ballarat // bendigo // geelong // surfcoast // warrnambool // werribee issue 563 // 11 JuLY 2013 // next issue: 25 july

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Hello Readers!.

It is bloody cold, that’s all I have to say. Amidst the Winter chill, it has been an exciting time recently for the Forte team with the offices under going a make over.

‘Out with the old and in with the new’ was our motto for the week, and our little hideaway, address undisclosed, is feeling very nice and new ATM. We dug up an old wooden set ‘Silverchair’ piece that was signed by the band memebers and addressed to ‘Forte’ some 15 years ago, and that shows how long we have been around. It now proudly hangs in the office along with many other pieces, as a constant reminder of how far we have come, and how far we hope to go. Go Forte.

This issue is packed with goodness, we have Fidlar on the cover in the lead up to their Splendour Sidey, we start our coverage of this years Gangsters Ball, we have local rock gods Audemia for the local cover. We also have Kingswood, Yellow card, Karnivool ... Bahh!, we love this time of year.

Werd!!

PUBLISHER ..........................Anton Ballard

gEnERAL .............................enquiries@fortemag.com.au

EDITOR/SALES MAnAgER ...Luke Mcnamara

luke@fortemag.com.au

COVER DESIgn ....................James Dulce

PRODUCTIOn .......................James Dulce

David Di Cristoforo

SCEnE PHOTOgRAPHER ......April grenfell

Stefan Young

ADVERTISIng .....................Anton Ballard

aballard@fortemag.com.au

Marc Wilkins

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COnTRIBUTORS ..................

Anthony Morris, Adem Ali, Ben Schultz,

Chris Cruz, Chris Lambie, Cyclone, Daniel Meagher,

Lucas Skinner, natalie Rogers, nekita Roberts,

nina Bertok, Ophelia Symons, Paul S Taylor,

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Aussies Trump AT TropfesT

Aussies continue to strike gold in the US with Tristan Klein and Nick Baker taking out top honours at the New York instalment of Tropfest for their animated wonder, The Unlikely Maestro. The film tells the tale of a rat with dreams of becoming a world-famous conductor. A twenty-thousand strong audience fell in love with the film, as did the festival’s jury. The event took place at Brooklyn’s Prospect Park towards the end of last month.

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Def fX TAke flighT

Fiona Horne will lead Def FX through their paces when the industrial-dance-rock outfit performs a small number of shows a little later in the year. Many moons ago, at a time when a portion of Forte’s readers were yet to be born, Def FX released their debut EP, Water. They would go their separate ways in 1997 before reuniting for a few shows last year. Now here they go again. NSC – October 19.

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The ChArms of CelTiC WomAn

All-female Irish music ensemble Celtic Woman will return to Australia for the first time since 2010. The group was co-conceived by David Downes, a former music director of Riverdance. Member Susan McFadden: “I was in Australia for promo with the girls last year and it was so amazing getting to meet our Australian fans.” The tour comes on the back of a 90-date US run. Hamer Hall – September 15.

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sCoTT kelly homeWArD BounD

Scott Kelly, a founding member of Californian experimental band Neurosis, will tour Australia a little later in the year with his backing band, The Road Home. Kelly has been writing and publishing music since the mid-1980s, and although Neurosis is arguably his most well-known outfit, he has been involved in various projects. This is deep, gruff, throaty acoustic music. The Corner – November 7.

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BeAr in minD grizzly Jim lAWrie

You would probably be familiar with Jim Lawrie even if the name doesn’t immediately ring a bell. He has spent years as a stickman, most notably with Eagle and the Worm. But there was a caged frontman inside of him and this caged frontman has emerged as Grizzly Jim Lawrie. He released his debut album, Paying My Debts from the Grave, last year and now welcomes new single, ‘Midnight Run’. The Toff – July 25.

The highlighTs: We’re The ansWer To a never ending sTory. Coming up you have…. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

THE MiRTH OF MEREDiTHGuess what? Meredith has announced its dates for 2013. You already knew that? Well, you’re going to know it again. This year the festival welcomes its 23rd year. And in numerology, 23 is a pretty significant number. Taking place at the Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre, the festival will take across December 13, 14 & 15. The line-up will be out and about early August.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

LisTEn OuT AnD LisTEn upListen Out is stepping into the shoes of Parklife and organisers are boasting the goods for its inaugural outing: “Say goodbye to endless timetable clashes, long hikes to the 12th stage and spending your day with several thousand people you can’t relate to. Listen Out is the right party, and we mean party not festival, for the right people.” Observatory Precinct – October 5. Disclosure, Azealia Banks and AlunaGeorge are among the first artists to sign up. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

LET’s TALk AbOuT sALT n pEpA Okay, all you hippers and hoppers, Salt n Pepa are coming back to town for a series of shows this November. Salt (Cheryl James) and Pepa (Sandy Denton) announced their arrival with ‘Push It’, before following it up with a string of hits including ‘Let’s Talk About Sex’, ‘Shoop’, ‘Whatta Man’ and ‘Do You Want Me’. They were one of the first all-female rap crews and remain a favourite. The Palais – November 16. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

RAisE THE ROOF #6Some of the country’s elite hip hop names will line up with some of the country’s rising stars for what is one of the biggest events on Melbourne’s hip hop calendar, Raise the Roof. The sixth chapter is just around the corner and taking to the stage will be: Urthboy, Resin Dogs, Briggs, Loose Change, Purpose, Onesixth, Dr Flea, Eloji, Dibe, M-Phazes and Slap618. Reason is your esteemed host. The Espy – July 20.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

THE CuLT GO ELECTRiCThe Cult recently announced their Electric 13 world tour and the good news for Aussie fans is they have lined up a few shows on our shores. As the name of the tour suggests, the spotlight is on their 1987 album, Thirteen. Produced by Rick Rubin, the album, the band’s third, marked a stylistic change for the group. It would become their first platinum album. Festival Hall – October 5.

THE pApER kiTEs FLyinG HiGH‘St Clarity’ is the new single from Melbourne indie-folk quartet The Paper Kites and they’re taking it around the country shortly. The band is flying high, much like a kite really, after their first two EPs have done swimmingly. As for the new single, that is the first taste from their forthcoming full-length. The accompanying film clip was shot by two-time ARIA-winning director, Natasha Pincus. The Hi-Fi – September 15 (U18) & The Forum – September 28.

THE HiGHLiGHTsTHE LATEST ON iNTErNATiONAL & NATiONAL NEwS & TOurS

THE HiGHLiGHTsTHE LATEST ON iNTErNATiONAL & NATiONAL NEwS & TOurS

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A nEW yEAR’s RussELL HOWARD You would have to have a heart of coal not to be charmed by Russell Howard. The British comedian and TV presenter is just plain likeable – probably lovable to many. His television series Russell Howard’s Good News rakes in five-million viewers a week, while he pops up on just about every British panel show out there. Next year he will bring his Wonderbox stand-up show to our fair country. Athenaeum Theatre – May 18. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

THE MEn OF MEzzAninE While the finishing touches are being put on their debut album, Perth band Mezzanine are itching to show off a little taste by way of single, ‘Mezzanine Man’. The band released their Vile Horizons EP last year and they have been going great guns since with a stack of supports for bands including British India and Dappled Cities. Their new single has touches of Pixies and Pavement. Rochester Castle – July 20.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

A CHiLLy sTART FOR DiALECTRix His licence may say Ryan Leaf, but we know him better as Dialectrix. Hip hop remains as hot as it ever has in Australian, and Dialectrix is a name fast-climbing the top of the table. The Sydneysider recently released his third album, The Cold Light of Day. The album features production by Plutonic Lab and cuts by DJ 2Buck, plus vocal appearances from Def Wish, P-Smurf (Big Village) and Chip Fu. Revolver – August 16.

WHispER WORDs OF WisDOMThere was a little band once that went by the name of The Beatles. They had a few hits here and there and changed the sound of rock and roll forever. Let It Be: The Beatles Songs of Lennon and McCartney brings to life one of the most significant songwriting partnerships in the history of music. Doug Parkinson, John Paul Young, Glenn Shorrock and Jack Jones are the voices. You know the songs. Hamer Hall – August 24.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

RADiO CALLs, GOvERnMEnT LisTEnsThe Federal Government recently announced that it will rectify the funding shortfall that threatened to jeopardise community digital radio. The Government will commit six-million dollars over the next three years. President of the Community Broadcasting Association of Australia, Adrian Basso: “Thanks to the tens of thousands of people who stood up and showed just how importantly community radio is to communities across Australia, community radio has a digital future.” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

HAiM DJ sETIt is hard to keep track of all the Splendour sideshows going on, but I reckon readers of this humble magazine are smart enough to know what’s what with their favourite artists. That said, Haim have announced a DJ set to go alongside their sold-out sideshow. The DJ set takes place at Liberty Social on July 25 following their spot at The Hi-Fi. Those lucky to have scored Hi-Fi tickets will also get to enjoy The Preatures.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

kATAkLysM pLAy THE WAiTinG GAMECanada isn’t all about (or aboot if you will) watered down pop-punk; they also have some ripping metal. Formed in 1991, Kataklysm earned a reputation for being a chaotic metal band. Things have changed over the years, with the band now a extreme death metal dynamo. They are currently working on their new album with a late 2013 / early 2014 release date. Waiting for the End to Come is the working title. The Corner – December 6.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

TiME TO FLy THE bLACk FLAGBlack Flag have announced an Australian tour. Yep, just in case you didn’t catch that: Black Flag have announced an Australian tour. Fronted by Ron Reyes, the band has joined the Hits and Pits 2.0 Festival. There has been a buzz in the air since the reformed and reworked group dropped new tracks ‘Down in the Dirt’ and ‘The Chase’ earlier in the year; but this news, well, it’s a Christmas miracle. The Palace – November 22.

ALL EnCOMpAssinG JOsH pykE Songman Josh Pyke has lined up another handful of shows, because you just can’t keep a good muso down. Well, there is also his new album The Beginning and The End of Everything to support. This is Pyke’s fourth release, and according to the man on the street explores “ideas of desire, death and legacy”. Earlier in the year Josh sold out his ‘Fans First’ tour so best not to dillydally when it comes to tickets. The Corner – August 18.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

CApTAin pLAnET, HE’s OuR HEROWhat’s that smell in the air? Nostalgia? Hmmm … Yeah, okay, we’ll go with that. Captain Planet and those five environmentally-conscious teen ‘Planeteers’ are edging closer to the big screen. There has been little doubt over the last few years that the big screen would one day come knocking, but word has it that Sony Pictures is in final negotiations to acquire the rights. Fire. Earth. Wind. Water. Heart.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

sOME pixiE MAGiCIt has been an interesting time of late for the Pixies and their fans, with both a little good news and bad news. The bad news was Kim Deal parting ways; the good, a new single. Released late last month, ‘Bagboy’ is the first new track from the band since 2004. According to Pitchfork, Deal had no involvement with the single. ‘Bagboy’ was recorded in October with Gil Norton. You can find it online.

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nEW DEAD LETTER CiRCus Brisbane’s Dead Letter Circus will release their new album The Catalyst Fire on August 9. The album, the follow-up to 2010’s This is the Warning, once again saw the hard rockers sitting down with Forrester Savell. At the beginning of the month the band released the Facebook App ‘Project Dead Letter: The Inner Circle’ which gives fans a little taste of the album every day up to its release.

iT’s TiME TO HARvEsT WOW! That is a pretty apt word when it comes to the 2013 Harvest line-up. Why? Well, Massive Attack is on the bill for one. That in itself is enough, but for all you gluttons out there, there is much more. Primus, Franz Ferdinand, Goldfrapp, CSS, The Drones, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, M Ward, Neutral Milk Hotel, Desaparecidos, The Eels, Superchunk, The Wallflowers and Walk off the Earth are the early birds. Werribee Park – November 10.

bERnARD FAnninG GOEs GREEnIf his current tour isn’t enough to satisfy your musical appetite, Bernard Fanning has announced a series of A Day on the Green shows. And why wouldn’t he? His new album Departures is doing beautifully, plus he is one of Australia’s favourite frontmen of all time. But what is a party without friends, right? So helping him spread the joy will be Sarah Blasko and Bob Evans. Rochford Wines – November 9.

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Thursday July 11ThTHE MAX HOTEL: $12 Parmi All Day All Night, Inquizitive Trivia from 7.30pmELEPHANT & CASTLE: $20 Asahi Seafood & Chips NightBAR PIZZA: Geelong Open MicBAR PIZZA: Geelong Open MicBRIDGE HOTEL (CASTEMAINE): The Lost Heart Sirens w/ Neil Wilkenson (The Red Coats)GPAC: Midsummer (A Play With Songs), Company BARWON HEADS HOTEL: Open Mic Night w/ Dave DormanTHE KOROVA LOUNGE: Prepared Like A BrideBEAVS BAR: Melody Pool & Luke BiscanBLACK HATT: Tradies Night in the Bar from 5pm till 7pm, Open Mic from 8pm with acoustic, bands, solos & duetsTHE SPHINX HOTEL: Schnitzel Night from $13EUREKA HOTEL: Theme parties and headline acts each week

Friday July 12ThCITY QUARTER BAR: Friday Unwind from 5pm. Live with Tom & Tayla and DJ THE GROVEDALE HOTEL: TrojenThe KOROVA LOUNGE: Gold FieldsSPHINX: Carvery from $11.00, Retro Ago-GoEDGE GEELONG: Peter Chapman Duo plus DJTHE MAX: Adventure PlaygroundBARWON CLUB HOTEL: Dick Diver, The Heirophants, Frase A Grman $12 entry doors open 8pmBAR PIZZA: Dear IvyTHE CAPITAL (Bendigo): Emilie’s Voltaire, HairsprayLIGHTHOUSE THEATRE (WARRNAMBOOL): The Men in Black (Johnny Cash Tribute)GPAC: Midsummer (A Play With Songs), CompanyBLACK HATT: Cor Ten Free Entry from 9.30pmBRIDGE HOTEL (CASTEMAINE): The Spoils w/ Julitha Ryan (Silver Ray)BARWON HEADS HOTEL: Geoff Achison,

Chris Wilson, Fiona BoyesOLD HEPBURN HOTEL: Sarah Wilkinson (Laid back covers from the 70’s -now!)BARKING DOG: 70s 80s Friday with live band Mr Hyde plus DJs from 5pmBEAVS BAR: Steve Pianto & Two Coloured KoiELEPHANT & CASTLE: Thank Guinness It’s FridayLAMBY’S BAR & RESTAURANT: Live band & DJs Downstairs and Upstairs, open from 9pm AT THE HEADS: Live music from 5pm till 7pm (Barwon Heads)

saTurday July 13ThELEPHANT & CASTLE: Live Bands 9:30- Midnight - with Regular Boys liveTHE GROVEDALE HOTEL: Tim Tomic HulsmanDIGGERS HOTEL: Tom & Tayle liveBARWON CLUB HOTEL: Empires Fall Kontact, Exalt, Graves, Athenas Wake, The Seraphim veil, The Strategem, Reeds of the Temtressil, Nicholas Cage Fighter. $12 entry doors open 4.30pmTHE BRIDGE HOTEL (CASTLEMAINE): Vanessa Craven w/ Fat Chance BARWON HEADS HOTEL: Music in the Bak BarMARTIANS CAFE: MurdenaBAR PIZZA: Match GirlOD HEPBURN HOTEL: Untapped (70’s-00’s Rock and pop Covers)GPAC: Midsummer (A Play With Songs), Roy Orbison & Johnny Cash - The Men in Black Tour, CompanyTHE CAPITAL (Bendigo): Emilie’s Voltaire, HairsprayHOME HOUSE: DJs Keith Evans upstairs and Simon-one DownstairsTHE GATEWAY HOTEL: Beccy ColeCHINESE WHISPERS: Kolors & ZoolandaTHE MAX: Hey ChargerEDGE: Tom & Tayla plus DJEUREKA: Lush New Sounds, Brand New Suurounds. Main Stage RNB –Party –House, New Front Lounge; Disco – Funk – Deep HouseCITY QUARTER BAR: Jesse Reid and DJBEAVS BAR: Dave AndersonLAMBY’S BAR & RESTAURANT: Live band & DJs Upstairs and Downstairs DJ , open from 9pm

sunday July 14ThELEPHANT & CASTLE: Live Hot Club SwingBLACK HATT: Sunday Hown Grown SessionLounge Lizards & Guests Free Entry from 6pm.BRIDGE HOTEL (CASTLEMAINE): : Louise AdamsOLD HEPBURN HOTEL: The HarlotsTHE CAPITAL (Bendigo): HairsprayPIPING HOT CHICKEN SHOP: Sunday Session Featuring Tank Dilemma GPAC: Jazz in July, CompanySPHINX HOTEL: Carvery from $11.00BARWON CLUB HOTEL: Test Pilot Molly, Front bar. Nathan Seekts Mountain Goat Winter Sessions.GEELONG RSL: Moonee Valley Jazz Band EDGE GEELONG: Levi & Cody plus DJLAMBY’S BAR & RESTAURANT: Student & Industry Night (Free entry all night) w/ Live band & DJs Upstairs and DJ Downstairs

Monday July 15ThBARWON CLUB HOTEL: $10 ParmisSPHINX HOTEL: 11 Meals for $11ELEPHANT & CASTLE: $20 Steak & Drink nightLORD NELSON HOTEL: Steak/Parmi & Pot for $15 on presentation of student I.D

Tuesday July 16ThELEPHANT & CASTLE: $20 Steak & Drink nightGPAC: Bethany Films - The Giants THE SPHINX HOTEL: 11 Meals for $11, Poker Night (free)GEELONG RSL: Steak Night $13Wednesday July 17thBEAVS BAR: Karoke Open Mic with Dave AndersonBARWON HEADS HOTEL: Trivia Night from 7:30pmCITY QUARTER BAR: Industry Night GPAC: CompanyTHE KOROVA LOUNGE: Indian Summer DJ’sTHE MAX: $10 Deakin lunchesELEPHANT & CASTLE: Trivia Night – great prizes from 8.30pm till 10.30pm THE SPHINX HOTEL: Steak Night from $16, Poker Night ($10 buy in)GEELONG RSL: Parma & Pot Night $13

audeMia July 27 aT The black haTT, geelong

ForT-nighTly calendar & gig guideThe

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FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY - FRIDAY 19TH JULY

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Thursday July 18ThTHIS IS THE END - IN A CINEMA NEAR YOU, OUT TODAY.EUREKA HOTEL: Goldfields - Black Sun Tourplus Phebe Starr and Willow BeatsELEPHANT & CASTLE: $20 Asahi Seafood & Chips NightBRIDGE HOTEL (CASTLEMAINE) : KestralTHE MUSIC MEGA MAN STORE (Bendigo): The Music Man Mega Store: MUSIC SLAM 2, 44 bands playing live in 4 days! BEAVS BAR: Andy Forster main bar.GPAC: CompanyDIGGERS ARMS HOTEL: Bogan Bingo 8pm start. Its Bingo with Balls!BLACK HATT: Tradies Night in the Bar from 5pm till 7pm, Open Mic from 8pm with acoustic, bands, solos & duetsBARWON CLUB HOTEL: Battery Kids, The Naysayers $5 Entry 8pm start.THE SPHINX HOTEL: Schnitzel Night from $13THE MAX HOTEL: Parmi All Day All Night $12, InnQUIZitive Trivia from 7.30pm till 10.30pm, amazing prizes, call to book your team’s spot

Friday July 19ThBRIDGE HOTEL (CASTLEMAINE) : The Harlots w/ Luke Legs and The Midnight SpecialsBEAVS BAR: RoscoBAR PIZZA: Peoples PoetsTHE GROVEDALE HOTEL: Good Faces For RadioSPHINX: Retro Ago-GoTHE BARKING DOG: 70s 80s Friday with

live band Mr Hyde from 5pmTHE MUSIC MEGA MAN STORE (Bendigo): The Music Man Mega Store: MUSIC SLAM 2, 44 bands playing live in 4 days! THE BARWON CLUB: The Human Electric, Culcean, The Greeting Method, My Piranha. $12 Entrey 8.30pm startBARWON HEADS HOTEL: Music in the Bak BarGPAC: Company, An Afternoon Tea with Julie Goodwin THE ARARAT HOTEL: Ararat live with David BridieTHE CAPITAL (Bendigo): John WilliamsonOLD HEPBURN HOTEL: Nat Allison (acoustic Rock Covers)THE MAX: TrojanKOROVA LOUNGE: Architecture in HelsinkiCITY QUARTER BAR: Friday Unwind with Matt and Marcus live then DJEDGE GEELONG: Good Faces For Radio plus DJELEPHANT & CASTLE: Thank Guinness It’s FridayBLACK HATT: Drink promos from 5pm till 7pm (free entry) Blackshaw’s Beat performing live free entry from 9.30pmLAMBY’S BAR & RESTAURANT: DJs Upstairs & Downstairs plus live bandAT THE HEADS: Live music from 5pm till 7pm (Barwon Heads)

saTurday July 20ThSPHINX HOTEL: Carvery from $11.00, Fistful of SteelTHE GROVEDALE HOTEL: James CarriggEUREKA: Lush New Sounds, Brand New Suurounds. Main Stage RNB –Party

–House, New Front Lounge; Disco – Funk – Deep HouseTHE BARWON CLUB HOTEL: Geetroit Rock City Festival, The Meanies. $15 Entry 8pm start.THE KOROVA LOUNGE: Karova Lounge’s 9th Birthday feat. The Dead Salesmen DuoBRIDGE HOTEL (CASTLEMAINE) : The Wardens w/ LeadfingerTHE MUSIC MEGA MAN STORE (Bendigo): The Music Man Mega Store: MUSIC SLAM 2, 44 bands playing live in 4 days! DIGGERS HOTEL: John BrakaGPAC: Company, The Dancers Company - Classical Triple Bill THE CAPITAL (BENDIGO): The Stiletto Sisters BAR PIZZA: Dear Ivy MARTIANS CAFE: JosandyLIGHTHOUSE THEATRE (WARRNAMBOOL): John williamsonBARWON HEADS HOTEL: Local Ketchup: Opression, Die Hard Dolls, Vendetta & The GrunesCHINESE WHISPERS: Will Sparks & Hey SamHOME HOUSE: Upstairs:Heath Renata, Girl Audio. Downstairs: DJ Surrender EDGE GEELONG: Tom & Tayla and DJOLD HEPBURN HOTEL: Top JimmyBEAVS BAR: Steve PiantoELEPHANT & CASTLE: Live music with Mr Hyde - 9.30 till midnightTORQUAY HOTEL: Live Music in the Sports Bar from 9.30pmTHE MAX: FrequencyCITY QUARTER BAR: live music with Finder Keeper and DJLAMBY’S BAR & RESTAURANT: Live Band Downstairs & DJs Upstairs &

