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IN THE PINES SECOND LINE UP ANNOUNCED
SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN
Held in the magical, mystical gardens of the Somerville Auditorium UWA, RTRFM’s In The Pines is back for its 23rd year showcasing the best in local emerging and established acts. On Sunday, April 24, a line-up of Perth favourites and fresher faces take to the stage, with the second line-up announcement earlier this week featuring The Benjamin Witt Band, Hussy, Heebiejeebies Peter Bibby, Skullcave, Tired Lion and Turnstyle, who will join the previously announced likes of Bucket, Davey Craddock & The Spectacles, Helta Skelta, The Pissedcolas, Joni In The Moon, Jacob Diamond and Verge Collection. Presale tickets are available now at $25 for RTRFM subscribers and $30 for general public. Tickets can be purchased from rtrfm.com.au or 78 Records and Mills Records.
The hit west end stage production, Singin’ In The Rain, will make its way to Perth in December for a season at Crown Theatre. Star of stage and screen Adam Garcia will play the lead role of Dom Lockwood in this production, the first play he will be starring in since 1992. This spectacular production is based on the iconic 1952 MGM movie of the same name starring Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds featuring all of those glorious showtunes including Good Morning, Make ‘Em Laugh, Moses Supposes, and the classic Singin’ In The Rain. For more info, check out: singin.com.au.
Tired Lion | Pic: Rachael Barrett
Singin’ In The Rain | Pic: Brian Geach
DEAFHEAVEN ANNOUNCE TOUR
THE VANNS ANNOUNCE NATIONAL TOUR
San Francisco-based heavy lifters Deafheaven have announced a run of Australian shows set for June. The WA leg of their tour will be happening at the Rosemount Hotel on Monday, June 6. In embracing harmony and discord in equal measure, Deafheaven are an utterly unique outfit. Anyone lucky enough to have experienced one of their live shows can attest to the sheer ferocity they bring to their art. Try it on via handsometours.com.
Hard working young trio, The Vanns, are once again hitting the road, stopping by our way at The Odd Fellow in Fremantle on Thursday, June 2; Settlers Tavern, Margaret River, on Friday, June 3, and Four5Nine Bar on Saturday, June 4. The band have been in the studio putting the finishing touches on their next single titled I’m Not The One. Tickets available from thevanns.com.au. The Vanns
Deafheaven
ENTRIES OPEN FOR THE 28TH ANNUAL WA SCREEN AWARDS FTI have announced that the nominations for the 28th Annual West Australian Screen Awards are now open. Entries are invited from WA filmmakers and game developers from 33 categories, closing 5pm Monday, April 4. Nominees will be announced at a function in late May and the 28th Annual WASAs will be held on Monday, July 4, at the Heath Ledger State Theatre. Winners will receive a custom made Geoffrey Drake-Brockman official WASA trophy and cash prize of $5000. Entry to the WASAs is through FTI’s online portal at fti.asn.au/watch/wasa.
EXTRA SHOW ANNOUNCED FOR LOUIS THEROUX
MAT’S BACK Having recovered from a 2015 back injury, Mat McHugh is set to take his music around Australia for a solo tour, swinging by Westside on Thursday, June 16, Jimmy’s Den; Friday, June 17, at Mojo’s; Saturday, June 18, at the Indi Bar and Sunday, June 19, at Clancy’s Dunsborough. Tickets are available from Oztix.com.au and Ticketbooth.com.au.
After pre-sale tickets continue to sell at a unprecedented rate, a second show in Perth is to be added to Louis Theroux Australian tour. An insight into his most popular BBC documentaries Weird Weekends and When Louis Met... these shows explore and reveal humans that live in the ultimate extremities of society. Performing at the Riverside theatre on Thursday-Friday, September 22-23, this is a storytelling not to be missed. Tickets via louistherouxlive.com. Louis Theroux | Pic: Carsten Windhorst
Mat McHugh 4
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Newsdesk Win Flesh Music Koi Child, The Cat Empire, Primal Scream Killswitch Engage, Stiff Little Fingers, The Big Splash 2016 New Noise
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Culture Hub Cover: Picnic At Hanging Rock The Hitlist, Lifestyle, Arj Barker Zootopia, Ciro Guerra, A Bigger Splash Feature: What’s On In April
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Scene Cover: Mosquito Coast Local News, Toby Live: Ash, Dixon, Sets On The Beach
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X-Press Guide
Front Cover: Koi Child have just released their self-titled debut EP and will perform on Saturday, April 2, at The J Shed, Fremantle, with DJ Defs Worthit (Kevin Parker DJ set), Benjamin Witt Band, Old Blood, Leon Osborn, POW Negro and Joe Macc. Scene Cover: Mosquito Coast, join Abbe May, Andy Bull, Art Of Sleeping, Jessie Davidson, Kingswood, Lurch & Chief, Shannon Noll, The Delta Riggs, Thundamentals, Yeo and more at the Ship-Wrecked Music Festival on Saturday, April 9, on the Victoria Park foreshore.
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WHERE TO INVADE NEXT
IN ZAYN Pillowtalk, the debut single by ZAYN immediately hit #1 on the iTunes chart in 68 countries including Australia upon its release in early February. It was the first glimpse of his first album, Mind Of Mine, set to be released on Friday, March 25, through Sony Music. We have five CD copies to give away.
HELL ON WHEELS: SEASON 5 PART A Hell On Wheels looks at the institutionalised greed and corruption behind the building of the Transcontinental Railroad as the race between the Central Pacific and Union Pacific intensifies. In Season 5, Cullen Bohannon (Anson Mount) finds himself a stranger in a strange land: Truckee, California. Home to the headquarters of the Central Pacific Railroad, this rough mountain railroad town swarms with thousands of Chinese workers who are foreign in language, culture and traditions. We have five DVD copies to give away.
America’s favourite political provocateur, Michael Moore, is back with his new film, Where To Invade Next. Honoured by festivals and critics groups alike, Where To Invade Next is an expansive, hilarious, and subversive comedy in which the Academy Award®-winning director confronts the most pressing issues facing America today and finds solutions in the most unlikely places. The creator of Fahrenheit 9/11 and Bowling For Columbine has returned with an epic movie that’s unlike anything he has done before—an eye-opening call to arms to capture the American Dream and restore it in, of all places, America. We have five double passes to give away.
PRINT & DIGITAL EDITIONS Publisher/Manager Joe Cipriani EDITORIAL - 9213 2888 MANAGING EDITOR Bob Gordon: editor@xpressmag.com.au GIG & EVENT GUIDES CO-ORDINATOR guide@xpressmag.com.au COMPETITIONS win@xpressmag.com.au For band gigs & launches: plugyourgig@xpressmag.com.au ADVERTISING - 9213 2888 LIFESTYLE STRATEGY MANAGER – AGENCY / DIRECT Jennifer Groves: advertising@xpressmag.com.au ENTERTAINMENT STRATEGY MANAGER ENTERTAINMENT / VENUES / LIVE AND DANCE MUSIC PROMOTERS / RECORD LABELS Zac Nichols: entertainment@xpressmag.com.au CLASSIFIEDS LINAGE classifieds@xpressmag.com.au PRODUCTION DEPARTMENT - 9213 2854 ART & CONTENT COORDINATOR Anthony Jackson: art@xpressmag.com.au DESIGN & PRODUCTION Anthony Jackson, Andy Quilty, Lauren Regolini PRINTING Rural Press Printing Mandurah DISTRIBUTION - 9213 2853: distribution@xpressmag.com.au ADMIN / ACCOUNTS - 9213 2888 Lillian Buckley: accounts@xpressmag.com.au EDITORIAL DEADLINES General: Friday 5pm, Eye4 Arts: Thursday 10am, WIN: Friday 5pm, Salt Clubs: Monday 5pm , Local Scene: Monday Noon, Gig Guide: Monday 5pm
Ash Grunwald
RAVO BLUES N’ ROOTS FESTIVAL Rock’n’roll up for the first annual Ravo Blues N Roots Festival at the Ravenswood Hotel on Saturday, April 9. It’s a huge line-up starring Russell Morris, Ash Grunwald, Dave Hole, Mike De Velta The John Read Band, Zac Linton Trio and Chris Mathews, from 4-10.30pm. We have two double passes to give away. 6
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ADVERTISING DEADLINES Cancellations: Monday 5pm, Ads to be set: Monday Noon Supplied Bookings / Copy: Tuesday 12 Noon, Classifieds: Monday 4pm Published by: Columbia Press Pty.Ltd. A.C.N. 066 570 803 Registered by Australia Post. Publication No PP600110.00006 Suite 55/102 Railway Street, City West Business Centre, West Perth, WA 6005 PO Box 732, West Perth, WA 6872 Phone: (08) 9213 2888 Fax: (08) 9213 2882 Website: http://www.xpressmag.com.au WARRANTY AND INDEMNITY Advertisers and/or their agents by lodging an advertisment shall indemnify the publisher, and its agents, against all liability claims or proceedings whatsoever arising from the publication. Advertisers and/or their representatives indemnify the publisher in relation to defamation, slander, breach of copyright, infringement of trademarks of name of publication titles, unfair competition or trade practices, royalties or violation of rights or privacy and warrant that the material complies with revelant laws and regulations and that its publication will not give rise to any rights against or liabilities in the publisher, its servants or agents. Any material supplied to X-Press is at the contributor’s risk.
33,560 OCTOBER 2012 MARCH 2013 - AUSTRALIA’S HIGHEST CIRCULATING STREET PRESS
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FAWLTY TOWERS - LIVE ON STAGE Based on the hilarious and much loved BBC TV series, Fawlty Towers has been adapted to the stage by creator and co-writer of the original series, John Cleese. Basil Fawlty, the proprietor and manager of the Torquay hotel, is snobbish, rude and one of the most iconic British comedy characters ever written who alongside his wife Sybil, encounter constant nuisances and guests from all walks of life. Basil will be played by Stephen Hall and Blazey Best will take on the role of Sybil. Performances at the Regal Theatre, Subiaco will run from November 17 to December 18. Tickets are on sale from Thursday, May 5. For more information visit fawltytowerslive.com.au.
KEEP ON RUNNING The Living End return after a five-year hiatus with a renewed and matured sound in the shape of their new single Keep On Running and the announcement of a national Tour. Full of swelling strings and some deeply personal themes, the single is just the introduction to their newest album, Shift, released on May 13. Their tease of Monkey, also featuring on the album is another example of their power as they freefall recklessly through punk and rock. The Australian rock gods grace the Astor Theatre on Thursday, June 16. Tickets available via tickets.theticketgroup.com. au from Thursday, March 24.
Marcia’s on the Hines seas
STICKY FINGERS - TWO WA SHOWS
GET INTO THE CRUISE Dust off those disco boots and sequin spangled dresses as the ‘70s and ‘80s return to the seas. With over 30 international acts and seven stages, the Cruise N’ Groove is the perfect musical holiday adventure. Leaving from Sydney for eight nights across the pacific, cruisers will be entertained by the likes of Boney M, Marcia Hines, Go West, Nik Kershaw, Brian Cadd, the Tina Turner show and 24 more incredible acts. Hosted on the luxurious cruise liner Radiance Of The Seas the cruise is set to sail through to New Caledonia and Vanuatu. Cruise N’ Groove sets sail from October 23-31, 2017. Prices start at a lean $2,649 pp twin share. For more information including how to book your cabin go to chooseyourcruise.com.au or call 1300 247 371.
