ANNABEL MACLEAN gets a rendition, and all that can be said is this: Macy Gray scares the living shit out of me. Next, horror of all horrors; a synthed-up R&B cover of Metallica’s Nothing Else Matters. THERE IS AN ORGAN SOLO IN THE MIDDLE OF IT. Sweet fucking blasphemy, will the torture ever end? Nope. Radiohead, Kayne, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and Arcade Fire ARIA Top Selling Singles of the 1990s all have their tunes butchered. Why oh why is this With recent shows from Aqua and the Vengaboys happening to the world? Listening to this album is akin to punching showing a massive renaissance for ‘90s cheese right yourself in the ears for 45 minutes. Don’t try this one now, we wonder which of the top selling artists are due to our shores soon. at home.
TOUCAN Brave New World Darter Records
1. ELTON JOHN - Something About The Way You Look _CHLOE PAPAS Tonight/Candle In The Wind 2. WHITNEY HOUSTON - I Will Always Love You 3. LOU BEGA - Mambo No. 5 4. THE OFFSPRING - Pretty Fly (For A White Guy) 5. WET WET WET - Love Is All Around 6. BRITNEY SPEARS - Baby One More Time 7. BILLY RAY CYRUS - Achy Breaky Heart 8. COOLIO FEAT. LV - Gangsta’s Paradise 9. CHUMBAWAMBA - Tubthumping 10. LOS DEL RIO - Macarena
Given the growing trend for Australian indie-pop artists at the minute, you could be forgiven for getting a little lost in band names, tracks and albums; it is proving to be quite the competitive market. However, newcomers Toucan are sure to become favorites for any fans of the genre. The duo that originally hail from Sydney (features) Jess Pollard and Shea Duncan and together they have just released their first EP Brave New World. Shea rocks the keyboard while Jess takes the stage as the lead vocalist and she certainly delivers; executing a light voice that is paired with husky-jazz undertones that might put you in mind of Duffy. On offer from this first sampling are five tracks that are upbeat and do not bear too much of a likeness to one another. Title track Brave New World has already been getting some hype on the airwaves and it is an accurate example of the “indie genre”, while Age of Consequence is a moderately-paced track that demonstrates Pollard’s aforementioned voice. The slowest track is So Hard but that doesn’t mean that it fails to impress. Given this is their first offering, Brave New World is a wonderful way to showcase their talent. It is indeed a brave new world for these talented two. _HAYLEY MIDDLETON
CLAG Pasted Youth Obscure indie rock femme fatale Clag were one of the better outfits to be kicking around the Brisbane scene in the early ‘90’s. In spite of their notoriety for outlandish live shows, they left us with only a smattering of vinyl releases that are nigh on impossible to get your hands on even if you have a collector’s budget. Thankfully, the good folk at Chapter Music have collected the band’s complete works on CD for the first time. Clag as a band were hard to pin down as their lo-fi punk approach often saw them tread ground anywhere from the Pastels to the Shaggs. Bek Moore comes across like an antipodean Kimya Dawson when singing about such pressing issues as cows, the bike in her garage and chips and gravy with help from ragged percussion and casio charm. Pasted Youth shows the evolution of Clag into a band that were rarely understood, but much loved. _CHRIS HAVERCROFT
www.xpressmag.com.au
19
20
X-Press – First on the street, Wednesdays
www.xpressmag.com.au
21
House Of Tolerance screens as part of the Alliance Française French Film Festival
FRANCE ON FILM
A celebration of everything that’s great about the land of croissants, champagne and berets, the Alliance Française French Film Festival is currently underway at Luna Palace Cinemas around Perth, offering up comedies, romances, dramas and thrillers – c’est magnifique! There’s still plenty of time to catch screenings of some of the fabulous films on offer, including Paris-Manhattan, The Day I Saw Your Heart, House Of Tolerance and Declaration Of War, before the festival draws to a close on Monday, April 9. Find out what’s on and when at lunapalace.com.au or affrenchfilmfestival.org.
BE WOOED BY WAAPA WAAPA’s best and brightest will take centre stage at the beautiful Fremantle Arts Centre later this week for WAAPA Direct, a showcase of work by the Academy’s incredibly talented musical theatre students. Set to take place on Friday, March 30, WAAPA Direct will feature solos, duets and big ol’ fashioned choruses; and best of all, entry is only $10, or is free for youngins under 16. The evening will also feature Defying Gravity, WAAPA’s rhythm celebrating ensemble. Get your tickets now from fac.org.au.
RELOCATED RESORT
Come April, the ever popular Laugh Resort comedy club will pack their bags and relocate to Rosie O’Grady’s in Northbridge, after 16 successful years at the Brass Monkey. Their first gig at the new venue is set to go down on Wednesday, April 4, offering up comedy from a plethora of local and interstate acts including Ben Darsow, Werzel Montague, Adam Peter Scott, Corey White and Don Smith. The fun kicks off at 8.30pm and entry is $12 on the door.
WHO YA GONNA CALL?
Ghostbusters
If there’s something strange in your neighbourhood… who ya gonna call? Ghostbusters! To celebrate their second birthday, the folks over at AccessReel.com are hosting a special screening of one of cinema’s most popular supernatural comedies – Ghostbusters, in remastered digital format. “We wanted to bring Ghostbusters to Perth as it’s never been shown here in this digital format, plus all of the AccessReel team including myself never got to see the film on the big screen. I also think the added bonus is that we will be showing the film on the best screen in Perth - the Titan Cinema at Reading Cinemas in Belmont,” says AccessReel’s head honcho Darran Price. If you aint afraid of no ghost, be sure to get down to Belmont to check out this classic flick on the big screen. The screening is set to go down on Wednesday, April 11, at Reading Cinemas Belmont and tickets are on sale now from Access Reel’s website.
TURA NEW MUSIC Aural Experimentation
Tura New Music celebrates their 25th anniversary this year. For a full 2012 calendar of events, including the upcoming performance of The Complete John Cage Variations I – VIII, the Totally Huge New Music Festival, and Tura’s collaboration with the Australian Chamber Orchestra, visit tura. com.au, or call (08) 9228 3711. Tos Mahoney has been at the forefront of West Australian avant-garde music for the past two and half decades. A flautist by trade, he has transformed the possibilities for new and emerging art music performers, composers, and audiences within this state. Now in his 25th year as artistic director of Tura New Music, Mahoney describes how he got into the business of performing and organising new music. “Well I’m a Perth born and bred person, and I started music in my teens, and at that stage I was drawn to traditional blues... and then post school I studied music at various institutions around Australia, and developed my flute practice fairly extensively, and it progressed fairly quickly into a passion for the avant garde.”
22
Mahoney’s involvement with organising new music concerts and events arose out of necessity. “We were doing our own experimentation around music, and of course there was no outward possibility of presenting that work... I just started organising concerts and that grew into what was in the mid ’80s an event called Perth Festival of Improvised Music, which was down at Fremantle and was a big success,” explains Mahoney. “There was quite a bit happening at the universities in terms of contemporary chamber music, and some electronic music research work, and we sort of banded together with an idea of creating an umbrella organisation that would cover the passions and visions of various practitioners around Perth. And that was created, and there was some delusion that this vision would garner a whole lot of funding and support! And initially it didn’t – it did get a small bit; but when it didn’t most of the other parties fell away, and I was left with this thing which had been incorporated as a company known as EVOS music, but with its aims and objectives being very high and mighty: about supporting and promoting these contemporary but non-commercial musical practices.” So stick with it he did. Twenty-five years later, through numerous ups and downs (including a name change), Tura New Music has led the way for experimental music and sound art in this state at
Decibel performs The Complete John Cage Variations I - VIII tonight, Wednesday, March 28 almost every turn. Throughout all of this, Mahoney’s drive and passion for his role in this has been unwavering. “There’s a few drivers! One is there’s the experiential side... the experience of a new work, whether it’s seeing or feeling or all of those things together, that really does feel like it’s moving one’s mind or whole being to a different spot (I don’t mean metaphysically) but just some sense of being moved. There’s an excitement about that and those possibilities that something really new does create. And to be part of that to be part of the whole process of supporting the initial thought of that, and supporting the artist to actually rendering it, is incredibly fulfilling.” “For me personally, the connection with people, and dare I say community, is a real strong driver: meeting new people and experiencing their thoughts and ideas and philosophies, is another great fulfilling part of this, and of course just meeting new people is a great experience.” It’s this understanding of community and people that has really made Tura (and Mahoney) successful. For Mahoney, the composition of new music is intrinsically linked with the culture and community it is being created in. “It’s really about how it’s presented. We take music out to remote communities and it’s
embraced, because you program the right thing for the right context... It’s the same as when we did the mad Jon Rose project [using violin bows on wire sheep fences, aka The People’s Music] up at the sheep station, and there were over 600 people there. Over 300 of them were in the local catchment. And they just thought it was fantastic! They were out there in front of projections onto a sheering shed, there’s a string orchestra, there’s improv doing it’s mad thing in this 50 minute piece, which in the city, in a hall, people would have [reacted badly], but they loved it. So in answer to [whether there is support for new art music in Western Australia], yes there is, provided you provided the right context for it. And that’s the challenge. So where does Mahoney see the future taking him? “Well me to bed! For a long time. And Tura onto greater things! I think again, heavens sake, we are in the 21st century obviously, and again I say it modestly and naively, the digital possibilities for creation and dissemination and experience of sound, is somewhere that we’re behind where we want to be as an organisation,” he says. “There are so many possibilities for artists’ works, and how other people experience their work. And I think that’s the big challenge!” _LEAH BLANKENDAAL
X-Press – First on the street, Wednesdays
Wish You Were Here
WISH YOU WERE HERE Missing In Action
Directed by Kieran Darcy-Smith Starring Joel Edgerton, Teresa Palmer, and Felicity Price Wish You Were Here is a low-budget thriller in much the same vein as Picnic At Hanging Rock; people go missing on a trip and we, along with the characters, spend the rest of the film wondering what has happened and trying to pick up on any clues are on the way. Wish You Were Here handles things in a much more 2012 way: instead of a group of schoolgirls going on a school excursion, the group comprises of four grown up Generation X-ers. Married couple Alice (Felicity Price) and Dave (Joel Edgerton), along with Alice’s sister Steph (Teresa Palmer) and her new boyfriend Jeremy (Antony Starr) travel to Cambodia on a holiday, and are devastated when Jeremy fails to return home with them. He’s become a missing person statistic, just another tourist who has mysteriously disappeared overseas. While this situation sounds stressful enough - it’s particularly distressing to watch Steph have to come back alone from Cambodia after searches and enquiries have proved nothing - there are many other ugly secrets bubbling under the surface, which are brought up by Jeremy’s sudden disappearance. The film isn’t told in chronological order, instead relying on a series of flashbacks to the night Jeremy went missing, and even all the way back to the time when Steph first tells Alice about her new boyfriend. While this does make the film a little hard to follow at times, it does create the sense that the
www.xpressmag.com.au
audience is only piecing information together along with the characters, and keeps us on our toes until the end. However, when you’ve built up the ending that much, you have to make it something that will satisfy viewers. With plenty of red herrings and unimportant plot points thrown in, the ending may be a little dissatisfying or anti-climatic to thriller movie buffs. Although there’s only a small cast, they all excel in their roles. In particular, Price and Edgerton bring a darker, vaguely threatening air to their characters, a mother and father who are living an idyllic bohemian lifestyle with two kids and a third on the way. The raw devastation that Price portrays as Alice’s world spirals out of control is particularly compelling to watch. The characters are all flawed.After all, it’s what makes them human, and keeping things real is integral to the plot in this film. But it also distances the audience from the characters. They’ve all been wronged, but in some cases it’s their own thoughtless actions that have brought their world spectacularly crashing down, and it’s hard to feel any sympathy for them. Wish You Were Here is a strong offering from director Kieran Darcy-Smith. The efforts taken to ensure the ‘realism’ of the film are evident - the travel scenes were really filmed in Cambodia, there was no stylist or set stylist, so all the characters and their homes look appropriately lived in, and the production crew was kept to a minimum. Though it’s generally a good watch, the climax is built up so relentlessly throughout the film that the ending of the story may leave viewers feeling slightly disappointed. _TARA LLOYD
Director Kieran Darcy-Smith and producer Angie Fielder on the set of Wish You Were Here in Cambodia “The key to the film, and what we always intended, was that people would walk out going, ‘God, that so could have easily been you or I’, and ‘What kind of choices would I have made in that situation?’. “The integrity of the scenario was critical, Kieran Darcy-Smith is quite familiar with the drama world. Not only has the Sydney drama school and I worked very hard to ensure that it was a graduate had a stellar career as an actor, he’s also credible situation. I knew these kinds of things did in been making waves as an accomplished filmmaker. fact take place.” While Darcy-Smith kept the cast and crew For his debut feature film Wish You Were Here, he kept the production process pretty close to very small to guarantee that the film felt intimate and home, writing the screenplay with his wife and lead real, he managed to bring it even closer by including actress Felicity Price and calling on one of his best his wife, and best friend Joel Edgerton, as the two mates to appear as the leading man. leading actors. The result, following three friends who “We wanted to develop the character of have to deal with the devastating aftermath when Alice around Felicity, so she was locked in from day one of their companions goes missing on holiday, is one, and I felt privileged to have her because she’s an an unsettling, dark thriller. amazing actress,” enthuses Darcy-Smith. “The germ of the idea came from Felicity, “Joel I’ve been best friends with since from my wife’s brain,” explains Darcy-Smith. he was 17 and I was 25. We went to drama school “She came up with this basic idea together and shared a lot together; he’s godfather and presented it to me, and it presented such an to my son and was best man at my wedding. To be incredible opportunity. perfectly honest, when we were trying to cast the “We had two children while we were film I didn’t actually ask Joel to do it because I was writing the script, the film’s part of the family now.” terrified he wouldn’t do it. The subject matter is intriguing; four “He’d done a bunch of low budget friends go on a holiday to party and let their hair down and can’t even imagine the possibility that Australian films and at that point was fielding they might be putting themselves in danger. extraordinary offers, and I just felt that he wouldn’t Unfortunately, it’s not an unimaginable situation for be able to do it. I’m not very good with rejection,” he laughs. Darcy-Smith “One day he almost literally grabbed me “Twenty or 30 years ago, a friend of ours was sadly involved in a situation where she was by my shirt collar and said ‘Dude, well, what about me?’. traveling in Thailand with her best friend and her So as soon as he said it, it was just like, my goodness, best friend’s partner, and one night the partner alright, we’re on.” simply disappeared. No one knows where he is or _TARA LLOYD what happened.