Downstairs open from 9pm

sunday July 21sTELEPHANT & CASTLE: Des Cam Jazz BandBARWON CLUB HOTEL: Mountain Goat Winter Sessions – Will Wagner. Front bar Good Faces for radio with DJ BodzBLACK HATT: Sunday Hown Grown Session Roast Goat Spit Free Entry from 6pm.BRIDGE HOTEL (CASTLEMAINE): : Louise AdamsTHE MUSIC MEGA MAN STORE (Bendigo): The Music Man Mega Store: MUSIC SLAM 2, 44 bands playing live in 4 days! SPHINX HOTEL: Carvery from $11.00THE CAPITAL (Bendigo): Brass Night at the PromsPIPING HOT CHICKEN SHOP: Sunday Session featuring Chris Wilson, Annie Moloney, Leisha GrantOLD HEPBURN HOTEL: An intimate Afternoon with Joe Camilleri & FriendsLAMBY’S BAR & RESTAURANT: Live band & DJs Downstairs & Upstairs open from 9pmGEELONG RSL: Weary and FriendsEDGE GEELONG: Good Faces For Radio plus DJ

Monday July 22ndBARWON CLUB HOTEL: $10 ParmisELEPHANT & CASTLE: $20 Steak & Drink nightSPHINX HOTEL: 11 Meals for $11LORD NELSON HOTEL: Steak/Parmi & Pot for $15 on presentation of student I.D

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The spoils July 12 aT The bridge, casTleMain

Tuesday July 23rdBRIDGE HOTEL: Trivia Night hosted by Lifon Uranus from 7.30pm, free event ELEPHANT & CASTLE: $20 Steak & Drink nightLIGHTHOUSE THEATRE (WARRNAMBOOL): Bethany Arthouse Film Festival ‘The Giants’THE SPHINX HOTEL: 11 Meals for $11, Poker Night (free)GEELONG RSL: Steak Night $13

Wednesday July 24ThELEPHANT & CASTLE: Trivia Night from 8.30pm till 10.30pmBARWON CLUB HOTEL: Kerser & Rates, Hoodloof, KwasiBARWON HEADS HOTEL: Trivia Night from 7:30pmCITY QUARTER BAR: Industry Night GPAC: Mid Summer Music (a Play with songs)BEAVS BAR: Karoke, Open Mic and Andy ForsterTHE SPHINX HOTEL: Steak Night from $16, Poker Night ($10 buy in)GEELONG RSL: Parma & Pot Night $13

Thursday July 25ThBARWON HEADS HOTEL: Open Mic Night w/ Dave DormanEureka: The Festival, Andy Murpgy, James Fava, Tom Evans, Frat, Some Blondes, Fluoro, Simon one, Shorty J, Dawson Vickers, Some Deckheads, Steve Toppa, Spencey, Corey RyanEDGE GEELONG: Bogan Bingo Free EntryBLACK HATT: Tradies Night in the Bar from 5pm till 7pm, Open Mic from 8pm with acoustic, bands, solos & duetsELEPHANT & CASTLE: $20 Asahi Seafood & Chips Night

tHe gateway Hotel218-230 Princess Hwy. Corio. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

tHe grovedale Hotel236-258 Surfcoast Highway. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

growlers23 The Esplanade. Torquay. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Home House40-42 Moorabool St. Geelong. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

irisH murPHy's30 Aberdeen St. Geelong. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Jack and Jill247 Moorabool St. Geelong. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

lambysCnr of Moorabool & Brougham St. Geelong. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

tHe maX2 Gheringhap St. Geelong. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

mr. Hyde11 Malop St. Geelong . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

tHe national Hotel191 Moorabool St. Geelong. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

odyssey611 Surfcoast Hwy. Mount Duneed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

oPium bar15 James St. Geelong. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Peter lalor Hotel331 Mair St. Ballarat. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

rumors5 James St. Geelong. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

slate Pool lounge50 Little Ryrie St. Geelong . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

tHe sPHinX2 Thompson Rd. North Geelong . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

toast114 Moorabool St. Geelong. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

tHe wool eXcHange entertainment comPleX44 Corio St. Geelong. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

tHe yarra Hotel120 Lydiard St (North). Ballarat

Venueguide!tHe barking dog126 Pakington St. Geelong West. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

bar Pizza137 Pakington St. Geelong. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

barwon club509 Moorabool St. South Geelong. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

barwon Heads Hotel1 Bridge Rd. Barwon Heads. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

tHe basement 159159 Moorabool St. Geelong. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

beavs bar77 Little Malop St. Geelong. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

tHe bended elbow geelong69 Yarra St. Geelong. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

black Hatt54 Little Myers St. Geelong. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

tHe bluestone103 Marr St. Ballarat. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

bridge Hotel castlemaine21 Walker St. Castlemain. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

cHinese wHisPersCnr. Shorts Place. Geelong. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

city QuarterCunningham Pier, Geelong. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

cloud 996 Pakington St. Geelong West. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

club titanium99 Ryrie St, Geelong. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

eastern station81 Humffray St Nth. Ballarat. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

tHe edge1/6-8 Eastern Beach Rd. Geelong. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

elePHant and castle158 McKillop St. Geelong. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

tHe eureka 98 Little Malop St. Geelong

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L.A. punkers FIDLAR will touch down in the country this month with a lone mission: “We’re going to prove that kangaroos really do wear boxing gloves on their feet!” joked the band’s guitarist/vocalist Elvis Kuehn. “It’s our first time down under. We think it’s gonna be an amazing tour of debauchery.”Hear, hear Elvis, I agree. The five-date whirlwind tour of our major cities will begin with the ultimate

introduction to Australian audiences when they take to the stage at the winter wonderland that is Splendour in the Grass.

“We’ve only heard great things about the festival,” Elvis enthuses. “Everyone says the location is incredible and it’s a big party. There are a ton of good bands on the line up this year – we’re most excited about TV on the Radio, Frank Ocean, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Jake Bugg and Dune Rats.”

Brisbane indie kids Dune Rats were hand-picked by FIDLAR to fill the support slot at their solo gigs. “We’ve been listening to them a lot recently and their music is super rad. They seem like awesome guys to tour with – we can’t wait.”

Staff and Management of the EMC Group Geelong strongly enforce a no-drug policy. Enjoy great music & drinks whilst staying drug-free.

FIDLARBY nATALIE ROgERS

When&Where: THE CORNER, MELBOURNE – JULY 29.

dudes. The cool thing about the L.A. punk scene now is that it’s similar to the scene in the 70s, because there aren’t a bunch of definably ‘punk’ bands. It’s just a lot of bands that play rock’n’roll in their own way, and there seems to be a similar attitude throughout the bands.”

Besides quashing Aussie urban legends, I asked Elvis what else they planned for their blink-and-you’ll-miss-it tour of Oz. “At the end of the tour we’re gonna have a few days to hang out in Sydney, so we’re really excited about that. We love the beach, but Zac is the only one who can really surf [Zac’s dad is legendary surfboard designer John Carper]. The rest of us will probably just attempt to.” (For more information refer to the track ‘Max Can’t Surf’.)

“We’ve been writing a little bit on tour, but not much. We get a lot of ideas for new songs and they usually come out when we’re at home. The road is still pretty new to us, so we’re trying to figure out how to find time to write and record when we’re away so much.”

Before signing off I asked Elvis where FIDLAR will be in five years. “Rehab … or on the first commercial expedition to Mars!” Elvis laughed

...So be sure to catch them while you can.

FIDLAR’s self-titled debut album is out now through Mom and Pop Records. Tickets are available from the usual outlets.

I wonder if it’ll be a case of ‘what happens on tour stays on tour’? “Backstage is never as crazy as it’s made out to be,” Elvis admitted. “Usually we get to the venue a few hours before we’re supposed to play, and we’re all tired and hung over. So there are lots of naps, sandwich eating and beer drinking. Any sort of craziness usually ensues after we play.”

But don’t be fooled into thinking FIDLAR (an acronym for the popular skate term ‘F*ck It Dog, Life’s A Risk’) are a bunch of beer guzzling slackers – not that there’s anything wrong with that. These guys have punk royalty blood running proudly through their veins.

“Our drummer Max and I are brothers, and our dad is the keyboard player for T.S.O.L. It was a pretty unique upbringing. We were exposed to a lot of early punk music at a young age, which was cool. We also got to see a lot of the old punk bands that reunited, as well as open up for them with our old band The Diffs. We got to hang out and play with T.S.O.L., Adolescents, the Germs, and the Adicts. Going to a punk show was a family outing for us.

“The L.A. punk scene now is definitely different to what it was when it started in the 70s. At the time it was a new movement and really exciting – it’s still something that seems magical to us. We can never know how it really was back in the day, but I think there are a lot of bands now in LA/OC that are heavily influenced by all the legendary bands, and they carry the same aesthetic as the old

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22 FORTEMAG.COM.AU

and I dunno, we’d been watching a lot of Tarantino films. Tarantino’s definitely, and Spaghetti Western in general, is the main inspiration. We had this idea for a clip, and then we just loved the idea so much that we thought ‘why not a short film’; why not have a couple of our friends and musos in there, and make a little thing.”And just which friends are in this video? “I guess they’re just friends. I mean, they’re not friends that you grew up with and you’re mates with. They’re the people you see at festivals a lot, and you bump into them, generally with your work, when you’re playing and that sort of thing, you say ‘G’day’ and you hang out. We just thought that we needed gangs. That was our initial idea; a few gangs that are all against each other for the same prize, and we thought why not make it bands? So we’ve got Sticky Fingers from Sydney, Thelma Plum and Kira Puru and Seth Sentry – just a few mates that we thought would be pretty funny to have in the film clip,” Fergus said.“It’s just sort of gruesome and ridiculous and over the top. It’s good fun,” Fergus said of the video, titled ‘Some Motherfucker’s Gotta Pay’.Their show on the 18th is sold out, and tickets to the 17th show are selling fast, so get them if you can. Before you do, check out ‘Some Motherfucker’s Gotta Pay’, and buy the Change Of Heart Deluxe EP. You won’t regret it.

a lot of demand to do it. We wanted to do something special for the fans – we’ve been planning it for a while. We tried to kept things secret for as long as we could, but we were undone by the internet, so everyone knows all of our secrets!” Sean laughed.“A lot of Yellowcard songs started out as acoustic. It’ll be a really nice way to hear the songs the way they were written. These songs have been part of us for the past ten years and to be performing them again is a real treat for us.”Ocean Avenue was certainly the catalyst for Yellowcard’s success internationally, and during our chat I could tell Sean was in the mood to reminisce. “I think at the time of Ocean Avenue our genre of music was really coming to the forefront. We wanted to be in a touring band – we would dream of being a part of the Vans Warped Tour. Then people started coming to our shows and we were getting major record labels in the States interested in us. We signed with Capital Records and started to crescendo into something really awesome.“This album has one of my favourite songs we’ve ever written and performed – it’s called ‘Believe’. We wrote it originally to commemorate heroes who gave everything for the greater good of others, and over the years it’s taken on different meanings for so many people that we’ve crossed paths with.” Get in quick! As always, these sought-after tickets are selling fast: “So, to all our fans in Australia, we’re really excited to come back, and we’ll see you soon!”

Byron Bay, was one of the starting points for a new era for Karnivool, by using a different producer in the recording and post-production phases. Calling on Nick DiDia, who has previously worked with Powderfinger, The Living End, Rage Against The Machine and Pearl Jam, the process was a lot quicker this time around. “Recording Sound Awake, the guitars took six weeks alone to record, and going into the studio we wanted to make something that was a lot more organic, and pay attention to the human element and not over-think things. The main decision behind switching producers

was that we are not a band that gets into a particular comfort zone, and we wanted to challenge ourselves this time around,” Drew said. The album is released in the next few weeks, with the band playing capital cities throughout late July and early August before returning to Europe until the end of the year. Drew also speaks adamantly about another run in early 2014 which will take in more regional areas around Australia. Having formed in the late nineties, the success that has followed Karnivool since the beginning continues

to shock Drew as they play bigger stages and more locations all around the world. Looking back retrospectively, international touring was something that never was on the cards all those years ago. “It’s really amazing that we have come this far and had a whole stack of fans wanting to come and see us live and listen to the records. It’s definitely early days in relation to getting the name out there overseas, and there are so many places that we are yet to go to. I still pinch myself as often as I can to assure myself that it isn’t a dream.”

When&Where: THE CORNER – JULY 17 & 18

When&Where: THE PALACE, MELBOURNE – OCTOBER 29

When&Where: TOWN HALL, MELBOURNE – AUGUST 1 & 2

Melbourne four-piece Kingswood are touring the East Coast in support of the release of Change Of Heart Deluxe Edition. The rockers have been touring hard lately, supporting Grinspoon on tour, as well as a few of The Living End’s Melbourne shows and the Melbourne show on Aerosmith’s Australian tour. I caught up with frontman Fergus Linacre a couple of weeks ago to talk about the EP and the tour. With an additional three tracks, it seems odd that the boys would release a Deluxe EP, instead of recording another track or two, and releasing a second EP. I asked Fergus what led them to that move. “I guess we released the first EP, with five tracks on it, and then we did a single that had another two tracks on it, then we released our fourth single, ‘Ohio’,” Fergus explained. “You could buy it at gigs, but you couldn’t buy a CD at JB Hi-Fi or anything like that. So we put all eight tracks on one CD and released it as a proper Deluxe EP.“Then everyone could have our first year that we released our music, all on one CD. So ‘This is Kingswood in 2012’, and then the next one will be our first album, 2013. So you’ve got that first year, all higgledy-piggledy, with all the singles and the EP on the one record.”To go with their latest single, the band has produced a short film – more than just a video clip. Fergus explained how it happened. “It’s hard to pinpoint it. We were driving back from Sydney, and we were doing shift driving; Jay and Mango were asleep, and Al and I were up, trying to think of video ideas for ‘Ohio’,

“When we first started out we toured with a lot of bands that came out of the Southern California punk movement, like NOFX, Lagwagon and No Use for a Name. We got to play giant festivals with bands we’d always looked up to. On one tour with Lagwagon, front man Joey Cape gave us some sound advice: ‘It’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon – so just keep your head down, keep going and remember good things don’t happen overnight.’ “I think that was one of the greatest pieces of advice we’ve ever been given,” Sean Mackin, one of the band’s founding members and resident violinist, told Forte. “We were very fortunate it was at an early point in our careers, because here we are fifteen years later and we’re still putting out records, the fans still sing along to our songs, we continue to play shows, and we’ve still got our marathon face on.”I hope so, because the guys are about to embark on a gargantuan world tour to celebrate ten years since the release of their quintessential 2003 smash hit, Ocean Avenue. “We wanted to say thank you to our wonderful Yellowcard fans and for them to get excited as we take Ocean Avenue on the road.” Beginning the tour at the Fuji Rock Festival in Niigata, Japan – then on to Europe and back to the US before heading our way to play only four dates – the guys will hit the road again, finishing up in late November at the Warped Tour in Vienna.“We’ll be playing the entire album from start to finish as an acoustic set. Throughout the years we’ve had

Having just recently completed a whirlwind tour of Europe, Karnivool are returning home once again to play some shows on the back of their latest release, Asymmetry. The third album for the band – which has taken the best part of four years to write, record and release – followed a different journey to their previous releases Themata and Sound Awake. I recently caught with Drew Goddard, guitarist for the band, in the lead up to the release on July 16th whilst he was recuperating in Mackay before the Australian tour. If you have followed the band’s social media pages, you will be fully aware of their hectic overseas touring schedule. However, for the uninitiated, the band has travelled a lot of miles over the last few weeks playing festivals, most notably Download in the UK and Sonisphere in Paris. In addition to this, the band played some shows with American rockers Stone Sour in Prague, Hamburg and Balon in Italy. Reminiscing about the experience about playing as a support band, as expected Drew speaks with utter delight.“I always like playing the support band role, because you have 20 minutes to go out there and play to a bunch of people that most likely haven’t heard of your band before and you give it everything you’ve got. Playing at festivals is also great because you get to showcase what you’re all about. We played some headline gigs in Switzerland and Budapest, and the reaction from all of the audiences has been really positive. I can’t wait for everyone to hear the new album.” Asymmetry, which was recorded at Studio 303 in

kinGsWOOD

yELLOWCARD

kARnivOOL

by cameron brogden

by natalie rogers

by tex miller

FORTEMAG.COM.AU 23

TALK OF THETOWN!

Keepin' it Regional!

“ It was a thrill playing with The Whitlams. The feedback from Tim Freedman after our set was pretty exciting..” - the electric sunkings

BY POPULAR DEMAND

david bridiegetcha gearon this is the end: seth rogentom berlenson

24 FORTEMAG.COM.AU

Talk of The ToWn: Where love is a river; ThaT droWns The Tender reed. Coming up you have… . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

RiDinG A WAvE WiTH nATHAn sEECkTs Do you enjoy songs about “gambling, drinking, cheap women, hard time, fast cars that won’t take you anywhere and life in small towns”? Silly question, of course you do. We all do. Inspired by songman greats such as Bruce Springsteen and Paul Kelly, the Geelong singer-songwriter sings tales full of memorable characters and engaging storylines. His debut EP Deviation Road – an effort self-engineered and produced in his own studio – took the listener on a journey through old forgotten Geelong landmarks and whiskey-fuelled nights. Late last month saw the release of his second EP, Oceans of Women and Wine. A couple of tracks are up on his Bandcamp page if you’re in the mood for women and wine. To help support the release, Nathan plays Geelong’s Barwon Club on July 14. Tim Hampshire supports.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

GOOD ADviCE WiTH bREnDAn skinnERSometimes it can take a while to put passion into action. Whatever it was that inspired Ballarat songwriter Brendan Skinner to take the plunge from bedroom song scribe to stage performer, we’re thankful. Writing and composing for many years, it was not until his early twenties that Brendan started playing in a band. He now has over 100 songs under his belt and a growing reputation. Skinner has a couple of mates along for the ride; Andrew Vincent (bass) and Rhyn Carey (guitar), the combined talents of which make up Brendan Skinner & the Relevant Advice Club. They also have a none-too-shabby mentor in Juan Alban. The band’s debut EP is Conclusions and it features single ‘Plastic’. The launch takes place at Eastern Station Hotel, Ballarat on July 13. They’ll be joined by Juan Alban... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

AiRbOuRnE TO ROCkSometimes you are just born to rock. Bon Scott was born to rock. Freddy Mercury was born to rock. Airbourne, you better believe they were born to rock. In was 10 years ago in Warrnambool that the earth began to tremble. When the trembling stopped and the dust settled, Airbourne was born. Led by the O’Keeffe brothers (Joel and Ryan), the band released their debut album Runnin’ Wild in 2007. Love in Australia, the UK and US were soon to follow. No Guts. No Glory. followed in 2010, and now we welcome their third effort, Black Dog Barking. They have been killing it at festivals across Europe and recently performed at the Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards in the UK. But they’re still Warrnambool boys and will launch their newie at Whalers Hotel on July 19.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

THE DEviLisH kAyLA DWyER The music bug hit Kayla Dwyer in a big way when she was a thirteen-year-old student at Brauer College. Her musical talents were recognised at this early age with opera singer Manfred Pohlenz and later Maja Pearson taking an interest in helping her to develop her singing technique. Guitar lessons were to follow at 16 with Russell Moody. Russell, along with John Maroniti, would convince Kayla to join them at a gig at Mickey Bourke’s Hotel. It proved a winning step. In 2012 at the Tamworth Country Music Festival Kayla placed second in the Discovery Singer-Songwriter Competition. She is now thrilled to welcome her album, Devil Within. Kayla has a country-rock heart with a pop feel and you can catch her launch at Seanchai, Warrnambool on July 20. Full dates through kayladwyer.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

HARLEy bREEn LOvEs bunninGsFor many red-blooded men, and many women I would have you know, Bunnings is a magical kingdom of awesomeness. Once you step inside those doors you are in a majestic world of timber and tools. You walk around, comforted in the knowledge that whichever path you take is going to be paved in gold. Then, when your

bALLArAT / bENdigO / gEELONg / SurfcOAST / wArrNAmbOOL / wErribEE

journey ends, you stumble back into the light of day, grab yourself a snag from the sausage sizzle, and go off on your merry way. Harley Breen knows Bunnings. He has two carpenter brothers and enjoys time out in the ultimate man-shed. Having the skills is secondary; it’s all about the Bunning experience. I Heart Bunnings is his homage. “Whether the audience is a group of Bunnings devotees or young folk or yes, even women, they will find it hard to resist Breen’s charms.” Lighthouse Theatre, Warrnambool – July 26 & COPACC – July 27.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

ECHuCA-MOAMA WinTER bLuEs FEsTivALFEATURE: The 2013 Echuca-Moama Winter Blues Festival takes place towards the end of the month, so if you’re not up to speed let me do my best to fill you in. Taking place from July 26 through 28, the festival will welcome more than 40 blues and roots performers from across the country. Here we go with the line-up: Alister Turrill, Andrea Marr Band, Andy Baylor, Blue Eyes Cry, Blues Bootcamp, Blues Bootcamp All Star Band, Blues Mountain, Broderick Smith, Cass Eager, Catfish Voodoo, Chris Wilson, Claude Hay, Collard Greens and Gravy, The Continental Blues Party, Dan Dinnen, Dreamboogie, Fiona Boyes Hammond Trio, Genevieve Chadwick, Geoff Achison, Jimi Hocking, John McNamara, Jules Boult, Lloyd Spiegel, Louis King, Marshall O’Kell, MBAS Stage, Mojo Webb, Mr Black and Blues, Pete Cornelius, Phil Manning, PJ O’Brien Band, Qynn Beardman, Sean McConnell, Shane Pacey Blues Trio, Shannon Bourne, Smoking Gum, Spoonful, Stringybark McDowell and Wayne Jury (with Andy Baylor). Phew! A stack of venues will take on hosting duties throughout the festival and best of all, all shows are free. That’s insane, right? Well, it’s all about providing great music and showing off what Echuca and Moama have to offer. Hit winterblues.net.au for details. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

bART WiLLOuGHby sTAnDinG pROuDRaised on the Koonibba Aboriginal mission on the fringes of the Nullarbor, Bart Willoughby is widely regarded as one of the pioneers of contemporary Aboriginal music. His music journey began in the late 1970s when he formed Australia’s first Indigenous rock band, No Fixed Address. The band performed its first gig in 1979 and over the years would feature at numerous concerts for Aboriginal rights. Following a support with Peter Tosh, the band would become the first Aboriginal band to tour overseas, becoming cultural ambassadors. Mixed Relations, Coloured Stone and Yothu Yindi would follow. Today, Bart’s song, ‘We Have Survived’, is considered one of the most important anthems for Aboriginal Australia. His new album is Proud. Theatre Royal, Castlemaine – July 27.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

