Beat Magazine #1307 by Furst Media

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ISSUE 1307

MELBOURNE’S ORIGINAL & HIGHEST CIRCULATING STREETPRESS 15 FEB 2012 online www.beat.com.au email info@beat.com.au telephone (03) 9428 3600 facsimile (03) 9428 3611 print for post publication # 34274800004 cab audited

TO RIDE T E K C I T %HDW·V

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CASS McCOMBS

FLOATING ME

JASON LYTLE

PUTA MADRE BROTHERS

100%: KRS-ONE

THIS WEEK: GARETH LIDDIARD, BROUS, LOSTPROPHETS, BROKEN STONE RECORD SHOWCASE, BRIAN SETZER, APOCASTRIP WOW!, THE WILD DUCK, ANY QUESTIONS FOR BEN?, ROCK THE BAY SET TIMES Thursday 16 February

Friday 17 February

Saturday 18 February GUEST DJ :

Resident DJ’s DEAN T, PHIL ROSS & CHRIS MAC every Friday punch out the best of House. Plus JOHNNY M & DJ JAY-J playing sexy RnB tunes in the Mezzanine.

Resident DJ’s FEMME, TATE STRAUSS & PHIL ROSS play the best House tunes. Plus JOHNNY M & DJ NOVA playing sexy RnB tunes in the Mezzanine.

Doors open at 9.30pm // Outdoor smoking terrace open on Level 3 from 11.00pm – 6.00am // For functions and guest list enquiries contact 03 9292 5750 or email fusion@crownmelbourne.com.au // To enhance the safety and welfare of all patrons, we kindly request that all customers submit their drivers licence or other photo identiﬁcation to be scanned upon entry // Personal information collected by Crown will be handled in accordance with Crown’s privacy policy // Management reserves all rights // Photo ID required + 18 years // Dress standards apply // Crown practises responsible service of alcohol.

FNC12687

Resident DJ’s DAMION DE SILVA, FMR, A STYLE, K DEE & SIMON SEZ. RnB, House, Old Skool and Commercial Anthems. For guestlist 9426 0800 or guestlist@restless.com.au

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BANGITY BANG NATIONAL TOUR

THURS 24TH MAY KAROVA LOUNGE BALLARAT FRI 25TH MAY MEENIYAN TOWN HALL MEENIYAN

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Beat Magazine Page 6

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RETURNING TO AUSTRALIA AFTER A SOLD OUT 2011 TOUR...

WITH

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IN THIS ISSUE...

HOT TALK

TOURING

ST VINCENT

ARTS GUIDE, MOONLIGHT CINEMA COMPETITION, THE WILD DUCK, APOCASTRIP WOW!

ART OF THE CITY

THE GLOBAL ATHEIST CONVENTION

DUE PAESI, DUE CUORI, FOCUS ON RAJ KAPOOR

ANY QUESTIONS FOR BEN? COMEDY LISTINGS, COMEDY CALENDAR

GARETH LIDDIARD, THE DEAD LEAVES, BROUS

BROUS P. 34

GARETH LIDDIARD P. 34

SLOW CLUB

BRIAN SETZER

BEAT EATS

INDUSTRIAL STRENGTH, BROKEN

STONE RECORDS ROADSHOW

CASS MCCOMBS

PUTA MADRE BROTHERS

DASHBOARD CONFESSIONAL

JASON LYTLE

ROCK THE BAY SPOTLIGHT, FLOATING ME, PLAYING TIMES

THIS WEEK IN 100%:

KRS-ONE

3 NEWTON STREET RICHMOND, VICTORIA 3121 Phone: (03) 9428 3600 Fax: (03) 9428 3611 email: info@beat.com.au www.beat.com.au BEAT MAGAZINE EMAIL ADDRESSES: (no large attachments please): Gig Guide: online at beat.com.au email gigguide@beat.com.au - it’s free! Club Listings: online at beat.com.au email clubguide@beat.com.au - it’s free! Music News Items: music@beat.com.au Artwork: art@beat.com.au Beat Classifieds 33c a word: classiﬁeds@beat.com.au

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DASHBOARD COFESSIONAL P. 66

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PUBLISHER: Furst Media Pty Ltd. MUSIC EDITOR: Taryn Stenvei ARTS EDITOR / ASSOCIATE MUSIC EDITOR: Tyson Wray EDITORIAL ASSISTANT: Nick Taras SUB-EDITORS: Tegan Butler GENERAL MANAGER: Patrick Carr SENIOR ADVERTISING/EDITORIAL CO-ORDINATOR: Ronnit Sternfein BEAT PRODUCTION MANAGER: Patrick O’Neill GRAPHIC DESIGNERS: Luke Benge, Matt Crute, Patrick O’Neill, Rebecca Houlden, Gill Tucker COVER ART: Patrick O’Neill ADVERTISING: Taryn Stenvei (Music: Bands/Tours/Record Labels) taryn@beat.com.au Ronnit Sternfein (100%/Beat/Arts/Education/Ad Agency) ronnit@beat.com.au Aleksei Plinte (Backstage/ Musical Equipment) mixdown@beat.com.au Adam Morgan (Hospitality/Bars) adam@beat.com.au Kris Furst (beat.com.au) kris@furstmedia.com.au 0431 243 808 Grace Arena (Indie Bands/Special Features) grace@furstmedia.com.au CLASSIFIEDS: classiﬁeds@beat.com.au GIG GUIDE SUBMISSIONS: now online at www.beat.com.au or bands email gigguide@beat.com.au ELECTRONIC EDITOR - BEAT ONLINE: Paddington Wray: tyson@beat.com.au

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MUSIC NEWS

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Patrick Emery, Jesse Shrock. COLUMNISTS: Emily Kelly, Toby McCasker. CONTRIBUTORS: Tyson Wray, Adam Baidawi, Helen Barradell, Matt Bendall, Cam Binger, Graham Blackley, Mary Boukouvalas, Chris Bright, Rose Callaghan, Adam Camilleri, James Carthew, Paige Cho, Stefan Chrisp, Nick Clarke, Talitha Conway, Dave Dawson, John Donaldson, Justin Donnelly, Georgia Doyle, Cam Ewart, Paul Fischer, Lawson Fletcher, Jack Franklin, Danielle Frazzetto, Chris Girdler, Sean Gleeson, Aleisha Hall, Louise Hardwick, Daniel Hedger, Nick Hilton, Lyndon Horsburgh, Briony Jones, Lachlan Kanoniuk, Cassandra Kiely, Greg King, Joshua Kloke, Stuart Lynch, Rhys McCrae, Ruth McIver, Adam McKenzie, Kylie McLaughlin, Nick Mason, Tyler Mathes, Krystal Maynard, Anna Megalogenis, Al Newstead, James Nicoli, John O’Rourke, Matt Panag, Jack Parsons, Liam Pieper, Steve Phillips, David PrescottSteed, James Ridley, Gav Ross, Leigh Salter, Tim Scott, Denis Semchenko, Side Man, Matt Sutherland, Lin Tan, Steve Tauschke, Rene Schaefer, Melanie Sheridan, Jeremy Sheaﬀe, Kelly Theobald, Andrew Tijs, Alistair Wallis, Etienne Waring, Dan Watt, Rod Whitﬁeld, Katie Weiss, Tom Whitty, Cara Williams, Simon Williamson, Bronius Zumeris. © 2011 Furst Media Pty Ltd. No part may be reproduced without the consent of the copyright holder.

The Thornbury Theatre

859 High Street, Thornbury. Ph 9484 8787

www.thornburytheatre.com.au

~ Friday, Feb 24th ~

~ Saturday, Mar 3rd ~

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Beat Magazine Page 13

HOT TALK

THE BIGGEST IN INTERNATIONAL & NATIONAL NEWS

For all the latest news check out beat.com.au

FREE SHIT MOJO BIKE Mojo Bike and Beat magazine are giving you the opportunity to fulﬁl your Mojo Bike bicycle dream. Just hit up the ‘Free Shit’ section on beat.com.au, tell us why you think riding a bike is better than driving a car, and you’re in with a chance! The lucky winner of the competition will win a Mojo Bike voucher valued at $499.

11 THE ESPLANADE ST KILDA 3182

THURS FEB 16

BROKEN STONE RECORDS The bands from Broken Stone Records are hitting the road next week for a ten-day east coast showcase tour, featuring live performances from Sister Jane, Caitlin Park, Magnetic Heads and The Maple Trail. The tour visits Melbourne’s Horse Bazaar on Sunday February 19, and Beat have a couple of double passes to give away.

* FRONT BAR *

I AM GIANT Sleep Parade, Emperors. FREE!

FRIDAY FEB 17 * FRONT BAR *

RAISE THE ROOF III feat. PEZ SHORTEE BLITZ (UK), MANTRA,

MOJO JUJU Mojo Juju blew us all away at Falls over the new year as her majestic voice had The Village all weak in the knees. The ﬁve-foot jive-talking, mean-walking, well-dressed, soft-caressed, sweet-singing, bee stinging girl will play The Famous Spiegeltent on Thursday February 23 and Beat have ﬁve double passes to give away.

THUNDAMENTALS, AJ, Sky High, M-Phazes, Slap 618, Soliloquy,

Bam Bam, Moneykat, hosted by Reason. tix $23+bf from espy.com.au

* BASEMENT *

DEADLY ARE THE NAKED

Lucy’s Crown, The Baron, The Scholars. free! 9pm

SATURDAY FEB 18 * FRONT BAR *

ROCK THE BAY

DEAD LETTER CIRCUS

NEW SKINN, TEN THOUSAND, BUGDUST, FLOATING ME, BELLUSIRA, MOROCCAN KINGS, ENNIS TOLA, FREESTATE, FISKER, OUT OF ORBIT Poetikool Justice (Sa), Said The Sparrow (Wa), Twelve Foot Ninja, Sub Atari Knives, Tim Mcmillan Band, Decortica (Nz) , I Am Duckeye Shadowgame, Apache Medicine Man, Empra Tabula Rasa (Sa), Free To Run , The Morrisons, Rhymada, Signet Mae, Phil Para Band, Citrus Jam. TIX $45+BF FROM ESPY.COM.AU, FROM 4PM

SUNDAY FEB 19

* FRONT BAR *

DALE RYDER BAND MARABOU PROJECT, BAD BOYS BATUCADA. FREE! 5.30

SASKWATCH

APOCOSTRIP WOW ‘THE FREAK & THE SHOWGIRL’ 2 shows, Tix $25+bf each from espy.com.au

KING CANNONS ‘ST KILDA STOMP’ Kira Puru & The Bruise, My Echo.

If you've been taking up residency under a rock, Saskwatch is a nine-piece band from Melbourne, Australia. Taking cues from the likes of James and Aretha, as well as New York’s bangin’ modern soul scene; Saskwatch smash out their live show, hard, rough and tight – just like the old days. Leading the pack is singer Nkechi Anele, taking audiences from the depths of heartache to overwhelming joy in just one show. Saskwatch will be bringing their soulfully tasty treats to The Famous Spiegeltent across two nights, Wednesday February 22 and Wednesday February 29. Hot.

Beat are proudly presenting Australia's own mash-up maestros the Yacht Club DJs, when they hit the road throughout March and April on the They Mostly Come At Night...Mostly tour. Yacht Club DJs take to the stage with their take on a B Grade Horror flick – zombies, fake blood, plus lots of dancing and, as always, nudity. Their first national tour since 2010, Australia best be wary of what they’ve got in store. Adding to the horror party will be the Yacht Club DJs hometown friends, Hunting Grounds. The six-piece with a rambunctious attitude, will rival the Yacht Club DJs as to who can turn the dance floor into a riot. You can get in on the action by heading to the Prince Bandroom on Thursday April 5, the Bended Elbow on Friday April 6 or the Karova Lounge in Ballarat on Saturday April 7 and Sunday April 8. Tickets are on sale Thursday February 9 and available from Oztix, Moshtix and from the venues.

YAH YAH'S SLAM DAY

THE GRAVELTONES

Like two ideologies in decline caterwauling towards fundamentally opposed extremes, Spod and Harmony will engineer mass bi-polarity in captive heads. Dizzying delusions of ecstasy and lobster mutations followed by a misery dump of unprecedented proportions. Bridging the divide will be the ragged glory of Deep Heat (featuring members of Boomgates and Diamond Sea) who will open the night by peeling faces right oﬀ exposing the lobe for the manic double stroke that follows. Go and celebrate the glorious diversity of Australian live music in all its unbalanced, hormonal splendour at Yah Yah's on Thursday February 23.

Everyone, meet The Graveltones. Based in London and creating huge waves there, these two Australians are coming back to tour their own country for the ﬁrst time. the drummer of this fantastic bluesy two piece has played drums in the UK for Dan Sultan. The Graveltones were recently mentioned in the Londonist Top 10 ones to watch for 2012. You'd best oﬀ catch them while you can in Melbourne at Yah Yah's on Thursday February 16, The Tote on Friday February 17 and Cherry Bar on Wednesday February 22.

RAISE THE ROOF 3

GARETH LIDDIARD Melbourne's golden son Gareth Liddiard will be playing a one oﬀ solo show at the Regal Ballroom this March. "Gaz" is currently writing songs for a new album and will soon be heading to Tokyo and beyond with The Drones for ATP's I'll Be Your Mirror. But before then you can catch him with Lost Animal at the beautiful Regal Ballroom, conveniently located right in the middle of the capital of the southern hemisphere, Northcote, on Friday March 23. Tickets available from webtickets.com.au, Polyester Records, Basement Discs and Thornbury Records. There's a dinner and a show option, or just the show.

Hands in the air, guys. After the raging success of Raise The Roof 1 and 2, volume 3 is shaping up to be just as huge. New additions to the lineup include locals Bam Bam, MoneyKat and Soliloquy. They join Melbourne's own Pez along with Mantra, Thundamentals (SYD), AJ (UK), Acumen, Sky HIgh (SYD), M-Phazes, Slap 618 plus super special guest direct from the UK, the one and only Shortee Blitz. Hosting again is Espy regular MC Reason and DJ Flagrant will be bringing back his Aussie hip hop video show. Get ready for hip hop all nighter, over three rooms, under one roof, this Friday February 17 at The Espy. Tickets on sale from espy. com.au and all Oztix outlets.

CITY & COLOUR City & Colour is the alias of Dallas Green (whose name is, magically, the city Dallas and the colour Green - neat huh?) who was also the guitarist and vocalist of the post-hardcore band Alexisonﬁre. He has announced an Australian tour, so fans can catch him as he plays his melodic acoustic and folk music on Wednesday May 2 at the Palais Theatre. It's an all ages gig.

ROCK THE BALLET Having performed over 1,000 shows during sell out seasons across the globe since its inception in 2007, Rasta Thomas’ Rock the Ballet returns to Australia with its fusion of classic Ballet technique combined with the excitement of musical theatre, hip hop, martial arts, tap, contemporary, gymnastics and more. Rasta Thomas’ Rock the Ballet features a stellar soundtrack including some of the biggest hits from U2, Michael Jackson, Prince, Queen, Coldplay and Lenny Kravitz. Rock the Ballet is happening at the State Theatre, at the VIC Arts Centre from May 30- June 3. Tickets are available from artscentremelbourne.com.au.

MARK LANEGAN BAND For their ﬁrst return to Australian shores in eight years, the Mark Lanegan Band will be touring this April. This comes on the back of Lanegan's remarkable Blues Funeral (we have an album review back there on page 77 this week, by the way), which was released last week to global critical acclaim. Lanegan also toured with Isobel Campbell last year, but this time will return to Melbourne with his band in tow. Mark Lanegan will hit the Forum Theatre on Thursday April 26. Tickets from Ticketmaster from Monday February 20, 9am. Get in early, guys.

SAT 25TH FEBRUARY

SAT 10TH MARCH

BELINDA CARLISLE

BABY ANIMALS

SEL

LIN

A ST

tix $13+bf from espy.com.au

NEON INDIAN Texan indie-electronic artist Neon Indian – the brainchild of Alan Palomo – was called one of the hottest new acts of by Rolling Stone in 2010. Their latest release, Era Extraña, was written and recorded last winter in an apartment in Helsinki, Finland during its short solstice days, partly inspired by scribbled journal entries made during Palomo’s stint there alone in constant solitude. Neon Indian are playing Prince Bandroom on Friday February 24, and we have a double pass to give away. Head to beat.com.au/freeshit to get involved.

FEB 21 & 22

FRIDAY FEB 24

PUSH OVER Victoria’s longest-running all ages live music festival, Push Over, returns to Melbourne’s Abbotsford Convent on Monday March 12 with a brilliant lineup of up-and-coming Aussie talent, the freshest young Victorian acts, some of the country’s most fast and furious hardcore and metal bands and a full arena of bouncing hip hop music and break dance. Check out this list, yo: Parkway Drive, 360, Tonight Alive, Yacht Club DJs, Alpine, Dangerous!, Snakadaktal, Mantra, Redcoats, Eagle and The Worm, Glass Towers, 8 Bit Love, Northlane, Skyway, Hands Like Houses, Mindset, Hallower, This Town A Forest, Awaken I Am, and Boris The Blade plus more to be announced. Because Push Over and Beat love (one of) you, we have a double pass to give away.

YACHT CLUB DJS

CNR SPRINGVALE & WELLS RD, CHELSEA HEIGHTS PH 9773 4453 WWW.CHELSEAHEIGHTSHOTEL.COM.AU

TIX $63

TIX $37

FRI 16TH MARCH

SAT 17TH MARCH

SAT 21ST APRIL

SAT 28TH APRIL

THU 14TH JUNE

SAT 23RD JUNE

BLACK SORROWS & IAN MOSS TIX $38

10CC (UK) TIX $55

CHOCOLATE STARFISHTIX $55

PEZ TIX $27

WENDY MATTHEWSTIX $33

CADD & MORRIS

Beat Magazine Page 14

WATCH INTERVIEWS, CHATS & AWKWARD SILENCES... BEAT.COM.AU/TV

TIX $32

HOT TALK

THE BIGGEST IN INTERNATIONAL & NATIONAL NEWS

For all the latest news check out beat.com.au

60 SECONDS WITH…

GRAVELTONES

LOVE OF DIAGRAMS Love Of Diagrams play a rare, summer headline show on Saturday February 18 at the Tote. Having just released a limited edition seven inch, In My Dream, the band will be road-testing more of their ripper new songs before recording album number four later in the year. Witch Hats, who have just released an excellent second album, will be joining them as will Melbourne's latest steal from Adelaide, Terrible Truths.

BAREBONES The Barebones are celebrating the launch of their longawaited self-titled EP. Showcasing the band's stylistic diversity, the EP is a seamless blend of country, '60s pop and driving rock. Explosive keys, tasty guitar riﬀs, poignant lyrics and signature sibling harmonies all combine to create a very impressive debut. Delighting audiences with their live shows throughout 2011, shifting from paired-back acoustic to stomping rock’n’roll, these lads will make you want to shout, dance and cry. Join them for the launch of their self-titled EP on Saturday March 3 at the The Phoenix Public House in Brunswick, along with a stellar line-up of Melbourne's ﬁnest, Leena and The Bones, Wilding, Fraser A Gorman and DJ Sean M Whelan.

RETREAT SLAM DAY To celebrate Australia's very new national independent music day, SLAM Rally Day, The Retreat Hotel has put a hell of a lineup to celebrate the occasion. The night features local greats Spencer P Jones And The Escape Committee plus M J Halloran And The Sinners, and blessing the stage boards for these guys will be Waco Social Club. Killer bands. Killer venue. Killer price (uh, free, ya dig?) It's happening on Thursday February 23 with a 7pm start.

So then, what’s the band name and what do you ‘do’ in the band? Mikey – I’m the drummer. Jimmy - I play guitar and vocals. What do you reckon people will say you sound like? Jimmy - We get a lot of diﬀerent feedback every time we play. A lot of names get mentioned but we’re pretty much heavy blues rock.

LANIE LANE After an incredible breakthrough year in 2011, Lanie Lane is pouncing on 2012 and has announced a national headline tour in May. The past 12 months have seen Lane's résumé positively swell with a bunch of noteworthy milestones. She's recorded with one Jack White, signed with reputable Sydney label Ivy League, released her debut album, played her ﬁrst (sold out) national tour and appeared on stage at a string of quality festivals. She also appeared on Beat TV a little while back. Not bad, eh? Lanie Lane plays The Corner Hotel on Saturday May 26, supported by The Rubens. Tickets on sale this Thursday February 16 via cornerhotel.com

What do you love about making music? Jimmy – Song writing and performing live are two things I don’t think I could live without doing. What do you hate about the music industry? Mikey – Autotune, and everything else that comes along with it. If you could travel back in time and show one of your musical heroes your stuﬀ, who would it be and why? Mikey - If I could travel back in time and meet one of my musical heroes, I wouldn’t be showing them our stuﬀ. I’d just want to have a beer with them, and blow their mind by showing them an iPod. If you could assassinate one person or band from popular music, who would it and why? Mikey - Bruno Mars. I’m with Tyler the Creator - I’d like to stab him in the goddamn esophagus. I’d use a soldering iron. What can a punter expect from your live show? Mikey - Someone recently said that our live show was “like a shot of novocaine followed by several delightful bricks to the face”. Punters can expect to have a good time, drink beers and wake up without a voice the next morning. What’ve you got to sell CD-wise? Our debut self titled EP will be on sale at our gigs and is available on iTunes, and Amazon. It’s also available on our website thegraveltones.com.

BOY & BEAR It's no secret that we Aussies love Boy & Bear. Turns out they love us too, and in the spirit of fan appreciation, they have announced a huge national tour. The tour, titled Remember The Mexican, pays homage to their first flagship single; Mexican Mavis, as a bit of a nostaglic nod of the head to where it all begun for the Sydney-side five-piece. With 25 dates announced across nearly every musical nook and cranny our fine country has to offer, many shows have intentionally been kept at smaller capacity venues so as to provide a more intimate setting for the band's grass-root fans. Boy & Bear play The Forum on Friday May 18, with an under 18's show to follow at The Hi-Fi on Sunday May 20. Tickets on sale from Monday February 27.

When’s the gig and with who? Thursday February 16 at Yah Yah’s, Friday February 17 at The Tote, and Wednesday February 22 at Cherry Bar. Anything else to add? Yeah it’s really good to eat Australian fruit again!

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Beat Magazine Page 15

HOT TALK

THE BIGGEST IN INTERNATIONAL & NATIONAL NEWS

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ARIEL PINK'S HAUNTED GRAFFITI

JAMES WALSH In what guarantees to be a series of incredible shows Sarah McLeod will now join James Walsh, frontman of critically acclaimed UK Band Starsailor on his upcoming March tour of Australia. Sarah has been one busy woman over the last few years, and is currently focusing on her rock band Screaming Bikini. After touring extensively with The Superjesus for so long she decided she wanted to try some different projects. She has been all round the world five times over writing songs for lots of different artists and in the process gaining international chart success. Both Sarah McLeod and James Walsh play The Espy on Friday March 23. Tickets are only $30+bf, available from Oztix.

FEARLESS VAMPIRE KILLERS I Won’t Stay Too Long is the next single from The Fearless Vampire Killer’s impressive debut LP, Batmania. This barefaced song encompasses the vibe of the ‘70s as much as it does the sound. 2012 has kicked oﬀ at a cracking pace for the band. With For You & Me recently on the American TV series 90210, TFVK are beginning to make a name for themselves internationally. They’ll be hitting the road in March and we hath the true avouch of our own eyes that Batmania explodes lives, so be sure to catch them when they play the Toﬀ In Town on Saturday March 17. Tickets are $12 and available on the door.

THE ROYAL BATHS New York City via San Francisco’s The Royal Baths roll Down Under this March for an East Coast Australian tour. Coming from sunny San Francisco amongst the main stayers of the Bay Area scene, Thee Oh Sees, Kelley Stoltz, Fresh & Onlys, Ty Segall, The Royal Baths flipped it. Making tunes that throw back to the darker, nihilistic side of the psychedelic era. Heavy on guitars rather than organs, drones rather than jams, their dark dirges split the difference between the surreal epics of Bay Area veterans like Blue Cheer and Jefferson Airplane and the hipster nihilism of New York’s Velvet Underground. Now settled in their new Brooklyn home, The Royal Baths release Better Luck Next Life, their second full length record, on Kanine Records. The Royal Baths stage show is creepy, eery and sexy. Don’t miss your chance to see this band live at The Tote on Saturday March 31.

BITS OF SHIT And now for the lineup that is bound to make your mama wash your mouth out with soap. Bits Of Shit, Cuntz and Batpiss are joining forces to create the rudest and most raucous lineup ever. They play the Grace Darling this Friday February 17, $8 on the door.

In super exciting news just to hand, LA synth-pop sorceress Geneva Jacuzzi is joining Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti Australian tour, which hits town in three weeks. The gargantuan lineup at The Corner on Sunday March 4 now comprises Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti, Geneva Jacuzzi, Lost Animal and Montero. Geneva Jacuzzi (born Geneva Garvin) is a musician and visual artist known for her unique style of synth driven bedroom pop recordings, theatrical stage personas and retro-style video art. Her live shows are unlike anything you will ever experience, referencing commedia dell’arte, Cocteau, Artaud, Schlemmer, dada, kabuki, French surrealism and Italian futurism. Don’t miss LA’s reigning prince and princess of lo-fidelity disco, experimental pop and mythical drama, with irresistible supports Lost Animal and Montero. Tickets on sale now from The Corner box office.

JOHN BUTLER Fans are snapping up tickets to John Butler’s Tin Shed Tales tour fast. After just one week since the shows went on sale, the ﬁrst show at The Hi-Fi on Tuesday April 24 is sold out. A second show is now on sale for the same venue on Wednesday April 25. Support for both shows is Felicity Groom.

LADY GAGA Returning to Australian shores, Lady Gaga has announced a string of two Melbourne shows for the Born This Way Ball. The ﬁve-time Grammy Award winning will be bringing her new live show to Melbourne, following the famed set of shows she delivered for The Monster Ball in March last year. Named Forbes’ Most Powerful Woman in the World (cop that, Oprah!) Gaga’s new live performance promises to deliver material spanning her career, including hits from her latest album Born This Way and the two previous The Fame and The Fame Monster. Lady Gaga will play Rod Laver Arena on Wednesday June 27 and Thursday June 28.

RAZ BIN SAM & THE LION I BAND Crowd pleasers Raz Bin Sam & The Lion I Band return to Bar Open to play not one but two shows in a row. Also a special one off performance from Mista Savona Soundsystem – Savona now calls Byron home so this is an extremely rare occasion to catch him in action. Raz Bin Sam & The Lion I band are a five-piece original reggae/dancehall outfit. The band uses a combination of roots, dancehall and Middle Eastern rhythms. Known for their high energy, no holds barred bass lines and uplifting riddims, you’re bound to find your groove. For two nights only, Saturday February 26 and Sunday 26, head down and see why Raz is one of the most important reggae artists this country has. Its totally free to get in at Bar Open from 10pm.

ANDREW W.K. Following his much celebrated national tour in January last year around Big Day Out, Manhattan based Andrew W.K. returns with his one-man-party band this May. The multifaceted musician and performer, famous for his bloody nose and white clothes, exploded into the world in 2001 with his extremely high-energy rock’n’roll music and “party hard” ethos. Already announced for the travelling Groovin’ The Moo Festival, Andrew announced some headline dates around the state, including Wednesday May 2 at Pier Live Frankston and Friday May 4 at The Corner Hotel. Tickets from cornerhotel.com. So seriously. Party.

CASH SAVAGE AND THE LAST DRINKS Steamrolling into 2012 on the back of regional tours, capital city showstoppers and the pick of the summer festivals, the Cash Savage bandwagon rolls back into Melbourne to play their ﬁrst headlining show of the new year at the Famous Spiegeltent. Says Savage: “It’s pretty fucking awesome to be involved in such an internationally revered institution as the Spiegeltent, especially one that so heartily supports performance, creativity and live music in so many diﬀerent places.” Word. Cash Savage And The Last Drinks will perform live at the famous Spiegeltent on Monday March 19 from 7pm. Tickets are $25 and are available from spiegel.artscentremelbourne.com.au.

PORT FAIRY FOLK FESTIVAL Only four weeks to go ‘til the picturesque ﬁshing village of Port Fairy comes alive with one of the world’s great folk festivals! From Friday March 9 - Monday 12, the 2012 Port Fairy Folk Music Festival hosts over 120 artists from all corners of the globe from countries as diverse as Finland, Sweden, Canada, UK, USA, French-Algeria... and of course within Australia. With so many incredible acts already, Port Fairy is excited to add to the line up Dry Bones Featuring Nathan Rogers, Noriana Kennedy, The Lonesome Rangers and Black Jesus Experience, plus heaps more. Plus, the Melbourne Mass Gospel Choir, featuring over 60 voices, will present their critically aclaimed Gospel Songs of Bob Dylan show, and Music Victoria will be holding professional development seminars. Head to portfairyfolkfestival.com for full lineup and ticketing information.

BLEEDKING KNEES CLUB If ever there was a club to sign up to, it’s the one spearheaded by rip-roaring, party-hardy duo Jordan Malane and Alex Wall. An irrepressible garage-pop ‘n’ surf punk pair that burst out of Australia’s Gold Coast, Bleeding Knees Club have won hearts and minds through a reckless live reputation and, on the recorded front, with a swag of super-catchy tunes on their debut EP Virginity released by I OH YOU Records in late 2010. They’ve shared stages with Black Lips, Cults, and many more, were named as one of the ’50 Best New Bands of 2011’ by notoriously hard-toimpress UK music bible NME, and in March 2012 are set to release their debut album Nothing To Do, with a launch of the said album at the Northcote Social Club on Saturday April 21.

LADI6 Returning to Australia for a lightning fast run in March oﬀ the back of her brand new single 98 Till Now is New Zealand’s Ladi6, the incredible talent who eﬀortlessly takes hip hop, soul and beat culture in her stride. Don’t miss Ladi6 as she makes a brief but welcome stop into the Prince Bandroom on Friday March 2.

WANNA PLAY PUSH OVER? Wanna play all ages Push Over festival on Monday March 12 at Abbotsford Convent? Upload your music to triple j unearthed by Sunday February 19. Then listen to triple j on February 22 to see if you won. Previous winners included Husky, Big Scary and Fearless Vampire Killers. Push Over oﬀers hardcore, rock and hip hop as well as local emerging artists across four stages in the day. This year’s lineup is Parkway Drive, 360, Tonight Alive, Yacht Club DJs, Dangerous!, Snakadaktal, Mantra, Redcoats, Eagle and The Worm, Glass Towers, 8 Bit Love, Northlane, Skyway, Hands Like Houses, Mindset, Hallower, This Town A Forest, Awaken I Am and Boris The Blade.

AN HORSE Following their hugely successful run on the Falls and Southbound Festivals, An Horse will return to Australia this April in continued support of their acclaimed 2011 full-length, Walls. Walls, released in April on Mom+Pop/ Shock Records, garnered glowing critical acclaim and saw An Horse continue to keep a relentless pace on the road through Australia, Europe and North America, where they performed at Bamboozle Fest, Osheaga, Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits, Rolling Stone Weekender and CMJ. 2012 will continue to be a busy year for the duo. An Horse play the Corner Hotel on Friday April 27 with tickets $15+bf and on sale on Wednesday February 15 from cornerhotel. com.au. Beat Magazine Page 16

THE VAUDEVILLE SMASH The Vaudeville Smash return to The Northcote Social Club on Saturday February 25 for an absolutely massive show to round oﬀ the summer. With a full length album ﬁrmly on the cards for a spring release, this Northcote show will be the last headline gig for a few months as the boys hit the studio and search for gold. They’ll be supported by Melbourne up-and-comers Private Life and Daydream Arcade. Both bands are brilliant so make sure you get there early. Tickets are $15+bf, available through the NSC website.

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Beat Magazine Page 17

TOURING

WHO'S ON TOUR, WHERE AND WHEN

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PROUDLY PRESENTS:

INTERNATIONAL CORNERSHOP Prince Bandroom February 16 ROD STEWART Rod Laver Arena February 17, Hanging Rock February 18 LA DISPUTE Corner Hotel February 18, 19 DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE The Palace February 21, 22 JASON LYTLE The Toﬀ In Town February 22 GAME Festival Hall February 22 ROXETTE Rod Laver Arena February 22 ERYKAH BADU Palais Theatre February 22 DAN MANGAN Northcote Social Club February 22 MURDER BY DEATH Hi-Fi Bar February 23 THE CUBAN BROTHERS The Espy February 24 ATTACK! ATTACK! The Espy February 27 MASTODON Billboard February 27 BAD RELIGION The Palace February 27 UNDEROATH The Hi-Fi Bar February 27 THE SISTERS OF MERCY Corner Hotel February 28, March 1 BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, HELL YEAH, BLACK TIDE AND HOLY GRAIL The Forum February 28 UNEARTH The Espy February 28 ENTER SHIKARI Billboard February 28 MACHINE HEAD Palace Theatre February 28 FOUR YEAR STRONG, I AM THE AVALANCHE, FIREWORKS AND CONDITIONS Hi-Fi Bar February 28 HATEBREED Hi-Fi Bar February 29 DEVIN TOWNSEND, MESHUGGAH DREDGE The Forum February 29 MAYER HAWTHORNE Corner Hotel February 29 THURSDAY, SAVES THE DAY Billboard February 29 SYSTEM OF A DOWN Rod Laver Arena February 29 STEEL PANTHER, ALTER BRIDGE The Palace February 29 UNWRITTEN LAW, ZEBRAHEAD AND ROYAL REPUBLIC The Espy February 29 MEN Phoenix Public House March 1 SLIPKNOT Rod Laver Arena March 1 BLACK VEIL BRIDES Thornbury Theatre March 1 NEW ORDER Festival Hall March 1 CATHEDRAL, PARADISE LOST, TURISAS The Espy March 1 HYRO DA HERO Laundry Bar March 1 LOSTPROPHETS Billboard March 1 BUSH/STAIND The Palace March 1 ANGELS & AIRWAVES The Forum March 1

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Yacht CLUB DJs Prince Bandroom April 5 LADI6 Prince Bandroom March 2 SOUNDWAVE Melbourne Showgrounds March 2 PLAYGROUND WEEKENDER Wisemen's Ferry March 2 - March 4 LANA DEL REY The Toﬀ In Town March 3 RYAN ADAMS Regent Theatre March 3 ARIEL PINK’S HAUNTED GRAFFITI Corner Hotel March 4 BEN KWELLER The Hi-Fi March 5 URGE OVERKILL The Espy March 6 THE RAPTURE, AZARI & III The Forum March 6 BLACK LIPS Corner Hotel March 7 MANCHESTER ORCHESTRA The Hi-Fi March 7 CHIC Billboard March 7 BON IVER Sidney Myer Music Bowl March 8 URGE OVERKILL The Espy March 8 BONOBO Corner Hotel March 5, 8 PORT FAIRY FOLK FESTIVAL Port Fairy March 9 - 12 ADAM COHEN Regal Ballroom March 9 WILD FLAG Corner Hotel March 9 BONNIE 'PRINCE' BILLY Regal Ballroom March 8, National Theatre March 9 ROOTS MANUVA Prince Bandroom March 10 ENDLESS BOOGIE The Tote March 10 GOLDEN PLAINS Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre March 10-12 FUTURE MUSIC FESTIVAL Flemington Racecourse March 11 REAL ESTATE Corner Hotel March 12 FIRST AID KIT Famous Spiegeltent March 12, The Corner March 14 ROKY ERICKSON Corner Hotel March 13 TAYLOR SWIFT Rod Laver Arena March 13 ST. VINCENT Hi-Fi Bar March 14 AQUA The Palace March 13, March 15 LENNY KRAVITZ, THE CRANBERRIES Sidney Myer Music Bowl March 17, 18 A DAY ON THE GREEN All Saint's Estate Rutherglen March 17 ONE PERFECT DAY South Gippsland March 17 CHARLES BRADLEY Corner Hotel March 18 BOMBAY BICYCLE CLUB Corner Hotel March 20 TIM MCGRAW, FAITH HILL Rod Laver Arena March 20 ELBOW Festival Hall March 21 DURAN DURAN March 21 NICK LOWE The Forum March 22, 33 ELECTRELANE Corner Hotel March 23 JAMES WALSH, SARAH MCLEOD The Espy March 23 BORIS Corner Hotel March 24 EVANESCENCE Rod Laver Arena March 24 JOHN FOGERTY Rod Laver Arena March 27 WOODEN SHJIPS Corner Hotel March 28 CROSBY, STILLS & NASH Palais Theatre March 29 STEVE EARLE Corner Hotel March 29, 30 THE ROYAL BATHS The Tote March 31 G3 Palais Theatre March 31, April 1 DEAD MEADOW Corner Hotel April 1 LUCINDA WILLIAMS Palais Theatre April 2 BRIAN SETZER'S ROCKABILLY RIOT The Palace April 3 BLITZEN TRAPPER Prince Bandroom April 3 THE POGUES Festival Hall April 4 MY MORNING JACKET The Palace April 4 YANN TIERSEN Recital Centre April 4 CANNED HEAT Corner Hotel April 4 BYRON BAY BLUESFEST Byron Bay April 5-9 TROMBONE SHORTY & ORLEANS AVENUE The Corner April 7 NEW FOUND GLORY, TAKING BACK SUNDAY Festival Hall April 8 THE FABULOUS THUNDERBIRDS Corner Hotel April 8 SUBLIME Palace Theatre April 9

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ZIGGY MARLEY Corner Hotel April 9 SEASICK STEVE Corner Hotel April 10 CANDI STATON Toﬀ In Town April 10 JUSTIN TOWNES EARLE Prince Bandroom April 12 PETER HOOK The Palace April 12 LOU BARLOW Northcote Social Club April 17, April 18 HENRY ROLLINS The National Theatre April 18, 19 SUPAFEST TBA April 21 DIG IT UP! HOODOO GURUS INVITATIONAL The Palace April 25 MARK LANEGAN BAND Forum Theatre April 26 AN HORSE Corner Hotel April 27 THE EXPLOITED Corner Hotel April 28 CHERRY ROCK Cherry Bar April 29 CITY & COLOUR Palais Theatre May 2 ANDREW W.K. Corner Hotel May 4 THE MOUNTAIN GOATS Corner Hotel May 10 NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK/BACKSTREET BOYS Rod Laver Arena May 18, 19 FLORENCE AND THE MACHINE Rod Laver Arena May 20 LADY GAGA Rod Laver Arena June 27, 28 MELISSA ETHERIDGE The Plenary July 15

NATIONAL THE NECKS Corner Hotel February 15 GENNY B FUNDRAISER Corner Hotel February 16 RIVERBOATS MUSIC FESTIVAL Echuca-Moama February 17-10 ROCK THE BAY The Espy February 18 BETWEEN THE BAYS Penbank Morning Peninsula February 25 LAST DINOSAURS The Toff February 28 LIOR Melbourne Zoo March 3 CHILDREN COLLIDE Ferntree Gully Hotel March 9, Pelly Bar March 10, Karova Lounge March 12 and Corner Hotel April 13 360 Corner Hotel March 10 HOLLY THROSBY Famous Spiegeltent March 11 PUSH OVER Abbotsford Convent March 12 DIRTY THREE The Palace March 16 THE BEARDS Corner Hotel March 16 SNAKADAKTAL Northcote Social Club March 16, 17 FEARLESS VAMPIRE KILLERS Toff In Town March 17 CLARKEFIELD MUSIC FESTIVAL Clarkefield March 18 XAVIER RUDD The Forum March 21. BODYJAR, ANTISKEPTIC, ONE DOLLAR SHORT Corner Hotel March 31 YACHT CLUB DJS Prince Bandroom April 5, Bended Elbow April 6, Karova Lounge April 7, 8 BALL PARK MUSIC The Corner April 14 BLEEDING KNEES CLUB Northcote Social Club April 21 JOHN BUTLER The Hi-Fi Bar April 24, 25 BOY & BEAR The Hi-Fi May 20 LANIE LANE Corner Hotel May 26

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CHECK OUT ALL THE LATEST NEWS, REVIEWS AND FREE SHIT AT BEAT.COM.AU

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Beat Magazine Page 19

ST. VINCENT BY T.S. AND C.L.

Society is in dire need of artists who have something important to say. St. Vincent (aka Annie Clark) is doing her part. Cruel – the second track on her most personal album to date, Strange Mercy – was one of the most significant songs of 2011. In addressing the objectification and dehumanisation of women via socially-imposed standards, St. Vincent has evolved from being a shiny bead in a string of talented singer-songwriters to a vital modern voice. Feminist themes pervade her third album, especially in the tracks, Cruel and Cheerleader. Clark expresses that life would be easier if she conformed, but she can’t and she won’t. This is potently expressed in Cruel’s key lines: “Bodies, can’t you see what everybody wants from you / For you could want that, too / They could take or leave you / So they took you, and they left you / How could they be casually cruel?” In Cheerleader, Clark sings: “I’ve seen America / With no clothes on / I don’t wanna be a cheerleader no more / I don’t wanna be a dirt eater no more.” Does she consider herself a feminist? “The truth is I feel like there is some body of knowledge of feminist theory that I don’t know anything about,” Clark concedes. “All I really know about is my own experience. “I definitely am fascinated with the human experience and a lot of times these archetypes – the down side of the American dream and the housewife who’s on white wine and barbiturates – I have a very soft spot in my heart for these kinds of characters. In Surgeon, I take a line from Marilyn Monroe’s diary – ‘best find a surgeon, come cut me open’ – and that really resonates with me.” Essentially, feminism is rooted in the values of respect and human equality. Progress has been made, but there’s still a long way to go. Some female singersongwriters have had a profound impact on cultureshifting; some have contributed in their own unique way. Gender inequality contributes to some of the biggest problems in the world today, and Clark refuses to ignore this. In the video for Cruel, Clark is kidnapped by a motherless family, forced to become the wife in the family and then buried alive… no softie, this Annie. Although born in Oklahoma, Clark grew up in Texas and has been a guitar nerd since picking up her main instrument at the age of 12. She also plays piano, organ and bass, while string, brass and unconventional arrangements continue to render her musical style (a fusion of baroque pop, art/math-rock, cabaret jazz and chamber music) both refreshing and unique. Clark gives new meaning to the term ‘college dropout’, just like Kanye West did back in 2004. As Clark notes, sometimes you learn all you can before being required to forget everything in order to make music and to create what it is that you envision in your own mind. After three years at Berklee University’s College Of Music, Clark dropped out, returned home to Texas and joined The Polyphonic Spree. After departing The Polyphonic Spree, she joined Sufjan Stevens’ touring band in 2006. To talk to, Clark is dreamy, demure, charming, chatty and just old-fashioned nice. Having released three distinctive albums under the moniker of St. Vincent, Clark has Beat Magazine Page 20

grown into an incredibly gifted storyteller, nimble multiinstrumentalist and seasoned performer. She’s supported Arcade Fire, Andrew Bird, Television and Grizzly Bear, and collaborated with Bon Iver and Kid Cudi. St. Vincent’s debut album, Marry Me (2007), found critics comparing Clark to Kate Bush and David Bowie; sophomore album, Actor (2009), attained commercial success, but it was her exceptional third album – Strange Mercy (2011) – that rendered her an important modern voice. Garnering both critical acclaim and chart success, Strange Mercy manages to be accessible while simultaneously questioning and dissecting pop’s natural order.

