Q U E E N S L A N D ' S H I G H E S T C I R C U L A T I N G S T R E E T P R E S S

BRISBANE / GOLD COAST / SUNSHINE COAST / BYRON BAY

GIRLS THE FALL THE BIRDMANNHOODOO GURUS

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DECEMBER 31, 2010, 7–11:30PM, SUNCORP PIAZZATickets $20+bf. Book online now. www.southbankNYE.com.auDoors open at 7pm. This is an alcohol-free event. Management reserves the right to refuse entry.

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QUEENSLAND

Arties Music Shop 64, Aspley Hypermarket, 59 Albany Creek Road

ASPLEY 4034 07 3263 7966 www.artiesmusic.com.au

Artie’s Music Townsville 99 Charters Towers Road HERMIT PARK 4812 07 4771 4486 www.artiesmusiconline.com.au

David’s Musical Centre Shop 2, 38 Tank Street GLADSTONE 4680 07 4972 7177

Ellaways Music Kedron 315 & 337 Gympie Road KEDRON 4031 07 3359 8266 www.ellaways.com.au

Ellaways Music Underwood 39 - 45 Compton Road UNDERWOOD 4119 07 3290 5656 www.ellaways.com.au

Gallin’s Musician’s Pro Shop Fortitude Valley

59 Barry Parade FORTITUDE VALLEY 4006 07 3831 5898 www.gallinsmps.com.au

Gallin’s Musician’s Pro Shop Mermaid Beach

2590 Gold Coast Highway MERMAID BEACH 4218 07 5504 5644 www.gallinsmps.com.au

Gallin’s Musician’s Pro Shop Southport

Shop 3 / 1 Young Street SOUTHPORT 4215 07 5561 1106 www.gallinsmps.com.au

Green Brothers 72 William Street ROCKHAMPTON 4700 07 4927 3088 www.musicalshack.com.au

Guitar World Queensland 1, 22 New Street NERANG 4211 07 5596 2588 www.guitar.com.au

Instrumental Music Suite 21, 200 Moggill Road TARINGA 4068 07 3871 1333 www.yourmusicstore.com.au

Kerry’s Keyboards Corner Main Drive & Nicklin Way (Opp BP)

WARANA 4575 07 5493 4888 www.kerryskeyboards.com.au

Lawrences’ Musicland 363 Mulgrave Road CAIRNS 4870 07 4033 1363

Mooloolaba Music Centre Nicklin Way MINYAMA 4575 07 5444 8889 www.mooloolabamusic.com

Music Express 2048 Logan Road UPPER MOUNT GRAVATT 4122 07 3849 7088 www.musicexpress.com.au

Music Express Shop 2001 Garden City Shopping Centre

UPPER MOUNT GRAVATT 4122 07 3849 2588 www.musicexpress.com.au

Music Express Robina Shop 2, 76-84 Robina Town Centre Drive

ROBINA 4226 07 5593 0488 www.musicexpressrobina.com.au

The Best Music Shop Shop 24A , Homemaker City, 38 Goggs Road

JINDALEE 4074 07 3376 5454 www.bestmusicshop.com.au/yamaha

The Keyboard Shop Dalrymple Service Road (down from Sam’s Warehouse)

CURRAJONG 4812 07 4779 4660 www.thekeyboardshop.com.au

Ultra Music 51 Main Street PIALBA 4655 07 4128 2037

Vivace Music Shop 8, 62 Pinelands Road SUNNYBANK HILLS 4109 07 3344 1880 www.vivacemusic.com.au

Yamaha Music Mackay Corner Victoria & Chain Street MACKAY 4740 07 4951 3437 www.yamaha.net.au

Promotion commences 1st November 2010 to 31st December 2010 at participating dealers. Not all products listed in this catalogue are available at all Yamaha dealers. # These products are listed at normal RRP and are not part of this special distributor’s promotional offer. † The “value” specified for the bonus offers is Yamaha Music Australia’s recommended retail price of these products.

*Price drop of 40% applies to selected product only. Visit yamahabackstage.com.au for full terms and conditions.

Two of the most gifted young actors working in cinema today – Academy Award nominees Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams – star in Blue Valentine, a love story that follows the intense relationship between a couple who fall passionately in love in

their early 20s, and then face challenges to their marriage six years later. Dean (Gosling) and Cindy (Williams) are parents of a beloved young daughter, but their relationship has seen better days as they struggle with the demands and expectations of work and family life. At breaking point, but fl ooded with romantic memories of their courtship, the couple steals away to a hotel; they have one night to try and rekindle their passion, and save their marriage. Thanks to Palace Films we have ten double in-season passes to the fi lm which opens Dec 26. bluevalentine.com.au. Subject Line: BLUE VALENTINE

Australian hip hop is growing strong and growing with it is Brisbane MC Profecy. The 20-year-old is just about to unleash his debut CD titled ‘Let The Music Play’, a fi ve-track EP, showcasing the versatility and talent of an artist people are claiming to be the most promising in Australian hip hop. To celebrate the release of his upcoming EP, Profecy will host a launch show at Step Inn on Saturday Dec 11. Thanks to AAA Entertainment we have three copies of the CD up for grabs! Subject Line: PROFECY

Thirty years after the death of John Lennon, Lennon Naked tells of the turbulent lifestyle of one of the 20th century’s biggest icons. Christopher Eccleston stars as the enigmatic musician in a defi ning period of his life – a time of disillusion, self destruction, transformation, and ultimately, hope. John Lennon is one of the most enduring fi gures in musical and cultural history. One quarter of the Fab Four, peace activist, visual artist and author, he was a man whose personal life was characterised by drama, intrigue and eventually, conspiracy. Thanks to Roadshow Entertainment we have fi ve copies of the DVD to give away! Subject Line: LENNON NAKED

Gorillaz fans, have we got a prize for you! One lucky winner will receive a double pass to their gig at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre on Sunday Dec 19; supporting them will be Long Island hip hop impresarios De La Soul and Swedish electronic pop outfi t Little Dragon. Plus the winner will also score this amazing back catalogue collection: 1x Gorillaz CD, 1x Demon Days CD, 1x Plastic Beach CD/DVD, 1x Demon Days Live DVD and 1x Bananaz DVD. Subject Line: GORILLAZ PACK

Blue Mountains-based rock-and-rollers Belles

Will Ring are gearing up to launch their new single ‘Come North with Me Baby, Wow’ across the East Coast. The band will be supported by dreamy acousmatics Guineafowl and exciting new-wavers Magnetic Heads. We have got three double passes up for grabs to their gig at the GPO Hotel on Saturday Dec 11. Entrants must be 18+. Subject Line: BELLES WILL RING

TIME OFFGet your music industry news from The Front Line 12Lowdown – news, opinions, tours, Backlash, Frontlash 14On its 35th birthday, we look at what the future holds for 4ZzZ 18Girls are still fi nding their feet 20The ever forward looking Mark E Smith

tells us his highlights from The Fall’s past 21Hoodoo Gurus are still giving it everything they’ve got 22Klaxons dispel some rumours 23Shout Out Louds are breaking their no New Year’s Eve shows rule for Brisbane punters 24Lime Spiders might be backin the studio soon 26Reverend Horton Heat weren’t expecting fame and fortune 26Categorising Tujiko Noriko’s music is tough 28They have a new record out, but Wish For

Wings just can’t wait to be back on the road 28The connection that brought Grouplove

together was too strong to deny 28Hot Water Music will tour Australia to a different beat 28The Sunburys are comfortable with their idea of success 29Liam Griffi n discusses combining studious pursuits with his solo career 29

On The Record has the latest, greatest and the not so greatest new musical releases 30Chris Yates spotlights the best (and worst) tracks for the week in Singled Out 30

FRONT ROWItaly’s other imagery comes through Tamaryn Goodyear’s exhibition Non Mi Place Versace 34Riz Ahmed discusses fi lm Four Lions 35Cultural Cringe looks at the imagery of Australian currency. That’ll cost you a Banjo 35Dylan Thomas lives on in Under Milk Wood 36The future is Brink Party #2 37Metalocalypse’s Dethklok are not… ‘Okay, they’re a little stupid.’ 38The jargon of The Looking Glass 38

BACK TO TIME OFF!Our Live section is packed full of tour info, live reviews, local news and more awesome shit than you could imagine 41Dan Condon gets the dirt on the blues scene from the Roots Down 52Adam Curley cuts sick with another musical pop culture rant in The Breakdown 52Lochlan Watt gets brutal in our new metal column Adamantium Wolf 52Sarah Petchell has enough punk rock to Wake

The Dead 52Behind the music with Behind The Lines 64Need to get rid of something? iFlog 65

Front Row: Mandy Kohler, Lauren Dillon, Adam Brunes, Matt O’Neill, Mitch Knox, Jessica Mansour, Guy Davis, Rowena Grant-Frost, Danielle O’Donohue, Helen Stringer, Alice MuhlingPhotography: Stephen Booth, Kane Hibberd, Alex Gillies, Silvana Macarone, Brad Marsellos

EDITORIAL POLICYThe opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publishers. No part may be reproduced without the consent of the copyright holder. ©

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EDITORIALGroup Managing Editor: Andrew MastEditor: Steve BellFront Row Editor: Daniel Crichton-RouseEditorial Assistant: Dan Condon Contributing Editor: Adam Curley

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CONTRIBUTORS: Time Off: Lawrence English, Ben Preece, Dan Condon, Craig Spann, Daniel Johnson, Chris Yates, Matt O’Neill, Alex Gillies, Richard Alverez, Mark Beresford, Emma Heard, Andrew Haug, Stu Harvey, Adam Curley, Daniel Wynne, Lochlan Watt, Roberta Maguire, Kenada Quinlan, Carlin Beattie, Bill Johnston, Tyler Jones, Tyler McLoughlan, Mitch Knox, Sam Hobson, Rachel Tinney, Tony McMahon, Benny Doyle, Lily Luscombe, Jake Sun, Barrie Morgan

Two of the most gifted Thirty years after the death of John Lennon,

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HOW TO ENTER:Email: give@timeoff.com.au with the designated Subject Line. Entries MUST include your full name, address and contact phone number in Body of Text. Please note our Giveaways policy: Email before Friday 3pm unless stated otherwise. If you have won a prize you will be notifi ed by email. One entry per person/per competition. Prizes must be collected from the Time Off offi ce during business hours with the presentation of ID. Prizes must be collected within 10 working days from email notifi cation unless stated otherwise. Prizes are not transferable, exchangeable or redeemable for cash. Failure to collect the prize within the time specifi ed will result in it being forfeited. Deadlines for entering and collection must be strictly adhered to.

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INDUSTRY NEWSINDUSTRY NEWS

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FANS TELL BLISS WHERE TO GOFANS TELL BLISS WHERE TO GOBliss N Eso are hoping to harness the wide reach and infl uence of Facebook to shape their upcoming tour, by allowing fans to vote on the destinations for an upcoming tour. The Sydney-based hip hop outfi t stand to gain a lot of free exposure if the concept catches on, as fans will “share” the link to vote on their own personal pages, exposing it to friends and other people from the region they’re hoping to bring the tour to. Early reports on the results saw Wagga Wagga, the Sunshine Coast, Mount Gambier, the Blue Mountains and Sydney the most popular destinations. The band, whose latest album Running On Air debuted atop the ARIA Charts in August, will be playing the Big Day Out tour nationally as well as the Southbound event. Voting is taking place at blissneso.com/vote, which directs you to the Facebook page.

AUS DJ TRAPS GRAMMY NOMAUS DJ TRAPS GRAMMY NOMWhile most news reports have decreed Keith Urban as Australia’s sole 2011 Grammy nominee, announced last week (Best Male Country Vocal Performance for his track ‘Til Summer Comes Around ), they have overlooked Melbourne DJ/producer Dragan Roganovic, aka Dirty South. Roganovic has been nominated in the Best Remixed Recoding, Non-Classical category for his reworking of The Temper Trap’s Sweet Disposition with Sweden’s Axwell. It is Roganovic’s second nomination in this category – his remix of Kaskade’s Sorry lost to Benny Benassi back in 2008. This year the local remixer faces off against David Guetta, last year’s winner in the Remix category.

No stranger to the awards, with 11 already on the mantle, Eminem has led this year’s Grammy Award overall nominations with ten nods thanks to his album Recovery, including the major categories of Album and Record Of The Year. Other leaders were Bruno Mars who picked up seven nominations, whilst Lady Gaga and Lady Antebellum managed six each. Arcade Fire will fi nd themselves fi ghting for Album Of The Year honours with The Suburbs pitted against Eminem, Lady Antebellum’s Need You Now, Lady Gaga’s The Fame Monster and Katy Perry’s Teenage Dream.

XMAS CHARGERSXMAS CHARGERSLooking increasingly like the hot present for Christmas this year, P!nk has remained at the top of the album charts for another week with her best of Greatest Hits… So Far, which is currently two-times platinum. Comedy duo Hamish & Andy debuted in sixth with their new record Celebrating 50 Glorious Years released in time for Christmas, whilst The Black Eyed Peas’ The Beginning debuted in ninth – their single The Time (Dirty Bit) returning to the top of the singles chart. Kanye West’s ridiculously acclaimed My Dark Twisted Fantasy dropped to 12 in its second week, yet to achieve certifi cation. It has topped America’s Billboard chart though, ahead of Nicki Minaj’s Pink Friday, her career set to launch on the back of her appearances on West’s record. Meanwhile, Short Stack’s This Is Bat Country has been certifi ed gold.

FRESHLY INKEDFRESHLY INKEDBrisbane experimental project Axxonn has signed with new UK label Arlen, which has sealed distribution deals across Europe and America for new album Let’s Get It Straight. Reportedly the deal comes after Axxonn played a show in London late last year that was attended by scouts. Melbourne act Pets With Pets have signed with Sensory Projects to release their debut album Aquatic – Pixie – Acid early next year. Fashion retail store General Pants Co’s record label Major Label has announced its December signings – Sydney’s Kite

Club, Perth’s Felicity Groom and New South Wales’ South Coast based The Bungalows. The single label now has 15 tracks from 15 emerging acts in their catalogue. Gossling – AKA Helen Croome – has signed with Native Tongue Music Publishing. Denver’s Tennis have signed to Spunk, the duo’s debut record Cape Dory to get an Australian release in January.

MOVERS AND SHAKERSMOVERS AND SHAKERSTom Larnach-Jones is leaving his post as the entertainment booked for Melbourne’s Toff In Town venue after almost four years in the position. Finishing in January, Emily Ulman – entertainment booker and publicist for St Kilda’s Prince Bandroom – will take up his role. Alicia Massey has joined Sydney touring, booking, distribution and management agency Troubadour. Kyle

Sandilands and Jackie O have renewed their deal with the Today Network for three years, with 2011 set to be the 11th year for the highly successful breakfast radio duo.

OFF THE WIREOFF THE WIREBy putting a stop to LimeWire’s free fi le transferring service, prosecutors of copyright infringement claims have killed off the company. Customers to the legal paid-subscription services were sent an email last week that stated, “LimeWire Store will cease accepting new customers on Nov 30, but will remain online through the end of December to allow current subscription holders to redeem their credits.” A statement from the company said, ““As a result of our current legal situation, we have no choice but to wind down LimeWire Store operations. Despite our dedication and efforts, Dec 31, 2010, will mark the day when LimeWire Store shuts its virtual doors.”

AMID EDITOR STAYS ONAMID EDITOR STAYS ONFollowing the Street Press Australia (Time Off ’s publisher) acquisition of the Australasian Music Industry Directory, managing editor Justine Lynch has joined the company from previous owner Immedia to continue to work on the mag. “I’m looking forward to working with Street Press Australia,” she told The Front Line, “and to continue to work on Australia’s leading industry resource.”

LAST STILL LASTLAST STILL LASTOften looked to as the model that has helped kill off MySpace, music recommendation service Last.fm has posted another loss in its 2009 fi nancial report, but has improved considerably on the previous year’s. Reporting a loss of £2.84 million ($4.5 million AUD), it’s a vast improvement on the £17 million ($27 million) of the year before. Revenue grew, but liabilities increased throughout the period. The fi nancial report submitted to the UK’s Companies House showed that advertising brought in £5.4 million, subscriptions £1.3 and a little over £600,000 came from affi liate sales. Staff costs – including that of director’s pay – was down from 2008.

Last.fm was bought by American television network CBS in 2007 for $280 million USD, making it one of the web’s biggest purchases for music and social networking focused sites at the time. This report moves the company closer to profi tability.

INFORMATION TO LIGHTINFORMATION TO LIGHTAnnual South Australian music industry conference and showcase Fuse has announced its major speakers for 2011. The three major speakers are Ariel Publicity founder Ariel Hyatt, Lollapalooza co-creator Vince Bannon and Eleven president John Watson. Also speaking will be Jon

Mcildowie, Rob Scott, Marianna Annas, Iain Shedden, Chris Johnson, Vicki Gordon, Catherine Haridy, Gregg Donovan, Bill Cullen, Phil Stevens, Geoff Trio, Rhoda Roberts, Steven Foster, Evan Davis and more. Run in association with the Adelaide Fringe Festival, the event will run over three days from Wednesday Feb 16 – Friday Feb 18 (management and songwriting “masterclasses” Wednesday and the conference Thursday-Friday), across 20 Adelaide-based venues.

THE MONEY MAKERSTHE MONEY MAKERSThe BRW Entertainer’s Rich List has been announced, with Global Creatures – the production company behind Walking With Dinosaurs – the new number one with $140 million in earnings last year. The Veronicas ($2.4m last year) have fallen off the list whilst The Temper Trap joined it with apparently $2.5m, largely thanks to their royalties from appearing on television advertisements and the popular (500) Days Of Summer soundtrack. Once the authority on the subject, the BRW list has attracted increasing criticism in recent years for its accuracy.

U2 UNDER THE HAMMERU2 UNDER THE HAMMERAll four members of U2 have signed a Fender Electric Guitar currently up for auction at aidarena.com. The proceeds of the sale will go towards Sydney-based charity The Australian Children’s Music

Foundation. Bidding closes Sunday Dec 19.

SHOCKWAVESSHOCKWAVESShock Entertainment has moved offi ces, and is now based at 369 High Street, Kew, Victoria 3101, the main reception line is (03) 9205 0900. Following their sale to Regency Media in August, the independent label claimed that there would be no lay-offs.

FOSTER ACTSFOSTER ACTSThe winners of the Sunset Sounds Foster Band

Initiative have been announced, six-piece folk-pop group Charlie Mayfair and indie rock outfi t Ball Park Music awarded the opening two spots at next year’s Sunset Sounds festival on Wednesday Jan 5 and Thursday Jan 6.

INDUSTRY AWARDS PLANNEDINDUSTRY AWARDS PLANNEDIndustry magazine The Music Network and Peer Group Media have announced that they will be launching an awards event for members of the music industry next year. Covering all aspects of the industry (including publishing, promotions, journalism and festivals) the nominations and voting processes will be conducted by members of the industry, while subscribers to The Music Network will be able to vote.

SEABELLIES ATTACKED IN BRUNNIE STSEABELLIES ATTACKED IN BRUNNIE STNewcastle’s The Seabellies were the victims of an alleged attack from a gang who struck members of the band with sticks and belts last week as they walked along Melbourne’s Brunswick Street. The band were celebrating the fi nal night in a month-long residency at the Evelyn Hotel, when the attack reportedly occurred. Suffering cuts and bruises, bass player Eddie Garven needed stitches in his forehead after being taken to hospital. “It was a shame how it all ended but we don’t blame the city,” frontman Trent Grenell told Melbourne paper The Age. “It can happen in any city in the world. It was a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.” The band posted photos of Garven’s injuries on their Facebook.

648 Ann Street Forti-tude Valley QLD 4006 www.xandybar.com.au

Tuesday 7th December Fever Pitch Golden Leaves Cutloose

Wednesday 8th December The May Strikes Joys Horizon Maggie Collins

Thursday 9th December BOYS AND GIRLS TBC TBC $12 tickets on door $10 host list

Friday 10th December Axxon Tape/off ANIKI/ Danny Cool

Saturday 11th December 1000 Needles in Red Joel Myers TBC Charlie Hustle/ Butterz

Sunday 12th December Sharon Friel The Chutes Discount DJ’s

THE SEABELLIESTHE SEABELLIESINSET: STITCHES INSET: STITCHES AFTER THE ATTACKAFTER THE ATTACK

THE VAMPIRE STRIKES BACKTHE VAMPIRE STRIKES BACKThe saga surrounding Vampire Weekend’s album cover for Contra has started again, with the band issuing a lawsuit to photographer Tod Brody over the Polaroid portrait shot he supplied the band for their album cover. The band are being sued by Ann

Kirsten Kennis, the model on the cover, for $US2 million as she claims she never gave permission for the image to be used. Brody reportedly produced a signed release from Kennis, but she claims Brody didn’t even take the photo. The lawsuit is unique because while they usually have to be issued in person, but neither the band nor the courts can locate Brody.

On his website, Brody has written that he has no comments to make but states, “Ms Kennis’ dismissal of Polaroid and Polaroid fi lm as something reserved for family snapshots indicates a total lack of understanding of the use of Polaroid in the creative community… [the] claim that the photo ‘isn’t a modelling photo, it’s a Polaroid so it must be a family photo taken by her mother,’ is blatantly false and totally ridiculous.” It is unclear what the copyright laws in regards to Polaroid casting shots – prominent during the pre-digital era – exactly are.

The summons was issued by email and Brody is obliged to respond by early 2011.

BECOMING A FACTORBECOMING A FACTORAnother attempt to stop the British X-Factor program from holding the number one single over Christmas comes from Slipknot’s Corey Taylor and his track X-M@$ . The top spot was famously held by Rage Against The Machine’s Killing In The Name Of last year after a Facebook group petitioned the public. Taylor’s track will raise money for the Teenage Cancer Trust.

INDUSTRY NEWSINDUSTRY NEWS

MUSIC MUSIC IS NOT IS NOT ENOUGHENOUGH

In town for U2’s massive arena tour – about the only time Jay-Z’s going to be the supporting act – it wouldn’t be BONO if he didn’t fi nd some time out for other pursuits. This time Australia got the World AIDS Day launch and he was in his fi nest form, writes SCOTT FITZSIMONS.

I t’s as if fronting one of the world’s biggest bands wasn’t enough for Paul David Hewson. Under the moniker Bono, Hewson has led U2 – for whom he writes songs and most of the lyrics – to

international fame and acclaim and following their peak of popularity, he’s turned his attention to focus heavily on humanitarian causes and philanthropy. He’s not without his detractors – to the regular citizen he can seem overly-self righteous as he travels the world and preaches from atop his riches – but his infl uence and ability to attract attention to causes makes him one of the world’s best campaigners. It remains good publicity stunt for world leaders in public or private offi ce to be photographed alongside Bono.

He’s met most of the world leaders that you can think of on the top of your head and Time magazine have listed him more than once in polls like ‘The 100 Most Infl uential People’ and ‘People Of The Year’ and in doing so has become larger than life – and certainly larger than his band. Appearing at a lot of his events, the rest of U2 are nowhere near as outspoken, almost like a good wife of the president, they’re supportive and quiet while he does his thing.

Taking advantage of a photo opportunity and a chance to put their name to a good cause, Prime Minister Julia Gillard and New South Wales’ Premier Kristine Keneally were present at the recent worldwide launch of World AIDS Day, held in Sydney and whereby the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge were lit up red to mark the offi cial opening. If the efforts to turn Sydney Harbour red were a little disappointing – 15 seconds of fl ares and an elegant but mundane parade of yachts – Bono’s performance surely wasn’t. He looked more assured than either of the politicians there, both on the pedestal and then servicing the media scrums clambering for quotes and photos.

While Keneally was more passionate with the repetition of the line, “because this is a disease that doesn’t discriminate”, Gillard was more ministerial; her calculated and rehearsed delivery at odds to the wind that was undoing her hairdo. But no one came close to Bono, who had the crowd onside the moment he emerged with the line, “I feel like I’m in Charlie’s Angels”, referencing the powerful women he was surrounded by. Scoring laughs effortlessly from the crowd (too easily at times) he really was the star here, the one that everyone wanted a piece of even alongside Australia’s most powerful person.

Two large red ribbons – one each pulled by the elected offi cials from the plastic stand to trigger the lights – were being held by the group following their respective speeches and with Bono in the middle he toyed with the two ends, his mind obviously ticking over as to how he could spice up the photo. In the end he put it over his forehead and animated breaking through the thread, much to the delight of Keneally and Gillard and polite smiles from The Edge, who, invited on stage following his frontman’s speech, has seen this all before.

“Just walking on stage I really did think I was in Charlie’s Angels,” he told media minutes later. Citing a “lioness” energy, “You look at these great campaigners at the moment, from Oprah, who’s going to visit your city soon, right through to now at an AIDS benefi t, banging the lectern there for other women.”

On the difference – or rather the comparisons between artistry and activism – he said, “They’re kind of the same thing in a way. Art is done by people who don’t know their boundaries or don’t want to know – they don’t want to be put in any kind box… I am not naturally the kind of do-gooder, I’m not naturally the kind of pain-in-the-arse protagonist for these type of issues. I think in a different life I could have been really lost in my own world. Being an artist strangely, ironically, took me out of myself; took myself out of my arse.”

The catalyst, he says, was “Listening to John Lennon when I was 11 or 12, listening to Bob Dylan, Bob Marley, Marvin Gaye – these people shaped the way that I and my bandmates see the world and they also whispered this message that things don’t have to be the way they are – you can kick the world into shape or kiss the world into shape. That’s what I got from John Lennon – your voice is as important as any politician’s. That kind of arrogance and megalomania came to me from being an artist and being in a band.” The next question would have been – had his public relations manager not led him away, with more time given to photos than words – when is music not enough? Because despite providing the vehicle to his current position, U2 itself with their 22 Grammy Awards – more than anyone else – are not a means to an end. However travelling the world, public appearances, shaking hands and making speeches looks increasingly like it is.

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“I am not naturally the kind of do-gooder, I’m not naturally the kind of pain-in-the-arse protagonist for these type of issues.”

MOOD INDIGOWith over 12 million album sales, seven Grammy nominations and over 20 years in the game, the Indigo

Girls are one of modern folk music’s most popular acts. They have a new live double-album called Staring Down The Brilliant Dream out now, featuring 31 songs handpicked by the duo from their live shows between 2006 and 2009. The record has all of those gorgeous harmonies and thought-provoking lyrics that their fans know and love and is a must for any fan’s collection. They were announced for Bluesfest a couple of weeks back and now they’ve also announced a sideshow at QPAC on Tuesday Apr 26. Grab your tickets from Qtix right now.

NO MORE MUTANTSSadly the legendary Brazilian psych rock outfi t Os

Mutantes have been forced to cancel their Brisbane show that was set to take place at The Tivoli on Tuesday Mar 8. Full refunds are available now.

Soundgarden guitarist Kim Thayil has said that the band will be writing new material before long.

Mick Hucknall of Simply Red has apologised to the 1000 women he slept with during the band’s heyday in the 1980s. We await the apology to the entire world, who have had to deal with the mental image of Mick Hucknall having sex.

According to Britney Spears, her new record will be out in March of next year.

Peter Buck has revealed that Patti Smith named the new R.E.M. album Collapse Into Now.

The offi cial weight of the cannabis Willie Nelson was busted with has come up at four ounces, which is only enough to be charged as a misdemeanour. Had he been carrying six ounce, as was estimated last week, it would have been a felony.

The Living End’s Chris Cheney along with wife Emma, manager Rae Harvey and her partner, record producer Woody Annison, have opened Red Door Sounds, a new recording studio in Melbourne.

Gossip website TMZ falsely reported that Kurtis Blow was arrested for cannabis possession last week.

The People’s Key is the name of the fi rst Bright Eyes album since 2007’s Cassadaga. It will be released in February next year.

AC/DC, The

Wiggles, Keith

Urban and Hi-5 have all made the top ten in this year’s BRW Top Entertainers Rich List.

The Dark Was The Night compilation released by 4AD last year has now raised one million US dollars for AIDS charity the Red Hot Organization.

Soul queen Aretha

Franklin has reported she is in good health after a major operation. She has not stated what the operation was.

Mister Heavenly is a new supergroup featuring Man

Man’s Honus Honus, Islands’ Nick Thorburn, Modest

Mouse’s Joe Plummer and, for the moment, movie star Michael Cera.

Temptation, the sixth album from The Waifs, will be released in March next year.

Last week Sony Music mistakenly had some of Bradford Cox’s Atlas Sound tracks (as featured in Time Off ’s On The Download section last week) taken down. The company has apologised for the bizarre mix up.

Eminem has picked up ten Grammy nominations for next year’s awards. He was followed by Bruno Mars with seven, while Jay-Z, Lady Antebellum and Lady Gaga all scored six apiece.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard was spotted in the audience at the Blondie show in the Yarra Valley over the weekend.

THAT SPARK IS BACK Sparkadia are well and truly back in the saddle after spending the majority of this year holed up over in Europe and they are pleased to let you all know that their brand new record The Great Impression is all set for release on Friday Mar 18. The band made a solid return to the live scene as they headed out with Little Red a couple of months ago and now, in support of the new record, they’re going to chalk up plenty more miles as they dash around the country with some particularly esteemed company in tow. Gold Coast young adults Operator

Please will head along as the main support act while Melbourne up-and-comers Alpines will open things up. These three bands will play the Coolangatta Hotel Thursday Apr 7 and The Hi-Fi Friday Apr 8. Tickets are available from OzTix now!

SUITABLE LOCATION Dream popsters Beach House are without a doubt one of the most highly anticipated acts on the bill for the 2011 Laneway Festival and, as such, one of the acts many people around town are saddened about not being able to see at their own club show. Well wipe away those tears, the duo have just announced that they will be playing a special show in the suitably beachy town of Mullumbimby on the New South Wales north coast. The band are riding high on the outstanding success of their latest record Teen Dream and those who have seen the band on past visits will move mountains to make it to see the band at the Mullumbimby Civic Hall on Saturday Jan 22. Support comes from incredibly popular locals The Middle

East and New Zealand’s Tiny Ruins. Ticket are available from OzTix right now.

OH WHAT A FEELINGThere’s no hiding from the fact that he was an odd choice of act to perform at the AFL Grand Final (to say the least), but that doesn’t change the fact that Lionel Richie is one of contemporary music’s most cherished artists. His beginnings with 70s funkateers The Commodores were auspicious, but it was when he started releasing solo albums in the 1980s that he really shot to the highest echelons of fame. The master of song is returning to Australia next year to bring you to your knees with his messages of love and will be performing at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre on Friday Mar 25. Support comes from none other than Guy Sebastian and tickets are on sale from Ticketek from Tuesday morning.

ENTER THE FOLDSIt’s been a while since we were treated to a tour from Ben Folds, which is kind of surprising given his close connection with our country. But on the back of his new record Lonely Avenue – which was a collaboration with acclaimed author Nick Hornby – Folds will return to our country to sit down at the piano and take us through songs from the record as well as plenty of tunes from his vast back catalogue, including tunes from his much loved Ben Folds Five, the band that initially shot him to stardom all over the world, as well as solo material. His live shows are constantly raved about so you won’t want to miss your opportunity to catch him live in the fl esh at the QPAC Concert Hall on Tuesday May 17. Tickets are available from Qtix from Tuesday morning.

DOWN BY THE SEAWe think you’ll agree that it has been pretty bloody special having Wollongong stoner rock legends Tumbleweed back in our lives. For those of you who simply can’t get enough of the band’s early material that they have been airing at their incredible live shows of late then you’ll be pretty damn excited to hear about the Aztec Records double-CD reissue of the band’s earliest recordings, entitled The Waterfront Years. The compilation features all the material the band wrote prior to signing with Polydor Records in the mid-90s and is a must for all fans. On top of this, the band has been writing new material so here’s hoping we’ll see a new record materialise before too long. This summer they are heading up here for a quick trip to the beach, playing the Great Northern Hotel in Byron Bay on Sunday Jan 9 with special guests Dropping Honey. Tickets are available from OzTix and the venue right now for $23.50.

NASH TRAVELS WITH BESTY: YOU One of the undeniable smash hit acts of this year’s Splendour In The Grass was Kate Nash and the British songstress is ready to come back to Australia to wow us all over again next year. She has long been a darling of the music press in her home country and the release of her latest record My Best Friend Is You has done nothing to change that. The record is described as poignant yet playful with plenty of Nash’s much loved idiosyncratic touches, which often includes more than a little crudity, so you should pretty much be prepared for anything when she comes to town to play The Hi-Fi on Saturday Feb 19. Tickets are available from the venue and OzTix from Monday morning.

VINTAGE BLUES The second announcement for next year’s Byron Bay Bluesfest has dropped with British prog-giants Jethro Tull a surprise inclusion, Texan rock kings ZZ Top, pictured, a not so surprising addition while funk and soul legends like Irma Thomas, The Funky Meters and Booker T all beef up the bill considerably. Reggae masters Toots and the

Maytals, Latin blues favourites Los Lobos, modern day soul crooner John Legend, Tim Robbins and

The Rogues Gallery Band (aka High Fidelity’s Ian “what fucking Ian guy?!?!” Raymond), Trombone

Shorty & Orleans Avenue, B.B. & the Blues

Shack, Joe Louis Walker and Barrence Whitfi eld round out the international contingent. On the local front the announce is honestly almost as big; Gurrumul plays an exclusive performance, Kasey

Chambers, Pete Murray and Wolfmother are the big young guns while Captain Matchbox Whoopee Band, The Dingoes and Phil Jones & the

Unknown Blues will be bringing back memories for many. Diesel, The Snowdroppers, Ray Beadle and Nat Col & the Kings cap off another huge announcement. The festival hits Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm Thursday Apr 21 through to Monday Apr 25.

MOUNTAINOUS MUSIC A couple of years back Black Mountain made their way out to Australia on the back of their kick arse second record In The Future and managed to impress us all more than suffi ciently with their live show and have us excited about their future. This year the band released the follow up to that aforementioned record, Wilderness Heart, and it has seen the Canadian act pick their game up considerably, which is really saying something. The album is a rootsy chunk of psychedelic prog-rock, but probably about 15 times less wanky than you’re imagining from that description. The band are on their way back to Australia in support of the album and will once again drop by The Zoo while they’re here, this time on Thursday Feb 17. Tickets are on sale now for $54.10 and you can get them from the venue’s website, OzTix and usual outlets.

14

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WE GOT THE FEVER If you don’t know who Justin Bieber is then you really need to start paying more attention to, well, the world in general. This teen icon has kids all over the world in hysterics thanks to his infectious pop hooks, heartfelt lyrics and ingenuous charm and he’s about to bring the whole package to Australia. The 16-year-old Canadian wunderkind has just released My Worlds: The Collection, which comprises of an acoustic album as well as his My World EP and My World 2.0 album and is sure to sell a truckload of copies this festive season. You can see the young fella ripping it up at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre on Tuesday Apr 26, tickets are on sale from Ticketek from Monday morning from $65 up to $95. The show is strictly 18+. LOL just joking, settle down you little weirdos.

THE EFFECT OF SUMMER You may well have seen its members around town in various different projects over the past couple of months, but now that summer is here, it is once again time for The Butterfl y Effect to come out of hibernation and kick some arse like only their modern rocking selves can do. The Summer Lovin’ tour will see the band head to regional areas along the east coast, which basically sounds like a great excuse for them to go surfi ng. It’s also a great chance for you to do the same as well as see this fantastic band while you’re at it and if you’re in our neck of the woods then you can catch them at Twin Towns Services Club on Friday Dec 31 and the Kings Beach Tavern, Caloundra Sunday Jan 2. If that’s not enough for you then perhaps news that After The Fall will be there in support will be? The respective venues can sort you out with tickets or you can grab a ticket from OzTix for the Caloundra show if you so wish.

Pete Doherty has admitted he might seek former Libertines band mate Carl Barat’s advice for his new Babyshambles songs.

Justin ‘Beebs’ Bieber has cancelled his appearance on a German TV show after a contestant was seriously injured while attempting to somersault over fi ve cars using spring-powered stilts.

Susan Boyle completely screwed up her performance on talk show The View, stopping halfway through claiming she had a ‘frog in her throat’.

It has been reported that Prince Harry has enlisted Snoop Dogg and Tinie Tempah to perform at his brother’s bachelor party.

Harry Wayne Casey – aka K.C. of K.C. and the Sunshine Band fame – has accused the Black Eyed Peas of ripping off his classic tune Give It Up on their new track Love You Long Time.

HAD TO RETURNThey sold the fuck out of their show up here just a couple of weeks ago, so Shihad

have wasted absolutely no time in making their way back up here to give those who missed out another chance to see them in action. For well over a decade these Kiwis have been regarded as one of the most exciting live bands going and not much has changed in that regard. Of course their music has become incredibly diverse over the years, no album is ever the same as the last and that’s just the way they like it. They head up here to play Byron Bay’s Great Northern Hotel on Wednesday Jan 5, Surfers Paradise Beer Garden Thursday Jan 6, Villa Noosa Hotel Friday Jan 7 and The Zoo Saturday Jan 8. Gold Coast heavy hitters Electric Horse and Helm will be there in support and you can grab yourself a ticket from the venues, outlets and OzTix right now. Don’t miss out again!

ALL SIZES WELCOMEHe’s long been considered one of the fi nest songwriters of our generation, in fact many of the biggest names in contemporary music sing his praises, and now Randy Newman is coming to Australia for the very fi rst time to show us the wide scope of his career as an artist. Since his second album, the enormously well received 12 Songs, Newman has been held in the absolute highest regard as an irreverent and satirical songwriting master, but also, more recently, he has been considered one of the fi nest fi lm music composers of our time, with a whopping 17 Oscar nominations. Newman is heading to Brisbane to play a show at QPAC with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra on Friday Jul 22. Tickets are available through Qtix right now, they begin at $45 and go up to $109.

TEARS IN HEAVEN Carlos Santana remains one of the biggest names in the guitar world these days, just as he has been since the release of the fi rst Santana album back in 1969. He’s still hard at it, his latest record Guitar Heaven matching him up with some of the world’s most famous vocalists to run through some of the most iconic guitar tunes of all time – an intriguing concept but one that his legion of dedicated fans have lapped up. It has been a couple of years since he last visited us, so you can bet there are plenty of people very excited to hear of his return early next year. He will drop by the Brisbane Entertainment Centre on Thursday Mar 24 to dazzle all and sundry and tickets are available from Ticketek as of Thursday morning.

VIBE LIFTSThe line-up for the Good Vibrations festival set to hit the country early next year is undoubtedly a monstrous one and now it has just gotten even better. British duo The Ting Tings made massive waves in Australia with the release of their debut album We Started Nothing and particularly their earworm hit That’s Not My Name, which was a massive radio hit upon its release. The band were forced to cancel their visit to Australia scheduled for mid-2010 but have made up for that with the announcement that they’ll join the Good Vibes road show through February 2011. Catch them at the Gold Coast Parklands on Saturday Feb 19.

LATE BLOOMERTwenty years of worldwide success and acclaim ought to be enough to convince you that Irish singer-songwriter Luka Bloom is a very special artist, but if it’s not then we highly recommend going to see him perform live. His records have been much loved by audiences all over the globe, but one cannot truly understand his genius completely without witnessing his transcendent live shows that have had Australian audiences in awe each and every time he has visited. He’s just released his latest album Dreams In America and to celebrate he has booked himself a couple of months in Australia – he has been quoted as saying that he spends two months of every 24 in Australia and 22 waiting to return. He plays The Tivoli Friday Apr 1 and Joe’s Waterhole, Eumundi Saturday Apr 2. Tickets are on sale now.

