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GROUPLOVE
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www.themusic.com.au
THE DRUM MEDIA • 3
4 • THE DRUM MEDIA
THE DRUM MEDIA • 5
SY D N EY O P ERA HOUSE OUS E BY A RRA NGEMENT N GE MENT W ITH I TH SIMON SIM S IM ON PA P A INTER AND AN D TI M LAWSON PRESENT
THEY ARE COMING...
THE ESCAPOLOGIST JOINS SEVEN O F T H E W O R L D ’ S G R E AT E S T I L L U S I O N I S T S F O R T H E U LT I M AT E D I S P L AY O F 2 1 S T C E N T U R Y M A G I C .
T H E I L LU S I O N I STS O P E N S 1 2 JA N
02 9250 7777 6 • THE DRUM MEDIA
SYDNEYOPERAHOUSE.COM
MEDIA PARTNERS
THE DRUM MEDIA • 7
CHECK OUT YOUR LOCAL STORE! New South Wales ALBION PARK RAIL
Haworth Shellharbour Music Centre
Unit 2/22 Durgadin Drive, Central Business Park
02 4256 0088
www.haworthguitars.com.au
ALBURY
All - Music
631 Dean Street
02 6041 1765
ALEXANDRIA
Allans Music + Billy Hyde
108 Botany Road
02 9318 2255
www.allansbillyhyde.com.au
ANNANDALE
Gallin’s Musician’s Pro Shop
55 Parramatta Road
02 9517 1901
www.gallinsmps.com.au
AUBURN
The Music Man
27 / 191 Parramatta Road (Entrance via Adderly Street)
02 9648 1199
www.themusicmansydney.com.au
BALLINA
Planet Music
83 River Street
02 6681 1125
www.planetmusic.com.au
BOWRAL
Powerpoint Music Centre
409 Bong Bong Street
02 4862 5344
www.powerpointmusic.com.au
BROOKVALE
Mall Music
Shop 430, Warringah Mall
02 9905 6966
www.mallmusic.com.au
BURWOOD
Logans Pianos
250 Burwood Road
02 9744 2400
www.loganspianos.com.au
BYRON BAY
Byron Music
Shops 1 & 2 South Plaza, Jonson Street
02 6685 7333
www.byronmusic.com.au
CAMPERDOWN
Allans Music + Billy Hyde
128 - 130 Pyrmont Bridge Road
02 9557 7500
www.allansbillyhyde.com.au
CHATSWOOD
Dickson’s Music Complex
Shop 6, 3-9 Spring Street
02 9419 2144
www.dicksonsmusic.com.au
COFFS HARBOUR
Park Beach Music and HiFi
Shop 57, Park Beach Plaza
02 6652 3725
www.parkbeachmusic.com.au
CROWS NEST
Big Music
85 Alexander Street
02 8622 6555
www.bigmusic.com.au
ENGADINE
Engadine Music Education Centre
25 Station Street
02 9520 3044
www.engadinemusic.com
GLADESVILLE
Guitar Factory
280 Victoria Road
02 9817 2173
www.guitarfactory.net
GREENHILLS
Lathams Music
3a/11 Molly Morgan Drive
02 4934 4661
www.lathamsmusic.com.au
KOTARA
Lathams Music
4/6 Bradford Close
02 4952 4311
www.lathamsmusic.com.au
LISMORE
Planet Music
25 Molesworth Street
02 6621 7784
www.planetmusic.com.au
LIVERPOOL
Bavas Music City
252 Macquarie Street
02 9824 2211
www.bavasmusic.com.au
MONA VALE
Allans Music + Billy Hyde
55 Bassett Street
02 9986 0589
www.allansbillyhyde.com.au
NEWCASTLE WEST
Muso’s Corner
1 National Park Street
02 4929 2829
www.musoscorner.com.au
NEWCASTLE WEST
The Drum Shop Newcastle
1 National Park Street
02 4925 3155
www.thedrumshopnewcastle.com.au
NOWRA
South Coast Music
Shops 7-10 Shoalhaven Arcade, 19 Kinghorne Street
02 4421 8688
www.scmusic.com.au
ORANGE
Lander’s Music
286 Summer Street
02 6362 6588
www.landersmusic.com
PARRAMATTA
Guitar Factory
255 Church Street
02 9635 5552
www.guitarfactory.com.au
PARRAMATTA
Allans Music + Billy Hyde
Level 1/197 Church Street (Corner Macquarie Street)
02 9689 2438
www.allansbillyhyde.com.au
PENRITH
High Street Music
491 High Street
02 4722 8608
www.highstreetmusic.com.au
PORT MACQUARIE
Coastal Music
5/ 148 Lake Road
02 6581 3016
www.coastalmusic.com.au
SURRY HILLS
Allans Music + Billy Hyde Drumcraft
100 Commonwealth Street
02 9211 1700
www.allansbillyhyde.com.au
SYDNEY
Allans Music + Billy Hyde
222 Clarence Street
02 9269 9600
www.allansbillyhyde.com.au
SYDNEY
Allans Music + Billy Hyde
228 Pitt Street
02 9283 7711
www.allansbillyhyde.com.au
TAREE
Bass ‘n’ Blues Mega Store
Shop 10/20 Albert Street
02 6551 5067
www.bassnbluesmusic.com.au
TAREN POINT
Allans Music + Billy Hyde
1 Koonya Circuit
02 9589 7100
www.allansbillyhyde.com.au
TURRAMURRA
Turramurra Music
1267 Pacific Highway
02 9449 8487
www.turramusic.com.au
TWEED HEADS
Revolution Music
121 Wharf Street
07 5536 4093
www.revolutionmusic.com.au
WAGGA WAGGA
Allison Music
114 Baylis Street
02 6921 2696
www.allisonmusic.com.au
WAGGA WAGGA
Allans Music + Billy Hyde
114 Baylis Street
02 6921 2696
www.allansbillyhyde.com.au
WILLOUGHBY
Allans Music + Billy Hyde
65 Penshurst Street
02 9967 3777
www.allansbillyhyde.com.au
WOLLONGONG WEST
Pipers Wollongong Music
390 Crown Street
02 4228 9286
www.wollongongmusic.com
YOUNG
M & M’s Music & HiFi
Shop 2, 50 - 66 Boorowa Street
02 6382 2836
www.mmmusicstudio.com.au
FYSHWICK
Pro Audio Supplies
87-89 Gladstone Street
02 6249 7766
www.proaudio.com.au
PHILLIP
Better Music
29 - 31 Colbee Court
02 6282 3199
www.bettermusic.com.au
PHILLIP
DW Music
27 Altree Court
02 6260 5626
www.dwmusic.com.au
ACT
recording audio interfaces... Record, mix and produce your music with pristine audio quality.
CI1
$13 9
Two mic/line inputs with phantom power for studio microphones plus a Hi-Z input for electric guitar and bass. Bundled with Steinberg’s Sequel LE and Wavelab LE.
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AUDIO GRAM 3
$16 9
PROUDLY PRESENTS oaftouring + niche productions presents
Niche Productions & the operatives present
niche productions proudly presents
TSK
EWH
T
h
e
STEPKIDS USA
&
electric wire hustle
DJ SUPPORT
huwston
tickets: sydneyfestival.org.au or 1300 668 812
SHANTAN WANTAN ICHIBAN + BROS. GRIMM
nicheproductions.com.au
tickets on sale now through metrotheatre.com.au
theoperatives.com.au
flying-lotus.com
Friday 6th Jan. 2012
3024world.com
warp.net/africa-hitech
THE QUEEN OF NEO-SOUL’S FIRST EVER AUSTRALIAN HEADLINE TOUR
BC (TONE)
NZ
SPECIAL GUESTS
The Metro Theatre
DJ SUPPORT
14JANUARY2012 OXFORD ART FACTORY
Doors open at 8pm Over 18s venue only
tickets: ticketek.com.au or 132 849
JANUARY 27 2012 Hyde Park Barracks Museum Keystone Festival Bar
Tickets on sale now through moshtix.com.au
nicheproductions.com.au thestepkids.com
oxfordartfactory.com / nicheproductions.com.au
NICHEPRODUCTIONS PROUDLY PRESENTS
NICHE PRODUCTIONS PRODLY PRESENTS
NICHE PRODUCTIONS & LIVE NATION PRESENT
SUN. 19TH FEBRUARY 2012 THE SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE MON. 20TH FEBRUARY 2012 THE SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE SOLD OUT
PRESENTED BY SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE TICKETS ON SALE NOW THROUGH SYDNEYOPERAHOUSE.COM
PRESENTED BY SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE TICKETS ON SALE NOW THROUGH SYDNEYOPERAHOUSE.COM
SUPPORTED BY
ELECTRIC EMPIRE & FANTINE (ACOUSTIC)
FRI. 24TH FEBRUARY THE METRO
FEBRUARY 25TH MANNING BAR TICKETS ON SALE NOW THROUGH MOSHTIX.COM.AU
SPECIAL GUESTS
ROLEO WORDLIFE DRO CAREY
NICHEPRODUCTIONS.COM.AU
TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW THROUGH METROTHEATRE.COM.AU NICHEPRODUCTIONS.COM.AU / MAYERHAWTHORNE.COM
NICHEPRODUCTIONS.COM.AU / LIVENATION.COM.AU
THE SCREAMING EAGLE OF SOUL
NICHE PRODUCTIONS PRODULY PRESENTS
Nation in tions and Live Niche Produc lia present h Billions Austra wit n ctio jun con
Niche Productions proudly presents /
Friday 2nd March The Metro
THU. 8TH MARCH THE HI-FI
(Full Live Band Australian Debut)
CHARLES BRADLEY R THE 2012 AUSTRALIAN TOU
(FORMALLY THE FORUM) WITH SPECIAL GUESTS
DIZZ1 + TUKA
with Special Guests /
TICKETS ON SALE NOW THROUGH THEHIFI.COM.AU
Guerre & Oliver Tank
Friday 16th March The Factory
WITH THE CACTUS CHANNEL + TWIST AND SHOUT DJS
Tickets on sale now through thehiďŹ .com.au
Tickets on sale now through factorytheatre.com.au
nicheproductions.com.au / bonobomusic.com
new album available at all good record stores (# " *,) / .#)(-Ä„ )'Ä„ /Ĺ—Ĺ—ÄŠĹ—Ĺ—&#0 ( .#)(Ä„ )'Ä„ /Ĺ—Ĺ—ÄŠĹ—Ĺ—." " ,& - , & 3Ä„ )'
10 • THE DRUM MEDIA
12 • THE DRUM MEDIA
THE DRUM MEDIA • 13
THE OLD FITZROY THEATRE
Tue 17th - Sun 22nd Jan - 9pm/8pm (Tue) 7pm (Sun) Tue 24th - Sun 29th Jan - 9pm/8pm (Tue) 7pm (Sun) Tue 31st Jan - Sat 4th Feb - 9pm/8pm (Tues)
$28 Adult, $25 Concession Cheap Tuesdays $21 All tickets Bookings: 8019 0282 www.rocksurfers.org
COURTYARD STUDIO Canberra Theatre Centre
Tue 7th - Sun 12th Feb - 8pm Wed 14th - Mon 19th Feb - 8.45pm
Bookings: Canberra Ticketing 6275 2700 canberraticketing.com.au
Tues
TRIVIA WITH KEVIN
Weekly Jackpot 7.30pm
Wed
$500 PRIZE POOL
Open Mic Night 7.30pm
Thurs 15 Dec
OPEN MIC NIGHT
Fri 16 Dec Sat 17 Dec For Bookings
BYO Instruments (PA Provided) Rock up to play
CONSTANT PROJECT + SALLY FAHERTY DUO + NUTTY NUT THE OLD FITZROY THEATRE
GHOST TRAIN james@thelaunchsquad.com.au | www.thelaunchsquad.com.au
Wed 18th - Sun 22nd Jan - 7pm/5pm (Sun) Wed 25th - Sun 29th Jan - 7pm/5pm (Sun) Wed 1st - Sat 4th Feb - 7pm $28 Adult, $25 Concession Cheap Tuesdays $21 All tickets Bookings: 8019 0282
COURTYARD STUDIO Canberra Theatre Centre
Thurs 16th - Sun 19th Feb - 7pm Wed 22nd - Sat 25th Feb - 8pm Bookings: Canberra Ticketing 6275 2700 canberraticketing.com.au
14 • THE DRUM MEDIA
THE DRUM MEDIA • 15
th f e or ha m rperl hoy te
l
COMING SOON TUESDAY 13TH DECEMBER
FRANK FAIRFIELD (USA)
+ The Singing Skies + SpookyLand (Solo) WEDNESDAY 14TH DECEMBER
ENGLISH AND THE DOC + The Blondettes (Kimba & Sharnee) THURSDAY 15TH DECEMBER
SARAH MCLEOD + Lyall Moloney
FRIDAY 16TH DECEMBER
ARE YOU EXPERIENCEDJIMI HENDRIX TRIBUTE
Featuring The Mick Hart Experience SATURDAY 17TH DECEMBER
MENTAL+ Girls ASAreANYTHING Gods SUNDAY 18TH DECEMBER
THE LOUISIANA ROADSHOW
Wednesday 21 December Rose Of York Thursday 22 December Abby Dobson Friday 23 December King Tide Saturday 24 December King Tide Wednesday 28 December Spangled Mistress Friday 30 December Johnny Cash Tribute Saturday 31 December Ray Beadle Wednesday 4 January Swamp Thing Thursday 5 January Hawksley Workman Friday 6 January Steve Flack’s Guitar Heroes Saturday 7 January Camille and Stuie Monday 9 January Joe Robinson Friday 13 January Rumjacks Saturday 14 January Emma Pask Sunday 15 January Tom Ugly Wednesday 18 January Vince Martin Friday 20 January Jeff Duff Saturday 21 January Bob Dylan Tribute Sunday 22 January Monsieur Moon Wednesday 25 January Chase The Sun
900 PRINCES HIGHWAY, TEMPE PH: 9559 6300 www.valvebar.com.au TUES 13 7PM
AUSTRALIAN SINGER SONGWRITER ASSOCIATION CHRISTMAS PARTY/SHOWCASE
WED 14 7PM
“LUKE HOSKINS INEXPERIENCE”
THURS 15 7PM FRI 16 7PM
SAT 16
2PM
PUNK ROCK SHOW WITH SUPPORT FROM “INTEL OUTSIDE” , “ELEPHANT” , “JESS LOCKE”
“BRISCOE”
ROCK SHOW WITH SUPPORT FORM “HEART ATTACK MACHINES” , “THE PARIS CLUB” , “OUR MONK”
“MISH”
GRINDHEAD RECORDS CHRISTMASS PARTY WITH SUPPORT FROM “NKTWR” , “ROCK’N’ROLL WEAPON” , “DAMARILL” , “NOT LIKE HORSE”
CHRISTMAS PARTY OF ENORMOUS PROPORTIONS
FEAT: “ASTHENA” , “THE KUMPNEE” , “WINSLOW’S CANCER” , “HIDDEN ACE” , “ONE DAY SOON” , “COREDEA” , “GRIVEYRE”
SUN 17 12PM
VIBRATIONS AT VALVE BAND COMPETITION
FEAT: “3RD AXLE” , “WHEN THOUGHTS FAIL” , “RUBIX” , “CITY OF GHOSTS” , “ANGHARAD YEO” , “LINES OF CHARLIE”
SUN 17 4PM
“MIDNIGHTMAN”
BLUES-A-BILLY/INDIE SHOW WITH SUPPORT FROM “PSYBERIA” , “THE STRINGSMITH’S” , “KIRRAKAMERE”
COMING UP: Tue 20 Dec: Christmas Party with “Reborn”; Wed 21 Dec: Reggae/Rocksteady Show with “Willtricity” , “Madman Prophets”, “Fret”; Thu 22 Dec: Jazz/Garage Show feat: “Helpful Kitchen Gods” , “Call To Color” , “Balkan Grill” and guests; Fri 23 Dec: “Burlesquectricity” - Wicked Christmas Party/BBQ feat Burlesque Performers, Bands, DJ’s and much more; Sat 24 Dec - Tue 10th Jan 2012 - annual closure. Grand Re Opening Party on Wednesday 11th January 2012!!! For band bookings please email valvebar@gmail.com
Bistro open Lunch and Dinner !!
JOHN WHO
‘VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS’ OUT NOW
THURSDAY 15TH DECEMBER
Jo Meares and The Honeyriders + Charles Jenkins + A Casual End Mile
FRIDAY 16TH DECEMBER
Bob Evans + Adalita
Sat 31/12 NEW YEARS’S EVE With Captain Matchbox Whoopee Band + Hat Fitz & Cara Robinson & A special menu and free bubbly! ……tix selling fast! Fri 6/01 Hawksley Workman (Can) + 49 Goodbyes
SATDAY 17TH DECEMBER
A Memphis Soul Xmas Johnny G & The E Types
+ Leroy Lee Thurs 12/01 Tangled Up In Bob – A Tribute To Dylan A tribute k Tues 17/01
FRIDAY 23RD DECEMBER
9th Annual Cabaret Showcase Grand Final
Peggy Seeger (US/UK) Only Sydney Show! ….tix selling fast! Fri 20/01 Tim Edey (Ire) & Brendan Power (UK/US) + Jim Conway’s Little Wheel
THURSDAY 29TH DECEMBER
Sean Wayland + guests
Sat 21/01 Contraban Wed 1/02 Vince Martin Sat 4/02 Miss Ink Australia Sat 11/02
www.johnwho.com.au 16 • THE DRUM MEDIA
First Ladies Of Soul
THE DRUM MEDIA • 17
TUES 13
FREE ENTRY
WED 14
FREE ENTRY
THURS 15
FREE ENTRY
FRI 16TH
FREE ENTRY
SAT 17TH FREE
WED 21ST
FREE ENTRY
THURS 22ND
$8 DOOR SALES
AIM MUSO’S JAM AIM IN MEMORY OF SUBWAY QUEEN ‘LOTUS’ FIERCE MILD MUSOS JAM FOOT IN THE WALL
BOXING DAY – LUCY DESOTO, SMOKE & MIRRORS, TOXIC HOLOCAUST ‘GOBOOKEM.COM’
SATURDAY 24TH DECEMBER
Next Best Thing SATURDAY 21ST JANUARY
Rock Dogs SATURDAY 4TH FEBRUARY
Chunk www.bizzos.com.au or check out our Facebook page Photo I.D required – information for members and their guests Band bookings: Jova Productions - jovaproductions@live.com.au 18 • THE DRUM MEDIA
THE DRUM MEDIA • 19
THURSDAY 15TH DECEMBER
MATT ANDERSEN (CANADA)
+ CLAUDE HAY WEDNESDAY 28TH DECEMBER
FRIDAY 16TH DECEMBER
THE FLOOD FRIDAY 6TH JANUARY
JOE ROBINSON
RENEE GEYER
FRIDAY 13TH JANUARY
SUNDAY 8TH JANUARY
DAVID MYLES (CANADA)
+ ASHLEIGH MANNIX
IAN MOSS FRIDAY 20TH JANUARY
THURSDAY 19TH JANUARY
VINCE MARTIN + TOMMY MOELLER (UNIT 4 + 2)
THE LAST WALTZ REVIVAL
FOR BAND BOOKINGS, PLEASE CONTACT INFO@CODEONE.NET.AU CNR OF GEORGE + SWANSON ST
ERSKINEVILLE 3 DOORS FROM THE RAILWAY STATION
P 9565 1441 ROSEOFAUST@BIGPOND.COM
$12 STEAK & ALE DEAL TUE-FRI 12-3PM WED 14 DEC
$5 PINTS
RENO NEVADA Think Roy Orbison & Chris Isaaks’ Love child…playing rock, country and blues with dash of cabaret. Chris Flynn (Ex Dubrovniks) With Specials Guests Adam Pringle (Blues Guitar) Johnny Gretch (Guitar)
THE DHARMA BURNING VIOLET BRIDGES + FIERCE MILD AIM FUSION ILLUSION feat
LOVERS JUMP CREEK BRIDGEMary kiss + sex in columbia + elliot the bull + jackmanfriday
SAT 17
kobra kai swarmy FT leanne + linken & vertigo + inna riddim + foreigndub
SUN 18
DEC
BRAD STRUT + DIALECTIX HYJAK & DJ A$K + P SMURF + GROUCE + DJ TIKELZ + DJ MOTO
22/12 HOWLING TONGUES NYE -GIRL THING - APOCALYPTIC LESBIAN ZOMBI RAVE 04/01 THE STUDY 07/01 TRIBEADELIC 14/01 ESP BDAY 20/01 METAL FEST 21/01 GUTTERMOUTH 27/01 FLOUNDER 04/02 STONE PARADE 10/02 KERSER 10/03 URGE OVERKILL
COMING SOON
20 • THE DRUM MEDIA
FRI 23RD DEC
9PM
SPURS FOR JESUS SPURS FOR JESUS have been kickin up dust around town since 1994, they’ve shared a stage with numerous kindred-spirits. They’re a little bit country, a little bit rock’n’roll & spiced with a few surprise flavours such as Rockabilly, Gospel, Swing, Tex-Mex, Pop, Murder Ballads & even a dose Spaghetti Western in the mix. Nevertheless, the invitation is extended to all & sundry to saddle up & wallow in a fistful of tunes guaranteed to put a tear in your beer.
KOOYEH + BELLE + TOY SEXY SUNDAY JAM + DARRYL BEATON + SUNDAY CHAIRS
FRI
DEC
FRI 16TH DEC
THE STUDY feat
THU 15 DEC
16 DEC
RIOT HOUSE COMEDY TUESDAY’S
SAT 24TH DEC 9PM
THE HEADSTONES
This was Reno’s original band from the early 80’s in the independent scene and they do a special brand of garage rock and cool covers by the likes of Dave Edmonds, Nick Low, Dr Feelgood, Flaming Groovy’s and their own chart busting originals. With special guest guitarist Jed Corben from the Lime Spiders
XMAS EVE
$10 - $15 STEAK ‘N RIBS FROM 6PM LEVEL 1 RESTAURANT ONLY
SUMMERNATS 25
PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY
BURNOUT MASTERS
速
SUPERSTAR SHOWCARS
JANUARY 5-8, 2012 EXHIBITION PARK CANBERRA WWW.SUMMERNATS.COM.AU
SN25_19_SPA
AUSTRALIA'S BIGGEST HORSEPOWER PARTY
GIVEAWAYS
30
THE SANDRINGHAM HOTEL 387 KING STREET NEWTOWN / 9557 1254 S YEAR WWW.SANDO.COM.AU BOOKINGSCONTACT SANDO@ATOMICDROP.COM.AU WWW.MYSPACE.COM/THESANDRINGHAMHOTEL
WED 14 DEC
FREE
JOHNNY CASINO + $3 SCHOONERS OF SANDO LAGER
STREET LEVEL BAR:
$10
+ RUFFLEFEATHER + EQUAL ARMY FREE VIDEO JUKE BOX
$15
MELODY BLACK + MERCY KILLS (MELB) DAVE TICE AND MARK EVANS 4PM - 7PM DJ KAKI 8PM-LATE
STREET LEVEL BAR:
SUN 18 DEC
FREE
“1-94 BAR PRESENTS”
THE MISSING LINK
$10
+ THE ROADRUNNERS + DONI RAVEN AND THE BLACKJACK WOLFPACK
FREE
THE SLOWDOWNS
STREET LEVEL BAR:
EVERY MONDAY
“SANDO SKETCH CLUB”
FREE
STREET LEVEL BAR: “BLUE MONDAYS” WITH FRANK SULTANA & GUESTS
EVERY TUESDAY
“THE SONGWRITER SESSIONS”
STREET LEVEL BAR:
FREE
ADAM PRINGLE AND FRIENDS - FUNKY AS F#CK + TOOHEYS $6 NEW JUGS (7-8PM)
COMING SOON WED 21 DEC --- SPACETICKET + NEW ARCHETYPES + DEBBIE + WHITE KNUCKLE FEVER + SNOUT CASSETTE FRI 23 DEC --- DAVE
MCCORMACK AND THE POLAROIDS
*** WWW.ZOMBIEDOGENTERTAINMENT.COM ***
SAT 31 DEC ---
"NEW YEAR'S EVILUTION" DARKER HALF
+ ELM STREET (VIC) + TABERAH (TAS) + TERATORNIS + THUNDASTEEL FRI 6 JAN --- JIM
WARD (AT THE DRIVE IN / SPARTA) (USA)
*** WWW.MOSHTIX.COM.AU ***
FRI 13 JAN --- “CONJURATION *** WWW.MOSHTIX.COM.AU ***
FRI 9 MAR --- ENDLESS *** WWW.MOSHTIX.COM.AU ***
SAT 10 MAR --- STEVE
FEST” ABSU (USA) + MORE
BOOGIE (USA)
GRIMMETT (GRIM REAPER / LIONSHEART) (UK)
*** WWW.HELLDOWNUNDER.COM ***
----------------DJ’S BISTRO-----------------
OPEN 7 DAYS SERVING GREAT PUB FOOD ALL NIGHT 22 • THE DRUM MEDIA
For more giveaways this week head to facebook. com.drummedia and click on the giveaways tab.
HEAD TO THE DRUM MEDIA’S FACEBOOK PAGE AND WIN T H E D R U M M E D I A I S S U E 1 0 9 0 T U E S D AY 1 3 T H D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 1
DRUM MEDIA
CROSSING RED LINES + PAPA PILKO AND THE BIN RATS
+ VIRGINIA KILLSTYXX
IT’S A SHE & HIM CHRISTMAS
FREE
FRI 16 DEC
SAT 17 DEC
SHE AND HIM
$10
JONATHAN DEVOY + SPECIAL GUESTS
STREET LEVEL BAR:
Showcasing his debut solo album, Australian Idle, Tim Freedman takes his new band, as it happens dubbed The Idle, into the Metro for the official hometown album launch Saturday night and we have five double passes to the night to give away.
And it can be a She & Him Christmas for you too, thanks to the lovely people at Spunk Records, who have
BONNEY READ + NO ILLUMINATI + GO / NO – GO + MA
STREET LEVEL BAR:
TIM IS NO IDLE MAN
$10
MAUX FAUX + FACE COMMAND + ROCKET HEAD + JON KENNER THU 15 DEC
given us a Christmas pack that includes a copy of their A Very She & Him Christmas album, a beanie and a pair of mittens, to give away, to be collected from The Drum Media office.
Giveaways – Check it out for free stuff and head to Facebook for more! The Front Line hits hard with industry fact and conjecture, plus Backlash and Frontlash. Foreword Line – the latest news on tours, releases and more. Arctic Monkeys will be bringing the new year in on our shores. The Death Set do whatever the fuck they want, so join in or get out of the way. Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs wanted to produce something he didn’t understand, so he made some twisted beats. Opeth like everything from prog rock to Scandinavian jazz and Swedish folk, and they’re not afraid to say it. Grouplove are on the neverending tour that keeps giving opportunities. Dum Dum Girls answer to one name only. CSS perfect the balance between partying and self-reflection on their new record. A decade on from formation, Pendulum talk milestones and changes in the sometimes bumpy road. Steel Panther are so glam and in demand, Nickelback are paying them to feature on the new record. Fefe talks all things French as he prepares to sing of his hometown. Snakadaktal are making the leap from high school to the big league. Easy Star All Stars are all about bringing the dub back into Pink Floyd. Oscar + Martin are going to get their audiences dancing. Polaris Music Award nominees Yukon Blonde make unseasonably warm music for a Canadian band. Active Child has just what the doctor ordered. On The Record reviews new release albums and singles from The Black Keys, Yellowcard, Rihanna and more.
22 24 26 32 34 34 37 38 38 39 40 41 41 41 42 42 42 42 44
PUBLISHER Street Press Australia Pty Ltd GROUP MANAGING EDITOR Andrew Mast EDITOR Mark Neilsen ASSOCIATE EDITORS Michael Smith, Scott Fitzsimons FRONT ROW EDITOR Daniel Crichton-Rouse frontrow@drummedia.com.au CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Adam Curley CONTRIBUTORS Aarom Wilson, Adam Wilding, Alex Hardy, Amber McCormick, Anita Connors, Anthony Carew, Ben Preece, Bethany Small, Brad Barrett, Brendan Crabb, Brent Balinski, Bryget Chrisfield, Bob Baker Fish, Chris Familton, Chris Maric, Christine Caruana, Craig Pearce, Cyclone, Dan Condon, Danielle O’Donohue, Dave Drayton, Fiona Cameron, Giselle Nguyen, Gloria Lewis, Guy Davis, Huwston, Ian Barr, Jake Millar, Jamelle Wells, James d’Apice, James Dawson, James McGalliard, Justin Grey, Katie Benson, Kris Swales, Liz Galinovic, Liz Giuffre, Lucia Osborne-Crowley, Mark Hebblewhite, Matt O’Neill, Paul Smith, Paz, Pedro Manoy, Rip Nicholson, Rob Townsend, Robbie Lowe, Ross Clelland, Rod Hunt, Sarah Petchell, Sasha Perera, Sebastian Skeet, Sevana Ohandjanian, Shane O’Donohue, Steve Bell, Stuart Evans, Tim Finney, Tom Hawking, Troy Mutton PHOTOGRAPHERS Angela Padovan, Carine Thevenau, Chaz Webb, Cybele Malinowski, Josh Groom, Justin Malinowski, Kane Hibberd, Linda Heller-Salvador, Luke Eaton, Rod Hunt, Tony Mott ADVERTISING DEPT sales@drummedia.com.au
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Chris Maric gets local with hard rock and metal in The Heavy Shit. 48 Sarah Petchell brings us local and international punk news in Wake The Dead. 49 Adam Curley muses on all things pop culture The Breakdown. 50 Viktor Krum asks you to Get It Together with the latest in hip hop. 50 Dave Drayton gets Young & Restless with all ages goings on. 50 Cyclone gives you urban and R&B news in OG Flavas. 50 Dan Condon features the world of blues and roots with Roots Down. 51 Michael Smith delivers some Blow with jazz and world music news. 51 Go south as you enter Pedro Manoy’s Swamp Shack. 51 James McGalliard gives us tales from the mother country in London Fields. 52 The electronica’s a little leftfield and the soul’s futuristic with Huwston giving us Bebop & Rocksteady. 52
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This Week In Arts plans your upcoming week; Megan Washington prepares for her one-off Australian performance of Insomnia; Cultural Cringe wraps up the week’s arts news and whispers. We take a look at this year’s Dobell Prize for Drawing; Urban Theatre Projects’ creative director Alicia Talbot talks Buried City; we review Lars von Trier’s Melancholia; Force Majeure’s Kate Champion never did us any harm. Made You Look explores video art; performer Gaëtan Vourc’h prepares for Sydney Festival; we review the Muppets soundtrack.
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PAUL KELLY DOCO SLATED FOR MID-2012 With the release of a teaser video for the Paul Kelly doco, Paul Kelly: Stories Of Me, The Front Line can report that it is hoped the film will be released by the middle of 2012. The film is being produced by Shark Island Productions, who’ve previously worked on documentaries such as inner-Sydney’s The Oasis and In The Company Of Actors. They are currently in the editing process and have been for six months. Director and producer Ian Darling told The Front Line, “It was a much larger project than we ever imagined… with a career of thirty years there’s just so much archival footage and so many interviews.” Darling said they are working with 50 interviews and over 1,000 photos and the film – which won’t be narrated – and will take the form of a biographical documentary and try “to answer the question of why he’s been able to speak to all Australians over all the years.”One of the big realisations in making the film is evident in the mix-and-mash teaser video. Darling said the response has been that people, “didn’t realise he had so many fans that are teenagers and twenty year olds”. The impressive mash-up video that has been released as a teaser features 98 tracks of Kelly performing his staple, How To Make Gravy, overlain with footage from various venues. Sound designer Paul Charlier, who has worked across film, theatre and radio, perhaps most notably on Candy, told The Front Line that, “Because I had the multi-track recordings of them all, I realised that doing the mix-and-mash would be possible. I had access to all the instruments.” That threw up its own problems though as, “Usually when people do the music replacement there’s usually a MIDI sync, but all of Paul’s performances are open.” Piecing it all together, he didn’t want to make the recording too seamless as it would begin to sound like a single recording. “In the video there are instruments that overlap venues,” he said. For example the guitar from the first venue continues into the second, while the guitar from the second venue starts in the footage of the first. “Instruments don’t start and stop with the edit.”
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BEST COAST DRUMMER: KICKED OUT AND HEART-BROKEN Former Vivian Girl member Ali Koehler is ‘broken-hearted’ after being kicked out of Best Coast. Announced via Twitter, Koehler posted, “Cat’s outta the bag, I’m not in Best Coast anymore.” Blog Hipster Runoff appear to have broken the news, reporting that Koehler didn’t play with the band at a show last week. The largely satirical website wrote, “In her place was some other random dude who doesn’t even look alt.” In response to fan reactions on Twitter she admitted the decision was “Not my choice, sorry if you’re disappointed” and sent broken-heart emoticons to fans. She also posted, “I’m sorry, I’m equally disappointed” to a fan. Koehler indicated that she’s starting a solo career.
TIM FREEDMAN IN POKIE-STORM The Whitlams’ frontman Tim Freedman has been accused of double standards for choosing to perform in pokiesupported venues. A story in The Daily Telegraph last week claims that Freedman has “blown up his credibility” with his current tour for debut solo album, Australian Idle. They report that Freedman chose to play at venues with pokies over those without, which contradicts his staunch opposition in Whitlams anthem Blow Up The Pokies. They report that five of his chosen venues house 1503 poker machines, including the Orange Ex-Services Club where he’ll play next week. Orange Ex-Services’ CEO Cameron Provost said, “I was quite surprised and found it a little bit hypocritical to be so critical about gaming and have his venue here at the club when there are two other [non-pokies] venues.” Anthony Ball, Clubs Australia’s Executive Director, added, “It’s more than just a bit hypocritical for Tim Freedman to lecture clubs on poker machines every time he needs to promote an album while at the same time performing at pubs, clubs and even casinos.” Freedman is aware of the story, posting it both to his Facebook page writing, “Oooh, the pokies debate is hotting up” and to The Whitlams’ page writing, “Blow Up The Whitlams”. Although his publicist and label declined to comment to The Front Line on the matter, Facebook users definitely have had their say. Although many were supportive of Freedman and critical of the report one posted, “[The reporter] has got this right. When there are other venues Tim could have used he should have. If you use the media to demonise the pokie palaces you shouldn’t perform there. Major case of double standards.”
MARRICKVILLE BUSKERS’ CALL-OUT Over the three days leading up to Christmas the Marrickville Chamber of Commerce in conjunction with Marrickville Council are calling for buskers to perform at the Marrickville shopping strip with all their musical spirit. Renditions of Wham, John Lennon and even Mariah Carey are welcome. If you would like to perform Thursday 22, Friday 23 or Saturday 24, call Liz Galinovic on 0419 205 008.
PERTH SCHOOL KIDS WIN COMP
CLASH MEMBERS’ ON-STAGE REUNION For the first time since Mick Jones left The Clash, he has been joined on stage by Paul Simonon to play tracks on stage by the seminal ’70s band. According to a recent blog post on fan site The Clash Blog, Simonon was a surprise guest on stage during a Mick Jones show in London last week. The blogger describes the night as “historic” and one “I never thought we’d see again.” As well as Simonon, Bobby Gillespie and “two other members of Primal Scream” played through tracks such as Rocks (Primal Scream track), Jail Guitar Doors, Brand New Cadillac and London Calling. Other notable appearances on the night were Pete Wylie, member of iconic Liverpool new wave group The Crucial Three before spearheading Wah! and Peter Hooton, of The Farm (currently reformed). Simonon and Jones have played together recently as part of Gorillaz while The Clash’s drummer Topper Headon plays the odd local show in Kent, it is believed. The Clash’s classic lineup broke up in 1982 and frontman Joe Strummer died in 2002.
Perth’s 44th Sunset have come away with the MySchoolAct title, awarded in Sydney last Sunday. As the winners of the high school band competition they receive a $50,000 recording and marketing spend from Sony Music and up to $15,000 spend from Sony/ATV Publishing, as well as perform at the Perth Big Day Out leg. Other finalists playing Big Day Out are Double Lined Minority (Gold Coast), Sons Of Alamo (Sydney), Let’s Not Pretend (Melbourne) and Love Cream (Adelaide).
TRUE BLOOD SYNC-KING TO SPEAK IN AUS Gary Calamar, music supervisor behind True Blood and Dexter, will speak in Australia as part of APRA|AMCOS’s Song Summit industry conference next year. The first announcement for the conference was made last week during one-time Eurythmics’ Dave Stewart’s ‘In Conversation’ Q&A in Sydney, bringing a first round of speakers and the news that the biannual event, in its third year, will happen as part of Destination NSW’s Vivid Sydney. It will be held at the Sydney Convention Centre Saturday 26 to Monday 28 May, 2012. With a range of international speakers including publishers, artists and producers, Calamar might be the most valuable in this age where television synching is becoming one of the most lucrative avenues for artists. Calamar’s work on True Blood, Dexter and Six Feet Under has earned five Grammy nominations. APRA|AMCOS’s Head Of
Member Services Sally Howland said, “The program we have developed is dedicated to our local music creators, providing them with access to professionals in the global music business as well as giving them the opportunity to develop their creative and business prospects.” International guests also include Andrew Jenkins (UK – Universal Music Publishing UK), Arnthor Birgisson (SWE – songwriter and producer), David Touve (US – Assistant Professor of Business within the Williams School of Commerce, Economics & Politics, Washington and Lee University), Imogen Heap (UK – Grammy Award-winning singer), Mark Wood (UK – Director, Radius Music Management), Myles Keller (UK – Membership Development Director, PRS for Music), Pat Pattison (US – Music Professor at International Music School Berklee Music), Peter Coquillard (US – Nettwerk Publishing Director), Robert Horsfall (UK – Entertainment industry lawyer) and Steve Cropper (US – International songwriter and legendary guitarist). The locals include Bill Cullen (Director, One Louder Entertainment), Catherine Haridy (Director, Catherine Haridy Music), Dann Hume (Member of Evermore), Graham Ashton (Director, Frogstomp Music), Guy Sebastian (ARIA and APRA Award-winning artist), Jake Stone (Member of Bluejuice), Jim Moginie (Founding member of Midnight Oil & The Break), Kev Carmody (Singer/songwriter), Kevin Mitchell (Member of Jebediah), P Money (NZ – Hip hop DJ and producer), Rob Hirst (Founding member of Midnight Oil & The Break), Rob Conley (Songwriter), Stav Yiannoukas (Member of Bluejuice), Tom Harris (Director, White Sky) and Will Larnach Jones (Music Manager, Parallel Management). Registrations will open February 2012 through the event’s website.
UNDERWORLD TO DIRECT LONDON’S OPENING CEREMONY British stadium techno legends Underworld have been named as the musical directors for the London Olympics’ opening ceremony. The Underworld duo of Karl Hyde and Rick Smith, who’ve been behind anthems like Born Slippy, Two Months Off, King Of Snake and more recently Scribble, will team up with filmmaker Danny Boyle. The trio worked together on Trainspotting and have collaborated since. Hyde and Smith will be Musical Directors while Boyle is the artistic director. In a press release last week, Boyle said, “Appointing Underworld to direct the music in the Olympic Opening Ceremony is the final piece of the jigsaw for the team of leading British creatives who will deliver the ceremonies. What’s interesting about working with them is how much broader their taste is than you might imagine. With Frankenstein [a 2010 theatrical collaboration between Boyle and Underworld] we really saw how far we could take a broader approach than we’d used together on the films.” Hyde added, “We want to leave people with a musical memory of the show rather than a purely visual one. It’s a great honour to be asked to do this and one we’re taking very seriously – it’s certainly not something we’ll get the chance to do again.” The British press has reacted fairly well to the news, pointing to the atmospheric tastefulness of Frankenstein and 2010’s upbeat record, Barking. The Guardian went so far as to say that, “Their ambitious projects make them a perfect fit for the Olympics opening ceremony.”
FRESKLY INKED Tame Impala sister band Pond have signed to Modular Records. Their next album, Beard Wives Denim, will be released 2 March. Ben Kweller’s next album, Go Fly A Kite, is set to be released through Shock Records 10 February. In keeping with their flurry of signings this year, they’ve also signed the UK’s While She Sleeps. Their mini-album, The North Stands For Nothing, comes ahead of a full-length next year. Skip The Foreplay have signed to Epitaph Records. Fuse have struck up a distro deal with Memphis’ Goner, the original home of Jay Reatard, Ty Segall and the current American home to Eddy Current Suppression Ring. They’ll re-issue titles from all three on Friday.
JEZABELS GO GOLD Sydney band The Jezabels are celebrating a gold record this week, after their debut, Prisoner (independent through MGM), was officially accredited. The band returned to Australia just in time for the Homebake festival and will play Southbound and Falls before touring South East Asia with Metronomy and The Naked & Famous.
360 WINS VOTE ON BACK OF ANTI-SHORT STACK VID After posting a controversial video that urged fans not to vote for Short Stack, 360 has been awarded the Channel [V] Oz Artist Of The Year award. The Melbourne-based rapper beat other finalists Short Stack, New Empire and Guy Sebastian to the reader-voted award. In 360’s video, titled Fuck Short Stack, the rapper said, “Every time I hear a Short Stack song I wanna chop off my cock and throw it into heavy traffic on a freeway. Every time you vote for me a Short Stack fan gets kidnapped and has their head shaven. Whenever I hear a Short Stack song I want to slit a baby lamb’s throat and throw it into a minefield.”
WARNER EXEC RESIGNS After the sales of both Warner and EMI, Warner Chairman Edgar M. Bronfman Jr has confirmed his expected resignation. Having stepped down as CEO earlier this year, it was expected that Bronfman Jr., 56 and a top music exec since the 1990s, would leave the Chairman post after the two sales ran their course. It had long been Bronfman’s goal to bring EMI into Warner, but
FRONTLASH
BACKLASH
Announce they’re taking a hiatus on stage at the Meredith Festival. And really, you wouldn’t have it any other way from Nick Cave, would you? I mean you can’t imagine him doing a protracted farewell tour now, can you? At least they went out on a high, as anyone who saw their recent Sydney performances will attest.
That time of year where you look at the family tree and know some branches need to be cut.
GRINDERMAN
LANA DEL RAY Thanks for paying us a visit in the near future with your recently announced tour!
music 24 • THE DRUM MEDIA
after failing to purchase the company earlier this year Warner also missed out in the eventual split and sale of the major. In a staff memo obtained by Billboard he said, “I wanted to let you know that, as my other obligations are beginning to take an inordinate amount of time, I have asked to step down as WMG’s Board Chairman, effective January 31, 2012. However, I will remain a director of the company and in that way, continue my association with Warner Music and its extraordinary people.” After leading investors to buy the company in 2004, Bronfman pushed the digital side of the company and developed ‘360’ record deals. No successor has been named although analysts are speculating it will be someone from new owner Access Industries’ board.
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FAMILY XMAS PARTIES PHILIP HUGHES
Cricket commentator Kerry O’Keefe put it best when he said, “If Phillip Hughes is shaving tomorrow and he gets a nick, Martin Guptill will appear from the medicine cabinet with a band-aid.” It’s time for him to go. Trended on twitter for all the wrong reasons.
THE DRUM MEDIA • 25
FOREWORD LINE
NEWS FROM THE FRONT
TOUR NEWS LANA DEL RAY
BRING THE HYPE
YOUTH LAGOON BAG RAIDERS First and second release tickets to Cargo NYE have now completely sold out, but there are limited Final Release tickets and their extra special VIP Champagne Lounge & Fireworks Package still available. You can check out a line-up including Bag Raiders, Architecture In Helsinki, Yacht Club DJs, Sampology and many, many more. Adelaide four-piece Quiet Child have scored the opening spot for Opeth Friday at the Enmore Theatre. Newly signed to Shock’s new label, Permanent Records, south coast New South Welshman Steve Smyth joins Mojo Juju at the Hotel Gearin Saturday and The Vanguard Sunday before joining the UK’s Gemma Ray at The Vanguard Tuesday 20 December and Abby Dobson at the Brass Monkey Thursday 22. He then headlines Upstairs at the Beresford Fridays 23 and 30, heading to Peats Ridge in between, on Thursday 29.
TAKE A DIP
The brainchild of 22 year old Trevor Powers, Youth Lagoon produces beautiful melancholy melodies. His debut album, The Year Of Hibernation, draws on everything from anxiety to heartbreak with eerily nostalgic undertones that have earned him comparisons with James Blake, Radiohead and Caribou. Youth Lagoon will be in town for a brief visit, with support from triple j Next Crop artist Oliver Tank, to play a show at Oxford Art Factory on Thursday 16 February.
The enigmatic hype-fest that is Lana Del Ray aka Lizzy Grant will be making her first trip to Australia with a brief tour. It’s been an impressive year for the singer/songwriter with her breakout track, Video Games, amassing almost ten million YouTube hits. A hypnotic voice and beguiling persona, discerning music fans have been trying to figure out how much of the New York native is persona and how much is true, so decide for yourself when she plays Oxford Art Factory Tuesday 28 February.
DOING A 360
Enigmatic, straight-talking 360 is taking his contentious live show to the masses on the back of his addictive new single, Boys Like You. Picking up from where his last sold-out tour left off, expect a heady dose of pumped-up beats and awesome rhymes when the rapper hits the stage at The Standard Friday 24 February.
The duo that goes by the name Nervo, whose current single, We’re All No One, peaked at #8 on the ARIA Club Chart, take over Ivy Monday 26 December. Discovered by Tom Waits’ wife, the now southern California-based singer/songwriter Jesca Hoop heads to Australia for her first tour, which brings her to the Newsagency in Marrickville Tuesday 3 January showcasing her Hunting My Dress album. Jamaica’s “Masters of Mento”, The Jolly Boys are heading over to introduce themselves and their latest album, Great Expectation, on their first ever Australian tour, playing the Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre in Penrith Friday 6 January as part of the 2012 Sydney Festival. Songs and The Laurels have been invited to open for Scotland’s Sons & Daughters when they play the Sydney Festival Keystone Festival Bar Thursday 12 January. Originally Sydneysiders but these days based between the US and Berlin, Angelspit will be adding a DJ set while A+D+A+M (Lab4) will also be joining Combichrist when their Monsters On Tour hits the Manning Bar Friday 13 January, along with local guests Shiv-R and Horrorwood Mannequins.
THE HERD
DEAD TO ME
LEADING THE PACK
THE DEADENING
Two bands that embody the modern-day punk scene, San Francisco’s Dead To Me and Reno’s Cobra Skulls, are teaming up for an Australian tour that will be teaching audiences a thing or two when it comes to effervescent, screaming music. Joining them for the ride will be Canberra outfit Lamexcuse, who have lain dormant since 2009 while members went onto other exploits. The triple threat lineup kicks off Friday 30 March at the ANU Bar, followed by the Annandale Hotel on Saturday 31. The bands then appear at Yours & Owls on Tuesday 3 April, Newcastle Leagues Club on Wednesday 4 and Blush Nightclub on Thursday 5.
Triple j Next Crop Artists for 2011, Melbourne fivepiece Loon Lake head up the Hume to preview their forthcoming EP and more Wednesday 11 January at the Beach Road Hotel and Friday 13 at the Great Northern in Newcastle. Releasing his new album, Passerby Chorale, on line Saturday 7 January, Melbourne’s Gabriel Lynch and his band bring it to the Canberra Music Club Saturday 14, Lizotte’s Newcastle Sunday 15 and launches it at the Factory Tuesday 17, finishing his Sydney run Wednesday 18 at Lizotte’s Dee Why. James Reyne undertakes one of his more unusual tours in February, a regional tour accompanied by two bush poets, Murray Hartin and Peter Mace, dubbed Flix In The Stix. Alongside short films they play Canberra Saturday 25, where the trio will take the stage at the National Botanic Gardens. Complete with a brand new Justice Crew Party Mix CD/DVD in their collective mitts, Justice Crew will be partying at Penrith Panthers Friday 13 January, Revesby Workers Saturday 14, Campbelltown RSL Friday 27, Mounties Saturday 28, Dee Why RSL Friday 3 February, Castle Hill RSL Saturday 4, the Southern Cross Club Canberra Friday 10, Rooty Hill RSL Sunday 12 and Souths Juniors Friday 17. 26 • THE DRUM MEDIA
One of Australia’s most popular hip hop collectives, The Herd are set for an action-packed year with a massive tour across the country, supported by Thundamentals. The A Thousand Lives tour will see them performing at Manning Bar on Friday 30 March and Cambridge Hotel in Newcastle on Saturday 31. The Herd will also play a show at The Northern in Byron Bay on Saturday 28 April.
FLYING HIGH
Following the success of last year’s New Year’s Day Warehouse event success at Sun Studios, they’re going to do it all over again in 2012! Catering for a discerning crowd who appreciate good music, the event promises to ease you out of the NYE comedown and into great music from acts like Crazy P, Netherlands’ DJ Maestro and Katalyst (Sound System). It all goes down Sunday 1 January at Sun Studios in Alexandria.
AUSSIE AS THE HARBOUR
Darling Harbour is set for the biggest of celebrations this Australia Day with a full day of fun activities and events for all ages. Kids can join in with Play School star Jay Laga’aia and Christine Anu on the children’s stage, and everyone can enjoy the best of world music and dance with performances from Afro Moses and Moses O’Jah, Seltic Sires, Azadoota and Marsala. The day culminates in a spectacular fireworks display over Cockle Bay. Join the cultural smorgasbord of fun all around Darling Harbour, from 11.30am Thursday 26 January.
Sydney duo Erik Omen, who have just released their limited edition 12”, Grade E/Payphone, will be supporting Ariel Pink when the Californian returns to Sydney to play the Oxford Art Factory Friday 2 March.