KIERAN DARCY-SMITH Mystery Man
23
The Hunger Games
THE HUNGER GAMES Teen Warfare
Directed By Gary Ross Starring Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Donald Sutherland, Wes Bentley Forget sparkly vampires. The past year has seen the publication of a plethora of post-apocalyptic young adult novels that explore what the future could look like once our unsustainable lifestyles cease to be sustained (spoiler alert: it’s gonna be bad.) Amid this rising sea of dystopias, one series stands out –Susanne Collins’ bestselling trilogy The Hunger Games, of which the first novel has been adapted to great effect for a film of the same title. The Hunger Games begins long after the human population has been decimated by climate change and the wars that followed. Now North America is known instead as the nation of Panem, a country with 12 fenced-in districts that all work to feed the enormously wealthy and technologically advanced capital. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen (played to perfection by Academy Award nominee Jennifer Lawrence) lives in District 12, the poorest of them all. Her father died in a mining accident years ago, and now her family survives thanks to her own illegal hunting and gathering outside the district’s fence. Early in the film we discover that long ago in Panem, there was a District 13. The district revolted, and the Capital demolished it and killed all its inhabitants. To commemorate the event – and to remind the districts of its power – the Capital organises the annual Hunger Games. First comes “the reaping”: one boy and one girl are chosen from each district to attend the games. Then the games themselves: a
24
fight to the death among 24 teenage competitors in a sprawling forest environment controlled by a sadistic game master (Wes Bentley). The event is watched by the whole nation on live TV. When the reaping comes to District 12, Katniss isn’t chosen – but her little sister is. In a harrowing moment, Katniss sacrifices herself to the games instead. She’s certain this is a death sentence – no one from the underfinanced and undernourished District 12 has won in decades. But as the games begin, Katniss’ knowledge about edible plants and hunting become an advantage over the better-fed, stronger kids. The archetype of the girl survivalist is familiar – she’s tough and resourceful, but kind and sentimental. We are put on notice that Katniss is something different early in the film when she sneaks off, bow and arrow in hand, to hunt animals to sell to visiting troupes. But it is her stoic, solemn intensity during the actual Hunger Games which shows how truly different she is from comparable teen protagonists. If this were any other young adult film, it’s likely Katniss would spend a good chunk of the film repenting for her own cold blooded murders and/or swooning over her dashing fellow District 12 tribute Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson). Lucky for us, the story instead focuses on Katniss’ survival, self-discovery and growing resentment of Panem’s totalitarian government (evoked by Donald Sutherland as the dictatorial President), which makes for an exhilarating narrative. Only at the end of the film does the director falter; hindered by the demands of franchise film production (there are three books in the series) and bowing out with a whimper, not a bang. _JENNIFER PETERSON-WARD
X-Press – First on the street, Wednesdays
“It almost killed us getting the show up, but from the feedback we’ve received from people it seems to have been worth it,” Divergence co-curator Andrew Nicholls says of the logistics behind the installation of the huge exhibition. With over 500 individual photographs by 70 artists to exhibit, Form knew they needed a venue that was colossal in size to house the exhibition, and found the perfect location in the Railway Workshops. “At Form we have a real interest in Midland and think there’s an incredible amount of potential in the City Of Swan in general, but particularly in this site, and it’s such a unique site. We tend to knock things down in WA rather than hold onto them so to have Edwardian era buildings of this scale all on one site is just incredible. “We run permanent programming from some of the buildings on this site and we’ve kept this building up our sleeves for a couple of years waiting for the right project to really blow people away with. The Images from Natasha Shulte’s Line series collaboration with FotoFreo gave us the opportunity to do that. We’ve wanted to use this building for a long time and this seemed like the right project.” Having fallen in love with the Railway Workshops, it was up to Form to convince the exhibiting photographers that the venue was the perfect site for Divergence: Photographs From Elsewhere is a stunning this exhibition. body of work on display thanks to Form in partnership “We were slightly nervous with so many with FotoFreo, housed in the breathtakingly beautiful photographers in the mix to have to explain to them Midland Railway Workshops. A maze of photographic that their work would be displayed unframed, bullwonder awaits those who step inside the enormous dog clipped to fencing in a giant dusty shed with no structure, with captivating imagery from all over the climate control… Thank god all of the photographers world. have dealt with it with really good humour. The
DIVERGENCE: PHOTOGRAPHS FROM ELSEWHERE Snap Happy
Divergence: Photographs From Elsewhere is on display at the Midland Railway Workshops until Sunday, April 15; open from Wednesday-Saturday from 10am-4pm. Undoubtedly one of the largest collections of photography ever exhibited in Western Australia,
FREMANTLE STREET ARTS FESTIVAL Art Here In The Street
The 14th Fremantle Street Arts Festival runs over the Easter long weekend from Saturday, April 7, ’til Monday April 9, at various locations throughout Fremantle. Find out more at fremantle.wa.gov.au. Buskers right? If you think of them at all, it’s generally as a distraction or a mild irritation: the dude with the cheap guitar plugged into the battery-operated amp cranking out poor renditions of classic rock tunes, or whatever freak of the week is making the Murray Street Mall impassable as he exhorts the mildly curious crowd to part with some folding cash. But that view is a fallacy. Sturgeon’s Law states that 90 per cent of everything is crap, so there’ a good chance you haven’t seen the 10 per cent of street performance art that is just jaw-droppingly incredible. Luckily, this Easter will see some of the world’s finest hatpassers descend upon the streets of Fremantle with a focused agenda to shock, amaze, and entertain.
The thing is, while street performance here can scarcely hope to raise a response any warmer than a cocked eyebrow, to the rest of the world it’s Art with a capital A. From the carnie-influenced acts of California’s Venice Beach to the clowns and acrobats who still ply the marketplaces of Europe as their 18th century forebears did, the culture of busking is thriving; one only has to take a look at the far-flung origins of the various visiting acts to realize that. There’s LJUD from Slovenia, a group who take to the street painted pink from head to toe to act out First Contact scenarios with the unsuspecting public. Spain’s Adrian Schvarzstein, an award winning clown, brings us his performance piece Dans, in which he plays the role of a fleet-footed Latin Lothario whose clumsy attempts at seduction belie his deft dance moves. British double act Strictly Dumb Prancing put the wind up the current incompressible craze for television dance shows, while Canada’s Kate Mior actually manages to do something new and fun with that hoary old trope,the human statue. And from the Antipodes we have such performers as New Zealand’s Shay Horay, The Rubberband Boy, who combines the long traditions of the contortionist and the freak show; Australia’s Fatt Matt, who takes clowning right to the edge of the
photographers that have come over for the show and for FotoFreo have been really really blown away by it and have been happy to have their work seen in this context.” From portrait series, to haunting landscapes and images of day-to-day life in far flung locations such as India, Divergence: Photographs From Elsewhere has something for just about anyone, and truly is a mustsee exhibition for Western Australian art lovers. With so many beautiful and engaging bodies of photography to pick from, Nicholls finds it hard to choose a favourite from the Divergence program, but states that he is particularly moved by Natasha Shulte’s Line series. “I have many favourites in the show but my particular favourite is Natasha Shulte who is a Ukraine based photographer who undertakes work at a state run orphanage in Belgorod-Dnestrovky. She’s worked on that site with the orphans and part of the money raised from the sale of her work goes to the orphanage so it’s not exploitative work. She photographs them in their regular street clothes and then re-photographs them in the same poses and location but dolled up in sentimental Victorian style clothing and then exhibits the two images together like before and after shots. There’s something about them that I think is really powerful and very beautiful.” Divergence: Photographs From Elsewhere would not be possible without support from the Midland Redevelopment Authority and BHP Billiton. _EMMA BERGMEIER
Shay Hooray possible; The Space Cowboy, a man without a gag reflex who has racked up a truly impressive eleven Guinness World Records; and the surreal prop comedy of Anthony Livingspace. And that’s barely scratching the surface. Apart from the dozen or so other acts that space prohibits us from mentioning, there are also musical performances from Village Vibes and local favourites The Seals, easily one of the most fun band playing around the traps at the moment. All
for the cost of a coin in a hat - that’s not too shabby. Chances are, the last time this style of performance was foremost in your mind was back when the Jim Rose Circus was a cultural force to be reckoned with, and that was back in the mid-’90s. High time to take a refresher course, then - this Easter, the streets of Freo are alive. _TRAVIS JOHNSON
VISUAL ARTS
Munda Ungai Munda (Earth To Earth): Japingka Gallery, Fremantle Wayne Quilliam is one of Australia’s leading Indigenous Sixth Sense: Gallery Central, Northbridge Sixth Sense delves into the work of six outstanding WA photographic artists and in Munda Ungai Munda, photographers – Patrick Brown, Eva Fernandez, Mike Quilliam has curated his work into three themes. Gray, Kate McMillan, Flavia Schuster and Juha Tolonen. Respectively titled Lowanna, Ceremony and Towindri, Through their images we are drawn into a space where Quilliam’s style encompasses the spiritual and unease is shrouded in beauty. As we look further, we are artistic dimensions of Aboriginal culture as his art is transported beyond the literal image. We are invited to transformed through traditional and modern practices, see what is not there - an insight into narratives beyond including developing a world first technique that our senses, a world observed and explored through the infuses the artwork with traditional ochres and plant dyes. Runs ’til Apr 24. lens, that is in this case, the sixth sense. Runs ’til Apr 5. ReConstruction Of Memory: Turner Galleries, Northbridge Bronek Kozka is interested in memory, how we see or perceive memories and remembered moments in time. He creates elaborate tableaux photographs that are highly contrived installations and recreated spaces influenced by film sets, cinema references, advertising, nondescript suburbia and Renaissance Italy. His actors inhabit these fictional spaces, playing out scenarios full of psychological tensions, yet there is a sense of melancholy, despair, and dislocation from each other. Runs ’til Apr 7.
Larry Mitchell: A Pilbara project Exhibition: FORM Gallery, Perth It takes a skilled and sensitive artist to interpret the complexities and contradictions of the Pilbara, and show its scenery in a fresh light. In Larry Mitchell: A Pilbara Project Exhibition, we have the opportunity to witness the encounter of one of Australia’s leading visual artists with this vast region, from the industrial landscapes of the Burrup and Port Hedland to the Spinifex-studded hills way east of Newman. Larry Mitchell’s paintings offer a perspective of the Pilbara in painstaking and sometimes painful detail. Runs ’til May 29.
Year 12 Perspectives: Art Gallery Of WA, Northbridge An annual survey of work by WA’s top Visual Arts students, Year 12 Perspectives promises to deliver works of technical excellence and emotional complexity. Works depict relationships between self and the wider community, amongst family members and explore the relationship one has with one’s self. Fifty-one artists challenge us to reflect, explore and understand the world in which they inhabit and provide us with an opportunity to connect to the experiences of the young people of Western Australia. Exhibition runs ’til Apr 9.
Postcards From Home: Midland Railway Workshops, Midland After a successful career in the London music and editorial industries of more than 12 years, where his subjects included the likes of Beth Orton, Jamiroquai, Victoria Beckham, Jarvis Cocker, Blur and Johnny Lydon, Sam Harris abandoned his career to change direction and travel with his family. Eventually, he settled in the forests of Balingup,WA. His photography now has a very different focus and his new exhibition Postcards From Home revolves around his domestic life, especially that of his two daughters Uma and Yali as they grow up. Runs ’til Apr 15.
The Power And The Passion: Perth Town Hall, Perth The Power And The Passion exhibition comes to Perth after a successful showing in Broome. It features the images of renowned photographers such as Australian and West Australian Landscape Photographer of the Year Christian Fletcher, Adam Monk, Nigel Gaunt, Ingetje Tadros, Rod Hartvigsen, David Bettini, Fleming Bo Jensen, Jim Delios and featuring audio and visual by Jeff Skinner. Runs Mar 31-Apr 11.
Inner Reflection by Leanne Clements, 2011 is on display for FutureGen 2012 FutureGen 2012: John Curtin Gallery, Curtin University, Bentley On display for FotoFreo, FutureGen 2012 is an exhibition of the work by the best graduating and undergraduate photography students from the leading tertiary institutions teaching photography in Australia, together with the best student and graduate student photography from leading teaching institutions in China. Runs ’til May 11. www.xpressmag.com.au
iClick: King Street Arts Centre Foyer, Perth A community arts program to breakdown barriers between authority figures and young refugees and migrants has resulted in a photography exhibition that captures a snapshot of suburban life through the eyes of new Australians. More than 25 young people from Thornlie and Langford were asked to use the medium of photography to explore their notion of identity, space and place and at the same time build positive relationships with authority figures. Runs Apr 1-15.
Jarvis Cocker by Sam Harris 25
26
X-Press – First on the street, Wednesdays
returning to his second home DJ Fresh, aka Daniel Stein, has been in the drum’n’bass fraternity for nearly 20 years but it’s the last five that he’s made his mark on the wider music industry. JOE CASSIDY checks in with the legendary UK DJ, producer and head honcho of Breakbeat Kaos ahead of his show at Metro City this Friday night. Louder, the first single from DJ Fresh’s soon-to-be-released third studio album released mid last year, stormed the UK Single Chart, landing at #1, with featured vocals from Welsh singer-songwriter Sian Evans of British trip hop rockers Kosheen. Now, a bunch of mainstream artists are falling over themselves to work with him, in his own words - “I’m literally on the TV all the time.” But, what might appear as overnight success has been a very passionate and studied approach to drum’n’bass for nearly 20 years, culminating with “massive artists asking me to work with them and… my life turning into almost being a bit like a pop star.” This week, Daniel Stein is heading down under, it’s his fifth trip to our shores and, from his home in Oxford, he sites Perth as a beloved destination to perform. “I’ve got some really good friends down there so it kind of feels like coming home, it’s a cool place,” he says. Mix in Perth’s drum’n’bass scene, some catchy tracks, club kids aching to dance and you’ve got what promises to be one pretty terrific party.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 28
www.xpressmag.com.au
27
From the tender age of 19, Stein was a founding member of the English drum’n’bass supergroup Bad Company who enjoyed glorious amounts of success with their 1998 track The Nine – having been voted the Best Drum And Bass Track Of All Time by online bible Drum And Bass Arena. The other members of Bad Company were prolific music producers of the ‘90s in their own right as drum’n’bass exploded within the UK underground scene. Although they disbanded in 2005, all members continued to work in the industry and it was this early exposure to the scene that encouraged Stein to live out his passion not only in the studio, but in as many ways as possible. Along with Bad Company, Stein started up the online community Dogs On Acid in 2001 which allowed users to share upcoming releases, mixes and gigs – a connective portal that had been missing. In 2003, he embarked on a solo career and formed the record label Breakbeat Kaos with highly regarded UK producer Adam F and soon after, life skyrocketed. After forming the label, one of their first releases Barcelona peaked at #11 on the UK charts and his solo effort, producing the Pet Shop Boys track Miracles, hit #4 on the UK charts. As a producer from a scene that was very much underground, producing a song that ranked so high on the mainstream charts was quiet an achievement. With an ear for what both hardcore underground listeners liked and what mainstream audiences could dance to and enjoy, Stein signed popular Australian boys Pendulum to Breakbeat Kaos in 2003. He cites this as a major turning point and he enjoyed helping them to get a leg up in the UK scene with their debut album Hold Your Colour. But, it was all the time and energy that he put into developing other people’s music that distracted him from making his own beats. “I was suffocating all this creativity to make music and I was putting all this energy into other people that we were trying to help out and push,” he says. But the success of Pendulum proved too much for the smaller label and, as Stein admits, most artists want to keep pushing themselves and so with no hard feelings, Pendulum left the label and Stein took the opportunity to get back into the studio. The result was 2008’s Gold Dust, a tune re-released in 2010 with vocals from dancehall artist Ce’Cile, that marked his first UK top 40 track. “It gave me the platform to do these things I dreamed of doing with other artists to now do for myself, which was really exciting,” he says, talking of the track and label. It’s this success that has kept the DJ, producer and label owner grounded. “What I’ve kinda realised going through that process, is how shallow the music industry is,” he says. “When you’re on top…
HOWLIN’ WOLF
There’s only one way to celebrate Friday the 13th – and that’s pulling out your best horror themed fancy dress whilst listening to some hard and fast bass. The folks at Force Majeure have got that one covered; this April they’ll be hosting a session at Ambar in Perth and all the devil’s children are invited to play. Leading the freakish festivities on the night will be Sydney duo Doctor Werewolf who’ll be mixing the latest from Ministry Of Sound Dubstep as they go. Supports include Gran Calavera, Jon Ee, 4by4 and Philly Blunt, who is no stranger to tearing shit up at Ambar. Tickets are $15 on the door.
BEAR IN THE BIG BASS HOUSE
DJ Fresh everybody wants to jump on what you’re doing which is great but I always try to remember that it’s not really real, people just gravitate towards success.” His style has evolved, mixing house, dancehall, acid jazz and ambient vocals to create a unique sounds which straddle the boundaries of underground and mainstream. “Over the last two or three years I’ve been playing a much wider mix of stuff and now only a percentage of my set is drum’n’bass,” he says. And as for his show this Friday night, punters can expect an energetic, intense and genrevaried set.“When I started DJing in more commercial kind of venues I was like ‘how do I sort of take my mission, which is try and cross this music over to people who don’t know about it?’,” he says. But, as for his sets nowadays, it’s a “mad style of DJing and it’s a mishmash of all kinds of music really and it’s very fast and intense.”
» DJ FRESH » FRIDAY, MARCH 30 @ METRO CITY
PEO DE PITTE The loveliest and most pleasant of musicians you could hope to speak to, Peo Häggström represents Sweden – in the most humble and nonchalant of ways. He is softly spoken, polite and up for a good chat. RK spoke to the DJ, producer and label owner of FlatOut Records about relocating to London and his love for genre diversity.
28
JUNGLE FEVER Kid Massive
THE BIG KID
Undoubtedly one of the biggest names to emerge from the club scenes of Europe is Kid Massive. Now that he has released his debut album - complete with a series of collaborations with Mark Le Sal and Peyton (who features on the title track of the album A Little Louder) Perth will get the to opportunity to catch the latest and greatest from Mr Massive when he heads to our shores this April. He is bringing his brand of EDM and club music to Perth for one performance only; held at Flawless on Thursday, April 5; so be sure to get your tickets lined up.
After the massive success of their last session, the folks at Bran & Zimmers have reignited the Jungle Shakedown. This time, the jungle fever will take over when the likes of Greg Packer, Rewind, Devo, Krank, Dazz K and Leroy hit the decks and remind you of their titles as the finest old school DJ’s that this city has to offer. The home of the underground will once again be converted into something that looks like the Amazon while folk from our town will no doubt fill the space reminding you of those days when the clubs were dimly lit sweat pits full of friendly faces. Be sure not to miss out on the old school jungle madness at Ambar on Friday, April 20. Tickets are $15 on the door and presales are available from the Boomtick store now.