Sticky Fingers are back on home soil and all set n’ ready for two WA shows as part of their Outcast At Last tour. They’ll be playing at the Beer Farm in Margaret River on Sunday March 27, and the Astor Theatre on Monday, March 28. Joining them on stage will be labelmates Bootleg Rascal, who have recently received a huge surge of support following their debut album and playing on Triple J’s Like a Version. For more info, check out: sureshaker.com
MATHAS
SWERVEDRIVER RETURN TO AUSTRALIA IN JUNE In 1990 London’s indie-rock guitar scene was developing a distinctive new psychedelic sound – swirly, dreamy, and layered with distorted guitars. Swervedriver stood out amongst the others, particularly with their hugely acclaimed album Mezcal Head, released in 1993. The band will return to Australia in June playing all the classics and tracks from their new album, I Wasn’t Born To Lose You, their first album since 1998. The WA leg of their tour will be happening at Amplifier Bar on Tuesday, June 28. Tickets are available from amplifiercapitol.com.au
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WA rapper Mathas is riding the wave of acclaim presently buoying him from the recent release of sophomore LP Armwrestling Atlas all the way to a national tour, unveiling brand new single Bravo Troll in the lead-up to his impending sojourn. Written on a 1979 Yamaha Electone C-35 Organ (we probably could just have said “old organ”, honestly), Bravo Troll explores troll folklore in a modern context. “Once upon a time, the Troll would hide under the bridge and threaten you on your way to the greener grass on the other side,” Mathas explained of the track in a statement. “Little has changed, only nowadays his intentions are a little less obvious.” Mathas will be taking the track — the first taste from his forthcoming Gripes With The Human Mind EP, due later this year — and a selection of other favoured bangers on the road from the end of next month, when he kicks off his national tour at Alice Springs’ Wide Open Space Festival on Saturday, April 30. From there, the rapper heads to venues around the nation, including Amplifier on Friday, May 20. WWW. XP RE SS MAG.COM. AU
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KOI CHILD Escape To Yunderup Touring for the release of Koi Child’s debut self-titled album that was released last week, vocalist and rapper Shannon Patterson chats with JAI CHOUHAN ahead of the final show of their national tour on Saturday, April 2, at The J Shed, Fremantle, with DJ Defs Worthit (Kevin Parker DJ set), Benjamin Witt Band, Old Blood, Leon Osborn, POW Negro and Joe Macc. Born from a one-off collaboration between local acts Child’s Play and Kashikoi, the resultant Koi Child have quickly risen to the forefront of Australian music under the wing of Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker. Recording the album in WA’s SouthWest over a period of 10 days, the group’s signature blend of hip hop and fusion has finally been gifted to the world. First getting together for a gig at X-Wray Cafe in Fremantle, the group’s beginnings was not much more than a lot of freestyling and solos to a modest crowd that included Tame Impala frontman, Kevin Parker. “Once we played the show, we found out Kev was there. He went home with Blake, our drummer to an after-party that he was having. He pretty much just asked Blake if we would like to support them on Rottnest Island in a few weeks’ time. Of course we said
PRIMAL SCREAM Chaos Cheery Primal Scream have just released their 11th album, Chaosmosis. BRYGET CHRISFIELD chats with vocalist, Bobby Gillespie. “We love the duality of ecstasy and pain, that’s what we love,” Primal Scream’s dapper frontman Bobby Gillespie says. “We love Motown songs, like, ‘Standing in the shadows of love... [I’m getting ready] for the heartaches to come’, or The Supremes, you know, ‘Set me free, why don’t ya babe?/Get out my life, why don’t ya babe?/ [‘Cause] you don’t really need me, you just keep me hangin’ on’. But when you hear the track you wanna dance to it. It’s an up tempo, high energy track that makes you wanna dance, but the lyrics are heartbreaking! “And I love that style, I just love that duality of ecstasy and pain and I think we got that on some of this record.” Primal Scream’s 11th studio album, Chaosmosis, certainly juggles melancholy and euphoria and this scribe particularly rates the track Carnival Of Fools with its taunting, bouncy hook and hushed, jilted vocals. “Oh, I saw Noel Gallagher the other night and he told me that was his favourite song,” Gillespie announces proudly. He’s obviously looking forward to playing Primal Scream’s upcoming European dates and Gillespie admits, “I feel good about myself when I’m on stage, you know, and I can’t say I always feel good about myself day to day, 10
yes, and that’s how we became a band. We weren’t actually going to be a band, it was just meant to be a one-off gig.” Ever since, Koi Child have gone from strength to strength signing to Perth’s own Pilerats Records and releasing a handful of video-clips. The last of which, 1-5-9, debuted on Pitchfork earlier this month. When it was time to start working on their first LP, the seven-piece decided to isolate themselves from the world. They went off the grid and deep into the South-West. “We’ve got a friend whose parents’ own this tiny shack in Yunderup. We spent 10 days down there, Kev came along and we just had a really good time. We bonded a lot, we had a lot of fun, we recorded, we rehearsed, we wrote and we came up with something really good. “With the instrumentals, they did it all first. I already had a whole bunch of lyrics stored up for anything I might’ve used. Once the instrumentals were all done, I would pick which raps would suit best for which beat with the feel and vibe of the song. After that was done I’d come up with the hooks and choruses.”
Being mentored through the album by Parker was an invaluable experience to have. Not only did his involvement draw media attention, but it also brought the best out of their unique brand hip-hop-jazz fusion. “At the very first, it was slightly intimidating because of what a rock star he is. But he’s really nice and really cool.
I’m not bad these days, years ago — not very good, but it was always like that hour or so onstage where you felt alright about yourself. “I think it’s why it’s addictive; that’s why no one can give this touring shit up, you know? I’m sure The Stones don’t need any more money, but they’re still out there playing. When everybody in the band’s on the same beam of light or, you know, hitting the same groove in the same pocket - it’s incredible.” Although he believes musicians are “fucking nonverbal”, Gillespie says, “I’m fortunate that I can talk, you know, my son is the same - he can talk. And a lot of these guys: they play, but they don’t talk, you know? Yeah, interesting. But I think most people can’t speak to each other... apart from basic stuff like, ‘Can you pass me the sauce?’” Gillespie is sober these days, but that doesn’t mean he turns his nose up at those around him who continue to indulge. “I’m happy for people to get wasted, you know? I really don’t judge people at all, far from it; I just think that it’s cool if that’s what people wanna do. It’s their life. I just can’t
handle it, you know; it’s just not right for me at this point in my life. So I’m just taking care of my own business and I’m happy for everyone else to party. I can still have a party, you know, I just do it in a different way now.
original work. It’s littered with Parker’s psych sensibilities and the finished product can’t be described as anything but ‘big’. “With the horns coming in so powerfully you can’t really avoid it, especially with the rap chorus,” Patterson says. “It’s always going to sound really big. We love that anyway and it really works well live.” As for the group going overseas, it’s all in the works but it can be difficult to coordinate with that many people. “Money’s always an issue, visas too. The fact that I’m South African makes it a little harder to travel. We want to take our music to the world, as anybody would and we kind of have that opportunity now. Sooner or later it will happen.”
He respects us, you know? Throughout the mixing of the album, if there was anything we needed more of or less of, he wouldn’t hesitate to tell us. It’s nice to know he’s capable of almost anything we could ask for. It was a true blessing.” The resulting 13-track album selftitled album is a wonderfully crafted and
It’s not a big deal.” When asked whether there’s people he avoids now that he’s clean, Gillespie offers, “When you quit takin’ drugs, a lotta people who used to try and hang out with ya don’t wanna hang out with ya anymore, you know?
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It’s almost like the vampires don’t wanna... you’re livin’ in the daytime, you’re not livin’ in the night time, you know?” Gillespie says “he could live anywhere” and doesn’t “get tied to cities”. “I remember we went to America for three weeks and the guys in the band were like, ‘We just wanna go home now,’ and I was thinkin’, ‘Fuck, we’re just getting goin’, this is amazing!’ you know? I didn’t wanna go home, ‘cause I just had a shitty flat in Brighton. I was like, ‘I’d rather be here in America’. You know, I guess they were junkies — they wanted to go back and get heroin — so that’s why they wanted to go back.”
KILLSWITCH ENGAGE Re-Incarnate With original vocalist Jesse Leach’s return to metalcore fivepiece Killswitch Engage solidified, the group’s seventh studio album, Incarnate, is massively anticipated. Lead guitarist, Joel Stroetzel, speaks with AARON BRYANS about Leach’s return, the band’s future plans and the new album. Shortly after Killswitch Engage’s second studio album, Alive And Breathing, began to take metalcore fans by storm, vocalist Jesse Leach suddenly departed the group following a battle with depression. The shocking announcement failed to halt the group’s momentum and 10 years later Leach would return to the now established and well-respected group ready to kick on where he had left off. “I think Jesse’s a better singer then he ever has been,” guitarist, Joel Stroetzel, says. “I think he’s done a lot of work, he’s really dedicated. He’s discovered parts of his vocal range he didn’t really have in terms of high notes and more melodic stuff and the screams he does. He’s fun to work with and he has some great ideas, hopefully he keeps us going.” With the past behind them,
STIFF LITTLE FINGERS
Killswitch are looking ahead to the release of their seventh studio album, Incarnate, which Stroetzel believes is their most diverse and engaging record to date. “One of the things we’re most proud of is the flow of it,” Stroetzel reveals. “It’s a good mix of heavy, thrash-y and melodic. You have to hear it from start to finish to hear all the stuff. A lot of our other songs in the past every element that we do is in this one song and I think this one is a little bit different. It’s
THE BIG SPLASH BAND COMP 2016 Entries Now Open The Big Splash Band Competition, enters its fourth year in 2016, regarded as one of Perth’s most prestigious prizes for emerging bands.
The good news is, it’s now open for entries. A cool $10,000 is once again up for grabs for the winning band courtesy of our favourite rock’n’roll philanthropist, Maria Florides. Over 540 bands have taken part in The Big Splash in its first three years, with winners Jacob Diamond, Hideous Sun Demon and Scalphunter kicking goals ever since taking out the top spot in their respective years. The competition, however, has proven a great step for all the bands who have entered in terms of mentorship, networking opportunities and profile. So, emerging band members, get amongst it. You can enter via thebigsplashbandcomp.com/ schedule-2016/.
Last year’s Big Splash winner Jakob Diamond takes home a big ol’ $10,000 cheque
a little bit more of a rollercoaster ride.” “I really like what Jesse did on this record, it’s his record, he really shines. He’s found his voice and his range and I love the melodic stuff he’s doing. Hopefully people enjoy it as much as we do. “Everybody’s really excited with the new record and ready to do some touring. We’ve been home for a little bit which has been nice and now it’s time to go back to work and get these songs out there. I don’t see anybody wanting to slow down soon.”
Burns was attracted to the opportunity for individual expression that punk afforded, but was quickly repelled by the dumbing down of the genre into mindless
Goodwill Punking Irish punk rock heroes Stiff Little Fingers play Capitol on Tuesday, March 29. SHANE PINNEGAR reports. Nearly 40 years after they first got together, Stiff Little Fingers are still producing politically volatile music, and playing around the world. “It’s ridiculous, isn’t it?” vocalist, Jake Burns, laughs. “People have asked me many times recently, ‘so, you’ve been doing this for nearly 40 years, did you think that was going to be the case when you started out?’ Of course the answer is no! I’m pleasantly baffled, I guess. I’m pleased that people are still interested in the band, I’m delighted we can still do it.” The band’s most recent album, 2014’s No Going Back, saw them score their first number one on the BBC Rock Albums Chart. No doubt finally scoring a number one album after being a band for, at that stage, something like 38 years, is testament to the goodwill Burns and Stiff Little Fingers have built up over that time. “I think that’s actually a very good word for it,” he says. “When we split up briefly in the early ‘80s - I say briefly, but we didn’t even talk to each other for four years or so when we actually reformed the band, I think that was the thing that overwhelmed me more than even the numbers of people that came out to see us. The warmth and affection really blew me away.”