PURRFECT POWERFor the second summer in a row Australian audiences will be treated to performances from the incomparable Cat Power as leading lady Chan Marshall continues what has become quite a love affair with our country. Marshall is currently in the midst of making her new record, which will be her tenth, so when she’s out here early next year you would imagine she’ll have plenty of exciting new music to go alongside all of her fantastic previously-released material. Once again she’ll be fl anked by drummer Judah Bauer and guitarist Jim White – which, in itself, is a good reason to attend – and we’ve no doubt the shows will be as beautiful as they are intriguing. Cat Power plays the Brisbane Powerhouse Friday Jan 28 and the Coolangatta Hotel Saturday Jan 29; tickets are available from the venues or OzTix for the Coolangatta show.

16

SEARCH NOT DESTROYWhat’s with the police strip-searching patrons at festivals? Some of the reports coming from innocent people’s treatment at Stereosonic last weekend have been disturbing in the extreme... Seems the spectre of Joh is alive and well...

DUST TO DUSTIt’s going to take an amazing turnaround to regain The Ashes after the ignominy of the last couple of tests. Lift your game Aussies...

OPRAH AND OUTWhat the fuck has prompted this recent obsession with Oprah? Please let her arrive soon so that she can piss off back home and let us resume our lives...

KELLY GANGThe four-night A To Z Show performance in Brisbane by Paul Kelly and his nephew Dan was absolutely stunning from go to whoa. Here’s hoping they do it again soon...

LOUIS, LOUISThe new TV project by US comedian Louis CK – simply titled Louis – kicked off on cable last week and is (so far) one of the funniest things to hit the small screen in ages. We hear it gets weird… Bring it on.

PSYCH WARThe sad news that Os Mutantes canned their Brisbane show was tempered by the news that Black Mountain are coming back. Amazing live band, the show is bound to be rad...

PAUL KELLY @ BRISBANE POWERHOUSE BY STEPHEN BOOTH

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COPORATE JACK IS BACKAndrew McMahon is one talented gentleman. He’s best known as the vivacious vocalist and pianist for popular rock acts Something Corporate and Jack’s Mannequin, but he’s recently turned his hand to some solo material that has been received incredibly well. In fact his last solo tour of his native US was a complete sell-out. He is heading out to Australia next year to treat his many fans out here to these intimate performances, which have received rave reviews just about completely across the board. McMahon will play solo material as well as hits from his two hugely successful bands and will do so at The Hi-Fi on Thursday Feb 10. Tickets are on sale from OzTix and the venue from Friday morning.

17

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GENDER BENDERSGENDER BENDERSThe breezy and carefree tunes of San Franciscan indie outfi t GIRLS pretty much perfectly encapsulate their laid-back approach to the whole music caper. Frontman and songwriter CHRISTOPHER OWENS tells STEVE BELL

why their success to date hasn’t stopped them from staying grounded.

by fellow cult members, had long been fascinated with the art form – had started writing his own songs, and when he befriended producer/bassist Chet “JR” White in his adopted town of San Francisco the seeds of the pair’s band Girls were sown. Utilising their complementary skills they recorded some songs together, chucked them up on MySpace and the reaction from the online community was instantaneous. Cue a record deal, the release of their acclaimed 2009 debut long-player Album, some massive international support slots and now – on the back of their excellent new EP Broken Dreams Club – Girls are fi nally making their way to Australian shores.

“It’s wonderful. It’s like a dream come true for us,” Owens marvels of the band’s rapid rise in fortunes. “It’s been really amazing the past year, we’ve gotten to do a lot of things that we never imagined that we’d get to do, so we’re all really happy and excited. We really want it to keep going.

“When we fi rst started recording before we were even a band we didn’t really expect much – we were just kind of doing it for ourselves. But as soon as we started putting recordings out the reaction was pretty good all around the world, so we kind of had an idea that this was going to be a fairly extensive project. It kinda makes sense to us, because we try to play music that people would want to listen to. I guess if you’d told us two years ago what lay in store for us we would have been pretty surprised, but once you start putting things on the Internet you can kind of judge the reactions pretty well, and it came pretty obvious pretty quickly that this was going to be something that people connected with.”

Despite its relative brevity Broken Dreams Club is a perfect expansion of Album’s diverse brew of trippy, sun-drenched sounds, the pair’s preference being unabashed pop with an esoteric and inherently DIY bent.

“We just didn’t have much time to record last year because we were touring,” Owens explains of the abridged nature of the new release, “so we just tried to get as much done as we could and we ended up with a six song record, and we just wanted to put it out. We’re going to record the next album after these shows in Australia, but we didn’t want to wait too much longer. We just wanted to put out as much as we could, and we ended up with the EP, so we thought it was a good thing to do.”

While Owens writes all of the band’s material, his creative partnership with JR is integral to the band’s recorded sound and aesthetic.

“He produces all of the music, so it’s important for me to have somebody that I can communicate easily with and tell them what I’m trying to go for, and he knows how to record it,” Owens continues. “It works for us – I don’t know how to record it myself, so I need having somebody around who does. And it means that we can get it done without having outside producers or engineers get involved, we can just do it all ourselves. It’s a good way for us to work.

“We’ve always played live with a full band – you can’t really play that much with just two people – but when we fi rst started recording we didn’t have a band yet, so we just recorded the album ourselves. Then the band came after we sort of had the demand for touring and stuff like that, so we just put together a band made up of friends of ours who played music here [in San Francisco]. They’ve played on the EP now, so we’re trying to mould it into more of a ‘real’ band.”

According to Owens the fact that Girls’ songs traverse so much musical and stylistic terrain is due to their broad music tastes rather than any specifi c desire to be eclectic.

“We’ve always just wanted to do a lot of different styles – we don’t really have one sound as a band,” he offers. “We feel like each song is really different from the next, so we just sort of approach it on a song to song basis, and we don’t always go through the same approach with each song. At the end of the day we end up having a lot of different styles on the record and I think that makes it interesting. It’s also more fun for us to try all those different sounds.

“[Our taste] is really diverse – we listen to a bit of everything. We listen to anything that’s on the radio, or our friends’ bands – all kinds of stuff. We’re not really into one type of music or one scene – we’ll listen to anything that’s good. All kinds of different things. If music’s good then we like it.”

The frontman’s unconventional upbringing didn’t allow much exposure to popular culture, and this experience has partially informed how he writes and appreciates music to this day.

“I think maybe a little bit,” he muses. “It kind of gives me a simple style. I think the stuff that you grow up with probably subconsciously effects the way you write. I listened to a lot of pretty simple classic music. I think it’s still something that affects me, but then sonically we have a lot of current infl uences, so we try and mix it all up together. The basics of the songs are all pretty simple – almost country music or something like that.”

Even though the world at large has become rapidly enamoured with Girls’ summer-tinged sound, Owens doubts that the success will affect the band’s relatively carefree attitude to their craft.

“No, because we’re doing what we want to do,” he refl ects. “We’ve always just made the songs that we want to play and the songs that we like, and I think it’s just worked out that it’s happened to be something that other people like. It hasn’t changed at all really our approach, it’s just encouraged us to keep going and sort of enabled us to do it on a grander scale. We’re totally happy with how things are going, so why change it?”

I f only all bands’ career paths were so interesting. Christopher Owens, born in Florida, is raised as a member of the religious cult Children Of

God – the same sect where River Phoenix and his siblings experienced their formative years – and lives a transient and often impoverished childhood, spending his youth traversing dozens of countries throughout Europe and Asia before escaping the community whilst still a teenager and moving to Amarillo, Texas to live with his older sister – a strange place indeed to become accustomed to the outside world. After a few hedonistic years in Texas, Owens hitches to California with a friend and immerses himself in the local punk scene. He joins Ariel Pink’s outfi t Holy Shit as a guitarist and tours with them back to Europe, staying with the band until their eventual implosion a short time later.

By then Owens – who despite not being exposed to much music in his youth, except that written

WHO: Girls

WHAT: Broken Dreams Club (True Panther/Inertia)

WHERE & WHEN: The Zoo Thursday Dec 9

20

PRIDE AND PREJUDICEPRIDE AND PREJUDICEMARK E. SMITH has a reputation for being somewhat cantankerous, but on the eve of his band THE FALL’s fi rst Australian sojourn in 20 years he surprises TONY McMAHON with his affability, as well as his admission that he’s a fan of his own band but not his hometown.

“I can’t really see a problem going on. I’ve always got the stuff so, yeah, why not?”

Smith has turned his hand in the past to spoken word recording and writing for the stage. Might we see more of this in the future?

“I’ve got something on the go that’s not quite any of those things but similar. I don’t want to give too much away so I might just leave it there.”

Naturally, though, Time Off can’t resist pressing just a little further. A fi lm script?

“You might be getting warm.”

V enerable is one way – possibly the only way – to describe Mark E. Smith and The Fall. Emerging from the mid-70s Manchester punk scene alongside contemporaries

Joy Division and The Buzzcocks, like a magnifi cent weed in an abandoned parking lot, this most lauded and long-lasting of musical experiments has gone on to record 28 studio albums and tour the world incessantly. The driving force behind The Fall has always been Smith, the only original remaining member, and, as the man himself puts it ‘if it’s me and your gran on bongos, it’s The Fall’.

The group’s latest outing is a double album, Your Future Our Clutter, which is as urgent and interesting anything Smith has done in the past decade, proving beyond doubt that, despite their longevity, The Fall are still a group to be reckoned with. With a reputation as a prickly interview subject, often of questionable sobriety, Time Off approaches this chat with the utmost caution. But Smith is matey, polite, sober-sounding and engaged. What’s more, he’s quite impressed that Time Off has managed to purchase his new record on vinyl, something he can directly relate to.

“Yeah, it’s come out well, I think. And you can get it on vinyl, that’s fucking good ain’t it? You’re doing well to have got it, though; I only got it a couple of weeks ago myself. A box turned up about two weeks ago, but before that, I had to go out and fucking buy it. Bit rough, that.”

Given he’s been doing it for so long now, it feels important to ask Smith how he goes about approaching a new record. Does he feel like a time comes when he has enough material? Or does he just get itchy feet and decide it’s time to record again? It seems like it’s none of these things, and that The Fall’s gargantuan output has more to do with Smith’s incredible work ethic.

“The last LP, to me it took a long time, getting it to certain standard,” he offers. “And I wanted to strike while the group was in form. I mean, if I had my way now, I’d start recording another album right away, but you can’t really do that. And I don’t really look at it like this is my 25th LP or anything like that. It’s more like it’s something I should do while I can do it. I always think the last one is the best one. I might be deluded sometimes, but I do think that.

“I don’t listen to them a lot to be honest. I’m a bit of a Fall fan, if you know what I mean; I just listen to them like it’s another group. I like Shift-Work, that always surprises me. I think that’s better than I thought it was at the time.”

When asked about 1980’s Grotesque, Smith agrees it’s a notable work that continues to be relevant.

“Yeah, that’s a good one, still stands up well all these years later. It’s funny, it might be the vinyl reissues or something, but there’s a lot of 15 and 16 year olds telling me they’re into that album, it’s weird.”

Given The Fall are a group conspicuously from Manchester, as well as the fact that Smith has lived there all his life, does he feel like the city has infl uenced his writing?

“Well, I’m more Salford than Manchester,” he explains. “Every fucking group in the world seems to come from Manchester these days. But I suppose so, yeah. But I think it has to be said, even though I live in Manchester, I’m not the greatest fan of it, I really don’t like it very much, you know, but it must have done, yeah.”

In Smith’s autobiography Renegade, he wrote that he disliked Australia when The Fall visited in 1982. But Smith says that this has nothing to do with why he hasn’t been here for 20 years. Rather, it’s about his new line-up being up to the task.

“No I don’t think so, I don’t think so at all actually,” he muses. “The last group before this one, I don’t think they’d have been up to it, to be honest. I mean, I go into it in the book, don’t I? It starts off in the fucking desert in Texas and they’re all falling to bits. A lot of groups are like kids in an ice cream shop when they go on tour. I remember last time we were in Australia; I just stayed in a bed and breakfast and organised the shows. I’d had enough of the lot of them. But this group can handle it, know what I mean? I think you can hear that on the album, too.”

When he does get here, Smith says choosing tracks to play from his vast back catalogue is not going to be much of an issue. There is, however, new technology involved that he fi nds more than a little confounding.

“It’s funny because we’re doing one or two songs that are from 1979 and 1980 when the group were on form, and it’s working well,” he admits. “I don’t usually go in for that much myself, only about a quarter of the set is older than the last couple of years. We do Psychic Dancehall live now. That’s 1979, you know? Nowadays, they’ve got these contraptions, the rest of the group, they’re called a Shazzam or something, you just name a song and they can play it. They’ve got more access to Fall stuff than I have. They’ve got things I can’t fi nd in the house. I said, ‘Well I bet it hasn’t got like Luke Perking from 1955 doing a rockabilly song!’ and it fucking did have it.”

The Fall are also playing The Meredith Musical festival on this trip: country Victoria, pissing down with rain and hippies everywhere, not normally the kind of gig associated with this band. Smith has been forewarned, however, and seems somewhat resigned.

“That’s what the wife – sorry my wife – that’s what my wife said, she said it looked a bit Glastonbury-like,” he sighs. “It’ll be all right, I suppose, but I’m still a club man at heart.”

So, what about the future for The Fall? Does Smith have another ten albums in him?

WHO: The Fall

WHERE & WHEN: The Hi-Fi Thursday Dec 9

21

PURE VITALITYPURE VITALITYAussie rock legends HOODOO GURUS have proven time and time again that age has not wearied them. As they prepare for another jaunt around the country, frontman DAVE FAULKNER tells DAN CONDON it’s pure passion that keeps them going.

in the middle of touring; after Christmas is when I’m going to start letting off steam, but for now I’m always kind of semi-focused.”

The band visited the US and Europe earlier in the year and Faulkner was blown away by the response of some of their fans.

“We had a lot of great shows,” he tells. “We played places we haven’t done before. Valencia in Spain was a city I had very little idea about but I was blown away, it was an incredible reaction and we had devoted fans there. We enjoyed ourselves immensely and we played great. The thing about doing tours like that is that you get so much into a groove that we’re really taking no prisoners now as far as going on stage, we’re just really tight and tough, battle hardened.”

Not that we’d ever expect anything but the best from Hoodoo Gurus in the live arena. Each member of the band is either in or approaching their 50s, but their onstage performances mirror that of the most passionate and dynamic of teenage punks. They do not leave the stage having given any less than their all and Faulkner says they never will.

“We pride ourselves on the fact that we do put in,” Faulkner affi rms. “That’s just how the music is for us. I mean, I can’t sing in half measures, Mark Kingsmill cannot drum in half measures and Brad [Shepherd – guitar] of course...” Faulkner bursts into laughter, “he just wants to go out there and let loose and Rick [Grossman – bass] is the same. That’s just how we express ourselves and when we can’t do that you won’t be seeing us, but while you’re seeing us you won’t see any half measures from us.”

The band want to play as much from their new record as they can. But, as with any act of the Gurus’ prestige, fans itch for older material. Faulkner admits fi nding the balance between songs the band are most excited about and those that get the crowd going is very diffi cult.

“It’s quite tough,” he says. “We’ve had to leave out a couple of the more well-known songs from time to time now because we just don’t have the ability to shoehorn them all together into one set. We don’t do the two-and-a-half hour Bruce Springsteen show with one hour of chat. We probably do as many songs as he does but it just takes an hour-and-a-quarter! But it is hard to cover all bases, so we don’t really try to do that, we just hope that the energy and the spirit of what is there is enough to make people realise they saw something real and exciting. There’s always going to be a song that someone was desperate to hear us play and we just didn’t do it.

“It was funny, last night I was doing this thing at the Fremantle Arts Centre and someone asked me why we never play Castles In The Air – there’s this sort of rumbling between fans about this song in particular at the moment – but, you know, it’s hard to put that one in because it’s a ballad and there are some other ballads that are almost compulsory performances like Bittersweet and 1000 Miles Away. It’s hard to get everything in there but now and again we’ll chuck them in and hope that we happen to strike the right night when people hear that obscure song that they wanted to hear and it will fi nd its mark.“

Purity Of Essence has been out for over half a year now and Faulkner is still awfully proud of how the record has turned out.

“I couldn’t be happier, I think it’s fantastic,” he shoots without thought. “I love everything about it and there’s nothing that I regret at all. Give me a couple of years and I’ll start picking holes in it – you always do – but I’m very happy. I think it’s a great album and one I’m really proud of.”

Given the record was the band’s fi rst in six years, one wonders whether going through all the motions that go along with releasing an album becomes more diffi cult after such an extended period of time since doing so. Faulkner says that the old perils of procrastination and panic were his two biggest enemies.

“The actual putting out the record wasn’t hard but getting me to that starting gate was the problem,” he says. “I was procrastinating and I was panicked about the fact that I didn’t think I had the material, which I’ve always had with every record, I’ve had that same dilemma. Because of the way I work, I don’t write a song a day and fi nish them off and have them neatly stored away ready to go, I assemble sketches and fragments of material; it’s sort of random and I lose track of what I’ve got and it’s not until I force myself to sit down to write that I gather all these things and start forensically going through them and classifying them.”

The record took a little longer to come out than many fans, and indeed the band themselves, had anticipated. Initially the sound of the record wasn’t up to the standard that the band wanted and as such it required a full remix.

“The last three albums that I’ve been involved with have unfortunately had to be mixed twice,” Faulkner sighs. “[2004 album] Mach Schau we mixed twice and also the Persian Rugs album. It’s not a habit I’d like to get into, it seems to be one at the moment, but it’s been for different reasons each time, combinations of infl uences and factors that just conspired to make the remix important. In this particular case it was a lifesaver really, the album was brilliant until we got up to the mix and then it all fell apart; the particular acoustics of the room we were in we just couldn’t come to grips with.”

*RSVP does not guarantee entry, so arrive early to

secure your spot. Must be over 18+ to attend.

13tH DECEMBERbirdee num num, the valley

S o far this year they’ve released their ninth studio album Purity Of Essence, embarked on tours of Australia, the USA and Europe

and they’re not done yet. For a band that has been kicking around for what is awfully close to 30 years now, Hoodoo Gurus still make a pretty good fi st of the touring lifestyle. Dave Faulkner calls from Perth where he has been involved in a songwriting workshop with Lucky Oceans and generally enjoying a miniscule amount of time off the road.

“We’ve only had a couple of weeks off to be honest; it has been just a little interruption to what has been a very long year of work,” Faulkner says in his most chipper and relaxed manner. But he’s keen to get out on the road again to fi nish off the year’s commitments. “We’re playing really well and also I know that the sooner it starts the sooner I can get off the road and relax again. You never really fully let yourself down into relax mode while you’re

WHO: Hoodoo Gurus

WHERE & WHEN: The Hi-Fi Saturday Dec 11

“We pride ourselves on the fact that we do put in. That’s just how the music is for us.”

22

WELL-OILED MACHINEWELL-OILED MACHINEAmidst rumours of their record label rejecting the follow-up to their debut Myths Of The Near Future, KLAXONS’ guitarist SIMON TAYLER-DAVIS explains the hefty gap between albums one and two to BEN PREECE.

adorned those initial shows and suggests that things are very different these days.

“We can play now,” he suggests cheekily. “We’ve accidentally learned to be a really good live band now. We have an additional member who plays another keyboard so we’ve been absolutely on fi re. We’ve really got it tuned in and dialled in now and everyone around us is saying they’ve never seen us play this good before. This record was written as a live band so translating it has been really easy and it really has been just fun to play. I guess we’re just a well-oiled machine now.”

Upon their inception three years ago with a much-buzzed debut entitled Myths Of The Near Future, Klaxons were quick to be dubbed the saviours of the new rave scene by the English

music press, with the rest of the world quickly following. Tracks like Gravity’s Rainbow, Golden Skans and Atlantis To Interzone went on to become hits and the band walked away with armfuls of awards including the coveted Mercury Music Prize. But after the sirens died down, there seemed to be a silence that perhaps, for most fans and music followers, seemed to go on a little too long. Rumours quickly circulated the net that the band’s record label, Polydor, had promptly rejected material the band had intended to be record number two. While the band was in Australia for promotional duties for their long-awaited second album, Surfi ng The Void, guitarist Simon Taylor-Davis puts the rumour-mill in its place once and for all.

“I think everyone thought we had a bit of turbulence putting out this record,” he explains. “Yes it seems to have been reported that way but, no, we had the time of our lives writing and recording the record – we had an amazing time. I guess the main obstacle was just touring – we were touring until about this time last year so by the time we had a couple of days off and a bit of time at home it was 2010. It wasn’t really turbulence, we just had to go everywhere and then we had to go back everywhere again and again.

“There are stories but the label didn’t reject anything. I guess it’s quite sad because we have the most amazing relationship with Polydor ever – it’s why we signed to them. Not to sound like a dick, but we didn’t just have one offer and we had a hell of a decision to make sure all the people we were working with were super cool and that we could bond with them. Jamie [Reynolds – vocals/bass] had some interview and he was saying, ‘Oh yeah, yeah, Polydor are going to reject our album because we gave them some music and then they went away at Christmas and we didn’t hear back from anyone for a while’. Obviously his British sarcasm didn’t really translate and some copycat stories about our album being rejected is all we seem to talk about now.”

Myths Of The Near Future set the bar high for Klaxons, quickly sending tastemakers and bloggers scrambling to their keyboards and making them one of the hottest things on the planet at that point in time. Working in Los Angeles with producer Ross Robinson (Sepultura, Slipknot, At the Drive-In, The Cure), the band steered their sound away from the blatant new rave sounds they’d crafted previously and headed more into out-of-this-world rock. The result is Surfi ng The Void, a record that takes cues from Muse, Blur and The KLF and smashes them into one unique rock-pie.

“I guess it was only the beginning phases of writing this record that I began to have any objectivity of Myths... and see it for what it was: this stupid bunch of bratty, gobby kids thinking they know it all, name-dropping every weirdo author they could. I guess we wanted this one to be a bit more considered. It’s not as immediate – it’s a bit more dense – but we didn’t go into it with any specifi c mission statement. It kind of started breathing its own language and it formed quite a personal-sounding record – the difference is the last one was outer-space and this one is a bit more inner-space, it’s personal and the lyrics are more linear and there are love songs on this record which didn’t happen on the last one.

“I guess we just wanted to make a continuation of the last one,” Taylor-Davis explains carefully. “It’s not a radical departure, certainly not with the equipment and the way we recorded – it was very similar – but the main difference would have to be Steffan [Halperin – drums] because we didn’t have a drummer on the last record and I think a lot of people have said that this record is a lot more rock. I think that illusion of rock is an energy that comes from the drums. So being a four-piece is the big difference on this one. I think we’ve fully blossomed as a rock outfi t on this record, it probably means we’ll reform as an acoustic act on the next one though.”

It might’ve been logical to head back into the studio with previous producer James Ford, instead Klaxons chose the “godfather of nu-metal” Ross Robinson to helm the sound on Surfi ng The Void.

“We’d recorded a couple of sessions, kinda squeezed them in, with James Ford who we did our fi rst record with,” Taylor-Davis says. “We’d made some really beautiful music with him that will come out hopefully not too long in the foreseeable future as an EP or some other kind of stand-alone. We’re still very young as a band and, apart from this year and being in the studio for Myths..., we really haven’t been in the studio much so we went in and furiously just experimented with writing techniques and stuff with James. At the end of it, we came to the logical conclusion that we should all go our own separate ways and it’d be benefi cial for us creatively to work with different people – by no means was it a falling out, he’s fi rst and foremost a friend but we needed to change it up a bit and ignite some excitement into it.

“We fi nished the work with James and there was this 48 hour limbo where we thought, ‘What the fuck are we going to do?’ We didn’t know any producers, we didn’t know any we were drawn to working with. Then we got this phone call out of the blue from Coachella festival asking us if we wanted to play and it just so happened that the manager of that managed Ross Robinson also. He was a huge fan of ours apparently and we were just gobsmacked that the guy that produced At The Drive-In and Blood Brothers was into us. We thought it could’ve been such a disaster or so brilliant – it’s something that we are drawn to, just like when we originally did the new rave thing, it could’ve really been an utter disaster.”

When Klaxons fi rst toured Australia, reactions to their live show were mixed. Taylor-Davis acknowledges the fl aws that

WHO: Klaxons

WHAT: Surfi ng The Void (Modular)

WHERE & WHEN: Sunset Sounds Thursday Jan 6

23

“Obviously his British sarcasm didn’t translate and some copycat stories about our album being rejected is all we seem to talk about now.”

HERE COMES THE SUNHERE COMES THE SUNBENNY DOYLE battles a crackling phone line across many bodies of land and water to check in with SHOUT OUT LOUDS frontman ADAM OLENIUS before their fi rst Australian tour in far too long.

mid-noughties teen TV like The OC and One Tree Hill, the band have toured extensively throughout the country.

“In the beginning we were more in the US than the UK or Europe,” Olenius says. “Swedes at home, they weren’t disappointed but it took us a little while to win them over because we were always away and they didn’t know much about us. But the last album and this one, we decided to play more festivals and more shows in Sweden. So now the crowds are louder and they love us,” he chuckles.

It’s unsurprising to hear that although Stockholm still holds a special place in Olenius’ heart, the band have taken their inspiration from a broader spectrum and in doing so, seen their sound grow exponentially.

“Stockholm will always be our home and recently it has been the most fun city to play. It still inspires me as it’s where I grew up but it’s really helpful that I can see so many other places in the world. I love many things about Stockholm,” Olenius continues, “things that I still hold on to when writing and touring but now it’s just not as sacred to me. I have so many other things I can write about through other things I see outside of Stockholm. Without trying too hard, I think the band can come up with something special that keeps that local sound and where we’re from but still allow us to fi nd our own sound.”

After the gruelling worldwide touring schedule following their 2007 breakthrough second album Our Ill Will all the band members decided to take a step away from the Shout Out Louds. This resulted in a six month hiatus that saw the members strewn between Los Angeles, Stockholm and Melbourne. Olenius was the sole member that found his way down under during that time and considers the experience invigorating and invaluable.

“I think it was great to leave everything behind back home; the band, friends and family. I just needed time off from everything, just a totally clean schedule,” he admits. “It was great for summer and also because my girlfriend was studying there [Melbourne] so I had the days by myself to record and try out new ideas. At the time it worked being a bit more isolated from everything. There were things that happened and that I saw which came into the lyrics [of third album Work] during that time. I think the main help and inspiration was being away from everything. I really like that city. If it wasn’t so far away from home I might consider living there for a longer period.”

But although each band member was enjoying their own personal solitude, the band was never exactly on hiatus. In fact, it didn’t take long at all before the creative juices began fl owing again – all it took was some breathing space.

“After a few months I sent a few songs. Actually, the fi rst song I sent was Walls [Work ’s fi rst single] then I sent another song as well quickly after,” Olenius says. “We’d just fi nished a tour in Brazil then we went home before going our separate ways. We didn’t speak to each other for a few weeks but then emails started dropping in about ideas and different things people saw during their travels that they would like to add. It was great; we began discussing ideas and fun things to do on the next tour but we needed a few weeks in total silence.

“I mean, we get along really well as we are all friends from school and we still feel like those young kids. I just think when you’re forced into a full touring schedule you don’t become tired of each other, you’re maybe just tired of not being individual and not being able to pursue your own stuff.”

Having been roughly three years since Shout Out Louds hit out shores as a band, Olenius explains what the band is looking forward to experiencing this time round.

“We’re really looking forward to doing some festivals because we have never done that in Australia and this will be our fi rst New Years shows also. We always have time off during that time of year, we say that New Years and Christmas are sacred – no gigs. Because we tour a lot through the year everyone is home for Christmas and New Years with their families. I think this is our fi rst time away from that which is a big deal. I have quite a big family and we love to drink and eat on Christmas but normally New Years is quite overrated, I’m looking forward to being onstage rather than a boring party somewhere.”

And what a stage they will be on. The No Years! New Years Eve festival will see them hitting the Brisbane Powerhouse with acts such as The John Steel Singers, Jonathan Boulet and Parades.

“Someone, I can’t remember if it was a label or our manager, but they said it was quite a beautiful location,” Olenius says excitedly. “Lately though, I really just want to take every opportunity to play. We’re picky with what little things we do, but we want to take this opportunity to see the world and play. We’re going to have fi ve days off after the Melbourne show so I’ll maybe travel around for a few days but unfortunately it’s the wrong season to go up to the Barrier Reef right?”

The good news for Olenius is that if he and the band want to hit the reef for some underwater activities, stingers are really only a problem on the coastline, not the reef. Aware that they are indeed on the bill for Pyramid Rock out at Victoria’s Phillip Island, it’s further suggested to check out the offensively cute penguin parade whilst in the area.

“I was on my way out there when I was down but I don’t know what happened, I ran out of time,” Olenius regrets. “I actually like wine a lot so maybe I’ll go on some tour with old ladies and drink some wine! I dunno. I always spend a lot of time in Melbourne so I’m looking forward to seeing something else, going to the beach and doing nothing. I’m not really looking forward to the dark winter when I come home so I’m going to take the opportunity to see the sun.”

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A t home in his apartment in his native Stockholm, Olenius is refl ecting on the good albeit all too brief summer in the

northern hemisphere. Summer is important to the Swedes but fall is a beautiful time in his part of the world also. The trees are transforming into a myriad of colours and that crisp arctic air makes your blood run and your body feel alive.

“I love the seasons because it takes in the different moods of the year which I really like,” the softly spoken Olenius explains, “But we’re looking forward to getting back to see Australia. It’s the fi rst time we’re playing festivals there in summer so we are ridiculously excited.”

Shout Out Louds, the band Olenius fronts, are now truly a global commodity, with four different labels representing them across the globe including local independent Dew Process in our part of the world. Having broken in the US through exposure on essential

WHO: Shout Out Louds

WHERE & WHEN: No Years! @ Brisbane Powerhouse, Friday Dec 31

24

25

It’s incredibly easy to sell The Reverend Horton Heat short – and it happens with alarming regularity. Arguably the foremost rockabilly institution in the world for the better part of their 25-year career, the Texan three-piece are consistently hailed for their blitzkrieg live shows, punk-rock aggression and ceaseless devotion to the art of having a good time. It’s even gotten to the point where frontman Jim Heath has opted to prioritise the frivolous aspect of the band’s identity.

“Reverend Horton Heat being what we are – the upright bass, the big guitars, the zany rockabilly songs – I didn’t want us to be a novelty band,” Heath says of the decision. “Through the years, I’ve had these serious songs mixed in with the funny, party songs. Quite honestly, I think those songs would be among the best songs that I’ve written but, eventually, I had this realisation that the humorous stuff was what resonated with our fans and just decided to stop doing the serious songs.”

None of which should ever be contested. Since their 1990 debut album Smoke Em If You Got Em, The Reverend Horton Heat have done nothing if not excel at delivering high-octane, frequently hilarious rockabilly to a number of disparate audiences across the globe. The three-piece live on an almost constant touring schedule and consistently engross rockabilly and non-rockabilly enthusiasts alike – releasing records through both legendary independents (Sub Pop) and major labels (Interscope).

“I’m defi nitely surprised by the success we’ve had over the years,” Heath refl ects. “Mainly because, when

W ith a recent move from Perth to the Sunshine State all in the name of love, Blood discusses the affi nity Queensland

has had with Lime Spiders over the years.

“Our best audiences have always been Queensland and Melbourne,” he enthuses. “Sydney’s going full circle at the moment though. We got a full house there just recently but over the years, Queensland and especially the Gold Coast has been our biggest market in Australia.” Blood isn’t too sure on the reasons behind this but has a few ideas. “Certainly a lot of surfers have always loved us. We’ve had a lot of legendary nights in Coolangatta which is one of the reasons we’re trying it again down there. I think the music we play, people get off on the energy, see the positivity in the band and can get out, have a bit of fun and just cut loose for a night.”

Lime Spiders haven’t released any original material in roughly two decades. But after the success of recent shows, the idea of fresh studio recordings isn’t out of the question.

“We’ve got a guy involved with helping the band out at the moment in Sydney and after a gig the other week, he was very keen to get us to record another album,” Blood explains. “One of our guitarists lives in the far south coast of NSW and he’s got a state of the art studio he’s built, so we’d be crazy if we don’t take advantage of that. It really is a matter that everyone is so busy with

AN ETERNAL FLAMEAN ETERNAL FLAME

ROCK FISHINGROCK FISHING

THE REVEREND HORTON HEAT have been redefi ning rockabilly for 25 years. Ahead of the band’s latest Australian tour, MATT O’NEILL catches up with main-man JIM HEATH to discuss the trio’s legacy.

MICK BLOOD, frontman for legendary garage heroes LIME SPIDERS

regales BENNY DOYLE with talk of fresh musical possibilities from the band and fi nding out that one of his heroes is just another dude.

I started this, I just had these rockabilly songs and, in forming a rockabilly band, I was basically saying goodbye to my dreams of being a rock star. I was just going to go play rockabilly songs with my acoustic guitar in pubs – and, you know, to have that spin off into a career and tours and a major label record signing...I never expected anything like that to happen.

“I realise it’s a blessing that Reverend Horton Heat has got a sound. We’re quite lucky to have stumbled upon our own way of doing things,” the guitarist elaborates. “We started out in 1985 being more of a purist rockabilly band but a signifi cant part of Reverend Horton Heat comes from my decision to merely use that retro-rockabilly as a platform to branch off and do something else. If we’re just in our rehearsal studio and a song sounds like Spinal Tap, we’ll do a song like Spinal Tap.”

There has, however, always been more to the band than frivolity and fun. The example most commonly cited is Heath’s tendency to occasionally write quite sentimental and evocative material (e.g. 2004’s Someone In Heaven, concerning the passing of Heath’s mother) but, in honesty, the most signifi cant evidence comes from the astonishing musicianship which has defi ned the trio’s entire evolution.

Heath has always maintained considerable pride in the musicianship of his band and, beneath the adrenaline and amusement, there lie three musicians of unbelievable ability. Jim Heath, in particular, has long been one of the most remarkable guitarists in the world. Doubly so for the fact that, 25 years into a career, the guitarist still shuns recidivism in favour of becoming a better and more accomplished musician.

“I don’t actually like thinking about our anniversary much,” Heath explains. “Even though it’s a long time, I’m not at the point where I’m ready to sit around looking back. You know, we tour irrespective of albums. Playing live is what we do – making albums is just like advertising. I’m still looking forward. There are a hell of a lot of tricky jazz arpeggios and scales I need to learn. I’m still trying to be a better guitarist, better musician, better songwriter and better performer.”

children and businesses, its hard to get together at all let own get together long enough to write new songs, rehearse then record them. It’s easier if you’re living in the same city so, I dunno. Hopefully yes, we’re all up for it I think, it’s just a matter of the logistics.”

Although seminal and infl uential, many would say Lime Spiders were still underappreciated considering their output. However this didn’t stop them from making a lasting impact with both American and European audiences over their career.

“I think we’re a very convincing act, we deliver the goods consistently and particularly have a reputation for our live performances,” Blood offers when asked why they resonated to so many overseas. “I think the hybrid we’ve created from the start, there’s no one that sounds like us. We pretty much combine pub music with 60s psychedelia and that’s a weird mix. We’ve always had a big sound and I guess my vocals are also a trademark. I’ve got a pretty wild voice and that helped get us known. There aren’t a lot of people who are as wild as me out there,” Blood fi nishes with a laugh.

But through all the crazy times across the globe, there’s still one encounter that stands out to Blood as a complete ‘what the fuck’ type moment.

“In New York at the Cat Club, we were headlining a college music showcase and backstage after the gig, Iggy Pop and Joey Ramone walk in to say g’day – our collective jaws dropped to the fl oor! But I didn’t want to talk about music. I didn’t want to go with the obvious thing. Luckily I’d read a profi le on his private life before I went to America on that tour and realised he did a lot of fi shing which is the last thing you’d expect from Iggy Pop. So I thought right, I’m going there and asked ‘I hear you like fi shing mate?’ And he goes, ‘How’d you know that man?’ And I said, ‘I’m a fan of you as a person.’ He just grabbed me, hugged me and said ‘I knew you’d be a dude!’ Then we just spoke about trout fi shing for the next half hour, talking at length about lures!”

WHO: The Reverend Horton Heat

WHERE & WHEN: The Hi-Fi Sunday Dec 12

WHO: Lime Spiders

WHERE & WHEN: Coolangatta Hotel Friday Dec 10, Step Inn Saturday Dec 11

26

27

I t’s never been easy to categorise Tujiko Noriko. While the Japanese (now France-based) songstress has always possessed a well-

articulated and immediately identifi able aesthetic, attempts to quantify that in print have always seemed, at best, unrefi ned and, at worst, clumsy. The fi nesse of albums like 2008’s Trust has consistently been lost in hyperbolic proselytising and lazy references.

The best anyone’s ever been able to manage is a functional description. Noriko’s work over the past ten years has encompassed elements of electronic production, acoustic instrumentation, pop songwriting, post-modern deconstruction, experimental collaboration and avant-garde composition. Bearing in mind, such a list still falls short of capturing the essence of the artist’s work.

“I’m fi ne with words like electronic and pop. They’re just words people use around the music – it’s not actually the music itself,” Noriko refl ects of her work. “Basically, it’s about making good things. I wanted to make stuff that would bring joy – to me and also to other people. I also wanted to discover things. That’s why I continue to make work today.”

It’s the inherent warmth of Noriko’s work that undercuts such reductive discussion. Throughout her career, Noriko’s output has unifi ed practices commonly associated with intellectual experimentation with the innate charisma and sentiment of populist songwriting. Noriko’s output has effectively been defi ned by the re-contextualisation of academic sonic ideals within a personal musical vocabulary.

“I don’t know if I consider myself as experimental, but at any levels of days and life, I like to experiment. And I like people and things which have experimentation spirit,” Noriko offers in response. “If not it’s boring isn’t it? But not like an experiment to be experimental, just to

S ometimes you just have to believe that occasionally fate, destiny or whatever it is you might believe in comes into play and

drags the right group of people together under what would otherwise seem like impossible circumstances. Take Grouplove as an example – as the story goes, it seems like the meeting of its fi ve members was simply meant to be.

“It was defi nitely unexpected and a lot of people don’t believe the story,” drummer Ryan Rabin laughs of the band’s series of successive meetings. “It is sort of fate, I think – we were all in very different places in our lives at the time, this was about two summers ago. I was born and raised in Los Angeles with the guitar player Andrew Wessen and we’ve been friends for a long time. His brother started this project in an artist commune in this little mountain town in Crete [Greece] and we all made it out there that summer under different circumstances – Hannah [Hooper] and Christian [Zucconi] had met in New York only the week before and she invited him to go with her, she is a painter, and he just dropped everything at home and went over there. The same went for Sean [Gadd] in London, he had some friends who were going over as musicians to play a festival that is held at the

S ince disbanding in 2006, each of the members of Hot Water Music have gone on to perform in other projects. Bassist Jason Black now plays

in Senses Fail, guitarist Chris Wollard formed the Ship Thieves, drummer George Rebello plays in Against Me! and vocalist/guitarist Chuck Ragan has forged a successful solo career. Black was in Australia with Senses Fail only a few months back but is excited about the prospect of returning with Hot Water Music, who are co-headlining their impending tour with Bouncing Souls.