Swamp Thing, a duo featuring ex-John Butler drummer Michael Barker and NZ guitarist Grant Haua, last seen opening across Australia for Tim Finn, plays the Brass Monkey Thursday 5 January.
POLITELY AWKWARD
Two bright up-and-comers are teaming up to bring The Politely Awkward Tour to life. San Cisco and The Jungle Giants will be keeping it cordial as they join forces in their first-ever national tour. They’ll be bringing their fresh new sounds to Spectrum on Saturday 18 February and The Great Northern on Sunday 19.
HAPPY NEW… WAIT A MINUTE
Australian-born, Brookly- based avante-pop artist Happy New Year makes her way to home shores for the Australian leg of her first world tour. Celebrating the launch of a split release with Brisbane’s burgeoning drone-pop act Nite Fields, she’ll be schooling audiences in the art of noise with a dash of pop in a few shows. Check Happy New Year and Nite Fields out on Wednesday 11 January at The Croatian Club in Newcastle with Hopes, Thursday 12 at Yours and Owls with Moonbase Commander, and on Friday 13 at Dirty Shirlows with Kirin J Callinan and Secret Birds.
ONLY THE BIRDS
LA four-piece Vintage Trouble, who will be performing in the Spiegeltent Friday 27, Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 January as part of the 2012 Sydney Festival, will see the local release of their latest album, The Bomb Shelter Sessions, the day of their first Sydney show.
Lord have been invited to open for Texan metal behemoth Iced Earth when they hit The Hi-Fi Thursday 5 April.
SAN CISCO
NANTES
TRIPLE THREAT
Three of the nation’s hottest upcoming outfits, millions, Nantes and Northeast Party House, are combining their indie-rock sounds for a co-headline tour around the country. Hailing from Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne respectively, all three have been officially ‘unearthed’ by triple j, and have since been touring relentlessly, increasing their mounting fanbase. See what all the fuss is about when the bands play O Party in Wollongong on Thursday 23 February, Friday 24 at Oxford Art Factory and Saturday 25 at Transit Bar.
BACHELOR GIRL
READ UP ON HER
BUSY AS BUSBY
Scottish-born singer and songwriter Eddi Reader makes a welcome return to our city where she’ll be playing as a quartet with long time cohorts Boo Hewerdine, Alan Kelly and Ian Carr. Also playing the Blue Mountains Music Festival, Eddi and band will play an exclusive Sydney club date Thursday 22 March at Blue Beat. Tickets are available for dinner and a show only.
KILLING IT
Fresh off a gruelling two-month tour of Europe, The Kill Devil Hills are returning to their roots with a new single in tow, The Week In Pictures. A jarring, throbbing rock track, the band will bring it and all of the crowd favourites to town when they play at The Annandale on Friday 20 January.
Bachelor Girl singer and songwriter Tania Doko is returning to her native Australia after spending some time in her second music home in Stockholm, Sweden. Having spent most of the year in studios writing songs and missing the local live scene, Doko returns to play solo at 34 Degrees South in Bondi Wednesday 8 February, Brass Monkey Thursday 9, Clarendon Guest House Friday 10 and the Burning Log Saturday 11.
Much-loved Australian troubadour Josh Pyke will hit regional Australia for an extensive run of dates on his Only Sparrows tour. Following on from a soldout show in capital cities, Pyke will be showcasing album tracks including the brand new single, Punch In The Heart, featuring Katy Steele. Pyke will play the Soldiers Club in Batemans Bay on Thursday 26 January, Shoalhaven Entertainment Centre on Friday 27, Milton Theatre on Sunday 29 and Entrance Leagues Club on Thursday 2 February.
FEEL THAT BASS
Those who were at Chinese Laundry last year won’t have forgotten the sweaty, intense fun of Bassnectar’s show, as he had the venue packed to the hilt with a throbbing moshpit to boot. Those who wish they had but didn’t now have a second chance, as the US DJ returns for Garden Party at Chinese Laundry on Saturday 28 January. He’ll be joined by prominent UK robostep producers Bare Noize in their long awaited first ever Sydney show.
GOODGOD NYE!
Can’t find a place to go for New Year’s Eve? Perhaps you’ve tired of the continuously anti-climactic NYE events you’ve experienced in the past. Goodgod are promising not to disappointment with their Last Resort affair back for another year. They’re certainly on the right track with Royal Headache bringing in the last year of the Mayan calendar with their soulful garagepunk sound. Add to that DJs King Opp and Shantan Wantan Ichiban and the party is just getting started. There’s plenty more to come and with a measly $18 price, it’s one of the cheapest NYE events in town.
CUTTING IT UP
Founding member of the legendary west coast hip hop crew Jurassic 5 and the hugely successful world/Latin/ beats posse Ozomatli, Cut Chemist is a virtuoso of decks, cuts and loops. Now the turntablist extraordinaire will be bringing his envelope-pushing show to Australia in a cut‘n’scratch audio-visual blowout. Get inspired when he plays The Metro on Friday 17 February. MATT CORBY
Busby Marou are quickly gaining a reputation as one of the hardest-working live bands in Australia. Having spent the back end of the year on tours with Dolly Parton, kd lang and Pete Murray, fans can now experience the band in their own headline shows joined by special guests Georgia Fair at Lizotte’s Kincumber Friday 27, Lizotte’s Dee Why Saturday 28 and Lizotte’s Newcastle Sunday 29 January.
THAT MANGAN
Vancouver’s hardest working man Dan Mangan returns to Australia in support of his new release, Oh Fortune. Mangan’s DIY, underdog, indie aesthetic has earned him fans internationally, and he tours as much as possible, wherever he can. He’ll be supported by a stellar band when he arrives at Notes Friday 24 February.
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INTO THE FIRE
Already making a radio splash with his new single, Brother, Matt Corby is heading out on the road on his Into The Flame Tour. Playing intimate acoustic sets along with slightly bigger shows, he’ll be playing tracks from his brand new EP and more when he hits Oxford Art Factory on Thursday 1 March.
JANUARY AT THE FACTORY
TUE 3 JAN performing dub side of the moon
105 VICTORIA RD MARRICKVILLE 9550 3666 FACTORYTHEATRE.COM.AU THE DRUM MEDIA • 27
FOREWORD LINE
NEWS FROM THE FRONT
M A R L E Y KENNY WAYNE SHEPHERD
COLD CHISEL
LAMB OF GOD
MANU CHAO
LOSTPROPHETS
NILE RODGERS
SEASICK STEVE
MACHINE HEAD
ENTER SHIKARI
MASTODON
YANN TIERSEN BAND
COLD AND BLUE
In an exclusive festival appearance, Cold Chisel have been announced as headliners of Bluesfest 2012, with their performance closing the main stage on Thursday 5 April. It will be the first time that an Australian artist has ever headlined this iconic musical event. With most members of the band having played solo at the festival over the years, expect something special when they come together in this not to be missed day. Bluesfest runs from Thursday 5 to Monday 9 April at Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm just outside Byron Bay.
ENTER THE SIDEWAVES
You’ve seen the line-up of Soundwave 2012 and obviously been impressed judging by how ticket sales are going, now a whole bunch of Sidewaves have just been announced. Enter Shikari continue to defy those who seek to pigeonhole them, with a live reputation that involves destroying anything and everything on stage. Local fans will be the first in the world to hear new tracks from the forthcoming A Flash Flood Of Colour. Joining them will be Letlive, bringing punk rock aggression and rock‘n’roll swagger to the two shows and brutal hardcore act Your Demise. The bands play The Metro on Wednesday 29 February and tickets go on sale this Thursday. Masters of heavy metal Machine Head have been redefining the genre for over 15 years and with the new studio album, Unto The Locust, having been released earlier this year, the band return to play UNSW Roundhouse on Wednesday 29. Accompanying them will be American metal act Chimaira, the violent musical brutality of Shadows Fall and Times Of Grace. With their latest album, The Betrayed, earning accolades in their native UK and abroad, Welsh rockers Lostprophets will have plenty of material to draw on when they play Tuesday 28 at The Metro. The band will be supported by fellow Welshmen Kids In Glass Houses and newcomers Versaemerge. Also announced, metal juggernauts Trivium will be the support act for Slipknot in their headline show at Sydney Entertainment Centre on Monday 27. Trivium return armed with their most dynamic record to date in the form of In Waves. From Grammy nominations to being hailed as the saviours of metal, Mastodon are one of the key figures shaping heavy metal in the 21st century. The band play The Hi-Fi on Thursday 1 March, with support from Gojira and Norway’s Kvelertak. Hitting our shores with the force of an invading apocalyptic army, Lamb Of God are back with a dose of pure metal in a show at Canberra’s UC Refectory on Thursday 1. They’ll be accompanied by Swedish metal giants In Flames, who’ve paved an enviable career spanning more than 20 years, to become pioneers of melodic death metal. Alongside them will be The Black Dahlia Murder, delivering a barrage of brutal breakdowns and technical death metal. 28 • THE DRUM MEDIA
BRINGING THE BLUES
The Bluesfest sideshows just keep coming, with a couple of newbies being added to the already plentiful list of artists who’ll be taking a side jaunt to our city whilst in the country for the festival. So, to recap: Legendary guitarist Buddy Guy was praised by the late, great Jimi Hendrix himself and he’ll be performing a sideshow with Jonny Lang at the Enmore Theatre on Wednesday 4 April. Back with his new record, Dirty Jeans & Mudslide Hymns, John Hiatt brings his all-star band The Combo and his gruff fusion of rock‘n’roll and country to The Metro on Tuesday 3. Steve Earle is considered to be one of the world’s greatest troubadours; a singer, songwriter, three-time Grammy Award winner, he’s even a novelist now. Watch this multi-talented man weave stories in his sideshows, Wednesday 4 at Lizotte’s Newcastle, Sunday 8 at Factory Theatre and Monday 9 at Concourse Theatre. Yann Tiersen is probably most recognised for film scores such as for Amelie and Goodbye Lenin!, but this multi-instrumentalist will amaze and surprise fans when he brings his blistering rock versatility to The Metro on Thursday 5. The modern legend that is Seasick Steve returns to our fair shores with a new album, You Can’t Teach An Old Dog New Tricks, and special guest John Paul Jones on bass. He plays The Metro on Thursday 12. He’s won Billboard Music Awards, Blues Music Awards and Orville H. Gibson Awards, so you best believe Kenny Wayne Shepherd is a supreme axeman who will be delivering guitar-driven, bluesinfused music at the Factory Theatre on Thursday 5. Having toured with the likes of The Rolling Stones and Eric Clapton, Fabulous Thunderbirds know how to kick arse with their blend of Texas blues and harmonica-laced swamp sounds, so don’t miss out when they play the Factory Theatre on Saturday 7.
GUMMY FUN
The Gum Ball festival may not be on until April next year, but there’s a launch party on the way. This Sunday is the big day, with the first round lineup being announced at the Grand Junction Hotel, aka The Junkyard. Kicking off around 4pm, there’ll be plenty to see and do, including musical entertainment from The Perch Creek Family Jug Band.
SO SEXY SO CHIC
Put your dancing shoes on as legendary disco group Chic featuring Nile Rodgers bring their charttopping tunes to our city performing a local sideshow to coincide with their appearances at Playground Weekender and Golden Plains festivals. Having been absent from our shores for more than ten years, you
won’t want to miss out on an epic show spanning the band’s four decade-long career. The tour will see them dropping by The Metro on Monday 5 March.
WE SEE YOU Thee Oh Sees are heading out on a tour of epic proportions that takes in almost every nook and cranny of the east coast, with three dates set around town with Straight Arrows. They’ve announced their supports for their Sugar Mountain sideshows, being at The Terrace in Newcastle on Wednesday 18 January with Bare Grillz and rounding it out with a stop by The Annandale with The Gooch Palms on Thursday 19.
FIRST NIGHT JITTERS The infamous Sydney Festival First Night has announced its lineup with Manu Chao, Washington and Gurrumul all set to open the summer festival on The Domain Stage. Expect the city to be jam-packed as these acts bring their diverse musical stylings to the stage to kick off a night that includes Norman Jay, Holly Throsby, Erth’s I, Bunyip, Electric Empire, The Jolly Boys, Trocadero Dance Palace and much more. The town comes alive on Saturday 7 January and it’s all free!
BDO SIDESHOWS SELL OUT Fans of Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds and Foster The People best have bought their tickets to the acts sideshows as they’ve both sold out, not only in our city but nationally. Meanwhile there are a limited number of Girl Talk tickets remaining, with the mash-up extraordinaire having already sold out his show in Melbourne. Tickets are still available for Kanye West, Soundgarden, My Chemical Romance, Kasabian & The Vaccines, Royksopp and Cage The Elephant sideshows.
PARTY TIME The Death Set and their epic evening of distressed punk and trash dance beats will feature the recently announced main support Dune Rats, along with Humans and thrashabilly kids Doc Holliday Takes The Shotgun. The party kicks off on Thursday 29 December at The Standard in addition to their Falls Fest appearance.
THE BIG SKATE OUT
Big Day Out 2012 is bringing back the Vert Ramp Skate Show after it was first introduced 20 years ago at the first ever BDO. It’s been ten years since the festival has included the skate tour as part of its regular shows, so to help celebrate 20 years of BDOs, they’ve got none other than Tony Hawk returning with many friends in tow. Other skaters who’ll be joining the tour are Kevin Staab, Sandro Diaz, Neal Hendrix, Jesse Fritsch, Elliot Sloan, Alex Perelson, Renton Millar, Sam Beckett, Juergen Horrwarth, Nathan Beck, Adam Luxford, R.J Barbaro, Trevor Ward and Mick Mullhall. The Big Day Out takes place on Thursday 26 January at Sydney Showground.
GET INGA
The inimitable Inga Liljestrom has another record in the bag due mid-2012, but before that she’ll be playing a couple of shows in Sydney, which she is promising will be completely different from one another. Before heading back to Europe for Parisian gig commitments, Liljestrom will play at 505 in Surry Hills on Wednesday 21 December and Wednesday 11 January. In between those gigs on Thursday 29 December is her Peats Ridge Festival appearance.
DESIGN OUR COVER AND WIN
A reminder that our Big Day Art competition is back. All you have to do is send us your impression of an artist on the current Big Day Out schedule and upload your entry to www.themusic.com.au/ big-day-art. The competition is now open and entries close Friday 6 January. The prize? Not only will your entry appear on the front cover of The Drum Media, but the lucky winner will also win a pass to the Big Day Out plus CDs by Big Day Out artists. But it gets Bigger and Artier than that! To celebrate the BDO festival’s 20th anniversary, we are also giving the winner exclusive prints of heritage BDO poster art. Feel free to take influence from the handicraft theme BDO are using for this year’s festival artwork – as long as it’s uploadable: a Kanye doily design, Frenzal Rhomb string art, a sock monkey Noel Gallagher… And, of course, our editorial and art team will select an entry to grace our annual Big Day Art cover.
BLUESY ESCAPADES
Sydney’s premiere blues and roots event, the Sydney Blues & Roots Festival, returns for its fourth year in the historic township of Windsor. Early bird tickets for the acclaimed event, which runs Thursday 25 to Sunday 28 October, are available at the moment. The lineup will be announced in the coming months.
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WWW.SUMMERFESTIVALGUIDE.COM.AU
130 ENMORE RD ENMORE
105 VICTORIA RD MARRICKVILLE
OPETH
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black cherry nye + BOB LOG III (USA), THE ART, PAT
Future, Past Perfect Tour
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CAPOCCI COMBO feat. EZRA LEE, GAY PARIS & many more
ALOE BLACC
sat 31 december ZOO
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miss polly rae and the hurly burly girlys
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ROYKSOPP
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FOREWORD LINE
NEWS FROM THE FRONT
ORCHESTRATING GIGS
Acclaimed US band Manchester Orchestra return to our fine city next year on the back of their latest critically and fan-loved record, Simple Math. Touring Australia’s East Coast as part of the Hi-Fi Shorelines Series, a series of shows across The Hi-Fi venues celebrating the opening of the Hi-Fi Sydney, the band will open the new venue on Sunday 4 March.
MANCHESTER ORCHESTRA
PAT CAPOCCI & LILLIAN STARR
CHERRY-LICIOUS
Sydney’s favourite band, burlesque & DJ rock ‘n’ roll party Black Cherry, brings in 2012 with an all-start lineup that will see you partying into the new year. Expect punk, rockabilly, garage, soul and more in a night featuring performances from America’s Bob Log II, The Art, Pat Capocci Combo feat. Ezra Lee, Gay Paris, Los Capitanes, Virginia Killstyxx and some amateur performances thanks to Jungle Rump Rock ‘n’ Roll Karaoke. Burlesque comes courtesy of Lillian Star, Jamilla Deville and Kelly Ann Doll. The night kicks off at The Factory Theatre Saturday 31 December.
HIP TO THE XMAS HOP
Sydney hip hop label Big Village Records wrap up the year with a banging Christmas block party at the Annandale Hotel on Friday 23 December. Featuring live performances from the entire Big Village roster, expect great sets from True Vibenation, Ellesquire, Tuka, Daily Meds and Rapaport. Other talented artists who’ll be on hand to help get the party started include Sketch The Rhyme featuring Ozi Batla and Joe New, She Rex, Mcs Herb and Ruthless, DJ Migz and the Hi-Tops Brass Band. A very limited series of Big Village remix CDs will be pressed especially for the occasion, so don’t miss out.
TWO SOULS
Two-time Grammy Award winners Soul II Soul (Sound System) featuring Jazzie B, Caron Wheeler and MC Chickaboo are coming together for their first ever combined tour of Australia. Jazzie B and Soul II Soul are credited as one of the legendary pioneers in UK soul r‘n’b music, with a career that began way back in 1988. With stellar shows consisting of an eclectic mix of rare groove, classic soul, house and reggae, expect to wear your dancing shoes out when they play The Ivy on Sunday 26 February.
CAN YOU DIG
The DJ’s DJ, John Digweed remains the people’s favourite as an unpretentious performer focused on delivering distinctive electronic music. Known for his deep and mysterious sets that involve a fastidious approach to production, the Englishman has travelled the globe with decks in tow. He’ll be in town on Saturday 11 February at The Greenwood Hotel, so get your party hat on and join in the fun.
XMAS GOINGS ON
Please note that the last issue of The Drum Media will be on Tuesday 20 December, with the first issue of 2012 being Tuesday 10 January. Please note that The Drum’s office will be closed from Thursday 22 December and will reopen again on Thursday 5 January.
FIRST ANNUAL SPA READERS’ POLL LAUNCHED
Every year the Street Press Australia editors and journalists have their say on the year past – this year we want you to do the same in our first annual readers’ poll. We’re calling on you to vote on what we thought were the best albums of the year, what the best shows were and who the best artists were. And, as if you needed any more reason to talk about your opinions on music, you can win an iPad just for submitting your entry! As well as that, five runners-up will win a CD pack. The Readers’ Poll closes Wednesday 11 January and the results – as well as your opinions – will be printed in the Street Press Australia mags in the week commencing 16 January. Forget your blog, these will be printed on real paper! Head to facebook.com/drummedia to enter.
IN BRIEF Out now digitally is The Version Suicides EP, on which Sydney producer Whyte Fang has done his thing on five tracks from The Grates’ latest album, Secret Rituals. Also out now is the new album, West, with, on the initial pressings, a bonus disc, Mazes Remixed, from American psych rockers Moon Duo, who will be touring here in March. Suffering bipolar disorder hasn’t deterred singer/songwriter Matt Burke from pursuing a musical career both here and overseas, and has just released his third album, Let Me Out!. Friday sees the release of the debut mini-album, It’s True, from Fifi Mondello, and the second album, Qué?stions, from Sydney duo The Estate. Meanwhile, touring here in March, playing the Hi-Fi in Sydney, UK four-piece Will & The People, release their Lion In The Morning single that day.
30 • THE DRUM MEDIA
themusic.com.au
THE DRUM MEDIA • 31
RETURN OF THE MONKEYS
BRIT-POP GIANTS ARCTIC MONKEYS’ DRUMMER MATT HELDERS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE ON THE PHONE. INSTEAD BEN PREECE HAD TO THROW OUT ALL HIS DRUMMER JOKES AND TALK TO FRONTMAN ALEX TURNER. NO LOSSES ENSUED.
A
lex Turner sounds sleepy. He and his Arctic Monkeys’ bandmates – drummer Matt Helders, bassist Nick O’Malley and guitarist Jamie Cook – are in Pittsburgh with a show in just a couple of hours. Not a good time to feel sleepy, but he says he’ll “snap right out of it” the moment the curtain drops. His word is certainly one to trust – at only 25-years-old, Turner and his Monkeys converse, play music and act like seasoned veterans of a music scene that has become more fickle than ever, even in their five short years atop the rock‘n’roll pile. The band is currently touring their fourth album, Suck It And See, one that has turned the band’s sound upside down once again. Their 2009 album Humbug messed with the lads’ formula of frantic drums and messy guitars. Suck It And See not only continues that newfound legacy, but also drags it even further with Turner’s sharp-witted lyrics firmly intact and pop melody sensibilities back at the forefront. He takes pride in the simple fact that the four remain relevant in 2011, despite the relentless musical climate change. “Guitar music is very different to even when we started and were at school and that,” he admits. “It’s different in each country but it sure seems like there’s less rock’n’roll on the radio these days. People who are out there – fans, or whatever you want to call them – like something if you make something good. That’s the way I have to look at it, in a way. We just focus on it and they find it – it comes to that. The thing that you do anyway, whether there are loads of people listening to you or not, is just make music you want to listen to and hope other people want to too. Luckily for us, people want to listen to us. But if you try to adapt to whatever’s going on, then you’re fucked. It’s all a very different game now to even when we started – I still like singles and everything that goes with it, especially the seven inches and if you have a flipside. I think people that get into that are like me and it makes me want to keep doing it. I suppose it’s about the radio too and getting on the radio around the world is even pretty difficult these days. “We’re in a good place though,” he continues, “just coming to the end of this American tour, but it’s been really bloody good. America has really started to… I don’t know, we’ve started getting a really good response over here. They haven’t really been on board in the way they seem to be recently. Over the last couple of records, we’ve been coming here a bit more and they seem to have gravitated towards those records a little bit more than perhaps elsewhere.” 32 • THE DRUM MEDIA
While Humbug really messed with the Arctic Monkeys formula drastically – and didn’t really garner the response the band would’ve hoped for – Suck It And See is a very different animal in many ways. This time around, Turner is confident the new album is being received much better. “We’re really happy with it. We were when we just finished with it and it still feels like a long way to go with it, in a way. It feels like one of those records where it’s still growing and we keep putting different songs out there and that; it’s kind of like it’s got legs. I think we’re going to carry on touring it until next year, which is unusual for us. Usually by this point we’re ready to move onto the next thing, but it’s not the case this time around.
day alone and I’ll write a bit, but I’m no good at all with distractions around. I tend to not bother these days, I wait until I’ve got time alone.
“We look for something, at least we did going into these last two records, that wasn’t there on the last one,” he expands, explaining the band’s penchant for experimenting with their own sound. “There was a conscious decision to move on and put something there that was missing on the last one. It never feels like too much of a struggle to do that, we’ve always tried to move forward and not be afraid to do that. Never in your wildest dreams do you replicate something you’ve done in the past. It’s never really on the cards. Hopefully we’ll continue to evolve and grow in one way or another.”
And the exciting part of the touring regime is that it not only brings the band back to Australia for the first time in three years, but it also sees them playing a number of club shows as opposed to only the massive festival slots like the Big Day Out. “We love coming to Oz... don’t think I’ve called it that before,” he laughs. “We haven’t been down there for a long time now – a good three years maybe. It’s a shame because we fucking love playing there, like the Big Day Out last time. Not just saying that because Australia is on the phone, but some of the best tours we’ve ever done have been down there. We’re excited to get back. I love playing over here in the States, it seems like all we’ve done this year. We start a UK tour in three weeks. We’ve
Upon the album’s release, much talk surrounded not only the rather blatant title, but also the album artwork – or rather the lack thereof. Turner is clearly baffled by the reactions some of his band’s moves create. “I
“
“There’s a few things kicking about still, because we recorded every song we had for this record. Since then we wrote a couple of things that might be B-sides and we did a song with our friend Miles Kane for a B-side on one of the singles. It’s quite fun leaving those blanks though. If you get a couple of days and mess around with absolutely almost no pressure, as it’s a B-side and you can do anything you want. We enjoy that little holiday sometimes. There are no plans to work on any new material just yet.”
IF YOU TRY TO ADAPT TO WHATEVER’S GOING ON, THEN YOU’RE FUCKED.”
think we stopped trying to piss people off a couple of years ago. We were very uncooperative in the early days and we try to not ruffle too many feathers anymore, but it’s funny, you still seem to anyway. The record and its title really wasn’t us trying to rattle any cages, but it still did and the artwork too – the world needs something really controversial, clearly.” Arctic Monkeys have been on the road since Suck It And See dropped in June. As prolific as Turner seems, like most songwriters, he still tends to not even attempt writing songs when on the road. “I have tried in the past, but I tend to not get the best results on tour,” he laughs. “I have these little moments on tour where you can snatch a
only played a few shows in the UK this year so I’m looking forward to sinking our teeth in there.” And as a band’s discography grows, so does the quality of their setlist. Not that Arctic Monkeys’ debut trip to Australia was anything to be sneezed at with an album as solid as Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not, but this time they do have two new albums to play for Australian audiences with material that hasn’t been heard on stages here yet. Turner reveals the setlist will, of course, also feature the golden oldies “for the fans, or whatever you want to call them. “I guess there’s a whole two more records since we’ve been there,” he contemplates. “Last time,
themusic.com.au
FILM SUBBING
As the acclaimed lyricist for the Arctic Monkeys, often with the critical spotlight shining brightly on them and them alone specifically, Alex Turner had the chance recently to strip his music back to its bare bones for the soundtrack of Richard Ayoade’s little indie film that could, Submarine. “I guess that was after we finished touring Humbug and we had a few months. I had started writing for the Monkeys’ new record and I had a few songs that had been around for a while and I wrote a few extra,” Turner explains. “I was aware that a good friend of mine was making this film and we talked about the idea of doing some cover songs or something for it. I tried a few of mine out instead and, yeah… It was a good dress rehearsal, in a way, for writing the songs for Suck It And See, because the songs in the movie are so stripped back and they really had to stand up in the purest form – that was something I wanted these new songs on this record to do.” He seems concerned, however, that there is more to the band and its music than just his lyrics. “We feel like it’s about more than that and it’s everyone’s individual efforts and them bringing something to party. I guess the first album, with its lyrics resonating with a lot of people in the way that it did, I guess now people always have an eye on the lyrics. I am quite happy with that, I’ve got an eye on it too. I think songwriting is a craft and, while you need that little bit of magic to balance it out, you can practice that and hopefully improve. That’s the way I look at it.” we were so desperate to get down there we came in the middle of making a record, which probably wasn’t the best idea. We roadtested a couple of Humbug songs at Big Day Out, even before we were finished. So yeah, there’s all the songs from that album and all the new ones too and we continue to do the old ones too – I couldn’t dream of not playing I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor, even though it seems so long ago and like you’re doing a cover song sometimes. I don’t mean that in a negative way, we do pretty good covers of those old ones I think. Probably the best.” WHO: Arctic Monkeys WHAT: Suck It And See (Domino/EMI) WHEN & WHERE: Thursday 12 January, Horden Pavillion; Friday 13, Enmore Theatre
HARD STYLE “WE’RE THE DEATH SET AND WE DO WHAT THE FUCK WE WANT,” FRONTMAN JOHNNY SIERA TELLS STUART EVANS. RIGHT, DON’T GET THEM STARTED ON LABELLING THE BAND THEN.
T
ime is a healer, or so some say. In September 2009, just when The Death Set were embarking on writing material for their second album, Beau Velasco Parsons – one of the founding members of the group – died of an overdose. That Velasco, as he was commonly known, had fought drug addition throughout most of his life did not make his passing any easier. It is still a sore subject and The Death Set’s leading man Johnny Siera has generally been unwilling to talk about Velasco’s death in previous media interviews. “I was devastated when he died. Well, we all were devastated,” a sombre Siera admits, still finding it difficult to talk about his friend’s passing. Siera does, however, talk about his friend’s contribution to and lasting impression on the music the band makes. “It’s impossible to know what Beau would have wanted, but I know that he wouldn’t have wanted the band to disband or simply give up. The band was never about giving up. It would have been easy to say, ‘Fuck it’ as it was all too hard and call it quits, but we all learnt how to deal with it.” Whilst dealing with grief is rarely easy, one positive has emerged from this dark time. “I’d say that we are definitely closer as it’s made us stronger and a much tighter unit.” The current lineup has Siera on vocals, guitar and production duties with Jahphet Landis on drums and Dan Walker on guitar and backing vocals. Touted as the number one biggest hope for the future by a few music rags, The Death Set formed in 2005 when Siera met Velasco back in their hometown of the Gold Coast. Now based in Baltimore, USA, the move away from Australia was more of an opportunistic approach than a tactical one. “The Gold Coast is great for those who want to retire or those wanting a quick visit, but it’s not the place to be if you want to make music. It’s not the place to be inspired or a place that will support you to make music. The move to the US was prompted because we got to the stage where we wanted to take a chance and go for it.” So the move to the States has paid off, albeit slightly. “I wouldn’t say the move has changed
us in any way. What it’s enabled us to do is tour the world and have a lot of fun,” he laughs. And fun they’ve had. They’ve toured most of the major cities in the States, both as a support and as a headline act. They’ve also immersed themselves in the punk scene. “When we first went to the States we went to Brooklyn to stay with our friend [DJ and producer] Emily Rabbit. There is a crazy gig scene with a load of bands that are proactive, so being amongst all that has been great.” After their debut album, Worldwide, and follow-up, Rad Warehouses To Bad Neighborhoods, were released – the former described as sonic DIY punk that lasted 25 minutes and featured 18 songs, their reputation began to increase. The band’s sound is mongrel with a few different things blended together: they are punk, electronic and hip hop combined with sampling and high intensity live performances. “I have no idea how to describe ourselves as I fucking hate the term electro punk. I’m not a punk and don’t have spiky hair or a ring through my nose. We’re The Death Set and we do what the fuck we want,” says a determined Siera. “I don’t give a fuck if people want to label us as we take these things with a grain of salt. Some sections of the media make me laugh as one reviewer will pick out a track from an album and say it’s a standout, when another one will pick something altogether different and say that that’s a standout.” Still, he’s been surprised by The Death Set’s rise to prominence. “I am definitely surprised as it’s happened very quickly. We started out by making short and fast songs and playing in front of a few people. Now we’re in the middle of a 25-gig tour of Germany, so yeah, it’s been amazing.”
“It gets better with experience and now it’s really second nature. We’ve performed in front of two people who were sitting down and just watching us to playing in front of thousands. We’ve also played in front of a crowd that chucked bottles at us,” he laughs again. In March 2011, The Death Set released their third LP, Michel Poiccard, which included collaborations with Diplo and Spank Rock and led to comparisons to early Beastie Boys. It was hailed as the best album of The Death Set’s relatively short career. “Of course our sound will change over time as we get better as musicians and producers. We’ve always been about having a good time and hopefully that shows in the music.” The Beastie Boys reference resonates. “I love listening to the Beastie’s old stuff. The way they combined funk with hip hop is awesome.”
Talk of The Death Set normally involves a mention of their live show and stage charisma. Although they’ve got a pretty damn good standing as a live band, it’s taken time for Siera to gain confidence, as he admits with a laugh. “I used to be petrified about getting on stage to perform. I used to be scared shitless.
Siera is immensely proud of their recent album. Despite his ambivalent approach to media commentary, Michel Poiccard has received glowing reviews for its substance and depth. The album shows more maturity in songwriting and production than previous efforts. Siera says it was a strategic and deliberate move. “We really wanted to improve the production elements. That’s why we wanted to work with XXXChange. We
wanted to move away from writing quick and catchy punk songs to something more refined. Also, during the recording stages a new harder style really evolved. The album is definitely a move forward for us.” The biggest and most noticeable alteration is the inclusion of a more hip hop-inspired approach, perfectly evident via the samples. Siera agrees. “We’re influenced by electronic music, punk and hip hop and that hasn’t changed since we first started. When we wanted someone to produce the album, we didn’t want to just go and get another rock producer. With XXXChange we got an electronic producer who knew what we’re about. He understood what The Death Set is all about.” But there’s much more to the album, in its depth and true meaning – it’s more a commemoration to the legacy of Velasco than just another piece of music. “We wanted to celebrate him and what he stood for,” says Siera. WHO: The Death Set WHAT: Michel Poiccard (Counter/Inertia) WHEN & WHERE: Thursday 29 December, The Standard
DINO-MITE BEATS A RIDICULOUSLY MASSIVE STAGE NAME ISN’T THE ONLY CRAZY ASPECT OF TOTALLY ENORMOUS EXTINCT DINOSAURS, AS TROY MUTTON DISCOVERS.
Y
ou’d be hard-pressed to find a more bombasticsounding stage name than Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, especially given it’s just for essentially one person – Oxfordshire, UK-based youngster Orlando Higginbottom. Over the past couple of years Higginbottom has been gaining notoriety in the UK beats scene with his twisted take on electro settling in a variety of genres, backed with a live show, dinosaur costumes, off-the-wall headgear and an unassuming young face twiddling the knobs. He started out as most producers do, behind the ones and twos spinning tracks in the club, something he rather rapidly grew tired of. “When I started buying records I was playing jungle and drum’n’bass, around the ‘93-‘98 era of the music, even though it was 2000 for me. I was also playing disco sets after a while and hip hop as well. But, yes, my sound changed a lot because I got bored of those scene/genre nights where you had to play certain stuff...” Higginbottom relays. “Also I wanted to start producing stuff I didn’t understand.” The result has been a warped take on electronica that delves into many a genre, without staying in one place for too long. You could say electro/house is a running theme, but his use of samples, blips and bleeps, combined with jungle styles and 2-step themes always keeps it interesting. It’s no surprise then that people like BBC1 alumni Annie Mac and Hot Chip’s Joe Goddard have signalled him out as one to watch. That being said you get the feeling he’d probably be just as happy tinkering away on things without the kudos, as long as he gets to perform live. “It’s something I do really enjoy and I think something I want to take a lot further, whatever that means. I play all my own music using Ableton, some keyboards, samplers, drum machines and singing... And the girls dance. And we all dress up. It’s a good party normally.” Sounds like it – and Higginbottom assures he will be accompanied by said ladies for his Australian visit. “The dancing girls are coming!” Higginbottom loves the theatrics of his totally enormous live performances and it’s something 34 • THE DRUM MEDIA
that clearly extends into his visual aesthetic – whether it be press shots, or nearly any video clip of his featuring him wearing some massive piece of headwear, usually involving feathers. He likes to have a big part in those clips, but also knows when to let it go. “Sometimes I have stepped in and got very involved if it has begun to look wrong to me. But I try and work with directors who I trust will do something I like. “With the costumes and artwork, it’s always just been about having fun and taking things slightly too far. It’s exciting for me to think that the whole look of the project could completely change at some point.” The idea of Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs getting any more leftfield seems crazy, but not surprising really. So far he’s released three EPs, but he’s currently working on a debut album. Even the full-length album has become an almost leftfield proposition for producers these days, with many opting for single releases in these instant download days. It’s something that isn’t lost on Higginbottom either, for better or for worse. “When I first started it I thought it was basically impossible to write a dance music album that works both as a whole and as individual records on the dancefloor. “Now I think it is possible, but fucking hard and I wouldn’t like to say if I have achieved it or not. Certainly it is something I wanted to do. EPs are a lot of fun but not as challenging as an album,” he admits. “I’ve got one track to finish and the record is done. It should be out early 2012.” Another factor has been his insane touring schedule, which will see him supporting fellow Brit indiedance lads Friendly Fires around the UK, before he missions over to Australia for the Christmas/ New Year period, and then it’s straight back into a month-long headline tour back around the UK. These kind of movements are not helpful when trying to write an album really. “It has been fucking hard and next time I write an album I’m going to take some serious time out; maybe four or five months
without any shows. I’ve done over 100 gigs this year, which has massively disrupted the completion of this album.” That’s not to say he’s complaining though: “[It’s exhausting], but it’s a lot of fun.” When it comes to the writing/recording process, unsurprisingly Higginbottom tries to get out of his comfort zone as much as possible and basically just sees what comes out the other end. “When I write, I like coming from as many different angles as possible. Sometimes I start with a synth in the studio and just record an hour’s noise, other times I start by working on a kick drum. It’s about avoiding a sense of déjà vu in [the] studio. Though having said that, I do like recycling old ideas that I have previously discarded.” He’s also not averse to recycling other artists’ songs in the form of remixes and his latest edit may come as a surprise to fans –
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remixing Lady Gaga’s Marry The Night. “On the whole, I love remixing. As weird as this sounds, me and Lady Gaga are on the same record label in the UK. Of course it was a bit crazy remixing the biggest artist in the world, but I try not to worry about what people are going to think of a track when I’m writing it. You can never predict how good a track will be or how people will react to it, so I just get on with it and hope for the best.” It kinda seems like Higginbottom isn’t really fussed with what comes of his music, as long as he gets to continue his own sonic explorations, which look set to continue into 2012. WHO: Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs WHEN & WHERE: Sunday 1 January, Field Day, The Domain; Wednesday 4 January, Trinity Bar, Canberra THE DRUM MEDIA • 44
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FRANK FAIRFIELD (USA)
In the vein of CW Stoneking, Frank Fairfield plays downhome Americana stripped right back. An unmissable night for folk and country fans!
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THE IDEA OF NORTH – AWAY IN A BASEMENT
Australia’s leading a’capella quartet are set to entertain and amuse with a classic repertoire spiced with appropriate Yuletide fare.
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RUMOURS – A TRIBUTE TO FLEETWOOD MAC
All the hits from the early blues days through to the majesty of the big swinging pop numbers. A great night of nostalgia and utter niceness.
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NEW YORK NIGHTS – A TRIBUTE TO THE FANIA ALL-STARS A huge band cranks up the Latino beats in a high energy celebration of the birth of the New York salsa scene!
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THE WORLD IN THE BASEMENT
Alt.country artist Joe West, jazzer Lucinda Peters, rappers The Kumpnee and ABC Radio National DJ Brent Clough combine for a great night of World Music presented by iHearMusic.com.
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A NEW YORK CHRISTMAS
NY cabaret singer David Raleigh and a massive cast of Sydney stage stars present an evening of torch and twang just6 right for the festive season.
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GOSPEL LOVE
Martinez Productions present a wonderful night of feelgood music for the Christmas season! Darryl Beaton, the D1 Cartel, Buddy Siolo, the Martinez brothers and some very special guests combine for an evening of deeply funky, soulful gospel magic. Get your church on!
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THE MY TYS XMAS SKANK OUT!
Sydney’s favourite party ska band hit the stage for a big, big night of rude boy riddems and nutty madness.
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THE DRUM MEDIA • 35
SYDNEY FESTIVAL EXCLUSIVE
SONNY FODERA PLUS RESIDENT DJ’S
T WO R O O M S
L I V E A C T S T I L L AT E F I R E W O R K S PA S S O U T S
FI RS T R E L E AS E $50 S E COND R ELEASE $60 W W W. T H E A R G Y L E R O C K S .C OM 1 8 A R G Y L E S T, T H E R O C K S , S Y D N E Y N S W 2 0 0 0 P HONE 02 9247 5500 T H E A R GY L E R O C K S.C O M R E S E R VAT I O N S @ T H E A R G Y L E R O C K S .C O M FAC E B OO K .C O M / T H E A R G Y L E R O C K S
36 • THE DRUM MEDIA
FIRST EVER AUSTRALIAN PERFORMANCES Monday January 9 | Enmore Theatre Ticketek: 132 849 | sydneyfestival.org.au/manu
Also appearing at Festival First Night on Saturday January 7
HERITAGE LISTED FROM PROGRESSIVE ROCK TO SWEDISH FOLK AND SCANDINAVIAN JAZZ, MIKAEL ÅKERFELDT HAS DIVERSE TASTES, BUT OPETH FANS ALWAYS KNEW THIS. TRISTAN BROOMHALL SCRATCHES BEYOND THE GENERAL METAL TAGS TO GET TO THE BAND’S HERITAGE.
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weden’s a fertile land for metal and Opeth are usually one of the first bands that spring into the minds of metal fans when anyone mentions the music of that Nordic Kingdom. Since forming in the distinctive death metal primordial soup that oozed and bubbled in Stockholm in the early ‘90s, they’ve built an enviable catalogue of nine albums culminating with the acclaimed Watershed in 2008. After a lengthy wait between albums the prolific band have recently released album number ten – Heritage – and Mikael Åkerfeldt’s crafted something spectacular from a diverse influence base, something that the album title sums up succinctly. “I like the word [Heritage] and that’s important when you name an album and it’s all connected to musical heritage, you could say,” Åkerfeldt explains. “All of those songs on the album were written by me and there’s also Swedish musical heritage that comes across in this album. Swedish folk music is unique in the world; I’ve never found anything else like Swedish folk music. Most of those songs have been inspired by the music I grew up with, like the hard rock of the ‘70s and early ‘80s and some of the more recent influences like the prog and the psychedelic rock that’s been highly influential for me. I guess, once that word came up there was a lot of things that just fitted together well with the title.”
“
I CAN’T REALLY PUT MY FINGER ON WHAT TYPE OF STYLE IT IS BECAUSE I’VE NEVER REALLY HEARD ANYTHING LIKE IT BEFORE.”
Åkerfeldt points out. “We recorded in this studio called Atlantis that is one of the oldest recording studios in Stockholm and that’s where ABBA recorded most of their records back in the day. There were a lot things that just came together with this album that made the album title just seem absolutely right.” The influence of the folk music of Sweden on Åkerfeldt’s writing for the album is audible throughout, but it’s always only an influence, not the centrepoint of the record. “In many of the songs, to be honest, a few licks, or melodies, relate back to Swedish folk music,” says Åkerfeldt. “The most apparent one is the opening song, which is called Heritage – a piano piece – and that is directly influenced by a record that came out in Sweden in the early ‘60s that was called Jazz In Swedish [Jazz på svenska] by Jan Johansson, which was basically jazz interpretations of traditional Swedish folk music. That song, plus the second to last song, that is called Folklore.” While the band have been gradually turning their backs on the growls and sheer vocal aggressiveness of some previous albums, fans will be quick to notice that Heritage is the first album that’s done away with them altogether. “If you listen to this album it’s really clear that there’s no room for those types of vocals,” explains Åkerfeldt. “I can’t really remember what was going through my head, but I think my original plan was to do a heavy record but with only harmony vocals, like three-part vocal harmonies, all the way through. “That didn’t happen because I wanted more of a change; I wanted something like 180 degrees basically. I wanted something strange for this album – something all over the place – I wanted to be inspired, to have something like I’d never heard before. I think I’ve succeeded and there’s parts of the album that I can’t really put my finger on what type of style it is because I’ve never really heard anything like it before.” The cover art for Heritage is jammed to bursting point with symbolism, no doubt a reference to the busy gatefolds of ‘70s progressive rock, forming a suitable wrapper for the music within. “Making that cover I didn’t really have anything to do with it, it was the whole concept that was made by me. I came up with all of the ingredients that I wanted on the cover and told Travis Smith about it and he just made it; made it to my specifications,” says Åkerfeldt. “I just know I love it. It’s more colourful, it’s more symbolic, it’s more technical, it’s more anything than any of our previous covers.” The album artwork is fully realised on the special editions that the band has planned, accompanied by some bonus materials that Åkerfeldt’s quick to defend. “They’re no less important than the other songs. Before, in the past, we’ve always released everything we recorded, there was never any bonus tracks until we did Watershed, I think. That was the first album we ever did where we had extra material. So I want those songs to be as strong, or maybe stronger than some of the stuff on the album, but the reason we didn’t put them on the album was because we felt they could have been on other previous albums. They weren’t as new-sounding to me, but they’re still really good songs. One of them is called Face In The Snow and that’s one of the earliest songs I wrote for the album. The other is called Pyre, which is a song that I wrote together with Frederik Åkesson [guitar] and that’s a really strong track that I have big plans for in the future, but they’re going to be on the special edition of the album.” The 21 days the band spent in the studio was somewhat less than they’ve booked up in the past, but Åkerfeldt says that was a conscious decision. The live approach to recording is especially evident in the fluid drumming of Martin Axenrot. Åkerfeldt explains that Martin’s “been aching to do an album like this for I don’t know how many years,” after being pigeonholed as a metal drummer – and it makes for invigorating listening. “As long as it sounded good it was good enough,” continues Åkerfeldt. “We wanted to make the recording interesting and fun, which was one of the main problems with the past couple of recordings – it’s just been boring. We wanted to keep it interesting and fun and in order to do that we had to work more quickly and, besides, the studio was only available for 21 days, so we had to work quickly. That’s the way for the future for us; we’re not going to ponder on things too much. “This album, it’s bound to shock a few people,” Åkerfeldt sums up, “but I think once you get into an album like this it’s probably more likely going to stick with you for a longer time than many other metal records out there, so to speak.” WHO: Opeth WHAT: Heritage (Roadrunner) WHEN & WHERE: Friday 16 December, Enmore Theatre
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THE DRUM MEDIA • 37
ENDLESS SUMMER OF LOVE CHRISTIAN ZUCCONI FROM GROUPLOVE CHATS TO CHRIS YATES ON THE ROAD FROM NASHVILLE IN THE MIDDLE OF A WORLD TOUR THAT NEVER SEEMS TO END, EXPLAINING HOW THE BAND’S UNCONVENTIONAL BEGINNINGS KEEP YIELDING RESULTS THAT NO ONE EXPECTED - LEAST OF ALL THE BAND THEMSELVES.
“I
t’s hard to believe that it was May that we were doing the NME tour throughout all the UK and that was about six months ago but it feels like it was last week,” Zucconi explains of the blur that has been his touring life for over a year now. “I guess if it’s going by fast you’re having a good time right?” He asks the rhetorical question but he certainly knows the answer. Zucconi and his band of like-minded bohemians have been wandering the earth playing their feelgood indie art rock to critical acclaim and a global fanbase that shows no signs of quitting. Massive tours with Florence + The Machine and Two Door Cinema Club, not to mention appearances at practically every major festival in the world, including their incredibly well received set at Splendour In The Grass, certainly haven’t hindered their profile. The band is one of those rare beasts that are capable of keeping every aspect of the creative side of the band in house. Vocalist/keyboard player Hannah Hooper is a renowned visual artist and painter who created the beautiful cover art for their debut record, Never Trust A Happy Song, while the album itself was recorded and produced by drummer Ryan Rabin. It’s not really that surprising when the origins of the band are revealed. It’s like a modern rock’n’roll fairytale really. Grouplove was born from an informal artist residency (or commune if you will) on a remote part of the Greek island of Crete. It may seem accidental, but hearing Zucconi recount the tale makes it seem like it was fated. “It was really cool – unbelievable – and it came at like the perfect time too. All of us individually – without even knowing it – and before knowing each other were kind of at an artistic crossroads in our lives, questioning what we were going to do. We all met and it became obvious what was going to happen. It was totally random. “Hannah and I had met in New York; she had come to one of my acoustic shows. I was just playing some songs with a friend and she really liked the music and we hit it off. A week later she was invited to go to Greece by Andrew [Wessen, guitar]’s older brother,
who through a mutual friend visited Hannah’s painting studio in the Lower East Side. He fell in love with some of her paintings and it just so happened that he was trying this experimental first year artist commune residency thing in Greece. He had met this guy randomly on the beach in Venice, California. His parents owned a couple of old buildings in Crete. They had this vision of doing it and we were kind of the guinea pigs. It was very relaxed and an informal kind of thing. Sean [Gadd, bass] came out because one of his best friends happened to run into the same guy that Andrew’s brother met in Venice and Andrew invited Ryan out because he was studying abroad and he was nearby in the Czech Republic. At the end of the residency we threw like this festival in the town at the end of the summer and like a thousand people came out. We all played, but ironically we all played separately. Based on our love of music and love for each other’s songs we started a friendship from that, which was easy.” Grouplove really have taken the feeling of unity that they have achieved through their unusual beginnings to a new level, proudly splitting the songwriting credits across the band evenly. Zucconi says this is very important to the Grouplove dynamic. “We really put a lot of thought into that. We wanted to be different to other bands and I always find it a turn-off when you look at the liner notes on a record and every song is broken down into who does what. Even with the instrumentation, you know what I mean? It’s not about who played the tambourine. We all write songs and no matter who writes the main part, or the beginning seeds of it, everyone adds so much of their own flavour to it – it becomes much more than the original rough work that whoever brought in at the beginning. We just wanted to throw it all in there. We all do this together and the whole is more than a sum of the parts. That’s what makes the band special. It’s nice to leave the egos behind. You’ve got to be safe with it and trust it. You can’t worry that your own individual contribution will get lost, because they all sit with each other. It becomes this bigger thing.”
This is not something that Zucconi has always done in bands in the past. “I think it was new to everyone,” he explains. “We’ve all been in other bands and it was never this organic or this easy I guess. It was cool to let go of that and just trust each other and see what happens and let go of your control. It’s been a good formula so far and it’s been working.” The band are now residents of Los Angeles and their carefree breezy pop sure sounds like it’s taking some cues from the city. Zucconi doesn’t disagree, but says it’s been far from a conscious decision to give Grouplove an ‘LA sound’. “It’s hard for me to see that, because I moved there less than two years ago, but it’s the most freeing kind of music I’ve ever been a part of and I guess LA has rubbed off on us in a subconscious kind of way. Ryan
producing the record and introducing harmonies to the band has certainly influenced that a lot as well. I think it’s really cool that people are associating LA or the West Coast with our sound. We’re certainly proud to be part of the movement that’s coming out of there over the past year or two – bands like Best Coast, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, Foster The People and friends of ours Family Of The Year – and to be part of a new growth; this outburst of bands.” WHO: Grouplove WHAT: Never Trust A Happy Song (Warner) WHEN & WHERE: Tuesday 3 January, Factory Theatre
MAKING PROGRESS KRISTIN GUNDRED AKA DUM DUM GIRLS FRONTWOMAN DEE DEE PENNY TALKS TO DAVE DRAYTON ABOUT THEIR LATEST ALBUM, ONLY IN DREAMS, ESCHEWING TRENDS WITH SINGLES AND THE NATURE OF A STAGE MONIKER.