Mohawks, gobbing and safety-pins-as-fashion. “I always saw punk as an empowering thing, and saw it as a chance to stand up and, not necessarily vent, but the chance to be yourself, the chance to be an individual. I think that’s why I was saddened by the way it’s developed over the years. Very quickly there was a set of rules around it. You had to have the right haircut, you had to have the right number of studs on your leather jacket and the right band names on the back. I do find it depressing, really.” The ever-present fear of terrorism around the world makes early Stiff Little Fingers singles like Suspect Device or Alternative Ulster, both released in 1978, just as relevant (or more so) today. “Yeah, and that’s a sad reflection,” he says, “because I was kind of hoping that if I would still be playing those songs at this stage in my life, I really hoped they’d be sounding almost like old folk songs, you know? Like, ‘here’s a song we wrote about the bad old days, luckily things have moved on’. But you’re right, sadly they haven’t.”
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NEW NOISE
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BEN HARPER & THE INNOCENT CRIMINALS
PSYCHEDELIC PORN CRUMPETS
Call It What It Is Stax/Caroline
High Visceral (Part 1) Independent
Following their reunion tour of last year, Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals release their first record together in over eight years. Call It What It Is kicks off with promise as Harper delivers a tune that sounds like ‘90s indie-pop. When Sex Was Dirty has prominent cowbell, a lazy swagger and a chorus full of na-na-na’s, and would only be bettered if the lyrics weren’t so grating. It doesn’t take long for Harper to become political when he references Trayvon Martin and Ezell Ford on the title track, but the tune loses its potency when backed with a pedestrian blues soundtrack. Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals want you to call it what it is. In this instance, what it is consists of a few good tunes and a bunch of average ones.
With the recent rise of bands like Methyl Ethyl and King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, prog-rock has become a fickle and often nasty territory for newer artists to approach without being haphazardly judged and written off. Their craft inherently demands more effort from listeners and is purposely not all that accessible. High Visceral {Part One} from Perth’s Psychedelic Porn Crumpets flips the bird to the status quo, and bravely makes its mark on the prog-rock landscape regardless. There’s certainly a familiarity in the sounds and textures, but the budding ideas from songwriter Jack McEwan hold the album together. There’s brilliance hidden in these tracks, but because it’s so obscured it underscores the magic and ensures only dedicated listeners will reap a gorgeous sonic reward.
CHRIS HAVERCROFT
THE BENNIES
BAAUER
Wisdom Machine Poison City Records
Aa
Melbourne’s The Bennies party so well that a lot of their music is dismissed as some sort of parody. Their latest LP, Wisdom Machine, may go a long way to changing minds on this. Still capturing the frantic fun and outrageous humour of The Bennies, Wisdom Machine has pushed the band so that they deliver more politically charged and musically bold tracks, which slot in nicely alongside hazy-eyed anthems. The genre-smashing enthusiasm from the band is clear, and yet the mix works surprisingly well. Menacing tracks like Corruption, a commentary on law enforcement featuring a Sabbath-style doom riff, contrast highly personal lyrics and brass melodies in tracks like O Brother, Where Art Thou? The Bennies have managed to pull out their best release to date.
Most people will know 26-year-old Baauer as the creator of Harlem Shake (yes, from the memes), but he’s since been trying to gain respectability as a producer by collaborating with various artists. Your mileage may vary, though. About half the songs feature instrumentals containing nothing but chopped vocal samples. Those who are tuned in will find plenty to like in Baauer’s hyperactive rhythms and playful soundscapes. Hard-edged rap fans should enjoy the hellish electro-trap of Day Ones, the most remarkable song here, and Kung Fu, featuring Future and Pusha T, where the latter refers to coke as ‘Macklemore’.
Warp/Inertia
JOHN PAPADOPOULOS
MARK BERESFORD
CRAIG ENGLISH
THE CAT EMPIRE
both recording, and particularly playing live, is something that has kept the group going since its formation in the late ‘90s. “I think a big thing for us is because we are an eight-piece band - and also anyone who has seen us live - the live experience is
says keeps all the members enthusiastic, especially during live shows. “When we started out we all came from a jazz background and so it was born out of jazz and we brought some of the things that make jazz what it is, spontaneity
different to the recorded experience - and the live energy is what we are all about. Being such a big band, it is everyone’s band and no one’s band at the same time. “It is no one’s pet project or ego booster, it is just a group that gets together and plays and the crowd brings a lot to it in the performances.” All the members of the group share a common love of jazz, something that Angus
and improvisation. “When we first started out we were listening to a lot of world music such as Buena Vista Social Club. “And that shows in a lot of our music, it is quite simple, just a little bit of flavour from here and there that we borrow, we put some horns and percussion and pianos and scratching together and it invokes a lot of things.
The Sun Awakes After more than a decade and countless national and international tours, fans of The Cat Empire will be pleased to hear the funky jazz/ska/indie rock band is not slowing down anytime soon. The group has just released its seventh album, Rising With The Sun, recently debuting at #1 on the ARIA National Album Chart. TIM MAYNE talks with Harry James Angus about what keeps the band going and capturing their unique live sound on the record. The Cat Empire has just finished a huge 18-month stint touring the world, including a sold out show at the Royal Albert Hall in London. The band managed to piece together their seventh album in short stays in their hometown of Melbourne, something that vocalist/horn player, Harry James Angus, says was a feat in itself. “Somehow we managed to record this latest record in dribs and drabs when we were home. Since then we have been taking a break and waiting for this album to come out and staying at home.” Angus says the band’s attitude to 12
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“We didn’t think too hard about what we are trying to do we just go out and play.” The band says it worked on capturing that spontaneity in its latest album, something that fans who have experienced The Cat Empire live will recognise in many of the tracks. “A lot of the songs on the record were born out of that energy of just making music together and seeing which direction it leads us. “Like with the single, Wolves, the beat and atmosphere came out of the studio and a lot of the songs were tracked and recorded from playing together and I really feel we captured the energy of playing together. “It was actually quite easy we just put everyone in the room and pressed record.” The band are quick to emphasise the power the The Cat Empire’s live shows, something Angus says is what the band lives for. “Being part of The Cat Empire is better than sitting at a desk all day, it is pretty fun - the band is visceral force, I don’t think there is any deep ideology or mission driving us. “It is a very simple thing when we play as it is always a good feeling, just intense and a rush and I like that and I don’t see any reason to stop.”
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PICNIC AT HANGING ROCK Joan Lindsay’s 1967 Picnic At Hanging Rock is an Australian literary classic, with postcolonial, feminist and, yes, supernatural themes. And today adaptations are flourishing. Peter Weir first transformed Picnic At Hanging Rock into mythic ‘70s cinema. Recently, the novel was turned
into a musical that randomly premiered in… Utah. Now, Tom Wright has written a suspenseful new play. Picnic At Hanging Rock is set in Victoria’s Macedon region. On St Valentine’s Day, 1900, a group from a prestigious ladies college journey to Hanging Rock to picnic. Three of the girls — including saintly Miranda
— and their mathematics mistress vanish. The mystery subsumes the lives of all those connected to the day’s events. Lindsay wrote her tome as if based on a true account - it wasn’t. But Picnic At Hanging Rock is no sensationalised conceit. “We’ve been approaching the work as a Greek chorus, in a way, trying to really conjure the language of the story...” Melbourne actor Nikki Shiels -
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who, aside from starring in Neighbours as nurse Belinda Bell, has worked extensively on stage - viewed Weir’s film and dipped into the book, while prepping for Patrick White’s Night On Bald Mountain. She sought “...to get the sense of the Australian Gothic and the annihilation of the Australian landscape in literature”. Continued on page 18...
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WHISK CREAMERY You had us at “custom-made doughnut ice cream cones.”
SECRET WALLS
Secret Walls x Australia’s Kaye Guthrie Adonis says the artists for this event needed to be a little bit bold and a little bit fearless, because it’s 90 minutes live, black and
The HOWA Positivity Hoodie Project In an inspired partnership, Secret Walls and Humans of Western Australia are teaming up for a live art event that both entertains and inspires: aiming to raise awareness of Perth’s homeless population while also providing Perth’s homeless with brand new clothing for the colder months. The concept is brilliant: nine artists will draw freestyle with black markers, a 90-minute battle in front of the crowd on a 16 metre wall, with results judged by Brand Agency’s Craig Buchanan and HOWA’s Stuart Holden. The winning design will be printed onto hoodies the public can purchase, but for the $60 price tag two hoodies will also be donated to Perth’s homeless. (You can write a positive note to be placed inside the hoodies, if you like.) This means instead of wearing cast-offs, Perth’s homeless are given hoodies for the winter created and paid for with them specifically in mind.
emerging and established. So why not have a fun night out while also supporting local artists, and maybe purchase a hoodie for yourself, not to mention two more for Perth’s homeless, while you’re at it? “Sometimes people never get a chance to see people work live, I mean its amazing, just to watch them in 90 minutes produce something right there in front of your eyes,” says Adonis. “I’m always blown away every Secret Wall, because I know I could never, ever do it. But it also might give you a little bit of inspiration to come up and try or get involved in some way, and that’s what it’s really white, with no reference material: “There’s a all about: to basically say, if you’re thinking crowd, there’s music, there’s energy.” She says about it, just do it.” normally they have two teams, but because of Secret Walls x HOWA: The HOWA the nature of this event it’s a little different, and she’s focussed on sourcing nine artists who can Positivity Hoodie Project takes place on bring their own special quality and background Thursday, March 24, rear carpark 334 Beaufort St Perth, 6-10pm, $10 entry. Featured artists to the project. “I also mixed it, with a lot of include Fajar, Idol Motions, Dipesh Prasad, emerging artists and some more established Shlives, Nathan Richards, Bertie Louise, Jennifer artists, because this is a great forum for them Taylor, Tyson Elmer, and Michelle Naumovski. to meet each other and help each other. A lot Featured DJs and MCs include Optamus, of these guys have been painting for years but some have never painted with Secret Walls, and Charlie Bucket & Ben Chill, Silvertongue, Stian MacShane and Beckon & Gamski. never painted live.” If the altruistic nature of the event GILLIAN O’MEAGHER isn’t enough inspiration to come down (but it really should be!), Adonis points out the DJs and MCs are some of Perth’ best—both
PARLOUR THE GLOBE Tucked away in 140 in the CBD is the latest addition to Perth’s burgeoning bar scene, an upscale but relaxed watering hole.
Curate @ Home Described as the Airbnb for gigs, PARLOUR is a Melbournebased technology start-up that allows its subscribers to book local artists and create bespoke gigs staged at their very own homes. Anyone can sign up as a host to hold their own backyard, garden or lounge room gig, and PARLOUR help you through it, from finding bands in your area or tastes, booking them and helping promote it to your friends. You can also sign up as a guest and be told about upcoming house or garden gigs in your area.
SHORT ORDER BURGER CO. If they’re not the best burgers in Fremantle they’re not far off.
talent, but not always as many opportunities for them to reach and build their audience,” Tucak says, “but we do have a lot of great open spaces and weather here, and people who love to see live music. So despite not having the same audience or entertainment zone densities as, say Melbourne, a model like PARLOUR can be perfect for Perth, providing a whole new range of live music experiences, including to audiences who might not otherwise go to see gigs in traditional venues.” To find out more, head to parlourgigs.com.
Helen Shanahan performs at Michael Tucak’s PARLOUR house event Pic: Ella Wright
Lawyer and local culture advocate, Michael Tucak, has kicked the ball off for Parlour in Perth, hosting the first gig last weekend at his home, with performances from Michael Savage, Helen Shanahan With Matt Allen, Marley Wynne, Davey Craddock & Mo Wilson. “I’ve always believed Perth has a huge amount of creative and musical
BOB GORDON
A NEW DEVILLES?
