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LOCAL NEWS
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35 YEARS OF RESPECT RTRFM 92.1 is set to celebrate the 35th anniversary of one of its longest running programs, Jamdown Vershun (Saturdays from 5-7pm), with a tropical party showcasing the sounds of Jamaica on Friday, February 13, at The Budgie Smuggler (The Bakery) as part of Fringe World 2015. Taking to the stage for this milestone event will be Benn Madz & Miss Eve, Cera Kymarni & Lioness Movement, The Isolites, Papa Flava and The Weapon Is Sound. DJ Simba and Jamdown Vershun presenters Mumma Trees and General Justice & Jah Wisdom Sound will be on the decks ‘til late, pumping out island riddims, old skool classics and fresh new tracks from the Jamaican music scene. Pre-sale tickets ($15 - general public and $10 - RTRFM subscribers) to 35 Years of Jamdown Vershun are available now from rtrfm.com.au and nowbaking.com.au.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS
STILL ILL
SLICE OF PABLOVA
After having had to cancel dates in the US and Canada due to a severe and prolonged family illness, ex- Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr is now postponing his solo tour of Australia and New Zealand. His Perth show, previously set for Thursday, January 29, at the Astor Theatre, will be rescheduled for a later date. Refunds will be available for ticketholders who can’t make the new dates when they are announced, via the ticketing agency tickets were purchased from. For more information and updates on rescheduling check frontiertouring.com/johnnymarr.
Described as “genius” by Lumina Magazine, human chameleon Pablo Francisco is returning to these shores for his fourth Australian tour. With a manic, boundary pushing approach to stand-up that’s less joke telling than comic jazz improvisation, no two Francisco shows are the same, as he thrives on testing new material and challenging the audience. Most famous for his knack for uncanny impressions, he’ll be at Regal Theatre on Friday, April 24. For tickets, check ticketek.com.au or perthfestival.com.au. Pablo Francisco
Johnny Marr
The Isolites, 35 Years of Jamdown Vershun
SHE’S THE VOICE She’s picked up Grammy nominations, hit #1 in 18 countries and blown the house down performing at the Closing Ceremony of the London Olympics; if R&B superstar Jessie J hasn’t done it in the last few years, it’s not worth doing. With a new album Sweet Talker under her belt, she’s touring nationally ahead of joining the panel for the fourth series of The Voice. Catch her at Crown Theatre on Friday, March 20. Tickets from ticketek.com.au.
GIRLS TO THE FRONT Four5Nine in North Perth will be transformed into a den of Perth’s best experimental lady songwriters on Saturday, January 31. The swooning, burbling sounds of Golden String leads the bill, with the witchy electronic folk of Joni In The Moon also set to cast a spell. Rounding off are the powerhouse voice of Hayley Beth, and punk-folk goddess Laurel Fixation ahead of the launch of her debut EP.
Jessie J
Joni In The Moon | Pic: Libby Edwards
GET MOODY
SALAME, DAVID
WARP SPEED Red Bull Music Academy are returning to WA with a bang, bringing over avant-dancefloor maven Clark for a free show at Mojos this Sunday, January 25. Despite a career now seven albums and over a decade deep, Clark’s self-titled 2014 LP has been universally acclaimed as his best to date. Locals Kučka, Basic Mind, Atripat and DJs Ben Taaffe & Wilus Bixler will bring a truckload of support. To attend, RSVP online at dashtickets. com.au; get in early to avoid disappointment.
As comfortable singing about his sexual relationships with extraterrestrials as he is serenading one of his self-made puppets, Tim And Eric Awesome Show! regular and outsider artist David Liebe Hart is on the lunatic fringe of comedy. Touring Australia to promote his new album, Astronaut, with collaborator Jonah Mocium, fans can expect the unexpected. Hart will bring the weird to Friday, March 27, at Mojos with karaoke locals The Gizzards and Ermine Coat. Find yourself some tickets at oztix.com.au. David Liebe Hart
Australian born folk songstress Ruth Moody has built an impressive CV in her time in Canada, both for her solo work and with The Wailin’ Jennys, and she’s ready to showing the old country what she can do on her upcoming national tour. There’ll be a whole long weekend to track her down, at Mojo’s Fremantle on Friday, February 27, (with Jordie Lane), and at the Nannup Folk Festival from Saturday, February 28, to Sunday, March 1. Tickets from mojosbar.com.au and nannupmusicfestival.org. Ruth Moody
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Newsdesk Win Music Peter Hook, Brian Mannix, Pond The Preatures New Noise
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Culture Hub Cover: Joel Creasey Lifestyle, Eye2Eye Fiona O’Loughlin, I Can Breathe Underwater Arts Listings Wild, The Imitation Game, St Vincent, Force Majeure Guide To Summer Feature
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Scene Cover: Husband Clark, Lake Street Dive, Omar Souleyman Live: Distant Murmurs, Paul Kelly Local Scene: Skullcave
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X-Press Guide Social Pics/Volume
Clark | Pic: Alma Haser
HURRICANE METAL
BARREL OF LAUGHS
BIG FISH
Eyehategod have defined the sound of New Orleans metal for almost three decades, counting deities like Pantera and Goatwhore among their contemporaries, and very none as their equals in generating immense, furious walls of distortion. With their beastly, bluesinflected metal, they’ll be giving the Rosemount’s PA system a thorough shellacking on Thursday, January 29. Local supports include Leeches and Cursed Earth. You can find tickets through rosemounthotel.com.au or on the door.
After selling out shows coast to coast on last year’s national tour, Australia’s biggest comedy export Jim Jefferies is returning to familiar climes. Having received the coveted five stars from venerable institutions like The Scotsman and The List, as well as global TV solo specials and his own TV series in the US, he’ll be in Perth for two nights only at Crown Theatre on Friday-Saturday 3-4. Head to ticketek. com.au for tickets and more info.
The Perth Comedy Festival has been a risible institution in the best way for years, and this year’s lineup looks set to continue that tradition. Running from March 24 until April 17 at venues across town, international stars such as Brits Stephen K. Amos, The Mighty Boosh’s Noel Fielding and Paul Foot have been announced alongside Australian funnymen Joel Creasey and Ronnie Chieng, to name just a few. For more information and for tickets, check perthcomedyfestival.com.au.
Eyehategod
Jim Jefferies
Noel Fielding WWW. XP RE SS MAG.COM. AU
Front Cover: The Preatures will head up the closing party for the Summerset Arts Festival at Stirling City Gardens on Saturday, February 7. Scene Cover: Husband, aka Michael Paolino, launches his debut album, The Money, this Friday, January 23, at Mojos.
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N E W S L E T T E R - S I G N U P AT F O R E XC L U S I V E C O M P S
THE DECEMBERISTS POND Pond are set for a big year in 2015, with Laneway Festival dates around the country (Fremantle’s is Sunday, February 8) and the release of their new album, Man It Feels Like Space Again, this Friday, January 23. We have five copies of the new album to give away, download the X-Press App now!
The Decemberists released their seventh studio album, What A Terrible World, What A Beautiful World, last week through EMI Music Australia. Produced by the band and long-time collaborator Tucker Martine (My Morning Jacket, Neko Case), it’s The Decemberists’ first full-length studio album since 2011’s The King Is Dead, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and contained the Grammynominated single, Down By The Water. We have five copies to give away, via the X-Press App. The Decemberists
Pond, Man It Feels Like Space Again
CALYPSO NIGHTS
MEWITHOUTYOU Last seen in Australia as part of Soundwave 2008, mewithoutYou are heading back to Australia to perform tracks from their latest and self-released album, Ten Stories and the rest of their huge back catalogue of favourites spanning over the last decade and beyond. mewithoutYou have also revealed that they’ll be giving fans a taste of brand new material from their forthcoming untitled sixth studio album, due for release later this year. We have five double pass/t-shirts packs to give away to their Amplifier Bar gig this Friday, January 23. Enter via the App.
Calypso Nights, starring Barnie Duncan as Juan Vesuvius, is making its Australian premiere at FRINGE WORLD Festival 2015. Juan Vesuvius is a suavely ridiculous Venezuelan DJ who invites the audience into a world of Calypso and Soca music, maraca virtuosity and endearing idiocy. New Zealander Barnie Duncan, esteemed maker of genre-bending shows has toured over the last 10 years at Edinburgh Fringe, Adelaide Fringe, Melbourne International Comedy Festival and New Zealand International Comedy Festival. We have two double passes to give away to the Wednesday, January 28, show at 10.10pm at Noodle Palace. Download the X-Press App now! Calypso Nights
mewithoutYou
SIN CITY: A DAME TO KILL FOR The most highly anticipated sequel of recent times is here and it’s in eye-popping 3D. Co-directors Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller reunite to bring Miller’s visually stunning Sin City graphic novels back to life in Sin City: A Dame To Kill For. With a powerhouse cast just as star studded as in the original, Sin City: A Dame To Kill For features Basin City veterans alongside newcomers in the sequel that is just cool, gritty and dangerous as the first. In a town where justice doesn’t prevail, the desperate want vengeance and ruthless murderers find themselves with vigilantes on their heels, as the most hardboiled citizens once again cross paths with its vicious inhabitants.
In this third edition of The Expendables franchise, Barney (Sylvester Stallone), Christmas (Jason Statham) and the rest of the team comes face-toface with Conrad Stonebanks (Mel Gibson), who years ago co-founded The Expendables with Barney. Stonebanks subsequently became a ruthless arms trader and someone who Barney was forced to kill… or so he thought. Stonebanks, who eluded death once before, now is making it his mission to end The Expendables -- but Barney has other plans. We have five copies of The Expendables 3 to give away. Do the App!
Sin City: A Dame To Kill
The Expendables 3
THE EXPENDABLES 3
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STORIES
somebody like that would have witnessed in their time there, and how that continues further back to all the people that were there at the beginning. It’s cool, I think we were all feeling very similar.” The Preatures’ well-received set included two classic covers - the Divinyls’ Boys In Town (featuring guitarist, Mark McEntee) and At First Sight by Perth icons, The Stems. “We’ve been really drawn to WA as a musical state,” Moffitt says when asked about the background to choosing At First Sight. “What came from having a band like Tame Impala and Pond and their side-projects and offshoots is that it highlighted a lot of the history of music from Perth. Like the Farris brothers going on to be INXS and Mark McEntee of the Divinyls is from there... and he played with us. Even through the ‘90s, like Jebediah and Bob Evans, and up to now with the bands I just mentioned, it just seems like a really idyllic place for musicians and the community that’s fostered there seems really special to us outsiders coming in and witnessing it. Especially from an environment like Sydney which can sometimes bit a bit stifling and competitive in a way that’s not particularly constructive. “We were definitely drawn to At First Sight because it’s such a fantastic song. I feel like Oasis kind of ripped off their sound. You can tell that Dave
“Perth just seems like a really idyllic place for musicians and the community that’s fostered there seems really special to us outsiders coming in and witnessing it.”
The Preatures
THE PREATURES This Is How We Feel The Preatures will head up the closing party for the Summerset Arts Festival at Stirling City Gardens supported by Kim Churchill on Saturday, February 7. BOB GORDON chats with guitarist, Jack Moffitt.
POND Incandescence Pond’s new album, Man, It Feels Like Space Again, is released this Friday, January 23. They’ll be hitting the stage at St Jerome’s Laneway Festival on Sunday, February 8, at Fremantle’s Esplanade Reserve & West End. ALEX GRIFFIN reports. Despite changes in line-ups, cities, circumstances and haircuts over the last decade, Pond have always had one constant; a weird, wild, burning enthusiasm, manifest in everything from the sunburst hooks of Annie Orangetree to the oft-repeated tableaux of Nick Allbrook hanging suspended from an untested part of a unlicensed venue’s ceiling. 8
2014 was a huge year for The Preatures, with a debut album release, international touring and even a spot supporting the Rolling Stones at their Hunter Valley concert. And 2015 got off to a flying start as well, last Friday at Sydney’s The Domain, where The Preatures joined a cast of thousands at triple j’s 40th anniversary Beat The Drum concert. “It was pretty spectacular,” says guitarist, Jack Moffitt. “It’s hard to describe how excited everyone was about celebrating as large a thing as triple j being 40. It doesn’t necessarily sound like a big deal, but when you think of 40 years of national youth broadcasting in Australia and what that does for the music industry that’s impressive, because it’s really our only format for that kind of exposure. “It was really cool walking around, side of stage, watching Richard Kingsmill nodding his head to Tkay Maidza and You Am I. I guess that, to me, encapsulated the kind of breadth of history that
Even as he sneaks out of a family holiday to dodge slow-moving traffic in a valiant search for mobile reception, songwriter, singer and guitarist Jay Watson sounds overjoyed as hell to be talking about his work, and the newest addition to the Pond canon: Man, It Feels Like Space Again. Where Hobo Rocket stomped and Beard, Wives, Denim ebbed, Man, It Feels Like Space Again soars: this is their most lurid, immersive and beautiful record yet. It’s also one with a long gestation, with the title cropping up in interviews as far back as 2012. However, as Watson explains, a promise from Pond about any future activities should always be taken with a pinch of salt. “There’s always so much going on, it’s pretty crazy. When we say we’ve put a lot of time into something, what we really mean is that we found a week once a year for two years,” he laughs. “We finish albums the same way I finished assignments in high school: cramming in the last minute, whiting out all the spelling errors.” If Pond have sounded overly casual on record before, Man… dials up the complexity – not something achieved without a furrowing of their collective brow. “We’re not naturally Brian Wilson
Sardi and the Gallagher brothers had probably heard that record somewhere. It’s just so sad and powerful, A complete unashamed love lyric, with a real ‘60s influence. A really bombastic kind of sound.” With eligible songs such as Better Than It Ever Could Be, Two Tone Melody and Somebody’s Talking, The Preatures are also a good chance to fill in a few spots in triple j’s other big deal, the Hottest 100. Taylor Swift-gate notwithstanding, it’s always interesting to see which song ends up where and what it says of the station’s listenership. “I think the institution of the Hottest 100 plays a really important and interesting role in exposing the humour and the irony of what makes up the listenership of triple j Australia-wide,” Moffitt says. “It’s really interesting that the year that Macklemore & Ryan Lewis won (2012 poll with Thriftshop) was a
types, so a cool chord structure or working out voice leading definitely takes some time.” If this sounds like Pond getting corporate or heading for the conservatory, perish the thought - but goofing off on record is now decidedly less of a priority. For Watson it’s a welcome change, and helps make the band a smaller target for people taking cheap shots. “I never worry about making the band more ambitious, it’s just about upping the quality. We used to take the R. Stevie Moore approach to things — throw in good and bad songs, just because you can! Why not? But now, suddenly, it’s not as easy to do that, especially when people are paying you out for it. I admire people who take the rogue approach and don’t censor themselves at all.”
“We finish albums the same way I finished assignments in high school: cramming in the last minute, whiting out all the spelling errors.”