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he confusion commences early in the conversation. With Dee Dee Penny on the phone in America there’s a delay between our comments as awkward introductions are made. An operator introduces your correspondent to Kristin Gundred, though she doesn’t immediately respond to that name. So, what’s the deal with stage names? “I do my thing with my band and I do my thing with my friends and family and that’s how I like it,” says Gundred succinctly. “First of all; I don’t think there are any sort of rules. And secondly; when Dum Dum Girls started it was a very different thing. I was very much looking for some anonymity, I just wanted to do the music; I didn’t want anything else that went along with it. It’s certainly a pretty long tradition of artists and musicians and authors deciding to change their names or subscribing to some other name first for an activity they do. So for me, that just made sense. I’ll have my own ‘Iggy Pop’ or something. “At this point, obviously this is what I do on a much more regular basis. I’m pretty honest with what I do and I always have been and for me there isn’t a discrepancy between what you call it and what you do. Call it whatever I call it, I’m still going to put out the same sort of music. I think that Only In Dreams definitely is more personal than I’m probably comfortable with, which sounds funny because I chose to put it out, but at the same time I wasn’t able to write anything else. This was my life and it was completely consuming and so it was ‘write this’ or physically choose to not write,” says Gundred. Only In Dreams is certainly a personal experience. As Gundred grappled with the death of her mother and the frustration that comes from being geographically separated from her husband (Brandon Welchez, who is on tour with noise pop band Crocodiles as 38 • THE DRUM MEDIA
much as she is with Dum Dum Girls) Gundred spins the tales anew, backed by a soundtrack of shimmering garage pop and moody indie. It doesn’t get more personal than the album’s first single, Coming Down, a slow-burning, six-and-a-half minute track written about the passing of Gundred’s mother. “That song is obviously a special song to me. I’m very happy with how it came out. I think that it really captured exactly what I was tyring to put off and I think it has a very critical place on the record, but I obviously didn’t assume that a six-and-a-half-minute slow song would be released in any capacity on its own,” Gundred reflects on the odd single selection, given the rest of the album rollicks along with three-minute pop gems. “I think that’s because to the small group of people who were privy to the record it was such a favourite; it elicited such a strong response. I think that everyone wanted to make sure that the song had extra exposure than it would have just being on the record. A lot of people, I suppose, don’t buy full records anymore so if they were just looking for more traditional singles they might not even bother listening to it. So I think we just wanted to give it a bit of extra attention.” Despite the intensely personal lyrical content, Only In Dreams marks the first time in Dum Dum Girls’ history that the frontwoman has been joined by the band – guitarist Jules Medeiros, bassist Bambi Davies and drummer Sandy Vu – during the recording process in the studio. “It was exciting; it was something I hadn’t done in quite a few years. We worked up to it obviously, both with touring – just becoming a much tighter band in that sense – and also we met up in LA for a few weeks of rehearsal before we went into the studio to record. It was a lot of fun for me; I think it was a lot of fun for them too. I think it might have been a little bit daunting at first because they haven’t really ever worked with
Richard before – you know, his whole résumé’s a bit… intimidating perhaps,” she lets out a laugh. The “Richard” she’s referring to is Richard Gottehrer, who has produced albums for everyone from Blondie to Mental As Anything, and has done more than just intimidate, guiding Dum Dum Girls as their pop gems shift from lo-fi cult hits to a more polished and refined sound. “I think that that transition would have happened regardless,” Gundred muses, “The EP that came after the first record was also a step forward in terms of fidelity and a lot of that particularly had to do with the fact that it wasn’t me recording in my house on a four track or a laptop without proper mics or amplifiers. It was actually being in a studio with quality equipment and an engineer who knows what he’s doing. I love the first stuff that I did, I love the first record; for me it really captured a time and a place and is a perfect
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representation of, essentially, me starting to write songs and learning how to record them. But, you know, I wasn’t interested in putting out that same record over and over – although I could do that – I wanted to make some progress and see what we could do with access to higher standards. “The girls are extremely talented and more than capable to handle whatever I throw at them. For me this record was interesting because they had more room to breathe and to put their own personal stamp on things, which was something I was interested in.” WHO: Dum Dum Girls WHAT: Only In Dreams (Sub Pop/Inertia) WHEN & WHERE: Thursday 29 December, Peats Ridge Festival, Glenworth Valley; Monday 2 January, Oxford Art Factory
SOMBRE AND THE SILLY CSS BALANCE THE PARTYING WITH A TAD MORE SELF-REFLECTION ON THEIR LATEST ALBUM, BUT STILL FIND TIME FOR A “SPANISH PHASE”, SINGER LOVEFOXXX TELLS DOUG WALLEN.
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hat happens when a party band starts to grow up and get self-reflective? For the manic Brazilian upstarts of CSS, it means a third album that’s half irreverent and half melancholic. Coming from a band best known for songs called Music Is My Hot Hot Sex and Let’s Make Love And Listen To Death From Above, it’s indeed a shift. There was, however, a gritty injection of indie rock into CSS with 2008’s second LP Donkey and the new album La Liberación does have its fair share of cheek. So who’s to say what CSS can or can’t do? “I think this party feel is within us,” muses the group’s unmistakable frontwoman Lovefoxxx (born Luísa Hanae Matsushita) in a thick accent. “And the shows are always very cheerful. Just because that’s how we approach the stage – with happiness. This is something people usually expect from us, but we’re free to write about whatever we want.” And so the band whose unabbreviated Portuguese name (Cansei de Ser Sexy) translates to “I’ve grown tired of being sexy” has begun exploring the fatigued side of that equation more than the sweaty sex appeal that made them famous. It works, as La Liberación may not tap the zeitgeist for globe-trotting party jams like their first album, but it brings in a wide range of guests and takes all the bold chances a “difficult third album” should. Yet it’s not difficult in the least.
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THIS PARTY FEEL IS WITHIN US... THIS IS SOMETHING PEOPLE USUALLY EXPECT FROM US, BUT WE’RE FREE TO WRITE ABOUT WHATEVER WE WANT.”
As for the inspiration behind this more mature outing, it was all about looking back to one’s formative and emotionally fraught teenage years. More specifically, establishing one’s personal identity. “I think it’s good to have a realisation of how you used to be,” observes Matsushita, “and how some of the things remain the same. And it’s good to see that you’ve evolved and found people you can share your life with, like your friends. Being the outcast and growing up and finding your gang; I think there’s a lot about finding yourself with friends on this album.” There’s more to it than that, though. “The main reason to go back to teenagehood is that we had a year off [touring],” she adds. “We were writing, but there was a lot of time to think. When we did Donkey we were mainly thinking about touring and I don’t think it’s nice to write about. Not everybody can relate to that. It’s a very different lifestyle and it’s hard to understand when you’re not part of it.” And so CSS get at something more universal on La Liberación, right from the opening track I Love You. There Matsushita encapsulates the album’s mix of the sombre and the silly with this memorable line: “The rain is falling on my head/ Bringing thoughts it never had/ Like love and shit.” She also curses up a storm on the closing Fuck Everything, which she nonetheless sees as “so positive” and “one of my favourite songs off the album”. And true enough, it’s not a pessimist’s anthem but a fist-pumping promise to “dance all night” when you feel “deep in the shit”. It’s about escaping from everyday life into oblivion just when you need it most. The standout dance ballad You Could Have It All also treads a fine line between desire and disappointment, while the punky title track features lyrics in Spanish rather than English or the band’s native Portuguese. The reason for that is simple. “It’s just because we like when people have their Spanish phase,” says Matsushita. “It’s an interesting phenomenon. All the big artists have it, like ABBA and Toni Braxton and Madonna. We decided it was time for our Spanish phase.” You might expect that Spanish influence to overshadow La Liberación, but the album’s most interesting feature is the wealth of collaborators and how naturally they fall into the CSS fold. Mike Garson – who has worked with Smashing Pumpkins and Nine Inch Nails and on classic David Bowie songs – brings his trademark piano flourishes to Partners In Crime, a song that simply had Garson-style piano until the band’s manager mentioned he knew the man himself. Meanwhile, Primal Scream frontman Bobby Gillespie contributes his side of a duet on the single Hits Me Like A Rock, while electroguitar duo Ratatat turn producers on the hip hop homage Red Alert, complete with rapping, Lovefoxxx-style. As it happens, CSS shared a 2011 Big Day Out bill with both Primal Scream and Ratatat. Does that mean we can credit BDO for these team-ups? Sort of. “We’ve known both bands for years,” Lovefoxxx relays. “When we met with Bobby on Big Day Out, the track was ready already. But when we met with Ratatat, I had the idea of asking them to rework that song. Because that song was always a West Coast type of rap in our heads and Ratatat do really amazing remixes with rap. They build a whole new song. Big Day Out got us talking again.” CSS are the kind of band that treat an entire set like a heady encore, with Matsushita likely to crowd-surf and strip off clothes on the first or second song. She describes touring the US recently with JD Samson’s Le Tigre offshoot MEN, where the two bands conspired to trick out venues with pink lighting, disco balls, pastel love notes pasted in the toilets and heart-shaped nametags available free from the merch table. Beyond that, it’s just a matter of connecting with punters. “I think it’s really nice if I can observe the audience, make comments and interact as much as I can. This helps a lot,” she explains. “The best is when things happen out of the blue. That’s always our favourite. We always force ourselves to be as spontaneous as we can.” And there’s never much anxiety about capturing the albums live, or the live show on the albums. They’re simply their own entities: “We never get the total feeling of it. It’s always one side of what the show is.” Half a decade after their self-titled debut saw an unlikely international release on Sub Pop, CSS are still going strong. They’re returning to our shores less than a year after BDO for Falls Festival, now with that third album firmly in fans’ hearts. That’s the payoff for being true to yourself while expanding your artistic horizons. WHO: CSS WHAT: La Liberación (V2/Cooperative)
TUE 28 FEB OXFORD ART FACTORY : TICKETS moshtix.com.au
TICKETS ON SALE 9AM FRI 16 DEC Debut album BORN TO DIE out Feb 3 2012
secret-sounds.com.au • lanadelrey.com
WHEN & WHERE: Tuesday 3 January, The Standard
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THE DRUM MEDIA • 39
A CONSTANT SWING IT’S BEEN ALMOST TEN YEARS SINCE LONDON VIA PERTH’S PENDULUM FORMED AND IN THAT TIME THERE HAVE BEEN PLENTY OF CHANGES. STUART EVANS SPEAKS TO PAUL HARDING, TRACKING THE BAND’S PROGRESS.
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OUR GOALS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN TO DO SOMETHING BETTER THAN WE DID BEFORE AND WE’RE ALREADY COMING UP WITH SOME BIG IDEAS FOR THE NEXT ALBUM.”
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he pendulum keeps swinging for arguably Australia’s biggest electronic music act and export. When Pendulum first swung onto the melodious landscape, their music was lodged firmly in the drum‘n’bass category. How things have changed. Fast forward a few years and you’ll find their music wavering back and forth between genres. “The music we make nowadays is different for all of us. We don’t consider it an effort to make any kind of music in any kind of genre or style as it’s more about enjoying the music-making process,” explains Paul Harding, one of the three founding members of Aussie ex-pats Pendulum. “We explore music regardless of what it is and who it’s made by. We all have rock backgrounds and generally have a wide variety of tastes. First and foremost, we focus on writing a good song.” Pendulum, who formed in Perth back in 2002, came about when producers Rob Swire and Gareth McGrillen teamed up with acclaimed local DJ Paul ‘El Hornet’ Harding (Swire and McGrillen were members of rock band Xygen). In 2003, the boys relocated to the UK to advance their careers. Now based in London, the group has always been clear with its mission of gathering assorted styles of music to form a sound they felt was missing. The move to the UK has been advantageous. “Based on the music we make, touring and being close to Europe and the US, it was the right thing to do at the right time,” tells Harding. Although Pendulum has successfully made the conversion from DJs and remixers to respected songwriters, Harding admits that it was not an easy accomplishment. “It was difficult and challenging,” he says of making the musical transition. “But it was deliberate as we took the music we played in the clubs and added more of a band style. We added more vocals, guitars and drums and started to make stuff with proper arrangements and lyrics that wasn’t purely drum‘n’bass.” Swire is the vocal might and the man credited with Pendulum’s studio operations. Seeing as he writes the majority of tracks as well as producing them, he remains the one constant, despite the group’s musical shift. “The single lead vocal is really about consistency. In the past we approached it differently as we got anyone that we could,” says Harding. Still, it is not as though drum‘n’bass is a dearly loved genre. True, it’s proved enduring and has, largely, remained outside the mainstream. To an extent, Pendulum has addressed that situation and brought drum‘n’bass to the masses. But if their early output was drum‘n’bass, their sound of now is more compatible with stadium rock, albeit slightly more melodic. The classification or deviation doesn’t concern Harding. “Pendulum’s a pretty good name for us as we swing between genres and styles and [that] is really a natural thing,” he says. “As an artist you want to explore what’s out there and what can be achieved.” Their genre-splicing approach has won just as many admirers as it has enemies. Their drum‘n’bass efforts have continued to skirmish with the commercial side of things, whilst their remix of the popular piccolo trumpet from ABC News was caned by triple j, exposing them to a new, appreciative audience. Since their third studio album, 2010’s Immersion, they’ve toured continuously. Although pleased the album reached number one in the UK, the representational stature of having a number one album is not their primary aim. “Of course it was great that the album reached number one, but we generally don’t think about how high an album or single charts,” he says. “We love doing remixes and putting various sounds together. We then take all of these components and record them as a band. That’s what excites us.” Immersion continued to show a band evolving at a rapid pace. Combined with their live shows, tiring touring schedule and transformation into a traditional band, things finally took their toll when the crew called time-out. Whilst performing at the V Festival, frontman Swire told the crowd that they were taking the next year off “to make a new album”. From next year, Pendulum is officially on hiatus. “We’re not breaking up or anything like that as we want to take a year off to see what comes up. We’re still writing some tunes, especially for the underground, but we forced ourselves to take a break,” Harding tells. “Our goals have always been to do something better than we did before and we’re already coming up with some big ideas for the next album.” Harding admits that their planned holiday was supposed to start sooner. “We got sidetracked by our scheduled live shows. There’s a lot going on in Australia in January and we wanted to be part of it. After New Year, we’ll be on a break.” Harding is deliberately coy about the group’s future musical endeavours. He confirms an album is in the making, but the sound, style and substance remain anonymous. “All genres have ebbs and flows. As artists we’ve become more confident with the music we make and how natural it all becomes,” he says. “Drum‘n’bass will always be a massive part of where Pendulum has come from. We are like many other bands and artists who deviate from their original sound. Just because you start off playing one particular style doesn’t mean that you’re forever restricted.” But it’s not all change, change, change. In recent years, they’ve evolved, transformed even, from being a group known for producing quality in the studio to being a group known for producing quality live performances. And it’s not just electronic music press that’s taken notice. Esteemed rock magazine Kerrang! noted Pendulum’s Big Day Out performance to be one of the most enthusiastic reactions afforded a main stage act. Phenomenal does not even come close, enthused the rock periodical. “Going from a studio production environment to being known for live performances isn’t an easy thing to do,” Harding says. WHO Pendulum WHEN & WHERE Saturday 31 December, Shore Thing
40 • THE DRUM MEDIA
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ON THE PROWL STEEL PANTHER’S MISSION TO BRING HEAVY METAL BACK HAS CULMINATED IN SWEATY NEW DISC BALLS OUT. BRENDAN CRABB TALKS HOT CHICKS, SEXY BASSISTS, CHAD KROEGER AND BITCHIN’ BALLADS WITH FRONTMAN MICHAEL STARR.
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hile they’d existed in varying incarnations (including Metal Shop, Metal Skool and Danger Kitty) for close to a decade prior, most fans had their Steel Panther cherry popped by 2009’s album Feel The Steel. The Los Angeles glam metal/hard rockers’ profanity-laced, yet dead-on and lovingly crafted parody of the hair-raising rock scene some would likely rather forget has won them a large following, many of them folks who wouldn’t have wiped their behinds with a Ratt or Poison album booklet during the genre’s heyday. Or perhaps aren’t old enough to remember said time period. Vocalist Michael Starr (real name Ralph Saenz and briefly a one-time LA Guns frontman) doesn’t mess about when quizzed on their appeal to everyone from metal nerds to mainstream celebrities. “I think because what we sing about is what people want to do,” he responds without hesitation. “People want to fuck, people want to party and people want to have a good time. And that’s everything Steel Panther is. They want it to be in a quality way, which Steel Panther does. We’re high quality man; the musicianship and the talent… that’s not even important. What’s most important is we look amazing on-stage, you know? We look sexy; we’ve got a great looking bass player that attracts a lot of chicks. I think you can really measure your level of success by how many chicks you have. I think that’s really what’s important.” Success (and surely, the chicks too) has certainly come their way with new disc Balls Out, which debuted in the Top 40 in the US. Such triumphs have even further boosted their level of adoration among high-profile figures from both within and outside the music industry. Thus, their new platter features appearances from comedian Dane Cook, Extreme axeman Nuno Bettencourt and surprisingly, Nickelback’s Chad Kroeger. “Chad Kroeger paid us to be on it,” Saenz explains. “He’s trying to buy some coolness, so we let him be on it. Nuno Bettencourt, he’s just fucking amazing, man. Dane Cook’s a close friend of the band and we asked him if he would to the intro for us, ‘cause we just love his voice. We had a bunch of other guests who couldn’t do it. Elton John was going to be on it, but we decided not to have him on it. Eminem wanted to do it, but we fucking don’t like that shit.
We’re metal and I don’t like it when people try to jump on the fucking heavy metal train; especially Eminem.” There was no such luck enlisting Kiss’ Gene Simmons or Def Leppard’s Joe Elliott for the new album either, as had been rumoured. “Yeah, Gene Simmons – I think he’s scared to play on our record because he’s not that good of a bass player anymore. Joe Elliott was totally down to do it, but he started doing this side project. I think that Joe Elliott was a little nervous to do it too; he may have been nervous to do it because we’re so raunchy.” On the celebrity front, the band lampooned everyone from Mariah Carey, Kanye West and the Goo Goo Dolls on breakout hit Death To All But Metal (from Feel The Steel). Balls Out features their “tribute” to sport’s most public downfall on Just Like Tiger Woods. Has the singer received any phone calls from the star golfer’s legal team yet? “I am looking forward to hearing from Tiger Woods’ lawyers,” he chuckles. “I’m telling you right now dude, Tiger Woods already heard the song and he loves it. He just can’t talk about it, because if he does he’ll lose his little Rolex endorsement.” Drum suggests that Steel Panther could take that endorsement off his, ahem, hands. “Yeah, I wouldn’t mind taking off some of his Rollies and hanging out with some of his bitches.” Girls, watches and famous pals aside, given the members’ lengthy tenure in cover bands and the like, Steel Panther must be somewhat of an authority on hard-rocking ballads. Drum asks Starr what the best one of all time is. “That’s a tough one, because I would like to say [Steel Panther’s own] Community Property is probably the ballad of all time. But that would be very indulgent. I would say the best ballad of all time would be Ice Cream Man by Van Halen.” This brings us to Steel Panther’s aborted appearance at the Soundwave Revolution festival, where they would have shared the stage with their heroes David Lee Roth and company. “Yeah, when we got the news that the tour was cancelled we were really upset. But it turned out to be blessing, because it gave us time to finish Balls Out and get it out earlier than anticipated. Now we get to come over to Australia and play our new record – and
FRENCH CUTS
YOU WON’T FIND SNAKADAKTAL CELEBRATING THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR PARTYING ON THE GOLD COAST – THEY’RE FAR TOO BUSY FOR THAT, BARNA NEMETH TELLS IZZY TOLHURST.
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Even though Féfé performs in French, he is confident that appreciating his music is primarily about understanding the feeling of it – that language should not be a barrier to sharing feeling. “I believe music is universal,” he suggests with optimism. “Even if you can’t understand my songs completely, you can feel the mood, at that moment. I do try to explain one or two of them though, but try not to go too deep.” What Féfé lacks in English banter he certainly makes up for in energy. Even the energy with which he describes the joie de vivre in his show is fairly motivating. “Generally my show is very ‘alive’,” he enthusiastically explains. “I interact very much with people in my show, do a lot of things to make some energy, try to speak a lot to the audience. I don’t think too much about performing; I do it. When I entertain I mustn’t think – I must be in tune with the crowd. I really want them to try to get inside my head, to try to get them to come into my universe.” Féfé’s first album, Jeune a la Retraite, or literally in English, ‘youth in retirement’, was released in late 2009 in France and still continues to receive worldwide releases slowly but surely. Féfé confesses that the album almost never made it to the shelf at all. “Jeune a la Retraite was a very intimate album. At the time I had no record deal and I was really struggling. I thought it maybe wouldn’t even be released at all, but I still made it because I needed to; I really needed to be doing music. When I began to have a family I
They will now make their Australian live debut at Soundwave 2012 and aside from being one of the bill’s most anticipated acts, they are also playing select side shows with Alter Bridge. Starr never lacks enthusiasm in conversation, but he’s obviously stimulated by the prospect. “Everyone is fully into the Steel Panther movement. Steel Panther’s like a new drug; everyone wants to try it and, once you try it, you’re hooked. Stix [Zadinia, drums] has developed a new Panther pill and once you take it, you just can’t stop coming to the shows. I love it when people see us [at a festival] for the first time and hear us sing our songs that maybe they’ve never heard before – and their jaw drops. And right next to them is another girl singing every word. That combination together, you can’t pay for it. It’s just awesome. Then there’s also people that don’t want to like you, no matter what. ‘I hate this band, I hate this band, but I’m going to stand here because I don’t want to lose my position for my next band. I hate ‘em, I hate ‘em… Oh my God, I like ‘em, I like ‘em, I’m backstage fucking ‘em’. It happens all the time.”
The Soundwave bill is littered with heavy rock bands that first came to prominence in the late ‘90s/early ‘00s; Drum jokes that the nu metal era and associated fashions probably wasn’t the friendliest time for a band of Steel Panther’s ilk. But now they’re here though and, like the insistent STDs they so vividly document in their songs, they’re not going away. “No, it was one of those times when we learned that playing cover music is not a bad thing, it’s a good thing,” Starr says. “What it does it is keeps the heavy metal audience and up-and-coming new heavy metal audiences lubed up for Steel Panther. We waited for our time; just like a panther hunts, you don’t want to jump right away and make a loud noise. You’ve gotta prowl your way into it, take it slowly and when the time is right, you pounce and take over. And that’s what we’re doing.” WHO: Steel Panther WHAT: Balls Out (Universal) WHEN & WHERE: Sunday 26 February, Soundwave, Sydney Showgrounds; Tuesday 28, Enmore Theatre
SCHOOL’S OUT
FRENCH SINGER FÉFÉ’S LYRICAL UNIVERSE MAY BE GROWING, BUT FAMILY AND HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH HIS COUNTRY WILL ALWAYS BE TOPICS HE RETURNS TO, HE TELLS NIC TOUPEE. rench rapper/singer Féfé, who was once a member of the popular hip hop group Saïan Supa Crew, has since 2007 Féfé pursued a solo career, branching out towards a more acoustic, soul, blues and pop-influenced sound. This path reflects a more general change in Féfé’s world – becoming a father and shouldering adult ideas and responsibilities. Even a hip hop star’s life changes after the birth of their child and Féfé sees it as one of his most significant turning points so far.
our old one – and everything just worked out perfect. We’re just excited to come out and fucking rock.”
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was going to stop writing music altogether, but it’s bigger than me – I needed to keep going.” Féfé is working on his second album now. Whereas his first album was confessional and introspective, this next one is looking more towards more universal subjects and the people around him. “I’m making my second solo album now and with this one I’m trying to make my universe a little bigger, talking about the world rather than just myself. I still have something to say about things that have happened to me and my kids. I can talk about my kids for albums and albums, they’re just crazy,” he laughs heartily. “I want to talk about not just my relationships at home though, now, but also my relationship with my new fame.” Catching himself, he returns to the subject. “I’m also trying to talk about subjects bigger than that. I’m writing about people, about love – I feel I’m now at an age where I can talk about those matters. When I was younger I didn’t want to, I thought it was so corny, so cheesy – too cheesy for me to write about.” Tackling the very universal yet very French subject of love seems almost mandatory for a French artist. Bravely, Féfé is also writing about his place as a black man in France. “I’m talking about France, about my country. There are things going on in France which make it still tough for me. I’m a black guy who is almost 36 and sometimes I don’t feel like the people in politics are representing me or talking to me – I didn’t feel it when I was younger and I still don’t feel it.” WHO: Féfé WHEN & WHERE: Tuesday 17 January, Riverside Theatre; Wednesday 18 January, Keystone Festival Bar
aving recently finished their VCE exams, the Victorian equivalent of the HSC, 2011 Unearthed High winners Snakadaktal have more to look forward to than a week-long booze fest at schoolies in December. Rather, they’ve recently released their self-titled debut EP and are embarking on an east coast tour, meaning they’ll probably see the Gold Coast in a considerably different light given their twist of fate. According to drummer Barna Nemeth, it’s still all a little surreal for the Melbourne dream-pop fivepiece, but their youth is certainly no hindrance. “I actually think, seeing as we’re much younger than other bands, we take it less seriously. The main thing for us is to enjoy ourselves and make music that we really love. We’ve still got that ‘fun’ thing about the whole process. And being so young we don’t really have any responsibility, that’s what the managing side is for. We just get to enjoy it.” And while the band definitely embrace the insouciance of their youth, if the Rudolf Steiner School they attend has had one success with Snakadaktal, it’s in making them a well-rounded, gracious bunch. “You know, finishing school then heading bang on into a tour around Australia is phenomenal. It’s great we have an opportunity to play shows out of Melbourne and show our music off to more people. Hopefully they’re shows that people remember.” Of his own musical upbringing, however, Nemeth recalls employing a little more cunning. “Well, I went through a variety of instruments when I was really young. I played the cello and the piano. And then in Year Seven I went to a friend’s house and he had a drum set and I got on there and started completely destroying it! I got my drum kit by practising Dirty Days once every day 30 days in a row. Then my mum said, ‘You can have a drum kit if you practise the French horn every day for a month,’ so, I got a drum kit. And I’ve never looked back.” When it comes to songwriting, Nemeth says it’s generally an organic, spontaneous process.
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“We just sing the melody and practise and they make the lyrics up on the spot. But that’s more Sean [Kelly, vocals/guitar/synths] and Phoebe [Cockburn, vocals/synths] who do the lyrical side of songs.” However, the single that brought the band so steeply into repute and good fortune, Chimera, required a little external assistance. “I think Phoebe had trouble finding lyrics to that one. She had a melody in her head but didn’t know what direction the song was going to. I think she just went home with a phone recording of the song and I think Phoebe and her older sister worked out some cool lyrics together… Or maybe she’s just trying to take some credit for our songs!” he says jovially. The band’s name also has slightly mythical origins, though Nemeth admits he played no large part in its construction. “I can’t take credit for the name, but it was Sean and a friend of his, they were in class drawing in their books inventing mythical animals. And they combined a snake and pterodactyl and called it a ‘snaggadactyl’… and then I wrote it up with a K and all the As to make it look better. That then became the band name. Other mythical creatures they invented were things like the ‘jellyfry’ which is, well something else put together and a ‘nightshark.’ They had an internet zoo up for a little while, but it’s no longer there.” As for electing a favourite song off the upcoming EP, Nemeth nominated neither the aforementioned Unearthed winner, nor their other well-aired track, Air. “My favourite tracks are Carnival (Lobster Monster) and Boy. Carnival... because it’s the most different out of the EP and I think it stands out. And I think Boy is the perfect conclusion for the CD and it’s a great song for our band.” WHO: Snakadaktal WHAT: Snakadaktal (I Oh You/Illusive) WHEN & WHERE: Wednesday 14 December, Goodgod THE DRUM MEDIA • 41
COVER STARS
HAPPY AND SAD
MOST FAMOUS FOR GIVING PINK FLOYD A REGGAE MAKEOVER, EASY STAR ALL-STARS KNEW THEY’D MADE IT WHEN FANS CALLED FOR ORIGINAL MATERIAL, RAY I RAY TELLS KATIE BENSON.
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uch has been made of Pink Floyd’s 1973 album Dark Side Of The Moon. The classic record not only remained in the Billboard charts for an unprecedented 741 weeks following its release, but it has gone on to be remastered, re-released and also reinterpreted. One reinterpretation, made by a hotchpotch of New York studio musicians, proved so popular it took them out of the studio and onto the road, spawning a massive fanbase across the world. Easy Star All-Stars haven’t looked back since their 2003 reggae release of Dub Side Of The Moon and now they’re bringing their famous covers album back to Australia to play it live in its entirety. Easy Star All-Stars originally came together in 1997, to back up various artists in the studio and, in their words, “to bring back the live reggae vibration” that was being lost to the electronic music movement. It would be another six years of playing behind other artists before co-founder Lem Oppenheimer would come to the band with an idea for their own release. “Lem Oppenheimer, he’s a big Pink Floyd fan – I mean we all were – but it was his idea that we do a cover of Dark Side Of The Moon in its entirety in reggae,” says Ras I Ray, Easy Star All-Stars bass player and vocalist.“ Oppenheimer then worked his magic and really came up with a great interpretation and we went into the studio and it was a fun experience. I mean, we never thought it would have the kind of success that it did. Ten years later it’s still working.” Dub Side Of The Moon picked up a nod from Mojo as the second best cover album of all time. It also created a huge fanbase that was thirsty for more of the same. Easy Star All-Stars have since gone on to cover Radiohead’s OK Computer and The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. “Radiodread and other projects were based on the fans asking us what we were going to do next. After we did Dub Side... they started asking us for more and that was an honour to know that they
MELBOURNE DUO OSCAR & MARTIN SET OUT OT MAKE AN ALBUM OF HEARTBREAK SONGS THAT WEREN’T DEPRESSING, MARTIN KING TELLS ANTHONY CAREW.
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cared about our next project. I’m still flying so high that the fans have embraced us so much.” In 2008, Easy Star All-Stars put out their first original EP, Until That Day, but it wasn’t until earlier this year that they were able to release their first original album. According to Ray, the idea for both projects came from their fans’ encouragement. “I was so grateful that we didn’t get written off as a novelty band after Dub Side Of The Moon. The fans started asking for original material – I mean we’d proven ourselves to be good reinterpreters, but the fans would say, ‘We wanna hear your guys’ material’. So when we started getting asked for our own stuff that was a real honour. We’d been writing songs for years on the road, in hotels, at soundcheck on the tour bus. I would say the most difficult part in all of it would be choosing from all of the songs we had.” Coming to Australia to see in the new year, Ray insists that audiences here will be getting a taste of everything the band has. “When we come to Australia we’re going to be doing Dub Side... in its entirety and we haven’t done that in a while, so that’s going to be exciting. But at the same time we’re going to be putting in some Radiodread and some Sgt Pepper’s... and some originals,” says Ray. “We’re going to be giving the full spectrum of what’s in the catalogue and keep the freshness and the spontaneity as much as possible. We usually don’t make the setlist until just before we walk on stage so we can feel the vibe and energy of the moment. That’s the best way to do it, feel the energy of the moment and just go with it.” WHO: Easy Star All-Stars WHEN & WHERE: Wednesday 4 January, Factory Theatre
FUN POP
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“Similar-sounding band,” Yukon Blonde guitarist Brandon Scott explains, on the line from Vancouver. “It’s just that two of the members weren’t so driven and Jeff [Innes, vocals/guitar], Graham [Jones, drums/vocals] and I really like to tour, so we were very serious about that and it didn’t matter whether we lost our jobs or whatever, we’d always play music for a living. So it just kind of disbanded and we needed a fresh mood in the group and got a new bass player [John Jeffrey]. “The sound of the band really didn’t change too much. We had a keyboard player, but we’ve kind of filled that void with more harmonies now and we do play keyboards and whatnot on our records and synthesisers and stuff, but usually I can mimic most of it on my guitar. It’s just evolved – we’re better songwriters now and a little more mature.” In fact, it’s their often ethereal harmonies that set them apart from being merely another solid if occasionally enigmatic folk/country/indie rock ‘two guitars-bassdrums’ four-piece, using them as another instrument in the way bands such as The Beach Boys and Queen did. They introduced themselves as Yukon Blonde with an EP, Everything In Everyway, in 2009, before, finally, releasing a self-titled album in 2010, recorded live to tape. “We just always wanted to do that and had the opportunity to use a really amazing room in Vancouver called Mushroom Studios, with reel-to-reel machines and great drum recordings. We did it really fast, in five 42 • THE DRUM MEDIA
“I never had my hopes up about people liking our music, or actually even hearing it,” King says. “I know how hard that is. I’ve been in bands before where it hasn’t worked out that well. We realise we’ve been so lucky with the response we’ve got; it’s been more than we could ever expect. Just how warmly people have responded to the album seems like pure luck.” Amidst all the acclaim for For You has been excitement/ astonishment at the youthful age of its charges: SlorachThorn and King all of 20 when they made the LP. They were 17 when they founded their previous band, experimental collage crew Psuche, which kind of gives the impression they rolled out of the womb as hipsters. Yet, King’s happy to ’fess to the uncool years that preceded. “Like anyone else, we were in embarrassing high school rock bands,” he says. “Me and Oscar did covers of I Wanna Be Your Dog, stupid shit like that, back in Year Nine. Just the same as anybody else: bad covers bands, time spent in the crappy school jazz band.” Oscar & Martin were born when Psuche – a five-piece outfit – went on hiatus, the pair synthesising the standard new millennial astonishing-array-of-influences into a suite of songs that set falsetto-sung heartbreak to dinky keyboards, mock r’n’b-jam licks and general post-AnimalCollective vibes. “We draw from so many influences and we have short attention spans, so being a band operating in a certain genre, doing all the tracks in a certain way, that would get really boring to us,” says King. “I’ve been worried at times that our music wasn’t coherent, that the album didn’t make any sense; that there was this schizophrenic quality that made it confusing to listen to.”
And, yet, For You plays brilliantly as whole LP, united by the boy/girl sentiments that stitch a majority of the songs together. “Oscar went through a break-up before we made the album and that obviously comes through it a lot,” King offers. “We had this idea of sequencing the album so that the tracklisting was this progression through the different stages of heartbreak, where things grow more and more optimistic. We wanted to reflect on things in more interesting way than, ‘Awww, man, my girl dumped me.’ I was very conscious of not making heartbreak songs sound depressing. I love the idea of subverting something that’s a sad song with this upbeat element.” The album was stitched together over late nights at the Royal Melbourne Institure of Technology – where the duo are both fine arts students – both figuratively and literally in the dark. “We were working from 10pm to 4am, making this ridiculous music,” King recalls. “We didn’t know what it was, exactly, but we just kept going, pushing at it, encouraging each other. We were feeling good about it ourselves, but we didn’t know if the music actually was good. So, from that, we never had any expectation that anyone else would like it at all.” Now, King’s back in the studio, at work on the debut album for his other band, the soul pop outfit The Harpoons. From there, he’ll roll straight to roll on the second Oscar & Martin LP – which, this time, does have expectations. “Now we have to live up to this album,” King says. “That actually feels a little bit intimidating. Because of the reaction it’s received, now there’s expectations. That’s the exact opposite of how we felt when we were making this album.” WHO: Oscar & Martin WHAT: For You (Two Bright Lakes/Remote Control) WHEN & WHERE: Thursday 15 December, Yours And Owls; Friday 16 December, Oxford Art Factory
IN YOUR FACE
POLARIS MUSIC PRIZE NOMINEES YUKON BLONDE WRITE THE KINDS OF SONGS THAT SOUND LIKE THEY SHOULD HAVE COME FROM SOMEWHERE MUCH WARMER THAN CANADA. MICHAEL SMITH INTERVIEWS BRANDON SCOTT. riginally from a city called Kelowna in Canada’s British Columbia, the four-piece Yukon Blonde inevitably relocated to that country’s musical big smoke, Vancouver, in 2009 in order to build their career. As it happens, the band initially formed as a five-piece called Alphababy in 2005, recording and releasing two EPs before changing their name at the suggestion of fellow Canadian songwriter Jon-Rae Fletcher, with whom they were touring at the time.
eople just love that shit,” beams Martin King, with a sense of wonder tinged with a slight smirk. He’s talking about Do The Right Thing, the most beloved song from For You, the debut album from Oscar & Martin, the duo he splits with his boyhood pal, Oscar Slorach-Thorn. King isn’t humblebragging, more filled with a happy contentment that a jam made in isolation has connected the duo’s rickety, wonky, twee r’n’b to giddy audiences.
THE PRESCRIPTION FOR ACTIVE CHILD IS TO TAKE IT IN DOSES, SO DOUG WALLEN TAKES THE CORRECT MEASURE.
days – all our tracks – and then we just overdubbed vocals. We were really obsessed with that analogue sound, you know. We always use really old amps and old drums and kinda wanted that big ‘70s sound.” That said, for their forthcoming second album and current EP, Fire//Water, they opted for a more traditional recording approach. “Our first record came across punky I suppose, not as heavy as our live shows or as loud perhaps. With this new record we really wanted to capture – kind of a slightly more aggressive tone to it. So we went in and recorded 14 songs together, four of which ended up on that EP, though we’d recorded them all at once. So it’s a little faster, a little more rocky, this record coming out. We’ve just been kind of really into late‘70s, almost punk rock lately, like, alternative Elvis Costello stuff and The Clash, you know? That kind of stuff. We really just wanted to make sort of a fun pop record and have it really tight and just experiment with sounds and we took a long time getting great guitar tones. We just needed to try something different.” On the evidence of the Fire//Water EP, Yukon Blonde are nowhere near as jagged or confrontational as either the early Costello or The Clash. “Totally,” Scott agrees. “We’ve definitely got like a pop vibe and the EP doesn’t really… I mean those are kind of songs that didn’t fit the record that we’re putting out in the [northern] Spring. Those four songs fit our old record I find, so that’s why we kind of put them on there, just a way to ease into the next realm of Yukon Blonde.” WHO: Yukon Blonde WHAT: Fire//Water (Dine Alone) WHEN & WHERE: Thursday 29 and Friday 30 December, Peats Ridge Festival, Glenworth Valley; Thursday 5 January, Kings Cross Hotel
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very artist is bound to experience growing pains at some point. For Pat Grossi, his L.A.-based Active Child project evolved from mere electropop on last year’s Curtis Lane EP to something deeper and darker on this year’s You Are All I See album. Where his earlier songs were dancey and upbeat, his newer ones are voluminous and unhurried, thriving more on texture and mood than propulsion. “I look back at the EP and it feels a bit amateur,” Grossi admits. “They’re good songs and fun to listen to, but when it came time to write the album, I wanted to move into a more sophisticated realm.” Working with producer Ariel Rechtshaid, he created an album indebted both to the eerie choirboy heights of his voice and to the grand cathedral settings in which he spent so much of those choirboy days. Long before Active Child, he’d toured the world singing as a child. “It had a massive influence,” he explains. “Even back then, between age nine and thirteen, I can remember being captivated and inspired by the churches. I think everybody is naturally inspired by those spaces. They’re just a special realm, whether you’re spiritual or not. I try to encapsulate a lot of those feelings and moods in the music, because that’s what helps me get lost and carried away.” It’s not just the Antony Hegarty-worthy androgyny of Grossi’s voice – “I’ll take that,” he says of the frequent comparison – that ties into the churchy weirdness of You Are All I See. Amid the seamless mix of groggy synths with live and electronic drums, his lustrous harp melodies provide yet another ethereal layer. Grossi has been playing harp for almost a decade now. The hobby dates back to his post-uni days in Colorado, when he simply made music with friends. He found out about a music shop that rented instruments and he walked out with a harp the very first day he visited it. Now the instrument is key to Active Child, blending into the usual elements as well as the strings on album closer, Johnny Belinda, and samples of a “big church bell.” (Again with the church motif.) Speaking of Johnny Belinda, its creepy build is Grossi’s favourite moment on the album. It is also, however,
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the culmination of a dissolute second half that marks quite a comedown from the more pop-driven appeal of the first half. Of course, that’s just the sequencing and it turns out that wasn’t Grossi’s idea. “I had sequenced it a different way. I’d gotten pressure from different people telling me to shove all the big tracks up front. I compromised with opinions from people around me. I’ve [since] heard that by the time people get to the end, it’s a little overdramatic. Those are actually some of my favourite songs. I just think when they get packed together it gets a bit draining as a listener.” Laughing, he advises, “So you might have to take it in doses.” Besides the opening title track, one of the early highlights of You Are All I See is Playing House, a soulful duet with fellow one-man-band How To Dress Well aka Tom Krell. That’s not Grossi’s only collaboration, as he’s done vocal and harp cameos for his friend’s music and he’s considering making a whole EP with How To Dress Well. For now, Grossi is bringing Active Child to Australia for the first time via Laneway, though it’s not his personal first time here: he visited Australia, South Africa and Europe as part of that choir. Live, the one-time bedroom project’s lineup swells from one member to three, with Grossi on harp and keyboards and his bandmates on drums, bass and synths. Despite the rack of vocal effects he brings out to bend and distort his already ghostly singing, Grossi promises a more tangible experience than on the record. “It’s much more in your face,” he boasts. WHO: Active Child WHAT: You Are All I See (Spunk/EMI) WHEN & WHERE: Sunday 29 January, Oxford Art Factory; Sunday 5 February, Laneway Festival, Sydney College Of The Arts
THE DRUM MEDIA • 43
SINGLES/EPS WITH ROSS CLELLAND
THE MARK OF CAIN
ON THE RECORD
Barkhammer Feel/Fuse
Even after ten years off there is still a nearmilitary precision to a noise that keeps coming at you. And then lets up for a second. And then comes at you again, harder. It doesn’t quite have the Stuka siren whine of the past – hell, that’s very nearly harmonies in the marching song backing vocals of the chorus. Whether this richer approach continues with the album-to-be remains to be seen. But if they manage to become that bit more approachable without loss of power, the legend and reputation of them may grow.
DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE
Keys And Codes Remix EP Atlantic
Right down to the name, Death Cab For Cutie are the sort of band making the sort of music a certain breed of lovers of the alternative should embrace, but the little twists and turns and tugs of war of their own making tend to undermine each forward progress they make. That they’ve kept this up for over a decade makes you respect their pigheadedness if nothing else. So, take a Grammy nomination, and offer remixes of half your last record – including a jumpy little take by our very own Cut Copy. Up to you, really.
BABAGANOUJ
It’s Rainin’, It’s Summer Footstomp
From the remains of the missed-it-by-that-much Yves Klein Blue, guitarist Charles Sale makes a late contender lunge for best resurrection of 20th century power pop award, doubling the kudos by making it a feelgood hit for the summer, even getting the word in the title. Oh look, it’s freaking marvellous. Chorus, verse, chorus, harmonies, guitar solo, repeat to fade. And achieving all that in three minutes 18. If this keeps up, we shall have a new band to have fun with guitars with. And there’s never enough of those.
HILLTOP HOODS I Love It
INTERCOOLER
RIHANNA
SARAH CALDERWOOD
Plus One/Shock
Universal Music Australia
ABC
Now a decade into their tenure, Brisbane indie pop-rock mainstays Intercooler have undergone quite the overhaul since releasing their 2007 second album, Forever Or Whatever. Original Intercooler guitarist Michael Caso has returned to the fold replacing departed Darek Mudge; Peabody’s Graham Trewin now mans the drums following the departure of Damon Cox, and the band’s core of vocalist/guitarist Phil Ballantyne and bassist Joel Potter have augmented the palette with the addition of singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Chrissie Trabucco. Overhauled and reconditioned, the Intercooler of this third album is a vastly different beast to that of four years ago. While on Forever… Intercooler certainly added new dimensions to their sound, album number three is a full-blown stylistic sidestep. Revealing a new sound that’s awash with shimmering, reverb-drenched keyboards and Ballantyne’s newfound falsetto, these 11 new songs are summery and slightly psychedelic with scant similarities to anything on Forever…. Ballantyne’s melodies are gorgeous throughout, with album highlights Swimming Clouds and closer, I Don’t Wanna, all but melting this reviewer with their beauty. And keep an eye out for the lyrical sleight of hand in the latter – you’d be hard pressed to find a prettier song concerned with death. Trabucco contributes lyrics and lead vocals to War And Peace, which might come across as incongruous given her vocals aren’t as audible elsewhere on the album, but the song itself is a winning slice of off-kilter pop that rides a swell of guitars and keyboards. And Ready and Packin’ For Paris show the band still know how to rock. This certainly isn’t the Intercooler anyone was expecting, but it certainly isn’t bad either.
Pop culture has barely had time to draw its collective breath since Barbadian juggernaut Rihanna last released an album, 2010’s Loud. But already, there’s a followup out just in time for Christmas, Talk Like That.
Being a big fan of Celtic and English folk music meant that coming to this album released by a young Calderwood would fit right into my comfort zone. The album does push the right buttons with great song choice and intelligent arrangements. At the same time, however, it falters in delivery and production as if the final mix was rushed. As Night Falls is nonetheless a great record for those who indulge their aural fantasies.
In fact, the whole album feels too jittery and fast-paced; even Drunk On Love feels that way, despite its XX sample. Could it be that Rihanna and her team figure speeding things up and whipping through these songs will leave her audience no time to realise that very little has changed from her previous albums, to Talk That Talk’s detriment? This isn’t necessarily a bad album, but Rated R and Loud were better, and though there are good songs here, such as Cockiness (Love It), Rihanna’s schtick is starting to get tired. She would be far better slowing down her output and making more of an effort to not just reign over the charts right now but to leave a pop legacy. She certainly has the potential for it.
Justin Grey
Danielle O’Donohue
GEOFFREY O’CONNOR
GRAND ATLANTIC
HARRY JAMES ANGUS
Chapter Music
Independent
Vitamin Records
Having been around the block as frontman of Crayon Fields and also as Sly Hats for quite some time, Geoffrey O’Connor emerges with the first solo album under his own name. Two years in the making, Vanity Is Forever plays out like the soundtrack to an ‘80s romantic drama with its synths, stadium drums and sweeping orchestration. Duet with long-time collaborator, Jessica Venables, Things I Shouldn’t Do – all squidgy synth sounds and yearning lyrics – is a perfect example of this. The sound is so ‘80s-leaning that it’s hard not to conjure images of a young and handsome Mickey Rourke looking moody while Kim Basinger pouts alongside him. Which of course, is no bad thing.
It’s a bit of a time and location warp for this Brisbanebased four-piece’s third album. It would not have sounded out of place in the early days of Britpop with its guitar-heavy swirling moments and the build-ups to rousing choruses. Many tracks feel like they could have been recorded by stalwarts of that era, The Charlatans, and there are also the occasional moments of pure Oasis swagger. At times they even wander further back and tip a retro nod to the garage bands of the ‘60s.
You may know Harry James Angus as the beardy chap from The Cat Empire. Well, he’s utilised his band’s current hiatus to release a solo album. Little Stories was written over the past three years, usually in his lounge room and, according to Angus, largely just on his own, “laughing at my own jokes, lip trembling at my own tragedies, watching the characters come alive.”
Time To Let Go
Talk That Talk
Not surprisingly it offers up much of the same - when you’re dropping albums this quick there really isn’t a whole lot of time for self-reflection or evolution. And when it comes to Rihanna much of the same means big, banging club beats tinged with a dancehall feel and plenty of songs about all manner of things Rihanna likes to do, or have done to her when she drags some lucky bloke home from a club. There’s no question this album will sell. The first single, We Found Love, features DJ hitmaker Calvin Harris and explodes out in a flurry of dance floor trademarks. And it’s not just Harris that will help shift units here (if Rihanna ever needed help), she’s also teamed up with Jay-Z for the title track. His smooth delivery elevates the song’s jittery, if generic production.
As Night Falls
Some of the obvious standout tracks include the joyous Galileo, written by The indigo Girls, and Mercy Street, by Peter Gabriel. Both songs stand out compared to the more traditional tunes. The appearance of Mike Scott from The Waterboys on the traditional Blue Cockade is a great surprise. Having been the voice of the Waterboys, Scott adds his poetic cache via recording technology from country to country. His distinctive voice helps bring Calderwood’s breathy delivery to life. Whether or not listeners generally appreciate or enjoy this kind of folk music is irrelevant but to dress this album up in artwork that looks like it was produced in 1975 is altogether strange. Being a folk artist doesn’t mean that the album looks like it’s from another era. Having been in the Celtic folk group Sunas, Calderwood has struck out on her own and has delivered an incredibly passionate record with As Night Falls. As an introduction to the simpler side of Celtic and folk music, this album does the job. The traditional romantic songs like Wild Mountain Thyme are perfect summer listens. Sebastian Skeet
Golden Era The boys in the hoodies have got it worked out, and probably even know where the stories they tell are going to go. But the boys in the Hoods have reached the point of probably needing a slightly wider world to know who they are. Answers: violin sample in the chorus, and no less than Sia adding a necessary female counterpoint to all the blokeyness. Throw in references to most of Australia’s capital cities to remind you where they came from, and talent and variety appearances would seem assured.
ERIK OMEN Payphone Siberia
Also adding a distinctive female voice, the insistent stroll of Erik Omen’s semi-electronic noise. Result: Holiday Sidewinder adding her strangely sexy fragility to what sounds a little like a warped reading of the Talking Heads’ warped reading of Al Green’s Take Me To The River. If you can deal with the degrees of separation there, and music that gives an uncomfortable feeling of keeping you at arms length from really knowing what it’s thinking, this will engage and intrigue you. Like it has with me, as play is pressed again.