Last year saw a number of venue’s close their doors in WA, with fan favourite The Bakery also wrapping up trade around the same time Devilles Pad. More details on Badlands Bar are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
Once Upon A Time In The Badlands
SMALL PRINT You may have hit the Print Hall, but have you tried Small Print? The Brookfield Place bakery is worth your time and money. 16
A year after closing its doors, beloved WA live music venue and hangout Devilles Pad has announced it will reopen to live music under the name Badlands Bar in the coming months following renovations. The revered space opened for one night only last week to host a secret show for Arizona-based Tex-Mex band Calexico, giving a handful of punters a chance to check out the exciting transformation and venue operators an
DANIEL CRIBB
Happy campers at the Calexico show Pic: Gavin Partridge
opportunity to test out a new sound system. The revamped space features a bigger stage, new PA system and will also see a new green room built, with a focus on live music and touring acts.
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ARJ BARKER
My Head also tackles a somewhat pressing issue in a comic way. With a personal insight into Barker’s life and some serious social commentary contained within, his new show sees a big step forward. “A big part of the show is how we’re being affected in the digital age. I call it the heavily imageLooking Ahead saturated age that we live in, and how it’s been affecting people on a personal level and Arj Barker brings his show, Get In how we are becoming focused on appearance My Head, to the Regal Theatre, and essentially becoming more shallow. on Thursday-Friday, May 12-13, “We’re all just pretty goofed up as part of the Perth Comedy right now, but that’s maybe not the biggest Festival. DANIEL CRIBB reports. problem. I just wish that we were becoming more enlightened… I don’t see myself as Comedy maestro Arj Barker is in the midst a prophet or somebody that’s message of “boring shit” when he answers his phone will change the world or anything; I’m just from an Adelaide hotel room, but the truth commenting on it. Hopefully I’m doing my is he’s far from living a monotonous life. He’s part; but I’m really just trying to get laughs, working on a new show, but bringing another, I’ll be honest.” Get In My Head, to Perth for the first time.
VISUAL ARTS
FESTIVALS
PICA Jan-July Program Perth Institute Of Contemporary Arts (PICA) has released its guide for the next six months up to July. Exhibitions, performances, resident artists and education dominate the scene, providing a landscape for wide community to enjoy, including pieces such as Nathalie Djurberg & Hans Berg’s The Secret Garden, the always massive Revelation Film Festival, PVI Collective’s blackmarket, and more. For the full program, head to pica.org.au.
Fairbridge Festival A stellar lineup was announced last week for the upcoming Fairbridge Festival - leading the list of names, which span across folk, country, Americana and world music include Things Of Stone & Wood, Neil Murray, Bullhorn, Tinpan Orange, Los Kumbia Killers, and Phillip Henry & Hannah Martin. The event takes place over three days from April 15-17, with early bird tickets available until February 19 from Moshtix. For more info, head to fairbridgefestival.com.au.
2016 Stations Of The Cross Art Exhibition Wesley Uniting Church in the City, one of Perth’s oldest and most iconic churches, is once again presenting the Stations Of the Cross Art Exhibition this Easter. Fifteen Western Australian visual artists have been invited to participate in this year’s event which will feature newly created artworks, specially commissioned for the show. The artists have each been challenged to draw on their own personal understanding of the meaning of Easter and share their thoughts and ideas in a newly created artwork. The exhibition is open daily from 9am to 5pm and runs from Saturday, March 19, to Monday March 28. Entry is free.
Fremantle Street Arts Festival The Fremantle Street Arts Festival returns in full force for the 2016 Easter Long Weekend - Saturday, March 26, to Monday, March 28. Performers from around the globe will invade the streets, spreading across Market Fremantle Street Arts Festival
THEATRE/DANCE/ PERFORMANCE Picnic At Hanging Rock Black Swan State Theatre Company brings Peter Weir’s seminal Australian film to the stage in this new production directed by Matthew Lutton. In 1901, a rural community is thrown into disarray when a group of schoolgirls goes missing after the eponymous picnic. It runs from Friday, April 1, until Sunday, April 17, at the State Theatre Centre. Go to bsstc. com.au for tickets and session times.
The show is an interesting change of pace from its predecessor, Go Time. “Go Time had a few musical elements, and this more of a straight standup show,” he says. “I talk about everything from having children, to ISIS, to boners. I talk about the difference between a sex boner and a boner that you just get: the boner that just comes out of nowhere. So I have a close look at that, and I found some pretty good material in there. I try to open up a lot in the show, and be a little honest. Like, it gets pretty intense. People cry. I cry.” But it’s not just dick jokes and cheap observational humour on offer, Get In
The wider Australian community fell in love with Barker after he appeared as Dave in Flight Of The Conchords. He left a lasting impression and with some luck, we’ll hopefully see him return to the small screen soon – that’s if he can invest any time in the new project among his hectic touring schedule. “Me and a pal are trying to develop a TV show together, so that’ll probably be a halfhour show, based maybe in Melbourne, but we’ll see if someone buys it,” Barker reveals. “It’s too early to discuss [the premise], but suffice to say I’ll be the star and we hope it’ll be really good.”
Street, South Terrace, High Street, Esplanade Reserve, Fremantle Prison and Victoria Quay, turning them into stages to amuse, astound and amaze. The festival will showcase the world of busking, street theatre, comedy, circus, cabaret and lots more. Get involved in the action and witness first class acts right on your doorstep. Best of all, the whole thing’s free.
Tommy Tiernan - Out Of The Whirlwind: Riverside Theatre Irish comedian Tommy Tiernan has announced his Out Of The Whirlwind tour, coming to Australia in April. Tiernan rounds out the visit at Riverside Theatre on Monday, April 25. The satirist remains as edgy, seductively malevolent, and breathlessly funny as his debut Alliance Francaise French Film Festival:Luna in 1992, being praised for bringing “his vision Palace Cinemas to life with empathic comic power.” For more Once again a fantastic sampler of details, check out tommytiernan.com. contemporary French cinema comes our way courtesy of Luna Palace Cinemas and Fawlty Towers - Live On Stage Alliance Francaise. Titles this year include A One of the most beloved television series Perfect Man, Love At First Child, Marguerite, of all time comes to the stage for a strictly Mon Roi, First Growth, Taj Mahal, Un Plus Une limited engagement. Written by series and Valley Of Love. Also, for the first time the creator John Cleese, Fawlty Towers - Live festival will be screening the first two episodes On Stage sees Stephen Hall as outrageous of some of France’s most popular television hotelier Basil Fawlty and Blazey Best as his shows, including Baron Noir, Un Village long-suffering wife Sybil in a show that is sure to have fans of British comedy howling Francais, The Bureau and Call My Agent!. It with laughter. Check in at the Regal Theatre runs at Cinema Paradiso, Windsor Cinema and Luna on SX from Wednesday, March 16 from Thursday, November 17, until Sunday, Thursday, April 7, 2016. For full details, go to December 18. lunapalace.com.au.
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Spanish Affair 2
Spanish Film Festival 2016 Spanish Affair 2 heads up the roster of great cinema coming our way with this year’s Spanish Film Festival. Running at Cinema Paradiso and Luna On SX from Wednesday, April 21, until Wednesday, May 11, the festival brings us the best cinema the Spanish-speaking diaspora has to offer. For more details, head to lunapalace.com.au.
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Continued from page 15... The roles in Picnic At Hanging Rock, directed by Malthouse Theatre’s Matthew Lutton, are initially fluid. “It’s very much an ensemble-driven piece. Tom’s adaptation has remained very poetically rich and quite truthful to Lindsay’s novel, but it is a play for five female Australian voices. There’s quite a large amount of direct address. We’ve been approaching the work as a Greek chorus, in a way, trying to really conjure the language of the story and create nature through our voices and the words that Tom’s written for us. But, as the production takes shape, we do each become inhabited by different characters and story lines through Lindsay’s novel.” Shiels “manifests” Irma, the solitary girl found, but who suffers amnesia. There can be no Picnic At Hanging Rock spoilers as the mystery is never solved. This caused frustration, even furore, when Weir’s film screened Stateside. Yvonne Rousseau’s 1980 The Murders At Hanging Rock advanced the theory that two other picnickers — a visiting minor English aristocrat and stablehand — committed an elaborate rape and murder. “It is a thriller,” Shiels responds. Lindsay’s withheld final chapter, The Secret Of Hanging Rock, was published posthumously. However, with the author introducing the concept of wormholes, it’s so surreal and
CIRO GUERRA Welcome To The Jungle This year saw the first Colombian film ever to receive an Academy Award nomination for the Best Foreign Film. Although it didn’t win, director Ciro Guerra is incredibly proud of his work Embrace Of The Serpent, and what it means for his country’s film industry. We spoke to the director about this film shot deep in the Colombian Amazon. The original inspiration for Embrace Of The Serpent came from looking back at history. “The film is inspired by the journals of two explorers, who were the first to travel to the Colombian Amazon in the early 20th century,” said Guerra. “I was interested in them as the Amazon is still a fairly unknown place for us. It is a part of Colombia we haven’t had made stories from, and this seemed exciting and thrilling. Once I had read them there was no turning back, I had to do this movie.” Yet as Guerra began to work on the script, something changed. As he received more feedback from the Amazonian community the script became something else, something that reflected both of the cultures 18
speculative as to offer nothing tangible. Shiels laughs, “I’ve heard that it’s got a very ‘70s vibe about it.” Like the novel, Wright’s “horror” is existential and ambiguous. “The scariest thing I think is that there’s no answer to the mystery!” Indeed, the play, picking up on Lindsay’s fascination with temporality, rather “poses questions”. “There’s a huge theme of time in the novel and in Tom’s adaptation — Picnic At Hanging Rock | Pic: Pia Johnson
time and suspension and this idea of being on the precipice, being young, disappearing into a black hole, like [a] third dimension… What actually happens when time slows down? Does another reality occur? Is everyone experiencing the same thing? What does the rock contain? Does it contain time? What does time look like? It’s all these kind of really philosophical and mysterious questions that in some way nature does hold the answers to and that we as humans can ever know.” CYCLONE
being discussed, and something that was very unique. “It was a Western story. Everything was clear and explained, everything was appropriately period. Once we began working with Amazonian communities we began to realise dream and imagination were just as important as the scientific past. We realised what was to make this film special, was to tell the story from their point of view, and to bring the audience in. The story became more and more Amazonian story telling.” So for seven weeks the crew filmed in the Amazon. Not using lighter digital cameras, but rather going for the organic feel of film. “It was a challenge. You need a crew that believes in Ciro Guerra the project and has an adventurous spirit to get through. Using film and natural light... it gives a more organic feel to the movie. Also with that sort of weather, film cameras react better than digital. They were developed to shoot war and on the battlefield.” “For me though, it was that organic feel that prompted the decision to shoot on film. Filming in black and white gave the film the haunting power of the initial explorers photographs. What you see in them is an Amazon completely different to what you have in your head. It feels a different world and time. We also realised when we were there, that it was not possible to truly convey the colours of the Amazon on film. They were special colours.” DAVID O’CONNELL