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fucking strong year for Australian records and that that song would come in as number one. And it’s voted! “It’s an interesting conundrum I guess, to be looking down the barrel of the possibility that an American artist whose been the only artist in recent years to sell a million records in the first week of sales - which is unheard of in the current climate - could top that list in Australia where the radio station isn’t necessarily championing her career ‘cause she doesn’t really need it. “Like I say, it’s just telling of the irony that people take to this kind of stuff in Australia. And taking things seriously is not the parochial Australian thing. Send-ups and pisstakes and tall poppy syndrome are at work in the microcosm. I think that’s a good and bad thing because it lets bands view themselves through that prism and they don’t take themselves too seriously, which sometimes in your hubris means you can make ginormous mistakes and really embarrassing work (laughs). “But I think it’s important and what will be will be. It’s not for us to decide. And it’s not even for us to expect that we will get into the Hottest 100. It’s got to do with timing; getting flogged in the early part of the year and the middle of the year then the record coming out in October, it’s been a steady year for us. Even in past years I’ve never had expectations because I feel like it would be wrong to have any.” Taking advantage of international momentum, The Preatures will again take flight shortly. Travel is fun, but there’s a lot of work ahead. “We’re heading back to the UK and Europe in February,” Moffitt notes. “It’s the third time we’ve done it. The first tour was like, brutal (laughs) adapting to the pattern of the road in Europe and the UK which is different to the pattern in the States. We’ve always done them one for one, but this time we’re doing the UK, Europe then the US, hitting all three back to back. “I guess we’re suitably daunted as well as looking forward to it. Someone said to us on a US tour when we were having a couple days off ‘you shouldn’t have days off on tour, you should be over here trying to cane it because you might never come back if you fuck it up’. I thought, ‘wow, that’s true we might never make it back if we don’t take it in’. And I think that really marked a change in our attitude in what we do when we’re over there. We’re just trying to do the best thing we can do.” Before then, however, the band will headline the closing show of the Summerset Arts Festival. Moffitt’s looking forward to it. “We absolutely love Perth and we love the community that we’ve been lucky to be involved with over there,” he says. “Any opportunity we have to come over and enjoy what Perth is doing in terms of the arts and culture is great for us, it gives us great pleasure. I love the Scarborough area, so it’s gonna be awesome.” Rogue is right, though: as usual, Pond’s ability to marry drugs, the spirit and the ego with a good dollop of humour isn’t hard to miss. One needs only look as far as Heroic Shart to know their knack for a cosmic joke hasn’t gone missing. Despite sounding like a Butthole Surfers title, the song hums weightlessly, like space junk trapped in a lonely, endless orbit. “That’s one of Nick’s, so I don’t know, but I think it’s a heartfelt song about the void,” Watson notes, “that’s his way of expressing that without being nihilistic. By showing some loving.” Man’s incandescent artwork comes courtesy of Melbourne cartoonist and musician, Ben Montero, known for being one half of Early Women, his own solo work, and illustrations that have appeared everywhere from VICE to the Huffington Post. However, his work for Pond came out of the most innocuous of creative partnerships - asking your housemate to have a go at something, as Watson explains. “I was living with him for six months when I was in Melbourne. He just totally gets where we are coming from. I think part of that has to do with the fact he and I have a similar kind of aesthetic musically – often we are referencing pop culture and old rock’n’roll culture and making fun of it – like putting David Crosby’s head in a snowglobe. I want people in the record store to look at it and say ‘I don’t care what this sounds like, but I wanna buy it ‘cos it has good art!” Perthlings may well remember Pond’s 2010 limited run Greens Pond 7”; all 300 copies came housed in a section of a painting by local artist Ben Barretto, something the lucky few who snapped it up should still be cherishing today (if they haven’t already flogged it for squillions on eBay). That care in presentation is something Watson is keen to keep going, as the band cuts down on sonic waffle. “We’ve sort of been forced into vigilance, because so many people are paying attention now.” While in WA, Watson is adding the final touches to the new GUM album, a record that sounds a world away from the astral glam of last year’s Delorean Highway. “It’s mid-’80s Soviet disco. Someone in the band – I can’t remember who - was giving me shit for my new solo album because I said trying to bring it into the future and make something contemporary, but it sounded stuck in the ‘80s!” As ever, the closing of one chapter with Pond overlaps with the start of a new one, with the band preparing to start work on the next record with a new set of tools. “I just bought a sampler; we’re going to do a lot of stuff for the next album by starting on those, by recording jams, and chopping them up into building blocks. I’ve been sampling lots of stuff for this new GUM album; my secret is that if you put enough flanger on, change the tune and the key, no one knows what it is, which is good. I don’t want to get sued! But I guess I just hope for the best and then deal with the consequences later.”
NEW NOISE
For more album reviews head to xpressmag.com.au
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BOB DYLAN AND THE BAND
FOXYGEN
The Basement Tapes Raw Columbia Records/Legacy Recordings
…And Star Power Jagjaguwar/Inertia
When Bob Dylan and members of the group who’d later become The Band holed up in a pink house in rural New York in 1966, they put down in excess of 100 songs. Yet when an album surfaced nine years later, it contained only 16 Dylan songs (as well as eight by The Band). So for the better part of 50 years, the question’s been: what of the rest of the material? The Basement Tapes Raw answers that question and answers it comprehensively. For diehard Dylanologists, there’s the whopping six-disc box set, which follows every second of the original 1966 recordings. Alternatively, there’s the slimmer, more manageable two-disc collection, presenting highlights from the sessions. As with much of Dylan’s Bootleg series, while the individual results sometimes vary, overall the venture is an absolutely worthwhile exercise. There’s a luminous version of I Shall Be Released, before The Band snatched it up and took it as their own. One Too Many Mornings is given an Americana overhaul, with Rick Danko joining Dylan on vocals. There’s even a jangling cover of Johnny Cash’s Folsom Prison Blues. And through all of it are Basement Tapes staples – This Wheel’s On Fire, Please Mrs Henry, Million Dollar Bash – restored to their rawer, more stripped-back original forms. A must for all Dylan fans.
Foxygen is essentially two high school friends who have recorded tunes in their bedrooms in California for close to a decade. The duo enlisted a few friends for some much talked about live shows driven by Sam France’s maniacal behaviour but have again stripped down to the duo of France and Jonathan Rado for their third album, … And Star Power. The double album is said to be a loose concept record based on a fictional band called Star Power but it is a story that is played out over a swag of psych folk meanderings. There is tape hiss aplenty during this retro collection that can be melodically rewarding one minute (Coulda Been My Love) and obtuse and directionless the next (I Don’t Have Anything). The jaunty pop nugget, How Can You Really, is the most straightforward that Foxygen get on this record, opting to hide the remainder of their better moments in guitar fuzz or lo-fi recording techniques. Foxygen hardly operate at breakneck speed at their most frenetic of times, but Cannibal Holocaust is treacle slow and all the better for it. …And Star Power is 24 songs long and clocks in at just under the 90-minute mark. Sure, it’s indulgent and at times unfocussed, but it is a fine soundtrack for those who like to wear flowers in their hair or spend time pondering in the herb garden.
WAYNE MARSHALL
CHRIS HAVERCROFT
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SHAMEEM
PANDA BEAR
The Second City Independent
Panda Bear Meets The Grim Reaper Domino/EMI Eight years after he redefined a genre with Person Pitch, Panda Bear has released Panda Bear Meets The Grim Reaper, an album which shows that in eight years the Animal Collective man’s approach to his solo material hasn’t changed that much at all. At least, not in the melody department. Panda Bear is back to embracing samplers and electronic elements, and the sounds he produces on this album put his new tricks on display. Check the gurgling beat behind Come To Your Senses, or the mystique of Butcher Baker Candlestick Maker. But on every track bar one, he employs the same vocal techniques he always has (double tracked with lots of reverb) leaving one wishing it were an instrumental album instead. The exception is Tropic Of Cancer, an exquisite ballad set to a plaintive harp sample that sees Panda adapt his voice into a sort of croon. Given the album’s title, one would be forgiven for thinking this album would feature darker material. Instead, it’s another set of standard Panda Bear songs. Which is okay; he is a fine pop craftsman and fans will find something to love. But from a member of one of the most unpredictable bands of the modern era, the whole thing seems like a let down.
With a variety of background and influence behind her, Perth artist Shameem has continued on her mission to produce lyrically-strong music on her sophomore release, The Second City, whilst evolving her sound into a pop-friendly approach that is bubbly, uplifting and settling. Fusing R&B grooves with some jazz elements and a powerful and unlimited voice, Shameem has composed a list of tracks that flow smoothly despite the occasional interlude interruption. Opening track, Beautiful Soul, is immediately catchy with light piano fills and a solid drum beat. It’s the combination of wellplaced minor layers that lead to the bigger picture and Shameem has worked them together perfectly to build to a strong chorus highlighted by her soaring vocals and a well executed message. Other memorable moments include the gospel harmonies within Under One Sun which was written in collaboration with Grammy-winning producer James Bryan (Nelly Furtado, Olly Murs, James Morrison) and Other Half Of My Heart, which features Astrid Ripepi, is also a high point sticking to a slower pace with a comforting and driving vocal duet. AARON BRYANS
LEONARDO SILVESTRINI
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THE VERONICAS THE GRATES Dream Team Death Valley/Create Control The Grates have accomplished a lot in their three-year musical absence. A marriage, a pregnancy and a cafe opening later, the band has come back kicking with fourth LP Dream Team. New drummer Ritchie Daniell in tow, Patience Hodgson and John Patterson have definitely made an entrance. Recorded in just six days, the artistic process of the album resembles the three Grates themselves – compact, punchy and full of emotion. With tracks averaging two-and-a-half minutes in length and featuring sudden swaps between melody and Hodgson’s punkish shrieks, Dream Team holds that abrupt quality that tried and true Grates fans have come to know and love. Tracks like Holiday Home and Friends With Scum revel in youthful debauchery and pack just the right amount of attitude. However, calmer tracks like It Won’t Hurt Anymore and What’s Wrong With You are speckled throughout, and while pleasant, lull the pace. The Grates have not disappointed with their long-awaited return. If anything, one is left feeling that the album ends too quickly. Dream Team manages to encapsulate all The Grates have to offer – blending raw attitude and power with a professional and concise finish. TORI BEDINGFIELD
The Veronicas Sony Music Identical twin sisters Lisa and Jessica Origliasso appeared to burst onto the scene with so much youthful enthusiasm that you would have thought that they had just left the playground at their Brisbane pre-school. Despite being a player on the international charts, the last time that The Veronicas released an album was so long ago that Taylor Swift was still a country artist. The delay of six years has been attributed to a breakdown in relationship between their previous label and the band which saw the siblings sitting in limbo. The self-titled third album has The Veronicas broadening their palate as they jump across genres and showcase their journey whilst being trapped in musical purgatory. The Veronicas is a diverse (and somewhat chaotic) collection that manages to feature both the highest and lowest points of their careers to date. You Ruin Me is an almost perfect power ballad that is like an arrow to the heart, yet I’m A Veronica is meant to be a statement of intent and is relatively tuneless and turgid. Most experiments work though with Cruel being somewhere between Rick Springfield and Katy Perry, and You And Me a sweet little folkish reminisce. The Veronicas has the Origliasso twins saying goodbye to any semblance of the teenage punk that was hinted at on their debut and sees them push the boundaries of their pop sensibilities. CHRIS HAVERCROFT WWW. XP RE SS MAG.COM. AU
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On Saturday, February 14, Peter Hook brings his band, The Light, to the Astor Theatre to play the much-loved New Order albums Low Life and Brotherhood from start to finish. SHANE PINNEGAR tunes in to Hooky’s story.
PETER HOOK There Is A Light That Never Goes Out
Since Peter Hook formed The Light a few years back, he’s taken the band out to perform two complete albums at a time, this tour focussing on New Order’s third and fourth albums, plus an opening set of Joy Division classics. The bassist calls it “the history of Joy Division and New Order,” adding bitterly that, “I didn’t want to become something I wasn’t. I felt that if you go out doing a greatest hits set, that you’re actually saying, in a funny way, that you ARE the band.
“And it rankled with me, shall we put it that way? I can think of a very good example: there’s a group called New Order who actually pretend to be something they’re not. What I’m doing is a celebration of the music - I’m not pretending to be the group because I could never be the group. I wouldn’t have the gall to pretend otherwise.” The ongoing bitterness between Hook and his former New Order bandmates Bernard Sumner and Stephen Morris, who are touring as New Order without inviting Hook, is immediately apparent and rears its head repeatedly through our conversation. “What they did was disgusting,” he spits, “and I really do hope that the fans realise that and treat them accordingly, because they don’t deserve your support if they go around acting like that.” Hook says The Light play the old songs “absolutely, 100 per cent faithful” to the records, before continuing, “we’re celebrating the records. We’re celebrating the genre of the long-player records that I grew up with and that was integral and very important to my life. “The best moments I’ve had in my life have been when I put on a record - you sit there and listen to an LP and you go off into that wonderful world in your bedroom, sat there with your thoughts. “It’s not easy to play a record, start to finish: it demands much more concentration from the audience in the same way that it demands much more concentration from the group. Playing a greatest hits set would be much easier, mate, and probably much easier for the audience. But I hate to say it, it wouldn’t give me much satisfaction.” Peter Hook & The Light have received glowing reviews around the world for their live shows, a feat which makes Hooky proud indeed. “I suppose the greatest revenge for me has been to play the material, and then have journalists turn around and go, ‘oh my God, you play it better than New Order’,” he laughs. “Which won’t be very difficult because they’re not New Order!” Hook enlisted former bandmates from Revenge and Monaco to create the band, and when he decided to sing, brought his son Jack in on bass. “He is very, very good at playing the way that I did and the way that I do, to be honest with you. It does make me laugh, though, because he plays them differently. I say to him, ‘Jack, you’re playing that wrong’. He turns around and he goes, ‘I’m not,’ (laughs). God, he reminds me of a 25 year-old arrogant me!”
Dale Ryder, Brian Mannix and Scott Carne, Absolutely ‘80s
ABSOLUTELY ‘80S Life Of Brian Brian Mannix brings his Absolutely ‘80s flashback show to Busselton’s Barnard Park on Saturday, January 24, for the Oz Rock Busselton extravaganza, alongside Icehouse, Wendy Matthews, Ross Wilson, Diesel and James Reyne. SHANE PINNEGAR pinned the former Uncanny X-Men frontman down for a chat. Brian Mannix formed the Absolutely ‘80s revue with Scott Carnes from Kids In The Kitchen, about nine years ago, and rarely a weekend goes past when they’re not playing somewhere around the country. “Yeah, me and Scott sort of put the thing together,” Mannix explains, “well, he did most of the work (laughs). So for us it’s fun and it’s good to work together because in the ‘80s we were competing against each other so we didn’t really spend a lot of time together. Once we started spending time together we realised that we’ve got a lot in common and we get on really well. It’s fun.” Also on board for the WA trip is David Sterry from Real Life and Boom Crash Opera’s Dale Ryder, with each singer “doing our own hits,” says Mannix. “So you get to see Scott Carnes do Kids In The Kitchen, and the rest of the others, and then at the end we do some stuff together which is generally the ‘dead guys songs’ I ‘spose (laughs) - the all-in brawl. “Yeah, it’s good, it’s mostly our hits and it’s good value for people there’s no fillers, every song is a hit, so it works well.”