MARTEN HØRGER
SWEDEN CALLING
Fake Blood has labelled Peo Häggström a name to watch. With releases and remixes on labels Global Underground, SIMMA, Fingerlickin’, Lot 49 and more, the Stockholm export has been slamming shows around Europe and the UK and now, he’s relocated to London. “My life has basically been one of musical adventures and things like that,” he says. “I’ve had a great run and been doing some great things, like restarting my label and putting out a few new releases. It is always hard when you’re a new artist and you’re trying to get your demos out there but no one is listening. I got some good support from some big DJs and it really just took off from there – so I’m trying to give some of that back.” Today, Häggström is living in London and enjoying the divergence of virtually all genres from across the electronic music spectrum on display. “To see Tiesto playing Crookers as opposed to just trance is the most unexpected thing,” he says. “There is all this moaning that goes on in the forums about ‘you didn’t play this or didn’t play that’. I know I don’t really want to stick to one genre – things are evolving now such that you are playing what you feel like playing instead of being pigeonholed. It’s really changing for the better I think – a definite move forward to the scene.” Indeed, this underlines just how acutely Häggström is aware of the need to think outside the musical square; the game has changed significantly and it’s important to branch out to increase exposure. “I think about these questions everyday, man,” he chimes. “I saw that Avicii, for instance, played in Sweden recently at one of the biggest arenas in the country. He sold out the place for three nights in a
A couple of changes have been made to the lineup for Grizzled, also known as an evening of big acts, big beats and even bigger bass. Unfortunately Culprate will not be joining in the evening’s grizzly madness; however Inspector Dubplate and Beataucue have jumped on board. Beataucue are of course the Frenchmen responsible for energetic remixes of artists such as Two Door Cinema Club, Steve Aoki, Kylie Minogue and Armand Van Helden, as well as others. Inspector Dubplate are also masters of the bass and always up for the party. They’ll be joining the likes of SKisM, TC and Zomboy. The session is taking place on Sunday, April 8, at Capitol and tickets are available from Moshtix.
GERMAN BREAKS Germany is perhaps better known for techno than it is for broken beats but Marten Hørger has set about changing all that.The chap is not only a highly regarded producer, remixer and collaborator, he is also the brains behind Stamina Club – one of Europe’s longest running break-beat club nights. RK gets the lowdown.
Peo De Pitte row! Three years ago, not even Janet Jackson was able to fill that arena. It just proves that you can have a few breakthrough hits and get your name known. “Other people will put out an album and get nothing. That’s why I think it’s important to be tapping into different things - music isn’t the medium today it once was. There was a time when you pressed the vinyl, sent it to DJs and later on the guy in the store would put it on the recommended shelf. That doesn’t happen anymore so you really do need to think outside of the square a little bit.” And, thinking outside of the box has certainly been paying off for the young DJ and producer, his trademark combination of big beats and cutting edge synths has seen him become one of the most exciting producers in recent times. And, punters can expect Häggström to be showcasing some of those aformentioned original beats and slick remixes when he hits town this weekend.
» PEO DE PITTE » FRIDAY, MARCH 30 @ AMBAR
Marten Hørger
the DJ and production project Smash HiFi with ex-The Prodigy maestro Leeroy Thornhill and Boogie Army, his production duo with Tilman Benecke. “Boogie Army was a temporary thing that I did,” he says. But, as for Smash HiFi, things are going strong. The lads have completed some remixes for the likes of Victory Pill, Westbam and more recently Micky Finn and have an album due to be released this year. “We had been good friends for a long time “I grew up in the countryside of Germany in the south so we started playing lots of gigs together,” he says where the girls are beautiful, the weather is nice and of how he and Thornhill came to work together. “And where the sausages come in about a million different approximately one and a half years ago we decided shapes,” enthuses the affable German lad known to start working on an album. As we both travel a lot as Marten Hørger. It is perhaps Hørger’s drive to do all of the time it’s pretty hard to get music done, so he something different in his native country Germany moved over to Germany a little while ago to make it all which is what has seen him become so successful. more efficient.” Seemingly, when you have the least to lose, you take Right now though, Hørger admits that the biggest risks - and that was Hørger’s very raison almost all the original music he is doing goes towards d’être: “I just really like all kinds of music so I simply the Smash HiFi project and as such, this has seen played whatever I like - I think it’s way more fun for him release mostly remixes over the last two years. everyone on the dancefloor as well,” he says, talking of Given Thornhill’s previous life in the music business, how he broke into the scene.“Breakbeat is not a very the duo have been lucky enough to establish great natural sound for Germans so I had to find a way to connections within the music industry. “He really keep it interesting in my early years and that concept knows some amazing people and we’re working with still sticks with me.” a few of them at the moment”he says.“I just don’t think It was this attitude that led Hørger to take I’m allowed to drop any names just yet.” to the decks at the mere age of 15. “I’ve been a DJ In closing, he adds that even though he long before I started writing music so by the time I has been to Australia a few times before, he has never started producing I had spent so much time in clubs actually seen all of the amazing scenery and culture that I knew exactly what I wanted,” he says. Likewise, our country has to offer. So, on this upcoming tour, for Hørger, that vision kept slowly evolving over the he’ll be making the most of it. “This time I’m bringing years. “I loved music and being a DJ so much that my girlfriend and we’re doing the proper tourist even before I was allowed to go to a club legally, I experience – I can’t wait!” got smuggled in to play. So I spent my teenage years playing alongside the big techno and house DJs, trying to figure out how I could become one of them!” » MARTEN HØRGER Now, all of that seems a distant memory, » VILLA’S 3RD BIRTHDAY for he is a number of years into his career and has a » THURSDAY, APRIL 5 @ VILLA bunch of successful projects under his belt including X-Press – First on the street, Wednesdays
CLASS IS IN SESSION
THE FREESTYLERS CRACKING IT
KRS-ONE Metro City Friday, March 23, 2012
British electronic group The Freestylers are the first to admit that maintaining a fresh and earcatching sound in the attentiondeficit realm of modern electronic music is no mean feat. One half of the duo, producer Aston Harvey, reflects with SHAUN COWE on how the genre-crossing band has kept its sound fresh over a 16-year career.
The Freestylers
The evolution of The Freestylers’ sound from album to album is something Harvey finds Dividing his time between working on the new fundamental in order to reach new fans and ensure Freestylers’ album and playing the London DJ circuit, the continued success of the band. “Obviously the Aston Harvey is a busy man. Taking some time off to people that were into us when we first came on are chat, he sits in his London home reflecting on his last 15 years older. So, I don’t know, I suppose they’re few Australian trips. “It’s a shame, the first time we married with kids,” he says, laughing. “We try and ever came to Australia with the band was for the Big stay as current as possible in doing what we do Day Out, and so it’s been twice with the band. So not rather than copying someone else’s style. Whatever many people in Australia have actually seen the band style we put into the music, I try and make sure it sounds like us.” live, really.” The lads released Cracks in 2010 and The Freestylers have been regular visitors to Perth, playing DJ sets at Ambar and delivering a the track went on to soar past 10 million hits on super set at Breakfest 2010. While a live band playing YouTube. And that’s just one example of their highelectronic music may seem strange to some, Harvey flying success. But, after so long in the music industry, maintains it is becoming increasingly more common, Harvey admits that he feels occasional pangs of especially in the drum’n’bass genre. “It doesn’t seem envy for fresh up-and-comers who have hit it big that unusual these days, considering you have but stands fast behind the choices he’s made during Pendulum, Chase & Status and a whole heap of other his career and remains optimistic about the release dance acts have bands now,” he says.“It’s another way of the new album as well as other projects he is of performing your music that’s better than two blokes currently hard at work on. “Sometimes it’s like ‘Oh I wish I was like so-and-so’, but I think that’s the way it standing behind the decks playing tunes.” Many fans looking forward to the live goes, really,” he says.“You have to soldier on. I think it’s band performance will scarcely remember the early brilliant that we’re still doing it 15 years down the line days when The Freestylers travelled as an 11-piece and it’s brilliant that we’re still going strong.” monster. Harvey cites the reason for the change in size is due to a crossing of genres from break-beat to drumstep.“We did that 10 to 12 years ago, you’ve got » THE FREESTYLERS to kind of move on, really,” he says. “Our music’s not » VILLA’S 3RD BIRTHDAY really geared for that anymore, that’s how we started » THURSDAY, APRIL 5 @ VILLA off; that was the period then but not now.”
MANIK
Pickle as part of the Air London showcase of the Winter Music Conference. “I am packing a bit as I leave [for] Miami, South Beach this Tuesday for WMC. Always a fun time to spend a few days and nights there with friends, fans, and colleagues,” Manik explains. In addition to the partying and performing, Manik will be drumming up interest for his soon-toDJ, producer and innovator of be released single with Bernski You Know What It’s appellation letter spacing, New York Like, on Real Tone Records. “We cut the song during stay in Berlin over the fall of 2011... It has gotten dance young-blood, DJ M A N I K, my huge support already from Rob James and Clive aka Chris Manik, hasn’t had much Henry and many others. Burnski/James is one of my friends in this scene of ours and he and I have time to rest on his laurels since best a great studio chemistry. We see eye to eye on a lot snatching the title of DJ Mag’s Hot of things and have the same sense of humour. So it To Watch 2011. With a collaboration really works well,” says Manik. “We also got a chance get together last month in February when I was with English producer Bernski to be to over in Berlin for my winter tour. We were able to get released soon, Manik takes a break a pair of solid tracks done too…so more on the way from his newest project, moving into from us.” Manik fans who have grabbed any of his his new Brooklyn studio, to rap with more recent singles might be wondering whose falsetto tones are wafting through the SHAUN COWE about the new single. soothing speakers. “It’s actually me on vocals, and I wrote H av i n g o n l y s p e n t a fe w d ay s i n h i s n e w the lyrics for it,” he admits, “It’s something I have apartment, Manik is already looking towards his been doing a lot, especially on my 2011 singles next trip to Miami, where he will play alongside and also upcoming 2012 singles.” A classically trained musician and a Laura Jones and Matt Tolfrey at the Electric
DANCE WARRIOR
MANIK
www.xpressmag.com.au
Very few hip hop acts would deserve the adjective “historic” being attached to their first Australian tour – but ‘The Teacha’ KRS-One is one of them. Having spent a month travelling by boat to tour Australia (he doesn’t fly), the legendary Bronx rapper drew a packed crowd to Metro City last Friday night. There were a number of DJs in support slots, with each set focusing on a certain era in hip hop. Money J, one of Perth’s first hip hop DJs, set the tone of the night, playing mid ‘80s classics such as Just-Ice’s Going Way Back and LL Cool J’s I’m Bad. Through this, photos of local graffiti were projected onto the screens, including many shots of Transperth trains turned into mobile murals. Another pioneer, Cut Nice, followed with a set spanning the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, including Run-D.M.C.’s Down With The King and EPMD’s You Gots To Chill. He also showed off his beat juggling skills, and ended his set with rapper Sugar Ray rhyming over the Sugar Hill Gang’s Rapper’s Delight instrumental. Armee took the stage next with a set exploring the mid-to-late ‘90s, getting the crowd particularly worked up with rowdy tracks like M.O.P.’s Ante Up and Onyx’s Slam. He was briefly joined onstage by Optamus, who summed the show up as “a monumental night in the history of Western Australian hip hop”. Incidentally, the mostly male audience – about 10 guys to every girl – brought to mind early local hip hop gigs. There was also a noticeably large turnout of guys in their late 30s and into their 40s (“It’s like a reunion,” one of these punters declared loudly upon meeting another long lost mate at the bar). Although each DJ was pumping out crowd favourites, everyone was clearly getting restless waiting for the main act. When KRS-One’s arrival was announced just after 11pm, the crowd roared. His DJ took the stage first and… began spinning more records. The legend finally arrived just after 11.30pm, declaring “this is history tonight” to a truly ecstatic response. An imposing physical presence
KRS-One (photo: Matt Jelonek) with an energetic onstage manner, he paraded all over the Metro City stage, making it look about the size of the Rosemount’s. KRS started with a string of classics including South Bronx, MC’s Act Like They Don’t Know and Outta Here. He also threw in some newer tracks such as Tek Nology and Classic, before inviting a group of breakdancers onstage to show off their moves while he rapped Step Into A World. KRS also showed off his impressive freestyling skills, rhyming about items and people in the audience (including playfully mocking one punter for wearing a Yo! MTV Raps t-shirt). His classic diss track, The Bridge Is Over, received a loud response, before KRS ended his set on a positive note with Know Thy Self. There was no encore; instead, he made his way into the crowd to shake hands and take photos with his fans. Twenty five years on from his debut Criminal Minded, KRSOne seemed to be having the time of his life – as did the crowd.
» JOSHUA HAYES student of music business, Manik often brings his impressive music theory chops and business savvy to bear in his work. “It has helped me a lot. With that said, your ideas are only as good as your effort,” he says, “I think it’s important for musicians to just be themselves. If you think that music theory will help you out, go for it. Just do you and whatever your definition of dope is. As long as you put in the grind and effort, you’ll be good to go.” With his first ever Australian tour on the horizon, Manik will be looking to check out some of the sights “Well I will be in Sydney for a few extra days - I think three in total, so I am going to check out as much of the city as I can. I look forward to my time over there for sure,” he says. With only a brief stop in Perth, Manik says fans can expect, “Just good music and my definition of that. Lots of my own upcoming and unreleased music as well as music from my friends. Similar to my podcasts that have floated around the net to much success. I would say similar sounds to that.”
» MANIK » FRIDAY, MARCH 30 @ VELVET LOUNGE
29
FLUXX
CAPITOL
AMPLIFIER
WEDNESDAY 28/03
THURSDAY 29/03
Amplifier – Fluxx ft Death Disco DJs Captain Stirling – Fiveo/ Mind Electric Clancy’s (Applecross) – Upbeat – DJ Andy Connections – DJs Joby /JJ / Rueben Double Lucky – Last Wednesday Eurobar – Wild Wednesdays - DJ iPod/ Ben Pettit Eve – DJ Don Migi/ Skooby Gold Bar–DJ Adroc Hipe Club – DJ Roger Smart Leederville Hotel – We Love Wednesdays ft DJ Slick Mustang – DJ Giles Norma Jeans – DJ Mischief Sovereign Arms – Lokie Shaw The Bird - Zeke The Deen - DJ Zelimer/ DJ Viper/ DJ Benny/ T– Zone 1 The Rosemount - Cowboys & Indie Kids DJs The Queens – Wriggle on YaYa’s - DJ Agent 85/ Dr Zaius
Bolt Bar Tavern (Maylands) – Roar #2 Tha Core ft DJ Mental/ Rinski/ Muller/ Gooch/ MC Haste/ Treppa/ Fro Clancy’s (Canning Bridge) - DJ Wrighteous Claremont Hotel – DJ Double Dee/ DJ Matt/ DJ Millie Club Marakesh – DJ Simon Cottesloe Hotel – DJ Shots/ DJ Andy M Eve – DJ Tony Allen Flying Scotsman – Cowboys & Indie Kids DJs Leopold Hotel – DJ Riki/ Roger Smart 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 Rocket Room - Thursdays DJ Cain (12pm) South St – DJ Castasia/ Dpad Swinging Pig – DJ Simon The Avenue – Jon Ee 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 The Queens – Kapitol The Whale & Ale – Josh Tilley The Whistling Kite - DJ Gareth Woodvale Tavern – DJ Melvin
FRIDAY 30/03 Ambar – Peo De Pitte Amplifier – Cowboys & Indie Kids Bar 120 - Diafrix & Joelistics Bar 459 - DJ Smurf Beat Nightclub - Play Boheme Bar - DJ Majiika Boulevard Tavern – DJ Andyy Broken Hill Hotel – DJ Nick Alexander Brooklands Tavern - DJ Jayden Capitol – Retro Mash Capitol (Upstairs) – I Love ‘90s ft DJ DTuck Carine Tavern – Greg Packer/ MC Assassin Clancy’s (Canning Bridge) - DJ Boogie Claremont Hotel – DJ Nick Sheppard/ DJ Max
Diafrix
Peo De Pitte
30
METRO FREO
FRAT HOUSE FRIDAYS
Hermitude
Como Hotel – DJ Gazz Empire Bar – DJs Halo/ Bojan/ Ben Sebastian Eve – DJ Don Migi/ DJ Danny Boi Flawless – Therapy ft Zelimir/ Rob Sharp Flying Scotsman – DJs Jo19/ Rok Riley 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 – Sneaky Little Creatures Loft – Marine Beats Llama Bar – DJ Reuben/ DJ Morris Malt Super Club - Fiveo Merriwa Tavern – DJ Real McCoy Metro City - DJ Fresh/ MC Messy & more Metro City (Solace Bar) – DJ Slick Metro Freo – Frat House Fridays ft Death Disco DJs Mint Nightclub – Club Retro ft Chris McPhee Mojos - Hermitude Mullaloo Beach Hotel - DJ John Paul Mustang – Swing DJ/ DJ James MacArthur Paddy Hannans – Crazy Craig Paramount - DJ Johnny Boi/ DJ Jordan Queens Tav – DJ Rueben Sail & Anchor - Balcony Beatz/ DJ J-MAC Sovereign Arms – Aiden Wallis The Avenue – JMC The Carine – Mind Electric/ Little Nicky/ Az-T The Causeway – 4by4 DJs The Eastern – DJ Midfield The Generous Squire - DJ Anaru The Manor - N’Fa Jones The Queens – DJ Rueben The Saint - DJ Jordan The Shed – DJ Glenn 20 The Whale & Ale – Josh Tiley Tiger Lils – Paul Malone/ Adam Kelly The Velvet Lounge - MANIK The Vic - DJ Giles The Wembley Hotel – Funky Bottoms/ Jon Ee Windsor – DJ Riki and Ray Victoria Park Hotel – DJ Giles YaYa’s – Junk ft DJ Whoa!