“I ALWAYS LIKE THE IDEA OF A LITTLE BIT OF POISON IN THERE WITH THE SUGAR” Regarded by many critics and music aficionados as one of the best albums of 2011, Strange Mercy is a truly notable, poignant and versatile record. From starting in The Polyphonic Spree and then working with Sufjan Stevens, it seems to have been a slowburning, organically-built achievement for Clark. “I guess I’ve always tried to release the best record I could every time and not worry too much about the expectation of where it would end up and how it would be received,” says Clark. “I’m glad that I had time to really develop my craft and that people enjoy it along the way.” Strange Mercy is a beautiful-sounding pop album, enhanced by Clark’s expressive vocals, but upon repeated listens there are sinister, aggressive undertones and manifestations of overwhelming depression as the songs often swell to the point of discomfort. What sort of place was she coming from whilst writing this album? “2010 was the Year of the Tiger and it was actually quite a sad year for me personally, so I was coming at it needing to pick up a few things,” Clark relates. “My anger gets kind of subverted a lot of times. I always like the idea of a little bit of poison in there with the sugar or the picture that looks pretty pleasant on the surface but there’s one little detail that makes the whole thing creepy or askew.” On a purely musical level, Clark approached her third album in a completely different manner. “I did basically the opposite thing to when I wrote my last record,” Clark affirms. “[For my last record]

DISCUSS WHAT? BEAT.COM.AU/DISCUSSION

I wasn’t going to touch any physical instruments to write the record, so I wrote everything on the computer and then moved into the studio to try and make pop songs out of them. “With this record, I knew that it needed to come from the heart first and be simple and direct. I took the songs into the studio with my wonderful friend and producer John Congleton and then we kind of dissected things and put things together and made it more interesting than an acoustic record.” When it’s not Clark’s lyrics or vocal delivery providing the menace, it’s the hissing, fuzzed up guitars. Clark is a compelling storyteller whether she’s writing from the point of view of a woman with a loved one in jail, as a wife addressing an estranged husband or through characters by the names of Chloe and Elijah. It feels as though the listener is peeking through the shades into the life of a neighbour or friend, but do all these stories carry a personal element or are some of them pure fiction? “The second you start writing a song it becomes fiction,” says Clark. “That doesn’t mean it’s not true but it becomes a story and it’s more important to me as a songwriter to make a compelling story than it is to tell what I ate for breakfast. The story is really paramount.” What’s her favourite part of the album? “I really like that solo in Surgeon, that random punk solo that my friend Bobby Sparks played. I really like the riffs of Chloe In The Afternoon. That’s really fun.” St. Vincent performed solo at the Sydney Festival in January of 2009 and returns to our shores for the Australian debut of her full-band show next month – a much-anticipated tour that follows a hectic February schedule comprising stops in Turkey, Italy, France, the UK, Belgium, Netherlands and Portugal. What’s she looking forward to most about touring Australia this time around? “The weather and the flat whites,” Clark grins. “I’m going to have like, 20 flat whites per day in Australia. The set’s only going to take 20 minutes – we’re going to be caffeine freaks.” Indeed, caffeine helps when one’s leaping off in new directions all the time. “I’m making a record with David Byrne and we’re working on releasing that this year,” Clark enthuses. “That will be in September and we’re going to tour that as well, so I’ll be on tour the whole year.” Considering all the touring that she’s done for Strange Mercy, Clark must be getting used to the base-shifting life. “At this point, I don’t know how else to be,” she muses. “I’ve been touring in bands since I was 21, so I’ve gone all of my adult life knowing I won’t be in any one place for more than a month. I do like it. I don’t even know what else I would do. When I go out on tour, I do get to scavenge through different cultures and later put it into songs. That aspect is really fun. There’s a certain amount of alienation or loneliness that goes along with it, but I’m confident that it’s similar to the alienation that probably everyone feels, so it’s a good problem, you know?” ST. VINCENT performs at The Hi-Fi on Wednesday March 14. Strange Mercy is out now through 4AD/ Remote Control.

Beat Magazine’s

BICYCLE SPECIAL MOJO BIKE GIVEAWAY

A GREEN GREE IDEA THAT WILL GROW. Riding a bike is arguably the greenest and cleanest form of transport, but dirty little carbon footprints sneak up behind the activity when you factor in the freight component of getting each bicycle, or other cycling-related products, from where they are made to where they are sold. For example, a 2.5 kilogram parcel from the UK creates more than 80 kilograms of carbon. A few thousand orders for one business pushes that figure into the double-digit tonnes. Add that there’s thousands of companies in the bike industry worldwide and, as Simon Head figured out, you don’t need to be a climate change scientist with a carbon emissions calculator to know there is a big problem. “The easiest way to describe bikeTREES is it’s a very simple way to provide a real approach to offset the transportation costs, in terms of carbon, for the bike industry,” he says. “Every time we sell a bikeTREE, we plant a real tree.” Rather than an exact system (e.g. “this particular bike produced 52 kilos of carbon dioxide to get from point of

manufacture to point of retail therefore we have to plant a tree of this size and let it grow for this long”), Head says the company is trying to remove the science. “We’re saying it’s better to plant a tree than not plant a tree.” The way it works is that when consumers purchase goods, equipment and services bearing the bikeTREES logo, part of the purchase price will include either a full tree or partial funding for a tree to be planted. “Our commitment is to plant trees for long term” he says.

Mojo Bike is a unique online concept store that lets people design the bicycle of their dreams, allowing them to customise nearly every aspect! With a great range of classic bicycle designs on offer, Mojo Bike has the bicycle for you. Mojo Bike’s classic fixie model – the Urban – has a traditional, chic design with a modern feel, which is accommodating to all things fixie! The Mojo Urban offers maximum customisation, which lets individuals exercise their creative flair. With over a million colour options available, it is almost impossible to see two identical Urbans! Mojo Bike also offers a more traditional bike called the Dutchie. The Dutchie boasts traditional Dutch styling with a superior quality build to match! This classic design allows you to ride in comfort and style, with features like a step through frame, fully enclosed metal chain guard, guarded wheels, curved handle bars, authentic leather grips, and leather seat. The best part is that you can customise your Dutchie to make it truly unique! No matter which Mojo Bike you choose, it is designed by you, for you, and then built by them; once you have created your masterpiece Mojo Bike brings it to life,

packages it, and sends it to your door. The Mojo mission is to design bikes that are beautiful and affordable, with just the right dash of whimsy to make biking appropriately joyful, approachable and indispensible. Visit Mojo Bike (mojobike.com.au) today and design your own little taste of freedom!

WIN a MOJO BIKE DREAM! Mojo Bike and Beat Magazine are giving you the opportunity to fulfil your Mojo Bike bicycle dream. Just hit up the ‘Free Shit’ section on the Beat Website, tell us why you think riding a bike is better than driving a car, and you’re in with a chance! The lucky winner of the competition will win a Mojo Bike voucher valued at $499.

The Banks

It’s about time we wrote something about street riding. The main appeal of street riding is that you’re riding areas that aren’t built for riding, which breeds creativity as different riders may view a spot in completely unique ways. One of Melbourne’s most popular street spots, Flemington Banks, is one of those places where you can always find a new line that you might not have before. ‘The Banks’, as they’re known, grew in popularity when Strictly BMX and Focal Point started holding jams there a few years back. Since then they’ve appeared in a bunch of local and international BMX videos. Basically, they are massive banks either side of the Moonee Ponds Creek. Make of them what you will – carve them, launch out of them, find a gap. Just about every street rider in Melbourne has ridden the bankto-wall-rides there, and for good reason, they’re heaps of fun and vary in size so there’s plenty of room for progression. There are also some ledges to grind if you want to use your pegs, and there’s even the odd dirt transition to be found.

It’s a pretty hard area to miss because it’s pinpointed by those massive red leany things that rise above the Citylink Bridge. Catch the Upfield line to Flemington Station, head down the Moonee Ponds cycle path, and you can’t miss the place. You’ve probably seen this spot a million times and not even realised people ride there, so we suggest you give it a shot while summer’s still around!

Strictly BMX

An initiative to improve the world we live in. bikeTREES is a self funded, industry based tree planting and reforestation program which aims to improve the world we live in by planting trees as an offset. Every time we sell a bikeTREE, we plant a real tree. This is in its simplest form a basic carbon offset. Whether it be for the freight component of a bike-related product getting from the point of manufacture to point of sale, an offset for riders getting to an event and, in the case of a media outlet, an offset against delivering their publication.

Thinking green is good. Being green is better.

biketrees.com.au

Page 22

BEAT MAGAZINE’S BICYCLE SPECIAL

Melbourne Bikefest Celebrating Bikes in Everyday Life Melbourne Bikefest is a community celebration of bikes in everyday life. The festival is produced by The Squeaky Wheel, organised by a volunteer committee, and the vast majority of Bikefest events are free to attend. This year represents a new direction for the festival, with nine key projects created in partnership with other major events, organisations and communities of bike riders. Their goal is to normalise bike riding within mainstream cultural life by staging a month-long celebration of life on two wheels. To kick things off, over 120,000 Melburnians will descend upon Birrarung Marr for the inaugural Bikefest Treadlie Market held over three days from Friday February 17 to Sunday February 19. This unique event will be home to hand-selected bicycle fashion and accessory stallholders, mechanics who can answer all your bike related questions, workshops, trial rides, competitions and pop up prizes, including a Film Night, Swap Meet, Best in Show competition, Carnival Day, and the Better by Bike Awards ceremony. The celebration continues throughout February with events like the My Bike Project BBQ, Bikefest Village Picnic, Bikefest BMX Jam, Bikefest Bike Runway, a poster design competition, plus talks that aim to increase awareness of bicycle related issues, and other daily activities like the Etsy Bike Decorating Booth. Join Bikefest on a ride, and sample the delights of life on two wheels.

CRA REQUIRE Y L D NO

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THIS WEEK: ON SCREEN The Shadow Electric Open Air Cinema, one of my favourite places to watch films, have programmed a fucking ace list of movies for this week. Leon: The Professional, featuring Natalie Portman in her film debut, is a thrilling and moving film that follows a hitman who takes a 12-year-old girl after her family is murdered. The Wrestler is a critically-acclaimed movie directed by Darren Aronofsky (Requiem For A Dream, Black Swan etc) in which Mickey Rourke plays an aging professional wrestler. Rounding off the week will be British comedies The Trip and Shallow Grave. Check out shadowelectric.com.au for further details.

ON STAGE Are there some truths better left unknown? Hjalmar Ekdal’s father was wealthy until a scandal forced the family into poverty. Now he resides in a tiny ﬂat with his father, his wife Gina and his daughter Hedvig…and a duck. And there’s about to be a new member of the household – Gregers Werle has just returned to town with some unﬁnished business that could shatter the little world Hjalmar has built around himself. Director Simon Stone has transplanted Ibsen’s characters into the contemporary world in a new play with a thrilling cast. Henrik Ibsen’s play – The Wild Duck – heads to the Malthouse Theatre this month following a criticallyacclaimed season in Sydney. The Wild Duck opens at the Malthouse Theatre on Friday February 17 and runs until Saturday March 17.

ON DISPLAY Partly inﬂuenced by her studies in psychology and sociology at university, Janice Gobey harbours a fascination for the human condition with a focus on the dynamics between men and women. In her latest work, she explores the charm of texture. Armed with paintbrush and oils, Janice translates the sensuous qualities of fur and velvet drapery to canvas, and successfully facilitates the experience of wanting to touch something that is actually a two dimensional illusion. Janice Gobey’s Voyeur opens at Fortyﬁvedownstairs this Tuesday February 21 and runs until Saturday March 3.

BEAT’S PICK OF THE WEEK: Raj Kapoor was one of the most admired figures in Indian cinema, and his name is synonymous with the rise of Bollywood. A legendary actor, director and producer, Kapoor remains rather unknown in Australia yet is extolled around the world for his films during the ‘Golden Age’ of Indian cinema. His performance in Awaara – a film nominated for the Palm d’Or, was ranked one of the “top-ten performances of all time” by Time Magazine. ACMI will be showcasing Focus On: Raj Kappor – a selection of some his masterful work, from Monsoon (his first major hit) to Stay Awake (Kapoor in his famous slapstick style) and many more of his beautiful gems. You can grab tickets to an individual session or save ducats with a six session pass. Focus On: Raj Kapoor is on from Thursday February 16 - Wednesday March 14. Head to acmi.net.au for more information.

FREE SHIT

THE MOONLIGHT CINEMA The Moonlight Cinema, placed in the heart of the beautiful natural surroundings of the Royal Botanic Gardens, is the most enchanting way to watch movies this summer. The Moonlight Cinema have just released the rest of their summer program, and it’s an excellent blend of new releases such as Spielberg’s The War Horse and Scorcese’s Hugo and old school gems like Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction and Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast At Tiﬀany’s (check out their website for a full list). We have a few double passes to give away. Clickety-clack onto beat.com.au/freeshit for your chance to win.

Beat Magazine Page 24

THE WILD DUCK BY BELLA ARNOTT-HOARE

In Belvoir St Theatre’s promotional video for its production of The Wild Duck, a jittery soundtrack punctures scenes of a young family’s torrid internal affairs. But for a few brief seconds, a sexagenarian played by Anthony Phelan cradles a live duck onstage and all is unnervingly calm. Henrik Ibsen’s play heads to the Malthouse Theatre this month after a critically-lauded season in Sydney, and though Phelan’s affable young co-stars have been touted as some of theatre’s most important up-and-comers, he is the real centerpiece in a performance which has won him a Helpmann and a Sydney Theatre Critic’s Award. The exercise in voyeurism is an adaption of a Norwegian play, directed by Simon Stone and contemporised by placing its characters in a large glass dome – or prison, depending on how you look at it – equipped with radio microphones. The proceeding 90 minutes play out inside the box as the audience peer into the very private lives of a tormented family and a spirited duck. Phelan, who plays Old Ekdal in one of his most awarded supporting roles to date, notes the elaborate glass window onto the stage makes the performances all the more real. “It had a very interesting effect on the performance,” he said. “It’s so secure, as though we were being protected by this shield, but at the same time it had the effect that there was this peering, voyeuristic presence outside it, where everyone was looking, and I think that was the desired effect from the director and the designer, who wanted that idea of domestic lives.” Playing a geriatric patriarch, clinging to the final threads of his sanity, Phelan praises fellow cast members, director Stone and the original author of the play Ibsen – almost everyone bar himself. “I’m very humbled by it. It belongs to all of us, the award, in a way, because from the word go it was a wonderful collaboration. “My enthusiasm really rose to the occasion early when I read the original with this mad, wonderful old man walking

through these scenes in his strange old attic, his guns and [his] funny old army uniform – so I thank Ibsen. He’s a beautifully balanced character. His sense of humour is certainly balanced with pathos.” And indeed the role is a departure from Phelan’s experience of being typecast into roles. Having appeared in Love My Way, Spirited, The Black Balloon and Little Fish, a great deal of his career has been crammed into the villainous category. “Im 6’2” and I’ve got a deep voice – often they go, we’ve got the villain there, get him to play that. Or a cop, or the alcoholic, or the abusive alcoholic cop. But that’s okay, it’s work,” he said. And while The Wild Duck also could be classed as work, it may be one of his most career-making moves. The role required Phelan to work alongside a rather unorthodox and troublesome cast member though: don’t work with children or animals, the adage goes, and the duck had its share of diva moments. “The most important member of the cast of course is the duck. To begin with I was really scared, and I think the duck realised that. It went, ‘Hey man, relax’. And apart from attacking my ﬁngers on opening night which was bad timing, I learned to make the duck comfortable.” At one point in the play, Phelan’s character recites a monologue while holding the duck in his arms. Towards the end of the season, he said, the duck was so at ease it would nod oﬀ to sleep during this part of the performance. “We did have a good working relationship eventually,” he laughed, “once I stopped being nervous. I think animals feel those vibes.” As the play surges towards its violent conclusion and the many sacrosanct secrets are leaked, the story remains

within its literal fourth (glass) wall in the Edkal household. Family, says Phelan, is key; perhaps the point that Ibsen, and director Stone, have been trying to make. “I think we don’t always have control over our family history. [In the play] we’re born into a family that’s had a lot of trauma, sadness, heartache. A new generation of children being born into a family don’t have any control over that. It’s up to the generation before it to protect them and they don’t always know how to do that.” In taking his talents to the theatre, Phelan’s found unexpected fulﬁllment and it’s pretty darn clear to the panels of the country’s major theatre awards along with charmed audiences. “I’m pretty conﬁdent in saying this has been one of the highlights of my career so far. I’ve been so very fortunate in my 32 years of working with directors, and Simon could intuitively and instinctively see, understand the sort of actor I am and how I work. And that doesn’t always happen. But when it does, I can create. At this point in time this has been one of the most joyous experiences I’ve had in my career.” So now that the actor is a Helpmann winner and has earned his theatrical salt, you’d think he’d allow himself some due praise? Not likely. “I’m pretty tough on myself, I’m a bit of a perfectionist. I think the hardest thing is to be kinder to myself.” The Wild Duck opens at the Malthouse Theatre on Friday February 17 and runs until Saturday March 17.

APOCASTRIP WOW! BY SIOBHAN ARGENT

“It was lovely lying in bed, luxuriating in my curlers naked, talking to you.” Julie Atlas Muz manages to purr even when her throat is cigarette-style croaky after sleep. She’s on the phone in Sète, France, yawning constantly. From what I’ve gathered during our conversation, she’s really coming across as a reserved type. Muz is an experienced burlesque performer with signature acts that include a fake severed hand and a giant bubble big enough to fit a person inside. She’s been part of the Whitney Biennial (2004), a well-known art exhibition in New York for emerging visual artists in which her showcase involved museum-goers watching a video of Muz’s vagina communicating in 11 different languages. Then there are her titles of Miss Exotic World and Miss Coney Island pageants, as well as her old role as ‘Head Mermaid’ at the now-defunct Coral Room in New York, where she swam in a 34,000-litre tank for customers of the bar. In February, she’ll be in Melbourne to perform Apocastrip Wow! with fiancé and stage-partner Mat Fraser, and it’s quickly becoming clear that from Muz’s perspective, being open intellectually is hardly any different to being naked on stage doing her eccentric live shows. “Well when I’m on stage, I like to think that there’s a beautiful open dialogue between me and the audience,” Muz says. “As comfortable as people think I am on stage, naked, I am like any other performer, riddled with insecurities. I need to be loved by at least 200 people a night, otherwise I feel valueless.” But, I hear you say – the vagina! What about this talking vagina, which captivated audiences who attended the Whitney Biennial that year? “Well Mr Pussy, he’s one of my alter egos. He’s been growing his moustache since Bush was elected into office the second time. He wears hats and he sings songs of freedom, so he has several different looks. He just recently did Redemption Song by Bob Marley, he did that for the tenth anniversary of the Twin Towers falling down. I think we’re going to bring that one to Australia this year. Last year

Mr Pussy in [Muz’s show The Freak And The Showgirl] sang Hair...He’s a very patriotic American. He’s really proud of what he can accomplish. I just can’t cut my pubic hair.” Aside from a vagina with a male alter-ego, Muz’s show attracts crowds. Having 200 people applauding you every night for performing naked has to be an ego boost, she agrees, but then there’s the unexpected caveat of crowd adulation. “You would think it would just be good for your ego (and it is good for your ego), but then it sort of creates this spiral of, ‘Do they really love me?’” she chuckles. One of Muz’s enduringly iconic roles is as Head Mermaid for the now-defunct Coral Room bar in New York, where she swam around as a delicate water-nymph for customers of the bar. “That was one of the best jobs of my life. It was one of the hardest jobs of my life...It’s really kind of organic. The thing is that the more crazy moves you do, the less time you have underwater. So if you want to be under there for a long time, you just go down and hold your breath. But if you want to do something exceptional then you go down and back up. Ironically, when I was swimming at The Coral Room it was only about [170cm] high. The depth of the tank I was swimming in was just a little bit taller than me. Every time I did a flip I could just go up to the top and sneak a breath.” Muz is passionate about seemingly everything she’s done in the art world, but her fiancé, Mat Fraser, seems the obvious winner in Muz’s estimation. A well-known disability activist and performer, Fraser is over in Ireland as we speak, filming his part in Irish soap opera Fair City. Muz can’t help but get gooey over Fraser. Even she admits that she “always had a wandering eye” before she met Fraser, her newfound

ARTS NEWS, REVIEWS, INTERVIEWS ONLINE – BEAT.COM.AU/ARTS

I’ve-only-eyes-for-you mode is something that still has her Polish parents thrown. “It’s sickening, it really is sickening,” Muz says. “It’s like my mum says, [Muz launches into a heavy Polish accent], ‘Do you really want to get married again?’ I was like, ‘Yes, Mum. Are you going to come to the wedding?’ She’s not convinced. She really likes Mat a lot, but she’s not convinced!” she laughs. You can tell Muz is always up for a chuckle. It’s an approach appreciated by Australians, who apparently rule the roost when it comes to Muz’s audience preferences. “Australians are the best,” Muz says. In her shows, “Americans are a little too cool for school, so they don’t really play along very well...English people will make a fool of themselves. Give them half a reason and they will, so that’s no fun...the audience likes to watch one of themselves, to watch one of them volunteer and be shy at ﬁrst, and then transform, and then there’s a dramatic arc right there. That’s what makes the best audience contestant, someone who has an inherent arc. They want to be wild and free, but they just need a little bit of a push. That’s what the most beautiful thing, and Australians are naturally like that.” Julie Atlas Muz and Mat Fraser will be performing Apocastrip Wow! at The Espy on Tuesday February 21 and Wednesday February 22. For more information espy.com.au.

Lounge Lizard

SmartBar 01.03.12

Melbourne Museum 6-10pm PopUp Bar Taxidermy & Live Dissection DJ JPS Tickets Online

VISIT MUSEUMVICTORIA.COM.AU PH 13 11 02

With Tyson Wray. Got news, gossip, reviews, thoughts, tip-oﬀs, complaints, hate mail? Email tyson@beat.com.au or send by ESP before Friday.

SOLO VOYAGES

GLOBAL ATHEIST CONVENTION “If God exists, I hope he has a good excuse” – Woody Allen. The 2012 Global Atheist Convention is a wet dream for freethinkers as it features one of the most comprehensive lineups of famous atheists ever assembled. Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Daniel Dennett…the list is incredible and will not likely ever be repeated. From scientists to comedians, the convention, held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre from Friday April 13 – Sunday April 15, is truly a “celebration of reason”. Check out atheistconvention.org.au for more info.

SUMMER REVOLUCION 2012 has already given us a lot, and it’s only getting better. El Tarro, the smallest performing space in the world, along with Yogarte, are proudly and loudly declaring a Summer Revolucion! It’s all about creative revolt: art, rhythm, food, music, performance, inventions, games and actions. Mankind is not an institution, corporation or installation. The human life is an inevitable, marvellous, chaotic and sublime experience in which interaction, infiltration, emancipation and perpetuation play leading roles. The Summer Revolucion is a tribute to the revolutionary spirit. Infiltrated by more than 100 artists and an underground market, Summer Revolucion will add that little bit of spice into everyone’s life. Head to Schoolhouse Studios on Saturday February 25. For more information, head to summerrevolucion.blogspot.com.

THE BIG SHORT - MICHAEL LEWIS ($24.95) The real story of the crash began in bizarre feeder markets where the sun doesn’t shine and the SEC doesn’t dare, or bother, to tread: the bond and real estate derivative markets where geeks invent impenetrable securities to proﬁt from the misery of lower- and middle-class Americans who can’t pay their debts. The smart people who understood what was or might be happening were paralyzed by hope and fear; in any case, they weren’t talking. Out of a handful of unlikely heroes, Lewis fashions a story as compelling and unusual as any of his earlier bestsellers, proving yet again that he is the ﬁnest and funniest chronicler of our time.

HOODWINKED - JOHN PERKINS ($19.95) Here, Perkins pulls back the curtain on the real cause of the current global ﬁnancial meltdown. He shows how we’ve been hoodwinked by the CEOs who run the corporatocracy - those few corporations that control the vast amounts of capital, land, and resources around the globe - and the politicians they manipulate. These corporate fat cats, Perkins explains, have sold us all on what he calls predatory capitalism, a misguided form of geopolitics and capitalism that encourages a widespread exploitation of the many to beneﬁt a small number of the already very wealthy. Their arrogance, gluttony, and mismanagement have brought us to this perilous edge.

STRAIGHT LIFE - ART & LAURIE PEPPER ($26.95) Art Pepper (1925-1982) was called the greatest alto saxophonist of the post-Charlie Parker generation. But his autobiography, “Straight Life,” is much more than a jazz book--it is one of the most explosive, yet one of the most lyrical, of all autobiographies. This edition is updated with an extensive afterword by Laurie Pepper covering Art Pepper’s last years, and a complete and up-to-date discography by Todd Selbert.

Feel like you’re lacking a little bit of the fine arts in your life? Well, NIDA have you covered. A team of Australia’s brightest up-and-coming young theatre makers from Sydney are currently preparing themselves to hit our fair city in March to give us our hit. Solo Voyages is a presentation of two contemporary plays and an exhibition of behind-the-scenes costume, design, props, film and production work that are sure to highlight the incredible talent of NIDA’s students, recent graduates and guest artists. As a two-part theatre performance including Thirst and Howl, the NIDA crew will present Solo Voyages at Theatre Works from Wednesday March 7 – Saturday March 10. For more information visit theatreworks.org.au.

NATIONAL PLAY FESTIVAL Celebrating everything excellent and ingenious in Australian playwriting, the fifth National Play Festival will showcase the best new Australian plays. Amongst the plethora of guests to be included in the festival will be homegrown talent such as Gary Abrahams as well as multiple overseas guests. But that’s not all. As an added bonus, audiences will also be able to indulge in a curated program of public talks and industry discussions that will be sure to help inspire playwrights, producers and audiences alike. The National Play Festival will be held at the Malthouse Theatre from Wednesday February 22 – Saturday February 25. To view the entire festival program, visit nationalplayfestival.org.au.

UNDER THE PETTICOATS What do we love more than a dance theatre production? A free dance theatre production. The cats behind Under The Petticoats are putting their blood, sweat and tears into two free shows that will be open for viewing to the general public as part of a two-week season. More than anything, though, their hearts are going into it. Their aim is to encourage the community into the theatre but, especially, to reach an audience that may not attend the theatre for whatever reason. Under The Petticoats’ two free shows will be presented at Studio 246 on Tuesday March 6 and Saturday March 10.

PROPERTY IS THEFT! A PIERRE-JOSEPH PROUDHON ANTHOLOGY - IAIN MCKAY ($39.95) A largeley self-educated worker whose incendiary ideas were more inﬂuentiual than those of Karl Marx during his lifetime, Pierre-Joseph Proudhon’s social and economic ideas have laid the foundations of anarchism and been a source of inspiration and debate since 1840. ‘Property is Theft!’ collects his most important works in one volume, making many available for the ﬁrst time in English. An indispendable resource for anyone interested in the history and development of anarchist principles and practice.

AIN’T NOBODY’S BUSINESS IF YOU DO - PETER MCWILLIAMS ($24.95) The idea behind this book is profoundly simple and reasonable - as an adult, you should be allowed to do with your own person and property whatever you choose, as long as you don’t harm the person or property of another. Roughly half the arrests and court cases in the United States each year involve consensual crimes - actions that are against the law, but directly harm no-one’s person or property. McWilliams makes a strong argument for the elimination of such crimes, providing a history of consensual crimes and their absurdity.

UTOPIA LANEWAY FESTIVAL A lot of you may have read “Laneway Festival” and thought “St. Jerome’s”. Well no, you geese. Organised by charity Hope AFAR, the upcoming Utopia Laneway Festival is a fantastic local community based fundraiser to help raise money for Afghan refugees living in Pakistan. It’s going to be a day of sun and fun, as the one-off day features local music acts and fashion labels in order to support a good cause. There’s no better feeling. One day, two laneways, four designers, 14 musical acts – the Utopia Festival aims to unite the arts in order to give refugees better lives. With no entry and a whole bunch of fun, take a trip down to the corner of Gold & Johnston Streets, Collingwood on Sunday February 26.

FLICKERFEST Australia’s premier international short film festival, Flickerfest, is back for another year, and we can’t be more stoked. Screening for one night only, the night will present two world-class programmes of award-winning Victorian shorts specially curated for Melbourne. The Best of Melbourne Shorts Programme 1 will feature six films, four of which will premiere at the event. The next instalment, the Best of Melbourne Shorts Programme 2 will feature seven films, again – four of which are premiering. Think you might get a little hungry and thirsty? Well, they’ve got you covered, with pizza and drinks offered at the event during intermission. Flickerfest will be held at Kino Cinemas on Thursday February 16.

HOLA TOKYO Melbourne-based artists Hola Holga! and Tokyo Crash Hat are getting ready to bring their first joint exhibition to No Vacancy this March, and we can’t be more excited. The artists behind the facades, Amy Bugeja and Naomi Waller, will bring their life and personal-based pieces to the No Vacancy walls as audiences will have the opportunity to get amongst the whacky and wonderful works by these two girls. Hola Tokyo will don the walls of No Vacancy Gallery from Friday March 2 – Sunday March 11.

CIRQUE DU SOLEIL They’re getting ready to head back to our country and they’re excited. And so are we! Cirque du Soleil is getting ready to bring its critically-acclaimed and family-friendly big top production, OVO. Since its world premiere in Montreal in 2009, OVO has visited more than 15 cities and delighted over 2 million spectators. The first time being performed somewhere outside of North America, OVO (or “egg” in Portuguese), is a headlong rush into a colourful ecosystem teeming with life, where insects work, eat, crawl, flutter, play, fight and look for love in a non-stop riot of energy and movement. Presented under the trademark blue-andyellow Grand Chapiteau, OVO will begin at Docklands on January 17, 2013. A little bit longer to wait, but definitely worth it. Tickets on sale from Monday February 20 at cirquedusoleil.com/ovo.

ON SOME FARAWAY BEACH: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF BRAIN ENO - DAVID SHEPPARD ($35) A sonic alchemist to the stars, Brian Eno’s address book is a veritable who’s who of rock and pop and he is credited on an outrageous number of benchmark albums. Tellingly, Eno’s work with Roxy Music, David Bowie, Talking Heads, Devo and U2 has coincided with the artists producing their most challenging and critically revered work. On Some Faraway Beach is the ﬁrst serious examination of the life and times of Brian Eno, from an idiosyncratic childhood to 1960’s art school to the international pop charts.

BLACK TOOTH GRIN - ZAC CRAIN ($22.95) THE BOMB - HOWARD ZINN ($14.95) As a World War II combat soldier, Howard Zinn took part in the aerial bombing of Royan, France. Two decades later, he was invited to visit Hiroshima and meet survivors of the atomic attack. In this short and powerful book, Zinn offers his deep personal reﬂections and political analysis of these events, their consequences, and the profound inﬂuence they had in transforming him from an order-taking combat soldier to one of our greatest antiauthoritarian, antiwar historians.

Beat Magazine Page 26

Black Tooth Grin is the ﬁrst book to document the life and times of “Dimebag” Darrell, the pioneering lead guitarist of the heavy metal band Pantera, who was tragically murdered on stage in 2004 by a deranged fan. Darrell Abbott began as a teenage guitar prodigy enamoured of Kiss in Dallas, Texas and with his brother Vinnie formed a number of metal bands before starting Pantera with livewire vocalist Phil Anselmo. Within a few years superstardom followed, as did years of bad behaviour, long nights of partying and endless touring for an increasingly frenetic audience.

ARTS NEWS, REVIEWS, INTERVIEWS ONLINE – BEAT.COM.AU/ARTS

ROCK THE BALLET This isn’t just your ordinary ballet. Oh, no. Having performed over 1000 shows during sell out seasons across the globe since its inception in 2007, Rasta Thomas’ Rock The Ballet returns to our country with its fusion of classic Ballet technique combined with the excitement of musical theatre, whilst also integrating hip hop, martial arts, tap, contemporary, gymnastics and more. Don’t believe me? I’m not making this up, I promise. Including some of the biggest hits from the likes of Michael Jackson, Queen and Lenny Kravitz, Rock The Ballet is rocking its way to the State Theatre from Monday May 28. Tickets available from the Arts Centre or Ticketmaster.

SMART BAR Ever wanted to witness the dissection of an animal or sip champagne while getting up close and personal with strange deep-sea creatures? Smart Bar is a special afterhours event strictly for adults only, featuring dinosaurs, drinks and DJs as well as presentations by scientists and hands-on experiences in the Melbourne Museum. Visitors can take part in science demonstrations and enjoy drinks and DJs while taking in the Museum’s stunning natural history displays including fossils, live spiders and insects, the Dynamic Earth 3D volcano experience, and the spectacular Wild gallery featuring more than 700 birds and animals from around the world. Food and drinks will be available for purchase on the night. Smart Bar’s on at Melbourne Museum on Thursday March 1 from 6pm. Check out museumvictoria.com.au for more information.

ICHIJOJI ‘Ichijoji’ is the first exhibition from webcomic artist and freelance illustrator Tohm Curtis. In 1604, famed Japanese samurai Miyamoto Musashi initiated a series of duels with the reputable Kyoto-based school of swordsmanship: the Yoshioka. After defeating two successive heads of the school in a matter of days, a new formal challenge was issued to Musashi to fight the new infant head of the school at Ichijoji, with the catch that due to his junior years, the entire 70 members of the school would fight Musashi on their behalf. In one of history’s most escalated personal grudges, and perhaps most visceral representations of individual vs. institutional thought, Musashi actually turned up to the duel, and won. Tohm Curtis has illustrated Musashi cutting through all 70 opponents at the famous Ichijoji battle on display from Tuesday February 21. Opening night is on February 21 at 6pm for free and goes until March 4.

CORPORATIONS, PEOPLE AND THE PLANET CPP2012 is a three-day conference that aims to provide you with insight and strategies on how to grow your business while reducing your impact on the planet. With guest speakers such as Professor David Suzuki, actress Sigourney Weaver, musician Sir Bob Geldof and Professor L Hunter Lovins, the event has been designed for corporations, governments, small to medium enterprise and individuals interested in developing and improving sustainable business strategies and corporate social responsibility (CSR) models. You can hear stories from successful businesses and corporations that are already reducing emissions whilst increasing profits. Some of the finest minds in the world address the most important issues in a not to be missed event. It’s on at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre from Thursday April 26 – Saturday April 28. Check out cpp2012.com for more information.

M E L BO URNE

REC ITAL

C ENTRE

‘The music of one of Britain’s most jauntily eccentric bands is back on stage.’ The Daily Telegraph

Penguin Café

PRESEN TS

H C R MA

T I CKETS $ $55/ 45

Mon 5 March Tickets from $60 – selling fast

KIMMO POHJONEN In the words of pop music luminary Brian Eno, Penguin Café is ‘eccentric, charming, accommodating, surprising, seductive, warm, reliable, modest and unforgettable’. Creating a heady mix of global sounds that is at once familiar and new, Penguin Café’s music has lent its quirky energy and offbeat loveliness to ﬁlms like Napoleon Dynamite, TV commercials, programs and radio theme music.

This accordion adventurer defies the limitations of conventional music making and in a Melbourne first, Kimmo presents his extraordinary sound and light show combining extreme compositions with live electronic effects and powerful stage presence with a defiantly cyber-punk aesthetic.

Presented by arrangement with Arts Projects Australia

‘ O N E O F T H E M O S T I M P O R TA N T MUSICIANS ON THE PLANET’ M I L E S D AV I S

DIEGO GUERRERO

‘GUERRERO’S VOICE IS FLECKED WITH THE GRAINY EXPRESSIVENESS THAT CHARACTERISES AUTHENTIC FLAMENCO SINGING.’ THE AGE

9 MARCH | TICKETS FROM $55

HERM ET O PASCOAL & GRU PO HER M ETO PA S CO A L, CHA R I S M AT I C CO MP OS E R , AR R AN G E R , M ULT I -I N S T R UM EN TA LI S T A N D M US I CA L V I S I ON ARY C OM E S T O M ELBO UR N E F O R T HE F I R S T T I M E WI T H H I S I N TOX I C ATI N G BLE N D O F J A Z Z , R O CK A N D B R A Z I L I AN M U S I C .

10 MARCH TICKETS $55 / $45 One of the hottest voices in world music, Diego Guerrero, fuses ﬂamenco with salsa and samba rhythms and jazz. Diego and his band make an authentic and ﬁery sound inspired by many Latin musical traditions.

TO BOOK: 03 9699 3333 | MELBOURNERECITAL.COM.AU CNR SOUTHBANK BLVD & STURT ST, SOUTHBANK

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Transaction fees may apply to ticket bookings

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Beat Magazine Page 27

GLOBAL ATHEIST CONVENTION BY NICK TARAS

“There’s a need in civilisation that we have to try a new paradigm because the paradigm that has got us to this stage is also threatening to destroy us,” observes David Nicholls, President of the Atheist Foundation of Australia and one of the key organisers of the upcoming Global Atheist Convention to be hosted by Melbourne in April. From producing the Global Atheist Convention in 2010 to representing the atheist viewpoint at a Federal Senate hearing on funding for religion as well as campaigning the ‘Mark No Religion’ movement on the Census question of religion, Nicholls is a prominent atheist figure in Australia. “I was brought up in a very Irish-Catholic religious atmosphere where priests and nuns and brothers taught me as a child and my relatives, friends and acquaintances were all from the Catholic persuasion, and I was very hooked into it when I was young and not knowing how to think correctly. But as soon as I reached a little bit of maturity of sort, I began questioning some of the things I had been taught. It was a slow process escaping the intense Catholic indoctrination in those days but eventually I overcame it and I’ve been an atheist now for maybe 45 years and I’m very happy about that fact”. The atheist movement is growing at a remarkable rate especially since the 9/11 attacks in America. Famous atheists and highly-respected intellectuals such as evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins, journalist Christopher Hitchens, philosopher Daniel Dennett and neuroscientist Sam Harris (all four were to appear onstage together for the first time at this year’s convention before Hitchens’ passing in December last year) have released bestselling books as millions worldwide question whether religion is perhaps more poisonous to society than positive. With more and more atheists coming out of the closet worldwide, even in the extremely religious United States where secularism is now the fastest growing ‘religious’ demographic – having doubled in the past couple of decades – the concept of staging an atheist convention made sense. Whilst being one of the first of its kind, the 2010 Global Atheist Convention, also held in Melbourne, was a remarkable success.

“The first convention was an idea put across by Atheism Alliance International which is a very good international group. They said, ‘Listen would you like to run a convention?’ and we ummed and ahhed about it because this was quite new to the world – even then – there had been smaller conventions all around the place so we eventually agreed to that. And that spanned out quite rapidly to us thinking we might get 200 people, because nobody knew, this was new ground, to eventually getting over 2,500 people to that convention. And everybody enjoyed that immensely. It was just such an incredible time that after that convention the pressure came onto us: ‘Listen, when are you putting another one on?’ and we were getting it from all sides that people wanted to put another convention on…we thought, ‘Hey, with a little bit of support from the government, we could probably put on a convention that will equal or better the last convention’ and that’s when it took off and we’ve been working flat out ever since to make that come true and it is going to come true. This is going to be an absolutely incredible convention”. With a tagline of “a celebration of reason”, the convention aims to achieve more than just a forum to attack religion and dogmatic claims of the existence of God. “The convention has many things it’s trying to achieve. One, it’s going to be a focal point for all those people that really want to be in their own space where everybody around them is a freethinker. This doesn’t happen very

“IT’S A PHENOMENON THAT IS ACCELERATING AT AN INCREDIBLE RATE AND IT’S A WONDERFUL THING FOR THE PLANET.”

often in society and that’s why this is so unique to be sitting in a room where you can just about guarantee that 95 percent - probably more - of the people there are freethinkers that might have different ideas on certain things, but you know you’re in a room of people that have a rough idea where you are coming from. “If you ask the whole world, ‘Are you an atheist?’ you’d probably get people saying, ‘Gee, no, maybe I am…’ There’s a whole lot of confusion about being atheist, and there’s connotations connected with the word that have negative resonance with some people. Those people are actually atheists if they are freethinkers; they don’t have a religion, they’re actually atheists, and so what has happened, this is sort of a phenomenon throughout the planet, is that atheism and organisations that base their mantra around atheism – which is just a lack of acceptance that there is a god – have become the spearhead of freethinking throughout the world and it’s a phenomenon that is accelerating at an incredible rate and it’s a wonderful thing for the planet. It’s an absolutely new paradigm that we’re going through, and the Atheist Foundation and most atheists are very happy and proud to be part of that whole rise of freethinking”. The upcoming convention features one of the most comprehensive lists of famous atheist speakers ever assembled. With Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett, Sam Harris and other speakers such as PZ Myers, Lawrence Krauss, Eugenie Scott, Peter Singer and many more appearing at the convention, it is unlikely that such a distinguished lineup will be held on this scale again. “I’m excited about them all. There are people like Annie Laurie Gaylor who has done wonderful things in America with the freethought organisations and I’m dying to hear her speak. Lawrence Krauss has just brought a book out about a universe from nothing – this is going to be very impactful on the psyche of humanity. I’m not a person who likes going to conventions, trust me on that, but this is one event that I wouldn’t miss if I’m still breathing. “Picking speakers is a very difficult thing. It’s far more difficult than looking from the outside...You start off with a list of people that you’d like to have at a convention because they have some attraction or rather to the public and have an educational base behind them, but then you have to work out if our event is going to conflict with something they are doing at the present time… Getting a list together is an incredibly difficult thing and we are very, very happy that we have the list of speakers at this event that is portrayed on our website (also there are more to come by the way) and we just couldn’t be

SOFIA COPPOLA ON FILM Revisit the arresting quartet of ﬁlms by Oscar-winning director Soﬁa Coppola, including 1999’s The Virgin Suicides, Lost in Translation, Marie Antoinette and 2010’s Golden Lion winner, Somewhere.

Film Season > ACMI Cinemas

Thursday 23 February – Monday 27 February Australian Centre for the Moving Image Federation Square, Melbourne www.acmi.net.au/ﬁlm

Beat Magazine Page 28

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happier about it. This is going to be an absolute unique occasion with the class of speakers we have – it will never be repeated anywhere on the planet. Getting all those people together has been a task that has almost sent the Global Atheist Convention committee insane, if we weren’t insane before even trying to put this on, but we are so pleased that we have ended up with the list of speakers and I would advise anybody who is contemplating coming to the convention, if they are being a little bit, ‘Should I go? Should I not go?’ sit down, have a think, look at that list of speakers because it is not going to happen again”. The 2012 Global Atheist Convention is being held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre on Friday April 13 – Sunday April 15. Check out atheistconvention.org.au for tickets and more information.

Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne Until 25th March Tickets & information moonlight.com.au @moonlightcinema facebook.com/moonlightcinemaMelbourne

*CTC

No free tickets Check the Classification Special Valentine’s Day Screening

FEBRUARY 14 15 16 17 18 19

tu we th fr sa su

21 tu 22 we 23 th 24 fr 25 sa 26 su 28 tu 29 we

Breakfast at Tiffany’s*PG Melancholia M The Descendants M The Skin I Live In*MA15+ The Adventures of Tintin*PG Preview: First Night*CTC The Women on the 6th Floor PG The Inbetweeners Movie MA15+ The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo MA15+ preview: Like Crazy*M The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo MA15+ preview: Headhunters*CTC Moneyball M War Horse M

MARCH The Iron Lady M Young Adult*MA15+ Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy*MA15+ The Descendants M The Rocky Horror Picture Show M Bridesmaids*MA15+ Albert Nobbs M Hugo*PG preview: Margin Call*MA15+ The Princess Bride PG The Woman in the Fifth M A Few Best Men MA15+ Pulp Fiction R18+

01 02 03 04

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06 07 08 09 10 11

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13 14 15 16

tu we th fr preview:

A Dangerous Method*MA15+

17 sa The Artist PG 18 su Breakfast at Tiffany’s* PG 20 21 22 23 24 25

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Chronicle M The Grey CTC Any Questions for Ben? M Safe House* CTC This Means War M The Vow PG

DUE PAESI, DUE CUORI BY BELLA ARNOTT-HOARE

Due Paesi, Due Cuori began as one of those rare true tales told to the director that so captivated him, he had to share. Translating to ‘two countries, two hearts’, Rob Lo Bosco offers the story fully formed, but in actuality it was revealed to him in snippets. The genesis of the story is almost as unique as the production itself. Lo Bosco, a practitioner of Chinese medicine, was regaled the story by a massage client, he said, of an Italian migrant’s journey to reinvent her life. “We became friends but I never really understood the story until we went out one night and had a wine, and I pieced the story together. From the start I kept hearing it in dribs and drabs and I started formulating a story in my head, because the story came out really slowly. So I actually was able to digest bits at a time without going, ‘Oh my god, what is this about’. No disrespect to her because that’s her journey, and that’s her life. That’s just what it is. It’s a very shocking story.” The details of the story, shocking in Lo Bosco’s own estimation, remain to be seen, but the truth is often stranger than fiction and the director may well have been presented with the perfect material. The project was so personally meaningful that Lo Bosco

wrote, directed, produced and acts in it – no minor feat, and certainly an effective way of keeping occupied. No stranger to all sides of the creative process, Lo Bosco wrote and funded his first feature film last year, Groomless Bride, but it took him a while to realise this theatrical project was indeed worthy. “I wrote it in 2008, and I shelved it, not because I didn’t think it was a good play, but I didn’t think it would do well in Australia. It was cathartic for me to write it; I’ve learnt with this, that we never doubt our own creativity. I sent it to Clocktower, Belvoir Theatre and The York Theatre in New York and all three loved it.” The lead character of Due Paesi, Due Cuori, he said, escaped a life of peasantry manufacturing clothes in an

FOCUS ON RAJ KAPOOR BY GERARD ELSON

For one reason or another, Bollywood remains a blind spot in the cinephilia of many Western film fans. Is it the butt-numbing run-times that deter audiences? Or the whiplash changes in tone, which see films shift from tragedy to slapstick, often within a matter of moments? Perhaps it’s the tradition of embroidering even the most harrowing narratives with show-stopping song-and-dance numbers? “It’s fascinating to unravel this question,” says James Nolen, the Film Programmer behind ACMI’s upcoming season dedicated to Bollywood superstar Raj Kapoor. “The Indian continent as a source of film is an enormous enigma. Audiences that come to ACMI will generally flock to a [Robert] Bresson or a [Vittorio] De Sica [screening], but they’re sort of blinkered away from Southeast Asian films. So there is some hope of addressing this imbalance. This is our attempt open this up to a new audience, even though these are not new films.” Kapoor’s work makes a great starting point for the Bollywood-curious. From the selection Beat has been able to sample, they range from psychedelic teen romances (Bobby) to heightened black-and-white melodramas (Monsoon) and stark social realist dramas (Boot Polish). Despite the wild variations in style and subject, one thing

Beat Magazine Page 30

remains constant: each film is littered with great Bollywood music. “In some ways, a lot of these films [can be seen] as traditional musicals, which Hollywood has been making since the ’30s, since sound was introduced. If you think of them like that, they’re not as unusual to accommodate in your sphere of understanding film,” Nolen suggests. “They are entertainment as well as often having strong social messages. Maybe we struggle in Western culture to have both in one film – [having] a message and entertainment at once.” Like all popular forms, the Bollywood musicals of Kapoor and his contemporaries can be seen as vehicles by which filmmakers smuggled subversive content out to a wide audience. Kapoor, for instance, often challenged the strictures of Hindi custom and society in his movies, as well

Italian village, but on settling in Melbourne discovered unnerving illuminations which challenged the safety of her previous way of life. “She never went to school, she was eight years old when she started working and her mother pushed her to sew a thousand garments a day. If she didn’t make the step to say I’m leaving she would have been stuck there. “She wanted to escape all of that and find a better life for herself. But with that, she came to a lot of revelations. It’s a beautiful love story, but as the story unfolds it turns into quite a dramatic piece where a lot of secrets are being unveiled. She left to find herself, and in actual fact she left to find the truth.” The love story, he finds, is one of the most captivating elements of the biographical tale, and provides optimism in a play otherwise shrouded in darkness. “She does come here and seek a different life and she finds a great friend – she’s never had a friend. And she finds a great friend in Antonio, which is my character. And she finds love with Giuseppe. How beautiful!” And despite attempts to keep the production as respectfully close to the truth as possible, the subject of the story has since passed away, never living to see herself immortalised in theatre. In the crudest of ways it makes the story all the more poignant as a tribute to brave escapism. “I think the story captivated me because I believe in everyone standing in their truth. It’s got to do with the as the seemingly insuperable chasm that still divides India’s haves from its have-nots. Audiences would come for the romance and the music – and, later, the glamour and the spectacular international locations – but leave with a little food for thought. “It’s almost by subterfuge, isn’t it?” says Nolen of this crafty M.O., believing the films’ saleable and seemingly frivolous veneers often shrewdly belie their polemic. “[As you watch], you think, ‘You’re actually much more clever than you appear to be…”’ Nolen believes the phenomenal success of Glee has reaffirmed the popularity of this sort of storytelling, where, as he puts it, “you have a story and then a song emerges out of nowhere. I’m fascinated to see whether younger audiences make the connection that Glee is not a new concept,” he says. “It’s existed in Western and non-Western moving image formats [for a long time].” The 13 films that will screen during this retrospective span the length of Kapoor’s career as a filmmaker and include films he directed, starred in, or produced under the banner of his highly influential R.K. Films. On many of these movies, Kapoor performed all three duties, making him kind of a Hindi contemporary of Orson Welles. The latter’s influence is observable in some of Kapoor’s noir-ish black-and-white early films as director, where bold, highcontrast compositions and self-announcing camerawork work wonders with the monochrome frame. This ACMI season gives Melbourne audiences a rare opportunity to gain a holistic view of Kapoor’s career.

ARTS NEWS, REVIEWS, INTERVIEWS ONLINE – BEAT.COM.AU/ARTS

real life character – she’s dead now. I wanted to celebrate her spirit.” Lo Bosco has since been asked by three investors to write this play into a feature film, he says, and perhaps it has something to do with the redemptive powers of the play’s setting. “It really highlights what Melbourne’s about. It’s a city where you can find yourself no matter what or who you are. It’s an amazing city. She says, ‘I knew a life in Italy that wasn’t real. But now I know the truth. The most important thing in life is the truth’.” Due Paesi, Due Cuori is showing from Friday February 24 until Sunday March 4 at The Clocktower Theatre. Visit clocktowercentre.com.au for more information.

Many of the films will be screening on exhaustively sourced 35mm prints, which ACMI has on loan from the Toronto International Film Festival’s new Bell Lightbox cinema centre. While Nolen hasn’t yet seen many of the prints that will screen as part of the ACMI program, he confirms that none of these films have had the benefit of restoration. Some wear and tear will be visible. “That’s part of the beauty of print,” he enthuses. “You’re not just seeing the film – you’re seeing the history of the film. It’s very romanticised. But the fact that these exist on film with English subtitles is itself an extraordinary thing.” Focus On Raj Kapoor screens Thursday February 16 to Wednesday March 14 at ACMI. For full program information and screening times, please visit acmi.net.au.

The Famous

Spiegel Season

7 February – 22 April

Grand Salvo 21 February

Mick Thomas’ Roving Commission 22 February

Saskwatch 22 & 29 February

Mojo Juju 23 February

Brous and Special Guests 24 February

Renee Geyer 25 & 26 February

The Sway Machinery 28 February

Jordie Lane 29 February

Ed Kuepper & Mark Dawson Rearranged 29 February to 1 March

Mick Harvey 6 & 7 March

Tim Rogers 9 March

Judy Collins 13 & 14 March

The Table (Poland) 13 to 18 March

Johnette Napolitano 15 to 17 March

Josie In The Bathhouse 20 & 21 March

Over 200 shows in The Famous Spiegeltent

Book online or call 1300 182 183

artscentremelbourne.com.au

COMEDY SUCKLE MY CHUCKLE The comedy debut of spoken word artist and Mammal, The Ox and the Fury frontman Ezekiel Ox! Hosted by Xavier Toby (dedicated wearer of Bond singlet’s in public since 1992), with Lauren Bok, Craig McLeod (Green Faces 2011 finalst), Ryan Walker (another Green Faces 2011 finalist) and Lucy Watson. Live music from One Man, One Guitar - Ben Hynes (The Cliffords, The Supporters) performing an eclectic mix of solo tunes. It’ll be better than it sounds. Promise. Saturday February 18 from 7.30pm at the Empire Gallery Bar, 295 Sydney Road, Brunswick, Free entry. Guaranteed laughter, unless your legs are turnips.

THE SUNDAY SHOWDOWN Sunday February 19 is the Grand Final of Australia’s newest comedy competition The Sunday Showdown. For the Grand Final we’ve got the best nine acts from the last ﬁve weeks. With comedy aﬁcionado Toby Sullivan (Dirty Work Comedy) as well as resident judge the ‘Fabulous’ Adam Richard (Fox FM, Outland currently on ABC1 Wednesdays at 8pm) and a super secret headline act. So come join your host Dil Ruk, with Xavier Toby and Micah D Higbed pitchforking current events. The Portland Hotel, cnr Russell and Little Collins, 2pm-5pm. It’s Sunday afternoon. There’s no footy on. What else have you got to do?

COMMEDIA DELL PARTE Last Thursday we had Jeff Green and Chris Franklin drop in to Commedia Dell Parte to try out some new stuff and generally kick ass. This week we have another stellar line up including Michael Chamberlin, Tommy Dassalo, Craig McLeod, Fabian Lapham, Cam Marshall, Suren Jayemanne, Doug Gordon, and more with you MC for the night Tegan Higginbotham. This room runs on a ‘pay as you like’ basis, so come along and have a great laugh, then pay what you believe the show is worth on the way out. All profits will be shared with the comedians who performed on the night so if you enjoy the show chuck in a few sheckles and show your appreciation. Commedia Dell Parte runs every Thursday 8.30pm, George Lane Bar, 1 George Lane St Kilda. Get in early to secure yourself a comfy couch.

SOFTBELLY COMEDY THURSDAYS Another huge Thursday night at Softbelly Comedy with our awesome headliner, Hannah Gadsby! You’ve seen her on In Gordon Street Tonight and heaps of other stuﬀ, and here’s a chance to see her up close after her big stint in the UK! And of course, there’s a great support crew in the shape of Ben Lomas, Michael Williams, Lawrence Mooney, Luke McGregor and Demi Lardner! It’s going to be another awesome night at Softbelly, 367 Little Bourke Street, in the city, this Thursday February 16 at 8.30pm, all for only $12! Get in early for a good seat!

SOFTBELLY COMEDY SUNDAYS

Every Sunday, Softbelly Comedy has an early evening special show where Adam Hills drops in to muck around and try out stuﬀ for his show on the ABC, In Gordon Street Tonight! Plus we’ve always got heaps more awesome names, with the list this week including Lawrence Mooney, Danny McGinlay and some special surprise guests! It’s the hottest ticket in town, so get down early, because it will sell out again! All at the early time of 6.30pm! It all happens at Softbelly, 367 Little Bourke St, in the city, this Sunday, February 19, at 6.30pm. It’s only $12!

COMEDY AT SPLEEN Mondays have been amazing at Comedy At Spleen.. huge crowds, big guests.. in the last couple of weeks, we’ve had Pete Helliar, Glenn Robbins and more! And apart from that, we’ve always got the best in up-andcoming local Melbourne comedy! It’s the hottest room in town, and seriously, you need to get down super early just to get in the front door! So get in early to guarantee a seat. It’s this Monday, February 20, 41 Bourke St, in the city, at 8.30pm.

TRIPOD You love them, we love them – everybody loves them. Yep, that quirky comedy trio, Tripod, are back with their new comedy show Men Of Substance. Boys? Men? Men’s men? Lady boys? In their new production, armed with tattered wisdom, cheap scotch and unlicensed ﬁrearms, the boys from Tripod will bring to bear their hard-earned chops to show you how and in what way the scorching charismageddon of the new generation has morphed into craggy fugitives with a suitcase of regrets and a glass eye. Confused yet? Don’t be. Catch Tripod in Men Of Substance at the Arts Centre’s Playhouse from February 23-24. They’re only performing two shows, so get in quick ‘cause this is a performance not to be missed.

FIONA O’LOUGHLIN Alice Springs mother of five and comedy darling Fiona O’Loughlin had a pretty good run in 2011, storming through Melbourne, Adelaide, Montreal and Edinburgh with her side-splitting brand of humour, and 2012 is looking equally as fabulous. Deconstructing her style, borrowing a little from Bette Midler and Cher, she’s reemerged with a whole new show and lease on life. All new material with an all-new focus, this string of dates will be O’Loughlin’s first premiere in Melbourne since kicking off A Wing And A Prayer in Australia to much critical acclaim. Here’s your chance to catch her in an all-new show featuring the usual brand of hilarious shenanigans we’ve come to expect from her. Catch Fiona O’Loughlin from Thursday March 29-April 3 at The Forum.

THE BEDROOM PHILOSOPHER DIARIES We all know The Bedroom Philosopher. He’s the one that had ‘Northcote’ song that took the piss out of every hipster and their band. Yes, we love him and his piss-take on life and a wide array of people that we can all probably relate to. The great man behind this,

Justin Heazlewood, is onto his next venture – getting ready to celebrate the launch of his ﬁrst book which documents both a hilarious and melancholy collection of tour reports and musings from his past ﬁve years as a touring folkstar. Having already earned high praise from the likes of Tony Martin and Neil Gaiman, The Bedroom Philosopher and his entourage will bring the laughs to Trades Hall on Friday February 17.

BRIAN MCCARTHY MEMORIAL MOOSEHEAD AWARDS It’s coming up to that time of the year where the whole of Melbourne is laughing. Yep, the Melbourne International Comedy Festival is heading our way again very shortly and, with it, another outstanding bunch of Brian McCarthy Memorial Moosehead Award Recipients. Selected for their originality, bravery and humour, Former Child Star, Boneshaker and Tie Her To The Tracks! A Live Silent Film have all been selected. For more information on the Moosehead Awards, head to mooseheadawards.com.au. Too excited about the Comedy Festival? Hit up comedyfestival.com.au for all information.

ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT It’s one of those shows that you’ve watched and love, or you haven’t watched and want to. The criticallyacclaimed and multi award-winning comedy followed Michael Bluth (Jason Bateman, you wonderful man) and his hilarious family. And now, with a new season and feature ﬁlm in development set for release in 2012, fans are getting the family reunion that they’ve been longing for. Before catching up with the Bluths these days, ACMI’s Live In The Studio program is giving fans the opportunity to look back at their favourite dysfunctional family in a one night only presentation. Pull on your never-nudes, grab a frozen banana and chicken dance your way to ACMI’s Studio 1 on Thursday March 29.

FELIX BAR COMEDY This Wednesday, Felix Bar Comedy is in for another big one down in St Kilda with Michael Chamberlin! He’s been on Rove, Skithouse and heaps more, and he’s even better live. Plus we have an excellent lineup including Ben Lomas, Daniel Connell, Simon Taylor, Demi Larder (Adelaide) and a special guest. In summer, Felix Bar is the place to be on a Wednesday night in St Kilda! It’s all happening Wednesday February 15 at 8.30pm for only $12, at 11 Fitzroy St, St Kilda.

ANY QUESTIONS FOR BEN? BY GREG KING

“I think that years go by quicker as you get older,” tells writer and director of Any Questions For Ben? Rob Sitch, the first feature film from the Working Dog team (The Castle, The Dish) in over a decade. When asked why it has taken so long for them to create a new feature, Sitch, who co-wrote the film with his usual collaborators Santo Cilauro and Tom Gleisner, explains that other things just seemed to take priority. All of them now have families, but they were also working on other projects, including Thank God You’re Here and the ABC series Hollow Men.

IN CINEMAS

FeBrUaRy 23 Beat Magazine Page 32

The romantic comedy eschews the usual bland formula of most of the output from Hollywood. The film centres on Ben Knox (played by Josh Lawson, who worked with the team on Thank God You’re Here), a successful but shallow and selfish 27-year-old sales manager who has trouble committing to anything. Ben hasn’t stayed in the same job for more than six months, hasn’t lived in the same place for more than six months, and he hasn’t been in a relationship that has lasted more than three months. Despite this, Ben believes that he has a great life. But when he is invited to talk at a careers night at his former school he receives something of a rude wake up call. The film deals with Ben’s quarter-life crisis as he reassesses his life and his values. The role was written specifically for Lawson, who Sitch describes as a poster child for that age group. “He didn’t seem to have an address, he had two suitcases, and he lived in LA and Melbourne, and worked in both places. I ask, ‘Where’s Josh?’ to his friends, and they’d go, ‘I think he’s in Africa.’ And I don’t think he was ever going out with the same girl when I met him. And he was funny, and high-spirited, and he was a great comic actor.” The rest of the supporting cast was comprised from the easy choices – people they knew and had worked with previously – like Lachy Hulme, David James, Alan Brough and stand-up comic Felicity Ward. Then there was a wishlist of people like Rachael Taylor (Red Dog, etc), who has managed to build a career in Hollywood with big budget films like Transformers. “And then people I didn’t know, like (AACTA award winner) Daniel Henshall,” Sitch continues. “Jane Kennedy (who casts all of the team’s films) suggested him for the loving, thoughtful, and warm guy. And I said, ‘What’s he done?’ And I was told he hasn’t done anything, he’s doing his first film now and he’s playing a serial killer in Snowtown. So I met him and he looked like a neo-Nazi, but he was a lovely warm, thoughtful guy.” Visually, the film also makes Melbourne another character in the action, and incorporates many of its iconic landmarks and events. “We’d made an observation of late that there’s no better place to be in your mid-20s than Melbourne right now,” Sitch says. “I think Melbourne has changed in a huge way in the last 20 years. I think it was called Bleak City originally, but then there was a policy of liberalising caffeine drinking laws. I mean we’re

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sitting in the product of that now, a rooftop bar, with people living in this building, and people drinking in the middle of the day, and I think it unleashed a kind of minicultural revolution. And we’re all the better for it.” Part of the film also takes place in Yemen, and Sitch explains how that came about. “It’s hard to pick a country in the world that twentysomethings haven’t been to. And not many places sound exotic anymore. If you say, ‘I just went to Laos’ someone will go, ‘Yeah, I was there a couple of years ago’ or ‘I’m going there’ or ‘My mate went there’. But Yemen sounded, and is, exotic. And so we used it as a proxy in the script, and we kept writing it and writing it, and forgot to change it to somewhere easier to get to. And then literally we realised that we had to go. There was nothing that could substitute for it. Unfortunately there was the warning from the government: ‘Don’t travel!’ But we took a security expert with us and we had no problems, but we weren’t under any illusions that we couldn’t have problems.” And Sitch provides an anecdote that shows that Yemen is still a dangerous place to visit. The night after they flew home, someone rolled a grenade under a car outside the restaurant where they dined. “We were there under two days. We flew in, shot, stayed, slept, woke up, shot, shot, got out to the airport and left. I wanted that in the movie. It was at the end of the movie and you had to show the audience that you weren’t cheating. And it didn’t matter if it was only on the screen for five seconds, you knew he was really in Yemen. In a way, if we copped out of that we were a bit like the character in the film.” And there is a great soundtrack which accompanies the film, with bands like Powderfinger and Silverchair, and even Boston’s classic power ballad More Than A Feeling, which took Tom Scholz five years to write. Nearly every song was written by a singer/songwriter/prodigy about the age of Ben’s character, adds Sitch. “There’s no science to a soundtrack. We just started laying out songs. We didn’t realise there was a theme to it, but it seemed that the only songs that suited were singer/songwriter songs, and generally guys about his age. Music adds big time (to the budget). No-one buys albums any more, so they take it out on filmmakers,” he adds with a laugh. Any Questions For Ben? is in cinemas now.

On Arts Centre Melbourne presents

Tripod Men of Substance Photo: Lynton Crabb

23 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 24 February

Arts Centre Melbourne Playhouse

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sometimes ďŹ ve stars just arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t enoughâ&#x20AC;? The Scotsman

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With over 1000 competitors taking up the Comedy Challenge, to cope with demand, extra heats have been announced in Melbourne. Sunday 19 Feb: MCs Bev Killock & Dave Callan Saturday 25 Feb: MCs Toby Halligan & Adam Rozenbachs Sunday 26 Feb: MCs Nick Cody & Anne Edmonds

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Beat Magazine Page 33

GARETH LIDDIARD

BY BOJAN STOJANOV

Whether performing solo or with The Drones, Gareth Liddiard has taken audiences to some unique places. From haunted Australian landscapes in The Gala Mill, outer space in Havilah or the highlands in Strange Tourist, those that have followed have been rewarded by his musical and lyrical vision. At the same time, live performances of The Drones have been renowned for their twisted intensity and righteous sonic violence. With an impending tour with The Drones to the ATP festival in Tokyo and beyond and two solo shows coming up, at the Regal Ballroom and Cool Summer Festival, the songwriter took some time out to chat about where he will take us next. When asked about his goals in music, Liddiard has a clear objective. “My philosophy is I like to make beautiful music... but like anything that’s beautiful, if it’s strange, it’s more beautiful. Mountains are beautiful but a mountain in China would be more beautiful because if you haven’t seen it before, it’s so alien and strange,” he muses carefully, then says, “[I’m] trying to make weird shit to bring out more beauty in stuff.” Over summer he has been working on some new material and there is ravenous anticipation about exactly what it will sound like. At the moment he states it’s still “embryonic.” For someone who is part of rock’n’roll and a folk tradition I was curious to know where the ideas for the new material are coming from. “I go and read the same stuff I’ve read and the things that I’ve read early on that have revved me up.” He cites Dylan Thomas (“That just blows my mind it’s like the most musical non-music text anyone’s ever written”), Flann O’Brien (“The best smart arse there ever was”), and William Butler Yeats (“I read a bit of poetry but about 70 percent of it I’m looking

at it as nuts and bolts... [with] William Butler Yeats it’s not like that. I get moved by it, like listening to Stravinsky.”) It is wonderful to know that this fine songwriter is moved by the greatest artists of the 20th century and that his dedication to his craft is a noble pursuit of beauty. Yeats’s poem, The Second Coming, is as apocalyptic and terrifying as anything by... Gareth Liddiard. Dylan Thomas’s The Hand That Signed The Paper rages thoroughly against the machine and Stravinsky’s music can get intense; the premier of The Rites Of Spring caused a riot in Paris in 1913. Where, however, does rock’n’roll come into the writing process? “I don’t listen to rock’n’roll; I just listen to the rest of the world of music and drag everything from there into my electric guitar. Rock‘n’roll is so limited and... dull,” he spits, “compared to the rest. Stravinsky who invented rock ‘n’roll takes a massive shit all over Chuck Berry or anyone.” I agree that the whole spectrum of music outside of rock can be challenging and rewarding; rock is limited and can’t

Photo by Olga Bennett express complex emotions purely through music like other forms but it has an attitude. Call it a “swagger” like Lil’ Wayne or a “sneer”. Rock invented that. In response to Liddiard’s comment about the “limits” and “dullness” of rock, I had to counter that sometimes you can’t beat the boogie. “Can’t beat the boogie,” he chuckles then adds, “Some days you do need a bit of boogie. You can’t get that sort of verve [with other music] like a good band like The Stooges or Black Flag or The Birthday Party because it’s so over the top: high power, high octane and just completely ridiculous. Occasionally Stravinsky is some pretty heavy shit but there isn’t this megalomaniacal power trip that a 400 watts guitar amp can give you.” It is good to know that rock‘n’roll still has a place in the musical world of Gareth Liddiard and some quota of power that rock can provide. Though the musical setting has changed from the high octane Drones to just guitar and voice, Liddiard’s solo work still has a violent intensity. For instance in the song, The Radicalisation Of D, the verses begin as measured observations of the character, D: “A young boy busts his dad’s hills hoist, using it as a swing.” Then, as D becomes

a radical, Liddiard takes a different perspective in the final verse: “You are living in a nightmare/You can’t bribe your way out of.” The singer becomes the terrorist speaking directly to his target. The contrast between a distant and close view of the character is very confronting. With the themes of violence and the confronting nature of some his work how does Liddiard see the role of violence in his music? “It should be violent. There’s obvious exceptions, the Modern Lovers for instance. You could say a rollercoaster ride was quite violent if it was shaking you around. It’s got to be violent in an action packed way...rock’n’roll needs that action, otherwise it’s just castrated. Rock‘n’roll,” he ruminates, “it should be violent. The best stuff is.”

America’s Mid-Western heroes like Petty and Springsteen, the sound of Cities On The Sea merges the stadium-bound sincerity of early U2 or latter-day Coldplay, with the grit and choppy guitars of gloom merchants Interpol, or The National’s austere songcraft. The latter in particular is a comparison difficult to ignore, from Gow’s rich croon eerily recalling the everyman poetry of Matt Berninger, to the rousing brass and pianos that punctuate album opener If The Shoe Fits. The pair however, are resistant to discuss specific influences, stating “we don’t like to talk about other artists.” For them, the focus is on the details, Pollock enunciates, “You talk about particular influences, it’s not so much any one band or record – but the approach we were very firm on taking. [It] was a very detailed, and big intentioned record. You’ve heard it, you’ve seen it live, you know that not any one particular element is dominant – it rises and falls with the addition and subtraction of layers. You get to do that in the studio when you have that focus on building a big sonic texture.”

The Dead Leaves make no qualms about what they’ve achieved, a sophisticated record of near-ruthless aspirations to strike a universal appeal, but without sacrificing their passionate core. The focus now, Gow informs, is bringing that large, meticulous sound to the live setting. “I’m proud of what we did, but I don’t want to be restrained by the record, by that context. For instance, we played Ordinary Lot for the radio the other day and I changed the chorus around, Andy liked it, so we decided to just do it that way from now on. That’s where it’s exciting, the songs have this dualist mentality. They don’t exist just in the recorded format, they exist live and there’s always the opportunity to build on that and craft them.”

soundtracks, orchestration techniques from the ’60s and ’70s, artists like Lee Hazlewood, and arrangers like Rogério Duprat who worked with a lot of Brazilian artists in the ’60s.” While the writing process was quite sporadic, the recording of the EP was intensive and meticulous. “When it came to writing, I would hear in my head a harmonic structure or a melodic line and then I’d follow that and finish the entire structure of a song. Naturally when you have listened to music, you can create references in your mind and I’d write different parts and associate that with different arrangements, colours and textures. “When I’m writing, I’m always writing the fundamental parts – the chorus, melodies and lyrics – but within my mind, I’ve also got the entire producer stage of all the other parts and how the song will come together. I’m generally inspired by interesting melodies and interesting arrangements more than anything.”

Playing the famous Spiegeltent this month, Brous is appreciative of the various collaborators and allies who help her craft both her unique sound and live show. “Brous is really me and a revolving cartel of people who come in and out,” she explains. “Shags [Chamberlain] has been very involved – he co-produced the final stages of the EP with me, and he plays in Pikelet and Lost Animal. He has an amazing knowledge of music and is a great bass player. James [Rushford] and Alexander [Garsden] are trained contemporary classical musicians, and Joe [Talia] has a background in jazz. We all had a very similar interest in creating interestingly-arranged pop structures.”

GARETH LIDDIARD will perform solo at the Cool Summer Festival at Mt. Hotham with Dallas Frasca and Owl Eyes, which runs from Friday February 17 to 19. He will also play a one off show at the Regal Ballroom in Northcote on Friday March 23 with support from the inscrutable Lost Animal.

THE DEAD LEAVES

BY AL NEWSTEAD

It might be a peaking summer day outside, but in the air-conditioned confines of a label office, half of Melbourne’s The Dead Leaves are looking, as always, extremely dapper. “We heard you were coming, so we dressed up,” jokes guitarist Andy Pollock, bedecked in a neatly pressed shirt framed by a waistcoast and full Windsor-knotted tie. He is flanked by frontman Matt Joe Gow, he of the cool demeanour and bruised baritone that drives so much of the band’s emotional candour, today dressed in a spotless black shirt and pants – save for a flashing bronze tie buckle. Usually a band’s fashion choices aren’t really worth mentioning but for the Melbourne fourpiece, it reflects not only their polished image, but their equally buffed sound. Their soon-to-be released debut, Cities On The Sea, stakes a claim in ambitiously mature and spacious rockers, atmospheric guitars and melancholic piano anchored by jagged grooves and traditional song structures. For the man who voices them, it’s a record whose “emphasis was on the songs,” Gow remarking “what I think was special, is that we have the sound of a wide sonic picture – atmospheric and sparse – but saying that, amongst that landscape it’s quite structured. They’re like pop songs. We wanted that soundscape, but they were still unified, people could sing to them. I love bands that do that. Unifying atmospherics with actual songs.” Indeed, the cathartic choruses of Harm (“I might just harm you”), Cover (defiant shouting of its title) and Ordinary Lot’s repeated refrain of ‘feel it’ all possess that rousing, anthemic quality. Or as Gow puts it, “songs for the everyman, with a unified sound and chorus in the lyric. I’ve certainly done

more personal or introspective writing in the past, but on this record I tried to take on a more anthemic tone – to possess broader sensibilities. I try to focus on it being, not so much less personal, as more accessible for people.” Their origins perhaps drawing from the blue-collar Americana of Matt Joe Gow’s solo work, back when the quartet originally began as a vehicle for his singer/songwriter roots. It was this project that originally brought him and Pollock together, “Andy played a large role in the sound” admits Gow, Pollock chiming in “although I worked on Matt’s solo stuff, The Dead Leaves is much more of a collaborative entity, where the influences of myself with Cam [Grindrod, bassist] and Joel [Wittenburg, drummer] inform the writing process. It took it, necessarily, in a new direction.” That particular course led away from rustic folk and personalised storytelling, towards studio-polished, crowdbaiting numbers. Though their inspirations were drawn from

THE DEAD LEAVES play The Toff In Town this Thursday February 16 with Enola Fall. Cities On The Sea will be available from Friday February 24 through Liberation/ Mushroom.

BROUS

BY CHRISTINE LAN

Last October, to cap off an already accomplished 2011, Sophia Brous was astonished to hear of her nominations for not one, but three EG Awards – Best Song (for Streamers), Best New Talent and Best Female Artist – but for fortunate music fans who had already witnessed the talents of this truly versatile artist, the acknowledgement was hardly unexpected. The Melbourne singer-songwriter was consumed by music from a young age, but studying at VCA as well as prestigious music colleges in the US (Boston’s New England Conservatory and the Berklee College of Music) broadened Brous’ musical understanding in a profound way. “When an interest begets an interest and you’re surrounded by 400 other people – all of whom are similarly obsessed – it creates a very special environment for learning and for being absorbed,” says Brous of that significant period four years ago. “I took the different things that I began to be interested in like film noir soundtracks, large ensemble arrangement, avant garde music, psychedelia and French music, and I just got more and more interested in it. “It was never a matter of me wanting to emulate any of those things, but I think it’s just natural that when’re absorbed by something... it’s like conditioning – naturally it’ll express itself through you in some way and I started feeling different things coming out when I was writing; different melodies, different harmonic structures and different ideas for smaller and bigger arrangements. I was really excited by it and I just knew that it was something that needed to be followed.” Upon returning home, Brous was asked to take on an Beat Magazine Page 34

important position as Director of the Melbourne International Jazz Festival – a job that she held for three years before leaving to commit wholeheartedly to her own music. “I loved it, but it was consuming and hard for a period because that came at a time when I had come back from America,” Brous reflects, “and I’d been playing jazz and was beginning to reorient my music. I’d just felt that things were changing and suddenly I was in this big role of the Jazz Festival where I felt a real sense of responsibility to empower and properly represent how amazing and diverse jazz music is. “It was a very intensive period and I was 22 when I got that job. There was a period where I just did not have time to do music – for the first year – and I found that very hard. There’d be periods between the festivals where I’d be able to work intensively on music and that’s the way it worked for a few years. But I loved it and it really changed my life,” she avows. “I was able to see so much great music and be involved in so many great things.” Brous’ 2011 self-titled EP possesses remarkable grace, soul and flair. Gliding between the theatrical and haunting, the EP fuses underground Euro-pop, psychedelia, lounge, world music, country, ’50s film noir and jazz-pop: “I love different

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BROUS plays The Famous Spiegeltent on Friday February 24. Brous is out now through One Louder Recordings/ Universal.

SLOW CLUB BY ROBBIE MILES

Almost two years ago to the day, Slow Club stole my last $20. At Sydney Festival to see Camera Obscura, I was stunned by the opening act who all but blew them off the stage. Unsure if Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d ever be able to hear their music again, I almost had to fake a seizure to get through the crowd at the merch stand to grab their first album, Yeah, So? The long, penniless walk home was worth it. This tale brings a humble â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ah! Cool. Thank you, thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nice,â&#x20AC;? from Charles Watson, the male half of the Sheffield duo as he spoke to me from an alley behind a pub on the narrowest street in England. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re huge Camera Obscura fans anyway, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve subsequently become like family and that was quite a show. I enjoyed it, I think,â&#x20AC;? Watson mused. Slow Club have been compared to many bands, Camera Obscura (wrong side of twee to be accurate) and The White Stripes (two piece with a girl on drums) among them, but each comparison falls short and does them a disservice. Slow Club are their own beast entirely. Although they achieve an incredibly full sound as a duo, the new album Paradise is a big step up from Yeah, So? Reigning back on the folk elements and experimenting with different instrumentation, such as glass bottles, broomsticks, water pipes and chairs, they manage to comfortably avoid the dreaded sophomore syndrome, delivering a second album largely different to the first while still unmistakably Slow Club. Unfairly labelled as twee on their first outing, Paradise is a much more mature and complex album that rewards repeat listening. Fresh from a stint in the US, I was curious as to the response they received. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was great!â&#x20AC;? Watson enthuses. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We were quite surprised. We were playing to a lot of Camera Obscura fans who seemed quite attracted to our music straight away. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not a million miles away from what

60 SECONDS WITH...

they do.â&#x20AC;? He also has a theory as to what makes a gig really special. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Play some town out in the middle of nowhere, like a cairn in the Scottish highlands, and theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll have the wildest night youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve ever had, because they canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have fun every night of the week.â&#x20AC;? Much the same as coming all the way here, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d imagine. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re just really flattered to be able to come, you know. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got a few more people in the band now.â&#x20AC;? Just a wee bit of an understatementâ&#x20AC;Ś Having played together as Slow Club since 2006, after the breakup of The Lonely Hearts, Charles Watson and Rebecca Taylor have clear chemistry on stage, able to anticipate each otherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s every move. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re trying new, different things now. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve taken on another drummer, a bass player, a sax player and strings,â&#x20AC;? Watson informs me. I was initially fearful this would somehow change the dynamic, however I was comforted by his admission that â&#x20AC;&#x153;when you try and introduce other people to something youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been doing for years, you realise how in tune youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve become.â&#x20AC;? To hold up his end of the bargain in the studio, Charles uses a Fender Musicmaster. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I am a bit of a sucker for vintage guitars, but Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll only buy one if Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m going to play it. I like guitars that just do one thing really well. I bought a

MICHAEL HICKLING

So then when did you start playing? Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been playing guitar for about ten years. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been on the live circuit a few years playing solely in heavy bands, but Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve always been into the acoustic stuff.

out to a crowd of people who can hopefully relate.

Who are you influences? Aaron Lewis, Corey Taylor, Johnny Cash, and Kurt Cobain. All the bad mofos who sing from the heart.

If you could travel back in time and show one of your musical heroes your stuff, who would it be and why? Well that would require a flux capacitor which I doubt Doctor Emmett Brown would be willing to share with anyone but Marty McFly.

What do you love about making music? Taking all the negatives in my life and just letting them

What do you hate about the music industry? Everything, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a cesspool of thieves!

Telecaster, to go on tour with, just because theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re harder stock. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the first time I bought a guitar like that, maybe in like ten years. I like weird-sounding instruments that have character straightaway.â&#x20AC;? A quick look at their individual blogs illustrates a marked difference between the duo. While Rebecca invents words like â&#x20AC;&#x153;adorabonkâ&#x20AC;? to describe cricket players she fancies, Charlesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; page largely consists of photographs and paintings. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I draw quite a lot and I paint. I get a lot of pleasure from looking at nice colours. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s probably not so much to do with the pictures; itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s got to do with the fact that Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not a very good reader. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not all that interested with wordsâ&#x20AC;Ś it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t saturate quite as quickly as images and music.â&#x20AC;? Although they both write songs, Charles in fact directed their last music video and is certainly the more visual of the two. Ever humble, heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s quick to point out â&#x20AC;&#x153;itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not like a real music video, just kind of footage from home. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s something Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d love to get into. I like the idea of just making videos of us goofing around and rather than putting one of our songs to

it, putting dark organs, something really ominousâ&#x20AC;Ś where people think something horribleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going to happen and then it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t happen, but everyone seems to be like, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Yeah, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just a bit sad, isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t it?â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;? he laughs. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hard not to like someone who speaks just as passionately abut his food as his music. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a taste sensation, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll fucking blow your mind,â&#x20AC;? he says of a sandwich he had in Japan, the recipe for which is published on his blog. After reading that â&#x20AC;&#x153;hobnobsâ&#x20AC;? helped him through writing sessions, I deliberately didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t google them just so I could ask what they were. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Will you be at the show?â&#x20AC;? he asks. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll tell you what, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll bring some. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re really good with hot drinks.â&#x20AC;? Sounds suspiciously like a Tim Tam, but Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m looking forward to it almost as much as the show. SLOW CLUB play The Workers Club on Friday March 2. Tickets available through Moshtix. Paradise is out now on Popfrenzy Redords.

What can a punter expect from your live show? Honest music, with the occasional bad joke. Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve you got to sell CD wise? Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be releasing an EP soon but until then you can download two of my tracks for free from triple j Unearthed and Soundcloud. Whenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the gig and with who? Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be playing the Noise Bar on Sunday February 19 with a host of awesome solo acts and bands including; Dinosaurs Exist, Craig Williams, Sarah Eida, Alister Turrill, and a whole bunch of other great artists. It starts at 1:00pm and goes all day so itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going to be awesome. I recommend anyone with a set of legs, or at the very least skateboard come down.

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Beat Magazine Page 55

BRIAN SETZER’S ROCKABILLY RIOT BY ROBBIE MILES

“I really enjoy this band,” Brian Setzer says of his new outfit. Although 2009 saw the Stray Cats farewell tour, we’ll now be treated to something of a retrospective. With the relaxed confidence that can only come from 30 years of successfully doing what he loves, Setzer explains: “It’s really three different bands on the stage at different times. I didn’t want to limit it to just Stray Cats songs, but I do work some into the stuff that I wrote, and my solo stuff, and even some big band stuff – you know, without the horns.” Rockabilly Riot combines almost all of Setzer’s work to date. “Yeah, it’s a lot of music,” he says, almost shyly. The show also includes a performance element. When asked if the much-discussed double bass trickery could beat Dave Miller (of Royal Crown Revue) playing one behind his head, Hendrix-style, Setzer’s response has me excited: “Oh, boy, I tell you. I don’t know if you’ve heard of Chris D’Rozario, from Melbourne. He’s brought tricks on that bass to a new level. I love Royal Crown, man, I don’t know, but I think we got it beat.” Former Stray Cats bassist Slim Jim Phantom also appears with Rockabilly Riot, so duelling basses may be the order of the day. Stray Cats formed with Setzer, Phantom and Lee Rocker in 1980 in New York, before the band headed, penniless, to London to catch the Teddy Boy revival. They quickly found themselves at the centre of this movement, helped in no small part by their once distinct and now much imitated look: vintage rockabilly gear meets punk. Between their second

break-up in 1993 and their reunion in 2004, Setzer formed The Brian Setzer Orchestra, in which he leads a ‘40s style big band. “I can’t think of an example where a guitar player ever led a big band back in the day,” Setzer comments. “To rock out in front of it brings a whole new element to the thing. It’s so rich, to hear all those horns, but it doesn’t sound like an old record. So, I mean, it’s a modern sounding thing.” Modern is a relative term however, as Setzer is widely known to favour vintage gear. Can this be attributed to a connection with the past? “Nah, that stuff just sounds better,” Brian admits, laughing. “It’s just as simple as that; if they come up with new stuff I’d be happy to use it. I still count on my old Stray Cat Gretsch, because it’s like puttin’ on an old pair of jeans, you know… they just, they just fit perfect.” Setzer’s latest experiment, the album Setzer Goes InstruMENTAL! is due for release on April 19. To say it’s fantastic

BEAT ARTIST PROFILE: THE SUNDAY REEDS What’s your name? Oh. And the name of your band. My name is Romana Ashton and the name of the band is The Sunday Reeds. And what do you do? I’m the front person and I’m a singer/songwriter. When did you start doing that? I’ve been singing and playing music for as long as I can remember. I started writing songs when I was about 15. I am a founding member of The Sunday Reeds and we’ve been a ‘proper’ band since 2009.