“I’ve got a real soft spot for Countdown. It was important - that was the mmake-or-break show back in the ‘70s and ‘80s, and we’d all watch it every week no matter what.” With a collective repertoire including ‘80s chart-toppers Onion Skin, Send Me An Angel, Change In Mood, Great Wall, Bitter Desire, Catch Me I’m Falling as well as Mannix’s own Uncanny X-Men hits 50 Years, Everybody Wants To Work and Party, the Absolutely ‘80s party is sure to be infectious. Mannix goes on to explain that there was no animosity between the different acts at the peak of their commercial success – just competitiveness. “We didn’t know each other. It was like he went for Hawthorn and I was Essendon, y’know? So, now we get on great, but we didn’t really spend much time with each other in the ‘80s.” Countdown’s 40th anniversary has seen nostalgia for the period running at an all-time high, with the recent ABC two-part special reminding us of how many times – six - Mannix guest hosted the iconic TV show. “I thought it was a good special - I couldn’t believe how much I was in it!” he laughs. “It was good and I’ve got a real soft spot for Countdown. It was important - that was the make-or-break show back in the ‘70s and ‘80s, and we’d all watch it every week no matter what. “Most households only had one telly in those days, so the whole family would sit around and watch the show. Two million people watching every week certainly helps you sell a few records!” Don’t think for a moment, though, that Mannix is still living in the past – he’s quick to dispel any notion of that right off the bat. “Look, I think it was a good era,” he says with a slight sigh. “I think people probably remember it more fondly than it deserves to be – in that you remember the good music that has come out of it, but for every one good song there were three pretty shit ones like Haysi Fantayzee or Haircut 100 or whatever!” 10
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L I F E S T Y L E & C U LT U R E
Comedian Joel Creasey is a rising star around the world and he’ll be stopping through his hometown of Perth for Fringe World 2015 to give his freshest show, The Hurricane, its world debut. He took a moment to chat with us about his international and domestic successes as well as how he got his very young start in the comedy business at seventeen. Joel finished up school and went straight into stand-up with his parents’ blessing. “My parents have always been really, really supportive. They never actually said to me, ‘Should you have a back-up plan, should you go to uni?’ They were just like ‘Yeah, let’s do it!’ which is so wonderful,” he says. He tells us his exposure to the world of stand-up began at 16 when “I got internet in my room, which was very rock-and-roll. I remember late one night watching Joan Rivers and Kathy Griffin and Ellen and all those great dames of stand-up.” Although he says he was never the class clown, “I was always the snarky boy that sat at the back and judged the teacher’s shoes,” he jokes, but there was one teacher in particular that gave him the motivation to go from the back of the class to behind the mic. “I had a very magical teacher in grade 11 and grade 12; she was very much like my Dead Poets Society teacher. In grade 12 as a graduation gift, she gave everyone a Mr. Men book and she gave me the Mr. Funny one, and that was kinda when I was like, ‘Oh! Ok, well then, this says it - guess I’d better go and do stand-up!’” His parents have stayed involved in his career, although he says his mum may have become too involved. She rang him up asking to see him the day after she saw his show in London. “I thought maybe she needed to come around and discuss something about Christmas. She comes around to my apartment to give me feedback about my show that I’d done the night before. My most successful show that I’d been doing all year. This is a woman with no stand-up comedy experience,” he says with his characteristic snark. They also came to see him perform in New York last year with one of his comedy idols, Joan Rivers, for some of her final shows before passing away last year. He recounts a very special moment when, after introducing Rivers, she called him back on stage and proceeded to read a five star review from Time Out New York of his solo show to the audience, which included his parents. She spoke directly to them, saying how lucky they were to have such a great stand-up for a son. “It was so cool to get that particular approval from Joan to them. And she died two weeks later. It was so untimely; she had years and years and years left in her,” he remarks. But he’s not without his detractors. Apparently he has an online hater named Darren that trolls him on a regular basis. He says, “If I’m not being trolled, I start freaking out. ‘Where is Darren my online hater? Why is he not hating me today?’ Darren HATES me, but honestly, I think I might be falling in love with him. It’s like Stockholm Syndrome. He doesn’t realise that every time he tells me to die, I fall a little bit more in love with him.” Let’s hope that unlikely love story has a happy ending, or at least that it doesn’t end in tears or lawsuits. CICELY BINFORD | JOEL CREASEY - PHOTO BY ED PURNOMO
Joel Creasey performs The Hurricane as part of Fringe World 2015 at Gold Digger in the Perth Cultural Centre from January 23 - 25. For tickets and session times, go to fringeworld.com.au
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UNDER THE SEA Scuba And You It’s not summer without the smell of sunscreen on skin, the taste of sea salt in my hair, and the deep blue sea a step and hop away. I revel over anything that can get me just that little bit closer to the sea, and have an incredible fondness for water sports. The only thing is, I can’t actually surf. Well, I’ve tried, but getting dunked 100 times before I’m anywhere near as good as Layne Beachley isn’t my idea of fun. I’m no good at windsurfing either (holding a gigantic kite when you have no upper body strength is a joke), and snorkelling, albeit fun, just isn’t adventurous enough for me. So when a friend suggested I try diving – there’s no dunking or kite flying, but you’re guaranteed plenty of time with Nemo – I was quick to take the plunge. I ended up at Dolphin Dive Fremantle – a shop dedicated to all things fins. Day one started in the classroom, where, along with other rookie divers, I went over the precourse homework given to me when I signed up. After a quick refresher with our instructor, it was off to the pool to test out my newly learned skills, which included dive gear assembly: from how to attach the air tank to the BCD (a vest you wear to help you float and sink), to how to hook a regulator (the thing you’ll breathe out of underwater) to the air supply, and how to attach it all to myself. Once I was all decked out in my scuba gear, I hopped into the water, and after a few safety checks, it was time for my first dive. They say you never forget the first few breaths you take underwater. It’s an entirely surreal experience that’ll have you hooked. And from that moment on, I was. A lot of ‘monkey see, monkey do’ scenarios followed. The instructor would perform a skill – like clearing water out of his mask while under water – and
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then I had to copy him. There were more than 20 skills to be learned over the four days, and I’m not going to lie – some were tougher than others. Aside from figuring out how to float on the sea floor gracefully, I had to be able to swim around without a mask for a minute, practise switching between snorkel and regulator, and manually inflate the buoyancy pockets in my BCD, which allowed me to float on the surface. Ascending and descending properly was a must, as was always breathing (you’d be surprised at how many people hold their breath). But it wasn’t all work and no play! The last two days I was transported away from the pool, to the bottom of ocean – one day at Rottnest for a boat dive, and one day at Rockingham for a shore dive. Although there were still a few skills to be performed, for the most part, my instructor, my other PADI buddies and myself got to explore what was lying on the ocean floor, and I really got to swim with the fishes. PADI Open Water Diving courses are available from a number of diving shops around Perth. They start from $495 and are between three and four days in length, with part time options available. You need to be able to swim 200 metres, tread water for 10 minutes, and obviously not be afraid of water. Snorkelling and previous diving experience helps, but all who can complete the minimum swim requirements can get on board. Once you have successfully completed the course you’re certified to dive with a buddy to a depth of 18 metres. Head to PADI.com for course breakdowns, nearest stores and further information. PENNY LANE
UPCOUTURE Fashion With A Focus On Posture Are you a slumped over mess? If your posture is a little too nonchalant, you might want to add some wearable tech to the wardrobe. Neda Naef is the creator of UpCouture, anti-slouch fashion that includes extra-thin elastic film built inbetween organic cotton layers to help your shoulders stay in the right place. After working as a lawyer and spending most of her day on a computer, Naef recognised there was a definite market for a posture pick-me-up.
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She says it took over a year of daily experiments to find the right system, then a year after that of research and development to find the right textile technology, and finally, another six months of daily trials on many different people. Made in France, the idea’s proven a hit with the French (partly because the sleek designs are fashion-savvy too) and now the rest of the world’s getting into the concept. So how does it work? Extra-thin elastic bands are sewn and bonded into the clothing, making slouching uncomfortable. The posture position isn’t forced, more redirecting your shoulders when alignment isn’t right. Basically the idea is it won’t give easily when you start pouring over your work and your face ends up closer to the desk (or screen) than it really should. And a reminder to straighten up can’t hurt, right? “The first observation was that the system has be “closed” so that traction would not be lost at an open end,” Naef explains in regards to the patented mechanism. “The second observation was that in order to pull the shoulders backwards and align them, the system has to be non-tubular (as in tubular system, there can be compression, but no direction and alignment). This ended in the discovery of a double-8 system, going around each shoulder, and with a loop around each upper arm.” Then it was a matter of locking down the textile technology, “...to incorporate the correct modulus of elastic resistance (making the efficient double-8 figure mentioned above), in a beautiful, high-quality garment.” The t-shirts are 92% organic cotton and have a GOTS certificate. When asked if it was kind of startling to wear at first (since we’re all so prone to slumping), she says many people think it feels strange the first couple of minutes, and then it feels wonderful. “The Up Shirt makes standing/sitting up straight more comfortable than slumping, so the first feeling is, ‘Oh, something’s pulling my shoulders,’ and then you straighten up and it feels good.” She points out we’re all slumping because of earth’s gravity. “The interesting thing is that those who take care of themselves and exercise regularly are those who realise the most they need to improve their posture.” The line is transeasonal. “UpCouture is basically all-year wear,” confirms Naef. “It can easily be combined with other pieces of clothing.” So far, sales are approximately 45% to men, and 55% to women. “I think both men and women benefit from the Up Shirt just the same.” Naef says the brand serves Australia directly from Paris through the website upcouture.com and offers free shipping to Australia. GILLIAN O’MEAGHER
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2015 WESTERN AUSTRALIAN INDIGENOUS ARTS AWARDS FINALISTS ANNOUNCED
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VENUS IN FUR OPENING NIGHT
The 14 finalists whose work will feature in the Western Australian Indigenous Arts Awards 2015 exhibition have been announced by the Art Gallery Of Western Australia. Billy Yunkura Atkins, Megan Cope, Steaphan Paton, Betty Kuntiwa Pumani, Archie Moore, Carlene West, Simon Hogan, Sandra Hill, Vinvent Namtjira, John Prince Siddon, Karla Dickens, Tjala Collaborative, Eunice Porter and Nongirrnga Marawib are the artist in contention to share $65,000 in prizes, as decided by a selection panel that includes PICA Director Amy BarrettLenard, writer and curator Kimberley Moulton and AGWA Curator Of Indigenous Art Clotilde Bullen. The exhibition will be on display at the Art Gallery from Saturday, July 4, until Monday, October 12. For further information, head to artgallery.wa.gov.au.
The State Theatre Centre Friday, January 17, 2015 The sexually charged two-hander, Venus In Fur, made its Perth debut this week, drawing capacity crowds and provoking strong word of mouth. Dealing with sexual politics and relationship power dynamics, the David Ivespenned play is one of the hottest Fringe World tickets, so be sure to book early. Photos by Hannah Sorrell
Legally Blonde
WAAPA GOES BLONDE
Citizen Kane
THE NEW CLASSIC Presented as part of Fringe World, CinemaClassics sees The Backlot Perth play host to be wealth of treasures from the heady history of film every Friday, Saturday and Sunday for the next four weeks. Under the stewardship of Backlot Managing Director Ian Hale, 12 classic films by 12 important directors will receive once-off screenings, enabling the keen cinemagoer to gain a crash course in film. It kicks off this weekend with Citizen Kane on Friday, January 23, Blade Runner on Saturday, January 24, and Vertigo on Sunday, January 25. Future screenings include Seven Samurai, Taxi Driver, Apocalypse Now, The Terminator and Annie Hall. For tickets and session times, go to fringeworld.com.au.
Amit, Ruth, Daniella, John
Fiona & Michelle
Eliza & James
India & Brett
Adele & Chris
Jeffrey, Damian, Balmik
...Legally Blonde, that is. The Western Australian Academy Of Performing Arts will be bringing the stage musical adaptation of the beloved 2001 Reese Witherspoon comedy to the Regal Theatre from Saturday, June 13, to Saturday, June 20. Those who saw last year’s production of West Side Story should be in no doubt as to the talent and dedication our WAAPA students bring to such a project, and fnas of feel-good comedy and infectious tunes will be rapt. Tickets are available now via Ticketek.
CITY OF PERTH ANNOUNCES NEW FUNDING INITIATIVE Applications are now open for grants of up to $20,000 for artists, groups and communities to present arts and events to the public, courtesy of the City Of Perth. The aim is both to encourage the work of local creatives and to enhance the city’s arts scene, and interested parties are invited to attend an information session this Thursday, January 22. Applications close on Monday, February 9, at 5pm. For more information, go to cityofperth.wa.gov. au/arts-and-culture.
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FIONA O’LOUGHLIN True Facts Fiona O’Loughlin has been through some rough patches in the last few years, but they haven’t stopped her from bringing true stories from her life to audiences in Australia and abroad. In fact, she turns the rough stuff into comedy fodder, giving audiences insight into her personal struggles and allows them to laugh along with her through her ups and downs. She’ll be joining us in Perth for Fringe World, performing her new show, The Truth, The Whole Truth & Nothing But The Truth… So Help Me God! “I’m ready to rock and roll, “ says O’Loughlin. “I’ve got my show written, so I feel like a kid who’s just done
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their Year 12 exams. It’s autobiographical, the gun’s at my own head. People say to me, how do you write your shows, and I say, ‘I don’t, I just wait.’” O’Loughlin says that when she got her start at the age of 36, she didn’t quite get her act right because she was trying to tell jokes. She got some advice from a fellow comedian who told her she was “playing the wrong instrument,” and so she decided to throw out every joke she ever wrote and begin storytelling instead. She says that now she lives in fear of anyone finding her old material. Essentially, the storytelling tradition began with her family as she was growing up. They all used to sit around the kitchen table and swap funny stories to keep morale up. “In the tiny little town where we grew up, it was boring as all get out. Dad was a farmer in terrible debt that was handed down to him. It was pretty terrible watching your parents like that, it’s like a cancer. I became the one to say, come on, let’s laugh, we’ll laugh. And that’s how I got started, telling those stories around the very cramped kitchen table, where there were never enough chairs.” That love of storytelling carried through to her adult life in Alice Springs, where she used to stand up and entertain friends at dinner parties. In her recent appearance on Australian Stories, O’Loughlin mentioned that she wanted to take her dinner party self to the stage. She says, “It took 10 years of doing comedy to transport my dinner party self to the stage. Now I can’t have dinner parties anymore because I can’t drink and they’re boring. But I love the stage now - it’s my outing.” On Australian Stories, O’Loughlin bravely opened up about her struggles with alcoholism and says. “I was really nervous about it because they film so much of your life, and you don’t know how it will turn out. But it’s such a beautiful show, you put your life in their hands, and I really trusted them; I was really happy with it. A lot of people have said to me that my daughter Tessa’s voice was very important voice to be heard. Children of alcoholic parents are not often heard, and it’s very healing, so she accidentally did lots of good.” Although her current show promises to be about “the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth,” O’Loughlin says she is steering away from talking about alcoholism and keeping the material a bit lighter; she’ll be talking about moving to Melbourne, where she feels like she gets to be an “anthropologist of modern life. I’m living in Melbourne now, and I’ll be down on Chapel St and watching people fight and argue. I stand there and watch and the kids say, ‘Mum, it’s not TV.’” CICELY BINFORD
The Truth, The Whole Truth & Nothing but the Truth... So Help Me God! Is on at The Gold Digger from January 27 - February 4 and at the Mandurah Performing Arts Centre on February 1. Go to fringeworld.com.au for full details and tickets.
I CAN BREATHE UNDERWATER Zoe Hollyoak
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Rebirth
VISUAL ARTS Treasures Of The Jewish Ghetto Of Venice: The Art Gallery Of Western Australia A selection of incredible works that were hidden from Nazi forces during World War 2 are now on display at AGWA courtesy of Venetian Heritage. Marking the 500th anniversary of Venice’s’ Jewish Ghetto, this exhibition has been displayed in Vienna, New York, Houston and Venice, and now comes to Perth. It includes numerous silver and bronze artifacts used for Jewish worship and ritual purposes. The exhibition runs until March 16. Go to artgallery.wa.gov.au for more information. Rebirth: The Art Gallery Of Western Australia Japanese artist Mariko Mori has created Rebirth, an immersive experience comprised of installations, LED sculptures, photographs, drawings and videos. It’s on display from February 8 - June 29. For more information, go to artgallery.wa.gov.au The Visitors: John Curtin Gallery Celebrated Icelandic artist Ragnar Kjartansson presents his ambitious nine channel music video installation to Perth as part of the Perth International Arts Festival. It runs from Thursday, February 12, until Sunday, May 16. Go to johncurtingallery.curtin.edu. au for more information.
THEATRE/DANCE/ PERFORMANCE The Night Zoo: Spare Parts Puppet Theatre This delightful stage production incorporates puppetry, dance and animation to tell the story of young Jamie’s adventures with the animals in the Night Zoo. Suitable for all ages, it runs until January 31. Go to sppt.asn.au Venus In Fur: State Theatre Centre A New York playwright and an actress get caught up in a fiery and destructive relationship that explores notions of domination and power in this work from writer David Ives and director Lawrie Cullen-Tait. Presented by Black Swan State Theatre Company and Fringe World, it runs until Saturday, February 8. Summer Nights: The Blue Room Theatre Presented as part of Fringe World, this short season of idiosyncratic stage performances brings you a smorgasbord of edgy theatre from January 23 until February 21. For tickets and information, go to blueroom.org.au.
An Internal Difficulty: Per th Institute Of Contemporary Arts Curated by Andrew Nichols, this group exhibition sees seven prominent Western Australian artists - Thea Constantino, Susan Flavell, Tarryn Gill, Travis Kelleher, Pilar Mata Dupont, Nalda Searles and Nichols himself - reconsider the figure of seminal psychiatric researcher Sigmund Freud in a domestic context. It runs from Wednesday, February 18, until Sunday, April 12. Go to pica. org.au for full details.
There’s a collective of enterprising theatre makers called The Cutting Room Floor that have been making huge strides and cutting a unique path for themselves in Perth’s arts scene. Company founders Zoe Hollyoak and Scott Corbett began collaborating with other young indie theatre artists on various projects like Poly, All the Single Ladies, F**k Decaf, and their quarterly curated short performance showcase called Home Open. They’re now producing a new work called I Can Breathe Underwater, written by Hollyoak and directed by Corbett for The Blue Room Theatre’s Summer Nights program as part of Fringe World 2015.
Kaleidoscope: Perth Institute Of Contemporary Arts Contemporary artist Tracey Moffatt’s first major solo exhibition in Perth since 2004 features her new video work, Art Calls, plus an installation of works taken from her Spirit Landscapes series. It runs from Wednesday, February 18 , until Sunday, April 12. Head to pica.org.au for more information.
