1. Art and Diseño

QUARTERLY MAGAZINE
FEBRUARY 2015
WELCOME
BACK ELLA
Ella Hooper’s musical
journey comes full circle
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MUSIC
/
FILM
/
T H E AT R E
/
C U LT U R E
/
L I T E R AT U R E
/
ART
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Cargo ART News
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White Noise – Media Wars: Comedy 2015, A New Hope
5
Replay: The Revival of Vinyl
6
Darkness on the Edge of Colombia for Lili St. Germain
7
WOMAD Drawcard Releases First Solo Album in 17 Years
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The Welcome Return of Ella Hooper – The Cargo ART Interview
10
The Global Appeal of Black Market Tune
12
In the BLINC of an Eye at the Adelaide Festival
13
Aussie Ace Ricciardo Set to Shine as Melbourne's F1 Race Hits Twenty
14
CD/DVD Reviews
16
Live Reviews
18
Book Reviews
20
Film Reviews
22
WRITERS
Alex Storer
Chelsea Ayling
Sharni White
Chris Michaels
Kellie Comer
Clare Clifton-Bligh
Sarah Alessi
Mikaelie Evans
Ned Karam
Jenna Woods
Ellen Adamcewicz
Paul Nicholson
Ben Woodley
Jackie Smith
Emily Chapman
Georgia Gutterson
Katie Horneshaw
Kim Phillips
Lily Guy-Vogel
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14
Scruntus Burgus
Sarah Mason
Alexandria Nagy
Ebony Wilson
Nic Alea
Leah Ryan
Natasha Anderson
Jack Bowden
Alana Beitz
GRAPHIC DESIGN
Emma Sorrentino
ADVERTISING SALES
Chris Michaels
Leah Ryan
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EDITOR
Chris Michaels
PHOTOGRAPHERS
Lucinda Goodwin
Bron Graham
Tony Proudfoot
Marc Bongers
Steph Jones
WEB DESIGN
Martin Phoenix
cargo ART Magazine
PO BOX 17 Natimuk VIC 3409 // 0488 472 298
[email protected]
www.cargoartmagazine.com.au
FACEBOOK: cargoART Magazine
TWITTER: cargoARTmag@cargoartmag
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Copyright © 2015 cargo ART Magazine. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be
reproduced or transmitted in any form without written permission of cargo ART Magazine.
3
Wot No Fish (24 Feb- 8 March)
Malthouse Theatre (Melbourne)
An in depth and personal exploration of one family that is
sure to relate to us all.
Starring: Danny Braverman
Madonna – Rebel Heart (10 March)
FILM
Bitch I’m Madonna! The Queen of pop is yet to retire and
has again attempted to reinvent. Her latest release Bitch
I’m Madonna feat. Nicki Minaj reveals a grungy beat driven
sound; surprisingly it is catchy as all hell… Could Rebel
Heart be a hit?
The Gambler
BOOKS
ART EXHIBITIONS
Release date: 05 February 2015
Jim Bennett is in debt, a lot of debt. Forced into crime to
save his own life, Bennett has to go all in or risk losing it all.
The Kaleidoscopic Turn
Selma
Tim Pearn: On the Beach (16 Feb – 7 March)
Western Australian Museum, Albany
As part of the Perth International Arts Festival 2015, On The
Beach is an exploration of the environmental issues surrounding litter and the build-up of waste found washed up
on shore, specifically that of Goode Beach, Albany. Amazing
photographic works featuring water-borne plastic collected
over 12 months forces us to assess the damage we are causing on our wildlife and environment.
Sand Safari (13 Feb- 1 March)
Suddenly Last Summer (9 Feb- 21 March)
Sydney Theatre Company
A Tennessee Williams classic brought to life in an ingenious
way with a new multimedia twist.
Starring: Paula Arundell, Melita Jurisic, Brandon McClelland,
Robyn Nevin, Eryn Jean Norvill, Susan Prior,
Mark Leonard Winter
Jumpy (31 Jan- 14 March)
Melbourne Theatre Company
A mother and daughter relationship put to a hilarious test;
hopes, dreams and parental anxiety take centre stage in April
De Angelis’ Jumpy.
Starring: Jane Turner, Marina Prior, Brenna Harding, Laurence
Boxhall, Caroline Brazier, John Lloyd Fillingham,
Tariro Mavondo, David Tredinnick, Dylan Watson
What Rhymes with Cars and Girls
(13 Feb- 28 March)
Melbourne Theatre Company
An unconventional love story set to the sounds of the Tim
Rogers’ classic solo album of the same name.
Starring: Johnny Carr, Sophie Ross
Black Cabaret (10-22 Feb)
Malthouse Theatre (Melbourne)
A musical comedy with an indigenous twist, sure to delight
and sparkle the night!
Starring: Nikki Ashby, Deline Briscoe, Emma Donovan,
Kutcha Edwards, Bart Willoughby
Broken Monsters
Insurgent
The Ruby Circle (Bloodlines #6)
Release date: 19 March 2015
The second instalment in the Divergent series follows Tris as she
continues her fight against the Erudite faction. Sure to be a hit
in the currently booming young adult post-apocalyptic genre.
TELEVISION (AUSTRALIA)
Hiding
Sydney Theatre Company
A comedy set in the 1980s where friendship and singledom
are celebrated and explored.
Starring: Glenn Hazeldine, Anita Hegh, Rebecca Massey,
Josh McConville, Helen Thomson
Charlotte McConaghy
A romantic fantasy novel set to light a fire in reader’s hearts.
Ava has survived the murder of her partner Avery, defying
the odds of her people for thousands of years. Hell bent on
revenge will Ava’s fight for survival be worth it?
Publishing date: February
Random House Books
Lauren Beukes
A thrilling murder mystery set in Detroit. Detective Gabi
Versado is thrown into one of the most horrifying cases of her
life. A haunting story that will leave you chilled to the bone.
Publishing date: 1 May
Harper Collins Publishers Australia
Pop to Popism (1 Feb-1 March)
After Dinner (15 Jan- 7 March)
Avery
Release date 12 March 2015
Based on the Thomas Pynchon novel, Joaquin Phoenix stars
as a 1970s drug fuelled detective hell bent on investigating
the disappearance of a former flame.
Inherent Vice
House of Hancock
THEATRE
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Release date: 12 February 2015
The struggle to secure voting rights for African-Americans
reached a pinnacle when Martin Luther King led thousands
of protestors from Selma to Montgomery. This peaceful March
led to one of history's greatest moments.
Surfers Paradise Foreshore, Gold Coast
A free two week event featuring some of Australia’s greatest
sand sculptors and their creations, Sand Safari will feature
Disney characters across the Foreshore beach. A fantastic
opportunity to see one of the trickiest art forms in the flesh!
Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney
One of the most ambitious exhibitions of the year, Pop to Popism
will feature three decades of pop art from the 1950s-1980s.
Exclusive to Sydney, do not miss this fantastic opportunity to
see international and Australian pop art side by side.
Arcade Fire’s Will Butler will release his first solo album
Policy early this year. Lead single ‘Take My Side’ reveals a
modern upbeat blues feel and a catchy tune overall, setting
the tone of the album.
Fringe Fest 20 Shows! (13 Feb- 15 March)
Bakehouse Theatre (Adelaide)
20 shows all in the 1 location over 2 weeks! A theatre
lover’s delight. For in depth details see the Bakehouse
Theatre website.
NGV International, Melbourne
(20 March- 23 August)
Through a diverse array of works, The Kaleidoscopic Turn
brings together works by artists’ working with colour, light
and sound. A mix of new acquisitions and oldies from the
NGV collection, The Kaleidoscopic Turn will be immersive and
exciting for new and old lovers of contemporary art.
Will Butler – Policy (10 March)
Nine Network. Air date: coming soon…
A two-part mini-series which tells the bizarre tale of one of
the world's richest women, Gina Rineheart and her rivalry
with her father's second wife.
ABC. Air date: 5 February 8:30pm
The dysfunctional Swift family are forced into witness protection after a drug deal-gone-wrong. A dark, gripping series set
to capture Australian audiences in early 2015.
Gogglebox
TEN. Air date: coming soon...
A bizarre reality show that watches you, watch TV. That's right,
a reality TV show about people watching other TV shows.
A success in the UK, will the Aussie version succeed or simply
be another reality TV fail?
Winter
Seven Network. Air date: coming soon...
Rebbecca Gibney reprises the role of Detective Sergeant
Eve from the successful telemovie The Killing Field. This dark
murder-mystery is one of seven's highly anticipated releases
for 2015.
NEW MUSIC
Imagine Dragons – Smoke and Mirrors
(17 Feb)
Las Vegas based indie rockers return with their second studio album, Smoke and Mirrors. Coming from a successful
2014 the anticipation is high for this release.
All That Remains – The Order of Things
(24 Feb)
With a melodic-hardcore take on death metal ideals, All That
Remains are smashing back into the ears of fans and newcomers alike. The Order of Things will be the band’s seventh
studio album.
Screaming Females – Rose Mountain (24 Feb)
Guitar-driven three piece rockers Screaming Females will
once again bring their own form of indie rock to the people with their latest release Rose Mountain. If the first single
Criminal Image is anything to go by, this is one album to mark
down in your calendar!
Modest Mouse – Strangers to Ourselves
(3 March)
Pop rockers Modest Mouse are set to bring their catchy tunes
and cryptic lyrics back with new album Strangers to Ourselves.
Richelle Mead
The much anticipated conclusion to the Bloodlines series is
almost here. The adventures of Sydney Sage the Alchemist
will reach its ultimate conclusion in what is sure to be
another best-seller for author Richelle Mead.
Publishing date: February
Razorbill
FESTIVALS
Soundwave
Featuring some of the world's best rock/hardcore/punk and
metal bands, Soundwave has extended its love over a new
2-day schedule. With either 2 day or single day tickets, fans
have the choice of what soundwave experience they want.
Headliners include Slipknot, Faith No More, Soundgarden
and the Smashing Pumpkins.
Adelaide 21 - 22nd Feb
Melbourne 21- 22nd Feb
Sydney 28 Feb- 1 March
Brisbane 28 Feb - 1 March
St Jerome's Laneway Festival
Kicking off at the end of January, the iconic St Jerome's
Laneway festival will be bringing some of the best indie acts
to our ears. Featuring the likes of Banks, Courtney Barnett,
Royal Blood and Flight Facilities, this year's lineup is one to
be reckoned with!
Brisbane 31 Feb
Sydney 1 Feb
Adelaide 6 Feb
Melbourne 7 Feb
Perth 8 Feb
Brunswick Music Festival & Sydney Rd
Street Party
Brunswick, Melbourne, 1 – 15 March
Folk, roots and world music will take over Brunswick over 15
days in March. Featuring a pleathera of international and
local acts, Brunswick Music Festival will bring together over
60,000 people, celebrating diversity.
Port Fairy Folk Festival
Southcombe Park Sporting Complex, Port Fairy, 6 – 9 March
If you're keen on this one you better already have tickets!
Headlined by the one and only Sinead O'Connor, this year's
festival is SOLD OUT!
Byron Bay Bluesfest
Byron Bay, 2 – 6 April
Australia's premier blues and roots music festival will bring
Lenny Kravitz, The Black Keys and Ben Harper & The Innocent
Criminals to Australian shores. A HUGE line-up including
plenty of Australian acts, Bluesfest will be one of the highlights of festival season.