“We always love coming down here and it’s the one place we haven’t really had a chance to get back to since we started doing shows on a semi-regular basis I guess,” Black says. “We were able to sort of fi nd time for this and make it happen, so we just kind of went for it.”

When asked what he is most keenly anticipating about returning, Black pauses for a second, before answering “I think everything man, honestly – great food, great beer, great people, awesome weather – the whole thing.”

Unfortunately, due to his commitments with Against Me! Rebello won’t be joining the band for their Australian tour, but the band has enlisted the services of Lagwagon and Me First and The Gimme Gimmes drummer Dave Raun. Although Black is disappointed Rebello won’t be performing with the band, he says Raun has slotted in effortlessly and Rebello approves of the choice of stand-in.

“If it hadn’t been something that [Rebello] was okay with we never would have done it,” he says. “It was actually at his suggestion that we even thought about doing it in the fi rst place. [Dave] is a great dude, real friendly, so it works out super-well. He’s been doing it longer than we have. He started touring with RKL

D espite forming in 2002 and releasing a demo EP a year later, Wish For Wings’ debut full-length Afterlife didn’t see the light of day

until 2008, but as Aaron explains, this was not due to having a shortage of songs in their repertoire.

“It probably wasn’t that we didn’t have enough material; it was just that we had opportunities to be on the road and none of us really like being cooped up in the studio,” he says. “We were lucky enough that when we put out the [From The Past To The Grave ] EP [in 2006], we had a lot of offers to do a lot of touring, and it was kind of hard to say no to.

“I guess looking back on it, we probably should have recorded the fi rst full-length CD a long time ago, but we just like being out on the road…it’s just one of those things; when we kept getting offers to be on the road, we just kept saying yes.”

On their latest album, Wish For Wings worked with local producers Rick and Darren Parker – who Aaron and Aido went to school with – after a chance encounter.

“I hadn’t spoken to Rick since we’d left high school and I randomly bumped into him and he mentioned he had a studio and he’d never recorded any sort of heavy music before, but that’s what he listens to,” Aido explains. “He had just been recording pop artists and he told me he had a studio and I should come and check it out and when I did I was like, ‘Oh wow, yeah you do, this is great’.”

Aido says working with someone the band’s members had a history with made the recording process a much more stress-free, straightforward affair.

BEYOND GENESISBEYOND GENESIS

SHINY HAPPY PEOPLESHINY HAPPY PEOPLE BACK TO SCALDBACK TO SCALD

HEAVY ASPIRATIONSHEAVY ASPIRATIONSThe work of TUJIKO NORIKO has fl itted freely between countless boundaries over the past ten years – pop and experimental, electronic and acoustic. MATT O’NEILL catches up with the Japanese expatriate ahead of her latest Australian tour.

It’s no orgy, but something within the LA-based GROUPLOVE exudes some freaky level of friendship not often seen in your average band. Drummer RYAN RABIN gets on the line to BEN PREECE to tell the intriguing story of how this band came to be.

Since their return to the live fray in 2008, HOT WATER MUSIC have undertaken successful tours of the US and Europe and now it’s fi nally Australia’s turn. DANIEL JOHNSON catches up with bassist JASON BLACK.

Brisbane metalcore band WISH FOR WINGS have just fi nished their long-awaited second album Echoes, and to celebrate, they’re embarking on an extensive Queensland tour. DANIEL JOHNSON speaks to bassist AIDO SPINKS and guitarist AARON SPINKS.

search for beauty, fun and excitement. I think in that process of searching the experimentation takes place.”

To this end, discussing Tujiko Noriko’s output in regards to its stylistic components is largely irrelevant. While Noriko does employ electronics within her work, her songs do not recall electronic artists. One could feasibly discuss her sound in the context of that of similarly ambiguous artists such as Björk (and many have) but even that would be an over-simplifi cation of matters.

“I’m indifferent to those kinds of comparisons, to be honest,” Noriko responds. “They neither impress me nor depress me. I think it’s all a bit of nothing, actually. Saying something is like something else is sometimes a bit lazy. Like people can’t think of a way to describe. I also sometimes wonder if it’s because of being from an island.”

In truth, the only effective method of understanding Noriko’s work is through the dynamics of its construction. To discuss the individual details is fascinating but, given the fl uid and transient nature of such ingredients, largely fruitless. It’s much more productive to examine the commonalities that unify Noriko’s superfi cial stylistic tropes.

Perhaps the best metaphor for the songwriter’s process is that of sculpture. Like a sculptor, Noriko starts with the broadest possible canvas and whittles down her work to the fi nest details – before employing those details to precisely construct something infi nite and spacious in its own right. One need only look at the songstress’s collaborations with similarly-minded sound artists Lawrence English and John Chantler (who jointly produced Noriko’s 2009 U album and currently round out her live performance trio) for proof.

“It’s nice to be playing with John and Lawrence, I’m so happy to play with them,” the singer-songwriter refl ects. “For my feeling the trio is more open and that’s fun to be part of. We discover each other and our collective sense through our performances. Like I said before, it’s about making good things. Beautiful things. Always searching.”

commune. There were a lot of people there and we were living in this living in this little village and out of everyone there, the fi ve of us formed a fast friendship – it was one of those things that, after a week or two, you fi nd the people you connect with the most. It was the fi ve of us and this was even before we started playing music together, we formed this fi rm friendship thing.”

As they say, “All good things come to an end” and when that dreamy summer ended, the fi ve made their way back to their respective parts of the globe, assuring each other their paths would cross once again. Long story short – absence does and did make the heart grow fonder and all fi ve reconvened in Los Angeles to make music together. Their debut, self-titled EP is just the fi rst step in what clearly is going to be a long and fruitful, not to mention friendly, career.

“We started just recording the songs that we had been jamming on together,” Rabin explains. “Once we started, we thought that this was something special so we just kept going to see how many we could do. We tracked a bunch of songs, everybody moved into my parent’s house – God bless them for being cool with that. Once we put the songs that we were jamming on in grease and let them evolve into what they became on the EP, we were all pretty sure we’d done something we thought was very special, particularly to us.

“Musically, I think it’s something that evolved out of the friendship,” he says of the EP. “Some of the songs were fragments or ideas that arose from everybody from the fi rst time we met. Some of it has a very tongue-in-cheek vibe and is very sunshine-y and most of it came from that summer in Greece. It turned into eight songs, fi ve of which will be on this EP and the other three will be on the debut album. The newer songs are a bit more of all of us contributing where the original handful are songs Hannah and Christian had worked on together. Each time we write one, we sit back and try to make the next one better than the last. That’s our ethos for everything now.”

when I was still in high school – probably when he was still in high school. It’s nice to have someone who has their own thing going on when they go on tour, who’s not like, ‘Oh my God, I’ve never done this before’.”

Before Hot Water Music recommenced touring, the band released Till The Wheels Fall Off – a 23-track collection of b-sides, rarities and covers – and Black says he was pleasantly surprised by the positive reception the record received.

“It was nice to be able to get that out right around when we started doing shows so there was a little something to carry it, too,” he adds.

Although the band hasn’t released any new material since 2004’s The New What Next, Black says the band feels no added pressure about the next recording.

“We’re not going to put anything out we’re not happy with and we’re not going to put something out we don’t think is good,” he says matter-of-factly.

Hot Water Music’s frontman Chuck Ragan has made several trips tom Australia since the release of his critically acclaimed debut solo record Feast Or Famine in 2007, and Black admits to being surprised by Ragan’s vigour since Hot Water Music fi rst called it a day.

“He’s been working his ass off with that,” Black offers. “The only thing I was surprised about was how much he did, because when he wanted to stop touring he turned around and just started touring again.”

And while Black harbours no ill-feelings about his frontman’s prolifi c solo touring schedule, he admits there has been some light ribbing about Ragan’s about-face.

“Oh yeah, all the time man,” he laughs.” He knows; we’re all too good a friends to not be able to give each other shit about everything.”

“Working with Rick; we already had that sort of relationship with him – being school buddies and stuff – so I guess that’s important when you do go in the studio. We were just straight in there and everyone was really comfortable and the vibe was right.”

Although more than happy with the content of the album, Aido admits the band have been a little frustrated by the delay in getting the album back from the presses, but the band have been buoyed by the popularity of the new songs.

“We played a show last night at Wyong and we just jumped in the van and were going to get some dinner and Andy [Barber – guitar] was on his laptop and we jumped on MySpace and we were the number one punk artist and the number one punk song on their homepage,” Aaron says in disbelief. “I guess that really caught us off-guard considering the album was offi cially released on Friday and as far as I know, none of the stores have it … but obviously people are hearing the record somewhere.”

Wish for Wings have rightfully earned a reputation as hard workers. At the moment they’re midway through a 15-date tour of Queensland and last year they undertook a gruelling 70-date tour of Australia and New Zealand.

“No, I don’t think we knew what we were getting into [with last year’s tour],” Aaron admits. “It’s hard work but you push through it.”

“It paid off in the end,” Aido adds. “People still talk about it, [Michael] Crafter will still razz us up; going ‘Oh Wings, when are you playing Ulladulla again, you haven’t played there for a while,’” he laughs.

As for the band’s live show, Aido says, “it’s just a good night out, getting out, hanging out with your friends and watching some bands – it shouldn’t be about anything else other than that.”

WHO: Tujiko Noriko Trio

WHERE & WHEN: The Judith Wright Centre Thursday Dec 9

WHO: Grouplove

WHAT: Grouplove EP (Dew Process/Universal)

WHO: Hot Water Music

WHERE & WHERE: The Zoo Saturday Dec 11

WHO: Wish For Wings

WHAT: Echoes (Skull And Bones)

WHERE & WHEN: Blackbox Theatre, Nambour Thursday Dec 9 (all ages), Morayfi eld Community Centre Friday Dec 10 (all ages), The Railway Hall, Toowoomba Sunday Dec 12 (all ages)

28

There’s something strangely isolationist about The Sunburys. Their raw and memorable soul-rock sound sits at the approximate midway point

between the visceral rumble of Brisbane’s old musical guard and the taut, pop-savvy arrangements of its developing artists – but, for the past three years, the local trio have, to all intents and purposes, operated solely within the comfortable confi nes of their own private little world.

This would be understandable if they were in any way a substandard or immature outfi t of musicians – but the three-piece are arguably one of the better musical outfi ts to have emerged from the city in recent years. The ensemble’s three members (guitarist/vocalist Anthony Dettori, drummer Scott Lapthorne and bassist Andrew Sullivan) are all veterans of the local community and, with 2009 debut Here Come The Sunburys, the band delivered one of last year’s best local long-players.

“I think this whole band has different gauges of success compared to most other aspiring musicians,” Anthony Dettori offers in explanation. “It’s not based on whether we’re getting radio play and it’s not based on whether we’re getting picked to play festivals. It’s not based on any of that sort of stuff. It’s based on having a solid body of work that we’re all proud of – if we have money, we’re going to put it toward making a good record before anything else.”

Nowhere is this more evident than on the band’s latest release – Swings & Roundabouts. Recorded live with minimal overdubs with legendary local producer Jeff Lovejoy, the band’s second album arrives with minimal fanfare less than 18 months after their exceptional debut. The recording sessions

L ike a lot of university students, Liam Griffi n spends quite a bit of time playing instruments and recording music. Unlike a lot of university students,

however, he actually has dedication to the pursuit to the point that arsing around on Pro Tools (or what have you) is not just a way to kill time – it’s what he’s working for.

“Obviously getting in some rehearsal time has been pretty important, but actually I’ve been studying this year,” the affable Griffi n explains. “I’m doing a Bachelor of Music at the Griffi th Conservatorium of Music, so that’s keeping me very busy … It’s a Bachelor of Music Performance, majoring in jazz vocal.

“It covers a broad range of musically-related subjects, so my major study being jazz vocal, we are learning jazz repertoire music while also sort of focusing on refi ning our technique and performance skills. In terms of music theory, we’re doing compositional things and arranging music for different settings, different ensembles – that sort of thing – and using some of the musical concepts that we’re talking about in the classes.”

It’s not often that stuff you learn in class is actually applicable anywhere that isn’t exactly where you learnt it, and even less often that the art of applying that theory is enjoyable. But Griffi n surely found use for the lessons

SILENT SUNSILENT SUN KNOWLEDGE IS POWERKNOWLEDGE IS POWERUnbeknownst to the greater public, THE SUNBURYS are poised to launch their second album in less than 18 months. MATT O’NEILL speaks to frontman ANTHONY DETTORI about Swings & Roundabouts and the Brisbane trio’s punishing work ethic.

Local singer-songwriter LIAM GRIFFIN is preparing to launch his debut full-length Between The Colours – the result of a year of dedicated work and plenty time spent learning and absorbing and subconsciously preparing. MITCH KNOX fi nds out staying in school mightn’t be a total waste of time after all if you want to make it as a muso.for Swings & Roundabouts, meanwhile, also saw the

band lay the foundational tracks for their third studio album (scheduled to be released late next year).

“It’s been a really quick turnaround, yeah, and I’m hoping we can keep up that schedule and deliver an album every one to two years,” Dettori enthuses. “We’ve actually recorded the beds for 13 tracks for the next record already and early next year we’re hoping to get in and do seven more so we’ve got a solid 20 songs to choose from when it comes to making the album. It’s probably a bit unrealistic to keep this up year after year but I certainly want to try.

“We’re self-funding and we’re doing everything ourselves so we’re not really at the mercy of someone else saying when we can and can’t release things. The songs are always there and I think we should just get them while they’re good. You know, it probably makes more sense from a business perspective to push an album for fi ve years and sit on our haunches but we’re simply not interested in doing it.”

Examining the band’s career, it swiftly becomes apparent that their isolation largely stems from the band’s relationship with pretension – in that they don’t appear to have one. Everything about the band, from their stripped-back sound to their barrelling live shows, smacks of an ensemble who have gloriously failed to comprehend the fundamental concepts of networking and branding most bands view as necessities. The only thing The Sunburys understand or care about is music.

“It doesn’t really matter to me what becomes of this record – or any of our records, for that matter. I mean, obviously I’d love a shitload of people to buy the fucking thing,” Dettori says with a laugh. “But, when it comes down to it, it’s a record that I’m really proud of and I could see this record potentially affecting other people in the same way records affected me as a kid. It’s sort of a success for me already, this album.”

learned within the hallowed halls of Academia while working on his debut full-length album Between The Colours, and moreover, he found great satisfaction.

“I have to say, it was the most enjoyable musical project that I’ve been involved in, simply because I had all the people that I wanted involved in the project,” he enthuses. “I had them all there, and I had them – y’know, everyone was on board, and it seemed like everyone just really enjoyed the process. It was very natural. It didn’t feel forced. It felt like the right time and the right people. So I think the time that I put into planning the recording defi nitely paid off; it was very benefi cial to the project.”

Indeed, even on the launch side of things, Griffi n has found support from friends he made during his previous tertiary endeavours, though to hear him explain their role in the album it sounds more like inevitability than an unlikely turn of fate.

“All the people playing at the launch were involved with the band during the recording or in some capacity over the last year or so, and most of those people I got to know through studying at QUT,” he refl ects. “I was doing a Bachelor of Music Production there a few years ago, so I got to know a lot of musicians through that course, and I guess it’s the nature of playing music and playing with other people is that on the way, through your travels, you get to meet new musicians and at some point I might think I’d really like to have a keyboard player in the band and so I’ll talk to other musicians that I know and say, ‘Well, who can you recommend?’ And quite often people have played with many different musicians, so you go on what people recommend and usually that works out that way. I’m defi nitely excited about having the trumpet players play at the launch. That’s a fi rst for me. I’ve played live with a rhythm section and some string players but I’ve never been able to eventuate having a horn section.”

WHO: The Sunburys

WHAT: Swings & Roundabouts (Handsome Devil Records/MGM)

WHERE & WHEN: The Beetle Bar Friday Dec 10

WHO: Liam Griffi n

WHAT: Between The Colours (Mailbox Records/SugarRush)

WHERE & WHEN: The Zoo Wednesday Dec 15

29

ADALITAHot Air (Liberation)

Hot Air is the fi rst release from Magic Dirt’s Adalita Srsen following the tragic death of Death Turner in 2009 ahead of a solo debut album to be released next year. The title track is a lilting two-chord lullaby with restrained and thoughtful vocals, looping around with extra colour added by a couple of dirty guitar lines. It’s a beautiful song with no drums or any other kind of instrumentation at all – the sparseness adding to the melancholic atmosphere. There’s also a very low tempo cover of Eddy Current Suppression Ring’s Wrapped Up consisting only of Adalita’s wailing voice and a very dirty guitar track. The fact that it works so well in such a stripped-back fashion is testament not only to her voice but also the simplistic beauty of the original song. It’s a fantastic EP and demonstrates her immense talent in full fl ight once again.

PATRICK WOLFTime Of My Life (Speak N Spell)

Classical strings melt into disco before being whisked away by an acoustic guitar interlude that builds with handclaps until everything collides together into the early chorus of Patrick Wolf’s new single Time Of My Life. He has a gift of mashing genres together effortlessly and making them sound like something new, while still being entirely danceable and accessible and completely pop. It’s less gimicky than his bigger hits of the past perhaps showing a growing maturity, or perhaps completely by accident. There’s some great remixes fl oating around already, which strip back the lush production highlighting the strength of the melody, the Still Going remix in particular.

THE DEATH SETYo David Chase, You P.O.V Shot Me In The Head (Counter)

Forming on the Gold Coast and relocating to the now infamous ghettos of Baltimore, The Death Set have already had a very troubled and eventful short history. Johnny Sierra has decided to keep the group going despite the death of his collaborator Beau Velasco, and the fi rst track from the group’s forthcoming second album shows that the same insane spirit and energy that existed on their awesome debut Worldwide is present, but it has been cleaned up a little. Electronic superstar Diplo contributes a keyboard line to this electro punk ‘ode’ to The Soprano’s creator in a one minute explosion of awesomeness.

DR DREKush (Featuring Snoop Dogg & Akon) (Universal)

The phrases ‘highly anticipated’ and ‘long awaited’ are bandied around a lot when it comes to the release of new albums from legends of the business, but with Dr Dre it’s ridiculously accurate to the point of farce. The album Detox has been in the works for close enough to a decade and the single Kush is apparently heralding its imminent release. If you’re expecting it to sound like a classic Dr Dre number that could have been lifted from either of his previous albums, well you’re not in for any surprises. The familiar fat kick, piano line, catchy R&B hooks (even if it’s Akon instead of Nate Dogg) and even a surprisingly acceptable rap from Snoop shows all the elements intact. It’s even about smoking weed – imagine that. It’s proof Dre knows what works, but it’s also proof that his palette of beats and sounds hasn’t increased in ten years, for better or worse.

ELTON JOHN/LEON RUSSELLThe Union (Mercury/Universal)

Taken on its superfi cial merits, there’s no reason a full-length collaboration between Elton John and under-appreciation singer/songwriter Leon Russell would merit investigation. Aside from the general decline both artists have been experiencing over the past 15 years, one would think their most recognised aesthetics would clash like oil and water. John’s psychedelic pomp and circumstance simply doesn’t gel with Russell’s rootsy authenticity.

And yet – here we are with The Union. Arguably the best record either artist has released in over a decade, The Union is not merely serviceable or respectable but actually solidly exceptional throughout. Lead single If It Wasn’t For Bad kicks off the album with style – John’s rumbling baritone dancing playfully around Russell’s reedier drawl over a bed of gently strutting piano – and the quality’s maintained for the remainder of the record.

The gospel backing vocalists and stalking drums ensure Hey Ahab practically throbs with menace and melodrama; There’s No Tomorrow is a dark, almost evangelical lament and I Should Have Sent Roses is a particularly marvellous showcase for both Leon Russell’s weathered voice and exceptional songwriting. Throughout, producer T-Bone Burnett works his typical magic – surrounding both John and Russell’s songs with warm acoustics and exceptional sidemen (Marc Ribot, in particular, turning in a standout performance).

The only problem with the record is one feels the artists involved could have taken the concept signifi cantly further. While feted as a collaborative record, a great many of the songs featured are individually written (albeit collaboratively performed) with a specifi c bias towards the classic Elton John/Bernie Maupin team. One can only wonder what kind of record could have come from a more open approach to creation.

★★★★ Matt O’Neill

VARIOUS ARTISTSStrain Of Origin (Feral Media/Lofly)

The concept for this collaboration between Sydney label Feral Media and Brisbane label Lofl y is so simple that it basically guaranteed some level of creative genius to fl ourish. The artists were given a two week deadline to create a remix in order to keep everything as spontaneous and raw as possible. The diversity and complexity of the tracks included on the compilation speak volumes about not only the level of talent associated with these labels, but also the good taste of the people behind the labels themselves.

John Hassell (aka Vorad Fils) deconstructs the sprawling instrumental rock of Mr Maps excellent Til The Money Runs Out and turns out some minimal glitchy electronica which on the surface seems to retain very little of the original but actually manages to capture the same presence and melodic intricacies that make the track so special to begin with. As the record’s opener, it’s the perfect way to ease into this collection.

Two of the best moments on the compilation come from the ever impressive Brisbane band Re:Enactment. Comatone’s wobbly bass remix of Them Burnt Puppies is equally as impressive as when the Re:Enactment boys try their own hand at remixing on the ambient scratchy Underlapper track Drinking Dust.

The Subsea Construction remix of An Optimists Falling by Alpen borders on insanity – the absurdity of random glitches being pulled into an understandable beat somewhere around the halfway mark.

Lofl y’s reworking of Nice Place You Got There by Comatone starts innocently enough before degenerating into an assault of distorted industrial griminess.

There’s not a boring moment on the record, which is available as a free download via bandcamp – it’s essential listening for anyone with an ear bent towards the unusual and innovative elements of electronic music.

★★★★ Chris Yates

DAFT PUNKTron Legacy – Original Soundtrack (Walt Disney/Universal)

The high level of expectation for the sequel to the 1982 cult classic Tron is almost parallel to the level of expectation that applies to everything that Daft Punk have done since the release of their debut masterpiece Homework. In a rare moment of Hollywood brilliance, Disney has teamed the world’s most famous robots up with a movie about people getting sucked into a video game.

The soundtrack for the original movie was itself a masterful work of electronica years before anyone took synthesiser music for anything other than a fad and a blight on rock’n’roll. Moog pioneer Wendy Carlos was recruited and teamed up with a symphony orchestra to create a bigger cinematic experience.

The same techno-logic has been applied to the soundtrack for Tron Legacy – an 85-piece orchestra helps Daft Punk build on their signature sound to create a massive spiralling score. Sometimes the pieces are nothing more than atmospheric strings and occasional computer game blips, but at some points the soundtrack delivers what could almost be considered songs in their own right. Derezzed, despite its short length, and the end titles for the fi lm hark back to Discovery-era Daft Punk – an album that itself became something of a soundtrack for the Toei Animation fi lm Interstellar 5555, which used the entire record as its only audio. End Of Line is a slow tempo electronic ballad, which if fl eshed out could have been a sensational piece of work in its own right.

The combination of the orchestra with the distinctive Daft Punk sound and arrangement is fl awless, captivating and surprisingly rewarding– even without having the benefi t of seeing the visuals that are obviously an important part of the equation.

★★★★½ Chris Yates

NO AGEEverything In Between (Sub Pop/Other Tongues)

The third album from LA two-piece No Age represents a progression into some kind of awkward maturity, kind of like when skaters grow up – they keep on wearing the same brand of sneakers, but with noticeably less scuff marks.

The emphasis is way more on the way a song can hinge on a two chord progression, and making melody work in those confi nes for large sections of the song. These simplistic drone-like verses make the Wire-styled punk rock changes in the chorus of songs like Depletion really stand out, and on this track in particular it contributes to it becoming a real success. Sometimes it’s very jarring at fi rst like on Skinned, but like most challenging listens it does start to make sense, even if it’s still not as rewarding at fi rst.

The more up-tempo tracks are a lot more immediate – the excellent Fever Dreaming is the third track on the record but the fi rst point where the band break a sweat. The album’s closer Chem Trails is a big dose of pop to leave you feeling satisfi ed and has clearly been saved just for this reason.

Some tracks are literally nothing more than just ambient noise, and act as a gap fi ller between tracks to create some atmosphere, yet sometimes this builds into a beautiful melody and a couple of simple loops with heaps of feedback become an amazing piece of music like Dusted, which is begging to be used in a poignant and emotional scene in an indie teen drama/comedy fi lm.

All in all it’s a very solid record, informed by some great punk rock and new wave albums of the past, without being nostalgic or wearing any direct infl uences on its sleeve.

★★★½ Chris Yates

THE PHANTOM BANDThe Wants(Chemikal Underground/Other Tongues)

The Phantom Band’s 2009 debut Checkmate Savage was a rough-yet-transient effort that sketched out the band’s future without laying down any real or impressive foundations. It’s a surprise then when the Glaswegian sextet return stronger, bolder and ultimately darker on their sophomore album The Wants ; a dark and intimate tryst into the realms of mesmeric, dense and unmistakably rewarding songwriting.

Opener A Glamour fi zzles from the start and the almost primal, tribal beating of Damien Tonner’s tom-toms sets the bar. It unrelentingly throbs throughout, building towards a synth-laden, guitar-driven coda that pushes expectations further. And as the pulsating energy subsides into the new wave infl ections of O it is replaced by yet more sonic invention, with the emphasis now on vocals as Rick Anthony experiments with pitch and range. The sheer level of experimentation both electronically, vocally and structurally is impressive but what is more striking is the band’s ability to confi ne such trials. Although long and meandering, each note and whirl is tightly controlled, meaningful and purposeful.

Whether it be the folk-heavy Come Away In The Dark, the acoustically built The None Of One or the processed beats of Into The Corn the whole album seems to come together as one. Weird that. Indeed, it seems that throughout the entire album The Phantom Band do their best to transmogrify themselves just enough to keep us on our toes – not so much them thinking outside the box musically but more thinking about the box itself and helping make that box as interesting and relevant as possible without fucking about with its parameters too much. As elusive as this comes across upon fi rst listen, it’s refreshing and will eventually be the reason you reach for the play button again after the album crashes to a halt.

★★★★ Barrie Morgan

BLACK DUBBlack Dub(Jive/Sony)

Daniel Lanois is usually associated with producing mega-acts like U2, but when he does venture out on his own, his ethereal guitar is a constant reminder of his understated nature and ability to beautifully colour songs.

Black Dub is Lanois’ new band and while everything here is written and produced by Lanois, this album is a slight departure from what he’s been known for. Bringing in the rhythm talents of Brian Blade and Daryl Johnson and the sultry vocals of Trixie Whitley, this really is a band built on the bedrock of a dub style – perfect for layering exploratory slices of guitar.

The horrifi c realisation as you steadily sink into these 11 songs is that this album is actually quite grating and awful. The blame for this has to be squarely levelled at Whitley, who obviously sees herself as some kind of soul diva, but doesn’t really have the voice or range to match. Her coarse delivery and benign subject matter don’t allow you to get past her to fi nd out if the music is worth your time. When the music veers out of its groove and into rockier territory in Nomad, it’s again that voice that repels – Beth Gibbons or Sharon Jones she’s not!

So, if this was an instrumental album – as Slow Baby highlights – then maybe there’d be plenty you could hold onto and a mood you could build upon, but alas that’s not the case here. Eventually this album becomes a hybrid of themes that constantly clash when they should coagulate into one rich vein of song. Thankfully Lanois is so busy with new projects that this album will hopefully soon be replaced with something more befi tting his already established talents.

★★ Richard Alverez

SINGLES

30

BY CHRIS YATES

THE SUNBURYSSwings And Roundabouts(Handsome Devil/MGM)

The Sunburys are nothing if not down-to-earth. The Brisbane three-piece have an unpretentious, organic pop/rock sound that they elaborate on with slick guitar riffs and a hefty dose of soul. Swings And Roundabouts, their follow-up to 2009’s much-lauded debut Here Comes The Sunburys, has the same upbeat, intimate feel as a live show. The songs, although straightforward and uncluttered, are catchy as hell and manage to be both serious and fun, when the occasion calls for it.

Frontman Anthony Dettori sings about whatever’s on his mind in a very direct fashion, without the need for cryptic symbolism. And most of the time, it’s stuff the average guy or girl can relate to. Hold On To Me, a lovely acoustic ballad written on Grand Final Day, explores the relationship between romantic love and sport. Title track Swings And Roundabouts is another gentle number, complete with twee piano, about a guy who wonders if he can really be “just friends” with his ex. Fight Or Flight, loosely inspired by the Victorian bushfi res, is a gutsy track about sticking around to fi ght for what’s important to you.

At times, The Sunburys’ knack for combining blokey earnestness with touching poignancy recalls Hunters & Collectors, particularly on None Of This Is True, a powerful rock number that showcases Dettori’s ability to tell stories through song.

The closing track – a cover of Tom Petty’s Apartment Song – is a pretty good rendition and features an epic guitar solo, but The Sunburys are at their best when they play their own material. Swings And Roundabouts is an impressive second record with a good-natured feel that makes it hard to dislike.

★★★★ Daniel Wynne

NEIL DIAMONDDreams (Columbia/Sony)

Over his 50 years in music, Neil Diamond has become a songwriting legend, and gathered so much respect in the industry that he pretty much has complete creative freedom to do what he wishes – and so long as it’s released within a month of Christmas day, it will sell a bucket load too. Something of a late bloomer, however, Diamond’s last proper studio album Home Before Dark was, to put bluntly, quite fantastic, as Neil found a more mature and reinvigorated sound that brought about a new cavalcade of fans. That’s why it’s a bit of a shame to see him once again return to another clichéd covers album with his current record Dreams.

Taking on his favourite rock’n’roll tracks, Diamond does his best to unwind the good deeds done with his previous release with the Gladys Knight & The Pips’ Midnight Train To Georgia, The Beatles’ Blackbird and Yesterday and Leonard Cohen’s classic Hallelujah. While most songs have been stripped back to the bones with acoustic natures, minimal string backings and the odd brass rise to bolster the scattered rhythm sections, overall it simply feels too much like more time spent in another thrown-together compilation release that should have been moved onto new material. The ironic part of the disc however is that the only Diamond-penned track on the list I’m A Believer – a song that he has performed thousands of times before – is the standout for its radical reworking and almost depressing approach to a song famous for its cheery outlook.

Thankfully Diamond’s rich and grizzled vocal tone does carry many of the covers through and saves them from a ‘butchering’ classifi cation, but it’s not enough to allow taking in the 55 minutes without the odd grimace appearing on your face.

★★ Mark Beresford

STONE PARADEStratosphere(MGM)

Australian hard rock is a secular society, ruled by three bands: Karnivool, Cog and The Butterfl y Effect. The genre has fragmented into both a commercial approach, which Dead Letter Circus are confi dently pursuing, and the more abstract, like WA’s Sugar Army. In this vacuum in between, there are a plethora of imitators and also innovators.

So where does Sydney’s Stone Parade fi t into the picture? Their debut Stratosphere won’t be a defi ning moment in the timeline of contemporary hard rock, but few bands are able to encase pop-rock within a metallic exterior and Stone Parade do it a lot better than the standard.

Stratosphere is important for Stone Parade not because of what it has accomplished, but what it may accomplish in the future. The band wears their infl uences on their sleeve, still in the process of mixing them together. Mr Spaceman is an obvious homage to The Killers, not just in the title but also the way vocalist Greg Byrne croons like Brandon Flowers over rolling disco beats. Children of The Lost Empire draws parallels with Dead Letter Circus as a pulsating staccato bassline intertwines with electronic samples and percussive guitar. However despite these discrepancies Stone Parade possess an ability to encase an anthemic sing-along within a monolithic-sized riff. Take Paranoia; sure it delves perilously close to Muse plagiarism, but the transition between the smooth fi nger-clicked jazz opening, furious bottom-heavy thumping and psychotic laughter exemplifi es what the band are capable of when they put their minds to it. Indian Wolves and August Tide hint that progressive approaches are more than feasible.

Whilst their ability as musicians may not quite have reached the peak, rest assured that in time Stone Parade will be huge. But if Australian hard rock isn’t your thing, you certainly won’t be won over by Stratosphere.

★★★½ Scott Thompson

RONNIE WOODI Feel Like Playing (Eagle Records/Shock)

I Feel Like Playing, in a way, it says it all. If Ronnie Wood who is a past and present member of The Rolling Stones and The Faces wants to record a new solo album then there are few people who hold the reputation or legacy to object. What Wood delivers is precisely what you’d expect – a collection of songs that focus primarily on standard blues-rock balladry, and whilst Wood calls on celebrity guests Flea (Red Hot Chilli Peppers), Slash (Guns N’ Roses) and Steve Ferrone (Tom Petty Band) the result is ultimately the musical accompaniment to the Hawaiian shirt you would give to your dad on Christmas Day.

From the opening dull bar blues of Why You Wanna Go And Do A Thing Like That For, the guest session musicians lend little to the actual songwriting other than to distract from Wood’s awful quasi-reggae rap on Sweetness My Weakness. This album only serves to remind one of the sheer gluttony of the records being released every week that serve absolutely no purpose.

The funk rock of Spoonful is an aural adventure into the world of utterly redundant LA session musician excess. Flea lends overzealous basslines to complement Slash’s funk wah guitar and the result is nearly six minutes of elderly Rock’n’ Roll Hall Of Fame inductees murmuring “Spoonful! ” into a microphone.

Whilst Ronnie Wood never Let it Bleed with The Stones nor was he ever Exiled On Main St with Mick and Keith, one still expects more than this by-the numbers, midlife crisis rock album. Like Jagger learned years ago with his own solo albums, without the rest of The Rolling Stones he is but merely one part of the genius.

★½ Cam Ford

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ROCKWIZSalute The Bowl (Liberation Music)

There’s a certain fi nality to the performances on this RocKwiz episode. For one it’s the last episode of the season, but moreover there is fi nality to certain performers’ sense of integrity. On this DVD, as RocKwiz salutes the Sidney Myer Music Bowl 50th Anniversary, some of Australia’s most renowned commercial and alternative performers seek to cover and recapture the greatest songs that have been sung at the Bowl by bands as diverse as AC/DC, Neil Young, ABBA, Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs, Bob Dylan and Paul Kelly.

The show begins in earnest with Nic Cester(Jet)’s take on Wings’ Maybe I’m Amazed. As much as one seeks to begrudge his effort, Cester surprisingly succeeds in presenting a faithful albeit modest interpretation and when it comes to covering Wings, there isn’t much room for experimentation. The songs selected tonight truly pander to the baby boomer demographic and this may be why many performers of this generation featured appear ill-at-ease and at times almost embarrassed. Kram from Spiderbait, whilst covering The Aztecs’ Most People I Know (Think That I’m Crazy), captures the spirit of a deranged busker rather than that of Billy Thorpe, whilst Adalita (Magic Dirt) appears nervewracked and fl ails, struggling to hit the notes on the AC/DC anthem Rock N’ Roll Ain’t Noise Pollution. Paul Kelly comes across as a seasoned entertainer covering Neil Young’s Cinnamon Girl. Kelly dances and joins the back-up singers in the bridge, his performance brilliant and imbedded with a humour that almost acknowledges the ridiculousness of the concert.

As a DVD this serves only as a boorish walk down memory lane for baby boomers in the grips of senility. You would be better off fi ring up a joint, blasting The Aztecs Live At Sunbury and conjuring the fading memories of a misspent youth.

Extras: None.

★½ Cam Ford

THE ROLLING STONESLadies And Gentlemen (Shock)

The Rolling Stones live on the Exile On Main St tour of 1972. Having released Sticky Fingers in ’71 and Let It Bleed two years prior in ‘6 The Stones at this point had released three of most signifi cant LPs in the history of rock music… in a row. The Exile On Main St tour, whilst forever known and heralded or denigrated as the height of The Stones’ decadence and indulgence, captures them playing their skag-addled bones blues at its most malevolent, bruised and damaged.

From the opening boogie thump of Brown Sugar, Mick and Keith swagger and pout like they are playing in the greatest rock’n’roll band in the world – and at that point they are. The proto-punk stomp of Bitch and the momentous Gimme Shelter exude The Stones’ ability to transform often raw and skull-thumping blues into rock’n’roll that can reverberate throughout a stadium and move every member of the audience. The R’n’B trudge of Tumbling Dice rolls into the hypnotic balladry Love In Vain and the rousing acoustic honky tonk of Sweet Virginia, which serves as an unexpected triumph of the set, along with the 70s balladry of You Can’t Always Get What You Want. The ending sequence which features the garage rock’n’roll thud of Exile’s roaring Rip This Joint, followed by Jumpin’ Jack Flash and Street Fighting Man is rock’n’roll at its most visceral, albeit inspired by guttural drug-induced pomposity and fervour.

Sadly The Stones’ modern legacy of senility stands occasionally to overwhelm their past achievements. Fortunately Ladies And Gentlemen truly reveals The Rolling Stones in 1972 to be the most potent and forthright rock’n’roll band on the planet.

Extras: Tour rehearsal, Old Grey Whistle Test interview, Mick Jagger interview 2010.

★★★★½ Cam Ford

NEWBIRDSSong Bird Way (Independent)

Newbirds are a young Melbourne-birthed band that write middle-of-the-road rock tunes that blend into the background with shocking ease. Although billed as an EP, the eight tracks of Song Bird Way can easily be put into LP territory, especially in this era of download consumption. But either way, it doesn’t make the journey any more inviting.

Over the course of Song Bird Way, there is scantly anything that makes you drop what you are doing or barely pause. Keep Me Moving fails to do so but as an opener, it at least offers a chance to salvage proceedings so you press on. Bright Side is a write-off as soon as the line “I’ve had a lonely heart, now I’m giving it to you” has the shit crooned out of it, while Higher sounds like jungle gospel which is as ridiculous as the pretence.

Final stand Song Bird Way has a rumbling, Steely Dan bass element that combined with a crisp horn section, really nails the sound that Newbirds are forging to fi nd. However then the track wraps up and it’s all over, leaving a bittersweet taste in the listener’s mouth of a band that could’ve been. This isn’t to say that the three players that make up Newbirds aren’t talented musicians in their own right. Lead vocalist Tim Hocking can defi nitely rip a note with vigour, but as a fl owing piece of work, Song Bird Way sounds contrived, played out and without an individual soul.

It’s obvious the band’s heart is in the right place. Their touchstones in rock’n’roll are much like many aspiring young band that has their feet planted in the past (ie. The Beatles, The Who). However much like fellow Melbournites Jet, they take the inspiration of their heroes and dilute it into an offering that is neither rocking nor rolling towards anything of substantial interest.

★★ Benny Doyle

JIMMY WEBBJust Across The River (Shock)

Jimmy Webb is evidence that truly great storytelling and songwriting can surpass banal tags like AOR. Whilst Webb’s legacy is all but cemented as a songwriter who truly got to the core of the American story 30 years ago, his lyricism and stories remain relevant and signifi cant today.

Whilst his new album Just Across the River sees Webb reinterpreting the repertoire of songs that initially brought him fame, it’s seemingly a work of passion and collaboration rather than an album made for fi nancial incentive, exuding a sense of purity and excitement that one does not expect from a performer of Webb’s experience and magnitude.