Venus In Fur - Photo by Daniel Grant
This will be TCRF’s Blue Room debut, and Hollyoak remarks on the fact that it’s a rarity that the company gets to present their work in a dedicated theatre space. They’re known for putting on shows in unorthodox or makeshift locations like private residences, coffee shops, and festival tents, so the chance to do a show in a black box, complete with lights, sound and seats is an exciting prospect for them. They’ve seized on the opportunity to bring set designer Ruth Mongey in to create a pool on stage that can be reassembled each night. And not just a blow-up kiddie pool either, apparently, but Hollyoak won’t reveal any more than that. In fact, TCRF likes to keep little secrets from its audience; for instance, their Home Open events are usually held in a secret location revealed to attendees on the day via text. Much of their publicity imagery has featured people with their heads obscured in various ways. So naturally, Hollyoak keeps her cards close to her chest when speaking about her Sophomore effort as playwright. “The best way to describe it is that it’s a show that explores grief, and quite simply, how do you deal with grief when you’ve never been taught?” says Hollyoak. “We’ve been playing around with this idea for a while. It was in development last year with six actors. We put it to rest and started up again this year and continued to devise it with four actors and a dancer. It’s now my part of the journey to go away and write it based on the experiences that we had in the rehearsal room.” 14
FESTIVALS Fringe World 2015 From Friday, January 23, until Saturday, February 22, Perth comes alive with the best and most outrageous comedy, burlesque, circus, dance, theatre and more! For the full program go to fringeworld.com.au
“Because it’s a play that explores young people dealing with grief, I feel like it’s a really relevant thing for me to be writing about as a young person. Hopefully that will give it an authentic voice, but that’s also part of the challenge, because it’s so personal too.” Unfortunately and somewhat coincidentally, her kitten died halfway through the writing process, and she says “to face something like that is really changing this experience.” But it goes deeper than grief over lost pets, though this would have been a potent reminder of the feelings we experience when we lose a loved one. Hollyoak tells us that at the beginning of development, “people shared some really personal stories, about deaths they’ve experienced. But when we got up to devise and play around on the floor, it was much more based on the ideas those stories raised because we didn’t want to do anything inappropriate. But that conversation helped to create backstory.”
Perth International Arts Festival 2015 Perth’s premiere celebration of art of all genres and forms runs across multiple venues from Friday, February 13, until Saturday, March 7. Highlights this year include The Giants, the excellent range of films at the Lotterywest Festival Films Season and musical performances from Sinead O’Connor, Rufus Wainwright, J Mascis, Mogwai and more. Go to perthfestival.com.au for more information.
CICELY BINFORD
I Can Breathe Underwater runs at The Blue Room Theatre from Friday, January 23, until Saturday, January 31. For tickets and session times, go to blueroom.org.au.
An Internal Difficulty
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offBeat Festival Over three days from Friday, March 20, until Sunday, March 22, celebrate percussion and rhythm-centered music with performances from WAAPA’s percussion ensemble, Defying Gravity, playing John Luther Adams’ Inuksuit; Mathas, Rokwell & Groom, Joni In The Moon and Catlips playing with percussion group The Wheel Turns; and the Daniel Susnjar Afro-Peruvian Jazz Group. Go to fac.org.au for more details.
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THE IMITATION GAME The Turing Test Directed by Morten Tyldum Starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Kiera Knightley, Charles Dance Bletchley Park was one of the best kept secrets of the war. The deciphering of the Enigma code laid the Axis’ communications bare and was fundamental to the Allies chances of victory. Ever wondered how Montgomery often hit Rommel where his fuel supplies were near to exhaustion, or why the most critical German supply convoys often ended up at the bottom of the ocean? Here is your answer. Alan Turing was key to this breakthrough, and the work done in the creation of his code cracking universal machine saw him recognised as one of the fathers of our computer age. The Imitation Game is his tale, showing the breakthrough moment of this strange and brilliant man that was seemingly born before his time. Set in three critical periods of Turing’s (Benedict Cumberbatch) life, The Imitation Game predominantly covers his Bletchley Park days and the building of the Universal Machine that was capable of cracking the supposedly unbreakable Enigma code. It examines the fragile relationships this eccentric genius had with his fellow cryptographers and the often fractious dealings he had with the military. The audience is also shown his early school years and how they shaped his personality and the expression of his sexuality, as well as Turing’s later years and eventual fate.
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C u r re n t s c re e n d a r l i n g B e n e d i c t Cumberbatch is perhaps a too obvious casting choice for this role, but manages to pitch the performance roughly in the sweet spot by delivering some inspiring work. He is at his best when he plays Turing as awkward and socially unaware, there it feels like a unique creation. However when there is a hint of confidence and superiority in the delivery, then it does present shades of Holmes - not enough to derail the performance, but enough to be distracting. There is a lot on offer here; the strange calculus of war wherein a loss of life is weighed against the protection of a secret, the practice of spycraft, the strange alliance between Russia and Brittan, Turing’s homosexuality, his shabby treatment for such a proclivity, and his eventual tragic death. Each of which is touched on briefly by the film, any of which would make an interesting subject in its own right, although it would lead the plot down a further rabbit hole that The Imitation Game is unwilling to explore with any depth. Instead it at least touches on them, while remaining satisfied with its almost trite message of “it is the people no one imagines anything of who do the things no one can imagine”. The result is a solid, albeit underwhelming, movie that covers the pertinent aspects of Turing’s life, all told with the occasional flourish to lift it above the average biopic. A solid telling of an amazing story. Better than the average, but still doesn’t quite seem to do such an extraordinary figure justice. DAVID O’CONNELL
WILD ....A Single Step Directed by Jean-Marc Vallée Starring Reese Witherspoon, Laura Dern Voyages of self discovery can be a notoriously tricky things. Stride too far in one direction and they can seem mawkish and self involved, wander too little into self discovery and the whole exercise can just seem like an excuse for a travelogue offering no character development. Cheryl Strayed’s (Reese Witherspoon) life has been less than ideal. In fact it has gone so badly that to rid herself of the self destructive behaviour and various catastrophes of her life, she has undertaken the task of re-inventing herself. To do this she embarks on a 1,100 km trek on the PCT (Pacific Crest Trail) to work through the death of her mother, her recent divorce, her sexual promiscuity and her drug use. An adaptation of Cheryl Strayed’s autobiographical work (Wild: From Lost To Found On The Pacific Coast Trail), this film manages to walk the line to produce a rather solid piece of drama with material that could easily be cloying. In part this is due to the excellent performance by Witherspoon, effortlessly nailing the determination of Strayed’s progression, while allowing us to feel the various frustrations and setbacks. She inhabits the character, often doing more with a look or a gesture
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than by screaming into the vast open sky (but she obviously does that, too). In part this is due to the script by Nick Hornby (High Fidelity) being pitched at just about the right level, never sliding too far into sentimentality to be irredeemable. However, primarily it is due to some restraint on the part of Jean-Marc Vallée, knowing when to let the scenery or the character speak. He peels back the story of Strayed’s past life by layers, just giving the audiences enough hints and visual teases as the journey progresses. This shift in focus between the past and present is well handled, never outstaying its welcome and leaving viewers hungry for more. Sharing much of its DNA with last year’s Tracks, this is somewhat surprisingly the slightly less theatrical take on the voyage of self discovery, which is curious when you consider the dream quest nature that Stayed’s journey often verges on (with apparitions of her dead mother and visitations by her spirit animal). Vallée’s slightly muted and faded palette gives context and realism to the PCT while not diminishing its beauty. The end result is something very much of the real world, plagued by a multitude of mundane issues (blisters, snakes, hunters, petty bureaucrats) even if the transformative effects are mystical. Like Strayed herself, the film may stumble and fall in sections, it may get bogged down in areas and over think things, but it stays the course. The end result is uplifting, beautiful and on the whole, enjoyable. Wild may not be a life-changing journey, but it is a solid piece of cinema. DAVID O’CONNELL
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FILM
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FORCE MAJEURE Falling Down The Mountain
ST VINCENT Saint Or Sinner? Directed by Theodore Melfi Starring Bill Murray, Melissa McCarthy, Jaeden Lieberher
audience’s perception of the man shifts. There is good mixed in with the bad, and Oliver’s journey helps us see that. This is definitely Bill Murray’s piece. If an actor can keep an audience glued to their chairs through the end credit sequence - which is just him watering the garden and singing along to Dylan - then it speaks volumes for his magnetic personality. The character of Vincent has a lot of meat for Murray to sink his teeth into and allows him to explore his range. From sarcastic curmudgeon to genuinely sympathetic, Murray shines both in the comedic aspects and in revealing the vulnerabilities of the character. He is assisted in this endeavour by an amazing supporting cast. Young actor Jaeden Lieberher manages to stand toe to toe with the comedic giant, producing a remarkably mature performance. Melissa McCarthy is in good form giving a pared back performance, mostly acting as a straight woman to the other larger performances while getting a few choice one liners herself. Chris O’Dowd manages to make the most out of a small role as a Catholic priest combining cynicism, spirituality and comedy into a strangely memorable package. The only sour note comes with Naomi Watts’ Russian prostitute, Dakka, who is more clichéd parody than a believable character. Charming and occasionally poignant, St Vincent hits it mark. A gently quirky film given more weight by the patron saint of comedy, St Bill.
Vincent (Bill Murray) may not have life how he likes it, but it is at least how he is used to. Losing at gambling, sleeping with a pregnant Russian prostitute, getting cut off at the local bar, and staggering from the car to his front door have all become routine for the drunken misanthrope. When a new next door neighbour (Melissa McCarthy) moves in, he finds himself babysitting her kid, Oliver (Jaeden Lieberher). Without disrupting his visits to the bar or the track, Vincent and Oliver manage to learn a number of life lessons from each other, but it is a change Vincent is resistant to and riles against. The easiest way to describe St Vincent is that it is Bad Santa without the suit, but with a shade more emotional depth and nuance. It is that “bad babysitter” plot that plays with our expectations of redemption, never dipping too far into sentimentality, as Vincent will be all too ready to do something that... well... can only be described as pretty shitty. It is a complex balance that writer and director Theodore Melfi manages to nail. What it does do is give some motivations for the character’s action beyond selfishness and self absorption, be that fear, desperation, sorrow or self loathing. In the end Vincent is perhaps not so much redeemed as the DAVID O’CONNELL
Directed by Ruben Ostland Starring Johannes Kuhnke, Lisa Loven Kongsli While on holidays at a luxury ski resort, a typical Swedish family have a close call with an avalanche, making them reconsider their relationship and their perceptions of each other. At first they are reluctant, unable to accept what has happened, but it slowly eats away at them over the course of a number of days. Tomas (Johannes Kuhnke) must come to terms that at a crucial juncture he was willing to flee and abandon his wife and children to their fate, while Ebba (Lisa Loven Kongsli) realises that the man she married is not what she believed him to be. The question soon becomes if their marriage will survive such revelations, or even the holiday. The crux of Force Majeure is an interesting philosophical question about how people react in a crisis. If in a moment of weakness, someone did not live up to the “better angels of their Nature,” could you trust them again? Tomas’ action may be cowardly and deplorable, but it is also understandable, motivated by survival instinct. Director Ruben Ostland forces audiences to wrestle with this question in a piece that neatly combines its comedic and dramatic elements. Part of this comedy comes from the impish way Ostland portrays the resort. He has a familiarity with the environment due to starting his career filming skiers in places like this, and the impression it has left is telling. Each frame has a beautiful absurdity about it which is mined for the film’s humour, such as the identical blue long-john clad family, or the sprinklers watering the snow, it constantly emphasises the surreality and artificiality of such places. It is a
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clever trick of filmmaking, lightening the tension of the family drama that is unfolding and the devastating effects it is having for all involved (even spilling out beyond the family unit). For it is, as we are playfully reminded by the frequent explosions and battalions of tracked vehicles trudging across the snow, a war. Each skirmish draws its own blood and escalates the conflict. The brush with death has disrupted Ebba and Tomas’ relationship, throwing them into conflict and spiralling towards separation, with their children’s distress as collateral damage. That shift between comedy and drama, and that strange uncomfortable hinterland between the two is the hallmark of this film. Meticulously constructed it plays that balancing act for all it is worth. Hence the audience is not inured to tragedy as it hits it crescendo, and can clearly see how it is playing out on all the family. Perhaps it may falter at the end, not giving an entirely believable conclusion in its attempt to reconcile, but as the film so readily points out – nothing is perfect. Strikingly beautiful, darkly humorous, and remarkably astute in its observations of families under crisis, Force Majeure well deserves the praise and awards that it has been garnering. DAVID O’CONNELL
Force Majeure screens at Somerville, UWA from Tuesday, January 27, until Sunday, February 1, and at ECU Joondalup Pines from Tuesday, February 3, until Sunday, February 8, as part of Lotterywest Festival Films. For tickets and session times, go to perthfestival.com.au.
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SOUNDS IN THE VALLEY Lee Kernaghan returns to Perth for Sounds In The Valley, happening at Elmar’s In The Valley, on Australia Day, Sunday, January 25. Joining him will be Adam Brand, The Wolfe Brothers and Perth’s own Magnificent 7 for a top country day out from 4.30pm. Tickets available from the venue or Ticketmaster.com.au. Lee Kernaghan
SIMPLY STIRLING! The eighth edition of the City of Stirling’s annual Summerset Arts Festival is set to bet he biggest yet, with over fifty events to tempt revelers of all ages. The month-long party, which kicked off with a Seaside Carnival at Scarborough Beach last Saturday is also host to the Sunset Veranda, which will be a hub of Fringe World activity, with kids events and the closing party (starring The Preatures and Kim Churchill) also highlights on the programme. Find information and tickets at summersetartsfestival.com.au.
SILENT HOUSE The Fringe Award-winning Hush series of concerts will return to stir hearts and ruffle emotions, showcasing the best of WA songwriting in intimate, quiet and decidedly un-pub-like environs. This year, an allstar lineup will expose their souls and songs within the historic surrounds of the St George’s College Dining Hall at UWA. Hush will get low (volume) on Friday, January 30, (with Abbe May, Mathas, Odette Mercy and Davey Craddock & The Spectacles) and Friday, February 6, (with San Cisco’s Jordi Davieson & Josh Biondillo, Felicity Groom, Timothy Nelson and The Wilds). Tickets available from facebook.com/ hushconcert. The Wilds in St George’s College Dining Hall, Hush
The Preatures
ZIP ZAP ZOOM: BALLET AT THE QUARRY AQWAMATIC Don’t just look at AQWA’s exhibits - enter one! Discover diving with the Reefwalker adventure and walk underwater through one of the largest living coral reef displays in the world! Come face to fin with reef fish, baby rays and stunning corals. No diving experience is necessary. Capable swimmers aged 12 and over can take the plunge. Bookings through AQWA (08) 9447 7500, runs Friday to Sunday until April. Cost: $20 plus your standard AQWA entry. AQWA also have their Dive Or Snorkel With Sharks program which runs every day. Snorkellers or qualified SCUBA divers can join AQWA’s Divemaster to plunge into AQWA’s 3 million litre Shipwreck Coast aquarium and come face to fin with sharks, stingrays, turtles and hundreds of stunning fish. Cost: $159 and entry is included. Runs every day Reefwalker @ AQWA
BIG NIGHT AT LAST NIGHT Last Night, Perth’s favourite Thursday night party is branching out with its first ever public holiday eve party - an absolute corker for Australia Day Eve on Sunday, January 25. They’re filling up both rooms at Amplifier Capitol – pay once and get access to both! In Capitol it’s the mighty Kisschasy, supported by i, said the sparrow and Tired Lion. In Amplifier they’ve locked in a heavy line-up with Iconoclast, Sanctions and To Hell With Honour, followed by Amps’ favourite late night Blink-182 covers band, Pink18Stink. In the Amps Beer Garden they’re doing up a free BBQ with a bunch of acoustic acts playing between bands. Tim from Calm Collected, Life In A Glass House and more to be announced! They’re also wheeling in a bunch of DJs to keep it going in Capitol after Kisschasy finish up, playing a huge set of party hits from the past 10 years of triple j’s Hottest 100 countdowns. There’s a ton of floor fillers in the mix to keep you dancing until the sun comes up on the public holiday!
Zip Zap Zoom, from acclaimed Colombian-Belgian choreographer Annabelle Lopez Ochoa is heading to the Quarry Amphitheatre, City Beach. An energetic fusion of hip-hop, ballroom, cabaret and other dance forms, Zip Zap Zoom is an electrifying feast for the senses from Friday, February 6 until Saturday, February 28. Gates open 6.30pm, performances commence 8pm. Bookings through Ticketmaster on 136 100, at any Ticketmaster outlet, or visit waballet. com.au Picnic hampers available for pre-order – visit waballet.com.au. Zip Zap Boom | Photo: Chantel Concei
MARIKO MORI: REBIRTH The Art Gallery of Western A u s t r a l i a a n d t h e Perth International Arts Festival join together to celebrate the 2015 Perth Festival Visual Arts Program and the opening of Rebirth with a performance by Mariko Mori on Saturday, February 7. Mori will still the audience with her enthralling site-specific performance, Oneness. Following this Australian exclusive of Mori’s work, local favourites KUČKA, will continue the celebrations with their unique blend of forward-thinking poptronica. A cash bar offering food and refreshments is available on the night. It’s an 18+ event, so children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Doors open 8pm; exhibition is open until 9.45pm. Mariko Mori | Photo by David Sims
ROSEY 100 On Monday, January 26, Australia Day will rock at the Rosemount Hotel as the venue hosts its annual triple j Hottest 100 happening all day. There’s songs to hear and games to play with MC Magnus Danger Magnus and DJ Aslan making a party from 5pm once the countdown peaks. Free entry.