WHITE NOISE
Every month, Sharni White, our resident go-to
girl, delves deep into the big issues. When she
isn’t writing witty commentary on the world’s
great conundrums, she’s playing bass with
Melbourne band ‘Aurora Tide’ or adding to her
ever-growing collection of batman tattoos…
MEDIA WARS:
COMEDY 2015, A NEW HOPE
A
ustralia needs more Wayne
Hopes and Robyn Butlers…
and a new standard in media
content. Do me a favour: stop and
think for a moment about what you
see on Australian commercial free-toair television.
Now, list the current comedy programs aired on these channels that are
100% Australian. Can you name any?
I can’t. I may be suffering from a brain
lapse as I must admit I stopped watching a lot of commercial television a few
years ago, but I have been racking my
brain for the past hour and not a single
show has hit me. This is a problem.
I stopped watching commercial
free-to-air TV because of a few
reasons; reality TV and the lack of
comedy. The sudden influx of reality
TV bored the shit out of me and was
an obvious cost cutting cop out in
order to reach the 55% Australian
content quota set by the Australian
Communications and Media Authority.
Why, oh why, must we watch a
bunch of douchebags live in a small
tacky house together year after year?
Why do we need to see couples tear
apart a building and rebuild it? What is
so god damn important about people
singing and dancing for the approval
of so called ‘celebrity judges’? When
did we get so hooked up on these
superficial levels of life?
One thing Australia seems to be
doing right is drama. Offspring was
such a welcome change to Australian
screens; well written scripts, no onedimensional characters and even a
smidge of comedy. House Husbands
raised the bar as well; the stories of
these men and their families were
relatable even through its heightened
drama. Aussies drooled over several
Underbelly series which came with
their own real life controversies as well
as great acting and superb production. All of these things prove that
Australians can make great television
that not only looks great production
wise, but hits the right notes with its
audience.
Despite this, the networks are still
only following their quotas. With a
minimum annual requirement of
25 hours of first release Australian
drama, the commercial networks are
just hitting the mark. This is where
my rage boils to its point of no return;
the networks are only producing what
they HAVE to in order to keep their
broadcasting license and capitalise on
advertising and profits.
There is no rule or regulation that
states that there is a minimum requirement for Australian-based comedy,
therefore there is no comedy. They
don’t need it; it is a risk and doesn’t
guarantee them the renewal of their
license and an increase in profits.
I understand that the media industry
is a business, but when did we decide
that short term profits and gains were
more important than a longstanding,
respectable, Australian media legacy?
The media industry in Australia has
turned into a black hole of drama and
reality TV and it is killing all the hopes
and dreams of young writers, actors
and comedians out there. But there
is Hope…and Butler. Wayne Hope and
Robyn Butler to be precise. The brains
behind Gristmill Production Company
and creators of some of Australia’s
finest comedy (The Librarians, Very
Small Business), Hope and Butler give
me hope that comedy is still alive.
Admittedly their shows are only ever
aired and produced by the ABC, but
the quality of their productions makes
me see a light at the end of the tunnel.
The most recent production from
these Aussie heroes is Upper Middle
Bogan and it proves that good comedy
is alive and achievable in this not-socomedy-loving environment. Upper
Middle Bogan is a step into a different
style of comedy for the Gristmill pair;
a higher production value and less
absurd form of comedy stands out
from Hope and Butler’s previous work.
The way this series is written feels
and looks like it should be on commercial free-to-air TV and not just another
cult hit from the ABC. Upper Middle
Bogan doesn’t just provide cheap
laughs with burp jokes and great oneliners, it also portrays real families and
real struggles; this alone makes Upper
Middle Bogan one of the best television
shows in years.
This is the sort of television show I
would want people to be discussing on
a Monday morning at work, not which
couple they think will be kicked out of
the renovation nightmare of The Block.
I want to hear people discussing
how they relate to Bess and her anxiety struggles, rather than how they
think Joel Madden’s hair looked on
last night’s episode of The Voice.
I want to hear people enjoy and
praise Australian creativity; I want to
see people aspiring to be a part of the
Australian media industry.
I want less focus on the profits
and quotas and more focus on what
will lead our country to a stable and
respected media industry.
For this to happen, we need Hope
and Butler to keep doing what they are
doing, so that maybe, just maybe someone in the commercial networks will
realise that it’s not all about the money,
but about the integrity of the Australian
media industry.
– SHARNI WHITE
5
REPLAY:
THE REVIVAL OF VINYL
H
IP HOP drifts through a small store as
young people sift through records that
have lived for longer than they have.
Somebody has, some time ago, defaced a
copy of Pin Ups by David Bowie: they’ve added
eyebrows in heavy blue marker and drawn lines
next to the best (or worst?) tracks on the other
side of the LP. Maybe someone loved this record.
Or maybe they hated it. Maybe they replayed the
marked songs, lifting the needle and lowering it
back into place and listening again and again. In
the era of the iPhone this is effortless.
You just have to untangle a pair of headphones
and touch repeat. But maybe someone will
search through the ‘B’ section and choose, like
so many are in this warm second-hand record
store in Collingwood, to boycott an easier way
of doing things. The revival of vinyl is in full
force – but why?
Vinyl really shouldn’t have survived. Music
has become accessible from anywhere at any
time. Online streaming services like Spotify and
Soundcloud have only added to the variations
in when and where we listen. We’ve become
auditory addicts, where the prospect of leaving
the house without headphones is as daunting
as leaving without our money or keys or phone.
But vinyl sales are only increasing, luring music
lovers to record bargain bins around the country.
ARIA statistics show vinyl album sales have
increased by 76 per cent from 2012 to 2013. And
that excludes second-hand sales, where market
stalls and indie Brunswick shops fuel the flames
of the resurgence.
Hannah collects Simon and Garfunkel records.
She takes a moment to set up the turntable,
adjusting the volume and changing the frequency. Her mum emerges to help and soon
The Sound of Silence crackles to life. ‘I collect
Simon and Garfunkel because I love them with
6
all of my heart,’ Hannah says genuinely as we eat
cookies and play a card game I don’t understand.
‘I wouldn’t go out and buy a Taylor Swift record.’
She loves Taylor Swift too, but in a different way. ‘
There’s something really therapeutic to playing
records, especially with second-hand records,
when you play them through for the first time
there’s something kind of exciting about listening
to it and wondering, did someone love it as much
as I love it? New records don’t have a soul.’
Drawn to ‘Bridge over Troubled Water’ and all
the new talk of old vinyl, Hannah’s mum reappears. ‘R-E-S-P-E-C-T,’ she says before pausing.
‘You’re respecting the musician and you buy a
product that needs to be looked after… because
it’s an investment in the product – other things
are just throwaway, disposable, easy come, easy
go, but if you’ve got a record you really have
to look after it, and in doing that, that reflects
back on what you think about the person that
created it.’ Hannah adds, ‘There’s so much love in
records, I think.’
David from Itsondwax Classic Vinyl Records
brings his second-hand record stall to RMIT
University on alternate weeks. He sets up shop
at St. Andrews Market on Saturday and Queen
Victoria Market on Sunday, and also some of the
night markets over the summer.
I meet him at RMIT near a moving mass of
students waiting in line in for sausages. A DJ
plays house music for the crowd and David
says ‘I find house music vapid. The majority of
people don’t really listen to music. That’s why
house is popular.’
This is why he loves vinyl: ‘it’s all about sound
quality. It’s all about sound quality. I’ve been
trading in music for 30 years. I started with vinyl
and moved into digital, and now it’s back to
vinyl. And am I pleased.’
The owner of Goldmine Records in Carlton
North agrees. ‘I’ve had this shop for 22 years and
there’s definitely been a comeback [of vinyl],’ he
said. ‘I’m not sure when it happened, it’s difficult
to say but within the last few years.’
It’s dim inside the shop, and loud from the traffic outside and the rock playing on the stereo.
‘I’m not sure if people listen to them or just collect them,’ he says. ‘Some of the new LPs have a
digital download anyway, and I think some of the
younger people just listen to that.’
And maybe that’s why it works. The revival of
vinyl has developed from the growth in digital.
People use both to appreciate each. Sometimes
it’s easier to listen to Pin Ups on the train, but
sometimes that’s not enough.
In a world of increasingly immaterial things
people are seeking a physical product, something real: like David Bowie’s drawn-on eyebrows,
something with history and character, and something that has lived beyond the layout of iTunes.
– KELLIE COMER
DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF
COLOMBIA FOR LILI ST. GERMAIN
T
his morning I sat down with the very trium-
phant and very busy Lili St. Germain, to discuss her soon to be released prequel to her
previously published Gypsy Brothers series, Cartel.
Set in the underbelly of Colombia, Lili delves into
the life of a drug lord’s daughter, whose liberty
is relinquished for her father’s own selfish merit,
and the irrevocable, cosmic romance that follows.
Ready for release on January 28th, Lili reveals her
inspirations behind the novel as well as her own
quirks and plans for the future.
E: Why did you decide to focus on drug lords and
cartels for your most recent novel? What was the
inspiration behind that choice?
L: I guess I watch a lot of movies and read a lot
of books that are already set in that world, and
I’m really fascinated by the whole moral code
that these people have and the dark underbelly
of the illegal drug trade. It was just something I
was definitely keen to explore and put my own
spin on.
E: You wrote, 'His mouth on mine tasted too
good for me to believe he was my enemy. But
therein lay part of the thrill.' Have you ever
had a similar experience where you knew
something was incredibly wrong but it felt so
inadvertently right?
L: I would say writing the book gives you that
feeling for sure. When I wrote my first book in the
Gypsy Brothers series back in November 2013
I was enjoying myself so much just writing all
of this really dark stuff, and I thought, ‘How is it
that this is so much fun when the stuff that I am
writing is sometimes quite awful and confronting?’ So, I definitely get that feeling from writing
these books.
E: What about the names of the characters?
Are they important to you? How do you choose
them?
L: When my characters appear in my heads
they already have their names so I don’t really
feel like I choose them. I know some writers like
to go through baby name books or name their
characters after famous people but my characters very much have their own names when they
come to me.
E: Did you have to do much research before writing Cartel?
L: Yes, it’s definitely something I’ve never experienced. I can’t say I’ve ever been kidnapped or
been part of a drug cartel so I did a lot of reading
about the South American and Colombian drug
trade. Obviously a lot of Googling but you always
take that with a grain of salt. When I decided to
set it in Colombia I researched the area my character was from. In one of the first chapters she’s
at a Christmas festival, which is something we
wouldn’t really have in Australia. I spent a lot of
time on my computer making sure my facts were
correct, and the rest of it was just imagination.
E: What’s the weirdest thing you did while writing
Cartel?
L: I’m pretty boring in real life, I’m just a mum and
a wife... One of the weirdest things I guess that I
have done was going to the Supernatural convention I met Jensen and Jared and the entire cast
and I got them to hold a copy of my other book,
which I guess some people would call weird but I
would call that fulfilling the purpose of my life.
E: Did you write any of Cartel naked?
L: No. No I did not.
E: How do you react when you get a bad review?