ZOOTOPIA Wild In The Streets Directed by Byron Howard, Rich Moore, Jared Bush Starring Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Idris Elba Zootopia is a wondrous city where predator and prey learnt to live in harmony. Today, it is a thriving metropolis where officer Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin), becomes the first rabbit to serve on the police force. Yet something is not right in the city. A number of predators having recently disappeared, and this points to a secret that could threaten its very existence. With the reluctant help of Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman), a con-artist fox, Hopps has just 48 hours to solve the case. It’s strange to see Walter Hill’s 48 Hours playing out in a Disney film, but Zootopia certainly shares its DNA, along with a number of more adult police dramas. From 21 Jump Street (the main character is a reference to series regular Judy Hoffs) to Starsky And Hutch, Zootopia has a lot of Easter eggs that will fly over the younger audiences head. That’s because at its heart Zootopia is a clever police thriller with a coating of “kid-friendly” placed over it. Still this is more than just a veneer, as the film tries to please both of its
audiences, making something that can appeal on numerous levels. Even its core moral lesson is not just a simple one of equality and race relations. The audiences perspective shifts through the film as we learn of more of Wilde’s past, as well as the nature of the conspiracy being enacted. Instead we are forced to look at a more nuanced approach of empathy and acceptance. All this points to the fine balancing game that Zootopia is playing, in trying to appeal to multiple age groups on multiple levels. On one side it is bright and colourful, with a crisply designed world, funny one liners and some fast paced action beats. On the other, it is a solid noir genre script full of twists Zootopia and turns, great world building and a complex moral. That it manages to land both audiences speaks volumes of the skill of all involved. The animation is breath-taking. Character designs are clean, bright and engaging, even before the talented voice cast bring their skills to play. It is the details of the city itself that truly showcase the skill of Disney’s animation team. You feel a sense of wonder seeing it, but the nuances are there, making everything seem believable. Targeting young and old alike, Zootopia is wildly enjoyable. DAVID O’CONNELL
LUCA GUADAGNINO Making A Splash What originally drew Italian director Luca Guadgino to A Bigger Splash was very simple. “Desire,” says Guadagnino. The director’s latest film is a loose adaptation of the 1969 Italian-French film La Piscine. “Studiocanal had it in their library and they wanted a revamp. I found there was a possibility as it was dealing with the same themes, especially desire. I enjoyed being able to make a movie about four adults, and showing the behaviour of these people being able to interact with one another.” Set on the remote island of Pantelleria, this version is a tale about a rock star and her partner’s idyllic retreat being shattered by a visitor from the past, and the tragic consequences that follow. For his lead role Guadagnino cast Tilda Swinton as Marianne Lane, a gender flipped Bowie-like rock star. Although Swinton had a unique take on the character, playing it mute. “Tilda had this great intuition that because Harry (Ralph Fiennes) was impossible to stop talking, she should be quiet. Seeing how the two interact would be stronger if communication came from a different way. Not just talking.” The two have a long working relationship beginning with Guadagnino’s first feature, The Protagonists. “Not the first time, nor is it going to be the last I work with her. We have been working
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together for 21 years.” Yet it is Fiennes that steals the show with an over the top performance as the manic record producer Harry. “When I saw the trailer to The Grand Budapest Hotel, with him playing such a wit, I thought he would be amazing in the movie. He’s a fantastic actor.” In perhaps the most memorable scene of the film Fiennes puts it all out there with a show-stopping dance number to The Rolling Stones’ Emotional Rescue. “With that scene we wanted we wanted it to summarise Harry’s way of life. With that dance we wanted him to be the Luca Guadagnino epitome of his existence in the world. This is his life.” It was something Guadagnino feels Fiennes needed no advice for, encapsulating the rock and roll lifestyle. In fact Ronnie Wood and Charlie Watts actually provided a little background story for the character of Harry to tell, as he talks about the recording of Moon Is Up. “The Stones were part of the history and the legacy of the character. Harry takes great pride in being part of the history of that world.” With a remake of the horror classic Suspiria being Guadgino’s next project, we should see more of interest from him in the future. DAVID O’CONNELL
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WA YOUTH JAZZ ORCHESTRA PRESENTS: THE PREMISS COLLECTIVE With two unexpected genres of music coming together, in the form of hip hop and jazz, Wa Youth Jazz Orchestra Presents: The Premiss Collective is a show simply to be seen. Featuring five of Australia’s top emerging MC’s - Coin Banks, Silvertounge, Marksman Lloyd, Hyclass and Alex Ford - their lyrical rhymes and quick tongues will come head to head with a live band, horn section and vocalists in the shape of WAYJO. It’s all place on Friday, April 8, at the State Theatre Centre Courtyard, tickets are available through ticketek.com.au or by calling 13 82 49.
Coin Banks
Ed Kuepper
Spanish Affair 2
ED KUEPPER ANNOUNCES NATIONAL TOUR Australian music legend Ed Kuepper has added Perth to his upcoming slate of tour dates. The Perth gig will take place Saturday, April 9, at the Fly By Night Club. The tour is in support of his latest solo/electric album release, Lost Cities. Kuepper says of the album, “When I was a kid I always processed recordings as a kind of singular whole, so when I started to play the guitar I wanted my playing to be the entire orchestra/band rather than just the guy strumming in the corner. A good example would be when I played Nights In Venice on the first Saints LP. Lost Cities continues that approach but also moves into the tonal opposite of what I started.” For ticket info, check out flybynight.org.
SPANISH FILM FESTIVAL PROGRAM ANNOUNCEMENT From April 21 to May 1, Cinema Paradiso will be showcasing a wealth of Spanish films, from comedies, to dramas, romances, and thrillers. Some of the films include: Spanish Affair 2, Isla Bonita, Truman, Sidetracked, Nothing In Return, Innocent Killers, and The Clan. For more information, head to spanishfilmfestival.com or lunapalace.com.au
Georgy Girl
GEORGY GIRL - THE SEEKERS MUSICAL One of Australia’s most beloved the treasures The Seekers are celebrated in a brand new musical set to rock Perth theatre from July 8. Telling the incredible story of the first Australian rock-pop group to achieve international success, Georgy Girl - The Seekers Musical features classics The Carnival is Over, I’ll Never Find Another You, Morningtown Ride, A World of Our Own and, of course, the Oscar-nominated Georgy Girl. Produced by Richard East, an original producer of Mamma Mia! - Georgy Girl is a story full of laughter joy and the magical songs Australians know all too well. Showing at Crown Perth theatre and running through from July 8 24, tickets are available through Ticketmaster on 136 100 or via ticketmaster. com.au. Chris Murphy
SONGWRITER SESSIONS AT THE OPAL The Opal Bar is a newly opened venue in East Victoria Park, with a great commitment to live music. They’re kicking off a regular new Songwriter Sessions evening on Wednesday, March 30, with Chris Murphy, Craig Ballantyne (46 Brigade) & Ella E. Inked in for April are Craig Skelton, Chris Gibbs and Nat Pearson. 20
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Russell Morris
RAVO BLUES N ROOTS FESTIVAL
DUX NUTS QUIZZES
Get set for the first annual Ravo Blues N Roots Festival at the Ravenswood Hotel on Saturday, April 9. Kicking off a great new tradition will be Russell Morris, Ash Grunwald, Dave Hole, Mike De Velta The John Read Band, Zac Linton Trio and Chris Mathews, from 4-10.30pm. Tickets are $57 from ticketmaster.com.au or the Ravo on 9537 6054.
Quiz masters Dux Nuts are expanding, with two new regular nights now added to their calendar. Test your brainpower and win great prizes at Fremantle’s Bar Orient every Tuesday and Mt Lawley’s The Flying Scotsman every Thursday, both nights kicking off at 7pm. entry is free.
OPIOU
FAIRBRIDGE QUEST WINNERS
Fairbridge Festival
OPIOU Explaining the sound of OPIOU is a difficult task. It’s funky, it’s bass driven, its got a broken beat and flitters around some drum and bass elements to create something so unique and fresh that its take him to Coachella, Glastonbury and Shambhala. Returning to Perth as part of his national tour, he will be launching his new single, Sneakers, from the forthcoming album, Omniversal, and playing at Jack Rabbit Slims on Friday, April 8. Tickets are available now via opiou.com.
Nicholas Allbrook
With only a couple weeks to go before WA’s favourite family camping music festival, the 2016 Fairbridge Quest winners have been announced. After another group of amazing talent and some heated debate between the judges, the winner from the 12-15 age group awarded for song craft is Anica Karu and the Broadbent Brothers for song performance. Within the 16-18 age group Belgrade and Jack Davies for song craft and performance were also awarded respectively. This years winners were given a prize pack including a Fairbridge Festival live performance, John Butler studio recording session, a professional photography voucher and more. Fairbridge is proud to encourage emerging talent through their youth songwriting competition for yet another year. Buy your tickets now to this year’s Fairbridge Festival through moshtix.com. au.
NICHOLAS ALLBROOK ANNOUNCES NEW SINGLE + TOUR Nicholas Allbrook has shared a taste of his latest solo work Advance via Spinning Top Records, available now. Allbrook earned a devoted following with the release of his debut LP Ganough, Wallis And Fatuna. Since then he has appeared at Sydney’s At First Sight festival and accompanied revered indie outfit Unknown Mortal Orchestra on their sold-out Australian shows. Now the Perth talent is bringing an intimate live show to a range of venues across the country, with the WA show taking place Friday, April 1, at The Oddfellow in Fremantle.
LOVE IS A DOG Veteran folk sweethearts - Tinpan Orange are back with their fifth studio album Love Is A Dog, single Rich Man and their next national tour. Kicking it off at Fairbridge Festival on April 15, the trio move across Australia before returning to Fremantle on Saturday, June, 4 to play at the Fly by Night. Their new album showcases Emily Lubitz’s warm and wholesome vocals encased by multilayered string sections with a clear beauty and delicacy. Love is a Dog discusses the essence of unrequited love and the shakiness of having too much to lose. The album is out April 8 and tickets for the national tour are on sale now. Visit fairbridgefestival.com.au/ wp/buy/tickets/ or flybynight.org for their Fairbridge and Fremantle shows respectively.
Emily Lubitz, Tinpan Orange
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PUBLIC 2016 Running from April 1- 17, PUBLIC 2016 is a festival of art, urban inclusion and creative discussion. This year Claremont’s Bayview Terrace, Curtin University’s Bentley Campus and Albany’s York Street transforms under the command and artistic finesse of 12 street artists. Well recognised and beloved Anya Brock with her bold, geometric birds and female faces will join the like of Sydney-based icon Beastman and Bunbury bound Ian Mutch. In Claremont from April 23 the world premiere of multi-media showcase - 5Footway will take place. Inspired by Indonesian street food culture, the event will be comprised of mobile food vans, video art installations, dance performances and student collaborations. For more information visit public.form.net.au and get talking with #PUBLIC2016
SHIP-WRECKED! Taking up the title as Perth’s biggest beach party, Ship-wrecked is set to rock our shores Saturday, April 9. Priding themselves on being the ‘people’s festival’ the line-up is based on a total of 2600 requests for high demand artists - including the one and only Shannon Noll. Alongside Nollsy, acts Abbe May, Andy Bull, The Delta Riggs, Thundamentals, Yeo, Mosquito Coast and Luna May will ensure a whale of a time. Amongst the music there will also be a Ship-Wrecked village and market place, arts and crafts, chill out areas and boat loads of rides and waterslides. To find out more information and book tickets visit wreckedmusicfestival.com. Andy Bull
COMIC TRAGICS – EXPLODING LANGUAGE OF CONTEMPORARY COMIC ART Comic Tragics is an international exploration of the inner life of the contemporary comic artist and their incredibly intense and affecting comic works that connect with audiences in powerful ways. It will be on display at AGWA from April 9 to July 25 with free entry. Works are presented in various stages of completion from rough sketches, to fully inked, paintings and videos, allowing an understanding of an artist’s process.