The classic Oklahoma Nights with Vince Gill opens the album and whilst the song is reinterpreted with a modernised country FM pulse it captures the original’s heartbreak, melodrama and humour. Witchita Lineman follows with Billy Joel lending piano and vocal work, and this collaboration, whilst overwrought, actually serves to prove that Webb and Joel befi t one another as collaborators. Webb and Willie Nelson’s duet on If You See Me Getting Smaller is the pinnacle of the record. When the duo with as much spite as two 70 year olds can muster croon “I’ve got a right to disappear,” it heralds a new high point in each of their respective careers.

Whilst many a young person may deride Webb’s work as a dated work of adult-oriented country rock, this only serves to negate Webb’s history and ever-growing talent as a songwriter who can construct a story that whilst a beautiful requiem for a time and innocence gone still recalls situations and problems that are still relevant.

★★★★½ Cam Ford

BIG SCARYThe Four Seasons(Independent)

Big Scary are a bag of contradictions. There’s nothing remotely big or scary about them at all and the Sydney duo are well aware of it. The band is another example of the success attainable by being plucked from obscurity by triple j’s Unearthed program. They’ve endured healthy airplay, an exponential increase in fanbase and successful national tours as a result. Perhaps their biggest strength is an ability to transcend musical spectrums, ranging from garage rock to indie folk and everything in between. Since their fi rst four seasonally themed, mini-EPs have sold out of stock, the band has opted to amalgamate all releases into one album with mixed results.

The problem with The Four Seasons is that it’s not an album per se; it’s a compilation and bears all the resulting fl aws. That’s not to discredit Big Scary’s songwriting, far from it, there are some fantastic tracks on the album but they don’t cohesively fl ow. Individually there are moments of brilliance dotted everywhere.

Occasionally the tracks refl ect their seasonal themes, but this doesn’t appear intentional. Spring’s Gem In The Granite skips around without appearing overly joyous or fl amboyant, whereas The Deep Freeze is bleak and melancholic with sparse piano interjected over droning vocal hums. Summer, true to its nature, has the grittier tracks. All That You’ve Got is a perfect refl ection: lethargic, bumbling garage fuzz. It’s contrasted by Summer’s Last Gasp with gentle fi ngerpicking and toy piano, mixed in with the chirp of insects on a humid night.

It’s promising to think that this is merely the tip of the iceberg for Big Scary. With only two members, the vast palette of sounds they meld together is remarkable, unbound by style and genre. When they knuckle down to produce a proper long-player, wider admiration is almost an assurance.

★★★★ Scott Thompson

BOB DYLANIn Concert: Brandeis University 1963(Columbia/Sony)

Really? Does every Bob Dylan concert ever committed to tape have to be spruced up, packaged and sold to an unquestioning mass? You’d just about be able to rebuild the Great Wall of China with the amount of Bob Dylan LPs, CDs and live concert re-issues. Still, it’s obviously an easy money ticket.

Back in ’63, Dylan was just 22 years of age and this recording exemplifi es the gusto that fi rst brought him to prominence. Here he’s a mixture of the youthful idealism that came to defi ne the movement for change in the 60s and a stoic wisdom of a man who wants to walk the barefooted miles that his folk heroes like Guthrie and Seeger had before him. For many, this is why we listen to Dylan – for that hopeful cry for change – and given the years that have passed and the very public road he eventually travelled, you can’t help but pine for and wonder whatever happened to that Dylan in the gym hall of Brandeis University, Massachusetts.

This is a Bob Dylan, this isn’t the Bob Dylan, but this snapshot of the man is more interesting as a cultural document, not in the development of a musician – it’s nigh on pedestrian in that respect. This is captivating from the perspective of a country gripped with fear and anticipation. In ’62, Dylan was at the top of the charts with Blowin’ In The Wind. In ’64, Vietnam erupted and all the while the Commies and the bombs were ever-present. Listen to this recording for Ballad Of Hollis Brown, Masters Of War and Talkin’ World War III Blues – poignant reminders of a time we’d sooner not return to even though their sentiment is still relevant in this day and age.

Most striking here is the realisation that there are no Dylans shaping cultural change to the same degree today.

★★★½ Alex Gillies

VARIOUS ARTISTSJackass 3D(Epitaph/Shock)

Expecting anything of an intellectual journey from this soundtrack would be sheer stupidity, much like our favourite lunatics, the Jackass crew. Finding unprecedented success with the third offi cial instalment of their insane movie franchise, the boys are well and truly back. But these songs defi nitely need some idiot behaviour backing it up if they are going to be given repeat spins. Even the sassy voice of Karen O isn’t enough to save the lewd campfi re innuendo that seems to be the running theme of the soundtrack.

There are a few winners on the album that makes the push through the meandering fi llers not such big a struggle. Classic Twisted Sister cut The Kids Are Back kicks you in the balls early with swagger and sex, while Memories, Weezer’s lead single off latest album Hurley, has the drunken potential for a messy sing-along with your friends written all over it. In fact, this is exactly what has happened already, the chorus on the track being fi lled out by the Jackass cast which actually helps the song push away from Rivers Cuomo’s ridiculous lyrics. The real fi nd here though is CKY’s ghoul punk of Afterworld, which sounds like Alkaline Trio attempting glam with one foot still squarely in the coffi n.

What’s surprising is the lack of death metal, black metal or any sort of balls-to-the-wall riffi ng as that is the bread and butter of Jackass’s Bam Margera and Steve-O. Apart from Sassafras cut Been Blown To Shreds and Gang Green’s Alcohol, both of which weren’t even used in the movie, it is a gluttonous joke folk outing that refl ects the crazed faux cowboys that the Jackass crew have become for 3D. As such, this release should still be given a wide birth at best unless you are a complete and utter diehard.

Benny Doyle

JOHN BUTLER TRIOThese Are The Days – The Making Of April Uprising (Jarrah/MGM)

John Butler and his trio have never really left the public eye for a good part of the last eight years, and in that time there has been a swag of ARIA awards, three number one albums, countless sold out shows and over half a dozen different band members cycling through. Overshadowing all of that though is John Butler himself and his strong political mindset, never really afraid to tackle an issue and always doing what he can to raise awareness.

Having been called ‘Australia’s Dreadlocked Bono’, which I can assure you is an insult, John Butler Trio’s latest DVD, These Are The Days, actually breaks down all of the perceived perceptions of John Butler and strips the trio back to three friends who hit the studio in the early part of ’09 to record the album April Uprising. Showing each of the albums tracks in various performance states, it’s the fl y-on-the-wall scenes that revolutionise the viewing of the trio.

Round table discussions on track structures, antics in the studios and secret recordings all blend in with the more unexpected features such as Butler walking down the historic lane of his busking past and revealing his street art love. Most of this, however, plays second fi ddle to the honest look at a band that is in the midst of recording their fi rst collaborative album, a soaring energy and morale and an extremely funny John Butler. This DVD will do nothing but strengthen any Trio fans’ view of them being a solid act, but for naysayers, it’s likely to alter their perception in a positive manner.

Extras: interviews, around the table

★★★½ Mark Beresford

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frontrow@timeoff.com.au

BRISBANE COMEDY FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES 2011 LINE-UPThe Brisbane Comedy Festival has announced its 2011 line-up, which boasts a lot of names, such as Danny Bhoy, Jason Byrne in Cirque du Byrne, Wil Anderson in Man vs Wil, Josh Thomas’ Everything Ever, Peter Helliar’s World Of Balls (…And The Men And Women Who Like To Play With Them), Arj Barker’s Let Me Do The Talking, Stephen K Amos in The Best Medicine, Mark Watson, Eddie Ifft: What Women Don’t Want To Hear, Denise Scott’s Regrets, Tom Gleeson: Up Himself, Sam Simmons: And The Precise History Of Things, Dave O’Neil in Happy To Be Out Of The House, Melinda Buttle: Buttle & Buttle, Hannah Gadsby’s Mrs Chuckles, Josh Earl’s Love Songs And Dedications, Dave Thornton: I Wanna Be Bruce Lee, Tom Ballard: Since 1989, Harley Breen: I Heart Bunnings, Steve Hughes, Asher Treleaven in Secret Door, a one-night-only Chopper’s Fuckin’ Bingo, Sammy J in Skinny Man, Modern World, Dead Cat Bounce: Caged Heat, George McEnroe in The Care Factor, Damien Power: Driven, Geraldine Quinn: Shut Up And Sing, Matt Keneally’s State Of The Nation, Stephen Sheehan, The Hermitude Of Angus, Ecstatic, and The Bulmer’s Best Of The Edinburgh Fest. The Brisbane Comedy Festival will be held at Brisbane Powerhouse Tuesday 1 March to Sunday 27. Head to briscomfest.com for more details.

WEDNESDAY 8Weird Wednesdays: Christmas

Special – cult Christmas double-bill of Santa Claus Conquers The Martians and Silent Night Bloody Night. Tribal Theatre, 6:30pm.

THURSDAY 9Non mi piace Versace (I Don’t Like Versace) – exhibition of photographic works by Tamaryn Goodyear taken on a recent trip to Italy. Expect the unexpected. Metro Arts, 7pm.

Bruce Lee My Brother – a biopic telling the life of Bruce Lee through the eyes of his brother. Tribal Theatre, 8:30pm.

SATURDAY 11Lunch With Vincent River – double-billing of plays by Steven Berkoff and Philip Ridley (Lunch and Vincent River, respectively). Closing night, 7:30pm. Metro Arts.

Slowdive – Claire Marshall explores further Fortitude Valley’s clubbing district, as began with Hey Scenester

earlier in the year. Closing night, 8pm. Visy Theatre, Brisbane Powerhouse.

SUNDAY 12David Strassman: Ted E’s Farewell Tour – ventriloquist brings his most-loved puppet (sorry Chuck) on his supposed last ever tour. Don’t miss out! Playhouse, QPAC until 12 December.

ONGOINGRobbins, Stilson, and Molloy – ninety minutes of comedy gold from three very familiar Asutralian stand-ups: Mick Molloy, Glenn Robbins, and Jeff Stilson. Opening night, 7:30pm. Powerhouse Theatre until 19 December.

Scott Redford: Introducing Reinhardt Dammn – exhibition of works – surfboard sculptures, videos, and paintings, suites of fi breglass objects and canvasses with acrylic surfaces – by Gold Coast artist Scott Redford. QLD Art Gallery until 13 March 2011.

THIS WEEK IN ARTS

34

UP7

NOMINATIONS FOR THE WORST ALTERNATIVE FILM TITLE OF ALL TIME

By John Eagle

1. Duck, You Sucker (AKAK A Fistful of Dynamite, 1971)

2. On My Way To The Crusades I Met A Girl Who... (AKA The Chastity Belt, 1967)

3. The French They Are A Funny Race (AKA The Diary of Major Thompson, 1955)

4. A Nice Little Bank That Should Be Robbed (AKA How To Rob A Bank, 1958)

5. The Second Best Secret Agent In The Whole World (AKA Licensed To Kill, 1965)

6. Scudda Hoo Scudda Hay (AKA Summer Madness, 1948)

7. Went The Day Well? (AKA Forty Eight Hours, 1942)

DUCK YOU SUCKER

LIFE, ITALIAN STYLE

When most tourists come back from overseas jaunts their photographic mementoes

consist of blurry images of barely discernable iconic buildings fronted by fake-grin toting, sunburn-suffering family members. Brisbane-based photographer Tamaryn Goodyear, however, has returned from Italy with an exhibition of photos exploring the unexpected daily life of Sicily and Italy’s southern Islands.

“I didn’t set out to try to capture anything,” explains Goodyear of the show’s conception. “I tried not to think of any theoretical side, or any reasons or meanings; I wanted it to be free of it. That’s the way I work best, allowing myself to be open to what comes up I’ll either realise some sort of theme during it or after…Being able to capture something [in a photograph]; the moment’s gone after it’s happened. I really like that.”

Goodyear’s exhibition Non Mi Piace Versace - I Don’t Like Versace in English - is representative of her spontaneous approach to travel photography; the title is a reference to both the typical perception of Italy and her own realisation that reality of life on the Southern Islands is much more complicated.

“I was really surprised to see that side of Italy,” she says, “You know, [in Italy] it’s very stylish and rich in culture, but that’s driven towards food and fashion; the history and architecture. I was really surprised

in the South to see the difference. It is quite poor down there, especially Sicily. You really notice the difference straight away - you get a bit of a shock actually, it’s not what you expect.

“I’d fi nd myself in these cities. It’s a little bit scary. But after a few days, you fi nd the beauty within that…What can look a bit rough and gritty, when you scratch the surface it’s really quite beautiful.”

After overcoming the shock of fi nding herself behind Italy’s façade of fashion, food and commerce Goodyear says, “I found myself enjoying and fi nding the beauty in these rougher places; it was really nice to photograph and that’s how the theme came around: people aren’t driven by material goods and get along quite well without it… No one’s living the high life but it’s just as vibrant and rich in culture in other ways.”

What developed from her sojourn to the Southern Islands was a collection of work focussing on those unexpected cultural facets that serve as propellants for daily life: religion, sex, and the simple act of survival.

“Obviously Italy is steeped in religion, you can’t really escape it,” she explains. “And the sex part...?” She laughs. “Well. It’s very different to here. I’ll start with that. I managed to have some really interesting conversations with Italian men about this topic - I think really honest conversations…I wasn’t looking

to capture that in my photographs, [but] I think it does come through. There’s always this passion bubbling below the surface. That tied up with religion, I think there’s a lot of weird cultural, traditional suppression going on there.” It may seem rather contradictory for a religiously conservative country, but for Goodyear the seemingly incongruous

combination is a simple reality. “That’s real life,” she says, laughing. “I don’t know what God thinks about it, but it’s defi nitely happening.”

WHAT: Non Mi Piace Versace: A Photography Exhibition by Tamaryn Goodyear

WHERE & WHEN: Metro Arts

Thursday 9 December

HELEN STRINGER TALKS TO BRISBANE PHOTOGRAPHER TAMARYN GOODYEAR ABOUT SHOOTING ITALY, THE RESULTS OF WHICH CAN BE SEEN AT METRO ARTS TOMORROW NIGHT.

THE LAST EXORCISM

STEVE SHEEHAN MEL BUTTLETHE LAST EXORCISMThe premise for this tight little Eli Roth-produced fl ick is interesting: what if a self-confessed charlatan and disbeliever wanted to get out of the exorcism game while exposing it for the bunk he believes it to be? That charlatan is Cotton Marcus (Patrick Fabian), a showman who uses simple tricks like hidden iPods and joke-shop gimmicks like electric shock rings to convince gullible people he’s expelling the devil from them.

However Cotton has had enough of the sham, and he invites a fi lm crew to follow him on one last exorcism (where else but in the Deep South near New Orleans?) where he’ll expose his tricks. Unfortunately for all concerned he chooses to exorcise Nell Sweetzer (Ashley Bell). When he arrives at the family farm, Nell’s father Louis (Louis Herthum) explains Nell has been slaughtering cattle in

her sleep and wants the devil gone from her. Cotton thinks things will be textbook. He’s wrong.

The mockumentary format has been done badly and done well, but here it’s fortunately the latter. Director Daniel Stamm has a fi ne eye for creepiness and the location of the fi lm - a crumbling old isolated Deep South farmhouse with a barn fi lled with rusting implements of destruction - is wonderfully spooky. Fabian is a charismatic lead as the faithless preacher, but the standout is Ashley Bell as Nell, in a contortionist’s performance that somewhat echoes Jennifer Carpenter’s in The Exorcism Of Emily Rose. In a couple of scenes she delivers bone-chilling glances.

The ending may be a bit too Blair Witch in its chaotic execution but overall, The Last Exorcism succeeds as a slow-burning, creepy thriller.

WHERE & WHEN: Screening in

cinemas now

BAZ McALISTER

REVIEWFILM

A VISUAL/ORAL HISTORY OF RED HOT CHILI PEPPERSRed Hot Chili Peppers with

Brendan Mullen

Harpers Collin Publishers

This is not your average coffee table photography book, though its hardback bound thick red cover may suggest. Inside lives page upon page of reminiscent images and stories from the ever popular foursome and their friends, bandmates and loved ones who’ve been part of the journey from 1980s ’til now.

Fans will relish the beautifully printed shots of the band taken from their very foundation through to Stadium Arcadium shots. Hillel Slovak, Dave Navarro, and numerous other members are represented in images that range from touching black and white portraits to ridiculous yet famous socks on cocks images.

In between these are stories, bite-sized perspectives on different periods represented with band member initials. The book doesn’t follow a chronological order, which may have been a better option than the slightly confusing chapters which attempt to delve into different aspects in their tenure. Some

REVIEWBOOK

subjects are rehashed and for those who’ve read Anthony Kiedis’ stunning autobiography Scar Tissue, there may not be much you didn’t already know.

There’s plenty for the newcomers to enjoy, especially stories regarding the unexpectedly warm relationship between Perry Farrell and John Frusciante, and the latter’s tale of drug addiction and rehabilitation, told with stark honesty and clarity.

The book feels more representative of Flea and Kiedis’ relationship; there’s a wealth of imagery of the pair and stories of their unique childhood based bond. Flea even wrote the band-signed intro, as he looks back fondly on a band he’s been a part of for his entire adult life and surely many years to come.

SEVANA OHANDJANIAN

frontrow@timeoff.com.au

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35

Bombs, terror plots, planes whacking into buildings, secret nuclear stashes, weapons of

mass destruction – still, you’ve got to laugh, don’t you? Chris Morris certainly does. The British satirist who became notorious for his cheeky Brass Eye specials and took a swipe at new media culture in Nathan Barley has fi xed his gaze on home-grown English jihadists in co-writing and directing Four Lions.

Morris spins a yarn about a jihadist cell made up mainly of buffoonish bombers who’d struggle to put together a kebab, let alone a terror plot. Struggling to give this group some much-needed direction is Omar, a family man with a higher purpose in mind. British rapper and actor Riz Ahmed plays Omar, and says he found three ways in to the character – he’s a soldier, he’s a father, and he’s a prankster. This, Ahmed says, gives the character clarity.

“Having a family he cares for, in Omar’s head, is synonymous with wanting to create a better world [through martyring himself],” Ahmed says. “A lot of people talk about the

scene where his kid is saying ‘Go on dad, do it’ but if you fl ip it around into a Disney, Avatar sort of setup where you have the goodie soldier having a wobble about going to war, and then the family come in and do the noble thing and embolden the goodie soldier – they say ‘Go on, do it, fi ght for us, fi ght for America, fi ght for the Jedi’, whatever – and in Omar’s head he’s a goodie soldier. The sense of wanting to care for your family and fi ghting a just war go hand-in-hand.

“Also, he’s a prankster. For Omar, part of the idea is he’s weirdly attracted to the theatre, the spectacle, the prank of walking around with secret knowledge in your head and a grin on your face. ‘I know something you don’t know, it’s important, and I’m playing my game in a world that really counts, not this pleb 9-5 level but in the world of global espionage’.”

Morris glommed on to Ahmed originally through his rap video Post 9/11 Blues, where the puckish MC wryly comments on the war on terror. The director realised that Ahmed was humorously rapping about the subject matter he was investigating for the

BRITISH MC AND ACTOR RIZ AHMED TALKS TO BAZ MCALISTER ABOUT HIS ROLE OF SOLDIER, FATHER, AND PRANKSTER OMAR IN CHRIS MORRIS’ UNIQUE LOOK AT THE WAR ON TERROR, FOUR LIONS.

FUNDAMENTALISTPUTTING THE ‘MENTAL’ IN

WITH MANDY KOHLERIf you inspect the contents of your wallet, push aside the expired franger and have a look at the rectangles of printed polymer that you exchange for goods. Hardly a day goes by when we don’t inspect our wallets to see if the quantity of money folded between layers of leather will carry us through, but do you know who’s on your cash? Americans go for nicknames like Franklin to describe their bills but would you know I’d be needing change from $100 if I said, “All I have is a Dame Nellie”?

Most slang for Aussie dollar notes is related to the colour scheme, in that we trump the greenback hands down. Pinkies, lobsters, red backs, and pineys are named fairly obviously for their hues. However only the $10 note can claim to carry a name famous enough to be adopted as slang, that’s a Banjo. So without further adieu let’s have a look at the evenly split ladies and gentlemen of Australian currency.

As mentioned, the $100 note features world renowned soprano Dame Nellie Melba (1861-1931). A superstar of her day, Melba reached the peak of her career in the early 1900s and her outback tours drew venue busting crowds. She’s also the inspiration for the classic dessert the Peach Melba. On the fl ip side you’ll fi nd General Sir John Monash (1865-1931), civil engineer and distinguished soldier, he was most widely admired as an outstanding military tactician who drew many victories during WWI.

The $50 note features David Unaipon (1872-1967), Aboriginal writer and inventor whose inventions included an improved handpiece for sheep-shearing, a centrifugal motor, a multi-radial wheel, and mechanical propulsion device. Representing the women is Edith Cowan (1861-1932), fi rst female Australian politician who

successfully stood for state election in 1921 after legislation was enacted in 1920 making it legal for women to enter Parliament.

The coupling for the $20 note is a saint and sinner combo of Reverend John Flynn and Mary Reibey. Flynn (1880-1951), founded the Royal Flying Doctor Service in 1934. On the other side is Mary Reibey (1777-1855), a former convict who was arrested for horse stealing 1791 and arrived in Australia in 1792 and went on to become a successful businesswoman.

Besides the Queen, the $10 note features the most iconic of subjects, Andrew Barton ‘Banjo’ Paterson (1864-1941). Banjo had a cracker of a year in 1895 penning both Waltzing Matilda and The Man From Snowy River. On the fl ip side is Dame Mary Gilmore (1865-1962), poet and social reformer who stirred patriotism in the hearts of Australians during WWII with such poems as No Foe Shall Gather Our Harvest and Singapore.

The original polymer $5 note features Queen Elizabeth II, and Parliament House, while a later edition features Sir Henry Parkes (1815-1896). Popular politician and early advocate of a federal council, Parkes was dubbed the “Father of Federation”. He convened the 1890 Federation Conference where he proposed the name ‘Commonwealth’ for the united colonies. Also on the new fi ver is Catherine Spence (1825-1910); writer, feminist, and reformer, Spence was passionate about the rights of women and lobbied for greater child welfare provision. She became Australia’s fi rst female political candidate when she contested, unsuccessfully, the election for delegates to the 1897 Australasian Federal Convention.

You may be set to part with many of your Melbas over the coming weeks but at least you know who’s peeking back at you.

CULTURALCRINGE

completely illegal, they were basically just cowboys trying to rough someone up. It was weird and scary at the time, but there were really ridiculous elements. They were sat there jabbing a fi nger in my face going [yells] ‘Do not use your phone!’ but when I used it they were like, ‘Well, there’s nothing we can really do about it.’

“Then at one point one of them got me in a wrist lock – it fucking hurt, he nearly broke my wrist – and he got the phone out of my hand and he was

going through it, making lurid faces at me like ‘Ooh, I’m looking at your secret texts’. When I got the phone back the language had been changed to Danish! This idiot was just randomly jabbing all the buttons at once.”

Ahmed’s debut album as Riz MC, MICroscope, will be released in January.

WHAT: Four Lions on DVD

(Hopscotch)

script that would become Four Lions.

“Chris wanted to meet up and he told me he was researching in and around the subject matter – Muslim Britain, fundamentalism, intelligence services, war on terror, and that whole circus of madness – which was kind of what my track was about. We kept meeting up every couple of months, talking about everything and nothing. At no point did he even tell me he had a script and had me in mind for a role, but it was a real eye-opener.

“Chris just looks at things differently. What it got me thinking about was the out-takes from this narrative of terrorism, the blooper reels. If you go on YouTube and type in ‘jihadi videos’ near the top will come up this British Asian guy in Bosnia making a speech – ‘Brothers, come out here and fi ght, the cause is just, the people are beautiful, the country is beautiful, and brothers, the kebabs here are amazing’.”

It was this idea of following the ‘blooper reels’ and ‘out-takes’ of a terror cell that would become the crux of Four Lions. Omar, Barry, Waj, Hassan, and Faisal bicker like feuding ten-year-olds, play around with homemade bombs, wrestle, fi ght, and talk trash – in that respect, they’re just like any bunch of guys.

“Just like any male group endeavour, the driving force of it is testosterone

and idiocy,” Ahmed says. “Just like bowling clubs, biker gangs, anything – you get a group of guys together the dynamic is rivalry, camaraderie, and idiocy. Of course they’re normal guys. What else are they? If you check out people who were involved in the 7/7 attacks [in London], some of them were genuinely loved, praised as the nicest guy in the world, or the most upstanding, helpful, selfl ess person. That jars in our heads with the image of evil, moustache-twiddling baddies but the issue of terrorism is much messier. It’s not a James Bond supervillain network of baddies. It’s average Joes that undertake these tasks. That picture of them as normal guys is very true to life. That doesn’t take away the fact that what they’re doing is clearly wrong.”

Ahmed has had his own brush with the intelligence forces and reports that the ‘blooper reel, out-take’ culture is alive and well among those who fi ght terrorism, just as much as it is in those who perpetrate it. Ahmed starred in The Road To Guantanamo a few years ago as a member of the Tipton Three, British men held for two years in Guantanamo Bay. On the way back from a screening of the fi lm on Berlin, Ahmed was detained at Luton Airport by security offi cers.

“Looking back now with these eyes, I see the funny side of my detention at Luton Airport by British Intelligence offi cers – which it turned out was

frontrow@timeoff.com.au

36

WHISKEY AND WORDS

When Dylan Thomas wrote Under Milk Wood - written as a radio play - he

was suffering the fi nal throes of alcoholism; a negligent, offensive, nigh-on unbearable drunk, Thomas nonetheless managed to imbue his fi nal piece with the euphony, humour subversiveness that plunged the unlikely Welshman into the literary canon. It may be apocryphal, but the story goes that his fi nal discernable words were “I’ve just drunk 18 straight whiskies; I think that’s the record.” Fractal Theatre might not be embracing method acting to the degree that its actors are prepared to attempt this record, but their preparation for Under Milk Wood has been thorough nonetheless.

Actor Jane Barry explains that while the performers aren’t intending on emulating Thomas’ capacity to imbibe - at least not until the cast party - they have taken on the notoriously diffi cult Welsh accent and brought the radio play to the stage. “It’s quite a diffi cult accent to do,” says Barry. “It’s really lyrical but it takes a lot to get your head around. We’ve had a lot of coaching though…it’s taken about two or three months [of rehearsals and voice training].”

It’s not only the mastering the Welsh of the play’s inhabitants that’s a

challenge; Thomas wrote Under Milk Wood with the undeniable linguistic complexity of the poet he was. Vast swathes of the text are the internal musings of his characters as they go about their days: dreaming; reminiscing about past lovers; conversing with their dead loved - and unloved - ones; contemplating their existences in an ostensibly simple Welsh fi shing village called Llareggub. The name - if anyone was worried that Thomas might have lost his sense of humour in his fi nal years - is ‘bugger all’ spelt backwards.

“It has been challenging,” concedes Barry. “But because we’re using highly physical techniques, it melds [it] together really well. Starting off in that dream sequence; it’s essentially a day in the life of this small Welsh fi shing village, but there’s certainly nothing small about any of the characters. They’re in a way so larger than life, but in a way so relatable, [with] all of their idiosyncrasies.”

Barry explains that - true to the original version - each actor is taking on multiple roles, distinguishing each with an array of unexpected physical methods - from mime to Kabuki-infused movement.

The production - which also features 13 young actors in the theatre’s

FRENCH FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES 2011 PROGRAMMEThe Alliance Française French Film Festival returns to Brisbane in 2011 from Wednesday 16 March to Sunday 3 April. The festival, second only to Cannes as the largest festival of French cinema in the world, is an impressive collection of cinema across romantic comedy, farce, drama, documentary, and even a horror fi lm, which is great considering the quality of genre fi lms coming out of France at the moment. Highlights of the festival include the opening night fi lm, François Ozon’s Potiche, a comedy set in the late-’70s starring Catherine Deneuve and Gérard Depardieu; An Ordinary Execution, documenting the last days of Stalin’s dictatorship; the (surprising) French box offi ce hit Of Gods And Men, about a group of French Cistercian monks in Algeria who become the target of fundamentalist rebels; A View Of Love, a thriller starring OSS 117’s Jean Dujardin, Claudia Cardinale, and The Diving Bell And The Butterfl y’s Marie-Josée Croze; Daniel Auteuil in Donnant donnant (Fair Is Fair); Isabelle Huppert in Sans queue ni tête (Special Treatment); Crime d’amour, with Kristen Scott-Thomas and Ludivine Sagnier as rival offi ce executives; Jean Dujardin and Irréversible’s Albert Dupontel in the black comedy Le bruit des glaçons (The Clink Of Ice); the blockbuster Les petits mouchoirs (Little White Lies), a dramady about friendship starring Marion Cotillard (Public Enemies), François Cluzet (Tell No One), Gilles Lellouche (Mesrine), and Jean Dujardin; the stunning-looking animated fi lm Une vie de chat (A Cat In Paris); The Arrivals, a documentary Garnier described as the real Welcome; and the horror fi lm La meute (The Pack), the trailer of which boasts a deliciously twisted joke and some crossing of the fourth wall. Closing night fi lm is yet to be disclosed.

fi rst youth intern programme - has clearly been a labour of love for the rejuvenated Fractal Theatre and its cast members. Despite the workload Barry enthuses that the process has thus far been one of most enjoyable of her career. “It’s been wonderful,” she says. “It’s one of my favourite plays; it’s been really interesting taking that play for voices and transferring it onto the stage.”

Barry is equally enthusiastic about the legendary playwright, waxing a tad bit lyrical herself on the Welshman’s abilities, particularly

in light of his now legendary - and indeed infamous - relationship with alcohol. “I imagine him up late at night with a bottle of something,” she laughs, “just churning these amazing words out; I’m sure I wouldn’t be able to come up with something as beautiful if I drank that much.”

WHAT: Under Milk Wood

WHERE & WHEN: Dancing Tiger

Studio, Ipswich Saturday 11

December, Old Museum Building,

Brisbane Tuesday 14 to Friday 23

FRACTAL THEATRE’S JANE BARRY TALKS TO HELEN STRINGER ABOUT BRINGING DYLAN THOMAS’ UNDER MILK WOOD TO BRISBANE STAGES THIS CHRISTMAS.

REVIEWTHEATRE

SLOWDIVEVisy Theatre, Brisbane

Powerhouse

It’s not suffi cient to describe Brisbane choreographer Claire Marshall’s latest creation, Slowdive, as a piece of contemporary dance; it’s diffi cult, in fact, to fi nd a neat descriptor for it at all. Combining elements of theatre, performance art, installation, and dance Slowdive is probably better described as experiential theatre.

Transforming the Powerhouse’s Visy Theatre into a 1990s club Slowdive takes its audience on a confronting journey through the Valley club scene of that era. With no seating the audience become sometimes unwitting participants in the decline of Marshall’s characters, herded from one scene of debauchery to another, watching dancers enact scenes that are - with some comedic reprieves - quite disturbing. The eerie thing about Slowdive is that despite the confronting material it’s feels undeniably familiar.

In re-creating the atmosphere, aesthetics, and feeling of a club Marshall has been hugely successful; her talent for the theatrical is undeniable. Likewise in creating a piece of dance-based, immersive performance art that manages to break down the usual barriers in participatory art Marshall has succeeded.

But the most impressive aspect of Slowdive is not the dancing. What is truly impressive about Slowdive is how convincing and realistic a replication of the sometimes debauched night-time world it is.

Until 11 December

HELEN STRINGER

THE DAWN TREADER

OF GODS AND MENA VIEW OF LOVE

LITTLE WHITE LIESA CAT IN PARIS

POTICHESPECIAL TREATMENT

THE PACKLOVE CRIME

THE CHRONI-CLES OF NARNIA: THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER: 3DThe Voyage Of The Dawn Treader was always one of the most bewitching of the Narnia books. A frontrunner favourite to all who delved deeper than ‘Wardrobe, it brought to the series a real sense of Narnia’s immense scope, and not only of the wonderfully interconnected world that Lewis had created, but it reaffi rmed of the series enduring worth as an important work of fantasy. So too, not forgetting, did it enchant simply with its Tolkien tale of a road-trip on the high seas. The Dawn Treader provided readers another glimpse into the meta-world concepts explored in The Magician’s Nephew - and revealed in The Last Battle - with the

introduction of the mysterious Aslan’s Country. We learned of the division of Narnia into mortal and spiritual worlds, and that life, whilst it has for everyone an expiry date, is not something that should be mourned, nor lived without valour. This was the book that explored Narnia as true alternate universe; a ‘what if’ land in which our moral myths actually lived.

And sadly, though in the scant instances where Lewis’s smart theological parallels were retained there remains some of the book’s beauty, most other things have been lost. The pivotal scene in which Eustace Scrubb – a name that lives in odious-kid infamy alongside greats like Augustus Gloop – has his dragon’s skin removed by Aslan loses all its cool, Cronenberg-ian body-horror potential, and, in all, the magic is stuck back at the mothballed coats.

WHERE & WHEN: Screening in

cinemas now

SAM HOBSON

REVIEWFILM

frontrow@timeoff.com.au

37

ON THE BRINK

The future is a gold-gilded vaudevillian encounter, where mime artists mix with neon-

tube-swallowing space cowboys, hoola-hooping DJs, and beat-surfi ng robots. Okay, the bit about the robots may have been made-up but the rest will become a reality on Friday night when the Judith Wright Centre hosts The Brink Party #2. Following on from the inaugural Brink Party in June this year, the cabaret-circus-musical extravaganza is back to wow and woo enthusiastic party-goers. Getting into the festive spirit and looking forward to the robot-infused promises of the New Year, The Brink Party #2 is a one-night-only event, full of music, mime, dance, delirium and oddity.

As navigator of the night-time future exploration and curator of The Brink Party #2, Trent Baumann, also known as The Birdmann, is psyched to be organising the spectacular for a local audience. “It’s a night of wild oddity,” Baumann explains. “With some of the fi nest circus variety acts that Brisbane has to offer.”

But be warned: this is not a conventional performance. With round-the-clock entertainment, roving performers and DJs pumping out the jams, it will be more of a dance party than a solemn sit-down

show. As such, The Brink are encouraging participants to get involved by dressing-up. Baumann promises “music, design elements and fantastic acts” as part of the eclectic night out. He says, “It’s a club setting so we’re hoping that people will come along and dress-up and get into the new millennium vibe that we’re exploring. A lot of the acts are becoming a lot more eclectic and a little bit experimental – they’re trying some new things – but at the same time they’ll be displaying skills that they have been developing in Brisbane and further a fi eld in the international circus scene.”

Of the many different performers that Baumann has collated for the party, he is most excited to see how each act has interpreted the futuristic theme. “It’s quite an honour this time to be able to give everyone an idea and see how they explore that in different fashions. I look forward to seeing the audience responses as well. It’s defi nitely going to be something you didn’t expect to see.”

When it came to picking the line-up, Baumann had a plethora of local names and faces to choose from.

“I lived in Brisbane for a long time although I’m currently living in

Melbourne. I did my formative years in Brisbane – training with the Rock N Roll Circus and studying at QUT, doing street shows and various shows in little avant-garde comic spaces like The Angry Mime at the Brisbane Powerhouse.

“I got all the artists and collected them up. They are people doing interesting things on the circuit and who would relish the opportunity and would work well as an ensemble.”

As for Baumann’s own turn on the stage, he is remaining mum on the exact content of his act. “I’m putting the fi nal touches on my act. I’m also

trying to make sure everyone else is okay as part of the curatorial role.”

So for Brisbane audiences who prefer their theatre with a twist, their song with a dance and their circus with a fl ourish, it’s high time you put on your best bedazzled silver jumpsuit, cardboard-constructed robot costume or just a nice pair of slacks and headed on down to the party of the millennium.

WHAT: The Brink Party #2

WHERE & WHEN: Judith Wright

Centre Friday 10 December

TRENT BAUMANN, AKA THE BIRDMANN, CHATS TO ALICE MUHLING AS HE PUTS THE FINISHING TOUCHES ON HIS PERFORMANCE FOR THE BRINK PARTY #2.

DEVILQuake, ye unbelievers, for the devil is among us – but fortunately he’s stuck in a lift in a high-rise offi ce block.

Devil is the fi rst in a somewhat ambitious series of planned Twilight Zone-esque movies based on stories by M Night Shyamalan – whose track record, let’s be brutally honest, has been utterly abysmal in the last few years. Happily, though, Devil is a lot better than anything Night himself has helmed recently (directing duties go to John Erick Dowdle and the screenplay’s by Brian Nelson).

Devil deals with fi ve strangers stuck in a lift while cops, security guards and maintenance men labour to free them. It soon becomes clear that they’re not exactly what they seem and all have chequered pasts. When the lights go out for a few seconds

and one of them has been scratched or bitten, panic sets in. One of these people is really the devil – and if the lights go out again, someone’s getting slashed.

Devil is a simple enough story, told in a straightforward, almost old-fashioned way, which is refreshing. It’s not without its charms – its largely unknown cast means anyone could bow out at any time, which is a godsend for a horror thriller. However some of the dialogue is trite and ropey and it never really fully sells itself, forcing its characters to act in unrealistic ways.

With Devil, ‘The Night Chronicles’ series has kicked off in mediocre, yet promising, style and it remains to be seen if it can go on to soar.

WHERE & WHEN: Screening in

cinemas now

BAZ McALISTER

REVIEWFILM

DEVIL

frontrow@timeoff.com.au

38

THERE WILL BE METAL

Welcome to Metalocalypse, where Dethklock are the world’s biggest band, their

brand of extreme metal so popular that they’re almost drowning in drugs, money, and groupies.

When they hold a press conference the world stops. By the end of the second season they are the world’s seventh largest economy. Not only do they have their own masked minions, they’re able to wander throughout the world leaving a trail of murder and destruction behind them. The thing is, the band are so out of touch they often have no idea what they are doing is illegal. Oh yeah, Metalocalypse is an Adult Swim cartoon.

“It’s not about metal, if you ask me,” offers the show’s co-creator/writer/voice actor/composer Brendan Small. “The way I approach the episodes is [that] it’s about celebrity. It’s about fi ve inept celebrities who are also a family. I consider it a family show when I write for it, about celebrities who don’t know what day it is, who don’t know what time it is, who don’t open doors for themselves... I don’t look at them like they’re stupid, it’s just that they’re very good at some things and very poor at others. Just like everyone.”

He pauses to consider this statement. “Okay, they’re also a little stupid,” he concedes, “but I think they’re more narcissistic, and that just clouds their judgement constantly.”

That’s why in the fi rst episode of season three the band, sad about declining world economy, job losses, and increasing debt decide to stage the most expensive concert ever - a little like a band playing an enormous concert, ‘in the round’, whilst their country applies to the European Union for a bailout.

“We said in the very fi rst episode that Dethklock is incapable of selling out, they’re just making the world more metal,” Small says. “As the economy has been plummeting all around the world wouldn’t it be the most grotesque thing to spend money on a concert? In fact, at one point they blow up money and black truffl es, just because they can, because it’s metal, it’s wrong to do it.”

Small had a very roundabout path to Metalocalypse, graduating from music school in Boston during the height of grunge in the mid-’90s.