L: When I first started writing, it was the end of
the world, and I would think ‘That’s it! I’m giving
up, I’m never writing anything again’ but the
more reviews you get the more bad reviews you
get. Not everyone is going to like your book, but
thankfully I have had enough bad reviews now
that I can actually take the valuable feedback,
because every bad review generally has something good I can take away from it to improve my
writing. For example, when I released the first
Gypsy Brothers book, I got a one star review that
was all about how the characters fell in lust far
too quickly. I was really upset but then I kind of
had a think about it, and in my head I knew why
he had fallen for her so quickly, but no one else
knew that. So that then led me to create this
entire back story for the main male character and
that’s what Cartel is. If I hadn’t read that review I
would never have written Cartel.
E: Have you ever published a book with a typo?
L: I think everyone has. I know with self-publishing it moves a lot more quickly so there’s a few
more typos than if it was traditionally published
but luckily I have a really good editing team and
we manage to keep the typos out most of the
time.
E: Finally, what can we expect to find you doing
in the future?
L: So Cartel is coming out on Monday and then
I will be writing the second and third book for
the series. I’m also co-writing a book with a
very good friend, Kelly Hart, called Hell’s Kitchen
which will be coming out in March. It’s busy. I
then have to do 3 more Gypsy Brothers spin off
novels – one about the two main characters after
the series, which will be out at the end of 2015,
and one about one of the secondary characters
called Elliot and the price he has to pay for getting involved with bikers etc. The very last book
is called The Prospect and that is a story about a
character that you kind of hear a little bit about in
Cartel but you haven’t really met yet.
EMILY CHAPMAN
You can grab a copy of the wonderfully dark Gypsy
Brothers prequel, Cartel, from January 28, 2015.
E: Writing can be really arduous when you’re
doing it for long periods of time. How do you keep
your creativity stream flowing?
L: It took me many years to find something that
I wanted to finish writing. When I realised that
time was going by really quickly and if I wanted
to write something and get it out into the world
I had to do it now or I would never get to do it.
When you have a child, every day when you get
them out of bed they look different to the day
before, and you realise that six months just went
by in the blink of an eye.
E: Do you ever wish you had a brain-dead
job without the need for constant mental
exhaustion?
L: Usually when I’m really tired and I’m in the
middle of a deadline, and it’s 3 o’clock in the
morning and I know I have to keep going that’s
when I sometimes think ‘What am I doing?
I should be in bed right now’, but I remember
that I wasn’t fulfilled as a person with my old
work life. So the level of satisfaction definitely
outweighs the frustration.
7
8
WOMAD DRAWCARD
RELEASES FIRST SOLO
ALBUM IN 17 YEARS
D
espite not having released a solo record
in 17 years, you'd be hard pressed to find
a genre of music which did not reflect
Neneh Cherry in some way. The Swedishborn, British-resident singer and rapper burst
onto the scene 25 years ago with a fusion of soul,
pop and hip-hop. Her most well known song,
Buffalo Stance off her debut album, Raw Like
Sushi, made her a household name, and paved
the way for acts like TLC, Destiny's Child and
even Nicki Minaj.
Despite the long years, and some tragic circumstances along the way, the fearless Cherry is
back and to those who expecting Buffalo Stance
2.0, beware. Blank Project, does not skimp on
the despair. Cherry's early work has aged so
well, not so much because she was an instant
classic, (although to some at the time she was),
but because her work was so far ahead of its
time. The music industry has caught up to her,
and she has opened up her soul and given us a
pure, intimate and harshly raw view into what has
driven her for nearly three decades.
Her music is understated and minimalist,
forcing you to listen to her words, her wisdom,
her pain, and above all her journey. By partnering
with Kieran Hebden of Four Tet to produce this
album, as well as husband and long time writing
contributor Cameron Mcvey, Neneh has a record
which finds her returning to spotlight and once
again inflicting he insatiable charm and talent
upon the musical landscape.
I got to talk to Neneh about her new album,
about the process and about what is next for the
infallible performer.
J: So, 17 years since your last solo album. Was
the timing right for you now, or did you just finally
have everything in place?
N: It must have been the right time because it
just kind of happened. I always knew I would
do another solo album, and this was kind of like
a domino effect where one thing just followed
another. So it must have been the right time.
J: What was the process of recording/writing this
album like for you?
N: It was very cathartic. I know that I could have
ended up in a place where I started thinking too
much and feel the pressure of all the expectations. But in the end, the result could never be all
of the things you worry about in your head.
It could never live up to every expectation.
After Raw Like Sushi and the success of Buffalo
Stance, there was the expectation to continue in
exactly the same lane and to make it bigger. And
if it doesn't become bigger then somehow you've
failed, rather than it just being part of your work.
That vibe became a huge pressure.
But I wanted this record to be from the heart –
an un-corrupted, pure thing. It wasn't about cutting corners, but opening up and letting everything go in a stream of consciousness. When I
started writing, I sat on my bed which is my safety
net and a natural starting point for me, and there
were these alarm bells. I wanted to be free of judging myself and just write things as they came.
J: How has working with Cameron and Kieran?
N: Cameron is an amazing song writer and the
best things happen when we work together
because I can be completely natural with him.
We have been working together from very early
on in the relationship and we have chemistry.
[And] Kieran is my dreamboat producer.
Musically, we're a perfect combination.
J: If your teenage self heard this record, what do
you reckon she would think of it?
N: It's strange, but I recognise myself more in
this record more so than in anything that I have
done before. I'm in a similar place to where I was,
and the way that it, [meaning Raw Like Sushi],
happened was the same in that I was being an
instrument, and letting things flow, but with no
preconceived ideas.
J: Have you come full circle?
N: I have, kind of. I am really intrigued by what's
up ahead and the newness of where I am. I am
experimental, but totally connected to where I
have come from. I feel very free.
What I do is quirky, and should be allowed to be
quirky. We can tend to go to our safe place rather
than push ourselves, but when that voice comes,
you have to go with it and help your own growth
along. You have to push yourself.
J: You're coming to WOMADelaide in 2015, looking forward to it?
N: I am really, really, really excited to be going
and playing there. When it came in, we all kind of
just knew that it would be amazing. Amazingly,
throughout all of the years I have never performed in Australia. I'd been there for press days
but that's it. Doing press is what you have to do,
but it is all about the music. I am really looking
forward to it.
JENNA WOODS
Neneh Cherry will perform at WOMADelaide in
2015 with RocketNumberNine+.
Her new album, Black Project is available for
download on iTunes.
For more information on WOMADelaide 2015,
or to book tickets, go to
www.womadelaide.com.au
9
THE WELCOME RETURN
OF ELLA HOOPER
THE CARGO ART INTERVIEW
V
iolet Town sits just off the Hume
Highway in north-eastern Victoria, a
coffee break on the way to Sydney and
a place few call home. Violet Town Road is
home to the café, an Indian restaurant and a
hairdresser. Surrounding the town are fields
and fields of crops, creeks and blazing plains.
It may not be everyone’s ideal holiday spot,
but for Ella Hooper it’s paradise – a place to
unwind, take stock and re-set. It’s a place to
re-connect with family and to breathe, to take
in the sounds and the serenity. It’s a place far
removed from Hooper’s rock and roll life.
In a month’s time Hooper will be heading back
to Violet Town, a trip she has made many times
over the last decade or more, to reflect on the start
of the second reincarnation of her career as one
of Australia’s most unique and distinctive voices
and musicians. The former Killing Heidi singer is
soon to release her debut solo album In Tongues,
a beautiful record that will hopefully bring Hooper
back to the forefront of Australian music – a
welcome homecoming from one of rock’s most
underrated singers and writers.
In Tongues, produced by Jan Skubizewski (Owl
Eyes, John Butler Trio), is a tour de force and sees
Hooper come full circle. A reluctant star at age 13
with Killing Heidi, Hooper spent the next decade
scorching through the Aussie charts with songs
like Weir and Mascara, helping herself to ARIA
awards and massive album sales along the way.
By the mid-2000s things would come to an end.
Hooper and her brother Jesse sought greener
pastures, and that spelt the end of life as they
knew it. Initially they teamed together to play new
music, and in recent years Hooper has diversified
into a new career in the media as a radio host and
has become the woman for all seasons.
As host of the new Spicks and Specks, she was
by far the most interesting thing to watch. Now
in 2015 she begins again, almost, in a career in
music that as a small child growing up in Violet
Town she always seemed destined to have.
'Really relieved, proud', is how Hooper sums up
the release of In Tongues.
'It’s the first step. It’s not perfect, but I am pretty
happy with it. Killing Heidi feels like a million miles
away. It’s ancient history. They’ve been a lot of
projects between now and Killing Heidi. It’s the
first time for a while that I’ve felt like putting out
music again.'
While Hooper was 'very ready for it to end', she
still looks back on her days in Killing Heidi with
10
fondness. 'It was pretty fucking amazing. A very
enjoyable time, (but) it got complicated. I feel
lucky to have had that. But it’s good now to be an
indie musician.'
The songs on In Tongues and the release of the
album have corresponded with Hooper’s latest
relationship coming to an end, and in many ways
this is an album that documents all of those feelings. The despair, the sadness, the anger and the
resolution to keep moving forward, to get through
and to learn from the mistakes that get made.
'I tend to collect experiences. The stuff-ups have
been mine. (With the album) if it fails it’s my fail.
I know I still have a few fuck-ups to come. When
you’re a 15-year-old what is there that’s deep to
think about? As an adult, I think about what am
I becoming. What parts need to stay and what
needs to go?'
Just how difficult are relationships when you
are in the public eye and your partner isn’t?
'People always think you have the upper hand.
I’m not that insecure, but I have my moments.
I’ve been lucky though. I have an amazing family
and Mum. She can see when I’m wigging out.'
Hence why the time spent back at home is so vital,
and so therapeutic to Hooper.
For some reason, people often view celebrities, musicians, film stars like creatures from a
different planet, bereft of human emotions and
feelings. Hooper is comfortable enough within
her own skin to show emotion, and to express her
self-doubts. An avid reader and soul searcher, and
from a family of intelligent, hardworking and creative people, Hooper nixes the usual celebrity rock
star crap for a more grounded approach to music
and more importantly to life. And it’s an important
approach to take considering how fickle the
music industry can be, and how quickly today’s
star is tomorrow’s garbage.
'It’s the quiet ones you need to watch out for.
(Back in Killing Heidi) I looked pretty funny looking.
I had crooked teeth and pimples.
It’s a brutal industry. It’s changed from development – of letting things develop. The lost art of
A & R – development of an artist. Everything has
to be so immediate.'
Hooper has drawn significant inspiration as a
song-writer from some diverse and perhaps on
the surface, unlikely sources. 'Ricki-Lee, Harry
Belafonte, Cuban rhythms – I’m a folk head and
love old blues. But I also love 1990s electronic.'
Hooper sees In Tongues as simply a good starting point for her new direction, and new music.
'(This is) a transition phase. I’m finding a new
audience. It’s confronting and liberating. It’s about
wanting to be a successful musician and just
an artist – I oscillate between the two. I need to
keep building a bridge across. I have a long-term
strategy. This is just the first step.'
Hooper’s time spent in the media has been a
godsend for her. It’s given her the opportunity to
see things from both sides of the coin – the struggle of being a musician and all that comes with
that, and see the media’s reaction and manipulation that can occur.
'I’m now part of both sides. If you aren’t on Triple
J or other radio you really have to tour across the
country.