GOin’ COunTRy WiTH MuRDEnA Geelong’s Murdena have their debut EP out and understandably they’re pretty darn excited about it. The alt-country ramblers delivered big time at this year’s Tamworth Country Music Festival – so much so that an Australia’s Got Talent rep approached them to see if they would be interested in auditioning. The band spent some time with Forte’s Tex Miller earlier in the year and told him about the experience. “After we finished busking at the festival, we got approached by a lady who was a talent scout for Australia’s Got Talent asking us whether we were interested in auditioning for the show. Those types of shows are great in a way, if that is the demographic that you are trying to aim your music at, but as a band we are looking at the bigger picture.” Well, the bigger picture is here. Martians Cafe, Deans Marsh – July 13.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

THE TREnDy As A RivAL Bedroom demos + vented frustration = As A Rival. It was a pretty simple formula that led to Melbourne trio As A Rival coming together in early 2011. It has worked a treat though with their blend of punk, rock and schizophrenia serving them very well. The band wasted no time getting the ball rolling, releasing the three-track EP Reindeer Designer in the year of their formation. A stack of shows followed before inspiration struck again and soon enough

TALk OF THE TOWn!new ideas were being road-tested. Last year the band entered the studio to work on their second EP, the recently released Concerning Trends. Lead single ‘Warm Gun’ received this nice review by triple j’s Dave Ruby Howe: “This (Warm Gun) is solid stuff from As A Rival; Great big surging riff that doesn’t let up for two and a few minutes.” The Bridge, Castlemaine – July 25; Music Man, Bendigo – August 9; The Barwon, Geelong – August 17.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

DAyLEsFORD spRinG FOLk & bLuEs FEsTivALThe Daylesford Spring Folk & Blues Festival takes place in October and we’re giving you a head’s up about what to expect. The idea of the festival was born out of Daylesford’s Acoustic Session, a not for profit organisation which promotes live music in the region. The line-up is a cracker with Liz Frenchman and the Second Hand Romeos, Martian Pearson, John McNamara, Jenny Biddle, Funky Turtles, Geoffrey Williams and the Soul Choir, Jarrod Shaw and Condos, Craven and Bolton Trio all set to perform. There will also be an instrument makers display and demonstrations, busking in the streets, auctions and workshops. You can expect a few more treats to be announced as the festival draws nearer. Daylesford – October 12. The festival supports the Hepburn Wildlife Shelter. Hit daylesfordfolkbluesfest.com for more. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

bOy & bEAR FEEL THE sunsHinEThose lovely gents Boy & Bear have announced a string of dates for a little later in the year which will place their forthcoming new album Harlequin Dream front and centre. The album is the follow-up to 2011’s Moonfire which found all kinds of love (including five ARIAs), so expectation is high. No doubt the guys will exceed it, especially as the newie’s lead single ‘Southern Sun’ is getting a right ol’ workout on radio. Speaking about the single with triple j, Dave Hosking and Tim Hart had this to

say: “I wanted to call it Valley of the Gwangi … It’s a movie about cowboys versus dinosaurs. I legitimately thought ‘that’s the coolest concept I’ve ever heard of’. I pitched this so excitedly in the rehearsal room and it was voted out unanimously by the band.” They also talked about the album’s recording, which took place in Sydney. “It was such a different experience. There was something so nice about recording so close to home. These songs start in my living room – it seems so silly that we travel so far to record them. It was nice to just be a couple of k’s down the road.” Wool Exchange, Geelong – November 1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

THE WOnDERs OF ALisOn WOnDERLAnD Once upon a time Sydney DJ and producer Alison Wonderland toured Europe as a principal cellist in the Sydney Youth Orchestra. Back then she was more of an indie and classical gal; these days she is a DJ setting the party scene on fire. Internationally she has performed in L.A. at the official Grammy after-party, in London at the Brit Awards after-party and throughout Ibiza; locally she has performed at Splendour in the Grass, Falls Festival, Southbound Festival, Stereosonic, Field Day, Parklife and Good Vibrations Festival to name but a few. Last year she inked a global deal with EMI and released her debut compilation record, Welcome to Wonderland. She spoke with Red Bull earlier in the year, hinting that a new album will hopefully see light by the end of the year. The Karova, Ballarat – August 3.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

TRuE bLuE JOHn WiLLiAMsOn In a career spanning more than 40 years, songman and lyrical poet John Williamson has released over forty albums, five DVDs and two lyric books. Born in Kerang, Williamson grew up in Quambatook, earning his nickname ‘The Mallee Boy’. In 1969 he wrote ‘Old Man Emu’, winning first place on the talent show New Faces for the novelty track. He signed a record deal in 1970 and released the track as a single. ‘Old Man Emu’, as well as

in TOTAL CLOuD COnTROLNext month sees the release of Dream Cave, the sophomore album from Cloud Control. The band bunkered down in the English countryside of Kent with producer Barny Barnicott (The Arctic Monkeys, Kasabian, Spiritualized) for the album which promises “elegant psychedelic pop, whilst exploring a treasure trove of new influences and a progressive direction”. Some would already be familiar with single ‘Dojo Rising’; it’s been topping ‘Most Played’ lists on radio and blogs the world over. Those lucky enough to have been at their sold-out Vivid Live performance would have witnessed a band that has grown considerably over the past few years. The Karova, Ballarat – September 4 & Star Bar, Bendigo – September 5. *Note: the band also plays The Forum, Melbourne on September 6 and Splendour in the Grass.

JinJA sAFARi GO LARGEJinja Safari are no strangers to the road, but their upcoming tour The Bay of Fires sees the band testing out their road stamina. The band released their debut self-titled album in May to some lovely reviews. Jessica Regan over at The AU Review wrote: “The songs will stick in your head and the album will be on repeat to banish the gloom of winter. Jinja Safari have done it again, and made an amazing album that has secured their place as one of Australia’s finest bands.” The album was inspired by worldly travels; songwriters Marcus Azon and Cameron ‘Pepa’ Knight even travelled to their namesake of Jinja in Uganda. It follows a couple of EP releases (Jinja Safari and Mermaids & Other Sirens). The Loft, Warrnambool – September 25; The Barwon Club, Geelong – September 26; The Karova, Ballarat – September 28. You will smile and you will dance.

A niGHT OuT AT CADDiEsBefore it became The Sphinx, it was Caddies Disco (Gold View Hotel) and it was Geelong’s leading entertainment venue. Throughout the 70s, 80s and 90s the venue was the place to be. This Saturday night (July 13), the venue is hosting a very special reunion. Ex-DJs, bands, bar staff, security and loyal patrons are invited to head on down for a night of nostalgia. From the organisers: “If you were part of the Caddies family, and with a bit of Venus thrown in (Geelong’s only revolving dance floor), then I am sure the Ramia family would donate one Saturday night at the Sphinx for this memorable occasion.” With only a five-buck cover, it’s a cheap way to relive a golden time.

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tracks ‘True Blue’ and ‘Rip Rip Woodchip’ remain a rich part of Australia’s musical landscape. He has received more than twenty Golden Guitar awards and three ARIAs, and is an ARIA Hall of Famer. On Australia Day 1992 he was made a Member of the Order of Australia. Lighthouse Theatre, Warrnambool – July 20. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

A Cup OF DJ sEvER DJ Sever is a man on a mission; a mission to fill every dance floor he comes across. His birth certificate may read Christopher Aaron Warren but Sever is the name we know and love him as. Born in Ballarat, Sever began playing drums as a six-year-old. Later down the track Christopher would find himself behind the decks. He has performed alongside Ricky Lee Coulter, The Screaming Jets and Spiderbait as well as The Stafford Brothers, Yacht Club DJs and Bob Sinclair. Using Pioneer CDJ’s, Sever is regarded as a pioneer of the mash-up, hip hop and electronic movement in the Australian club scene. His new mixtape is Futuristic Juice and it’s available as a free download. Check it out through SoundCloud. Opium Bar, Geelong – August 3 & 17. facebook.com/DJSEVER... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

QuEEnsCLiFF MusiC FEsTivALBy now you probably know the news about the 2013 Queenscliff Music Festival, but here is a refresher. The line-up is: The Living End, John Butler Trio, The Grates, Spiderbait, Blue King Brown, Saskwatch, The Screaming Jets, Busby Marou, Thelma Plum, Chance Waters, Melbourne Ska Orchestra, The Basics, Underground Lovers, Russell Morris, Northeast Party House, Darren Percival, Eagle and the Worm, Jeff Lang, The Preatures, Jasmine Rae, The Trouble with Templeton, Chris Russell’s Chicken Walk, Mason Rack Band, The Brown Horn Orchestra, The Pigs, Papa Pilko and the Binrats, Stompy and the Heat, Empra, The Frowning Clouds, King of the North, Transvaal Diamond Syndicate and Patrick James. The dates: November 22, 23 & 24. Tickets and everything else: qmf.net.au.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

isLAnDs in THE sTREAM TOuRCountry artist Amber Lawrence is heading out on the road with 2012 X-Factor runner-up Jason Owen for the Islands in the Stream tour. Lawrence spent six years working as a chartered accountant before becoming a fulltime musician. Last year she released her third album, appropriately titled 3. On her website Lawrence writes about the album: “It’s my truth, it’s my take on the world as I see it right now. Life throws us curve balls and the only thing that’s constant is change which always makes for great song subject matter.” Owen’s debut album Life is a Highway is a collection of songs that took him the journey on X-Factor. The name of the tour comes from their duet of the Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton classic. Gateway Hotel, Geelong – August 16 & Lighthouse Theatre, Warrnambool – August 17.

Run MARk WiLkinsOn, Run Geelong will host the opening gig of the upcoming tour of Sydney songman Mark Wilkinson who is set to release his sophomore album next month. Titled Let the River Run, the album is the follow-up to Truth Came Running, which impressively remains in the iTunes singer/songwriter charts two years after its release. You may know his story, even if you don’t know his name. Taking to YouTube, Wilkinson’s ‘A Year of YouTube’, which saw him post a new original song every week for a year, earned him over 250,000 views – and a healthy amount of respect. Mark has toured the world, racking up some impressive accomplishments, yet with an unquenchable thirst for music, it would not be an unfamiliar sight to see him busking on the streets. He teamed up with The Cat Empire’s Ollie McGill for his newie. Beav’s Bar, Geelong – August 15.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

THE kAROvA TuRns ninE Okay readers, here is the deal. Ballarat’s Karova Lounge is celebrating its 9th birthday on July 20 and we want as many people as possible to help celebrate the day. Just don’t tell the Karova because we want it to be a surprise. Ah, they will find out anyway so I guess it doesn’t matter. There was a time not so long ago when The Karova was a shy kid, but not these days. Week after week they invite people into their doors, treating them with the upmost respect and love as they provide fantastic music. So you should really get on board for their birthday bash. The Dead Salesmen Duo will be there. Michael Belsar will be there. Mark with the Sea as well. Bel Air will be there, of course, and you can’t have a birthday party without Bad News Toilet. And that is just for starters. But they want you there – the people. The people that have helped make the venue what it is. July 20 at The Karova – remember it folks. Maybe even bring them a cupcake... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

THE ARTFuL biG sCARy At the end of next month, Big Scary will embark on a national tour in support of their new album, Not Art. We are pretty familiar with Tom Iansek and Jo Syme by now, the two lovelies behind the duo. Their 2011 debut Vacation introduced the band perfectly and led to a whole lotta good stuff for the pair. According to Big Scary, Not Art is about the artist’s journey. Iansek says: “In a nutshell, it’s not that Not Art isn’t art, it’s just that creating art wasn’t the goal of this album. Thoughts of creating something artful, even something original or catchy were removed from the process.” While that may have been the aim, many would agree that there is something joyfully artful about the album, and the band. The Karova, Ballarat – September 5. Courtney Barnett supports.

sETH sEnTRy pACks His bAGsMelbourne emcee Seth Sentry keeps rolling on. Since we first got to know Seth through the outfit D.S.O.L. and his early rap battles, he has had somewhat of a Midas touch. His early triple j postings were a dead giveaway that something special was brewing in the hip hop world with tracks ‘The Waitress Song’ and ‘Simple Plan’ doing all kinds of good on radio. When it came time to release his debut album, 2012’s This Was Tomorrow, he could be forgiven for feeling the weight of expectation. Yet he delivered in fine form, with a Channel [V] Oz Artist of the Year award, and a #6 spot on the iTunes Album Chart, confirming his stature as one of our favourite hip hop wordsmiths. Four years in the making, the album features production by Trialz, Matik and Styalz Fuego. Earlier in the year he took to Jimmy Kimmel Live! to perform ‘Dear Science’ and ‘Float Away’. You can check out those performances through YouTube or his website. As for other goings-on, well, there is his latest single ‘Vacation’ for starters. There is also a bumper tour which kicks off next month and includes dates at Black Swan, Bendigo on August 30, The Karova, Ballarat on August 31 and Wool Exchange, Geelong on September 7.

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psyCROpTiC & kinG pARROTQuick bite: Heavy-hitting heavyweights Psycroptic and King Parrot have teamed up for the first time for the Inheriting the Sickness tour. Tasmanian-born Psycroptic formed in the late 90s and have since carved out their own niche in Australia’s metal scene. They currently have a very special limited edition CD/DVD of The Inherited Repression available. King Parrot hit the live circuit in 2011 and has not taken a backwards step yet. Their album Bite Your Head Off has been blowing people away. The Karova, Ballarat – July 25 & The Barwon Club, Geelong – July 26. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

EWEs, bREWs, sTEWs & bLuEs sHOWCAsEQuick bite: Blues and roots lovers take note that the latest Bendigo Blues & Roots Music Festival showcase takes place at the Goldmines Hotel on July 21. Shaun Kirk, Archer and the Long Gone Daddies, Bones Blackwood and Cass Ward will be among the entertainment, while Bendigo Beer and Festival of Lamb will provide the good drink and food. All you have to do is provide the good cheer. The big gig takes place this November with full information available through bendigobluesandroots.com.au. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

GOLD FiELDs’ GOLDEn TOuCH Quick bite: Ballarat electro-pop outfit Gold Fields can do no wrong. The band formed a few years back and was quick to strike, eh, gold, developing a strong following abroad and spending a six-week stint in L.A. recording with Mickey Petralia. More recently the band has performed on Jimmy Kimmel Live! Oh, they have also dropped their self-titled debut album. The band has been going about business on their Black Sun tour and shows remain at The Karova, Ballarat on July 12 & Eureka Hotel, Geelong on July 18. All that glistens in Gold Fields. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

RED HOT inDiAn suMMERQuick bite: They who go by the name of Indian Summer (Gabe Gleeson and Chevy Long) know how to fill a dance floor. The Melbourne lads introduced themselves with a couple of killer remixes (‘Sebastian’ and ‘$100 Infinite Kung Fu Vixens’) before dropping their debut EP, No Use. Their latest gem is ‘Foreign Formula’ and it has led to their first run of national headlining dates. They’ll be part of a big Splendour pre-party in Byron Bay, but what we want to know about are local dates. Here they are: The Karova, Ballarat – July 17 & Eureka Hotel, Geelong – August 1.

bLuEs bOOT CAMp pERFORMAnCEQuick bite: The latest installment of the fantastic Blues Boot Camp is underway, with the performance set to take place Friday night. The camp has gone from strength to strength over the last few years as it continues to encourage and nurture the talents of those with a musical heart. The final performance takes place at the Courthouse ARTS Theatre on July 12. Head on down to see what the two-day course has accomplished. Further information can be found through courthouse.org.au. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

OppREssiOn in COnTROL Quick bite: Around since the late 90s, Geelong Oppression has been around the block more than a few times. In such a time they have undergone many line-up changes, yet through it all have come out stronger. As a rock band you could do worse than cite Foo Fighters as an influence, and along with lending influence from the rock favourites, Oppression add their own touches. Their album is Inception and you can get your hot little hands on it now. Also available is their first video single, ‘Who’s in Control’. Barwon Heads Hotel, Barwon Heads – July 20.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

GOinG pOsTALQuick bite: Newcastle bands in arms Postal and Tired Minds packed up their gear late last month and hit the road for a spot of touring. Both bands have a little something to show off; Postal has a split release with Disparo, Bison and Aids, and Tired Minds have their 2012 self-titled debut EP. The tour is nearing its end but according to the presser the bands have an all-ages Beach House show in Geelong on July 14. Now, I can’t give you any more information than that, but if you have a look at facebook.com/TiredMinds hopefully you will become a little more enlightened. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

CRAvinG vAnEssA CRAvEnQuick bite: Singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Vanessa Craven will drop by The Bridge, Castlemaine on July 13. Craven plays Cajon drum, floor tambourine, harmonica and guitar, and even throws in a little didgeridoo for good measure. She performs originals, covers and instrumentals, dancing effortlessly across folk, blues and alt-country. She will be accompanied at the show by Don Gula and Andrew Barcham. Fat Chance, meanwhile, will warm up the crowd with their brew of bluegrass, country and folk.

TALk OF THE TOWn!

THE vOiCE OF iMOGEn bROuGHWith hints of Celtic and Irish music, songbird Imogen Brough’s passion for music runs deep. In 2011 her song ‘Prettiest Thing’ reached the #11 spot on the triple j unearthed pop genre, but it was her turn in The Voice where the Geelong singer showed just how bright she could shine. Imogen: “For me, music is very spiritual; we are able to find a special connection to ourselves as individuals. My songs are full of love, honesty, passion, rhythm fun and aim to express feels of all sorts. My inspiration comes from my family, the ones I love, summer, movies, and life in general. I love to write and perform my music and hope to do a lot more in the future.” Her EP is Counting Waves. Performing with a full band, Imogen hits Wool Exchange, Geelong on July 26.

MACOnDO bLOWOuT, ALLy OOp AnD THE HOOpsTERs AnD RyAn COFFEy to play the Torquay hotel as the official after party for the Dane Reynold’s produced “Slow Dance” movie starring professional surfer Craig Anderson on Friday July 26th. The movie premier screens at the Quiksilver Head office in Torquay from 6pm until 8:30pm. Food and Drinks available. A shuttle bus transports crew to the after party. “Macondo Blowout” headline the night with their over the falls, sucked up and spat out brand of surf punk and blistering live performance. “Ally Oop And The Hoopsters” the punk/rap/dance rocksters from Melbourne featuring Ally from “The Spazzys” lend there support and are sure to impress like an arvo glass off. Ryan Coffey kick starts the night with his loop-pedal maestro and ramshackle comedy rock. Torquay Hotel $12 entry at the door 8:30pm til late.

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Guests at the event will have the chance to explore the 2013 Harley-Davidson range, including the Seventy-Two®, retro-styled Softail Slim® and Forty-Eight®, alongside favourites such as the 883 SuperLow®, Fat Boy®, Heritage Softail® Classic and Wide Glide®. The H-D Custom truck will be on site with all the latest Harley-Davidson accessories as well as a display of custom Harley-Davidsons. Harley-Davidson riding gear will also be on display. Sal Austin, Geelong Harley-Davidson’s General Manager, is encouraging anyone interested in riding to join the dealership’s team of experts for what promises to be an inspiring and informative night: “The aim of Motorcycle Boot Camp is to get new riders up to speed on everything from learning to ride to choosing the right gear to suit their style. We welcome anyone from the local community with a new interest in motorcycles to come along with their mates and discover what the thrill of the ride is all about.” Harley-Davidson is also giving everyone at the event the chance to enter into a competition to win one of 60 genuine leather jackets, each worth over $500. Harley-Davidson Motorcycle Boot Camp will be hosted at Geelong Harley-Davidson from 6:30pm on Wednesday, 31st July. Spaces are limited and bookings are essential. For more information please visit: geelongharley-davidson.com.au or harley-davidson.com.au

time: ‘Emily! I see you more than I see my wife and kids!’ I still to this day cannot believe he remembered me!”Now that she’s ended her time with Sony and started her own independent PR firm ‘On The Map PR’, Cheung says she believes it was definitely the right decision. “The best part about no longer working for the man is that I can pick and choose which acts I work with”, she says. With everything going strong, she also recently employed a long-time colleague from her Sony days, Fiona Peacock. “She’s a PR gun and has been in this music PR game for over 15 years. I cannot wait to see what her skills and relationships can bring to On The Map!” However it hasn’t always been smooth sailing for the former My Kitchen Rules contestant.“I’ll never forget the time when Evanescence’s tour manager marched me up to his hotel room, all the while shouting hugely abusive obscenities at me. Once arriving at his room, all was revealed through just one vicious point of the finger – the hotel landline phone was placed next to the bed and not on the desk! An exact quote that I’ll never forget: ‘Do you expect me to coordinate a fucking national tour from my fucking bed?’” So with a lifetime of memories at such a young age, what could the future possibly hold for Miss Cheung? “I’ll just keep helping break independent bands and artists, and will continue to bake cakes for my media buddies; dropping in new music releases alongside batches of fresh-out-of-the-oven cup cakes! Combining my two great loves – food and music!”‘Like’ ON THE MAP PR – facebook.com/otmPR onthemappr.com

Whether it’s taking Incubus surfing in WA, appearing on My Kitchen Rules or running her own successful music PR firm, Emily Cheung is someone who many would claim is living the dream.History would have it seem that Cheung was destined to work in the music industry. “I’m one of the lucky ones. This industry is a tough one to get your foot in the door, but I managed to score a lucky break almost straight out of uni”, she explains. After studying at RMIT, she was fortunate enough to meet some people who helped her jump the queue in an application for ‘promotions assistant’ at Sony Music. “I talked my way into the job and remember being terrified on day one when I was asked to ‘fill’ my first schedule.”Although having worked with the likes of Pink, Oasis, Justin Timberlake, Beyonce, Britney Spears, Slash, Billy Joel and more, Cheung reveals her most prized moment of her career occurred whilst looking after Incubus. “We hung out for a good few days, and I managed to sneak out of the office for a whole day to take Brandon Boyd and Mike Einziger surfing a few hours north of Perth. The fact that I can call this a job is unreal.”Other main highlights include attending a private Foo Fighters gig with a crowd of only 300, as well as her time working with Slash. “I will always remember what he said to me when I picked him up from the airport that last

by brendan dando

In what is a rare and exciting oppotunity for Geelong, motorcyclist and stunt man Seth Enslow is coming to town as part of a motorcycle bootcamp. Geelong-based Harley-Davidson dealership, Geelong Harley-Davidson, is to host one of the iconic motorcycle brand’s latest initiatives, Motorcycle Boot Camp, from 6:30pm on Wednesday, 31st July at its showroom located at 72 Mercer St, Geelong.Aimed at offering basic training for anyone under the age of 35 who is ready to ride or who has just started out on two wheels, Motorcycle Boot Camp begins with the fundamentals of riding, covering everything from headlights to exhaust pipes. The programme is designed to ensure that anyone in attendance is equipped with the knowledge to gain the perfect start to their own personal motorcycling journey. The free event will feature special guest Seth Enslow, world record holder for the longest jump on a Harley-Davidson.

