Issue 1423

ISSUE 1423

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F R E E W E D N E S D AY S

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E N T E R TA I N M E N T I N P E R T H

33,560 OCTOBER 2012 MARCH 2013 - AUSTRALIA’S HIGHEST CIRCULATING STREET PRESS

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LOCAL NEWS

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GLOBAL NEWS

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

FREMANTLE WINTER MUSIC FESTIVAL 2014

SOTA STREAM! The State Of The Art music festival is back and bigger than ever. Adding a new, entirely free concept, SOTA Surrounds; the event will now feature a free stage to showcase up and coming artists such as The Brow, Dallas Royal, The Amani Consort, Tired Lion, Warangka Band, The High Learys, Silver Hills, Moondog, Jake & The Cowboys, Kat Wilson and Cri$i$ Mr Swagger Some 40 other local acts spread out across the festival grounds. Watch out for Morgan Bain, Steve Parkin, Timothy Nelson, Catherine Traicos, Leure, Patient Little Sister, Adam Livingston (Emperors), David Craft, Joe Bludge, Luke Bostelman (ex-Flanders), The Ghost Hotel (duo), Lucy Peach, The Jayco Brothers (duo), Methyl Ethyl, Rachel Gorman, Mei Saraswati, Davey Craddock, Steven Aaron Hughes (Usurper Of Modern Medicine), Rob Walker, Luke Dux, Polly Medlen, Adrian Hoffman (The Morning Night), Junior Bowles, Elk Bell, Michael Strong (The Disappointed), Alex Arpino (The Autumn Isles), Chris Gibbs, Turin Robinson, Fox Cat Rabbit, Black, Swan, Jane Azzopardi, Todd Pickett, Dan Durack (Tenderhooks), Latehorse, Jordan McRobbie, Lucinda Nicholls, Elli Schoen, TJ O’Donovan, Northshore Shoals, Franca Dobbin and Bernardine.

There’s also an MC battle, with SOTA’s hip-hop showcase seeing entrants Azmatik, Complete, Two Worlds, Selekt Few, Bryte One, Intellect, A.Saxon, Chani, Bfumes, Intrusive Thoughts, Shadow & Chef, Frenze and Tonight battle it out for the name of SOTA hip hop champ.

As we’ve noted in previous issues, the main attraction, hosted by Celebrate WA, will feature Drapht, Eskimo Joe and San Cisco joined by iconic and emerging WA musicians including The Stems, The Blackeyed Susans, The Kill Devil Hills, Kim Salmon, Split Seconds, Bitter Belief and Sable at a cost of $35.

State Of The Art happens at the Perth Cultural Centre on Saturday, May 31, as part of the WA Day long weekend. More details at sotafest.com.au.

RTRFM have announced the line-up for the Fremantle Winter Music Festival which will occur on Saturday, June 26, at 7pm.

The Railway Hotel will be a Psychedelic Rock room, featuring SpaceManAntics, Aborted Tortoise, Methyl Ethel, Electric Toad, and The Love Junkies.

The Alt-Folk & Country room at The Swan Lounge features soloists David Craft, Childsaint, Ruby Boots, Ben Witt and Stu Orchard with five-piece band.

The Swan Basement will turn into The Dub/Reggae Cave with Earthlink Sound, Crucial Rockers, DJ Corby, KBI Sound System DJs, and RTRFM’S Jonny Hopper.

Mojo’s will be your destination for Electronic & Beats with The Boost Hero Man, Diger Rokwell, Hugo Gerani, D-Jeong, and Basic Mind.

RTRFM’s Saturday night dance program Trainwreck will take over the Mojo’s Courtyard with sets from the entire crew – Declan Doherty, Aarom Wilson,Craig Hollywood, Viv Gauntlett, Pussymittens and Dr Gonzo.

The North Fremantle Bowling Club has the Surf, Rockabilly & Roll stage with Shotdown From Sugartown, The Insinnerators, The Honourable Schoolboys, Tenderhooks, and Thee Gold Blooms.

Tickets are available at rtrfm.com.au, it’s $15 for subscribers and $20 for the general public.

BJÖRN TO RUN The most successful tribute band of all time, Björn Again, will be returning to Australia to celebrate their 25th anniversary. Performing over 6,000 shows in more then 100 countries including shows at Wembley Stadium and The Sydney Opera House; the band will be performing ABBA’s greatest hits as they storm the stage of the Crown Theatre on Saturday, August 16. Tickets are available at ticketek.com.au on Friday, May 23.

Björn Again

The High Learys, State Of The Art Pic: Rachael Barrett

GET YOUR PHIL With his band Grinspoon on indefinite hiatus, in-form Twitterer, Phil Jamieson, is heading out for a series of solo shows, which will bring him to WA in late June. Playing a mix of reworked Grinners faves, solo songs and some surprises, Jamieson will kick things off on Thursday, June 26, at the Northshore Tavern; Friday, June 27 at the Leisure Inn, Rockingham; Saturday, June 28, at the Dunsborough Hotel; Sunday, June 29, at the Prince Of Wales, Bunbury; Wednesday, July 2, at The Saint, Innaloo; Thursday, July 3, at the Wintersun, Geraldton, and Friday, July 4, at Divers Tavern, Broome.

WELCOME TO AUSTRALIA Neurosis will bring their brutal intensity onto Australian soil for the first ever time in August.

With 10 albums of dark, ambient, hardcore punk, the Carolina metalheads will give you a sonic experience like no other at Capitol, supported by Drowning Horse, on Wednesday, August 6. Tickets are available at lifeisnoise.com, oztix or at the venue.

Phil Jamieson

CIRCOND LINE-UP ANNOUNCEMENT

Neurosis

Canada’s Ryan Hemsworth, L D R U and Yahtzel have been announced as the second round of acts for Perth’s Circo Festival joining the previously announced Nina Las Vegas, Violent Soho, Kele and more. The festival will feature numerous indie and dance stars backed by insane sound systems, glitter, confetti canons, laser light-shows, flamethrowers and trapeze artists.

Circo Festival will take place on Saturday, June 28, at Claremont Showgrounds. Tickets are $99, available through ticketbooth.com.au.

IT MUST BE LOVE “I have two favourite Irish bands,” US President Barack Obama apparently once said, “U2 and The High Kings.”

And so it is that multi-platinum Irish folk outfit, The High Kings, will be touring Australia in the spring, supporting their new album, Friends For Life. Catch them on Saturday, October 5, at Crown Perth. Bookings available now through ticketek. com.au.

Swedish pop-rockers, Roxette, have announced an Australian tour to coincide with their two A Day On The Green Melbourne dates. Marie Fredriksson and Per Gessle will return down under for a six-date tour alongside Australia’s own Boom Crash Opera, which hits Perth Arena on Saturday, February 14.

Having just celebrated the 25th anniversary of their hit single, The Look, reaching #1 on the Billboard US Chart and Australian singles charts, the duo are ready to rock it once more. Tickets are available Tuesday, May 27, at 9am through livenation.com.au.

The High Kings

Roxette

LET’S GO HIGH KINGS

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Ryan Hemsworth

SMELLS LIKE A WA TOUR Nirvanna are bringing their authentic tribute to WA for a string of shows throughout June. Using the same gear and wearing the same clothes; Nirvanna play all the hits, album tracks, B-sides and rarities.

Kicking off at the Astor Lounge on Friday, June 13, they’ll also play at the Dunsborough Tavern, Northshore Tavern, Highway Hotel, Kalamunda Hotel, Leisure Inn and Gosnells Hotel up until Saturday, June 21. Tickets are available through oztix.com.au or heatseeker.com.au.

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OH, THE BRUTALITY With a new, as-yet-untitled album about to strike terror into the hearts of terrorists, death metal legends Cannibal Corpse have announced an Australian tour. It all kicks off here in Perth at Capitol on Tuesday, September 9, with special guests Hour Of Penance. Tickets go on sale this Thursday, May 22, from Oztix.com.au.

Cannibal Corpse Pic: Alex Morgan

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N E W S L E T T E R - S I G N U P AT W W W. X P R E S S M AG . C O M . A U F O R E XC L U S I V E C O M P S

PRINT AND DIGITAL EDITIONS PUBLISHER/MANAGER Joe Cipriani

EDITORIAL - 9213 2888 MANAGING EDITOR Bob Gordon: editor@xpressmag.com.au FEATURES & DANCE MUSIC EDITOR Merran Reed: featuresed@xpressmag.com.au LOCAL MUSIC & ARTS EDITOR Travis Johnson: localmusicarts@xpressmag.com.au GIG & EVENT GUIDES CO-ORDINATOR guide@xpressmag.com.au COMPETITIONS win@xpressmag.com.au For band gigs and launches - plugyourgig@xpressmag.com.au PHOTOGRAPHY Rachael Barrett, Guang-Hui Chuan, Daniel Craig, Brandon D’Silva, Max Fairclough, Daniel Grant, Sammy Granville, Matt Jelonek, Emma Mackenzie, Callum Ponton, Denis Radacic, Bohdan Warchomij, Michael Wylie CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Leah Blankendaal, Nina Bertok, Aaron Bryans, Joe Cassidy, Hayley Davis, Chris Gibbs, Alfred Gorman, Shaun Cowe, Predrag Delibasich, Jayde Ferguson, George Green, Alex Griffin, James Hanlon, Chris Havercroft, Joshua Hayes, Brendan Holben, Coral Huckstep, Ellie Hutchinson, Tom Kitson, Charlie Lewis, Daisy Lythe, Troy Mutton, Andrew Nelson, David O’Connell, Shane Pinnegar, Jessica Willoughby, Sean Drill, Zoe Kilbourn, Jo Campbell

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STATE OF THE ART FESTIVAL This year sees State Of The Art heading to a new venue; the amazing Perth Cultural Centre. With multiple stages, each featuring licensed and all aged areas, the entire precinct will be abuzz with everything that WA has to offer. There’ll also be plenty on offer in the areas in between these stages, including pop up acoustic performances, live visual art coming to life before your very eyes and a food truck market. The line up includes Sable, Drapht, Eskimo Joe and San Cisco. Email win@xpressmag. com.au to win a double pass to the Saturday, May 31 festival.

Sable

ASTOR ROCKS After 20 years away from our Australian shores the Meat Puppets are finally heading back and will make the trip over the Nullarbor to headline the inaugural Astor Rocks, two stages of real and pure rock’n’roll inside Perth’s iconic entertainment venue The Astor Theatre, Monday, June 2. Joining the Meat Puppets will be Brant Bjork and one of the most unlikely rock ‘n’ roll bands to reach hero status in Australia, the Hard-Ons. Rounding out the line-up on the night and kick-starting the evening from 5pm will be local rock favourites The Love Junkies, Axe Girl, The Shakeys, FAIM, Sun Gods, Doctopus, The PainKillers, Coalminers Sect and Heard Of Cows. Email win@xpressmag.com.au to win a double pass.

The Meat Puppets

A MILLION WAYS TO DIE IN THE WEST Seth MacFarlane (TED, Family Guy) directs, produces, co-writes and plays the role of the cowardly sheep farmer Albert in A Million Ways To Die In The West.

After Albert backs out of a gunfight, his fickle girlfriend leaves him for another man. When a mysterious and beautiful woman rides into town, she helps him find his courage and they begin to fall in love. But when her husband, a notorious outlaw, arrives seeking revenge, the farmer must put his newfound courage to the test.

Email win@xpressmag.com.au to grab a double pass.

Remember to include your address.

PRODUCTION DEPARTMENT - 9213 2854 CONTENT COORDINATOR Anthony Jackson - production@xpressmag.com.au ART DIRECTOR Dwight O’Neil DESIGN + PRODUCTION Andy Quilty, Anthony Jackson, Kasia Mazurkiewicz

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A Million Way To Die In The West

EDITORIAL DEADLINES General: Friday 5pm, Eye4 Arts: Thursday 10am, WIN: Friday 5pm, Salt Clubs: Monday 5pm , Local Scene: Monday Noon, Gig Guide: Monday 5pm ADVERTISING DEADLINES Cancellations: Monday 5pm, Ads to be set: Monday Noon Supplied Bookings / Copy: Tuesday 12 Noon, Classifieds: Monday 4pm Published by: Columbia Press Pty.Ltd. A.C.N. 066 570 803 Registered by Australia Post. Publication No PP600110.00006 Suite 55/102 Railway Street, City West Business Centre, West Perth, WA 6005 Locked Bag 31, West Perth, WA 6872 Phone: (08) 9213 2888 Fax: (08) 9213 2882 Website: http://www.xpressmag.com.au WARRANTY AND INDEMNITY Advertisers and/or their agents by lodging an advertisment shall indemnify the publisher, and its agents, against all liability claims or proceedings whatsoever arising from the publication. Advertisers and/or their representatives indemnify the publisher in relation to defamation, slander, breach of copyright, infringement of trademarks of name of publication titles, unfair competition or trade practices, royalties or violation of rights or privacy and warrant that the material complies with revelant laws and regulations and that its publication will not give rise to any rights against or liabilities in the publisher, its servants or agents. Any material supplied to X-Press is at the contributor’s risk.

33,560 OCTOBER 2012 MARCH 2013 - AUSTRALIA’S HIGHEST CIRCULATING STREET PRESS

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WIN: AN EVENING AT THE THEATRE

DANCE, DANCE, DANCE

ALL OF THE LOVE

David Rail, a prominent lawyer, awakes in a hospital room with no idea of how he got there. Dr Alice Lowe scrambles to piece together the mystery because in fifteen minutes time David Rail will forget everything all over again. The House On The Lake is a labyrinthine mystery that hides at its dark heart a hideous crime.

From award-winning playwright Aidan Fennessy comes a taut psychological thriller where truth and memory are scattered like broken glass. Email win@ xpressmag.com.au to win a double pass.

Synth pop band Boys Boys Boys! invites you to join them for epic dance battles, pumpin’ ‘90s medleys and hot dancefloor action to celebrate the release of their new single, We Like To Move on Friday, May 23 at The Bakery, Northbridge. Joining Boys! in this night of music and mayhem is fellow party-pop band, Axe Girl, who’ll be launching their new single Silence for a double dose of bang. Witness the two bands battling it out via dance and nostalgia and where you get to decide which band will reign supreme. Subscribe to X-Press Shout Out and email win@xpressmag.com. au to win one of three double passes.

Melbourne dance punk band 8 Bit Love are using cars and aeroplanes to travel the country for the release of their new EP Slummer Time. Past tours have seen the trio twerk on national landmarks such as The Big Banana, throw up once a day collectively and forget how to wear clothes. Joining the boys for the most western of all the shows is the lo-fi garage rock crew Apache and party boiz Electric Toad. Together they will make you sweat and boogie the night into a mess of tangled arms, legs and shoes. Email win@ xpressmag.com.au to grab a double pass to their show at The Bird, Saturday, May 24 and a copy of Slummer Time.

The House On The Lake

Boys Boys Boys

8 Bit Love

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FLESH

NEWS - INTERVIEWS - REVIEWS - CONTENTS

GARY NUMAN

HUGH JACKMAN

Looking To The Future Having garnered some of the best critical reviews of his career for his last album, 2013’s Splinter (Songs from A Broken Mind), electronic pioneer Gary Numan is coming to Perth for one show only at the Astor Theatre this Sunday, May 25.

TRAVIS JOHNSON checks in.

You might be able to name Cars, Are Friends Electric? or Down In The Park, but Gary Numan’s output over the past couple of decades didn’t make as big a cultural splash as his early explorations into the possibilities of electronic music.

That doesn’t mean the man has been idle though; he’s been working steadily over the years, building critical, if not commercial credibility, culminating in last year’s Splinter (Songs From A Broken Mind) putting him back in the limelight.

Numan himself is bit perplexed at the album’s success. “It’s difficult to say, really.” he says when probed on the reasons for its ascendance. “It could be it’s a build up of things that have slowly been coming together for some time. The music took quite a different direction quite a long time ago - it was about ‘94 when I started going through my heavier industrial kind of thing and I’ve been progressing that ever since. So it’s taken a while for people to accept that’s what I do now.

“There’s lots of other people who’ve been saying pretty cool things over the years and that’s become more recognised now - people doing cover versions, other people sampling my stuff - so there’s been a general building of awareness and credibility without me ever having big hit singles or anything like that. But it just feels to me that there’s been a gentle kind of building over the last decade or two.”

“Some people have always appreciated

The Wolverine Of WAAPA Our own all singing, all dancing Wolverine had a brief stop-over in Perth on the weekend to announce the launch of the Jackman Furness Foundation For The Performing Arts at WAAPA. TRAVIS JOHNSON reports.

Numan’s work, though, such as high profile fans Marilyn Manson and Trent Reznor. “Certainly a lot of the people who have said cool things about me, some of those have been pretty big people. There’s obviously a great deal of credibility that comes from that, but also it introduces you to a whole new audience via their own fans. All of these things have been slowly contributing to what’s been going on.”

While his recent successes please him, Numan is also aware of how fleeting such things can be, and although he has no immediate plans to retire, he is acutely aware of the need to keep his options open. His recent relocation to Los Angeles was at least partly inspired by a desire to start working on film scores - a good fit for his strong sense of mood and imagery - which is only one of several alternate artistic avenues he is keen to explore. After all, he can’t tour forever.

“Bear in mind,” he says, “I’m 56 this year.

I’m closer to 60 than I am to 50. I’m certainly not running out of ideas or running out of creativity.

I don’t have any worries from that point of view the career is stronger now than it has been for 20 years. It’s really an age thing. I might be able to keep doing this for another 15 years, but it seems fucking unlikely, to be honest. I’ll be 71 - who wants to come and see that?”

LUCKY 13

The Aviary Rooftop Sessions are back. For its 11th edition of free groovy tunes Eagle And The Worm will star on Sunday, June 1, prepping us for their forthcoming album release. The roaring seven-piece will be aided by local brass quintet The Brow, Miss Demeanour and NDORSE. The night begins at 4pm on and will finish 10pm.

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News Win Flesh Music James Vincent McMorrow, English Beat, Axe Girl, Larry Carlton Wagons, Penny Ikinger New Noise Eye4 Cover: KUČKA Jennifer Kent, Werewolf Priest The Babadook, Rap Guide To Evolution The Hit List Arts Listings, Fashion Salt Cover: L-Fresh The Lion News, Take 5, 8 Bit Love Surecut Kids, Behind The Decks Rewind: Clique 004 Club Manual Scene Live: The Decline, King Parrot, Septicflesh Local Scene: Tracksuit Tour Trails Tour Tale - Bastille Gig Guide Volume

FRONT COVER: X-Men: Days Of Future Past opens in Perth cinemas this Thursday, May 22.

SALT COVER: L-Fresh The Lion heads to Mojo’s on Saturday, May 24.

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Hugh Jackman and Jack Thompson, at WAAPA on Saturday. Pic: Amanda Blowfield.

and we want to be a part of that group, that support group, so that institutions are preserved at the high quality they’re at; that talented people that maybe don’t live in the main cities know about WAAPA, can get access to auditions and can access to funding in terms of scholarships.

“We want to bring in professionals. Jack came in here recently to teach the kids and give his insight. But things like that obviously take money internships from resident teachers, scholarships. We want to encourage an international flavour and so allow students from other institutions and we will have some exciting things to announce soon.”

Jackman credited spending part of his time as a student in the UK when he was a WAAPA student with giving him the perspective necessary to succeed.

“I went to the National Theatre, I went to the Royal Shakespeare Company, and I went, ‘I’m not being compared with this guy or this guy; there’s another 300 Hugh Jackmans out there’. It really gave me such impetus to really refocus myself and understand there’s a large world out there.

