Yewth Issue 008 by Yewth

ISSUE 008 PRINT IS NOT DEAD FESTIVAL 2017 FREE

Groovin

INCOMING ACTS KUREN FEB.04 / CARNAGE / LINDA (USA) FEB.09 MARILIGANO FEB.11 / ASTA mar.03 / MIJA (USA) mar.09 / mar.31 / VALIS ALPS ENSCHWAY apr.01 / COSMOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S MIDNIGHT apr.08 + MORE TICKETS @ WWW.FATCONTROLLER.CLUB @FATCONROLLERCLUB #FATPARTY #LIVEATTHEFATMAN

ISSUE 008 - FESTIVAL 2017 FEATURING

Cam and Alex 10 The Migration Of The Rhino 12 Kurt Bosecke 20 DyspOra and Playback 808 32 Kerri Wright 38 Tom Ballard 46 Sam Songailo 52 Camp Cope 58 Fontanelle 66 EDITOR’S NOTE Adelaide has a thriving art and music scene all year ‘round, but during February and March this goes into overdrive. It’s like a giant Berocca gets dropped into the Torrens; the city is buzzing with festivals and shows to see every day of the week. Madness sets in across the CBD with The Adelaide Fringe, Adelaide Festival and heaps more all happening simultaneously. The hardest part is flicking through the tsunami of guides and deciding what to see and do first. In this issue of Yewth we’ve asked some close friends of the mag to share their top three show recommendations – with art, music, dance, comedy, film and theatre, there’s something for everyone. My fondest memory of the festival season is walking into the Garden Of Unearthly Delights for the first time and feeling like I was Alice in Wonderland. Now, as an adult, I still get that feeling walking into Rundle Park. However, this year I’m digging deeper for new shows in different venues. As well as seeing headline acts, I think everyone should take a risk and experience performances they’ve never heard of before. Go see a show in the Garden or Royal Croquet Club, but always remember this festival period is about more than just mainstream venues. It’s a once a year opportunity to explore small independent shows in venues, galleries, bars, theatres, parks and alleyways you’ve never seen – an opportunity for something a little different.

ASSISTANT EDITOR

Freya Langley EDITOR IN CHIEF Caleb Sweeting caleb@yewthmag.com

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Paul Maland @ph1012 Henry Jock Walker @henryjock Matthew Hayward @prayersonfireadel Celeste Aldahn @celphone

CREATIVE DIRECTOR & DESIGN Dave Court dave@yewthmag.com

Vans the Omega @vanstheomega Freya Langley @frey.j.l Henry Sawbridge @henrysawbridge

TALK TO US: EDITOR & HEAD OF VIDEO Lewis Brideson lewis@yewthmag.com

www.yewthmag.com @yewthmag facebook.com/yewthmag @yewthmag hello@yewthmag.com Printed in Adelaide by Newstyle Printing Paper supplied by K.W.Doggett

PUBLICITY & EVENTS Courtney Duka courtney@yewthmag.com

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Wade Whitington @wadewhitington Phil Portellos @philportellos Alex Kwong @alexkwongphotography CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS

Cover illustration by Kerri Wright @kerriwright Layout backgrounds by Kurt Bossecke Camp Cope illustrations by Elly Pugh @elly_pugh Real Australians Seek Welcome poster by Peter Drew @peterdrewarts Layout, design and typography by Dave Court

Sometimes the best shows you see during the festival season are ones you know nothing about, or get taken along to by a friend. We asked some mates of Yewth for their top three picks. Liam Somerville (Capital Waste Pictures) Such Is Life Festival (Music). A long weekend D.I.Y./ completely independent festival run by punks. Three days of crusty, metal vibes deep in the Victoria bush. W!LDSTYL3 9 (Party). Adelaideâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s premiere no-theme dressup party at Ancient World! Stacked with wild DJs, live visuals, live art and just some good heads bumping and grinding in outrageous outfits. NOSFERATU (Film). Classic silent cinema with a live soundtrack by the duo Tess Said So at the Mercury Cinema.

Zoe Kirkwood (Artist) 1:1 by Sara Morawetz at Felt Space (Art). Red and Versus Rodin at AGSA (Art). The Collaborators and Tiny Parades at Artpod (Art).

Emmaline Zanelli (Artist) The Secret River (Theatre) WOMADelaide (Music, Art, Dance) Backbone (Acrobatics). I saw Gravity and Other Myths (Adelaide based acrobatics collective) do their last work A Simple Space a few years ago and it blew my mind. Highly recommend everyone to go see these people’s new work.

Farrin Foster (Editor, CityMag) Portraits in Motion (Theatre). While they’re almost aggressively analogue, Volker Gerling’s flipbook portraits seem to tell us more about the nature of his subjects and his interaction with them than any digital medium ever could. Gardens Speak (Art). Tania El Khoury’s art installation asks you to listen to the real voices of the dead while lying on their graves. It’s likely to be one of the most effective ways of connecting yourself to the crisis in Syria you’ll ever come across. Maxine Beneba Clarke at Writer’s Week (Talk). Maxine has important, thoughtful and clever things to say and a really interesting way of saying them.

Caleb Sweeting (Yewth) Stories In The Dark at Holden Street Theatres (Theatre). Part radio play/tales in the dark, this is an experience for those who use stories to escape the chaos of everyday life. Adelaide Techno Convention 2017 at Adelaide Rowing Club (Music). SA has a solid techno community – this is your opportunity to get amongst the DJs, producers and promoters who are all contributing to the underground scene. Josh Warrior – Aboriginal Gigolo at Tandanya Arts Café (Comedy). Highly recommend hitting up this one, the ‘Nunga from Down Under’ sold out his debut show and is back with controversial one liners that’ll have you pissing yourself laughing. 7

Dan Crannitch (Musician, A&R, booker) WOMADelaide (Music, Art, Dance). All the great Adelaide bands at WOMADelaide! Jesse Davidson, MANE, Electric Fields, Kelly Menhennett. Also while at WOMAD I’d have to check out Bebel Gilberto, I haven’t heard much of her but she’s the daughter of Joao Gilberto - one of my heroes! Horror My Friend at Ancient World, Feb 24 (Music). You’re guaranteed a party. Rufus Wainwright at The Festival Centre, Sat 18 March (Music). Lots of respect for this guy. Marches to the beat of his own drum. Plus his touring sound guy is Suniel Pusari, originally from Adelaide, and it’s always a great vibe to catch up with him.

Kaspar Schmidt Mumm (Art man) WOMADelaide (Music, Art, Dance). King Richard III (Theatre). The Secret River (Theatre).

Lewis Brideson (Yewth) Breakout Comedy: Becky Lucas, Sam Campbell and Aaron Chen (Comedy). Because last time I heard Aaron talk about chippies I cried. Grace: The Songs of Jeff Buckley (Music). Because good voice, good hair, good times. 1967 (Music). Because change is best remembered and sparked through song.