THE HELLO MORNING Stone Cold Lover Outpost/MGM
Although a gush from the New Musical Express is not the leg up it once was, it couldn’t do any harm. The worry at the start was it had some of that rustic swing that still seems to be holding sway – Boy and Bear you have a lot to answer for – but then takes a somewhat more raspy turn towards a more bluesy approach, although it still seems a small anthem from another past time, if not an immediately identifiable one. It has a weight to it, though whether they have more than this one shot in the locker remains to be seen.
Vanity is Forever
Constellations
Along with power-balladry, the record also ventures into dance and funk, all in a very reserved fashion. Proud opens like Madonna’s La Isla Bonita before moving more towards early Pet Shop Boys, when they were at their most sober (before the silly hats and the Go West cover – think, instead, Being Boring). While O’Connor’s vocal has much smoother edges than Neil Tennant’s, there are similarities in the way, at times, lyrics about love and lust are delivered in a fashion that flits between passionless and shy. It is rather interesting. This, combined with the album’s slick production, results in something that keeps the listener intriguingly at a distance for the most part. Very cinematic, at times grand and sweeping yet also incredibly held-back, Vanity Is Forever takes an unashamed step back into the ‘80s, yet it does so without resorting to the easy and lazy trick of smothering the whole thing in irony and parody.
Key to their sound is creating a veritable guitar wall of melody. It’s dense but cleverly constructed such that its individual parts remain identifiable. In Central Station Blues it’s a psychedelic opening in a haze of guitars which make way for a stabbing riff, whilst the chiming guitars on Little Traps slowly gang up for an assault. Moods are played around with well, from the Gallagher-like aggression shown in Fresh Ideas In Home Security to the broody and softer-toned Voyager. The heavy weighting on the guitars gives them a heady live feel in all the songs, though the extended instrumental on the near nine-minute title track really would work better on stage than record. Here it’s left to simmer a bit too long and just sounds overdone in the process. Whilst their previous two albums were on independent labels they’ve built up such an active and loyal following that this time they decided to release it themselves. They knew exactly what the fans wanted and have delivered some solid and blustering tracks directly to them. Paul Smith
Rob Townsend 44 • THE DRUM MEDIA
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Little Stories
Indeed, the album is aptly named. The 11 songs here are tales in the tradition of Paul Kelly’s storytelling style. Each narrative is clearly defined over finger-picked acoustic guitar which, for a trumpeter, Angus plays expertly. Sometimes he has a real way with words. Banker, for instance, is clever and subtle. “I know I was put on this earth to change pounds into dollars and yen and back again,” he sings in this rather touching tale of loneliness and chaste love. Elsewhere though, the songwriter is perhaps a little too concerned with making himself laugh. The Batsman, which tells of a disgraced cricketer, might offer the occasional chuckle (“The cops found him naked on the steps of the church trying to hit his balls for six with his dick in the rain,”) but mixing comedic one-liners with genuine sentiment a la Leonard Cohen or Tom Waits is a tough thing to achieve and Angus doesn’t always hit the target. Generally though, this is an interesting an enjoyable alternative to the standard contemporary folk on offer elsewhere and shows Harry James Angus to have the potential to be a very clever storyteller. Rob Townsend
Black Submarines, which is really two songs masquerading as one. Its first half is a stripped-bare folk song that’s more akin to Auerbach’s 2009 solo debut, Keep It Hid, than any Black Keys’ song. But then at the two-minute mark the song explodes with a raging riff and thrashing drums and it’s the brilliant Black Keys of old for the song’s scorching finale.
Fat Cat Records/Inertia
Hopeless/Shock
In The Pit Of The Stomach
Lucia Osborne-Crowley
Whenever a pop punk band puts out an acoustic re-release of an album, you can comfortably expect one thing: a stripped-back, intimate set of songs with a relaxed vibe. The five Floridian guys in Yellowcard have delivered that, and then some. The musically undressed reimagining of March 2011’s When You’re Through Thinking, Say Yes is sometimes upbeat, sometimes humble, altogether creating a set of songs that is both lush and satisfying. Though the first track, The Sound Of You And Me, doesn’t make for the strongest of starts, this is quickly amended with the second track and first single from the original album, For You And Your Denial, now with double tracked vocals, egg shakers, a tambourine and bongos, as well as Sean Mackin’s usual violin accompaniments. Much of the album uses these ingredients to bulk up the acoustic nature of the songs and bring back what’s lost of the original pop punk arrangements. Hang You Up is definitely memorable; with Hey Monday’s Cassadee Pope lending her vocals to the tune, a forlorn and humble aura is created. It has a whole different realm of fragility and would be perfect to slow an arena crowd down with, mobile phones up high. And so it goes. The album winds up with Be The Young, nostalgic both in vibe and lyrical content. With lines like, “this is endless and I know, we’ll forever be the young” atop swelling violin and guitars, it suggests the boys are reflecting on how far they’ve come since 2003’s dazzling and optimistic Ocean Avenue. And they have. Uppy C
Justin Grey
FACT FILE
THE BLACK KEYS El Camino
Nonesuch/Warner Despite the Grammys and wide exposure the album garnered, The Black Keys weren’t at their very best on 2010’s Brothers. The hand of producer Danger Mouse is felt rather heavily on Akron, Ohio’s finest these days - El Camino is the band’s third album in succession (starting with 2008’s Attack & Release) with him - and the collaboration has seen the duo slightly tone down their heavy blues-rock roots and augment their sound with shades of soul. But in saying that, El Camino, recorded in singer/guitarist Dan Auerbach’s home studio in Nashville, is much more quintessentially Black Keys than Brothers – just listen to Money Maker. A few songs here work effectively as a combination of old and new Black Keys – Sister, Mind Eraser and in particular the sublime Stop Stop, combine that soul feel of Brothers with the kind of pounding urgency found on the band’s early albums. And there’s a bit more out-of-the-box thinking here. Nova Baby has a soaring, singalong chorus with melodic keyboard flourishes and Run Right Back is anchored by a Spaghetti Western guitar motif that Ennio Morricone would be proud of. The most intriguing track here is the deceptive Little
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LIVE
Length: 11 tracks, 38 minutes. Moods: Urgent, bluesy soul.
DID YOU KNOW
• El Camino wasD V recorded at Easy Eye Sound Studio, which guitarist/vocalist Dan Auerbach built himself in an industrial area of Nashville, Tennesee. The building cuts an imposing figure, with numerous security cameras and a 10-12 foot fence lined with razor wire guarding the premises.
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Scottish rockers We Were Promised Jetpacks’ second studio album, In The Pit Of The Stomach, successfully establishes the band’s refined sound and is brimming with a sense of excited energy, both in Adam Thompson’s smooth vocals and the decisive guitar lines behind it, making these otherwise typical indie-rock tracks stand out and consolidating their own unique sound. The record opens with Circles And Squares, introducing a complex arrangement of fast-paced guitar lines and an infinitely satisfying steady vocal sound. This vocal strength takes centre stage in Medicine and, complimented by simpler guitar lines, presents a slightly different sound, displaying the group’s versatility. The impressive build-up of introductory tracks falters slightly with Through The Dirt And The Gravel, technically impressive but lacking the distinctive sound of earlier tracks. The long introduction of Act On Impulse marks the beginning of a standout track, with its combination of steady guitars, drums and understated yet enticing vocals. The pace picks up again with the upbeat drum lines and chaotic guitar riffs of Boy In The Backseat, though the vocals are less fluid and exudes a generally rougher feel as a result. The record’s closer is perfectly constructed, with a smooth progression and masterful vocals, an ideal combination to finish the album. While it may lack musical variation at times, In The Pit Of The Stomach is steady, consistent and clearly exhibits the group’s profound talent and musical maturity.
When You’re Through Thinking, Say Yes Acoustic
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YELLOWCARD
VD
WE WERE PROMISED JETPACKS
Now seven albums in, The Black Keys have the attention they’ve deserved since 2002 debut, The Big Come Up, and El Camino continues their near decade-long run of consistency. Here’s hoping there’s another decade’s worth on the way.
• The vehicle pictured on the front cover of the album is in fact not a Chevrolet El Camino, but a first generation Chrysler Town & Country. During their formative years as a band The Black Keys toured America in car of the same make. • The star of the videoclip for the first single lifted from the album, Lonely Boy, is struggling actor/musician/part-time security guard Derrick T Tuggle. Originally cast only as an extra, the director saw something in Tuggle and asked him to dance. The result, a baffling but amusing singletake clip, rapidly went viral, garnering 400,000 views on Youtube within 24 hours of release.
THE DRUM MEDIA • 45
Currently a hot property in the UK, troubadour with a touch of grime Ed Sheeran delivers a gently heartfelt but tightly produced collection that moves from simple acoustic guitar strumming folk to pop/dance to the aforementioned grime-inflected on major label debut, + (Warner). Fresh out of Connecticut, USA, three-piece The Stepkids are drawing comparisons to Sly and George Clinton, but there’s a lot more Zappa, Floyd, 10CC and Fifth Dimension in their psychedelic confection to my ears on the evidence of their eponymous debut (Fuse). Melbourne-based contemporary roots and alt. country duo turned trio with the addition of The Waifs’ Ben Franz on lap and pedal steel, The Stillsons might just fill the space left by Franz’s former band on the evidence of their second album, Earnest (Fuse). Another husband/wife combo that lost and found a bass player to finish their debut album, Elementary (Firestarter), Byron Bay’s The Black Stars are channelling the best in contemporary Australian rock, from Eskimo Joe to The Living End – and doing it well too. Brooklyn-based Hare Krishna escapees Prince Rama haven’t really strayed that far from the tree for all the Kate Bush, heavy drums, sci-fi electronics and psychedelic trappings that embellish the chants and “songs” of Trust Now (Paw Tracks). Intriguing for all that. There’s no escaping the distinctive tones of Sir Mick Jagger, for all the feisty contributions from Joss Stone, AR Rahman and Damien Marley on the self-titled debut from Dave Stewart-directed supergroup SuperHeavy (A&M/Universal), which, actually, is quite an extraordinary and surprisingly seamless mashing of world/dub/pop/rock elements. Growing up in the UK has allowed the US-born artist Cosmo Jarvis a strongly adventurous musical sensibility. You all know his hilariously controversial hit, Gay Pirates, which opens this latest album, Is The World Strange Or Am I Strange? (Creative
Love the huge bass sounds on the fourth album, Arrows & Anchors (Shock), from Texan prog rockers Fair To Midland, who seem to imbibe as much from ‘70s UK obscurities like Family and Americans Styx as Syd Barrett and Peter Gabriel and contemporaries Queens Of The Stone Age, Nirvana or System Of A Down, with a dash of bluegrass without the irony on Amarilla Sleeps On My Pillow. While Jonathan Wilson might come from North Carolina, he’s drunk deeply from the gentle folk meets psychedelia of late ‘60s Laurel Canyon, California, where the songwriter and producer now lives and finished this debut album, Gentle Spirit (Co-Operative), equal parts Graham Nash, Jackson Browne and the gentle side of Neil Young. The guitars shred away furiously against the Indigenous rock of central desert five-piece Iwantja, giving a nice edge to their debut, Palya (Wantok/ The Planet), alternating as it does with Gurrumulstyle ballads and sub-metal instrumentals. There’s an undeniable confidence in the big, clean, chiming second album, Symmetry (Independent), from Sydney four-piece New Empire – they’ve certainly got the whole pop hook thing covered remarkably well. There’s a touch of the Paul Simons as a writer with Art Garfunkel’s voice in this collection, The Hunting Road (Vitamin), from The Cat Empire auxiliary brass section The Empire Horns’ trumpeter Roscoe James Irwin, perfectly suited to his gentle, harmony-driven folk pop tunes. Mustered Courage are another of those Melbourne combos that really has that whole roots/alt.country/bluegrass thing sussed and deliver a solid set of same on their self-titled debut (Laughing Outlaw), whose head might be stretching it just a tad suggesting he’s found his own Old Crow Medicine Show in them. The second album, Thumper (Stomp), is an impressive collection of huge sounds and epic spaces from Adelaide four-piece Quiet Child – pretty brilliant stuff if you ask me. Craven Fops founder, singer and songwriter Daniel Morphett is still around, though now in the guise of El Duende, whose third album, Day To Day Dream (Independent), shows him still on top of his game, thoughtful, provocative and casually melodic.
GORILLAZ
POWDERFINGER
Capitol
Universal
THE SINGLES COLLECTION 2001-2011 ILA Albarn and Jamie MPDamon O Hewlett’s cartoon band has lasted a decade; more ON C TI
Vince Clarke and Andy Bell AKA Erasure have a new album and it’s like the ‘90s and noughties never happened as they launch into a new decade in a new millennium with Tomorrow’s World (Mute), sticking defiantly to their tried and tested synthdance pop. Maybe they need to get a jolt of melodic metalcore courtesy fellow Englishmen and winners of the 2010 Metal Hammer Golden God Award for Best New Band, Rise To Remain, the debut from the London five-piece, City Of Vultures (EMI), as good a place as any to start. Hey, and Bruce “Maiden” Dickinson’s son Austin fronts them.
ON THE RECORD ON C TI
RECENTLY RELEASED ALBUMS ROUNDUP BY MICHAEL SMITH
than many might have predicted of what initially seemed like a catchy but gimmicky concept. This greatest hits spans the band’s discography from the minimalistic Tomorrow Comes Today to the bombastic single, Doncamatic, a welcome addition considering its non-existence on any other Gorillaz records. One can notice the band’s growth from the nasal synths of 19-2000 to the robust lyricism of On Melancholy Hill.
M PI L A O
further more
Vibes/MGM), but there’s so much more to discover – a seriously clever and diverse songwriter. Singer/ songwriter Simon Kelly has had that other kind of advantage – growing up in Perth – so again, there’s a healthy diversity to his latest album, New Horizons (MGM), with The Lonely Wives, from the Triffids-esque Another Disaster to the Soweto feel of Eye Of The Storm and all points between. Sydney’s Watussi, built around the music of expat Colombian Oscar Jiminez, on the other hand, stick pretty close to their founder’s Latin American roots on El Olvido (MGM), still one gloriously heady mix in itself.
The perfunctory remixes at the end of the record tarnish somewhat an otherwise outstanding collection of songs by a group that somehow defied the odds to become as artistically credible as the men behind it.
Fingerprints & Footprints: The Ultimate Collection
rem
Unfortunately for the second half of the Powderfinger best of collection, their best work was completed by 2000. It’s never been more evident than now, as they combine 2004’s Fingerprints (up to 2000) and Footprints (from 2001 onwards) in one package. With a sprinkling of new songs understandably left off releases (Empty Space, for example) and then a non-chronological mixture of singles and favourites, it’s hard to get excited about Footprints when the Fingerprints era ‘Finger is so hands-down brilliant. Even when they came good on Golden Rule, it’s an album better listened to in full. That said, this means you don’t have to buy the dire Dream Days In The Hotel Existence.
ix
Scott Fitzsimons
Sevana Ohandjanian
R.E.M.
PINK FLOYD
Part Lies Part Heart Part Truth Part Garbage
The Best Of Pink Floyd: A Foot In The Door EMI There’s nothing new to be said here; if you like Pink Floyd, you already have the albums. If you’ve never heard of them, don’t start with a compilation. Though it allows the convenience of many of their songs being in the same place, like Wish You Were Here, Another Brick In The Wall and Learning To Fly, there’s a lack of cohesiveness, one of the key elements that made Pink Floyd’s back catalogue so breathtakingly innovative. Taking an incredible, experimentative psych rock band and trying to make their songs fit into the convention of a greatest hits release is bound to seem lacklustre. If you want an introduction to Pink Floyd, buy Dark Side Of The Moon instead.
Warner In their 30-year(!) career, which they so gracefully ended on their own terms, the Garbage part of that equation was happily and remarkably rare. For the enthusiasts, or as a primer of a band and a canon which still has relevance to what’s going on now, this has just about all you need to know. Although there are always going to be quibbles – “Where’s Drive?” come the screams. And maybe an over-representation of their last couple of records. But the world is a better place for the existence of So. Central Rain, Losing My Religion or even the darker than it first appears Shiny Happy People. Have memories, or make new ones. Ross Clelland
Sevana Ohandjanian
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THE DRUM MEDIA • 47
THE QUITTING PARADOX
THE HEAVY SHIT
Greek guitarist Gus Drax has left long-running German metal band Paradox, claiming ‘personal reasons.’ Drax will be focusing on his Sunburst project, which features Innosense and Black Fate vocalist Vasilis Georgiou. Paradox meanwhile are currently working on material for their new album, tentatively due in 2012. Word is that the record will be a conceptual effort tied to the heresy story features in their most commercially successful 1989 record Heresy.
Last week Lars Inc kicked off the first of four celebration shows for their 30th Anniversary. 1200 fans were invited to pay $19.81 (they started in 1981 geddit?) and more or less hang out with the guys in a venue the size of the Metro. There was a whole bunch of memorabilia on display and they busted out a pretty decent set with a bunch of guests including Biff Byford, Apocalyptica and the man himself, Jason Newsted got up for Damage Inc and Harvester. Surely it was filmed for a doco or just so Lars can have it. Future shows are rumoured to involve Lemmy and Ozzy too.
Canadian documentarian Sam Dunn, the man behind films like Metal: A Headbangers Journey and Rush: Beyond The Lighted Stage, is currently working on a documentary focused on none other than Alice Cooper. The doco will focus on his early years up to his comeback in the 80s. They’ll be taking a different route to the standard rock doc, with no talking heads and more of an archival and animated journey through his career. Expect a story that takes in his battles with alcoholism, being raised in a Christian family, rebelling against that but returning to his faith later in his career, and moving from town to town, trying to find his place. The Alice Cooper documentary is tentatively scheduled to premiere at Toronto International Film Festival in September 2012.
Tasmanian technical death metallers, Psycroptic, have announced their fifth studio album, The Inherited Repression, that will be released locally via those rad dudes at Riot Entertainment. It’s a bit different from their previous work but I can assure you, it will kick your ass all over the place once you buy your copy on 10 February! Sydney metallers Havoc have parted ways with drummer and founding member John Buckley. The band stated that “The time and effort that John has put into the band over the last two years is greatly appreciated by all its members and he will be sorely missed in the jam room (bad jokes included) and especially on stage, as his live performances were paramount. We wish John all the very best in the future in all aspects of his life.” Anyone wishing to audition for the drumming position can contact the band via havoc. metal@hotmail.com - I’d do it but then who’d write your favourite column?
COREY TAYLOR NOT READY TO WRITE Frontman of the eight-man behemoth that is Slipknot, Corey Taylor has spoken about the likelihood of a new Slipknot record anytime soon and shot it down, saying, “To be honest, I’m not ready to write a Slipknot album without Paul Gray yet, and I don’t care what anybody says.” Bassist Gray passed away earlier this year and though the band have been touring with an interim replacement, it seems like there won’t be any new songs on the setlist when the band hit Australia for Soundwave early next year.
Last week I mentioned a new band featuring the rad line up of Mat Sorrensen, Anthony Delvecchio, David Pietersz and Karl Ebing. Unfortunately, spellcheck took the I out of their name – They are in fact called Sanctium and you should watch this space for upcoming news real soon. Head to Facebook.com/ausgrind and follow the trial to their free 21 track AusGrind’s Hits Of The Summer compilation. Much like my copy of Hit Pix 88 it is chock full of awesome songs from the country’s greatest grindcore, powerviolence and crossover bands, not to
With one of the best albums of the year and definitely the best instrumental one, the luxurious Sleepmakeswaves will be at the Annandale for an intimate showcase along with their buds in Meniscus and Pirate.
PSYCROPTIC
FRIDAY 23 DECEMBER
mention some awesome underground gems you might not yet know, like Daryl Braithwaite.
Melbourne hard rockers, The Deep End will launch their new EP at The Venue this evening. Four tracks of pure bass driven Aussie old school rock’n’fuckin’roll…
And the final run of gigs for the year are:
FRIDAY Opeth will be at the Enmore once more. I found my beautiful silver embossed tour poster from their first ever run here with Alchemist way back in the day when most of their current fans were grooving to The Wiggles – ooh snap! At The Basement in Canberra, you can get into a pre Xmas mosh with Forbidden Burning, Vendetta Of The Fallen, Knight Hammer, Indistrict, Blindfold Warhorse and No Longer. There’s a bit or burlesque action going on too..
Club Blink has once again found its home back at Club 77 and tonight is their Xmas blow out party. Make sure you catch Melody Black as they rip through the night along with Thrashed. They are on early then the Blink DJ’s take over.
XMAS EVE
When I was a young kid out in the burbs, The Bradbury Pub was the place to go on Xmas Eve – no bands, just beer. I have no idea what my stomping ground looks like now, so instead of that, head to the Lansdowne where no less than twelve bands will rock the night away – Rich Uncle Skeleton among them.
Grindhead Records presents a night of prog rockin punked up math metal insanity at The Valve Bar with Mish, Nobody Knew They Were Robots, Rock N Roll Weapon, Damarill and Not Like Horse. Doors open at 7.30pm and it’s ten bucks.
SATURDAY 30 DECEMBER
SATURDAY
NEW YEAR’S EVE
If you get down to Blink before 10pm, you’ll get in for free. It’s their end of year bash and they will be celebrating with Nirvana and Slipknot anniversary tributes.
Melody Black hit the Sando. If you haven’t seen their awesome display of pure rock energy, then really, what’s your excuse? Raise The Crazy return after a major hiatus to headline at the new and improved Spectrum on Oxford Street along with the most awesome guys from Devine Electric and Spirit Valley. The Lucky Australian in St Mary’s will host the third annual Very Metal Xmas from midday. It’s an All Ages affair with 14 bands, all of which have appeared in THS before. Adelaide’s Double Dragon who have been a bit quiet of
Well if smashing through the ultimate moshpit of suburban families to gawk at fireworks isn’t your thing, head to the Sando for New Years Evilution where Darker Half, Elm Street, Taberah, Teratornis and Dragonsclaw will treat you to a night full of metal and maybe a thrashed up Auld Lang Syne or two. If that doesn’t work for you either, then get thee to Venom for their Deadly Sinners NYE and an all start line up featuring A World Less Cruel, Foundary Road, Datura Curse and fresh off their All Shall Perish support, the mighty Segression. heavy@drummedia.com.au
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Ok gather around you sinners, this is the penultimate Heavy Shit for the year and at the request of my superiors, next week’s will be a Year In Review deal so I’m going to attempt to list every bit of rock’n’roll action available to you between now and 10 January.
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A DEATH IN THE FAMILY
MY CHEMICAL SNOWFLAKE
My Chemical Romance will be in town soon enough as one of the big acts on the Big Day Out 2012, but til then fans young and old can enjoy their appearance on a children’s tv show. The band dropped by Yo Gabba Gabba for a performance of Every Snowflake Is Different, dressed in matching snow parkas and shorts. We’re not entirely sure about the fashion choice, but the band join a prolific list of guests such as Rocket From The Crypt, Taking Back Sunday, Dinosaur Jr, Weezer who’ve featured on the show in the past.
WHIGS BACK ON
Beloved soul/punk outfit The Afghan Whigs have announced plans to reunite for the 2012 London edition of All Tomorrow’s Parties. The show will be the first performance from the Ohio band in 13 years, having split up in 2001 after six albums. The band reunited to record for a compilation in 2006 but didn’t perform live. The band will be replacing another recently reunited act, Guided By Voices. The 2012 London ATP is being curated by Mogwai and features Slayer, The Melvins, Wolves In The Throne Room, Codeine, Mudhoney, Archers Of Loaf and more.
THROBBLING BIAFRA
Former Dead Kennedys singer and longtime political activist Jello Biafra has joined the Occupy Wall Street cause, as one of the first artists to sign onto the newly formed Occupy Musicians. To help spread the word, Biafra is now available as a bobblehead. The toy gives a rant in Biafra’s voice, supporting the movement and noting other topics.
Last week was jammed pack full of gigs, having seen (among others) Fucked Up and Off! I’m not sure which is going to win, but both of these are at the head of the “Best Gigs of 2011” category and honestly both were absolutely mindblowing. Fucked Up blew me away for the third time this year with their consistently solid show, and Off! proved that old school style hardcore is definitely not going to die anytime soon. If you haven’t checked out either of these bands yet, then I strongly suggest that you get right on it, so you’re prepared for when either of them head back out here. There are a whole bunch of pre-Christmas shows that are happening this week that you should all get along to, to get some relief from the Christmas hordes. On Thursday 15 December, Brisbane’s Nuclear Summer will be playing a show with Fixtures and a couple of other bands (I mentioned it last week). Originally this was supposed to be a show at Jura Books, however the venue canned the gig and as yet there hasn’t been an announced replacement venue. Keep an eye on the Nuclear Summer Facebook page for an update on the venue because it will be going ahead and it will be a great show. On Friday night, Endless Heights will be continuing their tour in support of their new EP Dream Strong with an all ages show at Chatswood Youth Centre. Then on Saturday 17, there is a day festival at the Annandale Hotel, with Loudfest 2 happening. 50 Lions will take to the Annandale stage with Hopeless and a whole bunch of local and international, metal and hardcore acts. A recent inclusion on the bill is Germany’s War From A Harlot’s Mouth, but for the full line up and all the ticketing details, head along to the event page on Facebook. Also on Saturday at the Annandale will be the Resist Records Christmas party, Resistmas. Kicking of at 7pm, the night is free with the only condition being that you have to RSVP with your full name and the number of people coming with you to resistmas@resistrecords.com – easy as that! I would strongly recommend getting down there as close to doors as possible, as even though there is an RSVP system, once the venue reaches capacity, entrance will be cut off. Anyway, head along as Melbourne punk act A Death In The Family will be headlining, with Canberra’s stoner metal/hardcore mashup act I Exist and recent acoustic signing Toy Boats will be supporting. If you’re heading along, the Annandale is currently running their annual Smith Family drive, so feel free to bring along a small, wrapped gift to place under the Annandale’s Christmas tree to go to under privileged kids throughout Sydney.
Next March and April a couple of Fat Wreck Chords artists will be back in Australia for a joint tour. San Francisco’s Dead To Me and Nevada’s Cobra Skulls will be teaming up for the All Drive, No Lullabies tour (where they cover four states in nine days!). And joining them will be Canberra outfit Lamexcuse who have been in hibernation since 2009. Both bands have new records out – Dead To Me recently released Moscow Penny Ante and Cobra Skulls, Agitations. The Sydney show will double as an all day festival called Chopfest (which I’ll talk about in a second) however the other shows on the tour include the ANU Bar in Canberra on Friday 30 March 2012. Then on Tuesday 3 April, the tour hits Yours & Owls in Wollongong, before playing at Newcastle Leagues Club (in Newcastle, der) on Wednesday 4 April. As I said, the Sydney leg of this tour will double as Chopfest IV, at the Annandale Hotel on Saturday 31 March. Kicking off at 4pm, the festival will not only feature these American punkers, but also some of the best that Australian punk and rock have to offer. Joining the line up will be Gay Paris, Totally Unicorn, The Gun Runners, Milhouse (jees these guys get around), Batfoot!, Homeward Bound and Billy Demos. Tickets are on sale now at the Annandale itself or through their website. It was only announced a couple of weeks ago that Melbourne hardcore act Proteam would be getting back on the bike by releasing some new music and playing some shows. While not new music, what has been revealed is that boutique Melbourne vinyl label, Midnight Funeral Records (who are also back from a short break) will be releasing the band’s 2007 EP Our Wasteland as a six song 7-inch vinyl. Originally
themusic.com.au
supposed to be released in 2007 by Washed Up Records, this release will see the EP in 300 copies on random coloured vinyl. What this means is hell for serious collectors (or heaven, I’m not sure which) as there will be many, many colours and variations of the record for you to get your hands on. Be warned: there will be no pre-orders. Limited to only 300 copies, the records are expected to drop late January or early February and will go up for sale once they land. If you don’t want to miss out, I strongly suggest that you head to the Midnight Funeral Facebook or Tumblr and start following, because that is where you’ll get the news that they’re available first. Last week Stu Harvey wrapped up his year on Short.Fast. Loud with the annual Listener’s Poll, and I guess controversy was the word this year when the final 40 (as voted for by the listeners) was released. To give you an idea, here is the top ten, from ten to one: Neighborhoods by Blink 182; Radiosurgery by New Found Glory; Clash Battle Guilt Pride by Polar Bear Club; Suburbia I’ve Given You All And Now I’m Nothing by The Wonder Years; Smoko At The Pet Food Factory by Frenzal Rhomb; Empty Days And Sleepless Nights by Defeater; Separation by Balance & Composure; Parting The Sea Between Brightness And Me by Touche Amore; Shed by Title Fight; and rounding it out and taking out the top spot was Wildlife by Touche Amore. The interesting thing here, is that the top 10 (and most of the line up) was dominated by this emo rock revival and pop punk. If you want to see how my top albums of 2011 compares check out next week’s column! wakethedead@drummedia.com.au
THE DRUM MEDIA • 49
GET IT TOGETHER
HIP HOP WITH VIKTOR KRUM
W
e’ve talked about irony many times before. It can be a good reason to go to a show. It can add a little fairy dust to an otherwise bland night out. It can also be a synonym for “depressing”. Take whatever irony definition you want and apply it to this fact: Crazy Town are coming to Australia (!) and playing a show (!) in Canberra (!) as part of a hip hop festival lineup (!) It’s all true. The crew you got to know in the early naughties as Your-Older-Sister’s-ThirdFavourite-Rap-Rock-Band-After-Papa-Roach-And-LimpBizkit are coming out to play. It’s been ten years since we first saw the eyeliner, the depressing star tattoos, the abs and the strange washed-out colours of the Butterfly video clip but, hey, irony is irony and there’s nothing non-ironic about the ol’ CT playing a show in Canberra. Maybe the blonde guy with the abs is fat now? Maybe the guy who was in rehab has relapsed? Maybe the band themselves are also confused as to why they are being flown halfway across the world to play a show in a large-ish country town basically in the middle of nowhere? Who knows?
The festival is called HeatWave by the way and it takes place on Saturday 21 January 2012 at Canberra’s Epic Arena. Alongside Crazytown will be a number of other international acts who will elicit some furrowed brows and, potentially, ironic enjoyment: Tech N9ne, D12 and Obie Trice. Locals including Koolism, D’Opus and Roshmabo, and Big Dave and Grant Who? will be playing too. Tickets start at $110 plus booking fee. There’ll be graffiti and VIP tickets and VIP toilets and OK food. There will also be Crazytown. Playing a show in Canberra. Called HeatWave. With very expensive tickets. Feel that? You just got irony’d. Big Village are putting on a Christmas party for y’all on Friday 23 December at the Annandale! I don’t know if Crazytown will be there (put them down as a “maybe” I reckon) but there are still some other pretty great reasons to go. First and foremost, the Big Villagers have quickly become the most exciting crew in the city. They’re not yet the biggest or the most well-established but, speaking as an outsider, they are the most dynamic; the most genuinely engaging to watch. You already know what the lineup is: True Vibenation, Ellesquire, Tuka, Daily Meds and Rapaport with a Sketch the Rhyme set, Herb and a number of others helping you get festive. Plus! There’s a limited edition Big Village CD full
BREAKDOWN It’s tempting at this time of year to attempt to draw lines around everything that’s happened over the last 12 months. Amidst the readers’ polls and the writers’ polls and the ‘we asked our favourite band managers which their favourite brand of toothpaste was to fill some column space’ polls, the end of any year inevitably brings out those whose job it is to piece it all together (or those who make it their job – or, in the case of the dailies, some interns from AAP, if Marieke Hardy is busy). Those who set out to make some sense of everything that took place, wrap it all up in a sexy Christmas bow, call it The Year That Was and give it to Jarvis Cocker so that he can grumble something about it in response. Just to make it, you know, official. It’s a tough business and it’s getting tougher. At least in music. If there’s one thing that 2011 showed us, it’s that the links between things that happen in popular music are growing more and more tenuous as the ‘industry’ settles into its new mode of functioning in a decentralised, power-shifting, niche-market environment. Perhaps ‘mode of functioning’ is even too certain a phrase – if anything, the motto of the ‘industry’ at large now is: every woman, man and publicist for themselves. If there’s a sign that bands are now acting as separate entities, devoid of any intention to blend into a ‘scene’, it’s in the attention-seeking, brand-making and justplain-bad band names we’re seeing. Part of the ‘call it something random and it will stand out and stick’ school are: Papa Vs Pretty, Calling All Cars, Hungry Kids Of Hungary, Snakadaktal, Ball Park Music, Bleeding Knees Club, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard… Then again, Australia hardly has a recent history of great band names: the acts up for Best Group at the ARIAs this year were Boy & Bear, Birds Of Tokyo, Eskimo Joe, The Living End and, the old hands with the saving-grace banner, Grinderman. Maybe there is something in that line of thought after all. Either way, it’s been a hard year for grouping acts together based on names and aesthetic, save perhaps for the garage rock exchange between Australia’s East Coast and the US led by bourgeoning Aus labels RIP Society and Bedroom Suck. Bar some long-standing holdouts, the places we find out about music are also decreasingly looking to be one-stop scenarios. Instead, they’re looking to create their own profiles, build their brands – from blogs to 50 • THE DRUM MEDIA
YOUNG & RESTLESS
ALL AGES WITH DAVE DRAYTON
A
quick reminder that the first heat of the all ages Vibrations band comp kicks off this Sunday arvo from 4pm at Valve Bar with The Corridors, Slam Dance, Masta Gravity, The Mankoos, Sinister Valley, Where’s Rachel and Anonymous going head to head. There are few slots left in later heats so hit up burgess_ ventures@bigpond.com if you’re keen. The all ages-friendly Australia Tavern is hosting A Very Metal Xmas this Saturday. Doors open at midday and 15 bones will get you entry to the show with a huge lineup of 14 bands headlined by Adelaide’s Double Dragon. Better yet, 12 and unders get in for free!
CRAZY TOWN of unreleased tracks and remixes available on the night (and only on the night). The Big Villagers are pressing up 100. They go to the first 100 payers through the door. Get there, team! Yungun and Mr Thing! In 2006 they made a fun album called Grown Man Business. They’re English. Yungun is a lawyer (I think?) who raps (I know) and keeps everything dapper. Mr Thing is a large, extremely talented vinyl jockey. Together the two make quite a team and now they’re putting some music out for free for us all to enjoy. It’s called Jack The World. Essa’s a good rapper but, yeah, for all you scrik-scrikka-scree wax heads, Mr Thing is truly one of the best out. The fact he’s chopping and changing between genres just to keep himself engaged and at the top of his game marks this tape as one to really look out for. The price is right, too. We probably like Chiddy Bang more than you do. The infectious, poppy single, The Opposite Of Adults, touched us in a teenage-girl-singing-with-a-hairbrushand-dancing-while-staring-intentily-into-a-mirror type way. It was so much fun! The OK raps! The insane beat! Plus there was also a nod to Sufjan Stevens on that first release. Well, now Chiddy are getting ready to release their debut album. It’s called Breakfast and there will probably be some songs worth skipping on there but maybe – just maybe – there will be some genre-defining pop gems too. getittogether@drummedia.com.au
POP CULTURE THERAPY WITH ADAM CURLEY
There’s no better way to hone your live show than hitting the stage, and young locals Endless Heights have done just that, racking up extensive supports for the likes of Cruel Hand, Have Heart and Title Fight. Now they’re taking that show on the road with their own headline tour in support of debut EP, Dream Strong, playing all ages shows at Chatswood Youth Centre on Friday, the all ages Loudfest at the Annandale on Saturday arvo and Unanderra Community Centre, Wollongong on Sunday. We lined up guitarist Jem Siow ahead of a very busy weekend for a few questions. What can you tell us about Dream Strong? Dream Strong is finding a deep sense of fulfilment in this life and living it to the very utmost. Dream Strong is believing in yourself and who you want to be, indifferent to the world around you. Dream Strong is realising a purpose and bringing that to reality. We recorded this EP throughout October with Mitta Norath of Tommirock Studios and I feel so satisfied in knowing that we’ve put as much as we possibly could into this effort. He’s a fantastic engineer and an even better friend who not only supported us but brought this music to levels beyond what we expected, and for that we are truly grateful! He also mixed it while Adam Douche of West West Side did the mastering. We couldn’t be happier with the result! What influenced the decision to put it out through relatively new label Broken Hive records? Broken Hive Records is the product of our manager Oliver Cation of Strikehard Bookings. Myself still being 18 with the others also in their teens, we’re seriously lucky to have met someone who not only shared a
ENDLESS HEIGHTS vision with us but saw more potential within us as a band. If not for him, we would not have done the things we have done this year, we wouldn’t be where we are ONnow SIERRA right and we wouldn’t be going in the direction we are now. What’s the best all ages venue in your opinion? So far, definitely The Wall in Leichardt. No barrier, sweet location, not too big, not too small, sweet schnitties round the back and awesome parking. There are quite a few all ages shows on the launch tour, why do you think it’s important to play A.A shows? As a band we are pretty much just over the age limit so to us I guess we feel we can relate best to a younger crowd. This band is about reaching as many people as we can and all ages shows allow us to do that so we’re really excited to do these on this tour! The launch at Chatswood will be a hometown show of sorts so anything special in the works? Oh man we are super keen for this to go down next Friday, this show will be really special to us. We all played in other bands that did some of our first ever shows in that venue years ago and to be able to do our launch there is crazy. We’ll just do what we always do and hopefully see all our friends there. Any advice for young musos? If music brings you fulfilment use it to bring fulfilment in others. allages@drummedia.com.au
OG FLAVAS
URBAN AND R&B NEWS BY CYCLONE
Sade is the reigning Queen of Quiet Storm (sorry Anita Baker!), wowing all with her first Australian shows in over 20 years. The Brit, often considered unchanging, has actually assimilated hip hop into her jazzy soul – live, Soldier Of Love is hard. There’s nothing ‘retro’ about her concert either, only The Sweetest Taboo a little ‘80s noir.
GRINDERMAN national radio broadcasters. Indeed, if there is a defence that the old industry habit of back-scratching is alive and well, it’s surely to be found in the (far more relaxed and congenial) ‘friendships’ formed by specific media outlets and labels or ‘band scenes’. It’s not uncommon to see the same labels and connected bands cropping up on blogs, or the same group of bands being played on a radio program, or media outlets ‘presenting’ a stage at a festival, or ‘exclusives’ routinely given to media in any format by labels in exchange for the promotion that lends. That is also just to say that music communities are tightening, localising. Far from being the scrappy bar fight it sounds, ‘every woman, man and publicist for themselves’ means a more level playing field where connections can be made and our music culture strengthened. It’s no bad thing, whether looked at from the perspective of the audience or the musician, when it’s considered that there are many communities with, now, innumerable (and affordable) ways of reaching out and being reached. It is true that some media outlets or labels or promoters have more money and thus a greater marketing exspenditure than others, but it’s also true that many have, this year included, been started on the smell of a crusty band T-shirt and built themselves up. Without losing anyone still reading in a sea of marshmallows, 2011 has been an excellent year in Australian music, not only for the releases we’ve seen but for the greater sense of support and community apparent. And if there’s a conclusion to be made from a year’s events, that seems a pretty decent one. breakdown@drummedia.com.au
Someone who might closely study Sade is Mary J Blige, the Queen of Hip Hop Soul, back with My Life II... The Journey Continues (Act 1). The ladies have much in common – mystique, an affinity with vintage R&B and a love of hoop earrings. Somehow Sade is eternally cool. Even now emergent urban artists like Drake are clamouring to work with her. Sade augured nightbus (post-dubstep soul) in 1984. Her secret? Sade avoids gimmickry. And she never tries too hard. Notably, it’s Blige who in 2005 conservatively covered U2’s One with Bono. In contrast, Sade transformed Thin Lizzy’s Still In Love With You for this year’s Ultimate Collection. In recent times Blige, who pre-empted neo-soul (as, again, did Sade!), has been sidelined by those R&B glamazons Beyoncé and Rihanna. Neo-soul has a new Queen of (Broken) Hearts in Adele, her 21 nominated for six Grammies. This season we’ll be hearing Adele and Amy Winehouse everywhere, not Blige. Ironically, Winehouse’s posthumously compiled Lioness: Hidden Treasures is more ‘complete’ than My Life II... In fact, Blige’s past few LPs haven’t been up to standard – 2009’s Stronger With Each Tear was especially dismal – and so, for her tenth, she’s apparently randomly decided to cut a sequel to 1994’s seminal My Life. Fans were stunned when, following Blige’s attitude-laden debut, What’s The 411?, she presented the raw My Life, chronicling her troubled relationship with Jodeci’s Cedric “K-Ci” Hailey. Blige created an R&B subgenre out of ‘drama’. A My Life epilogue isn’t the silliest idea given today’s pervasive ‘90s nostalgia – and, if the ‘Act 1’ is any guide, Blige plans a franchise – but her execution of it wavers. It doesn’t help that the lead single, 25/8, is a forgettable funk groove. No wonder that fizzled. My Life II... opens with a cringeworthy rehearsed telephone conversation between Blige and her old mentor/producer Sean “Diddy” Combs, who doesn’t otherwise contribute. Blige explains that, in relation to My Life, the album is “not a competitor – [but] a sequel, an extension...” Obviously. My Life II... is solid enough when Blige sticks to classic
themusic.com.au
MARY J BLIGE ‘90s R&B, even if these days she’s more suburban mall than block party. The album’s pinnacle, Feel Inside with Nas, comes early. It slams nearly as much as 2001’s mega hit Family Affair, yet its producer isn’t Dr Dre but old Fugees cohort Jerry “Wonda” Duplessis, sampling the Wu-Tang Clan’s Triumph. Nearly as dope is Midnight Drive, featuring Blige’s rap alter ego Brook Lynn. Alas, Blige’s attempts to sound ‘current’ are unconvincing – and cheapening. Next Level (with Busta Rhymes) is totally out of sync with the album concept. Has Danja been listening to German tech-trance type Tomcraft of Loneliness fame? Blige teams with Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins for a tacky hi-NRG cover of her hero Chaka Khan’s Ain’t Nobody. Drake’s Take Care is a contender for 2011’s tastemaker urban album, the Canadian refashioning his beloved ‘90s R&B into futuristic illwave. Nevertheless, Drake’s song here, Mr Wrong, helmed by Jim Jonson and Rico Love, is throwaway – as was his previous single with Blige, the auto-tuned The One. My Life II... ends in an avalanche of bland MOR ballads, the best the acoustic, country-esque Need Someone. Blige’s duet with Beyoncé, Love A Woman, is anticlimactic, lacking the dramatic intensity of the Mariah Carey/Whitney Houston hook-up When You Believe, but not the oversinging. It’s strange that Blige, whose mantra is to ‘keep it real’, is commodifying – and formularising – her pain. You can buy her My Life fragrance line from the Home Shopping Network! Smells like mid-career anguish. Would Sade do it? No. ogflavas@drummedia.com.au
ROOTS DOWN
GUITARS IN GULGONG BLUES AND ROOTS WITH DAN CONDON STEVE EARLE Metro Theatre Tuesday 3 April; Ticketek have tickets available now for $71.70.
After last week’s tribute to Coco Robicheaux, I’m not exactly thrilled to open this week’s column by having to pay tribute to another who has passed on to the other side, the great Hubert Sumlin. Sumlin will always be best known as one of the guitarists in Howlin’ Wolf’s band and kept the band going after Howlin’ passed away in the mid-1970s, before going on to record and perform under his own name. This guy was a huge name in the world of blues guitar and there are many who have and will pay tribute in far greater detail than I, so keep your eyes peeled for obituary pieces over the next couple of weeks.
I’ve only got room for one more, so why not go for a big one. Buddy Guy really disappointed me the first time I saw him back at the beginning of this century, but every time I have seen him since (quite a few, thanks Bluesfest) he has been amazing – in fact last year his performance was one of my top five shows of the year! This guy is nothing short of a completely legitimate blues legend and we are privileged to be able to see him perform out here so often. He’s going to be appearing – with Johnny Lang, a guitarist whose return has been demanded ever since he blew minds back in 2000 – at the Enmore Theatre Wednesday 4 April. Tickets from Ticketek will cost you $107.20.
Besides, even though this is a blues column it can’t all be doom and gloom. Especially when there are Bluesfest sideshows to talk about… The masterful Steve Earle is one of the most exciting names on next year’s Bluesfest bill, not only because he’s one of the greatest living American songwriters, not just because his latest record, I’ll Never Get Out Of This World Alive, is actually really excellent, but also because I’ve been watching The Wire lately so it will be a kick to see him again and this time pretend he’s Walon, Bubbles’ rehab buddy. But seriously, I’m over the moon to be able to once again see one of the most important singer-songwriters of the modern day next year. He’s announced sideshows to take place at Lizotte’s Newcastle Wednesday 4 April; The Factory Theatre Sunday 8 April and Concourse Theatre Monday 9 April and word is tickets are selling mighty
fast. So they should be. Hit Ticketek for the Concourse show, respective venues for the others. When John Hiatt was out here in 2008, he quite simply left everyone completely gobsmacked with his unassuming yet still incredibly powerful performances. Apparently he’s been made plenty of offers to return but only now has agreed to come back, this time on the back of his new record, Dirty Jeans And Mudslide Hymns, which was released earlier this year. He was devastatingly good in solo mode last time around, but this time he brings with him his all-star band The Combo, meaning these are more likely to be somewhat more energetic shows than his last visit. You can find out when he hits the
And of course I need to mention that the headline act for Bluesfest 2012 was revealed last week, with Cold Chisel scoring top billing this time around. I had a feeling when watching them a couple of weeks back that they’d do the festival and I can attest to the quality of the performance – these guys are a worthy addition to the bill. Another act has been (unofficially) added to the lineup, with the legendary Canned Heat letting it slip on their website that they’ll be playing at the festival as well as doing a side show at the Basement, Circular Quay, Sunday 1 April. It’s worth noting that threequarters of the current lineup played that legendary Woodstock set in 1969, which is very exciting!
TUESDAY 13
Cameron Undy’s Abstract Brotherhood + Tim Clarkson Trio – 505 Steve Morrison – The Basement John Harkins – Jazushi James Valentine Quartet + Elana Stone – Golden Sheaf
WEDNESDAY 14
Steve Barry Trio – 505 Jimmy Vargas & The Black Dahlias – Blue Beat, Double Bay Paul Sun Trio – Jazushi
Blues Point – Carols By The Tree The Pinks – 505 Yuki Kumagai & John Mackie – Wellco Café Leichhardt Freefall – Jazushi
SUNDAY 18 Sway – Carols By The Tree Elixir featuring Katie Noonan + Dayna Kurtz – 505 Unity Hall Jazz Band – Unity Hall Hotel Dan Barnett – Sydney Rowing Club Abbotsford Paul Sun Trio – Manly Market Place (lunch) Yuki Kumagai Quintet – Central Coast Leagues
FLAP!
THURSDAY 15 Heartbeat – Carols By The Tree, Darling Harbour Rhythm Hunters – 505 Daryl Pratt Sextet – Colbourne Ave Glebe The Idea Of North – The Basement James Morrison featuring Emma Pask – Blue Beat
MONDAY 19 Greg Coffin Trio – 505
TUESDAY 20
FRIDAY 16 Sorelle – Carols By The Tree Edoardo Santoni – 505 Yuki Kumagai & John Mackie – Well Connected Café Glebe Urban Gypsies – The Vanguard Susan Gai Dowling – Jazushi Shooting The Breeze – Middle Harbour Yacht Club
Simon Barker (solo) + Arun Luthra & The Jazzgroove Christmas Party – 505 Lucinda Peters – The Basement James Valentine Quartet – Golden Sheaf John Harkins – Jazushi
WEDNESDAY 21
SATURDAY 17
Jimmy Vargas & The Black Dahlias – Blue Beat, Double Bay
Paul Sun Trio – Kirribilli Markets (lunch)
blow@drummedia.com.au
THE SWAMP SHACK Back in the ‘60s and ‘70s Sydney enjoyed a thriving folk music scene and foremost amongst the boom were a number of much-loved jug bands like the Sons Of Agamemnon, the East Neasden Spasm Band and the Original Battersea Heroes. Now as part of the neo folk movement and alt country scene it seems the classic jug band is making a comeback. One such outfit is the Perch Creek Family Jug Band, who combine a heady mix of original and traditional tunes, roving from bluegrass, old-time jazz and country blues to whatever takes their fancy. The Perch Family claim not only Australia’s top onelegged saw player but virtuosos on the kazoo, melodica and spoons. The group is indeed a real family affair, featureingfour members of the Hodgkins family along with “Bigfoot” Jimmy Chandler and a host of special guests. Catch their unique blend of hokum this Friday at Red Rattler.
Robyn Chalklen and Chris Parkinson make up Adelaide’s The Yearlings. Honing their sound since forming in 2001 the duo has worked alongside blues and roots greats in producer Larry Campbell (Bob Dylan) and members of New York’s roots heavyweights Ollabelle. Matt Southon has been fine-tuning his sound on the NSW south coast and has settled on what he terms ‘Australian Verandah Blues’. Carving out his own niche in the blues, he’s got a guitar as original as his songwriting approach. He plays his raucous blues on a resonator guitar crafted out of old corrugated iron.
TWO FROM TWO JAZZ/WORLD WITH MICHAEL SMITH
Described as “a rambunctious collage of 1920’s jazz, English folk, gypsy brass and Trinidadian calypso influences,” Melbourne quartet Flap! preview their forthcoming album and first single from it, Rock In Space, Saturday at the Camelot Lounge
Currently based in New York City, keyboards player Sean Wayland returns to Sydney for a one-off show at Notes Thursday 29 December, with guitarist James Muller, bassist Alex Hewetson, drummer Nick McBride and singer Virna Sanzone.