Why did you start doing that? I just thought I could. It’s a sickness really. Do you think you’re good at doing that? I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t think I had something to offer. If you weren’t doing that, what would you be doing? I’d probably be an academic, a screenwriter or film director. I’ve got a PhD but I felt a bit stifled by university, so here I am. What makes you happiest about what you’re doing? I like the process of songwriting and recording new

is almost unnecessary, given the consistent high quality of Setzer’s output over the last three decades. From Stray Cats, through big band, a Christmas album and the phenomenal Wolfgang’s Big Night Out – in which The BSO reinterprets classical music with a rock‘n’roll flair – Setzer seems to bring his audience with him on each new project. This begs the question: after so many incarnations, are the fans coming to see the music or are they coming to see the man? “I don’t really have a good gauge for that,” Setzer responds. “I can tell you, the age group is really all over the map…There’s players who sit right in front and watch my fingers…and some places I’ve played have tens of thousands of people, and they’re definitely not ten thousand rockabilly people.” Setzer marvels at the lasting quality of the rockabilly scene. “Isn’t that funny? [Rockabilly] just rejuvenates itself. I’m dumbfounded by it. It’s always going to be underground music because it’s rough edge, but there will always be people who want it, and who discover it by whatever way they do.” Setzer himself famously discovered rockabilly by seeing a photo of Eddie Cochrane. “It was just by luck. I mean, I didn’t know his music would be so great. He was the coolest guy I had ever seen. I just thought, ‘I wanna look like him.’ You have to remember, at that time, everybody had hair down to their bellies and was wearing tie-dyed t-shirts.” This emulation of his idol actually led to Brian being cast as Eddie himself in the film La Bamba. “Oh gosh, that was, that was just great,” Setzer enthusiastically recalls his on-set experience. “I’d combed my hair and I’d been doing it for years,” Setzer explains, “but they said, ‘No, you have to go through makeup. We have a hair stylist.’ So this guy insisted on redoing it, and I looked like a French poodle.” Laughing, Setzer continues: “So I stuck my head in the water fountain and quickly combed it back, so it was still wet when I was up there.” Pro-tip for the scenesters out there, his style is usually held together by Murray’s Pomade and a spritz of hair spray. material and seeing how it ends up. I like seeing things come together, when an artistic vision becomes something tangible. And what makes you unhappiest about what you’re doing? Just the general state of the music industry. There are so many bands or ‘artists’ that don’t know how to pen a song and rely on puerile video clips to get attention. What’s your proudest moment of doing what you do? Hmmmmm, there have been many gratifying moments, but being able to play shows in the UK and have our work appreciated not just in Australia but in many different countries has been a highlight. And your least proud? I’m proud even in my least proud moments. That’s all you’re getting! When are you doing your thing next? The Sunday Reeds are launching their new single Kill This Party/’Fall From Grace at Pony on Friday

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After speaking to Setzer for only a short time, what is most clear is the respect and reverence with which he treats the music and those who love it. His steadfast loyalty to rockabilly traditions and the fans he has earned is to be admired. Unpretentious and quick to laugh, Setzer puts it best himself: “It’s just good music.” Indeed. BRIAN SETZER’S ROCKABILLY RIOT appears at Bluesfest in Byron Bay from Thursday April 5 - Monday April 9. They also play The Palace on Monday April 2 and Tuesday April 3 with special guest Lanie Lane. Setzer Goes Instru-MENTAL! is due for release April 19, 2012 through Surfdog Records.

February 24. It’s the launch of our own label as well, Heartgun Records. It’s going to be a great night with four bands and two performance artists. I’m really looking forward to it.

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St. Judeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s BY ROD WHITFIELD St. Judeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s is a relatively new restaurant, wine bar and cafe located smack bang in the middle of the famous Brunswick St entertainment precinct. This was my first experience of the place, and it was a rather pleasant one on this warm but rather unsettled late summerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Sunday afternoon. The first thing that strikes you about the place is its sheer size. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s probably two to three times larger than your average restaurant and has seating for plenty. It is large but far from daunting, with the atmosphere very easy going. Its depth and width, along with the high ceiling lend it a big, open ambience that was very pleasantly breezy and fresh on a warm day. Heaters line the walls and so I imagine itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just as comfortable on a frigid July evening. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also very well appointed, with a tasteful mix of modern and rustic dĂŠcor. You would think the size of the place could possibly mean a slightly slower service, with many more tables for the wait staff to cover. But nothing could have been further from the truth. The staff were highly attentive, pleasant and the waits between course were extremely reasonable. The brunch menu was very extensive, and contained many selections for vegetarian and carnivore alike. First up was a croissant with a raspberry conserve. The jam was delectably sweet and the croissant itself was precisely what a croissant should be: beautifully crusty on the outside whilst soft and â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;melt in the mouthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; buttery on the inside. Also for starters was a generous serve of spinach, cheese and nutmeg croquettes, which were a taste sensation. I could have eaten at least half a dozen more of these. The smoked eggs, eggplant, braised tomato and fetta was

CACAO GREEN

a very interesting and unique main, quite possibly one of the chefâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own creations, and cooked to perfection. It was absolutely ideal for brunch. Not too big and not too small. There was also the smoked salmon with a soft egg and crĂ¨me fraiche on rye, which was subtly delicious. The main course went down a real treat. It is obvious when the freshest of produce is used at an eatery, and when itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not, and fresh is exactly what you get at St. Judeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. I couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t resist a dessert. The chocolate tart with cream and raspberries on the side was small but extremely tasty, rich but not overpoweringly so, and capped things off to a sweet tee. The coffee at St. Judeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s is rich, fresh and full flavoured. Plus, we washed things down with a few mimosas, which were rather refreshing on a warm and humid day. The other major surprise was the pricing. As a somewhat

upmarket eatery, we were expecting quite an upmarket price tag. But St. Judeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s menu is ridiculously reasonable, almost to the point of being underpriced. And as we all know, that is not a word you hear very often these days. The restaurant is also a wine bar, and their cellars are extremely well stocked with all sorts of vintages, so you wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be short of a nice rich red or sparkling white with your meal at St. Judeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. All in all St Judeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, whilst only having been around for a few years in a strip where eating institutions abound, definitely has its act together. Its style is simple and casual. The food, service, dĂŠcor and ambience are all top notch, and with great company this place comes highly recommended. A hearty thanks to the staff who made us feel most welcome.

Cacao Green is the new concept introduced by Red Mango â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a brand that goes beyond being health conscious by being organic and environmentally friendly. Established in 2002, Cacao Green is the pioneer and the authentic frozen yogurt connoisseur. With over 400 stores in USA, Philippines, South Korea, Indonesia, and Thailand, Cacao Green has received international recognition as the leading brand in frozen yogurt industry. Cacao Green is authentic and contains all of yogurtâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s beneficial ingredients, such as live and active cultures, calcium and protein. Plus, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all natural and free of unhealthy additives like high-fructose corn syrup and artificial flavours. So other than being delicious, it is also good for you! Cacao Green yogurt has around 100 calories per serving, so it is a smart and healthy choice for all customers. Currently they have four flavours: Italian Original, Japanese Matcha, French Strawberry (seasonal) and Limonette (seasonal). With these four delicious flavours and more than 15 toppings, what are you waiting for? Get yours today! Cacao Green stores: 285 Swanston Street, Melbourne CBD 696 Glenferrie Road, Hawthorne

St Judeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s is located at 389-391 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy.

CAVALLERO Robert Cattanach and Kent Bell opened Cavallero in July 2006, with the idea to start a small neighbourhood bar/restaurant in the interesting location of the bottom end of Smith St, Collingwood, between a second hand clothing store and a laundrette. Cavallero is open Tuesday to Sunday for breakfast, lunch and dinner, has rotating microbrewery beers on the single tap, plus local independent wine producers on the pour in addition to the odd interesting international number or two. With a simple homely flair and a rustic European twist, their aim is to please with good alcohol, and honest food.

CAFĂ&#x2030; VUE AT HEIDE

<285 :((./< '26( 2)

'(/,&,2861(66 21 HOPE ST, BRUNSWICK VIC 3056 LUX FOUNDRY IS OPEN 7 DAYS MON-FRI: 7.30 AM - 4.00PM SAT-SUN: 8.00 AM - 5.00PM BREAKFAST & LUNCH PRIVATE FUNCTIONS

CHEF NEEDED! Great opportunity in Collingwood pub for up and coming chef or kitchen crew to lease kitchen at bare minimum. Creative menus most welcome. Please email expressions of interest to guy@bendigohotel.com.au

THE PIZZA WAS FREE! Last Tuesday, Luck Coq and Bimbos did a free hour of pizzas for all who kept their ears to the ground. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m sure all who realised what was going on had a great afternoon full of amazing (free) pizza! Maybe next time you should pay more attention.

A CHALLENGE

Contact adam@beat.com.au

PHONE/FAX: 03 9387 8075 EMAIL: INFO@LUXFOUNDRY.COM.AU Beat Eats Page 58.....................

CafĂŠ Vue at the Heide Museum of Modern Art is nestled in the beautiful grounds of the sculpture park, and has a philosophy for great coffee, fast, friendly service and simple, fresh food. With the historically significant Heide kitchen garden providing inspiration and produce for the menu, and floor to ceiling glass windows that open onto a terrace, CafĂŠ Vue at Heide offers a delightful dining experience.

BEATâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S GUIDE TO EATING OUT IN MELBOURNE

Mistyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Diner in Prahran is the place to go for anyone in search of a challenging meal. This American style diner has an extensive menu but the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Challenge Burgerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; seems to be the most impressive. Five beef patties layered in cheese and other delicious condiments â&#x20AC;&#x201C; this burger is built like a tower and will challenge any bottomless pit going around. Dine if you dare.

R STO

N E P O A CH W O N ET

PEL

E STR

Healthy, Fresh,Tasty

'Hunky Dory Fish & Burger Bar is now in Chapel Street. This family owned business opened its doors in Port Melbourne 7 years ago and has quickly become famous for combining healthy fresh ﬁsh, salads & rice with old school traditional ﬁsh and chips'

FISH

Friday and Saturday nights in the front bar we have a DJ spinning tunes from 8pm and wine, beer and cocktail specials all night. Open for brunch on Saturday and Sunday.

VEGETARIAN TUESDAY

Join us for a 3 or 4 course vegetarian, vegan and gluten free tasting menu with optional wine matching. Meat options are available for the carnivorous types.

BURGER BAR

DOUBLE BARREL THURSDAY Buy one bottle and the second is on us.**

Shop 17/670 Chapel St South Yarra

www.hunkydory.com.au

St JUDES 389-391 Brunswick Street Fitzroy VIC (03) 9419 7411

** Conditions apply

“The Smith has been ﬁtted with a tailored new suit, a new face, a fresh attitude, a savvy team and a fresh start. The Smith is elegantly relaxed not ﬂashy, but smart yet casual, perfect for all occasions planned or spontaneous. Spaces have been designed for lounging about, lingering over tastes and sips or privately entertaining a crowd.”

213 High Street Prahran VIC 3181 (03) 9514 2444 Reservations and Events 03 9514 2444 Open 7 days lunches & dinners 364 Days

BEAT’S GUIDE TO EATING OUT IN MELBOURNE

.....................Beat Eats Page 59

INDUSTRIAL STRENGTH MUSIC INDUSTRY NEWS & GOSSIP

with Christie Eliezer * Stuﬀ for this column to be emailed to <celiezer@netspace.net.au> by Friday 5pm MELBOURNE LIVE SCENE GROWS 3.2% IN VOLUME; ‘BEAT’ LEADS The Melbourne live scene grew 3.2% in volume in the 12 months between Sept 2010 to August 2011. According to the NMIT’s annual State Of Play report, there were 81, 113 listed/advertised gigs by solo artists, duos, groups and DJs in 570 venues. Of this, 40, 066 were listed performances by musicians (a rise of 4.1%) and 41,047 by DJs (a 2% rise). Over $210 million was spent in advertising and promoting these gigs. Over $27.7 million of this was in the street press and entertainment sections of mainstream papers — a rise of 4.2%. Of this sum, $7.3 million was spent on streetpress, a 4.1% rise. According to the study, Beat proved the most popular of the music print media among those surveyed, getting a 38% thumbs up, and soundly beating Inpress (27%) and J Mag (8%). They continue to regard triple j as their favourite station (41%) while RRR and PBS got 39% and 37% respectively. Rage remains the favourite place for music videos (30%) but lost ground to web based services (24%) especially YouTube. 91% of those surveyed saw at least one gig a month, with 79% of these attending six gigs a month. They spent about $47 on entry costs, and a further $190 on traffic, food, drinks and merchandise. They still saw pubs (88%) and bars (88%) as the best place to see live acts, over concerts (78%) and festivals (81%). The Corner was the most popular live venue with a 22% vote while 31% regarded the Forum as the favoured concert venue, over Rod Laver Arena (20%) and Festival Hall (16%).

GOTYE HITS #1 IN BRITAIN

Gotye’s Somebody That I Used To Know (featuring Kimbra) has gone to #1 on the British charts this week. According to chart historian Ed Nimmervoll, this is the sixth time that an Australian-based act has topped the UK charts with a track recorded in Australia. (So the likes of Kylie and Frank Ifield aren’t included here). The others were Joe Dolce’s Shaddap You Face (Feb 1981), Men At Work’s Down Under (Jan 1983), Baz Luhrmann’s Everybody’s Free (To Wear Sunscreen) (June 1999), Madison Avenue’s Don’t Call Me Baby (May 2000) and Yolanda B Cool V D Cup’s We Speak No Americano (July 2010).

PUSH FOR ROWLAND S. HOWARD LANEWAY Friends of the late Rowland S. Howard are pushing for the lane between Jackson and Eildon Road in St. Kilda to be named after the Boys Next Door/ Birthday Party figure. Howard, who died in 2009 from cancer, once lived on Eildon Road. The move is spearheaded by musician Nick Haines, who now has to file the papers and get 10 residents to sign it. City of Port Phillip councilor Serge Thomann told Industrial Strength he was approached last week for advice on how to proceed with the application. It’s not known how long the process will take. But Thomann says he will support it. “Rowland was a significant figure in St. Kilda, he lived here, performed in all the clubs here and he died in St. Kilda.” A successful application would “also celebrate St. Kilda’s significance in the live music scene,” he added.

PEACOCK EXITS SHOCK After nine years at Shock Entertainment, Australian music manager David Peacock departed last Thursday.

THINGS WE HEAR * US reports say that after a disastrous appearance on Saturday Night Live, Lana Del Rey’s record label, management and booking agents have pulled her off the road, saying she’s not ready to tour. Aside from cancelling her Australian visit, the plug was also pulled on a 30-date US tour. * Madonna’s world tour is expected to gross US$686.7 million (A633.7 million), which would eclipse the Stones’ efforts but not U2’s. * Frontier Touring, which books the acts for the AFL Grand Final, dismissed claims Bruce Springsteen & The E-Street Band will play this year’s event. * Guttermouth singer Mark Adkins is the latest wanting to live in Australia, in Brisbane specifically, saying he hates living in Los Angeles. Meantime, both George Michael and Joel Madden of Good Charlotte slipped back in to Sydney on visits, with Michael hoping to return for the Mardi Gras. * Kiss who gave us everything from condoms to coffins, are in negotiations to launch Kiss video games. * Kesha gets her assistant to dress up in a ‘penis outfit’ to cheer her up when she’s feeling sad. * Wrestling legend Hulk Hogan wants a quiet chat with Kasabian … after he heard they check into hotels under his name. * Minutes after Lady Gaga’s tour was announced, Nova’s phone system crashed as her Little Monsters called to snag free tickets.

SEMINAR: ORGANISE YOUR FINANCES IN THE CLOUD With our growing lifestyle reliance in the cloud, it’s inevitable that managing our finances and bookkeeping are going to that cloud pathway. How To Organise Your Finances In The Cloud is a free seminar for musicians and small business owners on doing it inexpensively. It is on March 8, from 5.30 pm at the University of Melbourne Law Library, Carlton. Seats limited, register via accountsunplugged.eventbrite. com.au. Attending will be reps from XERO, the online accounting software used by 200,000 over 100 countries. Accounts Unplugged will launch its The First Of July bookkeeping kit which was designed for musos and small business owners with less than $75,000 turnover. More info about the event or Accounts Unplugged, contact admin@ renelopeque.com or visit renelopeque.com

JMC LOOKING FOR TEACHERS The JMC Academy in South Melbourne is seeking music/ entertainment industry professionals to teach Event Management and Financial Management in its Bachelor of Entertainment (Business Management) course. Formal qualifications will be taken seriously but extensive music /entertainment industry experience is essential. The successful candidates will start Tuesday March 6. For further information contact Head of Department Simon Smith on 03 9624 2929 and forward resumes to ssmith@jmc.edu.au.

BROKEN STONE RECORDS ROADSHOW

VIC GOVERNMENT HANDS OUT $350,000 GRANTS Some Victorian musicians and associations got a helping hand this year from the state government, through Arts Victoria’s Contemporary and Live Music Development Program. These were $350,000 for 47 new music projects. See arts.vic.gov.au for full list. But getting help with recording and promotion costs, ranging from $16, 680 to $1408 were The Evening Son, Hoy, Luluc, Jimmy Tait, The Bombay Royale and Venus Fire. Tour supports went to 15 acts, ranging from $15,000 to $4,000. These included Oh Mercy to play South By Southwest and Canadian Music Week, punk band Kings Cannon for a 27-date European and UK tour April to May, The Go Set to visit Europe in May, Penny Ikinger to tour Japan in April with Japan’s Hallucionz and Deniz Tek, Carus Thompson for his UK visit to promote his album Caravan and trumpeter Peter Knight to attend Germany’s Jazzahead Expo in April. In Sector development, 3RRR got $10,000 for live to air shows, Songlines $10,000 to stage its Share The Spirit festival, $8,000 for The Push to mentor of 48 songwriters via Push Songs, $7,200 to Speak Percussion’s Emerging Artists Program, $6,000 for entertainment lawyer Andrew Fuller’s three day music business forum Heat Behind The Beat, $4,970 for PBS FM’s inaugural Drive Live performances, and $4,425 to Geelong’s Deakin University for a digital sampling forum for DJs and sound artists from Geelong and nearby area.

OWL EYES WALKS THE LINE Triple J Next Crop 2012 lister Owl Eyes aka Brooke Addamo is the latest ambassador to join The Line Campaign, an Australian government initiative promoting respectful relationships throughout society. She joins the likes of Pez, Maya Jupiter and Lisa Mitchell. "Respect for yourself, respect for each other - it's a message I believe in and am happy to promote." Owl Eyes and Friends perform at the Famous Spiegeltent on Thursday February 23 for a one-off performance of Midsummer Mixtape: Songs to Steal Your Heart.

TEENAGE MOTHERS SEETH OVER M83 DUMPING Teenage Mothers are seething about being dumped from M83’s Melbourne and Sydney shows after one gig. Reports from M83 were that Teenage Mothers were disrespectful, singer James Kennedy inhaled a canister of nitrous oxide onstage, and speakers were set alight. Guitarist Raph Brous lashed back in a statement, ‘M83 are the meanest band in the galaxy. Anthony Gonzalez is a vindictive hypocrite. M83’s tour management kicked our friends out of the building, locked us on the street and deliberately wasted ten airfares to and from Sydney. We’re a real punk band and M83 just don’t get it. They should have got some boring electro knob twiddlers in singlets and little white slippers.” Some of the statement has been cut for legal reasons. The band this week finished recording their debut album at Birdland Studios, produced by Jim Slavunos from Grinderman/Bad Seeds.

LIFELINES Dating: cutie-pie actor Zac Efron and Phil Collins’ actress daughter Lily. Dating: Noiseworks’ Jon Stevens and Jodhi Meares. Split: UK reports say Brit rapper M.I.A. and fiancé, US environmentalist Benjamin Bronfman who lives in New York with their 3 year old son Ikhyd. Ill: Reg Presley, of ‘60s Brit band The Troggs (Wild Thing) has quit the band after being diagnosed with lung cancer. Arrested: Puddle of Mudd frontman Wes Scantlin after he was pulled over for a traffic violation in LA and cops say they found pills and powder. Sued: Drake, by ex-girlfriend Ericka Lee who is demanding a co-writer credit and royalties for his Marvin’s Room. Charged: former Cake drummer Peter McNeal, with “oral copulation and sexual penetration of a child under the age of 10.” Died: Whitney Houston, 48, drowned in a hotel bathtub after accidentally overdosed on a cocktail of prescription drugs and alcohol. Blessed with “the perfect voice” which sold 55 million albums in America alone and inspired a generation of singers including Mariah Carey (“one of the greatest voices to ever grace the earth”), Pink and Christina Aguilera, her later career was dogged with drug problems. I Will Always Love You (1992) became the highest selling single by a female.

BEHIND THE BUTLER/YOGHURT STOUSH Poor Danone, the U.S. company which made the new ad for Oikos Greek Yogurt. It used social media to source 35 producers to pitch for the ad, to air before the 111.3 million Super Bowl viewers. They found young film maker brother team Andrew and Remy Neymarc through crowd sourcing company Pop Tent, were naturally rapt when it proved second most popular ad during the show, and applied to the Guinness World Records to secure the milestone for Remy Neymarc, who turns 22 in August, as the youngest pro director in Super Bowl advertising. Then the wheels fell off —largely through social media. Fans not only alerted John Butler to the similarity of the ad’s music to his own Zebra but caused such a ruckus online that within 48 hours, Danone had rushed out an apology. This hasn’t appeased the Butler people. And in all this, another indie Australian act must be having a smirk. Danimals had to change his name to Djanimals and then Jonti due to Danone’s yoghurt product of the same name.

BEYONCE, JAY-Z, TRADEMARK ‘BLUE IVY’ Beyonce and Jay-Z have applied to trademark the name of their new daughter, Blue Ivy. They made the move after they heard that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office already turned down two applications to use the name — one from a baby fashion designer, and another from a fragrance company.

MAGNETIC HEADS

BY JAMES W. NICOLI

Anyone who knows anything about music knows that trying to run an independent record label is brutally hard. Throughout the years, many fine labels have come and gone with the logistics of operating a label at a profit or just to break even proving to be too big a mountain to climb for some. For Jonathon Miller; founder of Sydney based Broken Stone Records; the reality of just how tough it can be is something he’s fully aware off. “It’s a labour of love that’s for sure,” he says honestly. “I guess in terms of how hard it is, it’s hard if you’ve got to earn an income and then juggle all the duties of the label. You know it’s not paying a wage so yeah, it’s hard, it’s a labour but it’s something that like all sort of labour you can look at and be proud of. It’s kind of like the alter-ego job that happens at night.” Home to local artists such as Caitlin Park, The Maple Trail, Sister Jane and Miller’s own band Magnetic Heads, Broken Stone Records was born out of a local independent music community and a love for the artists that called that community home.“I was living in Annandale and there was this great little group of artists who were living in the same area,” remembers Miller. “And Jonny and I; there’s another Jonny, there’s Jonny Dance and Jonny Miller, that’s me, we loved all the bands that were performing each night and we had one thing in common which was that we all produced

Beat Magazine Page 60

our own music. We all recorded in our garages and our bedrooms and we thought it would be really cool just to bring those artists underneath one umbrella and kind of present those artists as a group; as a collection through the label. So it was kind of inspired by a respect and appreciation for local self-produced music.” That same approach which inspired the creation of the label has also inspired the upcoming Broken Stone Records Roadshow; a tour which will be showcasing a lot of the artists on the labels roster and taking in most major cities

along the East Coast as well the regional towns in between. Having toyed with the idea previously in their home state and at various Christmas parties and the like, the idea to turn it into a national tour was for Miller, the logical next step. “We thought it would be a really good idea to take that show on the road, take it outside of Sydney and bring the whole collection to up the East coast.” Another cool element to the tour is that not only will the live shows in each major city be accompanied by artwork; both visual and traditional, but the regional towns will also be treated to talks and discussions involving the labels artists.“Well we thought it would be cool to give context to [it], I mean the story of the label is that, all the bands, we are really focused on production and they’re all technically architects of their sound,” says Miller. “And we’re going to be in a couple of regional towns and we thought we might

WATCH INTERVIEWS, CHATS & AWKWARD SILENCES..... WWW.BEAT.COM.AU/TV

hangout and have breakfast and do a little acoustic show and open up the floor to people if they want to know more about how we go about doing this kind of stuff.” For Miller, the inspiration that’s needed to succeed as an independent record label comes from the artists he works with and then feeds back into the music that’s produced. “We’re very much inspired by the bands that we put out so it’s a long term approach,” he admits. “You know, we’d like our artists to make a living out of their work and we’d like to make a living out of the label but we don’t expect that to happen immediately.” The BROKEN STONE RECORDS ROADSHOW rolls into Melbourne on Sunday February 19 at the Horse Bazaar. There will also be a free, all ages artist talk session at Kyneton Instrumental Music on Saturday February 18 from 4pm.

CHECK OUT ALL THE LATEST NEWS, REVIEWS AND FREE SHIT AT BEAT.COM.AU

Beat Magazine Page 61

CASS McCOMBS BY OLIVER DOWNES

As a fat man once said of the motherland, Cass McCombs is ‘a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma’. With press contact limited to email after the release of his beautifully tender fourth record Catacombs in 2009, McCombs took the logical next stop of conducting all promotion of last year’s WIT’S END by post. While the more cynical may attribute the resulting aura of mystery to conscious strategy, McCombs offers a more straightforward explanation: “I don’t want to appear like a self-promoter.” Which makes the fact of this phone interview seem nigh on miraculous. Speaking from New York City before his upcoming Australian tour, McCombs is careful in his responses – occasionally veering into playful irony, having supposedly spent his day “painting my face, taking my clothes off, getting high” – with an innocuous inquiry into musical influences eliciting a typically reticent reply: “I’ve never really been big on talking about other music. I have my heroes, but... I’d say my music is more influenced by my friends and my family and the world around me than it is by anybody else’s music. My music is about my music, not about anybody’s else’s music.” As even a cursory listen will attest, that music is as unusual, moving and deliberate as anything in modern pop, managing that rare trick of seeming at once spontaneous as well as exquisitely wrought. McCombs’ contradictory propensities were perhaps most finely balanced on third album Dropping The Writ (2008), with songs like ‘That’s That’ or the gorgeous ‘Petrified Forest’ containing both wry melancholy and gentle humour, harmonic minimalism and textural complexity, inertia and endlessly unfolding motion. These divergent tendencies were isolated to superb effect in last year’s dual releases, the sublimely bleak WIT’S END being followed six months later by the more comfortably mellow Humor Risk. Lyrically, McCombs deals in fleeting sketches, related in language that seems to strive towards both the revelatory and the mundane, the stories emerging through an accumulation of gesture rather than through any overt narrative. “I’m just constantly trying to find, not necessarily stories, but ideas that make my skin crawl, that give me a chemical reaction,” he says. “Political ideas, erotic ideas, devious ideas. I’ll let all the other bands write the happy-go-lucky safety songs. I like being the guy who takes care of the compost pile. “The first thing I want to be with my writing is spontaneous. I need to have the ability to just write something with energy, that’s not calculated – that’s just blurted out, the first thing that comes to mind. But on the other hand you want to have down time where you’re not writing, you’re just listening and collecting what other people say; you want to do them justice. I don’t really have a technique other than to keep it chaotic.”

OUR BEST CIDER. (UNTIL THE NEXT ONE.)

WE THINK IT’S PRETTY GOOD Beat Magazine Page 62

DISCUSS WHAT? BEAT.COM.AU/DISCUSSION

“THAT’S WHAT I TRY TO DO WHEN I PERFORM: TRY TO VIOLATE PEOPLE.” Although he expresses an extreme disdain for the recording process (“I hate bands that have ‘a sound’. I’m totally opposed to the commodification of music and that’s what recordings are: they’re commodities, they isolate a song ... so you can’t really imagine it otherwise”), McCombs’ most recent recorded work is particularly immaculate, comprised of carefully varied arrangements straining towards a musical apotheosis within the strict confines of the song: the meandering bass clarinet that closes Memory’s Stain springs to mind, or the mannered harpsichord of Buried Alive. But McCombs doesn’t care to claim sole credit, recognising the important contributions of the rotating cavalcade of musicians who’ve taken up with him. “We try to make it as collaborative as we can. That’s why we call it the Cass McCombs Band, [it’s] not just me up there,” he says. “Everyone has a stake in it, and when we’re on stage everyone is equal. We do a lot of improvisation and everyone is very accomplished in their skills... It’s a pretty good platoon we have here.” Though at the time of writing he had “yet to buy the plane tickets”, Australian audiences’ first taste of Cass McCombs’ live show seems likely to be an interesting one. “When you perform, anything can happen,” he says. “When I go to see shows, I go with zero expectations. I want to feel violated. So that’s what I try to do when I perform: try to violate people... I think people want to see a disaster. They don’t want the big, strong, confident superhero up there, they want a fucking spectacle ... What I look for at a performance is energy: chaos and violence and creation and movement. I don’t want something that’s canned.” Pre-packaged is the last thing McCombs could be accused of. His work remains elusively uncategorisable, slipping between the generic cracks; it reflects the questing restlessness and dissatisfaction with any fixed certainty that characterise its creator. Indeed, his songs seem pervaded by the sense that music is one means by which Cass McCombs has found of obliterating the nagging selfishness of the individual ego. “To put on a mask is to transform oneself, you mutate your soul. You become a shape-changer. I think songs have that ability. What I want is to have a wide range of abilities. I want my life to be like a deck of cards that’s spread out all over the place. I don’t want to be nailed down to any one gender or political perspective or anything. I want to be able to change as I find suitable.” CASS McCOMBS plays The Corner Hotel with support from The Orbweavers and Wintercoats this Friday February 17. Humor Risk is out now on Domino, through EMI.

Lyrebird presents

ONE PERFECT DAY MOSSVALE PARK

THE DIRTY THREE CHARLES BRADLEY AND HIS EXTRAORDINAIRES THE BAMBOOS ERIC BIBB WITH STEFAN ASTNER BEN SOLLEE SAL KIMBER AND THE ROLLIN WHEEL LIZ STRINGER AND VAN WALKER KRYSTLE WARREN AHAB

Mossvale Park, Leongatha, South Gippsland.

Saturday March 17, 2012 Tickets and information www.lyrebirdartscouncil.com.au

CHECK OUT ALL THE LATEST NEWS, REVIEWS AND FREE SHIT AT BEAT.COM.AU

Beat Magazine Page 63

PUTA MADRE BROTHERS BY PATRICK EMERY At one stage of Puta Madre Brothers’ European sojourn last year, the band’s crosscultural mutated cross-pollination almost got out of hand. “There was one night when we were playing in an African club in Switzerland, and we were Australians playing Mexican music. It was snowing outside, and we’re in an Ethiopian club – we just stopped and looked around, and thought ‘This is really weird’!” laughs Pikkle, one of Puta Madre Brothers’ one-man band triumvirate. 2011 was a busy period for Puta Madre Brothers, with the band travelling to Europe twice during the year, initially for a five-week tour in February, and a shorter tour in July. “It went really well, people loved it, and they wanted to kiss us,” says Anto Macaroni, the group’s notional leader and principal songwriter. “And right on them as well – much different to Melbourne!” Pikkle laughs. The band’s follow-up tour was amusing, if not particularly fruitful. “The second time we went back we played at a festival where 20,000 people could have fitted in, but only about 200 were there to see us,” Macaroni says. “About 20,000 turned out to see this really weird French guy with a pornographic moustache and tight pink pants who danced around,” Pikkle says. “We got to meet Neneh Cherry, and she’s become a fan. She had a really nice tracksuit on,” Macaroni adds. “A bit later on the tour we played on a fish farm – a trout farm.” Unfortunately, no fish were caught on tour. “But since then Pikkle’s become a professional fisherman,” Macaroni says. “I’ve been trying to spear fish in Gippsland. I got one in the head, but it got away,” Pikkle says. “It wasn’t really friendly after that,” he deadpans. In between European tours, Puta Madre Brothers found time to record the band’s second album, It’s A Long Long Way To Meximotown. After the popular and critical success of their debut album, Queso Y Cojones, Puta Madre Brothers were forced to confront the so-called ‘difficult second album syndrome’. It wasn’t a psycho-artistic barrier that

seemed to present much of a threat. “The songs just came over time – we don’t consciously sit down and say ‘let’s write a new record’,” Macaroni says. “A lot of them came to us while we were on tour. We were recording while we were in the tour van.” One of the songs that appeared in the vehicular recording session was a cover of CW Stoneking’s Dodo Blues, linguistically reinterpreted and recast as Blues Dodo on the eve of one of the band’s European dates with the Melbourne blues musician. “That was the day we were playing with him,” Pikkle says. “We thought, ‘What would really annoy him’ or ‘what would be really stupid’,” he laughs. Sadly, the band’s efforts at provoking Stoneking were wasted. “He said he didn’t even hear it,” Macaroni says. “I’m not sure I trust him on that,” he laughs. “But he was happy for us to do the recording.” The album also features a typically twisted gringo cover of Those Darlins’ The Whole Damn Thing. “That came about from when we were on tour with them,” Macaroni explains. “I had that song stuck in my head, and it was annoying the shit out of me. So I thought ‘I’m going to fuck this song up so I can get it out of my head,” Macaroni laughs. “So I turned into that, well, whatever it is – I call it a disco song, but it’s more rockabilly. But they like it better than their version, apparently. So now it can get stuck in their head!” “Yeah, now they’ll have to do a cover of it,” Pikkle counters. As with their previous album, Puta Madre Brothers recorded, mixed and produced It’s A Long Long Way

“THE SONGS JUST CAME OVER TIME – WE DON’T CONSCIOUSLY SIT DOWN AND SAY ‘LET’S WRITE A NEW RECORD.”

To Meximotown with negligible external assistance at a secret western suburbs location. “We kind of wanted to get back to recording because it’s really good fun,” Macaroni says. “It’s like a bit of science – we can take off our jackets and go into the laboratory.” With most of the songs already featuring in the band’s live set, it was just a case of getting everything down on tape. “We just went in and played the songs 36 times,” Pikkle laughs. In addition to the couple of covers, It’s A Long Long Way To Meximotown includes a selection of amusing tracks, including Macaroni’s ode to his childhood family dog: Mi Perro Es Tan Feo (‘My Dog Is Ugly’). With lyrics consisting of ‘My dog is ugly/Oh why is my dog ugly?/Because he was born backwards/I give him a kiss my dog’ this could well be the most sincere, and beautifully simplistic tribute to the canine species on record. “Whenever one of us would take the family dog to show and tell or walk it down the street, people would just tell us how ugly it was and abuse us,” Macaroni says. “It’s a really beautiful song – and live, people really do cry,” he smiles.

Puta Madre Brothers’ success – managed entirely by the band itself, with no label or organised industry backing – begs the obvious question: how long can Puta Madre Brothers continue to exploit the Meximotown gimmick? It’s a question the members of the band are aware of. “It’s a half, or maybe just a third of a joke,” Macaroni says. “It’s like using a joke to be sincere,” Pikkle adds. “Yeah, it’s using a joke to make sure there’s still good music in the world,” Macaroni says. “And we keep getting these letters saying there’s a fourth brother somewhere in the world, so we need to respond to that,” Macaroni says. It’s A Long Long Way To Meximotown is out now through Baboso Recording Co, distributed through Fuse. PUTA MADRE BROTHERS launch the album at the East Brunswick Club on Saturday February 25 with special guests Mesa Cosa.

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Beat Magazine Page 65

DASHBOARD CONFESSIONAL BY JOSHUA KLOKE

Ten years is a long time to do anything. Consider where you were ten years ago, and the extenuating circumstances that brought you to the place you are today. Odds are you’re not only in a different place, but the place you’re in and the person you are now is quite far from the expectations you had ten years ago. This harried attempt to find solid footing is simply the nature of the world we live in. Chris Carrabba is a product of this world, and he too is doing the best he can to maintain his place in the world. As the man behind the acousticallyinclined emotive act Dashboard Confessional, Carrabba recently reached a plateau in the band’s existence: their ten year anniversary. When asked about how his original expectations for the band match up against the current state of Dashboard Confessional, Carrabba shows a sense of forthrightness that will become something of a theme throughout our 25-minute conversation. “Oh no. I’ve definitely exceeded my original expectations for the band 100 times over,” says the well-spoken Carrabba, reached on the line from his home outside of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. “I adjusted that vision when I realised that this thing of mine could possibly be a success. There was a possibility that I had the opportunity to make this my life. That’s a grand goal, but I looked at it in a very pragmatic way. Treating the opportunity with the respect it deserved and not blowing through it in a fit of self-importance. And because of that, I picked my spots as well. I’ve been grateful every step of the way. So far, I’m right where I hoped I’d be, but not where

I expected I’d be.” Carrabba is quick to add however that although he’s pleased with how his career has turned out, he’s still careful not to get too comfortable. “Although, I will say, it has been a while since I’ve put out a record. There’s always that artistic frustration that you’re resting on your laurels. I certainly don’t want to be trading in my old stock.” For the 36-year-old, his ten years with Dashboard Confessional can bottle down to simply a state of mind. Carrabba believes that while his records are beginning to get on in years, each individual song comes to life in a different manner every evening. “What’s great is that the records that I make are really just a means to necessitate a live show. The songs continue to then grow endlessly. Even though the songs I play can be ten years old, they’re really only as old as that day once I start playing them onstage.” What started with Swiss Army Romance, Carraba’s debut with Dashboard Confessional has evolved into a career that spans six full lengths and five EPs. Yet it was Swiss Army Romance which established his beguiling acoustic push as something of a cult favourite. When it came time to celebrate the ten year anniversary

“I GUESS I’M NOT INTERESTED IN BEING COOL. I’D RATHER BE CONNECTED TO PEOPLE.”

Q&A OFFICER PARROT Band: Officer Parrot Define your genre in five words or less: Folk/indie/roots/pop! So, someone is walking past as you guys are playing, they then go get a beer and tell their friend about you... what do they say? “I pretended I was part of the band and they poured me this for free!” How long have you been gigging and writing? We’ve been gigging for a bit over two years, and have been

Beat Magazine Page 66

lucky enough to be able to play all original sets right from the start. What has been your favourite gig you’ve played to date? Definitely the launch of our debut album One Day at The 303 in July last year, we had a great turn out and it was a really fun night. Which band/artist would you most like to have a battle/ showdown with? Probably Rebecca Black. Do we have to give a reason? What inspires or has influenced your music the most? Artists like Beirut, Sufjan Stevens, The Shins, Radiohead,

of the record, Carrabba admits he was initially a little taken aback. “I don’t ever get away from what I’ve done. I’m still having the career that I started. I certainly don’t look at it from a nostalgic point of view, though that may be a factor in the listener’s experience. But to me, these songs I write, they’ve been my life every day. Certainly professionally. So I didn’t look at it in terms of a celebration. I think I was facilitating a forgone conclusion. The year running up to the anniversary, people kept asking me what I was going to do. And it didn’t occur to me to celebrate it beyond something personal. You know, maybe just go out to dinner.” Carrabba eventually re-released the record with hand-written lyrics, amongst other additions aimed at Dashboard’s legions of fans. “When I see that kind of thing from Morrissey or something, I get excited,” says Carrabba. “But still, I’m always moving forward. I don’t love looking backwards for anything other than…cautionary tales,” he says with a chuckle. “You get in trouble when you look backwards and celebrate yourself too much.” If anyone were to allow themselves the opportunity to celebrate their work, Carrabba would be justified in doing so. His songs swing to the emotional side of the fence, forgoing powerful cerebral trips for connections that he hopes will stay permanent. Yet when asked if he considers the intense connections his fans form with his songs when writing, Carraba understands that notion is easier said than done. He’s been trying for ten years, but Carrabba seems better suited to do things his way. “A knock on me, maybe justified, is that the songs are too sad. They’re for sad people, but I don’t think they’re for people to be sad. I think they’re to bring people out of sadness. At least that’s the purpose they’ve served in my life.” “For me, the song-writing process is very reactionary,” he continues. “You’re chasing or reacting to new things happening around you. And anytime I’ve stopped in that process to consider changing a line or something because I feel like that’s the kind of thing people might like. Or that’s a and Fleet Foxes have all had a lot of influence on our music. We’ve also spent a lot of time at folk music festivals which has certainly rubbed off on our song writing quite a bit. What do you think a band has to do these days to succeed? Ideally a key band member has to be held hostage by pirates, so that music sales can be advertised as contributing to the ransom fund. But seriously, if we knew the answer to this question, our secretary would be filling this out from the ninth storey of our beach house mansion in Miami. Do you have any record releases to date? What? Where can I get it? We sure do! We have an album called One Day that you can buy from Readings Bookshop, iTunes, or straight from us at a gig, which is the most fun option! Why should everyone come and see your band? Because we’re not quite like any other band. There’s a lot

DISCUSS WHAT? BEAT.COM.AU/DISCUSSION

feeling I know others have had and they’ll be able to relate to, I’ve really missed the mark. And that’s disappointing. Not every song is going to be resonant. But I have been lucky in that I’m willing to chase a song. And I’m willing to be honest within a song and to a degree, leave myself open to criticism. And that point, and only at that point, will I be effective in connecting with people. I guess I’m not interested in being cool. I’d rather be connected to people.” DASHBOARD CONFESSIONAL join the bill of the soldout Soundwave Festival at Melebourne Showgrounds on Friday March 2. They will also play a Sidewave at the Prince Bandroom on Wednesday February 29.

of variety and energy in our sets. Also, it’s cheaper than seeing a movie. When are you playing live/releasing your album/EP/ single/etc? We’re playing at The Grace Darling with Canary, and Tulalah on Thursday February 16... Be there!

JASON LYTLE BY TARYN STENVEI

The notion of the starving artist is a puzzling one. Musicians are expected to sacrifice material well-being and live on minimum expenses, then dedicate their disposable income to producing more art for public consumption. A romantic notion, sure, but not always a sustainable one. When Jason Lytle – frontman and mastermind of influential ‘90s indie space-pop band Grandaddy – announced the group’s split on the back of their fifth record release, he cited financial instability as the catalyst for the end. Discussing the decision today, he is still extremely forthcoming and unguarded about why he had the good sense to stop, to say ‘when’. “It’s obviously very complicated but one of the ingredients in the complication was just me being a realist. I think it’s just always nice if you can see your success [that] sort of parallels the money that it takes to continue doing what you’re doing. Any businessmen out there can probably relate. “There was a lot of stuff that contributed to the overall ‘let’s just bow out gracefully here’ thing. And I’m fine with that. It’s just what needed to happen and I can totally look at it conversely and just say that what we pulled off was incredible and way much more than I would’ve ever dreamt of.” Their achievements were numerous: critically acclaimed albums, sell-out tours, and an organic rise in popularity that never saw them sacrifice their integrity. However, in 2006, after a career spanning a decade and a half, Grandaddy stopped operating as a band. The ‘farewell’ release Just Like The Fambly Cat was never toured and Lytle took a much-needed step back to deal with his creative outlook. “The most important thing that took place [happened] towards the end of Grandaddy. I had successfully fallen out of love with music. And that to me was the biggest thing. I hadn’t entirely, but I was on the road to just completely losing interest to anything connected to it. And to me, that was a crime. The unfathomable was happening and I think in the name of salvaging it and having to rebuild it and fall back in love with it, I had to go through this little period. And I think that took about four or five years, and then once I started coming around with other parts of my life, it all started falling into place.” Lytle has maintained a relatively low profile in the years since the split, but he has quietly re-entered the world of music creation, both as a solo artist and with his band Admiral Radley. He released one solo album in 2009 (Yours Truly, The Commuter), and is on the cusp of releasing his next. “I just finished mixing a new record. Literally right when I get back from Australia the wheels are going to be in motion of getting that all promoted and getting all the artwork done and getting it out in the middle of the year, I believe. It’s been almost two years in the making and I just spent a week and a half in Portland. As a matter of fact I’m on my way home from that trip right now,” he says.