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Post-classic rock has a new name and that name is The Electric SunKings. The band was born from a musical journey, and it is a journey they have been thrilling audiences with left, right and centre. It only made sense that our paths would cross as part of our By Popular Demand section. Call it fate if you will.how does it feel to be nominated as one of regional Victoria’s most popular bands? Chris ‘Barbz’ Barbetti (lead guitar/vocals): To be nominated as one of the most popular bands in regional Vic is great news. I must have been asleep at a few of our last shows as I missed the crowd that has made us so well-known recently. But I would like to thank all the people who have turned up to see us locally and regionally; it really has been quite a journey so far.John ‘Finchy’ Finch (bass): It’s a good feeling. It affirms the amount of work we’ve been putting in, and is hopefully an indication of things to come. Can you please introduce each band member and give us a brief rundown of their finest assets as a human? The Electric SunKings consists of Chris ‘Barbz’ Barbetti on guitar, lead vocals; Kobie ‘Kobes’ Brown on guitar and backing vocals; John ‘Finchy’ Finch on bass/chimes/sax; and James ‘Jimi’ Hughes on drum kit, percussion and keys.Chris: I believe one of my greatest and worst assets is my decision making skills. The fact that I’ve left everything to chance is fortunately what got me here. On the flipside, I’ve left everything to chance, and unfortunately that is why I am here. Kobie: Most easy going guy I’ve met. I have never known anybody to dislike him. Finch: Plays bass very similar to Paul McCartney crossed with Roger Waters. Who wouldn’t like a guy like that in their band?! Jim: Without Jim we probably wouldn’t have the structure and stability skills he brings to rehearsals. Our songs would probably sound like home-brand soup without Jim ironing out and restructuring a lot of what the rest of us would have swept under the table.John: Chris: Down to earth and possesses a unique sense of humour; writes from the soul. James: Rhythmical genius, who is committed to the cause. Kobie: The quiet achiever; humble in his brilliance. You guys are from Ballarat. How do you find being a band from Ballarat? What are some of the pros and cons?Chris: Yes, we’re all from Ballarat. I believe the cons and pros would be the same as many of the regional places around regional Vic. It can be hard for a lot of bands to really get started round here, but fortunately for us we fell into the right crowd and really did the hard yards when it came to building a solid base in Ballarat. It is not a bad place, but I think we would like to be branching out a lot more in the coming months. We could probably do with a few more live music venues, but we do have the Karova Lounge, Babushka Bar and the Eastern Station.John: It is very easy to build good connections in this town. Unfortunately, very few venues exist

for live original music. You are currently on tour. Tell us where you are at the moment, and how the tour is going. Chris: Yeah, touring is great. We have been from North Ballarat to South Ballarat, with a stop off in Central Ballarat in between. Sometimes, if I switch every sense off, I can imagine touring somewhere outside our backyard, and that the half warm can of Rivet Aldi beer becomes something much, much better. We have been all over the face of Victoria; Bendigo, Ararat, Geelong, Ocean Grove, Barwon Heads, Morwell and many others. Melbourne has been kind to us as well at such places as the Espy, Revolver, Musicland, along with a bunch of other great places that welcomed us. Outside Vic we have been fortunate enough to play at a few venues in Adelaide, and also the Basement in Canberra. Each of the shows we have played I have been grateful for the hospitality and help we have received from every venue we have played.John: I guess we began the tour when we began the band. We play regularly in Melbourne and regional towns like Bendigo and Ararat – a fun place Ararat. We’ve also been to Adelaide a couple of times, and Canberra.TeSK opened for the Whitlams in Feb. That must have been a thrill.Chris: The Whitlam’s show was excellent; really enjoyed the afternoon watching the guys set up and having a chat. It is always a pleasure to meet like-minded Beatle fans out there. Their set was great too; couldn’t be more grateful for the opportunityJohn: It was a thrill playing with The Whitlams. The feedback from Tim Freedman after our set was pretty exciting. The band members were also good to kick back with. What releases do you guys have out to date?Chris: We have two EPs out at the moment; they’re alright, but certainly not what we were trying to achieve. The first [is] Richards Street Sessions; the second Geelong Road Sessions, or just self-titled The Electric SunKings. We needed a recording quick, so we got the first one done. Then we needed another done quick, and we got the second one done. We were quite happy with both of these recordings at the time, especially the second one who we were lucky enough to have a dear friend Garth Horsfield to engineer and produce the recordings for us. The self-titled EP is still available on all of our internet sites, but physical copies have sold out. Either just type our name into Google or visit iTunes or BandcampJohn: The Richards Street Sessions – recorded at a notorious Ballarat location. This was our first recording. The Geelong Road Sessions – EP recorded at the house where Chris and John lived. This is home recording by Garth Horsfield (Immaculata, Singers of the Black Book). This recording has really helped us get to where we are today.Are you working on anything at the moment?Chris: Currently we are working on our debut album, unnamed at the moment, and it will hopefully be out

this year. There is a lot of time and effort going into the creation of this record, and, if we had money, there would be a lot of that too going into the production. I don’t want to give too much away about the record so far, but it might be out on vinyl. It will be worth the wait when it eventually comes out.John: We’re currently recording a debut full-length album between Redwood Recording Studios (Ballarat) and Kindred Studios (Yarraville). It is being engineered by Dylan Jones (ex-Girl Vs Ghost, Kaamora). If you were to overhear someone describing the band to someone else, what would you want their description to be?Chris: Well, I haven’t heard anything too critical so far. To be honest, I am not fussed what anybody has to say because it doesn’t have an effect on me, the others, or the music. People will say whatever they want to say, and I particularly don’t want to stop anybody saying whatever they please. Yet, I guess if people hear something familiar but different and tell others they enjoyed it, that’s a good thing. If people get what we mean by ‘post-classic’ rock, that is good too.As a band, do you seek to make music your work? Or is it just a hobby?Chris: I would love our music to become a full-time PAYING job, as it is currently becoming close to full-time work now.John: It’s art. Art is work. Money is not really an incentive. What can people expect at a TeSK live show?Chris: We try to play music to accommodate all warped senses out there, however altered or spaced. There is a heap of energy on stage and if that gets out into the audience it will make people move and have a good time. You lot will have to roll up to a gig some time, everyone else does. Currently working on putting together a light show to work with our sets to give people a musical and visual experience.John: A set can go in any direction really; sometimes we don’t even know which direction it will go in until we’re there doing it.What are the plans for the band over the next year?Chris: The plans are to get this album out, see how it goes and hopefully get overseas to start a tour. We will be traveling around our island of course, which is looking like a more probable plan over the short run. Also got plans/ideas in place for a concept album and some music videos.John: To finish off this debut album and tour it. We have a distribution deal set up in the United States so we’re kind of hanging to get a move on with it. Anything you would like to add?Chris: Yeah, just a loaf of bread and a pint of milk, thanks. Nah, must have a couple of blatant plugs for July 20 at Babushka Bar, where we become the semi-acoustic SunKings supporting our mate Jimi Norrstrom, and August 15th gig at Karova Lounge with Marlow (Sydney) and Jericco.facebook.com/The.Electric.SunKings

BY POPULAR DEMANDYOU AsKED FOR iT, WE gO iT! THE ELECTRiC sunkinGs

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Since forming in 2010, Audemia have become one of the hardest working rock bands playing in the local scene. Like any band starting out, the beginning was a little rocky and after a few changes in the line-up (predominately drummers), the band finally took shape. Over the past month Audemia has performed most notably with The Superjesus at the Wool Exchange and Paul Woseen of The Screaming Jets at Saints and Sailors in Portarlington, and are currently playing a residency every Thursday at the venue. Having heard a lot about Audemia from friends and local music lovers alike, it was a real honour to sit down with Tony Calleja, bassist and lead vocalist of the band, to find out just what all the hype is about and what the rest of 2013 has in store for them.

In early June, the band played at the Black Hatt, showcasing their original tunes which have a strong 90s rock vibe to them. Teaming up with Fistful of Steel for a music battle-esque evening, the feedback from the gig was extremely positive. Looking back on the evening, Tony was surprised at the amount of support on the night. “The vibe when we got up to play that night was electric. We got 180 people through the door and we weren’t really expecting that at all. Fistful of Steel are a 80s cover band playing Mötley Crüe type tunes and they are good friends of ours. Despite being shut down because we were playing too late into the night due to the location of the venue, everyone had a good time and loved the tunes. I think the music license runs until about 12:30 and we’ve been shut down a few times. It’s hard to stop when you lose yourself in the music though.”Tony’s vocals are imperative to the band’s 90s rock/

AUDEMIA by tex miller

When&Where: BLACK HATT, GEELONG – JULY 27 WITH FISTFUL OF STEEL

and take on the mindset from bands touring in the old days. Back then, none of the big bands hit regional centres and so therefore you had to travel to see your favourite band. If you go to these places and play a gig, the reception and turn out is always going to be fantastic. We want to go out on the road with a couple of other bands and hit Adelaide, Sydney and Brisbane, with the possibility of Western Australia as well.”Having gigged around the local scene for the past three years, Tony strongly believes that the way to move up the music industry ladder as a band is to go out and support the scene that is providing for your band. “If you’re not playing a gig this weekend, go out and see someone else play. The contacts that you can make as a result are invaluable to the success of your career, and you may even find a band that can support you on tour. It’s a simple logic but it works.” With some live clips on YouTube, the primal energy that Audemia put into a performance is astounding. Their clip ‘The One’ shows the band in full flight, with their performances drawing comparison to Pearl Jam and Metallica. If you’re looking for a high-octane night out, with cochlea-niggling 120db rock, with some possible nudity thrown in for good measure, you should look no further than their upcoming gig at Black Hatt Saturday July 27th.

grunge sound and draws heavy comparisons to Eddie Vedder and Chris Cornell. Without defining specific influences, Pearl Jam and Soundgarden are two bands that are on high rotation within Audemia’s practice space. If you haven’t seen the band in the flesh just yet, make sure you check out their Black Hatt gig on the 27th of July with Fistful of Steel. With Back to School theme raffles, auctions, Rubik’s Cube competitions, promo girls, gold coin entry charity fundraising and some of the best local rock around, you’d be mad to miss it.“It was a hectic night the first time around and the 27th is sure to be just as fun. It’ll be great to see some friendly faces, so come on down!” From just one look at the biography of Audemia, the opportunities that have presented themselves to the band have led to their fan base expanding overseas to Europe and the US. Having played with Mark Seymour and Kate DeAraugo to name just a couple, the band is currently in the studio recording their debut EP after a substantial period of fundraising to help with the financial side of things. Two of the featured tracks on their triple j Unearthed page are ‘Dance floor’ and ‘So Glad I Lost You’, the latter of which will feature on the upcoming debut EP. The EP will feature some new tracks from the band as well as some oldies and will be available for purchase later in the year. To coincide with this release, the band is planning to tour throughout late 2013/early 2014. “The tour is most likely to be around Victoria, initially with a strong emphasis on country towns,

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fortunate with our live shows, in the short time we’ve been established and gigging we’ve been blessed with a really dedicated and passionate fan base. Also we’ve looked up to the local band Murdena who in our early days took us under their wing and gave us some early exposure that kick-started us in the right direction. We’ve travelled a little bit down the west of Victoria to Warrnambool and rural areas, and also up to the Big Smoke (Melbourne) and played a handful of shows up there at some great venues such as Cherry Bar, Laundry Bar, etc. Do you agree with Elton John that The Voice and other TV Talent shows produce non entities? Short answer Yes! The shows have massive contractual lockdown on the artists that they produce and basically use them for their own back pocket. It’s a shame that happens but it’s just what the industry has become, money. There’s more talent in Geelong’s

(and surrounding areas) backyard that far exceeds the talent on those shows. Take Wes Carr for example (yeah remember him, 6th winner of Australian Idol in 2008) well he’s just released his own music without the programs writers and producers and only now starting to make an actual dollar from his own music, which is awesome check it out Buffalo Tales (yeah he changed his name too) What have you released so far? We have a demo floating around that we burn onto a blank CD and write on with a permanent marker that we’re selling for a donation (whatever you thinks it’s worth) that has two of our tracks on it that we recording from our home studio. All of the funds that we’re making from that are going into getting our EP professionally recorded which we are currently in the process of doing. We can announce that the EP will be out in the summer of 2013/14 and will be titled ‘Fish are Friends not Food’

but that’s about as much information we can give out at the moment.Do you enjoy writing or performing more? We love performing, we really focus on making sure our performances are fun, whether it’s busking on a Saturday night in the CBD or at a sold out show, we’re all very animated people and often Pat even ends up dancing in the front row with the punters. Writing is essential but we usually do that between shows in our down time.Where do you hope to be in 12 months? 12 months is so long away, we’ve only been together for 6 months and only been gigging for the last 4 months so it’s really hard to say for us. We just want to keep moving forward writing more music and playing more shows. Ideally it’d be amazing to be well recognized for our music but we’ll just wait to see what the future brings.

down to business:

Up a small flight of stairs and nestled between Darrell Lea and Wing and a Prayer in Geelong’s Malop Street is Getcha Gearon Costume Hire, a family-owned enterprise that began in Danielle Benson’s garage almost three years ago. Danielle was working as a paralegal in Melbourne and realised a niche in Geelong’s market when she struggled to find costumes here for her work functions and had to buy or hire them elsewhere. After toying with the idea of starting their own business, Danielle and her husband bought a few hundred costumes that remained from a hire shop in Eltham and began an unchartered and promising journey from home-based operation to the large, inviting and incredibly colourful space they occupy today. Getcha Gearon Costume Hire is unrivalled in the region. This is attributed, in part, to a large and diverse range of costumes; all neatly organised, in immaculate condition, categorised, and labeled with tags displaying price and size. “When people come in they say, ‘wow, it’s so clean and organised’. As soon as something’s a little worn out, we either sell it off as an ex-hire costume or get rid of it, then replace it,” says Danielle. Getcha Gearon relocated to its Malop Street address in May 2012 after the business outgrew Danielle’s garage and she considered the potential advantages of trading between business hours and separating her home from her workplace. “It was a struggle being a mum and setting up a business. I was doing it from home for over six months and was working every night, after hours, and thought, ‘I need to open a shop and open normal hours’. At first I thought it would be easy having the kids at home, but my phone was ringing all day, every day,” says Danielle. Initially, those normal hours were 10am until 5pm, Wednesday to Saturday, but the store’s rapid success allowed for – if not required – an extra day of service, and 2013 saw the store opening Tuesdays. In addition to opening Tuesdays, several changes have been implemented by Danielle and her team this year, including the way in which they approach new trends and answer requests. “We’ve started making a lot of our own costumes. We didn’t at first as we didn’t have time to be creative, but we have a few staff members now so we have the time. I was lucky that I hired a girl who had worked in a costume hire shop in Melbourne and was very creative. She began making costumes if something was requested or popular,” says Danielle.

GETCHA GEAROn by dani sHaW

With talented staff, an innovative approach to meeting demands, a broad clientele, and unique and appealing costumes, a steady expansion in popularity and profit was inevitable. Danielle continues to respond to this growth by acquiring more costumes and increasing her range of products for sale.”I had a small amount of things at home, but since we’ve come here and had more space, we’re constantly expanding on what we’ve got. We’ve got masks, face-paint, stockings, weapons, wigs, hats. Often people just want to come and grab a little accessory to go with a costume, so we provide that.” The store’s current range of costumes covers an abundance of genre’s including movies, uniforms, rock stars, and superheroes, with the most popular costumes being a Chewbacca suit, full-length Cookie Monster and Elmo costumes, and Mario and Luigi-styled threads that are hired out “weekly, without fail”. The entire range can be viewed online at the store’s website, getchagearon.com.au, which Danielle is in the process of developing as an online store as well as a catalogue of hirable costumes. Danielle Benson is a passionate entrepreneur in a rare industry that she says is “fun and creative” and allows her to work around her family. With several goals for the future of the business underway and no desire to slow down, Danielle and her company continue to thrive and represent the possibilities for small, privately-owned businesses in Geelong and the surrounding region. Getcha Gearon Costume Hire trades from Tuesdays to Saturdays, 10am to 5pm, at 1/73 Malop Street, Geelong. Phone: 5298 1579.

“Everyone thinks I’m crazy, but I think it’s creative and fun.” – Danielle Benson.

So who’s Two Coloured Koi? We consist of Patrick Wilson: Vocals, Guitar, Harmonica - Rach Brennan: Vocals, Piano Accordian, Keys - Andrew Silaev: Bass - Ash Whittaker: The Pots and Pans (Drums)When did you form and what other bands were members in? We formed in the summer of 2012/13, we initially formed as a collaboration of Rach and Pat’s individual solo projects and came together as the four piece folk/country outfit. All members have played in various bands over their long time as musicians but have found the calling of the rhythmic inspired folk/country that they play now.Where does your interest in country/folk come from? All of the member’s parents played a massive role in shaping the sound of the band funnily enough. Being exposed to artists such as: Jackson Brown, Simon and Garfunkel, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash and a variety of other influential country and folk artists inspired our interest in the genre, and the current uprise of bands such as: Mumford and Sons, Boy and Bear, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes and the community of folk/country have laid a good foundation for bands like us to be exposed and recognized in the popular music of today. Whom do you admire in this genre? We admire anyone that makes music, it’s a powerful tool and that’s why we love doing it. Specifically to this genre we admire the hard working acts that contribute to the genre, artists and bands that are in the industry for the love of the industry not the fame or money. Bands such as local artists: Murdena, McAlpine Fusiliers, Alister Turrill, Kyle Taylor the list goes on. On an internationally recognized level it’s the artists like Edward Sharpe that will play to a few people on a street as well as playing to thousands of fans, bands also like Old Crow Medicine Show that have been so loyal to the genre over a long time even with the progression of ‘digital music’ How are you finding live shows? We’ve been very

TWO COLOuRED kOi‘niGHT OF COunTRy AnD FOLk’ pLAy bEAvs bAR On THE 12TH OF JuLy

When&Where: JULY 12 AT BEAV'S BAR, GEELONG

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FREE CLAssiFiEDssend your info to: editorial@fortemag.com.au or p.o. box 1388, geelong 3220 or fax 5229 0318for indiVidual use only, not for commercial purposes.

WAnTeD: Bass Player & Drummer. I’m a Singer/Songwriter, who has written/produced an album of original songs, looking to gig originals & covers. Influences include U2, INXS, Oasis, The Verve, Snow Patrol. Looking for easy going/reliable muso’s who know their craft. Call Phil 0421 901 530 www.zeffamusic.com VOCALIST WAnTeD. Experienced 25 y.o. guitarist looking for female vocalist to form acoustic duo to start playing cover gigs asap. Would also be interested in writing together music if partnership works well. Phone Curt 0412 166 393

Looking for a rock singer between the age 17-19. Main Influences are Green Day, Foo Fighters and Led Zeppelin. Band with Management and Label. Email and info at melodicmusic.com

Looking for a drummer, not afraid to experiment. Male/female. Age 35++ ono. All original. English/Australian influences without the radio play. Original to the extent of punk/pop sensibility 1978 to the not-so-now style. Think of yourself as a patron of The Saints, Stiff Little Fingers, Radio Birdman,

Buzzcocks, The Smiths, Psychedelic Furs, Iggy & The Stooges, Wedding Present, Happy Mondays etc etc, then forget you have to be. The usual...car, equipment, attitude, mental state (in an OK kind of...) punctual, earplugs accepted. Be prepared to apply yourself. Let us know on 0409 567 043. Please leave your details and we will hear you - Confirmation code: AKA 1963

Geelong rock band looking for lead vocalist. We are a Geelong based original band looking for a lead vocalist, have a lot of experience and heaps of great original music waiting to be sung. Influences: pearl jam, chili peppers, foo fighters, nirvana, led zep, sound garden. Contact Ben 0432049231.

experienced Lead Guitarist Wanted. Top 40 Coverband. 70s 80s 90s and current. Based in Geelong. Must have commitment. Please Call Mark on 0438836469 or email at pudge_gypsy33@hotmail.com

Singer wanted for acoustic covers duo. Must like 90’s British bands and not into songs your “normal” covers bands play. Think Oasis, Morrissey & The Smiths, Libertines, Pulp, Blur, Verve, and similar Aussie & American groups. Nothing serious to start with but possible gigging if we sound great! Age no barrier and male / female encouraged to contact. Contact Liam: britpopcovers@gmail.com or 0430904407

Band Members Wanted: Looking for band members between the ages of 16-19 years of age for pop group.