Terry Serio may be better known for his roles as an actor - he has starred in cult hit He Died With A Falafel In His Hand and TV shows Police Rescue and Blue Heelers, among others, perhaps most memorably portraying the late Johnny O’Keefe on the ‘80s 7 Network TV mini-series, Shout! - but his debut album, Oblivion, is proving he’s got authentic, gritty roots chops to match.
roots@drummedia.com.au
BLOW Recorded in Paris, where she’s now based, Inga Liljestrom launches her latest album, Black Crow Jane, at 505 Wednesday 21 December, in an evening where the album will be interpreted with performance artists, flamenco, ballet and circus as well as Liljestrom and her band.
While it may not have the same prestige attached to it as Bluesfest the Gulgong Folk Festival is also doing it’s bit to line up some of the country’s best folk, blues and roots acts. At a fraction of the price of bigger festivals (a three-day pass will only set you back $90!) the three day event is held in the historic gold mining town of Gulgong in central-west NSW, around a four-hour drive from Sydney, from Friday 6 January. Some of the blues and roots acts of note on the 100+ band bill include Terry Serio,The Yearlings and Matt Southon.
ROCKABILLY/PSYCOBILLY/ALT.COUNTRY WITH PEDRO MANOY
FRIDAY Jeremy Edwards is solo at the Harmonie German Club at Narrabundah, Canberra. Guitar freaks and bedroom pickers will head for the Empire Hotel as Steve Flack’s Guitar Heroes present Dom Turner, Dennis Wilson, Martin Cilia, Brad Carr, Steve Flack, Michael Smith and Colin Burgess in a night of hot licks and frenetic string bending.
BOB LOG III world may well end on 21 December 2012 - with Jay Katz and Miss Death and some timely projections. The Captain Matchbox Whoopee Band are joined by Hatz Fitz and Cara Robinson for a wild night at Notes and The Bellhops swing in the New Year at the Burwood RSL.
I’ve just received a copy of the new album from Bellyache Ben & The Steam Grass Boys and was immediately impressed with their creative approach to the bluegrass genre. They’ve taken some well worn classics like You Can’t Judge A Book By The Cover and Wade In The Water and injected them with a refreshing bluegrass vibe.
TUESDAY
Lots of great New Year’s Eve parties to celebrate the arrival of 2012. Black Cherry have a massive night at the Factory with Los Capitanes, Pat Capocci, The Art, Gay Paris and the man in the rubber ducky himself Bob Log III along with a cavalcade of burlesque and DJs. At the Mu-Meson Archives in Annandale it’s an End Is Nigh Armageddon Special - in respect of the Mayan Codex that suggests the
Johnny Casino goes solo with a special one-off Xmas extravaganza at the Sandringham Hotel.
SATURDAY The Foreday Riders are joined by the mercurial Bridie King for a huge night at the Empire Hotel, while Johnny G & The E-Types get all festive with their Memphis Soul Christmas at Notes. Stormcellar deliver their unique bluesy sounds at the Royal Hotel in Bondi. The Road Runners are back at the swinging Matraville RSL.
SUNDAY
Adam Pringle and buddies jam the blues at the Sandringham Hotel.
WEDNESDAY THURSDAY Hat Fitz and Cara Robinson play the Empire Hotel while Terry Batu is solo at the Jannali Inn.
The Blues Angels and friends take over Scandals Forest Café at Kantara House in Green Point from 1pm. Chris Turner and Phill Simmons are in acoustic mode at the Forest Lodge Hotel and the Steve Edmonds Band rock the Premier Hotel in Broadmeadow, both gigs from from 4pm. The Sydney Blues Society have their annual Christmas Jam featuring Steve Garry & The 21’20s and The King Brothers with Tony Pedrosa and Stan Mobbs at the Botany View Hotel from 5.30pm.
Back in 2008 Australian blues musician and ARIA nominee Dom Turner packed his bags and headed for Vietnam to collaborate with Veitnamese master musician Kim Sinh. The resulting album, Two Days In Hanoi, is out now through Fuse. Where did the idea for this collaboration stem from? I’d heard and loved Kim Sinh’s music and had read about a Ry Cooder/Kim Sinh 1990s (as yet unreleased ) recording session. I then set out to try to track Kim in Vietnam, a task that ended up being greater than first expected. After a lot of research, including asking anyone I knew in Vietnam, I finally traced him through the Hanoi institute of Musicology and set up a meeting to discuss collaboration. We met in 2005 and eventually did an ABC radio interview and recording session that was aired on Radio National’s Music Deli. We both realised that there was potential to take this initial session further, so I went back to Hanoi in 2008 and recorded for two days. How did the environment and location influence the recording? There’s something about the tropical environment – not unlike the Mississippi Delta – that seems to evoke a rawness in the music… With occasional relaxed islandstyle feels. Two engineers were both from families that were involved in musicological field trips from time to time and were most respectful of Kim Sinh, who was in his late 70s at the time of the recording, and very much saw him as a legend. His blindness and the fact that neither of us shared the same language, meant that there were a number of prospective hurdles in the process, but the approach of the engineers made certain that everything went smoothly.
WHAT IS COUNTRY
For those not immediately affected by the floods that struck northern Australia earlier this year the disaster was soon swept aside as others took the spotlight; earthquakes, hurricanes, more flooding, all filling the wider public with a similar sense of grief and compassion. The residents of Queensland that were hit hardest by the flood could not move on as quickly. They lost homes, possessions, land, family and friends. Queensland-based country artist Troy Cassar-Daley knows this as well as anyone else; he lost his farm to the rising waters but not his hope, organising a series of benefit gigs and lending a hand where he could to neighbours and mates. Months later and the effects of the flood are still being felt, and have informed Cassar-Daley’s new album Home, his eighth, which he recorded in country’s spiritual home, Nashville. “My farm has been a huge part of my writing since we’ve owned it. After the floods went through in January we thought it would never be the same but we were wrong. Even with a bad flushing dunny, no carpet and mud stains still on the kitchen floor, Col Buchanan and I wrote some tunes we are really proud of,” CassarDaley says of Home. The first single from the album, Country Is, is out now and Cassar-Daley says it was inspired by the hope the genre gave him during those tough times. Cassar-Daley has now announced he’s leaving home to spread the country love in March, hitting Lizotte’s Dee Why on Friday 2; Lizotte’s Newcastle Saturday 3 and Lizotte’s Kincumber on Sunday 4.
swampshack@drummedia.com.au
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THE DRUM MEDIA • 51
BEBOP & ROCKSTEADY
LONDON FIELDS
LEFTFIELD ELECTRONICA AND FUTURE SOUL WITH HUWSTON
TALES FROM THE MOTHERLAND WITH JAMES MCGALLIARD
Aaaah the dreaded end of year column, where you’re judged not only on your taste but on your medium term memory! In some other end of year wrap-ups I have neglected to mention two albums that dropped at the beginning of the year by the two James’ - Blake and xx, of course. Blake’s debut self-titled effort was stunning, for both its artistic integrity and subsequent commercial success. James Blake was a very difficult record, yet it had moments of beauty. The 2LP version (featuring two non-CD tracks) was actually a more satisfying listen, yet the artist felt it dragged on and that only fanatics would make the investment to go the extra six minutes. His Splendour sideshows did not disappoint; the live show translating particularly well and special mention should go to his front of house engineer who was working like a demon on all of the vocal effects. Jamie xx’s work reconstructing Gil Scott Heron’s I’m New Here was so successful in that it took a virtually unlistenable album consisting of the lamenting of a broken man and gave it depth, soul and melody and even echoes of his former self by providing thoughtful backing tracks (some of which even sampled his earlier stuff). Songs like My Cloud mirrored works from Winter In America and of course the wonderful re-work of I’ll Take Care Of You was a hit just waiting to be recontextualised, which is has recently been in the form of Drake and Rihanna’s Take Care, which includes a lot of the Gil Scott Heron vocal. It’s sadly the last we will hear of GSH, who passed away in May. Jamie xx book-ended 2011 with some of the year’s biggest highlights, including the breakthrough single Far Nearer on label of the year Numbers, which was actually hated by many. Though mid year is not a book end, xx came home strong with both the Drake version and a lovely second remix for Radiohead, who also had an incredible year by giving fans and beat heads a lot more than they expected with The King Of Limbs, TKOL Remixed 1-7 and of course Thom Yorke’s many DJ performances on Gilles Peterson’s Worldwide program and at LA’s Brainfeeder night. Speaking of Peterson, word has just come in that his BBC Radio 1 program of thirteen years will come to an end in March 2012, which, whilst a blow for fans of truly diverse music tastes, isn’t all bad news as folks like Skream & Benga and Toddla T come to fill the void.
I’m not sure if it’s just people I know, but at this time of year the interest in Top Ten lists feels like something that’s escaped from the pages of High Fidelity. These tend to make me reflect on the fact that music was a big factor in abandoning my native Australia for the comparative anonymity of London and further realise that I haven’t really written much about it since returning from Primavera Sound back in May. This year it did feel that the festival was beginning to be a victim of its own success, but PJ Harvey still provided a captivating 75 minutes making the large expanses feel intimate, while the first public performance of the return of Pulp met and exceeded all reasonable expectations. Here also The National finally achieved what they’ve been on the verge of on so many occasions I’ve seen them over the years – finally capturing that heartbreaking melancholy and delivering a powerful and sustained emotional punch throughout their early evening set. A secret highlight was eschewing both The Walkmen and Grinderman to see Smoke Fairies deliver what could have been the performance of the festival to a small but gripped crowd.
JAMIE XX Eglo Records stayed the course with fantastic releases from Fatima, Floating Points and Arp 101, whilst the aforementioned Numbers label released a hair-raising number of big tunes from Randomer and Sibian & Faun (in amongst some sleepers, too) at the end of the year. Look out for an album by Redihno on the label next year, whose style is a mix of Rustie and Roger Troutman. Staying in Glasgow, Rustie and Hudson Mohawke both had huge years with their respective Glass Swords and Pleasure/Satin Panthers releases. There must be something in the water, as they say, because both producers managed to channel a great number of influences ranging from pop music, RnB, video games and contemporary dance styles (including Trance!) and made them in to something completely new and very listenable. 2011 will ultimately be remembered by me as the year that Soul music got back up on its feet and reminded the world that it never goes out of fashion. The 21 and I Need A Dollar numbers don’t lie. bebop@drummedia.com.au
The most enjoyable performances of this year’s Camden Crawl could be found in the front lounge of the Spread Eagle, where Andy Ross curated a wonderful two days of performances. The larger shows there were more of a mixed bag with S.C.U.M (supporting Killing Joke) a particular lowlight (strange as they’ve gone on to produce one of the best albums of the year), but my overall highlight was Mat Motte’s deranged take on pop. I caught the new expanded line-up of Spotlight Kid on various occasions, as the year progressed they became an ever-more cohesive live outfit. Seeing Veronica Falls play their upbeat pop on a Dalston rooftop made the August riots seem very far away while Still Corners only seemed to gain by losing a member as they became a more striking live proposition as a four piece. Elsewhere Esben & The Witch were remarkable for refusing to pander to the conventions of live performance. However my pub gig of the year would have to be The Horrors at The 100 Club; their star has now risen so high that shows of this small a scale are virtually unknown and this night was allowed the rare pleasure of a close-up insight into how Skying was created. 2011 was a certainly a year for veterans, especially from Manchester. James toured the country with an orchestra, their set mostly kept away from the hits and concentrated on rarer album tracks and
FARIS BADWAN OF THE HORRORS
early numbers. Thankfully WU LYF showed that not everything in Manchester was about the past, which was just as well as The Stone Roses announced their reformation and most of New Order reassembled for live dates. Their contemporaries The Cure certainly had all made friends again as Lol Tolhurst joined them as they played their first three albums in their entirety at the Royal Albert Hall. I even saw Blancmange and Modern English this year, so it certainly sometimes felt like another decade. That said, Scritti Politti’s Christmas shows in Dalston proved that some sounds are indeed timeless. But there’s been one artist who both live and on record has been the key player of 2011 and his name is Josh T Pearson. It saw him begin the year in the tiny environs of The Slaughtered Lamb and end at the prestigious Barbican Hall in November. His album Last Of The Country Gentlemen brought about this remarkable change in his fortunes, but its success was also a bind, as it saw him having to relive the disintegration of his marriage on stage night after night. Sometimes the shows felt like an elaborate game, as he challenged his audiences to be quiet enough to hear his near-whisper on stage, while the terrible jokes he told between songs served as some respite from the soul-baring examinations of his compositions. My hope for 2012 is that he will be able to put this elongated catharsis to rest and bring his new-found audience with him. Finally any discussion of live music in London this year must also mention the loss of its best live venue when The Luminaire closed its doors forever in March. Vale – you are still very much missed and I fear we shall not see your like again.
STREET PRESS AUSTRALIA XMAS DEADLINES FINAL EDITION FOR 2011 is w/c Dec 19 BOOKING AND ART DEADLINE is 5pm Thursday Dec 15 FIRST EDITION FOR 2012 is w/c Jan 9 BOOKING AND ART DEADLINE 5pm Friday Jan 6
52 • THE DRUM MEDIA
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THE DRUM MEDIA • 53
FRONTROW@DRUMMEDIA.COM.AU
THIS WEEK IN
ARTS
TUESDAY 13 The Birthday Boys – written by Aaron Kozak, directed by Darren Gilshenan. Set in Iraq 2006, three US Marines are captured and placed in a remote warehouse, bound and blindfolded; they must struggle with fear, betrayal and even boredom, leaving morale as their only ally against an uncertain fate. Opening night, 7:30pm. Parade Studio, NIDA until 23 December.
WEDNESDAY 14 Backyard Play – street artists Teem, Cam Wall, Sprinkles, Mr. Sweet and King of Nothing spent an afternoon with some snags, beer and canvases, and set about creating a series of artworks. Now you can see the results on display. Closing day.
THURSDAY 15 Night Rabbit – up-late viewing of Beyond The Frame, an exhibition that illustrates just how much more modern art can be than pretty pictures, toeing the line between photography and animation. Featuring the work of Ai Weiwei, Doug Yuan and Lui Di. White Rabbit Gallery, 6pm.
SATURDAY 17 Satyagraha – composed by Philip Glass (1979), an opera in three acts loosely based on the life of Gandhi played again by Richard Croft. Screening as part of the Met Opera Season. Chauvel Cinema, 11.30am. Screening until 22 December. The Ugly One – directed by Sarah Giles, written by Marius Von Mayenburg. Lette thinks he’s normal but he’s wrong, as his wife lets him know, calling him ‘unspeakably ugly’. Lette takes matters into his own hands with some transformative ‘aesthetic’ surgery and after the bandages come off women want him, men want to be him. A theatrical exploration of the repercussions of being too beautiful. Closing day, 2pm and 7pm. SBW Stables Theatre.
SUNDAY 18 Beastman: Cosmic Nature – the first solo exhibition from Beastman in 18 months, bringing together works that created in that time. The
night also launches the artist’s first foray into publishing, a 60-page zine called Suburban Nature. Closing day. Kind Of Gallery, Darlinghurst.
MONDAY 19 Violence At High Noon – directed by Nagisa Oshima (1966); this film centres on the activities of a sex criminal who, after an initial violent rape, wanders around the country raping and killing women. The only glimmer of hope is in the character of a girl, who is a personification of the mass of the people who, despite violence, simply go on living. Chauvel Cinémathèque at Chauvel Cinema, 6.30pm.
ONGOING As You Like It – directed by Eamon Flack, written by William Shakespeare. One of his great comedies, this is the tale of a mixed bag of ordinary human beings on a tremendous voyage of discovery. Upstairs, Belvoir St Theatre until 24 December. Connections: Brazil and Australia – curated by Georgia Wallace, an exhibition that presents the connections between Brazil and Australia. In the geological past, we were part of the same supercontinent, Gondwana, which has led to our countries sharing many plants and, curiously, distinctive architecture. Customs House until 20 January. Julian Meagher: The Blue Ribbon Series – an exhibition by Sydneybased artist/painter Julian Meagher, who was behind the series, Strong Men Also Cry, again explores ideas of Australian masculinity. Chalk Horse, Surry Hills until 23 December. Gross Und Klein – directed by Benedict Andrews, written by Botho Strauss, English translation by Martin Crimp. A journey down a rabbit hole and into a Wonderlandlike world, where Lotte sits alone, all dressed up with nowhere to go. First staged in 1978, this delicately surreal play stars Cate Blanchett. Sydney Theatre until 23 December. Nothing Like Performance – group exhibition featuring Matthew Bradley, Lauren Brincat, Brown Council, Paul Donald, Will French and Yiorgos Zafiriou. Including moments of ‘liveness’, it presents the artist at work through performance. Artspace until 22 December.
UNDER COVER OF DARKNESS MEGAN WASHINGTON MAY HAVE NUMEROUS AWARDS, HIT SINGLES AND A BIZARRE ONE-NIGHT-ONLY SHOW COMING TO THE OPERA HOUSE, BUT SHE’S “JUST AN ARSEHOLE LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE,” SHE TELLS DAVE DRAYTON.
“Have you ever taken acid, David?” Megan Washington is on a street in Manhattan asking the big questions down the phone. “You ever had a trip?” She sounds like she’s peddling gear at a Grateful Dead gig, but she’s actually describing the set of her new stage show, Insomnia, which draws on the album of the same name, that is being staged as a series of one-off shows in Sydney, New York, Paris and London. “So you know how everything becomes Dalí-esque? The design’s kind of trippy, very stylised. I wanted it to be like a decomposing suburban space. Robbie [Rowlands, designer] has heard the record and I had a rough idea for what I wanted the set to look like, which is a pretty mutual space but that could have elements of… It’s going to be like an imposing, hallucinatory bedroom.” Like the CD that spawned the stage show, it will be separated into movements: Opiate, Amphetamine, Barbiturate and Nicotine. So talk of acid isn’t too far from where we need to be. “The pharmacopeia was a pretty natural way to structure because they’re all drug families that I investigated during the course of writing those songs,” Washington explains, somewhat nervously, somewhat guarded. “To generalise, the songs that come under, for example, Nicotine, are quite wordy, verbose, very text-based songs, where
C U LT U R A L
CRINGE
WITH JAMELLE WELLS Belvoir has sent an email to patrons saying it hasn’t posted Christmas cards this year because possums living in trees that would have to be felled for the extra paper would prefer it that way. Instead, the email has a short video featuring Neilsky, the black company cat. He’s apparently the real boss of the theatre company. Religious activists have described Johnny Depp’s new Christmas track as “filth”. The Pirates Of The Caribbean star worked with British band Babybird to record The Jesus Stag Night Club, which tells a story of a boozing Christ-like figure in a strip club. A spokesperson for the Focus On Family lobby group says the song is insulting to Christians. Babybird front man Stephen Jones responded by noting that some people have no sense of humour. Aussie actor Hugh Jackman is getting rave reviews in New York City for his one-man show, Back On Broadway. It apparently set a new Broadhurst Theatre box-office record for the fourth time last week, taking $US1.472 million. The show, which features an orchestra and three back-up singers, 54 • THE DRUM MEDIA
the music isn’t the point of those songs, they’re all about the lyrics. I didn’t really have to think about it, it was quite an innate decision, so when it came time to put a show together it’s been really easy because those four groups are quite suggestive in aesthetics.” Themed movements, hallucinatory set designs and limited performances are combined to create a portrait of Washington that is starkly different to the portrait presented to the public with the shimmering pop of breakthrough album, I Believe You Liar. “It’s not my job to say, ‘I’m a blues artist.’ That’s weird to me. I don’t ever want to think like that. Maybe it’s quixotic of me to think that way but, I don’t know, I just fucking write songs. As an artist, like the whole jazz thing.” Washington is referencing her earlier days as a jazz singer. “Basically all you do when you sing standards is interpret people’s songs that were written before your grandparents were born. So, I have been an interpreter of songs, I’ve been a writer of songs… “I have this friend called Meow Meow; she’s a cabaret artist from Sydney and I wrote a bunch of cabaret songs for her show at the Malthouse [in Melbourne] ’cause I like theatre and I had a go at that. I mean shit, I love pop, I love Kurt Weill with a W and I love Kurt Vile with a V, I fucking like music and I write songs and I listen to music and I write stupid poetry that sucks and I draw shitty pictures and I’m just an arsehole
includes performances and anecdotes from his career. The takings are close to other big-budget Broadway productions such as The Lion King, which made $US2.08 million in the same period. The 18th Biennale of Sydney is teaming up with Carriageworks to present two international dance performances and a major art installation in 2012. They are the Australian premieres of En Atendant and Cesena, by choreographer Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker’s dance ensemble Rosas, and a major installation from respected Belgian artist Ann Veronica Janssens. Screen Australia has announced an almost $17 million investment in a diverse slate of feature films, adult television drama projects and children’s television series. The investment in 14 projects will trigger over $97 million in production. Features approved for investment include The Grandmothers, an erotic tale of misguided love based on a Doris Lessing novel; 2:22, a psychological thriller set in New York, and The Mule, a black comedy co-written by Leigh Whannell. Adult television drama
like everybody else.” Self-deprecation aside, it is this cornucopian creative back catalogue that was the catalyst for the entire Insomnia project. “I’m a closet, clumsy, visual…” Washington trails off here to gather her thoughts and settles on “I like to pretend like I can do visual arts sometimes. Blurring the line is what this project is about. It really has been for me a process of delineation or deconstruction of the songwriting process. I sound like an arsehole. I don’t know. When I write, I wish I had a clear process and I wish that it was a very straightforward thing where it was like, ‘Okay, I’m sitting down to write a song right now, here I go, done,’ but I really don’t function like that. “I write constantly and a lot of what I write is shit and a lot of what I write is made up and some of that I use in song and some of that I put somewhere else. It’s really messy. So instead of trying to find or create some kind of structure – and the process of that excludes a lot of things – I just sort of got everything that had come from this time. I cut half of it because the record company said I couldn’t have more than twelve pages of booklet because that costs money. There were drawings and photographs and it basically all just got sliced in half because we can’t print it all because, I mean shit, I’m not
Leonard Cohen, no one wants a book of my shit. It’s about really blurring that line between public and private.” By her own definition it would seem she sees herself as little more than a fortunate hobbyist, whimsically dipping into creative practices, though the list of accolades already accrued suggests an undeniable talent. The public may have the wrong idea, and Washington’s own views of herself may differ drastically, but Insomnia should present the clearest portrait of the artist yet. “A lot of this becomes philosophical – but I’m sure you’ve written enough about the music industry to know how controlled and contrived a lot of it is – and I don’t mean that to be derogatory, it’s its own thing. The artist is a brand and all that stuff, you always look better in your press photos, each band has a zeitgeist and a brand and an aesthetic and a concept and a blah blah blah. This whole thing for me has been about avoiding all of that and just having a very, very thin filter. Which is terrifying, because that’s all very well to say conceptually but then you actually have to stand there and fucking sing that song and it’s kind of weird and creepy.” WHAT: Washington presents Insomnia WHERE & WHEN: Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House Wednesday 25 January as part of Sydney Festival
investments include the Network Ten biographical telemovie, Underground, which follows the early life of Julian Assange. A sponsor boycott of radio shock jock Kyle Sandilands will continue next year. Many sponsors recently pulled out of their agreement with Austereo after Sandilands made abusive comments about a female journalist. They include Holden, Telstra, Ford and Blackmore’s. Coles says it won’t associate its brand with the announcer, who called a news.com.au reporter a “fat slag” and threatened to track her down.
The Tutankhamun exhibition at Melbourne Museum broke box office records for touring exhibitions in Australia. The exhibition, which closed last week, had 797,277 visitors over eight months. Its audience worldwide was over eight million people. Only a few exhibitions have ever had attendances over 300,000, among them the Titanic exhibition with 481,000. The exhibition featured Tutankhamun’s golden coffin and the crown on his head when his tomb was found in 1922. Other artefacts taken from it included statues, jewellery and ceremonial daggers.
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DRAWING UNRESTRAINT
winning entry, Breathless, a triptych of small, delicate pastel drawings on fine paper.
Jake Millar spends a little time in the company of this year’s Dobell Prize for Drawing winner.
“In a world of clashes and chaos this work speaks something different,” says Warren of his top pick at the announcement of this year’s winner. “With dense layers and subtle surfaces, it talks of the mystery of growth, of essences and fragility, of quiet contemplation.”
Back when you were young, art used to mean drawing. Painting too, maybe, but for the most part it was just pens and pencils and paper. Simple. But then you grow up and visit some galleries and you realise art isn’t just drawing; it’s sculpture and film and perhaps even performance and sound and installations. So in many ways the Dobell Prize for Drawing could be seen as a return to earlier, more innocent times. Well, sort of. “If the artist says it’s a drawing, then it’s a drawing,” declared Arthur Boyd, the prize’s inaugural judge back in 1993. And this relaxed attitude remains in place. Sure, there is plenty of pencil and charcoal on show, but this year’s entrants made use of everything from pastels to watercolours.
This liberal approach is at least partly thanks to the judging process, as the $25,000 Dobell Prize is chosen by someone within the artistic community, this year by acclaimed artist Guy Warren. The 49 finalists on display marks a slight increase from 2010, though this year’s shortlist was distilled from a record 734 entrants. And the 2011 Dobell was big in more ways than one; the scale of many of the works was also nothing if not imposing. Maybe it’s this post-GFC mood everyone keeps banging on about, but the gallery walls were all but heaving under the strain of large, colourful artworks. Bigger seems to be better once again. Better, that is, but not best. Anne Judell bucked the trend with her
If Judell’s modest work looked slightly overwhelmed by its fellow entrants, the same could be said of the artist herself. “I had no idea it would be like this,” Judell says, as she faces the media flashbulbs with more than a hint of deer-in-theheadlights. But after soaking up the congratulations and Champagne on offer, calm soon returns. Judell lives and works in the NSW southern highlands and her rural setting is clearly a big influence: “I’m always looking to nature for inspiration. It teaches me everything I need to know.” Impressive as Judell’s entry is, there is plenty more on show. John Fitzgibbons delivered Lucien Freud is dead, a busy, colourful tangle of lines and swirls that stood in contrast to Eloise Rakine’s Desire lines, a diptych of short, simple pencil lines arranged on paper like long rows of fence posts. And Judell was not alone in opting for a smaller scale; Kerrie Lester produced Facetime, a tiny drawing rendered on the screen of an iPhone. “This is without doubt the most prestigious drawing prize in the country,” Edmund Capon, the Art Gallery of NSW director, announces to the crowd. “And this year is bigger and better than ever.” It may not have the reputation of the Archibald, but as one of the most hotly contested art prizes in the country, the Dobell is clearly a very big deal. Whatever size the drawings are. WHAT: Dobell Prize for Drawing 2011 WHERE & WHEN: Art Gallery of NSW until 5 February 2012
FILM
REVIEW
Melancholia Lars von Trier’s Melancholia begins with an awakening; an extreme closeup of Kirsten Dunst’s face, her closed eyes opening in ultra-slowmotion. It’s the first in a tableau of painterly, Wagner-accompanied slo-mo shots that depict the apocalypse; horses falling, a woman desperately carrying her child across a golf course, and finally, a planetsized comet crashing into the Earth’s surface. This dreamy flash-forward overture casts a doomy sense of inevitability over the proceedings, which take place at the wedding of Dunst’s Justine, before she awakens to the relative irrelevance of the human life surrounding her. Von Trier opts to shoot the wedding with his infamous shaky-cam, which here feels less like a naturalism device than a tool in rendering human activity fleeting, ephemeral, compounded by repeated images of fragility – flimsy wedding dress fabric, diminutive golf buggies, mini hot-air balloons set aflight in celebration. Likewise, many of the
people who orbit around Justine are less rounded characters than avatars for vice and venality (most memorably Keifer Sutherland’s arrogant, capitalist brother-in-law), driving her further into a funk. Trier has gone on record about writing the film during a period of depression, and though it can hardly be called cheery, it at least shows signs of having been felt through it – indeed, its first half is practically a black comedy. At the midway point, the action shifts from Justine to her sister Claire (Charlotte Gainsbourg), who responds to the impending doomsday with fear and anxiety for the lives of herself and her family. By evenly splitting the film between the two characters, von Trier seems sympathetic to both of their attitudes (aided by Dunst and Gainsbourg’s deeply-felt performances) and it’s this ambivalence that makes the film so resonant – and to this writer, von Trier’s best film to date. WHERE & WHEN: Screening in cinemas from 15 December IAN BARR
THE MAKINGS OF A CITY ALICIA TALBOT TELLS DAVE DRAYTON THE IMPORTANCE OF ASKING QUESTIONS, AND HOW THEY SHAPED BURIED CITY. Cast an eye over a pocket of the city – any pocket – and look for the cranes, the scaffolding and the foundations being ripped up and relayed. In a lifetime the city does as much growing as we do but do we – that is, the city and the individual – grow apart just as other relationships splinter? “The show is very much inspired by the way that Sydney is changing,” says creator and director Alica Talbot, who is creative director of Urban Theatre Projects, a company based in Sydney’s western suburbs that is becoming something of a mainstay on Sydney Festival bills and that “make work that is often about the way that people are living, contemporary life – stories and images of contemporary life.” Seeing the changing face of Sydney, Talbot posed herself a question.
In conversation Talbot is equal parts rhetoric and inquisition and it’s that mentality that has shaped Buried City. She has conducted interviews and consulted the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union and their Retired Members’ Association, African Women Australia Inc and Gadigal Information Service Aboriginal Corporation in order to inform the production.
“I had a question for myself for a number of years: Are the people who are building the city the ones who are ever going to inhabit it? But I was thinking more about who’s doing the work these days? What are their
“I always think, ‘Well, I’ve got an idea for a show, is it any good?’ So before I start the whole journey I go and talk to people and I try and learn about what people are thinking. Even though I think I’ve got some good ideas, when you
NO HARM IN THAT CREATIVE DIRECTOR OF FORCE MAJEURE, KATE CHAMPION CONTINUES TO WRING ALL THAT SHE CAN OUT OF DANCE, SHE TELLS DAVE DRAYTON. “I used to be a dancer, and I don’t dance professionally anymore; not only that, but I do feel like I’ve done so much, too, with dance – from pure dance to theatrical dance to dance theatre – I’ve almost wrung that cloth of ideas dry,” offers Kate Champion. In her role as artistic director of physical theatre company Force Majeure, who are presenting Never Did Me Any Harm at the Sydney Festival in association with Sydney Theatre Company, she’s squeezed every tantalising drop while widening her horizons. “Maybe some artists just keep digging into the same thing but I’m wanting a new challenge; text and speaking and words and how they can convey meaning but trying not to lose the poetic possibilities of physicality, I think that’s always what we can bring. It’s that interest in going a bit further into the use of text; I always get a bit miffed when people think that you simplify by making the meaning clear. I think we can clarify the meaning – because sometimes dance can be more ambiguous about that – without simplifying it. It can still be incredibly complex and complicated yet allow the audience to know exactly where they’re sitting with what we intend.”
different values? What’s changing? Quite often we think about an old way of life disappearing, but I’m also interested in what’s the new thing that comes up. Who’s in the building sites? Who’s doing the security? Who’s in construction and what kind of conditions are they working in? But all of that change, the way that we see that change around us, what does that mean for people individually?”
In search of such text Champion found herself using Christos Tsiolkas’ award-winning novel, The Slap, as a creative springboard.
three years ago – only working on it like two weeks and then the next year a week and then the following year three weeks, so it’s added up – but I was worried that the interest in it was going to wane, but it’s not. Even more than just the slapping, not giving kids boundaries, giving kids too much choice. I don’t have kids, I have kids in my life but – I’m interested because I think it’s been going on for the last two decades-
talk to people about what they think it’s always much more provocative and much more radical and always surprising. “I say, ‘If you were sitting in the Sydney Festival show in two years’ time, what would you want the audience to take away?’ And people give me very philosophical and very real and very inspiring answers. I ask, ‘What do you think about the changes? Who’s doing what work? What do you think is happening to work in the country?’ But I ask that of young and old people and then they actually come into rehearsal, so it’s not just me talking.” The week of our interview some older Union members, an Indigenous Elder and some young professional women sat in on the rehearsals. “They talk about what they like and what could be better. I didn’t expect it was going to be like that because people think, ‘Theatre…’” Talbot says it tiredly, “‘What’s this got to do with me?’ And then they think, ‘Right!’ And give really strong feedback and advice. They come in every week or two; it’s a dialogue.” A dialogue that builds like the city. WHAT: Buried City WHERE & WHEN: Upstairs, Belvoir St Theatre Friday 6 January to Sunday 5 February as part of Sydney Festival
ish, this hyper-parenting notion that I think is quite middle-class and particular to Anglo culture. “We’re not judging it,” Champion cautions, “We’re saying, ‘What does this mean?’ Let’s be aware of it.” WHAT: Never Did Me Any Harm WHERE & WHEN: Wharf 1 Sydney Theatre Company Friday 6 January to Sunday 12 February as part of Sydney Festival
“I read the book and then I thought, ‘Could we put this on stage?’ We want to inch towards more narrative, or experiment with more narrative but that was a step too far; we felt we would have lost what we do well in trying to pursue that so fully,” says Champion, explaining the evolution of her vision for Never Did Me Any Harm. “But when you get people talking about the subject matter, not even just the slapping of the child but so much that’s in it, it’s really contentious and people can get quite worked up about their opinions and that just sparked our interest. We thought there’s a hot button issue here, there’s something about the here and now of contemporary parenting that’s relevant to reflect in some sort of artistic form.” Every generation is critical of the parenting techniques of the one that preceded it and will be of the one that follows in turn. What Champion is looking to examine in this production is what is different, what is unique, about this shift in modes of parenting? “It’s funny, we started this piece THE DRUM MEDIA • 55
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LOOK
MADE YOU
WITH BETHANY SMALL Video art. I will not even say “You guys,” because I always say “You guys!” when I want you to pay attention and this is even more of a hard thing to make people pay attention to than the usual. I guess sometimes people do not think about video art at all? But in general those who do are either determined that people who don’t ‘get it’ are fully gross and retrograde or that people who rely on it to fill out their sense of contemporaneity are tasteless and trying as hard as they can to explore the zeitgeist & the fleischgeist & the Vision-Quest & the what-have-you. So, do you have atrophied curatorial sensibilities that are defensively barraged via impenetrable crap? Or do you think everyone should be stuck in a room with paintings and paintings alone until they have written a 5,000word essay upon proper aesthetic standards and judgement and how and why the Turner Prize is usually wrong? Or do you want to just take people to art things and make out with them in the dark? This is the problem: are people really looking and thinking or do they just rely on the fact that their solemn in-the-dark faces make it look as though they are reflecting heaps meaningfully on what unfolds before them, rather than trying to remember the name of the person standing two groups over. Yeah, it is sad, I have heard and made that joke about makeouts in video rooms before, but honestly I would totally resent any romantic prospects in the midst of these things lately: video has been going well in Sydney of late and frankly if you are not paying attention in the right way I will be – as recently
publicly internet-threatened – tempted to put paid to your ability to attend to anything at all. But while you are still un-cowed and in possession of all your pertinent faculties and appendages, please make sure you go see the Wang Jun-Jieh at White Rabbit and Xerox Missive by Ms & Mr at the AGNSW (despite how reading Philip K. Dick may make you tired and how your companion will later make fun of you for trying to sound cleverer when you realised that Edmund Capon was right there next to you) and of course always go see whatever Soda_Jerk are
SOUNDTRACK
REVIEW
For the rest of us though, OK Go’s bleepy, squiggly invocation that kicks off this CD will have inspired a flood of memories before you even have time to say, “It’s not easy being green”.
MUPPETS: THE GREEN ALBUM Various Artists (UMA) It’s hard to believe that there’s a whole generation of youngsters out there that has yet to assign any special significance to those magical words, “It’s time to put on music, it’s time to light the lights...”
On Muppets: The Green Album – a new take on these puppet-performed staples – it’s alterna-pop folkie Andrew Bird that is given the weighty task of delivering that froggy anthem and he does a beautiful job of it. As does Sondre Lerche with his light and airy Mr Bassman. Not surprisingly the biggest clunker is Night Life – a hardrocking dirge provided by members of Atreyu and Good Charlotte. The song is completely devoid of that trademark muppet sparkling sense of mischief, though if you picture Animal playing the song’s drum solo it does
doing because you owe them after the Wizard Of Oz thing. But mainly get ON IT because you need to be in preparation for when the MCA reopens next March (hopefully with me having a job inside it; cross your fingers please if you do not mind) with Christian Marclay’s The Clock happening in all its 24-hour glory. Yup, 24 hours of video art and it all is a big remix of filmic instances of times of day and it’s an in-effingcredible achievement of conception and research and I think I will have to organise some kind of great and amazing non-sleeping sleepover event in which LOLs and amazement and the capacity to ongoingly give a shit about something that requires extended concentration is tested.
CAUSE AND EFFEcT Bethany Small talks to Gaëtan Vourc’h, who’ll be inviting you over for a beverage or two come Sydney Festival. So you are going to a theatre festival? Chances are you like things that involve puns or are in French. What about puns in French? Ca c’est chouette, n’est-ce pas? Also cool is that the Sydney Festival and the Vivarium Studio in Paris have you covered with the wonderfully sweet-sounding L’Effet de Serge. Written by Phillipe Quesne for performer Gaëtan Vourc’h in the title role, Serge will arrive in Sydney as part of a run that has seen more than 20 countries witness the magic tricks he puts on at home for his onstage friends of a Sunday afternoon. “The group is a small community,” Vourc’h explains. “A group of people who have decided to believe in something together. They have been coming for several years, they just come and talk and see the performance and they discuss it and they leave.” So you see the effects that Serge achieves with his magic, and the effect of Serge’s magic on his group of friends. See what they did there! “Phillipe and I were very interested in the idea of what you could do on the stage in one minute and
we began from there, four years ago. We always start with the title, which is the name of the character, and then the plot is that Serge, every Sunday at six o’clock, his friends come over and we see them arrive, have a glass of wine, sit down... Then he does his oneminute show.” Serge has an audience of friends onstage, and then he and this audience have another audience, those in the theatre. Thus the ‘Vivarium’ aspect of the show that the producing studio’s name suggests: L’Effet de Serge presents not just the moments of performance but those of comings and goings, of Serge preparing for his guests and even, at the outset, of Vourc’h explaining the performance to the audience. “It starts with a prologue where I am wearing a space suit. This ties back to our last performance, so there is a link... I come on stage and explain the character and prepare the set. I describe the character and explain what will happen, the context, and then I announce the start and then the character, Serge, arrives.”
While the concept of the personal performance, the amateur or enthusiast or eccentric, seems one that seeks indulgence more than appreciation, Vourc’h emphasises that the ‘effects’ Serge manufactures in his performances are designed to be appreciated on their own terms. It’s not a wide-eyed sort of whimsical thing: “I found this very nice,” is how he explains the acts. “I am not being ironic.” By his account L’Effet de Serge is simultaneously minimalist and realistic. By virtue of its happening “in real time” the audience (both onstage and off) are privy to dead-time where establishment or breakdown of sets is being effected and the events of the plot/action are manifest in “very concrete” ways. That’s kind of documentary and durational, but the action also depends on what Vourc’h calls “jumps,” where Sunday-to-Sunday happens as fast as they want it to and the text doesn’t acknowledge that as a ‘thing’. It’s a work that uses sophisticated ideas about the possibilities of theatre to develop an expression of the straight-up wonder spectacle can produce, which might end up being a magic trick of its own. WHAT: L’Effet de Serge WHERE & WHEN: Everest Theatre, Seymour Centre Sunday 8 January to Wednesday 11 as part of Sydney Festival
feel slightly better. Even the sometimes grim and ghoulish Alkaline Trio know to give their self-aware punk-pop a spring in its step on Movin’ Right Along. Though OK Go are given the important task of opening this collection with The Muppets Theme, the real honour is given to Weezer and Hayley Williams, who take on the legacy of The Rainbow Connection. In the steady hands of puppetmaster Rivers Cuomo, this dreamy anthem swoons and blooms in all the right places. Though you’d still be best slipping your original Muppets vinyl onto the stereo, at least this album gives a whole new generation of kids the chance to, ‘get things started on the most sensational, inspirational, celebrational, Muppetational…’ Muppet Show. DANIELLE O’DONOHUE
Your marks won’t get you a seat here… daring imagination, passion for story-telling and a commitment to filmmaking will a
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Apply now February 2012 ifss.edu.au T: 02 9663 3789 E: info@ifss.edu.au
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TOUR GUIDE FEATURE TOUR
THE BROW HORN ORCHESTRA
Fresh off the back of an 800-plus-size party at the band’s sold-out debut EP launch, Perth multi-awardwinning seven-piece brass and beats band The Brow Horn Orchestra are invading the east coast on their Can’t Afford This Way Of Life tour. Mixing everything from electronica, hip-hop, African, soul, dub and more with an indie pop slant, The Brow Horn Orchestra will be touring their laidback but cheery songs at the Annandale this Wednesday.
DRUM PRESENTS BROW HORN ORCHESTRA: Dec 14 Annandale Hotel BOB EVANS & ADALITA: Dec 15 Lizotte’s Kincumber, Dec 16 Notes, Dec 17 Lizotte’s Newcastle, Dec 18 Lizotte’s Dee Why THE DEATH SET: Dec 29 The Standard PEATS RIDGE: Dec 29 – Jan 1 Glenworth Valley GROUPLOVE: Jan 3 The Factory ALOE BLACC: Jan 4 Enmore Theatre THE JIM JONES REVUE: Jan 5 Annandale Hotel THE KOOKS: Jan 6 Hordern Pavilion ARCTIC MONKEYS: Jan 12 Hordern Pavilion, Jan 13 Enmore Theatre JAZZGROOVE SUMMER FESTIVAL: Jan 13 – 15 various venues, Surry Hills and Redfern THE DAMNED: Jan 21 The Metro NOEL GALLAGHER’S HIGH FLYING BIRDS: Jan 23 Enmore Theatre KASABIAN: Jan 24 Hordern Pavilion ROYKSOPP: Jan 27 Enmore Theatre KANYE WEST: Jan 27 Sydney Entertainment Centre GIRL TALK: Jan 28 Enmore Theatre SEETHER: Feb 5 The Metro YOUTH LAGOON: Feb 16 Oxford Art Factory
FOO FIGHTERS @ SFS. PIC: JOSH GROOM
FOO FIGHTERS TENACIOUS D, FUCKED UP, STONEFIELD
Fucked Up brought sexy to the stage. A bare-chested frontman Pink Eye turned the stage into a slip’n’slide before giving up on it all together during The Other Shoe and vaulting the barrier. They sound – and look – like a hipster harmony punk pop band that recruited their angry cousin to join them on vocals. Pink Eye made the night of some little and old rock dudes in Bay 33 by climbing all the way to the back while taking happy snaps and singing without losing the crushed beer cups stuck to his head. After the manic side-parted Canucks, Tenacious D seemed a little lacklustre. For all the songs about kicking arse and professions of rocking out, they started pretty limp – the pick Black threw into the crowd didn’t even
MANCHESTER ORCHESTRA: Mar 4 The Hi-Fi CHIC feat. NILE RODGERS: Mar 5 The Metro JESSIE J: Mar 8 Hordern Pavilion FUTURE MUSIC: Mar 10 Royal Randwick Racecourse WILD FLAG: Mar 13 Manning Bar
SYDNEY FOOTBALL STADIUM 08/12/11
Stonefield quickly overcame the initial cute Brady Bunch factor they could face for most of their career. Through The Clover and Black Water Rising resonated around the wings as the girls easily owned the stadium stage. Despite the pressure that Amy Findlay must have felt with two of the greatest lead singer/drummers ever watching on, she belted out each track while her sisters progged out.
TRIPLE TREAT feat. MILLIONS, NANTES, NORTHEAST PARTY HOUSE: Feb 23 Wollongong Uni, Feb 24 Oxford Art Factory, Feb 25 Transit Bar
BLUE MOUNTAINS MUSIC FESTIVAL: Mar 16 – 18 Katoomba make the gap to the barrier. Thankfully The Metal lit their spark, as only interpretive dance of metal can. They relented to crowd demands for Beezleboss (The Final Showdown) but those hoping for a Dave Grohl cameo were probably sad to be left watching Black “Fight Club” it out with himself in a hilarious one-person duet.
DEAD TO ME, COBRA SKULLS: Mar 30 ANU Bar, Mar 31 Annandale Hotel, Apr 3 Yours & Owls, Apr 4 Newcastle Leagues Club, Apr 5 Blush Nightclub
From the beginning riff of opener All My Life, Foo Fighters had the entire stadium on their feet, with few sitting back down for the next two-and-a-half hours. Pick a Fooies song, they played it, jammed it and reinterpreted it with the finesse of true rock masters. Two highlights were drummer Taylor Hawkins singing Cold Day In The Sun and the metal jam leading into Stacked Actors. Somehow, frontman Dave Grohl can run to the corners of the stage, star grab, flick his hair back and forth and still his “crusty 42 year old ass” is pure rock god. Yet Chris Shiflett tanned his hide in their epic axe-noodle battle. Grohl liked his idea of a small venue tour next time they visit, but thanks to that allages stadium gig, thousands of kids are going to list the Foo Fighters as the first concert they went to.
FABULOUS THUNDERBIRDS: Apr 7 Factory Theatre
Kristy Wandmaker
JOHN HIATT: Apr 3 The Metro BUDDY GUY: Apr 4 Enmore Theatre
JAY & SILENT BOB: Apr 20 & 23 Enmore Theatre
NATIONAL
TIM FREEDMAN: Dec 13 & 14 Lizotte’s Newcastle, Dec 17 The Metro ENDLESS HEIGHTS: Dec 14 Bar 32, Dec 16 Chatswood Youth Centre, Dec 17 St James Hotel, Dec 18 Unanderra Community Centre BROW HORN ORCHESTRA: Dec 14 Annandale Hotel SNAKADAKTAL: Dec 14 GoodGod DARREN HANLON: Dec 14 Street Theatre, Dec 21
themusic.com.au
Clarendon Guesthouse, Dec 22 St Stephen’s Uniting Church Sydney LACHY DOLEY: Dec 15 Old Manly Boatshed, Dec 18 Vault 146 SET SAIL: Dec 15 Oxford Art Factory OSCAR + MARTIN: Dec 15 Yours & Owls, Dec 16 Oxford Art Factory HOLLAND: Dec 15 Oxford Art Factory CANYONS: Dec 15 Civic Hotel Underground BOB EVANS & ADALITA: Dec 15 Lizotte’s Kincumber, Dec 16 Notes, Dec 17 Lizotte’s Newcastle, Dec 18 Lizotte’s Dee Why KELLIE LLOYD*: Dec 15 Annandale Hotel, Dec 16 Cambridge Hotel THE CHURCH: Dec 15 & 16 Lizotte’s Newcastle, Dec 17 Enmore Theatre ANDY CLOCKWISE: Dec 15 Kings Cross Hotel, Dec 17 Upstairs Beresford JAMIE HUTCHINGS: Dec 16 Clarendon Guesthouse KOBRA KAI: Dec 17 The Gaelic, Dec 18 Clubhouse EXPATRIATE: Dec 17 Kings Cross Hotel BLACKEYED SUSANS: Dec 17 The Vanguard FLAP!: Dec 17 Camelot MARLOW: Dec 17 The Square, Dec 23 Burdekin Hotel EMILY BARKER: Dec 20 Supper Club INGA LILJESTROM*: Dec 21 & Jan 11 505 THE DEEP END: Dec 23 The Venue ASH GRUNWALD: Dec 28 Lizotte’s Newcastle, Dec 29 Lizotte’s Dee Why THE IMMIGRANT: Dec 31 Chinese Laundry BRITISH INDIA: Dec 31 Annandale Hotel BLUEJUICE: Jan 5 Entrance Leagues, Jan 6 Newcastle Panthers THE HONDAS: Jan 7 Spectrum THE STILLSONS: Jan 8 Wickham Park Hotel, Jan 11 Lizotte’s Newcastle, Jan 29 The Grand Junction Hotel THE BAREFOOT DIVAS: Jan 8, 9, 10 & 11 Carriageworks THE RED PAINTINGS: Jan 8 Entrance Leagues, Jan 9 The Factory, Jan 12 Tuggeranong Alliance Church PASSENGER: Jan 11 The Clarendon, Jan 12 Lizotte’s Kincumber, Jan 13 Lizotte’s Newcastle, Jan 14 Lizotte’s Dee Why, Jan 15 Yours & Owls, Jan 25 Byron Bay Brewery HOLLY THROSBY presents SEE!: Jan 12 & 13 The Famous Spiegeltent CLAIRY BROWNE & THE BANGIN’ RACKETTES: Jan 13 Idolize Spiegeltent HELENA & ACID JACK: Jan 14 Soho FRANK YAMMA: Jan 15 Idolize Spiegeltent JO MEARES & THE HONEYRIDERS: Dec 15 Notes IOTA: Jan 17, 18, 19, 20 & 21 Playhouse GABREL LYNCH*: Jan 17 The Factory, Jan 27 Front Gallery ALPINE: Jan 20 Oxford Art Factory THE KILL DEVIL HILLS*: Jan 20 Annandale Hotel ED KUEPPER: Jan 21 & 22 Idolize Spiegeltent SAN CISCO, THE JUNGLE GIANTS*: Feb 16 Byron Bay Brewery, Feb 18 Spectrum, Feb 19 Great Northern Hotel TRIPLE TREAT feat. MILLIONS, NANTES, NORTHEAST PARTY HOUSE*: Feb 23 Wollongong Uni, Feb 24 Oxford Art Factory, Feb 25 Transit Bar THE DRUM MEDIA • 59
took that blueprint and multiplied it tenfold, with a much fuller and harder hitting sound than expected. It wasn’t long before people were stagediving like it was 1983. Morris dedicated Peace In Hermosa to “a person who’s here tonight who I used to see hanging around Hermosa (Beach) when he was a kid.” That person would be Jack Black, who was spotted cheering from side of stage.