It was also good to see that I had some new
skills. I was always academically keen, and bookish. Being asked to do television shows has been
nice too. I’ve loved doing interviews. I know what
questions to avoid.'
On December 6th Hooper will be launching In
Tongues at Ding Dong in Melbourne – the city
Hooper lives in and loves as a contrast to Violet
Town – and, while she’s nervous, there’s also a fair
slice of excitement too.
'I’m out of practice at launching albums. Melody
Pool will be coming down, and I have a kick-ass
band. It will be part electric. There’s no real drummer – (they’ll be) lot’s of singing and it will be sick.'
Hooper launches the album and then will set it free
for the masses to respond to. She’s already planning her next album ('less raw, less produced –
I’d like to move into producing my own music')
with recording time booked for January. Now
that the lights have been turned back on again,
musically, Hooper won’t be sitting around in the
dark too often.
'I love getting older' is something only someone
who has reached a secure point in their life would
say so openly. But there is much to be gained from
the experience of age – wisdom, the ability to
acknowledge mistakes and to try not to make the
same ones and a more grounded view of life and
the pitfalls that occur.
This incarnation of Hooper is happier (relationship break-up aside), and much more in control
of her music and life. The stranglehold of a
record company tracking your every move is long
gone. Having to be a role model to teenage girls
is gone, thankfully, and Hooper can make music
that she enjoys first and foremost, and not just to
please others.
So back to Violet Town Hooper will go once the
launch has wrapped – a place high on her list of
things that make her happy. 'I go a bit crazy in the
city – I find it hard to say no.'
What else makes her happy?
'Music and the arts. When someone makes a
killer album. Other people’s talent. Melody Pool
has really inspired me too. Walking in the bush.
That’s the way I’m wired.'
And sad?
'Feeling like I’m getting out of touch with what’s
popular. Miley Cyrus – I know she’s good but I
grew up in the 90s and thought it would be like
that forever and valued integrity. As a feminist why
does everyone have to shake ass? And raunch it
up? Why is feminism a contentious word again?'
While peoples’ attitudes on feminism may
change over time with each generation, talent
doesn’t. An artist with a great song, a haunting voice and the will to be heard will overcome
adversity – as Hooper has done. She hasn’t
reinvented the wheel, she’s reinvented her wheel,
and it’s equally as impressive.
At 13 Hooper was a rock star to thousands, an
inspiration – a strong female voice for those who
couldn’t find theirs. In her late 20s she became
a media performer that showed grace, wit and
style and was a champion for the under-appreciated and unheard musician.
At 31 Hooper returns, older, wiser and with the
musical fire back burning in her belly. In Tongues
is part one of the unleashing of that fire. It’s a
welcome return, and not before time.
Ella Hooper – welcome back.
– CHRIS MICHAELS
11
THE GLOBAL APPEAL
OF BLACK MARKET TUNE
B
lack Market Tune have come a long way
in just over two years – both figuratively
and geographically. The European
four-piece received the Austrian World
Music Advancement Award for 2014 before
beginning a six week tour of Australia after
Christmas. I spoke to Paul Dangl – one quarter
of the group – about koalas, Austrian yodelling
and drinking songs.
Dangl has been busy. As we speak he’s at the
Thornbury Theatre in Melbourne preparing for
tonight’s performance. There’s background noise
on the end of the line, and it’s clear that there’s
still a lot to do before going onstage. Thornbury
is one of the final stops in a full tour of Aus.
'We started off at the Woodford Folk Festival.
Afterwards we went to Tasmania – ‘Tassie’ –
to Bruny Island and then we went onto Cygnet
Folk Festival,' he says. 'And afterwards we went
to Sydney, Canberra and Illawara Folk Festival.
Yesterday we played in the Sale Performing
Arts Centre and that’s quite the history of our
tour so far.'
‘Quite the history’ is quite the understatement:
Black Market Tune have covered a lot of shows
Before Black Market Tune return home to
Austria, you can revel in their Celtic charm at:
Friday 30th January 2015
Albert Park Yacht Club, ALBERT PARK VIC
Saturday 31st January 2015
Roxby Hotel, GLEBE NSW
For more information, head to Black Market
Tune’s website.
12
and states in six short weeks. But there’s more.
'We finish in 10 days. So we have another folk
festival coming up – Newstead Folk Festival –
and our last two gigs are at the Albert Park Yacht
Club and at the Roxbury Hotel in Sydney.'
Dangl reassures me that there’s always weeks
between gigs. They do rest. 'But if you want to
get a band going it needs constant work to move
forward,' he says.
And that’s what they’re doing: moving forward,
delivering a unique brand of Scottish folk up and
down the Eastern Seaboard. Dangl describes
their sound as 'modern folk music with a Celtic
backbone' and that’s how it feels: infectious and
energetic; bilingual. Black Market Tune perform in
both English and German.
'We have one Austrian yodeler [song], but it’s a
slow one and I think the Australian audience really
like this one – we present some of our origin,'
Dangl says.
The band is based in Vienna, Austria but its
members are from different corners of wider
Europe. Dangl met accordion player John
Somerville in Glasgow, Scotland while he was
studying the fiddle.
'We had this idea of doing music together, like
an Austrian/Scottish collaboration and that was
when the idea for the band started. Many years
later I put this idea into reality and organised a
tour in Austria,' Dangl says.
'We started off as a trio – accordion, me on
the fiddle and singing and Christian Troger from
Italy on the guitars. For the CD we invited Mira Lu
Kovacs as a guest singer for two tracks on the
album, and shortly after we had the CD release in
February 2013 it was obvious that Mira [should]
become the fourth member.'
Today Black Market Tune form a musical
mixing pot of nationalities. If the backbone of
the band is Celtic, other anatomical features are
varied and include jazz and swing.
'It’s a lot about driving tunes and songs about
love and drinking – we have a lot of drinking
songs actually. Songs which are quite joyful and
happy, but [which also have] a dark side.'
Following Night Fire (2013), a second album
is due for release later this year and expected to
follow in the same vein as their current work.
'We want to continue to incorporate this Austrian
music – like the music where we come from – into
the sound of Black Market Tune,' Dangl says.
But for now they’re focused on finishing
the tour in Australia – and completing their
Australian experience.
'There are koalas here, we even took some
pictures,' Dangl says. We decide that the koala
should become an official fifth member of the
band. If this isn’t Australian enough, Black Market
Tune are even here – and enjoying a rare day off –
on Australia Day.
'We will spend it in Melbourne looking out for
some events, I think there will be lots on, maybe it
will be a chance to see some concerts in the city.'
KELLIE COMER
IN THE BLINC OF AN EYE
AT THE ADELAIDE FESTIVAL
C
RAIG MORRISON, co-curator of the
upcoming BLINC Adelaide, wants you to
rethink your outlook on life. ‘It’s such a
tragedy that we’re conditioned to wish
the week away,’ observes the Scottish-born artist
and curator in genuinely despairing tone.
‘I could never wish the week away. I want to
have that week over again!’ The sentiment sums
up perfectly Morrison’s rare passion. Not satisfied to simply bask in the joy that art has brought
to his own life, he is determined, with an earnest
exuberance, to spread the love.
Enter BLINC. A technically audacious digital art
festival the scale of which is yet to be witnessed
in Australia, BLINC will illuminate the undulations
of Elder Park and the Torrens Riverbank with
large scale light and sound installations from a
set of far-flung creative talents. It’s Morrison’s
baby; the realization of a dream to engage local
communities in the power of art; and he chatters
about it today with infectious pride.
Morrison boasts an impressive resume of artistic endeavours, from co-founding the influential
electronic outfit Meat Beat Manifesto, to designing an award-winning range of accessories and
curating multiple pioneering public events. I ask
him if he always knew he wanted to be in the art
world and he seems momentarily confused.
‘I’ve never thought to do anything else,’ he
offers after a pause. ‘I’ve always wanted to do
stuff that influences an audience.’
It was this passion for enhancing the lives of
others that spearheaded Morrison’s involvement
with large scale public art, and he indulges me
when asked to elaborate on its importance to him.
‘I feel that art is so important, but to so many
people it’s sort of inaccessible. The gallery environment can be quite stuffy and alien if you’re not
initiated, and the tragedy is that people think they
don’t like art. So I find that when you bring the
art into an environment that people already feel a
sense of ownership over, they feel more comfortable to engage with it, and that may just be their
gateway into the creative world. Witnessing that,
to me, is just so exciting.’
Morrison’s belief in the power of large scale
public art is the driving force behind his willingness to tackle projects as ambitious as BLINC.
‘There are very few festivals of this nature that
focus on curating multiple contemporary artists,’
he reveals. ‘Technically it’s the most challenging
thing I’ve ever done.’ Allowing himself a chuckle,
he admits that ‘you actually couldn’t make it
much harder for yourself if you tried!’
With so much work involved, I ask the artist
what the biggest challenges have been.
‘The Adelaide landscape is beautiful but the
task of configuring projections all the way from
the cricket ground, to the big bridge, and along
the curves of the riverbank, is just massive. To do
it in 18 months, we’ve been working constantly
and there’s been a lot of stress involved.’
Despite the technical difficulty, the seasoned
curator nominates another element of the job as
the most difficult;
‘I hate that I have to control people’s ambitions and tell them no,’ he laments, ‘we do as
much as we can, but in the end there is always
the reality of budgetary constraints. It’s hard
because I’d love to go, 'Yeah! Illuminate the whole
of Adelaide!' But you have to keep it achievable.’
The boundary-pushing artist seems momentarily
saddened by his own reminder that reality always
has to bite. In his world, art and its influence
would be without limits.
Considering Morrison’s passion, it’s no wonder
he’s willing to go to great lengths to unearth fresh
talent. His process, which involves liaising with
artist-funding programs such as the UK’s Glow to
connect with the creative hopefuls they haven’t
‘quite been able to commission’, is as expensive as it is exhaustive, but the rewards, says
Morrison, are worth the work.
‘We might have a cup of tea and see where
they want to go, and if you can get them into a
festival, an up-and-comer will work very hard for
the opportunity.’
It’s clear that Morrison relishes this part of
the job, taking great pride in his commitment to
nurturing the next generation of talent.
Stress is an unavoidable part of such a highpressure profession, and I ask the remarkably
relaxed-sounding curator if he has a method of
switching off. ‘No,’ is his frank reply.
‘I don’t even worry about stress, because when
you live and breathe something, when it’s what
you love, it’s completely all-consuming but it’s
also completely worth it.’
Morrison goes on to explain that the adrenaline of being immersed in a creative project is
almost addictive, and he sombres as he admits
that, ‘When it’s all over, the euphoria wears off
and it’s a bit of a come down. There can be a
sense of blankness.’
Quiet for a moment, he draws a deep breath.
‘And then of course you’re off and looking for
your next project!’ The creative joy-ride Morrison
describes sounds exhilarating indeed, and it’s easy
to see why he’s so keen to invite people on board.
BLINC will include an unprecedented number
of gifted digital artists, and Morrison refuses to
pick a favourite, instead nominating some pieces
he’s particularly excited about.
‘Tony Oursler from the US is doing a projection
called The Influence Machine. He’s an amazing
talent. He’s shown at the Tate and is really well
established.’