SATURDAY 31/03 Ambar – Japan 4 ft DNGRFLD/ Oli/ Tee EL/ Philly Blunt/ Mono Lisa Amplifier – Pure Pop ft Eddie Electric Amplifier - Hermitude Basement On Broadway – DJ Ricky Boheme Bar – Carte Blanche DJs Broken Hill Tavern – DJ Nick Alexander/ James Wilson Capitol (Upstairs) – Cream Of The ‘80s ft DJ Ryan Clancy’s (Canning Bridge) - DJ Dood Claremont Hotel – DJ Tone Def Club Bay View – VIP Saturdays ft DJ Ryan Empire Bar – DJ James Ess Eurobar – Roger Smart/ DJ Raci Eve Nightclub – DJ Don Migi/ DJ Stevie M Flawless - Stache Saturdays ft DJ Zelimir/ DJ Minna Flying Scotsman - Under The Influence DJs Flying Scotsman (Defectors) Fore DJs High Road Hotel – DJ Simon High Wycombe – DJ Matt Hipe Club – DJ E-Funk Hyde Park Hotel - Diafrix & Joelistics Library – MKT ft DJ Riki/ DJ Richie G/ DJ Vicktor Little Creatures Loft – Marine Beats Liquid Nightclub - DJ Klar55/ DJ Stevie M Llama Bar – DJ Reuben/ DJ Melvin Malt Super Club – Fiveo Metro City (R&B Lounge) - DJ Slick/ DJ Ruthless/ DJ Soso Metro City - DJ Stevie M/ DJ Matty S/ DJ Ruthless/ DJ Makka Metro Freo – DTuck/ Darren Briais/ DJ Wazz
Manik
Mint Nightclub – Pop Life ft DJ Aaron/ AJ Mullaloo Beach Hotel – DJ Danny Mustang – Rockabilly DJ/ DJ James MacArthur Niche – Frankie Button/ Cee/ Jonny Zimber Norma Jeans – DJ Darren Oxford Hotel – DJ Sequeria Paramount- DJ Cornflake / DJ Jordan/ DJ Johnny Boi Queens Tav - Gareth Richardson Rocket Room – Saturdays DJ Brett Rowe / Delicious 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 – Dylan Hammond The Deen - DJ Birdie/ DJ JJ/ DJ Tony Allen The Generous Squire – On Tap The Overflow (The Court) - DJ Hype/ Sigma The Saint – DJ Anaru The Shed –DJ Glenn 20 The Wembley – Az-T The Whistling Kite - DJ Craig The Vic – DJ Kristian Tiger Lil’s – DJ Bojan/ DJ Ben Sebastian Victoria Park Hotel – DJ Melvin Villa - Ministry Of Sound Clubbers Guide To 2012 Tour ft Denzal Park & Danny T Windsor – DJ Ray Woodvale Tavern – DJ Real McCoy YaYa’s – Saturday Social ft The Kings Of Cheese DJs
DJ Fresh
X-Press – First on the street, Wednesdays
METRO CITY
SOUNDS OF DUBSTEP 3
SUNDAY 01/04 Captain Stirling – DJ Jay Claremont Hotel – DJ Double Dee Clink – DJ Tony Allen Euro Bar – DJ Flex Eve Nightclub – DJ Birdie Mint - Chris McPhee Mustang – DJ Rockin Rhys Norfolk Basement - Diafrix & Joelistics Rocket Room - Sunday Coyote Ugly The Avenue – Az-T The Causeway – Lukas Wimmler The Cott – Cott Sessions The Kiosk – DJ Cinder The Saint - DJ Anaru The Shed – DJ Andyy
STASHE SATURDAYS
FLAWLESS
IN THE THIS WEEK: Zeke Wednesday, March 28 @ The Bird
Machine Drum & Jacques Greene/ Nik Ridikulas vs Ben Taaffe/ Ylem vs Rachael Dease/ Rok Riley/ Kit Pop/ Solar Barge/ Clunk/ Modo/ Oni Cash/ Sleepyhead Thursday, April 5 @ The Bakery
Grizzled ft SKisM/ Zomboy/ TC/ Culprate and more Sunday, April 8 @ Capitol
Saturday, April 21 @ Villa
Supafest ft P.Diddy/ Ice Cube/ Rick Ross/ Trey Songz/ Kelly Rowland/ Lupe Trafik: The Drum & MANIK MONDAY 02/04 Bass Reunion ft Rintel/ Fiasco/ Chris Brown/ Friday, March 30 @ The Bar Orient - DJ White Label Missy Elliot/ Big Rufkut/ Frantik/ Velvet Lounge Broken Hill Tavern - DJ Mario Sean/ Naughty By JRippa/ Armee/ Villa’s 3rd Birthday ft N’Fa Jones Tavelli Nature Xsessiv/ Mystique/ Friday, March 30 @ The The Freestylers/ Marten Dazz K/ Roller Crew/ Sunday, April 22 @ Eastern Hotel – Adam Morris Hørger/ DNGRFLD/ The Deen – Plastic Max/ The Token Manor Arena Joondalup Dart/ Devo/ Kent/ Black & Blunt Gesture Teneacity/ Webbz Hermitude Thursday, April 5 @ Villa The Paddo – DJ John Paul Clark Friday, April 13 @ The Friday, March 30 @ Mojos The Shed – DJ Andyy Friday, April 27 @ The Rosemount Hotel Roller Easter Party Bakery Diafrix & Joelistics Thursday, April 5 @ Force Majeure ft Friday, March 30 @ Bar 120 TUESDAY 03/04 Ambar The Funkoars Doctor Werewolf Peo De Pitte Friday, April 27 @ Bar Friday, April 13 @ Bar Orient - DJ Lyndon Friday, March 30 @ Ambar Hot Cross Buns Easter 120 Ambar Eastern Hotel – Jon Edwards Thursday ft Tonite Only/ High Road Hotel – DJ Matty J DJ Fresh/ MC Messy and The Medics/ Yesyou/ Derrick May The Herd/ High Wycombe – DJ Ricky more Mind Electric/ Death Friday, April 27 @ Thundamentals Hipe Club – DJ Roger Smart Friday, March 30 @ Metro Disco DJs/ Kno Agents/ Saturday, April 14 @ Ambar The Cott (Upstairs) –Maxwell/ Jus City Sun City/ Jus Haus?/ DJ The Rosemount Haus?/ Damian John Cody and more The Funkoars Victoria Park Hotel – DJ Melvin Ministry Of Sound Thursday, April 5 @ Denzal Park Saturday, April 28 @ Slackjaw launches Clubbers Guide To 2012 Amplifier Capitol Tour ft Denzal Park & The Rosemount Hotel Fremantle’s Finest Danny T Remix EP Saturday, March 31 @ Villa DJ Havana Brown Make The Face ft Kid Thursday, April 5 @ Metro Saturday, April 14 @ Kenobi/ Surecut Kids The Bird Freo Diafrix & Joelistics Saturday, April 28 @ Saturday, March 31 @ Villa Sneaky Sound M.A.N.D.Y & Stacey Hyde Park Hotel System Pullen Soul Project ft JT Hermitude Thursday, April 5 @ Shape Saturday, April 14 @ Donaldson Villa Saturday, March 31 @ Saturday, May 5 @ Amplifier Japan 4 ft Bitrok Geisha Saturday, April 7 @ Ambar Roger Sanchez Diafrix & Joelistics Friday, April 20 @ Villa Sunday, April 1 @ Norfolk Creamfields ft David Bag Raiders Basement Jungle Guetta/ Above & Saturday, April 7 @ Villa Shakedown Pt 11 Beyond/ Dirty South/ Friday, April 20 @ Alesso/ Excision/ COMING UP Van She Tech DJ Fresh Ambar W&W/ Giuseppe Saturday, April 7 @ The Ottaviani (live)/ Aviary Lucidity ft Diabise/ Viper ft Metrik/ Congorock/ Vitalic/ Electric Sea Spider/ ShockOne/ Phetsta/ Sied van Riel/ Soul Project ft Miss James Ireland/ Zeke/ Ekko & Sidetrack/ Tritonal/ Downlink/ Honey Dijion Rorschach ShockOne/ MaRLo/ Wednesday, April 4 @ The Saturday, April 7 @ Geisha llusiv & Dvise/ MCs MARCH 30 @ METRO CITY Xsessiv/ Bear & Stylee Bombs Away/ MC Rosemount Hotel
Joelistics
DJ FRESH
FRIDAY
SHAPE
www.xpressmag.com.au
Stretch Saturday, May 5 @ Supreme Court Gardens Sub Zerp & MC Eksman Saturday, May 5 @ Villa Atmosphere/ Evidence Friday, May 11 @ Villa Krafty Kuts Saturday, May 12 @ Villa Digitalism/ Adrian Lux Friday, May 18 @ Villa Showtek Friday, May 18 @ Shape Groovin’ The Moo ft 360/ Hilltop Hoods/ Adrian Lux/ Beni/ Digitalism/ Hermitude/ Muscles/ Purple Sneaker DJs/ Wavves Saturday, May 19 @ Hay Park, Bunbury Mickey Avalon Saturday, May 26 @ The Rosemount Hotel 360/ Hermitude Friday, June 22 @ Villa 360 Saturday, June 23 @ The Astor
31
The runaway success of Seeker Lover Keeper saw the trio put two national tours under their belt for some of the most relaxed live shows of the year. “I think we found our way with that very quickly,” recalls Throsby of the light-hearted nature of Seeker Lover Keeper shows. “Sarah was the straight guy, I got to be the wacky comedian and Sally would say these wild things that popped into her head, which was excellent. Seeker Lover Keeper was all about the interaction between the three of us and our voices, so we really enjoyed the opportunity for the stage banter.” Throsby is aware that through widening her audience with Seeker Lover Keeper she is likely to gain extra people at her solo shows. Throsby is adamant that it is not only the added exposure of that collaborative project, but also her children’s album See!, that found the Sydney singer connecting with the demographic of grateful parents who are relieved to have an album that their children wish to listen to that can appeal to adults as well. “We played the other day and there were these weird drunk women down the front. They were Holly Throsby like drunk mums yelling out kids’ songs requests, and then I did a Seeker Lover Keeper song and they all just sang along in the chorus really loudly, so I’d say they weren’t our usual demographic.” Throsby is loathe to be pigeonholed as a children’s entertainer sometime in the future, but she is keen to make another album that can be seen as an alternative to the usual kids fodder. There is the added bonus that the tunes from See! are so much fun for the band to play live.There is a connection with Throsby and the listening audience that has proven that the album was appreciated more than Throsby could have ever Holly Throsby could well have taken imagined. “The reason I decided to do the kids’ shows the title for Australia’s busiest musician was because I was approached by the Arts Centre in over the past 12 months. With three Melbourne and they were doing these shows that not very ‘kiddy’ basically. The shows we did were albums and an endless tour schedule were a series of performances around children’s albums that in that time, Throsby is about to pull were made by people who don’t usually make children’s I feel comfortable doing that as opposed to a up stumps and take a much needed albums. Play School type event, which I wouldn’t be very good at.” There aren’t many songs that have been break. Prior to this respite she will take written by Throsby since her triple album outpouring to the stage of the Norfolk Basement last year.With the next phase being for Throsby to slowly work towards a forthcoming album, she wanted to this Saturday, March 31. CHRIS start get one last tour out of her before subjecting herself to HAVERCROFT reports. the same four walls for the foreseeable future. “Perth is the last show of the tour,” she says. For most artists two albums in a year is unheard of. “Then I am going to go home and want to take a lot of Throsby not only achieved this, but also partnered time off because I have been touring pretty much for with two of her best friends Sarah Blasko and Sally a year-and-a-half. I have either been on the road or Seltmann to deliver the highly acclaimed debut preparing to be on tour. I think it is going to take me a album from Seeker Lover Keeper. while to make another record too.”
HOLLY THROSBY
Solo Lover Keeper
32
JAY HOAD A Long Way From Fiji
Multi-instrumental roots artist Jay Hoad plays tonight, Wednesday, March 28, at Mojos, before embarking on an extensive tour of the South West. TRAVIS JOHNOSN chats to him about the rigours of constant travel and the wonders of world music. “It’s been a great year already,” Jay Hoad tells us. “Bali was amazing in January - that was just fantastic. And I just did Byron Bay in January, which was a blast; that was a pretty cool one. Amazing. So many cool people and such a cool vibe. That was great.” Any time you ask Hoad what he’s been up to lately, the answer is always the same: touring. He’s a man in constant motion, having sojourned in locales from the United States to Fiji, with upcoming gigs in Japan and New Zealand. His website states that he’s just finished up six years of constant tours, but he is at pains to point out that that isn’t entirely accurate. “I wouldn’t say I’ve really come off it,” he muses. “I’m still continuing to do it. It just never ends. It’s awesome, man. That’s one of my main passions for doing this thing, travelling so much, is getting all those different influences from the different cultures and really getting stuck right into it, you know? I was born in Fiji, and the culture over there really affects my music and my island vibe, trying to keep a chilled way of life, and that comes across in my music. I also have a passion for the music of different instruments, so I’m always picking up weird and wonderful instruments from these different and unusual countries that I go to, and also in my home countries of Fiji and Australia.”
Jay Hoad And if he’s not touring, he’s recording. Hoad already has two albums under his belt, the well received Stories For the Soul and Warmth In The White, and is now in the process of completing his third offering, which he hopes to release soon. “Yeah, later in the year,” he says. “I just got back from Sydney this morning and I’m heading to WA now and playing a few regional shows on the way over. But I was in Sydney this morning working on the first single, so we’ve pretty much wrapped it up. We’ve got a little bit of work to do, a little bit of mastering, but then the first single should be out very, very soon.” As ever, it promises to be an eclectic collection of sounds. As Hoad explains, “It’s sort of just like my old stuff, as in the old vibe being that every track is different to the last; there’s not too much consistency within. I like to stick my finger in a bit of everything. The new EP will be just like that. I don’t know, man; it might even be a full length album by the time we get through. We’ll just see how we go. That’ll be coming out later on this year. The first single is, I don’t know, maybe a bit more commercial, I guess, than my last album... But then a lot of the other stuff will be nice and rootsy, with the tribal influences and a bit of everything.” But as for that first track, there’s still one thing that hasn’t quite fallen into place yet. “At the moment we’re still deciding the name, man.”