“I HAD SUCCESSFULLY FALLEN OUT OF LOVE WITH MUSIC. AND THAT TO ME WAS THE BIGGEST THING.” Home, for Lytle, is another key contributor in rekindling his devotion to his art. “I live in an area now that makes me not want to kill myself,” he laughs, referring to departing Grandaddy’s Californian hometown of Modesto (“an unhealthy, downer place to live”) and lodging himself in natural and mountainous Montana. “I just didn’t know what it took, to keep me functioning, to keep making good work. I kind of lost it. I didn’t know how to figure it out. And so I’ve kind of gotten into a program, I’ve gotten into a routine now. Where I live is in very close proximity to a lot of outdoors, a kind of wild area in mountains and so pretty much I work around music.” Despite this absorption in nature, much of Lytle’s songwriting focuses on mankind and his relationship with technology. “I have my own studio and I’m steeped in very sophisticated, complicated equipment but I find my own relationship. I’m able to straddle those two lines [between nature and technology]. I can be sifting through forms and just doing really complicated editing on the computer and checking frequency responses of microphones and in 35 minutes I can be up on some ridgeline being attacked by a bear and dying of hypothermia,” he laughs. Lytle returns to Australia this month for the first time in eight years. Previously outspoken about his distaste from touring, his new perspective and approach to producing music seems to have better prepared him for time on the road. “This is really going to be a redeeming trip for me because basically I’m playing maybe eight shows in the whole tour, but I’m actually going to be there for about two and a half weeks. So I’m going to have a lot of time for travelling. We’re just travelling in a car, me and a buddy of mine. And I’m bringing camping gear in addition to music gear. We should be doing some sightseeing and just as much playing shows as relaxation, taking in the atmosphere. “I’ll do small tours or I’ll do these trips but then I retreat and I recharge my batteries and I just make sure that I don’t beat myself down. I don’t wear myself out like I used to.” JASON LYTLE plays The Toff In Town on Wednesday February 22 and Thursday February 23. Tickets from Moshtix or feelpresents.com. DISCUSS WHAT? BEAT.COM.AU/DISCUSSION

Beat Magazine Page 67

ROCK THE BAY FESTIVAL Now in its fourth year, the massive Rock The Bay festival is shaking up and taking over the Espy again this Saturday February 18, headlined by musical heavyweights Dead Letter Circus and featuring over 25 bands across three stages, including Floating Me, Twelve Foot Ninja, Bellusira, Ten Thousand, Tim McMillan Band, New Skinn, Bugdust, Moroccan Kings, The Morrisons and heaps more. Tickets are moving quickly, so head to Oztix and Oztix outlets or The Espy to grab one quick-smart.

FLOATING ME BY BIRDIE

Normal bands first get together, maybe release an EP or two, then unleash the everimportant debut album... Floating Me is not a normal or average band in any sense of the word, with its members opting to do things the opposite way by conceptualising their first record, then officially proclaiming themselves a collective. Frontman, and ex-Scary Mother vocalist, Andrew Gillespie explains how his new project came together and why he’d rather you didn’t call them a ‘supergroup’. “The mission was the album,” he says of last year’s self-titled debut. “The reason the project came together was because of that one thing. Over a period of time, more and more members joined with the goal of completing the record and just that. When we initially started writing it, there was only the three of us from Scary Mother, then once we got to the stage we had a few more people onboard, we felt we could have a go at actually recording the album. That’s when we invited Lucius [Borich, drums] and Lucius suggested Jon [Stockman, bass]. Lucius and I had already played around putting down the groundwork for that record years ago when he was still in Cog but time was a big problem back then. When the album started approaching the finishing date, Lucius had more time and him and Jon came onboard.” Currently comprising three former Scary Mother members – Gillespie as well as Antony Brown on guitar and Tobias Messiter on keyboards – the addition of exCog drummer Borich and Karnivool bassist Stockman pretty soon saw tags like ‘supergroup’ getting thrown around, according to the singer. Considering the title to be somewhat pompous at best, Gillespie says

it’s the last thing the band considers itself to be. “Look, we didn’t even know how the album was going to work out in the end, let alone think about forming some kind of super-group,” the singer laughs. “The album turned out a lot better than anyone thought it would, simply because of the genius of Forrester Savell. He put in a lot of hard work to make the songs sound like they were made all at once from beginning to the end, like they were coming from the same place – when in fact it had been the opposite! In reality, the songs had all been recorded in bits and pieces all over the place, across so many different environments and using so much different equipment and stuff. Thanks to him, it all actually ended up sounding like it gelled together quite well. The fact that the album was also received pretty well in the press was nice but getting it done and finished was the biggest relief. The record had been in the making for some years and because of that it was also hard to actually climatise to the fact that you couldn’t change or tweak anything anymore, it was done, we had to let go of it, it was over.” Except it wasn’t really... Well, not as far as a follow up was concerned, that is. As Gillespie puts it, Floating

Me’s debut album may have been the original reason the band got together but it isn’t likely to just end there, thankfully. “I’m really excited about the fact that we now have a band that actually feels like a band because we are not just writing and recording, we’re actually getting out there and playing gigs too. The live element has certainly made it feel a lot more official and real. We’ve been really looking forward to writing more new material. What we were interesting in finding out the most with this album was how all of our experiences in songwriting in the past would sound once we put our heads together. We’ve all got backgrounds in bands and everybody in Floating Me is a songwriter in their own right. I’m really hoping that we get a quick plan happening both in terms of writing and playing more live shows. It’s definitely time for us to recharge and get stuck into new material, for sure.” According to Gillespie, the band is especially very much open to gigs in 2012. Kicking things off with

the upcoming Rock The Bay Festival at The Espy, the singer says he’s particularly looking forward to catching up with former touring mates Dead Letter Circus. “Last year was quite a prize for us because everything was a first-time experience for us as Floating Me,” he recalls. “We were very lucky to get onto some really great support slots in the process, like with Shihad and Dead Letter Circus. So far it’s been a pretty quiet start to the year because we haven’t really played any shows in the lead up to Rock The Bay, except for a New Year’s Eve show we did in Sydney. As far as the shows go, this is all we can see on the immediate horizon but I’m sure a lot of things will pop up very soon, which is another reason to just use this time as much as possible to put bits and pieces of writing together.” F L O A T I N G M E play The Espy Gershwin at 9.30pm.

BELLUSIRA

I, SAID THE SPARROW

BELLUSIRA VS I, SAID THE SPARROW Mark (Bellusira) questions Sean (I, Said The Sparrow)... You guys are from Perth, a rich area for bands to come out of. Is the scene still thriving over there? The scene is definitely thriving here. I’ve always thought that because we have a dwindling number of venues to perform at, bands are in a way forced to get their game to a higher level so there is a demand for them to play at these venues. It’s rare to go out in Perth and see a subpar performance. What do you draw your inspiration from for your music? I draw most of my inspiration from personal experiences, situations I’ve seen friends in, or general observations on the human condition. Any new releases on the horizon? The first single off our debut EP will be out in the next few months, with the EP to drop midyear.

How can people get a hold of your music? People can download our debut single I’m A Villain And I’m Online from iTunes or you can grab a hardcopy from us at shows. Crutey from Saltar Hype is a pretty guy, what do you reckon his best features are? Crutey is definitely pretty fly for a white guy. I’d say his best features are his legs, have you seen him in heels?

Sean (I, Said The Sparrow) questions Mark (Bellusira)... What vegetable would best describe your band? Sweet potato or Kumara. Perfect blend of Australia and New Zealand and tastes delicious! Would you rather have x-ray vision, Or, have tiny light sabers for fingernails? X-ray vision so I can perve on Crutey from Saltar Hype. He’s so hot right now.

If you could change places with someone in the band for 48 hours, who would you change with and what would you do? I would pick to change with Vinny our guitarist. His guitars are so sexy and it is much safer for your health to be beside his Mesa than have it directed straight at you. Kill, marry or shag? Kermit the Frog, Homer Simpson, Jabba the Hut. Shag Homer Simpson. He would be a predator in the bedroom. Marry Kermit the Frog. I would like to be

with a gentleman. Kill Jabba the Hut. Have no interest whatsoever in Star Wars! Where does the band name Bellusira come from? A photographer friend of ours referred to the band as beautiful anger. We took two latin words Bellus (Beautiful) and Ira (Anger) and bang! We became Bellusira. BELLUSIRA play the Gershwin Room at 8.30PM. I, SAID THE SPARROW play the Front Bar at 12.40AM.

ROCK THE BAY - SATURDAY FEBRUARY 18 - PLAYING TIMES GERSHWIN

FRONT BAR

THE BASEMENT

1.20AM - 2.20AM NEW SKINN 12.10AM - 12.55AM TEN THOUSAND 10.50PM - 11.45PM BUGDUST 9.30PM - 10.20PM FLOATING ME 8.30PM - 9.05PM BELLUSIRA 7.35PM - 8.05PM MOROCCAN KINGS 6.40PM - 7.10PM ENNIS TOLA 5.45PM - 6.15PM FREESTATE 5.00PM - 5.25PM FISKER 4.10PM - 4.35PM OUT OF ORBIT

1.40AM - 2.40AM POETIKOOL JUSTICE 12.40AM - 1.20AM I, SAID THE SPARROW 11.15PM - 12.15PM DEAD LETTER CIRCUS 10.05PM - 10.45PM TWELVE FOOT NINJA 9.05 - 9.40PM SUB ATARI KNIVES 8.10 - 8.45PM TIM MCMILLAN BAND 7.10 - 7.45PM DECORTICA 6.15 - 6.45PM I AM DUCKEYE 5.20 - 5.50PM SHADOWGAME 4.25 - 4.55PM APACHE MEDICINE MAN

1.15AM - 1.50AM EMPRA 12.15AM - 12.50AM TABULA RASA 11.15PM - 11.50PM FREE TO RUN 10.20PM - 10.50PM THE MORRISONS 9.25PM - 9.55PM RHYMADA 8.30PM - 9.00PM SIGNET MAE 6.00PM - 8.00PM PHIL PARA BAND 5.00PM - 5.30PM CITRUS JAM

Beat Magazine Page 68

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THE RAMSHACKLE ARMY

CITY AND COLOUR

CRUNCH! SUGAR ARMY RELEASE NEW SINGLE

Sugar Army have released Hooks For Hands, the ﬁrst single from their forthcoming second album, which is due for release later this year. The album was recorded in Sydney in July and August last year at Big Jesus Burger Studios with producer Eric J, who has worked with Weezer and the John Spencer Blues Explosion. It was mixed by Scott Horscroft, who has manned the board for Silverchair and The Preserts. Hooks For Hands can be downloaded for free at the band’s oﬃcial website, sugararmy.com.au.

Groovin’ The Moo have announced their 2012 lineup, and most importantly marked City And Colour’s first tour of Australia since the sensational Little Hell was released. Other acts on the bill include Andrew WK, The Getaway Plan and Wavves. GTM will come to Bendigo on Saturday May 5. Break The Ice Fest has been moved to TLC in Bayswater on Sunday March 10 to accommodate the demand for tickets. An extra bunch of tickets have been unleashed, and In Trenches and Endless Heights have just been added to the bill. In other local news, The Go Set have revealed that they’ll hit the road in support of their new self-titled album. Their tour kicks off in Melbourne at The Nash in Geelong on Saturday February 25, then the Boolarra Festival in LaTrobe on Saturday March 3. They’ll eventually finish up at The Espy’s Gershwin Room on Friday May 4.

Sydney up and comers Tonight Alive – who are currently on tour in the UK and Europe - have revealed that they’ll play the Vans Warped Tour this June in the USA. Melbourne’s Ramshackle Army also announced this week that they’ll tour the US with Dropkick Murphys and Frank Turner, even playing at Washington’s epic RFK Stadium for Shamrock Festival 2012. Metal lords Veil Of Maya will tour Australia this April along with Newcastle’s The Storm Picturesque and Sydney band, Stories. Catch them at The Musicman Megastore in Bendigo on Tuesday April 10, Karova Lounge in Ballarat on Wednesday 11 and at Phoenix Youth Center in Footscray on Friday April 13. Alright kids, hands up who wanted to see The Pretty Reckless get their own headlining gig? GETTHAFUCKOUTTAHEEERE. Somehow some lithe marginally talented actress has scored her own headlining spot. The good news is, Sydney pop punk dudes Heroes For Hire are supporting, so that’s at least one reason to get to the Thornbury Theatre on Wednesday February 29, right?

DEAD LETTER CIRCUS

When classic, almost parody-like images of rock’n’roll excess are conjured up, one can’t help but imagine the misunderstood heavy rocker sitting alone in his home, usually somewhere in Los Angeles. And though Lostprophets originally hail from Pontypridd, Wales, many of the members of Lostprophets, including drummer Luke Johnson, now find themselves taking up residence in the City of Angels. So when Johnson answers the phone from his home “In the valley, outside of Los Angeles”, little time is wasted before discussing the band’s early days, when their heavy, nu-metal sound was broadcast to the world through mainstream pop television. Thefakesoundofprogress, the band’s debut, was remastered and re-released by Columbia Records and many accused Lostprophets of abandoning their underground roots for the sake of mainstream success. Years later, however, Johnson doesn’t get defensive.

MONDAY FEBRUARY 20: La Dispute, The Smith Street Band. Palisades at The East Brunswick Club

GIG ALERT: MELODY BLACK

You’re going to Rock The Bay at The Espy on Saturday February 18, right? Dead Letter Circus, Floating Me, Twelve Foot Ninja, Bellusira, Tim McMillan Band, Ten Thousand, Bugdust, New Skinn, I Said The Sparrow (WA), Moroccan Kings, Poetikook Justice (SA), Freestate, I Am Duckeye, Rhymada, Signet Mae, Tabula Rasa (SA), Phil Para, Decortica (NZ) and many more. Tickets on sale from oztix.com.au, The Espy, Polyester, Greville Records, Fist 2 Face, The Nash in Geelong and Karova Lounge in Ballarat. Check out rockthebayfestival.com for info and playing times..

BY JOSHUA KLOKE

SUNDAY FEBRUARY 19: La Dispute, Infinite Void, White Walls at Corner Hotel (U18) Darren Gibson, Ben David, Maricopa Wells, Luke Smith at The BEndigo Hotel

FLOATING ME

GIG ALERT: ROCK THE BAY

LOSTPROPHETS

SATURDAY FEBURARY 18: La Dispute, Harmony, Hoodlum Shouts at The Corner Hotel Underground Lovers at Northcote Social Club Brat Farrar, The Meanies, Mesa Cosa at Yah Yahs Hometown, On Pacific, Who Invited The Wolf at Bang Kromosom, Unknown To God, Debacle, Pneumatic Slaughter, Havattijat at The Bendigo Life and Limb, Wicked City, Palisades, Bat Yoghurt at The Gasometer Collapsed, Shit Weather, Urns, Grim Rhythm at The Gasometer Upstairs

METAL, HEAVY ROCK, CLASSIC ROCK

Melbourne hard rockers Welcome To The Numb have released a video for their single Sister. Produced by Morgan Evans and Guy Richards and ﬁlmed by SAE Institute, with stunts by AUSTUNTS Australia and eﬀects by ©SFX Australia, it’s a world-class video that you really should check out at their YouTube channel, youtube.com/WTTNROCK. The song is from their album Songs For Sleepwalkers.

Heaven The Axe are shooting a video for the song Enemy from their album Sex, Chugs & Rock ‘N’ Roll at Smythesdale Courthouse, 10 minutes outside of Ballarat, on Saturday March 3. Shooting kicks oﬀ at 12.30pm until around 4pm, and the band are looking for some rockers as well as some folks in suits to be involved in a courtroom scene where the band are put on trial against a judge who doesn’t turn out to be quite what you think he is in the end. Sounds badarse. Hit their Facebook page to RSVP for the event. Free Monster drinks will be handed out throughout the day to keep the jury on their toes.

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 17: The Ramshackle Army, The Tearaways, Cavalcade, Road Rats, The Furrows at The Gasometer Kill The Matador, Ben David and The Banned, Strathmore at The Gasometer Upstairs The Bonniwells, The Kremlings, The Heirophants, The Living Eyes at The Bendigo

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NEW WELCOME TO THE NUMB SINGLE

HEAVEN THE AXE NEED VIDEO EXTRAS

WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 15: River Of Snakes, The Loveless at Cherry Bar THURSDAY FEBRUARY 16: The Bombadiers, Road Ratz at Bendigo Hotel Jericco, MAsketta Fall, Pyrene, Driveby Epic at Next Whitehorse, Pivixki, Magda Mayas and Tony Buck at The Gasometer Venom Eyes, Risk and Reason, Machina Genova, Ghosts at Gasometer Upstairs

DESCENDENTS

Today I tip my hat to Resist for touring some of the best live bands out there at the moment. After they decimated my eardrums at Blood Sweat and Beers last weekend, I went to the East to get another taste of I Exist, only to find they added a fourth guitarist to their already lethal mix. Everything hurt afterwards. My brain was literally fuzzy like a laptop that’s been shaken violently. This week I’m looking forward to not affording it the rest and relaxation it deserves. Whitehorse at The Gasometer will be amazing, and I’m keen to see The Ramshackle Army do their thing at The Gaso before they head off the USA to try their luck. Most exciting, though, is La Dispute’s return. Resist have paired them with some of Melbourne’s finest over two overage performances. Harmony, Hoodlum Shouts, The Smith Street Band and Palisades will accompany one of the most exciting live bands out, and I’m so excited I am quite likely to blow my week’s wage on beers and merch. Pretty standard, really.

CORE GIG GUIDE

NEW PSYCHROPTIC ALBUM

Hobart’s Psychroptic released The Inherited Repression last week. Guitarist Joe Haley is pretty damn fond of the new one: “The Inherited Repression is far and away my favourite Psychroptic album thus far – all of us in the band think this. It’s the age-old cliché from bands when they talk about their current album as being the best of their career, blah, blah, but I have to say it because it’s true. We wouldn’t think there is a point of going on if we couldn’t outdo each album prior.” Haley says the band has really blown up everything to do with their sound on this one: the fast bits are faster, the slow bits are slower, and the contrast between dark and light more pronounced. Bam. Instead, he understands that it was simply an opportunity the band had to take. “We’ve talked a lot about those days. Before I was in Lostprophets I had most of their records. We’ve talked a lot about the pressures they faced with that first record. They did a lot of poppy magazines in the UK. Top of The Pops, as much as it has a lot of poppy manufactured stuff on it now, was still a really good medium for a band to get out there. So when they did put an alternative sounding band out there, it was a great opportunity. It offered a lot of mainstream exposure in the UK on the first few records that the band wouldn’t normally get. Top of The Pops introduced a lot of sounds to the average household that they never would have heard otherwise. “They also did a magazine aimed predominantly at 15-yearolds,” continues Johnson. “So they did get a lot of flack from some of the heavier bands that they ended up touring with. Because you can cross over too much; it’s easy to alienate your fans when every household has heard of you. Hardcore rock fans might have took issue and the band might have gone too far. They’ve said to me before that it was a mistake to do some of those things at the time. There was a learning curve over the first few records about what was right to do and what was wrong to do. And they learned these things by making those mistakes.” And it was those mistakes which turned Lostprophets into the band they are today. Now with four full-length records under their belt (And Weapons, their fifth, on the way in early April) the band are still garnering

COOL BAND ALERT: NEON CITY Check out Albury’s Neon City. These guys seem to be picking up all the good support slots in the Albury/ Wodonga region with their post-grunge rock. They’re listenable and melodic without being too wimpy, and they have a knack for big-ass choruses and cool production. Visit them at neoncity.com.au. large audiences, but can do so with a sense of integrity. “I think you will always spot an honest band,” says Johnson. “There’s something very crucial in maintaining your integrity. You won’t see us putting out a Christmas record. If that were put on the table by management, I think we’d all collectively say, ‘Are you crazy?’ “But that being said, there’s a fine mixture to it,” Johnson says matter-of-factly. Integrity may be one thing to Lostprophets, but being keen on how to play the rock’n’roll game is another altogether. “You’ve got to be honest, but you can’t just roll with a punk rock integrity and alienate yourselves. You’ll become a band that’s martyred. You’ll become successful for being martyred and everyone will get on board with you, but you’ll still being eating ramen noodles.” The balance that Johnson and Lostprophets have now found seems to be suiting them rather well. Weapons will inevitably mark a new chapter for a band that continues to chart their course. Now, Johnson is not the rock star who will sell his soul (And rely solely on early successes) to make a buck. Instead, Johnson and Lostprophets are now considering every angle, all the time. “We’ve evolved with every record. And we know there are some things we’re willing to do, and some things we’re not willing to do. We never want to sacrifice the music and reputation of the band. We just want to put out good music and keep our fans happy. Those fans in turn keep us where we are. Make sure your fanbase is happy, that’s first and foremost. Then always try to incorporate new fans within

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Sydney’s Melody Black released their debut album, Love Your Demons, last year to some pretty heavy acclaim. The video for lead track Pretty Ugly was hammered on MTV and Rage. They toured their arses oﬀ. Then they stopped for a few months. Now they kick oﬀ the Love Your Demons Tour: Part II, hitting Revolver Upstairs on April 21. More info and a new video coming soon at melodyblack.com.

GIG ALERT: SYBREED European industrial groovers Sybreed will bring their rhythmic, melodic brand of metal to Australia in March, their ﬁrst ever visit to the antipodes. Support for the whole tour is from Anno Domini, but the jaunt takes in a few festival dates as well, including @MOSHPHERE in Melbourne and Brisbane. Catch Sybreed and Anno Domini on March 11 at The Hi HiFi with Eye of The Enemy, Elysian, Circles, Synthetic Breed, Hatchet Dawn, Aeon of Horus, Internal Nightmare, House of Thumbs, Naberus, Deliverance We Prey, Decimatus, Beserkerfox, Mastiﬀ and DJ Lady London.

FEEDBACK If you’d like to send hate mail, marriage proposals, news, rants, info about your band or whatever, email me at crunchcolumn@gmail.com.

the steady evolution of the band. If you take the first record and last record, you’ll hear a huge difference. But if you listen to them chronologically, you’ll hear an evolution. If we were to put out Thefakesoundofprogress now, it’d sink like a stone. It was right for the market at the time, and this new record is right for the market right now. It’s very important to know who you are and where you come from and you don’t want to keep rehashing the same record.” LOSTPROPHETS play the massive soldout Soundwave Festival on Friday March 2, with a sideshow at Billboard on Thursday March 1. Beat Magazine Page 69

MUSIC NEWS

YOUR COMPREHENSIVE LOCAL GUIDE

THE BARON VS. DEADLY ARE THE NAKED

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The Baron

PLAYWRITE

THE STILLSONS The Stillsons are announcing their first Melbourne show for 2012. It will be at The Retreat Hotel, Brunswick on Sunday February 19 at 9pm, and entry is free. The band kicked off 2012 with their Mammoth east coast summer tour: twenty three shows throughout the whole of January. During the first two weeks of the tour, The Sydney Morning Herald declared their album Earnest the ‘best of the week’. So get down to The Retreat to experience a truly unique live show for no cost. You’ll be making money!

CYNDI BOSTE It would be a mistake to try to pigeonhole Cyndi Boste’s music to a speciﬁc genre. Her rich, soulful voice can penetrate the hardest of hearts. It’s raw sugar and milk, blue cotton and silk. This is country with a twist, blues with a twang, and everything in between. Experience it in the Victoria Hotel beer garden this Sunday February 19 from 5pm. Free.

Playwrite love Choosedays at The Toﬀ with special guests Tessa & The Typecast and Albert Salt. February is the month to celebrate their love of life, music and each other with the band who do nothing but just that. After only nine months together, it’s safe to say that Melbourne band Playwrite have accomplished quite a lot in that time. After nearly ﬁfty shows, two EPs, a host of international and national support slots and a passionate fan base captivating music lovers and makers alike. So bring along the loves of your lives to these shows that are not to be missed.

SINGLE TWIN Crafted over six years on his home computer, ex-Deloris singer-songwriter Marcus Teague self-recorded one of the year’s most haunting albums. Single Twin’s first headline show since a national tour in August 2011, Teague and band will bring his acclaimed debut to life in five-piece band mode. Mystery support comes from one of Australia’s most celebrated artists. Catch the show on Sunday February 19 at the Toff In Town, tickets are $13+bf on sale from Moshtix or $15 on the door.

THE BITTER SWEETHEARTS This February, The Bitter Sweethearts are celebrating the release of their debut self-titled EP with a Wednesday residency at the Old Bar. Copies will be available only at these shows so come down, pick up a copy and enjoy a beer with them and all the great bands they’ve handpicked for supports.

SALTAR HYPE’S 5TH BIRTHDAY BASH

THE BOMBAY ROYALE

On February 23, 2007, event management company Saltar Hype (Rock The Bay, Creepshow Halloween Festival, Showdown At The Corner) launched itself onto the scene with a ﬁve band lineup at the Hi-Fi Bar. Five years on and it’s time to do it all again! Get down to the Hi-Fi Bar on Saturday February 25 for Saltar Hype’s 5th Birthday Bash featuring some of Melbourne’s best live acts in Engine Three Seven, Sleep Parade, Black & White, The Evening Son and Anna Salen. Tickets on sale now at thehiﬁ.com.au.

The Bombay Royale is a Melbourne band dedicated to honouring and reviving the funky, bizarre and mysterious music of vintage Indian cinema. Dusting oﬀ near-unheard relics, smashing out Bollywood classics and putting down surfadelic Hindi originals is all in a day’s work. This band brings the sound of the Golden Age of Bollywood back to the future, where it belongs. They play the Evelyn hotel every Tuesday in February, with special guest DJs spinning tunes throughout the night. Free entry.

Mark Turner, guitarist from The Baron takes on Deadly Are The Naked The new EP sounds huge! How did you write and record? The songs were written as a result of touring, rehearsal, and generally hanging out. Most of our songs evolve over time rather than in a few sessions. Recording was completed at Adelaide University’s recording studio, and our home studios. Where can I get the EP? thebaron.bandcamp.com. It’s free! Tell us about the music scene in Adelaide, and where The Baron ﬁts in. Adelaide is rich in terms of talent and quality. There are lots of venues in the CBD. This creates a vibrant scene but has obvious disadvantages being a small city. We believe strongly in supporting our local scene. We run a venue called the Worldsend Hotel and host an open mic night at the Crown and Anchor. Tell us about your Victorian tour. We are launching our new EP over three shows. Thursday February 16 at Pony, Friday February 17 at Espy, and Saturday February 18 at The Brunswick Hotel. We love playing in Melbourne, because the crowds really support rock music. Dion Melder, guitarist for Deadly Are The Naked,

takes on The Baron. How and when did Deadly Are The Naked form? We formed on a hot beer soaked Australia Day in 2004. It wasn’t an official formation, more of a hostile hostage situation from an ambitious axeman. Talk about your first trip to Adelaide and why you chose to go there. We chose Adelaide because it was the closest capital city to Melbourne. Our first gig was with The Baron, who have now become lifelong friends. It is something we’ll never forget. What can we expect from Deadly Are The Naked at your upcoming gig Friday February 17 at The Espy? The gig will be a no holds barred, no rulebook, tour de force. When does your singer get off parole? Friday February 17. Straight from the steel gates to the gig. Hence why we’ve been so quiet of late. You have sexy tunes, and reasonable looks, Why don’t have hordes of women chasing you everywhere? We are men of mystery. Men want to be like us and want to be with us. Why do you try to steal our girlfriends when you come to Adelaide? We never steal. We only borrow.

THE BONA FIDE TRAVELLERS Genuine horsemen with notches on their guns, guitars, drums and ﬁddles, The Bona Fide Travellers are a riveting roots band whose members were in the vanguard of the progressive country scene in the seventies. They stay alive to play live! Watch them do so at The Victoria Hotel this Saturday February 18 from 10pm. Free.

NIGHT TERRORS Melbourne instrumental heavyweights Night Terrors have been petrifying punters since the early 2000s. Featuring vintage horror synth, breakneck rhythms and the haunting theremin melodies of Miles Brown (student of Russian theremin queen Lydia Kavina), Night Terrors oﬀer a mind-melting mix of dark synth magic, thunderous dreamscapes and other-worldly electronica. The last 18 months have been huge for the band, with three European sojourns, and supports for such names as Goblin, Hawkwind, Lou Reed & Laurie Anderson, Black Mountain, Boris, Serena Maneesh, Bardo Pond, and Melt-Banana. With a brand new album about to burst from the gates, don‘t miss this rare chance to see the Terrors on home soil before they head oﬀ into the cosmos once again. Special supports on the night from gorgeous heartbreakers Pearls and brand new dream chill act Rohypnotise, then stick around for a late night electronic frenzy with special solo sets by Rohan Rebeiro (My Disco / Kangaroo Skull) & Alex Akers (Forces).

THE TERRY MCCARTHY SPECIAL The Terry McCarthy Special have released their debut record called Lucitania It is a cracker complete with the instant classic Sounds Like Country Music To Me and the funk reggae tribute The Rolling Stones together with the haunting Winchelsea murder ballad Going Down and The Humourous and brilliant story songs Guitar Cord and Music To Your Babies. The band is hot right now coming oﬀ a successful launch at The Northcote Social Club. TV and Radio star Dylan Lewis adds funkcuntry keyboard and Garret Costigan is the best pedal steel player. These blokes are the icing on the moist rich rhythm cake baked by the special. They play The Gem on Friday February 17.

SWEET FELICIA AND THE HONEYTONES Sweet Felicia and her band The Honeytones are the current MBAS Blues Performers of the Year for 2010/2011. They travelled to Memphis in February 2011 and made it through two heats of Quarter-Finals to the Semi-Finals. A stunning achievement against 120 bands from all over the world. Sweet Felicia drives her band to swing hard and give the music feel that reminds us of the ‘hot clubs’ of the ‘40s and ‘50s along with deep grooving shuﬄes as she delivers her original songs in a voice that we cannot forget is paramount to her ideology that music must be played with a depth of feel, heart and soul for it to be enjoyed by all. She plays this Sunday February 19 at The Standard Hotel. Beat Magazine Page 70

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CLARKFIELD MUSIC FESTIVAL

KIM SALMON & SPENCER P JONES

The First Annual Clarkefield Music Festival will see some of Australia’s finest musicians join forces for a common cause, as they raise money to help assist children and their families living in poverty in Cambodia. All money raised on the day will go directly to building a new school for over one thousand children in the Kampong Thom province of Cambodia. The Festival will feature renowned musicians Kim Salmon, Nick Barker, Hope Addicts, Dead River Deeps, James McCann, Brother Johnstone, Saint Jude and Jeb Cardwell. Set on a vast grassy green lawn, surrounded by paddocks, trees, old wagons and the beautiful old bluestone buildings of The Clarkefield Hotel (Coach and Horses Inn, 1857), it’s the most surreal and ideal place to lay down a rug, sip a cold beer and enjoy some of the finest music the country has to offer. With BBQ food, cold drinks, a jumping castle, good friends and great music, it’s a perfect way to spend a Sunday and raise some much needed funds to help the lovely people of Cambodia. The Clarkefield Festival is happening on Sunday March 18 with tickets just $20 and available on the door. For more information head to clarkefieldmusicfestival.com.

Kim Salmon & Spencer P Jones! Many thought it wouldn’t happen. Seeing these two greats share the stage again. Well here it is suckers. Every god-damned Sunday in February at The Old Bar you’ll be able to witness two of the best get up on stage at The Oldie and show you why they’re the best. Damn I’m excited. This is going to be something else. Solo sets, guests and who knows? They might even play some songs together. You’re gonna have to be here to ﬁnd out. This Sunday February 19 and every following Sunday in February. 8pm, $8 at The Old Bar.

THE RIPE LAUNCH PARTY Tehachapi and Private Life will be supported by some of Melbourne’s best emerging live music acts on Saturday February 18 at Phoenix Public House to celebrate the launch of a new Melbourne based music network, The Ripe. Red Leader, Indian Summer DJs and Art Van Delay will also join the bill with other support acts; Blue Jays and Acolyte. Tickets are $5 through Moshtix. You can ﬁnd more information at theripe.tv The Ripe aims to cut through the clutter to provide a place to discover, listen and share the best new music in and beyond Melbourne.

KITCHEN KNIFE WIFE Kitchen Knife Wife exploded onto the Australian music scene in 2008 and quickly developed a reputation for their energetic live shows. Nine months later they left Australia’s shores for a theatre tour across Germany, Netherlands and Finland with UK band The Wombats; fronted successful UK showcases; and performed at Berlin’s Popkomm music conference. Returning to Australia in late 2008 Kitchen Knife Wife has since played a string of well received shows including an appearance at Melbourne’s 2009 St Jerome’s Laneway Festival. With the debut record complete and the ﬁrst single Happy released and toured (including a support tour w/ The Vasco Era) Kitchen Knife Wife have released a new single Easy To See. They play Yah Yah’s this Friday February 17 with Brisbane’s Dead Shades and opening on the night will be dynamic duo The Cheats.

BRAT FARRAR Before heading off to Europe for a 40+ date tour in support of his debut album, Brat Farrar launches his debut long player in Melbourne. With special guests Australian punk legends The Meanies and cool new kids on the block Mesa Cosa at Yah Yah‘s on Saturday February 18. Leaving behind his previous life as frontman of such well respected garagepunk acts as Digger And The Pussycats, Kamikaze Trio and Russian Roulettes, Brat Farrar has been reborn a one-man all singing all dancing, new wave machine. This will be Brat Farrar‘s second last Australian gig before an indefinite Australian hiatus. $12 on the door. And yes, the Meanies are playing Yah Yah‘s – finally! Doors at 5pm, bands from 9pm.

EMPERORS Perth-based Emperors are heading back on tour in February in support of their latest single Plastic Guns, and will be stopping in at Revolver tonight for a headline show with special guests Undercolours and Them Swoops. Plastic Guns has been on rotation on triple j for the past few months and is the ﬁrst taste of Emperors’ forthcoming debut album Stay Frosty, out in April on Gun Fever Music. The track is available now as a free download from emperorsmusic.com, and a limited edition physical copy of the single will be available at their shows. Emperors are also playing on Thursday February 16 at the Espy, supporting I Am Giant.

THE BARON The Baron is heading to Melbourne to celebrate the release of their new self-titled EP The Baron. Formed in 2006 by brothers Mark and Michael Turner, The Baron has forged its own unique blend of sounds that are inspired by below the belt booty grooves from the '70s, the stadium rocking sounds of the '80s, and the punching grunt of the '90s. It has been over a year since their last visit to Melbourne, and they are set to play three shows, on Thursday February 16 at Pony Bar, Friday February 17 at The Espy with The Scholars, Deadly Are The Naked, and Lucys Crown, and Saturday February 18 at The Brunswick Hotel.

THE MORRISONS Gearing up for a big Saturday night? Finding that a few quiet drinks down the road just doesn’t cut it? Well, ladies and gentlemen, now there’s a solution. The Morrisons! Appearing in The Tote front bar every Saturday in February at 5pm they’ll start your night with something fast and loud. They’ll raise your blood pressure, get your feet dancing and get you pumped for a night of boozing, moshing and stealing people’s mail. So get down to the Tote and get stupid with a bunch of lying, cheating, stealing, no good miscreants commonly referred to as The Morrisons.

MUSIC NEWS

YOUR COMPREHENSIVE LOCAL GUIDE

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NOISE BAR ACOUSTIC NIGHT Thursday February 16, Noise Bar presents one of its first acoustic nights of the year. Opening the night is Stellaluna, afemale folk/gypsy trio from Melbourne, with soothing vocal harmonies mixed with violin, guitar and piano. Second on the night are Paadmoose And The River Machine, a foot stomping folk group from the Mid North Coast. Following, they have Hiding With Bears, a five-piece folk/indie band from the outer suburbs. Next in line on the night is Kurt Gentle. A solo acoustic/roots musician bringing the stomp and some 11-string fingerpicking roots tunes. Ending the night we have Alister Turrill. A blues musician from Queenscliff way. A man with a lovely voice and a mean lap slide guitarist.

ACID WESTERN After 672 cups of tea, 281 scones, 18 bass amps and even more bassists, Acid Western feels he has ﬁnally compiled a musical tapestry worthy of gracing the famously upbeat vibe of The Noise Bar. All signs point to a simply delightful night as the boys from East Melbourne are joined by their friends Towers and No Zebra. Doors are at 8 and Noise Bar’s happy hour is from 5 to 9 so come down early and grab a $3 pot and some $6 basics to awaken the party monster within.

CRAIG-LEE SMITH Craig is an enigma, he has become part of the Melbourne music scene in his own very special way. Refusing to subscribe to the textbook examples set by the mainstream, Craig isn’t afraid to put himself out there. There is nothing subtle about Craig and he doesn’t pull any punches. His songs are honest, very Australian and sometimes absolutely hilarious. Catch him at The Town Hall Hotel in North Melbourne this Sunday February 19.

ONE Arising from relative obscurity to one of Melbourne’s most powerful headlining acts, heavy rock outﬁt One return to the Prague stage to deliver another evening of hard hitting, ﬁerce, alternative rock. 2011 was a strong year for the band, resulting in the release of a successful EP World In Decay and a number of sell out shows at some of Melbourne’s most iconic rock venues. They play The Prague this Friday February 17.

RIVER OF SNAKES The Wednesdays in February just keep coming around and they keep seeing River of Snakes return to the Cherry Bar for another furious night of noise, mayhem and Rock’n’Roll. This week Elissa Rose fronts her own band The Loveless as support, for a double dose of heavy-girl-grunge-high-jinx. River of Snakes just came back from a mini-tour of the ACT & NSW so they are primed and red hot. Bands start at 9pm, entry is free and there are cheap Jagers…sick.

HAWAIIAN KEG PARTY Aloha! For one night only, the magic of Maui will blow like a tropical breeze into Noise Bar for a Brunswick beach party like no other. To celebrate, local indie bands Young Maverick, Daydream Arcade and The Kilniks will have you riding a wave of sensational summer guitar grooves. Following these indie big kahunas, spinning sunshine and surf sounds supreme Celebrities Anonymous will deliver an exclusive Tropicana DJ set until the party ends. Come hang loose with exotic hula girls or unwind by experiencing the delight of a tropical massage while sipping pina coladas and $1 pots before entering the limbo competition on the dance ﬂoor. Turning up in grass skirts and coconut bras or Hawaiian shirts and board shorts not essential, but absolutely recommended. Doors open 7pm, $8 entry.

eat arepas, drink mojitos listen to

liveusic latin m

RY FREE ENT

wednesday 7:30

jonathan cohen thursday 7:30

simon hudson duo THE ORBWEAVERS Following a sold-out launch, RRR album of the week, and Melbourne Music Week appearances, Basement Discs are very pleased to announce that The Orbweavers will play an intimate set there this Friday February 17 at 12.45pm promoting their second and latest album Loom, which is a stunning collection of warm melodies weaved through songs that create rich acoustic textures. You can also catch them supporting Cass McCombs at The Corner this Friday February 17, playing the Applecore Festival at Thornbury on Saturday February 25, and Thursday March 8 for the opening night of the Carnival Of Suburbia at The Caravan Music Club.

friday 9:00

keshie saturday 9:00

banda sin fronteras sunday 6:00

jose nieto monday 7:30

santiago vela tuesday 7:30

julian posada

bookings recommended

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Beat Magazine Page 71

MUSIC NEWS

YOUR COMPREHENSIVE LOCAL GUIDE

For all the latest news check out beat.com.au

Q&A SERI VIDA Define your genre in five words or less: Raucus, unrelenting rock’n’roll with guts. So, someone is walking past as you guys are playing, they then go get a beer and tell their friend about you... what do they say? “Hey you should check out the band in there! I just pushed through the room and I reckon one of them’s deﬁnitely about to fall over.” How long have you been gigging and writing? Two years. What has been your favourite gig you’ve played to date? The Old Bar supporting Fathoms and Axxon amazing bands to play with and just a really fun room. Which band would you most like to have a battle/ showdown with? I reckon we could steal the stage from a number of bands on the radio today, but Nickleback would be the most fun to destroy. What inspires or has influenced your music the most? Most of the songwriting is inspired by personal drama and the stuﬀ that gets you all worked up in life. We’re inspired by performers who know that if you don’t give it everything you get nothing. What do you think a band has to do these days to succeed? Work hard at it, playing gigs and writing, touring, gigging and gigging some more. I think you just have to do it because you love it and much of the rest is down to luck and timing. Do you have any record releases to date? What?

KARAVAN INTERNATIONAL GYPSY FESTIVAL The lineup has been announced for the Karavan International Gypsy Festival, and it’s a good ‘un. The event will be held at The Corner Hotel on Saturday February 25, featuring the ﬁnest international gypsy music from Baro Banda (Istanbul), DJ Click (Paris), The Crooked Fiddle Band (Sydney), The Band Who Knew Too Much and heaps more. Tickets are available from The Corner Hotel box oﬃce and website.

COB FOLLY R2 LAUNCH NIGHT David Ross MacDonald (The Waifs) and Tomas Fitzgerald (Ennis Tola) kick oﬀ Cob Folly on Thursday February 23 at The R2, 60 Market St in the CBD. The R2 have teamed up with Melbourne indie label, Anon Islet Records, to create Cob Folly, a night which aims to showcase some tasty original live performances at an end of town that is in need of some musical tender love and care. Cob Folly will showcase original live shows on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday nights with acts starting after 7pm.

ANGIE HART & BLOOD RED BIRD

Where can I get it? We are about to launch our ﬁrst Single The Hound you can get it at the launch and online after the 24th at Bandcamp.com Why should everyone come and see your band? Because there’s not much else like us out there. And we are generous lovers *cough* I mean “performers”. When are you playing live/releasing your album/ EP/single/etc? We are launching our Single at Yah Yah’s on Friday February.

Angie Hart & Blood Red Bird with Cam Butler & The Shadows Of Love and very special guests Ananke. A veritable Kulture Klub of an event at Oakleigh’s Caravan Club this Friday February 17, with more bouzoukis than you can throw a piano accordion at. Three wholly unique bands coming together for a collaborative evening of the orchestral, the instrumental, and some good old pop music for lyrical ﬂavour.The evening promises a reinterpretation of some classic Frente and Angie Hart tunes, plus a handful of some evocative cover versions from a list of the band’s favourite songs. With collaborations from members of all the acts at varying stages throughout, it is no hollow threat to add that you don’t want to miss this one-of-a-kind, eclectic combination.

PEAR AND THE AWKWARD ORCHESTRA Castle is the newest single and ﬁlm clip to be released from Brisbane’s folk/pop darlings Pear And The Awkward Orchestra’s debut album Smocks! It comes hot on the heels of Bigger Than You and Oh Katrina, sweet juicy tracks from a triple j, PBS, RRR, 4ZZZ, 2SER and Radio National favourite. The Castle tour will see Pear and her Awkward Orchestra take on the East Coast in a celebration of the small, the intimate, the awkward and the handmade - the shortest line possible between artist and audience. She plays the Grace Darling on Saturday February 25.

LARGE NUMBER 12S The 12’s write and play songs that are Australia, and as street level as you would ever hear, played with the enthusiasm and attitude that leaves you convinced; these guys would be doing this whether they were paid or not. They have been doing this for so long that it’s obvious they don’t have to think too hard about it. It just comes oﬀ the bat like a sweetly hit six over the northern stand at the “G”. This is Melbourne, this is Australia, this is the 12’s. Turn it up and may the gods of pub rock bless them this Saturday February 18 at The Union Hotel Brunswick.