Anya Brock, PUBLIC 2016 Pic: Luke Shirlaw
Emma Talbot Holes And Stains And Marks 2013
Will, England & St. George
WILL, ENGLAND & ST. GEORGE: A SHAKESPEARE REVEL On Friday, April 22, from 6:30pm, St. George’s Cathedral will be celebrating Elizabethan entertainment of drama and comedy, a celebration of the Bard, and an authentic supper. Entertainment will include the mellow dulcet tones of WA Opera’s Courtney Pitman, the words of the Bard from Perth’s leading actors, and comedy from the Big Hoo Ha. Special guests include William Shakespeare himself and Queen Elizabeth The 1st. Tickets will be priced from $40-45. Online tickets are available via Trybooking.com.au.
FIRE IN THE BALLROOM Receiving worldwide acclaim and recognition for their high performance standard, and known as “the rebels of the ballroom”, Burn The Floor are heading back to Australia for another stunning production. The WA part of their tour will be happening at the Perth Regal Theatre from March 23 to April 3. The show has been staged to rapturous European and American audiences, and pushes the boundaries of dance to new and dizzying heights with the addition of a rock opera angle. For ticket information, check out: ticketteck.com.au 22
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City of Bayswater 2016 Sound Overload Music Competition
WHATS HOT ! ABBE MAY GOSPEL CHOIR Last year, Perth music royalty and famed badass Abbe May plucked some this city’s most incredible voices for her very own gospel choir to perform a special one-off performance at the Fremantle Festival. Or so she thought.. On the Eve of Christmas, she heard the cries of rock disciples across the city and reconvened the choir for a special set. Now Easter is around the corner Abbe and her band of badass apostles, which features Odette Mercy and Joni Hogan (Joni in The Moon) will be ‘resurrected’ once more. Commit now to Abbe May’s Badass Gospel Choir at Clancy’s Fremantle on Good Friday Eve, Thursday, March 24.
SOUND OVERLOAD 2016 Head along to the final of 2016 Sound Overload Music Competition on Sunday, April 3. From 1.30pm onwards the Riverside Gardens will come alive as finalists battle it out on the stage supported by the City of Bayswater. Through to the final are local bands Moth, The Transnational Crash, Stray Letterbox and Big Girls Blouse. Come along for a free fun-packed show for all ages and check out the Autumn River Festival Youth Zone while you’re there - featuring video games, inflatable soccer, chill out zone and more!
Ben & Jerry’s Openair Cinema, Perth
BEN & JERRY’S OPENAIR CINEMAS
FLASH HARRY 30 YEAR REUNION Flash Harry were one opf the leading lights in the ‘80s Perth cover band scene, drawing thousands of people a week to beer barns all across the metro area. They’re gathering to celebrate their 30th anniversary on Saturday, April 16, at the Charles Hotel, with special guests Ragdoll. It’s going to be a hell of a night with old faces and new, good times for all. Pre-sale tickets are $25 at the Charles Hotel bottleshop or via ticketmaster.com.au.
HOMEMADE MARKETS RETURN - WHOLESOME FOODS AND HEAVENLY SWEETS The 12th instalment of Perth’s biggest food festivals sees two of the city’s favourite market return this week – Eat Drink Perth Dessert and Perth Home Grown Market. The area between Forrest Place and Murray St Mall will be transformed into astro-turfed pop up paradise, featuring a selection of 12 dessert vendors to entice each week. For more information, check out: visitperthcity. com/eatdrinkperth.
Abbe May
As the Perth Autumn continues to provide warm balmy nights the Ben & Jerry’s Openair cinemas is the perfect activity for everyone. Located next to Ozone Reserve, Oscar winners, box office hits and cult classics will continue to light up the foreshore until Sunday, April 24. Chill out, catch a movie with delicious food and cool beverages. Every Sunday screening includes a free Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream, live music and hosts a range of lawn games including Putt Putt and Giant Cow Jenga. For the full film program, visit openaircinemas.com.au/perth/ home.
JERRY JOSEPH Jerry Joseph is a prolific and accomplished songwriter, writing hits for Widespread Panic and releasing 30 albums in his 30+ year career; as a solo artist, with the Jackmormons, supergroup Stockholm Syndrome, his twopiece The Denmark Veseys, or originally, with his beloved ‘80s cult band, Little Women. In 2014, Joseph headed to Afghanistan to volunteer as a teacher at an underground co-ed rock school. With thoughts of family on his mind and the backdrop of Kabul, Joseph began to write what would become many of the songs of By The Time Your Rocket Gets To Mars. “I told my 5 year-old I was worried about his dream of being an astrophysicist and going to Mars. I thought it was a long trip away from me and a dangerous trip and didn’t think I wanted him to go. He replied, ‘Oh papa, you’ll be in heaven a long time before I get to Mars’ a sobering thought for my 54-year-old self.” While he’s travelled the world performing and helping the less fortunate, Joseph hasn’t toured Australia in three decades. That’s all about to change with a tour this month that stops by the Charles Hotel for the Perth Blues Club on Tuesday, March 29. Make sure to check out this musician’s musician, performing along with Federico Chianucci and the Simon Cox Band.
Jerry Joseph
Flash Harry, circa 1986
MY FREO STORY The City of Fremantle is calling on up-andcoming film makers, storytellers and lovers of all things Freo to share their unique ‘Fremantle story’ in a short video for a chance to share in a $7,000 prize pool. The video stories can be anything from a comedy to a drama or even a thriller anything that says Fremantle to you. To enter simply shoot a 30-90 second story in any film genre or style. To upload and for more information visit fremantlestory. com.au/myfreostory. Competition closes 5pm, Monday, April 18. WWW. XP RE SS MAG.COM. AU
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MOSQUITO COAST Ship Shape triple j Unearthed High winners, Mosquito Coast, join Abbe May, Andy Bull, Art Of Sleeping, Jessie Davidson, Kingswood, Lurch & Chief, Shannon Noll, The Delta Riggs, Thundamentals, Yeo and more at the Ship-Wrecked Music Festival on Saturday, April 9, on the Victoria Park foreshore. BOB GORDON reports. Mosquito Coast have already come a long way since
their humble origins, when Naomi Robinson put up flyers around her neighbourhood searching for a like-minded musical collaborator and happened upon Conor Barton. Clearly, the musical chemistry was pretty immediate. “Yeah,” says Robinson, “but at first it was pretty awkward, ‘cause it was like a Tinder date. I had to message Conor and ask if he wanted to come over and play. And I think he thought I was a massive weirdo for inviting a stranger into my house (laughs).”
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“We’ve been friends since the beginning of high school so our chemistry has definitely grown since then,” adds Barton, “but to an extent there was a quick click. I think we’ve worked well together because we don’t tell each other how to do our jobs; it’s always been a mixture of our two styles melding together, in a sense.” During those early rehearsal/writing sessions, enthusiasm was high but expectations were kept in check. Continued on page 26...
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LOST SOCIETY
JACK RABBIT SLIM’S
“There were no expectations,” Robinson notes. “I have like over 100 guitars loops of us recording things onto the pedal, some good, some just plain terrible.” “I still have them as phone recordings actually!” says Barton. “Some are pretty funky, others are just way, way out of tune and awful. We’ve never had any expectations because the band began as a creative outlet on a Friday night. In a way it didn’t matter what we were playing, it was just the fact that we were making music. There was never expectations even for Call My Name, because at that point we didn’t even have a band name and we thought we would just see what happened.” That said, the aforementioned Call My Name won Mosquito Coast the 2015 triple j Unearthed High gong. It’s certainly helped move things along. “Winning Unearthed High was a complete whirlwind,” Robinson says, “something we never imagined would happen. It’s still surreal thinking about it to be honest. Since then, we’ve written songs we are even prouder of and added a bass player and keys player to our live show to make it fuller and more exciting.” Mosquito Coast’s next live stop is at the inaugural Ship-Wrecked festival on the
TOBY In Record Time Soon to journey off to Europe yet again, Toby performs a special show at Ellington Jazz Club on Tuesday, March 29. The singer/ songwriter took some time to answer some questions about her record collection. Best record you stole from your folks’ collection?
BRASS MONKEY
Definitely Pearl from Janis Joplin. This is the album that made me want to be a rockstar! First record you bought? Sadly, it was Hanging Tough from New Kids On The Block. Got to love a boy bands, right? Many hours of dancing in the mirror to this album.
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Record you put on when you’re really miserable? Damien Rice’s 0. Cranked up, tears flowing, wine glass full. And you feel even more miserable at the end of it. But also completely inspired to write! WWW. XP RE SS MAG.COM. AU
Victoria Park foreshore on Saturday, April 9, amongst some esteemed company “It’s exciting!” says Robinson. “I can’t wait to play and see Shannon Noll in da flesh!” “When we were asked about ShipWrecked, it was so mysterious and cool,” echoes Barton. “The whole beach party concept is really exciting. Super-strong line up too, we’re excited to play with Abbe May again!” As for the rest of the year, the Mosquito Coast plan is to keep on doing what they’ve been doing. As well as a few more quirky asides...
“More gigs, more recordings, more new music, some touring, fun times and just seeing what happens really,” says Barton. “We’ll see where the wind takes us,” Robinson concludes. “I’ll make a short and snappy list – one: to perform with Harrison Ford from Mosquito Coast. Two: source out a mosquito costume for live performances. Three: hopefully write some more and record.”
Record you put on when you bring someone home? Oh, let’s go a bit of Marvin Gaye nice and sexy and sleazy and smooth. Most surprising record in your collection? Whitney Houston. All the way. All you need is a bunch of girls to join you. Last thing you bought/downloaded? Glen Hansard. I love him. I saw him in Holland with my band. He is beautiful. Website link for more info? www.tobybeard. com
COSMOS TERROS AUSTRALIAN TOUR THREE ORANGE WHIPS Are you ready to transport yourself back to the heady days of the late ‘90s and early ‘00s – the smelly carpet of the Hydey, 40¢ pool, cricket shots played onstage: to the time of Three Orange Whips. The beloved Bunbury-formed rock ’n’ roll cavaliers are reuniting for a rollicking weekend of shows in late May. Get your head right for Friday, May 27, at the Prince Of Wales Hotel, Bunbury, (with The Secret Buttons) and Saturday, May 28. at Amplifier (with Leeches and The Secret Buttons). Tickets from oztix.com.au. Three Orange Whips
Over the past four years, Mt. Mountain have built a solid reputation in the psych genre, not just for their remarkable composition but for their compelling stage presence. This coming April they start a string of shows across Australia launching their debut album Cosmos Terros along the way. Galaxy inflected melodies and slow burning guitar riffs Mt. Mountain has been compared to the likes of Pink Floyd and Jimi Hendrix with their hypnotic and building sound. Performing at the Rosemount on Saturday, May 14, tickets are available from lifeisnoise.com and the venue for $10 (plus booking fee). Cosmos Terros is out on Friday, April 22. Mt. Mountain
PORT CITY FOLK FESTIVAL Add a little bit of country to your Easter Weekend with the Port City Folk Festival this Saturday March 26. Perth favourite Ruby Boots joins the likes of Emily Barker, Jill & Alsy from The Triffids, The Justin Walshe Folk Machine, The Little Lord Street Band, Joel Barker, The Galloping Foxleys, Ralway Bell, Salary, Petticoat Junkyard and singer/ songwriter, Will Jacobs. It’s all happening at the Railway Hotel in North Fremantle. Doors open 5pm, tickets are available through oztix.com.au.