TOUR GUIDE INTERNATIONAL
FRANK FAIRFIELD: Dec 13 Brass Monkey, Dec 14 The Basement Circular Quay AXEMEN: Dec 15 Red Rattler, Dec 16 Black Wire Records OPETH: Dec 16 Enmore Theatre FRITZ KALKBRENNER: Dec 17 Chinese Laundry ROUND TABLE KNIGHTS: Dec 17 Cream Tangerine, Dec 22 Trinity Bar GEMMA RAY: Dec 20 The Vanguard HANNI EL KHATIB: Dec 29 Kings Cross Hotel THE DEATH SET: Dec 29 The Standard SCRATCH PERVERTS: Dec 30 Oxford Art Factory ERICK MORILLO*: Dec 31 Ivy CRAZY P: Jan 1 Sun Studios SPACE IBIZA PRESENTS: KEHAKUMA feat. SETH TROXLER, RADIOSLAVE and more: Jan 1 Greenwood SASHA: Jan 1 The Metro FLEET FOXES: Jan 2, 3 & 4 Sydney Opera House Concert Hall DUM DUM GIRLS: Jan 2 Oxford Art Factory CSS: Jan 3 The Standard GROUPLOVE: Jan 3 The Factory HANGGAI: Jan 3 & 4 The Basement, Jan 5 Lizotte’s Kincumber ALOE BLACC: Jan 4 Enmore Theatre JEAN GRAE: Jan 4 Goodgod EASY STAR ALL STARS: Jan 4 Factory Theatre TOTALLY ENORMOUS EXTINCT DINOSAURS: Jan 4 Trinity Bar HAWKSLEY WORKMAN: Jan 4 Clarendon Guesthouse, Jan 5 Brass Monkey, Jan 6 Notes THE JIM JONES REVUE: Jan 5 Annandale Hotel BEIRUT: Jan 5 Sydney Opera House Concert Hall PETE ROCK: Jan 5 Upstairs Beresford YUKON BLONDE: Jan 5 Kings Cross Hotel THE DAD HORSE EXPERIENCE: Jan 5 Phoenix Bar, Jan 6 The Vanguard, Jan 7 The Junkyard MOUNTAIN MOCHA KILIMANJARO: Jan 5 Great Northern Hotel, Jan 8 Keystone Festival Bar, Jan 12 Clarendon Guesthouse, Jan 13 Kantara House, Jan 14 Heritage Hotel METRONOMY: Jan 5 Manning Bar BAD MANNERS: Jan 5 The Metro THE KOOKS: Jan 6 Hordern Pavilion JIM WARD: Jan 6 Sandringham Hotel FLYING LOTUS: Jan 6 The Metro JOHN DAHLBÄCK: Jan 6 Home, Jan 8 Beachcomber Hotel THE JOLLY BOYS: Jan 6 Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre, Jan 8 & 10 The Famous Spiegeltent DAVID MYLES: Jan 6 The Basement, Jan 7 The Brass Monkey, Jan 8 The Vault LEWIS FLOYD HENRY: Jan 6 The Vanguard DJ FALCON: Jan 7 Home DOUGIE MACLEAN: Jan 7 Clarendon Guesthouse GZA: Jan 7 The Metro THE DRESDEN DOLLS: Jan 7 Enmore Theatre LYDIA: Jan 8 The Brewery, Jan 11 Rock Lily, Jan 12 Cambridge Hotel, Jan 13 The Patch DEERHOOF: Jan 9 Keystone Festival Bar DAN DEACON ENSEMBLE & JOHN MAUS: Jan 11 Keystone Festival Bar HAPPY NEW YEAR*: Jan 11 The Croatian Club, Jan 12 Yours & Owls, Jan 13 Dirty Shirlows J MASCIS: Jan 11, 12 & 13 The Famous Spiegeltent SONS & DAUGHTERS: Jan 12 Keystone Festival Bar TARAF DE HAIDOUKS & KOCANI ORKESTAR: Jan 12 Enmore Theatre, Jan 13 The Concourse Chatswood ARCTIC MONKEYS: Jan 12 Hordern Pavilion, Jan 13 Enmore Theatre ABSU: Jan 13 Sandringham Hotel VENGABOYS: Jan 13 Selina’s SHABAZZ PALACES: Jan 13 Keystone Festival Bar COMBICHRIST: Jan 13 Manning Bar DJ YODA: Jan 14 Oxford Art Factory ANDREW WEATHERALL & NEVILLE WATSON: Jan 14 Keystone Festival Bar CANT: Jan 14 & 15 The Famous Spiegeltent MIKE PATTON’S MONDO CANE: Jan 14 The Domain, Jan 16 & 17 State Theatre JULIANNA BARWICK: Jan 15 & 17 The Famous Spiegeltent ASA & FEFE: Jan 17 Riverside Theatre, Jan 18 60 • THE DRUM MEDIA
Keystone Festival Bar BETH ORTON: Jan 17 & 18 City Recital Hall FATOUMATA DIAWARE: Jan 18 & 19 Idolize Spiegeltent, Jan 20 & 21 The Famous Spiegeltent, Jan 22 Sutherland Entertainment Centre PJ HARVEY: Jan 18 & 19 State Theatre TUNE-YARDS: Jan 18 The Famous Spiegeltent, Jan 20 Keystone Festival Bar NOUVELLE VAGUE: Jan 19 Keystone Festival Bar THEE OH SEES: Jan 18 The Terrace, Jan 19 Annandale Hotel IMMORTAL TECHNIQUE: Jan 19 The Metro KORT: Jan 19 The Famous Spiegeltent, Jan 20 City Recital Hall JOSHUA REDMAN & BRAD MEHLDAU DUO: Jan 19 The Concourse Chatswood, Jan 20 City Recital Hall AA BONDY: Jan 19 & 20 Idolize Spiegeltent DAN SULTAN & BUSBY MAROU: Jan 21 Old Kings School Site LAMBCHOP: Jan 21 City Recital Hall THE DAMNED: Jan 21 The Metro SUN ARAW, PRINCE RAMA: Jan 21 Woody’s Byron Bay, Jan 25 GoodGod, Jan 26 Yours & Owls THE WHITEST BOY ALIVE: Jan 21 Keystone Festival Bar SAM AMIDON: Jan 21 & 22 The Famous Spiegeltent BACKTRACK: Jan 21 Hermann’s Bar, Jan 22 Bowman Hall, Jan 23 Bar 32, Jan 24 Blackbox Theatre GUTTERMOUTH: Jan 21 The Gaelic, Jan 22 Beachcomber, Jan 24 The Patch, Jan 25 Caringbah Bizzo’s, Jan 26 Cambridge Hotel KURT WAGNER: Jan 22 The Famous Spiegeltent NOEL GALLAGHER’S HIGH FLYING BIRDS: Jan 23 Enmore Theatre KASABIAN: Jan 24 Hordern Pavilion ROYKSOPP: Jan 27 Enmore Theatre KANYE WEST: Jan 27 Sydney Entertainment Centre GIRL TALK: Jan 28 Enmore Theatre SEETHER: Feb 5 The Metro YOUTH LAGOON*: Feb 16 Oxford Art Factory MANCHESTER ORCHESTRA*: Mar 4 The Hi-Fi CHIC feat. NILE RODGERS*: Mar 5 The Metro WILD FLAG: Mar 13 Manning Bar DEAD TO ME, COBRA SKULLS*: Mar 30 ANU Bar, Mar 31 Annandale Hotel, Apr 3 Yours & Owls, Apr 4 Newcastle Leagues Club, Apr 5 Blush Nightclub JOHN HIATT: Apr 3 The Metro STEVE EARLE: Apr 4 Lizotte’s Newcastle, Apr 8 Factory Theatre, Apr 9 Concourse Chatswood BUDDY GUY: Apr 4 Enmore Theatre FABULOUS THUNDERBIRDS: Apr 7 Factory Theatre
FESTIVALS PEATS RIDGE: Dec 29 – Jan 1 Glenworth Valley HARBOUR PARTY: Dec 31 Luna Park SHORE THING: Dec 31 Bondi Park FIELD DAY: Jan 1 The Domain ILLAWARRA FOLK FESTIVAL: Jan 12 – 15 Bulli Showground JAZZGROOVE SUMMER FESTIVAL: Jan 13 – 15 various venues, Surry Hills and Redfern BIG DAY OUT: Jan 26 Sydney Showground BLOOD, SWEAT & BEERS: Feb 4 The Annandale Hotel LANEWAY: Feb 5 Sydney College Of The Arts SOUNDWAVE: Feb 26 Sydney Showground PLAYGROUND WEEKENDER: Mar 2 – 4 Del Rio Riverside Resort A DAY ON THE GREEN: Mar 3 Bimbadgen Winery Hunter Valley, Mar 10 Petersons Winery Armidale FUTURE MUSIC: Mar 10 Royal Randwick Racecourse CMC ROCKS THE HUNTER: Mar 16 – 18 Hope Estate BLUE MOUNTAINS MUSIC FESTIVAL: Mar 16 – 18 Katoomba THE GUM BALL: Apr 27 & 28 Dashville GROOVIN’ THE MOO: May 12 Maitland Showground, May 13 University Of Canberra SYDNEY BLUES & ROOTS FESTIVAL*: Oct 25 – 28 Windsor * indicates new or amended listing this week
Being a new band – and one with a penchant for songs that clock in at less than two minutes – it wasn’t long before they ran out of music to play. So they did the only thing they could – start the set over again! Gig of the year? Definitely one for this reviewer’s top five. Rod Hunt
KURT VILE & THE VIOLATORS, ROYAL HEADACHE, STEP-PANTHER EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY @ THE METRO PIC: ROD HUNT
EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY, CHARGE GROUP METRO THEATRE 11/12/11
As punters escaped the dreary weather outside to shuffle into the venue, local band Charge Group took the stage to present a set spread across the musical spectrum. The tightly-oiled group was all atmosphere one moment, more melodic the next, all underscored by a uniquely utilised violin. Said stringed instrument really elevated the band’s sound, whether it was beautifully harmonising, poppily plucking (as on Broken Sunlight) or sawing ferociously along when its brothers created a racket. Singer Matt Blackman sometimes stepped away from the mic to let his voice ring out on its own, melting amongst the vocals of other members on one number before layers were slowly introduced. It sometimes felt like Charge Group was a million different bands with the number of styles and feelings they traversed, but it never felt disjointed or forced. Instead, the set was consistently fascinating, rising and falling with controlled grace. At concerts these days, you’ll often find yourself irritataed by the fact that you’re watching the stage through the smartphone screens of the people in front of you, held up high to film or photograph. Not so for Explosions In The Sky – the reverence these Texan post-rockers command is such that there was hardly a recording device in sight, with the crowd mostly hushed, save for the occasional ecstatic whoop, as the intricate soundscapes danced through each and every eardrum. The title of opener, The Only Moment We Were Alone, perfectly encapsulated the feel of the evening – whatever was going on in the outside world was irrelevant as inside the venue, bodies were packed tightly together as the men on stage manoeuvered their instruments to tell a thousand wordless stories, often within a single song. Guitarist Munaf Rayani was a sight to behold, sometimes collapsing to the floor with his instrument, sometimes holding it above his head like a trophy. There are very few changes to the structure of the songs live, but seeing such elaborate symphonies recreated in person illustrates just how emotionally intense this music is and how so, so much can come from so little. With the only words spoken all night an introduction and farewell by Rayani and no need for a trite encore; all that mattered was the music – blissful, pure and incredibly real. Giselle Nguyen
OFF!, HARD-ONS, EPICS ANNANDALE HOTEL 07/12/11
Judging by the way Epics threw themselves into their set, they were obviously very-fucking-excited at the prospect of opening for OFF! As you would be. They impressed with a relentless set that encompassed everything from the short, fast and frantic to the hardcore punk meets Fugazi sound of More Than You Can Chew. The already crowded room was loudly appreciative, but there wasn’t much movement on the floor (that was to come later). Tough crowd. Has anyone ever seen the Hard-Ons play a half-arsed gig? After all these years, they still perform with an enthusiasm that never seems to tire. New drummer Murray Ruse (Captain Cleanoff, ex-Conation) proved to have the chops to take up where the recently departed Pete Kostic left off. OFF! watched from side of stage as they served up pop/punk nuggets like Just Being With You, the screaming hardcore punk of Don’t Fear The Reeperbahn and the 99 per cent instrumental riff fest that is Made To Love You. Oh – and a Bo Diddley cover. OFF! may be a relatively new band but they’re already attracting a lot of interest. It does of course help somewhat that their lineup consists of vocalist Keith Morris, of Black Flag and Circle Jerks fame, guitarist Dimitri Coats (Burning Brides), bassist Steven McDonald (Redd Kross) and drummer Mario Rubalcaba (Rocket From The Crypt, Hot Snakes). Their recorded output to date, while strong, isn’t exactly mindblowing. But live they
themusic.com.au
OXFORD ART FACTORY 06/12/11
In the last little while there seems to have been a change in the air of what young bands are listening to. Musical styles go in and out of fashion and, while ice-cold electro-pop and earthy folk seemed to reign supreme for the last four or five years, slowly, fuzzy, distorted power pop has began to reappear on the Sydney live scene. Three-piece Step-Panther looked like young heavy rockers, but instead of big riffs there were sweet harmonies and a buzzing garage rock energy. There was plenty of Replacements-esque jangle to the guitars, even though they did indulge in one shredding, classic rock moment. Royal Headache justified the current buzz around them by being sharp, edgy and kinda dangerous. Because lead singer Shogun doesn’t play an instrument, he stalked around the stage with a grim expression looking more like a rapper about to drop gems in a battle. Behind him the band unexpectedly brought to mind the Buzzcocks and ‘60s Brit Invasion. There was an excitement to Royal Headache that is missing from a lot of young bands – a chaos that acts like Eddy Current Suppression Ring and The Drones used to such awesome effect early in their careers. Kurt Vile & The Violators are current indie darlings. From Philadelphia to the Oxford Art Factory, Vile was in Sydney to bring reverb-drenched rock back into the spotlight. There was a gorgeous gloss on the guitar sounds, of the kind that Big Star made their own and Vile’s Philadelphian drawl added to the air of classic Americana that permeated everything. It’s the kind of voice that so distinctly identifies Vile and it is bound to become a particular selling point. There were times when Vile kicked his band off the stage to weave his magic on his own with gently picked acoustic songs, such as Blackberry Song, but other times the tempo picked up and the band kicked in for an epic jam (Ghost Town). While it was hard to pick faults with the musicianship of the band, there were times when one song ran into the next, but it didn’t seem like anyone else in the audience was about to find fault. Danielle O’Donohue
FUCKED UP, I EXIST THE STANDARD 06/12/11
I Exist started things off with their own blistering sound. Songs broke in tension into insanity as the pace quickened with each beat. With four guitarists in tow, each musician still managed to bring his own to each and every song as the lead singer growled deeply through the melodic chaos. The drums created the backbone of the band and branched out often with delicious smashing solos. From time to time however, they blended together too much to create less a melody and more just a blur of noise. Despite this, I Exist are a promising band that managed to maintain the attention of even those who were not as into the heaviness of the sound superbly – even if only because there was no chance of shouting over it and being heard. From the get-go, Fucked Up was all about the crowd involvement. Lead singer Pink Eye aka Damian Abraham drew the audience in with delightful conversations about punk music and his love of Sydney, the Canadian knowing his shit thoroughly on the city of his childhood. His stage presence was reminiscent of Les Savy Fav’s Tim Harrington, only more self-aware. Abraham immediately removed his shirt and bounced through the crowd, sharing the microphones and handing high fives out like candy. It finished with him on top of the bar pouring alcohol over his sweaty and large, rotund belly, climbing up onto the back balcony for a singalong. The band’s engagement added incredibly to the songs, giving punters a vested interest in being just as enthusiastic as they were. The tracks were rampant with catchy beats and choruses made perfectly for singalongs. It didn’t take long for the crowd to lose themselves with dancing and fist-pumping to strong guitar riffs and hard-hitting drumming. The night ended with an unfortunate incident with a security guard and an attendee, but Fucked Up not only managed to maintain the peace, but fit in an extra song. Cara Sayer-Bourne
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MUDHONEY @ MANNING BAR. PIC: ROD HUNT
MUDHONEY, THE HOLY SOUL, THE TREATMENT MANNING BAR 06/12/11
The Treatment and Holy Soul are fine, fine examples of how to remain in perennial support slots. They will continue to be drafted in with their psychedelic, swamp rock vibe and country-tinged howling respectively. When you’ve got a band like Mudhoney, whose roots are sucked into that mire of stagnant, scuzzy rock, these two seem tailor-made. The Treatment fired their sleazy, stoner riffs and leads sozzled in wah through the air with a smattering of fanfare and polite applause. It wasn’t that this was a bad thing, just that they proved to be cliché number one when you think of bands that might support Mudhoney. Though regurgitating a tired sound, they did the job of warming up our grunge glands. The Holy Soul are an intriguing four-piece with an excellent drummer who makes keeping time look like its something that flows through you. Effortless. Their music is a tad disappointing, with too many Deliverance riffs, picked and then sold with an American-by-Scottish burr. But they built up a warm reserve of goodwill through a great performance and the occasional scraping and detonating lead break. Finally Mudhoney took to the stage. For most of the set, Mark Arm was strapped to a guitar, not to be freed until the band took on a bunch of songs from their last album, 2008’s The Lucky Ones. That physical restraint was exuded through his primal screech, forever the most distinctive and thrilling part of Mudhoney’s output. With little new material in the bag, Manning Bar was treated to genuine classics, from the obvious run through of Touch Me I’m Sick to the stinging putdown of You Got It via the vicious, stunted slide guitar of Judgement, Rage, Retribution And Thyme. These dirty, sleazebag fuzz anthems refuse to give up on their immediate thrust
and power. What keeps Mudhoney so compelling live is the blend of breakneck speed thrash and sludge-trodden rock. This was neatly packaged towards the end of the set, with the aching build of When Tomorrow Hits, the blues-stricken The Lucky Ones, the buzzing drive of Suck You Dry, the trudge of Sweet Young Thing Ain’t Sweet No More and two final covers: Hate The Police by The Dicks (a song we could safely say has been made their own) and the coruscating sprint of Black Flag’s Fix Me, as a tribute to OFF! playing the following day. Mudhoney – appropriately named, destined to the waste paper basket of grunge history, yet defiantly burning a trail across such thoughts with exceptional shows like this one. An inspiration. Brad Barrett
FUTURE OF THE LEFT, DEAD FARMERS, YES I’M LEAVING ANNANDALE HOTEL 08/12/11
It’s a tough job trying to warm up a crowd for one of the best live bands in existence. Yes I’m Leaving did well though – scraped guitars, feedback and screams all plastered in half-melodies and workhorse attitude. Excellent effort. Dead Farmers are remarkably silly, the double vocal shtick getting tired immediately. Still, they visibly enjoyed themselves and the songs were lightweight enough to accept they aren’t taking things seriously at all, which is refreshing. Future Of The Left’s set was, of course, a magnificent treasure trove of aggressive delights. Levelled up from a three- to four-piece, they have become the definition of torrential ferocity. Arming Eritrea’s stabbing verses and symphonic climax stakes a claim as perfect a set opener from any act ever. In typical deadpan fashion, frontman Falco promised to play the hits first so as “to alienate the audience completely later in the set”. So, Chin
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Music battered prematurely bleeding eardrums, Small Bones Small Bodies got the modest pit leaping to the sky and adeadenemyalwayssmellsgood prompted a decent attempt at synchronised clapping. It’s the material from upcoming new album, The Plot Against Common Sense, and current Polymers Are Forever EP that showcased what this reinvigorated unit can do. From the staccato savagery of Robocop 4: Fuck Off Robocop, to the off-kilter keyboard squeals of Failed Olympic Bid, we see the dynamism of the new Future Of The Left in action – instrument swapping, layers of molten guitars and a trio of voices, led as always by Falco’s flamethrower throat. The expanded potential poured across the audience in scorched earth tones.
a trademark finger triangle. Most impressive were the live transitions, as one song became another before we quite realised, an apparently dropped beat (like a dropped stitch when this writer knits badly), was at first almost unnoticeable, but then unravelled what we’d just heard and was woven into the next unusual creation. The stage banter was, like Batterie, at an absolute minimum, although Bougatsos did stop to acknowledge the lunar eclipse, as the moon framed the outside of the building with a beautiful eerie light. Although there were a few disgruntled ‘let’s see what’s on at the Studio’ punters who weren’t up for the relative lack of structure, those in the know seemed very pleased, indeed.
With ears howling for rest – and being soundly ignored – the crowd’s limbs frantically interpreted incoming Mclusky tunes, To Hell With Good Intentions and Without MSG I Am Nothing, into obscene shapes. Breathless, with squealing limbs, all of us unintentional wet t-shirt competitors, we got a triple barrage of Plague Of Onces, Lightsabre Cocksucking Blues and an extended Lapsed Catholics to finish. The customary drum dismantling chaos was joined by beer being strapped to heads, the Pink Panther theme and audience members attacking ride cymbals.
Liz Giuffre
62 • THE DRUM MEDIA
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THE STANDARD 10/12/11
Steve Smyth opened the evening alone on stage with a Jeff Buckley-esque voice that commanded the small crowd instantly. With just electric guitar as accompaniment, it was quite an intimate and powerful performance. He had a beautiful voice that traversed melancholic heights and drunken sailor growls and with eyes closed, sang poetic stories etched with emotion and loneliness. Howling Bells’ Juanita Stein was invited up for an achingly sweet duet before the rhythm section of said band joined Smyth on stage and added a rockier edge to finish his set.
The band excelled in every facet, from humour to harmony. The crowd was halfway between bemused and ecstatic. Having just witnessed the product of over a decade’s worth of blood, sweat, sarcastic tears and the UK’s finest aural exports, there could be no other reaction than one so multi-layered. Brad Barrett
GANG GANG DANCE, BATTERIE
In a totally different vein, Step-Panther seemed to have stepped straight out of Wayne’s World. Their old school punk rock was short, sharp and ridiculous in subject matter but highly entertaining. It sounded grungy and rough but was actually impressively tight, each of the trio quite adept at their instruments. The drumming was particularly awesome and though the vocals were not exactly melodic, they were perfect for the style and delivered with gusto and punch. Some hilarious banter kept the set rolling smoothly.
THE STUDIO, SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE 10/12/11 Kicking off an evening of experimental dance beats and unusual social etiquette was Batterie, aka Jared Underwood. Part live drumming, part live synthesising, part live recording and looping, half of The Studio sat like on a groovy picnic, while the rest of us stood as if avoiding bindies in the grass, trying to get a good spot while not stepping on something that might issue a nasty sting. Underwood was captivating, although physically understated in a skinny tie behind his ‘real’ and ‘fake’ combined drumkits. Indeed, he was so unassuming he didn’t even give us his name (despite a few choruses, in the nicest possible way, of “Who are you?” as his set progressed and more and more of the floor sitters got up to see what all the fuss was about).
The black, cavernous interior proved to be the perfect setting for Howling Bells’ first gig in Sydney after a two-year absence. The room was suitably shadowy and sparsely furnished with an industrial edge. Snow-white fairy lights adorned the stage, adding a softer touch to the grungy feel. The band took to the stage with thundering drums and distorted guitar and that voice that shines like a beacon for lost souls. Haunting and passionate, frontwoman Juanita Stein was better than a recording, her voice blending in perfect close harmony with her brother and lead guitarist, Joel Stein. The sound was refreshingly crisp and it was nice to have a sound guy who could actually do his job.
All were on their feet by the time Gang Gang Dance took the stage, however. The six-piece began with a rousing drum announcement, a metronomic repeated beat that rolled along and waiting for the others to join in like a big playground skipping round robin. Singer Lizzi Bougatsos was clearly in command, wearing a strange part raincoat, part baseball cap, part hoodie costume that she slowly lost pieces of throughout the performance (purposely, mind). Comparisons to Kate Bush and Bjork are vocally present in terms of an airiness and relative aloofness, she was however also the type of performer who delivered her words with an impassioned appeal, begging us to understand her message (although ironically, often the message merely seemed to be just get on board, don’t ask questions).
The four-piece were seamless in their constantly changing textures as they wove through chilling numbers like A Ballad For The Bleeding Hearts to driving rock numbers like Broken Bones. Cities Burning Down was a particular highlight, displaying the stunning skill of Joel on guitar, but it was their older tracks that woke the crowd from their awestruck stupor. Their recent single, Into The Sky, finished off an awesome set, but it was the encore of Low Happening that was the cherry on the cake. A brilliant show, let’s hope they make the trip home from London more often.
Gang Gang Dance’s set was delivered with a strange combination of kitsch and absolute earnestness, with their ‘positive energy’ mantra delivered in the trippy background animations as well as vocally and with
Alex Hardy
WEDNESDAY TRIVIA FROM 7.30PM
THURSDAY
Student Night with DJ MOUSSA in Marly Bar from 11pm every Wed
ACOUSTIC ARTISTS FROM 8.30PM
17 MATT TOMS 24TH MARTY FROM RECKLESS
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
NO COVER CHARGE 10.30PM - 1.30AM
NO COVER CHARGE 10.30PM - 1.30AM
18 PANORAMA 25 CHARTBUSTERS
19 THE NEVILLES 26 AFTER PARTY BAND
LIVE COVER BANDS TH
145 King Street, Newtown
HOWLING BELLS, STEP-PANTHER, STEVE SMYTH
TH
themusic.com.au
UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL TH
LIVE COVER BANDS TH
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BACK TO THE FUTURE
The church are bringing the past to the present with their current Future Past Perfect Tour. After a stint at Homebake – it was the classic edition after all – the band will perform the criticallyacclaimed Untitled #23, perennial fan favourite Priest=Aura and the iconic Starfish back-to-back on Saturday night at the Enmore Theatre.
SET SAIL SAIL HOME
Fresh off the back of performing in 48 cities across seven continents, Aussie lads Set Sail return home with new single, The Boat Song, in tow for their Chasing Summer tour. While they’ve cut their teeth busking anywhere they’re welcome (and some places they aren’t!) the band will be playing indoors Thursday night at Oxford Art Factory with special guests Holland, who are launching new EP, No Control.
BREATHE DEEP
Marlow are wrapping up the year with a flurry of hometown shows to send off their current single, I Can Breathe. The band will be headlining The Square on Saturday with The Wire and Mercury Sky. You can get a dose of Christmas with the band at the Burdekin Hotel when they play with Closure In Moscow on Friday 23 December.
PATRIOTIC EXPATRIATES Living up to their name, locals Expatriate have spent the last few years braving the chilly winters of Europe and finding a fan base half a world away. Now they’re travelling thousands of kilometres home to deliver their new single, Miracle Mile, to Aussie fans on Saturday night at FBi Social, Kings X Hotel.
BLACKEYED CHRISTMAS The Blackeyed Susans have a Christmas present for you and you can get it early! Fresh off a tour supporting The Triffids the band will be performing songs from their forthcoming LP alongside all your favourites on Saturday night at their Christmas gig. It’s all going down at the Vanguard and they’ll be joined by special guest Holiday Sidewinder (Bridezilla).
Sydney native Andy Clockwise has finally returned to Australia to perform shows across the country. Since his last performance here supporting Julian Casablancas, Clockwise has spent time in the US garnering rave reviews for his energetic live performances. Armed with new material written during his time abroad, audiences will get a taste of his upcoming album, War Stories. Check out Clockwise at Kings Cross Hotel on Thursday night and Saturday night at Upstairs Beresford, where he will be performing with Checks.
HANLON CLAUS
Christmas just isn’t Christmas without a few shows from definitively Australian songwriter Darren Hanlon. Far be it from him to play the Grinch, he’s playing the Street Theatre, Canberra on Wednesday and St Stephen’s Church, Sydney, on Thursday 22 December, with David Dondero and Shelley Short.
TWO SHOWS A NIGHT
Folk songstress Amy Vee may be part of Tim Freedman’s band for the Australian Idle Tour (and no small part at that, the multi-instrumentalist plays keys, guitar and sings) but she’s also an artist in her own right. To that end, she’ll be performing solo sets to open for Freedman, drawing on her acclaimed EP, Sleeping Dogs Lie, tonight and Wednesday at Lizotte’s Newcastle.
THE KNOWING
Melbourne-based electronica duo Oscar & Martin have been turning heads with new single, What I Know. The summer festivals are snapping these two up, but there’s still a chance to catch them at more intimate venues Thursday at Yours & Owls, Wollongong and Friday at Oxford Art Factory.
HIGH DREAMS There’s no better way to hone your live show than hitting the stage, and young locals Endless Heights have done just that, racking up extensive supports for the likes of Cruel Hand, Have Heart and Title Fight. Now they’re taking that show on the road with their own headline tour in support of debut album, Dream Strong, playing Bar 32, Canberra, on Wednesday; Chatswood Youth Centre (all ages) on Friday; the all ages Loud! Festival at the Annandale on Saturday arvo; SFX at St James Hotel on Saturday night and another all ages gig at Unanderra Community Centre, Wollongong on Sunday.
Perth multi-award winning seven-piece brass’n’beats monolith The Brow Horn Orchestra are finally giving us east coasters a taste of the wild west when they launch their debut EP, Can’t Afford This Way Of Life, on Wednesday at the Annandale.
In memory of Route 66 co-founder Ross Waddington who passed away last month, Goodgod small club’s danceteria will be hosting Wolf Call! Featuring the South American-style garage of La Mancha Negra, surf instrumentals courtesy Atom Bombs, the beastly blues of Jesse Redwing, Lady Luck herself Loene Carmen, and finally Flash & Crash DJs, who’ll be playing all American rarities and classics, ranging from soul to surf. It’s on till sunrise this Friday, so get your groove on then.
For just two men Udays Tiger sure know how to make a lot of noise. Their debut EP, Sinners, is testament to that, but it’s got nothing on their raucous live show. See for yourself when the grungy punks play FBi Social on Thursday with Andy Clockwise and Oxford Art Factory on Friday with Bell Weather Department.
BREAK THE TAPE Brisbane four-piece Tape/Off have been causing a stir in their hometown, lining up supports with the likes of Future Of The Left and Harmony. Now they’re giving those of us south of the border a taste of their alternative indie tunes playing Thursday at the Annandale with Screamfeeder’s Kellie Lloyd and Sounds Like Sunset and Friday at the Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle.
SOUNDS LIKE CONTRADICTION Melbourne lads Fierce Mild are voyaging to Sydney this week, stopping in at the Gaelic Theatre on Wednesday evening. If the name sounds like a contradiction you should hear the tunes, the band effortlessly shifting from shoegaze psych to jazz. They will be joined on the night by Toy and Burning Violet Bridges.
DREAMING OF SLEEP Dec Hoy Hub Gallery in Redfern opens its doors this Saturday to welcome in songwriter Alisa Fedele, and her new single, Sleepless Nights, before she jets off to LA. The event is themed as ‘Dreaming World’ and there will be plenty of artists on hand to help paint that picture.
INTERGALACTIC FLAP!
STOP THE CLOCKS
GET YOUR KICKS
TIGER DNA
SNACK ON THIS
Triple j unearthed high winners Snakadaktal have recently joined the likes of Bleeding Knees Club and DZ Deathrays as part of the I OH YOU label’s stable and released their debut self-titled EP. To celebrate they’re hitting the road and stopping in on Wednesday at Goodgod Small Club to play with Fishing and Elizabeth Rose.
CAN YOU AFFORD IT?
HEROES ONCE MORE Steve Flack’s Guitar Heores play one final show for the year this Friday night at the Empire in Annandale, feturing guitarists Flack, Dom Turner from The Backsliders, Martin Cilia from The Atlntics, Brad Carr from The Choirboys and Dennis Wilson from Kahvas Jute, the rhythm section powered by Michael Smith on bass and Masters Apprentices drummer Colin Burgess.
With a trail of smoke following them from the Sydney Blues Festival, Blues At Bridgetown, Patonga Blues Festival and Queenscliff Music Festival the Bondi Cigars are bringing their blend of rhythm, blues, funk and soul to Lizotte’s Dee Why this Saturday and following it up with a show Friday 23 December at Lizotte’s Kincumber.
IDLE TIM Tim Freedman has won a loving audience thanks to both his solo work and his beautiful singing and songwriting as part of The Whitlams. He’s been on the road around our fair country for a while now, since releasing his debut solo album, Australian Idle, early last month. Now on the home stretch, he’ll be rounding out his national tour with a final show at The Metro this Saturday.
CONSTANTLY LIVE The Excelsior in Glebe plays host to some great local bands this Friday, ensuring you’ve got somewhere to chill for a drink and enjoy some live tunes. Check out the electronic by way of experimental rock stylings of Constant Project, along with the sweet melodies of the Sally Faherty Duo and Nutty Nut.
ROID RAGE
Melbourne’s Alithia heads out on their first national tour with their unique brand of astral space core, on the back of second EP release, A Realm O’ Null. Combining ambient, melodic, psychedelic, electronic and punk rock music, Alithia will be erasing the lines between genres at The Square this Thursday with Domino, Spectables and Paper Champion. They’ll also play a show on Saturday at The Fitzroy Hotel with Distorted Sound Theory and Fifth Fiction.
GHOSTING
URBAN CREW
If you like your blues a bit swampy and psycho, you’ll know the place to be on Saturday night is watching Katoomba-based band Ghost Train as they play a set of blues-based original material with reggae undertones. Known for bringing the early ‘80s inner Sydney sound back to life, they’ll be playing the Excelsior in Glebe.
CELEBRATORY CIGARS
Swedish crusaders of old-fashioned turntablism, Round Table Knights, will be in town delivering a set booming with hip-hop, jazz, electro and rock. In between remixes and original tunes, there’ll be plenty to dance along to, so check them out at Cream Tangerine on Saturday or next week in Canberra at Trinity Bar on Thursday 22 December.
Notoriously opinionated local music website Polaroid Of Androids is celebrating another year of staying online with a Christmas party of epic proportions at Oxford Art Factory. Expect an event like no other when Ernest Ellis & The Panamas headline the night, along with sets from The Fighting League, who’ll be launching their album, Unity Floors, Sean Lockhart and DJs Berlin Mike, Toby ‘Tool Time’ Allen, Sass Sass Le Gunzz and Barrie Cradshaw. It starts 8pm this Thursday and we’re sure it won’t finish ‘til everyone is thrown out at sunrise. Here’s the best bit: it’s free entry too.
NULLIFIED REALM
The band describe it as a tale of war, peace, love and astrophysics and the song, Rock From Space, is the first taste of the second album from Melbourne jazz folk gypsy ensemble Flap! The band are bringing it north on tour and stopping in at the Camelot Lounge on Saturday to launch it.
THE KNIGHTS WHO SAY NIE
ESSENTIAL VIEWING
Feel the rhythm and join in with the infectious melodies of the Urban Gypsies Quartet as they say goodbye for 2011. The group will play The Vanguard this Friday and it’s recommended punters book a table to avoid disappointment. The quartet will be joined by guest artist Zoe Elliot.
ESSENTIAL VIEWING
SIX DREAMS To celebrate the launch of their debut LP, Keep Your Dreams, recent Modular signing Canyons will be debuting their brand spanking new live show, playing with a six-piece live band for the first time ever this Thursday with DJ support from Steele Bonus.
BAY’S BLUES Newly opened Double Bay venue Blue Beat is booking the hottest funk, soul and r’n’b acts and doing it in style. This week Australian jazz great James Morrison plays the venue on Thursday night.
MAKE OUT WITH ROBERT Lifted from his debut album, Make Up Make Out & Make Believe, Robert Dunne’s first single, Tailspin, tells the familiar story of the stumble home from pub to front door. Fittingly, he’s launching it at a pub – Spectrum, to be more precise – this Wednesday night.
SLEEP WHEN YOU’RE DEAD Kid Mac’s got more than a few strings to his bow; the avid surfer was co-director of the film, Bra Boys, directed the Joel Edgerton narrated Fighting Fear and is now gearing up to release his latest single, Nobody Sleep Nobody Get Hurt, on Saturday at Bondi’s Beach Road Hotel.
NEW FOUND GLORY ANTHEM FOR THE UNWANTED
THE RED PAINTINGS STEETS FELL INTO MY WINDOW
Melodic punk group New Found Glory’s video for Anthem For The Unwanted celebrates all the chaos, excitement and adrenaline that a live show inspires. Filmed from a fan’s perspective, this diehard NFG lover experiences everything from a disgruntled punter’s shove, a drink being thrown in his face after an unsuccessful pick-up attempt, trying to get backstage, and stage diving into the crowd. Add some expected shots of the band performing and you’ve got yourself a classic music video.
It’s been a while since we’ve heard from The Red Paintings, but it seems they’ve been busy making the strangest rendition of Alice In Wonderland yet. And yes, we’re comparing that to Tim Burton’s adaptation too. The video for their recent single, Streets Fell Into My Window features the band in elaborate costumes, faces intricately painted, and a thousand inexplicable metaphors taking in everything from pocket watches to playing cards. Watch it for yourself and make your own assumptions about its psychedelic contents.
http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=8IfudseJL1U
http://vimeo.com/theredpaintings/ httpvimeocom32139589
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THE DRUM MEDIA • 63
GALLERY VAMPS Female trio Dampvamp have recently returned from a coast to coast tour of the US of A and they’ll be launching their debut album, Pagan Vegas, in our fine town this Saturday. Not only will you get a taste of psychedelic soulful witch rock, but there’ll be artistic visual displays to seduce your senses and a load of support acts including Spirit Valley, Danger Dannys, Finn Baulch and Moon Age DJs. It’s kicking off in the Gallery Bar at Oxford Art Factory and it’s free entry all night.
SO SUE ME Another festive season, another Sosueme Xmas party, and you won’t want to miss this one. Hot off some huge festival and headline shows, the ever-fashionable Furnace & The Fundamentals are taking the reins as the late night entertainment. They’ll be joined by Triple J debutante Brendan Maclean, The Polar Knights, Tokyo Denmark Sweden and Couples. And don’t forget the DJ stylings of In The Mix DJs, Shantan Wantan Ichiban, Starjumps and Kristy Lee. Add to that free popcorn, lolly bags, fun bags and a few Xmas surprises and you’d be a fool to miss out when it all kicks off on Saturday night at Oxford Art Factory.
SINGLE FOCUS
TAPE ME
WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE PART OF THE SONG? The big synth build-up with the melodic hook. DO YOU PLAY IT DIFFERENTLY LIVE? Play it with drums live so it adds a more live-sounding element to the track but still keep the nice low-end kicks in the backing track to uppercut the punters with! WILL YOU BE LAUNCHING IT? Saturday - Beach Road Hote FOR MORE INFO SEE: www.kidmacmusic.com www.facebook.com/kidmacmusic 64 • THE DRUM MEDIA
The Path Of Totality KORN The Music, The Christmas Album GLEE We Put Scissors Where Our Mouths Are BULLET TRAIN TO VEGAS Knife Skills EPICS Azari & III AZARI & III A Very Metal Christmas VARIOUS ARTISTS
FBI’S FAVOURITE NEW AUSSIE TRACKS
PARTY IN HELL
The Sly Fox are readying the decks and hanging the mistletoe for an all-out Xmas in Hell party. Along with the usual musical treats of rock’n’roll, exotica, punk and more, they’ll be screening the worst in Christmas-themed slasher films. Guest DJs will include Rusty of You Am I fame, Lady Kingsley, Danger Coolidge and regulars Demonika and Cutthroat. If you like your Christmas a little less sparkle and a little more fiery, check it out this Saturday from 9pm.
Generous portions of rock, delicate slices of jazz and great heapin’ helpfuls of blues are all on the menu this Friday at the Bristol Arms Hotel when the 1st Blues Platoon stand and deliver a set from 8:30pm.
Colours ELEFANT TRACKS ALLSTARS Kibera Ghetto ONE-B Mama JACKI ZEBRAZ
HARDLY TYPICAL
Lachy Doley’s debut solo album, Typically Individual Conforming Anti-Social, is typically individual - what else would you expect from someone who has shared the stage with the likes of Barnsey and Powderfinger? Though antisocial it is not! Doley will be very social when taking it on the road to The Boatshed, Manly, on Thursday and the Vault, Windsor on Sunday.
BOWLING BUSH AND BANDS The Steve Edmonds Band continue with their enviable work ethic, lining up another two gigs of rhythm-fuelled rock this week. The band play Friday at the Warilla Bowling Club, Barrack Heights and Saturday at the Bull & Bush in Baulkham Hills.
CHECK YO’SELF The weather may be saying otherwise, but it’s Summer, dammit! And with that in mind Kiwi’s The Checks are hopping over to our east coast to show off their new album, Deadly Summer Sway. Swing on down to Goodgod Small Club on Thursday to hear the new songs, alongside sets from Underlights, Thieves and Pineapple Head.
EP FOCUS
WHAT’S THE SONG ABOUT? The title is derived from a saying me and my mates used to have on surf trips where if you were caught sleeping during a big weekend, you would be “hurt”. The loss of an eyebrow was the most common punishment. This song is an extension of that idea. About having a really big night with your friends till the sun comes up, which is a scenario I was experiencing way too much when I was younger.
WAS ANYTHING IN PARTICULAR INSPIRING YOU DURING THE MAKING? I have been travelling a lot lately and hearing a lot of dub step, which definitely inspired me. I was also writing this song for a particular scene of my new film called Fighting Fear, which had super slow-motion surfing at night so I wanted the sound of the dub step to match that vibe and that’s where the inspiration came from.
Under The Mistletoe JUSTIN BIEBER
Prepare for a good ol’ style jug-heavy night when Perch Creek Family Jug Band hit town. Featuring one of the finest one-legged saw players you’ll ever see, the busking band bring their five-part harmonies and unique repertoire to our town this Friday. Check out their bluegrass, old-time jazz and country blues when they play with The Lurkers and Gleny Rae Virus at Red Rattler.
PLAYING THE PLATOON
HOW LONG DID IT TAKE TO WRITE/RECORD? I wrote an older version of this song a while back and retouched it recently so it was written and recorded in a few days but the concept has been lingering for years.
A Very She & Him Christmas SHE & HIM
Milhouse EP MILHOUSE
Prepare your eyes and ears, as the audiovisual extravaganza of The Superusers is let loose at Serial Space. The gallery cum venue will see the Australianborn, Berlin -ased performers chart territories from performance to music and film, with a message of excess. Expect the unexpected and come along to see them, along with Hypnololly, Pia van Gelder and DJ A-D-D on Thursday night from 7pm.
IS THIS TRACK FROM A FORTHCOMING/ EXISTING RELEASE? Yes, it’s from my debut album titled No Mans Land, due for release early 2012.
Seasons Greetings: A Jersey Boys Christmas JERSEY BOYS
THAT’S SOME GOOD JUGGING
AV EXTRAVAGANZA
KID MAC NOBODY SLEEP NOBODY GET HURT
ON THE DRUM STEREO
Do you like tapes? Do you wish to return to the heady days of cassette mix tapes, making your own labels, having to stick a pencil into the gears to rewind a song? Well you might want to check out Mrs Tapes Fest at Red Rattler this Thursday. Featuring performances from New Zealand’s Axemen, Circle Pit, Alps, xnobbqx, Mad Nanna, School Girl Report and Satanic Rockers, there’s a sweet little side deal too; bring a cassette and drop it in the box and take one in return. An old-fashioned cassette swap and live sets await, all for the low price of $15 at the door.
BRINGING ‘EM OUT Candy’s Apartment are bringing out the works in Big Guns, a night full of epic tunes ranging from dubstep to house and more. You’ll be dancing all night with a thumping soundtrack provided by Moo Who, Teez, Dui, Leanzy, Fawkes, Le Bronx, Scott Tonkin and Zim City. It all happens this Saturday from 8pm ‘til dawn.
WHAT’S THE TITLE OF YOUR NEW EP? No Control. HOW MANY RELEASES DO YOU HAVE NOW? Just two EPs and a single. HOW LONG DID IT TAKE TO WRITE/RECORD? Well half of it is taken from our full-length album, which was recorded in Atlanta, and the other half is some live stuff that was written and recorded about a month ago on the Gold Coast, so it’s a combination of older and newer songs...
WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE SONG ON IT? Probably For You. WILL YOU DO ANYTHING DIFFERENTLY NEXT TIME? Sing better. WILL YOU BE LAUNCHING IT? Thursday - Oxford Art Factory FOR MORE INFO SEE: facebook.com/hollandband
Levels FLIGHT RECORDER Come And Save Me (Radio Edit) JAGWAR MA Kick Out The Amber Lamps SCOTDRACULA Angeline BEARHUG Last Words CLUBFEET Sunshower DOMEYKO/GONZALEZ
[V] SATURDAY 8AM MUSIC VIDEO CHART Marry The Night LADY GAGA The A Team ED SHEERAN Sexy And I Know It LMFAO We Found Love RIHANNA FT. CALVIN HARRIS Lonely Boy THE BLACK KEYS Hangover TAIO CRUZ Feel So Close CALVIN HARRIS No Light No Light FLORENCE & THE MACHINE Good Feeling FLO RIDA Dedication To My Ex (Miss That) LLOYD FT. ANDRE 3000
NORTHERN VOICES
HOLLAND
WAS ANYTHING IN PARTICULAR INSPIRING YOU DURING THE MAKING? I had been working a lot just before going in for the live sessions, so it was inspiring to just be playing music. Also, just to know that you are putting down live tracks really makes you step up your game I think.
Like You Could Have It All (Whyte Fang Version) THE GRATES
Australia’s leading a cappella quartet are set to entertain and amuse with a classic repertoire spiced with appropriately seasonal Yuletide fare, with The Idea Of North – Away In A Basement. Get in the Christmas spirit with this performance at The Basement Thursday.
THIS IS JUST A TRIBUTE Fleetwood Mac’s Stevie Nicks was in town not too long ago, but if you’re hankering for another fix of her infamous other band, look no further than Rumours – A Tribute To Fleetwood Mac. Expect all the hits from the early blues days through to the majestic pop numbers. A great night of nostalgia awaits on Friday at The Basement.
NEW YORK I LOVE YOU A huge band will be cranking up the Latino beats for a high energy celebration of the birth of the New York salsa scene, in New York Nights at The Basement. Get your party frock on (or shoes for the gents) and head to The Basement on Saturday.
THE WORLD IN A BASEMENT Get a hit of world music with the insanely diverse lineup of The World In The Basement. Alt country artist Joe West, jazzer Lucinda Peters, rappers The Kumpnee and ABC Radio National DJ Brent Clough combine for a great night of world music at The Basement on Tuesday 20 December.
themusic.com.au
MENTAL MONKEYS
They’ve been terrorising the Australian public for over three decades and as long as there’s beer (preferably free) and a stage to play their garage rock on they won’t be stopping any time soon. Mental As Anything bring the party to the Brass Monkey on Saturday night.
IT’S FEELING A LOT LIKE HOOPSMAS
SINGLE FOCUS
It’s been awhile between drinks but the immensely popular three-girl party squad known as Hoops are back for their final boogie of the year. Bad Ezzy, Anna Luno and Nina Las Vegas will have you moving to a night of Mariah-inspired carols that will bring the sleaze into Christmas. It’s happening this Saturday in the danceteria at Goodgod.
EP FOCUS
TERRIBLE TWOS
The Design Kids are turning two and to celebrate they’re holding an exhibition at Art on The Wall, with an epic lineup of artists displaying their works. After you’ve checked out the visual candy, grab a drink and take in the music with DJs spinning tunes all night at World Bar this Wednesday.
GET CHECKED UP
After the release of their self-titled debut EP, English & The Doc are back from a successful tour of Melbourne and recent sell-out shows. The band will be sure to include their new tracks at Brass Monkey this Wednesday, supported by The Blondettes (Kimba & Sharnee).
TAKE A ROAD TRIP
Come with The Louisiana Roadshow as they take audiences on a trip through America’s roots and blues landscapes. Performing hits from Ray Charles, BB King, John Lee Hooker and more, the group will be at Brass Monkey this Sunday.
LAST CALL
Local band Peabody have been all over town in recent times, playing shows to crowds big and small. Known for their energetic live performances, they’re playing one more show before the year is out and chances are it’ll be a while before the band play another show next year. Check them out at the Town Hall Hotel this Saturday.
LOVERS JUMP CREEK
THE CHECKS CANDYMAN SHIMMER
WHAT’S THE TITLE OF YOUR NEW EP? Bless This Mess.
WHAT’S THE SONG ABOUT? You and your stinking mate in a clapped out 1.3 litre Fiat Uno chain-smoking cigarettes hooning past two slick fellas in expensive suits cruising the motorway in a silver Porche. You pull your blue jumper over your eyes as you boost along and think about the Barbados coastline. IS THIS TRACK FROM A FORTHCOMING/ EXISTING RELEASE? Yes, it is the first single from our new LP, Deadly Summer Sway.
ARE YOU EXPERIENCED?
HOW LONG DID IT TAKE TO WRITE/RECORD? It was written very quickly. I spent a day messing around and jamming the music, then Ed popped over and had the melody and lyrics straight away.
It’s time to re-experience Jimi Hendrix in a brilliant live recreation of the entire classic debut Hendrix record performed by one of Australia’s hottest three-piece acts, The Mick Hart Experience. After a hugely successful sell-out show at The Basement last year, Mick and band play at Brass Monkey on Friday.
WAS ANYTHING IN PARTICULAR INSPIRING YOU DURING THE MAKING? I was listening to Dr Dre The Chronic 2001 instrumentals record quite heavily, The Stones Roses first LP and JJ Cale at the time. I just wanted to make a groove and melodies that were hypnotic.