However, Jackman believes the foundation of WAAPA is its staff, saying a key factor will be “... making sure the teachers are supported and that they have every opportunity to do their job. The facilities here are amazing, but it’s not the facilities that make an institution.”

X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST

US songwriter Steve Poltz will be returning down under for his 13th Australian tour. Dubbed the Lucky 13 tour, Poltzy will be bringing his larrikin persona and eccentric stage presence to Perth with shows on Tuesday, June 17, at Four5Nine Bar (Rosemount Hotel) and Wednesday, June 18, at Mojo’s. Having worked magic with the likes of Jewel and Glenn Tillbrook, Poltz’s show will be one you won’t want to miss.

SHOUT IT FROM THE ROOFTOP

The organisation’s aim is to promote the performing arts in WA, with Jackman’s alma mater, the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts at Edith Cowan University Mount Lawley, being its first major beneficiary.

In a short press conference also attended

by Foundation partner Jeff Michael and patron (and Australian acting legend) Jack Thompson, Jackman outlined some of the Foundation’s plans, hinting at big announcements to come and setting an initial fundraising goal of $10 million.

Jackman refused to be drawn on the implications of the recently announced Federal budget, which saw drastic cuts to both education and the arts, saying, “I do want to focus on what the Foundation is about, which is being part of the solution in terms of funding for the arts and I think it’s impossible in a modern sense to rely completely on the government for anything and I kind of think that support should come from many areas - from alumni, lucky ones like me who have had opportunities, from other areas of society who want to be philanthropic, from businesses. And I’ve found here that there is this incredible willingness.”

He did aver, however, that funding is essential to Australian artist endeavours. “I do recall, and I think we all recall, the golden eras for Australian film was when funding was at its most active. There was an understanding, as there is in sport, that talent just doesn’t magically appear. It needs to be nurtured

Boliver Twist

BOYS BOYS BOYS! Get A Move On Boys Boys Boys! battle Axe Girl in a double single launch this Friday, May 23, at The Bakery. BOB GORDON chats with Jerico Wallace.

Tell us a little bit about the song, We Like To Move?

With We Like To Move the title is pretty self explanatory. We like dancing! Lots and lots. I was inspired by a CSS song one day about getting your move on and how important it is. I just thought, ‘heck yeah dancing is a super important factor in my life, its something I’m really passionate about, so lets sing about that!’ And make other people dance too of course!

What’s up in the future for Boys Boys Boys!?

Well we’ve just recruited our new member (Addison) Axe, who is rad. So it’s all feeling fresh and fun and exciting again. We’re looking forward to writing some new material so we keep bringing the party to P-town. I wanna conquer Japan and tour with 2NE1! Whilst riding unicorns. But we’ll see.

How can you battle with Axe Girl when you share a member?!

Haha, oh don’t you worry we’re gonna battle Axe Girl on the d-floor alright! But in the friendliest, funnest way possible of course. Cause everybody loves everybody really!

How’s the night looking as an all out showbiz experience?

Its gonna be crazy fun times! We’ve got Mega Wyatt as MC on the night and he is an awesome nutbag. Surfer pixie punkers Surf Rabbits are coming to the party also. Axe Girl are nutting out a sick ‘90s cover to battle our sick, top secret ‘90s cover we’ll be dropping.

There’s also going to be an epic dance battle after the bands, just for ridiculous fun’s sake.

There is an instructional dance video on YouTube and our Facebook page for people to learn either the Axe Girl or Boys Boys Boys! dance moves for the night.

Or both! Whatever you like, just come join in on the rump shakin’! Then DJ Koko - um, that’s me - will be spinning some pumping ‘90s techno and pop hits to keep ya’ll moving. There’s going to be so much fist pumping. Its gonna be a paaaarty!

X-Men: Days of Future Past opens in Perth cinemas this Thursday May 22. TYSON WRAY attended a media conference recently with Peter Dinklage (Game Of Thrones) who portrays Boliver Trask.

Days Of Future Past is arguably the most audacious instalment thus far in the X-Men film series.

Based on Marvel’s 1981 Uncanny X-Men comic storyline of the same name (by Chris Claremont and John Byrne), it sees Brian Singer (X-Men and X2) return to the director’s chair alongside a reprised cast of Hugh Jackman, James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Halle Berry, Anna Paquin, Ellen Page, Nicholas Hoult, Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart for a journey which culminates in the ultimate X-Men ensemble as the original film’s characters join forces with their younger selves (X-Men: First Class) to fight a war across two time periods.

In 1973, military scientist Bolivar Trask (Peter Dinklage) is urging the government to fund his Sentinel Program - one that he believes is necessary to save humankind from the unstoppable threat of mutants overtaking the planet. The Sentinels are specifically designed to eliminate mutants through sophisticated detection programs all while leaving humans unharmed. However, after Trask has a run-in with Mystique (Lawrence), it sets in motion a series of events that leads to an unwinnable war which dooms both mutants and humans to certain extinction. Days Of Future Past sees Wolverine (Jackman) sent from the near future in 2023 back in time, a desperate last-ditch attempt to change the course of history.

“In history everybody who is proposing war is doing it for ‘the good’. Us against them: they’re the bad guys, we’re the good guys,” notes Dinklage. “In American history wars have always been fought in faraway places. It’s always been about that fear of unknown and protecting ourselves and there are people who profit from that.

“Trask is a war profiteer,” he details of his character who unwittingly dooms the planet.

“He sees what he’s doing as something that will definitely save mankind. But he’s not altruistic - he has a financial motive.”

As his role as the film’s main antagonist, his first in the X-Men series, Dinklage recognises that Trask himself is also subjected to the same sort of ostracising and humiliation that is inflicted upon the mutants.

“Trask is an outsider and we address that

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Peter Dinklage as Boliver Trask in X-Men: Days Of Future Past

just through the sheer nature of myself playing the part and my size,” he notes. “There’s a lot of selfloathing and envy going on. I think that happens to a lot of people who have a certain reaction to a certain group. I question people who have a strong animosity to a certain group. What is it about them that is affecting you so deeply?

“That’s one of the great appeals of these movies. No matter what, even if you seem perfect, at some point of your life you’ve felt like an outsider.

Whether it be because you’re a dwarf, or your race, gender, sexual orientation, ability, disability or whatever it is. These books were written at a time when this wasn’t just becoming an issue - because it’s always been there - but it was becoming more talked about and fought for.”

It’s this great appeal of X-Men that’s led to not only the multi-million dollar film franchise, but a universal legacy that fans have cherished for over five decades.

When appearing on The Late Show With David Letterman earlier this year, Dinklage remarked that while he’s arguably best well-known for his role at Tyrion Lannister in Game Of Thrones, he’d not read the books which spawned the series written by George R. R. Martin.

So then, was Dinklage a prior X-Men fan?

“I didn’t keep them in the pristine packages and know everything about them down to the last detail like some of my friends did,” he laughs. “I wouldn’t consider myself a true comic book collector.

But I certainly enjoyed them. You can’t grow up in the world without knowing about them.

“Like a lot of us I was late to the game and became a fan of them through the movies, especially Brian Singer’s first two films. They started it all and really delivered what I feel the true comic book fans were waiting for.”

Read Travis Johnson’s review of X-Men: Days Of Future Past online at xpressmag.com.au.

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MUSIC

VIEWS

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INTERVIEWS

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STORIES

JAMES VINCENT MCMORROW

THE ENGLISH BEAT

Tropical Textures

The English Beat return to Perth for a gig at the Rosemount Hotel this Friday, May 23, with guests Special Brew and Dilip & The Davs. JODY MACGREGOR reports.

Let’s Have A Toast

James Vincent McMorrow discusses his recent release Post Tropical and his upcoming Australian tour, which brings him to the Astor Theatre this Wednesday, May 21. AARON BRYANS reports.

It’s been one hell of a 2014 for James Vincent McMorrow.

Starting with the release of his sophomore LP, Post Tropical, McMorrow began a 20-date North American tour that would push his professional and mental boundaries.

“It was brilliant from a playing perspective,” McMorrow explains. “It was really epic. It was almost like a Greek odyssey because there was so much drama and so many crazy things happened. We had buses breaking down, I was sick very quickly on in the tour and we had to cancel a show, we had a lot of really long intense drives over the days when we didn’t have a bus.

“And then, as soon as we got into a rhythm, my drummer had to go home to Ireland for four or five days so we had to rebuild the entire set. Then one of my guitar techs had to jump on stage with us to play drums with us and check the sounds. The tour from a logistical prospective was a nightmare; it never got settled into a rhythm.

“We were always waking up having to deal with some crazy drama but from a playing perspective it was probably the best tour I’ve ever done. Night after night the shows were getting better and better and it was easily the best reactions we’ve had for the new album all year long; everything was totally sold-out and the people that were there; there wasn’t a sense that they were there just to be there.

There’s always a fear that people are buying tickets just to say they bought a ticket. There was never a sense of that. It’s always people that are really excited that they got a ticket to these shows. I worked really hard to put on the best live show I can and do a really compelling live show and all these things and it was really amazing to see to working.”

Post Tropical was a huge success for

McMorrow, expanding his musical sound like never before; with incredible attention to detail and simplicity, fans welcomed the album with praise.

“My goal is to make the best thing that I can make; and with this album that was very much that goal,” McMorrow reveals. “The album was made from the perspective of me as a music fan. It wasn’t made from the perspective of a touring musician that’s making music as more of a function then a purpose. I saw a lot of bands growing up making music to meet expectations; they would achieve something with a first or second record and they would try and maintain or consolidate that by going back around and making the same thing again and hoping that it would stick or a song on there would find a way onto the radio and that would keep them in the place that they wanted to be. It just doesn’t matter to me; my overriding instinct is to make the best things that I can think of and everything else can be damned.

“I want to just make the best music I can as a reflection of me the musician and me the music fan and hope that when people hear that that’s what they will hear.”

Legendary 1980s ska-punk band The Beat had to be renamed in America because they’d been beaten to the moniker by a power-pop act, and that’s how they came to be called The English Beat.

There’s no bad blood between the two bands, however – they eventually performed together on a tour with the excellent name Two Beats Hearting As One in 2012.

The English Beat were always a compromise between English sounds and foreign ones – in particular, Jamaican. In the original line-up, singer/ guitarist, Dave Wakeling, shared vocals with the toasting of Ranking Roger, while their saxophone player, known as Saxa, was a veteran 30 years older than the rest of the band and had played with reggae stars like Desmond Dekker.

Saxa had a lot of advice for his younger bandmates when they were starting out in the late 1970s, even curing Wakeling of the stage fright that had him vomiting before every gig. Before a show at London’s Electric Ballroom, he took Wakeling over to a window and pointed to people lining up in the rain to get in, who’d inevitably leave the show later that night to walk to the bus stop in yet more rain. “‘And you, Mr. Wakeling, have got in for free and you dry,’” Wakeling recounts. “And I never threw up after that.”

At another of their early concerts, playing songs that would go on to be hits like Mirror In The Bathroom, they met British radio icon, John Peel. The gig was part of a roadshow in which Peel travelled around the country DJing with local bands as his supports. The Beat were one such support, and they managed to impress him with their 45-minute set.

“John Peel came out and said we were the best band he’d heard since The Undertones and that he was embarrassed because he was getting 300 quid for spinning records and we were only getting 100 quid for playing all these lovely songs. He wanted us to come back out in an hour’s time and do the set again and he wanted to exchange cheques, and he did. So we got to do the set again.”

DAVE WAKELING, THE ENGLISH BEAT

That repeat performance was a turning point for Wakeling, letting him tap into the bravado he normally only felt while staring at the mirror in the bathroom but which faded away by the time he was standing in front of an audience. “We did the set again and there was a definite sense of, ‘Alright, we’re onto something here’,” he says. “I can be as confident as I might feel in my most private, arrogant moments. Well, I’m a lot better than Bono and Sting put together really, aren’t I? Lyrically – come on, be fair!”

Peel seems to have thought so, joining them for dinner at a curry house after the show.

Wakeling recalls, “showing off to our friends, not letting them speak to him because we’re with John Peel, and then bang! This drunk came round the corner in his car and slammed into the band’s van.

John Peel goes, ‘There goes your cheque then. Maybe I can give you a radio session to make it up to you’, and he did and from that we got a record deal with Arista Records and the rest is history. Well, probably history, but I don’t remember much of it.”

LARRY CARLTON Much-Liked Famed US guitarist, Larry Carlton, performs at the Astor Theatre next Wednesday, May 28. ROBERT DUNSTAN reports.

Guitarist Larry Carlton - who first picked up the instrument at the age of six and went on to become one of Los Angeles’ top session players before concentrating on his own material - is looking forward to touring Australia for the first time in almost a decade.

Essentially in the country to appear at Melbourne International Jazz Festival, Carlton, the winner of four Grammy awards will also be undertaking some club dates which will bring him to Perth’s Astor Theatre with his quartet on Wednesday 28 May. We spoke over the telephone to Carlton at the tail end of a series of shows at Blue Note Tokyo in Japan with special guest guitarist, David T. Walker, which follows similar ventures with guitarists Steve Lukather of Toto and Robben Ford with whom he has worked with extensively over the last 20 years in various guises.

Carlton also releases instructional DVDs and has run his own record label, 335 Records, since 2007 which has seen the release of five albums including one with Ford and another with Grammy awardwinning Japanese guitarist Takahiro ‘Tak’ Matsumoto.

“The label is successful for me as an artist because it means I can do any project I want to at any time with no obligations to anyone but myself in regards to artistic integrity,” Carlton says. “And I started doing the instructional DVDs about eight or so years ago. And it’s something I really enjoy as well as working with the TrueFire camp who put them together. They are such a wonderful team to work with and now have thousands of students and many, many great guitarists who work closely with them.”

During his period as a session player Carlton was very much in demand and would often be involved in some 500 recordings each year. As such, he appeared on albums by Billy Joel, Michael Jackson, Dolly Parton and so many others. He is also well-known for knocking out the sizzling guitar solo on Steely Dan’s Kid Charlemagne which has come to be regarded as one of the very best. Carlton, who recalls doing it pretty much in one take, says that Steely Dan’s Donald Fegan and Walter Becker were meticulous in the studio and would go over and over a particular song for weeks until they felt they had it exactly right.

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AXE GIRL Silence Is Golden He also worked alongside saxophonist Tom Scott, pianist Joe Sample, drummer Max Bennett and bass player John Guerin on Joni Mitchell’s Court & Spark album of 1972 which marked the first time she had recorded with a band.

The guitarist saw that session work was gradually drying up, however, and moved to Nashville some years ago.

“When I first moved there I pretty much let everyone know I didn’t go there lookin’ for work,” he laughs. “I mean, I’ll help out at benefit concerts and stuff but other than that I wasn’t there to find work.”

The veteran musician is also very active on Facebook at Larry Carlton 335.

“I enjoy the Facebook thing and while, obviously, I have a team working with me on it to make sure everything is current, I really enjoy putting some of my own personal stuff up there every two or three days,” Carlton says.

“And I’ve watched it grow because over the last few months it’s gone from 50,000 likes to being just under 100,000 right now. And that’s a lot of people I get to say hello to every few days. So I love it.”

Axe Girl battle Boys Boys Boys! in a double single launch this Friday, May 23, at The Bakery. BOB GORDON chats with Addison Axe. Axe Girl have released the second single from their forthcoming debut album, a moodier outing called Silence.

“Silence is about the repetitive nature of a doomed relationship,” says vocalist/guitarist, Addison Axe. “It’s not a breakup song, but is bleak all the same. For me it’s a cold, icy song and I sometimes get sad singing it, but it’s one of my favourite songs from the album.

“Sometimes joy or the feeling of elation can be so similar to the feeling of great sorrow, the way it floods your whole body and that’s kinda where Silence sits for me. In the middle.”

It may sit in the middle, but Silence portends that Axe Girl’s forthcoming album may have more flavours than some might have thought.

“It’s certainly a lot darker than our first single, Give Me Your Teeshirt, which is one of the

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reasons we chose it, to give a real sense of the light and shade of the record.

“I would definitely describe the album as a summery, beachy fun-times record - which is probably what people who have seen us live are expecting, but there are a few ballads scattered in there too and Silence is one of them.”

Addison is also these days moonlighting as the guitarist in Boys Boys Boys! - their exclamation, not ours (!) - who will share the stage at a mutual single launch this Saturday. It ain’t just a normal gig.

“Okay so it’s Axe Girl vs Boys Boys Boys! in a battle - to the death - for intergalactic dance supremacy. Axe Girl are definitely the underdogs in this competition. And rightly so, we are basically shit at dancing. Also Boys Boys Boys! are really good.

“However we have a few sneaky tricks up our sleeves, and have been recruiting our not so unco buddies to boost morale. Also our routine is way simpler so it’s easier for y’all to learn. We have some pretty awesome surprises for on the night too, it’s gonna be an epic party.”

As the second half of 2014 dawns, Addison is pleased to note that Axe Girl will be as busy as they wanna be.

“We have a few exciting things coming up,” she says. “We’re plating at State Of The Art on Saturday, May 31, and Astor Rocks on Monday, June 2. Our album comes out in September and we’ll be touring Australia towards the end of the year, which is gonna be rad!”

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MUSIC

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NEW NOISE

For more album reviews head to xpressmag.com.au

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OUT OF 5

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THE HORRORS

WAGONS Henry’s Dream Wagons have been lurking around the shadowed edges of the Australian music scene for over a decade, compiling six albums along the way. CHRIS HAVERCROFT speaks to resplendently bearded frontman, Henry Wagons, about the new album, Acid Rain And Sugar Kane, ahead of the band’s show at the Fly

By Night this Friday, May 23.

As a recent father, Henry Wagons is already pondering the next generation for his music.

He claims to be threatening his ninemonth-old daughter with insisting she play mandolin in a Wagons family band. But before looking at other musical ventures, Wagons is excited to be bringing the full band over as part of their most extensive Australian tour for some time. There was a visit as part of the Laneway Festival, but Wagons is keen to showcase the power of his outfit with their “big, hairy sounding record” to promote.

“I had just come off the back of a solo record where I was the Dr Frankenstein, where I got to play everything and had to make every decision to make the beast. I was really excited to get into a room with the bunch of smelly guys that I have been making music with since high school really, and just make a collaborative record.”

PENNY IKINGER Transgressor Penny Ikinger performs for the first time in Perth at Four5Nine Bar on Friday, May 23, and Mojo’s on Saturday, May 24.

BOB GORDON reports.

Penny Ikinger first rose to prominence as a guitarist in ‘80s Melbourne outfit, Wet Taxis. Since then she has flourished as a collaborative musician and solo artist. The key, however, seems to have always been to work wi8th many and varied musicians.

“I am fortunate to have a wide international circle of musicians, who I tour and collaborate with,” Ikinger says. “Rock music is an international language that transgresses culture, time and space. We are all always learning off each other. It is a continual process of evolution. My main interest in playing music is to learn something new. My main forum for learning something new is on the stage.”

Ikinger cites Sydney-based singer, songwriter and piano player Louis Tillett (with whom she first played with in Wet Taxis), Charlie Owen (Tex Perkins, Beasts Of Bourbon) and Deniz Tek (Radio Birdman) as her favourite instrumental collaborators.

“I have a rhythm section in Paris who I play with under the moniker Penelope Inc. The drummer is Dimi Dero and Vinz Guilluy plays bass. As a threepiece we have a unique and exciting sound. They really get my music and feel it! I also enjoy working with Craig Harnath, who is the sound engineer at Hothouse studio in Melbourne.”