Looking for bass guitar, electric guitar, vocals and synth player. If interested, please contact 0417575237.

hard rock Covers Band with experienced, solid, bass player and drummer team requires guitarist with skill, awesome sound, and decent equipment. We have full rehearsal live room, pro gear, and all recording equipment. Project will involve gigging, recording, and working on original material as well as edgy covers. Age no barrier, but must be directable team player and have own transport. Carlos: 0409493521

Wanted: Male Vocalist, Two Guitarists Lead/Rythm, Keyboard, Drummer to form an Original Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Band,Kevin Phone 0352757689, Email linnums@optusnet.com.au

Vocalist Wanted: Rock/alternative band, currently consisting of guitar, bass, drums. In search of a clean vocalist preferably with experience. Influences: Tool, A Perfect Circle, Karnivool, 12 stones, Godsmack, etc. Contact Dean 0431067758

Singer For rock Covers Band needed. New project that will incorporate some originals. We have large acoustically enhanced rehearsal room inc. P.A and all recording equipment. Project will involve live gigs/shows, recording, and working on orginal material. Age no barrier, but must be team player with own equip and transport. Covering rock/pop/grunge/hair-band/glam. You will be working with experienced team. Carlos: 0409 493521

With a minor intermission in which an Artist Donation tin was passed around (the night was free entry) and everyone sitting enjoying the music got a chance to get up to recharge their glasses, Adam Roche set himself up ready to start chapter two of the night’s live music. Adam opened with a song and then introduced himself, describing what a pleasure it was to be sharing the stage with an artist he’d seen perform at Homebake in his teen years.Launching into his songs with a great enthusiasm each time he performs them, Adam is an artist who doesn’t short-change his music. With most songs going over the four- or five-minute mark, the energy he puts into them is boundless and hard not to get caught up in. He lists the genres of his music as acoustic country folk rock and it’s an accurate summary of his style – putting his heart into each song and subjects they cover such as heartbreak, separation, memories and reflection; all along to his steady, quiet build-up guitar style. He finished with a cover of New Order’s ‘Crystal’; sung with all the enthusiasm described earlier, it sealed the end to his set approvingly.Matt Doll then set up his turntables to emphasise that the night was far from over. A consistent flow were still arriving and leaving (some in costume, some without) to wish Garth the best, and a cake was presented before the night got too merry (a.k.a. slurry). The costumes weren’t just the only thing impressive on the night; the wide fan base of friends of Garth’s is ever impressive too. Any member of the widespread community can identify respected figureheads within, and there were many known faces that appeared such as a countless number of local musical artists, one or two ghost tour guides, a burlesque teacher, university lecturers, former publicans and gallery managers, and many others. For information about Matt Doll and his music go to: facebook.com/TheMattDollFor information about Adam Roche and Romantasaurus go to: facebook.com/romantasaurus

On Saturday, 29th of June, Garth Horsfield, publican of The Babushka Café Lounge, celebrated his birthday in true publican style: he partied and invited everyone privileged enough to know him.Garth is a founding member of Immaculata and Singers of the Black Book and has developed many ties to the Ballarat arts community over the years. For his birthday, two artists volunteered to play at Babushka: Matt Doll, former member of The Mavis’s, and Romantasaurus (better known as Adam Roche), a current solo artist and a former Ballarat resident who currently resides in Melbourne.The dress theme for the night was ‘G’, and walking through the entry you encountered a multitude of Gangsters, Geishas and Goths along with a few other lesser obvious ‘G’ references such as the Ghostbuster, Goblin King and General Garth himself.Matt Doll performed first. Looking like an 80’s Brit-Goth with his white foundation and black eyeliner, to kick start the night he broke through the murmurs of conversation with a cover of Chris Isaak’s Wicked Game’. Matt is capable of hitting, and holding, high notes not many are capable of hitting, and his singing style is a key element in what elevated The Mavis’s through the 90s. Along with his acoustic guitar he began the night’s entertainment playing various covers, originals and songs written by him and his sister back in The Mavis’s days.

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stations like Fox FM and those kind of stations.”Through Triple R, The Spoils produced one of a number of covers that they have interpreted over the years. Sean was able to tell me a bit about the motivation behind the covers they performed. “We’re not a covers band, but we don’t really mind interpreting other songs. We got asked to be guests on Triple R’s Radiothon and the theme was ‘Space’ so we decided on Spiritualized’s ‘Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space’ and they recorded it live and we thought it was good enough to put out as a mini single. ‘The Folk Singer’, the Johnny Cash cover we did, was with Beast, our record label. They’d been working on a tribute album, which hasn’t come out but that’s something they’re working on.”Alongside many other Aussie bands, The Spoils have secured themselves a place on a European record label, Beast Records. Since signing to Beast the band have found themselves touring all over Europe. Sean gave an insight into what it is to be an Australian band touring and playing in Europe. “Bands have been going to Europe for years before us; The Bad Seeds, The Go-Betweens. I think to those in Europe we seem to be kind of an exotic thing, and they’re really interested in the Australian lifestyle. We play in front of more people than we ever have in Australia and they look after us really well and they do the same to their local artists as well.”The Spoils will be playing a gig in Castlemaine on the 12th of July as a resurgence show. “We got signed to Beast in 2007 and we’ve been going there every year since, and we kind of stopped playing in Australia after putting all our time and effort into Europe, so we’re going to be touring around Australia before people forget who we are!”

past five years the reception from people has been phenomenal. Tickets are selling fast so you better get in quick,” Graham said. If you’re a TV tragic that enjoys American drama, you most likely will have seen the HBO production Boardwalk Empire. Telling the story of Nucky Thompson throughout the prohibition era, the series relates similarly within culture context to that of Gangsters’ Ball. With a strong love of 1920s culture and music, the initial idea of GB formed seven years ago when Graham formed his own swing band, The Velvet Set. Based in Sydney, the band incorporated burlesque into their stage show due to a desire to not have a DJ or background music playing in between their sets. From there, the idea formed in to what we see today. Selling out shows all across the east coast of Australia, Graham always knew that there was a strong opening for this type of event ever since the beginning. “I think Australians tend to embrace vintage culture like no other country or culture around the world. We love our rockabilly, we love our ‘50s rock and roll, and swing dancing is massive. I never thought it would grow to be this big today, and with plans to go global in the next year or so, the future seems as bright as ever,” Graham stated about the origins of the show. If you are still unsure about attending the Melbourne event, one of the main drawcards of the night is seeing the ever-adventurous Aerial Manx in action. Currently holding the world record for sword swallowing (two swords simultaneously), this promises to be something that people will be talking about for years. With music from The Red Hot Rhythmakers, snap up your tickets to Gangsters’ Ball before it’s too late.

When&Where: PLAYHOUSE THEATRE @ GPAC – AUGUST 10

When&Where: THE BRIDGE, CASTLEMAINE – JULY 12

When&Where: THE FORUM, MELBOURNE – SEPTEMBER 14

He acts, he sings and he swings. He’s our triple threat, Tom Burlinson, and he’s back, due to overwhelming demand, in his internationally celebrated creation, ‘Frank – A life In Song.’

“It’s a celebration of the career and music of the great Frank Sinatra,” Tom explained during a recent chat with Forte. “It’s the show that I originally created in 1998 and it was just going to be twelve shows at the Seymour Centre in Sydney.

“My wife and I mortgaged our house to finance this thing! It was a bit of a risk because I wasn’t generally known as a singer in those days, but to our surprise the show was so successful that we ended up playing in that theatre for five-and-a-half weeks, before coming to Melbourne and playing at the Comedy Theatre, then taking it all around the country. With return seasons over the years in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Brisbane, it became far more successful than I ever thought. We even took it to Canada and then eventually to Las Vegas. So this little show that was just meant to run twelve times ended up being our main source of income and employment for the next twelve years!

“I put the show to bed, so to speak, in 2009, and created a different show called Now We’re Swingin’, which I’ve been touring around for the last two years. Then we realised that we hadn’t taken the ‘Frank’ show to some of the larger regional centres – so that’s what we’re doing now. There still seems to be quite a demand for the show, because when I

After spending many consecutive years touring throughout the great continent of Europe, The Spoils are finally bringing it back home! The alternative rock group began in Melbourne at the very end of the 20th century before finding international success and securing a record deal with French label, Beast Records. In between touring throughout Europe, The Spoils have involved themselves in a number of cover projects including covers of Johnny Cash’s ‘The Folk Singer’, Spiritualized’s ‘Ladies and Gentlemen We are Floating in Space’ and a live performance of Velvet Underground & Nico in its entirety. Whilst listening to The Spoils you’d be forgiven for attributing their sound to a somewhat Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds vibe; Sean Simmons’ telltale baritone accompanied by Bronwyn Henderson’s aching violin steal the listener away to places not often spoken of. The importance of community radio to local bands like The Spoils is often understated. Radio airplay, events, and promotion through stations such as PBS and Triple R can be defining in whether a band is able to continue creating their music. Sean spoke to me about the good news of government funding granted to help community radio go digital.“Community radio has been really good to us over the years, PBS and Triple R in particular being that we’re from Melbourne. It’s really good news that the funding has been secured to go digital; music like ours kind of depends on community radio. We’re certainly not a commercial band and definitely wouldn’t exist on

Over the past five years, Graham Coupland has built up Gangsters’ Ball (GB) to be one of the must attend events on the arts culture calendar. Taking a step back into the 1920s, complete with fashions and music, Gangsters’ Ball is back for a run throughout capital cities in September, with some fine entertainment along the way. I got the opportunity to catch up with Graham to find out a little bit about the event and what makes it so unique. Amidst moving his life from Sydney to Melbourne, and doing all the publicity for the shows, Graham speaks animatedly about what’s in store for this sixth instalment of the event. “The last three months have just been insane with moving interstate. This interview is the first real opportunity that I have had to sit down and think about the event in terms of the context of the show, other than just the planning side of it. There is some great international musicians and theatrics this year, so it’s very exciting.” For those uninitiated to Gangsters’ Ball, it is a fantastic opportunity to dress up in period clothing from the 1920s to ‘50s and experience the closest thing to a 1930s prohibition era American speakeasy. Talking about the history on which this event is based, Graham speaks excitedly. “Back in the day, you would have these establishments with a great big band and swing dancing. You’d have vaudeville cabaret and burlesque performers with loads of illegal alcohol and gambling. This is the closest you are going to get to the real thing, and over the

TOM buRLinsOn

THE spOiLs

GAnGsTERs’ bALL

by natalie rogers

by xaVier fennell

by tex miller

tour around with Now We’re Swingin’, people come up to me and say, ‘you’ve got to bring the Frank show here!’

“So now we have an eight-piece band, including a trumpet and trombone, two saxophones, piano, bass, drums and guitar. The Geelong Performing Arts Centre is part of this tour and we’re very much looking forward to coming to that lovely theatre.”

Tom has been a fan of Sinatra since he was a small child. “My mum tells me (and I don’t even remember this) that when I was about three years old she had a Sinatra album called A Swinging Affair, and it had a picture of Frank on the cover wearing a hat, as he often did in those days. Apparently I would point at this album cover and say, ‘the man in the hat – play the man in the hat!’” Tom laughed down the line.

“There was something about Sinatra music that I loved when I was very young – but soon the Beatles came onto the scene and took over the music world for me,” he reminisced. “It wasn’t until years later, as a young man, that I rediscovered that very album, [A Swinging Affair], and I found that I still loved it. From that day I became a really avid Sinatra fan and I guess he became my idol. I soon found that there’s a natural similarity in our singing voices, which was a great surprise to me – but I never thought it would develop into a career. The album has been with me all my life and continues to be a great joy – one that I love to share with an audience.”

Tom will be at the GPAC for one night only so …. Start spreading the news!

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It’s a rainy day in Melbourne and Seth Rogen is perfectly fine with that. “I grew up in Vancouver man. I literally grew up with this weather all the time. It actually sucks when I have to do press all day and it’s beautiful out; it makes me feel like I’m missing a little less if it sucks out.” And he’s been doing a lot of press of late. As well as writing (with regular co-writer Evan Goldberg) and starring in This Is The End, he also co-directed it (again, with Goldberg), which might explain the wall-to-wall press barrage he was doing in the weeks leading up to the film’s release in the USA. Not that he had much to worry about. This tale of the end of the world as seen through the eyes of a surprisingly craven and self-centred group of Hollywood’s comedy elite (playing cartoony exaggerations of themselves) is a current front-runner for comedy of the year thanks to its fast pace and even faster gag rate.

The Is The End first began to take shape with a 2006 short-film titled Seth and Jay Versus the Apocalypse. “It’s about me and Jay [Baruchel] stuck in the house as the world is ending, and it’s all about our differing emotional issues and how we annoy each other as the world is ending.” It was an idea that stuck: the trailer for the short (which was never released) got around 700,000 views, but the end of the world wasn’t quite enough on its own to base a film on.“I think the reason we directed it was more about this other idea, about actors playing themselves. That was always an idea that was entertaining to us, especially when combined with this weird supernatural element. Once we kind of settled that that was going to be the idea for the movie, I think one of the conversations we had was: ‘who is going to be able to get these guys to do the movie?’ There’s very few people that could convince these people to put themselves out there like that, that they would trust enough to do that, because there’s a version of this where it all comes crashing to the ground in a disastrous way with everyone looking terrible and self-indulgent in the end. So in a way it was: ‘we’re the only guys who are good enough friends with these guys to get them to do it.’”

Once they committed to the idea of having actors playing themselves (the cast includes James Franco, Jonah Hill, Jay Baruchel, Danny McBride, Craig Robinson and a hilariously debauched Michael Cera), the next stage was getting the actors on board, which surprisingly, considering the kind of things they get up to in the film, turned out to be the easy part. “All the actors were really into it. The difficult part was to get the money to make this movie, because it’s insane. So that was hard. But as much scepticism we got financially we got enthusiasm creatively, so it kind of counter-balanced itself a bit. Everyone who read the script thought it was awesome and all the actors were gung-ho about playing themselves and thought it was original and funny, which made us have confidence, whereas when we tried to sell it we were met with a lot of resistance.”For a film that features a lot of pretty impressive special effects in the final third, it turns out to be a pretty low-budget effort, which was intentional on their part. “It was like a 31 million dollar movie, which is probably the cheapest movie coming out this summer. But as producers, budgeting the movie is as much a creative decision as anything else. You want to pick the amount of money that will give you

SEth RogEnthIS IS thE EnD wIth

Written by antHony morris

everything you need but give you creative freedom and independence. We used to try to get as much as we can, but we don’t do that anymore. Now we want the amount that we can do what we want and they’ll leave us the f**k alone.”While they’re not all that interested in what the studios have to say, testing the film with an audience is another matter entirely. “You need to see where people are going to laugh. I started out doing stand-up where there’s an instantaneous reaction – you tell a joke; you either get a laugh or you don’t. In movies you tell a joke, you edit it all together, you do all the stuff, and eight months later you hear if it’s funny. You hope it’s funny and you think it’s going to get a certain reaction, and the more we make movies the better I think we get at predicting what the reaction’s going to be. But no matter what there’s some jokes you think are super funny that are going to get laughs that don’t, and there are jokes that you think might not be funny that get gigantic laughs.”It’s an approach they extend to movie-making as a whole. “Story-wise, pacing-wise, we approach making movies as movie fans, so we want them to be a really great experience. If people like something we’ll leave it in and if they hate something we’ll take it out. We love movies that give us what we want. We don’t want to piss off the audience – we want them to leave the cinema thinking, ‘yes, that was unexpected, but at the same time I got all I wanted and more out of it’. And testing’s the only way to do that. I would test the movie ten more times if I could.”In the end, when it comes to This Is The End, it all comes back to the end of the world. “It’s the biggest thing you can make a movie about. Scale-wise it’s pretty much the biggest thing, conceptually. As far as The Rapture goes, it was definitely something we were always kind of fascinated by, being young Jewish men who discovered ‘oh, pretty much everyone we know was kind of raised to think they were probably going to hell’. When we wrote it, we changed very little – the sinkholes, the monsters and the smoke, the demons and the possession, we didn’t really come up with any of that stuff. That’s what so interesting about all that in The Bible is how physical it is. Once we started getting into it that was what shocked us.”

When&Where: THIS IS THE END IS IN CINEMAS JULY 18

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who will also appear solo as the supporting act.

With all the different contributors, Wake is a diverse and well-rounded album that saw its beginning in the country. “The farm house in Taralga was a great place to start – that’s where we began the early sketching of the songs. It had no mobile reception, and looks over a beautiful valley in country NSW, away from distractions. That was with Brett Doig who engineered Wake, and we just played music and drank wine.”

One track that is sure to be a crowd-pleaser during this tour is Bridie’s cover of Hank Williams’ ‘Are You Lonesome Tonight?’ “I think Hank is extraordinary, and that song is so eloquent. It has a phenomenal lyric, especially considering he wrote it when he was so young. I’d like to think that this version is a different take on it – and it’s working really well live.”

“I’m very much looking forward to the Warrnambool show. Some songs we’ve reinterpreted a little bit, but that’s like all live shows. It’s always a different experience from listening to the album in your car,” Bridie joked. “I like to take the audience on a journey. Just playing and singing songs is what I enjoy the most. I want to continue doing that while pushing beyond the boundaries.”

The band just happened to release their hit single ‘London Still’ a year or so later and went through the roof.”

An impressive resume has followed, and this year Stacey enters her 10th year working on The Falls Festival. However, as time is pressing, something Stacey would know all about, we’ll stay focused on the book. Stacey spoke with a bunch of artists, managers and industry people for advice. Names including Henry Rollins (Piggott’s been a fan since she was 14), Vikki Thorn and Gareth Liddiard lent their time. And it makes for a well-rounded book. “I think it is a varied and wide cross-section of opinions, and I think each individual reader will take what they like from each one. Some will resonate better than others with each reader.

“I think it will help anyone who needs a starting point when it comes to managing their own media, or looking to employ a publicist. I mean, I don’t think it is something a seasoned musician who has had years of experience running their own show would get much out of; unless they were previously on a major label and totally removed from that process and are now looking to go down the independent road for the first time without trusted management or PR reps doing it for them. Then it might be helpful to them.”

The book was an 18-month journey, but is filled with a healthy chunk of experience and a lifetime of passion. Ideas, guidelines, philosophies and stories all help to shed light on how to get the best out of your band and make the most of your opportunities.

Education is power, and for Stacey it should also be shared. “I think having an educated client base will ensure people like us survive. PR is not brain surgery, and any idiot can do it, but there is a real art to doing it well when it comes time to creating a strategy, which artists need when they get to a certain point in their careers. That is why there are PR’s out there who are better than others. Some have that ability to create that, others don’t.”

and got to a point now where you boast a whopping 70K fans on Facebook and get to tour the world? I think these days since it has become so much easier for people to record and promote themselves. With the growth of internet networking, we’ve seen a huge increase in the number of bands which are hitting the metal scene. This is the case across a lot of other genres also, not just metal. I think this is a good thing, since bands really have to be of a high calibre to stand out as there’s so much competition out there. I think as long as bands are trying something a bit different and not trying to fit in with a certain genre or sound they’ll definitely get a lot more attention and generate their own following. Even though we have a fairly small following throughout the world, it is a very dedicated one. I like to think this is because we are doing something a little different from a lot of the bands out there. Again, in a busy metal scene you guys have managed to ‘rise to the top’, for better use of a cliché. When you started out, did you see the potential to set the band apart in terms of to what point the band might have grown? Nah, we’ve never really had any huge aspirations or goals, we’ve just taken it as it has come and tried to take advantage of any opportunities that may have arisen. Some things have worked out, others not so much. I think if anything we’ve just grown in our confidence to try new things, and if it all works out then that’s awesome. If not, we’ll try something else. I think that’s the best approach to anything really. You guys released The Inherited Repression in Feb 2012. Is that what you are touring now? Do you have anything out since then and are you working on anything ATM? The tours that we have done since early last year have all been pretty much in support of that album. We are currently working on some new material, which will be coming out very soon. So we

When&Where: THE LOFT, WARRNAMBOOL – JULY 18 & ARARAT HOTEL, ARARAT – JULY 19.

When&Where: KAROVA LOUNGE, BALLARAT - JULY 25 & THE BARWON CLUB, GEELONG - JULY 28

YOU CAN PURCHASE BLOW YOUR OWN TRUMPET – A MUSICIAN’S GUIDE TO PUBLICITY & AIRPLAY THROUGH TWOFISHOUTOFWATER.COM.

He has spent over twenty-five years in the Australian music industry, he is an award-winning soundtrack composer, producer, singer and songwriter and, as founder and frontman of Not Drowning, Waving and My Friend the Chocolate Cake, he has travelled the world and released critically acclaimed albums.

But despite having such an impressive array of achievements Bridie still gets by with a little help from his friends – certainly something he relied upon during the making of his latest solo offering, Wake. “I think all musicians need good friends that will tell them what doesn’t work in a song – constructive criticism from people they can trust. I think it’s really valuable,” Bridie revealed in a chat with Forte last week. “I enjoyed the camaraderie of working with other musicians and friends too.”

Wake is generously packed with guests from all genres of music, including former Powderfinger guitarist Ian Haug, Blackeyed Susans’ Rob Snarski, Ashley Naylor of Even, The Bamboos frontwoman Kylie Auldist, Marita Dyson of Melbourne’s The Orbweavers, and drum virtuoso Michael Barker (John Butler Trio). “Michael is such a great drummer, and we’re really good friends too. We recorded at his studio which is right on the banks of Lake Rotorua in New Zealand. He has strong opinions as well so that was good!” David laughed.

Although Michael will not be joining him on tour, for the first time in fifteen years Bridie’s Not Drowning, Waving co-founder John Phillips will be, along with drummer Dave Foley and New Zealand’s own Eden Mulholland,

DAviD bRiDiE

There is a scene at the beginning of the 1994 film Airheads when, on their way to a major meeting, a publicist tells a burgeoning band not to say anything. The band members are wearing Cat in the Hat-style hats as a marketing gimmick and, although encouraged to go wild (even wet themselves if they feel like it), they’re told not to say anything. The film suggests the band is a product and it is the publicist’s role to sell them. Stacey Piggott has been in the music business for 14 years. And as experience often brings with it wisdom, she decided to make best use of her knowledge by writing a book. Blow Your Own Trumpet – A Musician’s Guide to Publicity & Airplay is for those seeking that all important starting point when it comes to self-managing your band or finding a publicist. The idea came easily enough. “I kept having the same conversation with young bands,” Piggott begins; “them telling me about the difficulty they had getting money together at those early stages to pay a publicist, and me telling them they could do their own PR and them being surprised that it is actually possible for them to go directly to media themselves to get coverage.” Good timing can work wonders, and Stacey’s foray into the music world was blessed with it. “I started 14 years ago with The Waifs. At that point being an independent band, with an independent publicist, was a pretty rare thing. They got some great coverage and a number of other bands in the folk / roots scene approached me to do the same thing for them that I had done for The Waifs. I had no idea at the time, but the timing was really great.