The ambitious artwork will see huge faces
projected into trees lining the Torrens River, and
is proving an ‘enormous challenge, but intense
and interesting’.
Japanese artist Ryoichi Kurokawa will be
showing his first large scale projection, and Topla
Design from France will project a larger-thanlife illuminated elephant into the middle of the
Riverbank Precinct.
Morrison is modest when referring to his own
artwork, but tells us it’s inspired by the William
Blake poem Auguries of Innocence, which begins;
'To see a world in a grain of sand'.
Morrison’s advice to those hoping to make a
start in digital art is simple: ‘Just do it. Work with
whatever you’ve got at hand. Don’t put it off
because we need people to do what they love.
We need people to break out of that cycle of
wishing the week away and to discover something that brings joy and positivity to lives.’
Morrison’s enthusiasm is infectious, his unwavering belief in the power of art beyond inspiring.
Let’s all pick up a paint brush.
BLINC Adelaide, co-curated by Joe Cockrill, is
a free event and runs the length of the Adelaide
Festival.
KATIE HORNESHAW
13
AUSSIE ACE RICCIARDO SET TO SHINE
AS MELBOURNE F1 RACE HITS TWENTY
A
s an Adelaide native, there are some
things that I am genitcally programmed
to think: Farmers Union is the best
Iced Coffee, The Mall has balls, and
Melbourne can never be forgiven.
No, not just because of all the AFL stuff, (well,
not just that: Carn the Power!), but because they
stole something from us.
Something we did well. Something we were
renowned for, and something people still talk
about to this day.
They stole our Grand Prix. Granted that was 19
years ago. But we don’t forget.
Jealousy aside, the Melbourne Grand Prix is a
spectacular event which marks the much anticipated beginning of the 2015 FIA Formula 1 World
Championship season.
This year, the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix
prepares for its 20th staging at Albert Park in
Melbourne and expects a record break crowd.
The milestone follows a year of ‘best’ and
‘worst’s’ for the sport.
2014 featured remarkable team news, first year
drivers kicking ass, revolutionary (and controversial) new rules, and tragic accidents, the likes of
which the sport has, thankfully, not witnessed in
two decades. History was made, teams changed,
hearts broken and legends were born.
Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton took out
11 wins last season to claim his second world
Championship over teammate, Nico Rosberg.
In doing so, Hamilton became the first 'Silver
Arrows' driver to take the title since 1955 and the
first British driver to become a multiple champion
since Jackie Stewart in 1971.
He was undoubtedly the best driver of the year,
and pulled off some amazing drives to ultimately
secure the title, but it was Aussie new kid on the
grid, Daniel Ricciardo, who really surprised.
The first year driver usurped four-time world
champion Sebastian Vettel as Red Bull’s No.1
driver, and looks set to give the Mercedes pair
a run for their money in 2015. Should his car,
(powered by a Renault engine), hold up, Riccardo
could be Australia’s first F1 World Champion
since Alan Jones in 1980, (which he won on the
Adelaide circuit!).
Vettel has since jumped ship (or car) and
headed to the chic and structured garage at
Ferrari for the 2015 season, where he will join the
enigmatic Finn, Kimi Raikkonen. This leaves a spot
at Red Bull for a new youngster Daniil Kvyat, a
promising new talent with just a slight hint of flair,
(you need that at Red Bull). A few other teams are
yet to announce complete line ups, but after much
speculation, 2009 World Champ Jenson Button
still remains at McLaren, where he will now be
joined by ex-Ferrari driver, Ferrnando Alonso.
Tragically, the 2014 F1 season was not all
champagne-shaking fun. Only months after
marking the 20th anniversary of Brazilian
Ayrton Senna's death in 1994, the sport experienced its worst and most shocking accident
since the fatality.
Jules Bianchi, of the struggling Marussia team,
(who have since gone into administration), skidded off at a wet Japanese GP track in October
and slammed into a recovery tractor. The young
Frenchman suffered severe brain injuries and
remains in a critical condition.
The sport has a long, dark history of fatalities,
but in recent decades, extreme measures have
been taken to improve the safety of both drivers
14
and spectators of the sport. Jules Bianchi’s
accident stands as a reminder of just how much
courage these athletes, (yes, they’re athletes, you
should see them train!), have to have in order to
put themselves into tight, cramped little boxes
made of fibreglass and metal and propel themselves in circles at unfathomable speeds . The
‘glamour’ sport, as it is sometimes called, has a
very serious edge.
In regards to the technicalities of the sport, there
are some interesting arguments and developments still to be made before the 2015 World
Championship kicks off in Melbourne in just 58
days time.
New requirements in order to get a license
to drive an F1 car mean that Danny Ricciardo
wouldn’t have got his start in Formula One
as early as he did. Interestingly enough, nor
would Sebastian Vettel, Fernando Alonso, Kimi
Raikkonen or Jenson Button. Even Ayrton Senna
would have missed out. I won’t go into the finer
details here, but for more information on the FIA’s
new rules, read Motoring.com.au’s article; Red
Light for Youngsters in F1.
So what can you expect from the 2015 FIA
Formula 1 World Championship? Well instead
of predictions of who will finish on top of the
podium, here are some tips to make the whole
season enjoyable, regardless of who wins;
1.Get socially involved. Get on Twitter to watch
the blow-by-blow, (or gear-by-gear), commentary by Formula1.com (@F1) , F1Fanatic
(@f1fanatic_co_uk) and Australia’s own Box
of Neutrals (@BoxOfNeutrals). Checking out
the drivers' and teams' Instagram accounts
also provides behind the scenes shots and
insights into the sport.
2.Pay attention to Team Radio. Countless hours
of hilarity follow these often tense interactions between the drivers and their engineers back in the pits. Also, you could learn
something.
3.Play the ‘Shameless Celebrity Close Up’
game. It’s simple really. Every time there is
a close up of a celebrity who looks like they
don’t have a clue where they are, you drink. Or
do ten sit ups. Or just roll your eyes. (That last
one is popular).
4.Get in on the action. Tickets are on sale now
for this year’s Australian Grand Prix at
www.grandprix.com.au and start from $63.
Buy now and book your leave for a long weekend. I’ve already booked time off.
JENNA WOODS
15
WE ARE UNDONE
Two Gallants
ATO Records
cd / dvd
REVIEWS
Set to release their fifth studio album, San Francisco based
guitar-drum duo Two Gallants are back with new album
We Are Undone.
Recorded with Karl Derfler (Tom Waits, Roky Erickson and
The Flamin’ Groovies) in Panoramic Studio in California, the
album, according to the group, ranges from songs that attempt
to make sense of the dramatically shifting social landscape
of their hometown, to the illusion of authenticity, impending
environmental collapse and romantic estrangement.
THE BEST DAY
Thurston Moore
Matador Records / Remote Control
Still pursuing and excelling in a musical career that stretches
for long over twenty years, it’s almost strange to see a man
like Thurston Moore release a new solo album titled The Best
Day. As a man who is well known for antagonising and pushing the barriers musically, this album title sounds a little too
optimistic for some. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but
for long time Sonic Youth fans it can be slightly daunting to
hear from the guy who has always been capable of making
guitars screech for their existences while howling his lyrics.
And this album however reassures that Moore is still just as
capable of doing so.
On an album with a track listing of only eight songs, Moore
showcases his many abilities of channelling the light through
the tunnel in lyrical contents and catchy guitar riffs that make
it almost acceptable to have titled an album so uplifting.
After announcing the hiatus of Sonic Youth a year and a
half ago, along with the media monitored divorce with wife
and Sonic Youth’s bass player Kim Gordon, Moore seemed to
channel all of his emotions and mid-life angst back in 2012
into another successful band project and called it Chelsea
Light Moving. These alternative rock guys released their debut
Beginning with the title track and already released first single off the album, it opens with a hypnotic guitar solo morphing into a strong guitar riff which continues throughout.
It overshadows the lyrics, but in a good way – it would have
any guitarist weak at the knees.
It continues with Incidental and Fools Like Us, both again
with heavy cool guitar riffs and catchy lyrics. Both tracks
could easily get plenty of airplay.
Taking it back just ever so slightly, Invitation to the Funeral
opens with a beautiful piano melody before transpiring
into a catchy blues thrash song. With a strong drum opening, Some Trouble is a good old heavy rock song. Back on
the slower side, the dreamy My Man Go, Katy Kruelly and
Heartbreakdown all have that blues style going on. With
heartfelt full of emotion lyrics these ballad tracks could be
found on any blues album with the exception of these ever
present infectious riffs. Back to their main style, Murder The
Season/The Age Nocturne, with its amazing powerful opening, delves into a strong morphing melody. Finishing off with
There’s So Much I Don’t Know, an acoustic-style ballad with
an ambient feel, is a very smooth reflective track.
We Are Undone is a strong heavy rock escape, balanced
by some beautiful well done ballads. It will be out on 2
February 2015 through ATO Records.
– KIM PHILLIPS
APPETITE FOR DEMOCRACY: LIVE AT THE
HARD ROCK CASINO – LAS VEGAS
album in 2013 also via Matador Records. Matador Records
is an independent label that came about in 1989 and was
founded by Chris Lombardi. Showing prominent references
of the 1960s counterculture movement, avant garde artists
and New York, Moore chose the band’s name Chelsea Light
Moving after reading a book called Love Goes to Building on
Fire by Will Hermes.
So, The Best Day. It’s almost actually inspiring really.
It’s a seriously positive album that’s shaped by erratic love.
This is Moore’s first solo album since Demolished Thoughts,
released in May of 2011, and it’s a great showcase for him.
Accompanied by James Sedwards of Nought on guitar, Deb
Googe from My Bloody Valentine on bass and Sonic Youth’s
drummer Steve Shelley, this album compliments both
Moore’s signature guitar wailing as well as ambient 12-string
acoustic ballads.
The album opens with the triumphant title, Speak to the
Wild, and follows onto Vocabularies which keeps fans reassured of Moore’s inner angst driven teenage boy with an antiauthority and activism track.
The Thurston Moore band will be touring throughout America
and Europe throughout the end of 2014 and into 2015 and
although there are no announcements for an Australian tour
just yet, we Aussies can be hopeful that there might be one
up-coming.
– MIKAELIE EVANS
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Guns ‘N’ Roses Universal
(DVD)
Guns ‘n’ Roses have always been something of an enigma.
The universe this band lives in is chaotic and unpredictable the stories of drug addiction, law-breaking, general mayhem
and anarchy legendary.
For over 25 years Guns ‘n’ Roses have been the epitome
of rock and roll decadence. But they are also a formidable
proposition live: put Axl Rose and co. on stage and they more
often than not deliver the goods - the musicianship exemplary, the cohesion obvious, the power extraordinary.
Ever since they headlined Donnington back in the late ‘80s
and held a huge, seething crowd spellbound, this band has
known how to put on a great show. And so it is on this DVD
document of a recent show. Slash may be long gone, but guitarist DJ Ashba knows how to create the squall of guitar and
soaring solos of the band’s greatest songs. Axl Rose may be
getting on now, no longer the enfant terrible of foul-mouthed,
drug-hazed glam rock as he was in 1987, and his voice may
not be as pure as it was back in the day, but he still knows how
to deliver a song to an adoring audience.