Vocally, Ikinger has been very much personally inspired by the late-and-great Divinyls singer, Chrissy Amphlett.

“Chrissy and I did some sessions at Yikesville Studio in Melbourne some time back when I was recording demos for my Electra album. She sat in as Vocal Producer. She helped me to see the importance of delivery and phrasing. I had come from a musical background as a guitarist in rock bands.

I didn’t know much about singing then. I was very fortunate that she helped me as a friend and mentor.

It was scary though!”

Ikinger’s last album, Penelope, was released in 2012 through Citadel Records, making a number of ‘Best-Of’ lists that year both in Australia and Europe.

Following her shows in Perth, Ikinger will head to Japan to record a new album with Deniz Tek in the producer’s chair.

“Deniz and myself have been writing some fantastic songs for a new album,” she notes. “I am 12

TUNE-YARDS

Luminous XL Recordings/Remote Control

To say that The Horrors have come a long way since their 2007 debut, Strange House, and all that big hair and goth make-up is putting it very mildly. Having become the darlings of the British music press, expectations were high for their fourth long-player after the success of Primary Colours and 2011’s Skying.

Luminous allays any fears that this album would be anything other than brilliant from opening track Chasing Shadows; a sprawling aural soundscape that channels early Kasabian with a unique Horrors twist. First Day Of Spring is a more direct track, conventional in many ways, but then again for any readers not familiar with the band, there isn’t much about The Horrors that is conventional. They push boundaries sonically, and meld genres together at will.

So Now You Know is an album standout, sounding more polished than most songs you’ll hear this year, yet at the same time managing to sound completely different to anything you’ve got on your iPod, too. Faris Badwan’s vocals are smooth and familiar and complement the cinematic musical approach of the track beautifully.

In And Out Of Sight again sees the band challenging their own sound, and unsurprisingly given how good this album is, to great effect. Jealous Sun pays homage to the progressive bands that have come before them with its more traditional rock feel.

Luminous is a tremendous record, one of those albums you hear and it reminds you just how exciting, liberating and altogether different music can still be.

Nikki Nack 4AD/Remote Control Records There is no shortage of looped vocals or infectious polyrhythms on Nikki Nack as Merrill Garbus explores matters close to her heart. Find A New Way reflects on Gabus’ need to sing and make music all the while backed in a playful rhythm whilst coming to terms with the many factors at play. Water Fountain is melodically superior to almost anything that has carried the TuneYards name previously, and is impossible to shift from your conscious after the first listen.

Garbus’ feminist views get an airing for Stop That Man and Manchild, but lack the cohesion to be bold statements of themselves. Malay and John Hill are bought in as producers to bring some of the heavyweight sheen they have given to Frank Ocean and M.I.A. in the past and manage to do so without knocking off any of Tune-Yards’ eccentricities.

There is no doubt that Tune-Yards are an acquired taste, but those willing to invest the time will reap considerable dividends. Nikki Nack is a booty shaking romp through the fertile mind of Merrill Garbus.

Wagons’ vision for Acid Rain And Sugar Kane was always to create as big and ambitious a record as they could muster. There is certainly the ragged glory that is expected from Wagons releases with an extra bit of grit and volume thrown in for good measure.

To realise this they enlisted the help of Mick Harvey to handle production duties.

“I really wanted to work with people who we respected and admired if we were going to relinquish control. The material had a real kind of darkness to it that I thought that Mick would really be able to draw out. Mick’s type of production style is that he essentially joins the band for the process of creating the arrangements for the whole record. Songs that were shaping up as these ordinary boogies, Mick would CHRIS HAVERCROFT sit in an play these incredible piano parts and give the songs more depth than they would have otherwise.”

Wagons have forged a remarkably solid fanbase considering the limited amount of radio play that they get in this country. It is a credit to their OUT OF 5 impressive live show and the quality of their noir sounding rock.

“I feel like this weird uncle that saves the end of his bars of soap,” insists Wagons, talking about ALEXANDER CROWDEN the lack of media attention for the band. “That type of scrooge who uses up the bars of soap and saves the ends so at the end of the year he will find himself with THE BEARDS OUT OF 5 these nibs of soap and cooks them up on saucepan and The Beard Album moulds a new bar of soap out of these scraps.

MGM “I feel like we get a little bit of airplay on triple j, some support from Radio National and the It began as a one-off joke in Adelaide and quickly ABC, we get to go on TV every now and again. I became one of our biggest comedy exports. The get to write articles every now and again and I do Beards have been keeping things hirsute and hilarious KEVIN DREW some production work and by the time we spread for three albums now, and they show no signs of ourselves around we end up with a nice little chunk Darlings slowing down – let alone shaving – on their fourth. of recognition that we are very thankful for. We are Create/Control | Arts & Crafts The Beard Album does exactly what it says on definitely not the type of band that slots into Australian the tin of whiskers: it’s an album about beards. All kinds radio play, so I have never really expected it.”

The last we heard from Broken Social Scene of beards. Sexy beards (Touch Me In The Beard), drugringleader, Kevin Drew, as a solo artist was Love addled beards (Stroking My Beard), antisocial beards (I vs Porn, a contribution to 2009’s Dark Is the Night Like Beards) and militant beards (The Bearded Pledge). compilation. Themes of sensual escapism continue It’s full of chants, chock-a-block choruses and enough on the first two tracks of the Banff-recorded keytar and sax to keep the ’80s dream alive. It’s one of Darlings, the rather self-explanatory Body Butter the few albums that you can honestly say is absolutely and Good Sex. This new run of songs aren’t simply and completely ridiculous and not be insulting. It is, about getting it on, however, with layers beneath in short, everything you’ve come to expect from The the carnal facade pulled back to reveal a greater Beards – and maybe just a little bit more. complexity on what is Drew’s most personal album.

The ‘Broken Social Scene presents…’ DAVID JAMES YOUNG tag from his previous solo album has been ditched and Drew’s vocal is now wonderfully exposed without the busy, grandiose surrounds of his former band. There’s considerably less guitar across this OUT OF 5 collection of mostly mid-tempo tracks, replaced by brittle keys and warm synths that recall the ambience and nostalgia of the self-titled Broken Social Scene debut. The casual vocal delivery and leaner sounds are underpinned by a simmering energy best displayed on the disparaging Bullshit Ballad and the Fiest-guested highlight You In Your Were.

SANTANA ‘Mature’ can often be a codeword for dull, but Corazon not in the case of Darlings. It lacks the bombast of Broken RCA/Sony Social Scene and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Guitar legend Carlos Santana and his band are back at CHRIS GIRDLER it again as they pack their worldly music into a new album, Corazon, his first Latin music album in a career that began in the ‘60s. Santana brings his same iconic, OUT OF 5 beautiful guitar but mixes it with a plethora of bigname collaborations on his new album. Collaborators include ChocQuibTown, Lila Downs, Gloria Estefan, Fabulosos Cadillacs Juanes, Ziggy Marley, Miguel, Niña Pastori, Diego Torres, Samuel Rosa of Skank, Cindy Blackman Santana, Romeo Santos, Soledad, Wayne Shorter and more.

SHONEN KNIFE Despite Spanish being the main language of Overdrive the album, Santana has produced an album appealing Valve/MGM to any language group. As has become the norm for Santana, the band delivers beautiful African and Latin Overdrive finds Japanese trio Shonen Knife shooting for really happy with how it is sounding. Quite different rhythms to create music that anyone should be able ’70s hard rock glory.

As the title forewarns, the guitars to what he and I do as individuals – a new sound! We to appreciate. the amps are most certainly Marshalls. will be recording an album in Tokyo with Japanese are loud and Santana broadens his musical spectrum With songs such as Green Tea, Fortune musicians Masami Kawaguchi on guitar, Louis Inage Cookie and Ramen Rock, it appears Shonen Knife throughout Corazon with collaborations and the on bass and Keiichi Sakai on drums. They also play in are willingly playing to a Japanese stereotype. And album only affirms that Santana’s guitar is universal their own bands New Rock Syndicate and Hallucionz, given they’re paying tribute to a subculture built on and can be applied to nearly any genre of music. both based in Tokyo and are heavily influenced by stereotypes (glamorous party animals/drug addicts, In Oye 2014, Latin hip-hop artist Pitbull raps over psyche garage rock. I have recorded and toured Japan busty pinup girls/misogyny), it’s most apt they’ve Santana’s popular 1970 classic, Oye Como Va. One with them before. I am thrilled to say that I have been incorporated their own clichéd interests. would think it wouldn’t work well at first, but the awarded a grant from the Australia-Japan Foundation It’s interesting to note Shonen Knife have track leaves the listener pleasantly surprised by a for this project.” been churning out albums since the early ’80s, and this remarkable mix of old and new Latin music.

In the meantime, Ikinger’s visit this marks a departure from their usual vintage pop-punk Santana continues his magical blending of weekend is her first ever time in Perth. She’s looking shtick. The genre tribute and lyrical humour nominates genres by teaming up with Ziggy Marley in Iron Lion forward to performing in solo mode. it as a Japanese Spinal Tap spin-off. Yet, while Spinal Zion. Marley applies his classic reggae lyrics over “My music is influenced by many different Tap’s tunes are listenable for the comedic kicks, not Santana’s harmonious background music that creates styles and sounds so I think people can expect some many stand up as enduring rock songs. Overdrive, on a beautiful track of mixed genres. variety,” Ikinger says. “I try to take the audience on a the other hand, deposits genuine excitement.

Santana’s iconic, rhythmic guitar and journey into my world. At times it can be unsettling, It’s gag-filled and lacking any emotional ability to fuse musical genres – two attributes but I hope not boring! I love playing solo. It gives me depth, but since when was that a worry? Overdrive that have made Santana successful – are on a chance to concentrate on different aspects of the deserves to played damn loud with green tea soft full display in Corazon, making it an album that songs that might get lost in a loud band format.” should appeal to music aficionados of all types. serve smeared all over your headbanging face.

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3.5

PENNY IKINGER. PIC: MARILYN JEANETTE

AUGUSTUS WELBY

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CHRIS MCCLAIN

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KUČKA will perform at the State Of The Art Festival on Saturday, May 31, at the Perth Cultural Centre. BOB GORDON checks in.

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EVENTS

playing with the drum grooves on an old Casio keyboard and a few hours later we had recorded the arrangement.

“It’s kind of a slow jam love song.

I was listening to lots of old records with really sweet lyrics and wanted to write something that was real, but not cheesy and cliche. Musically, it has a drum machine groove, with layers of old synths and vocals, making it kind of dreamy.”

Unconditional is a new hint towards what’s to come on the KUČKA album, due later this year.

“I have so many tracks that I’ve written over the past year or so,” Lowther says. “Now it’s just a matter of getting them all together and choosing which ones I want to release and then getting them really polished.”

It’s not all studio-focussed however, Lowther’s further plans this year include some interesting directives for what a live KUČKA show can be.

“I want to get really creative with the live shows this year,” Lowther reflects. “Recently we have been working on a collaboration with Martina Menegon, who is an installation artist from Vienna... this collab will be premiered at our single launch.

“She has been making some amazing 3-D visuals that are synced to our music, with the rhythms and sounds changing the textures and colours of the visuals. I would love to take the visual element to the extreme and really focus on a theatrical live show, something that I think lots of electronic musicians neglect.

“Of course the main focus is getting the record finished and released too! Once that’s out we will also be touring over East if all goes to plan.”

The year that was 2013 proved to be a consolidatory one for Laura Jane Lowther, aka KUČKA. “It was different as I spent much more time performing than I did writing compared to previous years,” she explains.

“I got to play shows in Europe as well as Australia and this definitely taught me a lot about what works and what doesn’t in a live sense, and also where the underground scene is heading internationally.”

Lowther performed at the Quartz Music Awards in Paris (as a result of taking out the 2012 WAM Experimental Song Of The Year) and is now releasing her debut EP in Europe through France’s NUUN Records label. As well as local media attention, she scored a mention in The Guardian UK’s piece about the Top Five Under-The-Radar Australian Bands.

US rapper A$AP Rocky sampled KUČKA on his single, Long Live A$AP, as well as asking Lowther to contribute backing vocals on the track, Fashion Killa.

Given his album hit #1 on the US Billboard charts, it’s having something of a knock-on effect.

“I think it’s made people take notice of me for sure,” Lowther reflects.

“It’s so hard for artists to stand out online, so it’s great to have that international connection to make people stop and notice.

I definitely get lots more respect from teenage boys now too.”

The latest missive from Lowther is a new single, Unconditional, co-written

by Jake Steele (who contributes analogue synths to the live KUČKA experience, along with Catlips’ Katie Campbell’s electronic beats). It’s the first KUČKA track to be borne of a co-write.

“It was basically written in one night,” Lowther says. “We were hanging out listening to music and

KUČKA’s Unconditional single launch happens at The Bird on Saturday, June 7, with support from fm (Sydney) and Mudlark (live), plus DJs Rex Monsoon and Salut Barbut (The Monarchy). $10 entry at the door.

PIC: GIRL THE TOY, AT WHITE ELEPHANT ARTS WAREHOUSE

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CHALK IT UP TO EXPERIENCE

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Chalk takes over Four5Nine again tonight, Wednesday, May 21, for an evening of music, comedy, art, poetry and all that kind of good stuff. Music this time around comes from Timothy Nelson and Paul McCarthy, while Baloney Abbott gets topical with the comedy and Jake “Dr. Green” England of The Caballeros makes with the spoken word. England’s photographic work will also be on display. Entry is $10 and doors open at 8pm.

THIRD SPACE FUNDRAISER This Friday, May 23, a silent art auction takes place to raise much needed money for The Third Space Project, an exchange of work between Chinese USST students and post-grads at ECU. The funds raised will provide assistance for the Chinese students during their visit to Perth this August. The auction itself takes place in Room 5.110 at Edith Cowan University Mount Lawley Campus, between 5 and 8pm. If you would like to give something to be auctioned, donations will be accepted on Thursday, May 22, between 9.30am and 4.30pm. Any questions can be directed to kpace@our.ecu.edu.au.

HOT AND STEAMY Glue some cogs to something incongruous and get along to the Grand Steampunk Charity Ball at the Government House Ballroom this Saturday, May 24.

The event will feature live music, a light supper, a silent auction, spectacular costumes and more, all to raise much needed funds for Lifeline. So prepare your finest gown (and studiously ignore the sexual and racial inequalities inherent in the 19th century) and head to tiasolen.com.au for full details.

IT’S GOLDEN HAVE FUN WITH FERGO Australian comedy legend Tim Ferguson (The Doug Anthony All Stars, Don’t Forget Your Toothbrush and, yes, X-Press Magazine) has a new book out.

His memoir, Carry A Big Stick, covers his entire life, including his early busking years, the formation of DAAS, his ongoing struggle with MS and more. You can meet Ferguson, get your book signed, and get in on a Q & A hosted by RTRFM’s Peter Barr next Friday, May 30, at Kaleido Books in the Perth Railway Concourse from 5.30pm. Hit up their Facebook event for more details.

Tim Ferguson

Golden Days Vintage Markets is on again this Sunday, May 25, at The Rosemount Hotel. Kill a few hours perusing the vintage clothing, jewellery, artwork furniture and foodstuffs from 9am until 1pm.

WE’RE IN THIS TOGETHER NOW Artists Jennie Fer and Michelle Faye are seeking to make Together, a film about the Perth LGBTI community, showcasing the diversity of relationships within that community. To that end, they are seeking couples who will be filmed in their own gardens reading sentences they have prepared to each other. If that sounds like the cut of your jib, flick an expression of interest and a photo of yourself and your partner to thetogetherfilm@gmail.com.

THE BABADOOK Childhood Nightmares Directed by Jennifer Kent Starring Essie Davis, Noah Wiseman, Daniel Henshall Amelia (Essie Davis) has a lot on her plate. Widowed when her husband was killed in a car accident while driving her to the hospital when she was in labour, she has raised their son, Samuel (Noah Wiseman) alone, juggling the troubled six-year-old’s needs with her job as a nurse in an aged care facility. Samuel is an imaginative, hyperactive and disruptive boy, but his behaviour becomes worse when he begins to fixate on the titular Babadook, the spooky antagonist of a mysterious picture book that Amelia doesn’t recall buying him. As the child becomes convinced that the creepy figure is a real entity, Amelia comes to start wondering herself.

Writer/director Jennifer Kent, a former actor turned filmmaker, has crafted a wonderfully evocative, slow-burn psychological thriller here, reminiscent of Polanski and Kubrick’s contributions to the horror genre. There’s an implicit understanding here that what is left off the screen is almost always so much more unnerving than what we are allowed to see. The Babadook often feels like a dark, modernday fairytale, with it’s mysterious villain straight out of some the nastier tales in the Grimms’ collection.

Yet under the film’s carefully constructed

visual style and precisely orchestrated tension lies an acute understanding both of some universal primal fears and the often complicated dynamic that exists between mother and child. Initially, we’re positioned to view young Samuel as an almost alien figure, unknowable in his obsessions and odd behaviours.

He’s a textbook problem child, prone to tantrums and impulsive acts that become all the more disturbing when coupled with his Babadook fixation.

Yet as the film proceeds, the pendulum swing the other way; the pressures of being a single parent, the loneliness and social isolation and the inescapable presence of the (real? unreal? metaphorical? actual?) Babadook begin to take their toll on Amelia’s sanity and we come understand that she may be far more of a threat to Samuel than she to him. It’s the Carer As Threat, a notion that tugs at some of our deepest and most raw nerve endings, and Kent deploys it to excellent, chilling effect.

It’s a shame, then, that the film doesn’t quite stick the landing. The third act suffers from a jarring change in tone, with Kent drawing more on the works of Sam Raimi than Roman Polanski.

While in isolation such theatrics are fine, they sit uncomfortably next to the rest of the film. We spend two thirds of the running time dealing with Rosemary’s Baby, then suddenly we’re tackling The Evil Dead.

Still, this is a fine example of Australian horror - the best since The Loved Ones, perhaps and an assured feature debut. It’s flaws are, on the whole, relatively minor, but its achievements are truly impressive.

TRAVIS JOHNSON

FILM

JENNIFER KENT The Babadook Having garnered a strong reaction when it played at Sundance earlier this year, homegrown horror The Babadook is now set to terrify local audiences when it hits cinemas this week.

Centred on harried single mother, Amelia (Essie Davis), and her troubled son, Samuel (newcomer Noah Wiseman), the film sees the pair menaced by a shadowy, seemingly supernatural figure, the titular Babadook. But is the creature real, or symptom of Samuel’s emotional issues, or even of Amelia’s?

Thematically, it treads similar ground to director Jennifer Kent’s 2005 short, Monster, which was well regarded on the festival circuit. “Sometimes I fail to see the connection,” she tells us. “Of course, they are connected, but I didn’t set out with Monster to make a feature out of that story. It was something that the themes in Monster which I touched on very lightly in that short are what drew me, years later, to make this film. The idea of repression of grief and repression of the dark side, I guess, were the main features in both of those works.

“I’m always fascinated by people who can just suppress very difficult experiences,” she continues. “And the difficult parts of themselves and I wanted to explore what happens when they could no longer repress those things and the shit hits the fan, and that’s The Babadook.”

Central to the film’s success is the ambiguous nature of the eponymous creature. “Some people just see it as a scary film and some people see the deeper elements that I intended and I think it can 14

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work on both levels and I’m happy with that. When people say to me ‘Is it real or is it all in her head?’ I say ‘Yes!’ – which irritates people, but I mean it. I’m not being deliberately ambiguous about it. I feel that her psychological reality is the truth – it’s real. Even for someone who has a schizophrenic crack up, what’s happening to them is 100 per cent real. With The Babadook, that’s exactly why I made it – because I wanted to explore that lady’s descent, which for her is extremely real and terrifying.”