BEN DAVID & THE BANNED Ben David has been building a name for himself strongly as Adelaide’s folk/punk love child for the last five years. Now he’s finally put a full band together performing as The Banned featuring lifelong friends Sam DeBruin, Dan Raw and Alex Upton. Ben David & The Banned play their own unconventional blend of country and punk rock. The debut EP Brothers And Blisters is set for release February 24 through Anchorhead Records. The Melbourne launch is set for Pony on Saturday February 18. Also playing are good dudes with good tunes Daybreak, Foxtrot and Union Pacific. Doors 9pm. Then, to help Ben David And The Banned wrap up their trip to Melbourne, Ben has grabbed a few mates and is playing some stuff on a lovely Sunday arvo at the Bendigo Hotel. Still somewhat fresh to Melbourne, Luke Smith will be kicking it off, with Maricopa Wells (members of Strathmore, Quiet Condender, Kill The Matador, Bravado) who found now as good a time as any to get the ball rolling, doing some acoustic numbers you can expect to see and hear electrified soon. Also along for the ride is Darren Gibson, fresh off the release of his album Cross Town Motions and a ripping set at The Tote on Australia Day.

BLIP AUSTRALIA PREPARTY With Australia’s biggest chipmusic event hitting town this week, Soundbytes, Melbourne’s own regular chipmusic tonight, has put together a very special event to kick your Blip Weekend offright. Gertrude’s Brown Couch plays home to four of Australia’s finest chip artists, from all over this wide brown land. Men64 from Newcastle, Rubijaq from Brisbane and godinpants from Sydney join Melbourne’s Pselodux for one very special show. Joining them on the lineup could be... you! If you’re a chipmusic artist, sign up for the open mic and not only get your chance to strut your stuff in front of a room full of chip fans, you also get into the gig cheap. Doors open 6pm, $10 on the door or $5 if you’re playing open mic.

ALISON FERRIER Alison Ferrier is a multi instrumentalist who is as well versed on a ﬁddle as she is on a mandolin and has that old time folk tone that takes you to another era. Steeped in a romantic, melodic, dreamy, country sound, you are also in for some faster-paced songs which could have been written many decades ago. Along for the ride are seasoned players Tim Murphy on Double Bass and Matt green on guitar. Catch them all for free at Richmond’s Great Britain Hotel, Sunday February 19. 7pm.

TEX PERKINS & THE BAND OF GOLD The Band Of Gold became a unit by chance, bound by much-lauded deeds performed during The Man In Black tour. Re-interpreting a rag-tag bunch of songs - a smattering of alt-folk-country favourites with a patina all their own. Playing the songs of Kris Kristoﬀerson, Townes Van Zandt, Guy Clark, John Prine, Merle Haggard, George Jones, Porter Wagoner, Johnny Paycheck – songsmiths and performers who lived and are loved for the music they made. They play the Spiegeltent on Thursday February 16 (sold out) and the Regal Ballroom on Friday February 17.

STAR ASSASSIN For lovers of everything alternative, be sure to catch Star Assassin re-joined by Ryan Hynes on guitar this February, as they bust out their ﬁrst shows of 2012. Star Assassin will start performances for the new year, playing the Evelyn Hotel tonight with special guests A Candela Lie, Written In Ruins and more.

THE HAMISH ANDERSON BAND Melbourne four-piece, The Hamish Anderson Band, creates its distinctly infectious sound from a unique fusion of blues, folk, and rock’n’roll. The band have played at a wide range of venues across Melbourne and cite Revolver Upstairs, The Workers Club and Trak as highlights. In recent months, lead singer and songwriter, Hamish Anderson, ﬁnished recording his debut EP with producer, Eric J Dubowsky (Art Vs Science, Bluejuice and Weezer). He looks forward to its release in mid 2012. Catch the The Hamish Anderson Band at The Evelyn on Thursday February 16.

CHICO FLASH Chico Flash are a two-piece guitar and drum duo who are primarily improvisation, but over time they have written songs that fans want to hear again. They also occasionally score the third act of an obscure Italian horror movie live on stage. It has a chimp in it. If you have the attention span, they’ll surprise you. Charm are a three-piece rock band that have been kicking around the venues of Melbourne since December 2009. System Of Venus are an all female heavy rock band from Melbourne, Victoria. With an appreciation for low-end riffage, solid rock grooves and in-ya-face dynamics, System Of Venus create music that will flood a room with explosive energy while imposing a mean, trancelike stoner presence. Don’t miss three of Melbourne’s finest bands come together on Thursday February 16 at Pony from 8.30pm.

THE DARTS Projector, a collaboration of four musicians from different bands come together to produce music that covers ground from a wall of guitars atmosphere to erratic, punchy, pacing rock. For this show at Pony the band has linked together with Ivory Elephant whose influences range from Hendrix to the modern blues/rock acts of today. Also onboard are The Virgins, all the way from South Korea. Having recently relocated to Melbourne, they display a strong energy on stage and the audible velocity to back it up. Finally The Darts will be headlining with their sound that has become well stapled to Melbourne’s upcoming band scene, with their mix of dirty grunge and pop rock sensibility infused. The night is sure to be filled with a diversity of rock and energy for all, so don’t miss out this Thursday February 16 at Pony. Doors 9pm.

Developing musicianly drumming. Using technique as a means to bring out the best in your drumming.

Free half hour introductory lesson. Upstairs at Greville Records (the coolest record shop in town) 0415 118 390 or asho179@optusnet.com.au

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CASSINI Cassini are Dave and Joel: two friends who took their love for subwoofers to a new level by forming the most thunderous two-piece in town. Comprising just bass, drums and vocals, they generate a sound so thick that you would suspect it of murder... what else could have happened to their guitarist? They’re playing the Pony 2am late show on Friday February 17, and it’s going to be a show not to miss. Free entry.

60 SECONDS WITH…

MUSIC NEWS

TV SNOW

So then, what’s the band name and what do you ‘do’ in the band? We're called TV Snow and I play guitar. Bearing the terrible clichéd nature of this question, what do you reckon people will say you sound like? A mix of Bombay Bicycle Club, and Silversun Pickups, plus a sprinkle of awesome. What do you love about making music? Creating something from nothing, and hearing what everyone in the band does with it. Also playing in front of a big loud crowd is hard to beat. What do you hate about the music industry? The pop scene. A lot of the cliché musical ideas get recycled and re-marketed. It is what it is though. If you could travel back in time and show one of your musical heroes your stuff, who would it be and why? Jimi Hendrix, to see if he likes my guitar riffs. If you could assassinate one person or band from popular music, who would it and why? No brainer. It has to be Creed, for helping pioneer the post-grunge sound, and their part in creating the monster that is Nickelback. What can a punter expect from your live show? A wall of sound with catchy vocals and harmonies, and an underlying groove that you can move to. What’ve you got to sell CD-wise? We have our debut EP with us which we've brought over , and you can buy them at our shows. We'll probably give some away if you come down! When’s the gig and with who? We're playing at Revolver upstairs on Saturday February 18 with three awesome bands Celladore, The Bellastrades and Hudson. Anything else to add? Well we're recording our second EP at the moment which (fingers crossed) will be out mid-year. We are also playing another show at Yah Yahs on the Sunday February 19, just in case you miss the Revolver show, or you want some more TV Snow action. Oh yeah, Dear Melbourne! We don't know you yet but we'd love to meet you so come say hello at our shows! Please and thank you.

CHERRY BAR It’s a packed week at Cherry Bar as always, starting with some kick ass high octane rock ‘n’ roll from River of Snakes who will be continuing their Wednesday night residency, support comes from the Loveless and DJ Jack ‘Bitter Sweet Kicks’ Davies until 3am and entry is free. Then on Thursday February 16 it’s time for the PBS presented ‘Women Of Soul’ February Residency featuring Chelsea Wilson and Deep Street Soul. This week’s special guest vocalists include Shirley Davis, Talei Wolfgramm and Karen Morales. DJs Vince Peach and Pierre Baroni keep the party happening later on. Doors open at 5pm with door-charge $10 from 8pm ‘til 5am. On Friday get ready for some alt-rock and grunge good times with Vimm, Zebedy Rays and King of the North with DJ Lucy Arundel spinning tunes. Doors are 5pm, and it’s $13 to get in from 8pm ‘til 11pm, then $10 ‘til 5am. On Saturday Feb 18 as part of the Ignite tour, Arcane Saints will be hitting the Cherry Stage with Cast Iron Pinata, Haunting August in support and DJ Billy Walsh on the decks. Doors are 5pm with the charge $13 from 8pm ‘til 11pm, then $10 ‘til 5am. After that massive weekend lineup of shows it’ll be time to soothe your battered soul with another edition of Cherry Blues from 2pm to 6.30pm. Mr Black & Blues will perform two sets, with DJ Max Crawdaddy playing tunes. Then Kitty K plays ‘til 3am and entry is free.

THE CUBAN BROTHERS Everyone’s favourite Central American siblings, The Cuban Brothers are heading back to The Espy to whip you into a frenzy with their zany cabaret on Friday February 24. There are two things The Cuban Brothers do better than absolutely anyone: perform and party. This shizz is a wild act of camp musical theatre serving beats, soul and sex; shaken and stirred. It’s Cuban. It’s cabaret. It’s comedy. It’s damn cool. And the best bit? It’s absolutely free.

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PCS

THE BOWERS

PCS began life two years ago as a short lived trio only to play a handful of shows. Always entirely improvised they now continue in their attempts to transform the loose application of simply ‘jamming’ into the lofty ideal of ‘composing in the moment’. Additions of three new members and VJ Ladylux now see the current interpretation evolving into a six-piece lineup comprising multiple guitars, electronic devices, laptops and projectors, all engaged in an ecstatic exploration of inner space. Catch them on Thursday February 16, 8pm at Richmond’s Great Britain Hotel. Free.

With two LPs and ﬁve 7”s packed in the cone, The Bowers bong is ready to pull. And you’re going to have to breathe deeply ‘cause the chamber is so ﬂush with hits your lungs will dance all the way to the emergency room - X-rays proof of youth well spent making the best Bower-power garage pop. Their Odds Or Evens LP had received heaps of sick reviews and has just picked up a Spanish licence with the band to return to European shores in May. They play every Tuesday night in February in The Tote front bar, free from 8pm.

ANTARTICA

DUKE BATAVIA

Still shaking off the hangover from their second European tour, Antarctica return to the Old Bar this Friday night for their first headline show on Australian shores in over a year. Set against a backdrop of vintage bass synths, Antarctica send their $20 Casio through a barrage of pedals in an attempt to compete with the reverb drenched distortions a few feet away, steered all the while at a thousand miles an hour by a getaway driver behind a kit. Opening up the night is Colbinabbin’s third best band, which for a small country town isn’t usually saying much. In this case it is; The Steins set tongues wagging a few months back with their riff laden garage infused rock’n’roll. Smack bang in the middle are psych/ambient unit Yolke, who’ll do their best to leave you in a trance like state with their technocolour soundscapes and phosphorous encrusted beats. Antartica play the Old Bar this Friday February 17.

Melbourne’s Duke Batavia mix Hawaiian folk, doo-wop, early rock n roll and guitar noise with a shipload of sweet harmonies. Though a relatively new group, they pull on the history of Paciﬁc and feature members of Them Swoops, Custom Kings and the ukulele strum of Ben Birchall. They next take the stage on Saturday February 18 at the Great Britain Hotel, Richmond. They’ll be joined on the night by Joe Neptune, a mysterious country gospel troubadour who looks suspiciously like Nick Vorrath (Custom Kings) and Jarrad Brown (Eagle and the Worm). Doors 9pm. Entry is free.

Phantom Agents are a lively indie rock four-piece from the northern suburbs of Melbourne. They have been together for almost seven years and have just released their eponymous EP. Having played so many iconic Melbourne venues over the years notably The Tote, The Espy, Federation Square and The East Brunswick Club, the group have gained a solid and steadily growing fan base, centred around Melbourne’s northern suburbs. Phantom Agents take over Bar Open on Thursdays in February. Door 9pm, free entry.

ROSIE BURGESS TRIO Traversing their way around the world with an original blend of gypsy-folk-roots, The Rosie Burgess Trio are back on home soil to announce their brand new album release, Before I Set Sail. This marks the fourth studio release for the band and will see the dynamic trip set upon a wild voyage across the country. They launch their album at the Northcote Social Club on Thursday March 1, with support from Jungal. Tickets are $10 on the door and music starts from 8.00pm. For more info and tour details head to rosieburgess.com.

THUNDER ROAD

TV SNOW Hailing from the sunny coast of Western Australia, TV Snow take the stage at Revolver on Saturday February 18, to launch their self-titled debut EP. With the success of their EP launch in Perth, and the impressive reception from radio stations nationally, the band is ready to bring the live show to rest of Australia. TV Snow has already made quite an impact on the music scene, supporting US band Lydia as well as triple j favourites Bleeding Knees Club. TV Snow is a band that is moving forward and their launch will be no diﬀerent, with stellar support acts Celadore, The Bellastrades and Hudson.

PHANTOM AGENTS

GRAND PERCEPTOR Grrrrooowl! This is Grand Perceptor, the fearsome “terrorrock” trio from Bendigo that offers you that blend of psychosis and intensity you’ve been so desperately craving. With their crude instruments they will attempt to send tonal signals coursing throughout your veins, tenderising your body, crushing your bones and flavouring your flesh, finally ready for them to slovenly devour. You’ll soon have the pleasure of witnessing their energetic showmanship yourself when they crash land in The Tote Hotel on Thursday February 16 as they launch their new EP titled Invasions. They will present an explosion of raw passion and gripping stories of mad machines, parallel universes and extra-terrestrials returning to destroy humanity. 8.30pm, $8 entry or $15 with the EP.

THE BARONS OF TANG, MIKELANGELO & THE TIN STAR

CUT THE FAT

Join the world’s leading exponents of gypsy deathcore The Barons Of Tang in a showdown to the death with Surf’n’Western cowboys Mikelangelo & The Tin Star for the second last night at The East on Tuesday February 28. Accordions will bellow, guitars will twang, blood will be split, and Go Girl Gadget Go Go will dance up a crazy go go frenzy. Miss this gig at your own peril.

Cut the fat is the night that live music, not to mention good music, takes over The Royal Derby for a night. So come down for some great acts and get ready to have a massive night this Saturday February 18 with entertainment from Melbourne’s favourite surf rockers The Bluebottles (featuring members of Eagle And The Worm), The Dark Carnival Dolls burlesque show and The Chappel Show DJ. From 9pm onwards, $7 at the door.

Back by popular demand, Thunder Road are bringing their amazing three hour Springsteen show to the Corner Hotel once again. For any Springsteen fan in town make sure you pencil in Saturday March 3, as a night like this doesn’t come around very often for lovers of the Boss. Thunder Road are without doubt Australia’s number one Bruce Springsteen show. Formed in 2010, featuring a lineup of seasoned and professional musicians and a repertoire of over 35 songs, Thunder Road is dedicated to enjoying and sharing Bruce’s music in a live setting. Featuring a full seven piece ‘E-street’ style backing band, including saxaphone, piano, hammond, guitars, bass and drums – Thunder Road deliver the full Springsteen show like no one else. Come witness it for yourself on Saturday March 3 at the Corner Hotel from 8.30pm, tickets are $20 and available on the door.

THE TOFF NATIONAL SLAM DAY In support of National SLAM day The Toff In Town is proud to present a massive night of Melbourne’s most chaotic bands featuring The UV Race, Bitch Prefect and Repairs. The full-length debut masterpiece from Melbourne avanttard six piece UV Race, follows two limited-edition (and now highly sought after) 7” singles released here and in the USA, and has fulfilled the potential only hinted at on those EPs. Produced by Mikey Young of Eddy Current Suppression Ring, it brings to mind some of the cornerstones of mid ‘70s proto-punk (Modern Lovers, Gizmos, Electric Eels and the like), the UV Race likewise avoid rote punk trappings with their sophisticated use of piano and saxophone, and the over-riding presence of singer Marcus’ introverted musings on life as a small town misfit. His sincerity and unconventionality is what makes the UV Race truly compelling listening. Head down to The Toff In Town on Thursday February 23 to watch them tear up the joint, with help from Bitch Prefect and Repairs. Tickets are on sale now from Moshtix, Polyester Records (city) and on the door if available.

THE DEAD LEAVES Two of the country’s most exciting and fresh emerging bands The Dead Leaves and Enola Fall will be hitting the Toﬀ In Town this Thursday February 16. After impressing audiences at festivals over summer, and success with their radio single If The Shoe Fits, The Dead Leaves have a new single titled Ordinary Lot and will lead into the bands’ forthcoming album Cities On The Sea. Ostensibly isolated in Hobart, but uniquely switched on, Enola Fall write songs that sound a little like The Arcade Fire, a little like Tom Waits… and absolutely nothing at all like either of them. Don’t miss your chance to see these bands together in what will be a great show, and what is just the beginning of something special to come for both bands. Tickets are $10+bf, on sale from Moshtix or $15 on the door. CHECK OUT ALL THE LATEST NEWS, REVIEWS AND FREE SHIT AT BEAT.COM.AU

Beat Magazine Page 73

MUSIC NEWS

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GENNY B FUN RAISER Being unwell, as anyone knows, is a pain in the arse. Suﬀering from ongoing illness is truly some next level shit. Melbourne’s Genny B – RRR regular and Livewire co-host, guitarist of Your Wedding Night and The Bites – has been in the trenches for the past year battling with an aggressive cancer, and the experience has left her working overtime just to cover her rent in between her debilitating treatments. Thanks to a mighty Melbourne music task force, a one night only show at The Corner Hotel will bring together a creamof-the-crop collection of the town’s ﬁnest for a special gig that’s not only fun, but with all proceeds being donated to Genny B, will enable her to continue with her treatments into this year and the next. Join Dan Kelly, Glenn Richards, AIH DJs (Architecture In Helsinki), Alan Brough (Spicks And Specks), Teeth & Tongue, Chapter Music DJs, plus Dan Luscombe, Davey Lane and Jess McGuire (RRR Breakfast) and support a worthwhile cause. Tickets for the bigger than life show are only $25 + booking fee, and all goes down at The Corner Hotel, Thursday February 16.

DEVOUR THE MARTYR Touring nationally this February is Australia’s Devour The Martyr, showcasing their brand of heavy groove and melody, alongside some of the ﬁnest talent this genre has to oﬀer. They play The Prague on Saturday February 18 with special guests Whoretopsy, Tortured, Order of Torment and Diprosu.

Nine food items that you need to make a kickarse dinner party: Huge steaks, fresh seafood, spring rolls, chicken oﬀ the spit, wedges , beer, wine, vodka , absynthe

BURIED HORSES After an eight month break, Buried Horses return to the stage on Friday February 17 at The Retreat Hotel. Described as ‘Tamworth’s worst nightmare’, Buried Horses are sure to bring their pathos laden countriﬁed rock and intense live show. Since their last show, Buried Horses have been far from idle, welcoming new drummer Craig Williamson (These Immortal Souls), signing to France’s Beast Records and working on material for their second album. Joining Buried Horses on the night will be Ivy St, Tasmania’s ﬁnest export since Errol Flynn. Better still, entry is free!

FREDDY FUDD PUCKER

Make sure you catch Animaux at their favourite venue each week in February for endless amounts of moving, grooving and general good times. With a list of supports you won’t see anywhere else, such as Poco la Pax, Rosie & George, Secondhand Heart, Better Than The Wizards and Coash Bombay, you absolutely cannot go wrong. Mondays in February at The Evelyn.

Freddy Fudd Pucker began, circa 2006, as a solo project out of Dunedin, New Zealand. A city at the bottom of New Zealand, not far from the edge of the earth, mildly famous for its musical heritage and cheese rolls. After two, self produced and funded albums, a solo tour was planned for the USA in 2009. Not three shows in, the tour was hijacked by a small Texan woman (The whippy-Dip) and her accordion. In the last two years they have toured more than most bands do in their whole existence. 2012 saw them play countless shows in New Zealand, Australia, USA, Germany and The Netherlands, leaving fans in every crazy little town they played. They make a lot of sound for two people. Freddy plays guitar, banjo, ankle-bells, harmonica and a relentless kick-drum accompanied by Whippy on accordion. They will be playing the Monday night residency at their favourite Melbourne haunt The Old Bar. 8pm free.

Boys and girls, Bertha Brown is back for 2012 and kick starting the tunes with Eaten By Dogs. The Melbourne blues and folk crew are playing this Thursday February 16. With free entry for everyone and great tunes to be heard, you’d be silly to miss it.

Name/Band: Sam, and I’m the drummer in Arcane Saints Ten bands everyone should know about: Arcane Saints, Nirvana, Thousand Needles in Red Mars Volta, Led Zeppelin, Butterﬂy Eﬀect (RIP), Iron Maiden, Alter Bridge, Guns N' Roses, Sydonia

ANIMAUX

EATEN BY DOGS

Q&A ARCANE SAINTS

Eight possessions that define you: My mood ring, my braces, my signed picture of our singer Mike, my hair brush, my Alf pillow case, my BB gun, my Harry Potter book collection, my signature brand of ‘Sammy’ toothpaste. Seven favourite movies/TV shows that go on your mix-tape: Transformers part 1, Terminator, Gone In Sixty Seconds, Family Guy, The Big Bang Theory, Death Race, The Blues Brothers. Six bad habits you can’t escape: I can never get up on time, turning the kettle on and walking oﬀ and then doing it again ﬁve minutes later, never paying my phone bill on time, always returning DVDs late, getting distracted easily, potty mouth. Five people who inspire you: John Bonham, my father, Johnny Depp, Santa Claus, Mila Kunis Four things that turn you on: Girls driving a manual, girls with tattoos, girls who like to get their hands dirty, boobs 'n' bums!

Two live gigs you’ll never forget and why: Mao's Livehouse in Beijing, China. The last show of our China tour, and the biggest show of the tour. One of those nights where you could feel the electricity in the air. My ﬁrst gig at the Espy, because it was my ﬁrst show at an iconic venue. One day left before the apocalypse and you…: Run down the middle of Swanston Street paintballing everyone. When’s the gig / release? This Friday February 17 at The Aussie Hotel, Shepparton and Saturday February 18 at Cherry Bar, Melbourne.

THE TOTE SLAM DAY

HOTEL CALIFORNIA

Get out your numerology charts, primitive calculators and ouija boards, ‘cause coincidences like this don’t happen every day. Thursday February 23 is the anniversary of the making of AC/DC’s It’s A Long Way To The Top film clip. It’s the day of the SLAM Rally. It’s also the date of the SLAM Rally organizers first born son. It’s also the date that Quincy McLean (co SLAM organizer) had his first band Scrap Museum play at the Tote for the first time in 1982. This year it will be the date of the inaugural National SLAM day, this means that this SLAM Day is the 30th anniversary of that Scrap Museum show. Ground breaking early ‘80s Melbourne post punk experimental noise outfit Primitive Calculators play one of their rare performances along with Scrap Museum, BJ Morrizonkle, Beat Disease and Teenage Libido. Where else but The Tote? Doors open 7pm, tickets $15 at the door.

Romantic Rock Productions is proud to announce the return of Australian born event Hotel California: a cultural explosion celebrating fashion, art, and live music. Just over four years ago Hotel California’s created a successful Sydney event with live music, art, and San Diego pin up couture line Romantic Rock Designs. Four years later, Hotel California has been held in various countries and locations from Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas, New York City, Philadelphia, Hawaii, Melbourne and, of course, it’s home of San Diego, California. With the amazing talent of bands and acoustic sets from world renown bands and visual artists, Romantic Rock Designs and the gorgeous local Melborune models will be strutting the 2012 collection down the catwalk with two full length fashion shows. In addition Melbourne locals The Bombardiers and The Road Ratz will be rocking the stage with DJ Dee Bomb playing the ﬁnest rock ‘n roll all night long. Richard “Jamie” Oliver will have his amazing artwork on exhibit. When? This Thursday February 16. Where? The Bendigo Hotel.

BROKEN STONE RECORDS SHOWCASE The Broken Stone Records touring showcase of music and mixed media rolls into town next week, featuring live performances from Sister Jane, Caitlin Park, Magnetic Heads and The Maple Trail. The bands’ performances will be accompanied by live footage VJing and projections of their video clips. An exciting display of artworks created as part of Broken Stone’s recording releases (including sculptural work used in ﬁlm clips, photographs from live shows and illustrative cover art) will be on show in the venue space for audiences to explore. It happens at Horse Bazaar on Sunday February 19. There is also a regional, free, all-ages show at the Kyneton Town Hall on Saturday February 18 featuring artist talks and live acoustic performances.

PLAYWRITE Playwrite love Choosedays at The Toﬀ with special guests Tessa & The Typecast and Albert Salt. February is the month to celebrate their love of life, music and each other with the band who do nothing but just that. After only nine months together, it’s safe to say that Melbourne band Playwrite have accomplished quite a lot in that time. After nearly ﬁfty shows, two EPs, a host of international and national support slots and a passionate fan base captivating music lovers and makers alike. So bring along the loves of your lives to these shows that are not to be missed.

ANNA SMYRK AND THE APPETITES In the midst of high summer, there is a breath of cool air. Belly Of Winter, the debut release from contemporary folkpop band Anna Smyrk and the Appetites, is a rich, varied collection of songs that tells stories about the strange mixture of bitterness, and cosy-ness that winter can bring. The EP showcases intricate arrangements with soaring vocals, wailing saxophone and strong grooves. It tells tales of grey Melbourne streets, and freezing garden beds with such warmth and energy that the listener ends up yearning for woolly scarves and an open fire. Fresh from touring the EP right up the flooded East Coast, Anna Smyrk and the Appetites are drying off in preparation for the Melbourne launch at the Workers Club, Thursday February 23. Beat Magazine Page 74

Three goals for your music: Play to my best ability, be famous, or pretty well known, make a pair of sticks last more than a week.

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THE BONNIWELLS Go and see The Bonniwells, The Kremlings, Hierophants and The Living Eyes play at The Bendigo Hotel this Friday February 17 for what promises to be a night of awesome fun. I mean, what else will you do? End up going to some club where you probably will drop a pill and mess yourself? You don’t want that. What you want, deep down in your heart, is to head to the Bendigo Hotel and see all of the above bands. Trust.

KROMOSOM Saturday February 18 will see Beerache present a night of total punk brutality, featuring Kromosom, Melbourne’s hometown Jap noise punk heroes, playing their ﬁrst show back after their nation-wide support of America’s Toxic Holocaust. Sydney’s Unknown To God head down south for one night only to devastate the Melbourne audience with their unbridled punk crust chaos, while Debacle will launch their split 7” with Scotland’s Filthpact (which will be available to buy on the night), playing all the new tracks plus all their ‘90s fuelled crust gems. Not to be outdone, Pneumatic Slaughter will batter your ears senseless with their trademark grind in a rare showing of their sheer grinding brutality. And to kick oﬀ a huge night Havittajat (it’s Finnish for destroys) and that’s just what they’ll be doing with their barbaric raw punk goodness. All of this for a mere $10. Bands start at 9pm, so get down early, grab a beer and settle in for another huge night at The Bendigo Hotel.

ONE PERFECT DAY Saturday March 17 is the 10th year of Roots Music at Mossvale Park in South Gippsland, just two hours from the Melbourne CBD. And what a stellar lineup. This year the stage is graced by none other than epic Melbourne violin heroes The Dirty Three, plus performances from Charles Bradley & His Extraordinaires, The Bamboos, Eric Bibb With Stefan Astner, Ben Sollee, Sal Kimber & The Rollin Wheel, Liz Stringer & Van Walker, Krystle Warren and Ahab. The super relaxed atmosphere and BYO food and drink policy makes for a superb day out of the city. Tickets from OzTix and more information from lyrebirdartscouncil.com.au.

60 SECONDS WITH…

ASAMI

So then, what’s the band name and what do you ‘do’ in the band? We're an acoustic pop band called ASAMI. My name is Asami as well. I write the songs and the guys arrange them. Our guitarist James is also here, making sure I don't say anything stupid. Bearing the terrible clichéd nature of this question, what do you reckon people will say you sound like? Our new material is hopefully heading in the direction of Sia and The Kooks crossed with nostalgic folk-rock. What do you love about making music? James says, the girls and the money... No he actually doesn't, but it would be pretty ironic if he did. I would say, I love being able to keep a diary of my experiences in the form of little pop songs. Every time I play a particular song, I can remember exactly how I was feeling when I wrote it. What do you hate about the music industry? Australian Idol, Popstars, X factor, Australia's Got Talent, and The Voice. I don't hate the contestants, I just dislike how these shows turn consumers into idiots. If you could travel back in time and show one of your musical heroes your stuff, who would it be and why? We would be so upset if one of our musical heroes rejected our music, so we thought it would be a better idea to travel back in time purely to ask for advice. I would ask Simon and Garfunkle for some advice. If you could assassinate one person or band from popular music, who would it and why? The idea is much too violent for us. What can a punter expect from your live show? Catchy songs, three part harmonies, guitar soloing, party poppers, disco basslines, shout outs, a bit of mingling and more often than not, a lot of cheering (by you). What’ve you got to sell CD-wise? We've got two EPs out at the moment, our first Sweeter EP and our more recent Please Stay EP. When’s the gig and with who? Throughout February we've been at the Empress every Thursday night for our very first residency. We've got two more to go - the 16th with Charlie Lim and Hotei, and the 23rd with Ollie Brown, and Firebird from Sydney. These two will be the last big ones for a while! Anything else to add? We're all over the internet! Type Asamilovesyou and you'll find something of ours. Hope to see you at a show one day!

ROCK THE BAY This weekend will see St Kilda explode when the fourth annual Rock The Bay Festival hits The Espy on Saturday February 18 across the entire venue. Brisbanae heavyweights DEAD Letter Circus will headline the event and join a stellar lineup of Aussie rock acts including triple j favourites Floating Me and Melbourne’s ﬁnest in Twelve Foot Ninja, Bellusira, Tim McMillan Band, Ten Thousand, Bugdust, New Skinn and heaps more. There are still tickets left so be quick. On sale now via saltar.oztix.com.au, The Espy, Polyester (City & Fitzroy), Greville Records, Fist 2 Face, The Nash (Geelong) and Karova Lounge (Ballarat). Check out rockthebayfestival.com for full lineup and info.

TI C K E

SLAM DAY AT THE EVELYN They filled venues across the hood, supported acts such as Paul Kelly to crowds of 5,000+ and left punters feeling pretty damn fine at the end of each show. Now after a two and a half year hiatus the folkalicious, bluesicle, hip hop heartic, rootsy men are back for a one off charity event. The boys will be putting on this special night of entertainment, with all tickets sales going towards starting up a new musical charity website concept changethebeat. org which will be launched in 2012 and uses music to help many people across the world. Also joining them on this exciting evening will be the amazing Rob Sawyer who has jumped on board to support this great cause as well as the fantastic Hiding With Bears and the superb Emma Hales. This event will also coincide with another very strong passion of theirs ‘SLAM’ (Save Live Australia’s Music) day. It’s happening at The Evelyn on Thursday February 23.

FEST LA FROG Fest La Frog 2012 will be taking place again at CERES Environmental Park in Brunswick on Saturday March 3. This second annual event will be a showcase of sustainable organic music and art. The ﬁrst acts announced on the bill include Playwrite, Charles Baby, White Summer and more, with other acts soon to be announced. For more information head to festlafrog.com.

SUZUKI NIGHT MARKET Now in its 14th year, the Suzuki Night Market attracts over 200 stall holders and showcases some of Melbourne’s ﬁnest artisans, producing locally made clothing, jewellery, prints and an array of cultural goods. The hawker style food stalls oﬀer everything from traditional African curries through to the sweetest of honey dumplings. It’s taking place at the Queen Vic markets again tonight, with live, free performances from the Royal Swazi Spa Band, Wouter Kallerman and Alwan.

PUTA MADRE BROTHERS The most spectacular act you have never seen, the threeheaded one-man-band-band, the gringo lunatics of garage soul cacophony, Puta Madre Brothers will make a big style party to celebrate their new album It’s A Long Long Way To Meximotown before setting oﬀ overseas again to teach the world Spanglish dance technique. As part of the ﬁnal days of The East Brunswick Club they will paint the club like the bathroom of a Mexican gaucho on Saturday February 25 with very special genuine Mexican rock’n’roll guests Mesa Cosa.

HIGH FANGS 2am in the morning at Pony. There’s no better time or place for the High Fangs 7” release show. Speciﬁcally created to reach the Valentine’s day audience, High Fangs release the Concrete Heart / Don’t Let It Go To Your Heart 7”. Head down and see High Fangs on their home turf of Pony for the 2am late show this Saturday February 18.

CORAL LEE & THE SILVER SCREAM Hands are clappin’ toes are tappin’, Coral Lee And The Silver Scream, have gone and put their own spin on things with an up-tempo swing-tinged, late ‘40s jump blues/R&B band. The music shouts with a steam train rhythms; vintage seductive vocals, and gritty guitar picking – you couldn’t sit still even if you tried. This Saturday February 18 at The Labour In Vain.

MUSIC NEWS For all the latest news check out beat.com.au

MOONLIGHTING 1AM Phoenix Public House has just announcd a new project titled Moonlighting 1am, a free late night electronica series. The Moonlighting 1am slot features some of Melbourne’s ﬁnest musical artists in electronic dance side project mode. Weekend nights in February, come down for a late night kick-on with live original electronica from the dance crazed alter-egos of Melbourne’s underground music scene. Free entry, from 1am ‘til 3am. Dance ‘til you drop.

SONIC ATTACK Inspired by the space rock bands of the ‘70s, Sonic Attack will give you a trip into the past and the future. Their searing synths, screaming guitars and cosmic light show will serve as both a spectacle and as a vessel to journey deep into the galaxy. Aliens welcome at The Victoria Hotel this Friday February 17 from 10pm, free.

OFFICER PARROT On Thursday February 16, indie/folk group Officer Parrot is returning to the stage at Collingwood’s Grace Darling Hotel, with lots of new material written over the summer break. Playing a range of original tracks featuring everything from haunting vocal melodies to outbreaks of high energy percussion, Officer Parrot takes their background in jazz and folk music and applies a unique Indie twist. Instruments such as piano accordion, ukulele and melodica join with more traditional pop/rock instruments to create Officer Parrot’s sound. Joining them is Canary, whose lush and energetic sound has been mesmerizing audiences across Melbourne for the last few years, and Tulalah, a new appearance on the indie/folk scene that incorporate many styles and sounds to create a sonic rainbow of noises. This rare opportunity to see these three bands together is not to be missed.

DAVE STEEL Dave Steel was Archie Roach’s instrumentalist for seven years. He currently works solo, with his band the Welcome Wagon, and with partner Tiﬀany Eckhardt. He is variously a producer, audio engineer, father, owner-builder, gardener, deep ecologist, zen student, multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, traveller, performer and storyteller. So come and check him out at The Drunken Poet this Sunday February 19.

TWERPS Melbourne’s favourite lo-ﬁ pop dweebs, Twerps are heading to the US in March for SXSW, and then a 5 week US tour. To say goodbye, and to raise a few much-needed funds for their trip, Twerps are playing an awesome show with besties Lost Animal and Super Wild Horses. The band will have their much-loved debut album available on the night on CD and vinyl. Tickets available on the door only - so get there early. It’s on Friday March 2 at Phoenix Public House.

DICE

LAMARAMA

Dice is a four-piece rock/pop originals band from Melbourne. Dice have been together for three years and have just recently welcomed a new lead guitarist and new bass player. Their music would best be described along the lines of Snow Patrol, Kisschassy and the Foo Fighters. Other inﬂuences include Silverchair, Nirvana, Yellowcard, Thirsty Merc and The Fray. Go check them out this Saturday February 18 at The Brunswick Hotel.

Founded early in 2009, with the Little Buckley Festival at the heart of their beginnings, the Lamarama herd has morphed into several new formations, now with a crankin’ lineup and sound under their belt. With the unusual horn section lineup of flute and sax, hypnotic effects units and some filthy grooves, this is a sound to take you where David Attenborough can’t. Their influences range from the Beatles to Bon Iver, Joni Mitchell to Bjork, Fat Freddy to Led Zeppelin, Ravi Shankar to Pink Floyd. Go check them out this Saturday February 18 at The Penny Black.

LE! A S N TS O

YOUR COMPREHENSIVE LOCAL GUIDE

THE RAMSHACKLE ARMY As they’re about to embark on the most exciting (and expensive) tour of their short band life, The Ramshackle Army thought they’d throw a massive party nor only for their new single release of Rue The Day, but to say goodbye as they head oﬀ for the next month, joining Dropkick Murphys and Frank Turner for their North American tour in March. Helping to celebrate are some killer bands and brothers-in-arms including The Tearaways, Cavalcade, Road Ratz and The Furrows. Come join in the fun, give them some money and get your celtmosh on. It’s happening at The Gasometer this Friday February 17, $10 on the door.

CARNIVAL OF SUBURBIA Carnival Of Suburbia features ten days of live music at the Caravan Music Club at Oakleigh RSL. Emerging out of the so-called cultural ‘wastelands’ of the south back in March 2010, Carnival Of Suburbia has risen like a flower in the desert to firmly establish itself as an iconic annual event in celebration of Melbourne’s suburban soul and culture. The world class program of events includes the UK’s harmonious alt-country five-piece, Ahab on Wednesday March 14; legend of the New York folk scene, Judy Collins on Thursday March 15, and on Saturday March 17 founding member of both The Byrds and The Flying Burrito Brothers and widely recognised originator of American country rock, Chris Hillman, performing alongside Californian banjo player and guitarist Herb Pedersen. With many more acts yet to be announced, Carnival Of Suburbia cements Oakleigh’s place as a hub of live music performance. Carnival Of Suburbia will take place from Thursday March 8 until Sunday March 18 at the Caravan Music Club, Oakleigh.

ASAMI Named after the lead singer, Asami is a Melbourne based four-piece acoustic pop band. Hot off the back of their sold-out Please Stay EP launch in October 2011, ASAMI is currently playing their first Thursday night residency at The Empress Hotel. With catchy and cheerful melodies, you could bundle Tokyo-born singer songwriter, Asami Koike’s, songs under the genre of bubble-gum pop. But listen carefully and you’ll find that her lyrics are replete with memories of life, loss and love, drawing inspiration from artists such as Sia, Ben Harper, and America to create timeless acoustic pop tunes. In their time together, Asami Koike, Ranald Raimundo, James Douglas and Adam Russo have played a whirlwind of shows in Melbourne including Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds after-party, and have supported notable artists such as Mach Pelican and The Wellingtons. In April 2011, they raised close to $2,000 from merchandise and CD sales to donate to the Red Cross Japanese Disaster relief, and are now in the process of pre-producing their next EP.

LIOR

SATURDAY 3 MARCH 2012 ZOO TWILIGHTS – a Summer of music at Melbourne Zoo BOOK NOW! Part of

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Beat Magazine Page 75

ALBUM OF THE WEEK DIE ANTWOORD

PBS TIPSHEET

TEN$ION (Cooperative Music)

WEDNESDAY 15 FEBRUARY

STAR ASSASSIN

A CANDELA LIE (ALBUM LAUNCH) FIELDS OF REIGN WRITTEN IN RUINS FELISHA ENTRY $15, 8.00PM

THURSDAY 16 FEBRUARY

HAMISH ANDERSON BROOKLYN’S FINEST JESSICA JADE BRUCE ENTRY $8, 9PM

FRIDAY 17 FEBRUARY – SELLING FAST BLIP FESTIVAL – NIGHT ONE

JAYSON HAEBICH

TRASH80 (USA), ILKKE (SYD), SAITONE (JP), LITTLE-SCALE, 7BIT HERO (BNE), MONODEER (NL), BIT SHIFTER + MORE!

ENTRY $25 DOOR, $20 PRESALE & 2-DAY PASS $40 THRU MOSHTIX, 7PM

SATURDAY 18 FEBRUARY – SELLING FAST BLIP FESTIVAL – NIGHT TWO

BATLSY ADAMS (USA)

_ENSNARE_ (UK), HALLY (JP), PATRIC CATANI (DE), NULLSLEEP (USA), LAZERBEAT (UK), OLD GREY WOLF (NZ), DOT.AY + MORE!

ENTRY $25 DOOR, $20 PRESALE & 2-DAY PASS $40 THRU MOSHTIX, 7PM

SUNDAY 19 FEBRUARY MATINEE

To understand South African rave/rap trio Die Antwoord and their sophomore LP TEN$ION is to know the underlying counter-culture philosophy of Zef. What is Zef, you ask? Die Antwoord’s diminutive and spookily androgynous lady rapper Yo-Landi Vi$$er described it best, associating it with “people who soup their cars up and rock gold and shit.” When their debut LP $O$ was released for free on their website in 2010, music industry ears pricked up; here, after all, was a white rap crew from Cape Town, South Africa, with a white-trash sensibility and singing gloriously profane pronouncements about ninjas, “fish paste” and African tribal rites of passage. Fast-paced, humorous and delightfully in your face, the impossibly skinny MC Ninja, Vi$$er and their massive human beatbox DJ Hi-Tek delivered the goods. It was unlike anything anybody had seen or heard before. Jimmy Iovine, head of Interscope Records, was impressed enough by what he saw to immediately sign them, and $O$ went massive on a worldwide scale. The South African concept of Zef went global, and all was good. The fact that their follow-up to $O$, Ten$Ion, sounds exactly like its predecessor is no accident. That it was released on Die Antwoord’s own label ZEF RECORDZ instead of Interscope also tells a story. Iovine had wanted them to tone their sound down and be a little more generic – Ninja told him to go fuck himself, and the rest is history. Ergo, if you loved $O$, and you want to keep that Zef party pumping, then you’ll absolutely love Ten$Ion. Intro Never Le Nkemise 1 begins dramatically, with tribal chants overlaid on a spaghetti western score leading up to Ninja proclaiming over some heavy beats that he’s “indestructible” and warning potential foes that he’s “the motherfokking ninja”. On paper, the braggadocio on this record might come across as stale, run-of-the-mill hip-hop boastings – but there’s enough nods and winks to the audience to make one realise that he’s only half serious. One of the cool things about Ninja is his proficiency in rapping. On tracks such as Hey Sexy, the OG styling of So What? and the absurdly titled U Make A Ninja Wanna Fuck his nasal raps are nothing short of bewitching. Vi$$er comes across as the heart of the outfit. Her bewilderingly high-pitched little girl voice serves Die Antwoord well. I Fink U Freeky perfectly marries hiphop and early ‘90s techno, Fatty Boom Boom features an amusing call and response dynamic and Baby’s On Fire

RAW COMEDY EVENING

SAM SPARRO

ENTRY $10, 1PM

BIG WORDS SMARS MADNESS POLAROID ENTRY $5, 9PM

MONDAY 20 FEBRUARY RESIDENCY

ANIMAUX

ROSIE & GEORGE SECONDHAND HEART DJ THOMA ENTRY $8, 8PM $10 JUGS!