MANNIX UP
WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE PART OF THE SONG? I love every little detail in this one, from the drum groove to the delays on the snare. I think the most catchy part is the twisted-sounding high riff.
Late October, Ashleigh Mannix joined Sydney’s Blues & Roots festival where fans were won over as she jumped on stage for a freestyle trio with Genevieve Chadwick and Ash Grunwald. You can check Mannix out in her own right during her gig residency at 34 Degrees South in Bondi, supporting Sarah McCleod, Wednesday.
NO DUBS NO GIMMICKS A new event happening every Sunday this summer at FBI Social, Foreigndub Airwayvs sees different live bands, soundsystems DJs and MCs every week coming together to show off their skills whilst being broadcast live on radio. This week special guests MOGz and Kye will be performing from 5-7pm.
SHAKING IT UP
Every Friday night The Lansdowne plays hosts to some of Sydney’s best up and coming bands, and this week will be no different. If you’re looking for some excellent cheap live music and drinks to match, check out The Spitfires, The Shake Up and DJ Alley Cats when they take the Lansdowne stage this Friday.
HOW MANY RELEASES DO YOU HAVE NOW: One. HOW LONG DID IT TAKE TO WRITE/RECORD: The writing happened progressively over about a year, leaving us with a tonne of material to choose from, which meant that we were able to really sift through and find the tracks we really loved to record. The recording process (from pre-production demos to the final, finished product) took about six months, mostly due to the logistics of getting everybody together at the right time. ANYTHING IN PARTICULAR INSPIRING DURING THE MAKING? I think we were all excited by the prospect of recording the EP to tape instead of digitally, as the limitations of tape not allowing you to erase tiny imperfections challenged us to play the songs well and capture our vibe as a live band, which is at times ugly and imperfect (like good rock and roll should be). WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE SONG ON THE EP? Personally, I think French Kiss is the most indicative of our style as a band, but I love each song for its own reasons.
DO YOU PLAY IT DIFFERENTLY LIVE? Yeah it is very different live. We used a lot of fancy studio stuff in the recording so there is no point trying to recreate it in the same way. It has instead turned into this dirty, rusted country wheel of a Jamaican evening. WILL YOU BE LAUNCHING IT? Thursday - Goodgod Small Club
WILL YOU DO ANYTHING DIFFERENTLY NEXT TIME? I think you should always be looking to grow and evolve, not just as musicians but as a band, so stylistically I think we can always build and improve. I’d love us to be more efficient in getting the recording done and dusted quickly so we can share it with everybody as soon as possible. WILL YOU BE LAUNCHING IT? Friday - Gaelic Club LINKS: www.loversjumpcreek.com www.youtube.com/watch?v=hr5eQv5m23Y www.facebook.com/#!/pages/LoversJump-Creek/205248595102
FOR MORE INFO SEE: www.thechecks.net www.facebook.com/thechecks
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THE DRUM MEDIA • 65
TUE 13 ADAM PRINGLE, + FRIENDS: Sandringham Hotel, street level ANTHONY MCKEON, KAILAH KING: Beach Rd Htl (Rex Room) Bondi DAVE POWER: Mercantile Hotel - The Rocks DAVE WHITE TRIO: 3 Wise Monkeys Pub - City DJ MIKE J, SPICE CUBE, PING PONG TIDDLY: World Bar Kings X FRANK FAIRFIELD (USA), THE SINGING SKIES, SPOOKYLAND (SOLO): Brass Monkey - Cronulla HUE WILLIAMS: Jack’s Bar & Grill - Erina JAZZGROOVE feat. CAMERON UNDY’S ABSTRACT BROTEHRHOOD, TIM CLARKSON TRIO: 505, 280 Cleveland St Surry Hills MICKEY PYE: Novotel - Brewery Bar, Olympic Park
ISRAEL CANNAN, SAMARA: Lizottes, Kincumber JAMIE LINDSAY: Northies Cronulla Htl- Sport Bar JIMMY VARGAS & THE BLACK DAHLIAS: Blue Beat - Double Bay JOHNNY CASINO: Sandringham Hotel, street level LUKE HOSKINS INEXPERIENCE, INTEL OUTSIDE, ELEPHANT, JESS LOCKE: Valve Bar - Tempe MANDI JARRY: Summer Hill Hotel - Summer Hill MAUX FAUX, FACE COMMAND, ROCKET HEAD, JON KENNER: Sandringham Hotel, upstairs MIKE BENNETT: Observer Htl OPEN MIC NIGHT: Fitzroy Hotel - Windsor PAUL SUN, JOHN BLENKHORN, ALEX COMPTON: Jazushi Restaurant Surry Hills
OMG!: Scruffy Murphy’s - City
SET SAIL, HOLLAND: Beach Rd Htl (Rex Room) Bondi
OPEN MIC JAM NITE: Town & Country, St Peters
SIMON SHAPIRO: Coogee Bay Hotel - Beach Bar
ROB HENRY: Observer Hotel
SNAKADAKTAL, FISHING, ELIZABETH ROSE: Goodgod Small Club - City
SONGS ON STAGE feat. DAVID CHRISTOPHER, DaNIEL HOPKINS, + GUESTS: Kogarah Hotel STEVE MORRISON: The Basement - Circular Quay STEVE TONGE: O’Malleys City THEY CALL ME BRUCE: Maloneys Hotel - Sydney TIM FREEDMAN, THE IDLE: Lizottes, Newcastle ZOLTAN: Coogee Bay Hotel - Beach Bar
WED 14 ANDY MAMMERS DUO: Maloneys Hotel - Sydney
SONGS ON STAGE feat. PETERSHAM UKULELE GROUP, EMAD YOUNAN, Shining Whits, PETER YANNAKIS, WARREN MUNCE, ROBERT EPHRAUMS, RUSSELL NEAL: Cat & Fiddle Hotel - Balmain SONGS ONS, THE YELLOW CANVAS, JAIME BAQUIRAN, GREG SITA: Cookies Lounge and Bar North Strathfield SONGS ONS, DANIEL HOPKINS, + GUESTS: Taren Point Hotel - Taren Point
CATCH 22: 3 Wise Monkeys Pub - City
SONGWRITING SOCIETY OF AUSTRALIA CONCERT feat, TAOS, MEN WITH DAY JOBS, GAVIN FITZGERALD, ALAN WATTERS, SIMON LI, PAUL MCGOWAN, KEN MCLEAN, JOSIE CRITTER: Coach & Horses Hotel, Randwick
DAVE POWER, STEVE SAMPSON: Mercantile Hotel - The Rocks
SONS OF SUMMER, AARON LYON: Lizottes, Dee Why
DJ ALEX MITCHELL: Beach Rd Htl (Camera Club) Bondi
STEVE BARRY TRIO: 505, 280 Cleveland St Surry Hills
DJ GREG PERANO: Beach Rd Htl (Public Bar) Bondi
THE STUDY feat. TOY, BURNING VIOLET BRIDGES, FIERCE MIND: The Gaelic - Surry Hills
ASHLEIGH MANNIX, JORDAN MILLAR, MORGAN JOANEL: 34 Degrees South Underground Bar - Bondi BEN FINN DUO: Mean Fiddler Hotel, Sub Bar - Rouse Hill
ENGLISH & THE DOC, THE BLONDETTES (KIMBA & SHARNEE): Brass Monkey - Cronulla FRANK FAIRFIELD (USA): The Basement - Circular Quay GOODNIGHT DYNAMITE: O’Malleys Hotel, Kings Cross HARBOUR MASTERS: Edinburgh Castle Htl
66 • THE DRUM MEDIA
THE WALL feat. HIGH RANKIN, HATERS, GLOVECATS, ELLA LOCA, PABLO CALAMARI, PIPEMIX, LIGHTS OUT: World Bar Kings X TIM FREEDMAN, THE IDLE, GOSSLING: Lizottes, Newcastle
TIM ROLLINSON: Artichoke Café Manly TWO MINDS TRIO: Scruffy Murphy’s - City WOLFMOTHER, NUMBERS RADIO: Plantation Hotel Coffs Harbour
THU 15 031 ROCK SHOW: Scruffy Murphy’s - City
MATT ANDERSON, CLAUDE HAY: The Vault - Windsor MICHAEL MCGLYNN: Greengate Hotel - Killara OPEN MIC NIGHT: Excelsior Hotel - Glebe POSTCARDS: O’Malleys Hotel, Kings Cross PROPAGANDA feat., THE POSTMAN, URBY, DAN BOMBINGS: World Bar Kings X
ALITHIA, DOMINO, SPECTACLES, PAPER CHAMPION: Capitol Square Hotel - Haymarket
RENAE KEARNEY: Toxteth Hotel - Glebe
ANDY CLOCKWISE, THE WALKING WHO, UDAYS TIGER: Kings Cross Hotel - Kings Cross
RICHARD VALDEZ: Artichoke Café Manly
ANDY MAMMERS: Harbord Beach Hotel - Harbord ANTHEMS OF OZ: Orient Hotel - The Rocks AWAY IN A BASEMENT feat, THE IDEA OF NORTH: The Basement - Circular Quay BENN GUNN: Edinburgh Castle Htl BIG WAY OUT: 3 Wise Monkeys Pub - City BLONDE 182: Custom House Bar - City BONNEY READ, NO ILLUMINATI GO/NO GO, MA: Sandringham Hotel, upstairs BRISCOE, HEART ATTACK MACHINES, THE PARIS CLUB, OUR MONK: Valve Bar - Tempe CANYONS, STEELE BONUS: Civic Hotel Underground - Sydney
RHYTHM HUNTERS: 505, 280 Cleveland St Surry Hills
ROSE TATTOO: Panthers - Port Macquarie SAM & JAMIE TRIO: Maloneys Hotel - Sydney SARAH MCLEOD, LYALL MOLONEY: Brass Monkey - Cronulla SET SAIL, HOLLAND, TIGERTOWN: Oxford Art Factory, Live Art Space SIMON SHAPIRO: Marlborough Hotel - Newtown STEVE TONGE: Observer Htl TALK OF THE TOWN, JOHN JAY: Charlestown Bowling Club TERRY BATU: Jannali Inn
JAMES MORRISON & THE IDEA OF NORTH, EMMA PASK: Blue Beat - Double Bay JOANNA MELES: Campbelltown Catholic Club JOE MEARES & THE HONEYRIDERS, CHARLES JENKINS, A CASUAL END MILE: Notes Live - Enmore KRISHNA JONES: Gymea Bay Hotel LACHY DOLEY: Old Manly Boatshed - Manly LUKE DIXON DUO: Stacks Taverna Darling Harbour MANDI JARRY: Dee Why Hotel
BIG WAY OUT: Bull & Bush - Baulkham Hills BLACK ROSE: Matraville Hotel - Matraville BLUE MOON QUARTET, INTIMATE LOUNGE MUSIC: Fairfield RSL, Supper Club BLUES PIRATES: Crown Hotel - Sydney BOB EVANS, ADALITA: Notes Live - Enmore BUTTON DOWN DISCO feat, NIGHT RIOT, TAYLOR KING, COLONIES, DJ TETRIS, CUNNING PANTS, NIGHT RIOT, STALKER, CHICK FLICK: Candy’s Apartment - Potts Point
2 FOLD: Quakers Inn - Quakers Hill AM 2 PM: Padstow RSL ANDY BULL: Beach Rd Htl (Rex Room) Bondi ANDY MAMMERS DUO: Woolloomooloo Bay Htl ARE YOU EXPERIENCED - JIMI HENDRIX TRIBUTE feat, The MICK HART EXPERIENCE: Brass Monkey - Cronulla ARMCHAIR TRAVELLERS DUO: Parramatta Leagues - Firehouse ASTHENA, THE KUMPNEE, WINSLOW’S CANCER, HIDDEN ACE, ONE DAY SOON, COREDEA, GRIVEYRE: Valve Bar - Tempe (Afternoon) AUSSIE FOO FIGHTERS SHOW: Engadine Family Tavern BACKLASH: Penrith Gaels - Kingswood
HOORAY FOR EVERYTHING: Stacks Taverna - Darling Harbour HORNET: Exchange Hotel - Newcastle HUE WILLIAMS: Avalon RSL HYPE DUO: Courthouse Hotel - Taylor Square JACKMANFRIDAY, ELLIOT THE BULL, SEX IN COLUMBIA, BRIDGEMARY KISS: The Gaelic - Surry Hills JESS DUNBAR: Grand Hotel - Rockdale
CONSTANT PROJECT, SALLY FAHERTY DUO, NUTTY NUT: Excelsior Hotel - Glebe
JJ DUO: Corrimal RSL
DAN LISSING DUO: Crows Nest Hotel (early) DAVE PHILLIPS: O’Malleys Hotel, Kings Cross
DAVID AGIUS DUO: Penrith Panthers - Terrace Bar
1ST BLUES PLATOON, EMMA WOODORTH TRIO: Bristol Arms Hotel - City
HIT MACHINE: Scruffy Murphy’s - City
JIMMY BEAR: Great Southern Hotel - Sydney
THE CHURCH: Lizottes, Newcastle
FRI 16
HARBOUR MASTERS: Club Hotel - Leumeah
CARL FIDLER: Observer Hotel - Late
DAVE WHITE, LUKE DIXON DUO: Kirribilli Hotel - Kirribilli
WOLFMOTHER, NUMBERS RADIO: Yamba Bowling Club
GOSSLING, The Rescue Ships: Clarendon Guest House - Katoomba
HEATH BURDELL: Northies Cronulla Htl- Sport Bar
THE CHECKS (NZ), UNDERLIGHTS, THIEVES, FLIGHT: Goodgod Small Club - City
DAVE POWER, STEVE SAMPSON: Mercantile Hotel - The Rocks
GOOD EVANS IT’S XMAS feat, BOB EVANS, ADALITA: Lizottes, Kincumber
BEN FINN: Castle Hill RSL - The Terrace
DAVE STEVENS: Observer Htl
CRAIG THOMMO: R.G MCGEES - Richmond
ERNEST ELLIS & THE PANAMAS, THE FIGHTING LEAGUE, UNITY FLOORS, SEAN LOCKHART: Oxford Art Factory, Gallery
HAPPY HIPPIES: 3 Swallows Hotel - Bankstown
CRAIG THOMMO: Yardhouse - Haymarket
WEST AFRICAN NIGHT with, KEYIM BA: Camelot Lounge - Marrickville
DAVID AGIUS: Northies Cronulla Htl- Sport Bar
BELL WEATHER DEPARTMENT, THE RUMINATORS, UDAYS TIGERS: Oxford Art Factory - Gallery
DENNIS DEMELLO: Oasis on Beamish Hotel - Campsie
JOHN VELLA: Collaroy Beach Hotel JOSH MCIVOR: The Belvedere Hotel - Sydney
KIRKVOIDS, THE THINGOS, THE MEN FROM UNCLE: Town & Country, St Peters KURT WILLIAMS DUO: Steelers Club Wollongong LATE SHIFT: Club Central - Hurstville LAVERS: ANU Bar - Canberra ACT
DR ZOOM DUO: Hotel Jesmond
MARISSA SAROCA: Windsor Castle Hotel - Newcastle
FUNKY MUNKY: Stag & Hunter Hotel GEOFF RANA: Macquarie Hotel - Liverpool GET THE PARTY STARTED-THE PINK SHOW: Wentworthville Leagues (Late) GOSSLING: Yours and Owls Café, Wollongong GREG BRYCE: Duke of Wellington Hotel GTS: Southern Cross Hotel - St Peters
MARTY FROM RECKLESS: Coogee Bay Hotel - Beach Bar
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ONE HIT WONDERS: 3 Wise Monkeys Pub - City OPETH: Enmore Theatre ORIGINAL SIN - INXS SHOW: Ettamogah Hotel - Rouse Hill OSCAR + MARTIN, MRS BISHOP, FLUME, CONICS: Oxford Art Factory, Live Art Space PARTY VIBE: Marlborough Hotel - Newtown PERCH CREEK FAMILY JUGBAND: Red Rattler, Marrickville PETE HUNT: Chatswood RSL POSTCARDS: Hillside Hotel - Castle Hill
RAPTURE: Sutherland United Club
MANDI JARRY DUO: Red Cow Inn Penrith
FALCONIA FRIDAYS feat, DEVOLA, STARJUMPS, IS BJORN, BERNIE DINGO, STONEY ROADS: Kit & Kaboodle - Kings Cross
ON THE PROWL: Belmont 16ft Sailing Club
KIRK BURGESS: Collingwood Hotel - Liverpool
DJ JEREMY: Beach Rd Htl (Public Bar) Bondi
ENDLESS HEIGHTS, ONE VITAL WORD, FIXTURES, THE PERSPECTIVES, CLIPPED WINGS: Chatswood Youth Centre
NICKY KURTA: Mill Hill Hotel - Bondi Junction
PROFESSOR GROOVE & THE BOOTY AFFAIR: Blue Beat - Double Bay
MAMATONE: Charlestown Bowling Club
EDOARDO SANTONI: 505, 280 Cleveland St Surry Hills
NICKELBACK SHOW: Pioneer Tavern - Penrith
KEVIN BORICH: Orana Hotel - Blacksmiths
DIESEL: Lizottes, Kincumber
DREW MCALISTER: PJ Gallaghers Drummoyne
MUM feat., GUNG HO, SHIPS PIANO, BANG BANG ROCK N ROLL, BRIGHT YELLOW, PIRATES ALIVE, THE NECTARS, MUM DJ’S: World Bar Kings X
MARTY MULHOLLAND: Novotel - Brewery Bar, Olympic Park MARTYS PLACE: Bankstown Hotel - Bankstown MATT JONES DUO: PJ’s Irish Pub Parramatta MICKEY PYE: Parramatta RSL MIKE MATHIESON, CHRIS ALEXANDER: St George Leagues - Kogarah MISH, NOBODY KNEW THEY WERE ROBOTS, ROCK N ROLL WEAPON, DAMARILL, NOT LIKE HORSE: Valve Bar - Tempe MISSION JONES: Club Rivers - Riverwood MOJO JUJU: Great Northern Hotel - Newcastle MORGAN JOANEL: Upstairs Beresford - Beresford Hotel
RATTLE & HUM-U2 SHOW: Lone Pine Tavern Rooty Hill RED HOT NUMBERS: Penrith Bowling & Recreation Club - Penrtih RICK FENSOM: Palms Hotel - Chullora ROB HENRY: Harbord Beach Hotel - Harbord ROSS WARD: Tall Timbers Hotel Ourimbah, Central Coast RUBICON, DJ SONIC: Belmore Hotel - Newcastle SAM & JAMIE SHOW: Castle Hill Tavern SCOTT DONALDSON: Crows Nest Hotel (Piano Bar) SHANE MACKENZIE: Cohibar - Darling Harbour SIMON SHAPIRO: Commercial Hotel Parramatta SINGLED OUT: Juniors at the Junction - Maroubra SONGS ON STAGE feat., ELISSA SHAND, HANNAH WISSE, ARCHILLEAS, SUREEL, JACK DAVISON, ALYXANTHE HULL, RUSSELL NEAL: Everglades Country Club Woy Woy SOUL SISTERS feat, JO JO SMITH, GAIL PAGE: Camelot Lounge - Marrickville STEPPIN’ OUT: Kingswood Sports Club STEVE EDMONDS BAND: Warilla Bowling Club
STEVE FLACK’S GUITAR HEROES feat, DOM TURNER, MARTIN CILLA, MICHAEL SMITH, COLIN BURGESS, BRAD CARR, DENNIS WILSON, FESS PARKER: Empire Hotel - Annandale STEVE TONGE: Mean Fiddler Hotel - Rouse Hill STRAY ROOTS: North Richmond Hotel TALK IT UP: Crows Nest Hotel (late) TERRY SERIO’S MINISTRY OF TRUTH, THE GLIMMER, THEM APPLES, TARA LAWRENCE: Capitol Square Hotel Haymarket THE AUSTRALIAN FLEETWOOD MAC TRIBUTE SHOW: The Basement Circular Quay THE BEATNIX: Lizottes, Dee Why THE BOBHAWKS: Vineyard Hotel - Vineyard THE CHURCH: Lizottes, Newcastle THE DAY FINGER PICKERS INVADED MARS: Mars Hill Café - Parramatta THE HEADLINERS: Westmead Tavern THE JUNGLE KINGS: Warners at the Bay THE LEVYMEN: Nelson Bay Diggers Club THE RATTLESNAKES: Muree Golf Club THE ROAD CREW: Overlander Hotel Cambridge Park THE SUE AND MIKEY SHOW: South Leagues Club THE WINSTONS TRIO: Kro Bar, East Leagues Club, Bondi Junction THEY CALL ME BRUCE: Sportsmans Hotel - Blacktown TIGER WILLOW, THE UPSKIRTS, HEY BIG AKI, FLITHY CREATURES, BEC AND BEN: Annandale Hotel - Annandale TOM T TRIO: Coogee Bay Hotel - Beach Bar URBAN GYPSIES QUARTET, ZOE ELLIOT: The Vanguard - Newtown WENDY MATTHEWS: Sawtell RSL WHITE CHRISTMAS WOLF CALL feat, LA MANCHA NEGRA, ATOM BOMBS, JESSIE REDWING, LOENE CARMEN, FLASH & CRASH DJs: Goodgod Small Club - City WILDCATZ: Heathcote Hotel WOLFMOTHER, NUMBERS RADIO: Great Northern Hotel - Byron Bay
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THE DRUM MEDIA • 67
YUKI KUMAGAI, JOHN MACKIE: Well Connected Cafe Glebe
DIESEL: Lizottes, Kincumber
ZAC SLATER: Castle Hill RSL - Courtyard
DJ GREG PERANO: Beach Rd Htl (Public Bar) Bondi
ZOLTAN: Pittwater RSL - Mona Vale
DR ZOOM DUO: Windsor Castle Hotel - Newcastle
SAT 17
ENDLESS SUMMER BEACH PARTY: Penrith Panthers - T.C’s
2 OF HEARTS: Brighton RSL - Brighton
FATT LIPP: Engadine Tavern
3RD AXLE, WHEN THOUGHTS FAIL, RUBIX, CITY OF GHOSTS, ANGHARAD YEO, LINES OF CHARLIE: Valve Bar Tempe (Afternoon)
FBI SOCIAL feat., EXPATRIATE: Kings Cross Hotel - Kings Cross
A VERY METAL XMAS feat, TENSIONS ARISE, DOUBLE DRAGON, ILCONTENT, FOUNDRY ROAD, JADED EMPIRE, AMODUS, A WORLD LESS CRUEL, NOT ANOTHER SEQUEL JUST ANOTHER PREQUEL: Lucky Australian Tavern - St Marys ALTITUDE: Scruffy Murphy’s - City AM 2 PM: PANANIA EAST HILLS RSL CLUB ANDY MAMMERS DUO: PJ’s Irish Pub Parramatta ARMCHAIR TRAVELLERS DUO: Coogee Bay Hotel - Beach Bar BANG SHANG A LANG: Unity Hall Hotel - Balmain BEN FINN DUO: Ettamogah Hotel - Rouse Hill BIG BEN TRIO: Mercantile Hotel - The Rocks BIG GUNS feat…, DUI, LEANZY, MOOWHO, TEEZ, FAWKES, LEBRONX, SCOTT TONKIN, ZIM CITY: Candy’s Apartment Potts Point BONDI CIGARS: Lizottes, Dee Why BOOTY CALL BAND: Campbelltown Catholic Club - Caf‚ Samba BRASH ASSET: Tall Timbers Hotel Ourimbah, Central Coast CALIFORNICATIONRED HOT CHILLI PEPPERS: Macarthur Tavern Campbelltown
FUNPUPPET: Beach Palace Hotel - Coogee GARETH HUDSON: Waratah Rugby Union Club - Newcastle GEN-R-8: Nelson Bay Diggers Club GHOST TRAIN: Excelsior Hotel - Glebe GLENN WHITEHALL: Picton Hotel - Picton GOOD EVANS IT’S XMAS feat, BOB EVANS, ADALITA: Lizottes, Newcastle GRAND THEFT AUDIO: Exchange Hotel - Newcastle GUALBERTAS CASAS, GONZOLA PORTA, WILSON OZOCO, EVELIN RUIZ: The Basement - Circular Quay IGNITION: Smithfield RSL INCOGNITO: Cessnock Supporters Club JAMES PAUL: Muree Golf Club JAZZ NOUVEAU: Fairfield RSL, Supper Club JIM OVEREND: Beauford Hotel - Mayfield JJ DUO: Manly Warringah Leagues Club JOHN VELLA: Crowne Plaza Terrigal JOHNNY G & THE E-TYPES: Notes Live - Enmore KOBRA KAI: The Gaelic - Surry Hills
CHART BUSTERS: RG McGees - Richmond
LGT: Lansdowne Hotel - Broadway
CLAUDIO MEYER: Charlestown Bowling Club
LOVE THAT HAT: Belmont 16ft Sailing Club
DANIEL ARVIDSON: Duke of Wellington Hotel DAVE WHITE EXPERIENCE: Crows Nest Hotel (late) DAVID AGIUS: PJ Gallaghers Drummoyne DAVID AGIUS DUO: Sydney Rowers Club Abbotsford
68 • THE DRUM MEDIA
DJ JAMIN (THE TRIP), THE LIVE COLLECTIVE, + WEEKLY GUESTS: Beach Rd Htl (Camera Club) Bondi DOLLSHAY: Mean Fiddler Hotel - Rouse Hill DUNHILL BLUES: Town & Country, St Peters DUST feat, MR DORRIS, BEN KORBEL, JAMES TAYLOR, ALLEY OOP: World Bar Kings X ELIXIR feat. KATIE NOONAN, DAYNA KURTZ: 505, 280 Cleveland St Surry Hills
FLAP!, COPE STREET PARADE: Camelot Lounge - Marrickville
CARAMEL: Castle Hill RSL - Cocktail Lounge
DAN BEAZLEY: South Leagues Club
DIESEL: Lizottes, Kincumber
FIONA LEIGH-JONES DUO: Harbord Beach Hotel - Harbord
LAWRENCE BAKER: Sir Joseph Banks Hotel - Botany
DAMPVAMP, SPIRIT VALLEY, DANGER DANNYS, FINN BAULCH, MOON AGE DJs, ALVIN: Oxford Art Factory - Gallery
DAVID AGIUS: Harbord Beach Hotel - Harbord
GIG OF THE WEEK
LUKE DIXON TRIO: Rock Lily - The Star Casino - Pyrmont MAD SEASON: South Hurstville RSL MANDI JARRY: Brewhouse Pub Marayong MARC ANTONA: The Spice Cellar - Sydney MARK COREY, DORA D DUO: Mean Fiddler Hotel - Rouse Hill MARK DA COSTA: Marlborough Hotel - Newtown MATT JONES: Castle Hill RSL - The Terrace
GOOD EVANS IT’S XMAS feat, BOB EVANS, ADALITA: Lizottes, Dee Why
BOB EVANS AND ADALITA
One dark and wintery night, Bob Evans aka Kevin Mitchell aka Jebediah frontman decided to make Christmas a not so silent night, and has teamed up with Adalita to create a new and unique Xmassy music experience. You can catch some new and old tunes from the pair, along with some duets (both Yuletide and non-seasonal themed) performed together. We know that neither of these artists need much of an introduction, being stalwarts of the live scene, so expect to be blown away and perhaps filled with the spirit of Christmas in Good Evans It’s Xmas! You can check the pair out Thursday at Lizotte’s Kincumber, Friday at Notes, Saturday at Lizotte’s Newcastle and Sunday at Lizotte’s Dee Why. And, as an extra special treat, if you download the iPad version of Drum, you get a bonus special Xmas video they’ve done, rehearsing Must Be Santa! MATT SEABERG: Stacks Taverna - Darling Harbour MENTAL AS ANYTHING, GIRLS ARE GODS: Brass Monkey - Cronulla MICKEY PYE: Ettamogah Htl - Afternoon MICKEY PYE: Observer Htl - Early MIDNIGHTMAN, PSYBERIA, THE STRINGSMITHS, KIRRAKAMERE: Valve Bar - Tempe (Early)
RAMSHACKLE, HOW TO SURVIVE A BULLFIGHT, THE DOUBLE CROSSERS, JEKYLL: Live House Lewisham REGGAE GOT SOUL feat, KING TIDE, OLLIE BROWN: Great Northern Hotel - Newcastle RENAE KEARNEY: Menu 33, Novotel - Rooty Hill
STORMCELLAR: Royal Hotel - Bondi TERRY BATU: Bulldog Club - Belmore THE AUSTRALIAN PINK SHOW: Bull & Bush - Baulkham Hills THE AVOS: Carousel Inn Rooty Hill
ROB HENRY: Northies Cronulla Hotel- Sport Bar
THE BLACKEYED SUSANS CHRISTMAS SHOW, HOLIDAY SIDEWINDER (BRIDEZILLA): The Vanguard - Newtown
ROB HENRY: Observer Hotel - Afternoon
THE BLUES PIRATES: Bald Rock Hotel - Rozelle
MOJO JUJU, STEVE SMYTH: Clarendon Guest House - Katoomba
ROBIN LEE SINCLAIR BAND: Marrickville Bowling Club
THE CHURCH, FUTURE, PAST PERFECT TOUR: Enmore Theatre
MOONLIGHT DRIVE: Bay Hotel
ROBIN LEE SINCLAIR BAND: Petersham Bowling Club - Afternoon
THE DOORS EXPERIENCE: Dundas Sports Club
MIKE MATHIESON, CHRIS ALEXANDER: Dooley’s, Lidcombe
MUDDY FEET: The Belvedere Hotel - Sydney NICKY KURTA DUO: Northies Cronulla Htl NO MORE GAPS: Stag & Hunter Hotel OMG!, DJ SONIC: Belmore Hotel Newcastle ONE HIT WONDERS: Blacktown RSL Celebrity Room PAUL SUN, ALEX COMPTON, MONIQUE LYSIAK: Kirribilli General Markets - Kirribilli PEABODY, SUPER BEST FRIENDS, SISTER JANE: Town Hall Hotel - Newtown PEACHY: Penrith RSL, Castle Lounge PHIL SPILLER: Artichoke Café Manly PLEDGE THIS!, RESIST THE THOUGHT: Factory Theatre PROFESSOR GROOVE & THE BOOTY AFFAIR: Blue Beat - Double Bay RAISE THE CRAZY, SPIRIT VALLEY, DEVINE ELECTRIC: Spectrum - Darlinghurst
ROAD CREW: Peachtree Hotel - Penrith
RUBICON: Warners at the Bay SFX feat., HOPELESS, ENDLESS HEIGHTS, ONE VITAL WORD, HEARTS LIKE WOLVES: St James Hotel - Sydney
THE FABULOUS RHYTHM CATS: Overlander Hotel Cambridge Park THE PINKS: 505, 280 Cleveland St Surry Hills
SHARRON BOWMAN: Engadine RSL
THE RETURN OF COOL, SIMPLY BUSHED: Town & Country, St Peters
SINGLED OUT: Orient Hotel - The Rocks
THE ROAD RUNNERS: Matraville RSL
SMOKING PONIES, + FRIENDS: Beach Rd Htl (Rex Room) Bondi
THE SILVERTOPS TRIO: Kro Bar, East Leagues Club, Bondi Junction
SONGS ON STAGE feat., SARAH CHARLES, SIMON MARRABLE, CAROLYN WOODORTH, + GUESTS: Picton Bowling Club
THUNDERSTRUCK-AC/ DC SHOW: Albion Park Bowling Club
SONGS ON STAGE feat., BILL KNIGHT, HELMUT UHLMANN, + GUESTS: Terrey Hills Tavern - Terrey Hills SOSUEME XMAS PARTY feat, POLAR KNIGHTS, TOKYO DENMARK SWEDEN, FURNACE & THE FUNDAMENTALS, COUPLES, MACLEAN: Oxford Art Factory STEVE EDMONDS BAND: Orana Hotel - Blacksmiths
THUNDERSTRUCK-AC/ DC SHOW, SHADOW BOXER - THE ANGELS SHOW: Albion Park Hotel - Albion Park TIM FREEDMAN, THE IDLE, GOSSLING: Metro Theatre TIME MACHINE: Penrith Gaels - Kingswood TOM T DUO: Bankstown Sports Club TONY WILLIAMS: Kirribilli Hotel - Kirribilli TRILOGY: Yardhouse - Haymarket
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WENDY MATTHEWS: Grafton District Services Club WHAM! feat., BKCA (BASS KLEPH & CHRIS ARNOTT), JAMES TAYLOR, TRENT RACKUS, HANNAH GIBBS, BRENDAN FING, MITCH CROSHER, FOUNDATION, RENO: World Bar Kings X
GTS: Coogee Bay Hotel - Beach Bar HARBOUR MASTERS: Collaroy Beach Hotel HORNET: South Leagues Club JIM OVEREND: Orana Hotel - Blacksmiths JJ DUO: Gymea Bay Hotel JUNGLE FEVER feat, RITUAL, ALF, LUCIAN, KING B, + SPECIAL GUESTS: The Sugar Lounge - Manly KELLY HOPE: Tall Timbers Hotel Ourimbah, Central Coast KIRK BURGESS: Oatley Hotel (afternoon) - Oatley
ROCKER FELLERS: Beauford Hotel - Mayfield RUSSELL NELSON: Parramatta Leagues - Firehouse SONGS ON STAGE feat., SARAH CHARLES, DAVID CHRISTOPHER, CALLUM WYLIE, LE TRIO DE LEE CASS, HELMUT UHLMANN: Hotel William - Darlinghurst SONGWRITERS & OPEN MIC NIGHT, BILL KNIGHT, RUSSELL NEAL, + GUESTS: Avalon Beach RSL SOUL SHAKEDOWN DJ’s: Great Northern Hotel - Newcastle STEVE EDMONDS BAND: Premier Hotel, Broadmeadow SYDNEY BLUES SOCIETY: Botany View Hotel - Newtown THE BAD BAD THINGS: Duke of Wellington Hotel THE GENERATORS: Riverstone Sports Hotel - Riverstone THE LOUISIANA ROADSHOW: Brass Monkey - Cronulla THE RADIATORS: Heathcote Hotel THE ROAD RUNNERS, MISSING LINK, DONI RAVEN, THE BLACKJACK WOLFPACK: Sandringham Hotel, upstairs
WILDCATZ: 3 Wise Monkeys Pub - City
LACHY DOLEY: Old Manly Boatshed - Manly
YUKI KUMAGAI, JOHN MACKIE: Wellco Café & Wine Bar - Leichhardt
LJ: Waverley Bowling Club
THE SLOWDOWNS: Sandringham Hotel (afternoon)
LYALL MOLONEY: Rock Lily - The Star Casino - Pyrmont
TOM TRELAWNY: 3 Swallows Hotel - Bankstown
MARTY STEWART: Oscars Hotel - Pyrmont
WHISKY ANGELS 4: Woollahra Hotel - Woollahra
YUM: Kingswood Sports Club
SUN 18 24 STRINGS: Warners at the Bay AM 2 PM DUO: Cronulla RSL ANDY MAMMERS TRIO: Mean Fiddler Hotel, Sub Bar - Rouse Hill ANTOINE: O’Malleys Hotel, Kings Cross BARBS: Forest Café - Green Point BENN GUNN: Peachtree Hotel - Penrith BLUES SUNDAY feat., MARK HOPPER: Artichoke Café Manly BRAD STRUT, DIALECTRIX, HYJAK, DJ ASK: The Gaelic - Surry Hills CELL BLOCK 69: Oxford Art Factory, Live Art Space CHRISTMAS IN AFRICA feat, AFRO MOSES, & 14 PIECE BAND: Lizottes, Newcastle COOL CHANGE: Charlestown Bowling Club CRAIG THOMMO: Heathcote Hotel, Afternoon DAN BEAZLEY: Royal Federal Hotel DAVE WHITE DUO: Northies Cronulla Htl
MATT PRICE: Summer Hill Hotel - Summer Hill MATT TOMS: The Belvedere Hotel - Sydney MICKEY PYE DUO: Albion Hotel-Parramatta MIKE BENNETT: Observer Htl - Early MOJO JUJU MOFO CHRISTMAS SHOW, STEVE SMYTH, + GUESTS: The Vanguard - Newtown NICKY KURTA, WHITE BROTHERS DUO: Ettamogah Hotel - Rouse Hill PETE HUNT: Kro Bar, East Leagues Club, Bondi Junction PETE HUNT: Rose Bay Hotel - Rose Bay PETER NORTHCOTE, DANNY MARX YOUNG: Bridge Hotel - Rozelle RECKLESS: Northies Cronulla Htl- Sport Bar REVEL: 3 Wise Monkeys Pub - City RICH & FAMOUS, DANIEL ARVIDSON: Belmont 16ft Sailing Club ROB HENRY, TOMMY PICKETT: Observer Htl - Afternoon
YUKI KUMAGAI, JOHN MACKIE, TONY BURKYS, PAUL FURNISS, BOB GILLESPIE: Central Coast Leagues ZOLTAN: Malabar RSL ZOLTAN: Penrith Panthers - Terrace Bar
MON 19 DAVE POWER: Mercantile Hotel - The Rocks GREG COFFIN TRIO: 505, 280 Cleveland St Surry Hills MANDI JARRY: Coogee Bay Hotel - Beach Bar SONGS ON STAGE feat., SARAH CHARLES, THE WILDBLOODS, RUSSELL NEAL, + GUESTS: Kellys on King - Newtown THE BLACK SORROWS, JAMES CHADBURN: Lizottes, Kincumber ZAC SLATER: Observer Htl
LIVE 16 CROSS ST DOUBLE BAY BAR
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JAMES MORRISON
VINCE JONES
Australia’s number one jazz attraction, a true virtuoso, swinging into Xmas with special guest vocalist Emma Pask. Dinner-&-show or show-only tix.
It’s fair to say that Vince Jones is unique. Blessed with an unnaturally subtle gift for nuance in even a single note, his interpretations of other songwriters’ material never re-visit previous versions. His own songs - words and music - are inspired by his love of 60s soul music and politically aware folk and rock as much as jazz. A socially conscious lyric often rides on a deeply swinging or grooving rhythm, and the effect is as powerful and engaged as the work of any songwriter operating today. He’s helped in no small part by his extremely experienced band, together now for a decade or more, featuring Matt McMahon (piano), James Muller (guitar), Simon Barker (drums) and Ben Waples (bass).
THURS 15 DEC
WWW.BLUEBEAT.COM.AU
THURS 22 DEC
COMING SOON
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WEDNESDAY 14 & 21 DEC An illicit blend of 1940s Americana, torch songs, burlesque and crime-jazz. Off-kilter conceptual jazz noir for the striptease cocktail lounge.
PROFESSOR GROOVE & THE BOOTY AFFAIR
FRIDAYS AND SATURDAYS IN DEC Funk, soul, boogie and dance grooves every weekend in December - a guaranteed 48 Hours of Raw Funk Power starting 10pm Friday nights and finishing late and sweat drenched in the small hours of Sunday morning. With a stellar selection of guest singers and musicians every week. Can you handle the funk?
EDDI READER (UK)
ONLY SYDNEY CLUB DATE
THURS 22 MAR EARLY BIRD TIX ON SALE NOW
KITCHEN OPEN LATE FRIS AND SATS
DELICIOUS LATE NIGHT TAPAS THE DRUM MEDIA • 69
BEHIND THE LINES JUST THE THREE OF US
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BEHIND THE LINES WITH MICHAEL SMITH BTL@STREETPRESS.COM.AU
LYRIC WRITING MASTERCLASS
Pat Pattison, who is a Professor at the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Massachusetts, where he teaches lyric writing and poetry, is presenting a weekend seminar titled Songwriting Without Boundaries, 10am through 4pm Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 January at the JMC Academy Surry Hills campus, during which he will show writers how to integrate object writing into their own songwriting. The weekend costs $250 and you can register for a place at the CMC Productions website., Monday 16 the Academy hosts a further session on rewriting, 6.30-10.30pm, this session costing $125. For full details check out the aforementioned website, APRA or the JMC Academy. APRA members also get a chance to gain some insights into the mysteries of songwriting free 6.30-8pm Thursday 12 at the APRA office in Ultimo and can submit a song for Pattison to dissect for you via info@cmcproductions.com.au.
WOY WOY SHOOL HOLS WORKSHOPS
The Woy Woy School Of Music will be presenting two workshops Sunday 15 January at Woy Woy Leagues Club. The guitar workshop will be run by Rose Tattoo guitarist Dai Pritchard, whose CV includes a stint with the late Billy Thorpe, while the songwriting workshop will be presented by his partner, singer, songwriter and country artist Lianna Rose, who won the 2009 Golden Saddle Awards for Excellence and Rising Female Artist. For further information and to book a place, call the School on (02) 4344 5809.
GIBSON GUITAR ACQUIRES STANTON PLATFORM
As part of its continued expansion as a lifestyle brand, Gibson Guitar has created a pro audio division through the acquisition of the platform assets of the Stanton Group. One of the oldest, most widely recognised and respected designers and marketers of audio products, Stanton Group is comprised of KRK Systems, Cerwin-Vega! and Stanton DJ. Together, the companies will form Gibson Pro Audio Division, which will be headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee. The closing of this acquisition marks Gibson’s further expansion into the pro audio market with loudspeaker, monitor and electronics technology. In addition, Stanton Group gives Gibson the ability to leverage its existing research and development base.
SOUND BYTES
Determined to recreate the warm analogue sounds of their classic albums, Kiss took themselves into Conway Studios in West Hollywood to cut their forthcoming album, Monster, due mid-2012, on 24-track tape using an old Trident sound desk and as many tube amps as possible. Gene Simmons produced the album with Greg Collins. Best known for his work in the ‘70s with James Taylor and Linda Ronstadt, producer Peter Asher has produced the new album, Area 52, from Rodrigo Y Gabriela at Abdala Studios in Havana, with a Cuban orchestra. The eighth studio album, Enslaved, from Soulfly, due in March, was recorded at Tallcat Studios in Phoenix, Arizona, with coproducer Zeuss (Shadows Fall, Hatebreed, The Red Chord), and frontman Max Cavalera. Melbourne four-piece Waverley recorded their album, Challenger, with producer Craig Harnath (Franz Ferdinand, Jet, Motor Ace) and Matt O’Connor (Silverchair, Sparkadia, Magic Dirt), with Jez Giddings (Red Ink) mixing and Jack The Bear (Silverchair, Eskimo Joe) mastering. Melbourne three-piece The Peep Tempel recorded their forthcoming debut album at Sing Sing Studios with producer Clinton Kraus, Casey Rice (Tortoise, Dirty Three) then mixing it before Joseph Cara mastered it at Crystal Mastering. Having found that the recording they’d made at a professional studio on the Gold Coast just wasn’t cutting it, Canberra four-piece Lavers re-recorded the guitars and various other parts in a couple of takes at a paint warehouse in Albion Park, the makeshift studio of fellow musician and mixer, Dan Beazley, for their EP, The Street Is A Symphony. Now featuring Ben Franz from The Waifs, who also engineered the sessions, The Stillsons, based in Thornbury, recorded their latest and selfproduced album, Earnest, at their home, then called in Craig Pilkington (The Killjoys, Shane Howard) to mix and master it at Audrey Studios. 70 • THE DRUM MEDIA
GOING IN TO CUT THEIR NEW ALBUM, ODD SOUL, NEW ORLEANS THREEPIECE MUTEMATH SET THEMSELVES A VERY SPECIFIC AGENDA, AS MICHAEL SMITH DISCOVERS.
L
ocking themselves away in singer and keyboards player Paul Meany’s home studio in New Orleans, Mutemath were determined that nothing and no one would influence what they were going to create. The plan was, in Meany’s words, “No camera guys, no producers, no engineers, no record label people, no management. No one would hear or comment on what we were doing until we were done.” On the line from Lansing, Michigan, in the middle of a tour, Meany explains what the band did in recording the new album, Odd Soul, which has what can only be described as this extraordinary shimmering sonic fingerprint across it that gives it a very distinctive sound. “Well,” Meany begins, “necessity is the mother of invention in our case most of the time but especially with this record, the only place we had available was my house and we kinda just put together all the equipment that we have accumulated over the years of playing in a number of bands or whatever we’ve bought and have found along the way and put it all together in my house and just tried to use it the best we can, converting my dining room into a drum room and my bedroom into a control room, just used half my house and recorded for about six or seven months. My wife was extremely tolerant, but that was it – pretty makeshifty. “We did most of the tracking into a Roland 2480 and then we also used Logic on a laptop to do more recording and editing, stuff like that, and between those two mediums, that’s how we tracked the whole record.” The VS-2480 is Roland’s best-selling 24-track workstation, the first such self-contained workstation in fact to offer 24-track/24-bit digital recording with 64-channel digital mixing, along with onboard effects, processing and optional CD burning. It includes 17 motorised faders, a VGA monitor output, a mouse and ASCII keyboard inputs, and allows 16-track simultaneous recording with 384 v-tracks. As it happens, the recording wasn’t entirely digital. “We used old four-track and two-track tape machines, but only to go through, to get the electronic sound of it but we didn’t actually run the tape – cleaning tape, that’s too much work, but we can run it through the electronics and kind of get some of that grit.”
That shimmering quality to the sound of the album, Meany contends, is down to the 2480: “That’s one of the things I really love about the sound of it. The compressor on that thing is really great and they do a certain thing, and since we started recording with Mutemath, we always use that thing that the 2480 does for something on the record; a lot of time with the drums, but just other certain things that we really like – suits the music.” Forming in 2003, Meany, originally with guitarist Greg Hill, bass player Roy Mitchell-Cardenas and drummer Darren King, released their first EP, Reset, late in 2004, followed in 2006 by their eponymous debut album, coproduced by the band and Tedd Tjornhorn and recorded in Nashville. The second album, Armistice, followed in 2009. Odd Soul, written entirely in the studio as they went, is their first album recorded without guitarist Hill, with Mitchell-Cardenas playing the guitar parts instead. “That gave Roy a chance to, in my opinion, really blossom as more of a key part of this band. He’s a fantastic guitar player and admittedly he’s the best musician in this band – he always has been – so the fact that now there was this new opportunity, the guitar was just sittin’ on the shelf, and Roy was just a ball of inspiration. The guitar was a new instrument for all of us. At some point Darren and myself, we picked it up and it just became a refreshing part of this band.” Since the release of the album, Todd Gummerman has joined the band on guitar. As to the songwriting process with regards to Odd Soul, “We do our share of jamming, but we actually have most success when a song starts with Darren,
and what Darren does is he usually puts together these electronic sort of instrumental tracks, some very simple, some extremely elaborate, but just something that has some resemblance to a musical idea that we kind of build off of from there, and we’ll either jam to that or I’ll write a vocal for that and we just then unearth the process. Our songs are usually fairly revision-heavy; we like experimenting, like chasing rabbits and try this, try that, and we’ll go on that journey for a while until we feel like a song’s done.” The decision not to use a coproducer for Odd Soul was part necessity – not having the money to afford one – but, as Meany explains, “even if we did have the money, we didn’t have the will this time so it just worked itself out fine. The thing that we really did differently on this record was to tell everyone to just leave us alone. I think the last record got really convoluted with a lot of opinions, for one from the producers – we had multiple producers – from the record company through management, even to we were posting cryptic ideas on our website, doing video blogs, you know, and fans were weighing in on some of the songs that were coming together, so we got all this pool of conflicting opinions on what you’re working on and it really convolutes the process. We found our way through it but we knew we did not wanna do that again. So the idea of creating isolation for ourselves and the only three guys that were going to be involved were the three guys in the band was really refreshing. We just followed that train all the way home.” Mutemath’s Odd Soul album is out now on Teleprompt/Warner Bros.
STUDIO PROFILE What’s the studio set up you have there equipment-wise? Our philosophy is that it’s all about the capture. We use the best mics, preamps and front end and capture it all in high resolution digital formats. The evergrowing mic locker includes models from Shure, AKG, Neumann, Rode and Sennheiser. Pre amplifiers from API, Avalon, RME, Focusrite and Universal Audio all are recorded through RME converters in the mac running your choice of either Logic Pro, Pro Tools or Cubase. The software is accessed by a large moving fader control surface setup by Mackie and multiple large LCD screens. We also feature a huge sample library and virtual instrument collection – Ivory, BFD2, VSL etc, and a real Prophet 08 synth. We mix in the box using a full suite of UAD plugins among others. Main monitors are currently Mackie HR824.All of that said it’s not as much about the gear as it is about talented and experienced personnel and excellent sounding acoustic spaces. Both of which we have an abundance of. Any tips for artists entering a studio for the first time? If you work with a drummer make sure he/she is really good at playing with a click track. The group should rehearse using a click track to the drummer using headphones. Don’t rehearse at loud volume, it’s too easy to miss musical problems. Record your rehearsals! Even just with a phone. You’ll learn a lot about what’s not working. Which notable artists have worked at the studio? Many from the ‘80s to the current day. Tommy Emmanuel, Savage Garden, The Radiators, Mark Williams, Bertie Blackman, Sick Puppies. Who do you have on staff and what’s their background in the industry? Myself: Owner, head producer/engineer, composer, arranger, musician and educator. For more than 25 years I’ve had a long and fertile career with some of the best in the business wearing many different hats:
Musician, composer/songwriter, engineer, producer. Apart from me there’s a constantly revolving door of Australia’s best musicians, engineers, producers and artists on a job by job basis. Analogue vs digital – discuss. There’s a large amount of myth and misinformation surrounding this issue. “Analogue” sound is all about certain types of signal colouration - “Low order harmonic distortion”. Prior to the last five years or so this desirable colouration was only obtainable via high-end analogue circuits - pre amps, compressors, some mixing consoles, valves, analogue tape machines. That’s why in the digital studio we care so much about high-end microphones, preamps and front-end capture. For mixing, recent plugins from makers like Universal Audio and a few others have captured that colouration very well and in the hands of experienced users it gives us all the benefits of analogue colouration as a creative choice and few of the drawbacks. Can bands bring in their own engineer or do they have to solely use a house engineer? We’re completely flexible. BYO or let us do it for you. Is the studio capable of holding a full band at once for recording? It depends on the band. For a typical four/ five-piece rock band yes. We have one big space and up to three isolation booths. We’re an impoverished indie band – do you offer any deals for acts in our situation? We offer great deals for starting out and unsigned bands and artists. Once you’ve made that great recording we can then provide introductions to many established people you’ll need to be successful. Managers, promoters, publicists, lawyers... Call for details. Do you have any in-house instruments at the studio acts can use, or is it totally BYO? Apart from having a fantastic range of all kinds of keyboard sounds at no extra charge we can hire
themusic.com.au
in anything we need. We feel it provides a much broader choice for our clients this way instead of having just one drum kit or a couple of guitar amps and guitars lying around which are hired to clients at extra cost anyway. We have a great relationship with several businesses for this. What’s the access to the studio like with regards to parking, flat load, etc? There’s parking on site for about five cars and unrestricted parking in the street. You can drive right up to the doorstep for load in/out. Working in the studio can be arduous and we’ll need a break – what are the amenities in the local area? There are great food shops about ten minutes walk or short drive away. Nearest pub is the Narrabeen Sands. There are even beautiful beaches within five minutes’ walk. The studio location is amazing, high on the hill with some ocean views but with an “in the forest” feel. The property also has beautiful grounds and gardens for chilling. We make excellent espresso, have a small kitchen for clients to access and can even provide catering for the most discerning foodie. What are your contact details? (02) 80654666 or 0413607234 - Paul Najar www.jaminajar.com
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STUDIOS
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RECORDING STUDIOS 10/161-163 SOUTH CREEK ROAD DEE WHY NSW 2099 PH: 02 9981 1489
To All our clients, a Merry Christmas and best wishes for the festive season. We look forward to working with you in 2012!