X-Press – First on the street, Wednesdays
BRIAN SETZER’S ROCKABILLY RIOT Fremantle Arts Centre Saturday, March 24, 2012
Brian Setzer’s Rockabilly Riot (Photo: Callum Ponton)
WOLFPACK Blazin’ Entrails / Scalphunter The Den Friday, March 23, 2012 Oddly, one of the best things that happened last Friday night at The Den was Scalphunter’s guitarist Steve Knoth breaking three strings on his guitar. Unable to find a replacement, he gave up and started running around, getting in audience members’ faces and carrying on like a pork chop. At well over six foot in stature and brimming with confidence, Knoth’s a larger-than-life dude as it is, and his accidental assumption of the ‘frontman’ role freed him up to really let loose. At one point he had a dude on his shoulders. Like many of the best things in life, it just happened… and it was awesome. Blazin’ Entrails were also super-enjoyable. The Den’s down-to-earth vibe allowed them to demonstrate that not only can they put on a good show, but far from the glitz and glamour of the nightclubs, they can simply fuckin’ play rock‘n’roll. Effortlessly.They’re grounded, and good fun, too. Guitarist Caleb forgot beer. So, someone got him one, returned while he was soloing, missed his face and the sweet liquid ended up all over his guitar… and it was great, but there was no rock star fuss.
www.xpressmag.com.au
Rockabilly remains a durable genre. Minted when rock met roll, when hillbilly music met blues, it’s popped up periodically ever since and is currently relevant again. Outside the Fremantle Arts Centre last Saturday evening, an old Ford Consul stood testament to the age of rockabilly’s first flush. Inside, there were slicked quiffs, sculpted flat-tops, all-American-looking guys who appeared as if they had just stepped off the set of Happy Days, and heavily tattooed rockabilly gals exuding the dangerous allure of ‘50s pulp pinups, the kind with racecar red lips and a daggers in their boots. Yes, the rockabilly aficionado likes to dress up, and exStray Cat Brian Setzer – a man for whom no guitar is It was just a thing that happened. It’d been a while between drinks for Melbourne’s Wolfpack, all of whom are ex-pats and who used to play in local bands Sin City and The Local Pricks. At their peak, they were two of Perth’s most high-profile and theatrical bands. Tonight, the three-piece simply rocked. Hard. Although keen to get space from their own coattails, one or two old-time classics did come out, and vocalist/drummer Tom Brownrigg gave a shoutout to old crew. But this was no nostalgia show and to be honest, most of the crowd at this punk gig wouldn’t remember the heady club days of 2001. What Wolfpack have managed to do is cut the crap totally and just be another kick-arse band, which means they can walk onto a stage with crew as fresh and buzzing as their support bands and not lose an ounce of dignity. So, Brownrigg pummelled the drums and roared away into his microphone as only he can, while guitarist Josh pulled out the bitchin’ chops in a typically understated fashion and bassist Kane locked himself in tight. A couple of cheeky stylistic diversions kept things interesting, but there was zero hubris. Times have changed, and while Wolfpack are less of a lifechanger than The Local Pricks were, they’ve pulled off the much harder task of remaining relevant long-term. _BEN WATSON
too glittery, no quiff too high – was among friends. From the opening chords of Ignition it was clear that Setzer is still content peddling a buoyant mix of rockabilly, surf and cow-punk aimed at covering life’s sinful little pleasures. With a cracking band at his disposal, toe-tappingly up-tempo tunes This Cat’s On A Hot Tin Roof and Drive Like Lightening sported muscular, bouncy basslines and a rock‘n’roll sleaze that complemented his powerful vocals so well, while he went for the heartstrings instead of the jugular when crooning “I’m too young to quit / Too old to change / Baby what am I gonna do?” during 49 Mercury Blues. Although these first four songs were delivered in trio mode with a double bassist, drummer, and Setzer on guitar and vocals, the iconic musician brought many guest musicians on-stage during
NICK LOWE Geraint Watkins
Astor Theatre Monday, March 26, 2012 Over 40 years Nick Lowe has released volumes of solo material. He has performed, written and produced with musical luminaries the likes of Johnny Cash and Ry Cooder. Lowe produced Elvis Costello’s first five albums, and The Damned’s debut single New Rose, which is considered by many to be the first English punk rock release. Tonight, Mt Lawley’s classic Astor Theatre hosted one of the most prolific and influential music men in the world of rock and pop. Jazz infused blues piano filled the theatre as Lowe’s rock’n’roll pianist, and songwriter in his own right, Geraint Watkins, took to warm up duties. The talented musician may come all the way from Wales, but he played with a soul that exuded the same blues sound once found in the Mississippi Delta. Watkins played tunes from across his own solo career, alongside standards like Johnny B Goode - which he began as a piece
the evening, including a second guitarist, second double bassist and – to rapturous adoration from the audience - Stray Cats’ Slim Jim Phantom, who banged the skins for a few memorable songs. As if the whole proceedings weren’t dynamic enough, pianist Kevin McKendree joined in on the mayhem, adding yet more vigor to 8 Track, a lovely little ditty which was slowed down to make for a smoother segue into a cover of Folsom Prison Blues. Although the much-loved tune tested the lower register of Setzer’s voice, after a shaky start he did manage to find those same croaky bass notes Johnny Cash originally mustered. A grand finale of Rock This Town and Seven Nights To Rock saw all the players take to the stage, singing together like they were sneering, over bouncing, propulsive guitar, and showcasing the twang-filled, echo-heavy, vaguely-unhinged rockabilly sound in all its riotous glory. It was an essential show for those who believe, as Setzer clearly does, in the living, breathing powers of rockabilly and the blues. _JENNIFER PETERSON-WARD of spoken word poetry, then rendered almost indescribable, but excellent. Later in the evening, Nick Lowe was at ease, appearing on stage with just an acoustic guitar, as a troubadour spruking his latest LP The Old Magic, and promising not to play too many songs from it. Upright bass, drums, electric guitar, and Watkins on keys then joined the main man and settled in for the evening. The first half of the show comprised of songs from the second half of Lowe’s forty year long career: What Lack of Love Has Done, Raging Eyes, Lately I’ve Let Things Slide, and a slew of tracks from the new album. His best-known solo single Cruel To Be Kind marked the middle point, and was received with a rousing round of applause. The evening meandered joyously along twenty-five effortlessly crafted tunes. The band in formation played short, sharp and beautifully tight arrangements, and covered most pre-1980 rock’n’roll incarnations in true style. The audience, and band in kind, showed their appreciation with encores; songs written by Lowe and made famous by Elvis Costello, What’s So Funny About Peace Love And Understanding and Alison, then concluded with a standing ovation, for a great night’s entertainment. _DANIEL PARKINSON
33
INDI BAR
DECLARATION OF ADORATION
This Saturday, March 31, get on down to the Indi Bar for all your reggae, dub and soul needs as The Sunshine Brothers hit Scarborough for their Walking On Sunshine tour. And if you haven’t checked out local up-and-comer Morgan Bain yet, be sure to get down on Sunday, April 1, for his sure-to-be-beguiling solo set.
Opening in grand style with a screening of the critically acclaimed Declaration of War, the 23rd Alliance Française French Film Festival returned to Perth last week for another celebration of French cinema. Find out what’s on and when at lunapalace.com.au.
PRINCIPLE
Check out the Principal this Easter Thursday, April 5, for a huge night of live music, chocolate cocktails, prizes and giveaways. Roger Roger will also strut out some sing-a-long classics from 8.30pm.
Photographs by Matt Jelonek
Rebecca & Elise
ROSEMOUNT HOTEL Children Collide
MOJOS BAR
Bachir, Sylvie & Emmanuelle
Emma & Sam
On Sunday, April 1, Children Collide play Mojos Bar and they are back in full force with a brand new single Sword To A Gunfight from their upcoming album. Supports include Deep Sea Arcade and Palms. Mojo’s is giving away a double pass, simply email mojos@coolperthnights.com with “Gunfight” in the subject line to be in the running.
MUSTANG BAR
Thursday nights at the ’Stang are all about showcasing the fine original music this state has to offer, and this week hip-shakin’ combo Boom! Bap! Pow! are set to ignite the dance floor. Support comes from some soon to be announced special guests with DJ James MacArthur on the decks till late.
Caterina & Andrew
Ben & Brendon Rita & Neha
Ryan & Jessica
34
Rachel, Laura & Chaya
This Thursday, March 29, catch some rock‘n’roll courtesy of Sanssangria, Head Full Of Steam, Cyclone Tess and Honeywheeler in the Main Room. Doors open 8pm, $5 entry. If you’re strapped for cash, The Sons Of Rico DJs will also be spinning tunes in the Beer Garden from 7.30pm.
RAILWAY HOTEL
Saturday, March 31, Rose Tattoo fans should be gearing up for Scarred For Life a tribute show featuring the talents of In The Now, Babyjane and Ultrasound. Doors 8pm, $10 entry. Then on Sunday, April 1, catch Custom Royal, The Insatiables, State Of Order, Evergone, Astropig, The Branson Tramps, The Corner, The Shakeys, 10 Past 6, Satan Himself, Honeywheeler and many more, for a two-stage musical extravaganza.
COMO HOTEL
This Wednesday, March 28, Paddo POW presents Andy Newman, Oliver Halvorsen and Dove. Music kicks off with Newman at 8pm and as always, entry is 100 per cent free!
Thursday nights at The Como is tipped to be the new night south of the river. Action starts from 7pm when resident DJs spin some tunes before Mike Nayar and The Other Guys take to the stage. Drink specials include $7 pints of beer or cider available on tap, $7 frozen cocktails and a $12 burger and beer offer. Check out all the other special offers available at The Como at comohotel.com.au, or head over to facebook.com/ComoHotel.
THE ELLINGTON
HYDE PARK HOTEL
PADDO
Sultry songstress Grace Knight is sure to beguile during a headline set this Friday, March 30, and allocation is almost exhausted so get in quick so you don’t miss out. Also making a much welcome return this week is Bronwynn Sprogowski on Saturday, March 31, while The Gavin Kerr Quartet will make their debut on Sunday, April 1.
This Saturday, March 31, Diafrix and Joelistics are set to turn the Hyde Park Hotel into a house party and the Hyde Park wants you to come down and party with them. Simply email entertainment@xpressmag.com. au with “I want to party” in the subject line and you will be in with the chance to win one of two double passes to the highly anticipated show.
X-Press – First on the street, Wednesdays
FAT SHAN’S FESTIVUS
The Chemist / The Novocaines / The Floors / Sonpsilo Circus / The Seals / High Horse The Bakery Saturday, March 25, 2012 The phrase “minor cultural force” might seem somewhat damning, but we come not to bury Fat Shan, but to praise him. Over the past 12 months, Fat Shan Records - with proprietor Chris Healing at the coalface - has become a significant voice in Perth’s local music scene, doing a lot to support and nurture original talent across a variety of vectors. That could explain why there was already a healthy crowd filling The Bakery to celebrate Shan’s first birthday when the opening band hit the stage. Of course, it might have had something to do with that band being High Horse, that thing Timothy Nelson does when he’s not being an Infidel. They’re a tight act, and Nelson’s lauded song writing skills are on full display, dishing up a heavy-to-middling pop rock sound that draws on a lot of early ‘60s influences. With a full yet jagged sound and tightly constructed, catchy songs, they were an impressively strong opener. The Seals were the next cab off the rank, with the country/ bluegrass/nugrass/whatevergrass five-piece being in typically fine form. It’s hard to say what social forces have enabled a band that experiment in their chosen genres to rise to such prominence, but we should be grateful for such a benevolent invisible hand. The Seals are always worth catching, and this time out they even, with the help of guest rhymer The Apprentice, made the maudlin Alex Lloyd track Amazing listenable. A brief pause for the requisite speeches, which involved a brief tribute to fallen Pyramid Of The Coyote frontman Gary Cornell, Sonpsilo Circus were up next. Comfortably in the vanguard of the current psychedelic revival, they produce a sound pitched halfway between funky and ethereal. Their set was so enjoyable that the only real criticism that can be levelled at them was bassist Ben McDonald’s choice of poncho, which looked to be knitted from a 50/50 blend of vomit and cat afterbirth. The Floors provided a sudden shift in tone with their brand of heavy, classic, blues-infused rock, with their time on stage only marred by repeated requests to the sound engineer for more foldback; sometimes it pays just to play the ball where it lies. That’s a minor
RIFF ON THIS
This Saturday, March 31, those who make the trek down to Kulcha will witness a night of extraordinary guitar virtuosity featuring the combined album launches of two of WA’s leading exponents of original instrumental guitar composition. Errol H Tout makes a rare return to public performance with the launch of his innovative 15th album Great Big Guitars. Sam Blight will be sharing the spotlight, as he showcases his lyrical finger style guitar playing when he struts out tunes from his new album, The Boya House. He’ll also be joined on the night for several numbers by well-known local traditional Irish fiddle virtuoso, Rob Zielinski. Tickets to this unmissable event for guitar aficionados will be $25 on the door.
RIGHT HERE RIGHT NOW
This Saturday, March 31, The Railway Hotel will come alive with Scarred For Life, a tribute night to aussie rock legends Rose Tattoo! In The Now lead the charge, with special guests Babyjane and Ultrasound. All three bands will be playing a few of their favourite Rose Tattoo tracks along with their own rocking originals, and there will be Rose Tattoo songs cranking all night long between the bands to set the vibe as a tribute to Angry and the boys. Entry is $10 on the door from 8pm.
SUGAR OVERLOAD
Despite a very busy year ahead, the delightfully unique local four piece Spoonful Of Sugar are playing a gig at Clancy’s Fish Pub in Fremantle on Friday, March 30. No doubt they’ll be playing some the songs from their debut EP, which they unleashed to a sold out crowd earlier this year. Be sure to catch them before they embark on a tour around the state.
www.xpressmag.com.au
The Insatiables
THE INSATIABLES
Bearing the terribly clichéd nature of this question, how would you describe your band’s sound? A lot of bands find this question hard to answer and often say they couldn’t possibly define the complex nature of their sound. This is valid, however it’s not often a band wholly creates a “new” sound, it’s either done better or differently. For us, our sound could be wrapped up in a little box labeled Stevie Nicks and The Jezabels, with a hint of The Cranberries.
The Chemist (Photo: Daniel Grant) complaint, though; this kind of ballsy, no-nonsense rock is something we could use more of in these parts, and thanks to The Novocaines coming on next we got a double dose, with the boys from Northam giving an energetic performance, as is their wont. The Chemist wrapped up the night, with Ben Witt’s remarkable voice providing an arresting denouement even as the clock dragged on. If you’ve been paying attention, you’ll notice that there were no flat spots in the night’s lineup; every slot was filled by artists at the top of their game. If that’s the calibre of performer that Fat Shan both nurtures and attracts, let’s hope that this year was but the first of many. _TRAVIS JOHNSON
EYE OPENER
After spending a year in Berlin, local beat maker Kynan Tan is back at home and unleashing his debut album Raetina. The artist has previously worked in sound installations and the like, but now he is teaming up with his laptop and drummer Ben Santostefano to unleash his latest work. You can catch him at The Bird on Thursday, March 29. Entry is $10 from 8pm.
What do you love about making music? The way a group of individuals can get into a room and interpret what is fermenting in their minds into sounds, and then into the end product of a song. Watching our ideas come to fruition together – that’s love. What can a punter expect from your upcoming gig? Mr. Steve Tuckey is putting on a massive two-stage event and we’d love to do the night justice with an edgy – yet tender at times – live show. What else have you got planned for 2012? Look out for a film clip for our latest single Reckless Heart, it’s going to be created and shot by film students from Curtin Uni. We’re very excited about that! The Insatiables play The Railway Hotel this Sunday, April 1.
RAILROADED
As part of the Off The Rails event hosted by the Railway Hotel Fremantle, local party band AstroPig have organized 18 bands including The Shakeys, The Branson Tramps, Evergone, State Of Order and Custom Royale to play across two stages at the venue on Sunday, April 1. The doors will open at 12pm and entry is $15.
AFTER SCHOOL SPECIALS
The latest crop of talent emerging from music school Rock Scholars is ready to unleash their hard work. Now that the term is coming to a close, the bands have been rehearsing like mad and are ready to show what they’ve come up with. The Strangeways is one of Rock Scholars most established groups and you can catch them at The Indi Bar in Scarborough on Wednesday, March 25, from 7pm. On Sunday, April 1, fellow student band Downward Spiral will be playing at Mojo’s in Fremantle at 12pm.
SOLO PROJECT
Back in ’07 in an effort from coolperthnights to push local music, The Moon Late Night Café began the Going Solo sessions; which sees three artists perform to a live audience every Wednesday evening allowing them to showcase their work. This Wednesday, March 28, you can catch James Ireland, Mitch MacDonald and Todd Pickett; entry to the restaurant is free and the artists begin at 8pm.
Wolves At The Door
THE BIG SHABANG
Well the time has finally arrived for the month long celebrations at The Norfolk Basement to finish up. They showcased over 60 acts in the month of March, celebrating their 10 years as venue and hub of local talent; now for the last weekend their finishing off the party with a bang. On Thursday, March 29, they’ll be having their birthday party with the likes of Luxury Cat and others playing the party. On Friday, March 30, you can see The Tumblers, Sugarpuss and Foam; followed by Cynard and Wolves At The Door on Saturday, March 31, at 2pm. Lastly you can catch Holly Throsby & The Hello Tigers, Hang On St Christopher and Amanda Merdzan again on the Saturday in the evening time. Check out the facebook.com/norfolkbasementlounge for further details and be sure not to miss the celebrations.