PERTH BASED HARDCORE OUTFIT RELEASE NEW SINGLE Perth based chaotic-hardcore outfit Statues have just released their new single and filmclip, Dogswamp, which recently premiered via Triple J’s Short. Fast. Loud. Statues will be performing at Amplifier on Saturday, April 16. Tickets are available at the door. Statues
Ruby Boots
27/03 The High Learys Cabinet Single Launch @ Babushka 03/04 Ermine Coat Faulty Landscape Album Launch @ The Bird 09/04 Jordan McRobbie Candle Single Launch @ Mojos 22/04 Kim Salmon My Script Album Launch @ Mojos 29/4 Jaime Page Dark Universe Album Launch @ Civic Hotel
The High Learys
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ASH Dream Rimmy Rosemount Hotel Saturday, March 19, 2016 A few years back at the Rosemount, Ash played their classic 1996 album, 1977, in full, proving they still had the chops to deliver with youthful exuberance and energy that once saw them named No.2 in a Q Magazine poll of ‘Bands To See Before You Die’. While the songs still stand the test of time, it was something of a nostalgia trip. On Saturday night they were back with renewed vigour, and a new album under their belts. 2015’s Kablammo! saw a return to form and they seemed excited to be playing the new material to an appreciative audience. Local psych-rockers Dream Rimmy warmed up the crowd, though it was a fairly small one, but by the time Ash came on, the room had filled substantially and there was an air of anticipation. As soon as they took the stage and launched into the first song, the frenetic new track Go! Fight! Win! the energy levels rose and it was clear there was a lotta love for the boys from Northern Ireland in the room. ‘We released a new album last year, and we’re gonna play a few songs from that this evening’, frontman Tim Wheeler announced. While they did make a point to play plenty of new
material, the oldest tracks still drew the biggest cheers - Goldfinger, early in the set, got a big reaction and their cracking rendition of Kung Fu sounded as fresh as ever and had everyone jumping around.
off each other. Shining Light featured appropriate disco ball and fairy light action, and they wound up the set proper with ‘the song that brought us to Oz in 1995’, probably their biggest single, and still as insanely catchy and Tim Wheeler, Ash dancey as ever, Girl from Pic: Alfred Gorman Mars. An encore including Angel Interceptor and Burn Baby Burn wrapped up a joyous set and saw some more moshing going on, complete with crowd surfing. ALFRED GORMAN
The new soundsystem at the Rosie delivered a solid, clear sound. Wheeler’s voice was in good form, as he occasionally strutted out for a guitar solo, while bassist Mark Hamilton is the most dynamic of the group, stalking the
Wheeler, and from the sound of some of the responses, some were. It was a raucous crowd, but a happy one. At various points a good ol’ fashioned mosh-pit even formed near the front, with excited punters bouncing ng
SPENCER P. JONES - THE AXEMAN’S BENEFIT
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Mojos Bar Sunday, March 20, 2016
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stage and striking all sorts of rock star poses. Drummer Rick McMurray keeps it all locked down at the back. There were plenty of ex-pats in attendance. ‘Is anyone still going from St Pat’s Day?’ asked
REVOLVER SOUND STUDIO Ph 9272 7505. www.revolverstudio.com.au
A bunch of friends and musical colleagues got together at Mojos last Sunday to perform at a fundraiser for Spencer P. Jones, who is suffering from a liver condition and unable to work. Dave Faulkner from Hoodoo Gurus, KISStake, The Painkillers, Beautiful Losers, Midfield Legends (featuring members of Bad Seeds & The Triffids), Soulfisters (mini-Kill Devil Hills), Roddy Radalj, Maurice Flavel’s Intensive Care and The Potato Stars all rocked out for an event which raised around $5,000 to help Mr Jones get better and get back onstage. Congrats to organisers James Baker and Cath Podger - they made a little history, baby. Photography by Linda Dunjey
CD & DVD MANUFACTURE Check out our latest CD & DVD specials online at THE SOUND FACTORY Professional Studios, Open 7 days, Bayswater 0432 776 740. www.procopy.com.au 9375 3902 MATRIX PRODUCTIONS AUSTRALIA Lighting, staging, sound systems, smoke machines, night club FX, intelligent lighting, strobes & mirror balls, crowd barriers, video projectors. 9371 1551
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BIBRA LAKE REHEARSAL STUDIO Air Conditioned Room. Great Facilities. Superior sound to hear yourself and your band. 10 mins from Freo. Phone Nick: 0410 485 588.
BIG BEAT SOUND STUDIO Clean rooms, free wifi access. Open 7 days. Willetton area. ALAN DAWSON’S WITZEND RECORDING Contact Rob 0425 698 117 STUDIO Prof quality albums or demos, large TUITION live room, experienced engineer, analog to digital transfers, mastering. Alan 0407 989 128 ***GUITAR LESSONS*** New term enrolments. All styles, all levels. Beg to adv. AMEB and www.witzendstudios.com ANALOG MASTERING VINTAGE TAPE, TUBES WAAPA accreditation.Online bookings. Cliff & TRANSFORMERS with the latest state of the Lynton Guitar Institute. Mt Lawley 9342 3484/ art digital converters. Clients include: Melody’s www.clifflynton.com RECORDING STUDIOS
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Beautiful Losers
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Midfield Legends
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THE CUBE WAREHOUSE PARTY
and surrounding the DJ with a dazzling array of visuals that were in synch with the music. Brought to life by the talented team at Lux
Port Beach Sunday, March 13, 2016
featuring Dixon Gilkisons Friday, March 18, 2016 It was unfortunate news when Habitat were faced with a last minute change of venue for this unique party, but they did an amazing job pulling together on this one securing West Perth bar, The Brown Fox, for a pre-party with Mano Le Tough and the Grand Ballroom at Gilkisons for the main event with Dixon - staging a world class event against the odds. It was Berlin legend Dixon’s first visit to our city. Voted #1 DJ for the third year running by Resident Advisor, he was here to show us why. As co-owner of tastemaking German label, Innervisions, he is on the bleeding edge of house and techno. Stepping into The Cube around 1am, he immediately started to build the drama. There was a real old school warehouse vibe - Gilkisons had been transformed into the ultimate rave cave. The Cube itself was the feature-point of the room – a giant, strobing, flashing block housing the DJ booth that exploded in colour and shapes. State of the art 3D projection mapping illuminated a square screen behind
SETS ON THE BEACH
Dixon Pic: Alfred Gorman
Events, couple with the custom quadrophonic Funktion One soundsystem, smoke and lasers, it was truly a sensory overload. It’s hard to pick highlights out of such a seamless set of cutting edge tunes, but a choice moment was when Underworld’s new track I Exhale snuck into the mix, and a definite highlight was the amazing Tuff City Kids’ remix of Patrick Bishop’s Un - a track Dixon finished his recent, landmark Resident Advisor 500 Mix with. He finished with the banging Gabe bootleg of LCD Soundsystem’s You Wanted A Hit, the solo synth outro petered out as FIN flashed on the screen, and the rapturous cheers of the crowd rose, as well as howls of angst from those totally lost in the moment who realised the music was ending. Dixon delivered, and Habitat took things to the next level with this party. Huge respect to the team for pulling this one off. It was fun, to the power of three. ALFRED GORMAN
For well-seasoned Sets On The Beach attendees there comes a particular expectation. Beach balls, people on shoulders and an acceptance in the fact that you’re going to lose at least one of your thongs. Forecast for a top of 36 it didn’t deter many, if any, from enjoying the last hoorah of the summer. Setting the ultimate summer vibe for the day was TCTS with that perfect upbeat house feel. Effortless and smooth that characteristic snare created a happy and carefree moshpit with arms in the air and enough room to be able to enjoy your own boogie without being trampled. Backing it up with some classics such as blink 182’s I Miss You was Elk Road. With remixes of favourites Charlie XCX and Britney Spears his sound is enjoyable to even the naivest of musical ears and had the crowd in a nice sing-along. Coming up in second place for stand out performance was Paces. After last seeing him play to a devout crowd of 100-200 in August last year, the support in this set was huge and his cheesy wide grin made it clear he appreciated every single one of those fans. His vay-cay future-bass-inspired-vibe couldn’t have suited the event any better with the marimba sounds tuning into the waves of the
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Nina Las Vegas
ocean as we waved goodbye to the ball of burning fire. Finishing on a high with his most recent release 1993 - No Chill it certainly set standards for the following acts. In the balmy darkness of the night, an Australian DJ goddess graced us with her presence and put on a show to be remembered. In a day where it is all so easy to play all the classic bangers, Nina Las Vegas threw out so many unknown, unreleased and mind-blowing tracks that just re-confirmed her status as a worthy and well respected DJ. Remix of Crush On You was one that is yet to be found on the worldwide web but blew many brains in epic proportions. Just when you thought it was all over Carmada brought out a heaving trap set that threw in a few songs from local boys Command Q with that D.I.L.L.I.G.A.F and tied it in nicely with Jauz, Jack Ü and their own side projects LDRU and Yatzel tracks. Absolutely destroying any last ounce of energy in our bodies they stormed their set with the classic Rage Against The Machine anthem, Killing in the Name. Amazing efforts by Offworld productions – we’ll be holding on until next summer. MIA CAMPBELL-FOULKES