Kisschasy
BOB MARLEY OUTERNATIONAL DAY Next month marks the 70th birthday of the late Bob Marley and, of course, the return of the Bob Marley Outernational Day, for what is its 34th edition. It’s all-a-happening at the Railway Hotel, Fremantle, on Sunday, February 1, from 3pm-10pm, with an international line-up featuring Cera Kymarni & Lioness Movement, Ngati, Nba Rastas, Downbeat, Jacob And The Rudeboys, Souljah Kaptivz, Danny Pash’s One Love, Ricky & Sabrina, Jah Wisdom Sound, General Justice, Jeeb Buju, Mumma Trees, Simba, Zare Demus, Blaqknight, Upfront, Darkchild, Tutomath and KBI. This year funds are being directed to Oxfam’s Ebola Crisis Appeal in West Africa. Tickets are $25 at the door. 18
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RED HILL AUSTRALIA DAY EVE CONCERT Red Hill Auditorium will for the first time be celebrating the Australia Day Weekend with a massive and iconic line-up of Australian bands. On Australia Day Eve, Sunday, January 25, Icehouse, James Reyne, Diesel and Mental As Anything will be playing their hearts out on the big stage. Take the drive up through Swan Valley or catch one of Red Hill’s shuttles leaving from venues situated all over Perth, from Mandurah to Joondalup. Tickets and full details at redhillauditorium.com.au. Iva Davies, Icehouse
WHAT TO DO | WHAT TO WEAR | WHAT TO DRINK | WHERE TO GO | WHAT TO EAT
SOME MORE OFF THE FRINGE! THAT’S USING YOUR NOODLE Perennially popular Fringe World venue Noodle Palace has a new home this year. The brainchild of madman-about-town Tomas Ford and the creative force that is JumpClimb Events has moved up in the world, taking a perch on top of the Central Institute Of technology on Francis Street, Northbridge. More than 64 acts will stage shows in converted classrooms, while thirsty patrons can relax in a Chinese-styled outdoor bar between events. For all the details, whereisnoodlepalace.com.au is your destination.
RETURN TO MIDLANDIA No, it’s not a terrible fantasy novel, it’s the resurrection of one of Fringe World’s newest and best initiatives, Midlandia - a satellite artistic hub located at Midland’s historic Midland Junction Arts Centre. It’s like a mini-festival far from the madding crowds of Northbridge, with top musical, comedy, circus and cabaret acts plying their trade every Thursday, Friday and Saturday evening from January 29 until February 21. Scoot over to midlandia.com.au for all the info.
AN EVENING WITH SAMMY J & RANDY What’s your show about? Sammy J: One man’s perilous journey from his bathroom to the linen cupboard to retrieve a fresh towel. Randy: It’s an educational musical thriller. Who’s gonna like it? R: People who live in Perth. SJ: Or anyone who has ever been to Perth. R: And Freemasons. SJ: And linen cupboards. When and where is it on? Gold Digger, Perth Cultural Centre, February 17 - 21. What else are you looking forward to at this year’s Fringe? SJ: I accidentally overtipped a waitress at the Moon Cafe in Northbridge last year so I’m very much looking forward to returning to reclaim my $3.50. R: I have a crush on a lady that works at Karrakatta train station and I intend to serenade her with my lute.
ELEPHENTS Who are we talking to? Adriane Daff. What’s your show about? It’s a surreal soap opera set at the very end of life’s existence of earth, where people are hooked up to one another via contractual agreements and have the power to sing all the things they cannot say. We follow the drama of two couples - the cheating playboy passing time with his elephant loving girlfriend and a talentless musical duo. Who’s gonna like it? Any person over 15 with ears and a heart When and where is it on? Teatro 1, Feb 17 - 22 What else are you looking forward to at this year’s Fringe? Fag/Stag, Bruce, Monroe and associates, Moving On Inc Elephents - photo by Jamie Breen
Anything to add? SJ: That’s it? R: Yeah, it’s an Xpress Q&A. SJ: We drove all the way from Melbourne to Perth for a 2 minute interview?!? R: Yup. If anyone needs me, I’ll be at Karrakatta train station. SJ: TRAITOR! Sammy J & Randy
ADRIENNE TRUSCOTT’S ASKING FOR IT What’s your show about? Well, it’s me, one-half of the infamous Wau Wau Sisters, dressed only from the waist up and ankles down, having a cheeky (literally) go at the rules and rhetoric about rape, comedy and the awkward laughs in between. There’s commentary from George Carlin, Louis C. K. and Robert De Niro; there are ducks, whistles and enough gin and tonics to get a girl in trouble - but I sort of let my pussy do the talking, so to speak. Who’s gonna like it? Everyone. It might seem like a heavy topic, but if you think about how much anyone likes to laugh and how often this topic affects people, it’s actually quite mainstream. That said, if you are very easily upset, prostrate yourself to a vengeful God, approve of stoning women for walking in public, hate laughing, are unable to look at culture critically, don’t understand satire, or are a rapist, it might be a challenge. When and where is it on? The Stables, February 7 -13 2015 Adrienne Truscott
FAG/STAG MICHAEL WORKMAN: WE HAVE FUN, DON’T WE?
Who are we talking to? Chris Isaacs - co writer and performer.
Who are we talking to? A shadow of a man. But it’s a shadow of a man making brownies so it’s not as sad as it sounds. What’s your show about? It’s about a comedian whose explanations of his shows don’t really do them justice and end up turning away more people than they bring, who is doing a show about despair and a girl who turns into a bird. Who’s gonna like it? Not my family, and not people who like dick jokes. So if we’re related, or you like jokes about dicks, maybe think very carefully before buying a ticket. When and where is it on? The Stables, February 10 -15 What else are you looking forward to at this year’s Fringe? Ghost Machine by Laura Davis, Colourless Green Ideas by Josh Makinda, Stuart Daulman Is An Absolute Credit by Stuart Daulman, and of course anything by Nick Cody and Mike Goldstein. Anything to add? This.
What’s your show about? Two male friends, one straight, one gay, trying to find balance having a best mate while being their worst selves.
Michael Workman
Fag/Stag - Photo by Jamie Breen
Who’s gonna like it? Hopefully lots of people. I think people who enjoy storytelling, nights like Barefaced Stories, will dig the form of the show. It’s really two characters having a yarn about their lives and friendship leading up to a wedding they are both invited to, so it has a relaxed personal feel. The comedy in it is honest, if not brutal at times, observant and self deprecating. We dissect and explore questions of machoism and manliness. When and where is it on? PICA Performance Space, February 3 February 7. Anything to add? Don’t think too much about what to see and why. Fringe is about taking the risk, walking in blind to a show, embracing the nature of art with an openness and willingness to be entertained. WWW. XP RE SS MAG.COM. AU
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Husband, aka Michael Paolino, launches his debut album, The Money, this Friday, January 23, at Mojos with help from Moana, Limbo and The Little Lord Street Band. BOB GORDON has a chat. In releasing an album, what did you want to evoke beyond that of your EP in 2011? I felt like I needed an album of songs to convey the full range of my emotions – the good and bad. An EP of four songs couldn’t really do that, so an album made sense to me. The EP in 2011 was my first attempt at writing for myself, I hadn’t given any thought to its direction and we had a really limited production budget. So in recording the album, I was able to re-record the tracks from the EP, as well as six new songs, paying more attention to the overall quality of the tracks. Evoking a sense of cohesiveness, while letting each track tell its own story, was important too. Did you feel you were writing songs for an album as such, or is it better to just keep writing and what will come will come? At first I just wrote and wrote. The only time I was conscious of writing for an album was when I noticed that a couple of songs sounded similar. I would experiment with them to see if there was another direction I could take, as I really wanted each song to stand alone. Other than that, my songs tend to be pretty different from each other, which I think makes for a better album. It was incredibly freeing to experiment with loads of different songs, knowing only 10 or 12 would end up being recorded. Do you let songs ideas gestate for a while, or do they come pretty directly? Definitely gestate. I normally come up with a hook and then I’ll just sit with it for a few months. Then I’ll devote some time to writing lyrics, and at that point start weaving the hook into a song. From there, it sits a while longer until enough time has gone past that I can confidently say whether I like it or whether I think it’s crap. At the moment I have about eight songs or hooks waiting to be finished from early 2014. I’m really slow at writing.
“I like writing about social structures and the expectations of those around us. As far as being alone in the photos, that isn’t a comment on marriage. I see marriage as the most important partnership you can have.”
It’s an interesting juxtaposition, using the stage name Husband while the imagery shows you alone. Your artwork in the inner sleeve is also evocative... (Laughs) Perhaps you’ve unlocked some inner demons of mine. I like writing about social structures and the expectations of those around us. As far as being alone in the photos, that isn’t a comment on marriage. I see marriage as the most important partnership you can have. The photos are probably more of a comment about being in your head, or feeling alone or misunderstood. The inner sleeve artwork depicts the daily trek to work. I would love to believe we are all self-expressed and happy in our employment, but I think the reality is different. The painting I did, as well as the music, up to a point, is just me venting my frustration. What music were you drawn to in your formative years and how present is it in your music now? I listened to bands like Silverchair, Powderfinger and Nirvana growing up. I love a big chorus. I’ve tried writing chilled music but I just don’t have the disposition for it. I think what that music instilled in me was the need to push the song through a wall in the chorus. When I write now, I try to push past the urge to keep the song plodding along. I do my best to come up with something awesome. All the bands I listened to in school had a way of making everything seem okay, kinda like they were wiping the slate clean. With the album now out, what are you plans - and hopes - for the year ahead? I would love to tour. We have some great shows coming up and I’m excited about Nannup Music Festival. Touring to the east coast would be so much fun, and I want to record another album with Seb (Kane), Dave (Robinson) and Anneke (de Rooij), who are the backbone of Husband. I think we all have a good understanding of where the music needs to go, so I’d love to write the next album with them.
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VALE A$AP YAMS The hip hop world is reeling with the news on Monday that A$AP Mob founder, A$AP Yams - aka Steve Rodriguez/aka Yamborghini - passed away at the age of 26. A trusted presence in hip hop circles via his various blogs, Yams founded the collective which has since resulted in big-time careers for A$AP Ferg and A$AP Rocky. He was known to have spent part of 2014 in rehab and his last tweet on January 16 simply stated BODEINE BRAZY, (likely slang for Codeine Crazy), but the cause of death has yet to be released. The likes of Drake, Azealia Banks, Chamillionaire, Lil B and more have paid tribute via social media. RIP. Yelle
LA FOLIE A DEUX Fun-loving French electropop duo Yelle are returning to Australia with their new album Complètement fou, which literally translates to ‘totally bonkers’. Produced by reigning hitmaker Dr. Luke (Ke$ha, Katy Perry), it’s an insanely frothy, seductive and catchy collection of songs, and Yelle will be bringing all of that crazy on Wednesday, March 27, at Capitol. For tickets, head to livenation.com.au.
Kerser
LONG LIVE THE KING
Hayden James
HAYDERS GONNA HAYDE Hayden James exploded onto dancefloors across the nation last year with the intoxicating banger Something About You, and now he’s backing up it up coast to coast with a live tour. It’s early days, but the Hayden hype is strong, with Something About You quickly rising to become the hottest track at triple j and also getting some big love from the legendary Peter Tong. Mickey Kojak is supporting when James takes the stage at the soon-to-be-departed Bakery in Northbridge on Saturday, March 7. Tickets from haydenjamesmusic.com.
Clark Pic: Alma Haser
CLARK Sound Advice The Red Bull Music Academy brings Berlin-based Warp Records dynamo, Clark, to Mojos this Sunday, January 25. MATTHEW TOMICH reports. Chris Clark is a sonic chameleon. Now 13 years into his recording career, the 35 year-old Englishman has built a reputation on shifting seamlessly between every conceivable style of electronic music, ripping it up and starting again with each now release. While he may call Berlin home, Clark spent much of 2014 away, touring Europe and North America and steeling away to the English country town of Lincolnshire to work on album number seven, the cinematic and eclectic Clark, released in November of last year. While most of his tracks are underpinned by beat and melody, the music he’s working on now is a world away from his extensive discography. 22
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Straight outta the mean streets of West Sydney, MC Kerser polarises fans of Oz rap like no one else in the game. On KING, his fourth record in four years, Kerser mixes stories of the brutality of his origins with the braggadocio and swagger that got him out. You can catch him on his national tour at Metropolis Fremantle on Friday, February 6, for a night 18+ show, and Saturday, February 7, for an all-ages show. Tickets at oztix.com.au.
ON THE WARPATH Fourteen years on from releasing The Stanton Sessions, breakbeat legends the Stanton Warriors are returning to Perth for one night only, bringing their iconic bass sound to Villa Nightclub on Saturday, February 21. Hailed by everyone from Disclosure to Annie Mac as the kings of their domain, they’ve picked sensual floorburner Kill Paris to bring his distinctive Baby-Making Music in support, backed up by locals Bezwun and Black + Blunt. First release tickets are at moshtix.com.au. “I love just writing music that hasn’t got any rhythm or melody,” he says. “It’s purely textural sound collages and that will inform what I do with her. It’s a great outlet for me. I kind of prefer writing music like that to structured music. It’s actually some of my favourite stuff that I’ve ever written but the commercial value of it in terms of releasing it isn’t there. Though Clark was composed largely in isolation, the new record betrays no sense of loneliness or alienation. Instead it brims with a dual sense of warmth and tension with tracks as futuristic and otherworldly as they are human and organic. The single, Winter Linn, oscillates in an ocean of moods over a single refrain that’s warped, re-molded and mutated more than half a dozen times over the course of three minutes, while deep cut, The Grit in the Pearl, pulsates with a steady dancefloor beat and cascading melodies before trailing disintegrating into a flurry of digital distortion. But nothing is accidental and everything is meticulous, as has seemingly always been the way for Clark, who would work 12 hours a day writing and recording these pieces and considers himself an obsessive in every aspect of his composition. “Sometimes it’s just certain riffs or things I write, I just can’t keep away from them and they pull me in further and I’m not really aware of it,” he says. “I’ll just be sitting in my studio and a whole day will have gone by and I will have finished a track, but I don’t know if I can articulate what that space was other than playing someone the track, and that’s what’s fascinating about music. If you could describe it, it wouldn’t be very good.” In the live show, however, a lot more is left up to chance. Clark performs with as little automation as possible, sequencing and reproducing many of his studio sounds in real time, sometimes writing beats or sections two hours before stepping on stage to keep himself on his toes. “I think it’s about just getting really childishly excited about hearing it really loud,” he says. “That’s sort of it. Wanting the sound system to be good is a big part of that. I’m terrible for listening to music on headphones and laptop speakers. I’ve just had to grow used to that. I kind of know how to mix because I’ve got this nice pair of headphones that I know inside out but I’ll often just have stuff on my laptop. And I think it’s a good way to listen to music because you don’t – you just listen to songwriting more than production and I think it’s totally valid actually, listening on crappy speakers. “But live is different because you’re kind of hearing it in Technicolor. And for me the music that works best for that is adrenaline-fuelled dance music.”
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LAKE STREET DIVE Contracts And Portraits
OMAR SOULEYMAN
Hailing from Boston, Lake Street Dive are jazz-schooled, DIY-motivated, and popobsessed. Upright bass player, Bridget Kearney answered questions about their crossover album Bad Self Portraits and their not to be missed show for the Perth Festival. Lake Street Dive play the Chevron Festival Gardens on Tuesday, March 3. CHRIS HAVERCROFT reports.
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The four-piece Lake Street Dive took its name from a location that was awash with dive bars in Minneapolis, but the four members of the band came to know each other while they were studying at the New England Conservatory of Music. The band started playing a decade ago, but it wasn’t until 2012 that they decided to put some serious effort into the project. The only hurdle being the songs they had just recorded were being stalled due to contractual issues. “Rachael (Price, vocals) was involved in an pre-existing contract for solo material that was exclusive for her,” explains Kearney. “We spent about a year negotiating with the parties involved in that contract to get permission to release Bad Self Portraits. The good news is, she is now completely released from that contract, so we can put out as many albums as we want.” The delay was an emotional drain on the band who were happy with the album and wanted to share it with people, fearing at times that it may never be possible. The experience also brought the four members closer together. They committed fully to a band that was essentially without legs to stand on - that being the ability to release albums, which much of the music industry is based around. “The fact that we all stuck around built some trust between us. It gave a certain intensity to our live shows, because at the time we knew that was the only place people could hear the songs from Bad Self Portraits. It also gave us a chance to continue building buzz about the band and the record for a good amount
of time which gave us a much bigger platform to release Bad Self Portraits on.” Having met at the New England Conservatory of Music has given each member a strong background in the theory of music and an impeccable base for writing songs. The band realise, though, that it’s important to retain a passion for music that’s more from the heart than the head. It was this philosophy that saw them abandon their early premise which was to be a ‘free country’ band. “It’s hard to say that we really gave the ‘free country’ sound a go, because none of us knew anything about country music and we also knew very little about playing free (avant garde) music. But our songs in those early days were these weird kind of art songs where there would be a rubato verse about milk cartons and hair cuts and then a chorus that went into a swing feel with walking bass and a really angular melody and then there would be a five-minute trumpet solo with no chord changes behind it. Suffice to say, we were not winning any fans!” The Perth Festival is a perfect fit for Lake Street Dive whose love of Motown, pop music and their liberal use of harmonies will be well suited to a summer’s night under the stars. “The Perth show will be a big one for us because that is where our singer Rachael’s family hails from! I’m sure we will all be extra excited to get on stage that night, and pretty much everyone who comes to any of our shows walks away astounded by Rachael’s talents but she’ll probably be positively on fire that day.”