35
The Rubens, April 27, Villa
MARCH 28 – APRIL 03 GEORGE
MICHAEL
LEO SAYER 28 Bunbury Entertainment Centre
31 Sandalford Estate Swan Valley
HERMITUDE 31 Amplifier
CHE-FU 28-30 CANCELLED
ROSIE BURGESS TRIO 28 Mojos Bar 29 Ya Ya’s 30 Prince Of Wales 31 Settlers Tavern 1 Settlers Tavern
JAY HOAD 28 Mojos 30 Denmark Civic Centre 31 Healthy Budda Denmark 1 White Star Albany
THE LITTLE STEVIES 29 Little Creatures
GRACE KNIGHT 29 Fremantle Arts Centre 30 The Ellington
EDDI READER QUARTET 31 Fly By Night
PETULA CLARK 31 Mundaring Weir Hotel 1 Albany Entertainment Centre
HOLLY THROSBY 31 Norfolk Basement
ADAM ANT 1 Astor Theatre
DIAFRIX & JOELISTICS 1 Norfolk Basement
WEST COAST BLUES ‘N’ ROOTS (John JOHN BUTLER Fogerty, 29 Astor Theatre 30 & 31 Sun Pictures Crosby, Stills & Nash, The Broome Pogues, The Specials, My DIAFRIX/ Morning JOELISTICS Jacket, Buddy 29 Prince Of Wales Guy, Keb Mo, 30 Bar 120 31 Hyde Park Hotel Steve Earle, Trombone Shorty & WOODEN Orleans SHJIPS Avenue, 30 The Bakery Husky, Gin SNAKADAKTAL Wigmore, The Sheepdogs 30 Villa and more) BRITISH INDIA 1 Fremantle Park 30 Civic Hotel APRIL 31 Kalgoorlie Hotel 1 Joondalup Festival XAVIER RUDD 4 Fly By Night 5 Astor Theatre OLD MAN YES RIVER 30 Norfolk Basement 5 Riverside Theatre MACHINE DRUM / 31 Joondalup JACQUES GREENE Festival 5 The Bakery BAG RAIDERS CHILDREN 7 Villa COLLIDE / DEEP COLD CHISEL SEA ARCADE 7 Sandalford 30 Capitol Winery Swan Valley 31 Players Bar DEAD MEADOW 1 Mojos Bar / PINK MOUNTAINTOPS
36
Darkest Hour, May 9, Capitol 7 The Bakery JAY HOAD 7 Clancy’s Freo 8 Dunsborough Tavern 12 Prince Of Wales 13 Esplanade Busselton 14 Swan Basement 15 Newport 18 Mojos 19 Mustang Bar 20 Dunsborough Tavern 21 & 22 Settlers Tavern 26 Gypsy Tapas House Freo 27 Velvet Lounge 29 Indi Bar BALL PARK MUSIC / CUB SCOUTS 7 Amplifier 8 Newport Hotel STRAWBERRY JAM MUSIC FESTIVAL (P.O.D., Hawk Nelson, Mike Mains & The Branches and more TBA) 8 Albany SUBLIME WITH ROME / MAT McHUGH 11 Metropolis Fremantle THE NEVER EVER 12 YMCA HQ (early) / Villa (late) DUBLIN JAZZ AUNTS 12 Norfolk Basement SETH LAKEMAN / CARUS THOMPSON 12 Clancy’s Fish Pub Fremantle 13 Hyde Park Hotel PASSENGER 13 Fly By Night FAIRBRIDGE FESTIVAL OF WORLD & FOLK MUSIC (Paul Brady, Seth Lakeman, My Friend The Chocolate Cake, Chipolatas, Chris While, Julie Matthews, Kavisha, Tjupurru, Stiff Gins, The Woohoo Revue and more TBA) 13 - 15 Fairbridge Village Pinjarra THE HERD 14 Rosemount Hotel SEAL 14 Sandalford Estate SNEAKY SOUND SYSTEM 14 Villa
Dream On Dreamer, May 18-20
SPIRAL DANCE 14 Bassendean Hotel LAST DINOSAURS 14 Amplifier 15 Mojos Bar JUSTIN TOWNES EARLE 14 Fly By Night 15 Rosemount Hotel MICHAEL BOLTON / ORIANTHI 17 Riverside Theatre SHOOGLENIFTY / THE CHIPOLATAS 18 Fly By Night AMON AMARTH 19 Capitol BLUEJUICE / LOON LAKE 19 Settler’s Tavern 20 Capitol CALLING ALL CARS 19 Indi Bar 20 Prince Of Wales 21 Rosemount Hotel BIG SCARY / THE SALVADORS 20 Amplifier BEN SALTER / JOE MCKEE 20 The Fly Trap 22 The Bird LIAM BURROWS 21 The Atrium Mandurah 22 The Ellington DEEZ NUTS / PHANTOMS 21 Amplifier 22 YMCA HQ SUPAFEST (P. Diddy, Chris Brown, Missy Elliot, Naughty By Nature, Big Sean, Ice Cube, Rick Ross, Trey Songz, Kelly Rowland, Lupe Fiasco) 22 Arena Joondalup LOU BARLOW 22 Rosemount Hotel RTRFM’S IN THE PINES 22 Somerville Auditorium BURT BACHARACH 23 Riverside Theatre AUGUST BURNS RED 25 Amplifier AN HORSE 25 Rosemount Hotel BLEEDING KNEES CLUB 25 Indi Bar WHITLEY 26 Newport CLARK
27 The Bakery THE FUNKOARS 27 Bar 120 28 Rosemount Hotel BLEEDING KNEES CLUB / DUNE RATS 27 Amplifier 28 Mojos Bar POND / THE LAURELS 28 The Bakery THE RUBENS / RUFUS 27 Villa PAUA 27 Fly By Night HOODOO GURUS / REDD KROSS / THE FLESHTONES 28 Astor Theatre
MAY THE MOUNTAIN GOATS / CATHERINE TRAICOS & PHILIP EVERALL 1 The Bakery MIKE STEWART 2 The Ellington GOSSLING 2 Little Creatures Loft 3 The Bird DZ DEATHRAYS 3 Prince Of Wales 4 Amplifier 5 Mojos PJ O’BRIEN 3 Albany Blues Club 4 Southwest Blues Club Bunbury 5 Hyde Park Hotel 6 Mt Helena Tavern 8 Charles Hotel 9 Mojos Bar 12 Settlers Tavern HUSKY 4 The Bakery FU MANCHU / BLACK COBRA 5 Rosemount Hotel DEVILDRIVER / DARKEST HOUR / SIX FEET UNDER 9 Capitol FRANK TURNER & THE SLEEPING SOULS / WILLIAM ELLIOTT WHITMORE / THE SMITH STREET BAND 9 Amplifier BOY & BEAR 10 Albany Entertainment Centre 11 Bunbury Entertainment Centre 12 Fremantle Arts Centre DEAD LETTER CIRCUS 10 Prince Of Wales
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.
OOOOO, May 19, The Bakery 11 Metropolis Fremantle 12 Capitol HARD-ONS 11 Civic Hotel 12 Prince Of Wales 13 Indi Bar SICK OF IT ALL / AGNOSTIC FRONT 11 Amplifier ATMOSPHERE 11 Villa CLARY BROWNE & THE BANGIN’ RACKETTES 11 Fly By Night KRISTIN BERADI 11 & 12 The Ellington LANIE LANE 12 Fly By Night Club 13 Amplifier RALPH MCTELL 13 Fly By Night DAVID CAMPBELL 16 Mandurah Performing Arts Centre 17 Queens Park Theatre Geraldton 18 Perth Concert 19 Bunbury Regional Entertainment Centre ANDREW W.K. 17 The Bakery FLORENCE + THE MACHINE / BLOOD ORANGE 17 Burswood Dome WAVVES 18 Rosemount Hotel THE GETAWAY PLAN / NEW
The Mission In Motion, June 9, Amplifier & June 10, Newport
EMPIRE 18 Amplifier THE MACCABEES 18 Capitol KAISER CHIEFS / DEEP SEA ARCADE / LOON LAKE 18 Metro City MANHATTAN JINX 18 The Den 19 Railway Hotel DREAM ON DREAMER 18 Metropolis Fremantle 19 Amplifier 20 YMCA HQ GROOVIN THE MOO (360, Andrew W.K OneMan-Party Tour, City And Colour, Digitalism, The Getaway Plan, Hilltop Hoods, Kaiser Chiefs, The Maccabees, Public Enemy, Wavves, Ball Park Music and more TBA) 19 Hay Park Bunbury NATURALLY 7 19 Perth Concert Hall LAPALUX / OOOOO 19 The Bakery HANNIBAL MEANS 20 The Ellington CITY AND COLOUR 20 Fremantle Arts Centre MUTEMATH 20 Amplifier
THE POOR 20 Newport KIMBRA / DANIEL MERRIWEATHER / SAM LAWRENCE 21 Metro City THE BRIAN JONESTOWN MASSACRE / THE RAVEONETTES 22 Astor Theatre BELL BIV DEVOE / GINUWINE 24 Astor Theatre ANTI-FLAG / STRIKE ANYWHERE / FLATLINERS 24 Capitol S-CLUB / BIG BROVAZ 25 Metro City CATCALL 26 Amplifier BITTER END 26 The Den 27 YMCA HQ LIAM BURROWS 26 Friends Restaurant 27 Jazz Fremantle BARNEY MCALL 27 The Ellington NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK / BACKSTREET BOYS 29 Burswood Dome BOB HIRST 30 & 31 The Ellington
JUNE HARRY MANX 1 Fly By Night REEF 1 Metropolis
Georgia Fair, June 15, St Joseph’s Church
Fremantle ERIC BOGLE WITH JOHN MUNRO 2 Fly By Night JOSH KYLE 2 The Ellington KIMBERLEY MOON EXPERIENCE (Paul Kelly, Kasey Chambers, The Black Sorrows and more) 2 Jim Hughes Amphitheatre Ord River THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT / NUMBERS RADIO / GREENTHIEF 2 Prince Of Wales 3 Metro City SAMUEL YIRGA QUARTET 4 & 5 The Ellington THE JEZABELS / LIGHTS 5 Metro City TINA ARENA 8 Riverside Theatre MATT CORBY / ALPINE 9 & 10 Astor Theatre THE MISSION IN MOTION 9 Amplifier 10 Newport DEF FX 11 The Bakery THE BLACK SEEDS 14 The Bakery TIM FREEDMAN 14, 15 & 16 The Ellington LISA MITCHELL / GEORGIA FAIR
15 St Joseph’s Church, Subiaco LENNY HENRY 15 Burswood Theatre GUY SEBASTIAN 19 His Majesty’s Theatre 20 Mandurah Performing Arts Centre 360 / GOSSLING / HERMITUDE / BAM BAM 22 Villa 23 & 24 Astor Theatre KARNIVOOL 22 & 23 Mermaid Hotel Dampier 24 Prince Of Wales NADIA ACKERMAN 28 The Ellington
JULY LADY GAGA 7 & 8 Burswood Dome MELISSA ETHERIDGE 20 Riverside Theatre KARNIVOOL 27 Rosemount Hotel EIFFEL 65 / N-TRANCE 28 Metropolis Fremantle
OLD MAN RIVER
After the success of his debut album all over the world, Sydney born Ohad Rein, also known as Old Man River, is bringing his latest work back home. His most recent album, entitled Trust, was mostly recorded in India and features a host of talented native musicians; so needless to say you’ll be able to experience a range of exotic world music when you hear him play. Old Man River plays on Friday, March 30, at the Norfolk Basement in Fremantle. He’ll be joined there by Simone & Girlfunkle and Patient Little Sister and tickets are available from Moshtix, Oztix and Heatseeker. He’ll also be playing at the Joondalup Festival on Saturday, March 31, with The Ghost Hotel.
Old Man River
ADAM ANT
Adam Ant
www.xpressmag.com.au
Adam Ant, the ‘80s prince of new wave pop is bound for Australia with one of his comeback tours come March. After a low-key decade Ant tested the waters in the UK with some guerrilla gigs in early 2010, and is now ready to strut his stuff in front on local audiences. This June will also see the release of new album Adam Ant Is The Blueback Hussar In Marrying The Gunners Daughter. Joining him for the tour will be Georgie Girl & Her Possez Posse, who are on Ant’s Blueback Hussar label. Fans can catch the pioneering new romantic singer this Sunday, April 1, at the Astor Theatre.
37
Kynan Tan, Thursday at The Bird
WEDNESDAY 28.03 ASTOR THEATRE John Butler BALMORAL Nathan Gaunt BLACK BETTY’S Everlong BUNBURY ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE Leo Sayer CLANCY’S FISH PUB (CANNING BRIDGE) Rachel Gorman & Dillip Parekh CLAREMONT HOTEL Open Mic Night ELLINGTON JAZZ CLUB Memory Of Elements FREMANTLE ARTS CENTRE Pierre Bensusan HALE ROAD TAVERN Fenton Wilde HYDE PARK HOTEL The Allira Wilson group The Chris Sealy Organ Trio
INDI BAR The Strangeways The Board Of Shamen LOBBY LOUNGE (BURSWOOD) Courtney Murphy LUCKY SHAG Howie Morgan MOJOS BAR Jay Hoad Rosie Burges MUSTANG Aftershock PADDO Andy Newman Oliver Halvorsen Dove PADDY HANNANS 5 Shots ROSEMOUNT Dirty Pigeon Midnight Boulevard Julius Lutero Sean Brown ROSIE O’GRADY’S (NORTHBRIDGE) David Fyffe SOUTH ST ALE HOUSE Greg Carter THE MOON
Spoonful Of Sugar
SPOONFUL OF SUGAR
FRIDAY,MARCH 30 CLANCY’S FISH PUB FREMANTLE
38
Vdelli, Friday at Indi Bar James Ireland Mitch MacDonald Todd Pickett UNIVERSAL Strutt
In The Now, Saturday at Railway Hotel
RIGBY’S Open Mic ROSEMOUNT Sanssangria Head Full Of Steam Cyclone Tess Honeywheeler THURSDAY 29.03 ROSIE O’GRADY’S BELGIAN BEER CAFÉ (FREMANTLE) Bernadine Clayton Bolger BOAB TAVERN STEVES BAR Damien Cripps Stu Harcourt BROOKLANDS TAVERN SOVEREIGN ARMS Celebrations Karaoke David Fyffe COMO HOTEL THE BIRD The Other Guys Kynan Tan DEVILLES PAD Ku ka Rock‘n’Roll Karaoke Leaving ELLINGTON JAZZ CLUB THE BOAT Dana Vulin Survivor Jen De Ness Concert THE BROOK FUSE BAR Open Mic Night Howie Morgan THE GATE FREMANTLE ARTS Better Days CENTRE THE SHED Grace Knight Murder Mouse Band HIGH WYCOMBE UNIVERSAL HOTEL Off The Record Chris Murphy YA YA’S HYDE PARK HOTEL The Rosie Burgess Trio Raw Hyde Open Mic Simon Kelly Trio INDI BAR Bex’s Open Mic Night KALAMUNDA HOTEL FRIDAY 30.03 Dirty Scoundrels 7th AVENUE LITTLE CREATURES Midnight Rambler The Little Stevies AMPLIFIER Wolves LUCKY SHAG BAKERY Nathan Gaunt MARKET CITY TAVERN Wooden Shjips BALLYS BAR JK Jamie Powers Jook Joint BAILEY BAR Grave Forsaken Mod Squad MOJOS BAR BALMORAL Matt Gresham The Other Guys MUSTANG BAR BAR 120 Boom! Bap! Pow! Joelistics NORFOLK BASEMENT Diafrix th 10 Birthday Party Bitter Belief OCEAN BEACH HOTEL The Stoops Open Mic Night BELGIAN BEER CAFÉ OXFORD HOTEL Feisty Burlesque Johnny Taylor BELMONT TAVERN PADDY HANNANS Everlong Acoustic Dr Bogus BENTLEY HOTEL Dove BENNYS Faces BLACK BETTYS J Babies BOAB TAVERN Acoustic Hwy BRASS MONKEY Adrian Wilson BROKEN HILL HOTEL Matt Milford CAPITOL Children Collide CAPTAIN STIRLING Bluebottles CARLILSE HOTEL Reload CHARLES HOTEL Almost Slayed Black Rose CHASE BAR Greg Carter CIVIC HOTEL British India CLANCY’S FISH PUB (FREMANTLE) Spoonful Of Sugar CLAREMONT HOTEL Aires Linares COMO HOTEL Tip Top Sound CRAFTSMAN Nicki Rose EAST 150 Travis Caudle ELEPHANT & WHEELBARROW Daren Reid & The Soul City Groove
ELLINGTON JAZZ CLUB Grace Knight D Money & The Dynamites FUSE BAR Groove Karaoke GLENGARY TAVERN Kontraband GREENWOOD Pretty Fly HALO Empire HERDSMAN TAVERN Acoustic Nights HYDE PARK HOTEL Nathan Gaunt One Trick Phonies INDI BAR Vdelli MARKET CITY TAVERN Nasty Dogz MERRIWA TAVERN Spritzer MERO FREO Che-Fu & The Kratez MIGHTY QUINN TAVERN Kontraband MOJOS BAR Hermitude Sietta MUSTANG Adam Hall & The Velvet Playboys Cheeky Monkeys NEWPORT Party Rockers NORFOLK BASEMENT Old Man River Simone & Girlfunkle Patient Little Sister OSBORNE PARK HOTEL Howie Morgan OXFORD HOTEL Recliners PADDO Stu Harcourt PADDY HANNANS Gun Shy Romeos PARAMOUNT Flyte PRINCIPAL Nathan Gaunt RAILWAY HOTEL Pockets Of Resistance 26 Parallel Skin Flint Paltiva RAVENWOOD HOTEL Rod Coxell ROCKET ROOM Emberville Still Water Claims Cupidfalls Milkshake Strategy Hooks4Hands Run With Wolves ROSE & CROWN HOTEL Adam James ROSEMOUNT Harm’s Way Zkes Sprawl The Gizzards Hokusai The Watermelons SAIL & ANCHOR Switchback SPRINGS TAVERN Midnight Special SOUTH ST ALE HOUSE Robbie King Karaoke SWAN BASEMENT P Is For Pumpernickel The Government Yard Stray Dogs Of Athens SWINGING PIG Dirty Scoundrels Greg Carter THE BIRD Viv G Nik R Ben M THE BOAT Pop Candy
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 Morning Night, Saturday at Mojos Bar KULCHA Errol H Tout Sam Blight LAKERS TAVERN Greg Carter Karaoke LAST DROP TAVERN Rick Twine LEISURE INN Inferno LEOPOLD HOTEL Steve Hepple LOBBY LOUNGE (BURSWOOD) John & Shaun Sandosham MERRIWA TAVERN Celebrations Karaoke MIGHTY QUINN TAVERN Kontraband MOON & SIXPENCE Blaze M ON THE POINT Rhythm 22 MOJOS BAR The Morning Night Lucy Peach The Deep River Collective Fremantle Ukulele SATURDAY 31.03 The Collective AMPLIFIER David & Nathalie Hermitude Richard Lane BAILEY BAR Elk Bell Chris Murphy & The MUSTANG Holy Rollers 10 Cent Billionaire BALMORAL Marco & The Rhythm The Kickstarts Kings BALLYS BAR NEWPORT Adam Morris Kizzy BAR 120 Gravity Flyte NORFOLK HOTEL BELGIAN BEER CAFÉ COURTYARD Chris Murphy Wolves At The Door BLACK BETTY’S NORFOLK BASEMENT Redstar Holly Throsby BURSWOOD (PRIZE Hang On St Christopher DRAW STAGE) Amanda Merdzan Hi-NRG OSBORNE PARK HOTEL CAPTAIN STIRLING Nathan Gaunt Sophie Jane Duo PARAMOUNT CLANCY’S FISH PUB Felix (CANNING BRIDGE) QUARRIE BAR The Morning Night Duo Electrophobia CLANCY’S FISH PUB RAILWAY HOTEL (CITY BEACH) In The Now Zarm Duo Babyjane CLANCY’S FISH PUB Ultrasound (FREMANTLE) RAVENSWOOD HOTEL Tornados Matt Gresham ROCKET ROOM CLAREMONT Kickstart HOTEL ROSEMOUNT Pete Busher & The Reapers Riddle Lone Rangers Homebrewe Delusions Of Grandeur COMO HOTEL ROSIE O’GRADY’S Tip Top Sound (NORTHBRIDGE) ELEPHANT & Blue Gene WHEELBARROW SAIL & ANCHOR Gun Shy Romeos Better Days ELLINGTON JAZZ CLUB SANDALFORD ESTATE Bronwynn Sprogowski George Michael Stratosfunk STEVES BAR FLY BY NIGHT Adrian Wilson Eddi Reader Quartet SUBIACO HOTEL Boo Hewerdine Off The Record GLOUCESTER PARK SWAN BASEMENT The Organ Grinders Storm The Shores HALE ROAD TAVERN Armada Vale Groove Karaoke From Isolation HIGH ROAD HOTEL The Fall Of Man Losing Julia A Haunting On HYDE PARK HOTEL Ravenswood Joelistics SWINGING PIG Diafrix Greg Carter The Stoops THE BIRD INDI BAR Cow Parade Cow The Sunshine Brothers Sugarpuss INDIAN OCEAN BREW Bears and Dolls CO THE BEAT NIGHTCLUB Runaways The Other Guys THE BEAT NIGHTCLUB Tim Gordon &Band Lanark Foam Dead Owls THE GATE Smoking Section THE FLY TRAP The Weapon Is Sound Sonpsilo Circus THE SHED Kickstart THE VIC Jack + Jill UNIVERSAL Retriofit VICTORIA PARK HOTEL Ivan Ribic WANNEROO TAVERN Clayton Bolger WOODVALE TAVERN Dr Bogus YA YA’S Death & A Cure Black Birds Sheryn Binks Tyto Kings