“It was very uncool to play a guitar solo or have any virtuosity whatsoever,” he says, laughing. “It was a very dark time for guitar

players. So I put my guitar in its case and said I don’t know what to do, I guess I was going through some musical identity crisis. So I started doing stand-up comedy.”

It was through this that he met some animators and started pitching shows. Yet metal was also progressing, getting heavier and better produced, and eventually his two passions met. In fact, in doing the show he has met and worked with more than his share of idols, even recording as Dethklock and touring the US.

“The reason I get these people like, let’s say Cannibal Corpse, or Arch Enemy, or Enslaved or even guitar heroes of mine like Satriani or Vai or Slash, is because I think it’s fun for the fans. We don’t draw them in their likeness, we sneak them in. So people could be like, ‘Oh that was funny, oh that was King Diamond that made me laugh!”

WHAT: Metalocalypse Season 3

(Adult Swim/Madman)

THE THIRD SEASON OF ADULT SWIM’S HEAVY METAL SERIES METALOCALYPSE IS RELEASED ON DVD THIS MONTH. BOB BAKER FISH TALKS TO ITS MAIN CREATOR, BRENDAN SMALL.

WITH HELEN STRINGERWay back in the dark ages of 1996 a little-known physics professor called Alan Sokal had an intellectual tantrum. Being a scientist his tantrum began with a hypothesis: that postmodern criticism was - to use the appropriate technical language - a crock of shit and that absolutely anything couched in the correct jargon could pass itself off as “postmodern”. His hypothesis was tested and proven by writing a nonsensical, fake academic article and having it accepted and published in a real - but still nonsensical - academic journal. The art world, I think, needs a Professor Sokal for itself.

When we go to art galleries we expect to see art with a capital “A”: and so we do, regardless of whether it’s truly earned the label. A dirty spoon in your own kitchen sink is nothing more that a dirty spoon, but a soiled piece of cutlery enlarged and displayed in a gallery? That’s art.

Really, though, anything asserted with enough authority and presented with the right language can be mistaken for fact; not because we’re generally stupid, but because we’re genuinely gullible. With the right jargon - and of this I’ve no doubt galleries are fully aware - it’s possible to be convinced that pretty much anything is art: cutlery; an empty room; randomly strewn rubbish; bad fi ctional characters taken out of context and artfully described.

Take for instance Edward Cullen, he of the Twilight saga - an apt noun usage if ever there was one.

In everyday language we might describe him as a sparkly vegetarian vampire trapped in an interminably dull, perpetual adolescence, spending his days avoiding every single activity that’s thus far made vampire mythology alluring. In comprehensible language we might describe Mr. Cullen with a veritable multitude of adjectives: dull, paedophilic, non-combustible. But those words aren’t suffi cient to turn Edward “Sparkled, Not Fried” Cullen into a piece of art. For that we need to bring out the big guns; we need jargon.

Instead of referring to Mr. Cullen as an inexplicable abomination, as a work of art he becomes “the contemporary mythological meme”. Instead of saying he’s sparkly like a pale, human-shaped disco ball, say instead that “the decoupage of the aforementioned character is a representative abstraction of the mirrored self”. Rather than insisting that dear Eddy is the product of bad writing and good marketing, let’s say he’s “the embodiment of the paradoxical recidivism of Christian morality and overt carnality”. The words are - mostly - in the right place, but it still doesn’t mean anything.

Jargon isn’t bad in itself; the word is only employed pejoratively when good words are plucked from their natural habitat and strewn in an incomprehensible mess. But let’s not forget that art requires us to make up our own minds; we need not listen to the authorities when the authorities don’t make any sense.

THE LOOKING GLASS

39

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40

NOVA SCOTIANAME AND ROLE IN THE BAND:Ash – guitarist

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN TOGETHER?About four years now.

HOW DID YOU ALL MEET?From playing in other bands together, and playing with each other’s bands.

YOU’RE ON TOUR IN THE VAN – WHICH BAND OR ARTIST IS GOING TO KEEP THE MOST PEOPLE HAPPY IF WE THROW THEM ON THE STEREO?Probably the Wu-Tang Clan.

IF YOU COULD CHOOSE THE BAND’S DESTINY HOW BIG WOULD YOU GET – WOULD YOU CONQUER THE WORLD OR BE HAPPY TO BE A BIG FISH IN A SMALL POND?Hopefully, one day, we can just take up residency in a cocktail bar on a tropical island or archipelago.

WHICH BRISBANE BANDS BEFORE YOU HAVE BEEN AN INSPIRATION (MUSICALLY OR OTHERWISE)?Th ere have been many fi ne Brisbane bands but Minimum

Chips, Dollar Bar, Th e Melniks, Pollen and Sekiden are the ones we loved the most.

WHICH PUB OR BAR IN BRISBANE ARE WE MOST LIKELY TO FIND YOU FREQUENTING AS A GROUP?Probably the Junk Bar or Jeremiah’s Cafe...both are in Ashgrove, both are awesome.

WHAT REALITY TV SHOW WOULD YOU ENTER AS A BAND AND WHY?Th e Running Man – Scotty would be Sub Zero, I’d be Buzzsaw, Cam would be Dynamo, Dan would be Captain America and Nathan would be Killian the host.

IF YOUR BAND HAD TO PLAY A TEAM SPORT INSTEAD OF BEING MUSICIANS WHICH SPORT WOULD IT BE AND WHY WOULD YOU BE TRIUMPHANT?Th at Mesoamerican ball game where you hit the ball with your elbows – we have strong elbows.

WHAT’S IN THE PIPELINE FOR THE BAND IN THE SHORT TERM?Our album is coming out very soon on Lofl y Records, you can have a listen/download of some of the tracks from it at www.lofl y.com. Nova Scotia play Burst City on Friday Dec 10 and Th e Zoo Sunday Jan 2

Photo by BRAD MARSELLOS.

ISSUE 1505 - WEDNESDAY 8 DECEMBER 2010

42

INTERNATIONAL U2, JAY-Z: Suncorp Stadium Dec 8 & 9GIRLS: The Zoo Dec 9JEFF MARTIN: Coolangatta Hotel Dec 9, The Hi-Fi Dec 10THE FALL: The Hi-Fi Dec 9TUJIKO NORIKO: Judith Wright Ctr Dec 9HOT WATER MUSIC, BOUNCING SOULS: The Zoo Dec 11BLONDIE, THE PRETENDERS: Sirromet Wines Dec 12REVEREND HORTON HEAT: The Hi-Fi Dec 12EAGLES: BEC Dec 13 & 14JACK JOHNSON, TEGAN AND SARA: Riverstage Dec 13BON JOVI: Suncorp Stadium Dec 14EL GUINCHO: Woodland Dec 16JOHN CHANTLER: Step Inn Dec 16LITTLE DRAGON: Woodland Dec 18GORILLAZ: BEC Dec 19BOBBY BROWN, JOHNNY GILL, RALPH TRESVANT: The Hi-Fi Dec 21BUILT TO SPILL: The Zoo Jan 2FLYING LOTUS: The Tivoli Jan 2FUTURE OF THE LEFT: The Zoo Jan 3DARKEST HOUR: The Hi-Fi Jan 4SHIHAD: Great Northern Jan 5, Surfers Paradise Beer Garden Jan 6, Villa Noosa Jan 7, The Zoo Jan 8EARTHLESS: The Zoo Jan 6MYSTERY JETS: The Hi-Fi Jan 6THE JON SPENCER BLUES EXPLOSION: The Zoo Jan 9EMMURE: The Fort Jan 12, Club 299 Jan 12JASON COLLETT: The Zoo Jan 13, Joe’s Waterhole Jan 14, The Loft Jan 15, Great Northern Jan 16MOS DEF: The Tivoli Jan 13HEALTH: Woodland Jan 15JUDY COLLINS: QPAC Jan 15, The Events Ctr Jan 16BEN JORGENSEN: Rosie’s Jan 20ROYAL CROWN REVUE: The Hi-Fi Jan 20BEACH HOUSE: Mullumbimby Civic Hall Jan 22CHARLIE PARR: Buddha Bar Jan 22, Old QLD Museum Jan 23RATATAT: The Hi-Fi Jan 24TOOL: BEC Jan 24LA DISPUTE: The Zoo Jan 25, Burst City Jan 26OWEN PALLETT: Old QLD Museum Jan 25THE BLACK KEYS: The Tivoli Jan 25NO TRIGGER: YAC Jan 26, Step Inn Jan 27SKILLET: The Tivoli Jan 26BROOKE FRASER: The Tivoli Jan 27 & 28CAT POWER: Brisbane Powerhouse Jan 28, Coolangatta Hotel Jan 29(HED).p.e.: The Hi-Fi Jan 28TRAIN: Sirromet Wines Jan 30SUFJAN STEVENS: The Tivoli Jan 30KENNY ROGERS: Brisbane Convention Ctr Feb 1THE UNTHANKS: Brisbane Powerhouse Feb 1FOALS: Great Northern Feb 2TWO DOOR CINEMA CLUB: Great Northern Feb 3JOE COCKER: BEC Feb 4MISFITS: The Hi-Fi Feb 6STING: Riverstage Feb 7ANDREW MCMAHON: The Hi-Fi Feb 10CARIBOU, FOUR TET: The Zoo Feb 15DOVES: The Hi-Fi Feb 15SWERVEDRIVER: The Zoo Feb 16BLACK MOUNTAIN: The Zoo Feb 17BELINDA CARLISLE: Twin Towns Feb 18, Kedron Wavell Services Club Feb 19THE LIKE: The Zoo Feb 18KATE NASH: The Hi-Fi Feb 19THE BOOKS: The Zoo Feb 19TORO Y MOI: Woodland Feb 24GANG OF FOUR: The Hi-Fi Feb 25RIHANNA: BEC Feb 25MARTHA WAINWRIGHT: A & I Hall Feb 26, The Tivoli Mar 1ROXY MUSIC: Riverstage Mar 1

JEFF MARTIN AND TEREPAI RICHMOND

Fans of 90s Canadian outfi t Th e Tea Party and subsequent solo work of that band’s frontman Jeff Martin, pictured, must be ecstatic at his decision a couple of years to set up camp in Western Australia – it’s meant that we see him in these parts more often than some of our own local acts. Th is time around the legendary guitarist and songwriter has teamed up with Terepai Richmond – the jazz-infl uenced drummer best known for his work with dIG and Th e Whitlams – for the Worlds Apart Tour. Expect lots of esoteric jamming and atmospheric improvisation – plenty to please fans of both these esteemed musicians. You can catch the duo at Coolangatta Hotel on Th ursday (with support from Hazel Eyes Th e Devil) and at Th e Hi-Fi on Friday night (ably assisted by local songstress Pear). Get into it!

GIG OF THE WEEK

THE HI-FI FRIDAY DEC 10

REEL BIG FISH, THE AQUABATS, CHUCKNEETHE TIVOLI: 02.12.10

Tonight at Th e Tivoli, a rumour accumulated that a female member of the audience had pulled a gun on another patron. It’s hard to believe given the light-hearted nature of the bands on show. How anyone could have a shred of animosity in their bones after tonight’s performance is a complete mystery. Dopamine is so thick in the air it’s almost cleavable with a knife.

Chucknee are doing their best to win over the audience and not even paper aeroplanes will work. It’s almost embarrassing; like watching the token drunk family member make a fool of themselves at a wedding. A misconstrued joke, or are they really that bad? Most of the audience members think the latter.

“You want to know why Australia is the best country in the world? It’s the only country where you can kick a dolphin!” Th is is just one of the nuggets of comedic gold spurted from the mouths of Th e Aquabats, as they boot around infl atable toys during their fi nale Pool Party! Synth infused punk, superhero pseudonyms and Hanna Barbera style visuals – why the hell not! Th e quintet have grown beyond a band – with their uniforms of blue neoprene tops, masks, black pants and modifi ed bather caps they have evolved into something more of a cult. Th ey proceed to karate chop and fl y kick their way through legions of the aesthetically-challenged undead (Fashion Zombies!) and hoards of malevolent nerds (Nerd Alert!). MC Bat Commander does exactly what his name entails: he commands the crowd; ordering them to rain dance, make pizzas and partake in various other mannerisms. Th e Aquabats might not be the best punk act in the world but they’re certainly one of the coolest.

Reel Big Fish are a band that has never taken themselves seriously – walking onstage to the Superman theme is a clear indication. It’s all a giant piss-take to them; the pranks free-fl owing throughout the entire evening, ranging from the band introducing themselves (to each-other), to a one-minute rendition of Metallica’s Enter Sandman. People just can’t resist the urge to dance and leap about, causing a cascading wave of glute-shaking and fl ailing appendages that traverses all the way to the back of the room. Th e sporadic blasts from the brass section are as vivid and fl amboyant as the rainbow fl oral shirt that frontman Aaron Barrett is sporting. Hell, they even managed to take Van Morrison’s Brown Eyed Girl and inject it with new vibrancy. Even the solemn number of Where Have You Been appears playful. Th e encore of Suburban Rhythm plays genre hopscotch; receiving thrash-punk, disco, bluegrass and metal makeovers before their renowned cover of A-Ha’s Take On Me invokes hysteria. If happiness was a drug, there are a good 800+ people who have overdosed.

SCOTT THOMPSON

TOUR GUIDE THE FALL: Th e Hi-Fi Dec 9

GIRLS: Th e Zoo Dec 9

4ZZZ 35TH BIRTHDAY: Th e Tivoli Dec 11

FESTIVAL OF THE SUN: Port Macquarie Dec 11-12

BUILT TO SPILL: Th e Zoo Jan 2

FUTURE OF THE LEFT: Th e Zoo Jan 3

THE JON SPENCER BLUES EXPLOSION: Th e Zoo Jan 11

OWEN PALLETT: Old Museum Jan 25

FOALS: Great Northern Hotel Feb 2

TWO DOOR CINEMA CLUB: Great Northern Hotel Feb 3

CARIBOU & FOUR TET: Th e Zoo Feb 15

DOVES: Th e Hi-Fi Feb 15

SWERVEDRIVER: Th e Zoo Feb 16

KATE NASH: Th e Hi-Fi Feb 19

THE CHEMICAL BROTHERS: Brisbane Riverstage Mar 4

WAVVES: Th e Zoo Mar 8

THE HOLD STEADY: Th e Zoo Mar 9

THE CLEAN: Th e Zoo Mar 10

BLUESFEST 2011: Byron Bay Apr 21-25

KYUSS LIVES: Coolangatta Hotel May 4, Th e Tivoli May 6

PRESENTS

SHARON JONES AND THE DAP-KINGS, VICTOR VALDESTHE TIVOLI: 05:12:10

Paprika helps set up a cool vibe from behind the decks as a healthy early audience mingles casually. Th ey continue to chatter as Melbourne-via-Mexico harp king Victor Valdes takes the stage fl anked by a bassist and guitarist, which doesn’t bode well given the natural volume of the acoustic ensemble is so low. Towards the stage Valdes has more support, his virtuosic harp playing touching on fl amenco, merengue and Afro Cuban styles and whipping the crowd into a frenzy. Th e rest of the venue takes heed and by the time the passionate performance is done Valdes has won scores of hearts.

Miss Goldie spins classic soul tunes and the crowd’s excitement skyrockets before Th e Dap-Kings make their way onto the stage, busting out a couple of teaser tracks to raise the anticipation to fever pitch before Sharon Jones dances into proceedings in a dazzling sequined dress, launching into If You Call as the crowd draws to a complete hush, hanging on each sweetly-crooned note. Th e next 80 minutes is packed to the brim with taut funk breaks from the Dap-Kings and a powerhouse performance from the pint-sized diva; her voice is powerful, sweet and completely faultless.

It takes just two songs before Jones drags the fi rst crowd member onstage, a young gentleman called up

to dance during Give It Back, but Jones quickly gets a better idea and drags one of the venue’s burly security guards onstage for a boogie to the crowd’s delight. When the band drop into When I Come Home, Jones exhibits her vast knowledge of 1960s dancing styles; demonstrating the soul train, funky chicken, pony and swim. Th is is followed by a selection of the fi nest songs from their latest studio record; Th e Game Gets Old, She Ain’t A Child No More and title track I Learned Th e Hard Way putting focus on the quality of song than purely the performance. Th e majority of band alight leaving Jones alone with guitarist Binky Griptite and backing singers Sandra and Starr as Jones spins an entertaining yarn before a gorgeous rendition of Mama Don’t Like My Man, this toned down moment doesn’t linger long though, the band return for a revved up I’m Not Gonna Cry, in which a string of ladies are invited to dance onstage – most doing so with good spirit, though a couple of show ponies invite themselves up, desperate for their 15 seconds. When something falls out of a girl’s pocket and Griptite leans down, picks it up and returns it without missing a beat, it’s one of the most endearing things you’ll see.

As the set comes to a close, Jones leaves having given her all, the band wrap things up in the slickest of fashion and when the house lights come up there’s not a face in the house not grinning. Th e power of soul music is alive and well.

DAN CONDON

Sharon Jones @ The TivoliSharon Jones @ The Tivoliby Stephen Boothby Stephen Booth

43

playing next at:

The BEETLE BAR(Upper Roma Street - Backpackers Central)

Friday 17th Decemberwith special Guests

Mick Medew and The RumoursThe Prehistorics (sydney)

The Dustbin HoffmansCD available at Gig

44

IMELDA MAY: Great Northern Mar 2, The Hi-Fi Mar 3KE$HA: Riverstage Mar 3JOANNA NEWSOM: The Tivoli Mar 4THE CHEMICAL BROTHERS: Riverstage Mar 4KINGS OF LEON: QSAC Mar 6BELLE & SEBASTIAN: The Tivoli Mar 7WAVVES: The Zoo Mar 8THE HOLD STEADY: The Zoo Mar 9BEST COAST: Woodland Mar 10EDDIE VEDDER: QPAC Mar 10 & 12JUSTIN TOWNES EARLE: Step Inn Mar 10, Joe’s Waterhole Mar 11THE CLEAN: The Zoo Mar 10SWANS: The Hi-Fi Mar 11THE BESNARD LAKES: The Zoo Mar 11WEIRD AL YANKOVIC: Jupiters GC Mar 14, QPAC Mar 15FINNTROLL: The Hi-Fi Mar 24SANTANA: BEC Mar 24DOOBIE BROTHERS: Convention Ctr Mar 24LIONEL RICHIE: BEC Mar 25URIAH HEEP: The Tivoli Mar 31LUKA BLOOM: The Tivoli Apr 1, Joe’s Waterhole Apr 2GOOD CHARLOTTE: BEC Apr 8JIMMY EAT WORLD: The Tivoli Apr 9THE SCRIPT: Convention Ctr Apr 10INDIGO GIRLS: QPAC Apr 26JUSTIN BIEBER: BEC Apr 26DISTURBED: BEC Apr 30KYUSS: Coolangatta Hotel May 4, The Tivoli May 6KATY PERRY: BEC May 5 & 15JAMES BLUNT: Convention Ctr May 14BEN FOLDS: QPAC May 17JOE BONAMASSA: The Tivoli May 21RANDY NEWMAN: QPAC Jul 22

NATIONAL JONATHAN BOULET: Alhambra Lounge Dec 9JEBEDIAH: The Zoo Dec 10HOODOO GURUS: Twin Towns Dec 10, The Hi-Fi Dec 11, Redlands Sports Club Dec 12BELLES WILL RING: GPO Hotel Dec 11STRAIGHT ARROWS: The Zoo Dec 16, Woodland Dec 17THE FUMES: Coolangatta Hotel Dec 16, Joe’s Waterhole Dec 17, Great Northern Dec 18BRITISH INDIA: Suncorp Piazza Dec 31THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT: Twin Towns Dec 31, Kings Beach Tavern Jan 2BLUEJUICE, PHILADELPHIA GRAND JURY: Kings Beach Tavern Jan 5, Coolangatta Hotel Jan 6, Great Northern Jan 7ABBIE CARDWELL: Railway Bar Jan 6, The Joynt Jan 7TUMBLEWEED: Great Northern Jan 9THE BEAUTIFUL GIRLS: Great Northern Jan 12 & 13, Coolangatta Hotel Jan 14, The Hi-Fi Jan 15, Kings Beach Tavern Jan 16THE WHITLAMS: QPAC Jan 21INXS, THE BABY ANIMALS: Sirromet Wines Jan 30I EXIST, PHANTOM: Step Inn Feb 10THE GETAWAY PLAN: The Hi-Fi Feb 12 – 13SPARKADIA: Coolangatta Hotel Apr 7, The Hi-Fi Apr 8

FESTIVALS FESTIVAL OF THE SUN: Sundowner Breakwall Tourist Park Dec 10 & 11 NO SLEEP TIL BRISBANE: RNA Showgrounds Dec 19 WOODFORD FOLK FESTIVAL: Woodfordia Dec 27 – Jan 1 NO YEARS FESTIVAL: Brisbane Powerhouse Dec 31 SUNSET SOUNDS: Botanic Gardens and Riverstage Jan 5 and 6BIG DAY OUT: Gold Coast Parklands Jan 23LANEWAY FESTIVAL: Alexandria St Fortitude Valley Feb 4GOOD VIBRATIONS: Gold Coast Parklands Feb 19 SOUNDWAVE: RNA Showgrounds Feb 26 FUTURE MUSIC FESTIVAL: Doomben Racecourse Mar 5

TOUR GUIDE

THE LEMONHEADS, THE CANDLESTHE ZOO: 30.11.10

Josh Lattanzi is perched centre stage with an acoustic guitar working his way through tracks from his band Th e Candles’ debut album Between Th e Sounds. His brand of indie-pop is undoubtedly suited to tonight’s bill, but given he is also the bassist for the headline act tonight it all seems like a bit of an afterthought. Closing tune Waiting For Th e Truth proves his got songwriting skills though and maybe he’ll pick up some fans while down here.

It’s a mere couple of hours before the offi cial start of another Queensland summer, big red letters emblazed over a sign on the venue doors announces the venue is packed to capacity and a crowd hungry for nostalgia waits in anticipation for the classic 1992 record It’s A Shame About Ray to be rolled out by Evan Dando and whoever else makes up Th e Lemonheads these days. While anticipation is high, expectations aren’t necessarily so; Dando’s track record as a performer is hit and miss to say the least, but as he wanders onstage with drummer Stacy Jones and bassist Lattanzi, we wait in hope. Th en, that iconic descending guitar line that opens Rockin’ Stroll blares with gusto from Dando’s Marshall stack and all fears of a trainwreck are immediately allayed. Th e record is played out from start to fi nish with very few stoppages between songs, Dando nails the entire performance – he hits every sung note, every chord, every lead guitar break and he actually looks somewhat animated behind that fl owing hair.

Th at’s one of the more exciting things about tonight’s performance, it has been over 18 years since the album’s release, but Dando actually delivers the songs with the passion that they so clearly deserve. Another refreshing element of the show is that the renditions of the songs are faithful to the originals, however they don’t have that lifeless quality that so often stifl es songs when they are carbon copies of the original recordings. Th e lethargic verse of Rudderless explodes into its bouncy chorus and instantly reminds us it is timeless, My Drug Buddy is met with a hearty response, though when Dando off ers part of a chorus’ vocals to the audience in Bit Part it must be said that they seem more unresponsive than seems just.

Given the record doesn’t even clock in at half an hour the band smash out plenty of other tunes to bulk up the setlist. Classics like Big Gay Heart and Style from 1993’s Come On Feel Th e Lemonheads sit alongside newer tracks like No Backbone and their cover of GG Allin’s Layin’ Up With Linda. An incredible fi nishing run of If I Could Talk I’ d Tell You, Stove, Into Your Arms and the aforementioned Style cap things off charmingly and Dando and friends leave the stage triumphant. It’s great to see him in form.

DAN CONDON

MUSE,DEAD LETTER CIRCUSBRISBANE ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE:05.12.10

With hundreds of people still fi lling the lobby, merch stand and various bars peppered around the Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Dead Letter Circus take to the stage to a rapturous cheer from those present, and the local collective duly deliver. With all the confi dence of a band on the rise, vocalist Kim Benzie helps showcase debut album Th is Is Th e Warning and in the process cements their already loyal fanbase whilst picking up a few stragglers along the way.

Said stragglers, however, are more than onboard for the headliners. After a prolonged intermission extravagant alt-rock trio Muse take to the stage with their unique vision and interstellar set-up. With three “skyscrapers” engulfi ng the stage the synth intro helps build tension and anticipation. When the veils drop to reveal the members on their individual podiums the crowd go wild as Uprising starts. Frontman Matt Bellamy plays with all the aplomb of a seasoned vet, leading his avid followers into a trancelike, anthemic foray.

Most bands would slow it down a bit after such an ambitious start. Muse, on the other hand, do not. Rolling into the fl oaty and electrifi ed Map Of Th e Problematique followed by the always impressive New Born the boys are well-and-truly back in town. Th eir lack of a sideshow when they appeared on these shores for BDO earlier in the year is duly noted by drummer Dominic Howard, which almost seems a master-stroke. Why rush a sideshow when you can come back and give the fans the full attention they deserve? And this modus operandi was what they had come to do. And they do not let us down.

Supermassive Black Hole follows as everybody is notably riled up. Th e combination of lasers, highly-strung guitar and mesmeric drumming proves just right. Th ey almost transcend their mundane surroundings, acting as a glimpse of some future band that wear silver sequin pants. Feeling Good is a mid-set highlight and acts as a somewhat temporary buff er from the chaos that surrounds it. Th is spools into a rhythm section jam session in Helsinki Jam which fi nds bassist Christopher Wolstenholme and drummer Howard slowly revolve and rise on the platform.

Bellamy returns and after bouncing his spotlight into the darkest corners of the BEC the band keep hitting us with Time Is Running Out, Starlight and Plug In Baby before the encore. Rolling with the punches the crowd is noticeably exhausted but eager for more as the threesome return to fi nish us off with Exogenesis: Symphony Part 1, Stockholm Syndrome and the spectacular Knights Of Cydonia. Th at fi nal track seems to capture the overall defi ant mood of the night in a nutshell, as after being beaten black and blue by this overwhelming performance the crowd still want more.

BARRIE MORGAN

LINKIN PARK, THE ARTBRISBANE ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE:03.12.10

Th e foyer at Boondall is packed, a late doors time has streams of fans impatiently waiting, by the time the crowd surges down the stairs to the fl oor, Sydney’s Th e Art are walking onto the stage. Th ey seem like they’d be the perfect fi t for tonight’s show, furious playing, angst-ridden lyrics, and powerhouse drumming, but as the mistimed strobe lights of I Wanna Know fl icker, the crowd is visibly not impressed. Th ey keep the pressure on with Killing Time and Trigger but it’s fruitless, the crowd tonight simply aren’t buying it, maybe it’s the circulation stopping skinny jeans the band shares, but regardless, the only cheer the Newtown hipsters get is when they announce that it’s their last song.

It doesn’t take long for the lights to dim again and Th e Requiem echoes through the capacity crowd as a group of shadows stroll into view and take place around the many performance platforms dotted throughout the stage, before the lights hit revealing Linkin Park front pair, Mike Shinoda and Chester Bennington, amongst a deafening squeal from the crowd. It’s a hip hop intro with Wretches And Kings, before trailing back to their better-known hard rock roots in Paper Cut and Given Up. After being onstage for nearly 30 minutes, the group fi nally acknowledges the crowd with a simple “Hello Brisbane” before cutting straight back into their extremely polished production with No More Sorrow. Th eir spectacle is fl awless, arched big screen scrolling live footage, a dazzling light show, and not a single missed note, which is probably what removes the atmosphere of the show. Only the crowd’s enthusiasm is heightening the mood of the super-tight and obviously very rehearsed performance. Th ere is no spontaneity – aside from one Chester Bennington trip into the photo pit that was likely still written on the setlist – little band interaction, and some horribly awkward ‘rock’ moves from guitarist Brad Delson.

Th ere is a strong fl avour of more recent material from their latest record A Th ousand Suns, though it’s a packed fi nish to the main set with Crawling and staple One Step Closer. With an obvious encore approaching, the bigger fans seem to know exactly what’s coming as they shout Fallout before the band even returns, but as the riff of Bleed It Out rumbles the stadium seating, the band fi nally letting their well-groomed hair down slightly with a peak of energy before leaving the stage. It’s unfortunate when a band lets their production overshadow their performance, but hopefully for the fans’ sake their next trip will shine brighter.

MARK BERESFORD

KORN, SYDONIATHE TIVOLI: 03.12.10

Melbourne’s Sydonia get the crowd warmed up with their listener-friendly brand of hard rock. Th ere is nothing terribly unique about the music they put on off er, yet their polished sound kicks many among the crowd into action. By the end of the set there is little doubt that the band have taken yet another step towards greater success in this country.

Th e elated anticipation of the intimate crowd hits its peak as the 4U intro swims out of the speaker stacks. Moments later Korn take to the stage, unleashing their mighty assault with the opener to the original line-up’s last album; Right Now from Take A Look In Th e Mirror. With the classic debut cut Need To trailing, it’s evident that Korn have chosen to extend upon the fl oor plan of their current album by redirecting the focus of their live show back towards the bottom-heavy sound that their legacy was built on. Th e stage layout is a simple refl ection of this attitude as Jonathan Davis, Munky and Fieldy share the spotlight with new drummer Ray Luzier, while their second guitarist and keyboardist are banished to the shadows.

Korn III: Remember Who You Are may have been somewhat of a let-down, however, Pop a Pill, Oildale, and Let the Guilt Go feel at home in the live setting and prove the new material to worthy of partial redemption. While the earliest material gains the most favour, the songs from the mid-point of their career come across as being the most intriguing. Th e heaving Here To Stay is ferocious in its low-down attack and Falling Away From Me comes across brilliantly. Did My Time keeps the thunder rolling before the doom like crawl of Somebody Someone steals the show entirely, pulsating with a lethargic, sonic-boom like eff ect that acts to envelope the entirety of the small room within its mammoth sound. Th e band stay lively throughout, working the moshpit into a frenzy that is only encouraged by set fi nishes Helmet, Freak On A Leash and Blind. Th e bagpipes sound the return of the band for a classic Shoots And Ladders, Clown and Got Th e Life encore that drives the old school devotees to a point of sheer ecstasy. Th e exclusion of setlist mainstays Good God and Th row Me Away is a tough blow, but the fact that Th e Tivoli is the smallest venue that Korn have played within Brisbane during their 17-year career is one that goes lengths to outweighing any faults that could be found within this night.

JAKE SUN

The Lemonheads @ The ZooThe Lemonheads @ The Zooby Stephen Boothby Stephen Booth

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In the week leading up to Christmas see Lady Torpedo and the Big Swing Brothers perform heart-stopping circus with a nod to vaudeville and a wink to the future, supported by Australia’s hottest swing band, Miguel.

Brisbane’s favourite youth circus, Flipside circus, kick start the evening with an energetic mix of traditional and contemporary circus.

The stars of Brisbane Festival’s Cantina show off their skills for free in King George Square

DATE Mon 20 – Thu 23 Dec

TIME Flipside Circus 6pm Lady Torpedo and the Big Swing Brothers 7.30pm Miguel 8.30pm

VENUE King George Square

COST Free

For more information visit www.ourbrisbane.com/christmas

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MYLES AHEADIf you’re a dedicated Nova listener then there’s every chance you may have heard Smoke And Mirrors – the latest single from Joel Myles – on the air lately. He’s pretty chuff ed about the attention but is moving on quickly, with a whole bunch of new material all ready to be road tested on audiences. He will be doing just that as he lines up in solo mode at X&Y Bar this very Saturday night, he will appear alongside Th ousand Needles In Red, who will also be there in stripped-back acoustic mode. Entry is free!

SIXPACK

LACHLAN BELL TRIOLACHLAN BELL, FROM LOCAL HAMMOND COMBO OUTFIT LACHLAN BELL TRIO, EXPLAINS TO TONY MCMAHON WHERE HE STANDS IN THE TRADITIONAL VERSUS CONTEMPORARY JAZZ ARGUMENT AND WHY QUEENSLAND IS SO IMPORTANT TO THE MUSIC ON HIS NEW ALBUM TRANSIT.

For those of us not familiar, Bell explains the unique characteristics of the Hammond combo sound.

“Th e Hammond combo sound is unique in the jazz world, because the organist has the ability to play bass lines, chords and melodies. Th is means you get the great interaction that occurs in a small group like a trio, but with many more musical possibilities. Th e Hammond organ also has quite a diff erent sound, and it compliments electric guitar very well.”

Unusually for a jazz outfi t, Bell says a big part of his band’s inspiration comes from his environment.

“As a Brisbanite, I fi nd myself endlessly traveling from the city to various places across the state. Pieces such as Th e River Fights Back and Whites

Hill were inspired by the ease of connection to nature that we enjoy in the region. Similarly, the metropolitan elements of our lifestyle, such as public transport, have also played an inspirational role in our music. Transit (written by Anthony Ma, our organist) and Th e Hub were both written about life on buses and trains, which sometimes lines up quite nicely and sometimes defi nitely doesn’t.”

When it comes to the never-ending argument between traditional and contemporary jazz, LBT are one of the few bands that refuse to bed down in one camp or the other.

“I think it’s very important to look at the roots and traditions of any music when you’re trying to perform in that style, but at the same time it’s also important to recognise where the music is at at the moment as well. Our intention from the outset was to create a product which represents a good cross-section of the music as it stands today. Tunes such as Withdrawal are fi rmly rooted in the swinging tradition of jazz, but other pieces on the album like Please Stop Talking have a distinct contemporary infl uence.”

WHO: Lachlan Bell Trio

WHAT: Transit (independent)

WHERE & WHEN: QPAC Green Jam Friday Dec 10

PAUL KELLY A TO Z SHOWBRISBANE POWERHOUSE THEATRE:30.11.10 – 03.12.10

Whatever your loyalty to a particular artist, setting out to watch them four nights in a row is a somewhat daunting proposition. Especially when every night’s performance is a separate program of material, so you can’t rely on a clutch of your favourite songs to be repeated over the duration. As the crowd fi les into the Brisbane Powerhouse Th eatre on the opening night of Paul Kelly’s renowned A To Z Show there’s a relaxed air of anticipation. Th e stage is backed by a crumbling brick facade – the exterior of the old building – giving it a somewhat industrial vibe, and in front of this backdrop are two microphones, a grand piano off to the right and an easel adorned with a large white card marked with an ornate letter A. Clearly the alphabetical component of these shows isn’t being left to chance, a sobering thought...

Before too long (now I’m getting into it) the lights go down, the intro music fi res up and two fi gures amble onto stage from the left – Paul Kelly and his nephew Dan, who will be assisting him over the next handful of nights. After a brief

introductory chat proceedings kick off with Adelaide, a beautiful but aching song about a father’s passing that would surely never be an opening gambit in a non-alphabetical situation. While the bulk of the next four nights is carried primarily along by just guitar and voice the presence of the younger Kelly is integral from the get-go, providing electric and acoustic accompaniment where required (with the occasional ukulele regalement) plus off ering subtle harmonies and backing vocals which really break up the feel of the sets. Anastasia Changes Her Mind is performed vocals only – another fi ne weapon in Kelly’s armoury – and soon we’re pounding through the early stages of the alphabet: Before Too Long, Blues For Skip and Bradman all fl y by. Dan’s beautiful falsetto intro to Careless elicits a huge response, and after Cities Of Texas Kelly replaces the C on the easel with a big sign saying ‘Intermission’ and we’ve completed the fi rst section of the marathon.

Kelly is eff ortlessly charming throughout, seemingly shy but off ering coy introductions and explanations to many of the songs that he pulls out of his immense bag of musical tricks. Night one continues, moving through powerful numbers such as Desdemona, Don’t Explain and Don’t Stand So Close To Th e Window, before the well-known intro to Dumb Th ings draws a massive response from the adoring crowd. Kelly’s canon covers so many moods and styles that proceedings never seem mundane despite the dearth

of musical variety, and when Every Fucking City passes and the night closes with the tragic Everything’s Turning To White everybody seems placated with the fi rst batch of 25 songs. Nonetheless the extended ovation leads to a three song encore (from amidst the correct batch of letters, natch), meaning that instead of 100 songs over the course of proceedings we are about to be treated to 112. Incredible...

Th e scene for night two is exactly the same as the night before, except that the sign on the easel now reads F instead of A. Th e two Kellys are dressed in derivations of a theme throughout – Paul suited and dapper, Dan more grungey in denim and t-shirts – and we continue through the Fs: the moving Foggy Highway, Forty Miles To Saturday Night and the acclaimed Kev Carmody co-write From Little Th ings Big Th ings Grow all early highlights. Even though he penned them all even the older Kelly seems daunted by recalling the nuances of so many songs – occasionally deferring to his nephew to be reminded of chords and lyrics – but it’s remarkable that he needs to be prompted for the lines to From St Kilda To Kings Cross, one of his best-loved works. He laughs such mishaps off with eff ortless charm and nothing is derailed, entering what he refers to as “the God patch” featuring tunes such as God Told Me To and Glory Be To God, fi nishing the fi rst bracket with the crowd-pleasing How To Make Gravy.

We’re well and truly in a groove now as we continue the second part of night two, Kelly off ering the gorgeous I Close My Eyes And Th ink Of You and I’ d Rather Go Blind early on as he powers through his slew of songs starting with the prefi x “I”. We’re nearly fi ve hours in now and it’s still compelling, Jandamarra/Pigeon being a late highlight of the set that fi nished with the iconic Leaps And Bounds. Halfway there...

Th e third night kicks off with the gorgeous Love Never Runs On Time, and it’s striking how well proceedings have fl owed so far given the arbitrary alphabetical nature of the song sequencing. Kelly laughingly refers to this as the “diffi cult third night” and that it’s going to take us to “mysterious and weird places”, but he quickly follows with the beautiful Luck and the atmospheric Midnight Rain and all such fears are quickly allayed. Th e snail-paced My Way Is To You segues into No You, and Other People’s Houses pre-empts a stunning solo version of Please Myself. Kelly senior’s deft harmonica skills also act to break up the feel of the music and the crowd is hushed and delighted as he continues with Rally Round Th e Drum and an amazing rendition of Randwick Bells. Audience participation hits a highpoint as he has the crowd whistling the clarinet parts of Shane Warne – possibly the weakest moment of the whole four nights from a purely songwriting perspective – but he quickly redeems with Somebody’s Forgetting Somebody and an a capella version of South Of Germany. Even the encore tonight is righteous, featuring the playful Little Boy

Don’t Lose Your Balls, Somewhere In Th e City – with delightful fl amenco counterpoints from Dan – and the powerful Look So Fine, Feel So Low.

Th e fi nal night brings mixed emotions – part happiness that we’ve nearly survived this gruelling series, tinged with a sadness that the amazing spectacle is nearing its inevitable conclusion. Th e entrancing Stupid Song quickly proves that anyone who thinks that this is an exercise in quantity over quality is severely deluded, and it’s impossible not to marvel at the depth and breadth of Kelly’s canon. Standing On Th e Street Of Early Sorrows hits hard, as does Stolen Apples before Sydney From A 747 introduces a touch of levity to proceedings. A gut-wrenching solo version of Sweet Guy leads into the melodic Taught By Experts and the poignant Th ey Th ought I Was Asleep. To Her Door proves to be a crowd-pleaser – as it should – and they end the bracket by overcoming the lack of a ‘V’ song by renaming Th oughts In Th e Middle Of Th e Night as Very Late.