Terrifying, yes, but also ultimately positive.

Kent is adamant that, although The Babadook is most definitely a horror film, it also presents what is, at base, a beneficial process of crisis and catharsis. “I was raised as a Catholic and Catholics are brought up to believe that you must put everyone else before yourself. So I really relate to this attitude of not bothering anyone with your emotions. A character like Amelia, although she’s not me, is someone I relate to very strongly and I can understand her and her reasons for suppressing all this terrible stuff that’s happened to her. But I think that, ultimately, we do need to face that stuff and we do need to feel okay with the darkness and with difficult experiences and put ourselves first sometimes. Which I think is where Amelia heads, towards being more fully realised.

The Babadook for me is actually a very positive force. It’s a crisis force. It’s obviously very frightening for her but it’s ultimately a very positive force entering her life.”

Kent is also aware of the potential pitfalls involved in being pigeonholed as a horror auteur.

“I don’t consider myself as a horror filmmaker, I just made a horror film. But in saying that, I’m not looking down on the genre at all. I feel slightly sad that it’s a much maligned genre, and yet when you point out the obvious ones, like The Shining and John Carpenter’s The Thing and Let The Right One In, they say ‘Oh, of course – they’re classics.”

TRAVIS JOHNSON

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WISH OPENING NIGHT The State Theatre Centre Wednesday, May 14, 2014 The new season of Humphrey Bower’s stage adaptation of Peter Goldsworthy’s provocative novel opened with all due pomp and circumstance, attracting familiar faces and new friends.

Photos by Hannah Sorrell

Jess, Tara

Megan, Garrett, Fleur

Nina, Pat

Lisa, Humphrey, Joe, Danielle, Leon

Peter, Jenny

Rachael, Joe

WEREWOLF PRIEST: THE LAMENTABLE BALLAD OF FATHER HANK GRIMBY Going Through A Stage

Werewolf Priest - Photo by Gillian Berry

Ahead of the debut of his odd but intriguing horror/comedy/musical stage production, we caught up with writer, director and producer, Levon J Polinelli, to talk about shapeshifting and sceneshifting.

“Werewolf Priest: The Lamentable Ballad Of Father Hank Grimby,” Polinelli explains. “Tells the tale of the town of Huntersville, a small hamlet that’s fallen on hard times.

The only thing keeping them going is their young priest, Hank Grimby. Hank, however, is in a bit of a pickle. He’s torn between his vows to god and he’s fallen in love with the mayor’s daughter, who’s engaged to be married to an explorer. So, a bit of a problem. And then, of course, he’s also recently become a werewolf.”

Well, that seems complicated enough.

In truth, we don’t see much horror and gore on the stage these days, although there’s a strong tradition of it running through the history of theatre, with Shakespeare’s Titus Andronicus and the French Grand Guignol coming immediately to mind. “I was really inspired by Sweeney Todd and wanted to just do a big, crazy musical - something bloody as all hell. I went on a bit of a Wikipedia journey and ended up finding this 400 year old folk tale about a werewolf priest - I think it was from Eastern Europe or somewhere. And I just thought, ‘That’s fantastic! That’s it!’ So yeah, it’s kind of been a bit of a journey coming from that. It’s been a film at points, but the opportunity came up to do it on stage and I thought why not?”

Of course, there are certain practical problems that are inherent in mounting a live show about shapeshifting supernatural serial killers. “Obviously the big challenge in stage work is werewolves and the things they kill - the villagers of the town. We’ve got some really cool werewolves and some really cool effects of people being ripped apart and things like that.

“We have come up with a quite a few interesting and unique ways to pull it all off. We’re going for some stylistic parts and in other parts it is just a werewolf on stage tearing people apart. I don’t think you can have a play called werewolf priest and not have that. I think people would feel cheated.”

TRAVIS JOHNSON

Werewolf Priest: The Lamentable Ballad Of Father Hank Grimby plays at The Blue Room Theatre until Saturday, June 7. Go to blueroom.org.au for tickets and session times.

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It Feels As Though We’ve Always Been Here: Paper Mountain Simone Johnston’s upcoming solo exhibition looks at our emotional ties to the places we’ve been and the homes we’ve left. It runs until May 25. Check out papermountain.org.au for more.

Every week we bring you the best in fashion, food, shopping and lifestyle.

Pinkification - Rethinking Pink: Spectrum Project Space Deedee Noon’s photographic portrait exhibition consists of 34 portraits of WA women showcasing their favourite colour. It runs until June 7. Go to ecu. edu.au for more.

For Collector’s Eyes Only: Elements Art Gallery A group exhibition featuring works by William Boissevain, Pierre Bonnard, Camille Jean-Baptiste Corot, Elizabeth Durack, Robert Juniper, Paul Klee, Aristide Maillol, Helen Norton and more. It runs from May 22 - June 8. go to elementsartgallery.com.au for more.

Trace And Aura - Spectrum Project Space Daniel Nevin explores ideas of aura and photography using alternative photographic techniques. It runs from May 23 - June 7. Go to ecu.edu.au for more.

The Collector: Venn Gallery Tané Andrews presents his latest solo exhibition from May 23 - June 27. Go venn.net for further information.

EAT AT: OLD FAITHFUL BAR AND BBQ

Fremantle Realists: Fremantle Arts Centre An exhibition of works by Ray Beattie, Marcus Bellby and Ken Wadrop, three artists who, working from a shared studio space in Fremantle’s High Street in the 1970s, looking at WA through the lens of photorealism.

It runs from May 31 - July 17. Go to fac.org.au for further information.

Opening in King Street from noon on Thursday, May 22, this new venue from the brains behind Ezra Pound offers American-style smoky barbecue treats matched with a carefully curated drinks list.

Old Faithful

Eggtooth: Spectrum Project Space A fundraising exhibition held in conjunction with Birdlife Western Australia, this sees 42 local artists DILLIGAF: Linton And Kay Galleries Perth Andy Quilty’s latest solo exhibition examines icons create works relating to various threatened or of masculinity in the modern suburban milieu. It endangered avian species. It runs from June 13 - June runs until June 3. Go to lintonandkay.com.au for full 21. Hit up ecu.edu.au for more details. information.

Suburban Colonial Monument - Self Portrait by Andy Quilty

VISUAL ARTS

By Hand: Free Range Gallery New works by David Brophy, Thomas Dudley and Sylvia Shrewsbury. The exhibition runs until May 25.

Freerange.org.au has further information.

GO TO: ROCK AND ROLL KARAOKE AT DEVILLES PAD A perennially popular Thursday night destination, the $10 dinner special and the spectacle of your friends belting out rock and pop standards make this too much fun to miss.

Devilles Pad

Ukiyo-E - Japanese Prints Of The Floating World: Lawrence Wilson Art Gallery An exhibition of Japanese woodblock prints from the collection of Ronald and Catherine Berndt. It runs until June 28. Head over to lwgallery.uwa.edu. au for details.

Dinosaur Discovery - Lost Creatures Of The Cretaceous: WA Museum Combining life-size moving models and 3D augmented reality technology, this world-class exhibition brings the unfathomably distant past to life. There will also be fossils and specimens on display, interactive activities and more. It runs until August 3. Go to museum.wa.gov.au for more information.

THEATRE/DANCE/ PERFORMANCE As You Like It: State Theatre Centre Shakespeare’s beloved romantic comedy comes to the stage once more courtesy of Black Swan State Theatre Company. Directed by Roger Hodgman and starring Jovana Miletic and James Sweeney, it runs until June 1.

Visit bsstc.com.au for more.

Werewolf Priest! The Lamentable Ballad Of Father Hank Grimby: The Blue Room Theatre Effects makeup, music and monsters meet in this epic horror/comedy/musical theatre experience. It runs until June 7 - hit up blueroom.org.au for tickets and session times.

Rabbithead: The Blue Room Theatre Director Ian Sinclair and Little y Theatre bring us a surreal and disturbing psychological drama that takes place on a fairy floss set, with an original soundtrack by Catlips. It runs from May 27 - June 14. Go to blueroom. org.au for tickets and info.

Under The Skin, playing as part of the Revelation Film Festival

Patyegarang: State Theatre Centre This new production from Bangarra Dance Theatre tells the story of the eponymous Aboriginal woman who taught her language to Lieutenant William Dawes of the Colonial Fleet. It runs from July 30 - August 2 for five performances only. Tickets are available via Ticketek.

FESTIVALS Revelation Film Festival From July 3 - 13, treat yourself to some of the best in edgy, underground and outré films from across the country and around the globe. For full info, go to revelationfilmfest.org.

The Human Rights Arts And film Festival Running at Luna On SX from June 3 - 5, this festival works to highlight human rights issues around the world. Go to hraff.org.au for more info.

The Australian Tattoo & Body Art Expo 2014 A celebration of skin art, rockabilly and alternative culture, burlesque and more. Over 200 tattoo artists and guest will congregate at the Perth Exhibition And Convention Centre from June 6 - 8. Go to tattooexpo. com.au for more.

Supanova Pop Culture Expo Since 2002, Supanova has brought the best of sci-fi and fantasy fandom to hordes of ravening fans. This year’s guests include Jon Heder, Rose McGowan. John Barrowman, Laurie Holden, George Lazenby, Richard Kiel and more. It’s on at the Perth Convention And Exhibition Centre from June 20 -22. go to supanova. com.au for all the details.

To have your performance, exhibition or cultural event listed, get in touch via

localmusicarts@xpressmag.com.au For more Art Stories head to

xpressmag.com.au

DOES PERTH HAVE A PROBLEM WITH CULTURAL APPROPRIATION? DRINK AT: CHOO CHOO’S Located on St George’s Terrace, this self-styled dive bar can get packed out with the white collar crew around the five o’clock mark, but eclectic design choices and staff who know how to build a drink make it worth investigating.

Choo Choo’s

SHOP AT: OUTRE GALLERY Add some colour and kitsch to your decor with Outre’s range of retro and lowbrow art prints.

Tabby by Shag 16

Australia finds itself in a weird position compared with the rest of the world.

Wedged in the middle of the Asia Pacific, with a population increasingly ethnically and culturally diverse, we’ve collectively still got the blinkers on. Maybe what makes other cultures so easy to manipulate is their unreality. We all got Homer Simpson’s gaff about ‘vampires, elves and Eskimos’ all being make-believe, but for Aussies it seems that cowboys and Indians might as well be myth. ZOE KILBOURN writes.

There’s a thin line between masquerade and manipulation, between having fun with a concept and hoeing into it. Although attendees at a backyard Perth trap party couldn’t possibly experience an African American subcultural youth underbelly, they can pay a kind of self-deprecating homage to it with snapbacks, basketball singlets and the dougie.

They can use its codes - to an extent, even use the language - with a kind of goofy respect.

Then there’s Father. These guys, who operate via Metric Promotions via Flyrite every Saturday, are a trap, hip hop and Jersey club alternative to the rest of an EDM-obsessive Northbridge club scene. You can tell they relish the sense of being outsiders. They serve “purple drank” for a fiver a pop,

charge $15 entry after 11, and have a strict anti-Air dress code (their last event’s page threatened to turn away anyone in their “Northbridge best”).

Last Saturday, they threw a Bloods and Crips night. Before the event, a Facebook user pointed out the inherent privilege involved in turning a violent subculture into a party theme. Chester Moorecraft wrote on Father’s page: “Children killing each other is now a theme for a party?...What the hell is wrong with you people? This is a real, current issue.”

Moorecraft posted links to academic research which demonstrate how real gang violence is for young African American men.

Father responded to Moorecraft’s concerns with a callous status update.

“Seems some people are a bit upset about a themed club night party. Your sensitivity really matters to us so please save your souls and don’t attend,” the post reads. They sign off with a shrug emoticon, and this kicker postscript: “Cowboy & Indian parties are now not ok due to the plight of the native american [sic], neither are Pirate parties due to currant [sic] piracy issues overseas. Actually all themed parties are not ok. Fuck it lets [sic] ban partying all together so no one gets upset.”

If, as Australians, we have to make do with the mish-mash of stolen cultural source material that comes with being a relatively young nation, what makes reappropriation manipulative?

When you’re dealing with iconic material that isn’t yours - and, let’s face it, unless you’re down for an evening at Outback Jack’s, it probably isn’t - what’s playfully acceptable and what isn’t? When you’re using harmful ethnic stereotypes explicitly derided by the stereotype’s victims, as is the case of Cowboys and Indians, it’s definitely not ok. Subcultures are trickier.

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A Bloods and Crips theme is a terrible reason for a “dress in red or blue” party because the Bloods and Crips are violent, predominantly African American gangs, many of whom are young, all of whom are vulnerable, and most of whom will end up injured or imprisoned. We’re not talking cops and robbers here - we’re talking a specific subset of a marginalised group. At the risk of sounding like Joel Turner, these kids aren’t overdressing and puffing chests - they’re enmeshed in a vicious cycle of punishment and crime.

While you get to wear a doo-rag and instagram yourself over-zealously doing thug signs, these boys, who are as young as 12, will never get to escape an oppressive subculture where death and jail are neither make-believe nor dope themes for a party.

Metric Promotions did not respond to our requests for comment.

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Just like the inspiring flows he creates, L-Fresh The Lion is on the up, having lifted his profile supporting many major hip hop heavyweights over the last 18 months. In the midst of taking his debut album to the streets nationally, JO CAMPBELL gets him on the line for a chat about the record, his community and staying positive ahead of his gig at Mojos, Saturday, May 24.

With his first LP, aptly entitled One, Sydney raised rhymer L-Fresh has brought back a lyrical, narrative style of hip hop that hasn’t been big commercially since the late 90s/ early 2000s. It’s an empowering collection of thought-provoking songs four years in the making.

“I had a vision for the album but I knew I didn’t have the expertise to get it to the fit-for-release point and that I needed people around me who were perfect to bring that vision to life,” explains L-Fresh. “So I partnered with a good mate of mine, Michael McGlynn who runs a studio in Sydney called Vienna People and we came together and I told him about that vision. We explored and solidified that vision, and then we worked on the album. He produced the record and brought it to another level.

“We were able to bring in members of my band and he had his mates, who were awesome musicians come in and feature and do certain things on the album and some new songs were borne out of that inspiration. So, some of the album features moments in a studio captured instantly and turned into songs.

It was a long process, it was an awesome journey, it’s been really rewarding and now that the album is out it’s great to have people feel what we felt when we were in the studio making it.”

While the title track of the LP features an intro freestyle from rapping legend KRS One, the most recently released single, Survive, showcases L-Fresh’s Indian heritage and the people of the Sikh communities of Sydney’s Revesby and Craigieburn where he grew up.

“It’s so much a part of what I am that it’s something I don’t feel I have to explicitly mention as such in music or in my day-today, but it definitely forms who I am as an individual and as a human being.

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REMI TO PLAY PERTH MACKLEMORE SLAMMED AS ANTI-SEMITIC

Continued from cover...

“The rationale behind the video was, you know, how often do you see a video with my people represented? You don’t see Sikhs in hip hop. So I just wanted to make a video that normalises what we do, so I put it in a video! It’s really important for me to stay in touch with my community; they are supportive and mean a lot to me.”

Now working in youth support in Melbourne, L-Fresh is all about enabling people to create positive networks, a theme mirrored in his work with the seed having perhaps first been germinated during a visit to his parent’s homeland in his teenage years.

“I think community is really important, something that’s undervalued these days, particularly in Australia,” he says. “When I travelled overseas and visited places where my mum and dad grew up in Punjab there were people there who knew my parents from when they were little and were still living in the same place. There was this real sense of family and community really knowing one another and stories of this tight knit, community vibe.

“And I’m like, ‘why don’t we have that here?’ You know it’s really rare that people have solid relationships with their neighbours, or even with people in the community or in their suburb, and even on a national level or state level – it’s hard to come across the idea of people coming together to work together for a common goal.”

Social justice, peace and inclusion are all subtle themes running throughout One, concepts made reality via his clothing label and online community, Power To The Peaceful.

“People have just taken that idea to the next level. People come to the shows wearing the t-shirts and recognise other people in the audience wearing them and it’s this instant connection because they identify with the idea of peaceful people having power.

“The people that come to my shows don’t just connect with us on stage, they really get the feel for their peers in the audience. It’s the beginning of a community and people get to experience what it’s like to be part of this positive, uplifting, empowering vibe.

“I’m always about moving forward and learning, growing, and that to me is at the core of our existence. Something that I would relate to people is – be aware of your movements, how are you progressing? Are you getting better at what you are doing and what are you doing in your day-to-day to put yourself in a better position?”

Although One has been out mere weeks in release, L-Fresh has already set out the pre-work for his next LP, but before that, fans can witness his first headline Perth show this weekend at Mojos. L-Fresh and his band will be joined by local dons of rhyming, Mathas, Marksman, and Selekt Few for a curated live show and no doubt, a maximum of positive vibes.

Whiteboy rapper Macklemore has been slammed as anti-Semitic after dressing up as a Jewish caricature at a Seattle gig on Friday. People took to social media to tweet their rage at the artist who wore a fake nose, beard and wig. Seth Rogen tweeted at Macklemore, “first you trick people into thinking you’re a rapper, now you trick them into thinking you’re Jewish?” But the Seattle-born artist denied he was dressing up as Jewish, tweeting, “A fake witch’s nose, wig, and beard = random costume. Not my idea of a stereotype of anybody.” Leading Rogen to write back: “If I told someone to put together an anti Semitic Jew costume, they’d have that exact shopping list.” Oh snap. Do you want some ice for that burn, Macklemore?

Remi’s sold out headline club shows, and various opening slots for Joey Bada$$, the Under Achievers, and most recently for Illy have seen him build a reputation as a must see live act. Often joined on stage by multiple guests from a variety of musical genres including N’fa Jones of 1200 Techniques fame and Melbourne singer Chris Scott, the forthcoming shows will feature Remi with a full band, and promise to deliver audiences something very special indeed.

Check him out at The Bakery, Friday, July 4. Tickets at nowbaking.com.au Remi

Macklemore in his “not-Jewish” outfit.

SICK INK

Following support from MK, The Magician, Tensnake and Skream on his debut October Records/ Anjunadeep release, Lancelot returns with another exciting collaborative EP, this time with Sydneybased soul sensation Ngaiire. And he’s coming to Perth to play just for you. Check ‘em out at Geisha, Friday, May 30.

After a whirlwind tour of the US, Los Angeles rapper, producer and performer, Kid Ink, brings his My Own Lane tour to Villa, Monday, August 25. Grinding as a producer since the age of 16, Kid Ink uncovered this creative highway by perfecting a personal style behind the board first. He officially started twisting the game up when he dropped his 2012 independent album, Up & Away, smashing iTunes records by debuting in the Top 5 of the hip hop albums chart prior to release.

Cruising past all boundaries, Kid Ink seamlessly slips from an irresistible hook into an impeccable verse, effortlessly bobbing and weaving between the club and the streets. Get tickets from moshtix.com.au

Lancelot

Kid Ink

KNIGHTS OF THE BASS TABLE

WITH LEURE Leure shares her top five electro pop releases

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SZA Julia Top Dawg Entertainment

A friend introduced me to this album (Z) and I instantly fell completely in love. Julia in particular ticks all boxes as a jump on your bed feel good kinda track. I’ve had it on repeat for about four weeks now. Whether I’m bike riding, car driving, bedroom dancing--it’s a mood changer.