A sEssiOn WiTH sTACEy piGGOTT

From the Apple Isle comes Psycroptic, an extreme metal that that could make blood boil. The band was formed at the end of the 90s by brothers Dave and Joe Haley, and they have since earned a reputation as one of the country’s most brutal metal outfits. It’s time to get a little more familiar with the band… Thanks for taking the time to talk to Forte. You guys hail from sunny Tasmania. What is the metal scene down there like these days? The metal scene isn’t too bad down here, especially considering the population of the place. There are a lot of bands, and a fairly decent contrast of styles. The only downfall is that the metal community is pretty internal. Not a lot of bands really tour much outside of the state, let alone the country. A lot of people attribute this to isolation of the place, but I kind of find a similar occurrence across the whole country. Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, etc. all have a lot of action in the metal scene but tend to stay pretty close to home most of the time. It most likely has a lot to do with the huge distances between the cities. Do you find being from Tassie to be a good thing or bad thing in terms of being a band? It has both its good and bad points. I think being isolated can be a good thing in terms of creativity and originality, but obviously it poses problems financially when it comes to touring. Even touring within our own country can be costly because of the travel expenses. Bands in Europe and the US definitely have one up on us in terms of touring on the cheap. You describe the metal scene as “overcrowded”. Do you think there is an oversaturation of metal? How have you separated yourself from the mayhem

psyCROpTiC

by natalie rogers

by Wylie caird

may have a bit of a taste of that on our upcoming tours. With so many genres and sub-genres around these days, how would you best describe your sound? Jeez, I don’t really know. There seems to be so many names for different metal styles out there these days that it is kinda hard to know exactly where we would fall ... which is probably a good thing. I think if I had to describe our music, I’d say that we play some form of thrashy, technical metal ... Maybe? Dunno. Guess it’s up to others to decide. Psycroptic has recently toured internationally which we all know is a massive undertaking. How did you find that? It’s always great touring – we love it! I think so far we’ve toured through about 30 countries, met a lot of great people and seen a lot of crazy shit. It

can be tiring sometimes, but once you’re in the rhythm it’s great. We’ve got a few more tours coming up this year, a couple of which are to places that we’ve never been. And that’s what I look forward to the most. You guys are playing in Ballarat and Geelong. Do you party on tour? Haha, yeah the other guys sometimes have a good go at it. I don’t really party too much; I’m boring as shit. Think I’m getting old and uncool… What can people expect from your live show? Come along and find out. I’m sure people will enjoy it! Anything else? Check out The Inherited Repression if you haven’t already, come to a live show (tour dates on Facebook), and keep your ears and eyes out for some new stuff that will be coming soon! Cheers.

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“ since you Won’T reply To My TexTs i’M giVing you an hour To Tell The TruTh or i’ll Tell iT For you.”

TWeeT oF The Week

@MileyCyrus tweets her father Billy Ray Cyrus – still no word exactly as to what this truth she’s banging on about actually IS, but a juicy tweet nonetheless.

hiT or shiT!

biG bROTHER RETuRnsNo Gretel, No Vesna; No Thanks.

THE MOLE RETuRnsIs this 2013 or 2006?!

“spiLL”What an embarrassing two weeks in Australian politics!

MADOnnA’s “MDnA TOuR” DvDLiterally the greatest spectacle you will ever feast your eyes on.

DAnCE OF THE 1990sYour votes are coming in thick & fast for our Top 100 Dance Classics of the 90s countdown. Thank you!

THE RETuRn OF TRuE bLOODPam & Friends!

If you had a squiz through Splinters last issue you would have heard all about our upcoming Rave-Related countdown, where we are asking you, the reader at home, to vote for your Top 20 favourite Dance, House, Club & Rave classics from the 1990s. All of your votes will be counted and collated into a Top 100 countdown which will then be streamed LIVE to the Internets and hosted by myself, Ben Atar, Richard Eric and Michelle Suiter on September the 21st. Now if you get your votes into us by September the 7th, you will also go into the draw to win a stack of 1990’s related CDs to add to your collection; most of these titles are RARE, OUT OF PRINT and COLLECTOR’S ITEMS.

So, what are your 20 favourite 1990s dance classics? We need you to tally them from #1 to #20; Number 1 being your ABSOLUTE FAVOURITE and Number 20 being a favourite, but the least of the lot. Any votes we receive in ‘any old order’ will be counted in the format they are in; so whatever you put at the top of your list will be counted as your Number One, which is worth 20 points, and your Number Twenty is worth 1 point. Make sense? GREAT. Get your votes into us NOW by emailing insidesplinters@gmail.com to not only be a part of this incredible countdown, but ALSO to be in the running to snap yourselves some corker dance classics on CD.

In the spirit of this monumental countdown event, we tore apart the pop archives to uncover just exactly WHAT three of your favourite 1990s dance acts are up to in 2013…

2 unLiMiTEDRay & Anita’s reign as 2 Unlimited came to an abrupt end in 1996 when the duo split to focus on their solo careers, but in 1998 the producers (who own the rights to the name 2 Unlimited) released an album entitled II, starring, er, two brand new members. The album and singles with the modified line-up didn’t quite set the charts alight as

the original incarnation had, and by the end of 1999 2 Unlimited were no more.

In 2009 Ray & Anita returned to the world stage. Unable to use the name 2 Unlimited, they released their first single ‘In Da Name of Love’ as Ray & Anita, a single which reached the Dutch Top 10 and held fort for some time. After a less successful follow-up single entitled ‘Still Unlimited’, in 2012 Ray & Anita rejoined forces with original 2 Unlimited producers Jean-Paul DeCoster and Phil Wilde to plot a unified return to the charts, with a full-blown comeback expected to erupt by the year end.

LA bOuCHEThe story of La Bouche is a lot less triumphant than that of 2 Unlimited. After a number of years topping the charts the globe over, Melanie Thornton left the group in 2000 to pursue a solo career. Whilst getting the word out for her debut solo album Ready to Fly on an overseas promotional trip in 2001, Thornton’s plane tragically crashed upon landing and killed her along with 24 other passengers aboard the flight. Also dying aboard the ill-fated flight were two members of the Europop group Passion Fruit.

Several posthumous releases featuring Melanie’s voice have since been unleashed on iTunes, with La Bouche’s original producer having pulled several previously unheard and unreleased items from the vaults to commemorate her death. Rapper Lane McCray hasn’t exactly had Lady Luck on his side since Thornton’s passing either, with reports that late last year he was hired as the Restaurant Manager at a Steak ‘N Shake in Clarksville, Tennessee after attempting – and failing – to complete his long-awaited solo record.

CuLTuRE bEATA tragic car accident in November of 1993 saw the death of co-founder Torsten Fenslau

and, in turn, saw the beginning of a new era for Culture Beat. Frank, Fenslau’s brother, took over as the band’s manager after the accident and, come 1997, started to steer the band in a different direction, opting for a more pop-dance sound rather than that of the techno-infused pop the group had been known for. In 1997 Tania Evans was replaced with vocalist Kim Sanders, and although rapper Jay Supreme had started to work with Sanders for the new evocation of the group, by 1998 he left Culture Beat to focus on his solo career.

Culture Beat are still operational today as a dance-pop outfit but retain very little of their original roots and influences. Tania Evans is now reported to be a religious advocate and has appeared on British television getting into heated arguments relating to God. Jay Supreme released his only solo single in 2000 amidst some casual radio hype, but is now living off the radar and away from the spotlight in the Netherlands.

Were 2 Unlimited, La Bouche or Culture Beat the dance-crooners you loved the most in the 1990s? Or were you more into Whigfield, Alexia, CJ Bolland or Jeff Mills? Whatever your dance floor blend of the 1990s was, we want to hear from you! Get your Top 20 dance classics from the 1990s into us via email at insidesplinters@gmail.com – and make sure you do it before voting lines close on September the 7th!

Written by Adem with an E.

1990s Where are They noW?

HIT

SH

IT!

The inside splinTers

MixTape:

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MGMT – MGMTMGMT have just announced their third album. The self-titled affair will contain the single ‘Alien Days’ which has already garnered some good reviews. Available September 13 on Sony.

DEAD LETTER CiRCus – THE CATALysT FiREDead Letter Circus has spent nine months on their sophomore effort. Check out the Facebook App released as part of the album’s promotion to get a sneak peek. Available August 9 on UNFD.

bEARs WiTH Guns – OnLy THE QuiCk AnD THE HunGRySydney-based Bears With Guns are releasing their second EP. To go with the release, they’ve made a video for the single ‘Wandering Soldier’. Available now on SGC.

CHAsM – sMOkinG ACEsThe second in Chasm’s EP series has been released. Flick ahead to the review section to see what I thought of it. Available now on Obese.

biG sCARy – nOT ARTMelbourne-based Big Scary are back with their latest LP release. They’ve uploaded a couple of tracks to their website, so go check that out. Available now on Pieeater.

RELiEnT k – COLLApsibLE LunGAmerican Christian rock band Relient K is back with their seventh album. The band has hinted at a more “punk” sound for this one. Available now on RCA.

CHRis bROWn – xHollywood’s favourite woman-beater is back with his sixth album, because despite common sense screaming otherwise, people still like him. Available July 16 on RCA.

sARA bAREiLLEs – THE bLEssED unREsTDid you know the girl who sang the ‘I’m not gonna write you a love song’ song had other albums? Well, this is going to be her fourth. Available July 16 on Epic.

EDWARD sHARpE AnD THE MAGnETiC zEROs – EDWARD sHARpE...Could I ask for a better birthday present? Ed Sharpe and co are releasing their third album. Available July 23 on Vagrant Records.

bACksTREET bOys – in A WORLD LikE THisBackstreet’s back ... Alright. I guess. This is their eighth album, which is mindboggling. How did we let that happen? Available July 30 on BMG.

WHAT's nEW!?

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TOO HEAVY TO HUGpaul s taylor

Michael McDermott has announced his departure from The Bouncing Souls after more than 13-and-a-half-years.

Get out your diaries, kids, grab a pen and write this entry under Sunday, August 18: IdiotFest at the Brunswick Hotel! It’s billed as the 52nd annual IdiotFest (although I’m pretty sure THAT can’t be right!) and will feature 18 bands over two stages. It’s free entry (yep, free!) so you have no reason not to rock up and rock out to the likes of Dixon Cider, Hopes Abandoned, The Bennies, Liquor Snatch, ThundaBox, The Half Pints, Shadow League, Where’s Grover? and many, many more – including a bunch of bands from Queensland for added entertainment value: Deputy Dipshit, Order 66 and Prophet Margin. If you give a toss for your scene, hop on a train, bus or tram and be there.

Blonde and X are teaming up for a North American tour this September.

The upcoming Guttermouth farewell Australian tour has stirred up a shitstorm of local bands, vying for the coveted support slots, plotting against, and even falling out with, each other in an attempt to persuade friends and fans to vote for them on Facebook in their designated towns and cities. Being hounded by friends in bands all day every day gets really tiring after a while...

Black Sabbath are about to embark on a huuuuuge US tour with Andrew WK in support. Hells yeah, bitches! Gonna be a good night EVERY night!

Transgender Dysphoria Blues is finally ready to mix and master. Against Me! may not be the band

they once were, but all the looky-loos will still take a peek.

Hopefully Vans Warped Tour news will have made itself available by the time you read this, so head on over to the official Vans Warped Tour Australia Facebook page and ‘Like’ it to be updated on bands, venues and dates. Fingers crossed some punk bands make it onto the bill!

In related news, the first round of Soundwave announcements is not too far off!

Man of Steel (the new Superman movie, duh!) has been packing out movie theatres globally. Must have been the traditional red-jocks-on-the-outside thing that kept people from going to see the LAST Superman movie! A sequel is already in pre-production, which comes as no surprise; and work has begun on a Justice League movie, which I am hoping will BLITZ The Avengers movie. Shut up. Comic books are punk!

The hole left by Kim Deal in the Pixies lineup has been filled – former Muffs/Pandoras member Kim Shattuck will be joining the guts on tour. Nicely done, Pixies. Nicely done. The band has also released a brand new single titled ‘Bagboy’ with very little fanfare.

A slate of new releases is headed our way in the first week of September including the brand new full-length from AFI who have recently switched labels to Republic Records from Dreamworks Records. Give thanks and take the month off to celebrate!

There’ll be plenty more next time, boils and ghouls, so stay tuned and stop being dicks to each other!

The 2013 Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival is currently charging its way through the USA and joining the chaos we have Behemoth, Children Of Bodom, Mastodon, Machine Head and Rob Zombie. Also on the bill is Amon Amarth. Those crafty bearded Vikings have done it again by literally setting sail. That’s right; their rig includes a Viking ship! On stage! F*ck yes! Does it get more metal than that? I think not, especially considering the drum riser is on the ship and the other band members are standing on the stage beside it as if they’re walking on water. That’s some real Viking-Jesus-Metal shit going on right there.

In other kick-ass metal news, which you’ve no doubt come across by now, but America’s Got Talent should be retitled America’s Got Young Death Metal Superstars. Two kids, a six-year-old girl by the name of Aaralyn on vocals and her older brother Izzy, nine-years-old, on drums, rocked the shit out of the AGT “judges” with their original death metal track, ‘Zombie Skin’. If you haven’t seen the reaction of the judges or the video then get surfin’ on the ‘net man and check it out.

While the song can’t be held against the same standards other bands must be held against, it’s a track with some definite potential as a death metal song, or even a black metal song since Aaralyn’s vocals aren’t too deep; but seriously, who cares about the genre game when you’ve got kids under 10 performing their own metal tracks.

The kids got put through to the next stage at the time of writing this. That’s pretty darn good. The reasons

however weren’t based purely on awe of their budding talent, but instead as a circus show curiosity pair of freaks; which is a bit sad and a whole other column about society’s perception of sub-cultural music which I haven’t done in what, a couple of months?

The only thing that makes this better is the fact they’ve got other songs written and ready to be thrashed out upon request, such as ‘Lullaby Crash’ and the brutally titled ‘Brush My Hair In Knots’. How charmingly metal!

In the ChaoticTwitterSphere: @RouReynolds “Thought someone lobbed a fish onstage last night but it turned out it was just a guitar tuna.”

OI OIII COME ONNNN!!!” Everyone loves a cheesy joke, even young punk rockers.

IN OTHER NEWS…

Lo! will play The Reverence on Saturday, July 13.

Chimaira will release their new album, Crown of Phantoms, on Friday, August 2.

Bring Me The Horizon, Of Mice & Men and Crossfaith will kick out the jams for all ages at Festival Hall on Wednesday, October 9.

The Devin Townsend Project will be at The Palace on Sunday, October 13.

Every Time I Die will bring their unique brand of metalcore to the Corner Hotel on Sunday, October 20.

Nile will play the Corner Hotel on Saturday, November 16.

If you have any news about local metal bands, shows or albums, let THTH know by emailing to tooheavytohug@hotmail.com or get in touch via Twitter at @TooHeavyToHug

And so it has come to pass that I find myself refusing to abide by a certain law of geometric expansion in regards to technology and begin my first long day of making CD duplicates of my archive of mp3s. I have two one-terabyte hard drives that I keep in the left draw of my desk, and I would estimate (I am presently not with them) that I have filled them approx. 9/12ths of the way. I have grown weary of theoretical spaces of storage and long for a tactile representation of everything that I have downloaded thus far. I feel as though if I can see it, if it is transformed into a tangible sight to behold, perhaps then I will know the scale at which I have committed impasses in the world of copyright law.

The initial step into getting these abstract binary formations into objects comprised of what I like to think of as morbidly obese atoms and compounds not meant for anything beyond their present state is to alphabetise the entirety of the archive. Having no ability in LOTE, I find that I am sorting their country of origin alphabetically in English as a parent category outside of the simple (now sub-) category of alphabetisation. This brings further troubles as I now have to consider if I want to organise the material within the languages that I am currently sorting into nations either phonetically from what they are in their native tongue, or whether I am to simply use Google Translate to attempt to create an approximation in English and then categorising them alphabetically in their English vowels and consonants.

I mean, after all, this is my project and it is solely myself who is the speaker of English in this. But then there is the issue of how to organise each artist’s body of work. Do I assemble them alphabetically by their titles, or do I work chronologically from within each

individual career? What about collaborative efforts? I have as many Haino CDs in pure, solo record format as I do in collaborative contexts. Surely it would be unfair to lump one artist into another’s catalogue when, as is the case for example in Haino’s collaborative efforts, that all artists bring something to the table that entitles them to top billing as much as everyone else.

So do I then categorise them alphabetically by surname from the list of those who appear on the collaborative disk? What if at the end of the day I feel as though the artist in question who was given top billing somehow seemed pale in comparison to the others present (given hindsight, of course). Nothing gives me the right to judge the artist on the merit of their contributions to the CD when I am simply cataloguing all the necessary details in order to create a library liberated from the constraints of the whirl of digital nothingness. Is ‘cloud’ even the right word to describe from whence it all came? It’s more like a haze of permissions and importance based upon the finder and the keeper of the content. Is it content when it doesn’t have physical form and only a single individual seeks it out from esoterica?

I find this the case when searching for bootleg copies of Hair Stylistics CD-Rs. And so morally crippled as I am I feel obligated to pay in full (iTunes retail value, of course) for each album that I stole from the whirl of digital nothingness to the man himself when I make his acquaintance once more. Stupid feelings.

by blair Hall

Blank Thankless Air

cHris cruz

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The ReboRn PRojecTA splAsh of Melbourne in GeelonG.

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hand-crafted street art designs within their works … and during the ‘research’ phase almost began work straight away.”Alleycat has a strong reputation that goes beyond a professional level. The urban art consultancy matches artists to clients. “Artists create and install in-situ handmade art pieces (using street art techniques) directly onto wall surfaces to complement and transform spaces both inside and out.” Their strong reputation still presented difficulties in putting together Reborn’s roster. However, as far as difficulties go, it was a good one to have. “I strongly support fringe, emerging and public arts, so have been following Melbourne’s street art scene, enjoying the works of these artists, for years; so my connection is personal as well as professional,” Romy tell us. “I have developed strong bonds with many of the artists; know their styles, personalities and ambitions, and love working with them in a nurturing way to support their creative careers. The only difficulty in curating the collection was that I wanted to include so many more to contribute but we were running out of space.”

The roll call certainly makes for impressive reading. “The collection includes Ha-Ha (one of Melbourne’s leading stencil artists), Drew Funk, Lucy Lucy (specialises in intricate hand-drawn bright coloured evocative models as you will see in the ‘Chinese Laundry’ area of The Eureka), Klara (who has raw a freehand style inspired by industrial background) , Rowena Martinich (the abstract expressionist with a difference), iandtheothers, Vexta (one of Australia’s long-standing and most popular renowned Australian artists who flew in from New York to paint), Kaff-eine, Minou, Mr Wendal, S-701, No Frills Art, plus more.”Vexta is widely-regarded as one of the street art scene’s leading female artists. She has received support from Banksy who invited her to show alongside him in London at the 2008 Cans Festival. Her works have been seen on the streets of Paris, Sydney, Mexico City, Bogota, San Francisco and New York. She has also had her work held in major exhibitions including at The National Gallery of Australia, and she was recently included in the definitive Thames & Hudson World of Art: Street Art & Graffiti book (2012), one of only four female artists to be honoured.

When it came to giving the Eureka its makeover, Romy’s experience and, it goes without saying, creative mind, payed dividends. “I began by designing an ‘aspirational’ creative storyboard for the venue in terms of all the different rooms and their new ‘look and feel’ – their potential ‘personality’. Since I am familiar with and work with a diverse wide-range of artists, it was easy for me to then curate a collection of artists whose style of works complemented the various spaces. I then worked very closely with Darryn Lyons (one of the owners of the venue) who had a remarkable vision and creative ambition for the venue. We worked together to achieve his vision of a mini-Melbourne scene throughout the venue spaces, complemented and enhanced using the street art feature pieces.”So what of the finished product? It’s a completely refurbished venue with a number of different rooms and themes throughout; created with utilisation of stencil, hand-painted mural and paste-up. “Urban Rock n Roll,” Romy says. “Expect the unexpected … It is unlike any other venue you will have been to and prompts you to: explore, question & play.”

In the world of street art, Melbourne has a reputation as vibrant as the colours that mark the walls. Its reputation has sparked such interest that Melbourne Street Art Tours was established to showcase the artistic treasures within the city. It is the first, and only, street art tour in Australia run by street artists. Romy Paltoglou, founder and owner of Alleycat Creative, simply buzzes when talking about Melbourne’s street art scene. She attributes the thriving scene to a combination of: “Our beautiful historical cobblestone laneways, nooks and crannies; the incredibly talented group of artists who constantly (and generously) ‘give’ their city this incredible dynamic gift and layer of life and colour; the creative visions and support from local councils and the public; [and] the various street art crews and studios that operate within Melbourne including Everfresh, Blender Studios, AWOL Crew etc., and the collegiality among artists to work together.” In exciting times for Geelong, Romy has brought this colour to the city as part of the Reborn Project at the Eureka Hotel. “The owners approached me as they wanted to highlight the unique laneway position of the Eureka Hotel [and] were looking to integrate street art and surrounding laneway vibe within the interior of the venue. The owners were keen to create a venue that was ‘Melbourne-esque’. We took it a step further. Due to the high calibre of artist and number of artists who have contributed under the one roof, we have created something very unique, not only to Geelong, but to Melbourne alike.” Romy studied a bachelor of business and then horticulture, but following the birth of her first child, the passionate artist-at-heart decided to combine her love of street art with her business savvy to found Alleycat Creative. “I began to notice the element of ‘hand-made’ was gradually reducing in interior design and architecture, and wanted to inject something very raw and hand-crafted back into the design aesthetic. [I] conducted research with artists, architects, councils, interior designers and developers to ‘test’ the concept of integrating

Written by Wylie caird

The Artist's with works on display at the Reborn Project are:

Ha Ha•Vexta•Kaffeine•Lucy Lucy•Mr Wendal•S-701a•Fitz•Klara•Minou Art•iandtheothers•Drew Funk•Rowena Martinich•

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bALLARATCAT COMEDyBallaRatCat Comedy BTLamont Entertainment is super excited to bring you the finest comedians in the country, every month, and right in the middle of town, turning what would normally be a big-city, long car/train trip, late-night thing into an accessible

and affordable night out. This month you can’t go

past Tom Gleeson for smart, relatable, top shelf stand-up. He’s the black label of comedy.

Danny McGinlay has performed stand-up all over the world and is a regular in Melbourne’s top comedy rooms. Danny co-hosted the Ballarat Beer Festival in 2012 & 2013,

and you may have seen him on The Circle, The Project, and The Footy Show.