As he’s done every night so far Kelly replaces the water in front of him with a beer after intermission, and he seems delighted and relieved that we’re nearing the home straight. When I First Met Your Ma hits early, and a dearth of ‘X’ songs is again shrugged off by Paul anointing Dan as the ‘X Factor’ and leaving him alone onstage to stun the crowd with the his own track Bindi Irwin Apocalypse Jam (which the crowd positively lap up, singing the chorus with aplomb). Kelly returns to deliver You Can Put Your Shoes Under My Bed on piano and harp, before grabbing his acoustic and fi nally breaking a string on You Can’t Take It With You. You’re 39, You’re Beautiful and You’re Mine fi nally leads into Zoe, and we’re nearly there, the two Kellys returning for one fi nal foray and pumping out Winter Coat, You’re So Fine – during which Paul barks “clap your hands” and the audience responds, clearly still entranced – and fi nishing things superbly with the lovely Summer Rain.

So there you have it – an incredible four night performance from one of Australia’s greatest ever songwriters and performers, perfectly abetted by his nephew and partner-in-crime. Ask yourself which other beloved musicians you’d subject yourself to such a marathon performance of their work, and if you come up with more than a couple you’re kidding yourself. You can do from Adelaide to Zoe or you can pick an individual segment of the A To Z Show and the result will be the same – an incredible and uplifting experience. Paul Kelly is a natural treasure, and it’s be an unmitigated delight spending the best part of a week with him in these beautiful surrounds. Til next time...

STEVE BELL

YOUTUBE OF THEWEEKDESCENDENTS. Austin, Nov 7, 2010

Punk rock demigods Descendents are going to be in Australia for the fi rst time ever in a couple of weeks’ time and it’s safe to say that there are a lot of people very excited by this news. Along with the excitement though is a dash of worry that, well, they’re going to suck. But thanks to our old pal YouTube such fears have been allayed; footage from the Fun Fun Fun Fest that the band headlined in Austin a month or so back has surfaced and it shows a band of (admittedly old looking) guys who absolutely tear the stage apart. Seriously, they sound amazing; the versions of Myage and I’m Th e One on this video will make your spine tingle.

TWEET OF THE WEEK“Daydreaming of a world where all trending topics are also symptoms of clinical depression. #lossofappetite #hypersomnia #hopelessness”John Darnielle (mainstay of indie heroes Th e Mountain Goats [@mountain_goats]) is not just an amazing lyricist but a really hilarious guy as well, so he is a welcome addition to the Twitter fold. Amongst his frequent urging of followers to listen to obscure Italian metal, he drops some great quips as well.

THIS PITOT WENT TO MARKETTh e ambient gothic/folk soundscapes of the majestic Simone Pitot will take hold of the Fortitude Valley come Sunday afternoon as she, along with her singer and guitar Matthew Palmer, will treat those who visit the Valley Laneway Markets to the fi nest material in their repertoire. Th e acoustic reworkings of this material, much of which can be heard on Pitot’s recently-released self-titled EP, is bound to have you entranced, so make sure you’re around to catch one of their three sets at 11am, midday and 1pm and hear it for yourself.

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PLAYTIME’S OVER – TIME TO PLAY!

SIXPACK

PROFECYLOCAL EMCEE PROFECY IS ABOUT TO LAUNCH HIS DEBUT CD, LET THE MUSIC PLAY, AND, AS TONY MCMAHON DISCOVERS, THIS IS NOT YOUR AVERAGE HIP HOP RELEASE.

Rather than rushing something out as soon as he could, Profecy says that he was well aware this was the record he would be judged by his whole career. Consequently, he was careful about getting things right fi rst time around.

“I started on the EP in March planning for a release in June but I was constantly revising songs and wanting everything to be perfect so I kept pushing it back. Th ere were a total of ten songs that were recorded for the EP, but I managed to narrow it down to fi ve. At the end of the day I’m happy with the result and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

In order for the record to be even more polished, Profecy enlisted the help of Belgian

producer Benno, who has worked with, amongst others, Cam’Ron and SAS.

“I fi rst heard Benno’s work through songs he did with US rapper Cam’Ron. I immediately became a fan and threw his name into Google to get his contact details. I originally emailed him about producing one song for me but after working on Oh Yeah, I knew that we had to do more. He is an extremely versatile and talented producer and I thought it would be foolish not to do a whole EP with him.”

So, what’s planned for the launch at Th e Step Inn? Profecy seems intent on creating something of a party atmosphere.

“Th ere’s a whole bunch of local acts coming out to support, including my good friend Jae Druitt. NJE will also be launching his album on the night. As for my set, I’m bringing in a guest vocalist and Cam Bluff (Vegas Aces) will be on the turntables throughout the set. You can expect the EP played in its entirety, a couple of remixes and a brand new party anthem produced by Cam Bluff .”

WHO: Profecy

WHAT: Let Th e Music Play (Independent)

WHERE & WHEN: Th e Step Inn Saturday Dec 11

HE’LL ALWAYS BE SMOKIN’ TO US Joe Robinson seems to have dropped the ‘Smokin’’ from his name lately which we reckon kinda sucks, but thankfully this young guitar guru hasn’t let this change aff ect his music. He’s been a hit on stages all over the world this year and will be kicking off 2011 with a big tour in which he will show off his stunning new American band. Robinson will have a new album out sometime in the middle of next year so make sure you get along to one of these shows to hear how the new material stands up. You can catch Robinson with bassist Bernard Harris and drummer Marcus Hill at Joe’s Waterhole, Eumundi on Wednesday Jan 5, Th e Spotted Cow, Toowoomba Th ursday Jan 6, Paradise Room, Gold Coast Arts Centre Friday Jan 7 and Brisbane Powerhouse’s Visy Th eatre Saturday Jan 8.

KEEP SEARCHING Th e Suitcase Rummage markets have been a real hit of late around Brisbane and the next instalment is awfully exciting in that it will be the very fi rst time the markets will run in conjunction with a gig! Th e organisers have put together a cracking bill of local and interstate talent for the occasion with Pear And Th e Awkward Orchestra, pictured, Mckisko, Yeo and Spookyland all taking to the stage in amongst all of the rummaging to provide some musical delights to what will surely be a receptive audience. It happens at the Old Museum from 7.30pm on Th ursday evening and entry is just $12.

MIXING IT UPIf I Lie are a hard rocking band with a decidedly modern approach – they have no interest in being bogged down by genre, taking on infl uence from blues, metal and other brands of hard rock. Th ey have just released their debut EP and are looking to get around and show audiences all over what they have to off er on the live stage over the coming months. Th e band have a US tour on the cards for early next year, so make sure you catch them before they head over there and make millions of fans/dollars and never come back to their Gold Coast abodes. You can see them tearing up Toowoomba’s Norville Hotel from 8pm this Saturday night.

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KOOL TUNESWest End’s Th e Music Kafe provide a stage for musicians of all persuasions to get up and have a bash, giving over 25 acts per week a chance to fi nd an audience, no matter what their style of music. Th e venue have decided to document their personal favourite pieces of work from those who have played there over the past couple of years and will be releasing a compilation CD featuring their 12 favourite tunes. Th e CD will be launched at the venue on Sunday Dec 10 and will feature every act on the CD, including Th e Herd Of Turtles, Kye Cole, Th e Lemonchili Project, Bic Benedict, John’s Diary, Big Fella Linc, Panacea, Anthony J Cox, Knights & Cavaliers, Steve Case, Th e Brickfi elds and Triplickit. Entry is free.

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ZELITAINFLUENCED BY FLOYD AND LED ZEP, ZELITA HAVE BURST OUT OF BRISBANE’S WESTERN SUBURBS FOR AN ALL OUT AURAL ASSAULT ON INNERCITY EARDRUMS. TONY MCMAHON CHATS TO BASSMAN ANDREW KELLIE.

“Our songs are the antithesis of monotonous,” says Kellie of his band’s dramatic sound. “We have memorable transitions between riff s and chord patterns, instrumentals and verses, and time changes within songs. Th is amounts to a dramatic journey which leaves you satisfi ed in so many ways. All our diff erent musical infl uences, from Pink Floyd to Muse, shape our songwriting. Th e progression in the songs is due to these varying infl uences.”

Kellie also says that coming from the western suburbs of Brissie has dramatically eff ected his band’s music.

“Living in the outer western suburbs we have a nice relaxing area to practice, and the neighbours

are very laid back and don’t mind us practicing hours on end. Th is has helped us to tighten our sound for live performances. Living where we live is an instant bonus for band bonding because we aren’t restricted by time (when hiring a rehearsal room), we are able to grab some food (usually a gourmet BBQ feast) for lunch before we start playing or for a break, and we usually end the practice by having a game of cricket, soccer or a visit to the local pub. We aren’t the kind of band who just get together for a jam and go home; we have become very good mates and it shows in our music.”

In describing a Zelita live show, Kellie says that it’s all about relaxing.

“We like to describe our show as unforced, which to us means that the show is as organic as possible – every gig we do having diff erent shenanigans on stage. In the background you have Kiran (drums) going off his nut making hitting skins look like the best thing in the world, Jimmy (vocals) jumping around up-front doing all sorts of amazing things, Dan (guitar) doing the silent genius thing, as it has been described, not showing off with his unique guitar work, and me giving my all.”

WHO: Zelita

WHERE & WHEN: Th e Block (QUT Kelvin Grove) Friday Dec 10

CHRISTMAS TURKEYSTh e team at Turkeyneck Records are once again putting together a decidedly weird and wonderful celebration of the festive season this year as their annual Psychedelic Critmass Party once again takes a hold of the city’s fi nest appreciators of underground garage music. Th is year the event will be held at the Beetle Bar on Saturday Dec 18 and will feature performances from some of the Turkeyneck stable’s fi nest acts, such as Th e Pineapples From Th e Dawn Of Time, Th e Vaginabillies, Sydney’s Th e Prehistorics, Screamin’ Stevie’s Australia, pictured, and the fabulous Wayne Keys Show. Entry will set you back a cool ten bucks, but if you’re one of the fi rst 50 payers through the door then you’ll get yourself a free CD as well. It all kicks off from 8pm.

DIRTY NEW YEARSIf you’re the kind of person who is more inclined to party to killer rock’n’roll than those rascally techno beats on the biggest night of the year, then you might want to think about getting your arse out of the garage and into the Beetle Bar on Roma Street this New Year’s Eve as the new venue has assembled a whopper of a bill for your listening pleasure. Spencer P Jones is undoubtedly best known as the guitarist for bands like Th e Johnnys and Beasts Of Bourbon as well as his tenure with Paul Kelly, but he’s a fantastic solo artist as he has proven on his many visits to Brisbane over the years and we’re sure he’ll be in fi ne form on this particular night. Joining him on the bill will be Mary Trembles, New Jack Rubys, Sabrina Lawrie & Th e Hunting Party, Galapogos and more still to be announced. Friday Dec 31 is the date (just in case you’re an idiot) and $15 is the amount of money you will be required to hand over at the door. Th e fun begins at 6pm.

HYHHAVE YOU HEARD?

Daze play Pigapolooza In Paradise at Billy’s Beach House, Gold Coast on Saturday Dec 11

How did you get together?Dan Bartlett (lead guitar/vocals): “Nick (vocals) and I got together about two years ago, meeting through mutual friends – our music tastes clicked and we started writing and forming the songs before getting in Kim (bass) and Toni (drums)... We’re lucky to have members in the band with the same attitude and taste in music.”

Sum up your musical sound in four words.“...abstract....love...hate....emotional...”

If you could support any band in the world – past or present – who would it be?“Hmmm, maybe Justin Bieber, so I could give that kid a hard slap!”

You’re being sent into space, you can’t take

an iPod and there’s only room to bring one album – which would it be? “Tool –Aenima.”

Greatest rock’n’roll moment of your career to date? “Playing in Melbourne at Th e Espy is right up there, that place has a great vibe.”

Why should people come and see your band?“For one everyone out there should always go and check out a new original band, you never know they could be your next favorites. And we always go that extra mile to put on a show that mixes intriguing band nudity, the latest and insane 2010 dance moves, with a splash of unique new age innovative alternative sounds....”

STAMP OUT THE GENTLEMENLocal act End To Chivalry have had an exciting year with the release of their Post Monogamy CD and plenty of live shows to go along with it, but they’re not done yet. Th e band have just been announced as the opening act for the big Electric Horse and Engine Th ree Seven shows that are happening south of Brisbane this weekend. Th e bill was already a blinder but it’s just become even more exciting with the addition of these fresh-faced rockers, you can catch them doing their thing at Byron Bay’s Great Northern Hotel on Friday night before they head up to the Miami Shark Bar for a massive Saturday night rock feast.

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BLONDE ON BLONDELOCAL ROCKERS BLONDE ON BLONDE ARE JOINING FELLOW BRISBANIANS DEAD LETTER CIRCUS FOR A BRIEF TOUR AROUND THE BOTTOM END OF THE STATE. MITCH KNOX CHATS TO JACK BRATT LITERALLY AS THEY HIT THE ROAD.

Breakfast in a café in Coff s Harbour: the life of the independent musician, right? Still, Jack Bratt of local indie band Blonde On Blonde is sounding pretty optimistic given the circumstances.

“We’re in Coff s Harbour tonight; we’re touring with Dead Letter Circus, so we’re going to Lismore today,” he says cheerily. “It’s only a couple of hours away, so we’re just having some brekky. It’s been good, it’s just three dates.”

Not to give undue credit to the old ‘it’s not what you know, but who you know’ idea, Bratt is not ashamed to discuss his band’s history with their touring mates.

“We know a couple of the guys,” he explains. “It’s quite surprising actually, our manager got an email that said they’d been listening to our stuff and liked it, and they wanted us to do some shows with them, which is awesome because this is a mismatch, stylistically, but I think we still complement each other really well. It’s just been great because we haven’t seen them in a little while, and it’s just good to be on the road with them and catch up with some old friends and stuff . It’s been really fun.”

So much fun, it would seem, that the main reason Bratt can’t wait to get to Lismore right now is because they have… a laundromat. “Most of our clothes are full of sand,” he laughs. “I was the responsible one; I went to bed straight after the gig last night because I’m usually the one who goes really hard the fi rst night and just obliterates myself … but I heard Future Of Th e Left being blasted out of the tour van at 4:30 this morning and apparently they all went down to the beach and got nude, so there’s sand all through everybody’s shit. I’m looking forward to doing some laundry.”

WHO: Blonde On Blonde

WHERE & WHEN: Surfers Paradise Beer Garden Friday Dec 3, Th e Zoo Saturday Dec 18

LET’S GET WETWet ‘N’ Wild is a much loved destination for tourists and locals of all persuasions. It seems that no one can resist the allure of a good old-fashioned waterslide, not even if you’re the member of one of the country’s most punishing sludgey hardcore punk rock bands. When Canberra’s I Exist, pictured, and Sydney’s Phantoms were last in our part of the country, they made their way down to the park and were so inspired that they both wrote songs about the experience. Th e resulting four tracks have been pressed up to a split 7” and the two bands are hitting the road in support of it. You can catch them hitting the Step Inn Th ursday Feb 10, presumably following a return visit to the theme park.

FURY OF THE STORMTwo key bands in Sydney’s rapidly growing brutal tech death metal scene are breaking out of their home city and looking to spread the good word about their choice of genre as they head out on the Harbingers Of Storm tour early next year. Ignite Th e Ibex have just recently released their self-titled debut, which has seen them compared to the likes of Ion Dissonance, Meshuggah and Devolved while Alice Th rough Th e Windshield Glass have been busy assaulting audiences with their powerful live shows. You can catch both of these bands when they play Miami Tavern Friday Feb 4 with support from Humality and then at the Step Inn on Saturday Feb 5 with Lynchmada.

UP IN THE AIRLocal singer-songwriter Andrew Morris simply doesn’t stop and he has kindly let us know that he will be spending his Sunday evenings in December playing a residency, as is his wont, at plush local bar Th e Sky Room. If you are looking for a good way to wind down your weekend then you really can’t go wrong with a bit of Moz and a couple of cocktails, so head along and catch him doing his thing on Sunday Dec 12 and Sunday Dec 19. Entry is free and it all kicks off at 5pm.

SKATE TO LIVE, LIVE TO SKATE

Th e Kuraby Skate Park will be going nuts this Sunday as the Museum of Brisbane present the massive Kuraby Skate Park Party. Sure, there’ll be skating demonstrations and a sausage sizzle, but we’re most interested in letting you know that hip hop group Folklaws will be performing live. Entry is free, it all kicks off at 11am and it is open to people of all ages, so get involved.

BOOKISH ORPHANSLocal alt-country balladeers Orphan Ann are setting up shop in the Brisbane CBD’s branch of the Borders book store this Saturday afternoon as they play through a selection of the material from their debut EP, which is set to be released very soon. Th is is quite a special performance in that it marks the fi rst time that the band will be accompanied by multi-instrumentalist Matthew Colin, so head along to be a part of history. Th e band will play three half-hour sets of original tunes, kicking off from midday. Entry is of course free and open to all ages.

WAKETHEDEAD

THEBREAKDOWN

ROOTSDOWN

ADAMANTIUMWOLF

Okay, this might not count as punk news, but I loved Something Corporate back in the day so I’m a little excited! Andrew McMahon, leader of Something Corporate and Jack’s Mannequin, will be touring Australia in February 2011. He will be performing songs acoustically from his brilliant solo career, along with hits from Something Corporate and Jack’s Mannequin. Th e Brisbane date for the show is Feb 10 and will be at Th e Hi-Fi. Tickets go on sale this Friday, Dec 10.

Also on sale this Friday are tickets for the No Surrender tour announced late last week. Taperjean Records are bringing out Oh, Sleeper and Th e Chariot for a run of shows in April 2011. Th e tour will cover the major cities and regional dates between Toowoomba and Perth, with shows scheduled for Easter Fest in Toowoomba on Friday Apr 22. Oh Sleeper last played Australia in September, but to be honest I’m more excited about seeing Th e Chariot. Th is will be their fi rst time visiting our shores, and with now four albums under their belts, it has been a long time coming! Having just released, Long Live (Good Fight/Riot!) I’m hoping to see a broad range of music from across all four albums to make up for their delay in getting here!

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve heard about Th e Damned Th ings. Th e band features Anthrax members Scott Ian and Rob Caggiano, Every Time I Die’s Keith Buckley, and Fall Out Boy’s Joe Trohman and Andy Hurley. Th ey have posted the fi rst video from their forthcoming debut album, Ironicast, and you need to YouTube that shit because it is the funniest music video I have seen in a long time. Anyway, the point of this particular piece of news

What’s the diff erence between a dumb hipster and a smart hipster? A dumb hipster will take ecstasy with his friend and then make a two-hour fi lm documenting their inane exploits and conversations to show people. A smart hipster will charge people $20 to watch it. Well, that is and isn’t true. A smart hipster will also be able to defend the exercise, if not with an explanation of its relevance to art/fi lm theory then with hyper-elusive quotes intended to reveal the questioner’s base ignorance of Life 2.0.

Tao Lin is a smart hipster. Th is month, through a self-established ‘production company’ called MDMA Films, Lin (author of 2009’s Shoplifting From American Apparel and this year’s Richard Yates) and his friend Megan Boyle set up a website advertising a “feature fi lm” titled MDMA. Th e website features a link to a two-minute Vimeo trailer for MDMA, in which Lin and Boyle interview each other, assumedly while ‘high on ecstasy’, with questions such as, “Do you want to fi ght or kill anyone, and who?” (sic; and these people are supposed to be NYU-educated), before taking a trip to Times Square and walking around saying things like, “Extreme mumblecore… drugcore,” and yelling at strangers for directions to Toys ‘R’ Us.

Th e website also gives you the option to purchase a DVD of MDMA (released on Dec 20), as well as fi lms scheduled for future production, including BEBE ZEVA (referencing the teenaged Las Vegan ‘hottie’ featured many times on the Hipster Runoff blog – I think it’s now accepted knowledge that Lin is Carles from Hipster Runoff but I’m not sure), MUMBLECORE and HEROIN. Th e ‘fi lms’ are US$20 each, $70 for all four or $100 for a “lifetime subscription” to MDMA Films.

So, who wants to pay $20 to watch a couple of New York 20-somethings get high? It’s a question that has been rolling around in my head and I can’t quite come up with any solid ‘for’ or ‘against’ arguments. Reaching the point of that being the most relevant question in this scenario was diffi cult enough. Without having seen the entire fi lm (yet?), it’s possibly remiss to muse on the seeming self-absorption of the whole exercise, even though that’s the obvious initial desire. Th at also makes it impossible to ‘critique’ it as any kind of

Th e second announcement for Bluesfest has dropped and while it’s not quite as big as the fi rst (c’mon, Bob Dylan and BB King...) it is still undeniably incredible. A lot of the rumoured acts have been fi rmed up and sure enough there are a couple of nice surprises too. So it’s time for the second instalment of the Roots Down Bluesfest mixtape!

TOOTS AND THE MAYTALS Pressure DropOkay, an obvious choice; frankly there are too many amazing songs by this band but I can’t go past this. Toots and Th e Maytals are true legends of reggae and ska, forming in 1963, writing and performing a string of hits through the 1960s and were even the fi rst band to put the word ‘reggae’ in a song (1968’s Do Th e Reggay). Pressure Drop is one of those rare songs that could go for hours and you’d never tire of it; it’s so breezy and carefree with such a solid rhythmic backbone. Th ey were great at Bluesfest in 2004 and they’ll be great in 2011, you can bet on it.

IRMA THOMAS BreakawayShe’s the queen of New Orleans soul and one of the real highlights of this second Bluesfest announcement. Irma Th omas released her fi rst single way back in 1960 and followed up with a string of incredible tunes throughout the decade and through the 70s (the cheesy production on her 1980s material can be a bit hard to swallow). She’s renowned mainly for her stunning ballads, but my favourite song of hers is this stomping pop number that was the b-side to her 1967 Wish Someone Would Care single. Her and Mavis Staples will tear the house down on the Sunday of the festival.

THE METERS Look Ka Py Py Admittedly the Funky Meters who appear on the Bluesfest bill aren’t quite the classic line-up of this legendary funk band, but with Art Neville and George Porter Jr. on board I’m not complaining. Th ese guys are one of the most legendary funk bands in history with a massive collection of killer tunes, many of which have been sampled heavily in modern hip hop.

Th is week the Adamantium Wolf writes from a Starbucks on the fringes of Shibuya, one of Tokyo’s most hectic shopping districts. Last night a band called Envy played a homecoming show down the road after having spent quite a long time touring overseas, and with a set that spanned over approximately 130 minutes with no local supports to a sold out venue, it was a surreal and completely moving experience. Th ough they have had their roots in hardcore since forming in 1992, the band has more recently incorporated a lot of post-rock into their sound, and it’s safe to say that many metal heads would have something to gain by listening to their latest album Recitation. Th e drummer was also wearing a Corrupted shirt – a pretty damn heavy sludge/doom band from Osaka that sing almost exclusively in Spanish. Check both bands out and cross your fi ngers that Envy come and tour Australia again sometime soon.

Th is Friday at Monstrothic, Victorian death metallers Humonic make their return to Queensland, and are reportedly not for the faint of heart. Joining them will be Bane Of Bedlam, Canberra thrashers Hellbringer, and Mad Machine. Upstairs will see sets from ambient rockers Echotide, hard-hitters Ironbird, and Cry Havok. As usual $10 will gain you entry to both levels from 8pm.

If glam rock is indeed your thing, head to Th e Step Inn this Saturday for Glam Night Xmas. DJs Hoops, Chops, and Speedball will be spinning all your favorite 80s hits until the sun comes up, with the $6 entry opening up from 9pm.

Motörhead and Zakk Wylde’s Black Label Society will reportedly play at Th e Tivoli on Sunday Apr 3.

is to say that the album is out this Friday through Mercury/EMI.

Between Th e Buried & Me frontman, Tommy Rogers, is set to release his debut solo album on Tuesday Feb 1 via Metal Blade Records/Riot!. If you know anything about BTBAM, you know that this guy has killer vocals and is a talented multi-instrumentalist; so doing his own thing was probably the next creative step for him to take. Using the pseudonym Th omas Giles (Giles being his middle name) as his moniker for the project, the album is called Pulse. Rogers not only self-produced the album, but also arranged, composed and played all the instruments. Rogers said, “I hope everyone enjoys this record, as I feel there is something for everyone on it.” Keep an eye out for the fi rst single from Pulse, which is the introspective album opener, Sleep Shake. Th e self-fi lmed and self-edited video for the track is expected to drop any day now.

While he was at it, Rogers also dropped some hints about what fans can expect from Between Th e Buried & Me in 2011. “And don’t you all worry;” he said, “BTBAM is writing new material as I type. We have a very busy year 2011 planned, which includes lots of new music and touring.” Stay tuned!

GIG OF THE WEEKTh is week’s Gig Of Th e Week is going to Th e Paper & Th e Plane, who are playing at X&Y Bar for Boys & Girls this Th ursday Dec 9. I’m a longtime fan of this band and with new material on the way, now is a good time to check them out and see what they have up their sleeves! Also, special mention to Hot Water Music and Bouncing Souls, who will undoubtedly be ripping up Th e Zoo on Saturday night.

As a little footnote, I’m the editor of an online punk and hardcore magazine called No Heroes. Issue 8 went live last week, and features interviews with Dangers, Dropsaw, Craigos from Midnight Funeral Records, Strike Anywhere, Josh James of Evergreen Terrace/Casey Jones and heaps more stuff . Check it out at http://www.noheroesmag.com and click the link to the current issue.

documentary or fi lm with an overall ‘purpose’ for the viewer, though I suspect that, if there is one, it will be like Lin’s writing: a mirror-on-the-wall to absurdism that is itself both too self-aware and unaware to say clearly what it’s refl ecting; both perceptive and infuriating.

Based on the trailer, Lin and Boyle appear ‘likeable’ enough, if not slightly arrogant for the way they grin knowingly while asking each other and strangers stupid questions, but y’know, they are on ecstasy, another fact that makes the trailer conceivably relatable or in the realm of ‘fantasy travel doco’ in the same way people watch Catriona Rowntree on Getaway and wish they were on Xanax in Fiji.

Th en there’s the question of whether it’s really worth discussing as a fi lm at all, but the ‘What is fi lm?’ debate – or the ‘What is art?’ debate – is both boring and stupid to get into without the required space and research. However, there does seem to now be a blur between the accepted ‘legitimacy’ of the instant Internet video diary as ‘fi lm worth consideration’ and other, perhaps more ‘traditional’, fi lm mediums that take time and eff ort to be released to the public. MDMA seems to be somewhere between the two, though beyond the editing process and marketing there doesn’t appear to have been a huge amount of thought involved, unless you count their combined years of education, which perhaps we should (which leads us back to having little idea what the intention behind the fi lm is, if that matters, besides some hyper-elusive interview responses given by Lin on thelmagazine.com). It seems relevant now to mention that in their press release announcing MDMA Films, Lin and Boyle call it “an ‘extreme mumblecore’/‘drugcore’/‘emo’ fi lm/documentary/‘event coverage’/production company”.

So, without being able to really debate whether MDMA is a fi lm or whether it’s a fi lm worth thinking about beyond being potentially “funny” (Lin’s word), we can really only debate the commercial aspect of the venture. So, who wants to pay $20 to watch a couple of New York 20-somethings get high? And does paying make you a smart hipster or a dumb hipster?

Th is 1970 tune saw the band expand their established sense of groove with some vicious vocal spitting – beautiful stuff from, for mine, the most exciting addition to the Bluesfest bill.

BOOKER T & THE M.G.S Sing A Simple SongAnd yet another living legend rears his head on this announcement. Booker T was one of the key fi gures in the establishment of the Stax Records sound; writing and playing on plenty of great records but it was with his band Booker T and the M.G.s that he made the biggest splash. Th at band have myriad iconic funky instrumental soul tunes and Booker T’s killer organ sound the perfect melodic calling card, this one I’ve chosen is a Sly and Th e Family Stone cover (the majority of the band’s material was cover versions) from the band’s 1969 exploration into psych funk Th e Booker T. Set. But frankly, you can’t go wrong with just about anything they released in the 60s.

ZZ TOP La GrangeWhen ZZ Top played Bluesfest back in 2000, they managed to make themselves more enemies than friends. Th e band’s performance was heavily critisiced by fans, critics – hell, just about everyone who saw it considered it somewhat of an abomination. But, they’re ZZ Top, they deserve another goddamn chance. Th is choice of track is obvious – but you can’t argue with a classic. I hope the bearded ones deliver in 2011.

TROMBONE SHORTY & ORLEANS AVENUE Hurricane SeasonHe’s probably best known for his appearance in the HBO series Treme but Trombone Shorty is a force to be reckoned with as a live performer. I caught him in the US earlier this year and his infectious New Orleans funk has a modern bent that will ensure he appeals to people of all ages; he’ll be the party band fi nd of the fest for many. Th is tune is a pretty good example of the slick brand of N’awlins funk you can expect.

Bluesfest hits Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm Th ursday 21 April to Monday 25 April

Never a band to sit still in the one genre, California’s metal/reggae/punk/hardcore/hip-hop/whatever-else-they-can-make-fi t-or-not group (hed)PE are bringing their bombastic sounds and snarling attitude back to Australia for a little run of shows in January to support their eighth album, Truth Rising. Joining them will be Sydney rap metal group Th e Havknotz, who plan to be launching their debut EP MUSIC – LIFE – PAIN on the tour, and Melbourne’s Recoil, who will be playing the opening slot. Brisbane’s dreadlocked contingent can check the line-up out at Th e Hi-Fi on Jan 28.

To make up for the recently cancelled Black Mass Festival, Armageddon Festival will take place on Feb 5 at Th e Factory Th eatre, Sydney. So far Nazxul, Astriaal, Drowning Th e Light, Destruktor, Wardaemonic and Erebus Enthroned have been announced, with more acts TBC. Tickets are $35 and are currently available from factorytheatre.com.au.

Local alternative rockers Th e Poisoners have uploaded a new song entitled Love Like Dreams of Falling to myspace.com/theyoungpoisoners. Th ese guys are hard at work on a new album and will make their return to the stage on Friday Dec 17 at Monstrothic.

Melbourne melodic death metal group Orpheus has announced the details of their forthcoming ten track debut album Bleed Th e Way. Th ey’ve been hard at work crafting the release for nigh on two years, and it will see the light of day mid-February through their own Rockstar Records. You can check out some samples and studio diary videos over at myspace.com/orpheusmetaloz, which should also be home to a full new song shortly.

Featuring Scott Moss of Minus Life fame on vocals, Tria Mera have uploaded two new tracks from their debut EP to myspace.com/triameraband. Fans of Trivium, Lamb Of God and other such modern-styled acts are encouraged to go have a sniff .

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The Damned ThingsThe Damned Things

Pop culture therapy with Adam Curley

Blues ‘n’ roots with Dan Condon rootsdown@timeoff.com.auBlues ‘n’ roots with Dan Condon rootsdown@timeoff.com.au

Metal with Lochlan WattMetal with Lochlan Watt

Hardcore and punk with Sarah Petchell

Humon icHumon ic

FINISHING IN STYLELocal group Alphabeticus are pretty damn happy with the way their fi rst year has panned out and we believe they have every right to be. Th ey have brought their blend of trip hop, groove and prog music to local audience through quite a few well received live shows and now the next piece of the puzzle is set for the beginning part of next year. Th e band will release their debut EP early in 2011 and you’ll be able to hear plenty of material from it when they drop by Ric’s Bar on Wednesday Dec 22. Of course they won’t be alone, local electronic gurus Phantasm join in the fun, as do New Zealand indie-pop duo drdr. Entry is free and it kicks off at 8pm.

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GIVE IN TO THE SINWith a sound derived from their love of AC/DC, Motörhead, Motley Crue and Guns N’ Roses all delivered with the attitude of punk rockers such as Sex Pistols, Ramones and Dead Boys, it’s pretty obvious that the live show that Sydney’s L.U.S.T will bring to us up here in Brisbane is going to be pretty nuts! Th e band haven’t been up here since their support slot with Ace Frehley a couple of years back, so they’ve got some lost time to make up for. Th ankfully they’ll be here with a fi ve-track EP in hand, featuring tunes from their debut album First Tattoo, which was recorded by the legendary Ulrich Wild and will be released early next year. Th e band make a quick stop into the Step Inn on Friday night and the Swell Tavern, Burleigh Heads on Saturday night.

TO ENTER: Competition opens Tuesday 2 November. Create your impression of an artist on the current Big Day Out schedule and upload your entry at summerfestivalguide.com.au (go to the Big Day Art section).WIN: Time Off cover art. Artist profi le. Double pass to the BDO Festival. A cd prize pack – the latest releases from BDO artists. Design software for each state winner.Free entry to a CATC Workshop for each state winner.ENTRIES CLOSE FRIDAY 7 JANUARY

READERS’ CHOICE AWARDVote for your favourite artwork in the Readers’ Choice vote. Check out the entries exhibited at summerfestivalguide.com.au and vote via Twitter. More details soon!

DESIGN OUR COVERAND WIN BIG!

MELBOURNESYDNEYBRISBANE

BIG DAY ART

SIXPACK

CHRIS MALLORYIT’S BEEN TWO YEARS IN THE MAKING FROM IDEA TO FINISHED PRODUCT BUT CHRIS MALLORY’S DEBUT EP FOR GREGORY IS READY TO BE ENJOYED. MITCH KNOX CATCHES UP WITH THE SINGER-SONGWRITER BEFORE HE ENGAGES CROWDS AROUND THE STATE AND HONOURS HIS LATE BROTHER’S MEMORY WITH HIS MUSIC.

“Although I have been planning to do a recording since graduating uni in 2008 I have actually only been working on this EP project in earnest with my producer Matt Larner for the past 12 months,” Mallory says of the development of the EP. “Th at being said, I feel a mixture of relief and excitement. Th e relief is from fi nally being able to move on from this project. Th e excitement is because I will soon be able to give out copies of the last 12 months’ work to people to enjoy.”

Written in honour of his brother Gregory, who passed away in 2006, Mallory says penning the music for the EP (especially its title track) was certainly at least partially a process of catharsis: “through this project I have been able to give the melody and lyrics I fi rst heard in my head a complete cohesive structure to express very strong emotions,” he explains; although, that might be true of all of Mallory’s songs. “I guess for me, the act of writing a song is a very personal and emotional experience, so in order to get into the right headspace for creating, I fi nd it easier to start with what is going on with me and my life at the time.”

As for the launch itself, Mallory is aiming to, “hopefully [deliver] an experience that will move you in some way. I write songs for myself, but I perform them so that other people can relate to them and hopefully fi nd something similar in their own life; be it about loss, love, or having a silly crush on a girl that works in the IGA.”

WHO: Chris Mallory

WHAT: For Gregory (Independent)

WHERE & WHEN: Alloneword Wednesday Dec 8, Th e Basement, Gold Coast Arts Centre Th ursday Dec 9, Th e Treehouse, Byron Bay Saturday Dec 11

THE WINNING SOUND Th e winners of the Sunset Sounds Foster Band Initiative, which saw a bunch of quality local acts pitted against each other in a fi ght to the death battle for votes from the public, have been announced with Charlie Mayfair, pictured, and Ball Park Music scoring themselves the two opening slots on the bill. Th ey beat out some stiff competition and we hear that Inland Sea and Th e Liars Chair only just missed out. Th e festival hits the Brisbane Riverstage and City Botanic Gardens Wednesday Jan 5 and Th ursday Jan 6.

SHEDDING SKINS Melbourne duo Clavians call their brand of music ‘jungle-punk’ and they have been thrashing stages, ripping parties and melting faces all over Victoria for the past two years with this particular ferocious style of music. Th ey have a new single called Skins out now, lifted from their forthcoming EP and now they are fi nally coming up to show us what they’ve got. Come see what this fuzzy guitar and drum two-piece is all about as they make their debut Brisbane performance at Th e Club House (which is at the GPO Hotel at the moment) on Friday night. Playing alongside them will be local post-punk favourites Quiet Steps and Sydney rock shredders Chicks Who Love Guns. Doors open at 8pm. If you’re out of town then you can catch the band at Toowoomba’s Bon Amici on Saturday night and down in Byron at the Great Northern Hotel on Sunday night.

THIS IS JAZZ COUNTRYTh e match of the smooth jazz singing Sarah Collier and alt-country singer Steve Case may seem like something of a strange one, but since hooking up around a year ago the two artists have played a bunch of well-received shows and cobbled together some fi ne material between them. Th ese two great local artists will front up at West End’s Inspire Gallery Bar on Saturday evening to show that the bridge between their respective musical forms is not a hard one to cross. It promises to be laid back and intimate, so head on over to the Vulture Street hang out from 7.30pm and watch it all unfold.

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PJ Harvey – Written On the Forehead

One of the most anticipated releases of 2011 is bound to be PJ Harvey’s Let England Shake. Th e fi rst taste of it has surfaced online with Polly Jean throwing the fi rst single from it up on her SoundCloud page and it’s quite an absorbing listen. A frail sounding Polly Jean is only just audible over hefty swells of keyboards as all sorts of vocal samples play out in the background, just far enough away for you to have no fucking idea what’s going on. [soundcloud.com/pjharvey]

Harmony – Cacophonous Vibes

Harmony is the brand new Melbourne based project from Th e Nation Blue’s Tom Lyngcoln and early listens show that it’s something very diff erent to what you are most likely expecting. Lyngcoln has thrown a track called Cacophonous Vibes from their forthcoming release up on their Bandcamp site and while it has a tiny bit of that abrasive touch we’ve come to know and love from Lyngcoln’s work, all in all it’s a soulful little ditty that recalls a rough and ready Sam Cooke fronting an epic rock band. It’s intriguing to say the least and defi nitely worth your time. Th e band play their fi rst show in Melbourne next week. [harmony.bandcamp.com]

Los Campesinos! – Too Many Flesh Suppers

One of the fi ner indie-rock records to come out of the UK this year was the latest eff ort from Los Campesinos!, Romance Is Boring. Th e title track from that record was a highlight and was released as a single but, as the band put it, no one bought it. As such they have generously decided to put the b-side of the single up on their SoundCloud page. It’s as good as plenty of the material from that record, plenty of awkward violin, deep bass and awkward rhythmic changes holding interest for its duration; but you must be warned, if you can’t stand leader Gareth Campesinos!’s voice you’re going to want to stab yourself repeatedly in the ears by the end of the fi rst verse. [soundcloud.com/los-campesinos]

David Lynch – Good Day Today

David Lynch is one of the most revered fi lm and television directors of our time; from Eraserhead to Twin Peaks to Mulholland Drive, the guy has made some seriously incredible stuff and attracted many diehard fans across the globe. It has been revealed that Lynch has produced a song, an electro pop tune called Good Day Today that features him singing (with a whole lot of vocoder, mind you). Th ere will be those who believe that everything Lynch touches turns to gold, but really this tune is unforgivably insipid. It’s lyrically dull and has absolutely nothing musically interesting going on for the painful four-and-a-half minutes. Go and make another fi lm, please. [soundcloud.com/threeminutesthirtyseconds/good-day-today]

ON THE DOWNLOAD

GETTIN’ COMFY with BEN SALTERArtist name: Ben P. SalterWhat is it about the venue that makes you want to do a run of shows there? Th ey asked me.

Same set every week or mixing it up? Same time every week, three weeks in a row. 6pm to 7pm on Fridays.