Sia Chandelier Monkey Puzzle

I’ve always loved and held immense respect for Sia’s work. This song and video clip raises the bar further. It’s incredible! The impact of the choreography together with the song’s dynamic production is a definite standout for me this year.

Mr Carmack Chowfun x Lauryn Hill Soulection

This song combines my two loves--dope production and a hint of Lauryn Hill vibes. If you haven’t jumped on the Mr Carmack wave, do so immediately. The dudes got skills.

Teebs View Point Brainfeeder

Teeb’s new album is killer. Another artist I’ve followed and admired. View Point is a strong track on the album (E S T A R A); Its rolling jungle rhythm and background melodics make me smile. When the beat cuts and synths invite your mind to wander, I find myself being completely content and in the moment.

Baths Ocean Death Anticon

When Baths released the tune Lovely Bloodflow I had it on repeat for weeks. Everything about that song makes me smile and feel like I want to do good acts in the world. Ocean Death is another banger from Baths, darker electro but still fills a musical spot in my heart.

SURECUT KIDS HOW NOT TO BE BORED The Surecut Kids, Benji and Mikey are busy lads. Benji is about to welcome a youngster into the world and Mikey is swept off his feet raising a puppy. Clearly, the duo has other interests outside of Surecut Kids. “It’s heccaz,” Mikey explains, suggesting that things are hectic, I suspect. “But in a good way,” he adds, as if to rebut himself. With that, RK gets the low down from the lads on their love of hip hop and how they came to find themselves in music ahead of their gig at Death Disco’s 7th Birthday @ Capitol, Saturday, May 24.

“We both were just really into hip hop,” says Mikey of their desire to make music. “Actually we had some mates who had this two man rapper/DJ group that we looked up to. They inspired us to get some turntables and start hacking away at it. So we used to just throw parties at my place every weekend until gradually it became our job.”

Indeed, Benji claims that they turned to beats and music simply because of ‘the grit’. “Without a bit of grit, life is boring,” he professes. “That’s why we aren’t into EDM and all that jazz because it’s too polished. We’re influenced by progressive sounds and genres and at the moment we are also influenced by trap and so on.” That said the lads are insistent that they’ll never be restricted to any one style and that it is vitally important they stay inspired and always moving forward.

Musically, the boys have just mixed the new installment of Klub Kids’ Trap Bombs series, which has been a great experience. “From there,” says Benji, “we have a new single coming out next month followed by a tour. We’ve also got collaboration with Spenda C coming out soon, plus an EP with Yo Majesty. The second half of this year is chockablock with music!”

And yet their approach to production is relatively straightforward. Mikey continues: “We tend to collaborate in a remix type of way. Usually one of us will start a tune and get it 50-70% of the way there, and then we’ll hand it backwards and forwards, making changes until it’s ready. Sometimes it ends up being a massive journey and the finished product is nothing like the original – other times it’s straightforward. It’s a fun way to work because the end result is truly collaborative.”

Likewise, their studio setup is pretty simple and lends itself to the nature of their output as well as their style. The boys are running a few iMacs with Logic X, midi keyboards, soundcards and nice monitors. And while they claim it would be dreamy

to start collecting synths, it is the bills that keep piling up, limiting that dream.

Finally, the lads are getting down for Death Disco Turns 7 and are pretty pumped about it. Mikey explains: “We’re super psyched to be heading over for this night. We really love Perth - the people there are so open to new music. We’ve never played a Death Disco before but we’ve seen photos and it looks turbo-yoloswag times infinity.” Benji adds that he can’t wait to get to this side of the country. “Perth simply rules,” he says. Truer words never spoken?

EIGHT LOVE LESSONS WITH 8 BIT LOVE Melbourne dance punks 8 Bit Love met at a regional Victorian high school in ‘08, the trio’s friendship was galvanised by their collective need to get to Melbourne, escape rural Australia and play sweaty dance rock together. Vito Lucarelli, Matt Darveniza and Simon Findlay have just released their third EP, Slummer Time. Ahead of their gig at The Bird, Saturday, May 24, Vito (vox/ guitar/ synth) shared with us his eight love lessons he has learnt in life thus far.

1. Learn to love your songs.

You’re going to play them a lot over the years, but don’t get overly attached to the point where you can’t take criticism. Other people are allowed an opinion unfortunately. Sometimes you’ll find that opinion printed in a local street press. *ahem*

5. Don’t care so much.

It took me ages to realise this. When things haven’t turned out the way I planned and I’ve gotten all huffed up and pissy, I need to remind myself, “Mate, what’s the rush? You’re only twenty-something years old.

There’s plenty of fish in the sea” to which I’d say back, “Lol. Tru tho”.

2. Sometimes the audience will like the drummer (Simon Findlay) more.

He might be hairy and stink a lot more after a gig, but some people are into that. The sooner you come to terms with that, the more heartbreak you’ll save yourself from. God forbid they’re into the bassist, though.

6. Not every break-up song is a good break-up song.

It’s easy to get attached to a song by what it means to you, but you probably just sound like a whiny little shit. Especially if the pain is still fresh. I know I’ve been there.

3. You most likely won’t find love on the road So don’t try too hard looking for it. Have your fun, play your gigs and go with the flow. You could find yourself having fun at Bondi at 4 in the morning.

7. Heartbreak. It hurts. Oh, man. Heartbreak hurts.

Like, more than you could ever believe. It’s like having all the blood taken from your body and replaced with some sort of black oil that hurts every time your heart beats and stops you from doing normal things like getting up in the morning and pooping.

4. Trust your gut instinct.

There’s no such thing as good or bad timing and the right person might not fit the mould of what you thought Mr/Miss Right would be, but that’s okay.

8.Perth people are great and are easy to fall in love with.

But it’s so damn far away from Melbourne and flights aren’t cheap.

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B E AT S

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NEWS

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INTERVIEWS

WED 21/05

BEHIND THE DECKS

DJ name?

JD4D (Jesus Died For Dubstep) Describe your genre in a few words?

140 bpm goodness.

Quick overview of your year so far?

I’ve been working on the next JD4D Records release which will be out soon, I was able to play with old friend and respected dubstep veteran D-Jahsta which was an amazing show with great feedback. Also I played boat parties in summer which was dope.

How long have you been DJing for?

Since April 2012. I played my first gig using a midi controller and no headphones haha, sorted that out quickly.

Best track to open and close a set with?

Liquid Stranger - Imperial Strike

What’s the weirdest tune you’ve ever played?

SNSD - Boys (Chizzle Remix) What’s next on the cards for you?

I’m so busy with the day job, the son, the wife and setting up a new business, so it’s really hard to say but you’ll always find me playing at miscellaneous gigs around Perth and can track my movements on Facebook/Twitter.

What’s the strangest thing that’s ever happened to you whilst DJing?

When one of the dudes from Riot Class was a right mess on his birthday, fought his way onto the decks while I was playing and managed to next level drunk train wreck the set.

Your most exciting moment behind the decks?

Last year I played to fans in Germany I’ve had for years.

I don’t know if anything could beat that.

What’s your favourite new track?

Pegboard Nerds - Hero (Naysu Remix). You have to hear this tune.

Anything else you’d like to tell me?

Music is subjective, I listen to almost everything, dubstep happens to be a genre I listen to more than others, so for those who have nothing good to say about dubstep, save it, mature and respect personal taste.

Best track to clean the house to?

Anything my Mrs wants to listen to.

Next gig?

Floor Fillaz at Flyrite. Wednesday, May 28. Be there!

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REVIEWS

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EVENTS

THE CAUSEWAY

THE COURT

DELICIOUS @ ROCKET ROOM

CRAIG ALEXANDER

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AMPLIFIER BAR Academy Funhouse ft.

Will Pugh (Cartel) Lights of Berlin Japanese Tongue Sisters Paper Walls THE BEAT (DOWNSTAIRS) Street THE BIRD 1000 Dances: Shake Your Tail Feather BRASS MONKEY Burlesque Night Sugar Blue Burlesque James Ess CAPITOL Harlem VS Inhibit Mayhem x Antiserum Killafoe B2B Casuel Pimp Scrub & Harlem DJs CAPTAIN STIRLING Lokie Shaw CLUB RED SEA Cheek CONSERVATORY ROOFTOP BAR Horseplay THE DEEN Manic Mondays GOLD BAR Famous THE GOOD SHEPHERD Thinkfar GROOVE BAR (CROWN) 5 Shots HULA BULA BAR Island Nite Flex Safari Lady Carla Razor Jack Cheeba Cheeba LLAMA BAR Akuna Club THE LUCKY SHAG Howie Morgan METRO FREO C5 Next Gen NEWPORT HOTEL Newport Wednesdays – Student Night OCEAN ONE BAR Brazil Night ft.

Xoxote THE ODD FELLOW DJ Beryl Streep SOVEREIGN ARMS FIVE0 VILLAGE BAR Village People Wednesdays

THURS 22/05 BRASS MONKEY Karaoke Brass Monkey Style BROOKLANDS TAVERN Celebrations Karaoke THE BRIGHTON Miss Chief

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THE CAUSEWAY Xport Thursdays THE CLAREMONT HOTEL Institution Thursdays CLUB RED SEA Thursday Night Revolution CONNECTIONS Bingay THE CRAFTSMAN FIVE0 THE DEEN Chase The Sun Thursdays GOLD BAR OG Thursdays HULA BULA BAR Hi-Fi Lounge LEISURE INN DJ Peta LIBRARY Sneaky LOST SOCIETY The Collective LUKCY SHAG James Wilson

FRI 23/05 AMPLIFIER BAR Fridays are back ft.

Kla AVIARY Ben Sebastian Paradise Paul THE BAYSWATER Mario Zuli BEAT NIGHTCLUB (DOWNSTAIRS) Play THE BRASS MONKEY DJ Vicktor James Ess THE BRIGHTON DJ Peta CAPITOL Death Disco CAPITOL (UPSTAIRS) I Love 80s & 90’s ft Darren Tucker THE CARINE J!mmy Beats THE COMO Byron O’Neill DAILY PLANET Sundowner Sessions THE DEEN Student Night EVE NIGHTCLUB Recharge Fridays FLAWLESS Monarch Fridays GEISHA BAR Habitat: HNQO THE GEORGE Ben Sebastian Neil Viney GILKISON DANCE STUDIO Methods of Movement GINGER NIGHTCLUB Mondo Dance Party GOLD BAR Vanity

THE GOOD SHEPHERD Thinkfar GROOVE BAR (CROWN) DJ Crazy Craig THE GRAND Jay Mckay HULA BULA BAR Shakin’ It LAKERS TAVERN Grizzly LUCKY SHAG DJ Richie G MALT Nu Disco Hip Hop THE MANOR Apollo Brown METRO FREO The Night Carnival DTuck Jovan Madzoski Jack Martin METRO FREO C5 Retro Dr Wazz DJ Shane MINT Club Retro MULLALOO BEACH HOTEL Flaunt Fridays DJ Darren Wize MY PLACE Karaoke NORTHSHORE TAVERN Chalk N Cheese THE ODD FELLOW Sh’mon DJs PARAMOUNT Paramount Party Crew THE QUEENS Jon Ee DJ Reuben THE SAINT Britty SECRET LOCATION Alison Wonderland SHAPE BAR JD4D vs. INHIBIT THE SHED Crush SOVEREIGN ARMS Angel WHALE & ALE Danny B YAYA’S ACE Fridays DJ Pup

SAT 24/05 AMPLIFIER BAR Pure Pop ft Eddie Electric AVENUE Lokie Shaw THE AVIARY Paradise Paul Micah BAR ORIENT The Reggae Club BEAT NIGHTCLUB (UPSTAIRS) CANVAS

BEAT NIGHTCLUB (DOWNSTAIRS) House Party THE BIRD 8 Bit Love Apache Electric Toad BRASS MONKEY DJ Peta Grizzly THE BRIGHTON Squinty CAPITOL Death Disco’s 7th Birthday ft.

Surecut Kids Bass Attic DJs CAPITOL (UPSTAIRS) Cream of the 80’s ft DJ Roger Smart THE COMO Jon-Ee CORNERSTONE Mario Zuij THE DEEN Saturdays EAST END BAR Home FLAWLESS LQ Saturdays THE GENEROUS SQUIRE Defanutly GOLD BAR Pure Gold THE GOOD SHEPHERD Juice GROOVE BAR (CROWN) Hero Djs HULA BULA BAR Sailor Saturdays LIBRARY MKT LOST SOCIETY Chalk LUCKY SHAG DJ Richie G METRO CITY EDM Saturdays METRO FREO Metropolis Saturdays ft.

Darren Tucker Dr Wazz Benny C DJ Shane METRO FREO C5 I Love 80s and 90s ft.

Dr Wazz DJ Shane MOJOS L-Fresh the Lion NEWPORT HOTEL Gravity DJ Tahli Jade NORTHSHORE TAVERN Local Heroes ft.

Two Plus One PARAMOUNT Saturday Nights ft.

Felix THE QUEENS Funky Bottoms & Jay Lee Lloyd

Deadline Monday 5pm. The Club Manual is a service to advertisers listing all DJs & Dance Music. All inclusions are at the discretion of X-Press. Email guide@xpressmag.com.au

METROPOLIS FREMANTLE

AMPLIFIER

THE SAINT Crackers THE SHED HUGE DJ Andyy SOVEREIGN ARMS Moe-Hee-Toe THE WHALE & ALE Jawsh YAYA’S ARCADIA @ YAYAS DJ Cookie

SUN 18/05 THE AVIARY Troy Division Micah Ben Sebastian CLAREMONT HOTEL Sunday Driver CLUB BAY VIEW Lokie Shaw HULA BULA BAR Tiki time Sundays Johnny Law Johnny Rocker LUCKY SHAG Sunday Session Hans Fiance MULLALOO BEACH HOTEL Sunday Sesh NORTHSHORE TAVERN DJ Andrew C Sessions THE QUEENS FIVE0 Sam Spencer THE ROSEMOUNT (BEER GARDEN) The Get Down Charlie Bucket Klean Kicks Nick Sheppard THE SAINT Jon Ee Az-T THE SHED The Healy’s Blue Hornet

MON 19/05 BRASS MONKEY Monkey Madness THE DEEN Manic Mondays THE ROSEMOUNT HOTEL Bex & Turin’s Wide Open Mic YAYA’S Big Tommo’s Open Mic

TUES 20/05 THE BIRD The Bird’s Open Mic Night BRASS MONKEY Acoustic Open Mic Night MUSTANG BAR Danza Loca Salsa Night

I LOVE 90s @ CAPITOL

THIS WEEK HARLEM VS INHIBIT 21 Amplifier Capitol ALISON WONDERLAND 23 Secret Location APOLLO BROWN 23 The Manor ALISON WONDERLAND AFTER PARTY 21 Ginger Nightclub EMILY SCOTT 23 Parker METHODS OF MOVEMENT 23 Gilkison Dance Studio THE FUNKOARS 23 Capitol JD4D VS. INHIBIT 23 Shape Bar BIG APE 24 Shape Bar L-FRESH THE LION 24 Mojos Bar

LAURYN HILL SATURDAY, MAY 24 @ FREMANTLE ARTS CENTRE

LAURYN HILL 24 Fremantle Arts Centre 8 BIT LOVE w/ Apache and Electric Toad 24 The Bird ANDY STOTT 24 The Bakery

MAY ALLDAY 29 Breaker Bar 30 Flyrite ELLIE GOULDING 28 Challenge Stadium RÜFÜS 30 Players Bar 31 Fremantle Arts Centre OUR MAN IN BERLIN W/ LEURE, LILT, RUN FOX RUN 30 Amplifier Bar LANCELOT 30 Geisha Bar LE CLUB 30 Connections Nightclub TOTAL FREEDOM 30 The Bakery SWEATWERX PRESENTS HOUSE TO HOUSE ft.

Da SweatPosse, Prince Ali Elmerthudd, DJ Beltdrive, Fast Eddie, The Flexxxmen 31 Velvet Lounge SINJIN HAWKE 31 Gilkisons Dance Studio

GG Magree

PERTH’S 1ST ANNUAL HOUSE MUSIC AWARDS 31 The Velvet Lounge LUKA LESSON 31 Peyote

JUNE

CHET FAKER 17 & 19 Astor Theatre CHECK THIS 21 Parker

GG Magree

COIN BANKS 27 Amplifier

STWO SANGO POMO 1 The Bakery

CIRCÓ 28 Claremont Showgrounds

THE PRESETS (with the Australian Chamber Orchestra) 4 Concert Hall

REMI 4 The Bakery

EJECA 5 Geisha Bar

DEATH DISCO WITH JUST A GENT 12 Capitol

SCHOOLBOY Q + ISAIAH RASHAD 5 Villa Nightclub BOK BOK & LVIS-1990 7 The Bakery HENRY SAIZ 6 Geisha Bar

CLIQUE 004 Angry Buda/DJ Mr Phat/Chris Whytehype/ Bsyde Bobby/Kib Kibrom/OLITHAGOD/ Midsole/The D’Vauz Brothers/Clique Crew

JULY

CROOKED COLOURS 12 Amplifier Bar GARETH EMERY 19 Metro City METRONOMY 23 Astor

AUGUST

TLC 13 Metro City

THE ASTON SHUFFLE 23 Amplifier

J-TRICK 13 Parker

KID INK 25 Villa

YEO 14 The Causeway 15 Indi Bar

KANYE WEST 5 Perth Arena

SEPTEMBER

Saturday night saw the fourth Clique party at Metropolis Fremantle. A new fortnightly party spread across two floors, upstairs focusing on Trap, whilst the main stage provided a selection of R&B, hip hop, pop and party breaks.

Metropolis is a great venue, with a clear sound system, large lighting rig and plenty of bars.

I have been to plenty of great events ranging from bands to international DJ’s at the venue. I, however, was disappointed by the night.

The Clique crew had some nice flourishes, including a pamper booth and a face painter who was dolling up both staff as well as punters in some Dia de Muertos styled makeup. This however didn’t make up for the fact that the rest of the entertainment of the night was quite lacklustre.

Support in the main room was provided by local talent Angry Buda, DJ Mr Phat and Chris Whytehype along with MC’s Bsyde Bobby and Kib Kibrom. I understand that they were pushing this night as a “party”, but the music seemed to focus purely on urban pop anthems, some many years old with the same Rhianna and Beyoncé tracks played three or four

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times throughout the night. I like to go to clubs to experience new music, but not a whole lot of that was on offer for the night. It didn’t seem to affect the crowd however as the dance floor was always busy.

Joining the MC’s and DJ’s on stage were the Clique Crew, a local hip hop dance group who recently won the Australian Hip Hop Internationals. I would have expected a certain level of choreography from these dancers, however I honestly wouldn’t have known the difference if they had gotten a few girls up from the dance floor to replace them.

The main act Sydney DJ GG Magree finally hit the decks around midnight. Again the music didn’t stray far from more popular and well known tracks. The most offensive thing about her set however wasn’t that some tunes appeared to be premixed, but that her set was basically a giant product launch for her clothing label “Yeah Pussy!” with dancers wearing t-shirts and giving out free giveaways, not to mention the giant LED screen behind the stage playing a constant loop of an advertisement.

Although the main stage was pretty disappointing for most of the night, the upstairs bar area was providing a more forward thinking selection of tunes. DJ’s OLITHAGOD, Midsole & The D’Vauz Brothers provided a soundtrack of broken beats that varied from southern hip hop to electro and dubstep influenced track breaks.