WHERE: The Lounge, George Hotel, 27 Lydiard St Nth, Ballarat.WHEN: Friday 12 July at 7.30pm. Cost $20.PHONE: 9982 1475.INFO: www.ballaratcat.com.auDEnnis CARTER,

pETER WiLLiAMs: “inHAbiTinG bEnDiGO”The work in this exhibition has been selected to tease our memories and fire our imagination: to remind us of our individuality and of our common threads, our connectivity.

By reflecting on mankind’s constructions via photographs, drawings, models and voice the exhibition aims to provide the viewer with considerations that prompt them in their own spheres of operation and influence towards a sustainable future.

WHERE: La Trobe University Visual Arts Centre 121 View St, Bendigo, 3550. WHEN: June 19- July 14. Open: Tues-Fri 10-5pm, Sat &Sun 12-5pm.PHONE: 5441 8724.INFO: www.latrobe.edu.au/vacEMAIL: vac@latrobe.edu.auImage Credit: WBa, Inhabiting Bendigo, 2013, exhibition graphic. Image courtesy of WBa (William Boag Architects)

FRiDAy pRinTMAkERsart@wintergarden is launching into its 4th Annual Friday Printmakers Collection Exhibition. From 29 June to 28 July the Gallery will be exhibiting the works of 15 local printmakers who all have a passion for printmaking.

Artists have explored various subject matter from landscapes to portraiture, some colourful and others monochromic, prints are large and small. Visitors can expect to see the works on

display for sale employing many different techniques from etching to lithographs, mono-prints to linocuts, dry point and chine colle.

Each artist has produced a miniature work as part of the exhibition; this piece could form the introduction to a collection for first time buyers.

The Friday Printmakers Collection features artists: Janet Cattlin; Sue Grossman; John McClumpha; Sheila Muratori; Gaye Nieuwenhof; Lynette Palmer; Steve Parkhill; Robyn

Sandford; Elizabeth Saxon; Maija Vasils; Pam Wansink; Leeanne Wright.

And guest artists: Patsy Bush; Deb Jackson and Teresa Lawrence

Meet the artists: Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 July 10am – 4pm.WHERE: Wintergarden. Upstairs at 51 McKillop Street, Geelong.WHEN: June 29-July 28. Open daily 10-4.PHONE: 0401 160 430INFO: www.artwintergarden.com.au

COFFEE CRAWLPart of the Tastes of Central Geelong Festival. July 7-28

Are you a coffee connoisseur?

Discover a selection of Central Geelong coffee hot spots. On this coffee crawl, meet the Baristas, watch a demonstration of coffee art, the cold-drip process and best of all sample a variety of blends, roasts and brews at some of Geelong’s best-loved cafés.

Come away from the walking tour with a new appreciation for coffee and its many flavours and styles.

Cost: $20 – includes sample bag and coffee tastingsWHERE: Central GeelongWHEN: Thur July 11, Sat July 13, Thur July 18, Sat July 20, Thu July 25, Sat July 27. 9.30am.PHONE: GPAC 5225 1200.INFO: Tickets from GPAC www.gpac.org.au

nEiGHbOuRHOOD pREss COMMuniTy pubLisHinG pROJECTArtistbook makers David Dellafiora and Glen Smith lead a two day workshop in creating limited edition hand made books to go into Cloverdale’s Little Free Library. Learn a range of bookmaking techniques from collage, photocopying, stamping, stenciling and photoprinting.

Tell a story, explore a theme, create a visual text and explore the world of artistbooks.WHERE: Cloverdale Community Centre. 167-169 Purnell Road, Corio, VIC 3214.WHEN: July 5-6. 10-3.PHONE: 5275 4415.INFO: Free. Children must be accompanied by an adult. www.cloverdalecommunitycentre.org.au EMAIL: cloverdale@datafast.net.au* This event is supported by the City of Greater Geelong Community Arts and Festivals Grants Program.

sMALL WORks WinTER pROGRAM – TussOCk upsTAiRsOne of the newest galleries around, Tussock Upstairs is showing a range of small, affordable works by 20 local artists. As works are sold, they will be replaced by new works for sale. Get along to Point

Lonsdale, “Lonnie”, stroll along the latte strip and pop upstairs to take a squizz.WHERE: Tussock Upstairs. 89 Point Lonsdale Road, Point Lonsdale, VIC 3225.WHEN: Now til end Aug. Open daily 10-5.PHONE: 0418 392 485INFO: www.tussockupstairs.com.au

ROSALIE WALLER

COMpAnyMusic & Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim.

Book by George Furth.Directed by Davina Smith

Crowley.Musical Direction by

Michael Wilding.Vocal Direction by Tania

Spence.This multi-Tony Award

winning musical comedy production is a unique collaboration between two of Geelong’s premier theatre companies, Geelong Repertory Theatre and Geelong Lyric Theatre Society.

It’s Robert’s birthday. He’s 35, he lives in New York City and he’s a confirmed bachelor.

His friends, his “Company”, most of them married and all of them couples, have gathered at his apartment to give him a surprise party. Robert tries to blow out the candles, but they stay lit. “It’s alright,” someone cries, “he still gets to make his wish.” What was his wish? Nothing. Not even to be married.

In vignette after hilarious vignette, we meet Robert’s married friends, as he weighs the pros and cons of married life. Making his way through a series of encounters with various women, as well as his married friends, in the end he realises being alone is “Alone, not alive.”

The clashing sounds and pulsing rhythms of New York City underscore this famous landmark “concept” show, considered by many to have inaugurated the modern era of musical theatre.WHERE: Woodbin Theatre, 15 Coronation Street, Geelong West, 3218.WHEN: July 4, 5, 6, 10, 11, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20 at 8pm; July 7, 14 & 20 at 2pm.TIX: GPAC. Phone: 5225 1200 or www.gpac.org.auINFO: www.geelongrep.com.au or www.glts.asn.au EMAIL: info@geelongrep.com.au or newsletter@glts.asn.au

6321 spECiMEnspec·i·men /’spes?m?n/Noun 1. An individual animal, plant, piece of a mineral, etc., used as an example of its species or type for scientific study or display. 2. An example of something such as a product or piece of work, regarded as typical of its class or group. Synonyms: sample - pattern - model - exemplar - example - type.

The next in the 6321 series, SPECIMEN is the intricate examination of life.

Jars, bottles, decanters, beakers, test tubes, vases – glass vessels for catching, storing and examining samples of our existences. Your life, your future, your message in a bottle. Interpret the form and create intricate tiny works within glass walls and exhibit in our beautiful gallery space.

For 15-26 year old visual artists, designers, poets, gardeners, creatives, archivists, cataloguists, biographers, photographers, seers.

Register your interest asap with skills@courthouse.org.au for Day One talks and Workshops, bbq lunch and coffee, production management, marketing and exhibition in Meraki Gallery. Make sure you share this event with anyone 15-26 who’s feeling creative this winter.WHERE: Meraki Gallery at Courthouse ARTS. Cnr Geringhap and Little Malop Streets, Geelong.WHEN: July 29 – August 2. Opens Fri Aug 2 at 6pm until Thurs Aug 8.PHONE: 5224 2815.INFO: Cost $25. Begins with workshops and briefing on Sunday July 28. www.courthouse.com.auEMAIL: skills@courthouse.org.au

FORTEMAG.COM.AU 45

arts news from around town – and beyond!

sMALL HOME businEss MARkETThis is Geelong’s first ever “Small ‘Home Business’ Market”, located in the heart of Newtown at the Newtown Event Centre. Stalls include hand made crafts and jewellery, women’s clothing, pet care, beauty, children’s wear, hair accessories, hand made invitations and cards, photographers, graphic design, wedding and home decor, knits and delicious food. Check out the website for current photos and details about each stall holder that will be there on the day. There will be some great stalls to browse, with afforable prices and fantastic quality.

If you’d like to be involved in future markets please head to www.facebook.com/SmallHomeBusinessMarket and speak to Lauren about your products/services. It is hoped to have another market prior to Christmas, so keep an eye out on the Facebook page for details and updates.WHERE: 40 Read Street, Newtown, Geelong.WHEN: July 7. 9-3pm. Free entry.INFO: www.facebook.com/SmallHomeBusinessMarket EMAIL: l.e.rhodes@hotmail.com

RECEnT WORks - bOOM GALLERyBoom Gallery is thrilled to present recent work by a trio of well respected Geelong artists: Jiri Tibor Novak, Zoe Snyder, Jean Bohuslav.

The notion of journeying is a theme that each of these artists explore.

Jiri Tibor Novak’s softly hued paintings

of place and memory. His delicate etchings depicting a man and his world full of symbols and poetry.

Zoe Snyder’s sculptures assembled and collected - representations of personal journeys, collected memories and memorabilia.

Jean Bohuslav’s encaustic paintings - masterfully executed layering of oil paint and melted wax.

Searches for love and truth, animals and landscape. Whimsical tales of self discovery.WHERE: Boom Gallery. 11 Rutland Street, Newtown, Geelong.WHEN: June 29-July 20. PHONE: 0428 305 639/0417 555 101INFO: www.boomgallery.com.au EMAIL: info@boomgallery.com.au

6321 spECiMEnspec·i·men noun

An individual animal, plant, piece of a mineral, etc., used as an example of its species or type for scientific study or display; An example of something such as a product or piece of work, regarded as typical of its class or group. Confused? Then read on to discover the latest in the 6321series, SPECIMEN.

Please introduce yourself to Forte readers and tell us about what it is you do? I’m an actor and theatre maker and am Director of Skills Development at Courthouse ARTS. There I work with the AD to put together various programs for young people so they can try new and very cool ways of stretching themselves and their art. We cover visual arts, performance and music, so we have to be across a wide variety of art forms. What really excites us is when these art forms work together (or collide!) to create exceptional new ways of thinking about creativity.

SPECIMEN is happening at Courthouse ARTS. Can you give us a brief overview? 6321 SPECIMEN will be made and exhibited in Meraki Gallery at Courthouse ARTS. It’s not often artists get to create works in the spaces they’re going to be exhibited, so it’s a pretty fun opportunity. We always begin the 6321 processes on a Sunday (28 July) with a couple of talks or workshops, a BBQ lunch and designs. The next five days (as needed) are spent creating, and we’re around as support for production, ideas and marketing. Art can sometimes be a solitary activity;

this gives the opportunity for collaboration and the sharing of ideas. The exhibition opens Friday, 2nd August.

What is the meaning behind ‘the intricate examination of life’? A specimen is a sample, an example, a little piece of something larger. We put it in a bottle or a jar to be examined. In this instance the specimen doesn’t need to be scientific; it can be a picture, a photo, a poem. It will be something unique from the creator – and so will represent them and their life.

How did this unique and amazing ‘jar’ idea come about? Amazing! That’s a lovely thing to say! I get excited by playing with space; so far we’ve had 6321 LIVING STUDIOS and 6321 NOOK, both of which asked participants to engage with space and create an experience for viewers. This one is about tiny space, representing ourselves and our stories in miniature. I also love the idea of the message in the bottle. What can we say when we’re confined to something that is restricted in size?

How long does the process take in organising something like this? It’s hard to say as we’re always organising many projects simultaneously. The key is to begin early! This was planned at the end of last year, and we’re coming into final arrangements now, locking in workshops, speakers and participants.

What artist or artists are involved? Are contributions being made by a lot of people? We have some fun plans in the pipeline and more detail will come to light very soon – stay tuned! In the meantime, if people have jars, bottles, beakers, test tubes etc. they’d like to donate to the cause they can drop them into Chelsea at Reception and we would be very grateful! (Even more grateful if you’d give them a bit of a rinse first..!)

You have extended an invitation to ‘create your own’ specimen? Tell us about the workshop? We’re planning on a couple of smaller workshops that look at different ways of telling your story. These methods can then be used or completely discarded – we’re not dictating anything, we just want to give the opportunity to think differently. We’re always really excited by how much the workshops stimulate the artists to try something new.

Who would you like to see come along to SPECIMEN? What sort of people might be interested? 6321 SPECIMEN is open to anyone between 15 and 26 who is an artist, designer, gardener, poet, photographer – anyone who wants to get creative and create an installation or piece in our beautiful gallery! So much can happen in jars!

Anyone who is interested can send me an email to register. For more information: skills@courthouse.org.au. The Facebook page with ideas and updates is here: facebook.com/CourthouseARTS6321?ref=hl

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Samantha Thompson is a well-travelled artist who caught the artist’s bug from her mother and has not looked back since. We spent a little time with this supermum recently as part of this issue’s Artist Profile.

Please introduce yourself to Forte readers and tell us a bit about your background. I’m a professional artist working from a Geelong studio, mother and designer. I’ve been selling, exhibiting and promoting my work for over 18 years and I love what I do! I started selling work from a café in St Kilda that friends of mine owned. I sold over 30 from that one café; that’s what started and funded more work and the thought that I could do art as a living. I was lucky enough to be exposed to business early, as our family own several businesses in fashion and design. So I was able to gain so much experience and know-how from being raised in that environment and working from such a young age.

Where is it you reside? How has living in that area shaped the art you have come to produce? I have lived in Geelong for several years; before that Melbourne, London, New Zealand and the US. I think travel is essential to the artist brain and really adds an international flare to my work.

What is it you do? Are you a painter, sculptor, photographer etc? Painter, but I work in many mediums including paint, mixed media, pastel, prints etc.

How did you get into this art form? What has been your inspiration to continue to pursue this art form? I was always exposed to the arts. I had an artist mother that encouraged us to see things differently and to have fun with art, and you eventually settle on a couple mediums that get you the feel and look of art that you want.

If you were listening to someone describe your work, how would you like it to be described? Fun! Vibrant, colourful and playful, and collectable.

Have you taken part in many exhibitions, displays, shows etc? I’ve been lucky enough to have been involved in many joint and solo exhibitions over the years. The last solo exhibition was based on London MODS. The next couple of group shows I’m involved in are the St Joseph’s College Artisan Market here in Geelong on 20 and 21st of July, and the Derinya

Art and Craft Exhibition held on the same weekend over in Mount Eliza.

What has been your greatest achievement as an artist to date? Exhibiting my work internationally would have to be up there, but just as importantly being able to support myself with my work.

What is it you look to gain from your work? Is it a hobby or are you looking for widespread exposure? My art and the process of selling and promoting it is my life’s work; I will never not do it. Whether popular or not, the need to create and get better at my chosen medium is there. I make many great products that transcend the wall, like limited edition cushions and colouring books. I find this really works well with my style and exposes my work to many different audiences.

Where can people go to check out your stuff? I have a great and up-to-date website samanthathompson.com and also a Facebook page that shows what I’m up to daily. If you’re in Geelong you can make an appointment to see the studio, and all the work.

Anything you would like to add? I would like to say to any artist that persistence is the key. To develop as an artist is a lifetime obsession and a very humbling and difficult one at times, but the rewards are worth the effort.

of a major kind. It still does have it a little bit, but now it’s all changed. Look around Geelong; it’s ok to be a writer, in theatre, a musician, and it is interesting to see how people’s perceptions to these professions has changed as the industry has developed. Art is good for society and good for the soul.”

As curators for art installations and exhibitions for the best part of three decades, the changes in the local arts industry have been extensive. Reminiscing about the rich arts culture in Geelong, the future is bright as Robert relates. “There have been numerous artists, television productions and musicians that have started out in Geelong and I think that it’s a great launching pad. I think Geelong will eventually be known as a major arts city. There is still a fair bit of work to go to get to that point, yet it’s definitely on its way. If I was to give any advice to upcoming artists, it is to have a good work ethic and be true to yourself. No matter whether it’s in or out of vogue, you must always believe in your ideas.”

As one of the leading arts schools in the region for the last twenty-six years, it is an exciting prospect to see where it will develop in the next twenty-six. Head on down to see what they offer today. COnTACT: 560a Latrobe Boulevard, Newtown. 5221 8874.

Located in Latrobe Boulevard on the edge of the Barwon River, Geelong Fine Art School (GFAS) has been helping the local arts industry for many years now. Forming in 1988, the art school was originally located in Swanston Street, yet with a desire for more space, Patricia Semmlar and Robert Drummond moved to their current location 21 years ago and have been there ever since. I recently caught up with the pair on location to find out about what the school offers and where the future of the arts industry will develop both locally and internationally.

“I teach the school children and teenagers and Pat takes the adult classes. Our age bracket ranges from 7 - 70, and I think that the wonderful thing about art is that it is not confined to any particular age bracket,” Robert said. As practising artists and teachers, Robert and Pat have exhibited both around Australia and the world and helped developed their student’s careers with a majority of them now working overseas.

Catching up with the team at the start of the school holidays, Robert and Pat talk enthusiastically about the upcoming school term and what it offers. With lessons and workshops in drawing, painting, etching and sculpture, there is no pressure or emphasis on marking or grades, allowing for the students of the school to progress within their own timeframes.

Highlighting the traditions of fine art, the GFAS has also developed along with the times to offer a contemporary look at art in 2013. With a strong family history in art, it was inevitable that Robert and Pat would progress to become full-time artists. Over the years, in both the duration of the art school’s time as well as growing up, Robert believes the importance and role of art in popular culture has developed increasingly over the years.

“When we were kids and growing up, Australia was suffering cultural cringe

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FiLM REviEWs by ANTHONy mOrriS

Monsters universitY: This sequel to Monsters, Inc. that no-one really asked for is perfectly serviceable as a college campus comedy … which, considering it’s from Pixar, means it falls well below their previously lofty standards.

DespicabLe Me 2: On the other hand, this animated sequel turns out to be surprisingly fun, thanks largely to the hijinks of the gibberish-spouting minions as they burble around in the background of this fairly straightforward family-friendly tale of supervillainy.

WorLD War Z: Loosely based on the popular novel – so loosely that zombies is pretty much all they have in common – this is a serviceable action movie for teenagers. Those hoping for the usual gory antics one expects with zombies will rate it a Z.

after earth: This bare bones survival tale on a future Earth that’s reverted to jungle is actually pretty good when everyone keeps their mouth shut and gets on with it – which is maybe 50 per cent of the movie. The rest seems to involve a search for better cell-phone reception.

the Lone rangerOur story begins at a fair in San Francisco around the time of the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge. Which means yes, the whole story is one long flashback told to a small child by the elderly Tonto (Johnny Depp) who’s part of a Wild West exhibit: cute way to underline the Lone Ranger legend, or cheap way to hide the cracks in a screenplay that occasionally feels more than usually disjointed? Back in 1869 railroad chief Cole (Tom Wilkinson) has ordered notorious bad guy Butch Cavendish (William Fichtner) be brought out to West Texas to hang. On the same train is stuffed shirt D.A. John Reid (Armie Hammer), heading back home to work alongside his brother, noted lawman Dan (James Badge Dale). And chained

up next to Butch is a crazy Native American with a bird on his head that he keeps trying to feed. Is Tonto meant to be comedy relief, or deadly serious? The film never quite answers that question, but as it’s one that can be levelled at just about every character here – John Reid just accidentally threw a child’s doll off the train – it doesn’t really matter. It’s hardly surprising that Cavendish’s escape attempt results in a massive train smash; when your movie reportedly costs a quarter of a billion dollars you don’t do things by halves. Dan rides out with a posse to try and recapture Butch; John tags along – wearing a freshly bought white hat – and things do not go well for the posse. Enter Tonto, who’s guided by an all-white “spirit horse” to the wounded John, and as they both want the same man brought to justice they decide to team up. This film is full of moments from previous versions of the screenplay that never quite managed to make it to the screen. Why all the references to nature being “out of balance”, up to an including cannibal rabbits? Why the general obsession with silver? Okay, they probably belong to a previously reported draft that involved werewolves. And the treatment of Native Americans is a little odd, veering between Depp’s usual quirky face-pulling to sombre cold-blooded Indian massacres. It’s to this film’s credit then that despite these obstacles – and a two-and-a-half-hour running time – the end result is something that’s still entertaining. A lot of that is thanks to Depp and Hammer’s ability to balance the comedy goofiness with the cheesy seriousness their roles demand. Throw in a thrilling final chase (scored to The Lone Ranger’s traditional theme no less), and you have yet another solidly competent blockbuster in a year full of fairly forgettable big budget efforts.

the heatHollywood’s love affair with the buddy cop genre has been going on for so long that the only really surprising thing about The Heat is that it’s taken them so long to make one starring two women. And even that’s not all that surprising, considering Hollywood’s long-running aversion to making movies starring women, even though every time they do make a movie starring women it ends up making a huge amount of money and inspiring dozens of “women are back!” articles which then go on to inspire exactly zero more movies with women in the lead. That said, aside from having two women in the lead roles this is otherwise a pretty basic buddy cop movie – better than Cop Out (well, pretty much anything is better than Cop Out), and more traditional than The Other Guys, to cite two of the more recent examples. Ashburn (Sandra Bullock) is an uptight FBI agent who gets the job done but has managed to alienate pretty much all her co-workers (including sniffer dogs) in the process. So when a promotion comes up and she learns that her being overqualified doesn’t mean much when no-one wants to work under her, she throws herself at the current big case doing the rounds. That involves a trip to Boston to investigate a drug ring; problem is, local cop Mullins (Melissa McCarthy) is the officer on the ground, and as a violent foul-mouthed slob she’s pretty much Ashburn’s complete opposite. Team up! Directed by Paul Feig of Bridesmaids fame, the accent here is more on comedy than action. Not that there’s no action in this take on the genre that avoids trying to ‘feminise’ it in any way – there’s two car chases, a couple of shoot-outs, and a lot of guns pointed at male crotches by these two super-competent cops – but if you’re after a full-bore thrill-ride this may not be for you. The comedy is also the now-standard riff-heavy approach which means a lot of scenes drag on longer than they need too while someone (usually McCarthy) wrings every last drop of comedic potential out of the moment, and both McCarthy and Bullock are firmly within their comfort zones playing the kind of characters they pretty much always play in a comedy. Yet this is still a fair amount of fun. Plenty of the jokes work, McCarthy and Bullock have good chemistry, and seeing two women in a traditional buddy cop story is, sadly, novel enough to make a lot of scenes seem fresher than they otherwise would. It’s probably the best buddy cop movie we’ve had in a fair while; anyone expecting it to spark an increase in female-driven films out of Hollywood will probably be disappointed yet again.