Dabke Hand Syria’s Omar Souleymen appears at The Budgie Smuggler (The Bakery) as part of the Fringe World opening this Friday, January 23, with support from Usurper Of Modern Medicine. LIZA DEZFOULI reports. On his third visit to Australia, ‘Syrian techno’ musician, Omar Souleyman, is keen to reconnect with his audiences here. “I have been to Australia already two times on tour and have been to all the big Australian cities,” he says through a translator. “My audience there is very enthusiastic and I am happy to return, always.” The one-time mason who hails from Ra’s al’-Ayn, a Syrian town in the north-eastern region of Jazeera, has since 1996 been ‘repurposing’ his native land’s traditional dabke music, a widely popular style of folk dance music played at social gatherings in many parts of the Arab world. In recent years this form of folk music, which sees men and women dance together in a large circle, has enjoyed a real resurgence in popularity. Dabke is built around intricate instrumental leads, sermonising vocals, along with pounding trance-inducing rhythms, sharing structural similarities with Western electronic dance music. As a child in his hometown, Souleyman first heard Syrian folk music played on a long-necked lute called a bouzouki and a rebab, a single-stringed fiddle, both traditional instruments used throughout Mediterranean and Middle Eastern lands. Over the last 20 years, however, dabke musicians like himself have been incorporating synthesisers and four-onthe-floor drum machines into their compositions. In 2013, after 20 years of performing, Souleyman released his first studio album, Wenu Wenu (via UK label, Ribbon Music) although he has recorded five LPs of material released through the American ethnographic music label Sublime Frequencies, accompanied on these by his long time musical colleagues Ali Shaker (electric saz) and Rizan Sa’id on synthesiser. According to Souleyman, the recording of Wenu Wenu is ‘nearly live.’ It includes a very old Kurdish song, Warni Warni, featuring electronic percussion on top of a techno-folk beat. A second CD is on its way. Despite the presence of technical sounds in his music, Souleyman insists he’s a traditional musician making traditional Syrian music. His career owes much of its beginnings to bootleg recordings and You Tube videos made at Syrian weddings which quickly found their way around the Middle East. Bjork used his music in her Crystalline series. Where does Souleyman reckon his music sits in the arena of modern Syrian music? “I do not know if you mean contemporary music, music today? I am not sure about ‘modern’ music. My music is very traditional and this way of music has existed for a long time in my region but it changes too with the time.” Souleyman maintains he never set out to achieve fame in the West; it just happened. He refutes any suggestion of playing to Western tastes. “I have never changed or tried to adopt my music to anyone’s taste. I stay true to my tradition, always. The West has discovered my music gradually.” Does he see hi m s e l f a s a ki nd of ambassador for Syrian folk music? “I do not see or try to do anything like this purposely,” he answers. “It is possible and maybe true that since I take my music to many different and faraway places in the world, I become something like this – inadvertently – but I did not set out to do that or in any way claim to represent. “My music is for everyone who wants to listen to it, in Syria or anywhere else in the world. My music is traditional music from my region and speaks of love and simple things in life.” WWW. XP RE SS MAG.COM. AU
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WIRED FOR SOUND Presented as part of the 2015 Bayswater Youth Festival which takes place at Wotton Skatepark on Saturday, March 7, the Sound Overload Battle Of The Bands is open to young groups aged between 18 and 25. With a total prize package worth $5000 up for grabs and the final taking place on the main stage at the Autumn River Festival on Sunday, March 29, competition is sure to be fierce. Entries close on Monday, February 16, so get onto bayswater.wa.gov.au/youth ASAP.
GET DOWN WITH DATURA The writing’s on the wall for The Fly Trap in Fremantle, but there’s still plenty of good times to be had in the venue before the bell tolls. This Friday, January 23, catch Datura, The Volcanics and The Coalminers Sect from 8pm. Tickets are $10. Datura
CAUSEWAY FOR CELEBRATION Get ready for a big night in Vic Park this Friday, January 23, when The Causeway stage is graced by up and comers The Apollo Million, The Domb, Big Mother Love, Fox Jellyfish and The Devil In Miss Jones. Doors open at 7.30pm, entry is $10, and there’s a free bus to Northbridge at closing time. The Devil In Miss Jones
TASTY TUNES AT TAVERNS
This Wednesday, January 21, folk fave Joni In The Moon plays at the Moon Cafe from 9.30pm with support from Leah Miche. Entry is free, but you should probably order some food to be polite.
28 bands across five stages equals a hell of a good Saturday in the from of the North Freo Pub Crawl, which sees the Railway Hotel and the Swan Hotel join forces for a full day’s worth of awesome music. The Love Junkies take the top slot on the bill, with Gunns, Tired Lion, The Weapon Is Sound, The Painkillers, Tom Fisher & The Layabouts, Dan Cribb & The Isolated, Apache, Methyl Ethel, Old Blood, David Craft, Sidewalk Diamonds, Moana, Lionizer, Them Sharks, Hunting Huxley, Being Beta, The Tommyhawks, The Midnight Mules, Girl York, Verge Collection, Dead End Brawler, Jackdaws, Like A Thief, Kris Nelson, Lewis Walsh, Nyanda J, Simon Bazeley and Evan Walsh rounding out the list of talent. It all happens this Saturday, January 24, with the Swan Hotel kicking off at 5pm and the Railway at 6pm. Tickets are $23.50 plus booking fee via Oztix.
Joni In The Moon - Photo by Libby Edwards
The Love Junkies
JONI IN THE MOON IN THE MOON
Jeff's Dead - Photo by Nick England
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HUSBAND The Money Album Launch @ Mojos JEFF’S DEAD Self Titled EP Launch @ Mojos SKULLCAVE Self Titled EP Launch @ The Bird FÖRSTÖRA All That Will Save Or Destroy Us Album Launch @ Amplifier THE ORDER OF THE BLACK WEREWOLF Cilla Black Album Launch @ Bar Four5Nine CHAINSAW HOOKERS Make Them Die Slowly Single Launch @ The Rocket Room FOAM/PUCK SPLIT Vinyl Launch @ The Bird REAPERS RIDDLE Fall Away Video Launch @ The Civic HIDEOUS SUN DEMON Flex Video Launch @ Mojos PETER BIBBY Butcher/Hairstylist/Beautician Album Launch @ The Bird NIGHT SIGNALS Animals EP Launch @ The Bird TOBY Nobody Told Me Album Launch @ Fremantle Arts Centre DREAM RIMMY EP Launch @ Mojos SHIMMERGLOOM Frequencies Collide Album Launch @ The Velvet Lounge DARKYRA Fool Album Launch @ The Astor
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CARNIVALESQUE Sunset Veranda Friday, January 16, 2015 Sugar Blue Burlesque and Fliptease came together for a knockout show last Friday to inaugurate Sunset Veranda for 2015. The Fringe World venue will play host to all sorts of enjoyable madness for the next few weeks - fringeworld.com.au has all the details. Photos by Rachael Barrett
Jamie, Pamela
SKULLCAVE From The Ashes Comprised of Perth music veterans Liam Young, Jay Marriott and Steve Turnock, Skullcave launch their debut EP at The Bird this Saturday, January 24, with support from Pat Chow, Aborted Tortoise and Sprawl. We catch up with drummer/ vocalist Young. What’s the Skullcave story? Give us a quick history lesson. We wanted to start a new band (again). Jay (Marriott) had written some different sounding riffs, we jammed on them, then demoed them at home. If I was bored, I’d just sit there for a few hours trying to put vocals over the top. We needed a bass player, so Steve (Turnock) was the obvious choice. We showed him the songs and wrote a few more together until we had an EP’s worth of material to record. What’s your sound? How is it different from previous groups your members have been in? It’s kinda post-metal meets grungy shoegaze. I think. It’s similar in the sense that it’s still us three writing songs together, but very different also. Much slower and heavier than any Novocaines songs we wrote and more melodic than what Puck is about. Tell us about the EP. Five tracks. Musically, it changes quite a bit throughout but doesn’t lose it’s theme. My lyrics are pretty simple. I’m really just singing about how bored I was or
how much people annoyed me. Real poetic shit, y’know? Where did you record and who with? Our good mate Jim Power, who runs Fat Shan’s now, has been recording our various projects for years. Aaron, Matt, Emma, Simon, Carly He’s super supportive of our bands and was only natural that we went to him with our new songs. The EP will be coming out through Fat Shan’s and MGM Distribution. Starting a new band, do you find that fans carry over from previous projects, or do you start from scratch? People who have come to our shows for years are still really supportive of what we do, but there a small number who don’t quite like it as much as your old ragin’ blues riff. There’s a lot of starting again to be done, but that’s half the fun.
Sarah, Jason
What’s the songwriting process like for you guys? Jay will spend a while on the riff, I’ll hassle him with structure ideas, Steve joins in and puts a Chloe, Ryan, Casey, Clint sweet bassline under whatever I’m playing and we’ll record it on my iPhone. Then, I’ll sit at home in my room on GarageBand and record vocal ideas until we come back to it and generally it’s pretty done. Sometimes a song isn’t finished until you play it live a few times and find out what doesn’t work. What’s the game plan for 2015? Put out this EP, finish writing our next one which is nearing completion. Maybe go on a weekend tour of the east coast to celebrate and play heaps of Perth gigs! Anything else to add? I accidentally just elbowed Jay’s dog in the face. She’s fine.
Frank, Zoe
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Sharon, Lauren
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Mathas - Photo by Rachael Barett
DISTANT MURMURS Rosemount Hotel Saturday, January 17, 2015 It was a scorching summer’s day that welcomed the inaugural Distant Murmurs festival at The Rosemount on Saturday afternoon. Kicking off an exciting new era, the three room extravaganza is planned to be an annual event and fundraiser put on by RTRFM showcasing the abundant and diverse local talent we have in our fair city. The main stage kicked off with an early set from Simone and Girlfunkle, whose uptempo, poppy yet serious tunes were a beautiful opening for the room. Folk music elements permeate the song writing, providing a personal flavour which seems to bring the audience and band that much closer. The crowd began to filter in as the day kicked into gear and dulcet tones and harmony set a perfect pace for the perfectly sunny day. The 420 Crew featuring Thursday Full Frequency’s Will Bixler kicked off the sun-soaked beer garden with some chilled, laidback beats and leftfield sounds for the early crowd who braved the heat. The Long Lost Brothers came through with a grittier sound but with equally well textured vocals as they moved through rocky numbers with a thoughtful edge. Deliberate and well paced, the brothers had a dark and bluesy element which got heads nodding. The Cloudwaves show’s Aslan and Sleepyhead were up next and served up a set of more heavy beats and bass, as well as that underground rap
and futuristic RnB sound that the weekly radio show has become known for. As the arvo wore on and the mercury dropped, the crowd swelled with the beer garden buzzing. Jamie Mac & Eddie Electric kept the sunshine vibes flowing. The Amplifier resident DJs picked up the party vibe with some great selections as people started to get into the groove. Following on was a special appearance from certified RTRFM legend and volunteer of over 15 years, The Whipcracker. An avid fan of dance music, and a woman who has been around long enough to see the evolution of the station to what it is now, it was great to see her get up behind the decks for a half hour set of unabashed feelgood, old school house jams in the beer garden. In first live DJ set, no one seemed to be having more fun than The Whipcracker herself as she danced away behind the decks. Up next was the debut live performance from the mysterious Tobacco Rat. The latest production moniker from Jake Steele of Kučka fame sees Steele fully committing to his character creation. He took to the stage dressed all in white - shoes, pants, gloves and hoodie as well as sporting a freaky papier mache rat mask. Playing his own original productions live, armed with Ableton Push and a keyboard midi controller, he unleashed the most abrasive and banging beats of the day so far, combining elements of electro, trap, classic house and techno. His music has a unique industrial edge due to his use of original samples of scrap metal. Tracks like pfunk 600 have
an almost Aphex Twin kinda vibe with their driving synth lines and twisted breakbeats, though with a less sporadic vibe you can dance to. You can have your deadmau5, this is live rat, and you’ll be hearing more from this rodent soon. The Painkillers packed a tasty acoustic style offset with smashing drums and impassioned vocals. There was a great variety to the music that took them through a cool and enjoyable set. The evening started to rev up as punters packed into The Rosemount. Hot item Ghetto Crystals took to the stage next with their hybrid indie rock/pop vibes. With a sometimes super chill, sway inducing style to grungier, faster paced offerings, Ghetto Crystals possess an often haunting melodic quality which adds rich emotional texture to their songs. For a funky change of pace came Odette Mercy & Her Soul Atomics. Categorically providing some of the best live music in Perth city, the voice of Odette Mercy is a powerful thing to feel in your chest, and the tight chemistry between her and the band create a vibrant platform for energetic, soul oriented expression. Adem K got things fired up in the more intimate 459 Bar. There was a relatively small crowd for the man who is something of a legend in the Perth music scene, with his band Turnstyle helping to define the Perth indie-pop sound in the 90s. Meanwhile there was another first in the beer garden as Leaving announced it was their first time playing live together. The new band impressed and their laidback, guitar based tunes providing the perfect soundtrack as the sun set. At times reminiscent of Real Estate, this casual bunch of blokes
seemed to be enjoying themselves. In a similar vein was next act Eleventeen Eston & The Conversation, also vibing on that jangly surf guitar sound, in the vein of Ducktails. Reverb and chorus soaked guitar rides alongside flourishes of sunshiney synth. Gunns delivered layers of washed out fuzzy lines and atmospheric effects, creating an often euphoric drone, with heavily processed vocals whispering and cascading over lush ringing guitar tones. Something about the hazy summertime atmosphere of P-town is produces some absolutely fantastic garage pop, and Gunns are cresting that wave with such streamline perfection that you can almost taste the salt. While Mei Saraswati has been producing and performing around town for several years now, she has now put together a full eight piece live band. Perhaps the most anticipated set of the evening, the crowd in the beer garden jammed in to get a spot as the band setup all of their instruments, and they didn’t disappoint. A bundle of energy upfront, Mei effortlessly emanates soul, and oozes charisma as she throws herself around to the music. She’s modestly charming, talking in between songs at length about their meaning (like how Perth was built on wetlands on Swamp Gospel) and her thanks to RTR for their support and her appreciation at the chance to play with the full band. . She captured the crowd and held them transfixed. While it was a bit tricky to get a vantage point in the packed beer garden, there was a real communal vibe, with the crowd surrounding the band on all sides. Playfully merging a song into Nelly’s Hot In Herre, and another into Edwyn Collin’s A Girl Like You, and finishing with the sublime Power In Ur Soul. After an eastern states residency and support of Joelistics, Mathas is back on Perth stages with his engaging and thought provoking performances. For his performance of hit track Nourishment, he was joined by Abbe May who performs the tracks chorus. The year has been a fantastic one for Perth music across the board, and Mathas continually proves himself to be at the centre of that constant incline. To close off the amazing day of creativity in explosive and stunning fashion was the genre tearing Naik. Incorporating countless elements of modern music production, Naik’s music combines with chaotic precision the sounds of electronica, progressive and retro guitar riffs and punchy organic percussion provided live by Brody Simpson. The visual elements of Naik’s performance are trance inducing, and there is often a cinematic dynamic to his sets that lock the listener into a stimulating journey. Moments of epic orchestral arrangements made way for funky and lose bass line oriented beats, giving a variety and inspiring consideration and movement respectively. Expect to see Naik continue to take his unique sound to the world. RTR’s Disco Science DJs had the honours of closing out the night in the courtyard, finishing up with some upbeat funky grooves and choice cuts that kept the groove going, including Jack Doepel who’d just finished playing keys with Saraswati. All up, a fantastic day of music and great new festival highlighting all the talent Perth has to offer. ALFRED GORMAN AND JAMES HANLON
PAUL KELLY Hiatus Kaiyote Fremantle Arts Centre Saturday, January 17, 2015 It was a none-too-shabby opening to these much looked-forward-to proceedings, with the Grammynominated Hiatus Kaiyote taking to the stage. Led by guitarist/singer, Nai Palm, the band’s experimental neo soul meets hip hop grooves often led into extended jams that certainly suited the sunset. Those that dug most certainly did, but much of the audience was talking through most of the set, which may-or-may-nor have led Palm to walk offstage during the last song as the band jammed out. Folks, it’s nice to support the support act. Touring behind the release of the very excellent Merri Soul Sessions album, Paul Kelly and his band eventually sauntered onstage and took to What You Want, featuring Vika Bull on lead vocals, echoing the multi-vocalist nature of the LP. ‘You know what show you’re gonna get with all these singers up here’, Kelly noted at song’s end, ‘They’re all gonna sing a song’. On cue the band launched into Smells Like Rain with Linda Bull taking lead vocal. The song, co-written with Kev Carmody and Dan Sultan, featured Ash Naylor (Even and a longtime Kelly cohort) on tasteful baritone guitar. Kelly sang the third song, Righteous Woman, but in seemingly no time was welcoming to the stage ‘the very righteous woman, Clairy Browne’ who wailed in a painted-on dress, as Naylor played an Ennio Morricone style whistling spaghetti western solo. Merri Soul Sessions colleague Dan Sultan was also present, and Kelly acknowledged his vocal contribution and song co-writes, before leading the band on Thank You. Linda Bull sang Lead Me On as Sultan played guitar with Maestro Paul on tambourine before they took to the classic, How To Make Gravy, which made the crowd very happy. 26
Nai Palm, Hiatus Kaiyote
Vika & Linda Bull
Paul Kelly | Photography by Elspeth Anderson
‘May I present to you now, Kira Puru’ Kelly (under)stated as she took to the stage to sing Don’t Know What I’d Do. Kelly graciously exited the stage, before later returning to duet with Puru on James Carr’s The Dark End Of The Street. Sultan and Clairy Brown then duetted beautifully on Sam & Dave’s When Something Is Wrong With My Baby. ‘You can sing along to this next song even if you don’t know the words’ Kelly stated, leading into 16th Floor, a statement that was duly noted by the crowd.