REHEARSAL STUDIOS
CD Replication 500/1000 500/1000 CD in Jewel Case with 8 page booklet and rear inlay Full colour, proofs, delivery and GST included $765/ $1320 500/1000 CD in Digi Pack with clear tray Full colour with matt cello or UV gloss finish, proofs, delivery and GST included $1270/ $1700 500/1000 CD in Card Sleeve Full colour $710/ $1050
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Barcoding available $44.00 inc www.AcmeMusic.com.au KevinW@AcmeMusic.com.au 07 3107 1688 - 02 9008 1177 THE DRUM MEDIA â&#x20AC;˘ 71
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Pre-Order your copy of AMID #47 now! Complete this coupon and return to Dharma Media Pty Ltd, PO Box 1079, Richmond North VIC 3121 or fax to 03 9421 1011 or scan and email to accounts@streetpress.com.au Pre-Orders will dispatched in the week commencing December 5, 2011 Name: Address: Suburb:
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XMAS STOCKING FILLERS!!!! D'ADDARIO XL ELECTRIC GUITAR STRINGS 10 PACK- $53.99. FREE SHIPPING!! THAT'S $5.39 A SET!! D'ADDARIO EJ ACOUSTIC GUITAR STRINGS 10 PACK- $71.99. FREE SHIPPING!! THAT'S $7.19 A SET!! D'ADDARIO XL BASS STRINGS TWIN PACK- $44.99. THAT'S $22.50 A SET!!
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Employment Administration DISCOVER JAZZ WORKSHOP Are you classically trained and have an interest in JAZZ? VOCAL/WIND/STRING PLAYERS WELCOME Join our band to discover jazz Contact mpc910@yahoo.com.au or ring David 9807 8866 iFlogID: 16594
dj available- anytime www.djzokithefab.com -0416306340 for any dj service club or home or birthday call anytime-GET A REAL DJ NOT MP3 PLAYER OR CRAPPY DOWNLOAD.......VINYL DJ ROCKS iFlogID: 16089
DRUM KIT WANTED or cymbals, snares etc. Also interested in anything vintage, ph 0419760940 iFlogID: 13226
Drummer wanted for Sydney Grunge Band. In Carlingford/Paramatta area 24 years and under. Influences: Silverchair, Nirvana, AIC, Sabbath etc Contact Daniel on 0403 885 433 for more info and demos. iFlogID: 13938
Drummer Wanted Sydney based power rock band needs drummer. influences AC/DC to Motorhead, Nirvana to Zepplin. Call Rob 0427 909 835 or Marco 0410 296 627
Ampeg V-7 Guitar Amp
This head packs 100 watts of tube driven old school tone. In good condition and recently serviced. A great guitar amp with a unique and variable tone that will allow you to stand right out from the pack!! $800 ono. Call Michael on 0406655153. iFlogID: 16621
Bass amplifer (head only) Ashton BA150. As new, plenty of volume. Good quality sound. $240 0434475785 iFlogID: 16680
Customised 50W Guitar Amp Covered in Fluffy Orange material. Looks awesome onstage. Great sound. HC50R Hardcore Combo with a new 100W speaker in it. $175 ono. 0405441838 iFlogID: 16672
Peavey 600 watt Bass Amplifier. Amazing sound but a bit heavy. Excellent condition. $390 0434475785 iFlogID: 16684
Bass Bass guitar 4 string. Fender copy. UK made, all white with Rosewood Fretboard. Perfect action, good sound. $135 0434475785 iFlogID: 16682
Music Services Duplication/ Mastering CD MANUFACTURING:Acme is Australias best price CD manufacturer. 500 CD package = $765.05: 1000 CD package = $1320.00 Short run also available. www.AcmeMusic.com.au KevinW@AcmeMusic.com.au iFlogID: 13117
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Hire Services For as low as $100, you get a professional sound/pa mixer system with operator for the evening. Suitable for weddings, pub/clubs band gigs, private parties etc. Infovision@yayabings. com.au. Contact Chris 0419272196 iFlogID: 15173
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QUALITY PA HIRE with friendly, experienced operator. Vocal systems to full band rigs. All with lighting and at great rates. Corporate entertainment specialist. Graham 0418 423 463 platonic@bigpond.com iFlogID: 14573
Sound Hire. Systems to suit your needs for parties ,bands,ipod to full band systems let me look after your event from $65 pickup or delivered and setup Neville 0413802337 iFlogID: 14518
From Simple Pub Systems to Large Clubs and Functions, we have the Best Gear at the Best Prices in Sydney. All Systems with Experienced and Friendly Operators. 9456 3124 sydneyhire@gmail.com iFlogID: 15472 Sydney PA Hire: Best quality equipment, small to large 2, 3 and 4 way systems, packages for all occasions, competitive prices servicing Sydney and environs. Details; http://www.sydneypa.biz, Chris 0432 513 479 iFlogID: 13943
Photography Band photographer available for Sydney bands looking to stand out and impress! I am an independent and experienced photographer who has a passion for photography and music. Can help with promotional, artistic or live shots. Contact sydneyrockphotography@gmail.com for more info! iFlogID: 15867
Good with your hands? Private massage job available $50/hr no experience necessary (sorry no dudes) anyway send your number and maybe a photo to partyfun@live.com
Image is everything! If you have a band wanting to get ahead let me capture the next gig. High quality pictures say everything. http://www.flickriver.com/photos/senrabyor/ Korakin Photography 0414 243 811
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GUITARIST WANTED FOR BLUES / SOUTHERN ROCK BAND BASED IN HAWKESBURY AREA. COVERS FROM BLACK CROWES, SYNYRD, SRV, ZZ TOP, DOOBIES. BACK UP VOX ESSENTIAL. STEVE 0404959756, SCOTT 0416256471 iFlogID: 16388
PRESS & EDITORIAL PROMOTIONAL WRITING Magazine Articles, PR & Media Writer I create COPY for CREATIVE INDUSTRIES Extensive Media Contact List (NATIONAL & OVERSEAS) Call Miss Pixie B, 0450 831 592 iFlogID: 16718
DJ Equipment PIONEER CDJ900’s AVAILABLE NOW I bought these babies and they are in pristine condition as I barely used them. I am a Rock n Roll girl at heart & had to learn the expensive way ; ) The dex are in Melbourne, so if you can pick them up from there, they are yours at a negotiable price PRACTICALLY BRAND NEW Call 0450 831 592 iFlogID: 16716
WAVELENGTH RECORDING. $350/day (BYOE) $550/day (Eng inc). Best Value for money. Guaranteed international quality. SSL console. Acoustically acurate mixing and recording. Freelance Engineers & Producers welcome. Free Assistance. Ph 0404066645
DRUM KIT WANTED or cymbals, snares etc. Also interested in anything vintage. Ph 0419760940
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SECOND HAND DRUMS FOR SALE 5 piece Magnum kit, copper colour good condition suit beginners $150 o.n.o call after 5pm Mark 0422 173 728
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Mastering Audio Mastering, mixing, recording. CD-R music & data duplication, cover artwork, colour disc printing, online global distribution. Full studio package deal for EP or full album projects. Enquiries ph: 02 98905578 iFlogID: 15156 Audio Mastering, mixing, recording. CD-R music & data duplication, cover artwork, colour disc printing, online global distribution. Full studio package deal for EP or full album projects. Enquiries ph: 02 98905578 iFlogID: 15162
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We’re looking for outgoing people to promote Sydney’s hottest alternative nightclub, Killer. For your free starter pack contact: olivia@tarantulamusic. com.au iFlogID: 16713
Sales & Marketing People needed to send eMails offering a new music Book for sale. Must have own computer - payment by commission via Paypal. Contact Bill on (02) 9807-3137 or eMail: nadipa1@ yahoo.com.au iFlogID: 13289
Self-Employment
Guitars Fender Pink Paisley Strat. genuine 1980’s.all original.in case.great tone/action/condition.very rare.$1500 ono. Ph.0428744963.Cooroy iFlogID: 13027
Dean Vendetta. 24 fret, floyd rose, locking nut, super low action - Absolute BEAST of a guitar! Great for shredding. $400 Call Ben 0405441838 iFlogID: 16676
Gibson Robot Explorer! Self Tuning Guitar! $2500 0405441838 iFlogID: 16670
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For Sale Amps Peavey Bandit 80watt 12” guitar combo 2 channel.footswitchable.great fat tone. reverb/saturation etc.USA made.VGC.$350. Ph.0428744963. Cooroy iFlogID: 13019
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Guitar for Sale: Martin & Co DX1 brand new acoustic guitar with hard case - $650.00. Call after 3pm on 0434 613 891.
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Posters After killer design for your poster! its our specialty! @RedEngine its all about artwork that packs punch! Check out our vast gallery of past projects at www.redenginegraphics.com.au
Zildjian K crash cymbals. 18” K Dark thin brand new in plastic bag, $290. 16” K Dark thin brand new in plastic bag, $275. Ph 0419760940
WRITER NEEDED. Architecture / Building magazine. Casual/Part-Time. $80 per 600 words- Can work from home but must have computer/email access etc. To apply email: ancr@ancr.com.au
Film & Stage
ROD HUNT PHOTOGRAPHY Experienced photographer specialising in live music photography, promotional photography for bands, portraiture and events. High quality, creative photos at affordable rates. Email rod@rodhunt.com.au for a quote. Or call 0415326721. www.rodhunt.com.au iFlogID: 16648
Sydney-based producer with multiple industry contacts and experience in both band recordings and electronic/ midi sampling. Affordable rates for radioready recordings. I’m aware that you’re looking for the best result for the lowest investment, give me a call to discuss your requirements. Let me help you bring your musical vision to life! Call or email Joe Sharratt for enquiries: 0416 321 209 sharratt.j@gmail.com
iFlogID: 16556
Schecter Diamond Series S1. SG style electric guitar, pearl inlays w/white trim. Cherry thin body w/black scratch guard. 2 Gibson dirty finger pick ups - $750. Call after 3pm ph:0434613-891. iFlogID: 16626
Yamaha 12 String Acoustic. Beautiful Guitar great sound. $250 ono. Call Ben 0405441838 iFlogID: 16674
Other 2001 Toyota Corolla 4 Door Sedan Black. 157000KMs. $7000 Call Ben 0405441838 iFlogID: 16678
PA Equipment Australian Monitor 1k2 Power Amplifier 600W plus 600W. Two available: one $550 other $440. Currently used at Princess Theatre, Brisbane. Also available Australian Monitor F300 foldback wedges. 0400 404 919 iFlogID: 16723
With the friendliest and best value mastering in the business we exist to serve you and your music. > Your audio will pass delicately through over $50,000 worth of the best valve and solid state outboard equipment on earth, under the microscope of a monitoring system and acoustic environment worth double this again, and more importantly, will be... > Utilising a skilled engineer working with numerous Indie and Major Record Labels, including EMI Music, Silverback Records and Liquid US, with credits from major artists such as FAKER, The Art, Papa Vs Pretty, Melody Black & ex members of The Sex Pistols, Blondie, The Cult and The Ramones. > Our pricing is fixed and includes the provision of a Master Red-Book CD, Master DDP DVD, Master Reference CD and a high resolution project archive. > Plus, you are more than welcome to attend the mastering session! > Song - $80 / EP - $320 / Album - $600 > Contact us at; info@the-butler.com /or/ 0403 435 686 /or/ www.the-butler.com > Do your music, and your wallet a favour and drop us a line. iFlogID: 16668
Other ++ play more chinese music - love, tenzenmen ++ www.tenzenmen.com iFlogID: 14468 Get your Band or Business Online Cost effectively and PROFESSIONALLY - from $299 including Hosting and email addresses! Contact info@bizwebsites.com.au or see www. bizwebsites.com.au. iFlogID: 15452 Music publicity. Do you want to get noticed? Affordable exposure for your band by someone that actually cares! www.perfectlywrite.com. au Drop me a line! iFlogID: 15737
PA / Audio / Engineering P.A hire using top quality outboard gear; Lexicon, Allen & Heath, Sure 4.800, DBX drive-racks, 160SL compression, 4-way front-of-house, 3-way active fold-back. 30years+ experience in the music industry. 0414355763. iFlogID: 13264
iFlogID: 15160
Sean Carey - Producer
Have you got a song in your head? Music producer/multi-instrumentalist available for singers/songwriters. Experienced in arrangement, composition, performance and production. Affordable rates Greg 0425 210 742 iFlogID: 15478
MUSIC RECORDING COMPETITION
GL>>>>-GUITAR-LESSONS-<<<< Beginners-to-Advanced. Learn the JimiHendrix Led-Zeppelin Level of guitar playing, or just strum chords to sing songs. 1xFREE lesson-appraisal Beginners you are most welcome. Acoustic-Electric-Classical Guitar all styles. 0405-044-513.
NEW!
Options Categories
iFlogID: 16634
GUITAR LESSONS
SYDNEY HIRE for P.A and LIGHTS
Attention Musicians, Record Collectors, Universities, Libraries - new Book (print/cdROM/ direct download) compiling 100 years of popular music. GO TO www.plattersaurus.com website on how to buy. Enquiries: (02) 9807-3137 eMail: nadipa1@ yahoo.com.au
iFlogID: 16586
Recording Studio, Parramatta, $30hr casual rate. No kits! Singers, songwriters, instrumentalists for acoustic, world, classical genres specialist. 25+yrs exp, multi instrumentalist, arranger, composer, producer. Ph: 02 98905578, 7 days.
Print & Online Classifieds
Sean Carey (ex Thirsty Merc) is the In-House Producer/Engineer at TRACKDOWN Studios in Camperdown. Multi-platinum ARIA accredited Artist with over 10 years of production experience. Vintage guitars, microphones, gear and industry contacts! Get the most out of your songs! www.seancarey.com.au. Ph: 0424923888. iFlogID: 16426
SHORT STUDIOS Check out our fantastic package deals at www.shortstudios.net or simply phone us on 0404010553 or email us at info@shortstudios.net. iFlogID: 16355
Want to be a recording artist? We’re looking for singers/songwriters for recording & development. Contact studio@musicentourage.com or 02 4013 1977 iFlogID: 14616
Want to know what it takes to record a song? Book in an obligation free Q&A session in our recording studio at Five Dock. Visit www. musicentourage.com or email hookmeup@ musicentourage.com iFlogID: 14478
Rehearsal Rooms SWEETLEAF REHEARSAL STUDIO MTDRUITT open 7 days, 3 rooms, aircon, food & beverages, Flat lug, Parking, PA & Lighting Hire Call - 9832-8890 iFlogID: 14991
Tuition 5 STRING BANJO TUITION Up-Picking (Pete Seeger Style) and 3 Finger Picking (Scruggs Style). tel. John 0431953178 iFlogID: 16006
ANYONE CAN PLAY GUITAR
Learn guitar by Christmas - from beginers to professional - lessons & studio. All music skills taught one on one. Phone Chris Turner 9552 6663 guitardoctor@bigpond.com - www.big-rock. com.au/artists iFlogID: 16039
At STRINGS ‘N’ SKINS: You will find tuition for- Guitar, Bass, Drums, 5 String Banjo. Rock, Blues, Country, Jazz, Slide, Finger Picking, Music Theory. Sutherland Shire Contact Terry 0402 993 268 iFlogID: 16077
Beginners to Advanced Easy and Effective Singing lessong workshops include -Vocal scales - pitch and breathing excercises -singing and learning songs of choice -performance techniques -songwriting
NEW!
30 WORDS
With experienced and fully qualified tutor. Who has 20 years of studio and live performance. Most styles including Rock, Pop and Jazz. Learn to play your favourite songs, practical theory, improvisation, proper technique, etc. etc. Beginners to advanced are welcome. In the convenience of your own home. Good results guaranteed. Phone Oles on 0407413143 or email olesguitarlessons@yahoo.com iFlogID: 16481
FREE
D iFlogID: 13500
GUITAR TUITION by MAL EASTICK Guitar tuition customised to the individualall levels-beginners to professionals. Blues, rock, theory, equipment & tone my specialties. 39 years professional experience in tuition, gigging, recording, production, songwriting, arrangements, & consistent improvement. Central suburban Sydney location. Limited vacancies. Phone: 0407 461 093 - Email: mal@maleastick.com iFlogID: 15035
BOLD HEADING
BOLD HEADING
GUITAR TUITION Fingerstyle guitar, open tunings, slide, flat picking, improvisation, rock, country, blues, folk, celtic styles, music theory, arranging, ear training, singing, banjo and mandolin. PHONE JOHN: 0431953178 iFlogID: 16008
Lap steel & Guitar Lessons
Lap steel guitar/Dobro/Slide open tunings & standard guitar tuition by experienced live & recording musician. Let me get you playing great lap steel & slide quickly in any style. Beginner pedal steel lessons also available. Inner west location with relaxed & patient teacher. Phone Jeff 0412518070 iFlogID: 16612
iFlogID:
MUSIC RECORDING COMPETITION MUSICSTAGE.COM AND REC STUDIOS AT 301 CASTLEREAGH ST SYDNEY PRESENTS THIS FANTASTIC OPPORTUNITY WITH RECORD PRODUCER OF 19 TOP 10 HITS WORLDWIDE, JOHN HOLLIDAY. SIGN UP ON MUSICSTAGE.COM NOW TO ENTER. THIS EXCITING OPPORTUNITY WILL ALLOW 2 ARTIST WITH ORIGINAL SONGS TO DEVELOP RECORDING SKILLS AND ARRANGEMENTS TO A PROFESSIONAL LEVEL EXACTLY LIKE A RECORD COMPANY WOULD PRODUCE AN ARTIST. ONCE YOUR BAND OR ARTIST DETAILS ARE REGISTERED TO MUSICSTAGE YOU WILL BE ABLE TO UPLOAD YOUR YOUTUBE VIDEO PERFORMING THE SONG YOU WANT TO RECORD AND 2 ARTISTS WILL BE DRAWN TO WIN. COMPETITION CLOSES 20TH OF DECEMBER WITH RECORDINGS STARTING IN JANUARY ACT NOW TO RECORD IN ONE OF SYDNEY’S BEST STUDIOS ENTER NOW AND GET FREE EXPOSURE WITH OUR AUDIENCE OF OVER 20,000 PER MONTH ON MUSICSTAGE.COM iFlogID: 16457 Recording Studio, Parramatta, $30hr casual rate. No kits! Singers, songwriters, instrumentalists for acoustic, world, classical genres specialist. 25+yrs exp, multi instrumentalist, arranger, composer, producer. Ph: 02 98905578, 7 days.
iFlogID: 15519
Drummer and Drum Lessons Drum Lessons avaliable in Gladesville Teach all Levels, ages and experience. Played for 16 years. I studied at Billy Hydes Drumcraft, Obtained Dipolma in Drummming Mob: 0402 663 469 Michael iFlogID: 13703
500
iFlogID: 13500
iFlogID: 14503
Paramount Guitar Tuition. Learn to play the guitar. Or learn to compose &/or improvise on guitar. Most importantly, learn at your own pace, no pressure! Classical & other styles. 0402 630 243 www.pgtonline.net pgtonline@hotmail.com Parramatta area iFlogID: 15320
ADD COLOUR TO YOUR HEADING
50c COLOUR IMAGE
iFlogID: 13500
COLOUR IMAGE
$3
13500
COLOUR BORDER
iFlogID: 13500
COLOUR BORDER Specialised tuition from Don Hopkins, Blues Performer of the Year. Improvisation, piano technique, theory. Songwriting skills. Reading music, chords. Individual sessions. Beginners to advanced. Get to where you want to be. Spaces available now. 0425201870 donhopkins@me.com
$1
500
iFlogID: 16432
OUND
COLOUR BACKGR
Singing Lessons
COLOUR BACKGROUND
500
$2
iFlogID: 13555
iFlogID: 16690
iFlogID: 15998
$1.50
COLOUR HEADING
Music tuition, classical / flamenco guitar, celtic harp, theory & harmony, arranging. 9am - 9pm, 7 days. Parramatta area. $40 hr, $30 half hr. Mature & patient. Harps for hire. Ph: 02 98905578 iFlogID: 15158
Eastern Suburbs guitar/ukulele/bass/slide lessons with APRA award winning composer. Highly experienced, great references, unique individually designed lessons from Vaucluse studio. Learn to play exactly what YOU want to play! www.matttoms.com
FINGERSTYLE GUITAR, open tunings, slide, flat picking, improvisation, country, blues, folk, celtic styles. All styles from Doc Watson and Nick Drake to Blind Willie Johnson and Eric Clapton. Beginners are welcome. tel. 0431953178
SUPER BOLD HEADING 13500
SUPER BOLD HEADING
Learn The Drums - Have fun and discover your rhythm. I’ve created a step by step program for you on learning how to play the drums, go to www. chrismccaig.com/learn-the-drums
PIANO • BLUES, ROOTS & POPULAR
$1
iFlogID: 13500
iFlogID: 16430
DRUM TUITION. Drum Tuitiojn in Stanmore with a Billy Hyde trained teacher. Dip Ed, Dip Drums. All levels and all styles taught. Beginner Welcome! Call Lee 0403307796. www. lee-carey.com
Additional words 10 cents each.
All prices include GST Singing lessons in a positive environment with a highly experienced and professional singer/ songwriter. Lessons tailored to suit individual needs. Also beginners guitar. www.realvoice. net.au for more details. Inner West, Rosanna 0431 157 622. iFlogID: 16349
iFlogID: 15152
For a limited time. Free online and print classifieds Book now, visit iflog.com.au
VISIT IFLOG.COM.AU TO PLACE YOUR BOOKING NOW.
A1 PRO DRUMMER AVAILABLE for freelance gigs, tours etc. Extensive touring experience, gret time/tempo/groove, great drum gear and pro attitude. Sydney based but will travel. More info, ph 0419760940. www.mikehague.com iFlogID: 13230
SL>>SINGING-LESSONS-THAT<< >>>>>>>>>>ROCK<<<<<<<<<< Your voice has the ability to sing at the Audioslave/Muse/Aretha/YeahYeahYeahs level because of Design. Increase range sing with effortless power using the right technique. Beginners-Advanced. 0405-044-513 iFlogID: 16632
SLIDE GUITAR TUITION All styles from Duane Allman and Ben Harper to Blind Willie Johnson and Son House. www. acousticfingerpicking.com tel. John 0431953178 iFlogID: 16002
EXPERIENCE MALE DRUMMER Seeks working covers band/ fill in work 60’s to 80’s looking for easy going people with a positive outlook. Age group 35 plus NO DRUGS ph Mark 0422 173 728 96628330 iFlogID: 15725
Professional mature-age Drummer/Vocals/ reads/back acts/shows - all styles including jazz - available for casual work. phone:(02) 9807-3137 eMail: nadipa1@yahoo. com.au iFlogID: 13285
Professional mature-age Drummer/Vocals/ reads/back acts/shows - all styles including jazz - available for casual work. phone:(02) 9807-3137 eMail: nadipa1@yahoo. com.au iFlogID: 16562
TEACHER TO THE STARS!
TOP INTERNATIONAL DRUMMER available, great backing vocals, harmonica player and percussionist. Gigs, tours and recording always desired. www.reubenalexander.net iFlogID: 14261
Guitarist 18 year old guitar player looking to form Rock N’ Roll band. Influences: Guns N’ Roses, Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin, New York Dolls. Preferably in South. Call Tom on 0401722767. iFlogID: 13358
Steve Ostrow, New York voice teacher and vocal coach who discovered and nurtured the careers of Bette Midler, Barry Manilow, Peter Allen, Stevie Wonder and countless others now Sydney City based and welcoming students on all levels; beginners, advanced and performers; Rock, Pop, Classical etc. For availability call on 0408461868. For a free e-copy of my book ‘On Becoming a Singer..A Guide To How’ email me on sostrow@bigpond.net.au. Lessons include the entire scope of singing...voice production, musicianship, interpretation, performance skills etc. I look forward to hearing from you. iFlogID: 16289
VOCAL TUITION for students having problems with pitch, placement and breathing. tel. John 0431953178 iFlogID: 16004
Wanted left handed electric guitar teacher Parramatta area, Contact John at... rodt1114@ yahoo.com iFlogID: 16308
Video / Production D7 STUDIO MUSIC VID FROM $250 music vid $250. Live gig edits, multi angles, fr $125 a set, 1 live track $100. All shot in full HD. d7studio@ iinet.net.au 0404716770 iFlogID: 13368
Kontrol Productions is a highly professional production company that specializes in the production of music video’s. We ensure that our products are of the highest industry standards. For enquiries www.kontrolproductions.com iFlogID: 13827
Lead/Rhythm Guitarist Wanted We are a soul/rock originals band from Western Sydney looking for a lead/rhythm electric guitar player who loves playing that has band experience. You will need your own gear and transport is required for rehearsal and gigs. We have weekly rehearsal sessions. Age from 18-30 iFlogID: 16725
Other We are a friendly jazz band playing music to any style for romantic situations, weddings, anniversaries, small cozy clubs - very affordable. contact Chris 0419 272 196 ventura@ yayabings.com.au iFlogID: 15177
Singer Attractive 25 year old female singer (trained) searching for covers band to either join or create. Prefer pop, country, modern funk, reggae beats contact me on pebblesandbam@ hushmail.me iFlogID: 15826
Musicians Wanted Bands 15year old bass player looking for 15-17year old guitarists (lead/rhythm) drummer and vocalist to start metal band. influences include the big4 bands and many more. email space1996@homtail.com if your interested. iFlogID: 16577
Beginner Band Wanted Beginner vocalist looking to start band.If interested, call Tammie 0420372977 iFlogID: 16339
MUSIC VIDEOS offer a great way to gain exposure. Immersion Imagery has worked with a variety or artists and strives to offer quality & creative Music Videos. Visit www. immersionimagery.com email info@immersionimagery.com
Central coast band seeking a drummer for a four piece hard rock band needs to be over 18 and needs own gear for more information contact rhyseaquilina@gmail.com
iFlogID: 13825
iFlogID: 16510
Musicians Available Bass Player 15year old bass player looking to join metal or punk band. influences include metallica, slayer, megadeth, anthrax, pantera, ozzy osbourne/black sabbath and many more. email space1996@hotmail.com iFlogID: 16572
Electric & upright bass. Good gear. Comfortable in most styles. Experience performing live and in the studio. Check out my website if you wanna hear more. http://www.wix.com/ steelechabau/steelechabau iFlogID: 16159
DJ
iFlogID: 16661
Drummer A PERCUSSIONIST is availabe for your band. Any style and genre. Professional equipment and attitude. Contact by e-mail: plevy_@ hotmail.com iFlogID: 16472
iFlogID: 16646
Play horns? Funk/soul band looking to build a Horn section no matter what you play from trumpet to the baritone sax contact rhyseaquilina@gmail.com for more information. Sydney based. iFlogID: 16460
Rock Band Seek Keyboardist Sydney rock band Pleasure Overload are desperately seeking a keyboardist to complete current 3 piece lineup and to add another dimension to the band’s sound. Influences include Led Zepplin, Van Halen, Cheap Trick and Metallica (to name a few). Plenty of live shows on offer, recording professional EP in future plans as well as album. Please visit www.pleasureoverload.com as well as look us up on Facebook under “Pleasure Overload”. Contact number 0416101529 or band@pleasureoverload.com iFlogID: 16521
Untalented Libertines/BlocParty/SexPistols inspired singer/songwriter/guitarist seeks bandmates who are also inspired by these bands, willing to practice, prefer making originals rather than covers & who are easygoing. Inner West/Sydney, How bout it? iFlogID: 13790
Bass Player ALT PROG METAL Bass player needed for alternative progressive metal band. Download the debut EP @ www.escapistofficial.com call 0404859772 for more details iFlogID: 16628
BASS PLAYER WANTED \m/
New band is currently jamming & writing a set, influences metal, punk, hardcore, power groove but open to ideas, if it sounds good and moves people. Based around Lower North Shore, Manly & City. Drop me a line Jake 0402539280 iFlogID: 16730
BASS PLAYER WANTED
Sought by experienced guitarist to jam/form band.Looking for like minded strong rhythm section based on improvisational heavy grooves/experimental/progressive/rock/jazz. Inspired by the likes of Rodriguez Lopez & page.I’m looking to find a creative dynamic rhythm section.I’m good to go!inner city area. call.0417497487 iFlogID: 16550
Drummer wanted established 5 piece band Newcastle area. Semi Pro or pro covers + originals. Hardrock,blues,pop,rocknrol l ,metal. 2 booking agents. gigs booked album 2012 peter 4984 4731 iFlogID: 16125
Guitar player looking for a rock band.
METALCORE DRUMMER WANTED!!!
Sydney-based Metalcore/Electronic band, ResonancE looking for a permanent DRUMMER. We have shows lined up in 2012. Contact Fredi on 0434894404, and check out http:// www.facebook.com/resonancearena (tracks available for streaming) if interested. iFlogID: 16546
Bassplayer wanted for Central Coast rock band working soon covers are ZZtop StatusQuo Hendrix Stephenwolf Bad Company The Who Deep Purple Gary Moore AC/DC Free Eric Clapton and ORIGINALS 0449536661 iFlogID: 16642
Dead In Motion needs bass player. Heavyrock, metal, visual-kei influences. Preparing to gig, record EP, and photoshoot. 5-string preferred. Age 18-25. Intermediate+ skill. Email Dead_In_Motion@hotmail.com for details and demos. iFlogID: 16720
New Metal Project looking for a bass player. if your looking for something different and need to have pro gear and transport. we are from penrith and c/town areas. call matt on 0406785596
BASS PLAYER / VOCALIST WANTED
For Role of Sir Paul McCartney in Australia’s most AUTHENTIC Beatle Tribute Show BEATLE MAGIC. Must be able to deliver those challenging vocals of Paul McCarney along with precision playing. Left handed preferred but NOT a must. Instruments , Amplifier and costumes supplied , but must have own transport be willing to travel and be willing to commit. Opportunity also available for placement in our other related shows that we perform under throughout the year, all specialising in 1960’s music. www. beatlemagic.com.au if you wish to check us out. iFlogID: 16451
GUITARIST WANTED FOR BLUES / SOUTHERN ROCK BAND FREEWHEELIN BASED IN HAWKESBURY AREA. COVERS FROM BLACK CROWES, SKYNYRD, SRV, ZZ TOP, DOOBIES. BACK UP VOX ESSENTIAL. STEVE 0404959756, SCOTT 0416256471
iFlogID: 16575
GOSPEL SINGERS WANTED for non-denominational music ministry to record triple-CD in Perth. World-class, passionate and devotional vocalists sought. View www.THE001Music. com for details. Jesus is KIng! Reverend Eslam. God Bless You! iFlogID: 13088
iFlogID: 16392
In the Picture, Framed Music
PROFESSIONAL BASSIST needed with GREAT BV’s. duo/band work. plenty of gigs min $150 playing rock covers Sydney based. www.replikatrio.com please no beginenrs Rick 0419 437 794 iFlogID: 16515
VOODOO NEEDELS BASS PLAYER Bass Player wanted. Willing to rehearse, must have good gear and transport. Rock based along the lines of QOTSA, DOORS, BRMC. Please contact Patrice 0421741665 or Alex 0420423219 for more details and demos. soundcloud.com/voodoo-needels iFlogID: 16700
WEKNEWWHENSHELANDED urgently need bass player, songs written and ready to gig and record, but happy to take your influences on board and share future writing. Some music available to hear on myspace, but this is the poppier stuff- heavier influences include Isis, Envy, Mogwai. http://www.myspace.com/weknewwhenshelanded iFlogID: 16608
DJ Looking for a cool DJ to work with in forming a killer club act with live drums/percussion. Call Al on 0400 909 633 drumpercuss@ hotmail.com iFlogID: 14052
Drummer 14-17 year old drummer wanted for new metal band, Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, Misfits hard rock/thrash metal, has own gear, dedicated and not a time waster. iFlogID: 16384
aggressive solid drummer needed for band. have material written and demos recorded. rehearse in the wollonong area, keen to gig asap. age/sex/skill level not important. contact 0403508102 for demos iFlogID: 14021
Drummer wanted for central coast rock/blues band working soon; covers are; Deep Purple Bad Company Hendrix ZZtop SRV Eric Clapton Santana AC/DC Stephenwolf Lenny Kravitz Gary Moore & ORIGINALS call 0449536661 iFlogID: 16640 Experienced drummer wanted for working Sydney dance band playing swing, blues & some r’n’r. See vatm.com.au Ph 95192440. iFlogID: 16692
iFlogID: 16696
Pianist or an arranger? I need a pianist and an arranger to work with me on recording/creating covers and originals. In return for your services I offer my studio and compositional/engineering ability, trading 1 hour of my time for 1 hour of your time. If you wish to pay me with currency rather than services, I only accept Bitcoin [BTC]. Please contact me to chat in more detail on 0412 111 935 or michael@urbanfirebeats. com - any day between 9am and 9pm. iFlogID: 15510
A great opportunity exists for an experienced lead guitarist to join the ranks of an exciting live band specializing in classic & contemporary rock covers from the 70’s to now. You will need to be diverse with sound & effects as well as 100% committed to an established working band. Vocal ability is also a huge plus. Check out our website to see what we do www. framedmusic.com.au & send your CV or demo to framedmusic@hotmail.com
Guitarist
iFlogID: 13407
iFlogID: 16598
VOCALIST WANTED!!!
New band currently jamming & writing a set. Influences are metal, hardcore, punk, Heavy blues/groove mix. Have myspace songs for listening. Contact Jake 0402539280 iFlogID: 16732
Want to be a successful recording artist? We’ll help you write a song produce, mix & master it then help you pitch it Email: studio@musicentourage.com call: 02 4013 1977
Ian (KARNIVOOL) Clint(BUTTERFLY EFFECT) Maynard(TOOL) Patton(FAITH NO MORE) Kim(DEAD LETTER CIRCUS) Serj(SYSTEM) Corey(SLIPKNOT) Flynn(COG) Chino(DEFTONES) Jonathan(KORN) Chester(lLINKIN PARK) Brandon(INCUBUS)... call SCATTERFLY 0404184802 0403228107 scatterfly@hotmail.com iFlogID: 16329 MALE SINGER WANTED FOR BLUES / SOUTHERN ROCK BAND BASED IN HAWKESBURY AREA. COVERS FROM BLACK CROWES, SKYNYRD, STONES, ZZ TOP, BAD CO. OWN TRANSPORT & RELIABLE. STEVE 0404959756, SCOTT 0416256471
iFlogID: 16698
iFlogID: 16394
Lead Guitarist Needed!!!
Progressive metal band “Wintergaunt” seeks male vocalist 20-30 years old. Must do clean and heavy vocals. Looking to record and return to gigging. Hear our live recordings: http:// www.reverbnation.com/wintergaunt call Shane 0427009059
Original alternative rock band looking for a modern lead guitarist. In order to fit in you will need to have an array of effects and also good gear. Professional attitude a must. Must be aged between 25yrs - 35yrs. Rehearsals weekly in Wollongong. Please no time wasters. Serious musicians only. To check some of our stuff go to http://www.myspace.com/ yoyodiablotheband or call 0404 267 155. iFlogID: 16237 PROFESSIONAL GUITARIST needed with GREAT BV’s. duo/band work. plenty of gigs min $150 playing rock covers Sydney based. www.replikatrio.com please no beginenrs Rick 0419 437 794 iFlogID: 16513
VOODOO NEEDELS 2nd GUITAR 2nd Guitar Player wanted. Willing to rehearse, must have good gear and transport. Rock based along the lines of QOTSA, DOORS, BRMC. Please contact Patrice 0421741665 or Alex 0420423219 for more details and demos. soundcloud.com/voodoo-needels iFlogID: 16702
iFlogID: 16686
Rhythm guitarist seeking to join or form Blues/ Rock covers band in the Penrith district. Contact Paul on 0402 746 733 or 4774 0085 iFlogID: 13646
singer /harp player dr feelgood cover band need singer harp player to complete band we have been togeather 4 years and loads of live experience singer must know feelgood stuff any age iFlogID: 16623
Singer required for 3 piece jazz /funk band with a good repertoire of tunes. Will also consider working with singers wanting to develop their repertoire. Contact 0414 421 252.
Other
DIDGERIDOO PLAYER WANTED
Didgeridoo player wanted for demonstration and sales, Saturday and Sunday at The Rocks Market Sydney. Good commission for the right person. Please call 0418400776 iFlogID: 16637
Production I need a pianist to work with me on recording/ creating covers and originals. In return for your services I offer my studio and compositional/ engineering ability, trading 1 hour of my time for 1 hour of your time. If you wish to pay me with currency rather than services, I only accept Bitcoin [BTC]. Please contact me to chat in more detail on 0412 111 935 or michael@urbanfirebeats. com - any day between 9am and 9pm. iFlogID: 15512
Singer Attractive Female Backing Vocalist Wanted for a pop-rock Band/Show with Album on iTunes. Paid performances booked. Professional reliable Singer, melodic voice. Phone Geoff at Extraordinary Entertainment, Mosman: 9969 1179. iFlogID: 16704
Can you sing?!!
iFlogID: 16606
Singer required
Singer required for original only rock band - if you can play the keyboard or guitar that would be a bonus - check out our website www.myspace.com/thenewelectricgeneration to here some of our old tunes. Call Paul on 0418 612 933 iFlogID: 16542
SINGER WANTED iFlogID: 16386
Singer WANTED ASAP Experienced Progressive Heavy Groove Band seeks, Strong Heavy/ Melodic Vocalist. Think Sevendust, Tool, Karnivool etc. READY TO PLAY!!! Call Si - 0413210550 iFlogID: 16256
SINGER WANTED FOR SYDNEY GRUNGE BAND.
The Cleftomaniacs, the enthusiastic 25-member a cappella choir who brought you the most recent Sydney A Cappella Festival, invite new members (especially those lovely tenor & bass blokes). Eclectic repertoire from Sting to classical polyphony to gospel and we love to gig! Rehearsals school term Thursday evenings in Waterloo. Contact Catherine 02 9388 7010 / 0414 517 010 / flittie@iinet.net.au iFlogID: 16041
Beauty Services
CUSTOM MADE MUSICIAN PLUGS
Musician Plugs come in four different filter choices to reduce the volume of loud music to a safer level. They will not distort the tonality of the music, rather simply reduce the volume ‘equally’ across all tones. Fitted by a qualified hearing professional we have a number of locations throughout Sydney as well as in the CBD. To make an appointment call 9223 0225. iFlogID: 16291
Graphic Design Get your Band or Business Online Cost effectively and PROFESSIONALLY from $299 including Hosting and email addresses! Contact info@bizwebsites.com.au or see www. bizwebsites.com.au. iFlogID: 15450 Get your Band or Business Online Cost effectively and PROFESSIONALLY- from $399 including UNLIMITED pages, Logos, Hosting and 5xemail addresses and much more! Contact info@bizwebsites.com. au or see www.bizwebsites.com.au iFlogID: 13864
Limited Edition mens tees and hoodies with a sense of humour. All hand-screened and numbered. monstrositystore.com iFlogID: 13611
POSTERS & FLYERS Full Colour Band Posters @ Amazing Prices 100 A4 full colour on Gloss = $40 100 A3 full colour on Plain = $50 100 A3 full colour on Gloss = $80 Go to www.blackstar.com.au for a full price list iFlogID: 14957
Other AUSSIE PRIEST, currently residing in Manila, is offering services to lonely men seeking Filipina wives. All budgets catered for. Date a different woman every night! Please email rasijos@gmail.com for full details. iFlogID: 16560
Earplugs for Musicians Protect your hearing with custom moulded earplugs designed to reduce the level of sound without adversely affecting the frequency response of the music. Choose between 10,15 and 25dB attenuation. Fitted by professional audiologist, by appointment only. Ph 9387 3599 iFlogID: 15216
Less than 24 years old please. influences: Silverchair, Nirvana, AIC, Sabbath etc Contact Daniel on 0403 885 433 for more info and demos.
Get your Band or Business Online Cost effectively and PROFESSIONALLY - from $299 including Hosting and email addresses! Contact info@bizwebsites.com.au or see www. bizwebsites.com.au.
iFlogID: 13145
iFlogID: 15454
Singer wanted to front Hard Rock band from Sydney’s West. Age between 16 to 20 would be best suited. Influenced largely by Motley Crue. Email: sr_2848@hotmail.com
Get your Band or Business Online Cost effectively and PROFESSIONALLY- from $399 including UNLIMITED pages, Hosting and 5xemail addresses and much more! Contact info@bizwebsites.com.au or see www.bizwebsites.com.au.
iFlogID: 13615
Singer wanted
iFlogID: 16437
18 year old guitar player looking for another guitar player. Influences: GN’R, Aerosmith, Zeppelin, New York Dolls. Preferrably someone in the south (Shire). Call Tom on 0401722767
Professional Band Photography
Studio, live, candid or location shots with an experienced band photographer. Gigs, promos, album covers, artwork. Affordable prices, professional quality. 20% off for unsigned bands! Mobile: 0479060317 Email: admin@mattgphotography.com.au Web: music.mattgphotography.com.au
Services
Sydney based melodic metal band require drummer to complete line up. Own kit and transport essential. For more information or to express interest contact Rachel 0402 722 010.
WHO ARE YOU? Are you a reliable Metal Head into Conspiracies who plays Drums or Guitar? CONTROL NEEDS YOU... Contact: 0423 350 259 iFlogID: 15071
SOULFUL FRONT MAN GREEN ZEPHYR A GROOVING ROCK BLUES FUNK BAND NEEDS A FRONT MAN WITH CHARACTER & A SOULFUL VOICE BASED IN NORTHERN BEACHES CALL BEN ON 99444984 OR snapper_watson@hotmail.com
iFlogID: 14472
iFlogID: 16345
iFlogID: 16655
iFlogID: 16529
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Established Sydney rock band is looking for a new singer. Strong voice, style, stage presence and experience required. Also, must be able to write lyrics and vocal melody. Contact 0411743248
iFlogID: 16727
Looking for an experienced drummer for live gigs. Super catchy songs written and recordedcheck out www.cautionforces.com to get an idea. Please send a link to your playing. Sydney hard rock/metal outfit HARD AS NAILS is looking4 a dedicated & dynamic Bass player. H.A.N is ready2 rock w/gigs waiting & recording under way. Check out tracks on facebook. com/HardAsNailsBand - Think BIG & be creative if you can make this your own we want to hear from you! Email details to hard.as.nails@ hotmail.com / call Leon on 0401 887 129.
Guitarist Lead/Rhythm Experienced Lead/Rhythm guitarist wanted for Rock/Retro band. Must be committed to join working band. Rehearse Ryde area. Band members average age 40-45. Contact George 0411-410-957.
ONE NIGHT IN PARIS Sydney Protocore band infl. by BMTH, Enter Shikari & TDWP. onenightinparisband@gmail.com www.facebook.com/onenightinparisband
Las Ventas progressive post rock, electronic outfit seeks drummer to complete lineup. Infleunces inc VAST,ISIS,SLEEPMAKESWAVES,MO GWAI,PENDULUM,Rehearse Zen St Peters. call 0401056876,
Drummer & Bassplayer
iFlogID: 16568
Dj available Dubstep to Drum&bass willing & able to adapt to your event. Low hourly rates. Everything negotiable. Easygoing, flexible entertainment. Call for a quote today. KN!VZ Entertainment Group Ph:0415680575
ORIGINALS PROJECT - Drummer (percussive, brushes etc), bassist, piano/keyboardist (great sounds, brass etc), lead guitarist (MUST have electric & acoustic set-up), female harmony singer required for a fully professional approach to this band project. Singer/songwriter has been performing up to 35 original songs at recent gigs in acoustic duo & solo form. Now ready to progress to planned approach, which is to establish and rehearse band, play a series of (most likely unpaid) gigs. to hone arrangements. I have an established Producer/Studio Owner to oversee all pre-production and the recording. Record an album/15 songs. Then back to niche marketing and live performing. YOU GAIN a slice of; the CD sales’ performance royalties and monies from paid gigs. The project is an investment in your own abilities and belief in the music. This is primarily a “backing band” for the singer/songwriter, but with a view to it being a bit like Crowded House. The songs/ style is a mixture of Neil Finn, John Mayer, Lior, Fleetwood Mac, Travis, Keane, early Elton John, James Taylor, The Beatles. YOU would need to be at a seriously high level of competence and an ability to create and complement is a must, despite some of the songs being up to 70% arranged. An advantage might be if you are classically trained, but with a strong pop sensibility. There is definitely room for your creativity, though final arrangements are determined by the writer. Ideally you would live somewhere where getting to the Turramurra Studio/Rehearsal is not a problem. Phone and face to face interviews only. An outstanding opportunity for players young or old who are determined to get on board with some catchy original pop tunes and a plan. Phone Andy @ Blue Sky Music - 0438 648 545
If you want to use DRUGS, that’s your business If you want to STOP, we can help. Narcotics Anonymous 9519 6200 www.na.org.au
iFlogID: 16663
Need to promote your restaurant, club and make it the place to go? Contact us now, because providing good entertainment is a personal skill. Chris 0419 272 196 ventura@ yayabings.com.au iFlogID: 15175
Singer/Frontman needed.
Tattoo Monstrosity Dreadlocks, Sydney. Dreads and maintenance special: All service $30 per hour. Professional, guaranteed service. Kings Cross. Call 0421356410 iFlogID: 13613
Transvestite Romance Experience. Massage Or More For Men. Private Cosy City Studio. Sydney. Over Nites & Outcalls Available. Call Sandi Now! 0410-181-865 iFlogID: 16618
Tuition >>SINGING-LESSONS-THAT<< >>>>>>>>>>ROCK<<<<<<<<<< Your voice has the ability to sing at the Audioslave/Muse/Aretha/YeahYeahYeahs level because of Design. Increase range sing with effortless power using the right technique. Beginners-Advanced. 0405-044-513 iFlogID: 15761
Bass guitar lessons for beginner to intermediate levels. Aim to push students beyond the basics of bass and how to play the genre THEY love. Sydney’s Inner-West, Contact Blake: 0405182840 iFlogID: 16178
Guitar Lessons - all styles for all levels & ages taught by an international recording artist. Location: Phillip Bay Eric 0401 729 931
iFlogID: 16658
GUITAR LESSONS – Learn your favourite songs by Clapton, Tommy Emmanuel etc. Notefor-note. Rock, blues, finger-style, jazz standards. Learn flashy new tricks & riffs to amaze the crowds. Eric 0414 729-931 iFlogID: 16666
P&O DJ Cruise P&O and DJ Bootcamp present, 8 day, 3 island professional DJ Cruise # 2. Nov 26th, 2012. Book early and save. www.djbootcamp. com.au iFlogID: 15754
STAND-UP COMEDY WORKSHOP Have fun learning invaluable communication, presentation and humour skills from ARIA nominated Robert Grayson. 15 years experience. “Amazing! Fantastic! Liberating!” Jess Capolupo, Hot-Tomato FM. www.youstandup.com / Robert@youstandup. com / 0401 834 361. iFlogID: 16694
Share Accommodation Available Room for two for rent cronulla 225split/wk or single 225 wekStart dec 16 mathewt91@live. com message me for info act fast fills great ocean view background check ljhooker will be needed iFlogID: 16341
iFlogID: 13862
Female singer wanted for ongoing recording projects with view to live performance. I am looking for someone with a unique, instantly recognisable voice. Style: Gorillaz, Groove Armada. Studio recording and live experience preferable. Email myspace or soundcloud page to aayre@optusnet.com.au or contact Adrian on 0409 078 453 a/h for further details.
We’re a new band playing heavy stoner rock and roll, looking for an experienced frontman. We have a lot of material written, but are missing the right singer. Contributing your own lyrics/vocal lines will be a big positive as well. If you have called before, please don’t hesitate to call again as our singer didn’t work out. Inf; Sabbath, The Stooges, Motorhead Kyuss etc. Call Jeff on 0405 225 267
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For a limited time. Free online and print classifieds Book now, visit iflog.com.au
We’re looking for outgoing people to promote Sydney’s hottest alternative nightclub, Killer. For your free starter pack contact: olivia@ tarantulamusic.com.au iFlogID: 16713
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