TUESDAY 21 FEBRUARY

RAW COMEDY ENTRY $10, 7PM RESIDENCY

THE BOMBAY ROYALE COMING UP: (TIX AVAILABLE THRU MOSHTIX) ANIMAUX (MON IN FEB) THE BOMBAY ROYALE (TUES IN FEB) CHANGETHEBEAT.ORG FUNDRAISER W/ THE BENSON CAMPAIN (23 FEB – SLAM DAY) YOU & YOUR MUSIC – FILM CLIP LAUNCH (24 FEB) A FRENCH BUTLER CALLED SMITH (26 FEB) RAW COMEDY (19, 21, 25, 26, 28 FEB)

2. Old Ideas LEONARD COHEN 3. Sound Travels JACK DEJOHNETTE 4. Sounds Of Our City EMMA RUSSACK 5. Woollen Kits WOOLLEN KITS 6. Let’s Go Eat The Factory GUIDED BY VOICES 7. In Another Time EVEN 8. Sixty-Six KAREN DALTON 9. WOMAD: The Worlds Festival 2012 VARIOUS ARTISTS 10. Eating Crow A FRENCH BUTLER CALLED SMITH

absolutely explodes with exciting beats and clever rhymes, encapsulating what made Die Antwoord such an exciting discovery to begin with. One small gripe, though. For all Die Antwoord’s talk about representing a fresh new style of Zef rave-rap, I’m completely on board for the ride. But on the train-wreck that is DJ Hi-Tek Rulez, the proceedings fall completely flat. DJ Hi-Tek himself takes to the mic, warning all the “wack bitches” that he’s the best there is, and he’s going to “fuck you up the ass, f****t.” What a tired, flogged-to-death aspect of hip hop that can’t be gotten rid of fast enough. As boring as it is offensive, I would have hoped that Die Antwoord’s “new style of Zef” would have left the homophobia at the station. Aside from that, Ten$Ion is a great ride. Maybe it doesn’t break new ground, but there’s still some serious fun to be had, and there are moments here that could be classified as great. Besides, if you’re going to follow up something as brilliant as $O$, you can be forgiven for wanting to stretch that party out. Best Track: Baby’s On Fire If You Like This: Then you’ve already got the first album In A Word: I’m going to go with “ZEF” THOMAS BAILEY

MADONNA FEAT. NICKY MINAJ & M.I.A.

Happiness (EMI) The ﬁrst cut from Sam’s second album is a high energy soul disco number that has an instant classic ﬂavour. As ever, he errs heavily on the side of camp, but this joyful, hand slapping, gospel fuelled club track has an undeniably brilliant hook.

Give Me All Your Luvin’ (Universal) She’s a lecherous old bat, isn’t she? What better way to energise your tired aesthetic by corralling a pair of super wild horses into the show and dragging them way the fuck down with you. I don’t care if she’s an icon or how great the Immaculate Collection plays at karaoke, her output of the last decade is shitful. This song belongs on the Glee soundtrack. And how about the goddamn lyrics?? “Don’t play that stupid game / Cause I’m a diﬀerent kind of girl.” Gran-Mads hasn’t been a girl for about four decades.

THE FRAY

ALI E

Run For Your Life (Sony) Things are always slightly desperate at The Fray’s house. Remember that How To Save A Life song (that was embarrassingly aﬀecting)? Well now they’ve running for their lives, to the strained guitar-based rhythms of Christianworthy commercial rock. It is a bland, bland business.

CASS MCCOMBS

Love Thine Enemy (Domino/EMI) Lifted from Humour Risk, Cass McCombs’ sixth studio album, Love Thine Enemy has a rumbling lo-ﬁ garage sound reminiscent of Velvet Underground, with the self-aware lyrical bent of post-’90s indierock. “Love thine enemy,” he sings, “But hate their lack of sincerity.” Sort of a wickedly noble idea, but I’m not sure why you’d bother. You can get by happily enough in this life without loving idiots.

THE MAGNETIC FIELDS

Andrew In Drag (Domino/EMI) The Magnetic Fields’ new album is a bubbling electro folk charmer, but the lead single isn’t necessarily the best track on the album. With a cute breakaway chorus, Andrew In Drag showcases Stephin Merritt’s familiar tongue-in-cheek style through the standard tropes of unrequited love and sexual transgression: “A pity she does not exist / A shame he’s not a fag / The only girl I’ve ever loved was Andrew in drag.” His playful lyrical kicks are still utterly adorable, especially when crooned in that old world romantic baritone.

LOST PROPHETS

Bring Em Down (Sony) McLoudy Pants Welsh band the Lost Prophets are set to release their ﬁfth studio album in April, entitled Weapons. Lead single Bring Em Down is sort of post-rock meets Bon Jovi, with lots of spitting and ﬁst-pumping and electric guitar noodling and a stadium-sized melodic thrust. Not even a little bit do I get it. Beat Magazine Page 76

1. Lore and Testament Vol. 1 TAV FALCO

SINGLES BY SIMONE I do not have any feelings about Whitney Houston. The Bodyguard was a terrible film. However like most people, I blame Kevin Costner. For everything.

TOP TENS

COLLECTOR’S CORNER MISSING LINK 1. Issue #32 - The Lens Issue NEGATIVE GUEST LIST 2. Autoluminescent DVD: Rowland S. Howard 3.. Tally Ho! - Flying Nun’s Greatest Bits 2CD VARIOUS 4. Cereal 7” LOOSE GRIP 5. Blues Funeral CD/LP MARK LANEGAN 6. Woollen Kits CD/LP WOOLLEN KITS 7. # 345 Feb 2012 MAXIMUM ROCK N ROLL 8. Hellzapoppin LP THE 3D’S 9. El Camino BLACK KEYS 10. Acts Of The Unspeakable LP AUTOPSY

OFF THE HIP 1. Brat Farrar CD BRAT FARRAR 2. ‘65 LP SHANGRI-LAS 3. House Rockin’ LP THE GORIES 4. Repeater LP FUGAZI 5. Boom LP THE SONICS 6. Fabulous Sounds CD LA BASTARD 7. Meat Is Murder LP THE SMITHS 8. Dead Grass 7” PUTA MADRE BROTHERS 9. Adventure LP TELEVISION 10. Physical Education CD RUSSIAN ROULETTES

WOOLLY BULLY 1. Songs About Death and Dying LP THEE OH SEES 2. Fast Metabolism LP TYVEK 3. 500 Portraits book TONY MILLIONAIRE 4. High Rise Horizon 7” REPAIRS 5. Woollen Kits LP WOOLLEN KITS 6 Calculator 7” CHINESE BURNS 7. Dead Grass 7” PUTA MADRE BROTHERS

Landless (Independent) Local songwriter Ali E (Damn Terran) has released a pacey but atmospheric new single from her forthcoming debut solo album. The guitars buzz and hum in a slightly breathless rhythm and Ali’s voice, drenched in reverb, expands to ﬁll the gaps. A slapping 4/4 drum beat kicks after a few moments which is actually a little distracting, propelling the song forward at an uncomfortable pace that seems on the verge of collapse.

WHITE RABBITS

Heavy Metal (EMI) This jarring, ominous excursion into synth pop minimalism is full of creepy character. Lifted from White Rabbit’s forthcoming album Milk Famous, they knit together a quiet, bouncing bassline, curt shivers of guitar and an airy, seductive vocal. Add some weird images of polygamy in the afterlife (see the video) and you’ve got yourself a disconcerting slice of art rock drama.

SINGLE OF THE WEEK JACK WHITE

Love Interruption (Sony) White introduces the new album Blunderbuss with a conspicuously quiet acoustic number, squeezing all his customary dirt in to the lyrics. Take the opening lines, for example: “I want love to roll me over slowly / Stick a knife inside me and twist it all around / I want love to grab my ﬁngers gently / Slam them in a doorway / Rub my face in the ground.” Vocal duties are shared with Nashville singer Ruby Amanfu, whose trembling stripper sound gives this grimy love ballad an extra salacious bite, even as the chorus reveals that White’s point – that love should interrupt and aﬀect you – is actually kind of poignant. Another – jesus, yet another – brilliant, distinctive and memorable tune from the goth boy genius. Who, by the way, was hilarious on the Colbert Report last year.

FOR MORE REVIEWS GO TO BEATTV.COM.AU/REVIEWS

8. We Are The Ocean 7” KING KHAN & BBQ SHOW 9. Cut Ties 7” CHROME DOME 10. Bug House 7” THE GORIES

SYN SWEET 16 1. Brat Farrar BRAT FARRAR 2. Put Your Back N 2 It PERFUME GENIUS 3. Boppity Bop THE RAY GUNS 4. Carnival (Lobster Mouse) SNAKADAKTAL 5. Chores I, A MAN 6. Bruises BAND OF SKULLS 7. The Wolves BEN HOWARD 8. Bad Girls MIA 9. One Who Can’t Move GALAPAGOOSE 10. Terms & Conditions CHET FAKER

BEAT’S TOP TEN SONGS ABOUT STRANGE THINGS 1. Strange Phenomena KATE BUSH 2. Stranger Things Have Happened WHITE FENCE 3. People Are Strange THE DOORS 4. Is It Really So Strange? THE SMITHS 5. Heaven’s Stranger EAT SKULL 6. Strange Fruit BILLIE HOLIDAY 7. Love Is Strange DOLLY PARTON 8. Strange Things Happen THE BEACH BOYS 9. Strange Brew CREAM 10. Strangelove DEPECHE MODE

ALBUMS

MARK LANEGAN

Blues Funeral (Remote Control/4AD) FOR MORE REVIEWS GO TO

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ALEKS AND THE RAMPS Facts (Independent)

Amongst the critical philosophical ideas introduced in the Enlightenment was that of fact-based reasoning. Whereas previously the discourse of truth had been dominated by organised religion, thinkers such as Voltaire, Rousseau and Bentham championed the discourse of science and its reliance on analysis of facts and deductive reasoning. Two hundred-odd years later, and Talking Heads captured the zeitgeist of postmodern theory when they referred to facts as lazy, late, coming with a point of view and twisting the truth. With its own idiosyncratic take on the humble pop genre, Aleks And The Ramps appear to have some sympathy with such heretical observations. Facts is a pop record, but it’s not really. It’s electronic in places, but it isn’t really an electronic record. It’s a dance record, but you can’t really dance to it. It’s whimsical with a pervading sense of seriousness. It’s a circle with straight sides. It’s everything, nothing and all the little important bits in between. Crocodile jumps between kitchen knife-sharp melody and iconoclastic syncopation with ne’er a moment of contemplation. In The Snow embarks on a harmony-laden journey through romantic introspection with metaphor as obfuscating rhetorical tool. Icy Facts is cold, dramatic and enlightening, No Epiphanies does for sectarian awareness what Anthony Robbins does for corporate contemplation and Friends With The Right uses the Tom Tom Club’s Genius Of Love to ponder matters of ideological signiﬁcance. Over on side B, and Pray Tell has the orchestral wonder of a ‘50s musical directed by Jonathon Richman, Bummer is down and funky in a lithe white-kid sort of a way, the wiry melody at the heart of Here Comes Your Ghost warrants a national holiday, Finish is so beautiful it’d make Julia Gillard shed a tear and Middle Aged Unicorn On Beach With Sunset makes more sense of this crazy fucked up world every time you have the pleasure of listening to it. You can’t apply rational, scientiﬁc analysis to Facts; it is what it is, and Best Track: Crocodile it’s fantastic because of that. If You Like This, You’ll Like These: TALKING HEADS, PATRICK EMERY MODERN LOVERS In A Word: Fantastic

HERMITUDE

Hyper Paradise (Elefant Traks) The fourth studio album from Sydney production duo Hermitude kicks off like a gritty cop thriller with the appropriately titled Engage. The dusty drums and fuzzed-out synth paints a picture of what’s to come on the instantly listenable Hyper Paradise. Like any good film, our protagonists, Luke Dubs and Elgusto, take us through a full range of emotions and sounds. After continuing on their journey through the city with grimey excursions like All Of You, they head into a smoky club for the funky Speak Of The Devil, where they’re probably scoping out a suspect. They then run off in pursuit as the ruminative yet intense Let You Go kicks in. After a brief bit of relaxation on the melodic and super-catchy title track they finally get their man on The Villain, which has a new school Giorgio Moroder vibe to it. Faster than you can say “I’m getting too old for this shit” they head off into the sunset on loungy stand-out cuts Golden and Cloud City. While Hermitude have more than proven themselves over the course of their decadelong career, their musicality truly shines through this Best Track: Hyper Paradise time around as they expertly weave through genres and If You Like This, You’ll Like These: Drive Soundtrack influences to create a unique sound. Hyper Paradise is VARIOUS ARTISTS, Chinoseries Pt. 2 ONRA the perfect soundtrack for a summer drive. In A Word: Epic ANDREW ‘HAZARD’ HICKEY

THE PEEP TEMPEL

The Peep Tempel (Wing Sing Records) The bastard child of garage, proto punk, and restless rock‘n’roll has come to force you off your seat and straight to the dance floor. The Peep Tempel’s debut self-titled album is assertively brash, sinister and insistently rocking at the same time. Filled with inventive guitar work and capricious melodies, The Peep Tempel’s debut release is unflinching in its desire to get your attention. Opener Lance starts with a fierce guitar riff and pounding drums creating a propulsive energy akin to that of Hot Snakes that pushes the song along in an urgent and unrelenting manner. Collusion continues on a similar vein, anxiety-ridden rock with lines like ‘It’s cold in the middle’ delivered in a harsh and manic manner. Mission Floyd backs off in speed but not in intensity; its warped trash garage blues still persuasive as ever. The vocal delivery at times in the song (and throughout the album) has touches of Mclusky/FOTL front man Andy ‘Falco’ Falkous. There are even similarities in the style of writing. “I have been very fair to you Floyd, though my rules you will not heed/ That you understand fully that I am the man is one of our organisation’s simple needs” sings lead vocalist Blake Scott in the aforementioned track. Howlin’ Belle displays more pop leanings but is still angular in nature and rugged in feel. Staccato guitar stabs make Thank You Machiavelli a real garage shaker complete with a furiously hollered chorus “How on earth did you get so pretty/ A pretty face on a bloody afternoon.” People Don’t Get You and Do What You Want To lack the urgency of some of the previous tracks, but their melodies are just as engaging and allow the listener to sit back and absorb the songs. Down At The Peep Tempel, an insight into the band’s namesake (24-hour brothel perhaps?) brings the album back up to speed, a chaotic guitar lick leading the way accompanied by some biting commentary on ‘sins of the flesh’. A razor sharp debut from an exciting Melbourne band Best Track: Collusion – filled with frantic energy, spiky riffage and rife with If You Like This, You’ll Like These: Mclusky Do Dallas dark cynicism. MCLUSKY, Roots For Ruin LES SAVY FAV, Suicide Invoice KRYSTAL MAYNARD HOT SNAKES, I Blame You OBITS In A Word: Adrenaline-charged

Mark Lanegan understands the blues. For the best part of his adult life Lanegan has stumbled through a gut-wrenching collage of drug addiction, emotional heartache and physical trauma. Lanegan has ridden a violent psychological rollercoaster, barely keeping to the rails while others have fallen to their demise. So when Lanegan releases an album titled Blues Funeral, you know it’s from the heart. Lanegan’s solo output has regularly matched, and occasionally surpassed, his work with The Screaming Trees. While deﬁnitely no Whisky For The Holy Ghost, Blues Funeral is another warts-and-all glimpse into the battered and fractured Lanegan psyche. Lanegan is at his best pondering intensely the nature of emotional attached: The Gravedigger’s Song, replete with rumbling drums and rusting licks, opens up psychological portals few would ever contemplate; the sobering darkness of Bleeding Muddy Water is an admission of humanity, as painful and distressing as it can be to all concerned. The bleakness of St Louis Elegy is confronting, Riot In My House is blues-rock in all its post-Stones glory and Phantasmagoria Blues cuts straight through the rhetorical bullshit of romantic to the bone of emotional failure. On Leviathan, Lanegan warbles like a recovering Tom Waits; on Ode To Sad Disco the gravel-voiced sometime junkie is let loose on the danceﬂoor, with surprising results. Yet when Lanegan turns his hand to something approaching the pop song – Gray Goes Black, Quiver Syndrome, Harborview Hospital – there’s a sense of beauty and exhilaration that can only come from hitting rock bottom. Mark Lanegan is a man forever contemplating a half glass, and seeing within it his own failures and Best Track: Bleeding Muddy Water potential rehabilitation. If You Like This, You’ll Like These: HUGO RACE PATRICK EMERY In A Word: Dark

RODRIGO Y GABRIELA Area 52 (Rubyworks/Warner)

Following in the footsteps of their previous efforts, Area 52 is a whirlwind of energy and exotic rhythms. The difference this time around is that Rodrigo Y Gabriela made the trek over to the musical melting pot of Cuba, hitting the studio with a full band, credited under the name C.U.B.A. All of the musicians involved are clearly on the same wavelength, with emotion-driven performances throughout. Helping make this their most polished effort to date, music veteran Peter Asher (of the duo Peter and Gordon) helmed the production chair along with Rodrigo. Santo Domingo is the perfect intro, featuring their trademark duelling guitars accompanied by horns, flute and strings. While the Cuban element is prevalent the Mexican duo continues to expand on their musical influences with the Indian exploration of Ixtapa, featuring Anoushka Shankar. Master Maqui finds elements of funk and Brazilian rhythms being weaved in, while resonant Santana-style guitar and Afro-Cuban chants converge on album stand-out 11:11. Much like jazz and other improvisational forms, Area 52 may be appreciated more by those who enjoy technical wizardry. Others may find it a bit draining at times but while it may linger into bland world music territory, occasionally it’s an engaging listen and could prove to be a great summer soundtrack for those wanting something unique. Best Track: 11:11 If You Like This, You’ll Like These: Self-Titled BUENA ANDREW ‘HAZARD’ HICKEY VISTA SOCIAL CLUB, Weightless ANIMALS AS LEADERS In A Word: Worldly

I, A MAN

You’re Boring Us All (Shock) It seems that many fresh, young bands these days tout the ‘synths are the new guitar’ philosophy, with banks of keys, loops, pads, laptops, electronic anythings replacing the familiar sound of the six-string. Not so the curiously-named Melbourne outfit I, A Man. Following a half-year on from their promising debut EP, You’re Boring Us All further develops their reputation for distinctive, inventive guitar sounds. Built around the dialogue between the six-strings of singer Daniel Moss and fellow axeman Ash Hunter, they take a textural approach to their instruments. Whether rippling in ambient washes, strumming with a drone and twang, or coiling together for big, shimmering chords – as one lead single Sometimes – their playing possesses both intelligence and flexibility. Anchoring their spacious soundscapes are the durable rhythm section of Matt Pinxt and drummer Sumner Fish, their own nimble lines and beats locking in and around the guitars as they stretch and scrape in novel directions. The title track that opens the EP quickly demonstrates their knack for blending the cerebral with the instinctual. Upward flights of picked chords play against a steady backbeat before Pinxt’s bass yawns through the gaps. Moss’ tender alto and splashes of guitar strumming fill the picture in a beautiful wash of distinctive elements not dissimilar to the watercolours that grace the cover. The organic way that their tunes transform and swell is at once calming and thrilling. From the steady hum of Haight Ashbury over thumping toms and droning chords before it shifts and turns for a vivid ascending edge, to the melancholic plucking of Chores – particularly it’s beautiful mid-section of chromatic chord changes that even recalls the technicolour shifts of Pink Floyd. They even manage to make the typically tricky 5/4 time signature sound natural on Five Four (geddit). Of the six tracks, there’s not a weak moment among them, beautifully realised by the production team of Tim O’Halloran and David Williamson, the subtleties of their experimental techniques work they way subconsciously onto the record. A set of clever and diverse songs Best Track: Sometimes that never obscure the group’s love for a tender If You Like This, You’ll Like These: Foreign Tapes PARADES, hook. Like the magnetic central two-chord riff of Great Deeds Against The Dead GOSTELERADIO, Dancing Sometimes, I, A Man will nestle their way into your Back & Forth… KINS heads and you’ll be happy to accommodate them. In A Word: Textured AL NEWSTEAD

SHEARWATER

Animal Joy (SubPop)

EMMA RUSSACK

Sounds Of Our City (Spunk) Lurching back to stone-cold reality after a long stint of travel can suck. It seems to have hit Emma Russack particularly hard - after a year of travelling through South America, the Narooma-born singer settles into what must’ve been a particularly bitter Melbourne winter. It has been a couple of years since Russack shed her Lola Flash moniker, a move which almost always suggests a move toward a more personal sound. And yet her first solo full-length album gets under her skin on a considerably deeper level. Whether it’s a symptom of her dislocation or not, there’s a deep sense of loss at the core of Sounds Of Our City. Opening song Tonight doesn’t waste any time with setting the tone: ‘Tonight I’m going to go out and get drunk, and find someone to take me home/No great expectations, anyone will do.’ It’s far from an uptempo ‘hey single ladies!’ defiance but nor is Russack playing the victim - her delivery is too direct and forceful for that. Instead, it’s a stoic march into independence while falling into, sometimes even relishing, a sense of sadness. The theme of enforced loneliness carries through the album. Friends Not Lovers is a deceptively content view of a hopeless situation, with a dual male vocal offering support for the chorus. Later, in No Pets, she doesn’t even want furry animals to get close to her. Despite her attempts to hold us at arm’s length, there’s a warmness to the Best Track: He Was My Family If You Like This, You’ll Like These: We Need To Talk music and a disarming honesty to the lyrics. You can’t help but embrace it. JESSICA SAYS, A Fool Who’ll LAURA JEAN CHRIS GIRDLER In A Word: Heavy-hearted

Jonathan Meiburg has never made any secret for his fascination for ornithology. Judging by the title of Shearwater’s latest record, Animal Life, it would appear Meiburg has expanded his interest into the broader animal kingdom; certainly, the album’s charged title track suggests Meiburg has cast his eye into wider metaphorical territory to find meaning. On Breaking The Yearlings, it’s horse training that provides the rhetorical flourish to fill out the Echo and the Bunnymen-meets-Killing Joke soundtrack; Insolence is a tale of metamorphosis-level quality, its own reference point the chrysalis within which the song’s subject struggles to escape. But lest it be thought that Shearwater is a one-trick pony, Meiburg jumps in the car for Immaculate and tears down the road with Paul Weller riding shotgun; Pushing The River is a pyrrhic triumph of humanity over nature, fuelled by a dextrous drum beat, and culminating in a feedback-stained psychedelic freak-out that expands your mind and fucks with your brain. Balance that with Shearwater’s quieter excursions – Open Your Houses (Basilisk), Run the Banner Down, Believing Makes It Easy – and you’re left with an album that traverses far-reaching geographical and zoological territory. There are those who’ll say – with some justification, albeit couched in ideologically purist terms – that the predominant theme in humanity’s relationship Best Track: Pushing Back the River with God’s creatures has been one of exploitation. If You Like This, You’ll Like These: KILLING JOKE, ECHO Shearwater reminded us that the animal kingdom AND THE BUNNYMEN should be the source of artistic inspiration. In A Word: Zoological PATRICK EMERY

FOR MORE ALBUM NEWS AND REVIEWS GO TO WWW.BEAT.COM.AU

Beat Magazine Page 77

GIG GUIDE WEDNESDAY 15 FEB ROCK/POP BEATRICE + AUDEGO + EARTH APPLE Empress Hotel, North Fitzroy. 8pm. $5. COTTON SIDEWALK + KINGS OF THE NORTH + FRIENDLY YEN + CHILLIAD Espy, St Kilda. 9pm. EMPERORS + UNDERCOLOURS + THEM SWOOPS & THE PRETTY LITTLES Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 8pm. $8. MICHAEL PLATER + DOGS OF THOMAS PARK + MATT PALMER & MARSDEN WILLIAMS Wesley Anne, Northcote. 7:30pm. $5. RIVER OF SNAKES + THE LOVELESS Cherry Bar, Melbourne CBD. 8pm. SEAL Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne. 8pm. THE NECKS Corner Hotel, Richmond. 8:30pm. $26. UNCOMFORTABLE BEATS - FEAT: MC REMI + YES/NO/ MAYBE + GHOSTSOUL + DJ SIZZLE + DJ SHIKUNG Bar Open, Fitzroy. 8pm. YOUNG REVELRY + FANGS Workers Club, Fitzroy. 8pm. $8. YOUTH LAGOON + OLIVER TANK Toff In Town, Melbourne CBD. 8pm.

ACOUSTIC/COUNTRY/BLUES/FOLK BATTLEGROUND Espy, St Kilda. 8pm. BITTERSWEET HEARTS + EDDIE JAMES & THE PROWL + LUKE BRENNAN & THE STICKY VALENTINES Old Bar, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. CHARLES JENKINS Standard Hotel, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. GUY KABLE Willow Bar, Northcote. 8pm. ISAAC DE HEER Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 8:30pm. JAYNE LANE Veludo Bar & Restaurant, St Kilda. 9:30pm. JORDAN MILLER + TOM MILEK + BONNIE ANDERSON Gertrudes Brown Couch, Fitzroy. 8pm. $5. LES THOMAS + RYAN STERLING + RUTH LINDSEY + PETER EWING Kent St, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. OPEN MIC Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick. 8pm. OPEN MIC Dancing Dog, Footscray. 7pm. OPEN MIC Thornbury Local, Thornbury. 8pm. OPEN MIC & JAM NIGHT Grind N Groove, Healesville. 8pm. PERCH CREEK FAMILY JUGBAND Open Studio,

Beat Magazine Page 78

TEETH & TONGUE (SOLO)

Northcote. 8:30pm. THE POPES ASSASSINS + MEG DUNN & LEIGH ROBERTSON Edinburgh Castle, Brunswick. 7pm. WINE WHISKEY WOMEN - FEAT: FEE BROWN + KATE LUCAS Drunken Poet, West Melbourne. 8pm.

JAZZ/WORLD MUSIC BOPSTRETCH Uptown Jazz Cafe, Fitzroy. 8pm. DIZZY’S BIG BAND Dizzy’s Jazz Club, Richmond. 8pm. $14. FROCK Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, Melbourne. 8:30pm. $15. JONATHAN COHEN Cruzao Arepa Bar, Fitzroy. 7:30pm. LUKE HOWARD TRIO Paris Cat Jazz Club, Melbourne CBD. 9pm. $15. THE KING’S SINGERS Melbourne Recital Centre, Southbank. 7:30pm. THE PUTBACKS 303, Northcote. 8pm. $5.

THURSDAY 16 FEB ROCK/POP 1AM LATE SHOW - FEAT: THE BARON Pony, Melbourne. 1am. ASAMI + THE WELLINGTONS + THE MIGHTY SUN Empress Hotel, North Fitzroy. 8pm. $8. CHICO FLASH + CHARM + SYSTEM OF VENUS Pony, Melbourne. 8:30pm. FRAG OUT + STILETTO ASSASSINS + SIGNALS IN SILENCE The Prague, Thornbury. 8pm. GRAND PERCEPTOR (EP LAUNCH) + MERCURY WHITE + UNTIL WE COLLIDE + PIONEERS OF GOOD SCIENCE Tote Hotel, Collingwood. 8:30pm. $8. HAMISH ANDERSON + BROOKLYN’S FINEST + JESSICA JADE BRUCE Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy. 9pm. $8. HOTEL CALIFORNIA - FEAT: THE BOMBADIERS + THE ROAD RATZ + DJ DEE BOMB Bendigo Hotel, Collingwood. 8pm. $12. I AM GIANT + SLEEP PARADE + EMPERORS Espy, St Kilda. 9pm. JOIUSSANCE + POP SINGLES + DANE CERTIFICATE Old Bar, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. $8. KIM BEALES (ALBUM LAUNCH) + JOSHUA SPIER Northcote Social Club, Northcote. 8pm. $15. MISTRESS MONDAYS & SHERIFF + AL PARKINSON Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 11:30pm. $10. ORPHEUS + ARBRYNTH + NABERUS East Brunswick

GIG OF THE WEEK: GEN FEST 2012 Having a long-term illness is a crappy enough experience in itself, but when you’re working your arse off just to pay your bills in between the debilitating treatments you gotta cop in an attempt to battle aggressive cancer – hoo boy, that’s on another level of hell. Hence this fun-raiser for Melbourne’s Genny B – RRR regular and Livewire co-host, guitarist of Your Wedding Night and The Bites, whose life is exactly this right now. Come party with a bunch of cool dudes for a good cause at the Corner Hotel on Thursday February 16. Club Hotel, East Brunswick. 7:30pm. $12. PCS Great Britain Hotel, Richmond. 8pm. PHANTOM AGENTS + THE CALL UP + CAM LOPEZ Bar Open, Fitzroy. 9pm. RB’S LIVE - FEAT: UNDERCOLOURS + THE PRETTY LITTLES + THE PIERCE BROTHERS Red Bennies, South Yarra. 7pm. $10. THE DEAD LEAVES & ENOLA FALL Toff In Town, Melbourne CBD. 7:30pm. $15. THE GRAVELTONES + THE MURLOCS + JULY DAYS Yah Yah’s, Fitzroy. 9pm. THE SCAM + DIXON CIDER + SPEW N GUTS + K-MART WARRIORS + LAST CALL Blue Tile Lounge, Fitzroy. 7pm. THE TWOKS Rainbow Hotel, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. WILK & HEATH Thornbury Local, Thornbury. 9pm.

ACOUSTIC/COUNTRY/BLUES/FOLK DAVE DIPROSE + SMOKIN’ SAM’S SYNERGY BLUE + SOUTHBOUND SNAKE CHARMERS Musicland, Fawkner. 7:30pm. HAT FITZ & CARA ROBINSON Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 9pm. HOWLIN’ STEAM TRAIN + DEATH RATTLES + CHERRYWOOD Workers Club, Fitzroy. 8pm. $10.

SUBMIT YOUR GIGS TO GIGGUIDE@BEAT.COM.AU

JOHN LILLIS Drunken Poet, West Melbourne. 8pm. KURTIS GENTLE + ALISTER TURRIL + HIDING WITH BEARS + PAADMOOSE & THE RIVER MACHINE + STELLALUNA Noise Bar, Brunswick. 8pm. $5. LEXI DE ROCK & THE SUGARFOOT BLUES BRIGADE Butterfly Club, South Melbourne. 9pm. $20. MIKELANGELO + THE NIGHT BEFORE TOMORROW Open Studio, Northcote. 8:30pm. NEW SETTLEMENT ROAD + THE LAURA BAXTER BAND + TRISTAN O’MEARA John Curtin Hotel, Carlton. 8pm. OFFICER PARROT + CANARY + TALULAH Grace Darling Hotel, Collingwood. 9pm. $10. OPEN MIC Acoustic Cafe, Collingwood. 7:30pm. OPEN MIC SPOTLIGHT St Andrews Hotel, St Andrews. 8:30pm. RUBY’S SHOWCASE Ruby’s Lounge, Belgrave. 8pm. SIB & EDDIE JAMES Labour In Vain, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. SKINNY LEATHER TIES Thornbury Theatre, Thornbury. 7pm. TULLY SUMNER Edinburgh Castle, Brunswick. 7pm. WAX LYRICAL Veludo Bar & Restaurant, St Kilda. 9:30pm. WOMEN OF SOUL - FEAT: CHELSEA WILSON & DEEP STREET SOUL + SHIRLEY DAVIS + TALEI WOLFGRAMM + KAREN MORALES Cherry Bar, Melbourne CBD. 8pm. $10.

JAZZ/WORLD MUSIC GEN FEST 2012 - FEAT: DAN KELLY + DAN LUSCOMBE + DAVEY LANE + GLENN RICHARDS + JESS MCGUIRE + TEETH & TONGUE Corner Hotel, Richmond. 7:30pm. $25. LYN GILLETT & THE ADAM RUDEGEAIR TRIO Paris Cat Jazz Club, Melbourne CBD. 9pm. $15. OLLIE MCGILL & THE GENIE 303, Northcote. 8pm. $10. PHOEBE LINDNER TRIO Wesley Anne, Northcote. 8pm. $10. PIPPA WILSON Dizzy’s Jazz Club, Richmond. 8pm. $14. THE SCOTT TINKLER QUARTET Workers Club, Fitzroy. 8pm. THE SIMON HUDSON DUO Cruzao Arepa Bar, Fitzroy. 7:30pm. WHITESPLOITATION Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, Melbourne. 8:30pm. $15.

FRIDAY 17 FEB ROCK/POP 2AM LATE SHOW - FEAT: CASSINI Pony, Melbourne. 2am. ACID WESTERN + TOWERS + NO ZEBRA Noise Bar, Brunswick. 8pm. $8. ANTARCTICA + YOLKE + THE STEINS + DJ DEL AMP Old Bar, Fitzroy. 8:39pm. $8. BURIED HORSES + IVY ST + DJ TREVOR TRAVIS Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 9:30pm. CUNTZ Phoenix Public House, Brunswick. 8pm. DEADLY ARE THE NAKED + LUCY’S CROWN + THE BARON + THE SCHOLARS Espy, St Kilda. 9pm. GRAVELTONES + MONEY FOR ROPE + LEBELLE + COTTON SIDEWALK Tote Hotel, Collingwood. 8pm. INCRYPT + KEYS TO PERDITION + KILAMAINE Ruby’s Lounge, Belgrave. 8pm. $10. INDIGO HOTEL + ANTON MCKAY + ZOE RYAN Edinburgh Castle, Brunswick. 8:30pm. $5. MINDSET + NO WAY OUT + BEAR WITNESS + FREE WORLD Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick. 9pm. NORTHEAST PARTY HOUSE + MILLIONS + NANTES East Brunswick Club Hotel, East Brunswick. 8:30pm. $12. ONE + VOLYTION + CITIZEN + KETTLESPIDER The Prague, Thornbury. 8pm. POOLSIDE FIASCO Thornbury Local, Thornbury. 9:30pm. ROD STEWART Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne. 8pm. SLINGSHOT + INFERNO + TZOLKIN Musicland, Fawkner. 8pm. SONIC ATTACK Victoria Hotel, Brunswick. 9:30pm. THE DARTS + PROJECTOR + THE VIRGINS + IVORY ELEPHANT Pony, Melbourne. 9pm. THE DUB CAPTAINS Bar Open, Fitzroy. 10pm. THE FABULOUS REDANS + GUS & BAGS + 6000 CDS Cornish Arms, Brunswick. 8pm. THE MORNING AFTER (EP LAUNCH) + DIRTY ELVIS +

FINE ART DEALER + JEKHYL Pier Live, Frankston. 7pm. $10. THE PEEP TEMPEL (ALBUM LAUNCH) + DAMN TERRAN + CANDY TO CLAW Northcote Social Club, Northcote. 8:30pm. $12. THE RAMSHACKLE ARMY + THE TEARAWAYS + CAVALCADE + ROAD RATZ + THE FURROWS Gasometer Hotel, Collingwood. 8pm. $10. THE RIBBON DEVICE + SATTWA + CURTIS WHY Wesley Anne, Northcote. 8pm. TIME UNLIMITED St Andrews Hotel, St Andrews. 9:30pm. VIMM (NIRVANA TRIBUTE) + ZEBEDY RAYS + KINGS OF THE NORTH Cherry Bar, Melbourne CBD. 8pm. $13.

DEAD LETTER CIRCUS

TWELVE FOOT NINJA

FLOATING ME

TEN THOUSAND

ACOUSTIC/COUNTRY/BLUES/FOLK ANDY BAYLOR & HIS WANDERING MINSTRELS (CD LAUNCH) Lomond Hotel, Brunswick East. 8:30pm. CASS MCCOMBS + THE ORBWEAVERS + WINTERCOATS Corner Hotel, Richmond. 8:30pm. $44. CLAUDE HAY + MR BLACK & BLUES Rainbow Hotel, Fitzroy. 9pm. D’FRO + BONNIE ANDERSON + DJ TEE PEE Veludo Bar & Restaurant, St Kilda. 9pm. FUZZ PHANTOMS + HOPWOOD + HOUNDS Penny Black, Brunswick. 9:30pm. JOHNNY ROCK & THE LIMITS + YOUNG MAVERICK John Curtin Hotel, Carlton. 8pm. JUKE BARITONE & THE SWAMP DOGS Red Bennies, South Yarra. 7pm. KITCHEN KNIFE WIFE (SINGLE LAUNCH) + DEAD SHADES + THE CHEATS Yah Yah’s, Fitzroy. 9pm. LEXI DEROCK & THE SUGARFOOT BLUES BRIGADE Butterfly Club, South Melbourne. 9pm. $20. LIBERTY PARADE Sporting Club Hotel, Brunswick. 8pm. STRINE SINGERS Edinburgh Castle, Brunswick. 6pm. TEX PERKINS & THE BAND OF GOLD The Regal Ballroom, Northcote. 9pm. $35. THE ORBWEAVERS Basement Discs, Melbourne CBD. 12:45pm. THE RE-CHORDS & HARRY DELUXE Luwow, Fitzroy. 8pm. THE TERRY MCCARTHY SPECIAL Gem Bar, Collingwood. 8pm. TRADITIONAL IRISH MUSIC SESSIONS - FEAT: DAN BOURKE Drunken Poet, West Melbourne. 6pm. VARDOS Open Studio, Northcote. 8:30pm.

JAZZ/WORLD MUSIC CANNONBALL Paris Cat Jazz Club, Melbourne CBD. 9:30pm. $20. JOHN MONTESANTE & WILBUR WILDE + MATT KIRSCH Dizzy’s Jazz Club, Richmond. 7:30pm. $20. KESHIE Cruzao Arepa Bar, Fitzroy. 9pm. MARTIN MARTINI (THE VIENNA PROJECT) Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, Melbourne. 8:30pm. $25. THE REMCO KEIJZER QUARTET Workers Club, Fitzroy. 8pm.

ROCK THE BAY Anybody else noticed that the Melbourne Bay is really quiet, most of the time? It could sure use some livening up. Hence the existence of Rock The Bay at The Espy – with Dead Letter Circus, Floating Me, Twelve Foot Ninja and more, shit’s about to get pretty crazy down by the waterfront. Rock the Bay takes place at The Espy this Saturday February 18. Doors 3.30pm. Tickets and playihng times from rockthebayfestival.com. THE TWOKS Thornbury Theatre, Thornbury. 7pm. TOO & STAMP The Hi-Fi, Melbourne. 10pm. $39.

SATURDAY 18 FEB ROCK/POP 2AM LATE SHOW - FEAT: HIGH FANGS Pony, Melbourne. 2am. AJ STEEL + QUARTER LIFE CRISIS + GOLDALINE 303, Northcote. 8pm. $10. ARCANE SAINTS + CAST IRON PINATA + HAUNTING AUGUST Cherry Bar, Melbourne CBD. 8pm. $13. BANG - FEAT: HOMETOWN + OH PACIFIC! + WHO INVITED THE WOLF? Royal Melbourne Hotel, Melbourne CBD. 9pm. $20. BEERACHE PRESENTS: KROMOSOM + UNKNOWN TO GOD + DEBACLE (7” LAUNCH) + PNEUMATIC SLAUGHTER + HAVITTAJAT Bendigo Hotel, Collingwood. 8pm. $10. BRAT FARRAR + THE MEANIES + MESA COSA Yah Yah’s, Fitzroy. 9pm. BRITISH STEEL + KILL’EM’ALL + OVER DRIVE + DJ SINISTER The Hi-Fi, Melbourne. 8pm. $20. BUCKLEY WARD (SINGLE LAUNCH) + BOATS OF BERLIN + ELIZA HULL RAOB GAB Buffalo Club, Melbourne. 8pm. $12.

BURY THE FALLEN (EP LAUNCH) + ARCADIA + DRIVEN TO THE VERGE + BREAKING TRADITION + EMERSON Ferntree Gully Hotel, Ferntree Gully. 7pm. $10. CHARITY BRIT ROCK - FEAT: CARLOUA ZEP + STRANGE BREW + GANSTERS OF LOVE + FIRE & WATER Ruby’s Lounge, Belgrave. 8pm. CLAMPDOWN Rochester Castle Hotel, Fitzroy. 9pm. CLIP CLOP CLUB George Basement, St Kilda. 5pm. CORAL LEE & THE SILVER SCREAM Labour In Vain, Fitzroy. 5:30pm. DAYBREAK + BEN DAVID & THE BANNED + UNION PACIFIC + FOXTROT Pony, Melbourne. 9pm. DEAD LETTER CIRCUS + FLOATING ME + BELLUSIRA + TWELVE FOOT NINJA + MANY MORE Rock The Bay. The Espy. 3:30pm. DEVOUR THE MARTYR + WHORETOPSY + TORTURED + ORDER OF TORMENT + DIPROSIS The Prague, Thornbury. 8pm. DICE + UNCLE RUDY + THE BARON + SOUTHEAST Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick. 9pm. DUKE BATAVIA + JOE NEPTUNE Great Britain Hotel, Richmond. 9pm. FRANKENBOK + DON FERNANDO + DEAD CITY RUINS + ROCKET QUEEN Cornish Arms, Brunswick. 9pm. $15. GRAND PERCEPTOR + MOTIONLESS ME + GOODBYE GALAXY + KOHL Barwon Club Hotel, Geelong. 8:30pm. $5. HAWAIIAN KEG PARTY - FEAT: YOUNG MAVERICK + DAYDREAM ARCADE + THE KILNIKS Noise Bar,

74 JOHNSTON ST FITZROY 9417 4155

www.theoldbar.com.au OPEN EVERY NIGHT 12PM - 3AM FREE WI FI

wednesday 15th february

BITTERSWEET HEARTS EDDIE JAMES & THE PROWL

SONG WRITERS IN THE ROUND

FRI 17 FEBRUARY ROUND 2 @ 9PM

TANÉ EMIA-MOORE JULEIAAH TOM LEE RICHARDS

thursday 16th february

JOUISSANCE POP SINGLES DANE CERTIFICATE

8PM $8

friday 17th february

ROUND 1 @ 7PM

ANNA PADDICK SÉAMUS ANTHONY AL PARKINSON

LUKE BRENNAN & THE STICKY VALENTINES 8:30PM FREE

ANTARCTICA YOLKE THE STEINS

$5.00 ENTRY

123 SMITH ST, FITZROY FOR MORE INFO OR TO GET INVOLVED EMAIL: INFO@MELTINGPOTONLINE.COM

8:30PM $8

DJ DEL AMP

saturday 18th february

HUGO RACE & THE TRUE SPIRIT MATT BAILEY CRYSTAL THOMAS

8:30PM $12

DJ LOVEPUFF

sunday 19th february

KIM SALMON & SPENCER P JONES SUNDAY ARVO GIG:

UNCLE BILL

OPEN MIC MONDAYS @

BERTHA BROWN FROM 8 – 11PM

8PM $8

4PM FREE

monday 20th february

FREDDY FUDDPUCKER DANNY CISCO BRADY DANIELL-SMITH

8PM FREE

tuesday 21st february KINCH KINSKI & THE STRANGERS

MELTINGPOTONLINE.COM INFO@MELTINGPOTONLINE.COM

ALYSIA MANCEAU TOMMY EL SALVADOR

8PM FREE

ART OPENING: TOHM CURTIS, ‘ICHIJOJI’

7PM FREE

band bookings: bandbookings@theoldbar.com.au

SUBMIT YOUR GIGS TO GIGGUIDE@BEAT.COM.AU

Beat Magazine Page 79

60 SECONDS WITH… DAYDREAM ARCADE

DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE Fact: I almost was beaten up by a cab driver once, after kicking the side of his dumb van when he drove off without me. Death Cab, for reals. I suspect that Death Cab For Cutie didn’t name their band after that particular incident, however. You can catch them at the Palace Theatre on Tuesday February 21 and Wednesday February 22. Brunswick. 7pm. $8. HUGO RACE & THE TRUE SPIRIT + MATT BAILEY + CRYSTAL THOMAS + DJ LOVEPUFF Old Bar, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. $12. LA DISPUTE + INFINITE VOID + WHITE WALLS Corner Hotel, Richmond. 8:30pm. $25. LOVE OF DIAGRAMS + WITCH HATS + TERRIBLE TRUTHS Tote Hotel, Collingwood. 9pm. $12. MONDAY PROJECT (EP LAUNCH) + MATT GLASS Wesley Anne, Northcote. 8pm. MOONLIGHTING 1AM Phoenix Public House, Brunswick. 1am. NAHUATL SOUND SYSTEM + GALAMBO + KLVO Bar Open, Fitzroy. 10pm. ROCK THE BAY - FEAT: DEAD LETTER CIRCUS + FLOATING ME + TWELVE FOOT NINJA + BELLUSIRA + TEN THOUSAND + TIM MCMILLAN + BUGDUST + NEW SKINN + I AM DUCKEYE + THE MORRISONS Espy, St Kilda. 4pm. $45. SUNDAY CHAIRS + JEHAN GONSALKORALE Thornbury Local, Thornbury. 9:30pm. THE LARGE NUMBER 12S Union Hotel, Brunswick. 9pm. THE MORRISONS + CONSTANT KILLER Tote Hotel, Collingwood. 5pm. THE PAPER KITES + TIM HART + DIRT FARMER East Brunswick Club Hotel, East Brunswick. 8:30pm. $18. THE PRETTY LITTLES + DEAD SHADES + DJ MANTOOTH Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 10pm. THE REAL THING St Andrews Hotel, St Andrews. 9:30pm. THE RIPE LAUNCH - FEAT: TEHACHAP + PRIVATE LIFE + BLUE JAYS + ACOLYTE + RED LEADER Phoenix Public

So then, what’s the band name and what do you ‘do’ in the band? We are Daydream Arcade and we make music. More specifically, Liv is on vox, Marcus plays guitar and synth, Adam plays guitar, Gemma plays bass, and Staz is on drums. What do you reckon people will say you sound like? At present we’re heading in a great musical direction. Recently, we’ve become influenced by Toro Y Moi, Jackson Jackson, Two Door Cinema Club, and Beach Fossils. Hopefully people will conclude that our new music sounds like the bastard lovechild of all four. What do you love about making music? For Daydream Arcade, making music is the best way we can turn our melting pot of emotions into sound. There is nothing more satisfying than conquering the world with a good song that has legitimate emotional depth.