Freya Langley (Writer/bin correspondent) Altar Girl (Theatre). Othello as told by teenage girls out for revenge), Julia Rorke - Don’t Be A C*** This is How (Comedy). Grace: The Songs of Jeff Buckley (Music). 8

Louis Donnarumma (Musician) Wasted Wanderers Present Crosby, Stills and Nash & Little River Band (Music). YouTunes by Adam Page at RCC (Music). Ukulele Death Squad (Music).

Dave Court (Yewth) Tom Ballard - Boundless Plains to Share (Comedy). Award-winning standup/lecture about Australia’s horrific treatment of refugees. The A-Z of TDR™ (30 Years / 26 Letters / 120 Minutes) (Design). OG design guru Ian Sheffield talking about influential studio The Designers Republic. The Little Dum Dum Club (Comedy). Melbourne comedians live podcast recording at Rhino Room.

Haydn Megins (Adelaide Comedian) The Kagools – Tutti (Comedy). Two characters dressed in black kagools will guide you through a chaotic onslaught of music and games. They have great chemistry and it is such a delight to watch them perform live. James Donald Forbes Mccann – DEPLORABLE (Comedy). One of Australia’s best up and coming comedians. He is well thought out and insightful. SCIENTOLOGY: THE MUSICAL (Musical, Comedy). Brand new show from award-winning group George Glass is sure to be one of the gems of the festival.

Abbey Howlett (Musician) WOMADelaide (Music, Art, Dance). The Secret River (Theatre). Backbone (Acrobatic).

Fresh 92.7’s New Brekkie Team Interview: Caleb Sweeting Photos: Wade Whitington Recently Adelaide brekkie boys, Ben & Liam moved on from hosting the morning slot on Fresh 92.7 for new roles at triple j. While Ben & Liam’s banter will never be replaced, the time has come for fresh faces at the station. Those faces belong to creative/vlogger, Cameron Doyle and experienced breakfast host and Riverland girl, Alex Lokan.

me on air, and they thought I was ok… I was like ‘hell, here we go…’ I didn’t think it would lead to this job.

Tell us a little bit about how you guys landed the role at Fresh 92.7?

You guys have to get up pretty early to get on the air, what’s your favourite breakfast meal?

Cam: I fell into Radio via DJing an O-Week party where Ben & Liam were hosting. I did some video work with them for a while and then decided I wanted to be on-air, so I annoyed the content guys enough to put

Alex: I was working in radio in the country [Berri]. I saw the job come up, thought it would be an insane opportunity, so I put together a demo and that was it. I was lucky enough to score the job and I squealed like a little b***h when I found out I got the job.

Cam: I’ve been rocking the old Protein Plus with a few cinnamon bits. Mixing two cereals together, with some soy milk. It’s revolutionary. Alex: I can’t stomach anything until after the show, and then it ends up being a huge feed involving eggs and some kind of bacon. Cam: Turkey bacon? Alex: No, pig bacon… it’s also accompanied by a large coffee… Which Cam should have already bought me during the show, but never does.

Fresh 92.7 is about the bangers; Ben & Liam loved Darude’s ‘Sandstorm’… Do you have a go-to track to play on the air? Cam: Big on ‘Satisfaction’, Benny Benassi. It came on this morning and we lost our brains. It was VERY satisfying, I’ll tell ya that much for free. Alex: Can’t go past Pnau’s ‘Chameleon’. We’ve recently christened Cam “Cam‑eleon”, which adds an extra dimension to an already outstanding track… Plus it’s loud and fun, like me. For readers who want to get involved in community radio, what’s the best way to get their foot in the door? Cam: Hassle and hustle. If you actually wanna do it, don’t just float around the idea. Actually sink your teeth in and have a real hard go at it. I’ve been in radio for two months and here we are. Annoy the Content Director as much as you can. Alex: Don’t be afraid to look keen. Don’t look at volunteering as working for free, it’s adding to your skill set, and that’s what’s going to get you paid work. Cam: Sometimes you need to not get paid to get paid; the payoff will be way more satisfying. Alex: Just get involved at the station in whatever you’re interested in and work hard.

What can we expect from your breakfast show in 2017? Alex: Lots of random sounds from Cam. Cam: Yeah. Alex: Too much enthusiasm for 6am, it’ll make you sick. We wanna be bulk local, involved as much as possible with the youth of this fair city. Cam: I wanna get the show to a point where our audience get our characters, they get the roles that we play. I want everyone to enjoy the show, interact as much as possible and have a mad lol along the way. For mad lols with Cam & Alex, tune in to Fresh 92.7 from 6-9 every weekday morning, and follow along on Instagram at @fresh927.

Rhino

As Fringe season begins to set in across Adelaide a tangible energy can be felt across the city. Like a warm sunset, a vibrant glow of performers, artists and, most importantly, festival-goers begin to soak every nook and cranny of Adelaide’s city and surrounding suburbs. Before the stars come out at night they land in planes nearby from surrounding cities, and places all over the globe. Before long, the streets are swarming with activity, routine is given the boot, and spontaneity is king. The energy in the air during Fringe season is like no other time of year. Bars and cafés become host to a variety of outlandish performances, and the whole city pauses from the mundane to allow a smorgasbord of the world’s best performances to show up right at our doorstep — in some cases, it’s been here all along. One venue that’s been the literal doorstep to a number of performers over the years is Rhino Room. Home to Adelaide Comedy and a staple of the stand-up comedy scene in Australia, Rhino Room has affectionately been described as the spiritual home to a number of comedians from both Australia and around the world. The venue’s humble

beginnings in 1998 have since seen it home to hundreds of performers from the world of stand-up comedy, as well as live music and arts, and kick-started careers that have collectively impacted millions. Recently, the news that had been lurking in the dark around the familiar alleyways off Frome Street came out into the streetlight: Rhino Room as it stands at Frome Street is to be no more after this Fringe season. The humble building, originally an extension to neighboring Urban Cow Studio which opened in 1993, as well as its prided gin haunt, The Howling Owl, will soon be replaced by a multi-story apartment complex home to penthouses and rooftop pools. Cultural decadence only pays the bills for so long. We spoke to Adelaide Comedy head honcho, Craig Egan to talk about what goes into being the heart and soul of Adelaide’s live comedy scene, and what the plan is for Rhino Room’s great migration. “I’m really proud that it’s become what it has over the years, and stayed true to its identity — that we’ll give anybody with their own original voice a place on stage to make people laugh,” Craig says.

“Generations of comedians have come through Adelaide Comedy gigs, and gone on to their careers. There’s so many people I know of who may not have the careers they have today without a place taking a chance on them at the start. “When you first get on stage, you don’t really have a voice or who you are, some people do, they get on stage with an idea, but I think you find that voice as you go along.“If you can provide a place that’s got a freedom to do that then you’ll get a next generation of artists. “I think without venues like Rhino Room doing that for music and for comedy and for visual artists, and for all those sorts of things, where’s that next generation of South Australian artists gonna find that place to start?” Craig asks. “Being able to express that freedom on stage has given so many people the chance

to be themselves and who they are. That’s one of the main things we want to continue being able to do with Rhino Room and Adelaide Comedy in the future: find that next generation of local Adelaide comedy acts, by giving them a place to be who they are on stage.” Rhino Room may share its geographic location with Adelaide, a town with a population that pales in comparison to neighbouring comedy heavyweights like Melbourne or Sydney, but its tight-knit community only validates the journey of those there for the ride, suggests Craig. “We’re working on trying to promote an art in a smaller city, and that means everybody has to work together. It sort of provides this necessity of trying to get crowds out to shows, and everybody having to work together to get anything out of it, and that in itself has provided this family feel.