Give Into My Love and Keep On Coming saw Piru and Browne on lead vocals, respectively, while Look So Fine featured Sultan singing lead with the Bull Sisters as Kelly left the stage. The crowd loved it and sang along. It was a testament to his songwriting - it’s the song, not the singer. The point was heightened when Vika took her mighty turn on a soulful version of Sweet Guy. ‘It’s great singing with these great singers’, Kelly said, then introduced each one by one, before ending the main set with the Sister Rosseta Tharpe-like tune, Hasn’t It Rained?
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With a besotted reception, it wasn’t long before they were all back onstage. ‘We did prepare a few more songs just in case’, Kelly joked before an encore of Down On The Jetty, Love Letter, Dumb Things and Meet Me In The Middle Of The Air, the latter ending the night with all the singers gathered around a single microphone. It felt like a very special event watching a bunch of musicians with an obvious respect for each other having so much fun. Paul Kelly just keeps on giving. MARK PHILLIPS
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X- P R E S S G U I D E TOURS THIS WEEK
JANUARY 2015
SHONEN KNIFE 21 Astor Lounge YG + TY DOLLA $IGN 22 Metro City PUGSLEY BUZZARD 22 Settlers Tavern, Margaret River 23 The Laundry 43, Busselton 24 Rottnest Lodge 25 Fremantle Arts Centre COUNTRY RHYTHM & SOUL ON THE ROCKS 23 Quarry Amphitheatre WENDY MATTHEWS 23 Centurion Hotel 24 Barnard Park, Busselton FAT FREDDY’S DROP 24 Fremantle Arts Centre 28 DAYS 24 Leisure Inn 25 Dunsborough Tavern OZ ROCK BUSSELTON ft. ICEHOUSE, ABSOLUTELY ‘80S, WENDY MATTHEWS, ROSS WILSON, DIESEL, JAMES REYNE 24 Barnard Park, Busselton RED HILL AUSTRALIA DAY EVE CONCERT ft. ICEHOUSE, JAMES REYNE, DIESEL 25 Red Hill Auditorium CLARK 26 Mojos Bar SOUNDS IN THE VALLEY ft. LEE KERNAGHAN, ADAM BRAND, THE WOLFE BROTHERS & MAGNIFICENT 7 25 Elmars In The Valley NAS 27 Metro City
SUZI QUATRO 28, 29 & 31 Regal Theatre 360 28 Studio 146, Albany 29 Prince Of Wales, Bunbury 30 Players Bar 31 Dunsborough Tavern EYEHATEGOD 29 Rosemount Hotel AMITY AFFLICTION 29 Metropolis Fremantle 30 Albany Leisure and Aquatic Centre 31 Bunbury Regional Entertainment Centre THE VAMPS with SHORT STACK 30 HBF Stadium DOCTOR WHO SYMPHONIC SPECTACULAR 31 Perth Arena THE SEARCHERS 31 Albany Entertainment Centre FEBRUARY 2015
SUZI QUATRO 1 Regal Theatre BRANDON ALLEN 1 Ellington Jazz Club BELLE & SEBASTIAN 3 Astor Theatre ANGUS & JULIA STONE 4 Kings Park & Botanic Garden CHIODOS 4 Amplifier Bar KASEY CHAMBERS 5 Mandurah Performing Arts Centre 6 Bunbury Entertainment Centre 7 Quindanning Inne 8 Sandalford Estate
FEATURED GIG
AMITY AFFLICTION
AMITY AFFLICTION METROPOLIS FREMANTLE JANUARY 29
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KIM CHURCHILL 6 Amplifier Bar 7 City of Stirling Summerset Arts Festival, Stirling Civic Gardens LAMB 6 Astor Theatre KERSER 6 Metropolis Fremantle PASSENGER 7 Red Hill Auditorium ANN VRIEND 8 Ellington Jazz Club EVENING ON THE GREEN – THE ANGELS & CHEAP TRICK 8 Kings Park & Botanic Garden LANEWAY FESTIVAL ft. ANDY BULL, ANGEL OLSEN, BANKS & MORE! 8 Esplanade Reserve, Fremantle KENNY ROGERS 8 Sandalford Estate SARAH MCLACHLAN 11 Astor Theatre THE VERONICAS 12 Perth Concert Hall YNGWIE J. MALMSTEEN 12 Astor Theatre CIARA 13 Metropolis Fremantle ROXETTE 14 Perth Arena PETER HOOK & THE LIGHT 14 Astor Theatre JEFF MARTIN 14 Fly By Night SIMON LOUGHTON 15 Ellington Jazz Club CASTAWAY 2015 ft. PEKING DUK, CARMADA, YEO, BENSON & more 15 Hotel Rottnest MAD AT THE QUARRY – ANTHONY CALLEA 15 Quarry Amphitheatre THIRD DAY with NEEDTOBREATHE & LEVI MCGRATH 16 HBF Stadium THE BUDOS BAND 16 Chevron Gardens ALED JONES 18 Astor Theatre THE EAGLES 18 & 19 Perth Arena CHET FAKER 20 & 21 Chevron Gardens 22 Fremantle Arts Centre ONE DIRECTION 20 Patersons Stadium INFECTED MUSHROOM 20 Metro City TIMOTHY NELSON & THE INFIDELS with HELEN SHANAHAN 20 Wongan Hills Hotel 21 Grass Valley Tavern 22 Quindanning Inne PAUL SIMON & STING 21 & 22 Sir James Mitchell Park
THE ROSEMARY BEADS 21 Astor Lounge STANTON WARRIORS with KILL PARIS 21 Villa STEPHEN MALKMUS & THE JICKS 22 Chevron Gardens LINDSEY STIRLING 23 Astor Theatre ERIC BOGLE 25 Albany Town Hall 27 Fly By Night 28 Nannup Music Festival NENEH CHERRY 26 Chevron Gardens RUTH MOODY 27 Mojos Bar 28 & 1 Nannup Folk Festival DAN SULTAN 27 Queens Park Theatre 28 Fremantle Arts Centre THE BEAUTIFUL GIRLS 27 Northshore Tavern 28 Fly By Night GUY SEBASTIAN 28 Perth Arena MEGAN WASHINGTON 28 The Bakery KINETIC DREAMING – 3 DAYS OF FREEDOM ft. ELECTRYPNOSE, LOOSE CONNECTIONS, STAUNCH, EURYTHMY, THE MOLLUSK & MANY MORE 28 Bindoon Rock NANNUP MUSIC FESTIVAL ft. DAN SULTAN, DARREN HANLON, HUSBAND, RUTH MOODY & MORE! 28 & 1 Nannup MARCH 2015
NENEH CHERRY 1 Chevron Gardens THE BEAUTIFUL GIRLS 1 Dunsborough Tavern DAN SULTAN 1 Nannup Music Festival FUTURE MUSIC FESTIVAL ft. DRAKE, AVICII, THE PRODIGY, KNIFE PARTY, AFROJACK, EXAMPLE, MARTIN GARRIX, SIGMA, 2 CHAINZ and many more! 1 HBF Arena DELTRON 3030 1 The Bakery KINETIC DREAMING – 3 DAYS OF FREEDOM ft. ELECTRYPNOSE, LOOSE CONNECTIONS, STAUNCH, EURYTHMY, THE MOLLUSK & MANY MORE 1 & 2 Bindoon Rock ERIC BOGLE 1 Nannup Music Festival 5 Narrogin Town Hall 6 The Music Shack, Donnybrook 8 Mandurah Performing Arts Centre
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GOOD LIFE FESTIVAL 2015 ft. AVICII, AFROJACK, MARTIN GARRIX, WILL SPARKS, TIMMY TRUMPET, JOEL FLETCHER, BLISS N ESO, HAVANA BROWN and many more! 2 HBF Arena DRAKE with 2 CHAINZ 3 Perth Arena LITTLE BASTARD 5 Prince of Wales FROM THE JAM 5 Capitol YOUNG LIONS 5 Amplifier 6 YMCA HQ 7 Babushka BAYSIDE BEATS WITH JIMMY BARNES 6 Bunbury Turf Club FOO FIGHTERS 7 NIB Stadium SHAKEY GRAVES 8 Astor Theatre MACY GRAY 8 Perth Concert Hall TECH N9NE 13 The Bakery KYLIE MINOGUE 14 Perth Arena INGRID MICHAELSON 14 Rosemount Hotel ROXETTE 14 Perth Arena DJ SHADOW 14 Rosemount Hotel BILLY IDOL 14 Kings Park & Botanic Garden THE BEST OF BRITISH FESTIVAL 14 HBF Arena JESUS JONES 15 Rosemount Hotel FROM THE JAM 15 Capitol TONY JOE WHITE 15 Astor Theatre RUSSELL PETERS 19 Perth Arena VANCE JOY 20 Astor Theatre JESSIE J 20 Crown Theatre OFFBEAT FESTIVAL 20 – 22 Fremantle Arts Centre ROD STEWART 21 Perth Arena BEN HOWARD 26 Fremantle Arts Centre KINGSWOOD 26 Prince of Wales 27 Capitol 28 Dunsborough Tavern 29 Newport Hotel DAVID LIEBE HART (TIM & ERIC) 27 Mojos AUGIE MARCH 28 Astor Theatre SWITCHFOOT 30 The Lakes Theatre
APRIL 2015
ED SHEERAN 4 & 5 Perth Arena JOHN FARNHAM & OLIVIA NEWTON JOHN 4 Sandalford Winery OPHIDIAN 5 Swan River COUNTING CROWS 7 Perth Concert Hall PINK FLOYD EXPERIENCE 7 Crown Theatre ARCHITECTS 9 Capitol FAIRBRIDGE FESTIVAL 10 – 12 Fairbridge Village, Pinjarra THE GIPSY KINGS 13 Perth Convention & Exhibition Centre THE BLACK KEYS 14 Red Hill Auditorium NANA MOUSKOURI 19 Perth Concert Hall DEMI LOVATO 21 HBF Stadium THE SCRIPT with LABRINTH 24 Perth Arena SPYGLASS GYPSIES 26 Ellington Jazz Club HUMAN NATURE 28 Perth Convention & Exhibition Centre MAY 2015
COSENTINO 2 Regal Theatre SAM SMITH 4 HBF Stadium RICKY MARTIN 8 Perth Arena AMERICA with SHARON CORR 9 Red Hill Auditorium JOE AVATI 9 Fremantle Town Hall ANASTACIA 10 Perth Concert Hall ALT-J 15 HBF Stadium
PALOMA FAITH 16 Perth Concert Hall SPANDAU BALLET 22 Perth Arena BABY ANIMALS & THE SUPERJESUS 22 Charles Hotel COLIN HAY 23 Regal Theatre 24 Colonial Brewery, Margaret River NICKELBACK 26 Perth Arena JUNE 2015
JOYCE MANOR 4 Rosemount Hotel KARISE EDEN 10 Albany Entertainment Centre THE GETAWAY PLAN 12 Rosemount Hotel 5 SECONDS OF SUMMER 29 Perth Arena JULY 2015
YELLOWCARD 4 Metro City ADAM HARVEY 22 Albany Entertainment Centre AUGUST 2015
THE AUSTRALIAN BEE GEES SHOW 15 Regal Theatre 16 Albany Entertainment Centre PEACE TRAIN: THE CAT STEVENS STORY 21 Astor Theatre 22 Albany Entertainment Centre THE BEATLES FOREVER 27 Albany Entertainment Centre ELVIS MEETS THE BEATLES 28 HBF Stadium
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JAN 21 - FEB 4 GREATER UNION #2 FT. ELECTRIC TOAD COBILIS CRAIG ERASERS SAYYID VICIOUS 21 The Bird
JACOB DIAMOND 22 The Moon Café THE SILENT WORLD ANTELOPE RACE TO YOUR FACE RON POLLARD QUINTET 22 Rosemount Hotel
JOHN BANNISTER & THE CHARISMA BROTHERS 21 Ellington Jazz Club
FRESH PRODUCE FT. NDORSE DAWS CONFUSIOUS JUNGLEBUSS KRYPSIS 23 Ambar
BLACK RIVER RANSOM STU ORCHARD BAND THE SHOPS SARAH GAMBLE 21 Four5Nine Bar KRAVE FT. SAVAGE WALTER WASHINGTON JR. LJ LOXZ CITY OF PERTH KRUMP MOVEMENT MARC TINDALE LUCA MAGRI MICHAEL DB MADZZ 21 Metropolis Fremantle MEI SARASWATI RABBIT ISLAND GOLDEN STRING FALL ELECTRIC (SOLO) FOX JELLYFISH 21 Mojos
MEWITHOUTYOU ELLIOT THE BULL FOXES KITES SAIL ON! SAIL ON! SPILT CITIES 23 Amplifier
MEI SARASWATI RABBIT ISLAND GOLDEN STRING FALL ELECTRIC FOX JELLYFISH 21 MOJOS
LAZARUS FT. DJ JESS KILL DJ BOXER 21 The Velvet Lounge LAST NIGHT – N64 MARIO KART PARTY 22 Amplifier BIRD BRAINS SHOW KZ THE BOOGIE MAN SPOOKY GINOBLE DJ SILENCE 22 The Bird
FLYBALL GOV’NOR LITTLE LORD STREET BAND THE LUNETTES DELILAH ROSE 22 Four5Nine Bar
SKULLCAVE (EP LAUNCH) PAT CHOW ABORTED TORTOISE SPRAWL 24 The Bird
A VERY SPECIAL GUEST (UK) LATE NIGHT GROOVE SERIES FT. SOOTHE 24 Ellington Jazz Club
NOCHE LATINA FT. DJ MATEO ORQUESTRA YAMBEQUE 23 Civic Hotel
CASINODREAMS (SINGLE LAUNCH) VILLAIN STEPPES THE LIMBS 24 Four5Nine Bar
HUSBAND (ALBUM LAUNCH) MOANA LIMBO LITTLE LORD STREET BAND 23 Mojos MAJESTY FT. LORD PONCHO D’VAUZ BROS. ELLICIT 23 Parker Nightclub THE CLEAN (NZ) DOCOTOPUS HAMJAM 23 Rosemount Hotel JAPAN 4 24 Ambar
HARRY MITCHELL GABRIEL FATIN 22 Ellington Jazz Club
OZ ROCK BUSSELTON FT. ICEHOUSE DIESEL JAMES REYNE WENDY MATTHEWS ROSS WILSON 24 Barnard Park, Busselton
MIKE MIDNIGHT FRODO DJ NSFW & LANNGMAN CONSULATE & CRANIOID 23 The Bird
NO TOMORROW FT. MARCEL DETTMANN DARIUS SYROSSIAN FINNEBASSEN 23 Geisha Bar
ICARUS LIVES (EP LAUNCH) THE ARCADIAN PEASANT 21 Rosemount Hotel
SKULLCAVE PAT CHOW ABORTED TORTOISE SPRAWL 24 THE BIRD
RED CUP PARTY FT. DJ VALI RICH SKOPN 24 Civic Hotel
WHITE AVENUE TARP ON THE SHED FLOOR THE WORST HUNT FOR DALLAS 23 Four5Nine Bar
GOING SOLO FT. JONI IN THE MOON LEAH MICHE 21 Moon Café
SKULLCAVE
OMAR SOULEYMAN USURPER OF MODERN MEDICINE DJ WRIGHTEOUS DJ JOHN TANNER 23 The Bakery
DATURA THE VOLCANICS THE COALMINERS SECT 23 Fly Trap
MEI SARASWATI
YG TY DOLLA $IGN 22 Metro City
VERGE COLLECTION DEAD END BRAWLER JACKDAWS LIKE A THIEF KRIS NELSON LEWIS WALSH NYANDA J SIMON BAZELEY EVAN WALSH 24 Railway Hotel
DOM MARIANI & THE MAJESTIC KELP 22 Mojos
MILES AWAY MINDLESS IDLE EYES LOSING GRIP BOUNTY HUNTER 24 Amplifier MR SATURDAY NIGHT (USA) ROK RILEY ANDREW SINCLAIR 24 The Bakery
ON THE RADAR
NAS
HEDKANDI 24 Geisha Bar CHOCOLATE JESUS 24 The Good Shepherd
TURIN ROBINSON MISSION TO UTOPIA FT. KING ONION WEAPONS BAYOU GOMBO BURY THE HEARD 24 Rosemount Hotel SPENDA C PHILLY BLUNT COMMAND Q 25 Ambar LAST NIGHT – AUS DAY EVE PARTY! FT. KISSCHASY I, SAID THE SPARROW TIRED LION PINK18STINK ICONOCLAST SANCTIONS TO HELL WITH HONOUR 25 Amplifier ROOFTOPO SESSIONS FT. VERY SPECIAL GUESTS 25 The Aviary SOFT ROCKS (UK) 25 The Bakery LONG WEEKEND PARTY FT. THE DISAPPOINTED LATE NIGHT HYSTERICS GIRL YORK THE SHOPS FURNITURE HUNT FOR DALLAS 25 The Causeway 28 DAYS BLINDSPOT 25 Dunsborough Tavern
VANITY 29 Four5Nine Bar