Any special guests going to make an appearance during your tenure? Yeah, probably get various members of all my bands up for a song at some stage or another, but I’ll be regularly accompanied by Bridget Lewis and Conor Macdonald of Th e Gin Club, two of my best BFF besties 4 eva.

Favourite position at the venue when you’re not on stage? Prone.

What have you been up to of late? I have just got home from about a month of fairly intensive touring with Th e Gin Club; prior to that I was recording the solo album and playing some solo shows. Lately I’m just hanging in bed with my cat, Stubbs, playing Word Challenge on Facebook. Top score is about 30,000 so far. I challenge your readers to best this.

Ben Salter plays Brisbane Powerhouse on Friday Dec 10 and Friday Dec 17

How did you get together?Phoebe Parkinson (vocals/synthesiser): “By playing Smoke On Th e Water in music class. We’re easily impressed.”

Sum up your musical sound in four words.“Everything you’ve ever needed.”

If you could support any band in the world – past or present – who would it be?“Goodness. I’m really digging Th e Dead Weather at the moe joe so I’ll probably run with that. Th e Dead Weather.”

You’re being sent into space, you can’t take an iPod and there’s only room to bring one album – which would it be?“Rude ultimatum, man but I’d defi nitely spoon my pillow listening to Illuminate by Lydia.”

Greatest rock’n’roll moment of your career to date?“Sniffi ng talcum powder with Bardot. We didn’t, but we need the street cred.”

Why should people come and see your band?“Have you ever seen a band play on talcum powder?”

HYHHAVE YOU HEARD?

Stonemason play Pigapolooza In Paradise @ Billy’s Beach House, Gold Coast on Saturday Dec 11 and EpicAtNite Foam Party @ Epic Skate, Tweed Heads (all ages) on Saturday Dec 18

PARTY-AC ARREST!Join us for a fun night celebrating Zed’s 35th year on air together, looking back on the wonderful achievements of the station and also looking forward to our bright future woohoo! We will be taking over Studio 3 at the Old Museum from 6pm tonight (Wednesday Dec 8) to catch up with old friends and make new ones, ticket price includes fantastic catering by Nundah Espresso Train and there will be booze provided by our friends at Brews Brothers. Entertainment will be provided by the Porridge crew, which will also be broadcast live on 4ZZZ for part of the evening

Tickets are limited to 300 people so please get in quick: www.4zzzfm.org.au.

HAPPY 35th BIRTHDAY 4ZZZ4ZZZ is very excited to present our Happy 35th Birthday 4ZZZ event this Saturday night! Joining Ozi Batla, DZ, Laneous & Th e Family Yah and Pastel Blaze will be local acts Last Dinosaurs and Oh Ye Denver Birds.

Catch them all and help us cut the cake on Saturday Dec 11 at Th e Tivoli. Doors are at 6pm with fi rst band on 6:30pm.

Tickets are $15 Subs or $20 non subs, including booking fees and available from www.4zzzfm.org.au and www.thetivoli.net.au.

All subscribers who book online through 4ZZZ will also go into the draw to WIN a pretty rad merch pack.

HOT 100It’s that time of year again! We are ready to count down the top 100 songs of 2010. Broadcast on New Year’s Day from midday, 4ZZZ is asking you to cast your votes before Friday Dec 24. Get online and vote through our online system, email us your picks or even post (what’s that you say?) them in!Checkout www.4zzzfm.org.au for all the info.

Dec 8, 1980 – In New York City Mark David Chapman shoots and kills John Lennon.Dec 9, 1967 – Jim Morrison is arrested onstage in Connecticut, and charged with breach of peace and resisting arrest.Dec 10, 1967 – Otis Redding, age 26, is killed when his plane crashes into a Wisconsin lake. Redding’s band, the “Bar-Kays”, are also killed.Dec 11, 1998 – Greg Dulli (Afghan Whigs) sustains a fracture to the base of his skull in Austin, Texas. after an altercation with a security guard.Dec 12, 1970 – Little Richard is charged with “larceny by trick” in Miami Beach, by Blacks, Inc. Th e group claims he pocketed $250 he solicited for the group. Th e charges are later dropped.Dec 13, 2001 – Nirvana’s Krist Novoselic and David Grohl fi le a countersuit against Courtney Love, claiming she manipulated the memory and work of Kurt Cobain, for the benefi t of her career.Dec 14, 1995 – Classifi ed documents from the White House are released that revealed the FBI had spied on John Lennon and his anti-war activities during the early 70s.

TIME WARP

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AlmaryseAlmaryse THE FRILL OF THE FIGHTFIRST EVA SINGLE UNLEASH&

Tenda McFly (Fresh Hip Hop)

(Sensual Solo Set)Skye Staniford FeaturingConnor Dowling

(Dance break VOGUE Extravaganza)

DJ Sets The Chart Of Truth (ANTmusic)

Mistress of Ceremonies Barbra Windsor-Woo(Dressed by Leigh Buchanan)

SUNDAY DEC 19TH ~ 5:30PMTickets $20 Bookings PH 3216 1115

StageDoor Dinner Theatre 4 Cintra Road Bowen Hills(underneath Twelfth Night Theatre)

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THE VAUDEVILLE SMASHMELBURNIAN OUTFIT THE VAUDEVILLE SMASH IS RETURNING TO QUEENSLAND THIS MONTH TO ENTERTAIN US STIFF-NECKED NORTHERNERS – NOT THAT THEY NEED THE WORK, APPARENTLY. VOCALIST MARC LUCCHESI CHATS WITH MITCH KNOX BEFORE THEY ROLL INTO TOWN.

“It’s been pretty busy actually, and a lot of good things,” Lucchesi says of recent events in the world of Th e Vaudeville Smash. “I suppose the number one fun thing that’s gone on is that we’re going to South By Southwest in March. Th at was a bit of a surprise; they just invited us. Th e guy liked our stuff – the email he sent Kelly, our manager, was, ‘Y’all kill me’; I’m imagining this big Texan with a mo’ and a big cowboy hat. But that was exciting. So we’re sort of just preparing for that and trying to do as much as we can to make it worthwhile, because it could be a stinker; it’s up to you. On top of that, we’ve got an EP coming out in Feb, and a tour around that, but before the year is over we’ve got another little tour as well.”

In between all of that, they’ll be stopping off in Adelaide to ring in the New Year as well as keeping home audiences happy with regular shows in Melbourne. With the obvious chops

behind them to warrant all these shows, Lucchesi is unapologetically clear (except about the band’s genre – “we’ve coined a new term, called ‘nu-vo yacht rock’,” he laughs) about what you should expect when you walk through the doors to a Vaudeville Smash show.

“To dance, number one,” he emphasises. “It’s a bit of a party; we always work better when people are sort of drinking and inclined to have a boogie, but yeah; you know, the show’s very energetic, and it is a show; it’s not just a bunch of dudes standing up there playing their instruments. It’s a show!”

WHO: Th e Vaudeville Smash

WHERE & WHEN: Th e Loft, Gold Coast Th ursday Dec 9, Ric’s Bar Friday Dec 10, Th e Beach Hotel, Byron Bay Saturday Dec 11

CEILING LOOMS Local indie-noise quartet Loomer have turned plenty of heads with their live performances over the years and it is with great excitement that the band fi nally announces the launch of their debut album Ceiling. Th e record has been in the making for what seems like an eternity now, but as the band’s sound has grown the record has evolved to ensure it fully represents the band as they are today. A strikingly mature release, Ceiling matches the band’s ear shattering wall-of-noise guitars with their superb understated vocals to culminate in something that is quite stunning. Th e band will launch the record with special guests Sydney’s Straight Arrows at Woodland on Friday Dec 17.

Th e Waterfront Years 1991-1993 TUMBLEWEEDTyrannosaurus Hives THE HIVESWe Got All Th ings Th at Are Good SOLE STICKERSGrown Unknown LIA ICESIn Th e Pines THE TRIFFIDSEmotionalism THE AVETT BROTHERSEverything I’ve Always Wanted MARTY ROBBINSMy Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy KANYE WESTI WET STALLIONSI Learned Th e Hard Way SHARON JONES & THE DAP-KINGS

ON THE TIME OFF STEREO

1. He Will Have His Way: Th e Songs Of Tim & Neil Finn VARIOUS ARTISTS2. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy KANYE WEST3. Triple J’s Like A Version Six VARIOUS ARTISTS4. Guitar Heaven SANTANA5. Tangalooma THE JOHN STEEL SINGERS6. Th e Promise BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN7. Drama To Th e Finish STATESMEN8. Come Around Sundown KINGS OF LEON9. Tavern Slander TAVERN SLANDER10. Annual 2011HOOK N SLING AND TOMMY TRASH

1. Depth Of Sound DUBMARINE2. Grave Consequences UNDEAD APES3. Sacrifi ce OH YE DENVER BIRDS 4. Mind CTRL: Psychic Chasms Possessed NEON INDIAN5. Blur Th e Line/Tomorrow Afternoon GENTLE BEN AND HIS SENSITIVE SIDE6. Virginity THE BLEEDING KNEES CLUB7. Let’s Get It Straight AXXONN8. Four Seasons BIG SCARY9. Kyu KYU10. Get Some LYKKE LI

4ZzZ FM NOW PLAYING

ROCKINGHORSE RECORDS TOP 10

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THURS 16TH DECEMBER TIM JACKMAN (FORMALLY OF THE NAKED APES)

• & Special guests ~ From 8.30pm till late *

FRI 10TH DECEMBER LIVE IN THE LAUNDRY BAR DJ CRAIG• Music for big kids! From 5.30pm till late •

SAT 11TH DECEMBERLIVE IN THE BACK BAR DJ MOSES• Music for big kids! From 6pm till late •

To Play at Verve email info@vervecafe.com.auVerve Cafe Basement Metro Arts building 109 Edward St Brisbane City

WWW.VERVECAFE.COM.AU TM

TUES 21ST DECEMBERTWISTED TRIVIA FROM ABOUT 7PM SHARP!

Trivia is played at Verve every second Tuesday Free to play!

THURS 9TH DECEMBER PJ WESTON & FRIENDS • Honest, organic, and straight from the heart is PJ Weston •

• From 8.30 in the laundry bar ~ Free entry •

TASTES OF COUNTRY, POP, ROCK AND FOLK

WED 08Abby Skye Th e Tempo HotelChris Mallory AllonewordDark Debauchery, Smoking Martha, Whiskey & Speed, Facepalm A Pinata Step InnJezza Fibber Magee’s, ToowoombaMark Sheils Royal GeorgeNanna Night Wednesdays: Montpelier Vinyl Bar, Th e Hi-FiOpen Mic Th e Music KafeRob Cini Elephant & WheelbarrowSlim Johnson & Th e Power Walkers, Brutet Ben, Th e Vampers Club 299So-La Voce, Imogen Children’s Chorale Queen Street MallSoula’ Flare Glass Bar & RestaurantTyson Faulkner Fiddlers GreenU2, Jay-Z Suncorp Stadium

THU 09Adrian Keys Tinbilly TravellersAndrea Soler Th e Buddha BarChris Mallory Gold Coast Arts CentreClint Boge & Trizo, Andrew Kennedy Noosa Surf ClubDark Debauchery, If I Lie Norville HotelDarren J Ray Redlands Sporting ClubEphemeris, Snug Tatt’s LismoreEra Bowler BarGeoff Rayner Logan Diggers ClubGirls, Th e Honey Month Th e ZooHard Graphic, Th e Clues Ric’sHelm, If I Lie Coff s HotelImogen Children’s Chorale, Pro Musica Singers Queen Street MallJeff Martin, Terepai, Hazel Eyes Th e Devil Coolangatta HotelJonathan Boulet, Grace Woodroofe, Sunshine Ensemble Alhambra Lounge

Lords Of Wong, Shrewms, BMX Ray, Main Street Brats Step InnMark Davidson, Little Secrets, Dave Burton Th e BugMemphis, Griff wood Horsefi n, Flanelette, No Right Turn Th e Music KafePaul Van Den Hoorn Elephant & WheelbarrowRob Black Ryan’s Bar, Treasury CasinoRokeby Venus, Th e Wind Up Dolls Th e Tempo HotelSimon Watson Gilhooley’s BrisbaneSummer Ahoy!: Pear & Th e Awkward Orchestra, Mckisko, Yeo, Spookyland Old QLD MuseumTh e Fall Th e Hi-FiTh e Febs Fibber Magee’s, ToowoombaTh e Vaudeville Smash, Mayan Fox, Electrik Lemonade, Francesca Sidoti Th e Loft Chevron IslandTh e Wilson Pickers, Forest After Fires Globe Th eatreTujiko Noriko, Lawrence English, John Chantler, Anonymye Th e Judith Wright CentreU2, Jay-Z Suncorp Stadium

FRI 10Adrian Keys Aspley HotelBenjam Burleigh Heads HotelBig Hits Logan Diggers ClubBlindchase Kitty O’Shea’sBluesville Station Cabarita Beach Sports ClubBoat Cruise: Transvaal Diamond Syndicate, Dead Riot, Isaac Graham South BankBrenden Schick Ryan’s Bar, Treasury CasinoBrisbane Babas Band, Heather Lee & Kim Cunio, La Grand Salsa, Bilge Ozgun, Delkash, Baalo Baajo, Walisuma Brisbane CbdBud (Th e Band) Fisherman’s Wharf TavernCandice Long Caxton MallClint Boge & Trizo Royal Hotel Gatton

Dachunga Gilhooley’s BrisbaneDean Watkin Rochedale RoversDJ Craig Verve CaféDJ Toxic Beerwah HotelDownlode Hinterland HotelDuck Duck Goose, Jimmy 2 Sox Bowler BarElectric Horse, Engine Th ree Seven, End To Chivalry Great Northern Hotel Byron BayEphemeris, Th e Snatch, Kymatics Th e Palace HotelFestival Of Th e Sun: Xavier Rudd, Regurgitator, Sharon Jones & Th e Dap Kings, British India, Calling All Cars, Th at One Guy, Dallas Frasca, Th e Gin Club and more Sundowner Breakwall Tourist ParkFreak Morice Centenary Lakes, CabooltureGeoff Rayner Horse & Jockey WarwickGreen Jam: Lachlan Bell Trio QPAC, Melbourne St GreenGung Ho Fibber Magee’s, ToowoombaHemi Kingi Trio Wynnum Point HotelHippopotamus Victory HotelHomer Q Bar Holiday InnHoodoo Gurus, Th e Break Twin TownsIncremental Records Xmas Show: Nova Scotia, Turnpike, Mt Augustus, Running Guns Burst CityJan Lennardz J’z Jazz Crew Vida Amor RestaurantJebediah, Th e Novocaines, Dan Parsons Th e ZooJeff Martin, Terepai, Pear Th e Hi-FiJJ Speedball, L.U.S.T., Valkere, Th e F1-Elevens Step InnLime Spiders, Devils Johnson, Fashion Zombies, Black Mustang Coolangatta HotelLocky, Berst Elephant & WheelbarrowMace Murrumba Downs TavernMason Rack Band Ballina RSLMelissa Baker Cannon Hill TavernMental As Anything Lone Star Tavern, Gold Coast

Monkey Business Albany Creek TavernMother And Son WoodlandOne Dread Locknload West EndOsmium, Despotic Ruin, Hate Disciple, Durumata, A Witness To Th e Slaughter Miami Tavern Shark BarPastel Blaze, Ivy May Dillon Kurilpa Hall, West EndPat Tierney Vroom BistroPiss Off Th e Boss Christmas Party: Beware Th e Hippos, Macho Grande, Troublekarmafl ow, Spruce Moose, Blue Honey Prince Of Wales HotelRed Cell Live Wire Bar, Treasury CasinoSpirit Of Christmas QPAC Concert HallStarz, Scat Jazz Queen Street MallSteve Trubble Southern Hotel ToowoombaStevenson St Broadbeach TavernStewart Fairhurst Spring Lake HotelStifl er’s Mum, Th ird Degree Th e Tempo HotelTh e Big Boy Club Hotel WaterfordTh e Darren J Ray Quartet City Golf Club ToowoombaTh e Decoys Royal Exchange HotelTh e Delta Riggs Hard Rock CaféTh e Febs Cleveland Sands HotelTh e Peel Street Band, Desert Ghost, Wherewolves, Bird And Prey Globe Th eatreTh e Pugs, Th e Cassingles, Justin Lerner, Missing Jade Th e Music KafeTh e Roger Gonzalez & Rohan Somasekaran Trio Cuvee Lounge Bar, Sofi telTh e Sunburys, PJ Weston and Th e Precious Few, Scott Spark Th e Beetle BarTh e Sweaty Palms Palmwoods HotelTh e Vaudeville Smash Ric’sTijuana Cartel Soundlounge CurrumbinTLD Wharf TavernUltra Violet Fusion Villa NoosaVaughan Ney Criterion Dalby

Venus Envy Surfers Paradise Beer Garden

SAT 11Akasa Burleigh Bears Leagues ClubAndrea Soler Nimbin Bush Th eatreBeerwah’s Got Country: Luke Austen Beerwah HotelBelles Will Ring, Guineafowl, Magnetic Heads, Gung Ho GPO HotelBenjalu, A French Butler Called Smith Locknload West EndBig Bang Th eory Ipswich JetsBluesville Station Buddha BarBud Club BanoraByron Short Spring Lake HotelChris Mallory Th e Tree HouseClavians, Quiet Steps, Chicks Who Love Guns Gpo HotelDachunga Gilhooley’s StrathpineDan England Arundel TavernDark Debauchery: Galactic Acid, If I Lie, Dark Symphonica, Whiskey & Speed Norville HotelDJ Moses Verve CaféElectric Horse, Engine Th ree Seven, End To Chivalry Miami Tavern Shark BarFestival Of Th e Sun: Xavier Rudd, Regurgitator, Sharon Jones & Th e Dap Kings, British India, Calling All Cars, Th at One Guy, Dallas Frasca, Th e Gin Club and more Sundowner Breakwall Tourist ParkFreak Morice Pine Rivers Park StrathpineGlam Night Step Inn, UpstairsGold Field WoodlandGrand Alpha Funk Live Wire Bar, Treasury CasinoGrand Atlantic, We All Want To, Th e Stress Of Leisure, Th e L.P’s Globe Th eatreGraz Bowler BarHappy 35th Birthday 4ZZZ: Ozi Batla, Last Dinosaurs, Dz, Laneous & Th e Family Yah, Oh Ye Denver Birds, Pastel Blaze Th e TivoliHarry Healy Fibber Magee’s, ToowoombaHemi Kingi Trio Th e Morrison Hotel

Hoodoo Gurus, Th e Break Th e Hi-FiHot Water Music, Th e Bouncing Souls, Dave Hause, Headaches Th e ZooJabba Elephant & WheelbarrowJames Brennan Palmwoods HotelJJ Speedball, Th e Wayne Keys Show, Cheap Th rills Springwood HotelJoel Myles, Th ousand Needles In Red X & Y BarLime Spiders, Screamin’ Stevie, Th e Yayas, Black Mustang Step InnMark Bono Southern Hotel ToowoombaMason Rack Band Currumbin RSLMental As Anything Albany Creek TavernMick Danby, Cover Story Th e Tempo HotelMick Evans Rochedale RoversOne Of Th ose Nights Rum Jungle, BrackenridgePacifi c Jukebox Gilhooley’s LoganholmeQld University Musical Society, Imogen Children’s Chorale Queen Street MallSarah Collyer, Steve Case Inspire Gallery BarSecond Gear CBXSolar Rush, Stewart Fairhurst Hamilton HotelT.H.U.G, Plan Of Attack, Mouthguard, Brixton Rockers Prince Of Wales HotelTalltails, Mother And Son, Kira Gosselin, Chris Miller Th e Loft Chevron IslandTh e Aston Shuffl e Great Northern Hotel Byron BayTh e F1-Elevens, L.U.S.T., Ironbird Swell TavernTh e Vaudeville Smash Th e Beach Hotel, Byron BayTh e View From Madeleine’s Couch Brisbane Jazz ClubTh e Winnie Coopers, Mind Over Matter, Diatribe Th e Beetle BarVenus Envy Surfers Paradise Beer GardenVertigo Broadbeach TavernWaxing Lyrical: Th e Blackwater Fever, Buff alo Brown, Th e Wilson Pickers Brisbane Powerhouse Turbine Platform

Ysobella, Beau, Elke & Th e Black Moon, Lattitude, Mad World, Th e Vampers Th e Music Kafe

SUN 12A Day On Th e Green: Blondie, Th e Pretenders Sirromet WineryAdrian Keys Th e Breakfast Creek HotelAkasa Gaythorne RSLAndrew Morris Th e Sky RoomBec Laughton Premier’s Bar, Treasury CasinoBlock Party Elephant & WheelbarrowCarl Wockner Beerwah HotelCasey Watt Palmwoods HotelClavians, Chicks Who Love Guns Great Northern Hotel Byron BayDan England Coolangatta HotelDon’t Come Monday: Th e Delta Riggs, DJs Over Th e Pool Birdee Num NumGlenn Esmond Blue Pacifi c HotelGlobal Grooves: Gerard Mapstone, One Dread, La Grand Salsa QPAC, Melbourne St GreenHippopotamus Broadbeach TavernHoodoo Gurus, Th e Break Redlands Sporting ClubHot Dog Live Wire Bar, Treasury CasinoI Will Not Go Quietly Globe Th eatreKarma Duo Victory HotelLegless Th e JoyntMad World Blues Band Caxton HotelMark Bono, Chris Ramsay Fibber Magee’s, ToowoombaMason Rack Band Fisherman’s Wharf TavernPat Tierney Harley Park, LabradorPowerplay Rum Jungle, Bracken RidgeReverend Horton Heat Th e Hi-FiSimone Pitot Valley Laneway MarketsStadler & Waldorf Oxford 152Sunday Session, Blind Lemon Th e Tempo HotelTh e Darren J Ray Duo Paradise Point Bowls ClubTh e Harmony Choir, Mark Zian, Rhesha St Andrew’s Church Hall

Th e Hayden Hack Infusion Locknload West EndTh e View From Madeleine’s Couch, Ingrid James Trio Waterloo HotelTh ousand Needles In Red, Andrew Kennedy Brothers IpswichTreva Scobie Southern Hotel ToowoombaVenus Envy Royal Exchange HotelVertigo Miami TavernVox Populus, Imogen Children’s Chorale Queen Street MallWheeler, Aislinn Grant, Arry Wilson, Jack Paterson, Anthony J Cox, Pryority, Rhythm Express, Nothing But Trouble Th e Music Kafe

MON 13Chris Mallory Th e Cavern Bar & CaféEagles Brisbane Entertainment CentreHungry Kids Of Hungary Birdee Num NumJack Johnson, Tegan And Sara, Ash Grunwald River StageOur Talons, Gigi Elliot Ric’sScott Mercer & Th e Cobweb Gallery, Alex Odger, Jekks & Th e Ahimsa Orchestra, Triptaphene, Th e Fun Team Th e Music Kafe

TUE 14Bon Jovi Suncorp StadiumChris Mallory Th e Palmy CaféEagles Brisbane Entertainment CentreEscalate: Attention Passengers, Mofo Is Dead, A Family Of Strangers Th e Tempo Eyes Of Azure, Unlikely Superheroes Ric’sLocky Elephant & WheelbarrowNow & Th en, H.D. Blues, Connor Cleary Th e Music KafePaul Young Trio Locknload West EndTegan & Sara Th e Tivoli

60

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SAT 18TH DEC

SAT DEC 11

THU 16TH DEC

THU 9TH DEC

FRI 17TH DEC

SUN 19TH DEC

FRI 10TH DEC

DOORS OPEN 7PM - $9+BF/$12 - 18+ID

DOORS OPEN 7PM - $12+BF/$12 - 18+ID

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GRAND ATLANTICI CAN’t BELEIVE IT’s NOT HANUKAH SHOW

+WE ALL WANT TO+STRESS OF LEISURE

+THE LP’s WITHANDREW PETERSON

+Skarlet Blue+Kinoath+Fever Pitch

THE WILSON PICKERS+FOREST AFTER FIRES

PLANET FICTION+VAN DIEMEN+YOUNGSMITH

+THE RED LETTERS

Mahli Artz+Big Book Fantasy+Hello Hokkaido+The Rum Corp

THE PEEL STREET BANDEP LAUNCH

+WHEREWOLVES+DESERT GHOST+BIRD AND PREY

THH 6 ECNon Stop Block Rock

The Globe & Cherry RedChristmas Extravaganza

321 BRUNSWICK STREET MALL, FORTITUDE VALLEY

WWW.RICSBAR.COM.AU

WEDNESDAY 8 DEC

FRIDAY 10 DEC

SUNDAY 12 DEC

TUESDAY 14 DEC

THURSDAY 9 DEC

SATURDAY 11 NOV

MONDAY 13 DEC

FREE LIVE MUSIC AND INDIE DJSWANT TO PLAY? EMAIL BOOKINGS@RICSBAR.COM.AU

LE PARTI SOUL W DJ REDBEARD (8PM) +MAIN STREET BRATS

(9.30PM)+ COBWEBBS

(8.30PM)

DOWNSTAIRS: THE VAUDEVILLE SMASH (SYD) X 2 SETS (8.30PM)

+ DJ VALDIS (8-LATE)UPSTAIRS: DJ BENJAMIN BOUNCE (8-LATE) BURLESQUE FRIDAY’S

WITH LOLA THE VAMP & FRIENDS(FROM 8PM)

HIS MERRY MEN( 2 X SETS)

(9PM)

EYES OF AZURE (9.30PM)

+ UNLIKELY SUPERHEROES (8.30PM)

DOWNSTAIRS: HARD GRAPHIC

(9.30PM) + THE CLUES

(8.30PM) + DJ VALDIS (8PM)

DOWNSTAIRS: BLOODPOETS (9PM)

+ THE BRUNSWICKS (8PM) + DJ VALDIS (8PM-LATE)

UPSTAIRS: DJ CUTTS (8PM-LATE)

OUR TALONS (9.30PM)

+ GIGI ELLIOT (8.30PM)

ALHAMBRA LOUNGETh ursdayJonathan Boulet, Grace Woodroofe, Sunshine Ensemble

BIRDEE NUM NUMSundayDon’t Come Monday: Th e Delta Riggs, DJs Over Th e PoolMondayHungry Kids Of Hungary

BOWLER BARTh ursdayEraFridayDuck Duck Goose, Jimmy 2 SoxSaturdayGraz

BRISBANE ENTERTAINMENT CENTREMondayEaglesTuesdayEagles

BRISBANE POWERHOUSE TURBINE PLATFORMSaturdayWaxing Lyrical: Th e Blackwater Fever, Buff alo Brown, Th e Wilson Pickers

COOLANGATTA HOTELTh ursdayJeff Martin, Terepai, Hazel Eyes Th e DevilFridayLime Spiders, Devils Johnson, Fashion Zombies, Black MustangSundayDan England

ELEPHANT & WHEELBARROWWednesdayRob CiniTh ursdayPaul Van Den HoornFridayLocky, BerstSaturdayJabbaSundayBlock PartyTuesdayLocky

FISHERMAN’S WHARF TAVERNFridayBud (Th e Band)SundayMason Rack Band

FUSION VILLA NOOSAFridayUltra Violet

GLOBE THEATRETh ursdayTh e Wilson Pickers, Forest After Fires

FridayTh e Peel Street Band, Desert Ghost, Wherewolves, Bird And PreySaturdayGrand Atlantic, We All Want To, Th e Stress Of Leisure, Th e L.P’sSundayI Will Not Go Quietly

GREAT NORTHERN HOTEL BYRON BAYFridayElectric Horse, Engine Th ree Seven, End To ChivalrySaturdayTh e Aston Shuffl eSundayClavians, Chicks Who Love Guns

HARD ROCK CAFÉFridayTh e Delta Riggs

MIAMI TAVERNSundayVertigo

MIAMI TAVERN SHARK BARFridayOsmium, Despotic Ruin, Hate Disciple, Durumata, A Witness To Th e Slaughter

SaturdayElectric Horse, Engine Th ree Seven, End To Chivalry

QPAC CONCERT HALLFridaySpirit Of Christmas

RIC’STh ursdayHard Graphic, Th e CluesFridayTh e Vaudeville SmashMondayOur Talons, Gigi ElliotTuesdayEyes Of Azure, Unlikely Superheroes

STEP INNWednesdayDark Debauchery, Smoking Martha, Whiskey & Speed, Facepalm A PinataTh ursdayLords Of Wong, Shrewms, BMX Ray, Main Street BratsFridayJJ Speedball, L.U.S.T., Valkere, Th e F1-ElevensSaturdayLime Spiders, Screamin’ Stevie, Th e Yayas, Black Mustang

SURFERS PARADISE BEER GARDENFridayVenus EnvySaturdayVenus Envy

THE BEETLE BARFridayTh e Sunburys, PJ Weston and Th e Precious Few, Scott SparkSaturdayTh e Winnie Coopers, Mind Over Matter, Diatribe

THE HI-FITh ursdayTh e FallFridayJeff Martin, Terepai, PearSaturdayHoodoo Gurus, Th e BreakSundayReverend Horton Heat

THE JUDITH WRIGHT CENTRETh ursdayTujiko Noriko, Lawrence English, John Chantler

THE TEMPO HOTELWednesdayAbby SkyeTh ursdayRokeby Venus, Th e Wind Up DollsFridayStifl er’s Mum, Th ird DegreeSaturdayMick Danby, Cover StorySundaySunday Session: Blind LemonTuesdayEscalate, Attention Passengers, Mofo Is Dead, A Family Of Strangers

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THE TIVOLISaturdayHappy 35th Birthday 4ZZZ: Ozi Batla, Last Dinosaurs, Dz, Laneous & Th e Family Yah, Oh Ye Denver Birds, Pastel BlazeTuesdayTegan & Sara

THE ZOOTh ursdayGirls, Th e Honey MonthFridayJebediah, Th e Novocaines, Dan ParsonsSaturdayHot Water Music, Th e Bouncing Souls, Dave Hause, Headaches

VERVE CAFEFridayDJ CraigSaturdayDJ Moses

VINYL BAR, THE HI-FIWednesdayNanna Night Wednesdays: Montpelier

WOODLANDFridayMother and SonSaturdayGold Field

X & Y BARSaturdayJoel Myles, Th ousand Needles In Red

PERSONAL BEST RECORDS

BEST RECORD YOU STOLE FROM YOUR FOLKS’ COLLECTION? Th ere were so many – my parents’ records were kept in order standing up in rows that covered most of our loungeroom: they’re easier to fl ick through that way as opposed to reading the spine. I was starting out on guitar and into the blues and there was this album by Eddie Boyd which he recorded with John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers (the Peter Green years) while he was in the UK. Th at’s something I still love to play.

FIRST RECORD YOU BOUGHT?Probably Hits Of ’86 on LP. Bit of Lionel Richie, Simple Minds, Dionne Warwick, Robert

Palmer etc. It’s probably sitting in a Salvo’s store somewhere.

RECORD YOU PUT ON WHEN YOU’RE REALLY MISERABLE?Solomon Burke’s Don’t Give Up on Me or any Bill Evans album – he’s my favourite late night, feeling low musician. What a piano player – so tasty.

RECORD YOU PUT ON WHEN YOU BRING SOMEONE HOME?Th e Necks’ Sex. About an hour of a hypnotic, repetitive, simple bass riff with Tony Buck’s constant percussion and Chris Abraham’s imaginative piano – I’m usually asleep after a few minutes though!

MOST SURPRISING RECORD IN YOUR COLLECTION?People that know me wouldn’t be surprised by any of them but maybe the fi rst NERD record? I didn’t like the single but that song Am I High sounds like Th e Beach Boys in a modern R’n’B context – Pharrell Williams is such a great producer.

LAST THING YOU BOUGHT/DOWNLOADED?Th e last thing I bought physically was Ry Cooder’s fi rst album from Egg Records in town. Th e last iTunes download was Brian Eno’s new album. Th e Ry Cooder album is getting more play than Brian.

Th e Wilson Pickers play Th e Globe Th eatre on Th ursday Dec 9

with DANNY WIDDICOMBE from THE WILSON PICKERS

43

“Some of the songs are very band-oriented and some are more studio rat-oriented – that’s what I call myself, ‘Studio Rat’! The more laboratory aspect of things I still love of course and a lot of what I do is born that way. There’s an instrumental on the record called Slow Baby – that’s obviously sample-driven and rhythm box-driven but there’s also a lot of vitality in the topping, the guitar playing.”

Sitting over a rhythm section informed by not only dub reggae but also enough jazz and funk to keep the groove interesting, Lanois’ guitar sounds are typically cinematic and yet edgy.

“That’s a combination really. Some of the sounds are more straight up and guttural, like you hear on Slow Baby – there’s not a lot of trickery with those – and then I’m fascinated by this new dub technique that I’ve invented. That’s where the name Black Dub came from and it’s a technique where I extract from already existing ingredients in the recording, work on the sounds and spin them back in to the appropriate places, and that’s most evident on the track Where Love Lives. I don’t know where a sound will come and it’s directly related to one of the components already in the music but it jumps out as a surprise. Sometimes I apply voltage control oscillators to that, which gives it a human voice sound. It’s something I’ve been working on for years and I think the Black Dub record shows it off a bit and I also recently made a Neil Young record and that really displays that technique in a big way.”

That Neil Young record is his latest solo album, Le Noise, which was recorded in Lanois’ home in the Silverlake

THE RAT RACETHE RAT RACETHE CAVERNOUS LOW ANTHEMRecording in unlikely places seems to have become the thing to do in order to fi nd a new sound. The latest example is American indie folk band The Low

Anthem who, after surveying dozens of spaces, took their portable recording studio into a cavernous, vacant pasta sauce factory in Central Falls in their home state Rhode Island to record, over 40 days and nights, their forthcoming album, Smart Flesh, with additional tracking done in a Providence, Rhode Island garage. While the four multi-instrumentalists that make up The Low Anthem took care of producing the album, it was mixed in Omaha, Nebraska by Mike

Mogis, whose credits include Bright Eyes, of which he is a member, and Monsters Of Folk, at his Presto!

Recording Studios, with additional mixing done by engineer Jesse Lauter, who helped the band set up their studio in a pasta sauce factory, in New York. As band member Ben Knox Miller explains in the offi cial press release, they were looking at the space in which they were recording to effectively be “the main instrument for the whole record. We were able to experiment with new recording techniques to capture the sound at different distances. Mics 100, even 200 feet away caught the sound barrelling across the room.” The album will be released end of February.

SHURE NOW BETARenowned for its solid live vocal performance microphones, Shure has just released four new instrument mics in its Beta range, distributed in Australia by Jands. The Beta 91A has been designed specifi cally with the bass or kick drum in mind. Using a half-cardioid condenser boundary mic with an integrated XLR preamp, it’s tailored for a strong low-end response. There’s a two-position contour switch for optimising the sound signature and can also be used for other low frequency applications, like piano. The Beta 98A/C is a high-output miniature cardioid condenser mic ideal for a variety of instruments where warm, natural sound reproduction is essential, like percussion, piano, reed, wind and string instruments. The Beta 98AD/C similarly uses a miniature cardioid condenser mic that uses an extremely uniform cardioid polar patter that provides excellent gain-before-feedback and off-axis rejection of unwanted noise, so is ideal for toms, snare drum and percussion, while the Beta

181 is an ultra compact, small diaphragm side-address condenser mic with four interchangeable capsules that offer different polar positions thus allowing discreet placement and versatility in tight conditions, a multi-purpose mic that can be used right across the board from guitars to bass to drums.

READ ABOUT RUBINIf there’s a producer who refuses to allow himself to get pinned down to a particular genre, it’s the multi-Grammy Award-winning Rick Rubin, whose name appears there right up front on the new album, Illuminations, from American classical pop phenomenon Josh Groban. From DJing with the Beastie Boys and cofounding Def Jam Records to producing metal giants Danzig, Slayer and Metallica through funksters Red Hot Chili Peppers to setting up American Recordings and reviving the careers of Johnny Cash and Neil Diamond, he’s even produced Shakira and The Dixie Chicks. So it’s well worth seeking out Rick Rubin: In The Studio (ECW Press), a comprehensive look at the art and craft of the producer by Nashville-based rock biographer Jake Brown, chock full of behind the scenes stories on the making of some of these albums.

SOUND BYTESGerman-born grand-nephew of the legendary Django, Lulo Reinhardt recorded his latest album, Katoomba Birds, with his Australian-based Latin Swing Project at INRok Studios in Sydney, co-producing it with the band’s pianist Sean Mackenzie and recording engineer Christopher Soulos, who also mixed it with Noel Elmowy, who himself mastered the disc inhouse with Keith Williams.

Melbourne’s The Resignators took themselves off to Montreal, Canada to record their latest album, See You In Hell, with Canadian label Stomp Records producer Alex Giguère (The Beatdown).

Featuring members of Karnivool, Cog and Scary Mother, the Sydney-based Floating

Me have cut an as-yet-untitled debut album with producer Forrester Savell (The Butterfl y Effect, Karnivool, Dead Letter Circus).

Meanwhile, The Waifs, who are all basically living in the US fulltime these days, spent ten days in a basement in Minneapolis recording their sixth album, Temptation, due for release in March.

Also due for release in March is the eponymous debut album from Adalita, recorded at Melbourne’s Head Gap Studios and co-produced by her former Magic Dirt offsider, the late Dean Turner.

area of Los Angeles. As it happens, Lanois has recently opened a new studio, The Temple, at Roncesvalles in Toronto. While Lanois describes the Young album as “a man on a stool [playing acoustic and electric guitars] and me doing a nice job on the recording,” it’s those trademark sonic textures that sets it apart.

“I hit on this technique years ago, and I use boxes – old boxes and new boxes – they’re really just sampling devices. You can think of it like, you’ve made a beautiful suit – now you’ve got to put on the pockets. So you take from an already existing motif and maybe blow it up eight times in size and then the pocket goes on and it’s clearly a different expression – genetically associated but not identical at fi rst glance.”

I couldn’t of course let Lanois go, despite getting the windup from the operator, without a quick question about his working with U2. “Oh yeah, the Dublin boys! I think about them every day. They’re like family to me so I always think, ‘What’s Larry Mullen gonna think of this beat?’ The Unforgettable Fire and The Joshua Tree, that whole period in the 80s it was pretty much nose to the grindstone and I had no social life. Those records are quite deep and profound I think, largely I think because of the concentration we had in those days. I can only take so much responsibility – those guys are a force. It was nice to be with them and we kind of grew up together in the studio.”

BEHIND THE LINESWITH MICHAEL SMITHBTL@STREETPRESS.COM.AU

IBANEZ RGA7At last a worthy adversary has stepped into the hallowed halls of the metal coliseum. Should you be thinking of burying blues and roots in your backyard then may I suggest picking up one of these bad boys. The Ibanez RGA7 is certainly designed for those who like to heighten the BPM. With seven strings of bone-crunching madness the Ibanez RGA7 alleviates the playing of your stock standard metal tunes, obviously having the ability to tremendously shift a wide of variety of tunings. From your standard drop D, all the way down to the likes of your drop B tunings so you can roll with your buddies from Korn and Slipknot.

The Ibanez RGA7 itself is a pleasure to look at, featuring a mahogany body with a bound rosewood fretboard, a thin wizard 11-7 neck and a pearl dot inlay with jumbo frets, the thickness of the fi rst fret is around 19mm and the 12th fret comes in at about 21mm and with the all-round neck radius being clocked at about 400mm, it makes shredding through scales and dive-bombs that little more accessible to your all-round player.