“In Sydney or Melbourne there might be a job opportunity or something that people fight over to get to that next level. “I just kind of feel like in Adelaide, yeah eventually everybody moves on to Melbourne to follow their careers there, but while you’re here you’re doing gigs for the love of doing gigs, and getting better, and doing a live performance, and making it a great show.” Stand-up comedy is a truly unique art form for live performance. The audience is as much a part of the show as the comedian, just usually less vulnerable (with the exception of Sam Simmons’ shows). Crowds are taken under the arms of performers for a leap of faith through carefully calculated sets that explore new ways of building and unexpectedly negating expectations in plot and delivery; live comedy creates a tangible energy in the air like nothing else. “It’s a great night out, it’s a great date night, it’s a great, enjoyable laugh-out-loud experience with community, with other people. “It’s not sitting in front of your computer looking at funny YouTube videos, although that is free and hilarious at times, but… There is something that is so much more about sitting in a room that’s rocking, and it’s dangerous, because anything could happen, you could become a part of the show at any moment, or you could be the hero of the show at any particular moment. “It’s something that I think is entirely valuable no matter how much technology progresses,” Craig says.

“A live show in a live venue with only that 100 people, or 400 people, or whoever you’ve got in the venue with you, will ever see that moment in time, that’s what’s alive, because anything could happen. “It can be the most terrifying experience, some people fear it worse than death, but more often than not it goes extremely well. “You’ve gotta have talent, you’ve gotta have hard work, you’ve gotta be able to make that audience laugh, but being a generally nice person is half the battle.” Part of the Rhino Room’s charm and homely familiarity to comedians both local and from across the globe is its ethos in supporting the arts and taking a chance for the sake of creating unique experiences and memories for both audiences and performers. With this in mind, we asked Craig for a moment that stood out to him at the purple Frome Street institution. “You know what, I booked a goat once. […] There was a guy, up and down Rundle Street, there was a guy with a goat. Gary The Goat. People were saying that the goat wants a gig, and I was like, ‘I’ll give a goat a gig.’ “I actually had another show booked. I got in contact with some of the other comedians and said, ‘Listen, I’ve got an opportunity to book a goat, do you mind if I book you in for another one?’, and they were all like, ‘Yeah, cool. That sounds weird enough to be awesome’. “We brought the goat up, it almost got into Urban Cow — so literally bull in a china store kinda stuff.

“I do remember I didn’t manage to get through all the comedians, and a couple of them rocked up and were like, ‘Craig, have you given my gig away to a goat?’, and I was like, ‘Yes! It’s one of the greatest things I’ve ever done!’”   “It’s just another one of those great examples of The Rhino Room going, ‘alright, whatever it is, it’s weird, let’s do it, if it’s funny we’ll all have fun’. “To run a comedy scene you have to be a fan of the wide spectrum that it is. It’s no one thing, comedy. It can be a myriad of different things, so I’m a fan of a myriad of different things,” he explains.

Fortunately, it’s not time to send in the clowns just yet. Rhino Room is slated to be moving to a new Pirie Street location, with a spiffy fundraising campaign to power along the migration. “We didn’t wanna just come out and say, ‘Oh, woe is us. The misery! A thirty-six story has been built on top of us!’ “We wanted to come out and say that we don’t wanna take your money for nothing, we wanna give you something for your money, and that’s one of the things we do best with these live shows,” says Craig on the venue migration’s Pozible campaign. The campaign aims to raise funds to migrate the venue to its new Pirie Street location through incentivised rewards for donating. “At the moment it’s just a room. It’s a room that we have to build and paint, and put a stage in, and sound system, and all those things that have made the Rhino Room great, but it’s a little bit of a bigger room, which gives us the opportunity to do some bigger shows in the future.

“We, as Adelaide Comedy, really just wanted to support Mick Krieg, who is the man behind the Rhino Room, because he’s always given us the place to be who we are, so we wanna be able to continue letting him do what he does, and let artists be who they are as well, into the future. “The venue is really exciting, it’s a shell at the moment, but I can see all the potential in it to be something amazing. It’s like walking in to any kind of empty theatre or empty space and being like, ‘What kind of magical moments will we have in this place?’ “I can really see that with what it is at the moment: becoming something great,” he says. “I think we can find at least 650 Adelaide Comedy fans who will come and say, ‘Yeah, I’ll come and check out the new Rhino Room at some point and have a beer with you!’”  As for what to expect from the final season of the original Rhino Room, the communal feeling is alive and well to carry the venue long into the night before the door closes on Frome Street. “Some of our old, familiar faces that have been a part of Rhino Room for many, many years. All the comedians are pretty much lining up to get their one last spot to say farewell to Rhino Room at Frome Street.

“You pretty much will see all the comedians at the Fringe at some point up at the Late Show, I’m trying to give everybody their last spot at the moment,” says Craig. “To maximize the amount of time that locals spend in Rhino Room during the Fringe we’re reintroducing an old show we used to do, called The Best of Adelaide Comedy. “There’s the Adelaide Comedy next generation which showcases all the new crew that’s coming through at the moment.” Ben and Liam, the new hosts of triple j breakfast, are among the alumni of that showcase from 2016. “Greg Fleet, Dave Callan, Lindsay Webb— the list is endless, if I go on and start trying to list them all, I’ll miss out on too many people!” Craig laughs. While the laughter will come to one final, quiet end inside the Rhino Room’s walls at its Frome Street location, the opportunity to create more memories and to be a part of the iconic venue’s next chapter is only one show ticket away. To catch the last Adelaide Fringe season of Rhino Room at its familiar purple building on Frome Street, head along to AdelaideComedy.com to view event and ticket details, as well as information for the Pozible campaign to help fund the move to Pirie Street.

Kurt Bosecke has been creating captivating, comedic, colourful drawings and paintings with serious character, on paper and canvas, for over twelve years. Kurt has developed and fine-tuned his visual language through many subjects including movie posters, cartoons, priests, Australian animals, cowboys, Egyptians, rock stars, dogs, cows, and recently owls and beastly creatures that are hybrids of all the above. ‘Outsider art’, ‘naive art’, or ‘art brut’ are common terms for art created outside of mainstream institutions - outside circles of traditional education and thinking around art. It is in this exciting international context that Kurt’s work exists. An early proponent for the recognition of this kind of art is Jean Dubuffet, through his extensive collection Collection De L’Art Brut, now housed in a museum in Lausanne, Switzerland. Dubuffet is a favourite artist of mine, and there is also a nice correlation between his chaotic shapes and Kurt’s colourful shapes and patterns.