House, Brunswick. 9pm. $5. THIRTYONEFIFTY + ZENITHASP + VOLYTION John Curtin Hotel, Carlton. 8pm. TV SNOW (EP LAUNCH) + HUDSON + CELADORE + THE BELLASTRADES Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 8:30pm. $7. UNDERGROUND LOVERS + MARLON WINTERBOURNE Northcote Social Club, Northcote. 8:30pm. $22.

ACOUSTIC/COUNTRY/BLUES/FOLK ACOUSTIC REVIEW - FEAT: JIMMY DANIELS + DC CARDWELL + VICTOR STRANGES + STELLARCASTER Chandelier Room, Moorabbin. 8pm. $10. BILL JACKSON (JERILDERIE LAUNCH) Caravan Music Club, Oakleigh. 8pm. BLUE TIMES BLUE Edinburgh Castle, Brunswick. 8:30pm. $5. BO JENKINS + THE BRONNIE GORDON BAND Musicland, Fawkner. 7:30pm. $10. DANNY WALSH & JOHNNY LIVEWIRE Drunken Poet, West Melbourne. 9pm. FRANK JONES’ BIG FOLK Lomond Hotel, Brunswick East. 9:30pm. GARRY HAYES St Andrews Hotel, St Andrews. 12pm. GEOFF ACHISON & THE SOULDIGGERS Rainbow Hotel, Fitzroy. 9pm. JAM SANDWICH + SIMON WRIGHT Thornbury Theatre, Thornbury. 7pm. JOHN BACON BLUES Scarab Bar, Belgrave. 10pm. LAMARAMA Penny Black, Brunswick. 9:30pm. LEXI DEROCK & THE SUGARFOOT BLUES BRIGADE

What do you hate about the music industry? Egotistical maniacs! If you could travel back in time and show one of your musical heroes your stuff, who would it be and why? The late Michael Hutchence would be our man of choice. It would be incredible to receive his critique and stage direction. Hopefully in the process, some of his cool, charismatic charm would rub off on our music! If you could assassinate one person or band from popular music, who would it and why? Nobody, because you need horrible musicians to make the good ones look great. Don’t mess with this eco system! What can a punter expect from your live show? Lots of energy. Plus maybe a nip slip from one of the boys, if you’re lucky. What’ve you got to sell CD-wise? Our EP is currently underway, so expect a monster launch soon! In the meantime, our tracks are available for free download via our Facebook and Unearthed pages. When’s the gig and with who? We’re so pumped to be performing at Push Over 2012, at Abbortford Convent on Monday March 12, in the Freeza Push Start battle of the bands Grand Final! We’ve also got a stack of other shows lined up, including our residency

Butterfly Club, South Melbourne. 9pm. $20. NICK CHARLES + PETE FIDLER St Andrews Hotel, St Andrews. 1pm. ROCKY & THE TWO BOB MILLIONAIRES Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 7:30pm. SOPHIE JOY MADISON + JOE OPPENHEIMER Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick. 5pm. STRAIT SHOOTERS - FEAT: ANDY BAKER + JEFF WIENER + RICKIE MAWE Bar 362, St Kilda. 9pm. THE BONA FIDE TRAVELLERS Victoria Hotel, Brunswick. 9:30pm. THOMAS STRODE & THE TOUR GUIDES Edinburgh Castle, Brunswick. 5pm. VERY HANDSOME MEN DUO Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 4pm.

JAZZ/WORLD MUSIC BANDA SIN FONTERAS Cruzao Arepa Bar, Fitzroy. 9pm. CHRIS MCNULTY & THE PAUL GRABOWSKY TRIO Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, Melbourne. 8:30pm. $25. GOYIM Bebida, Fitzroy. 8pm. IAN CHAPLIN & THE TED VINING TRIO Workers Club, Fitzroy. 8pm. STEVE SEDERGREEN QUARTET Paris Cat Jazz Club, Melbourne CBD. 9:30pm. $20. THE GORDON GRIZZLIES + DIAMON BRUNTON QUARTET Open Studio, Northcote. 4:30pm. TRACY BARTRAM BAND + ANDY REID Dizzy’s Jazz Club, Richmond. 7:30pm. $20.

SUNDAY 19 FEB ROCK/POP BUFTIE BOYS + BATPISS + THE PHILISTINES Bar Open, Fitzroy. 7:30pm. CYNDI BOSTE Victoria Hotel, Brunswick. 4:30pm. GRUNTBUCKET + JAMES MCCANN & THE NEW VINDICTIVES + SAINT JUDE + BEN SALTER Tote Hotel, Collingwood. 8pm. GUNN MUSIC ESPY SHOWDOWN Espy, St Kilda. 2pm. $12. LA DISPUTE (U18) Corner Hotel, Richmond. 12:30pm. $25. MADMAN & THE LOVER (ALBUM LAUNCH) + AMBER LAMPS + MIDDLETON ROAD Northcote Social Club, Northcote. 2pm. $12. MARABOU PROJECT + DALE RYDER BAND + BAD BOYS BATUCADA Espy, St Kilda. 5pm. MATT CORBY (INTO THE FLAME TOUR) + TIN SPARROW + HAYDEN CALNIN Corner Hotel, Richmond. 8pm. $15. SIMON WRIGHT TRIO + STEEL BIRDS Veludo Bar & Restaurant, St Kilda. 6:30pm. SINGLE TWIN + CHIPS LAFFER Toff In Town, Melbourne CBD. 7:30pm. $15. SLEAZY DOES IT! - FEAT: THE SPEED DEMONS +

on Wednesdays in March at the Evelyn. Plus we are supporting The Vaudeville Smash at the Northcote Social Club on Saturday February 25. Anything else to add? We’ve got a lot of mind blowing things coming up, Melbourne. Be excited. Watch this space.

STRAWBERRY FIST CAKE + HARLOTT + THE VOODINIS + ROAD RATZ Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick. 5pm. THE TRANSPLANTS + DERRYN HINCH Caravan Music Club, Oakleigh. 2:30pm. TV SNOW + BUG Yah Yah’s, Fitzroy. 5pm.

ACOUSTIC/COUNTRY/BLUES/FOLK ALISON FERRIER Great Britain Hotel, Richmond. 7pm. CHELSEA DRUGSTORE Labour In Vain, Fitzroy. 5:30pm. COLLARD GREENS & GRAVY Rainbow Hotel, Fitzroy. 4pm. CRAIG-LEE SMITH & LISA WOOD Town Hall Hotel, North Melbourne. 6pm. DARREN GIBSON + BEN DAVID + LUKE SMITH + MARICOPA WELLS Bendigo Hotel, Collingwood. 4pm. $8. DEAN & CARRUTHERS Mentone Hotel, Mentone. 3pm. GEOFF ACHISON The Bay, Mordialloc. 4pm. JAM NIGHT Musicland, Fawkner. 7:30pm. JVG GUITAR METHOD + MARTY KELLY & AUBURY MAHER Lomond Hotel, Brunswick East. 5:30pm. KIM SALMON & SPENCER P JONES Old Bar, Fitzroy. 8pm. $8. LEXI DEROCK & THE SUGARFOOT BLUES BRIGADE Butterfly Club, South Melbourne. 8pm. $20. LIFE & LIMB + HOODLUM SHOUTS Ritual Records, North Fitzroy. 5:30pm. LIVE & LOCAL SESSIONS Sorrento-Portsea RSL, Sorrento. 5pm. MELODY MOON + LISA MARMUR Bar Nancy, Northcote. 6pm. MIKELANGELO Thornbury Theatre, Thornbury. 7pm. MR BLACK & BLUES Cherry Bar, Melbourne CBD. 3pm. OPEN MIC Chandelier Room, Moorabbin. 5:30pm. PERCH CREEK FAMILY JUG BAND Union Hotel, Brunswick. 5pm. ROADS - FEAT: MICHAEL YULE + BARRY STUART + MICHAEL HICKLING + SARAH EIDA + CRAIG WILLIAMS + DINOSAURS EXIST + CHARM + KATHLEEN SUSANNAH Noise Bar, Brunswick. 12:30pm. $5. SAMMY OWEN BLUES BAND Ruby’s Lounge, Belgrave. 3pm. SINGER SONGWRITER SESSIONS - FEAT: THE FRY BROTHERS + SOPHIE JOY MADISON Chandelier Room, Moorabbin. 4pm. SWEET FELICIA & THE HONEYTONES Standard Hotel, Fitzroy. 7pm. TEN GALLON HEAD Edinburgh Castle, Brunswick. 5pm. THE DAVIDSON BROTHERS Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 4pm. THE HEMINGWAY COLLECTIVE 303, Northcote. 3:30pm. THE PAPER KITES + TIM HART + DIRT FARMER East Brunswick Club Hotel, East Brunswick. 7:30pm. $15. THE STILLSONS + CLAUDE HAY + BEN SALTER Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 7pm. THE WAYLAN JOES Thornbury Local, Thornbury. 4pm. TIM SCANLAN & MARIKA + DAVE STEEL Drunken Poet, West Melbourne. 4pm.

60 SECONDS WITH… YOUNG MAVERICK So then, what’s the band name and what do you ‘do’ in the band? The band is called Young Maverick, my name is Will, and I play Drums. What do you think people will say you sound like? We get some Vampire Weekend references, but I don’t really see that too much. We’ve branded our style as ‘Holiday Pop’, so hopefully that catches on. What is “Holiday Pop”? It’s pretty much exactly as it sounds. It’s not surfer or beach rock; it’s just good time, fun and carefree music. What kinds of bands have you guys been listening to lately? I can’t speak for everyone, but I’ve been getting into Smith Westerns and the Vaccines. The latter are masters of the two minute pop song, but the songs are really tragic at the same time. I love that. What’s the best part about being in a band? Playing shows. It’s hard because when you’re self–managed, you spend most of your time doing Beat Magazine Page 80

SUBMIT YOUR GIGS TO GIGGUIDE@BEAT.COM.AU

everything but playing shows. Once you get up on stage the energy and excitement is awesome. What can a punter expect from your live show? A lot of punchy, hook laden songs with fierce strumming and sweaty drumming. What’ve you got to sell CD-wise? We produced our EP late 2011 and we launched it in January. It is available online and there are limited physical copies When’s the gig and with who? We’re headlining the Hawaiian Keg Party at Noise Bar on Saturday February 18, which is a tropical themed extravaganza. Also playing are the Kilniks and Daydream Arcade. There’ll be $1 pots, hula girls, a pool, limbo comps, and more! Bring your coconut bras and grass skirts, $8 at the door.

SUBMIT YOUR GIGS TO GIGGUIDE@BEAT.COM.AU

Beat Magazine Page 81

CAITLIN PARK

+ BEAT PRESENT... whatson@thepush.com.au

ACCESS ALL AGES

BROKEN STONE ROADSHOW

WITH RUTH MIHELCIC

You never know what you’ll find at a roadshow, if Antiques Roadshow is to be trusted. One of our favourite Australian imprints are taking a clue from then, and taking their crew around the country. The Broken Stones Roadshow is set to be jam-packed with all sorts of joy – with some of their finest acts including Sister Jane, the Maple Trail, Caitlin Park and Magnetic Heads all taking to the roads for a trip around Australia, there’ll be no dusty antiques when Broken Stone Roadshow hit Horse Bazaar on Sunday February 19. TINSLEY WATERHOUSE Cornish Arms, Brunswick. 8pm. WHITE SUMMER + JOHN BACON BLUES Penny Black, Brunswick. 5pm.

JAZZ/WORLD MUSIC AINDRIAS DE STAIC + MOU QUARTET Open Studio, Northcote. 8:30pm. CHRIS MCNULTY & THE PAUL GRABOWSKY TRIO Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, Melbourne. 8:30pm. $20. JAMES ANNESLEY QUARTET Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, Melbourne. 8:30pm. $15. JOSE NIETO Cruzao Arepa Bar, Fitzroy. 6pm. MARINA PRIOR Melbourne Zoo, Parkville. 8pm. MISS BASS & MASTER EVERYTHING 303, Northcote. 8pm.

MONDAY20 FEB ROCK/POP ANIMAUX + ROSIE & GEORGE + SECONDHAND HEART + DJ THOMA Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy. 8pm. $8. FREDDY FUDPUCKER + DANNY CISCO + BRADY DANIELL-SMITH Old Bar, Fitzroy. 8pm. LA DISPUTE + THE SMITH STREET BAND + PALISADES East Brunswick Club Hotel, East Brunswick. 7:30pm. $25. MATT CORBY (INTO THE FLAME TOUR) + TIN SPARROW + KIERAN CHRISTOPHERSON Corner Hotel,

60 SECONDS WITH…

PRETTY SUICIDE So then, what’s the band name and what do you ‘do’ in the band? The band name is Pretty Suicide, and I, Bud, play lead guitar and I sing them blues away. Bearing the terrible clichéd nature of this question, what do you reckon people will say you sound like? We’re often compared to a meeting of AIC and Pantera, but I think we sound like the end of the world, tinted with lashings of hard rock, extreme metal, country, blues and everything in between. What do you love about making music? Everything. There’s nothing else like busting a high E note on a big ‘ol Les Paul! What do you hate about the music industry? The sorry state it’s in. And any band that uses auto tuning, has drum loops behind you, or fakes anything live, you should be ashamed of yourself.

CLASSIFIEDS

33c PER WORD PER WEEK (INC GST) • Send your classified listing information to Beat Magazine at 3 Newton St, Richmond 3121 with a cheque, money order or credit card number (including expiry date and name on card, NOT AMEX or DINERS) (1.5% surcharge on Visa and MasterCard) OR deliver it yourself with cash OR you can email your classifieds to us - classifieds@beat.com.au with credit card details • DEADLINE IS THURSDAY 5pm, prior to Wednesdays publication • Minimum $5 charge per week. We do NOT accept classifieds over the phone - sorry.

MUSICIANS WANTED BANDS & PROMOTERS WANTED. Any style for Collingwood venue. First gigs welcome, live CD recording available. Contact Jane after 12pm on 0425 796 828. FIGHTING FOO (FOO FIGHTERS COVER BAND) looking for singer/guitarist. Singer only considered but preferably singer/ guitarist. Must be willing to jam weekly, own transport and gig. For more info call Dan 0425 391 009. LOOKING FOR ACOUSTIC ACTS to perform in COCO’s monthly competition in Smith Street, Fitzroy. $100 Cash PRIZE. Phone Sandra or Michelle 9417 3937 or drop in at COCO - 129 Smith Street, Fitzroy. VOCALIST WANTED for Hallam/Rowville based metal band. Contact Brad 0402 786 369. www.myspace.com/tokenofruin VOCALIST WANTED for ‘Sideways’. Progressive, hard band needs Mike Patton x Cedric Zavala. Live and recording experience essential. www.sidewaysband.com Sth Eastern Suburbs. Splatty 0488 202 929 ***

Beat Magazine Page 82

Richmond. 8pm. $15. MONDAY NIGHT MASS - FEAT: TTTC + POLLUX B + BATPISS Northcote Social Club, Northcote. 6pm. OPEN MIC & JAMM NIGHT St Andrews Hotel, St Andrews. 7pm. SPENCER P JONES + TRISTEN BIRD Cherry Bar, Melbourne CBD. 8pm. SUGAR DOLL Veludo Bar & Restaurant, St Kilda. 8:30pm.

ACOUSTIC/COUNTRY/BLUES/FOLK HOWLIN’ STEAM TRAIN Espy, St Kilda. 9pm. OPEN MIC Empress Hotel, North Fitzroy. 7:30pm.

JAZZ/WORLD MUSIC JOHN SMEATHERS & THE ALLAN BROWNE TRIO + SAM PANKHURST Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, Melbourne. 8:30pm. $15. LEBOWSKIS 303, Northcote. 9pm. $8. SANTIAGO VELA Cruzao Arepa Bar, Fitzroy. 7:30pm.

TUESDAY21 FEB ROCK/POP DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE Palace Theatre, Melbourne CBD. 8pm. MATT CORBY (INTO THE FLAME TOUR) + TIN

JASON LYTLE Little by name, but big in spirit and voice – that’s ex-Grandaddy frontman Jason Lytle, who’s reemerged as a successful solo artist in his own right. You can catch him at the Toff In Town on Wednesday February 22. SPARROW + KIERAN CHRISTOPHERSON Corner Hotel, Richmond. 8pm. $15. PLAYWRITE + TESSA & THE TYPECAST + ALBERT SALT Toff In Town, Melbourne CBD. 8pm. $7. THE BOWERS Tote Hotel, Collingwood. 8pm. THE GRAVEL TREES + LE BELLE + LEADLIGHT + AUDIO BLACKMAIL + ALI BARTER + CAROUSEL Espy, St Kilda. 9pm.

ACOUSTIC/COUNTRY/BLUES/FOLK KINCH KINSKI + ALYSIA MANCEAU + TOMMY EL SALVADOR Old Bar, Fitzroy. 8pm. DAN WATERS DUO Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 8:30pm. EATEN BY DOGS Labour In Vain, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. JACK DARIOL Veludo Bar & Restaurant, St Kilda. 8:30pm.

JAZZ/WORLD MUSIC DAR E BEATS Dizzy’s Jazz Club, Richmond. 8pm. $14. JULIAN POSADA Cruzao Arepa Bar, Fitzroy. 7:30pm. THE BOMBAY ROYALE Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy. 9pm. THE END Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, Melbourne. 8:30pm. $15.

If you could travel back in time and show one of your musical heroes your stuff, who would it be and why? Led Zeppelin… Because they’re Led Zeppelin! I wouldn’t complain about jamming with Gram Parsons either, dude had style!

150 Minutes of Music w/ DJ Jake, DJ Jarrad, and Fly Wall, Sibley Soundshell, Howitt Park, Bright, 4.30pm – 7.00pm (primary), 7.30pm – 10.00pm (secondary and older), $10, Lili Korndorffer on (03) 5755 0555, AA

Saturday February 18

What’ve you got to sell CD-wise? We’re actually about to start work on our debut album, and our second EP The Terror is sold out! However, we will be rolling out some special edition cassettes for all you old school tape deck badass’! The ultimate in cool… And they’re for free. Beat that!

Anything else to add? Check out our Facebook. You can download our songs for free, and look at pictures of our lovely mugs! And also, I personally want to add Bloodsport is the greatest movie ever laid to tape, only challenged by the likes of Kickboxer, Timecop and Dolph Lungren in The Punisher.

GOSSLING

DRUM LESSONS with Matt from Full Scale/Tim McMillan Band. All styles/all ages welcome. Email matt@saltarhype.com.au

DRUM LESSONS AVAILABLE for students who wish to learn. For enquiries phone Paul 8786 3421.

EMPLOYMENT FLAUNT IT. Internationally acclaimed producer of pro-feminist erotica looking for conﬁdent, adult women to smash the stereotypes and earn good money ($500 and up). Don’t overlook this til you’ve found out more about it. Rebecca 9495 6555 or www.feck.com.

Tehachapi w/ Private Life, Red Leader, Indian Summer DJs, and The Guests, Phoenix Public House, 133 Sydney Rd, Brunswick, 8pm, $5, AA

Yarram Community Skate Day w/ DJ Cam, and stake and BMX competition, Yarram Skate Park, Station Street, Yarram, 12pm – 6pm, Free, Kayte Tetley on 5142 3340, AA

MAN WITH A VAN. Best value movers in Melbourne. Now with trucks!!!! Equip with 1 or 2 experienced men, trolleys and removal blankets. Available 7 days. Check out www.manwithavan.com.au or call us on 9417 3443.

THINK MOVING SUCKS? Think Little Red Trucks! Moving Melbourne everyday. Call 9380 6444 or head to www.littleredtrucks. com.au.

PRIVATE LIFE

The Monday Project w/ Matt Glass, Wesley Anne Bandroom, 250 High St, Northcote, 7:30pm, $15, Wesley Anne Bandroom on 03 94821333, AA

SERVICES

TATTOO COURSE. Tattoo seminar for one day. Instructor with over 20 years experience. Will go through all procedures A-Z and troubleshooting. $500. Call 0414 652 065. *

Don’t forget to support the talent closer to home! For those die-hard fans among us who have tickets to Parkway Drive’s show at the Bended Elbow on March 9, there has been a change of venue. That’s what happens when a band’s epicness is seriously underestimated and need a bigger arena to fully unleash it. The Sick Summer Tour show will now be held at the Geelong Arena and all tickets purchased for the Bended Elbow are still valid. If you haven’t got yours yet, head to oztix.com and sort that out asap.

Friday February 17

When’s the gig and with who? Friday February 17 at Back In The Day (the Portland Hotel) with Sunset Riot, who are helping us whoop some Friday night ass!

SOUNDPARK RECORDING/REHEARSALS. Large 5 room recording studio, loads of vintage gear/instruments. Hire without engineer $450 day, or with $650. Rehearsals from $50. Phone Andrew 0425 706 382.

Speaking of epic bands, New Found Glory will be spreading their own pioneering brand of pop punk rock from the past decade when they tour down under in early April. They’ll be sharing the stage with fellow US punk rockers Taking Back Sunday, and a couple bands from this side of the millennium, This Time Next Year and The Maine. You can catch them at Festival Hall on Sunday April 8 by getting your tickets through Ticketmaster.

All Ages Timetable

What can a punter expect from your live show? The best riffs in Melbourne! Power. Anger. Joy. Love. Peace. Hate. Plus bitchin’ singing, drums beating out a death rattle, bass from bootsy’s evil brother and guitars that sound like the fires of hell!

PROFESSIONAL VIDEO PRODUCTIONS SERVICES for musicians & businesses from conception to upload. Highly creative, 2D & 3D option, unique style and experience in the industry. Talk to the pros at the screaming eagle ﬁlmco. “Live your passion” Ph: 0415 100 444 www.screamingeagleﬁlmco.com

The latest announcement is that of Lady Gaga, who’ll be playing Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena on June 27 and 28. Pre-sale tickets through Visa Entertainment end today (the pre-sale password is ‘Visa’, by the way), but they’ll be on sale to the general public at 9am on Friday. At some point Madonna will also be hitting our shores for the ﬁrst time in about 20 years, so you’d better start saving your pocket money. Or you’ll be watching it on YouTube like the rest of us.

Keep sending us your all ages news to whatson@ thepush.com.au by 10am Thursdays.

If you could assassinate one person or band from popular music, who would it and why? Basically anyone who’s been involved with ‘popular music’ in the last six or seven years. Emos, auto-tuned idiots, Lady Gaga, and anyone ripping off her fashion-pop-craptechno garbage. Plus anyone who rolls up the bottom of their jeans, wears winkle pickers, and wears their hair like Kramer.

TUITION

The all ages gig scene is looking a little quiet this weekend, but there’s so much stuﬀ coming up that you’ll be thankful you had chance to save a few bucks. Coming up in the next ﬁve weeks are System Of A Down, Slipknot, Angels and Airwaves, Evanescence, and Taylor Swift.

Sunday February 19

COOL SUMMER FESTIVAL If you ask me, it’s been anything but a cool summer here in Melbourne. Not that there’s anything wrong with that – sweaty days spent sitting in courtyard bars knocking back drinks and dancing until the wee hours? We love it. Well, guess what – the temperature’s set to drop a little further when the Cool Summer Festival, boasting a lineup with the likes of Owl Eyes, Gareth Liddard, Gossling, Graveyard Train and more descend upon Mt. Hotham for a sweet little weekend of tunes. Chilled-out, both figuratively and literally. The Cool Summer Festival takes place at Hotham from Friday February 17 - 19.

SUBMIT YOUR GIGS TO GIGGUIDE@BEAT.COM.AU

Darebin Community and Kite Festival w/ Daydream Arcade, The Kilniks, The McQueens, and The Darjeelings, All Nations Park, Separation Street, Northcote, 11am – 5pm, Free, Nik Filips on 8470 8001, AA La Dispute w/ Infinite Void and White Walls, Corner Hotel, 57 Swan St, Richmond, 12:30pm, $28, Corner Box Office 9427 9198 or cornerhotel.com, U18 Winchelsea Pool Party w/ DJ Malakai, 6pm – 8pm, $2, Jarrod Zdrzalka on 5261 0600, AA Fairfield Summer Concert Series w/ Our Island Sounds, Kutcha Edwards, Sounds of Polynesia and the Massive Hip Hop Choir, Fairfield Amphitheatre, Fairfield Park, Heidelberg Road, Fairfield, 5pm – 7:30pm, Free, Andrea Makris on (03) 9188 3681, AA

GS T GI TS A L AL VEN GB ! E E & THE FRE E AR

FRIDAY FEB 17TH

Wed. Feb. 15th: (Wine, Whiskey, Women)

8pm: Fee Brown 9pm: Kate Lucas Thurs. Feb. 16th:

8pm: John Lillis & Co. Fri. Feb. 17th:

6pm: Traditional Irish Music Session With Dan Bourke & Friends Sat. Feb. 18th:

9pm: Danny Walsh & Johnny Livewire Sun. Feb. 19th:

4pm: Dave Steel 6.30pm: Tim Scanlan & Marika Tues. Feb. 21st:

8pm: Weekly Trivia

“All Shows Always Free” The Drunken Poet, 65 Peel Street (directly opposite Queen Vic Market), Phone: 03 9348 9797. www.myspace.com/drunkenpoets

GREAT BRITAIN HOTEL

TERRY MCCARTHY SPECIAL

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SATURDAY FEB 18TH

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TUNES BY SABO

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DUKE BATAVIA + JOE NEPTUNE FROM 9PM

SUNDAY FEB 19

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ALISON FERRIER

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FROM 7PM

MON 20TH FEB

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TueSDAYS

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447 CHURCH ST RICHMOND 9429 5066 www.greatbritainhotel.com.au

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FROM 8PM. GREAT PRIZES & GIVEAWAYS.

SATURDAY 19/2, 6PM

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• • • • • THURSDAY • • • • •

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CHECK OUT DERBY THURSDAYS ON FACEBOOK.

SUNDAY 24/2, 10PM

SHED ZEPPLIN SATURDAY 25/2, 10PM

GREASY HAWAIIANS SUNDAY 26/2, 6PM

ADRIAN WHYTE SUNDAY 4/3, 6PM

TERESA DIXON FREE ENTRY ALWAYS!

TOWN HALL HOTEL

SATURDAY FEB 18

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33 ERROL STREET, NORTH MELBOURNE (03) 9328 1983 FOR BAND BOOKINGS PLEASE CONTACT MILES: TOWNIEBANDS@GMAIL.COM SUBMIT YOUR GIGS TO GIGGUIDE@BEAT.COM.AU

Beat Magazine Page 83

DO YOU WANT YOUR STORE, STUDIO OR MUSIC SERVICE FEATURED IN BACKSTAGE?

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STORE PROFILE

CRANBOURNE MUSIC DRUM SUPER STORE

Established: We opened to the public in early July 2010 and will continue to provide the best gear, prices and expert advice a drummer can find. Location: 132 High St, Cranbourne Vic, 3977. Hours Of Operation: Mon/Wed – Fri 9:30 – 6:00, Sat – 9:30 – 5:00, Sun 12:00 – 4:00. Main brands and/or Musical products you specialise in retailing: DW Drums, Yamaha Acoustic & Electronic Drums, Mapex, Pearl, Roland, PDP, Paiste, Meinl and many more brands. Services oﬀered: Providing fantastic prices on all equipment in store and sales alongside great friendly service. Your point of diﬀerence: Regular in-store drum clinics and performances. Drummers include; Derrick McKenzie – Jamiroquai, Ahira Jimbo, Michael Barker – Ex John Butler Trio, Lucius Borich – COG/Floating Me, Johnny Rabb plus many more. Any upcoming events? Grant Collins Live in April Date TBC. Stay tuned for more information and check out our website. Phone: (03) 5995 5933 Website: www.cranbournemusic.com.au

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THIS SPACE COULD BE YOURS FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL ALEKSEI ON 9428 3600 Beat Magazine Page 84

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LIVE

pic by Charles Newbury

SOUNDGARDEN Wednesday February 1, Sidney Myer Music Bowl

KANYE WEST Tuesday January 31, Sidney Myer Music Bowl Despite the constant banter about his cockiness and egotistical nature – two attributes which I believe he is entitled to, Kanye West is a true performer and one of the most intelligent artists of this generation. The fact of the matter is, the man knows what it means to capture and hold a crowds attention. Having already seen him perform at Big Day Out a couple of days prior, I was already familiar with how he was going to set out his show. That said, nothing could prepare me for those next few hours. All of you Kanye haters, either keep reading with an open mind or turn away now. As the lights of the Sidney Myer Music Bowl stage ﬂickered and a group of thong cosi-wearing ballerinas ran on stage going H.A.M. (hard as motherfuckers, for anyone who’s unfamiliar with that acronym), Mr. West ascended on a crane in the centre of the venue to thousands of screaming fans. Any doubt of his popularity amongst the general public was out the window – everyone was hypnotised, particularly once the rhymes began. Dark Fantasy opened the setlist, with his legions of followers screaming up towards him “Can we get much higher?” Was it purely coincidence or was he intending on presenting a God-like front? I’m going to go with the latter. The fact of the matter is, he is arrogant. He is egotistical. He is his own biggest fan. But if you were to see him perform and witness the perfection that he opts for, you mightn’t agree with it, but you’d understand why.

Every element to that performance was perfect. Whether he was indulging in his more “mainstream” hits such as Love Lockdown, Stronger or Gold Digger; dabbling in his more recent hits, Runaway and Monster, or purely just auto-tuning his voice for a good twenty minutes in a freestyle about how much he hates his exes (Amber Rose, you’ve damaged him), it was hard to not keep your eyes peeled to the stage. If not for the music and his brilliant albeit often twisted lyricism, it was for the stage elements themselves. And those dancers! I’ve never doubted my agility more in my life. And for any of you that ever doubted whether or not the man had heart, you only have to witness him sing Hey Mama – a dedication to his late mother, to realise that despite his high-proﬁle status and at times quirky behaviour, he’s still just a kid at heart. Mr West, I didn’t think it was possible for me to love you anymore. But I do. SIMONE ZIADA LOVED: 99.9% of the show. HATED: That odd 0.1% of the show where the girl behind me tapped me on the shoulder to say that she couldn’t see. Sorry to burst your bubble, but I don’t care. DRANK: Fruity Lexia...again. Don’t judge me.

Openers The Bronx tackled what should have been a very daunting support slot with remarkably relaxed confidence. While the majority of the audience seemed fairly apathetic towards the thrash-punk stalwarts, the band’s faithful were still loud and numerous enough to justify a certain amount of swagger on their part. I could certainly respect their energy, but, at the end of the day, I regard The Bronx as belonging to a class of bands that were (or should have been) superseded when bands like Soundgarden came along. Starting the ball rolling with the slow ‘n’ steady Searching With My Good Eye Closed, and following with the almost-pop riffs of Spoonman, Soundgarden made a strong start that was marred somewhat by a lousy mix. (Jesus Christ Pose, I’m pretty sure, was a bit more of a churning, distorted miasma than was intended) Thankfully, the sound improved to a reasonable standard by several songs in, leaving nothing to get in the way of an utterly satisfying set. Over a two hour-plus show, Seattle’s finest went on to give the fans their money’s worth and then some. Eschewing the usual practice of ‘building up’ to the more recognised songs, the band kept things fresh by consistently alternating between cult favourites and airplay hits. Oldies, like the band’s first single Hunted Down, were played alongside more ‘recent’ material like sing-along favourite Burden In My Hand, and none of it sounded aged in the slightest. Perhaps disappointingly, though, no new material was played. Seems they’ll keep us guessing to the end on that... The performance was sharp, but never rigid, guitarist Kim Thayil knowing just when to inject a little chaos factor with his anarchic solo breaks (no two of which are ever the same). More importantly, the band still seemed hungry.

But of course, what the punters really wanted to know (or just see for themselves, in the wake of many encouraging YouTube clips) was whether Chris Cornell has still ‘got it’. The answer? Yes, god, yes. Chris was happy to flaunt his still-staggering register with his audience call-and-response, and when it came to those piercing, abrasive notes in the Rusty Cage and Outshined (probably the most rapturously-received songs of the entire set), I know I wasn’t the only one whose fingernails digging into sweaty palms in long-awaited satisfaction. Closing with a faithfully dark and menacing performance of 4th Of July, the band then returned with Beyond The Wheel, which saw Cornell at his most godly and Soundgarden at their most brutal. Indeed, the encore in general seemed to be about proving that the group were just as angry, brooding, and defiantly nonconformist as ever. After a prolonged, grinding and droning performance of Slaves and Bulldozers, the band staggered their final exit over five minutes, eventually leaving Kim alone to coax (or torture) some discordant textures out of his axe. This wasn’t the behaviour of some ‘greatest hits’ peddlers, but of a band who have rediscovered their fire, and are playing as much for their own sake as for their fans - all of which, I’d say, went home satisfied. JESSE SHROCK LOVED AND HATED: The guy who balanced on the shoulders of the mosh pit during Outshined only to dance the Macarena. DRANK: At this venue? On my salary? Are you nuts?

BATTLES Saturday January 28, The Forum Theatre BEST COAST Saturday January 28, The Corner Hotel At first the unassuming Pop Singles seem like another guitar pop band, their warm summery tunes seeming a tad safe, with a noticeable lack of hooks. By the middle of the set however the songs started to get dirgier, riffs a little more intricate and a noticeable ‘80s/Smiths influence began to shine through. Songs off their upcoming album were definitely a highlight. Next up were Dune Rats hailing from Brisbane, bringing their garage power pop to the stage with a youthful exuberance and energy. Brimming with ‘ooh’s’ and ‘ahh’s’, and synchronised harmonies from guitarist Danny and drummer BC, it can’t be denied that Dune Rats can pen a catchy danceable tune, but they borrow from the songwriting talents of Waaves’s Nathan Williams far too often. Best Coast descended the stage to the theme song from Rocky, not a bad choice for a band that clearly don’t take themselves too seriously. Singer Bethany Cosentino’s songs of obsession and longing recall the teenage heartache we all once knew (or still know in the case of some of the baby faced crowd) in a manner that is juvenile, quirky yet somehow completely appealing. Her onstage banter was for lack of a better word ‘cute’, as she spoke about how much she dug Australia and how ‘rad’ and ‘awesome’ everything was, you couldn’t help but feel the personal and intimate atmosphere that her casual demeanor created.

Tracks from Crazy For You maintained their dreaminess with some added kick, and Cosentino’s voice appeared void of effects, utilized stunningly well to make up for the lack of backups. With their scene setting kick drum and tom intro’s, tonight’s versions of Summer Mood and I Want To really captured the heart and soul of Motown girls groups like the Shangri Las – if they were to smoke a lot of weed. Heads and hips swayed along in time and the audience was captured by the incredibly simple but efficacious pop of Best Coast. Boyfriend naturally caused the most movement in the crowd and after introducing everyone to their new favourite drink, the chip shot (that’s the salt off a tortilla chip, a shot of Patron Silver and a wedge of lime) the band closed with the saccharine yet sweet When I’m With You. There were no particularly highs or lows, just a set filled with an intoxicating feel good energy that left the audience feeling content and in the mood for summer love. KRYSTAL MAYNARD LOVED: That Bethany’s voice sounded just as good as on the record. HATED: Pushy gaggles of 18-year-old girls. DRANK: Expensive Coronas.

IMMORTAL TECHNIQUE Thursday January 12, The Espy Whilst not entirely neglecting rap’s traditionally favourite topics – pussy, weed and guns – Immortal Technique also perceptively commentates on issues ranging from class struggle to media deception to conspiracy theories, often spitting venom upon the government and appealing to a paradigm shift amongst the social consciousness towards intelligence, information and inquisitiveness. The sold out Espy crowd was diverse and a reminder of the unifying power and the wide appeal of Tech’s messages. The idea of uniﬁcation is, perhaps subconsciously, emphasised in his set. His onstage hypemen and rappers never once leave the stage. There is no left-side of crowd vs. right-side call and response often found in hip hop shows – the entire Beat Magazine Page 86

venue passionately shout back together. During Natural Beauty, Tech dedicates the song “to the ladies” but moments later adds, “but this is also kind of for the fellas”. Tech was raised in the harsh environment of Harlem – historically laden with segregation, neglect and class discrimination. Instead of surrendering to it, he ﬁghts against it. He performs, subtlety and perhaps unaware, just as his words demand. As if his lyrics weren’t political enough, a number of songs featured powerful spoken word intros and outros that imparted an inspiring political or social message. At one point he didn’t even bother with beats and screamed Eyes In The Sky acapella. It was clear this wasn’t just a hip hop show; this was a hip hop sermon. Following Caught In A Hustle, Tech preached,

I wasn’t the biggest fan of Battles’ last effort Gloss Drop, but what I thought it lacked in variation and innovation might be made up for within the less rigid confines of a live show. There were wins and losses tonight but overall the real winner was my ass for getting to the Forum early and grabbing a booth; lordy was it too hot to be bothered standing up. Early on, opening act Other Places broke the ice with their ‘pyoom-pyoom’ laseresque rise-andfall electronic, before main support Witch Hats cracked a whip over everyone; they’ve turned their gloriously seedy dirge-punk into something a touch more digestible of late. A strange act as a precursor to blippy shufflenauts Battles, but still a pretty pleasurable contrast. The main question before Battles’ set was thus: with multi-instrumentalist-slash-vocal-alchemist Ty Braxton having departed, how were the remaining members going to adjust their on-stage multitasking? Especially for guitarist/keyboardist Ian Williams, it must be tough not being able to outsource some of that jazz anymore. His two upwardly slanted keyboards on either hand was a great touch to the aesthetics, and he was rocking a sample pad as well (don’t forget the guitar); despite the overload of responsibility he made it look like no thang all over again. The other question for the night also derived from Braxton’s absence: given all the guest vocalists on Gloss Drop, how were they going to pull those performances off? The answer was a simple vocal

sampling effort combined with close-up facial shots on projectors of all missing artists. My Machines featured, in that vein, Gary Numan’s weirdo mug gracing too much of the stage for my liking, but it was probably the best live effort of the Gloss Drop stuff. Atlas was, I think, one of only two songs from last album Mirrored, and the children’s choir vocal samples made up for Braxton’s absence really well. The band only played Tonto for about two minutes before falling away into Ice Cream which I will make no secret of being pissed off about. I say that mostly because it was kind of indicative of the group’s current inability to see a wicked groove through and have it flourish in as many exponentially awesome variations as possible. It’s for this reason that, fun though it all was, this current crop of tunes is indicative of a bit of a formative growth period for Battles. All the same they still hold their own; it’s not really fair that I analyse them only against their own capability all the time, but who else really hold a candle to ’em? Huh?

“Let’s not divide ourselves over petty bullshit. Let’s work towards a new future that we control. If you see something wrong with this country, don’t sit there and complain about it….get the fuck out there and change it, because this is your country motherfucker, and you are the future of Australia…” These were the kind of moments that appealed to the crowd emotionally and were eﬀective because they weren’t delivered in a token “Omg yay! Peace love and unity!” way that artists often throw into their sets to pretend to care. Whilst his messages are intense, he partakes in hilarious light-hearted banter and twice played a song that he and his crew “composed” only two hours before the show – Men At Work’s Down Under. Obnoxious was a particularly enjoyable song and Tech’s tenacious delivery, such as on fan favourites The Point Of No Return and Peruvian Cocaine, invited the

crowd to reciprocate, subsequently tearing The Espy a new backdoor. Whilst we’ve been blessed with hip hop’s eras of G-funk, gangsta rap, West Coast and East Coast, and the so-called “golden era” of hip hop itself in the late ‘80s to early ‘90s, perhaps there is a new era of hip hop emerging – the intellect era – and one day we’ll reﬂect on Immortal Technique and declare that this man changed hip hop for the better.

FOR MORE LIVE REVIEWS & PHOTOS GO TO BEAT.COM.AU

MATT PANAG LOVED: The sound. Even an underwhelming show at the Forum tends to have blissful clarity. HATED: The, bloody, not getting stuck into Tonto! And the bullying heat. It was just so hot. DRANK: Coldstream yay!

NICK TARAS LOVED: The bogan in front of me alternating between the ﬁnger and peace sign depending on the lyric. HATED: A bit of an awkward stage. DRANK: Stephen Forde Moonshine.

Hypatia

William of Ockham

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Robert Ingersoll

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