People tend to forget how good a singer he actually is, with
a range few other rock crooners can match, and this live performance shows him in fine form belting out hit after hit. With the
exception of a few songs from Chinese Democracy, what you
get here is Guns ‘n’ Roses from the glory days of 1987-1992.
Exhilarating versions of classics from Appetite for Destruction
and the Use Your Illusion platters come thick and fast. But
this gig isn’t an exercise in empty and sentimental nostalgia.
As performed by this latest incarnation of the band, these
songs still retain all the swagger, louche bravado and power
they had when first penned.
If you want to see a rock and roll band still performing
to a very high standard with none of the credibility and relevancy issues that dog bands that have been around for decades (I'm thinking of Metallica, or Status Quo, or The Rolling
Stones here), then pick up a copy of this live set and be
reminded of how magnificent a band Guns ‘n’ Roses were
and are. Rock on!
– BEN WOODLEY
MARTINI BLUE
Etypejazz
Independent
Kick back and let yourself be transported back to the 1960s
with this cool lounge-feel jazz tribute to a wonderful era in
music. Recorded live in front of an audience, new covers
album Martini Blue by South Australian 5-piece Etypejazz
showcases talents including Nina Simone, Sergio Mendes
plus The Carpenters to name just a few, plus a few original
songs of their own.
The album begins with the toe tapping Yeh Yeh originally
by Georgie Fame and The Blue Flames, setting the scene for
the rest of the album. With the smooth vocals, its easy to get
carried away with its funky repetitive beats and spectacular
sax and keys solos and catchy lyrics.
Old favourite Mas Que Nada is a sexy track and again
includes a sax/keys solo to die for. You could easily imagine listening to this track live in any jazz club to get everyone
up and grooving. The Carpenters classic Close To You brings
it back with a soulful, bluesy sound and highlights the gorgeous bass. A beautiful stripped back version with a kick
near the end, it closes with stunning sax tones.
One of Nina Simone’s most popular and iconic songs I
Wish, an uplifting and inspiring track about the aspiration
of living in a world without racism and segregation, gets a
funky soulful makeover with a gospel twist that could have
you singing hallelujah by the end.
Highlighting the groups musical talents in all areas, Here
There is a dreamy, tranquil tune about love, with its sensual
tones full of emotion and grace. Beginning with the raspy
sounds of a record player, Heart Diamonds evolves into a
silky ballad and then effectively turns into the infectious
anthem Diamonds Are A Girls Best Friend. Spanish feel
Alamore goes the latin path with a jazz flair before going to
the sensual sweet track, Nat King Cole’s This Can’t Be Love.
A lovely track that got me swaying, making me wish I was
back in that jazz bar. Closing with renowned classic Moon
River, an elegant and most frequently covered favourite of
many, they really do it amazing justice.
Join Etypejazz at The Arkaba in Adelaide on the 7th of
December to launch Martini Blue and to celebrate their 10th
album and an extraordinary 20 years in the business.
The album will be available to buy exclusively at Etypejazz
gigs and via the website until early 2015 when it will then be
available in shops and on iTunes.
– KIM PHILLIPS
POM POM
Ariel Pink
4AD / Remote Control Records
Ariel Pink’s new album is either a work of genius or madness.
Or maybe it’s both, and maybe they’re not that different.
Alex Frank from Vogue said that Pom Pom sounds like putting Taylor Swift’s 1989 in an ‘old sudsy washing machine
without separating the darks from the lights’ and seeing what
multi-coloured mess comes out.
I could almost agree. Except I don’t, and the only way this
is true is if the washing machine was from a distant dystopian future that twisted Taylor’s lovelorn lyrics into something
much darker.
Pom Pom is a mind trip. Pink’s fondness of pop music is
mixed – spun around in the metaphorical washing machine –
with perverse lyrics about longing and obsession. The hooks
and melodies are there, and they’re so clever, but they’re
coupled with a sinister feeling. It’s jarring experience and
a difficult listen, despite being built from the smooth slate
of pop.
Opening track Plastic Raincoats in the Pig Parade sounds
like nursery rhyme. It could be for children: Pink sits between
singing and speaking in a childish, almost condescending
tone. The pace stops in the chorus, replaced by a disconcerting electronic buzz. It’s innovative but not enjoyable. White
Freckles sounds like a Human League track but demonic,
there is a strong 80s feel to Pom Pom, and the first half of
the album (especially in Lipstick) is saturated with the synth
melodies and drum machines.
Nude Beach A Go-Go appears on Pom Pom and on Azealia
Banks’ Broke With Expensive Taste. Pink’s version is 60s surf
rock through-and-through, complete with backing vocals.
Bank’s is a little prettier. Both are weird.
Picture Me Gone, Put Your Number in My Phone and
Dayzed Inn Daydreams are quieter songs, taking steps
towards a softer sound. In Picture Me Gone, Pink sings
satirically about the iPhone age: ‘I dedicate a selfie to the
little guy/Who will outlast me when I’m done’. It’s big and
bold, consumed by a synth bass that swells and dips. It’s
a slow standout.
Pom Pom is strange. It’s diverse and brave, and sonically it’s so clever. Maybe it’s ahead of its time – but if it
is, then I’m not. The themes Pink explores are confronting, often coupled with conflicting sounds. If Vogue is
right and Pom Pom is 1989 pre-washed, then I’ll take
Taylor, thanks.
You can see Ariel Pink play Sugar Mountain Festival in
January. He’s also set to do sideshows in Brisbane, Perth
and Sydney.
– KELLIE COMER
BONES
Little May
Dew Process / UMA
Sydneysiders Little May are quickly becoming a big deal. They
justify the hype with single Bones. The indie-folk trio has
been heralded as a group to watch by critics. And we’ll be
watching. They’re supporting Rodriguez during the Australia
leg of his tour before joining the Cold War Kids in NYC to do
the same. After that there’s a national tour.
Bones is first single from Little May’s new EP. Hannah Field
sings softly about troubled love to an up-tempo beat and
folky electric guitar melodies. But it’s more than that. The song
builds to combine looping harmonies and a deep reverb bass.
All three of the voices that make up Little May seem to be in
use here – and they’re put to good use.
Bones is lovely. Little May are creating music that floats: soft
and bright and airborne. It’s been said before but this single
proves it true: Little May are one to watch.
Little May’s self-titled EP is out today before they begin a
series of national shows in November.
– KELLIE COMER
with smashing guitar. Her vocals fit perfect over the more rock
style song on the album.
Häxan opens with dreamy, psychedelic sounds and
Hooper almost delicately crooning over the top. This track is
a delightful example of her range and stylistic choices on this
amazing return to the music industry. The production elements of this new transition phase for Hooper are astounding, great mixes and a fantastic array of songs which all meld
together to make a stand out album. Ending with a haunting
track, Last Rites again shows just how well Hooper knows
her craft. A simple, elegant track with nothing but guitar and
vocals, Last Rites is a perfect ending to a phenomenal debut
album.
In Tongues is one of the best albums to come across my desk
all year. Encompassing skills from her past and what is a
distinctly new and exciting future; Hooper has created a solid
debut. In Tongues has pushed the boundaries of rock and
pop, melding together to create a phenomenal solo debut
for Ella Hooper. The album is a welcome change, and one of
the greatest examples of Australian talent and experience.
Thanks Ella Hooper for pushing the rest of the music industry
to lift their game!
– SHARNI WHITE
A LESSON UNLEARNT
Until the Ribbon Breaks
Dew Process / Universal Music Australia
Until the Ribbon Breaks’ debut album A Lesson Unlearnt,
offers an eclectic mix of electronic pop that is sure to fit in
well on any commercial radio station. From the opening notes
of The Other Ones (Intro) to the closing track Until the Ribbon
Breaks, complete with the surprising though not unlikeable
introduction of a choir, listeners are captivated by the haunting quality of Cardiff frontman Pete Lawrie-Winfield’s vocals,
enhanced by the mesmerising backing track of piano and
synthesised beats.
IN TONGUES
Ella Hooper
Independent
In Tongues is the debut solo album from one of Australia’s
most distinct singer songwriters, Ella Hooper. From start to
finish this album is distinctly different from Hooper’s previous
work. A bold step away from a full band dynamic and a dive
into electronic sound has paid off, leaving what has got to be
one of the best albums of the year.
Although markedly different from anything Hooper has
done previously, her distinct husky voice matches the change
perfectly. Everything Was A Sign is a perfect example of just
how great Hooper’s vocal range has become over her years.
A slow track, which builds to an overwhelmingly beautiful
song, Everything Was A Sign is a display of Hooper’s talents
as a fantastic storyteller.
Low High starts with a clear electronic sound, accompanied by a few subtle guitar strums and Hooper’s vocals.
Building to a catchy chorus with strong male gang vocals
and killer melody, Low High will certainly catch the ear of
any listener.
Reminiscent of Californian style power pop, The Red
Shoes brings back classic Hooper vocals in a strong chorus
Given the songs’ original sound, coupled with Lawrie-Winfield’s
background in film, it is not surprising that songs from this
album could easily find themselves on the soundtrack to the
next Hollywood blockbuster. In fact, their cover of Blondie’s
One Way or Another has already been featured in CBS’ Stalker
and helped to earn them even more fans. However, lines in
original songs, such as ‘But I made a promise that I’d try and
keep you until the ribbon breaks’ and ‘I’ve been knee-deep in
trouble, tryna stay afloat’ hint at something deeper, allowing
them to stand tall on their own.
Highlights from this album include Romeo, Until the Ribbon
Breaks’ homage to Shakespeare’s tragic tale of star-crossed
lovers and A Taste of Silver, which with its definitive beats and
catchy hooks, will have you singing along in no time.
The appearance of guest artists Run the Jewels and
Homeboy Sandman on Revolution Indifference and
Perspective respectively makes for an interesting change of
pace on the album. As someone who is not a massive fan of
hip-hop, I could take or leave these tracks, however it is easy
to imagine them being played on commercial radio.
Recent times have seen the band’s popularity skyrocket,
with support shows for the likes of Lorde and Phantogram.
Soon they return to the road, joining London Grammar on the
North American leg of their tour. A Lesson Unlearnt is a good
indication of where Until the Ribbon Breaks are intending to
head with future releases and, with any luck, they will have a
long and healthy career in the music industry.
A Lesson Unlearnt is released through Dew Process/
Universal Music on January 25th 2015.
– JACKIE SMITH
17
live
REVIEWS
WANGARATTA JAZZ & BLUES FESTIVAL
Wangaratta, Victoria
October 31 – November 3, 2014
Well the 25th Wangaratta Jazz and Blues Festival is over and it
continues to grow. From its inception in 1990, the Festival has
come a long way including incorporating a blues aspect into
the four day event. And the 25th Festival was one of the finest.
The main program concluded on Sunday night with a truly
outstanding performance by one of the headline acts the
drummer Jeff ‘Tain’ Watts from the USA. He had performed
on Saturday night – apparently an old repertoire to accommodate a live broadcast – but he promised at the end of that
gig to return with a better effort on Sunday night. And he did
not let his fans down.
On the Sunday night he performed the tunes from the
current play list of his group. That entourage featured Troy
Roberts on Tenor Saxophone (originally from Perth and of
Indian heritage) Osmany Paredes from Cuba on piano and
Christ Smith from Minnesota USA on upright bass. Whilst
the group was outstanding, most were there to hear - and
to see - the leader and his powerhouse drumming which
has set a new standard in jazz drumming. His calm and
authoritative appearance gelled with the sound to make a
delicious admixture.