DIRTY DIKE SKREW-LOOSE DISORDERLY CONDUCT DORCE SILVER TONGUE N3 SHADOW & CHEF.OS 25 Rosemount Hotel
BEATS – NOT BOMBS FT. CHILDS PLAY WEAPON IS SOUND MEI SARASWATI DIGER ROKWELL SMRTS MITEY-KO 29 Mojos Bar
MR GREVIS BITTER BELIEF COMPLETE ROB SHAKER 31 Rosemount Hotel
GET DOWN FT. DT KID TSUNAMI CHARLIE BUCKET BENNI CHILL KLEAN KICKS 25 Rosemount Hotel (beer garden)
EYEHATEGOD LEECHES CURSED EARTH 29 Rosemount Hotel
CHICKEN, BEER & T-SHIRTS 1 The Bird
MATT WARING 25 Swanbrook Winery
FÖRSTÖRA FOXES VANITY HEARD OF COWS? 30 Amplifier
AUSTRALIA DAY POOL PARTY FT. ROGER SANCHEZ 26 Matisse Beach Club
HYFR #5 KUSH LOUNGE 24 Metro City
IT’S A LONDON THING – PURE GARAGE V FT. DUANE A RHYS D RU-KASU S-MAN 25 Geisha Bar
JEFF’S DEAD GHETTO CRYSTALS SILVER HILLS THE WILDS THE JUSTIN WALSHE TRILOGY 24 Mojos Bar
SNEAKY FT. DJ G-WIZARD 25 The Library
MENAGERIE NIGHTS 24 Parker Nightclub NORTH FREO PUB CRAWL FT. THE LOVE JUNKIES GUNNS TIRED LION THE WEAPON IS SOUND THE PAINKILLERS TOM FISHER & THE LAYABOUTS DAN CRIBB & THE ISOLATED APACHE METHYL ETHEL OLD BLOOD DAVID CRAFT SIDEWALK DIAMONDS MOANA LIONIZER THEM SHARKS HUNTING HUXLEY BEING BETA THE TOMMYHAWKS THE MIDNIGHT MULES GIRL YORK
MARLO SUPER8 & TAB 25 Metro City NEXT GEN: STRAYA DAY PRES 25 Metropolis Fremantle CLARK (UK) KUCKA BASIC MIND ATRIPAT BEN TAAFFE WILUS BIXLER 25 Mojos Bar SUNDAY SLAUGHTER FT. GROTESQUE MAXIMUM PERVERSION FACEGRINDER NAILS OF IMPOSITION COLD FACE SUFFER IN ROT DARKENIUM
YUM CHA – LADIES NIGHT FT. TINK 30 Ambar
LIMELITE: AUSTRALIA DAY BEACH PARTY FT. WILL SPARKS TIMMY TRUMPET UBERJAK’D TIGERLILY 26 Salt On The Beach NAS 27 Metro City
THE ORDER OF THE BLACK WEREWOLF ‘CILLA BLACK’ RELEASE PARTY FT. SILVER FOXES CHAINSAW HOOKERS THE DECLINE & MORE! 30 Four5Nine Bar STEFFI VIRGINIA 30 Geisha Bar THE VAMPS SHORT STACK 30 HBF Stadium
COLLECTIONS 27 Mojos Bar
CLIQUE #022 – CAMO EDITION 30 Metropolis Fremantle
SWIM FOR CLAUDE FT. MOANA CASUAL SETS
MADRE MONTE & GRACE BARBE 30 Mojos Bar CALIGULA’S HORSE (QLD) ALITHIA (VIC) THIS OTHER EDEN CARTHASY 30 Rosemount Hotel ARIEL PINK
ARIEL PINK 29 THE BAKERY
DAY OF THE DEAD & SPECIAL GUESTS 30 Rosemount Hotel (beer garden) JAPAN 4 FT. LO’99 (SYD) 31 Ambar
BERYL STREEP BOLSTY 28 Mojos Bar
THE MDC FINAL SHOW I, SAID THE SPARROW GRAPHIC CHARACTERS THE COLD ACRE 31 Amplifier
GOING SOLO FT. SIMON BAZELEY ANDREW RYAN 28 The Moon Café DELLA FERN SIDEWALK DIAMONDS LATE NIGHT HYSTERICS FOX CAT RABBIT 28 Rosemount Hotel
LIFE’S A BEACH PARTY! FT. BOYS! BOYS! BOYS! DIANAS KITCHEN PEOPLE THE SURF RABBITS 31 The Bakery
ARIEL PINK 29 The Bakery
FOAM/PUCK SPLIT VINYL LAUNCH 31 The Bird
BEAT LOUNGE #23 29 The Bird
EGO 31 Capitol
GRIM FANDANGO SUBURBAN & COKE LIONIZER
CHAR QUAY PALZ 31 Mojos Bar
ON THE RADAR
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MENAGERIE NIGHTS 31 Parker Nightclub
BASS INGREDIENT FT. SPECIAL GUESTS 1 Four5Nine Bar
B2B2B LAUNCH PARTY FT. GALTIER 30 Flyrite
MC MAGNUS DANGER MAGNUS DJ ASLAN 26 Rosemount Hotel
ANGUS & JULIA STONE
NAS METRO CITY JANUARY 27
AMITY AFFLICTION IN HEARTS WAKE CONFESSION 29 Metropolis Fremantle
WARTHREAT THE PISSEDCOLAS IMF LYTTA RUBBER DADDY 25 Four5Nine Bar
28 DAYS BLINDSPOT 24 Leisure Inn
X ANTHEA MUSIC MANAGEMENT PRESENTS GOLDEN STRING JONI IN THE MOON HAYLEY BETH LAUREL FIXATION 31 Four5Nine Bar
AMIDST THE BROKEN GATES OF PERDITION FETUS FERTILIZER ALL THIS FILTH BORC & BURLESQUE ACTS 25 Railway Hotel
FÖRSTÖRA
FÖRSTÖRA FOXES VANITY HEARD OF COWS? 30 AMPLIFIER TRVE KVLT WARTHREAT THE REPTILLIANS BAMODI YOB MOB FURCHICK SHARON FRIGID DIGITS 1 Mojos Bar BOB MARLEY’S 70TH BIRTHDAY FT. NGATI NBA RASTAS DOWNBEAT JACOB & THE RUDEBOYS SOULJAH KAPTIVZ DANNY PASH’S ONE LOVE RICKY & SABRINA JAH WISOM SOUND GENERAL JUSTICE JEEB BUJU MUMMA TREES SIMBA ZARE DEMUS BLAQKNIGHT UPFRONT DARKCHILD TUTOMATH KBI 1 Railway Hotel MICHAEL TRISCARI RICKY GREEN SCARED RATTLER 3 Mojos Bar Deadline Monday 5pm. X-Press Guide is a service to advertisers listing all entertainment events. All inclusions are at the discretion of X-Press. Email guide@xpressmag.com.au
ON THE RADAR
ANDY BULL
LANEWAY FESTIVAL ESPLANADE RESERVE, FREMANTLE FEBRUARY 8 29
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INTERVIEWS
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REVIEWS
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EVENTS
LAST NIGHT @ AMPLIFIER BAR
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DEVILLES PAD
THE CLAREMONT
MUSIC GEAR & TECHNOLOGY
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CLASSIFIEDS
Gear and tech reviews by Chris Gibbs
VOX AC15C1 VINTAGE CREAM AMPLIFIER
the Green Mile Overdrive features Level, Tone, and Overdrive dial controls as well as a switch for two operational modes: Warm and Hot. Not surprisingly, the Warm mode replicates the response of a tube amplifier, delivering that drive that many guitarists seek to just give their set-up a gentle nudge into dirtier territory. The Hot mode utilizes more power to generate a crunchier tone. While it’s certainly a cool feature to add, the ‘break-up’ point on this setting is a little less realistic, so given that this is an overdrive pedal one would think that the Warm setting would prove the more popular of the two. Due to its size, the Green Mile does not run on batteries and an optional 9-volt adaptor is required to power the unit, but with a draw of just 7 milliamps, an average multi-adaptor will run several of these. And of course, for the purists, the Green Mile features true bypass, ensuring the signal path is not being compromised when the pedal is not engaged. Like most Mooer pedals, the Green Mile Overdrive retails for just $89, providing an economically viable and reliable overdrive solution without breaking the bank.
With a design that suggests pure class and eyecatching colour schemes, the Vox custom colour models have proven a popular choice in the Vox catalogue. The Vintage Cream is one of two new colours with Elegant Purple also an option. The cream motif coupled with the Tygon cloth grill ensures that this amp will stand out as much for its aesthetics as its tone. This classy amp also features the G12M65 Creamback speaker that has been recently re-introduced by Celestion, further cementing Vox’ reputation as the go-to brand for authentic 60’s tone. The VOX AC15C1 features two channels: Normal and Top-Boost. Each channel has its own Volume control, and additionally the Top Boost channel offers Treble and Bass tone controls for further tone-shaping. Both channels can access the Tone Cut and Volume controls in the Master section, which manipulates the power stage rather than the pre-amp stage for further finessing. Then by balancing the individual and master volumes, the amp can be set to voice the quintessential clean Vox chime or a powerful old-school overdriven bark. Add to these tones the Classic Tremolo effect (with adjustable speed and depth controls) and a warm Spring Reverb, and you’ve got the essentials of great
MOOER GREEN MILE OVERDRIVE PEDAL In keeping with Mooer’s philosophy of packing as many options as possible into small affordable pedals,
Mooer Green Mile Overdrive Pedal
EMPLOYMENT & TRAINING DIRECTOR AND ACTORS Wanted: Director and female actor around 30 yrs of age Ph: Andrea 0427174590 FOR HIRE BUDGET PA & DJ EQUIPMENT HIRE Delivery & set up available. All pro gear. Phone 0402576200 FOR SALE ENTERTAIN & EDUCATE KIDS EVERY DAY! Awesome Business Opportunity Available. Entertain kids during the day, still keep your “grown up gigs” too! Earn an amazing “day time” income delivering an exciting, interactive Pop Rock program to preschoolers. Well estab business and brand recognition. Comprehensive year-long program operating daily at cafÈ/restaurants during school hours. Multiple other revenue streams including appearances at festivals, shopping centres, birthday parties and community events. Positioned for immediate growth and franchise! Price on application. Call Lisa on 0488124576. MUSOS WANTED BASS PLAYER WANTED Old school blues rocker for working rock band. Phone: 0412231126 FEMALE SINGER WANTED for working rock band. Phone: 0412231126 30
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OPEN MIC NIGHT every Thursday night at Indi Bar. Email Trojan_johnmusic@yahoo.com.au for spot. Laneway Lounge Open Mic every Tuesday night. If you’re keen for a spot text Josh on 0430313577
ANDY’S STUDIO International multi award winning songwriter / producer. No band required. Broadcast quality. A songwriter’s paradise. Ph 9364 3178 GOLDDUST Production Mixing, recording and composition. Leederville $80 p/h. 0408 097 407 PRODUCTION SERVICES RECORDING MIXING MASTERING PRODUCING C D & D V D M A N U FA C T U R E C h e c k o u t Fremantle location. Call Pete Kitchen Cooked o u r l ate s t C D & DV D s p e c i a l s o n l i n e at Records. Ph 0407363764 / 9336 3764 www.procopy.com.au 9375 3902 REVOLVER SOUND STUDIO Ph 9272 7505. MATRIX PRODUCTIONS AUSTRALIA Lighting, www.revolverstudio.com.au staging, sound systems, smoke machines, night club SONGWRITERS - BANDS! Great Productions! FX, intelligent lighting, strobes & mirror balls, crowd London Producer, awesome studio. Call Jerry on 0405653338 www.jerichomusic.com.au barriers, video projectors. 9371 1551 REHEARSAL STUDIOS RECORDING STUDIOS AAA VHS REHEARSAL ROOMS Great facilities, great A L A N DAW S O N ’ S W I T Z E N D R ECO R D I N G STUDIO Prof quality albums or demos, large vibe & great price!!! Unit 5 /16 Peel Road, O’Connor. Phone 9418 5815 or 0413732885 live room, experienced engineer, analog to digital transfers, mastering. Alan 0407989128 BIGBEAT SOUND STUDIO Clean rooms, all new PA systems, air-con and good parking . Willetton Ph: www.witzendstudios.com 0425698117. ANALOG MASTERING VINTAGE TAPE, TUBES P L AT I N U M S O U N D RO O M S P ro fe s s i o n a l & TRANSFORMERS with the latest state of the rehearsal rooms, airconditioned, quality PAs mob art digital converters. Clients include: Melody’s 0418944722 Echo Chamber, Pond, Gossling, Knife Party, REHEARSAL ROOM & PA HIRE WITH OPERATOR Felicity Groom, The Floors, Jeff Martin & The 2800 Watt quality system or 5600 Watt. Fremantle Panics. World class facility, World class results. area. Bibra Lake studio. nw@centralbeat.com.au 0410485588 www.poonshead.com. 9339 4791 WWW. XP RE SS MAG.COM. AU
classic guitar tone covered. Both effects can be engaged and disengaged using an optional footswitch. The amp utilizes three 12AX7 preamp tubes and two EL84 tubes in the to deliver 15 watts of power, and when the amp is opened up this proves to be more than enough wattage for the stage. In addition to this, a switchable 8/16-ohm jack for external speaker cabinets allows for a little extra volume spread if needed. At a retail price of just $899, there’s a lot to like about the Vox AC15C1 Vintage Cream amplifier.
VOX AC15C1 Vintage Cream Amplifier
STREAM STUDIO’S 89 Stirling St, Perth. Mobile: 0403152009 info@streamrehearsal.com.au TUITION ***GUITAR LESSONS*** The Guitar Institute. New Studio New Times Avail. Online bookings. Beg to prof, all styles. Tutors WWC clearance. Cliff Lynton Guitar Institute. Mt Lawley 9342 3484/ www.clifflynton.com BASS GUITAR LESSONS AVAILABLE by WAAPA tutor. A practicle approach to learning. .All styles. Years of experience. Tony Gibbs 9470 6131
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