Featuring a LZ7-B bridge pickup and also a LZ7-N neck pick up, both include ceramic magnets and low noise/high power seven-string active pickups, which both can be altered between the three-way pickup switching system. A device you’d be happy to see in

your collection, based not only on the style which it accommodates and suites, but the dollar value attached to the Ibanez RGA7 is very honest and affordable at just under $1,300. Naturally there’s a little extra on top for the case is defi nitely a must; don’t want to send this baby out to war unprepared now do we? And it would seem that wielding this axe is akin to going to fi gurative war as it knocks many cheap imitations out of the water. Reach way back in to your closet and grab out that pair of leather pants that you never thought you would have a reason to wear again and strap on that headband because with something as beautiful as this in your arms, you have to looking the goods.

Raymond Barnfeld

For stockists head to ibanezguitarcentre.

com.au. Guitar supplied by Allans Music

+ Billy Hyde, allansmusic.com.au.

MOOG ETHERWAVE THEREMINSo the fi rst thought here is to analyse how this feels. If you caught the Lou Reed-curated Vivid Live at Sydney Opera House earlier this year, you’ll be familiar with the masterful Theremin playing of The Night Tremors’ Miles Brown. This whole device feeds off hand movements through the signal radius, essentially achieved by movements akin to traditional conducting. So for the uniformed, let us begin by scratching our heads.

GEAR REVIEWSGEAR REVIEWSA tough one indeed this was also very intriguing as the technique is certainly a form of art. The Moog comes encased in a nice solid wooden body, all with a nice fi nish that gives it an old fashion look. From there it is certainly easy to get up and running, a simple extra low voltage adaptor with an input around 230-240v. Screw in the antennas into either side of the Moog, route it to you speakers or amplifi er and you are ready to rock’n’roll, conduct, bust a move or whatever the case may be. Armed with a variety of manipulating features such as the pitch shifter, waveform adjustment, brightness control and, of course, volume control they’re all easily accessible by turning the knobs located on the front on the devise.

An interesting point to this device you can control a lot of the volume with the movements of your left hand, and from Time Off ’s experience the right hand controls the pitch of your tone, and the left hand controls the tone volume itself. A lot of time is required to really hone in on this piece of equipment’s potential, that is probably best suited to experimental adventures, although could be utilised in either the rock or dance spheres if used intelligently.

The points when you feel like you’re conducting in the privacy of your own home and with all matter of bravado are beautifully satisfying. That and it’s a great instrument to have while people are around as a party trick, watching somebody trying to get their head around this wonderful piece of machinery is outstandingly fun.

At the end of the day, the Theremin is not an essential instrument, but one that can be superimposed upon a variety of situations. Much like the early – screeching – stage of violin, it demands a fair amount of time and dedication to learning its craft. That said, for $550 there’s plenty of laughs to be had on the journey towards Brown’s level of competence.

Raymond Barnfeld

Supplied by Allans Music+ Billy Hyde.

64

BROUGHT TO YOU BYBEHIND THE LINES

Talking on his latest solo album Black Dub, producer extraordinaire and “studio rat” DANIEL LANOIS also tells MICHAEL SMITH of his time spent with Neil Young and U2.

Canadian-born Daniel Lanois was an aspiring singer, songwriter and guitarist when he set up his fi rst studio in the basement of his mother’s

house with his brother Bob. From there, he set up Grant Avenue Studios in an old house in Hamilton, Ontario where he produced two albums for Martha & The Muffi ns, after his sister, who joined the band as bass player, introduced him. It was through these that Brian Eno picked up on Lanois’ potential and called him in to collaborate on the track, Dunwich Beach, on his 1982 Ambient 4: On Land album. Within two years, Lanois and Eno were co-producing U2’s The Unforgettable Fire and in 1987, The Joshua Tree. Lanois has gone on to work with artists as diverse as Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Emmylou Harris and Peter Gabriel, but since 1989, when he released his own debut album, Acadie, Lanois has also re-established himself as an artist. His most recent album, Black Dub, is a collaborative project with singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Trixie Whitley, Belgian-born daughter of the late American alt.country artist Chris Whitley, the four-piece fi lled out by rhythm section Daryl Johnson on bass and Brian Blade on drums.

“It was pretty much live off the fl oor,” Lanois, on the line from a café in Montreal, explains, the quiet grin palpable in his voice. “It’s reassuring when you can get them that way. It means you’ve got a pretty good band there to play with. Even though the tracks were recorded all over the world because I’m a bit of a troubadour and vagabond when it comes to recording – I’ve always got something in the trunk of the car! – the vocals were done in Toronto and Los Angeles, and quite quickly: Trixie’s a fi rst-taker.”

Lanois ran into Whitley a couple of years ago at a festival in Belgium he was playing as a two-piece with Blade. A family friend – he’d played guitar on Chris Whitley’s 1991 Living With The Law album – she presented him with a CD of her own music that impressed Lanois enough to invite her along to do a session. Her ability and soulfulness became the fi nal component for a project he had in mind.

“I’ve always had a dream to make very rhythmic music, so this is my segue into a more groove-based music. I’ve always liked the Jamaican dub culture – in fact I’ve been a resident of Jamaica for 15 years – and I love the forefathers of dub: Lee Scratch Perry and others. I’ve always liked the minimal display but with rock and soul underneath of it all.

Black Dub is out on Jive/Sony Music.

Some of the songs are very band-oriented and some areore studio rat-oriented – that’s what I call myself, ‘Studio at’! The more laboratory aspect of things I still love of ourse and a lot of what I do is born that way. There’s n instrumental on the record called Slow Baby – that’s ybviously sample-driven and rhythm box-driven but there’s so a lot of vitality in the topping, the guitar playing.”

tting over a rhythm section informed by not nly dub reggae but also enough jazz and funk

area of opened in Toronas “a mguitars]those tr

“I hit onboxes adevices

BLACK DUB RECORDING (FROM L-R): TRIXIE WHITLEY, DANIEL LANOIS, DARYL JOHNSON AND BRIAN BLAD

For a limited time. Free online and print classifieds Book now, visit iflog.com.au

EMPLOYMENT

ADMINISTRATION

Guitarist, wanted to join established Brisbane based band playing original electro groove rock, pop and soul type tunes.. CD in production with record-ing available, video shot and mixes by US and European and Oz producers. Band has management and gigs.

iFlogID: 9710

NOT AVAILABLE FOR FREE ADS. CL

Bass Player needed for originals elec-tro rock, pop and soul established AV band. Recording in production and southern management. Share stage with dynamic diva, swampy guitar synth and power drums/mc. Email links for links. Great tunes.

iFlogID: 9969

NOT AVAILABLE FOR FREE ADS. CL

Keys Player/Composer to join estab-lished band, good original repertoire recorded & in production. Can con-tribute to that & next album. Electro rock/pop/soulful sound, dynamic diva & emcee. Video shot & a track mixed US due out soon plus gigs & management

iFlogID: 9846

URBAN HUMM STUDIO, WEST END.

Rehearsal Rooms, Recording Studio & P.A. Hire.Off street undercover parking, fl at loading, aircond., P.A. provided. Open 6.00pm to 11.00pm. Weekend and day slots available.Per-manent weekly spots available.Phone Andy. 0411632023

iFlogID: 9153

CALL CENTRE/CUST. SERVICE

Telemarketer required with music industry experience by Sydney based established music production company. Possible work from home, if more suitable. Hourly rate plus commission neg. Please email your details for an appointment. leon@oriium.com.au

iFlogID: 9367

ENTERTAINMENT

Australia’s leading online employ-ment and news website dedicated to backstage. The website is free to search and join with out any hassles of membership fees. www.back-stagejobs.com.au

iFlogID: 9953

TRADES & SERVICES

In January 2011 Pine Rivers Park hosts the annual ‘Raggamuffi n’ Fes-tival. This new venue allows an area exclusively for stall holders to sell their products. The capcity of 20,000 opens a great opportunity to expand clientele. More information info@qlive.com.au

iFlogID: 9540

FOR SALE

AMPS

David Eden 4x10 XLT, 700 watt 8 ohm version. In good condition, sounds amazing never pushed as it was so loud $900 0402265768

iFlogID: 9984

Fender Super Reverb. 1969 Vintage 4 x 12” combo. Minor cosmetic damage. Great amp. $2895 or near offer. Call Frank 0434 686 755 or 02 9740 8333.

iFlogID: 9809

Fender twin reverb combo amplifi er, later 70’s. reverb and tremolo. 100+ watts. silver face with foot switch, on casters. All original including the valves no tears anywhere. excellent condition. $2100. Contact brendon at email mccarrison@aapt.net.au

iFlogID: 9421

Line 6 Flextone 2 combo. 2 x 12” speakers. Good condition with full pedal board. sell $795 or near offer. Call Frank on 0434 686 755 or 02 9740 8333.

iFlogID: 9805

Markbass Studio Pre500 amp. Top of the line unit, used on 3 sessions, still under Warranty. Retail $4395...Sell $2500 o.n.o. Call Frank 0434 686 755 or 02 9740 8333

iFlogID: 9803

Marshall 2x12 cab up for sale! 2x 65watt celestion speakers both brand new, 4 screw in wheels carry handles , great quality , $350 or best offer,so if your interested call us on 0435510600

iFlogID: 9915

PEAVEY BANDIT 11 80 watt 12” combo guitar amp.USA made.2 chan-nel footswitchable.reverb,saturation etc. great fat tones.VGC.$350 Ph. 0428744963.cooroy.

iFlogID: 9913

RNC 1773 Really Nice Compressor. Amazing little stereo compressor. Awesome for home recording. Bought it & never used it, it’s as new, still in the box. Regretfully selling all my recording gear. My pain is your gain. Paid $400, sell $275!

iFlogID: 9558

Trace Elliot Speed Twin all valve 100w head/guitar amp - boutique top of the line, triple channel, pentode/triode switchable, high gain, footswitch-able, effects loop, speaker dampen-ing - the British mesa boogie! Super versatile. Excellent cond. Paid $2000, sell $950!

iFlogID: 9560

Trace Elliot V8 Bass Amp, very rare made in the UK edition, 400 watt all tube bass head. In perfect condition, only ever used in half power, and not used in 2 years, $3000 0402267568

iFlogID: 9982

BASS

Ernieball Musicman Stingray 4 Blue Dawn (LTD Colour), PC, 1 owner since new, used as backup, played maybe 100 times, $2000, 0402265768

iFlogID: 9980

Gibson Thunderbird IV 2004 Sunburst, GC, has been gigged however, well taken care of. Hasn’t been played since 2008.

iFlogID: 9976

Warwick Streamer II 5 String Bass Guitar. As made famous by Dirk Lance of Incubus. As new condition.

iFlogID: 9774

DRUMS

8,10,12,14,16” rack toms, 4x13 snare, 22” bass. Electric Blue. PLUS

six Dixon double braced stands. PLUS Janus hihat/dble bass pedal. Eve-rything powder coated black! PLUS cases for all drums. Everything in excellent cond. $5950

iFlogID: 9929

NOT AVAILABLE FOR FREE ADS. CL

Roland TD9 Electronic drumkit. All mesh pads, Pearl pedal and stool, active coaxial monitor speaker, headphones. Hardly used in excellent condition. Over $5k worth gear, sell for $3,200.

iFlogID: 9960

Win a Pearl Forum drum kit with cymbals. Drummers Paradise are cel-ebrating their 21st birthday by giving away a Pearl Black Forum 5 piece kit with cymbals. Just go to www.drum-mersparadise.com.au to enter. Prize is Drawn Dec 21st a noon.

iFlogID: 9939

GUITARS

Brand new Maton M225 acoustic guitar in unopened plastic wrapping. Outer cardbox packaging opened for inspection. Year manufactured: 2009. $550 Pickup location: Brisbane CBD

iFlogID: 10026

Epiphone LP Special (Vintage Sun-burst)plus Epiphone 10 watt practise amp - both in as new condition.Top beginner kit - $385.00

iFlogID: 9974

FENDER STANDARD STRATOCASTER

Brand New Fender standard Stra-tocaster.(Mexico) Updated model including new tinted neck. Different colour options available. Package includes Guitar, gig bag and stand. RRP $1100 Logans Price $756 Heaps

of other Fender bargains instore. Logans Music (02) 9744 2400 www.loganspianos.com.au AUTHORISED FENDER DEALER

iFlogID: 6618

FENDER SRATOCASTER. PINK PAISLEY. genuine early 80’s.with hardcase.all origional.plays great.beautiful tone and sustain.very rare.suit collector. exellent condition. $2500. Ph 0428744963

iFlogID: 9815

FENDER STRATOCASTER DAN SMITH 1982. RARE MOCHA BROWN. ORIGI-NAL BODY AND PARTS. IN FENDER CASE. EXCELLENT CONDITION. CALL 0432 224 799. FOR MORE INFO.

iFlogID: 9895

GIBSON SG STANDARD LEFTY

Brand New Gibson SG Standard Lefthanded guitar. Heritage chrery fi nish including Gibson hard case. Logans Price $1999 WOW! (right-handed also available!) Logans Music Burwood (02)97442400 www.loganspianos.com.au AUTHORISED GIBSON DEALER

iFlogID: 6614

Lowden acoustic guitar. Made in Ireland 2003. Model 032C cutaway. Rosewood back and sides, sitka spruce top. Abalone inlays. Hiscox case. Mint unused condition suit new buyer $3500. Ph Brendon on mobile 0417644600.

iFlogID: 9423

MATON accoustic steel string 3/4 guitar.model F 11.dated 10/73.no 1591. all australian timbers.good ori-gional condition.suit collector.$500. Ph 0428744963. Cooroy

iFlogID: 9811

GUITAR AMPLITUBE IRIG

AmpliTube iRig. Plug your guitar into your iPhone/iPod touch/iPad and jam anywhere with world class guitar and bass tone right in the palm of your hand - from the leader in studio-class guitar and bass software. Simply plug the iRig interface into your mobile device, plug your instrument into the appropriate input jack, plug in your headphones, amp or powered speakers, download AmpliTube for iPhone Free and start rocking! You’ll have at your fi ngertips the sound and control of 3 recombinable simultane-ous stompbox effects + amplifi er + cabinet + microphone just like a tra-ditional guitar or bass stage rig! Add amps and effects as you need them — you can expand your rig with up to 11 stomps, 5 amps, 5 cabinets and 2 microphones in the AmpliTube iRig app custom shop. ONLY $59.99 UNBEATABLE Logans Music (02)9744 2400 www.loganspianos.com.au

iFlogID: 6545

TASCAM 8 track digital studio recorder. 2 mike and line inputs, record 8 tracks mix down profession-ally and burn to cd in one unit. Perfect condition used only a handful of times $750.00 call on 0419 705 169

iFlogID: 9986

Tobacco Burst 1974 USA Gibson SG Looks it’s age if your into that relic rock’n’roll been around the traps look. Sounds amazing. A real charac-ter & a reluctant sale. Recently had professional setup & comes with it’s original hard case.

iFlogID: 9430

MIXERS

Mackie Onyx 1620 analog mixer w/ SKB Mighty Gig Rig on wheels (Com-plete mobile PA / recording system can be racked in this rig). 8 preamps w/ direct recording out.

iFlogID: 9850

Sell Control Surface Digidesign Con-trol 24 (Focusrite) in excellent condi-tion, $5000. Selling because moving overseas. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions and in order to discuss the price.

iFlogID: 9736

OTHER

Avalon 737SP micpre/compressor/equaliser Amazing Class A profes-sional quality recording strip, used by studios everywhere. Hardly used! Very regretful sale. Perfect cond. RRP $3400, selling $1800!

iFlogID: 9562

BURLESQUE & DRAG EYELASHES

Petticoats & Gallantry has launched a new range of exclusive, boutique handmade & decorated false eye-lashes perfect for going out. With a mix of over-the-top dramatic lashes suitable for Performances, Burlesque, Drag and even just for a special night out, you’re sure to fi nd some one-of-a-kind false eyelashes to wear. Each pair is customised and decorated by hand in a variety of themes, and com-mission orders are very welcome. www.petticoatsandgallantry.com.au Look for us on facebook for exclusive promotions.

iFlogID: 6658

Joe Meek Twin Q recording strip. Mic pre/compressor/limiter/equaliser stereo/twin channel recording strip, barely used, perfect condition. Adds awesome vintage mojo to record-ings. Sounds fantastic. I’m selling all my recording gear. I paid $1450, sell $750!

iFlogID: 9566

Quested F11.. 2 way active near fi eld monitors. Pro grade quality. Good Condition. $1395 or near offer. Call Frank 0434 686 755 or 02 9740 833.

iFlogID: 9813

Vintage 1960’s “Optro” 305 com-pressor limiter. Vintage & classic 2RU broadcast transformer balanced opto compressor/limiter, in great working condition. Great vintage mojo. As used by Festival, ABC and Metropolis studios. Bargain! Sell for $675!

iFlogID: 9564

XIO NOVATION SYNTH FOR SALE NEVER LEFT BEDROOM STILL GOT BOX $300 NO LESS A SYNTH/SOUND-CARD/AND/MIDI CONTROLLER CITY LOCATION 0404221049/MARK

iFlogID: 9777

PA EQUIPMENT

BSSound PA & Lights SALE Grays Online Auction: 2 to 8 December. Inspection day Tuesday 7 December. 150 Lots of brand-name micro-phones, speakers, effects, amps, mixers, road-cases and lights. www.bssound.com.au/sale.htm www.graysonline.com/sale/67713 Mark Barry on 0419 993 966

iFlogID: 9651

CARVER U.S.A Twin 900 watt split mono power amp with Bose control-ler/pre amp. rack mount style.in cov-ered case.will run 4 speakers each side.total 1800 watts.LOUD! VGC $750 lot.Ph.0428744963 cooroy

iFlogID: 9308

PA speakers - EAW KF-550 powerful and large PA speakers (2x). 2x15” 1x12” 1xhorn horizontally oriented. Three-way. Includes stands. Make an offer! Call or email for specs, or visit http://bit.ly/kf-550. jeremy@theben-nett.org or 0400 404 919.

iFlogID: 9936

MUSIC SERVICES

BAND MERCHANDISE

NOT AVAILABLE FOR FREE ADS. CL

- PRO QUALITY BACKING TRACKS! - MIDI or MP3 - Any song you want - Send me the song today, Get the MIDI fi le the next day! - $25 for MIDI / $35 for mp3 - EMAIL: vangelis2133@yahoo.com PHONE: 0449672435

iFlogID: 9706

65

For a limited time. Free online and print classifieds Book now, visit iflog.com.au

BOOKING AGENTS

Gig Launch has heaps of opportuni-ties for artists in Australia and around the world. We’re always on the hunt for new artists, so head over to www.giglaunch.com.au and get submit-ting! Go Aussie, Go Gig Launch

iFlogID: 9386

Gig Launch is Australia’s fi rst online booking agency. Gig on a Japanese Boat for 6 months at AU$3000 per month, Submit your music to feature fi lms, Play at any of the Scorcherfest festivals and Apollo Bay! Just head to www.giglaunch.com.au

iFlogID: 10004

SnakeEyeProductions offers EPK’s also know as electronic press kits, they work as a bio/show reel, to promote your band to bookers/promoters/labels and venues. PH- 0416120639

iFlogID: 9588

DUPLICATION/MASTERING

Deluxe Mastering: Melbourne’s pre-mier mastering specialists for CD, vinyl and online release. Service-focused, relaxed atmosphere, dec-ades of experience in all genres, custom analogue signal path. No-obligation quotes & mix evaluations. See website for credits. w: www.deluxemastering.com.au e: adam@deluxemastering.com

iFlogID: 9854

EP RELEASE

EVERY SONG - RADIO READY! SPE-CIAL PRICE avail for singer/song-writers until end of January 2011...Have 5 songs produced, mixed & mastered for ONLY $499 per track!!! Email info@nathaneshman.com for more details as conditions apply. Visit www.nathaneshman.com for audio examples

iFlogID: 9963

HIRE SERVICES

For as low as $100, you get a profes-sional PA system with a sound mixer with operator. Suitable for weddings, pub/club band gigs, private parties etc. infovision@yayabings.com.au Contact Chris 0419 272 196

iFlogID: 9834

INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNISED PRODUCER! Credits include: Marcia Hines, Candice Alley, Ex-Toto front-man Fergie Frederikson. Have every song produced at radio standard...under every budget. Visit www.nathaneshman.com, email info@nathaneshman.com or call 0403 498 103 for package prices...from demos, to singles and full albums.

iFlogID: 9965

MANAGEMENT

MINSTREL MANAGEMENT Need help with your music career? We provide the best in Recording, Mastering, Tours, Promotion, Publicity, Solicita-tion, Merchandise, Music Video’s, Photography, International Licensing, Direct to fan Marketing campaigns. WANT TO TAKE YOUR ACT TO THE NEXT LEVEL? www.minstrelmanage-ment.com

iFlogID: 9681

OTHER

Commercial Radio Airplay, get your songs on Radio! Interested? contact andy@zfmcountrywide.com

iFlogID: 9406

free iphone and nokia apps Radio Bondi

iFlogID: 9548

Free Radio Bondi Fm Iphone app, visit the app store, search for radio bondi, download free app, enjoy!

iFlogID: 9408

Heavy Metal Community iFlogID: 9594

Heavy Metal Music Community. Upload And Promote Your Metal Music Online Free. Create your own band page. Heavy Metal, Black, Thrash, Death Metal, Hardcore, Gothic, Grindcore and many more. Australian owned. Join now! www.onlyheavymetal.com

iFlogID: 10031

SELL YOUR BANDS C.D’S ONLINE!!!! www.rocknpops.com/unsigned-moozik

iFlogID: 9373

SIGNUP FREE! SONGUPLOAD FREE!

RockCraze.com is a Musicians Social Networking Portal. We created an opportunity for Musicians, Song Writers. Bands and DJ’s to not only keep close ties with their fan-base but to also sell your own music on RockCraze.com Share your works on RockCraze with all the other SNS’s like Twitter, Facebook, Myspace including many others.

iFlogID: 9972

www.ozjam.com.au is free to join, and with over 4500 members its fast becoming the largest online music community in Australia! If your look-ing to join or form a band, fi nd a band member, or get exposure check Ozjam out today!

iFlogID: 9941

PA / AUDIO / ENGINEERING

PA/OPERATOR FOR HIRE For as low as $100, you get a PA system with a sound mixer, complete with a human operator as well to set it up for you for the evening. Contact Chris 0419 272 196.

iFlogID: 7415

RECORDING STUDIOS

Bedlam’s intimate two room studio is fully equipped with the latest in pro audio and provides a landscape for creative brilliance. Bedlam offers a wide variety of tracking, production and mixing solutions to cater from demos to complete releases

iFlogID: 10010

SINGER/SONGWRITERS have a home studio and require a producer to help polish your tracks? High-end record-ing studio with the convenience and universal application of the Internet.World class session musicians work with you every step of the way- more information www.rockethousepro-ductions.com

iFlogID: 9842

Studio Recording and musician serv-ices.

iFlogID: 9862

REPAIRS

MIKES GUITAR GARAGE GUITAR REPAIRS & SETUPS www.mikesgui-targarage.com (02)95862486. We are passionate about Guitar Repairs. From simple restrings, complete setups, repairing broken headstocks or installing pickups, we can do ANY-THING! We can get your favourite axe sounding and playing better!

iFlogID: 9578

ROCKIN REPAIRS - GUITAR TECH RESTRINGS-SETUPS-UPGRADES-REPAIRS Do you live to play? Whether you’ve bought a new guitar or a favourite is feeling faded, we’ll rejuve-nate it! We work hard to give you the feel/sound you want! 0405253417 tara@rockinrepairs.com www.rock-inrepairs.com

iFlogID: 9340

TUITION

GUITAR LESSONS! Luke has been at the forefront of the Australian Music Industry for the past 10 years. Sign-ing to 4 record labels, sharing man-agement with Matchbox 20, playing National arena’s, and writing songs with Eskimo Joe. Call: 0400077901

iFlogID: 9679

SINGING LESSONS Certifi ed Speech Level Singing (SLS) Instructor. Learn the Technique of over 120 Grammy award winners. Extend your Range. No more Breaks/Flips. Develop Strength. All Styles. Eastern Suburbs. www.myspace.com / mazvocalstudio - Contact Maz: maz@mazmazak.com

iFlogID: 9795

VIDEO / PRODUCTION

SnakeEyeProductions specializes in live gig fi lm clips for your website or myspace. Filming in HD with broad-cast quality equipment, we edit clips and provide DVD transfers/author-ing and uploads. Great way to make your music stand out from the rest. ph-0416120639

iFlogID: 9584

MUSICIANS AVAILABLE

DRUMMER

I am looking to join a funk/R&B/soul cover or originals band. I’m 33, played for 20 years, and have own equipment. Tony 0437 725 521

iFlogID: 9643

Pro level drummer with good vocal ability available for gigs, sessions, tours etc. Good gear, good attitude, own transport. Can play many styles, specialising in Rock and Funk. Based on the Sunshine Coast. Call Paolo on 0404054743

iFlogID: 10012

GUITARIST

Pro guitarist / singer available iFlogID: 10022

17 yr/o guitarist been playing 5yrs keen to join a hard rock/metal band, no scremo, death core bullshit, real metal, infl uences megadeth,maiden,priest,guns n roses etc... interested? call 0435510600

iFlogID: 9645

Credits: Marcia Hines, Candice Alley & Fergie Frederikson (ex-Toto)... Nathan Eshman is available for online guitar sessions. Email him your guide tracks & you’ll receive tracks recorded in a pro studio without leaving home. Contact info@nathaneshman.com or visit www.nathaneshman.com ANY BUDGET!

iFlogID: 9967

Experienced Guitarist looking for good Sydney Cover Band. At 23 I have been playing for over 10 years, have 4 years professional touring experience, Pro Gear (Fender, Gibson, endorsed by Mesa/Boogie). Email anthony at anthony320chmiel@hot-mail.com No Time wasters please.

iFlogID: 9720

Lead guitarist looking to form/join a heavy metal band,on the central coast. Infl uences: Mercy-ful Fate, Judas Priest, Metallica,Iron maiden,Kalmah,Dethklok - Blake 0403138542

iFlogID: 9836

SESSION GUITARIST available to play on your next track remotely via the internet. Great quality tracks with-out the expenses of studio time and travel. Perfect for producers/song-writers Excellent equipment,tone and touch, 20 years experience. For examples further information- www.rockethouseproductions.com

iFlogID: 9844

OTHER

Specialising in High Energy Funk and Afro- Cuban styles. If you want fi re and professional energy to your per-formance, then call Simon 0415 138 589. Paid gigs only

iFlogID: 9614

SINGER

Guy (26) with singing in his blood. Need music in my life.I’ll give my all and be myself.Defi nitely a performer/frontman. Got lots of energy, inspira-tion and can write lyrics.I believe that the right band will fi nd me.

iFlogID: 9882

MUSICIANS WANTED

BASS PLAYER

Bass player , experienced for origi-nal trio

iFlogID: 10016

Double Bass to play swing, blues, rock n roll. Vocal ability a plus. Regu-lar work. Vini & The Moonlighters - vatm.com.au

iFlogID: 9542

Female bass player wanted for Bris-bane rock dance band. Must be 18 - 35 years, photogenic, reliable. Inf: RHCP, RATM, P!nk, Suzi Quatro, Alanis Morrissette and more. Ph: 0437 428 859 or 3267 6789.

iFlogID: 9932

Next Exit are looking for a Bass player that can drive any bass-line. We are a rock coverband. Professional attitude a must. Call Peter 0412669292

iFlogID: 9893

NTL. TOURING GRP WITH AGENCY & UK/US DEAL W/AU DISTRO NEEDING BASSIST NOW! ‘ROCK N ROLL/INDIE/NEW WAVE’ - MUSICALLY PROFI-

CIENT, MANY GENRES AS BONUS. DO NOT CONTACT IF U NO PLAYING WEB (must have myspace etc.) - newplay-ing@live.com

iFlogID: 9880

Wanted: bass player/vocalist 25-35 for working 60s-00s covers band. Some experience and good song repertoire preferred. Shows booked early 2011.

iFlogID: 9612

DRUMMER

8 piece soul, reggae and funk style band in Marrickville, Sydney looking for a drummer who can be ready to gig in 8 weeks! Rehearsals 11-3pm every Sunday in St Peters, please contact us if you are interested, jon@low-gear.com

iFlogID: 9631

Drummer experience required iFlogID: 10018

Drummer needed for indie rock band. Infl uences: early KOL, Bloc Party, Radiohead. myspace/tierraoutlaws. Contact Andrew 0408255644

iFlogID: 9927

Drummer wanted for original music project, currently an acoustic solo act but I want to develop it into new sound with a new band; www.james-donnelly.com or call James 0400 342 852 (South Sydney Area)

iFlogID: 9480

Drummer wanted for weekly jams with view for fun improv, song writ-ing, strange rhythms, gigs, money. Reference points include: Phish, Gojira, Tom Waits, Fishbone, Primus. mrmoolking@yahoo.com

iFlogID: 9992

Drummer Wanted! hey were a couple of guys who are keen to get a serious metal band up and running in kiama area ,so far just guitar and bass infl u-enced by megadeth,maiden,slayer so if interested call at 0435510600

iFlogID: 9499

Female drummer wanted for Brisbane rock dance band. Inf: RATM, RHCP, P!nk, Suzi Quatro, Alanis Morrissette. Must be 18 - 35 y.o., photogenic and be ambitious. Ph 0437 428 859 or 3267 6789.

iFlogID: 9934

Mature dynamic metal band based in Hills/Blacktown,Sydney. Infl : Rock, Grunge, Black, Death, Hard-core, Groove, Doom...etc Looking for like-minded drummer, own gear & car. Practice weekly. Gig monthly. myspace.com/cursedwithsanity. PLEASE NO TIME WASTERS!

iFlogID: 9616

Sydney contemporary rock band is looking for a young vibrant 22-30-yr drummer to join now!!! Songs ready to go, gigs waiting for us and we are ready to record our fi rst album early 2011.

iFlogID: 9661

GUITARIST

GUITARIST WANTED FOR SYDNEY ROCK BAND. PREFERABLY AGED BETWEEN 18-25. WE ARE SUPPORT-ING CHOIRBOYS IN MELBOURNE IN JANUARY AND WE ARE LINING UP MORE GIGS IF YOU WANT MORE INFO THEN CONTACT US... 0404 166 433 pippincopps@yahoo.com.au

iFlogID: 10029

GUITARIST WANTED TO TEACH

We seek guitar players who are look-ing to earn money teaching guitar. Training and teaching materials are supplied. Teach from one of our schools or your own location. Limited positions available. Visit www.g4gui-tar.com.au for details.

iFlogID: 7447

I am a good singer with quality studio lookin for guitarist who likes radiohead jeff buckley damien rice style stuff to write with I have good contacts,i do pop as well/covers

iFlogID: 9779

looking to start up a new acoustic band from scratch and am keen to get it started. looking for over age of 18 and needs to be able to contribute as a two piece band. Shane

iFlogID: 9371

National touring band require pro-fessional guitarist. Age 18 -25. Must be profi cient in all forms of Rock, Blues, Roots.Involves backing high profi le artists. Show operates out of Queensland. For further details email marty@thewindupdolls.com or phone 0408 010 789

iFlogID: 9925

KEYBOARD

National shows, recording and man-agement backed. Need versatile keyboard/synth. From vintage B3 and Rhodes to giant arpeggiator and melodic synth. We have a keyboard, you need to a basic knowledge of chords and willingness to learn songs. thebabyseal@gmail.com

iFlogID: 9884

Piano/Keyboard Player needed to join folk/rock outfi t. Gigs booked. Record-ing soon. Some back up singing required. Age 25-39 Ph Chris - 0407 620 744

iFlogID: 9856

OTHER

Festival4Stars International Songwrit-ing Contest - now accepting submis-sions. Prize of an all expenses paid trip to London, and all song submis-sions receive written feedback from the judges. Heat 3 winners receive $300. To submit your song, head to www.giglaunch.com.au

iFlogID: 9388

Sydney gigs available - Empire Hotel. Launching Empire Unplugged November 25th as a showcase for Sydney artists. To submit to play, go to the Gig Launch website at www.giglaunch.com.au

iFlogID: 9398

Sydney gigs available - Low302. Dar-linghurst. Looking for bands to play, show usually starts around 9pm. To submit to play, go to the Gig Launch website at www.giglaunch.com.au

iFlogID: 9400

SINGER

CAUSTIC ATTACK are a Sydney based Grindcore band in search of a vocalist. This vocalist must listen to: Napalm Death Carcass Morbid Angel Repul-sion Celtic Frost Discharge Doom Crass If you’re interested contact us via myspace. www.myspace.com/causticattack

iFlogID: 9870

Hi, I’m looking for a great male vocal-ist. To sing only one dance song. Thanks

iFlogID: 9860

Looking for singers/songwriters for electronica/indie/dance project. More info mail to reigovilbiks@gmail.com Location Perth. Reigo

iFlogID: 9442

Require a strong professional female singer with cover band experience for high end Corporate and private Func-tions Party Covers Band and agency backed! Send CV/bio to info@tech-webdevelopers.com on receipt I will send applicable band website, setlists, songs etc

iFlogID: 9714

Require a strong professional female singer with cover band experience for high end Corporate and Private Func-tions Party Covers Band and agency backed! Send CV/bio to info@tech-webdevelopers.com on receipt I will send applicable band website, setlists, songs etc

iFlogID: 9838

Seeking Singer /sunshine coast cover band mod rock ,free rehersal, gear provided . Bands - Franz ferdinand RHCP Incubus Foo Fighters Queens o stoneage fall out boy .gigs in new year! Call dave for auditions 0432448878

iFlogID: 9659

singer wanted for metal bandin kiama shelharbour area, no scremo gay shit, true metal, looking for some-one who writes songs with meaning and purpose not just about deamons and death so if interested call at 0435510600

iFlogID: 9501

Singer/keyboardist to form 80s-today covers duo on GC. Must be available to rehearse, pref age 25-40, keen to gig regularly.0422 642 933

iFlogID: 9576

Sydney Band looking for creative singer to write some original music with. 18 - 25 years old, music genre ranging from soft modern rock (Temper Trap) to alternative (tool/por-cupine tree). Give us a call. 0431 485 328 (Toby).

iFlogID: 9438

SERVICES

GRAPHIC DESIGN

MUSICIAN & BAND WEBSITES

Create your presence online and get noticed. Sydney based web design-

ers are here to help you create and design your website with ease. We specialise in building websites that work. When you hire us to design your website we’ll give you a prod-uct that looks great and that actually works for your business or service. Packages start from $400 Call Rich-ard or Kelly on 0424 125 169

iFlogID: 6665

Offering a range of design services www.melissahowarddesign.com

iFlogID: 9602

Professional Band and Business Websites: Videos, audio clips/juke-box, Photogallery, Gig Dates, About Us, Contact Us and much more from $399 fully hosted. See www.bizwebsites.com.au or contact info@bizwebsites.com.au today!

iFlogID: 9840

OTHER

Do you have an Iphone? If yes, please download my free app, radio bondi, cheers

iFlogID: 9653

Is your life a cluttered mess? Take it Shake it Life Coaching visit www.tisi.me Xmas gift vouchers available.

iFlogID: 9458

Want to capture a live performance? Professional live recording 24 tracks, mixed and mastered my experienced audio engineer. Can also record and band mix tracks themselves.Done on budget.0406456364

iFlogID: 9504

WANTED

OTHER

missing .. man from sydney central yha.. with red hair and leather cuffs.. this is maxine kezerle..chick with roxy pants...would you like to go out for dinner sometime?? 0432470048

iFlogID: 9356

to matt damon.. and the 7foot some-thing guy from the yha.. does anyone know you?? i keep trying to ring the places where i think you’d be to no avail..i know its been years.. please call..

iFlogID: 9741

to the guy from the sydney central yha.. please send me a message.. ill take you out for christmas dinner.. love, maxine

iFlogID: 9955

66

World class mastering from where you are, right now.

only for Oct. & Nov.

$450* EP master$900* Album masterPrices exclude GST. For details seematthewgraymastering.com/blog

Free online and print classifiedsiFlog.com.au

Looking for barperson (pub manager, bussie). Do it for FREE.

MELBOURNESYDNEYBRISBANE

From Friday 3 December NightLink bus services will depart opposite the Valley Metro entrance on Brunswick Street, not Warner Street*.

Boundary St

Boundary St

Ann St

Quee

n St

Eagl

e St

Mary St

Ann St

Ann St

Quay

Margare

t St

ge

Ge

George St

Edward St

Edward St

East Freeway

T

urbot St

Turbot St

Albert St

Wickham Tce

Elizabeth

St

Felix St

Wil

Queen

StAdela

ide St

Charlotte

St

Creek StW

harf St

Albert St

Mai

n St

Pixl

ey S

t

Queen

Quee

n St

Stor

y Br

idge

Duncan St

Littl

e Ed

war

d St

Upper Edward St

B

radf

ield

Hw

yM

ain

St

Ham

ilton

St

M

cDon

ald

St

Annie St

Bright St

Leichhardt St

St P

auls

Tce

Boundary St

Boundary St

Ann St

Forte

scue

St

Alle

nby

St

Astor Tce

Henry StWharf St

Bowen St Mein St

Boundary St Ivory

St

Philli

ps St

Quarry St

Wedd St

York Pde

Mulgrave St

Adela

ide S

t

Wick

ham

St Kemp Pl

Gotha St

Love St

Isaac St

Grenier St

Kennigo St

Gipps St

Ballow StWarner StMall

Brunswick St

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St

Mary St

QueensGardens

GPO

Casino

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000 NightLink bus stop

Train station

NightLink FlatFare

Busway

Mall

Buses half hourly 1am – 5.30am

Trains from around 4am

FlatFare taxis 11pm – 5.30am

How to get home using the NightLink service1. Choose your bus or train route

Pick up locations

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N100 - Forest Lake ✓ ✓ ✓

N111 - Eight Mile Plains

✓ ✓ ✓

N130 - Algester ✓ ✓ ✓

N184 - Upper Mt Gravatt

✓ ✓ ✓

N199 - New Farm* Route N199 runs through Fortitude Valley, so it will continue to service Warner Street.N199 - West End*

N200 - Carindale ✓ ✓ ✓

N226 - Wynnum ✓ ✓ ✓

N250 - Cleveland ✓ ✓ ✓

N310 - Sandgate ✓ ✓ ✓

N330 - Bracken Ridge ✓ ✓ ✓

N385 -The Gap ✓ ✓ ✓

N390 - Ferny Grove ✓ ✓ ✓

N412 - St Lucia ✓ ✓ ✓

N464 - Forest Lake ✓ ✓ ✓

N555 - Loganholme ✓ ✓ ✓

Beenleigh train line ✓ ✓

Caboolture train line ✓ ✓

Ipswich train line ✓ ✓

2. Choose your pick up location

Remember, you can ask the bus driver to stop anywhere along the bus route, as long as it’s safe to do so.

For further information on NightLink services, call TransLink on 13 12 30 any time, or visit www.translink.com.au/mobile on your mobile phone to access journey planner and timetable information.

The Queensland Government encourages responsible consumption of alcohol.

NightLinkservices for NYE