Tain is clearly a perfectionist who was audibly not
happy with the performance
on Saturday night.
Most people in the audience could not work out
why – until many returned on
Sunday night and saw the performance lift to another level.
The other main international head line act was
Enrico Rava from Trieste in
Italy; a long standing doyen
of European ECM style jazz.
He performed the standard You Don’t Know What Love Is in
a jilting and punctuated style that brought a freshness to the
jazz standard and allowed for conversational interplay between
his trumpet and the saxophone of compatriot, now Melbourne
resident, Mirko Guerrini. During My Funny Valentine, which
opened with a duo of Enrico and Paul Grabowsky on piano,
you could have heard a pin drop in the WPAC theatre. At times,
Enrico’s trumpet sounded more like a Flugelhorn with its rich
and evocative timbre.
So much for the headliners. Wangaratta retains its status
as being at the forefront to reveal new talent to the wider
jazz audience. From Melbourne, the band Issho led the way
with its rock toned guitar from Tim Willis and Marty Holoubek
(originally from Adelaide) on bass. They performed original
music from their new album Not Alone.
Mike Nock continues his mentoring ways. He led a quintet
which featured the winner of the 2014 National Jazz Award,
Carl Morgan on guitar. Originally from Canberra, now residing
in Sydney, he and the saxophonist Karl Laskowski made outstanding contributions, particularly on the final number The
Dude Abides during which there was an angular tenor solo.
Watch out for both youngsters in upcoming years.
Other performers were returning to Wangaratta. Lisa
Parrot, now resident in New York, had not performed at
Wangaratta during the last 20 years. An emotion charged
rendition of Do You Think That I Do Not Know (based on a
Henry Lawson poem) set the tone for the performance. She
was clearly happy to renew her musical association with Carl
Dewhirst, Simon Barker and the fine bassist Cameron Undy.
The dedication performance of Lonely Woman to Charlie
Haden featuring an extended solo bass introduction was
18
beautifully and sensitively rendered by Cameron Undy and
will take a long time to forget.
Among all of the intense music there were moments of respite available at the Holy Trinity Cathedral. I particularly enjoyed
Tony Gould and Ben Gillespie who proved yet again the tranquil
and healing power of music particularly in the arresting falsetto rendition of The Salley Gardens by the English composer
Benjamin Britten.
The Wangaratta Festival has always been full of such
surprises and the 25th birthday celebration was no exception. In that regard I cannot fail to mention the Steve Hunter
Quartet; the pairing of Stephen Magnuson and James Muller
(like John Scofield meets Bill Frisell) and the Paul Williamson
Quartet’s extraordinary blending of the avante garde with jazz
standards which had to be seen to be believed: an extended
improvisation which invoked the jazz canon in an unprecedented way by segueing into free form spontaneous and
unstructured improvisations between jazz chestnuts.
All left Wangaratta satiated for another year and looking
forward to the next one in 2016. Happy 25th birthday!
to the outward corners of the room. With so much music to
get through, Camilleri wastes little time on chit chat, instead
peppering his intros with wisecracks and anecdotes.
‘When you hold vinyl, it feels as if you’re really going somewhere,’ he says as he holds the band’s latest record, and proceeds to saunter across the stage with mock-purpose. His
jokes meet a mixed reception, but his music forgives many sins.
And the audience want more. Warmed up from food and
booze, they cheer as the band rip through the Paul-Kellyesque Harley and Rose, and love the New Orleans style
Chuck Berry anthem Memphis, Tennessee even more.
The encores having already been rolled out, and I wonder
if they might leave out their biggest hit. But the showman
Camilleri has saved the best for last, giggling as the audience
yell for ‘Chained to the Wheel!’ They do it in style, bumping
up against eachother’s guitars as they go. And, just because
it’s Christmas, they throw in a rendition of Merry Christmas
Baby to finish up. The immortal group sign off with a casual
goodbye, proving that longevity is easy when you keep it
about the music.
– SCRUNTUS BURGUS
– KATIE HORNESHAW
THE BLACK SORROWS
JIMMY BARNES
Ding Dong Lounge
9 December, 2014
Palais Theatre, Melbourne
October 18, 2014
Perched atop the concrete stairwell that leads to Melbourne’s
iconic Ding Dong Lounge, I suddenly feel underdressed. My
floaty op shop number has nothing on the classy clutch of
30-something’s who’ve turned out to see The Black Sorrows.
Seated at round tables in the cosy dining space that will play
host to the iconic eighties rock outfit, they sip wine, nibble
seafood and hum with polite laughter. With no dance floor
in sight, it’s a far cry from the raging bar scene I’d expected.
Worming my way between tables to etch out a spot near
the front, I’m heartened to hear rousing applause as the
band saunters to the stage. Without fuss they launch into
a commanding rendition of The Chosen Ones, stalwart frontman Joe Camilleri showing off his trademark gravely tones as
he grinds out the high notes with ease.
The Black Sorrows, formed in 1983 as a 9-piece soul
outfit, have since traversed various genres and line-ups to
settle on their current blues/rock sound, with influences ranging from Chuck Berry to Dire Straits. The hit-making band
today consists of Camilleri on vocals, sax and guitar, Claude
Carranza on guitar, Mark Gray on bass, Angus Burchall playing
drums and John McAll on keyboard. Still performing together
regularly, their 2-night stint at Ding Dong Lounge is sold out.
Camilleri is supremely comfortable on stage, sticking to
laid back song-intros and letting the music do the talking.
For Hold on to Me, he lays down an impressively intricate
guitar solo, following it up with a jazz-heavy sax prelude to
the swinging Hit and Run. His easy vocals never fail, evoking Louis Armstrong on the high notes and a brooding Mark
Knopfler during ballads. Aided by on-point harmonies from
McAll and a deliciously chunky bass line from Gray, he is the
quintessential star, thrusting his guitar at his band-mates as
he smiles and laughs his way through the set.
Keep on Pushing, originally by The Impressions, is the first
Two words can be used to describe Jimmy Barnes performance last night: shit hot. The guitars began the chunky driving riff of I’d Die to Be with You Tonight and Barnesy burst
on stage to the ecstatic
applause of a packed out
Palais Theatre. Within a
few bars it was clear that
Barnes has not lost his ability to bring a crowd to their
feet and hit those iconic
screaming notes. After 30
years of one of the greatest
solo careers in Australian
rock, Jimmy Barnes shows
absolutely no signs of slowing down.
Celebrating his 30 year anniversary as a solo artist, this tour
is a treat for diehard Barnes fans. Playing his two most iconic
albums For the Working Class Man and Freight Train Heart in
their entirety, Barnes put on one of the greatest rock shows
Melbourne has seen in a long time.
The band was flawless with gritty guitar solos and strong
hitting drum lines, each song perfectly accompanying Barnes’
iconic gruff vocals. Pacing the stage in classic Barnes form
with his mic holding arm parallel to the ground, he joked
saying it 'feels good to be standing again', referencing his
recent stint in hospital with back issues. But this certainly
didn’t seem to slow him down. Launching into Ride the Night
Away, anyone who wasn’t standing after the first song was on
their feet in an instant.
The sound mix was perfect, not too much bass, not too
much guitar, just a smooth perfect sound of Jimmy Barnes
and his amazing band. All the subtle notes and tones could
easily be heard, not just from the skill of the sound engineer
and the acoustics of the Palais Theatre, but an example of
how fantastic this legend is at his job.
Before smashing out a third song, Barnes took a moment
to explain to the crowd that he had not performed the next
song since 1985 and to 'bear with us'. As soon as he hit the
chorus of American Heartbeat the apology was obviously
unnecessary. The song was performed flawlessly, Barnes
storming up and down the stage and screaming into the
mic, there was no doubt that Barnes was still in top form.
Then the moment everyone was waiting for, the keyboardist hit those classic notes and the crowd erupted into
applause as Working Class Man begun. Looking around the
crowd it was obvious that this song connected each and
every one of the people in the crowd to the man standing
on stage. The emotion felt from the crowd and the passion in
vocals from Barnes made for an amazing moment. The crowd
sang every word with fervour and Barnes smashed the ending making it one of the highlights of the show, regardless of
its early position in the set.
With an 'Oh yeah!' the second half of this first set kicked off
with No Second Prize. Opening up to the crowd Barnes stated
that he knew Cold Chisel was on their way to breaking up and
he had written this song, so he decided 'Fuck it, I’ll keep it for
myself!' Again the crowd lapped up every guitar lick and every
scream of Barnes.
As the set progressed Barnes pointed to his daughter Mahalia
cover for the night. The band revel in the chance to invoke
their soul roots, and their enthusiasm is infectious. One by
one, the tipsy of the crowd squeeze between tables to sway to
the hypnotic beat. The band continue to navigate genres with
ease, moving seamlessly from rock, to folk, to soul and jazz.
Wake Me Up in Paradise is a standout, melancholy vocals
from Camilleri anchored by haunting piano interludes from
McAll. Galloping guitar from Carranza introduces the rocky
Voodoo Sheiks, while Save Me, the token country song for
the night, is performed acapella and aided by enthusiastic
clapping from the crowd.
The small, curtained and carpeted room makes for terrific
sound. I congratulate the manager on the tight acoustics and
she laughs, ‘They better be good!’ Lowering her voice conspiratorially; ‘We spent a quarter of a million on the PA system.’ Camilleri’s sax sounds particularly smooth, penetrating
in the backing vocals group, 'Here’s a ballad I wrote for Mahalia
when she was a baby', with a 'one, two, three, four' the band
began a special rendition of Promise Me You’ll Call.
Closing set one and concluding the ‘For the Working Class
Man’ album, was an energetic performance of Paradise. The
crowd on their feet as Barnes sang the fast paced chorus with
more energy than almost all the other songs put together.
Returning from a 15 min interval, the band wasted no time
beginning Driving Wheels the opening track to the next set and
album Freight Train Heart. The highlight of the second set without a doubt was the brilliant performance of Too Much Ain’t
Enough Love, with the bluesy guitars and Barnes’ unbelievable
vocals the song hit a level only those at the Palais will ever
feel. With the lights dimmed to a sultry blue and the guitars
swooning, the mood of the room hit a perfect level that showed
nothing but respect for one of Australia’s finest performers and
one of his most iconic songs.
When you thought the night couldn’t get any better,
Barnes returned with an encore of three songs. Largs Pier
Hotel brought a little history to the night as Barnes sang
about his roots and a little pub in Adelaide. Cold Chisel’s
Flame Trees brought every single person to their feet as they
belted out the lyrics along with Barnes. Finally a perfect closing song: Lay Down Your Guns.
Although in a packed out Palais Theatre, you couldn’t help
but feel as though this had been one of the most intimate and
important performances of Jimmy Barnes’ career. The level of
respect this crowd had for the performer was evident on each
of their faces and through each strain of their vocal chords.
Barnes put on an absolutely flawless performance, showcasing not only his vocal abilities but also his ability to connect
with the people of Australia as one of the great rock legends.
More than a gig, this was an experience and a chance to be a
part of the legend that is Jimmy Barnes.