If you are just looking for a Saturday night to drink and dance, you could do worse. Just don’t go expecting any really forward thinking music. (And try not to lose your mind when they play What’s My Name? for the fourth time in the same night.)

SEAN DRILL

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LOCAL NEWS

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INTERVIEWS

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REVIEWS

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Q & A

The Decline - Photo by Rachael Barrett

THE DECLINE The Novocaines/Tired Lion/Sail On! Sail On!/Being Beta The Rosemount Hotel Friday, May 16, 2014

King Parrot - Photo by Daniel Grant

KING PARROT Entrails Eradicated/ Chainsaw Hookers/ Black Witch Amplifier Bar Friday, May 16, 2014 Black Witch kicked things off with their own unique brand of sewer dwelling sonic mayhem. The heavy groove breaks were perfectly juxtaposed against the heavy erratic thrash metal punk. The scraping, razor-like vocals kept the intensity high and the blasting drums and shredding guitars will make you evacuate your bowels in pure ecstasy. A fierce five piece set to annihilate.

With the crowd building the support was there to welcome Chainsaw Hookers and it’s plain to see why. Galloping away from the get go, they’re like the four horsemen of the apocalypse. When Armageddon comes, stick close to them, they’ll ride it out. Their riffs are tumescence-inducing and the constant vehement guitar riffs and drum pummelling make the rare heavy breaks feel like a gravity shift. The thundering bass and abrasive vocals are all up in your face. Don’t shave your beard, they’ll do that for ya.

After a few minutes making sure all the technicalities were taken care of, Entrails Eradicated took to the stage in the spirit of dark theatre straight from the bowels of hell. They are technical brutality personified. Two guitarists, four hands, fingers and hair were going everywhere. The bass player’s hands were everywhere at once. How many notes can you

SEPTICFLESH/ FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE Claim The Throne The Rosemount Hotel Sunday, May 18, 2014 It would be an understatement to say I was looking forward to Sunday night’s gig. Septicflesh from Athens and their Italian tour-buddies Fleshgod Apocalypse finished their first ever Australian tour with a ridiculously heavy set at Perth’s Rosemount Hotel. These two bands are definitely at the top of their game right now.

Local favourites Claim The Throne were first up and despite none of the usual mid-set beerbongs or on-stage barbecues this time around, the energy levels and good times were abundant.

Playing mostly a mix of songs from their past two releases, Triumph And Beyond and Forged In Flame, Claim The Throne have definitely matured in their style, with an unmistakably heavier sound. More melodic death than folk, the quality of their songs in evident when played live. Claim The Throne is fun metal, good times, and smiles.

Soon Fleshgod Apocalypse were about to take the stage, and by this time the crowd had truly grown in both size and anticipation. A sense of theatre is etched in Fleshgod, from the dusty, traditional suits, the crimson curtain that fell, to the keyboards and orchestrations that have seen them rise from another brutal death band to standing out among their extreme death metal

fit into a one second bass solo? The drummer was like a one man platoon. The snare was an Uzi and the double kick a .50 cal. All of a sudden an atomic bomb had the walls shaking. These men were truly the kings of speed and technicality on this night. The vocalist’s incessant guttural sonant was like a demonic beast.

This is unrelenting mastery of the darker metal.

If you have never been to a King Parrot show then you have never witnessed anything like it. At least this was the case for me. Without bias I can tell you that if you are a fan of music entertainment and you don’t mind things getting a bit dirty, a bit wild, a bit out of control then put King Parrot on your bucket list.

Seriously this is organised chaos, debauchery.

From the beginning the fanatics were welcome on stage, diving and crowd surfing, and the frontman, Matt Young, and bass player were right there with them. They were shirts off, sweat and spit flying. The drummer was blasting and blitzing sonically at will. The two guitarists’ ability to shred and wail despite the assault and battery on stage was uncanny. Some songs seemed to be over before they even started. This is not a criticism - this is very fitting.

Young’s vocal and style is uniquely his own and he is a hilarious madman. Combined with the wit of the short round bass man, you go from laughter to shock and awe within seconds making you question your own sanity. And then they’ve got you. Mwahaha! Young shushed the crowd and parted them. He stood in the middle, the song started and they charged him. It was insane and then he thanked them and asked for his microphone cable back. With only one concussion after a brutal stage dive everyone ended up reasonably unscathed. Do yourself a favour go see King Parrot.

Unless you’re a wuss. You’re not a wuss are ya?

The Decline should need no introduction, having firmly cemented themselves a place in the Australian music scene. There was real sense of excitement for the launch of the new EP, Can I Borrow a Feeling, at the Rosemount Hotel on Friday night.

Fresh out of the studio after recording their second EP, Being Beta royally kicked the night underway with their pop-punk antics and enthusiasm, singing songs of what it was like to grow up in Bunbury and making fun about of how silly life’s problems can be.

However, Reading In A Ribhouse explores something much more serious: the rise of industrial food and its negative impact. They closed set with three new songs off the to-be-released EP. Sail On! Sail On! brought a heavier tone, embodying a unique post-hardcore sound. Their chaotic and passionate music draws influences for a variety of bands with the most obvious being La Dispute and Dance Gavin Dance, but they have created a really lovely sound of their own.

Tired Lion are arguably one of the most exciting bands in the Perth music scene right now with the band currently in Singapore to play a string of five shows as part of the Music Matters festival. Opening the set with a new song, I Don’t Think You Like Me, off the upcoming EP which saw bassist Nick Vasey provide raw backing vocals. Channelling ‘90s rock with the perfect

amount of grunge, the band, fronted by Sophie Hope’s feisty yet delicate voice, smashed through an impressive set, only marred by a couple of technical issues where their pedal boards lost power on a few occasions.

However, it was easily overlooked.

A short break later it was time for The Novocaines, another celebrated Perth act. Frontman Corey Marriott’s manic dancing and the band’s infectious energy radiated throughout their set as they powered through song after song. Their grungy riffs and Marriott’s screaming vocals they tore apart the stage. The ferocious punk rockers put on the quite the show.

Punters eagerly awaited the fast skate punk songs of The Decline, and finally it was time. They opened the set with A Crash Course In Emotional English, soon after the violent moshing began. FAIM frontman Noah Skape spontaneously provided them will backing vocals for the end of Excuse Me. Dedicating The Financial Equivalent Of A Complete Rectal Exam to Tired Lion and then playing The Evolution of Jesus Jackson off the new EP, they compared Jesus Christ to Michael Jackson, with the lyrics saying “Michael Jackson you died for my sins.” Their music goes beyond on the usual topics of relationships and life, demonstrating a social awareness and touching on issues like animal rights and child labour in their satirical style. Offering up a tight set of fast paced punk tunes riddled with humour and puns, The Decline played a solid 14 song set, proving just why they are so great.

RACHAEL BARRETT

REGS MCVEIGH

counterparts. Opening with The Hypocrisy, the opening track from their 2011 album Agony, the crowd immediately went into a moshpit frenzy.

Fleshgod Apocolypse are ridiculously fast, and the energy of the crowd and band melded together brilliantly. The orchestrations in the backing track refused to be drowned out by the machine gun double bass drums. The clean vocals in the newer material (which dominated the set) may not appeal to some of the old school fans, but tonight they sounded miles above their studio releases, and although an abundance of delay helped, bassist/second vocalist Paolo Rossi nailed some insanely high falsettos. With a set lasting just 45 minutes, they definitely left us wanting more.

Septicflesh is another death metal band that has also expanded on their sound over the past two albums, Communion and The Great Mass, with more huge symphonic melodies. Less brutal than Fleshgod, but more sophisticated and orchestral, they opened their set with The Vampire From Nazareth. At first the crowd were less energetic for the Greeks as they where the Italians - perhaps something to do with the lower-tempo pace of Septicflesh. Despite this, they went off when it was asked of them... and that was a lot!

Interaction with the crowd was great all night. The tracks from Communion got the most cheers from the crowd, with Anubis, Lovecraft’s Death, the album’s title track, and Persepolis all performed to a rapturous crowed. In fact, the only omission from the latest two albums was Unbeliever.

This was a night for two of Europe’s fastest-growing bands, both past their transitional and experimental periods in their careers, and both on target to only get better. Symphonic Death Metal you say? Sounds ridiculous, yes? Ridiculously good. Top night.

PAUL DI SCERNI WWW. XP RE SS MAG.COM. AU

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LOCAL NEWS

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INTERVIEWS

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LIVE REVIEWS

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Q & A

SPINNING TOP RECORDS LABEL LAUNCH PARTY Mojos Bar Saturday, May 17, 2014 Perth’s newest record label got inaugurated with help from Felicity Groom, Peter Bibby, Shiny Joe Ryan, Cam Avery and DJ Chip Seagull.

Photos by Matt Jelonek

Cam Avery

Aaron, Marishka, Colin, Wouter

Alison, Dan

Ciara, Gabby

Dariya, Ben

Alex, Pat, Rodriguez

THE BEAT NIGHTCLUB

INDI BAR

Walk on the path to hell this Friday, May 23, upstairs at The Beat with Remember The South, To Hell With Honour and Medusa’s Gaze.

Then May the (Twenty)Fourth be with you this Saturday night with the Punkinstuff #4 Star Wars floorshow downstairs with The Bob Gordons, Creature and Trip Hazard & The Rude Boys from 8pm.

Touted as having “one of the finest blues voices this country has ever heard,” Shaun Kirk returns to The Indi Bar this Sunday, May 25, with good friend and similarly amazing live act Morgan Bain. Doors open at 6.30pm and entry is $10.

SWALLOW BAR Thursday Night Live welcomes a fabulous new act, The Kingston Shakers! A Caribbean-style vibe of vintage calypso, rocksteady and ska. Saturday sees the one and Nick Sheppard on the decks for a night of soul, funk and jazz. Then on Sunday, spend an afternoon of traditional swing jazz with the beautiful sounds of The Limelights Jazz Trio.

ROSEMOUNT HOTEL This Wednesday, May 21, catch Margaret River groovers New Soundland with support from Merito.

Then Friday sees the legendary English Beat hitting the stage with local support from Special Brew and Dilip N The Davs.

RAILWAY HOTEL This Saturday catch King’s Justice, Oakland, Iceage Sugar and Approaching Opposite. Doors 8pm and entry is free! Sunday it’s the monthly Gignition new band showcases, this edition featuring The Moonshine Trust, Crash Rat, Midflight Parasite, John Sean East and St James Sirens. Doors open at 5pm and it’s $8 entry.

THE NORTHSHORE Performing musically as a six piece line up, P!nked covers P!nk’s greatest hits so far in an authentic and energetic two hour show for exclusive audiences only!

The P!nked show is largely inspired by the I’m Not Dead tour, as well as including her very latest hits such as True Love and Try from the Truth about love tour.

Get down this Friday, May 23, from 8.30pm. tickets are $10 on the door.

P!nked

YAYA’S Saturday, May 24, sees indie rock outfit Scarlet Therapy putting on a massive show with Foreign Architects and Mister Wolf to help raise funds to record their debut single. As always don’t forget to hang around on Friday and Saturday for Ace and ARCADIA after 11, resident DJs Pup and Cookie spin your favourite party starters to help you dance the night away!

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MOJO’S BAR Friday, May 23, Tijuana Cartel miss you, WA! So they’re heading back. Tickets are $30 presale, $40 on the door. Support includes Mei Saraswati and DJ Care Bear. Doors open at 8pm.

Tijuana Cartel

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A QUICKIE WITH... TRACKSUIT Tracksuit’s new single, Dance (Looking For Romance), hits the public for the first time this Friday, May 23, at YaYa’s, with support from Odette Mercy And Her Soul Atomics, Custom Royal and Helen Shanahan. We thought it a good time to have a chat with singer and guitarist, Steve Hensby.

Who are Tracksuit? Give us a history lesson.

We’re a four piece rock ‘n’ roll band from Perth. We are about to release a full length album in the upcoming months and we have had three EPs. What’s your sound? Who are your influences?

We like a lot of different music and I guess that has come through on our album! The Small Faces, Noel Coward, Billy Holiday, Laura Nyro.

Tell us about the single.

The single is Dance (Looking for Romance). It was written and demoed a few days before going into the studio so it was a very quick and exciting process from being written and then recorded. The song is about having a night out on the town. Special shout out to Ricki Malet who played trumpet on the track, he is an amazing player and all round nice guy!

Where did you record and who with?

We recorded with Malcolm Clark at YoYo Studio. We recorded very quickly and had an awesome time. Mal is a fantastic person to work with and we were all of the same page with making the record. He works really hard to get the right sounds and makes sure that everything is sounding rather lovely!

What’s up next?

After the single launch we will be releasing the album. We are also releasing another video clip in the not too distant future, the second one off of the record after Chewy, the first single. We’ll be touring the eastern states in the next few months as well as playing more WA shows. Also, we are constantly writing so we should have some more new songs that we’ll play live soon.

GET DOWN WITH THE DEMON Catch a four-pack of down and dirty rock at The Bird t h i s T h u r s d ay, M ay 2 2 , with Hideous Sun Demon, Loners, Dream Rimmy and Yokohomos. Doors open at 8pm, entry is $5.

Hideous Sun Demon

FORBIDDEN PLANET It’s taken them almost four years, but Battle Of The Planets have finally put the finishing touches on their debut self-titled EP, and they’re ready to give you a taste. Catch them at The Rosemount Hotel this Thursday, May 22, with support from Bury The Heard, Graphic Characters and making their first public performance - 13 Circles. Doors open at 8pm, entry is $10.

Battle Of The Planets

GO FOR CHOKE Get punky down at YaYa’s this Thursday, May 22, with a five band extravaganza! Start the night right with an acoustic set by Varial, then keep on keeping on with Lifespan, Beverley Thrills, Discordians and Choking Stanley. Doors open at 7.30pm, entry is $10.

Choking Stanley

THE WHOLE TOOTH

Rockin’ Bowl hits the Osborne Park Bowling Club this Sunday, May 25.

From 3pm, catch a ludicrously large lineup of local talent, including Pat Decline, Benjamin Elliot, Fabian Rojas, King Crime, Loners, The Fortunados, Wizard Sleeve and The Jephasuns.

Local legends Fucking Te e t h h e a d l i n e a n evening of awesome sound this Saturday, May 24, at The Rosemount Hotel. Joining them are Hamjam, Spaceman Antics, Dream Rimmy and party monsters, Electric Toad. Doors open at 8pm, entry is $10.

The Jephasuns - photo by Max Fairclough

Fucking Teeth

WELL, BOWL ME OVER

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BATTLE OF THE PLANETS Self Titled EP Launch @ The Rosemount BOYS BOYS BOYS!/AXE GIRL We Like To Move/Silence Single Launch @ The Bakery TRACKSUIT Chewy Single Launch @ YaYa’s THE JOY EVELATION Self Titled Album Launch @ Fly By Night OUR MAN IN BERLIN Is It Right? EP Launch @ Amplifier PAT CHOW Good Deed EP Launch @ Mojos THE DISAPPOINTED Weird Peace EP Launch @ The Rosemount RUNNER Cloud Kingdom Album Launch @ Mojos THE INSATIABLES For The Living Video Launch @ The Rosemount LEURE Lightfields EP Launch @ Mojos RUBY BOOTS Self Titled EP Launch @ The Astor Theatre SCALPHUNTER There Will Be Change Video Launch @ The Rosemount WISEOAKS Not Here Single Launch @ 78 Records ARKARION Lessons In Futility Album Launch @ The Rosemount READY TO FIRE Self Titled EP Launch @ YaYa’s MT MOUNTAIN Self Titled EP Launch @ The Rosemount MATT CAL Wild Horses/Breathe Single Launch @ The Ellington WWW. XP RE SS MAG.COM. AU

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TOUR TRAILS

DZ DEATHRAYS, MAY 22 - 25

THIS WEEK JAMES VINCENT McMORROW 21 Astor Theatre WILL PUGH (CARTEL) 21 Amplifier Bar 22 YMCA HQ THE WAIFS 21 Bunbury Regional Entertainment Centre 22 Astor Theatre 24 Kimberley Moon Experience, Kununurra 25 Fly By Night DANIEL CHAMPAGNE 21 Mojos Bar 22 Four5Nine Bar SAM BRITTAIN 22 Ellington Jazz Club DZ DEATHRAYS 22 Prince Of Wales, Bunbury 23 Indi Bar 24 Amplifier Bar 25 Newport Hotel DALE BARLOW 23 & 24 Ellington Jazz Club PENNY IKINGER 23 Rosemount 459 25 MOJOS Bar WAGONS 23 Fly By Night FUNKOARS 23 Capitol 24 Studio 146, Albany THE ENGLISH BEAT 23 Rosemount Hotel MANGO GROOVE 23 Metro City (CANCELLED) 2014 AIRNORTH KIMBERLEY MOON EXPERIENCE ft. Eskimo Joe, The Waifs, John Williamson, 42 Decibel 24 Jim Hughes Amphitheatre, Kununurra MS. LAURYN HILL 24 Fremantle Arts Centre GARY NUMAN 25 Astor Theatre

MAY FREE YOUR MIND ft. Northlane, Thy Art Is Murder, Veil Of Maya, Volumes, Make Them Suffer 28 Fly By Night Club 29 Capitol ELLIE GOULDING & BROODS 28 Challenge Stadium THE GRID 28 Ellington Jazz Club LARRY CARLTON 28 Astor Theatre ALLDAY 29 Breakers Bar, Geraldton 30 Flyrite ROYSTON VASIE 29 Mustang Bar 30 MOJOS 31 YAYAS THE BEARDS 29 The White Star Hotel, Albany 31 Prince Of Wales, Bunbury STICKRAD TRIO FT.