www.xpressmag.com.au
Friday Friday Travis Caudle Astropig, Sunday at Travis Caudle FlyBy ByNight Night Railway Hotel Fly
Lantana, Tuesday at Mojos Bar
THE BOAT Deuce THE GATE Dirty Scoundrels THE GREENWOOD Local Heroes THE SHED Huge THE WHALE & ALE Dr Bogus UNIVERSAL Soul Corporation WANNEROO TAVERN Jamie Powers WOODVALE TAVERN Renegade YA YA’S Bughunt The Watermelons
MUSTANG THE GATE Peter Busher And The Better Days Lone Rangers Chris Gibbs Duo NORFOLK BASEMENT THE SAINT Joelistics The Howie Morgan Trio Diafrix Mike Nayar PIG AND WHISTLE THE SHED Dirty Scoundrels The Healy’s PRINCIPAL Blue Hornet Stella Donnelly UNIVERSAL PINK DUCK Neil Colliss Retriofit QUARRIE BAR VICTORIA PARK HOTEL Jack + Jill Paul Foster QUEENS TAVERN WANNEROO TAVERN Mister & Sunbird Damien Cripps RAILWAY HOTEL WOODVALE TAVERN Custom Royal Good Karma The Insatiables State Of Order Evergone MONDAY 02.04 Astropig SUNDAY 01.04 BRASS MONKEY The Branson Tramps 7TH AVENUE The Corner The Organ Grinders Reckless Kelly The Shakeys ELLINGTON JAZZ ASTOR THEATRE 10 Past 6 Adam Ant CLUB Hyte BALLY’S BAR Matt Richards Quartet Satan Himself Greg Carter LOBBY LOUNGE Honeywheeler BALMORAL (BURSWOOD) Die Human Cranky Courtney Murphy Atacama Giants BROKEN HILL HOTEL MOJOS BAR Head Full Of Steam Nathan Gaunt Wide Open Mic Night Fletcher Joyce CAPTAIN STIRLING MUSTANG BAR Lummix Christian Parkinson Darren Guthrie Marco & The Alley Cats CHASE BAR RAVENSWOOD HOTEL THE DEEN James Wilson Sophistikatz CLANCY’S FISH PUB Plastic Max & The Token ROSEMOUNT (DUNSBOROUGH) Gesture Angove Street Festival Zarm Afterparty CLANCY’S FISH PUB SAIL & ANCHOR (FREMANTLE) TUESDAY 03.04 Shawne + Luc The Zydecats SOUTH ST ALE HOUSE CHARLES HOTEL CLAREMONT HOTEL Blackhart + Strangelove Perth Blues Club Sunday Driver SOVEREIGN ARMS Ritchie Pavledis EAST 150 Ivan Ribic The Hips Adrian Wilson SPRINGS TAVERN ELLINGTON JAZZ ELEPHANT & Christian Thompson WHEELBARROW CLUB SWINGING PIG Daren Reid & The Soul James Flynn & Cynthia Adam James City Groove Utterbach ELLINGTON JAZZ CLUB THE BIRD LOBBY LOUNGE Brown The Gavin Kerr Quartet (BURSWOOD) Frozen Ocean Featuring Mel Crothers Tomas Ford Chris Murphy FREMANTLE PARK NonlinearCircuits LUCKY SHAG West Coast Blues & Roots Furchick Ben Merito Festival THE BOAT John Fogerty MOJOS BAR Daren Reid & The Soul Crosby Nevsky Prospekt City Groove Stills & Nash Lantana Pop Candy The Pogues Zeks THE BLVD TAVERN The Specials The Brown Study Band Open Mic My Morning Jacket THE FLY TRAP PADDO Buddy Guy Stage Fright Stu Harcourt Keb Mo Andrea Von Bertouch PRINCE OF WALES Steve Earle Leanne & Andrea Von Trombone Shorty & Open Mic Night Bertouch Orleans Avenue SETTLERS TAVERN 50ml Terumo Husky Open Mic Night Little Fire Gin Wigmore X-WRAY CAFE Stray Dogs Of Athens The Sheepdogs A Different Kind Of Blue Open Piano Night HIGH WYCOMBE HOTEL The Organ Grinders HIGH RD Mike Nayar HYDE PARK HOTEL Simon Kelly Sophie Jane INDI BAR Morgan Bain INDIAN OCEAN BREW Wolves At The Door CO Dove Retriofit LAKERS TAVERN Jamie Powers LEISURE INN Steve Hepple M ON THE POINT Parker Ave MOJOS BAR Children Collide Deep Sea Arcade Palms
WOLVES AT THE DOOR SATURDAY,MARCH 31 NORFOLK HOTEL COURTYARD
39
www.xpressmag.com.au
47
XAVIER RUDD Spirited Away
Whether he’s using native Australian bird sounds as percussion or making his signature Weissenborn slide guitar crank out some weirdly wonderful electric sounds, roots troubadour Xavier Rudd is living proof of the diversity of the 21st century’s incarnation of the blues and roots genre. JENNIFER PETERSONWARD sat down with Rudd ahead of his performance at the Astor Theatre on Wednesday, April 4. At 34, Xavier Rudd is acclaimed as an Australian marvel: a songwriter who can be smart and primal, raucous and meticulous, ethereal and earthy, bleak and comical. He has sung spun tall tales and reeled off free-associations that somehow add up; and has also shown a vulnerable side in tender love songs. Having persisted on his own terms throughout his 10 year career, the Torquay-born icon’s new record, titled Spirit Bird, is set to be released later this year and features something new for the multi-instrumentalist: birdsong. “About a year ago I came up with the idea of using bird sounds as percussion, like just building them up with lots of loops and then laying them in with the rest of instrumentation. So far I’ve got about 30 different samples of native Australian bird species, which I mainly obtained from a man called David Stewart who has spent the last 35 years recording birds. I did record some of the birds myself, but it’s mainly David’s samples [that I have used].”
people,” he says, concluding with a few wise words of advice for aspiring musicians: “Just play. Don’t be worried about who’s listening, don’t worry about how many people are rocking up to your gigs, don’t be worried about getting a record deal, don’t let anything like that get in your way. I’ve learned quite a few times on my journey that it’s pointless to think about where you’re going. I just let it happen. If it’s right, it’s right, and all that other stuff will come later.”
Xavier Rudd
“Don’t be worried about who’s listening, don’t worry about how many people are rocking up to your gigs, don’t be worried about getting a record deal” While he’s more than a little excited for his fans to hear his new Bird-enhanced tunes, when it comes to instrumentation choice, Rudd attests there is simply nothing like the sound of a Weissenborn lap steel. The guitars built by Hermann Weissenborn in the 1920s are the stuff of legend among roots guitar players and are currently favoured by some of the genre’s biggest names, including Ben Harper and John Butler. “I use all handmade, wooden, full-bodied guitars. I just love the warmth and dreaminess of hollow bodied guitars,” Rudd explains. “I’ve spent years developing ways to make them sound big. Basically, I take an acoustic guitar and I run it through a series of amps. It sorta makes this homemade electric guitar sound. These kinds of guitars aren’t designed to sound big, but I just love the sound.” Rudd also says he has an “over the top” obsession when it comes to testing out left-of-centre instruments. “I’m really into unique instruments. I use a Chaturangui, which is a West Indian slide guitar that has 22 strings, it’s almost like a sitar with a slide. I also have a bunch of different percussion instruments, including about nine different didgeridoos, a range of different harmonicas, and a stomp box – which is basically a wooden box with a microphone underneath it to help amplify the sound,” he laughs. “I like a challenge.” However, there won’t be much time for experimentation this year as Rudd heads back on the road after a lengthy period of rest and recuperation. “The recording process was longer for Spirit Bird than it had ever been in the past.Most of my albums have been made in three weeks – usually when I’ve been able to find a hole in my touring schedule – but I had back surgery in March [last year] and that forced me to take time off from being on the road. I worked on Spirit Bird for about six months all up,” he says. “It was nice to [lie] low, until I was ready to get into [the music] again. I do think I’ll take my time [during the recording process] from now on. On the road, you can get into this groove of never stopping – and that’s not necessarily a bad thing – but sometimes you need to stop. I think this last year, for the first time, I was ready to stop. I don’t think I’ll ever have as heavy a touring schedule [as I have had in the past] ever again.” Despite admitting that taking a break from live performance helped rejuvenate his personal creative process, Rudd says he is eager to dedicate the next 12 months to extensive promotional duties and touring. “I’ve started to get the itch again. I definitely get a lot out of the recording process and being in the studio and all that, but performing is my first love. It’s what I’ve always done, it’s such a huge part of me – just being able to go out there and share my stories with 46
X-Press – First on the street, Wednesdays
Charlie Patton
THE ROOTS OF BLUES Emerging from the slums of the deep south of America at the turn of the last century, blues music undoubtedly set the motion for the decades of popular music that followed it. But what is it about this style of music that inspired countless more genres? TOM VARIAN reports.
First entering the history books in 1912 with Hart Wand, blues wasn’t popularised or recorded until well into the ‘30s. This expressive style of music hit upon a near endless well of improvisation within what is now known as the 12-bar blues and gained footing with melancholy lyrics about ordinary, disadvantaged people’s lives. But more than that, its influence has stretched multiple generations and it eventually evolved into the most popular form of music of all time – rock. Let ’s get a quick over view of the beginnings of blues music. The seed of the genre started along the now famous Mississippi Delta region. As the myth famously goes, musician Robert Johnson walked to a crossroad and sold his soul to the devil in exchange for the blues. Though the parable that he invented the blues is just plain wrong, his short life ended when he was only 27 which helped the myth propagate. But whether he was the first one or not, there is no mistaking the purity of his voice on the little recordings he left, arguably the greatest collection of Delta Blues recordings. In truth not one person invented the blues – it was an evolution of African American slave workers spiritual hymns, work songs and drum music. As they toiled the fields they sang together as a form of freedom and hope, and like folk songs they were passed down and evolved. Making up a blues song is usually simple lyrics that tell a tale, a lesson learned and it’s cyclical nature, using only a few chords that you iterate through, along with what is known as the blues notes, such as the minor 3rd to major 3rd bend that is so common on blues recordings. And of course that walking bass line, stuck in a groove that just feels, well, like the blues. After the blues found a footing and home along the Mississippi, with stand-out artists such as Skip James and Charlie Patton, there was a mass movement north to Chicago, which brings us to the second phase of the blues evolution to rock. So-called Chicago blues differs from Delta blues with its use of electrically amplified instruments and a full band usually backing the blues singer. It has a more upbeat nature, quicker tempo, and uses more notes and major chords, borrowed from jazz and which gave rise to the sound of R&B. Label Chess Records recorded some of the most seminal music from this era and artists such as Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Otis Rush and Buddy Guy helped popularise the blues to new heights.
But rock still didn’t come easily. If blues was the father of rock‘n’roll then country music was its mother, as artists such as Chuck Berry, influenced by both country and blues tunes, took elements of both and created not only the sound but attitude blueprint for rock music. It can’t be said enough, the impact that Berry’s Maybellene had on American culture at the time. It easily sold a million copies and subsequent hits like Rock And Roll Music and Johnny B. Goode defined what made rock‘n’roll different; it’s easy lyrics aimed at the youth with stories of girls and fast cars and his use of guitar solos and showmanship that commanded the stage. Not far behind Chuck was a gaggle of white artists, such as Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly and Jerry Lee Lewis whose early recordings are often referred to as rockabilly. Now that the white folks are in on the party, albeit it very late, we are inches away from modern rock, or more accurately an ocean away. In the UK young artists were absorbing the music of the US and early British rock acts such as Cliff Richards and The Shadows shot to dizzying success. And so we come to perhaps the final leg of our journey, with the British invasion. After the success of early rock artists in the US, rock was on a bit of a decline with its major players either dying, getting put in jail or conscripted for the US Army and so it was the new blood of UK musicians such as The Animals, The Kinks, The Rolling Stones, The Who, The Yardbirds and, well, I could go on for a long list, to dominate the charts. Of course in-between you have numerous offshoots of rock, such as doo-wop, skiffle and beat music, such as The Beatles (you finally get the pun now, hey?) but largely the evolution of rock was complete. By 1966 beat music (think early Beatles) was beginning to sound out of date, especially when compared with the heavier blues rock that was beginning to emerge with artists like The Moody Blues and Cream. There was a movement on the surviving rock groups to move and evolve rock into different forms including psychedelic rock and eventually progressive rock. The rest is history, and likely the vast collection of your music shares DNA with these early artists, so do yourself a favour and explore the vast amount of archival blues music available on YouTube.
PARTY PEOPLE
To celebrate their 20th year of operation the fine folks from the Perth Blues Club are planning some great new initiatives, gigs and a huge memorial show later in the year. Coming up in next few weeks are Patrick Woodley Trio, The Hips and Richie Pavlidis on Sunday, April 4; the Au Revoir, Farewell and Good Luck Show featuring Bob Marchini, Pete Hardinge, Bob Patient, Sue Bluck, Roy Martinez and Gary Howard on Saturday, April 10; and the Blues Factor showcase on Saturday, April 17, which will feature the talents of seven up-and-coming local blues and roots performers. Check perthbluesclub.com regularly to keep up-to-date with all the goings on around town.
ROAD RUNNER
Originally developed in the ‘80s, a 25th anniversary limited edition model of the pedal-to-the-metal shred machine Ibanez Roadstar Guitar has recently be released. Head to musiciansuniverse.com.au for the full list of specs and prices.
SEALED WITH A KISS
Making its debut in 1977, the Budokan Les Paul became Ace Frehley’s main guitar when KISS’s fame was exploding around the world. Now, Epiphone makes this iconic guitar available to players everywhere in a beautiful faded Cherry Sunburst finish with three DiMarzio pickups. Click over to musiciansuniverse.com.au for the full list of specs and prices.