Some insightful words from Dubuffet- Place à l’incivisme (Make way for Incivism). Art and Text no.27 (December 1987 – February 1988). p.36:

Those works created from solitude and from pure and authentic creative impulses – where the worries of competition, acclaim and social promotion do not interfere – are, because of these very facts, more precious than the productions of professionals. After a certain familiarity with these flourishings of an exalted feverishness, lived so fully and so intensely by their authors, we cannot avoid the feeling that in relation to these works, cultural art in its entirety appears to be the game of a futile society, a fallacious parade.

Kurt and I are mates who met through Tutti Arts. Tutti is an arts organisation that has organically evolved from director Pat Rix’s Tutti Choir into an all encompassing and open-minded multi-arts studio and platform for artists with a disability. The word ‘Tutti’ is Italian, meaning ‘everyone’. Tutti creates an important platform for artists with a disability to develop their skills in music, drama and visual art, and put them into practice; helping to give them independence, pride and confidence in their identity.

G’day Kurt  G’day Kurt, lets talk about some of the radical art you have been making. Good idea.  What have you been working on lately?  It’s a long story actually... I’ve been watching the cricket yesterday and the tennis as well, and sometimes I have been watching cooking shows, some few cooking shows on TV and I like cooking and game shows, Family Feud with Grant Denyer and the Millionaire Hot Seat with Eddie McGuire and sometimes I watch Food Safari as well. Do you like comedy? Oh yes yes yes I do, that’s right oh yes I do.

This writing uncomfortably sits between being an essay, an interview or a backyard chat - and confidently so. Kurt’s language in talking, in writing, in humour, in drawing and painting is unique, raw and awesome. It revels in the zones in-between, the space that some could mistake for a mistake. I encourage embracing the ‘mistake’, because that ‘mistake’ might just be an incredible discovery. For some further insight into Kurt’s art and life I had a chat with him and his family. The Boseckes kindly invited me into their house. We had a lovely hangout in their backyard…

Kurt is giving Lilly, the family cat, a pat while we talk. Guess what guess what guess what. I do love my mother very much, my dad, and Liam as well, and the rest of my family. Kurt has a very big family. His mum, Carrie, has seven sisters, three brothers, three sets of twins - lots of creativity in the family. Her twin is an art teacher. Carrie herself did a visual arts degree and Liam, Kurt’s brother, is also an artist/musician working on live visuals for music videos using 3D modelling. We love the singers don’t we; The Beatles, Prince, Michael Jackson, Prince, David Bowie, the old bands. I think sometimes when I go to the gym we see David Bowie in the costume on Rage. Mum- Kurt used to do a lot of pausing the

TV, and he would go up to the TV and look and then go back to his desk and draw. He would have been about seven or eight. Doing the cartoon drawings and blockbuster, lots of comedy as well, on the animated cartoon drawings from the TV. Bro- Kurt did one of The Simpsons, and he would just draw zoomed in crops of the face to the point where it started getting a bit more abstract, it was really cool. Mum- I love the way he used the textas, these are the ones he would zoom in on, on the TV. Can you remember doing these ones? Yes, that’s right, I used to do Luigi as well and Cat in the Hat and yes, which is nice doing lots, all sorts of characters - from the movies especially as well.

Mum- Yep yep, always running out of textas aren’t we! That’s right. Mum- Kurt used to always love the texta that would run out that little bit and give that texture. I love that texture. How many drawings do you do per day? Is that consistent or does it fluctuate a bit? Maybe one or two everyday. Mum- I have pictures of Kurt when he was little, so focused on his drawing, with textas all around him. As soon as he would come home from school he would be drawing.

We know the songs that have been around for a long long time, quite a long time. The girl bands, boy bands, male bands and female bands in the 2010s and the 90s and the 80s and the 70s and the 50s and been around for a long long time. That reminds me, Kurt, of another series of yours where I really like the rock bands. Remember the heavy metal bands? Um, I can’t really remember them very well, I think I’ve got many drawings.

Um um um, I do remember I do remember doing rock bands, but I am finding it hard to understand all of the names as I been doing lots of drawings and other stuff.

Kurt’s Dad, Brian, shows me a film of Kurt drawing when he was very young. When I was a young boy I used to not talk much as well especially... In my past time and years. Yes that’s right, when I was a little baby and a toddler and when I was a big boy and all grown up I used to overhear people. My Mother and my Dad and Liam and the family and when I was at school and the shop I used to over hear every people’s conversations at the time. Mum- And you didn’t understand them did you? Um, but I learnt very well yes. Mum- You did. We did sign language, remember when you were little, we used to do sign language with you? Yes that is right. Mum- Kurt could hardly talk when he started school so he had these pictures, they were called ‘pecs’ back then, and he would carry a folder around and hand a picture to you to communicate something. The language started coming quite slowly, but we got there didn’t we - with lots of therapy.

And especially on Rage if I was listening when I was very little very little, I used to overhear the song and the music bands, what ever they are playing, I didn’t really understand all of the languages and English, English in the songs as I had trouble listening to Rage. What ever they singing, which means I used to get bad hearing. Over hearing the rude songs and the legendary rock star songs and the girl band songs and all of them every year.

Erm, just like on the movies, just like I been watching TV show cartoons shows and I used to watch movies to listen to subtitles it helps to communicate. Colours, do you like colours? It seems your choices are very intuitive. INDEEED Have you got a favourite? Kurt pauses for a bit

Did that help you learn do you think?

They are all good thanks.

Um, sometimes it does take time and I already learnt.

Do you source lots of your drawings from books?

Mum- Remember Dad used to put the subtitles on for you?

Yes yes, especially get some inspirations.

Dad- Yes, that was a really good thing for Kurt’s learning.

Dad- He really loved his owl book. I used to do gorillas and monkeys and especially wildlife, cats as well. 29

Bro- He knows more about wildlife than all of us. And especially I used to do cows as well. And I can do and I can do drawings of Prince and Michael Jackson and the Bee Gees and I can do The Beatles and I might get to do Robbie Williams.

There were some clue in there as to what we might see next from Kurt… the underwater world anew, or possibly some pop star/rock star combos, who knows. I can’t wait to see it either way. Thanks very much to Kurt and the Boseckes.

Dad- Maybe pop stars could be next. And I could do actors and actresses as well, and I can do the other comedians as well, um and Aussie actors as well and actresses. Any ideas for your mural at Created Range, Kurt? What are ya thinking? I might do some African giraffes, some gorillas, I can do gorillas and I can do dinosaurs I can do dinosaurs and a mammoth and a saber tooth tiger, I can do the rest of them on the painting mural, the ones off the t-shirts as well.

Catch Kurt’s exhibition Beastly Projects at Created Range, Shop 13 Regent Arcade, launching on February 24th from 6pm, featuring drawings, paintings and a collaborative tee made with foolsandtrolls.

Gabriel Akon radiates a beaming confidence and clarity that is both endearing and welcoming. It is a balmy Thursday night in the beer garden of the Hotel Metropolitan, an inconspicuous setting for the fresh faced 22-year-old rapper known as DyspOra. He takes the newfound attention in his stride, choosing his words carefully as he discusses where he sees the future of his rising hip-hop label and crew Playback 808. He emphasizes 808 are “curating the sound of the city.” He pauses, before following up, “The ultimate next step for me is to try to put one of our Playback 808 recording acts onto the world hip-hop culture.”