We steaL secrets: the storY of WikiLeaksJulian Assange has dropped out of the spotlight a little in recent months, but there’s no denying his site WikiLeaks has done a pretty good job of stirring up governments over the last few years; which would usually make a documentary as personally focused as this one – it spends a large chunk of its running time looking at Assange himself and gradually coming to the conclusion that he’s not a particularly nice person – feel a lot like a hatchet job. But director Alex Gibney (Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room) puts forward a fairly solid case here that for all intents and purposes, and especially as far as Assange himself is concerned, he is WikiLeaks and

WikiLeaks is him. Assange’s life is shown through archive footage and comments from former offsiders (he seems to have a few of them), while the film’s originally supportive tone gradually becomes more questioning. There’s not a lot here that’s all that new, but if all you know about Assange is the bare bones – internet activist, public face of a website that published leaked US diplomatic and military material – this will certainly fill out the picture. The real interest here is the story of Bradley Manning, the US military computer specialist who passed on a massive amount of information to WikiLeaks. Using his text messages and emails to a friend (who later sold him out to the military), he comes across as an angry, confused man wanting to do something right with his life. This doesn’t put Assange in all that good a light, as he ends up coming across as self-obsessed and utterly committed to an abstract ideal of “transparency”, even if it means people could be killed thanks to the information he releases. As documentaries go, it certainly helps to have a prior interest in WikiLeaks. This jumps around a lot and doesn’t exactly build into a compelling story, instead doling out chunks of information in an informative but not exactly gripping fashion. But with WikiLeaks, and leaking in general, showing no sign of going anywhere in a hurry, this is a solid way of bringing yourself up to speed.

epicWe’re all kind of used to animated films being all-ages comedies these days, so Epic’s all-action approach at least has the virtue of being something a little different. It’s a pretty good set-up too: after the death of her mother, Mary Katherine (the voice of Amanda Seyfried) goes to live with her eccentric father in a run-down house in the middle of a forest. He thinks there is a tiny advanced civilisation out there; she has too much going on in her life to humour him. But when she’s magically shrunk down to insect size, she discovers it’s all real. When Queen Tara (Beyoncé) was attacked by the forces of decay led by Mandrake (Christoph Waltz), her leafmen guards, led by Ronin (Colin Farrell), only managed to save the

pod that will become the next queen. Now MK, together with Ronin, good-looking rebel who plays by his own rules Nod (Josh Hutcherson) and a comedy slug and snail must keep the pod safe and find out a way to make it blossom before the whole forest rots away. There’s nothing all that spectacular about this, but the animation is crisp and clean, the forest looks great, the action scenes are varied and exciting and the characters are likable. Which is all pretty much the bare minimum you’d expect to find in a film like this; but there’s a strong sense here of people playing it safe and going for the choices that deliver steady results. So it’s a safe pair of hands if you’re looking for a decent way to spend 90-odd minutes, especially if you’re looking after some kids in need of entertainment. While it’s perfectly decent for what it is, there’s nothing here to appeal to anyone old enough to go see real-life action, and there’s plenty of that currently showing. Chalk this one up as ‘for kids’ eyes only’.

Man of steeLIn some ways the best way to watch Man of Steel is directly after watching 2006’s Superman Returns, because a lot of what seems a little off in the 2013 take on the man of steel is clearly a reaction to the perceived flaws in the previous one. For one, where Returns presented us with a Superman who’d been around the block a few times, here it’s origin time once again. Those who can remember when Superman’s origin could be recapped in a couple of lines at the start of the old animated television series may be rolling their eyes at this point; though surprisingly, the Krypton stuff turns out to be some of the strongest material here. Much of that is down to a spot-on performance from Russell Crowe as Supes dad Jor-El, hitting exactly the right mix of bombast and warmth as he wades through the mess that is Krypton’s dying days to shoot his only son off into the stars. Don’t worry, that no sooner has the rocket reached Earth that we get a grown up Clark Kent (Henry Cavill) bumming around on a fishing boat shirking his world-saving duties. There’s plenty of flashbacks to his childhood to come, as his surprisingly wimpy dad – yes, he has to provide an alternative to Jor-El’s ‘go for it, son’ attitude, but seriously, constantly telling Superman to hide his abilities is not the way to have audiences cheering your every appearance – turns out to be a bigger wet blanket than the one they hide his rocket under in the barn. Not that Kevin Costner does a bad job, and the few tiny moments where he shows warmth (you’ve seen most of them in the trailer) are excellent. But still, who wants to see a Superman movie where Superman is worried about being out and proud? Who wants to see a Superman movie where Superman steals clothes from a car? Who wants to see a Superman movie where he doesn’t seem to realise that having a massive fight in a big city is almost certainly going to kill hundreds or thousands of people? As it turns out, a whole lot of people. The genius of this film is that by twisting Superman’s origin and dragging it out a little to have him seriously questioning if he’s ever going to become Superman, they’re able to get in all the angst that audiences seemingly demand of their big screen heroes these days without fatally damaging the character. There’s still plenty of other problems here: the flashback-heavy structure, the fact that despite the angst we know he’s going to become the Superman we all know (even if the title plays up the ‘Man’ angle, there’s really no doubt), the general lack of humour, the endless fight scenes towards the end, the expecting us to care about supporting characters that were barely sketched in, the Superman as Space Jesus over and over again, the fact that after all the destruction that goes on in this film no one human is ever going to trust Superman ever again… But who cares so long as we get close to an hour of Superman and the forces of General Zod (Michael Shannon) beating the crap out of each other?

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MusiC REviEWs

CAMerOn: I love H.P. Lovecraft. This is a thing I think we can all understand about me. Currently I’m reading through every H.P. Lovecraft story in chronological order, though something about getting to the end is upsetting me. See, I just can’t get enough Lovecraft, so what happens when I run out? It’s almost as if we can’t expect authors who have been dead for over 75 years to keep writing new stories for us. Instead, I guess I’ll recommend a few other Lovecraftian things I’ve been looking at for anyone in a similar situation. Damn selfish dead authors.

Recently I re-watched The Thing, for like what, the 80th time? It’s just one of those films I can watch and watch and watch and never get tired of. Kurt Russell (Tango & Cash, Big Trouble in Little China) and Keith David (Requiem for a Dream, Mass Effect trilogy) star as two kick-ass dudes who burn down a whole lot of alien things … Before that there is a heck of a lot of tension.

Now, I know John Carpenter has lost his mind in recent years and forgotten entirely how to make a good movie, but I highly recommend watching The Thing on Blu-Ray and witnessing just how amazing he used to be. The lighting in this film is ridic, and the special effects hold up exceptionally well.

Also on my radar at the moment is Scott Snyder’s The Wake, a new 10-part series from the slowly rebuilding Vertigo Comics. Issue #2 came out the other week and it’s just gorgeous. Sean Murphy’s art is unsurprisingly outstanding considering his previous work on Punk Rock Jesus and Hellblazer: City of Demons. A huge sea creature is found that might be the link between man and his ocean-living ancestors. Or it’s just a thing that wants to eat everyone on this underwater science base. Let’s find out together!

ALASTAIr: Every now and then you come across something you just gotta share. For Cameron and I, Matt Fraction’s Hawkeye was one of those things (yes, we know that we never shut up about it, and we don’t care!). In my experience, however, it’s much harder for a webcomic to grab its readers in such a way.

Yale Stewart’s JL8 (formerly Little League) is probably the foremost example of such a comic, but even so it still doesn’t have the appeal of a long-time favourite of mine: Romantically Apocalyptic. Written and (primarily) illustrated by the incredibly talented Vitaly Alexius, this Canadian masterpiece blends a dark, horrific world with hilarious, whimsical humour. Romantically Apocalyptic follows the adventures of the mysterious and bizarre Captain, who instructs his straight-man offsider Mr Snippy to undertake increasingly dangerous missions. Featuring some fantastic art that blends photography with intense digital painting, Romantically Apocalyptic is definitely one to watch – it’s going from strength to strength.

So, unless you’ve been living under a rock lately, you may have noticed that there’s a new Superman movie out. Seeing as I saw an ad for the damn thing every time I went on YouTube prior to writing this, I figured I’d better talk about something relating to the Man of Steel. No doubt sometime in the next few weeks I’ll actually see the movie and I’ll talk about it in more detail. Anyway, I picked up the critically-acclaimed All Star Superman, written by Grant Morrison and featuring the artistic talents of Frank Quitely. Many comic book writers and artists claim that All Star Superman is the greatest of Superman stories – and I’m inclined to agree. Every panel and every word bubble is outstanding, and is a must-have for any comic fan. Yeah, it’s that good.

>>>>>> by cameron urquHart & alastair mcgibbon

PULP.PULP.

The ABC doesn’t have to worry about getting older viewers. They drift towards it over time as people’s tastes change from talent shows to murder mysteries set in the English countryside. What the ABC wants to get is younger people watching; in part because it makes the station seem relevant – which is important when you get your funding from the government – and in part because they’re always worried that if they don’t make young people at least aware of the ABC, they might forget to tune in when they’re older.

This in part explains why the ABC hasn’t made a sitcom aimed at older viewers since Mother & Son; while they’ve made two aimed at people in their twenties in the last six months. First we had Josh Thomas’ Please Like Me, and now there’s Jess Harris and Josh Schmidt’s Twentysomething (ABC2, Thursdays 8.30pm). Traditionally a sitcom requires two elements: a situation and characters. Even shows you wouldn’t think had both tend to have had them somewhere. The Office might have been set in an office, but it’s commitment to show just how boring office life is made it interesting, and the characters were distinct and funny in their own ways.

But where Please Like Me had a situation – lead Josh Thomas discovered he was gay, sending ripples through his group of friends – it just didn’t really have distinct characters. Even if you watched all six episodes it’s pretty much impossible to define any of the main characters personalities apart from “bland”, which helps explain why the comedy rarely worked. Twentysomething has the opposite problem. While the situation in this second series seems

to be a retread of the first – Jess and Josh try out various roles in life – it wasn’t really all that memorable a situation the first time around. Constantly changing the location (episode one was their homecoming plus they visited uni; week two had Jess working on a building site run by her father) doesn’t give the show time to really explore a setting, and the writing isn’t sharp enough to bring a setting to life in just a handful of scenes.

The show’s strength is that is actually does have a really strong comedy character in the self-centred and self-obsessed Jess. She’s not quite a monster – her scenes with her ex, played by Hamish Blake, show she can make an actual human connection with someone – but she treats her sidekick/fake husband Josh like dirt (he gets just enough lines to show they’re on the same page with their general contempt for humanity, but he could clearly do better) and everything else in life has to revolve around her or she’s just not interested. Her self-obsession isn’t always funny, but neither are almost all Australian comedies, and when it does work it’s a rare moment of laugh-out-loud viewing.

It’s a stark reminder that so many of our local comedies seem to think they’re drama series in disguise; a few more comic monsters wreaking havoc would actually do our television industry a world of good.

spLashhCOMFORTBreakaway Recordings

London-based four-piece Splashh have released their debut album, Comfort. The alt-rockers show off their psychedelic bent throughout the album, with reverbs and fantastic guitar work throughout. I can’t be the first person to compare the vocals on this album to Liam Gallagher (or maybe I have him on the brain after reviewing Beady Eye’s new album). There is a certain Oasis-esque sound to parts of this album, at least to my ear. This album sounds new; while there are a few familiar sounding parts, for the majority of it, it’s like nothing I’ve ever heard. For every element of Oasis or The Vaccines, there’s something completely different. This could come from the international mix of band members, with two Kiwis, an Aussie and a Pom, in a distinctly British-sounding band. The highlight of the album is probably the

first single, ‘All I Wanna Do’; it’s almost tailor-made for the festival set. I can see a thousand people losing their shit to it in the mud on a summer day somewhere. I’m not sure why I didn’t find these guys sooner, and you’ll think the same thing when you buy this album. BY CAMERON BROGDEN

chasM (ft. Monchichi)SMOKING ACESObese Records

Sydney producer Chasm has released the second of his four EPs for 2013. While four EPs seems to be a pretty major undertaking, you do have to remember he’s the producer, not the performer. Probably best known for his work with Sydney MC Skryptcha, this time Chasm has teamed up with Monchichi, another Sydney MC. Unfortunately, this EP is lacking in that Aussie hip hop sound that I love. Instead, we have more or less a low-quality US-style hip hop record. ‘Diamonds’ is the exception to the rule. With guest star King Ru, there is still a slight feeling of that American style, but the vocals have that familiar accent, and the style leans more towards a Bliss N Eso than anything else. However, this is one small glimmering highpoint in the record; the rest of it is someone trying too hard to replicate the American hip hop sound of the

mid 2000s. The lyrics and vocals are fairly good, thanks to Monchichi’s talents, but the rest just seems a little bit lacking. Save your money on this one. BY CAMERON BROGDEN

baLL park MusicMUSEUM (DELUxE)Stop Start

Brisbane five-piece indie-rock outfit Ball Park Music have re-released what I considered the best album of last year, Museum, with an entire disc of live content recorded at Sydney’s Manning Bar. I’m not going to review the first disc again; instead you can go through your collection of back issues and read my review from the week the album came out. (What do you mean?! Of course you have a stack of old Forte Magazines sitting at home.) Suffice to say, it’s amazing, and you should have bought it then. If you held out, congratulations, you won’t have two copies of Museum sitting on your shelf like I do (my copy of the original is signed, hence me not dumping it on a friend or relative), because this is worth buying. If you’ve never seen Ball Park Music live, then you need to get on that right now. Unfortunately, they just

had their last Victorian show before their next album, so you’ll be waiting for a few months. In the meantime, every track on this bonus disc captures the feeling of their live show – Sam and Jen’s fantastic live vocals and Sam’s banter with the crowd especially. All that is missing is the energy of the crowd and band that you can only really get from being there. ‘It’s Nice To Be Alive’ from their first album is probably the highlight, but it’s a pretty close contest with the others. Buy this album. Now. BY CAMERON BROGDEN

the soLicitorsMADE TO MEASUREPopboomerang

A strong contender for my new favourite band, The Solicitors has released their debut EP, Made To Measure. The Melbourne-based indie-popsters have a fantastic sound that is all over the place; able to produce great, fast-paced pop tracks, and slower tracks. Opening track, ‘Pretty Penny’, reflects the pop side. It sounds like the bastard child of NOFX’s ‘Franco Un-American’, Hungry Kids of Hungary and, somehow, The Vaccines. Every time I hear the track it gets stuck in my head for the rest of the day. It’s catchy, fun and makes you want to dance. Next up is ‘I Love Your Love’ which has a stronger rock angle, sounding a little bit new-wavy. ‘DDT’ continues the new wave feel, combining it with a nice, pop-rock sound which sounds like a half-a-dozen other songs, but not so much that you can place a single one of

them. ‘Back Of My Hand’ opens up sounding like The Buggles’ classic ‘Video Killed The Radio Star’ without the synths, and goes on to sound like some mid-2000s pop-rock again. The closer is ‘Fleeing Is Believing’, which summons thoughts of Oasis’ low-fi tracks with a vocal that sounds almost the same as Liam Gallagher’s. Buy it now before it sells out, because these guys will break on triple j any day now. BY CAMERON BROGDEN

beaDY eYeBESony

Ever wonder what Oasis’ back catalogue would have sounded like if Noel Gallagher had let his brother write all the songs? Unfortunately, BE is exactly what that would sound like: the unmistakeable Liam Gallagher vocal over the top of Beatles-inspired tunes is everything that strikes you about Oasis the first time around. But where Noel’s lyrics had a depth, they grabbed you, and all of Oasis’ songs had that special something, Beady Eye’s efforts have emptiness. Beady Eye are the opposite of Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, who are all substance, little style. It just goes to show that Oasis was more than the sum of its parts. Nobody likes a lone Gallagher. At least on their last album, Beady Eye tried for something different. The sole highpoint on the album is ‘Don’t Brother Me’, which one has to assume is a shot at Noel; which goes to prove that the band’s

success stems from the relationship between the Gallaghers. It’s okay boys, you’ve both proven your point. Time to make up and bring back the best British band of the nineties. BY CAMERON BROGDEN

culture!POP

by antHony morris

ALL STAR SUPERMAN

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grogwatchFor the last few weeks I’ve been flat out at work and let me tell you, I haven’t liked it one little bit. Yeah yeah yeah whatever, you might think, nobody likes work. But I’m a lazy, lazy man, and the sensation of having to actually work at my work is exciting and new, only the opposite of exciting and “new” as in “hey, check out this new grave we just dug for you”. Seriously, these last few weeks have just been all about getting up, getting one task after another done until I collapse in a heap, then waking up and doing it all over again, which, speaking personally, is not exactly the plan I had for my life.

It’s been a combination of factors that has led to this nightmare scenario too, which – unlike when it’s just one big work dump – has made it impossible to avoid in my usual, “tell ‘em I’m not here” fashion: one lot of people want the usual stuff done, another want double, a third want their usual order moved up so it’s due the same time as the first guys, a fourth guy decides that ‘hey, things look pretty quiet over here’ so why not get me to do all this third guy’s work so he can do God knows what, and before you know it I’m actually working for a living. And I can’t say I’ve been impressed.

Sure, you probably work for a living and are currently torn between simply rolling your eyes as you throw this column into the bin or making some kind of strangled noise of frustration as your rip this page out of the magazine, throw it onto the ground and jump up and down on it for a good five or so minutes. Sure, who could blame you: working for a living is hard. But I’m guessing your idea of “a living” involves expensive things like regular meals and shelter that doesn’t have a ceiling that changes colour when it rains. Me, I’ve set my sights a little lower. Like I said earlier, I’m a lazy, lazy man.

Pretty much the only thing I learnt through

my higher education was that work was hard work. That’s the big problem with our education system: it does a really, really good job of getting across the fact that if you work hard you’ll reap the rewards, without ever really bothering to explain what those rewards are going to turn out to be. Of course, we all know why that is. If school actually did spell out the rewards for hard work most of us would say “no thanks”. So instead they let it creep up on us: ‘hey, you want money to buy something cool? Guess you’re going to have to get some kind of job to pay for that. But don’t worry, it’s only part-time and short-term, just to get a bit of cash for that one thing you were after … what’s that? You want something else now? Guess that job’s going to have to be a bit more permanent’. And by the time we figure out where all this leads, we’ve got a huge pile of crap to pay for and we’re working all day every day to pay for it.

Here’s something else they forget to mention at school: they call it “work” because it’s not “fun”. The biggest sack of crap they’ll ever throw your way is the line “if you find something you love, you’ll never work a day in your life” – that is to say, if you enjoy your work, it’s not work. Uh, no. Even if you start out doing something you love, the various side chores that come with that kind of work – trying to find people to employ you doing what you love, trying to get them to pay you for your work (you’re doing it for love, right? What more do you want?), having to deal with people who may not like your work, and so on – soon turns even the most awesome party job into something of a slog. And it’s not like I even have an awesome party job over here. Filling out forms and plenty of them pretty much sums up how I make my living … actually, that’s how most people make their living these days. Yay Western Civilisation!

Being forcefully reminded of just how crap working for a living really is has one advantage: it turns out to be a really useful way to remember just how bogus most of what goes on in our society really is. For example: ‘oh no, the youth of today are running wild, what with all the drinking

and drug use and partying hard and so on’. All this kind of thing is generally seen as something of a bad thing for all manner of reasons – pretty much none of which I agree with. But that doesn’t matter, because society has zero moral weight when it comes to telling people to stop doing any of those things because what is society offering as an alternative? Work. Society doesn’t want you to have fun, it wants you to do work. As much work as humanly possible, in fact. So when ‘da yoof’ say ‘screw that, let’s party’, society has no options left when it comes to trying to rein them in, because society knows that work is so amazingly crap the only sane thing to do is to try and get as far away from it as possible every chance you get.

Those new to the workforce are obviously going to be the ones who party the hardest, because they’re the ones who still remember the (relative) freedom of going to school and actually having time to hang out with friends, slack off, and – most importantly of all – not have the constant worry that, even if they do every single thing right, they’re still going to get the arse through no fault of their own. Have you ever heard an employer going on about their constant fear that they’ll employ someone they don’t like and be stuck with them and never be able to fire them? Man, is that shit hilarious.

They need to make a Freaky Friday-style movie where an employer and an employee swap places so the employer can really get to know the feeling of being able to be “downsized” or “retrenched” at a moment’s notice, or having their position at the firm “restructured” out of existence – even just having the whole place close down and having your arse thrown out on the street because someone you’ve never met screwed up somewhere you’ve never been – and then maybe they might cut back on the whole ‘we really need to loosen up unfair dismissal laws; we have to be able to remove unsuitable staff’. Not that I’ve ever been unsuitable; I take great care to work at jobs that only require the bare minimum of consciousness.

Normally at this stage I’d drag out some so-called “upside” to all this hard work, which would presumably have to involve money because there really isn’t much of an upside to hard work otherwise – though I guess in theory you could be having sex with some of your workmates on the side which might be fun I guess. But in this case I don’t even have that to wave around, and no, I’m not talking about the workplace sex. I mean, sure, I’ve been paid, but what good is

money if you don’t have time to spend it? Oh wait, I forgot, that’s how society works now: you now work super-hard during your “prime” to build up enough super so that when no-one will give you a job any more you’ll have enough saved up for the Government to say ‘stop asking us for a handout’.

Not having time to spend money now is a good thing; that’s the way the system works. Seriously, the only thing that’s stopping me from dropping out entirely after this brush with hard labour is the bone-deep loathing I have for hippies. If someone could point me towards a group that dropped out of society yet managed to remain neat and tidy with sensible hair and reasonable body odour, I’d sign up like a shot. But once again, the whole system is set up to foil my perfectly reasonable dreams of not having to work from seven in the morning to around midnight every single night of the week, with weekends spent filing paperwork so I actually get paid for all those eighteen-hour days.

Why give workers time to reflect on the crappiness of their situation? Why do anything less than wring the maximum amount of value from their every waking hour? Why not run them ragged – it’s not like you’ll have to deal with them falling in a heap the second they get outside the premises. There’s no possible room for time off, no possible space to slack off, no possible way to find any relief from the workplace grind – and that’s the way they like it.

Fortunately for me, there is one way I’ve found to combine business with pleasure and squeeze in a little ‘me’ time amongst the constant, unending demands of gainful employment: every day, in a desperate attempt to claw back a little personal space – a little dignity really – I take the only option society has left me: I show up drunk.

Tony ‘yeah, like you didn’t see that one coming’ Montana

THE FORTE

VOXPOP

Do you have any questions you would like Forte to ask the wonderful musicians we talk to

for our Vox Pop?If you do - please send your

ideas and sugestions to luke@fortemag.com.au

QUESTION:

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