DRUMMER BOY
Widely known as the brutal force behind death metal pioneers Hate Eternal, Malevolent Creation, Nile and Serpent’s Rise, Derek Roddy will present a drum clinic at Allans Music + Billy Hyde on Friday, May 4, from 7pm. Tickets are available from allansbillyhyde.com.au or in store.
VDELLI
Blues Brother Whether he’s playing the part of a smooth, soulful, blues crooner or a rock‘n’roll madman about to explode, Michael Vdelli has made a name for himself as one of Perth’s premier players throughout his colorful career. Earlier this month, JENNIFER PETERSON-WARD caught up with the iconic muso to talk about three of his loves – Budda amplifiers, homegrown crowds and international touring. Tone is an elusive thing. Guitar players know that it can be hard to define, and even harder to find. But, as local muso Michael Vdelli attests, when you get it you never look back. Known for his powerhouse guitar playing and captivating stage presence, Vdelli and his band (also called Vdelli) have been making waves on the local music scene for 15 years. “We started as a blues band and over the years we’ve developed a more rock sound, although there are also some elements of funk too. Our style is constantly evolving,” Vdelli says. Despite their chameleon sound, Vdelli says his core set of instruments have remained the same over the years. “I’ve used the same guitar for over 20 years – a Gibson Les Paul Deluxe, [but] as far as guitars and pedals go, as long as it produces a nice sound and is up to doing the job night after night, I’m happy to use it,” he says. Vdelli also points out that his Budda SD80 II amplifier has earned a place in his heart. Known for their ability to respond to the touch and picking action of guitarists, Budda amplifiers specialise in creating unique tonescapes that balance warm tube gain stages with defined, responsive attack. “It’s just a really good amp,” Vdelli says. “It’s got a pure tone and a really good gain structure. It’s also very powerful, it’s got lots of grunt, [and] it’s got a really smooth overdrive tone. You end up with a sound that is creamy, not raspy. It’s never short on power.” Vdelli says he will put his Budda to good use when he and his bandmates rock the Indi Bar every Friday evening during a residency which will www.xpressmag.com.au
Vdelli last until the end of April. “We haven’t played for over a year so it’s nice to be back to see everyone again. I’ve had a good relationship with the staff and management over the years, but I mostly like the crowd they draw there, the audience is what makes the gigs great,” he says. Considered by industry insiders and fans alike to be one of the shining lights in the blues genre, local music fans shouldn’t miss this opportunity to catch a rockin’ Vdelli live show before they head overseas. As Vdelli divulges, preparations are well under way for the bands 20th European tour which will take in more dates than ever before and will culminate in an appearance at the Swedish Rock Festival, which boasts a stellar line-up including Soundgarden, Motley Crue, Twisted Sister and Lynyrd Skynyrd. “We’re really looking forward to playing the festival,” he concludes. “It’s nice to get a crack at that.” Vdelli play the Indi Bar on Friday, March 30; Friday, April 13; Friday, April 20; and Friday April 27. For more information about the Budda amplifier range, please visit megamusiconline. com.au. 45
44
X-Press – First on the street, Wednesdays
PRODUCT REVIEWS COLE CLARK FAT LADY 1 12-STRING ACOUSTIC GUITAR
Cole Clark Fat Lady 1 12-String Acoustic Guitar There’s nothing quite like a great sounding acoustic guitar played well. Live or recorded, the right acoustic instrument in the right player’s capable hands can cover an amazing range of styles and evoke the whole gamut of emotions from the listener. Australian guitarbuilding company Cole Clark has produced many highly-regarded acoustic models, and the Fat Lady series has proven most popular with acoustic musicians. There is a seemingly endless supply of acoustic players in the industry at the moment, flourishing due to the ever-increasing opportunities for musicians to perform in more intimate surrounds such as small bars, cafes, restaurants and wineries. The challenge then for acoustic guitarists is to find a way to set themselves apart from the competition and find a unique voice. A 12-string guitar is one way to achieve that goal.
The Cole Clark Fat Lady 1A 12 is an all solid timber dreadnought-styled instrument in a nitrocellulose natural stain finish. The necks of this series of guitar are fashioned from Queensland maple, the tops from solid bunya or spruce, and the back and sides from solid bunya, Queensland maple or spruce. The bride and fingerboard are fashioned from solid rosewood. The FL1A 12 features the standard Cole Clark dual input acoustic pickup, comprised of a Piezo-type bridge mounted and top plate sensor. A blend control allows players to choose their preferred balance between the bridge and sensor pickups, providing a unique array of tones. Also featured in the pickup controls are master volume, bass, middle and treble levels. Grover machine heads provide solid and reliable tuning. The overall tonality of this guitar is robust and earthy; the sound level and intonation is consistent right across the neck, and the overall response is punchy and even. The neck generally feels easier to work with compared to many 12-string guitars and the string tension and action is easy on the fingers, making this model a greet transition for guitarists moving into the 12-string realm for the first time. Both in terms of production quality, tone and value for money the Cole Clark FL1A 12 is hard to beat. The Cole Clark FL1A 12 retails for $1729 with included moulded ABS case. The Rock Inn currently has this model on sale for $1549. The Cole Clark FL1A 12 was reviewed at The Rock Inn, Mount Lawley.
BUDDA SUPERDRIVE 30 1 X 12 COMBO AMPLIFIER
Budda Superdrive 30 1 x 12 Combo Amplifier
Bigger, better tones in smaller, lighter packages, that’s what the guitar amplification market seems to be all about these days. Largely due to the scaling-down of many stages and performance areas (and the increasing need for ease of portability) many amp companies are striving to pack more features and quality into less physical space. The Budda Superdrive is a 30 watt
RODE COMPLETE VOCAL RECORDING SOLUTION PACKAGE
Rode Complete Vocal recording Solution Package Whether it is a professional studio, a home studio, or even just a simple home recording set-up, one of the most important factors in producing a great recording is quality of the recorded source. While an attempt to ‘fix it in the mix’ is an option, there’s no doubt that achieving a workable, reliable tone at the input stage is far more desirable than hoping for the best during post-production. RODE is one of the best known names in studio amp featuring three 12AX7 high-grade preamp tubes and a hand-wired power amp. The rhythm and hi-gain drive channels can be switched on the amp face via a push/pull switch or an included footswitch. The amp face controls also include treble, mid and bass, and push/pull mid function. There is also a push/pull control for a brightness function on the rhythm channel which provides an extra bit of clean-ish bite for those clean solos that can sometimes be hard to voice over the rest of the band. The rhythm channel provides a sprawling, crystal clear tone which can be mildly overdriven, but the amp is nicknamed ‘The
Boss RC-3 Loop Station
BOSS RC-3 LOOP STATION
One way to expand the sonic frontier in smaller line-ups such as solo acts, duos and trios is to incorporate looping technology. Widely regarded as a more organic and ‘legitimate’ solution compared to standard backing tracks, a loop pedal adds dimension to an act, affording players the opportunity to play along to pre-recorded loops or create new loops on the fly during a performance. The Boss RC-3 is geared towards guitarists, who will appreciate the true stereo inputs and outputs on the pedal if their setup is designed to run in stereo. In addition to recording guitar loops, users can also record other external stereo audio sources via the RC-3’s auxiliary input. Sound from an iPod, for example, can be recorded and converted into a loop. The RC-3 features a massive internal memory with up to three hours of stereo recording time and 99 onboard memories for storing loop presets. While this memory size is very impressive, this unit does not feature a memory card of any type, so expansion of memory beyond factory parameters is not possible. The by-now (almost) obligatory www.xpressmag.com.au
WITH CHRIS GIBBS
microphones, and the affordability of many microphones in the RODE range gives studio projects at every level the opportunity to attain high production levels. The RODE NT1-A condenser microphone delivers the warmth, dynamic range and clarity and usually reserved for more expensive microphones. Recognised as the world’s quietest studio microphone, the NT1-A is ideal for vocal recording for music as well as voice-over projects and even environmental recording. The NT1-A is currently available in the RODE ‘Complete Vocal Recording Solution’ package which includes everything budding home producers and engineers require to attain a professional vocal recording standard. A studio grade pop shield and shock mount is included, along with a microphone cable and dust cover. For home recording enthusiasts who are just starting out, there’s even an instructional DVD entitled NT1-A Studio Secrets, presented by founder and company president Peter Freedman, which is packed with plenty of recording tips. Top that off with RODE’s 10 year warranty and you have an incredible amount of value at a recommended retail price of just $525. Mega Music Wangara currently has this pack on sale for $299. The RODE Complete Vocal Recording Solution pack was reviewed at Mega Music, Wangara. Dirty 30’ by the talented people at Budda with good reason. There’s plenty of gain to be had on the drive channel, the response aggressive while remaining warm, controlled and even. The sustain and resonance from the amp on both channels is to die for. The power on tap within the Superdrive 30 is nothing short of incredible; it seems unthinkable that the master volume would ever travel anywhere beyond the 40% mark even in the loudest band on the biggest stage, so there’s an immense amount of headroom to guarantee clear, authentic tone. The rear of the amp includes an effects loop, two speaker outputs, switchable between 4, 8 and 16 ohms, and a slave output with level control which can also be used as a direct output for live or studio recording. While so many boutique amplification companies are offering quality products at low prices due to compromising on the country of manufacture, Budda amps are designed and built in the USA, and while this affects the price tag, the sonic benefits are obvious from the first chord. The Budda Superdrive 30 retails for $3799. Budda amps are available exclusively from Mega Music Myaree and Wangara. The Budda Superdrive 30 was reviewed at Mega Music, Wangara. USB port allows users to connect to a PC and import or export WAV audio. The RC-3 can accept 16-bit/44.1kHz WAV files of up to 1.7GB in size. As with most stompboxes, the RC-3 runs on a single 9-volt battery or optional AC power supply. There are different options available for looping on the RC-3. For example, an AutoRecording feature commences recording the moment the guitar is played, or as soon as a connected audio player is started, while Count-In mode gives players one bar of rhythm before a recording starts. To keep loops in time, rhythm patterns are included in the RC-3’s onboard library. Ten types of rhythm are provided, including Rock, Pop, Funk, Shuffle, R&B, and Latin. Rhythm volumes can be adjusted and tempos can be set via tap tempo. Users can even specify the time signature and when a phrase is saved the rhythm type and time signature are also saved. As with DigiTech’s Jam Man Solo counterpart, the RC-3 can be tricky to engage and disengage due to the single pedal format, and although additional footswitches are available to remedy some of the required fancy footwork, this really defeats the purpose of a single stompbox which otherwise slots easily onto a crowded pedalboard. Nevertheless, players who are after a more seamless approach to looping would probably benefit from exploring larger units such as the Boss RC-30. Having said that, all effects units require at least some level of getting used to regarding functionality and the few physical limitations are far outweighed by the overall capabilities of the RC-3. The Boss RC-3 Loop Station retails for $299. The Boss RC-3 Loop Station was reviewed at The Rock Inn, Mount Lawley. 43
42
X-Press – First on the street, Wednesdays
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 20th April. Special fun beginners courses. Term 2 starts Mon 23rd April. For brochure, info & free class invite shaheena@iinet.net.au 0409 511 125. www.bellydancecentral.com.au FOR HIRE STATE OF THE ART EQUIPMENT PA Hire Digital lights / mixer-pro operator. Competitive rates. www.aapahire.com.au 0417 997 381 FOR SALE SOUND INSULATION FOAM Ex Recording Studio. 35 sq metres. Will sell separately or as a whole. $60 per sq metre. 0408 907 826. HAIR, HEALTH & HAPPINESS MENS WAXING/CLIPPING Itís a guy thing! Hair removal for men, private, qualified, experienced. Ph Athletes Effigy 9384 2950 MUSOS WANTED A DRUMMER WANTED & a chick on synth for original, alternate, Indie group. Ph 0415 252 323. BASSIST SEEKS GUITARIST & DRUMMER Aged 20-32 to form death metal band. Influences: Cannibal Corpse, Morbid Angel, Immolation, Gorguts, Nocturnus, Agressor, Metallica. 0419 043 293. DRUMMER WANTED For Police/Sting tribute band. All that is missing is someone who can play in the mode of Stewart Copeland. Eugene 0449 000 973. DRUMMER WANTED For working rock cabaret show band with management. Must have good appearance, personality, vocals preferred & be able to play with backing tracks. Call Brian at Focus Promotions 9272 4144. FEMALE SINGER WANTED For duo with male singer to perform caberet style shows. Professional attitude with good vocal versatility & the ability to entertain. Able to reherse once a week. For more details 0433234417 GREASE PRODUCTION SEEKS FEMALE SINGER to sing, act, dance the part of Sandy. If you got it, we want to see and hear it. 35 min
www.xpressmag.com.au
Corporate show. Semi-prof only need apply with bio and audio sample. Able to rehearse once a week, perform 3 times a week. Please contact Antonio Corea 0433 234 417 or email bio to antonio@antoniosplace.tv GUITARIST/VOCALS wanted for 3 piece working 70s and 80’s cover band. Solid player with flair. City and Country gigs 0417 182 784 OPEN MIC NIGHT every Thursday night at Indi Bar. Just call Bex on 0404 917 632 OPEN MIC NIGHT Every Tuesday night at the Craigie Tavern 8-11pm. Call Simon for bookings 0431 619 885 VOCALIST WANTED Strong front person for mature original band. Good Rock material. Prof CDs done. Much more writing and gigging to do. 0403 916 920 or 0419 909 517. WA N T E D TA L E N T E D T R U M P E T A N D TROMBONE PLAYERS If you are new to Perth, have left school or university and want to be in a big band, please phone Chris: 0451 458 533 PHOTOGRAPHY PROJECT PHOTOGRAPHY Promo p h o t o g r a p h y, s t u d i o, l i v e , l o c a t i o n . Mike Wylie 0417 975 964 www.projec tphotography.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 MATRIX PRODUCTIONS AUSTRALIA Lighting, staging, sound systems, smoke machines, night club FX, intelligent lighting, strobes & mirror balls, crowd barriers, video projectors. 9371 1551 PA HIRE FX Lights club to concert size. Pro Equipment www.perthconcertsound.com.au.. Ph 9307 8594 / mob 0404 410 020 / 9309 6219 RECORDING STUDIOS 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 CASTLEROCK STUDIOS ROCKINGHAM Old school analogue gear, latest cutting edge technology, competitive prices. Work with a producer who really cares and offers industry direction about what to do and who to approach after you’ve recorded. Whether it’s radio airplay, doco’s film or tv. We work internationally and have assisted several bands in getting signed, touring and airplay in the US. Our staff have worked for most major records labels and 100’s of the biggest bands in the world! www.castlerock.au.com Ph: 08 9529 2021 GOLDDUSTCONSTRUCTION.COM Production, mixing, recording and composition for your music. Unique award winning skills to take songs from ideas to finished mixes or to fulfill the potential in existing ones. Located in Subiaco. $60 p/h. Andrew 0408 097 407 POONS HEAD MASTERING Analog mastering at its best. Clients include Mink Mussel Creek, Jeff Martin, The Panics, Pond + The Floors. World class facility. World class results. www. poonshead.com 9339 47 91 RECORDING MIXING MASTERING PRODUCING Fremantle location. Call Pete Kitchen Cooked Records. Ph 0407 363 764 / 9336 3764 REVOLVER SOUND STUDIO Ph 9272 7505. www.revolverstudio.com.au SONGWRITERS! - UNLOCK YOUR SONGS’ POTENTIAL +FREE BAND APPRAISALS. UK Producer, 40,000+ hours studio experience. 20 yrs in London with bands and songwriters.
Kicking arrangements, great studio and the ability to really listen will give your material the edge you need. Call Jerry on 0405 653 338 or visit www.jerichomusic.com.au TONE CITY RECORDING STUDIO Professional recording & mixing. Clients include Abbe May, Pond, Felicity Groom & The Silentís. Ph: 0409 297 362. REHEARSAL STUDIOS AAA VHS REHEARSAL ROOMS Great facilities, great vibe & great price!!! Unit 5 /16 Peel Road, O’Connor. Phone 9418 5815 or 0413 732 885 BIGBEAT SOUND STUDIO Clean rooms, all new PA systems, air-con and good parking . Willetton Ph: 0425 698 117. 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 A A A C L E AV E R AC A D E M Y O F VO I C E Professional vocal training for singers A l l S t y l e s a n d l e ve l s. Have some fun & learn new skills! Speech level training included. Phone 92724497 for info W/Pth Mt Lawley ***GUITAR LESSONS*** JAN/FEB ENROLMENTS NOW. Beg-adv, all styles and all levels including bass. Cliff Lynton Guitar Institute. Mt Lawley 9342 3484 / www.clifflynton.com . BASS LESSONS Rock, funk & jazz. Tony Gibbs 9470 6131 DRUM LESSONS All styles,WAAPA prep. Modern techniques, rudiments, soloing, favourite songs. Ph: Pascal 0413 172 817. Available all holidays. 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.
41
40
X-Press – First on the street, Wednesdays