It’s a tall order, but people are beginning to take notice. Playback 808 and DyspOra are still on their way to some national recognition, but for Akon the road to this moment has been particularly long and often arduous. Born in South Sudan, Akon and his family fled the conflict that plagued his homeland when he was young. “The irony in the fact is that scientists have found strong evidence pointing to East Africa, and more specifically the Nile as the origin of humanity”, he ponders thoughtfully.

He believes that from his earliest origins, music and his culture are inseparably intertwined. “Most tribes from Sudan have an oral tradition that is deeply intertwined with poetry, song and dance. Many of these tribes were branches of great ancient kingdoms that fell to constant invasions, colonisation and conquests. With organised or urbanised society becoming too inconsistent, most left and chose tribal based pastoral and nomadic lifestyles that strongly emphasised spoken language as a way to pass on knowledge to future generations.” Akon and his family soon found themselves in Kakuma, Kenya; home to the second largest refugee camp in East Africa. His family displaced and adrift, Akon attempted

to educate himself in the face of poverty and uncertainty. “I read and studied a lot of books. Knowledge is the quickest way out of poverty. Beyond that, sports and hope extracted from stories and music mentally kept me and most of the people I knew going. Also knowing that our fathers, brothers, uncles and cousins are fighting to liberate us and knowing one day we’ll go back home.” After several years Akon and his family were granted refugee status to relocate to Adelaide. Initial impressions of his new country often surprised him. “People smiled less over here... I wondered why the people in refugee camps had bigger smiles than some people living in skyscrapers overhead.”

Hip-hop and politically conscious music became a beacon for the young student, immersing himself in artists such as Nas, 2Pac and Fela Kuti. He also found a shared experience in the rapper K’nann – a Somali refugee best known for his 2010 World Cup anthem ‘Wavin’ Flag’. “I figured if he could do it then why not me. I mean we had the same story and I was one of those kids with the ‘if they can do it, I can’ attitude. So I started and have been looking to hopefully become that figure for someone else someday.” Initial home recording sessions bloomed and the label concept grew, incorporating other talented expat and interstate artists, including 808 co-founder Emmanuel Deng (Eman), NeSs, Sean Russ, Majiik, Lord Levi, visual artist Mukebx, Ajak and rising 17-year-old online prodigy E L K. The group successfully applied to be accepted into N1 Records, a unique program facilitated by Northern Sound System, which allowed the collective to focus solely on recording in a professional studio. Fellow notable successful graduates of the program have included internationally celebrated singer and rapper Tkay Maidza and alternative songstress MANE. NSS Project Officer Nick O’Connor has been gratified by the group’s music output. “Playback 808 in the studio is all vibes. They hype each other up and push until they’re in the zone. The studio at the moment is a rich and productive arena where their life experiences and youth collide in a fierce display of finesse and fury.” Having recently met with Australian hiphop artist Remi, receiving online plaudits from underground hard man Kerser, and having the track ‘Real Friends’ highlighted 36

on triple j’s Hip Hop Show by influential host Hau Latukefu, Playback 808 are now set for their biggest show to date – supporting national icons Hilltop Hoods, Seth Sentry, The Funkoars and Aaradhna at the Clipsal 500 in March. Eventual winners of the Music SA Bands On Track competition alongside fellow locals DC & Dragz, the group were chosen by a panel of independent local industry professionals to support some of Australia’s biggest hip-hop exports. Just don’t call DyspOra another selfanointed rapper, for now however, his plans are bigger than that. “I’m not just a rapper, I’m a sonic activist. I use music to tackle things that have meaning to me. Right now I’m fighting racism with my lyrics because it is a cancer to humanity. In a way I found one of my life’s purposes as soon as I got off that plane and started a new life.” Akon is also busily preparing the release of his own ‘return from self-imposed exile’ – the autobiographical Rebelution EP later this year. It’s about his connection to the roots of his past, the burgeoning success in his present and his undeniable self-belief in making his own future. “The Dinka people view music as a tool to instill wisdom in others and express one’s self as well as bring the community together. In times of happiness we sing, in times of joy we sing, in times of war we sing – and times of peace we sing even louder.” Playback 808 support Hilltop Hoods, Seth Sentry, The Funkoars and Aaradhna at the Clipsal 500 on Friday 3rd March 2017. DyspOra’s EP, Rebelution is out February 20, find music from Playback 808 artists at playback808.com.

Kerri Ann-Wright is a banging Adelaide artist who has just returned from a brief two-year jaunt in Sydney, learning the finer points of illustration and printmaking at Billy Blue College of Design. After cutting her teeth in the underground music scene, it makes sense that Kerri’s art work is similarly dark, alluding to a whole other world, both familiar and magical. Kerri chats about myths and legends, inner demons, the power of the natural world, and her return to Adelaide after studying interstate. Can you give us a brief run-down of your big creative achievements? A few years ago, I completed my visual arts degree at AC Arts and honours at UniSA. In my final year at AC Arts, myself and four other printmaking majors formed Print Cult, a collective of young printmakers who exhibit annually together and work on collaborative murals/printmaking projects. I’ve also exhibited interstate and overseas, had my work published in several mags, journals and books, and have been making illustrations and prints for local bands for many years. I’ve just returned from two years in Sydney, where I was studying communication and graphic design and making prints.

How did you find your time in Sydney and what brings you back to Adelaide? It was a tough couple of years, but yeah I learnt a heck load and got to nerd out a lot, so it was a cool experience. The biggest thing for my art practice while I was there was being invited to exhibit in a group show at the annual SGCI conference in Portland, Oregon last year. This was my first international show and I really pushed myself with the print I created for it. Having no access to a printing press or any real connections to printmakers in Sydney, I had to go full DIY for my printmaking, which was actually really exhilarating, as much as it was stressful. I did a lot of problem solving and inventing, and really got a chance to dive head first into printmaking again, when I was so consumed by studying. But, I can’t keep away from home for too long, haha! I hold a lot of pride for Adelaide, there’s so much good stuff happening here and I just really wanted to come back and sink my teeth into my art and contribute to the arts here. I’m hoping to connect and collaborate with more artists, makers and businesses this year - so keep your eyeballs peeled.