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TOURS LIVE

THE BEARDS, MAY 29 - JUNE 1

LUCKY OCEANS 30 Ellington Jazz Club RÜFÜS 30 Players Bar, Mandurah 31 Fremantle Arts Centre WE ARE SCIENTISTS 31 Amplifier Bar THE HARD-ONS 30 Prince Of Wales, Bunbury 31 Margaret River Football Club DARREN MIDDLETON 31 Ellington Jazz Club STATE OF THE ART ft. Drapht, Eskimo Joe, San Cisco, The Stems & more 31 Perth Cultural Centre

JUNE THE HARD-ONS 1 Railway Hotel THE BEARDS 1 Astor Theatre DARREN MIDDLETON 1 Mojos Bar DREAM IN COLOUR ft. TJR, Chain Smokers, Stafford Brothers, Arno Cost and more 1 Metro City EAGLE AND THE WORM 1 Aviary ASTOR ROCKS ft. MEAT PUPPETS, BRANT BJORK, HARDONS 2 Astor Theatre PROPAGANDHI 3 Amplifier Bar KIM CHURCHILL 4 Indi Bar IN HEARTS WAKE 4 YMCA HQ 5 Amplifier Bar ALEX LLOYD 5 Settlers Tavern YO GABBA GABBA! LIVE! 7 Riverside Theatre FOREVER ENDS HERE & WITH CONFIDENCE 7 YMCA HQ FRENTE 7 Astor Theatre LA DISPUTE 7 Rosemount Hotel 8 YMCA HQ DEAD LETTER CIRCUS 4 Pier Hotel, Esperance 5 The White Star Hotel, Albany 6 Settlers Tavern, Margaret River 7 Prince Of Wales, Bunbury 8 Rosemount Hotel BETRAYING THE MARTYRS 11 YMCA HQ CARCASS 12 Capitol LOOSE CHANGE 12 Flyrite 13 Mojos Bar JAMES BLUNT 12 Crown Theatre 13 Riverside Theatre THE CAIROS 12 The Brighton, Mandurah 13 The Odd Fellow 14 Amplifier Bar

DUNE RATS 12 Mojos Bar 13 Amplifier Bar NIRVANNA: THE ULTIMATE NIRVANA EXPERIENCE 12 Astor Lounge 13 Dunsborough Tav 14 Northshore Tav 15 Highway Hotel 19 Kalamunda Hotel 20 Leisure Inn 21 Gosnells Hotel RON POPE 13 Astor Lounge TLC 13 Metro City JOSH PYKE 15 Divers Tavern, Broome SLIM JIM PHANTOM & FIREBALLS 15 Astor Theatre STEVE POLTZ 17 Rosemount Hotel 18 Mojos Bar EARTH 18 Rosemount Hotel BASTILLE 18 Challenge Stadium CHET FAKER 19 Astor Theatre THE PAPER KITES 19 Artbar 20 Prince of Wales, Bunbury SAFIA 20 Mojos Bar LITTLE BASTARD 21 Mojos Bar GRAVEYARD TRAIN 21 Rosemount Hotel 22 Mojos Bar FINNTROLL 22 Amplifier Bar MONDO ROCK 22 Regal Theatre SUPERSUCKERS 25 Astor Theatre COIN BANKS 27 Amplifier Bar SASKWATCH 27 Settlers Tavern, Margaret River 28 Amplifier Bar 29 Mojos Bar BEC LAUGHTON 27 The Odd Fellow 28 Settlers Tavern 29 The Aviary THE GUTYO MONKS OF TIBET 28 Toodyay Memorial Hall KEITH URBAN & SHEPPARD 29 Perth Arena

JULY THE CRIMSON PROJEKCT 2 Fly By Night VIOLENT SOHO & SMITH STREET BAND 2 & 3 The Bakery (SOLD OUT) THE AUDREYS 4 Fly By Night SOMETHING FOR KATE 4 Astor Theatre BON BUT NOT FORGOTTEN 5 Charles Hotel TINY RUINS 5 Mojos Bar

CHET FAKER, JUNE 19 BELL X1 6 Capitol JAMES MULLER TRIO 9 Ellington Jazz Club CROOKED COLOURS 12 Amplifier HIGH ON FIRE 18 Rosemount Hotel GARETH EMERY 19 Metro City THE 1975 24 Capitol THE WHITE ALBUM CONCERT TOUR ft. Chris Cheney, Phil Jameson, Josh Pyke & Tim Rogers 26 Riverside Theatre CORROSION OF CONFORMITY, WEEDEATER & LO! (CANCELLED) 26 Rosemount Hotel PELICAN 27 Rosemount Hotel THE ANGELS 31 Newport Hotel

AUGUST THE ANGELS 1 Wintersun Hotel, Geraldton KATE MILLER-HEIDKE 1 Astor Theatre DAN SULTAN 1 Settlers Tavern, Margaret River 2 Astor Theatre 16 Roebuck Hotel, Broome THE ANGELS ft. DAVE GLEESON 2 Charles Hotel 3 The Ravenswood Hotel KASABIAN 5 Metro City NEUROSIS 6 Capitol I AM GIANT 7 Amplifier Bar PAUL GRABOWSKY 7, 8, 9 Ellington Jazz Club ROY ORBISON & DEL SHANNON TRIBUTE 7 Albany Entertainment Centre 9 Crown Theatre SLEEPMAKESWAVES 8 Amplifier Bar BONJAH 14 Northshore Tavern 15 Indi Bar 16 Amplifier 17 Dunsborough Tavern HANSON 15 Metropolis Fremantle TINA ARENA 15 Crown Theatre BODYJAR 15 Capitol BJÖRN AGAIN 16 Crown Theatre LADY GAGA 20 Perth Arena KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES 21 Villa Nightclub THE DANDY WARHOLS 21 & 22 Astor Theatre TIM FREEDMAN 22 Ellington Jazz Club

NORTHWEST PILBARA WEEKENDER 22 – 24 Port Hedland Turf Club QUEEN ft. ADAM LAMBERT 22 Perth Arena THE ASTON SHUFFLE 23 Amplifier Bar MAN IN BLACK: THE JOHNNY CASH STORY 26 - 31 Regal Theatre GEORGE GARZONE 28, 29, 30 Ellington Jazz Club

SEPTEMBER DIEGO ELCIGALA 1 Regal Theatre ANBERLIN & THE GETAWAY PLAN 3 Metropolis Fremantle KANYE WEST 5 Perth Arena MARINA PRIOR 5 Albany Entertainment Centre 6 Astor Theatre 7 Mandurah Performing Arts Centre CANNIBAL CORPSE 9 Capitol ROBBIE WILLIAMS 11 Perth Arena BIFFY CLYRO 12 Metro City CASEY DONOVAN 12 & 13 Ellington Jazz Club GRACE KNIGHT 19 & 20 Ellington Jazz Club JOE BONAMASSA 19 Perth Concert Hall ANDREA BOCELLI 24 Perth Arena INGRID MICHAELSON 24 Fly By Night Club BOY & BEAR 25 Albany Entertainment Centre 26 Bunbury Entertainment Centre 28 Fremantle Arts Centre VERUCA SALT 28 Rosemount Hotel

OCTOBER THE HIGH KINGS 1 Crown Perth RICK SPRINGFIELD 7 Crown Theatre JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE 8 Perth Arena CHRISTINE ANU 17 & 18 Ellington Jazz Club THE ROLLING STONES 29 Perth Arena

NOVEMBER THE ROLLING STONES 1 Perth Arena KATY PERRY 7 & 8 Perth Arena TOXIC HOLOCAUST & IRON REAGAN 13 Rosemount Hotel

FEBRUARY ROXETTE 14 Perth Arena ONE DIRECTION 20 Pattersons Stadium

TO U R TA L E S

BASTILLE Space Bass English synth-pop sensations Bastille hit Perth on Wednesday, June 18, at Challenge Stadium, supported by Foxes and DJ Alison Wonderland. PAUL McBRIDE reports.

Bastille may be in the middle of a sell-out US tour before hitting Australian shores next month, but bass player, Will Farquarson, has bigger things on his mind.

Outer space, for one.

“We went to NASA the other day and met the director,” he says. “We expressed an interest on the internet and then they got in touch and invited us. He said, ‘Oh hi, I became the director of NASA when I stopped flying spaceships’. It’s a surreal thing, the fact that writing some songs and playing a bit of guitar gets you to hang out at NASA. Also, we got taken to the actual place where they’re building the Orion spacecraft, which is the next generation of spacecraft.

It wasn’t even like a tourist-y trip; it was the actual laboratory where they’re building the spaceship, and it was all a bit weird. But a lot of things in our lives are quite surreal, to be honest. The strangest thing was that everyone at NASA seemed to be a fan, and it’s a sad thing as they were imploring to be ambassadors of NASA as they need the younger generation to engage and show an interest. When NASA people said, ‘Oh my God, you’re in Bastille,’ I was like, ‘Dude, you’re literally a rocket scientist’.”

Cosmic concerns aside, Farquarson and his three band-mates are looking forward to a run of Australian shows in June, having sold out venues in Sydney and Melbourne as recently as August.

“We’re always amazed when we sell out shows in our own country,” he says. “So to do it in places where we haven’t spent as much time is just amazing. It’s mind-boggling that we haven’t done much promotion there, and yet there’s this appetite for our music, but it’s very gratifying and we look forward to coming. Our live show is more bandoriented and more heavy, with a harder edge to it than the record. The record was made as a studio project and then when you tour it for a year-and-ahalf or two years it takes on a new dimension; it has a bit more guts.”

Over a quarter of a million copies of their debut album, Bad Blood, have been sold in the

UK alone; a statistic that Farquarson isn’t keen on analysing too intensely.

“A lot of people in the industry are always looking for the formula,” he says. “I think that it’s just that Dan’s (Smith, vocalist) songwriting is strong. I think sometimes people don’t realise that our stuff just connects with the public, and we were lucky that we were quite a word-of-mouth sort of thing; we never really got much hype or press in the UK. I think we just grew quite a solid, loyal fanbase over the course of the two years prior to releasing the record.

The album went triple platinum, which is a crazy, crazy number of records to sell.”

As if that isn’t enough, the record was rereleased as an extended version in November.

“It can be quite cynical after an album is out to just chuck a couple of bonus tracks on,” Farquarson says. “But there’s quite a lot we’ve done in the last year and a half that didn’t make it onto the original album. There were a lot of B-sides that were recorded that we loved just as much as the ones that were on the album, we did two mixtapes and there were was some material that we did live. So, we wanted everything that we’ve done with a whole bonus section on the second disk, and it was nice to put all the bits and bobs into the one package.”

The band recently covered Miley Cyrus’s We Can’t Stop for a UK radio session, with almost disastrous consequences.

“We did an Eminem riff at the beginning,” Farquarson says. “Apparently he’d written a verse on his record dissing her, but then it turned out that was all a hoax. We kind of inadvertently got involved in a beef that wasn’t even real, and nobody wants to be involved in a fake beef. I think generally she gets a bit of a rough deal. I don’t like her music particularly, but she gets flak for doing things that other people do and don’t get flak for. Rihanna and Madonna and other pop stars have done things just as risqué and trashy, and yet she has become a bit of a pariah, I think.”

With an end to touring almost in sight, Farquarson already has one eye on the next Bastille album.

“We’ve got 16 or 17 tracks demoed for our second album already,” he says. “We’re going into the studio in September to record; hopefully by then we’ll have 20 or maybe more. I think it’s always better to have more material and whittle it down. Our producer has gone on tour with us, so we’ve been doing things on our days off and during soundchecks. One of the weirdest things about being in a band is that when you have so many commitments and do so much travelling, making music is sort of a secondary thing to flying around the world, touring and promo stuff. It’s been nice to spend some time being creative again.”

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GIG GUIDE

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PATIENT LITTLE SISTER/CLANCY’S CANNING/WEDNESDAY 21

WEDNESDAY21/05 THE ALBION HOTEL Quiz Night AMPLIFIER BAR Academy Funhouse ft.

Will Pugh (Cartel) Lights of Berlin Japanese Tongue Sisters Paper Walls ASTOR THEATRE James Vincent McMorrow THE BIRD Shake A Tailfeather ft.

DJ Moogy DJ Seventh Son BRASS MONKEY Sugar Blue Burlesque BUNBURY REGIONAL ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE The Waifs CAPITOL Harlem Wednesdays THE CARINE Open Mic Night Shaun Street CHARLES HOTEL Funky Bunch Trivia CLANCY’S CANNING Patient Little Sister Rob Walker CLANCY’S FREMANTLE Chet Leonard’s Bingoteque ELLINGTON JAZZ CLUB Tom O’Halloran Ben Vanderwal THE GREENWOOD Bernardine GROOVE BAR (CROWN) 5 Shots INDI BAR Sophie Jane Cowboy X James Wilson LANEWAY LOUNGE Adam Hall And The Velvet Playboys LANGFORD ALE HOUSE Gerry Azor LOBBY LOUNGE (CROWN) Decoy Duo THE LUCKY SHAG Howie Morgan MOJOS BAR Daniel Champagne Christine Yeong THE MOON CAFE Going Solo ft.

Chef Richards Drage Lyon MUSTANG BAR Kickstart DJ Giles OCEAN ONE BAR Brazil Night ft.

Xoxote THE ODD FELLOW DJ Beryl Streep THE PADDO Little Bird Kyle Bonser

MATTYTWALL/THE GOOD SHEPHERD/THURSDAY 22

Tailored Grace 459 ROSEMOUNT HOTEL Timothy Nelson Paul McCarthy Baloney Abbott Dr Green ROSEMOUNT HOTEL New Soundland Ben Merito ROSIE O’GRADY’S FREMANTLE Laugh Resort Comedy THE SWINGING PIG Open Mic Night Greg Carter UNIVERSAL BAR Retriofit THE VIC Trivia Night X-WRAY CAFE Singer Songwriters Showcase ft.

Moondog J Matt Waring YAYA’S David Bowie Tribute Night Nevada Pilot SpaceManAntics Catbrush

THURSDAY 22/05 ASTOR THEATRE The Waifs BAR ORIENT Acoustic Night THE BIRD Hideous Sun Demons Loners Yokohomos Dream Rimmy BRASS MONKEY Rhythm Bound Karaoke BROOKLANDS TAVERN Celebrations Karaoke CAPTAIN STIRLING Trivia Night THE CAUSEWAY BAR Xport Thursdays CHARLES HOTEL Comedy Lounge THE DEEN Howie Morgan Project DEVILLES PAD Rock’N’Roll Karaoke DUNSBOROUGH TAVERN Open Mic Night Kris Buckle ELLINGTON JAZZ CLUB Sam Brittain Night Cap Sessions THE GATE Greg Carter GOOD SHEPHERD BAR MattyTWall GRAND CENTRAL PARK Adam James GROOVE BAR (CROWN) Decoy INDI BAR Open Mic Night

LOCAL GIG

REMEMBER THE SOUTH

REMEMBER THE SOUTH TO HELL WITH HONOUR MEDUZA’S GAZE FRIDAY, MAY 23 THE BEAT NIGHTCLUB

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LANEWAY LOUNGE Gillian Moorman Quartet LOBBY LOUNGE (CROWN) Jack & Jill LUCKY SHAG James Wilson MARKET CITY TAVERN Original Band Night MOJOS BAR Shaun Kirk Morgan Bain THE MOON CAFÉ Yambeque MUSTANG BAR The Morning Night DJ James MacArthur NEWPORT HOTEL Open Mic NORTHSHORE TAVERN Vdelli OCEAN ONE BAR Turin’s Open Mic Night THE ODD FELLOW Abbe May Dianas David Craft PEEL ALE HOUSE Open Mic ft.

Danny Bau PRINCE OF WALES (BUNBURY) DZ Deathrays 459 ROSEMOUNT HOTEL Daniel Champagne Railly Craig ROSEMOUNT HOTEL Battle Of The Planets Bury The Heard Graphic Characters 13 Circles SETTLERS TAVERN (MARGARET RIVER) Open Mic Night Claire Warnock THE SHED Mystery Men SWALLOW BAR The Kingston Shakers UNIVERSAL BAR Off The Record VERANDAH BAR Let’s Get Quizical X-WRAY CAFE Jack Doepel Jazz Quartet YAYA’S Choking Stanley Discordians Lifespan Varial YMCA HQ Will Pugh (Cartel)

FRIDAY 23/05 THE ALBION HOTEL Jen de Ness AMPLIFIER BAR Chaos Divine The Other Eden Watercolour Ghosts THE BAKERY Axe Girl Boys Boys Boys!

The Surf Rabbits Mega-Wyatt THE BALMORAL The Mojos BEAT NIGHTCLUB (DOWNSTAIRS) Play BEAT NIGHTCLUB (UPSTAIRS) Remember The South To Hell With Honour Meduza’s Gaze BELGIAN BEER CAFÉ Mike Nayar THE BELMONT Siren & Assassin BEST DROP TAVERN Sophie Jane Duo THE BIRD Koi Child BRASS MONKEY Jamie Powers THE BRIGHTON Danny Bau BROOKLANDS TAV Light Street

ENTRAILES ERADICATED/THE ROCKET ROOM.FRIDAY 23 CAPITOL Funkoars Mr Grevis Complete Kogz THE CARINE Frenzy CHASE BAR & BISTRO James Wilson CIVIC HOTEL Highway Breakdown Approaching Opposite Hello Colour Red The Cold Acre CITRO BAR Seasons of Perth Adrian Wilson CLANCY’S CANNING DJ Boogie CLANCY’S CITY BEACH Russel Holmes Trio CLANCY’S DUNSBOROUGH Jonny Taylor CLANCY’S FREMANTLE Diamond Dave & The Doodaddies COMO HOTEL Fiona Lawe Davies 3 CRUISING YACHT CLUB Brenton Fosdike DUNSBOROUGH TAVERN Cuddles EAST 150 BAR Jarrad Wilson ELLINGTON JAZZ CLUB Dale Barlow Sratosfunk EMPIRE BAR Howie Morgan FLY BY NIGHT Acid Rain and Sugar Cane Album Launch Wagons Timothy Nelson & The Infidels T.J.O’Donovon THE GATE Choppa Duo GOSNELLS HOTEL Vanerty Bros THE GREENWOOD Ryan Webb GROOVE BAR (CROWN) Tod Johnston & Peace Love DJ Crazy Craig THE HERDSMAN Troy Nababan Duo HYDE PARK HOTEL (COURTYARD) Justin Cortorillo INDI BAR DZ Deathrays INDIAN OCEAN BREW CO Ben Merito KALAMUNDA HOTEL Vendetta LANEWAY LOUNGE Hans Fiance Just For The Night LANGFORD ALE HOUSE Pheonix – Rock & Roll LUCKY SHAG DJ Richie G M ON THE POINT Retriofit MAHOGANY INN Stu Mckay MARKET CITY TAVERN Joe Simich Ben O’Neil Ryoji Horo Jessica Lawrence Guy Masterman Em Taylah Cox Ben and Jerry’s Sharkbait METRO CITY Mango Groove METRO FREO Frat House Fridays Michael Bell Slykidd MOJOS BAR Tijuana Cartel Mei Saraswati SJ Care Bear

MUSTANG BAR Adam Hall & The Velvet Playboys Flash Nat & The Action Men DJ James MacArthur NORTHSHORE TAVERN P!nked OCEAN ONE BAR Mad Agents THE ODD FELLOW Sh’mon DJs PEEL ALE HOUSE Siren Song Enterprises PIRATE BAR Glenn Rogers PORT HEDLAND TURF CLUB North West Festival ft.

The Dandy Warhols Wolfmother Ball Park Music Hermitude Art Vs Science Six60 Kingswood The Kite String Tangle Thelma Plum PORT KENNEDY TAVERN Galloping Hatracks PRINCE OF WALES (BUNBURY) Shaun Kirk THE PRINCIPAL Adam James Duo QUARRIE BAR + BISTRO Back2Back ROCKET ROOM Entrails Eradicated ROLEYSTONE COUNTRY CLUB Leah Grant 459 ROSEMOUNT HOTEL Penny Ikinger Mystic Eyes Maurice Flavel ROSEMOUNT HOTEL The English Beat Special Brew Dilip N The Davs ROSIE O’GRADY’S FREMANTLE Madam Montage SAIL AND ANCHOR Howie Morgan SECRET LOCATION Alison Wonderland Wave Racer Young Franco SETTLER’S TAVERN (MARGARET RIVER) Empire Blues THE SHED Crush DJ Glen SOUTH ST. ALEHOUSE Robbie King Karaoke SWAN BASEMENT Wall of Noise Aztech Suns The Hacks In Orbit The Dead White Males SWINGING PIG Greg Carter UNIVERSAL BAR Nightmoves VERNON ARMS TAVERN Greg Carter THE VIC Jonny Dempsey WINTERSUN HOTEL James McDonald X-WRAY CAFÉ Leah Miche & The Regular Hunters Badger & Kit YAYA’S Tracksuit Single Launch Odette Mercy & Her Soul Atomics Custom Royal Helen Shanahan Ace DJ Pup

SATURDAY 24/05 AMPLIFIER BAR DZ Deathrays Palms Foam

Deadline Monday 5pm. The Gig-Guide is a service to advertisers listing all LIVE MUSIC. All inclusions are at the discretion of X-Press. Email guide@xpressmag.com.au

LEAH MICHE & THE REGULAR HUNTERS/X-WRAY CAFE/FRIDAY 23 THE BAKERY Andy Stott Mei Swan Lower Spectrum Ourobonic Plague THGIEWDAED Craig Mcelhinney THE BALMORAL Chris Gibbs Trio BAR ORIENT The Reggae Club Mumma Trees Antikz Vee Ness BEAT NIGHTCLUB (UPSTAIRS) Canvas BEAT NIGHTCLUB (DOWNSTAIRS) PUNKINSTUFF #4 STAR WARS The Bob Gordons Creature Trip Hazard & The Rude Boys Fustercluck BENTLEY HOTEL In The Groove THE BIRD 8 Bit Love National Tour 8 Bit Love Electric Toad Apache BOAB TAVERN James Wilson BOOTLEG BREWERY Jonny Taylor THE CARINE Frank G CIVIC HOTEL Stormrider Festival ft.