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X-press CITY & COLOUR, MARCH 30 @ RED HILL AUDITORIUM
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MUTEMATH, MAY 4 @ ROSEMOUNT HOTEL
IAN MOSS 2 Mandurah MUTEMATH 4 Rosemount Hotel Performing Arts THIS FORTNIGHT JIM JEFFERIES Centre MS MR 9 Perth Arena LUKA BLOOM 4 Albany 5 Rosemount Hotel TRIVIUM 23 Fly by Night Entertainment RATATAT 10 Metropolis THE BUZZCOCKS Centre 5 Metro City 23 Rosemount Hotel Fremantle 5 Bunbury VIC MENSA THE GYPSY & THE CAT Entertainment 5 Villa UNDERACHIEVERS 27 Jack Rabbit Slim’s Centre 12 Jack Rabbit Slim’s TWENTY ONE STICKY FINGERS THE VANNS PILOTS NICO & VINZ 2 Odd Fellow 27 The Beer Farm 5 Astor Theatre 13 Villa 3 Settlers Tavern 28 The Astor CELTIC THUNDER ASKING 4 Four5Nine Theatre 5 Albany ALEXANDRIA DEAFHEAVEN STIFF LITTLE Entertainment 13 Astor Theatre 6 Rosemount Hotel FINGERS THE PROCLAIMERS Centre FEAR FACTORY 29 Capitol 7 Perth Arena 13 Perth Concert 8 Metropolis EAGLES OF DEATH 8 Bunbury Hall Fremantle METAL Entertainment BLACK SABBATH NORTHLANE & IN 29 Metropolis with FIVE FINGER Centre HEARTS WAKE Fremantle DEATH PUNCH GROOVIN THE 10 Metro City JERRY JOSEPH 15 Perth Arena MOO ft. ALISON RICHARD MARX 29 The Perth Blues THINGS OF STONE WONDERLAND, 14 Astor Theatre Club & WOOD BOO SEEKA, BOY 15 Astor Theatre CITY & COLOUR 15 Mojo’s Bar & BEAR, BRITISH THE LIVING END 30 Red Hill CITY CALM DOWN INDIA, DRAPHT, MS 16 Astor Theatre Auditorium 15 Jimmy’s Den MR & more MAT MCHUGH DON MCLEAN 16 Mojo’s Bar 7 Bunbury 16 Jimmy’s Den 30 Riverside Theatre DAMIEN LEITH DANNY BROWN 17 Mojo’s Bar ENDLESS BOOGIE 15 Astor Theatre 8 Metro City 18 Indi Bar 31 Mojo’s Bar TYGA HINDS 19 Clancy’s ENDLESS BOOGIE & 15 HBF Stadium 9 Rosemount Hotel Dunsborough THE MURLOCS GANG OF YOUTHS COHEED & BIG COUNTRY 1 Rosemount Hotel 16 Astor Theatre CAMBRIA 18 Rosemount Hotel MELISSA ETHERIDE GANG OF FOUR 13 Capitol THE RUBENS 1 Riverside Theatre 18 Astor Theatre L7 18 Metro City NICHOLAS TUKA 13 Metropolis FOSTER & ALLEN ALLBROOK 22 Capitol Fremantle 40TH ANNIVERSARY 1 The Odd Fellow KIM SALMON IRON MAIDEN CELEBRATION NOEL 22 Mojos Bar 14 Perth Arena TOUR GALLAGHER’S 23 Bar 459 THE SCREAMING 23 Astor Theatre HIGH FLYING BIRDS THE STRANGLERS JETS BEATS IN THE 1 Crown Theatre 23 Metropolis 14 Charles Hotel HEAT ft. JOHN PAT CHOW Fremantle THE WONDER WILLIAMSON, 1 Bird DILLON FRANCIS YEARS POTBELLEZ, THE THE BENNIES 23 Belvoir 14 Amplifier CAT EMPIRE, 2 Amplifier Amphitheatre DRAPHT, ART VS ELUVEITIE OFF WITH THEIR JAUZ & MIJA SCIENCE & more 17 Capitol 24 Villa HEADS 24 & 25 Karratha A WILHELM AVIARY ROOFTOP 2 Amplifier Entertainment SCREAM SESSIONS ft. 3 Prince of Wales 19 Rosemount Hotel Complex Bulgarra NICOLE MILLAR TAJ MAHAL SWERVEDRIVER VIOLENT SOHO 24 The Aviary 3 Astor Theatre 28 Amplifier Bar 20 Metro City TOMMY TIERNAN LOW BLACK STONE APIA GOOD 25 Riverside Theatre TIMES ft. DARYL 5 Mojo’s Bar CHERRY MILLENCOLIN 29 Capitol GRAHAM BONNET BRAITHWAITE, 26 Metropolis WES CARR 6 Amplifier KATE CEBERANO, Fremantle SARAH MILLICAN JOHN PAUL YOUNG 30 Albany SARAH BLASKO Entertainment 6 & 7 Octagon & JON STEVENS 30 Astor Theatre Centre Theatre 21 Perth Concert HILLTOP HOODS Hall 30 Perth Arena 22 Bunbury Regional JULY 2016 APRIL 2016 THE DRONES Entertainment WES CARR BRIAN WILSON 30 Rosemount Hotel Centre 2 Heath Ledger 7 Riverside Theatre RUFUS TINASHE Theatre OPIUO 30 Red Hill 26 Metro City RUSSELL HOWARD 8 Jack Rabbit Slim’s Auditorium BASEMENT 15 Riverside Theatre CALIGULA’S HORSE LADI6 & PARKS 31 Amplifier 9 Amplifier 30 Clancy’s AUGUST 2016 ED KUEPPER Dunsborough JUNE 2016 9 Fly by Night SARAH BLASKO MACKELMORE & JAMIE LAWSON CHERIE CURRIE 30 Astor Theatre RYAN LEWIS 1 Rosemount Hotel 11 Perth Arena 9 Astor Theatre 30
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CATLIPS, WEDS 23 @ THE BIRD
ROLLING THUNDER VIETNAM 17 – 20 Crown Theatre SEPTEMBER 2016 CRYPTOPSY 4 The Rosemount Hotel PAM ANN 5 Regal Theatre THE WHITLAMS 8 Rosemount Hotel BRING ME THE HORIZON 14 HBF Stadium FROM THE JAM 17 Capitol LOUIS THEROUX 22 Riverside Theatre MARINA PRIOR & MARK VINCENT 23 Perth Concert Hall HENRY ROLLINS 23 & 24 Regal Theatre 25 Margaret River Cultural Centre COG 24 Metro City OCTOBER 2016 FUN LOVIN’ CRIMINALS 5 Metropolis Fremante THE LEVELLERS 12 Capitol ELLIE GOULDING 12 Perth Arena
THE VOLCANICS,THURS 24 @ EL GROTTO
INDI BAR Aaron Gwynaira Matt Oakley Rob Burgess Dylan McCoy FREMANTLE ARTS CENTRE WAAPA Direct: Music Theatre & Big Band MALT SUPPER CLUB Caribbean Night MOJO’S BAR Marmalade Mama The Durongs Great Gable Villanova Sly Withers MOON CAFÉ Segers Helen Shanahan NEWPORT HOTEL Full Moon Party ft. Sam Spencer 459 ROSEMOUNT HOTEL Turtle Island QITO Majumba ROSEMOUNT HOTEL Buzzcocks Kitchen People UNIVERSAL BAR Decoy VARSITY BAR Bernardine THURSDAY 24/03
AMBAR Buku BIRD NOVEMBER 2016 Lo-Fi 2nd Birthday ANDRE RIEU Party ft. 3 Perth Arena Mo Kolours THE MISSION Kuzich 16 Capitol Greater Good DJs BEN HARPER & (MOVE and Good THE INNOCENT Company) CRIMINALS CLANCY’S 29 Kings Park & FREMANTLE Botanic Garden Abbe May DEFECTORS BAR Songwriter’s Club ft. W E E K LY Lewis Rice O’Donnell Mossy Fogg WEDS 23/03 Dilip Parekh James Redman BIRD ELLINGTON JAZZ Faradise CLUB Catlips Trent White DJ Lou VERSUS Libby Hammer Andre6000 Night Cap Sessions HAME EL GROTTO & more CLANCY’S CANNING The Volcanics Bobby Burgess BRIDGE Gunns Songwriter’s Night Gilroy ELLINGTON JAZZ INDI BAR CLUB Open Mic Night AJ Quartet FLY BY NIGHT MALT SUPPER CLUB Luka Bloom Old School Thursday
SHIT NARNIA, SAT 26 @ THE BIRD
MOJO’S BAR Doctopus Spaceman Moistoyster The Kramers NEWPORT HOTEL Vanadalism ROSEMOUNT HOTEL Roller Easter Show ft. Flowidus Semantics LZ + Roller Crew METROPOLIS FREMANTLE Gumbo Thusdays FLY BY NIGHT The Gaslight Club ft. Jamie David, Molly Black, Sunny Wignall UNIVERSAL BAR Off The Record FRIDAY 25/03
RAILWAY HOTEL The Port City Folk Festival ft. Ruby Boots Emily Barker Jill & Alsy The Justin Walshe Folk Machine The Little Lord Street Band & more 459 ROSEMOUNT HOTEL The Painkillers Aborted Tortoise Bikini Cops The Sperts Thee Loose Hounds ROSEMOUNT HOTEL The Wheelers of Oz Dougals Casino The Spunloves. UNIVERSAL BAR Soul Corporation
SATURDAY 26/03 AMBAR Japan 4 ft. Yattaman, Pussymittens, Miss Demeanour Philly Blunt Invoker BIRD Shit Narnia Jacob Diamond Rag N Bone HEEBIEJEEBIES CLANCY’S FREMANTLE Carus Thompson Nathan Gaunt ELLINGTON JAZZ CLUB Nicola Milan Orquesta Yambeque: Noche Boricua INDI BAR Southern River Band Datura4 JACK RABBIT SLIM’S Jess Kent METRO CITY Metrics Bad Easter ft Borgore MOJO’S BAR Elli Schoen The Durongs Dan Howler Joe Macc MUSTANG BAR Bang Bang Betty & The H-Bombs DJ Holly Doll Milhouse DJ James MacArthur
SUNDAY 27/03 CAPITOL Luude Junglebuss Yung Sly The D’Vauz Brothers Shann Mike de Wet CLANCY’S DUNSBOROUGH Dilip n The Davs ELLINGTON JAZZ CLUB Amy Amy Amy FREMANTLE ARTS CENTRE Sunday Music ft. Patient Little Sister INDI BAR Rasta Blasta ft. Manaaki JACK RABBIT SLIM’S Gypsy & The Cat MOJO’S BAR Aslan LL Cool Jefferey Faradise Liz Walker. MUSTANG BAR Johnny Law The Pistol Packin’ Daddies DJ Holly Doll Shotdown From Sugartown ROSEMOUNT HOTEL ONE DAY Joyride Raph Nick Lupi Gravy Olithvgxd
PAT CHOW, FRI 1 @ THE BIRD
UNIVERSAL BAR Off The Record
SKULLCAVE, SAT 2 @ FOUR5NINE ROSEMOUNT
INDI BAR Club Acoustica MOJO’S BAR Michael Triscari MONDAY 28/03 Sascha SeabourneCarlin ASTOR THATRE The Scared Rattler Sticky Fingers MOON CAFÉ Bootleg Rascal Ali Flintoff CLANCY’S CANNING Lee Napper BRIDGE ROSEMOUNT Quiz Night HOTEL MOJO’S BAR Rock’N’Roll Karaoke ROSEMOUNT Wide Open Mic HOTEL ROSEMOUNT (BACKYARD) HOTEL DJ Anton Maz Comedy Trivia
GOLDEN STRING, SUN 3 @ THE BIRD
ROSEMOUNT HOTEL Endless Boogie ft. The Murlocs Mt Mountain Hideous Sun Demon Psychedelic Porn Crumpets Old Blood Huge Magnet Silver Hills The Durongs & more
SATURDAY 2/04 AMBAR THURSDAY 31/03 Japan 4 TUESDAY 29/03 AMPLIFIER BEN & JERRY’S CAPITOL The Bennies OPENAIR CINEMA Stiff Little Fingers BIRD Grease Sing-a-long ELLINGTON JAZZ Hindley x Kopano DEFECTORS BAR CLUB CAPITOL Songwriter’s Club Toby The Bennies MOJO’S BAR JACK RABBIT SLIM’S METROPOLIS Harts FREMANTLE Endless Boogie Old Blood Eagles of Death Datura 4 Cal Metal Huge Magnet METRO CITY MOJO’S BAR ROSEMOUNT Status ft. DJ Thoro MAJUMBA HOTEL Tigerlily BlackTop. RAW Artists Chalk & Cheese 459 ROSEMOUNT Showcase None The Less HOTEL Darren D The Late Night FRIDAY 1/04 JMxHC Organ Donors Dave Forzland BASSENDEAN ROSEMOUNT MOJO’S BAR HOTEL HOTEL Delilah Rose & the The Murlocs Lycra Tuesdays Gunslingers (EP Mangelwurzel Day Of The Dead launch) 459 ROSEMOUNT Stoney Joe HOTEL WEDS 30/03 The Whiskey Pocket Skullcave BIRD BIRD Nerve Quakes Pat Chow Dem Bow Cold Meat CLANCY’S CANNING Aslan Territory BRIDGE John Safari Human Nothing Steve Parkin Super Flog ROSEMOUNT MOJO’S BAR Nora Zion HOTEL CLANCY’S CANNING S-Man (Chief Scalphunter Rockers Sound) BRIDGE The Pissedcolas Future Soundz Songwriter’s Night Rockin’ Hendy Rasta Fyah ELLINGTON JAZZ The Coalminers Sect Killa Elite CLUB Earthlink Sound TRISK Rinehearts
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SUNDAY 3/04 BIRD Ermine Coat Golden String Mitchell Freeway Hip Priest ELLINGTON JAZZ CLUB Karen Lane - Blues to Bossa Nova 459 ROSEMOUNT HOTEL AMISTAT MOJO’S BAR MOON CAFÉ Luke Dux and Atomic Lunchbox ROSEMOUNT HOTEL (BACKYARD) Get Down ft. Aslan Klean Kicks Pawel Good Company DJs Sleepyhead, Beni Chill & more MONDAY 4/04 CLANCY’S CANNING BRIDGE Quiz Night MOJO’S BAR Wide Open Mic ROSEMOUNT HOTEL Comedy Trivia TUESDAY 5/04 MOJO’S BAR LOW Mike Noga 459 ROSEMOUNT HOTEL The Crux ROSEMOUNT HOTEL Lycra Tuesdays
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