Your work has an ancient or mythological vibe to it while still being pretty particular – who do you get inspired by? Straight off the bat, and this one’s pretty obvious, Albrecht Durer is my number one. Not only for his printmaking and illustration ability, but this beautiful way he weaves elaborate stories and symbolism into every piece. The old masters, like Goya and Dore, provide inspiration and have always guided the ways in which I compose my artwork. I know some of your mates in Print Cult are big on Dungeons and Dragons. Do you ever play with them? And have you created any myths and legends of your own while making work? Reoccurring characters? Oh, yeah, D&D is huge within the Cult, however I haven’t yet joined a quest, unfortunately. I think it might be the most fun game ever though, from what I hear! A big part of my approach to making work is through re-imagined myths and legends about myself and my responses to my environment, a myriad of metaphors, personal protectors and spirits

that are alongside me on whatever journey I’m on. Very D&D actually! And yes, lots of reocurring characters, my devils are always with me when I’m making art. What are some of your inner demons or fears and how do you combat them / any self-care tips for other artists? The big one for me is self-doubt and deprecation. The idea that you suck and this fear of failure, it is this little demon that refuses to leave the brain and I think most artists would have at least one clinging to the side of their head, for sure! I am a bit of a workaholic and have a love/hate thing going on with stress and pressure, so these are times when I feel like I need the most love and care. Having a big dog helps, but it really depends on how heavy I’m feeling. I generally need to take time for myself, feelings of cleanliness and accomplishment also help to ward off demons, so taking a ritualistic bath and cooking can actually do wonders for my self-worth. Dunking yourself into the ocean and having a cry is a nice way to feel cleansed and ready.

Your work is also heavy with imagery of the natural world, which somehow makes it feel really witchy. Were you ever into stuff like that in the past or now? Do you have any funny stories about it? Oh yeah, I definitely see that in my work, many of the plants that reoccur, like the olive branch, hold significant symbolism. I would say that now more than ever I resonate with the witch. I’ve always been fascinated by the natural world and the powers she hides, but now everything is much more loaded for me. There’s this whole vibe of sisterhood and empowerment through witchcraft, which I adhere to as well. And yes, as a teen totally, well, maybe not so much witchy, but many experiments in gothic culture. You could find me and my girl gang sat around black candles reciting Anne Rise and watching Cradle of Filth videos on any given weekend when I was fourteen. It was a gross time for all of us.

I enrolled at AC Arts straight after high school with dreams of becoming an illustrator, but when I had my first printmaking class, I was hooked. The flexibility of the medium is so forgiving and varied, that no matter what you’re into, you can probably translate it back onto a printing plate or block. The lecturers I had really influenced how I looked at the art of printmaking as well. They were all so passionate and talented, and when someone like that is showing you the ropes, you can’t help but be inspired. I met my fellow Print Cult members in the printmaking department too, and we had these really exciting, hopeful ideas about printmaking and what we could do to bring it to the forefront in Adelaide.

I’ve always known you to be a super talented illustrator, but it seems more than ever your work now has a focus in turning those drawings into prints. When did this love affair start?

I guess being in such a passionate little team of printmakers just made me love it even more and led me to look for more artists and studios like us. You mentioned you had been making work for local bands too. Does counter or underground culture play into your work and if so, how much? Oh, hugely! I grew up reading my older brother’s skateboarding mags and I listened to a lot of punk back in the day. The aesthetic of artwork that came along with both cultures really influenced my earlier illustrations and ideas. I really admired the illustrations of Raymond Pettibon, his work opened my eyes to DIY art culture and influenced my work in terms of incorporating darker or more confronting themes into my illustrations. I love the collaborative process of working with musicians, because more often than not they already have an idea rolling around in their heads and it’s my job to absorb their art and find that idea and work with it. Working with bands in this way also means I get to be a bit more involved and can contribute

and support my local music scene, which is something I’ve always wanted to be involved in creatively. Pettibon became so intertwined with punk and music through Black Flag’s adoption of his work. It’s much like Mike Kelley and his engagement with the New York scene and Sonic Youth. I love when art and music cross over. What bands have you created work for? Yes! Big fan of Kelley too! Printmaking in particular has a way of squeezing itself into music, due to the nature of posters, flyers and printing shirts, so I’ve worked with various bands across Australia making work to promote them. One of my favourite bands to work with was Night Hag. They really allowed me to get fully immersed in the music and atmosphere they wanted to create, so I spent a lot of time with their demos and at live shows, then we’d nut out designs and ideas over beers. We hand printed 200 7” records for their ‘Confidence Man’ release, getting the vocalist Dale involved in the printing was heaps of fun.

Space Bong is another Adelaide band I loved working with, they’re a creative bunch of people and so it’s always inspiring when you get to experience that immersive collaboration. Do you have any exciting projects on the horizon? Yeah, so many! I’m really looking forward to running a workshop for Neo, the free program for teens at the Art Gallery of SA in February, with fellow Adelaide printmakers, Jake Holmes and Dave Court. And Print Cult will be back this year, all of us are back in Adelaide from various adventures abroad and we should have pretty cool stuff on show this year, so that’s really exciting. I’m also planning a solo exhibition before I head off to the U.S for a printmaking grand tour. I’ll be visiting different printmaking studios

and galleries and will doing some screen printing and woodcuts while I’m over there, which I am absolutely pumped for. When I get back hopefully I’ll have a whole lot more to show you guys, I’m really looking forward to what this year brings. What are some dos and don’ts for aspiring artists, print makers and illustration lords such as yourself? Stick to your guns. Take your time and practice, practice, practice! Kerri is an Artist Ambassador at Neo, the Art Gallery of South Australia’s dedicated program for teens. She will be leading a workshop on Saturday February 18, 12-3pm. Follow Kerri on Instagram at @kerriwright

You might know Tom Ballard from his time as triple j breakfast host alongside Alex Dyson, or you might know him as a prolific comedian, podcaster, TV host and busy boy around show business. This year, Tom is touring his new hour of standup comedy Problematic, exploring the depths and complexities of political correctness in our modern age. As well as this he’s performing a 70-minute comedy lecture Boundless Plains to Share, speaking about Australia’s treatment of refugees. I caught up with Tom for a chat over Facebook one Wednesday at 12:30pm Melbourne time (12:00pm Adelaide time).

Hey Tom! sorry to keep you waiting, I forgot how time works in different parts of the country how are you? what’s goin on? Oh hi! All good sir I’m well thanks, you? Very good thanks, busy working towards the deadline for this magazine, I imagine you’d be the same with your shows? Yes indeedy I start in Perth on Tuesday and that is terrifying Though also not because it’s Perth AND EVERYONE KNOWS ADELAIDE IS MY FAVOURITE THERE’S YOUR HEADLINE

Of course! Perth still goes off then? I’ve heard from other comedians that it’s always a success there Oh yeah the [Perth] Fringe itself is poppin’ like nobody’s business. It’s hot and people turn out and are very happy to have things distracting them from the end of the mining boom. It’s just it’s the first run in of the show and every single year, no matter how many times I do this, I forget how the living shit one comes up with an hour of comedy But Perth’s pain is Adelaide’s gain True that, how is the show feeling now? Do you do a lot of changing and building during trials around this time of year?