Black Majesty Silent Knight Darker Half Mason Damnation’s Day Gorefield Enforce CLANCY’S CANNING Tom Fisher CLANCY’S FREMANTLE Junkadelic EP Launch MC Hoodwynk Greenox THE CLAREMONT HOTEL Antics Timothy Nelson CORNERSTONE Michael Buble Tribute Show CRAFTSMAN Cherry Lips DEVILLES PAD Black Magic Disco DUNSBOROUGH TAVERN Steve Spouse ELLINGTON JAZZ CLUB Dale Barlow Late night with The Grid plus guests FLY BY NIGHT The Joy Evelation The Badpiper Beltane Fire Michael Triscari The Guitar Pit FREMANTLE ARTS CENTRE Lauryn Hill THE GATE Greg Carter GOSNELLS HOTEL Almost Famous GREENWOOD Cargo Beat GROOVE BAR (CROWN) Hi-NRG HYDE PARK HOTEL Easy Tigers INDI BAR Nitro Zeppelin JIM HUGHES AMPITHEATRE (KUNNUNURRA) 2014 Airnorth Kimberley Moon Experience Eskimo Joe The Waifs John Williamson 42 Decibel

THE BOB GORDONS/THE BEAT NIGHTCLUB/SATURDAY 24

KALAMUNDA HOTEL Celebrations Karaoke LAKERS TAVERN Celebrations Karaoke LANEWAY LOUNGE Catherine Summers Miami LANGFORD ALE HOUSE Country Music Roaring 20s Night Flames LOBBY LOUNGE (CROWN) Why Georgia?

LUCKY SHAG DJ Richie G M ON THE POINT Rhythm 22 MERRIWA TAVERN Celebrations Karaoke METRO FREO Metropolis Saturdays Emily Scott Darren Tucker Dr Wazz Ben C DJ Shane MUSTANG BAR Shot Down From Sugartown DJ Holly Doll Milhouse DJ James MacArthur MOJOS BAR L-Fresh The Lion Mathas Marksman NORTHSHORE TAVERN Howie Morgan Project OCEAN ONE BAR Desert Bells THE ODD FELLOW Datura Luke Dux Medicine Hat Trio PADDY MAGUIRES Madam Montage PARAMOUNT NIGHTCLUB Felix PRINCE OF WHALES (BUNBURY) Jonny Taylor PORT KENNEDY TAVERN Kevin Curran QUARRIE BAR & BISTRO DJ Eugene RAILWAY HOTEL King’s Justice Oakland Iceage Sugar Approaching Opposite ROSEMOUNT HOTEL Fucking Teeth Hamjam Electric Toad Dream Rimmy SpaceManAntics ROSIE O’GRADY’S FREMANTLE Flava SAIL AND ANCHOR The Gypsy Minions SETTLERS TAVERN (MARGARET RIVER) Bastian’s Happy Flight THE SHED HUGE DJ Andyy SPRINGS TAVERN Stu Mckay STUDIO 146 (ALBANY) Funkoars Mr Grevis Aero.D Kogz THE SWINGING PIG Frenzy SWALLOW BAR Nick Sheppard UNIVERSAL BAR Soul Corporation YAYA’S Scarlet Therapy Foreign Architects Mister Wolf Arcadia DJ Cookie

SUNDAY 25/05 ASTOR THEATRE Gary Numan THE BALMORAL Andrew Winton THE BELMONT TAVERN Sophie Jane THE BRIGHTON Dean Anderson Nate Lansdell BROADWATER BEACH BAR (BUSSELTON) Jonny Taylor BROKEN HILL HOTEL Trevor Jalla THE BROOK Kevin Curran BROOKLANDS TAVERN Gerry Azor THE CARINE Mike Nayar THE CAUSEWAY Acoustic Sunday CHASE BAR & BISTRO Jonny Dempsey CIVIC HOTEL Chris Gibbs CLANCYS CITY BEACH Sunday Brekky Sesh The Limelights Jazz Trio Salt Shaker Sundays DJ Boogie The Salt Shaker Selectors CLANCYS FREMANTLE The Zydecats Last Hurrah COMO HOTEL Ansell & Fretall DECK MARINA BAR (BUSSELTON) Jonny Taylor DUNSBOROUGH TAVERN Kris Buckle FLINDERZ HILLARYS Adam James FLY BY NIGHT The Waifs THE GATE Choppa Duo GROOVE BAR (CROWN) Peace Love HYDE PARK HOTEL (COURTYARD) Steve Parkin INDI BAR Shaun Kirk Morgan Bain INDIAN OCEAN BREW CO Retriofit KALAMUNDA HOTEL The Mojos LAKERS TAVERN Wesley Goodlet Jamboree Scouts LAST DROP TAVERN Grant Hart LOBBY LOUNGE (CROWN) Thierryno LUCKY SHAG Hans Fiance MOJOS BAR Penny Ikinger Maurice Flavel Mystic Eyes THE MOON CAFE Jessie G M ON THE POINT Superseeds MOUNT LAWLEY BOWLING CLUB Perth Folk & Roots Club No Drama John Talati John McNair Keith Anthonisz NEWPORT HOTEL DZ Deathrays NORTHSHORE TAVERN DJ Andrew C Sessions OCEAN ONE BAR DJ G-Martin Tahnee OCEAN VIEW TAVERN Peter Ashton ODD FELLOW Jeff Martin Sarah McLeod OSBOURNE PARK BOWLING CLUB The Jephasuns The Fortunados

AMBERDOWN/YAYA’S/ TUESDAY 27

Loners King Crime Fabian Rojas Ben Elliot Pat Decline PADDY MALONES Gary Fowlie PEEL ALE HOUSE Keira Jane PORT KENNEDY TAVERN Greg Carter QUARIE BAR + BISTRO The Gypsy Minions RAILWAY HOTEL Gignition ft.

The Moonshine Trust Crash Rat Midflight Parasite Josh Sean East St. James Sirens ROLEYSTONE COUNTRY CLUB Sorrento Moon THE ROSE & CROWN HOTEL Blackbirds ROSEMOUNT HOTEL Golden Days Vintage Market The Get Down Charlie Bucket Klean Kicks Nick Sheppard THE SAINT Howie Morgan Project SAIL AND ANCHOR (UPSTAIRS) Childs Play SEAVIEW TAVERN Jeanie Proude SETTLERS TAVERN (MARGARET RIVER) Greg Bowles THE SHED The Healys Blue Hornet SOUTH ST. ALEHOUSE Open Mic Night SWALLOW BAR Sunday Sessions The Limelights Jazz Trio SWAN BASEMENT SWINGING PIG Siren & Assassin UNIVERSAL BAR Retriofit THE VELVET LOUNGE Infinite Jest ft.

Sami Shah Ben Sutton VERNON ARMS TAVERN Jamie Powers WANNEROO TAVERN Luke O’Connell WHISTLING KITE James Wilson THE WINDSOR Justin Cortorillo THE X-WRAY CAFÉ John Bannister and the Charisma Brothers DJ Click Brown Fox

MONDAY 26/05 BRASS MONKEY Wire Birds ELLINGTON JAZZ CLUB Chamber Jam GROOVE BAR (CROWN) Justin & Mike MERIDIAN ROOM (CROWN) Howie Morgan MOJOS BAR Wide Open Mic ROSEMOUNT HOTEL Quiz Meisters THE X-WRAY CAFÉ The Swintones YAYA’S Big Tommo’s Open Mic Variety Night

TUESDAY 27/05 THE BIRD Open Mic Pete Bibby BRASS MONKEY Open Mic Night Shaun Street THE CHARLES HOTEL Perth Blues Club Mike Elrington Gary Cox Band Shakey Jake CLANCYS FREMANTLE Quiz Night CONSERVATORY ROOFTOP BAR Rooftop Comedy ELLINGTON JAZZ CLUB Roger Garrood Quartet GROOVE BAR (CROWN) Jack & Jill LANEWAY LOUNGE Open Mic Night Josh Terlick LOBBY LOUNGE (CROWN) Hans Fiance LUCKY SHAG Ben Merito MERRIWA TAVERN Celebrations Karaoke MOJOS BAR Collections MUSTANG BAR Danza Loca Salsa Night OCEAN ONE BAR OVERGROWTH Open Mic Night THE ODD FELLOW Mexican Bingo ROSEMOUNT HOTEL Bex ‘n’ Turin’s Open Mic Night SWINGING PIG Siren Song Enterprises THE X-WRAY CAFÉ The Tom Tale Jazz Quartet YAYA’S Amberdown The Crossbars Night Signals Rich King Matthews

LOCAL GIG

DATURA

DATURA LUKE DUX MEDICINE HAT TRIO SATURDAY, MAY 24 THE ODD FELLOW

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29

MUSIC GEAR & TECHNOLOGY

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CLASSIFIEDS

LET THE CROWD DECIDE More and more musicians are turning to crowdfunding campaigns on sites such as Pozible, Kickstarter and Indiegogo to finance their tours, album releases, music videos and other projects. TRAVIS JOHNSON reached out to a couple of Perth acts who had taken the crowdfunding plunge to get a feel for the pros and cons of the increasingly ubiquitous funding model.

Human Connection, we were given specific instruction

by Arts WA that we would no longer be receiving financial assistance, as we have so kindly been given several touring and production grants in the past. This threw a bit of a spanner in the works for us this time around, and led us to look for alternative funding options like crowdfunding.

I think crowd funding has proved to be a brilliant and revolutionary avenue for artists to not just raise funds, but also have a closer connection with their audience by breaking down those barriers. There was a stigma attached to it for a while (I can’t quite tell if it still exists, no one brings it up around me these days...), like it was rude or something to ask people for money, but it’s hardly begging. You offer something in return for a donation. If people want to get involved it’s their decision, and that’s where the connection between you and you’re audience strengthens.

What affected your choice of platforms?

There are a whole heap of crowdfunding platforms out there but we liked the simplicity of Pozible and how easy it is to use for both project creators and supporters.

CHAOS DIVINE Answered by Ryan Felton.

What are you funding?

We have started a campaign on Pozible to fund $15,000 towards the costs to produce, release, promote and tour our third studio album.

Why go this route as opposed to more traditional funding?

The band thought long and hard about crowd funding this record, as we have so far largely funded all of our activities ourselves (we are all normal guys with normal jobs). Unfortunately, the cost of recording, promoting and touring means we can’t always give our fans the products and tours that we dream of.

In the past it has always been the case that a portion of the expensive costs of touring and creating albums was helped by the grant programs of the State Government and Arts WA - a godsend for impoverished bands like us just trying to get their music out and about. After we self-produced our last album, The

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How did you set your rewards?

Using other bands and projects as a starting point we drew up an album release budget, schedule and a list of the items that we wanted to produce not just for the broader album release, but also for unique rewards specifically for people who pledged to our campaign.

As we had just started tracking the record when we launched our campaign, we had a pretty good idea of when were likely to be able to produce and deliver some of the items and reward experiences.

Were their any unforseen problems?

Obviously the main issue that faces any large crowdfunding project is the chance that it doesn’t reach its target. We had to be realistic with what we thought we could raise in the timeframe, yet raising enough to make the project viable.

We have really just tried to be as open as possible with our fans and supporters so they know we are simply doing this to try and make the best record possible.

We aren’t in this to make a buck. We still have a way to go to reach our target but we have been really driving the promotion of the campaign through YouTube, Facebook, Twitter as well as some advertising. We are also playing a live show at Amplifier on May 23 in support of our campaign in the hope that we can get some more people on board.

Any advice?

I would definitely encourage any band in a similar financial position to consider crowdfunding, but just be prepared to set realistic targets and rewards and work hard with your fan base to promote the campaign!

What affected your choice of platforms?

There are a few crowd funding websites out there, but Pozible seemed like the most trusted and recognizable of the lot. We figured if we’re asking people to donate money over the internet, they’d more likely feel comfortable doing it through Pozible.

TIMOTHY NELSON AND THE INFIDELS Answered by Timothy Nelson.

How did you set your rewards?

We did a lot of basic merchandise packages and gave people the chance to pre-order the album.

The song Cocoa Jackson from the new album was also offered as an exclusive download for people who donated. From there it went up to backyard shows, music lessons from the members of the band, a recorded cover song of the donator’s choice, all the way up to me shaving my head which, thankfully, never happened.

What did you fund?

Our upcoming second album.

Were there any unforseen problems?

Not really, from the get-go everyone was very supportive. We were actually surprised at how many people wanted to be a part of it and were excited to hear a new album, which in turn gave us all the more encouragement to make a great record.

Why go this route as opposed to more traditional funding?

We did both actually, we got a grant from the DCA, we played loads of gigs and all threw in as much of our own cash as we could. Making this album was a long process and throughout we were also touring nationally and releasing singles in the lead up to it. We wanted to make a record that could stand up against anyone else’s and the way we chose to do that, and promote it of course, was never going to be cheap. We needed all the funds we could get, really.

Any advice?

Be realistic about your goal. With Pozible, if you don’t raise the amount you’re asking for, you don’t get any of it. No one’s credit cards get charged until the campaign’s over. And unless you’re prepared to push yourself over the line, it could all go to waste because you set the bar too high. Also, put a lot of thought into the rewards you offer. It can feel self indulgent to put yourself out there in such a way - at first, I thought offering to record a cover of someone’s choice was a bit of a reach, but that reward turned out to be quite popular.

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FOR SALE HEADPHONES all brands & styles. 83 Wanneroo Road, Tuart Hill. Contact Headphonic 08 92073666 headphones.com.au MUSOS WANTED OPEN MIC NIGHT every Thursday night at Indi Bar. Text Josh on 0430 313 577 for a spot.

OPEN MIC NITE BAR ORIENT High St, Fremantle.

Thurs 7.30pm - 12.00pm. Golden pic contest now running $500 cash prize. For bookings Joel 0414 239 319 or shadeyrock@live.com.au PRODUCTION SERVICES

THE JOY EVELATION Bulletproof The Joy Evelation launch their debut album at the Fly By Night this Saturday, May 24, with help from The Badpiper, Beltane Fire, The Guitar Pit and Michael Triscari (part proceeds to the Cancer Council/Singing For Cancer). BOB GORDON checks in with vocalist, Mia Joy. Three years in, and two EP releases later, this is your debut album release. What did you want to showcase about the band on a full-length LP? I wanted to record and produce a really good rock album that could sit in my own and others’ collections along side the likes of Led Zeppelin and Guns N’ Roses etc, and hold its own.

It is a longer listening experience and story, where we decided the beginning, the end the order and tied the whole thing together with some sonic ideas. It is the album that I wanted to produce for fans to have and hold in their hands and is a great representation of what we do.

I saw you support ZZ Top in 2011, that must have been one of the band’s first shows. Did playing that show motivate the band and its focus?

We played as a blues band for a year before becoming The Joy Evelation. After recording some of my originals, we were heading more in a rock direction. Yes, the ZZ Top support motivated us and validated that we

were on the right path with the feedback we got from our live performance, songs and as a band. The sound quality and whole experience we received from that show definitely created a drive and focus that may not have happened otherwise.

Describe your last US tour - what was experienced and what you achieved?

We got booked and played at some of LA’s most iconic venues and toured up the West Coast as far as San Francisco. Highlights were supporting The Untouchables at The Whisky A Go Go, playing a show at The Viper Room and The Good Hurt Club. We made some great contacts had some excellent business meetings, and appeared on a TV show for Time Warner.

What lessons from that tour will you apply on your next US visit?

Preparation, prepare meticulously from home.

Having good legal advice and help from promoters and people you trust. Have a high quality product and promotional package that you know is bulletproof. Have a plan so you don’t waste time. Network with other bands.

What are your hopes for the album and the rest of 2014?

I would like one of the songs to be picked up and taken on as a single here, in Europe and in the States. We head back to the US in October for a tour with this album. We’ll work on a video clip for a single and head back in to the studio to record new material for album number two.

CD & DVD MANUFACTURE Check out our latest CD & DVD specials online at www.procopy.com. au 9375 3902 DISK BANK Perth’s premier CD & DVD manufacturer, with options for all budgets. (08) 9388 0800. www.diskbank.com.au/specials.

MATRIX PRODUCTIONS AUSTRALIA Lighting, staging, sound systems, smoke machines, night club FX, intelligent lighting, strobes & mirror balls, crowd barriers, video projectors. 9371 1551 PA HIRE Working bands looking for PA hire with lights & engineer? Batta-Boom Sound offers all this from $150. Call Byron 044 8886 501 RECORDING STUDIOS ALAN DAWSON’s WITZEND RECORDING STUDIO Prof quality albums or demos, large live room, experienced engineer, analog to digital transfers, mastering..Alan 0407 989 128 or Jeremy 0430638178 www.witzendstudios.com ANALOG MASTERING VINTAGE TAPE, TUBES & TRANSFORMERS with the latest state of the art digital converters. Clients include: Melody’s Echo Chamber, Pond, Gossling, Knife Party, Felicity Groom, The Floors, Jeff Martin & The Panics.

World class facility, World class results. Www. poonshead.com. 9339 4791 ANDY’S STUDIO International multi award winning songwriter / producer. No band required.

Broadcast quality. A songwriter’s paradise. Ph 9364 3178 GOLDDUST Production Mixing, recording and composition. Leederville $80 p/h. 0408 097 407 RECORDING MIXING MASTERING PRODUCING Fremantle location. Call Pete Kitchen Cooked Records. Ph 0407 363 764 / 9336 3764

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REVOLVER SOUND STUDIO Ph 9272 7505. www.revolverstudio.com.au SONGWRITERS - BANDS! Great Productions!

London Producer, awesome studio. Call Jerry on 0405 653 338 www.jerichomusic.com.au STUDIO ZED Digital Mastering, Demo’s, albums, Live tracking sessions specials from $250 p/day.

Studiozed.net.au Ph: 9207 2072 REHEARSAL STUDIOS AAA VHS REHEARSAL ROOMS Great facilities, great vibe & great price!!! Unit 5 /16 Peel Road, O’Connor.

Phone 9418 5815 or 0413 732 885 BIGBEAT SOUND STUDIO Clean rooms, all new PA systems, air-con and good parking . Willetton Ph: 0425 698 117.

PLATINUM SOUND ROOMS Professional rehearsal rooms, airconditioned, quality PAs mob 0418 944 722 ST R E A M ST U D I O ’ S 8 9 S t i r l i n g S t , Pe r t h .

Mobile: 0403 152 009 info@streamrehearsal.com.au TUITION ***GUITAR LESSONS*** The Guitar Institute.

Online bookings. Beg to prof, all styles. Catering to WAAPA and AMEB standards. All tutors have WWC clearance. Cliff Lynton Guitar Institute. Mt Lawley 9342 3484 / www.clifflynton.com BASS GUITAR LESSONS AVAILABLE by WAAPA tutor. A practicle approach to learning. .All styles.

Years of experience. Tony Gibbs 9470 6131

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