Yes, there’s been many a trial show and a bunch of spots kicking around, but in Perth the stand-up show is billed as “Work In Progress”. So it’ll still be hil-ARIOUS and I’ve got a good sense of what I want to say, but I’ll be playing around with a few bits in it and occasionally reading off bits of paper and such. Yeah for sure Feel free to use emojis as well, benefits of a typed interview

How have you found, with both shows I guess, working around the area of balancing comedy and earnest sincerity - it seems a lot of contemporary stand up is inherently cynical, which can lend more easily to irony and flippancy - do you think that’s a fair thing to say? Ooh that’s interesting In the early 2000s there was certainly the charge that comedy was too “whimsical” - you had comics like Daniel Kitson, Josie Long and David O’Doherty touring out here regularly with shows full of very funny jokes but also heart and earnestness. Then there’s the more American style, which views most things as dumb and stupid and allows little space for comics to talk about serious things and admit that they truly care about some things and talk about them in their shows. Some take the view that a comedian’s job is just to make the audience laugh and that’s it; anything that isn’t serving that shouldn’t be included in a “comedy show”. I disagree. I work really, really hard to make my shows as funny as possible, but I also see them as a chance to explore stuff that makes me happy / furious / enraged / sad. If you can make people laugh AND make them feel something or think about something in a different way, well for me that’s the sweet spot.

Ok I’m done

That’s not to say that I am a shining prophetic example that all should follow, but that’s just the stuff I find the most rewarding.

Anyway

Yeah definitely, do you see that as something of an Australian style pulling influence from Britain and America? or a change in style that comes with time? Australian comedy is so interesting because we are strongly influenced by both. We have festivals with the hour long show format like the UK, but of course our TV/laptop screens are filled with American stand up specials and clips of SNL and Colbert Yeah exactly Someone like Nick Cody, who’s kicking arse in America right now with a spot on Conan and a lot of touring going on, is all about the jokes. He just wants to be as funny as possible for the show and then say goodnight. I’m still a bleeding heart lefty moron who thinks he can lead the revolution through my little jokes. There’s room for both! Until there’s not and Cody and I shall battle to the death. He will win. Yeah that is interesting, being able to pick and choose influences, Australia is a funny culture It’s kind of great After building your Problematic show can you give us your one sentence definition of political correctness? Hahaha NO I ABSOLUTELY CANNOT BECAUSE THAT’S HALF THE PROBLEM Haha good answer

It seems that whatever you think of PC, you can define it however you like. The top Google definition of political correctness is, “the avoidance of forms of expression or action that are perceived to exclude, marginalize, or insult groups of people who are socially disadvantaged or discriminated against.” The top definition on UrbanDictionary. com is “A way that we speak in America so we don’t offend whining pussies.” And that was posted by “Superior Intellect”. Another popular definition is “The ideology of weird left wing liberals who want society to be nothing but accepting of all perverts and freaks everywhere.” And that definition was posted by “John J. Cock Oiler.” I read Helen Razer in an interview talking about how social and economic ideas and issues in politics should hold more importance/take precedence over identity and cultural politics because at a base level that will have a greater impact on a person’s life (if i read her right) - i.e. you can argue for more diverse women on catwalks, but a catwalk is still sexist, you can argue for a gender neutral/androgynous catwalk but high fashion is still elite it seems like a lot of the infighting of the left is kind of related to this, all of these problems are important but the argument is about which are more important/urgent? What do you think?

Yes! That debate of identity politics is the crux of it all. Bernie Sanders said it post-election: you can’t just say, “Vote for me because I am a woman/queer/person of colour.” You do have to offer policies that benefit working people and result in social justice. I think that’s true. There is a mutation of PC that results in diversity for diversity’s sake, a box-ticking version that benefits corporations and assuages guilt as opposed to actually changing anything, and I think that’s no good. But also sometimes PC considerations result in ramps being built and people not being arrested for going to the bathroom and people of colour getting to go to university and that’s good stuff. On a different tack but also related, triple j just started their new breakfast team Ben and Liam, who seem like great dudes and good for them and good for Adelaide - but I was surprised that triple j would hire 2 white boys - as someone who would have a unique insight into that sort of workings did you have a reaction? Is it political correctness gone mad for me to be surprised? I think that’s a fair question. I think several things: a.) Ben and Liam are energetic, funny broadcasters who will absolutely work their guts out to make that show their own and I really look forward to seeing what they do with it. b.) Brooke Boney and Gen Fricker are involved with the show, which does (slightly) help address the gender imbalance going on there.

But ultimately, c.) Yes, I think it’s an odd shame that the breakfast show hasn’t had a female presenter since 2009. Triple J does do an extraordinary amount of good in promoting other voices in other ways, for which they should be fully commended, but gender balance and sexual and ethnic diversity are important considerations for them and the wider ABC to take seriously. But ALSO d.) I am fully aware that I am a middle class white guy who was also in a white male duo for four years so many could be totally entitled to take my opinion with a big fat grain of salt. I for one look forward to when all radio shows are presented by robots and we won’t have to worry about things like this. Yeah totally But then will radio be unfairly dominated by those with robot privilege? Oh FUCK Hadn’t thought of that at all. #NotAllRobots

Catch Tom Ballard during the Fringe performing either of his two shows: Boundless Plains to Share: 18, 19, 25, 26 February at Tandanya Problematic: 17-26 February at the Garden of Unearthly Delights. More info at www.tomballard.com.au.

INTERVIEW: VANS THE OMEGA PHOTOS: EMILY TAYLOR

When you gaze into the world of South Australian contemporary art, the name Sam Songailo continually surfaces as his ever-growing work spreads across the landscape and any available wall space. Graduating with a Bachelor of Visual Communication (Graphic Design) from UniSA in 1999, Songailo has since moved from the computer to painting large-scale murals and realising mind-boggling installations across Australia in many prominent institutions. We took a look into what makes Sam tick and where heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s headed in art and as a new father moving into the future.

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Indie-punk powerhouse Camp Cope was born serendipitously somewhere between a DIY tattoo on a kitchen table and the relocation of a “retired” drum kit to Melbourne barely two years ago. Named after the initial loneliness and musical coping mechanisms of bassist Kelly-Dawn Hellmrich’s interstate move, she, Georgia Maq (guitar/vocals) and Sarah “Thomo” Thompson (drums) formed Camp Cope – perhaps one of the most important new Australian bands. Carrying an outspoken feminist message, their debut, self-titled release embodies both strength and vulnerability. Their heartfelt, honest lyrics, catchy, leading basslines and punchy drums have earned the trio widespread industry praise, an array of award nominations and adoring fans. We caught up with Kelly ahead of the Laneway circuit and their February tour.

Camp Cope are playing a sold out show in Adelaide on Fringe opening night, how does it feel to be selling out venues in a matter of hours? It’s really weird, we still have this anxiety that we’ll play a show where nobody will show up – like those dreams where you go to school without any clothes on. I have dreams where nobody shows up or my bass catches fire while I’m playing. We’re surprised every time – it’s a bit surreal. We were hoping for a bigger venue, but that’s [The Grace Emily] what was available last minute during the Fringe. I like small venues – I think we all still get very nervous when we play and small venues can help that; especially in Adelaide – it’s like a little family. And on top of that, your debut LP was shortlisted for the Australian Music Prize. What’s it like to have your debut record shortlisted for such a prestigious award?

The people we’re shortlisted with are amazing, so it feels really nice. It is our first album and we didn’t spend heaps of time or money making it, but we definitely put everything we had into the recordings for it and it took many months of hard work to write it and put it all together. It’s paid off. We had a lot of people telling us not to record an album because it was so early for us as a band who’d formed barely a year ago at the time, but we felt confident that we could do it and we worked really hard and got it done. It feels really good to have done it and to be able to prove them wrong. Tell us about your latest release ‘Keep Growing’. I’d heard Georgia play it solo once, and we’d jammed on it once and then we went on tour. While on tour, mine and Georgia’s relationships ended on the same day. So we were both going through the emotions with everyone on tour. We came home and Georgia had re-written the song.

So ‘Keep Growing’ really embodies that time on tour and playing it together was really cathartic. I think it’s a really strong song and reflective in a grown up way. The lyrics and music are really honest. When you look at Georgia’s lyrics, they’re very open, no-frills and honest. I understand her process as like a diary, where she just writes down her thoughts and leaves them open for others to interpret in a way that is really magical. Do you think that the honest, cathartic writing process is an essential part of forging a strong emotional connection with your audience? We have a very warm audience and it does feel like we have a connection with them. We’re not a band that puts on a show. We’re performing, but it’s not a performance. We don’t have different personas. Georgia’s honest, open lyrics and our stripped down, honest music – it reflects our personalities and I think that openness allows us to forge that connection. I think the warm audience and our stripped down performance complement each other. In writing ‘Jet Fuel Can’t Melt Steel Beams’, did you intend for it to become a feminist battle cry?

No, not at all! But it’s so cool that people have connected to it in that way. Georgia explains that song as, “I don’t think it makes any sense”, it’s basically about conspiracies and how not everything is how it looks all the time and just because we’re told something is ok, doesn’t mean it’s ok. Your lyrics carry a distinctly feminist message. Was it your intention to imbed such activism in your music? And do you consider yourselves new-wave Riot Grrrls? T h a t comes back to the fact that we are ourselves on stage and in our music. We are strong, feminist women and we have lots of opinions, thoughts and ideas about how women should be treated – especially within the music industry and that is reflected in our music and how we portray ourselves in our music, in interviews and on stage – we’re just being honest. We’re not going to filter ourselves at the risk of someone getting offended or feeling challenged. That’s not what we’re about. I think Riot Grrrl served its purpose, but we have to grow from that. What we’re pushing for is to be treated equally. There’s a problem in tokenising women for their gender or putting women on line-ups to fill a quota. There’s this mentality that “bands are for boys and girl

bands are for women”. We just want to be seen as every other band. We want to be a band – not a girl band, we want to be musicians – not female musicians. We’re gonna be vocal about that, we’re gonna kick and scream until someone listens. As a woman you have to be much louder than the men because they’re listened to a lot more. We believe a lot in our music and we’ve truly enjoyed playing it, so that gives us a strong foundation to feel confident enough to speak out. You spearheaded the “It Takes One” campaign to improve safety and foster basic respect for women and nonbinary people at shows. Tell us about the campaign. We’ve all been at shows ourselves where we’ve been made to feel unsafe or intimidated, scared or touched inappropriately, and the internet has provided a platform for others to share their experiences. There was an instance of aggressive behaviour at one of our shows and we thought, “If it’s happening at Camp Cope shows where we are so vocal about safe spaces and respecting women, then it must be happening elsewhere,” and then slowly but surely we noticed it everywhere – people were getting pissed on at shows, women were getting groped, fights were breaking out. The Hard Aches and Luca Brasi asked us for advice on what to do about the aggressive and inappropriate behaviour occurring at their shows because we had been so vocal about that kind of behaviour at our shows. We were feeling really defeated – it felt like things were getting worse, shows were going to shit. You feel really personally

responsible when that kind of inappropriate, aggressive behaviour happens, you think, “I’m making this space, what am I doing wrong that’s making people behave this way”. We came up with the idea of a video and drafted an email to a bunch of people and it really took off. “It Takes One” sends a message about safety and respect before people come to shows. And to create a space for men to talk about it, because they are heard a lot more than women and they are looked up to and more respected by other men, and to get male musicians to talk about their thoughts and feelings about it and role model good behaviour. Following what happened at Falls Festival, Laneway approached us and asked us to create another video ahead of the festival. We’ll be using the hashtags #ItTakesOne #MusicIsForEveryone at Laneway to reiterate that my music is for everyone to enjoy and feel safe and respected while they’re enjoying it. I don’t make my music so that people can fight to it, or grope people, or so people can get drunk and behave inconsiderately. I make my music for everyone to enjoy – regardless of culture, age, gender, anything. The best feedback we got from it was at shows, where we had young girls coming up to us and telling us that it’s made them more confident to go to shows, stand at the front and tell people “no”. If that touched five girls that way, then it was successful in my eyes. What can gig-goers do to ensure that gigs are a safe space? And how can venues help enact change?

For people going to shows, know that you deserve to feel safe and that you deserve the space as much as everybody else, and if someone is going there and feels like they can have a good time at the expense of others – stop them or find someone who can stop them, whether it’s the band, other punters or security. We are so ready to put down our instruments if an audience is being crap. Go and have fun, but be considerate of the people around you – as we saw at Falls Festival, one bad move can be really, really bad. You can’t treat a show like it’s separate from the rest of the world. You have to act respectful to everyone else, always. Venues can make sure they’re educating people as best they can before they come about the right choices to make and that it is a safe space. Alcohol plays an important part, especially when it comes to aggressive behaviour – it’s not the reason, but it does contribute. Enigma Bar in Adelaide has signs

everywhere warning against unsafe, inappropriate behaviours – which may get some people to reconsider their behaviour if they’re warned of the consequences. What’s in the pipeline for Camp Cope in 2017? We’re working with Laneway Festival to create a hotline for the festival so people have a point of contact at the festival if they’re feeling unsafe or if there’s risky behaviour they want to report. And we’re working with them to create an “It Takes One” video 2.0 for the festival as well. We’re also headed overseas on tour as well as our Laneway dates and upcoming tour with Cable Ties. We’re spending this year writing – we have almost another album’s worth of songs so we’re working on that. I’m being pretty vague so I don’t get in trouble with Thomo [laughs]. Camp Cope are playing Laneway followed by a sold out show at The Grace Emily on the 17th of February with Cable Ties and Stabbitha and the Knifey Wifeys. Use the hashtags #ItTakesOne & #MusicIsForEveryone if you’re heading along to any of the shows.

SPARKKE

C H A N G E

PHOTOS: ANA MARIA MARCU Nine young Adelaide people are taking on a four billion dollar Aussie industry. And, it’s happening in your city right now. Meet Jamie Burcide from Sparkke, the beverage company advocating for change, one delicious drink at a time.

This brand is about giving our generation a voice and showing them that it’s time to stand up for what we believe in.

We’ve been seeing your cans around the place, what’s the deal with Sparkke?

We wanted to talk to our generation, Gen Y, so our team got together and had a think. Being a team largely made up of women, gender equality popped up quickly.

Well, we’re a progressive alcohol brand from Adelaide. We promote social issues by putting messages that promote social awareness on our cans. Then we give back by donating 10% of our direct sales to each cause on the can. 64