South Australian local musicians were also well-represented
at Follow the Sun with Alice Haddy, James Abberley, Ciaram
Granger and Voice of Trees all providing cool and beautifully
relaxed music to chill while tipping back a few beverages on
the grass.
One of the many highlights of Follow the Sun included the
superb Benjalu, whose cover of Sixto Rodriguez’s (who is soon
to visit our fair shores) Sugar Man was gorgeously done and
strangely uplifting. The trio engaged heavily with the crowd,
who in turn danced, swayed and sat entranced by the songs.
Of course veteran performer Paul Dempsey put of a fantastic show, with the crowds making a beeline for the main
stage when the performer was due up on the stage. Paul
Dempsey pleased old and new fans alike by singing a mix of
solo and Something For Kate tunes, along with two encores,
including David Bowie’s Space Oddity.
Overall the festival was a huge success, being one of
the best ways to spend a lazy but fun-filled long weekend.
Fantastic food and drink stalls catered to the crowd when
hunger pains struck, with alcohol not the prohibitively expensive fare that you often see at larger festivals. All in all, Follow
the Sun was a fantastically managed one day festival with
shouts outs to the crew and behind the scenes crew who all
kept the sounds rolling and the grasses clean and tidy.
– SARAH ALESSI
FESTIVAL LINE UP:
Paul Dempsey
Bonjah
Dallas Frasca
Benjalu
Lyall Moloney
Tom Richardson
Ciaram Granger
Babylon Burning
Voice Of Trees
James Abberley
Alice Haddey
The Fuller Brothers
Kiki
– SHARNI WHITE
ELLA HOOPER
FOLLOW THE SUN FESTIVAL
Ding Dong Lounge, Melbourne
December 6, 2014
Glenelg, SA
5 October, 2014
Blues 'n' Roots festival Follow the Sun is sure to be a hit
come next summer, but let’s hope it retains its some of its
understated charms with the inaugural festival living up to
its backyard vibes and laid back feel at Wigley Reserve just
up from the water’s edge.
The festival attracted a
generous crowd, with the
varied entertainment split
between the two stages.
Headlining the event was
Paul Dempsey with a slew
of other all-Australian acts
that shared the stage.
The festival was billed as a
family affair and a 'backyard' vibe, with the festival certainly living up to that description. Parents came with the kids to enjoy the music as well
as to soak in one of the first hot days of spring. Many of the
punters ended up meeting up with their friends and family
before settling down to enjoy the tunes with the kids playing
at their feet or dancing up at the stage. The first act up on
the smaller stage was The Fuller Brothers, who played a charmingly acoustic, albeit short set, with the backyard vibes and the
taste of summer weather a perfect match for The Fuller Brothers
aussie styled folky songs, with the strong tone and commanding sense of presence belying their youthful age. While much
of the crowd was still to come, there was a sizable audience
who seemed to enjoy the musicians’ casual but elegant style
of music.
Dallas Frasca added a rocky edge to the festival’s laidback sounds of summer, with the singer growling and riffing
her way through the set backed by guitarist Jeff Curran. While
seemingly a little out of place with the rest of the festival’s
bluesy folky tunes, Dallas Frasca certainly gave the crowd
something a little different and had people dancing while
the single All My Love had people singing along. The newly
released You Are Beautiful which took a stab at 'the media’s
unattainable beauty standards' according to Dallas Frasca
was also a highlight of the set.
After a short interlude, the next performer of the lineup
was Tom Richardson, with an arsenal of fantastic songs
helped along by a robust acoustic guitar, picking and sliding
his way through the set list. Richardson is definitely one to
watch, with a smooth voice and graveling punching guitar
work; the singer commanded the stage and received a great
send off by the growing crowd.
Ella Hooper graced the stage of Melbourne’s Ding Dong
Lounge last night to launch her debut solo album In Tongues.
She was spectacular.
As doors opened a crowd trickled off the lantern lit streets
of China Town and into Ding Dong’s band room. Early comers
were rewarded: Melbourne’s Lester The Fierce performed a
bass heavy eight song set to growing audience. She glowed
in the dim – quite literally – with a sequined shirt to match
the disco balls above. Her high vocals cut through throbbing
bass before Melody Pool took her place on stage.
Pool sounds a little like Laura Marling and looks a little
like Claire Danes. She began her set with an acoustic guitar
before closing with an electric guitar – with amp issues and
tuning along the way. She was stunning, and in total command of the small stage. As Pool finishes the now full room
flows forward to welcome Hooper to the stage.
There’s a sense of closeness in the crowd. It really is an
intimate affair: as the support acts play Hooper makes her
way around the room greeting family and friends. She ascends
to the stage and welcomes her fans. ‘They’re not even fans
anymore; they’re friends so I call them ‘frans’! Thank you frans,’
she chimes. She launches into Wild Stalionz and something
special begins. If In Tongues is terrific alone through your
headphones it’s something else live. Something amazing.
Hooper introduces Dead Stars next: ‘it’s about meeting
someone and you think they’re amazing. You fall in love and
then you find out that they have no soul,’ she laughs. This
intro gives the uplifting versus and bass melody that follow
a sinister quality. It’s a pop song but darker – and that’s the
beauty of In Tongues.
Hooper comes alive on stage. It’s a small space without
an elaborate set-up. But her frans wouldn’t have it any other
way: there’s a sense of spontaneity and honesty that’s so
often missing with live music today. Her band plays with the
freedom of a rehearsal and soon after her set begins Hooper
is receiving warnings about time.
‘I told the band to dress Amish death cult tonight,’ Hooper
says before Last Rites. This is ruined by the band member
who’s now wearing Lester The Fierce’s still-shining top. She
says her brother and ex-Killing Heidi guitarist Jesse’s puts up
with the most ‘Hoops shenanigans’ before her Mum yells out
for some recognition. It’s given.
The bass line of Häxan purrs to life and Hooper commits
to its mood. She sways around the stage and her hair covers
her eyes. It’s a highlight of the set. Hooper’s best friend, ‘witchy
sister’ (and opening act) Melody Pool returns to the stage to
cover the Stevie Nicks song Sorcerer. Pool is Sheryl Crow and
Hooper is Nicks. Fair’s fair – its Hooper’s show after all and
there can only be one Nicks. Both artists come together seamlessly. It’s a great rendition.
There’s a ten minute warning about time but Hooper delivers another four songs. Title track In Tongues is one of them
and it’s translated well for a live stage, despite requiring layers of backing vocals for the chorus.
Jack Colwell is invited to the stage and Hooper tells the
story of how they met at Homebake music festival a few years
ago. It involved New Zealand artist Kimbra and sandwich
money. Any more information than that would spoil the mystery. Colwell and Hooper grind through a cover of Total Control
by The Motels; it’s another standout, and both artists harmonize and intertwine, mics linked and heads meeting throughout the delivery. The crowd consumes the energy, echoing the
chorus before a saxophone solo. If this night wasn’t already
complete the sax solo completed it. The audience could ask
for nothing more, they’re rapturous.
That could have been the end. And it would have been
fitting end. The sound guy says there’s no more time but then
the crowd shifts towards angry mob mode and he’s booed.
Hooper apologizes and thunders through Red Shoes anyway.
The ecstasy of the previous track carries over to a rolling
applause as Hooper quickly leaves.
After years in the making In Tongues was baptized in style
last night. Hooper didn’t get through all the songs on the record
but promised she’d be back in February. If the launch was a
taster of what’s to come I’m sure the audience will be too.
– KELLIE COMER
COURTNEY BARNETT
The Corner Hotel, Melbourne
October 3, 2014
Courtney Barnett made a triumphant return to Melbourne
last Friday night after ripping through the USA and Europe
on a career-defining tour. Barnett and her band ambled onstage at The Corner Hotel to rapturous applause and faced a
packed house of enthusiastic music lovers.
Barnett,
currently
back in Australia for
her only national tour of
the year as radiating on
stage, laid back to the
hilt and in peak form.
Barnett played a solid
set of music pulled from
her previous EPs, and
some new gems. Each
song was accompanied by a visual projection of cute and quirky
animated illustrations
done by Courtney herself, a cool element to a
cool night of music.
While performing, Courtney seems very laid back, not trying hard to please anybody with showy theatrics – only by her
mellow vocals and fresh, honest lyrics which of course is what
we love about her.
A special song about the Melbourne suburb Preston
was sung solely by Courtney after her three band members exited the stage and she took the spotlight. This was
one of the highlights - the slow pace and story-telling lyrics
captured the crowd and a somberness spread throughout
the venue.
Pickles from the Jar was performed as the encore (after
of course a shot of vodka on stage) which got everyone
bouncing and singing along.
A terrific return from one of Melbourne’s brightest stars;
and a rare chance to see a musician and singer hitting all the
right notes, all of the night.
– EMMA SORRENTINO
19
SACHIN TENDULKAR: PLAYING IT MY WAY
Sachin Tendulkar
Hachette
book
REVIEWS
THE NEVER, UM, EVER ENDING STORY: LIFE,
COUNTDOWN & EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN
Ian ‘Molly’ Meldrum, with Jeff Jenkins
Allen & Unwin$39.99
Oh to be a fly on the wall at the Meldrum household. Ian
‘Molly’ Meldrum’s life as a rock critic, producer, television
presenter and music guru has brought him in contact with
some of the best musicians, and biggest pop stars on the
planet. Many of those have become friends with Meldrum
over the years and most have ended up back at Meldrum’s
Egyptian themed house in inner city Melbourne. Cue wild
parties, the odd fight and plenty of juicy gossip.
Meldrum started life in country Victoria, and had dreams
of being a lawyer. But that ambition was soon sidetracked as
music became so much more important. Starting out as a rock
critic, Meldrum moved steadily into producing and in 1974
was thrust onto Australian television screens on the ABC’s
Countdown music show on Sunday nights. Originally he was
there as a talent scout, but soon began hosting the show and
that continued through to 1987 when the ABC pulled the pin.
During those Countdown years Meldrum interviewed the
likes of Iggy Pop, Rod Stewart, Elton John, Cyndi Lauper,
Madonna, Michael Jackson, Bette Midler, Stevie Nicks, David
Bowie, Paul McCartney and a stack of others. In 1977 Prince
Charles turned up giving Aussie viewers one of their more
memorable TV moments as Meldrum continually fluffed his
lines due to the nerves of having royalty sitting in the studio.
Meldrum soon gained a reputation for his stumbling,
inarticulate approach to interviewing and the English language, but his popularity gained traction. The access he
had to the music glitterati couldn’t be bettered, and he
could use the platform at Countdown to help break artists in Australia, either locals or international stars. Many,
like John Cougar Mellancamp and Blondie personally had
Meldrum to thank for pushing them up the Aussie charts.
The Never, Um, Ever Ending Story: Life, Countdown and
Everything In Between concentrates mainly on Meldrum’s
time hosting Countdown, and his early life as a rock critic and
producer. Once Countdown wrapped up in 1987, Meldrum
became a regular on Hey Hey It’s Saturday, and was the butt
of many a joke, many revolving around his sexuality which
according to Meldrum is bisexual.
Also here are illuminating stories of rifts with some of rocks
finest. Midnight Oil were one Aussie band that never appeared
on Countdown, with the band suggesting the mimed format
went against the musical ideals, while Meldrum is adamant
it was the Oil's tardiness that brought them undone – turning
up late for their scheduled performance. Meldrum also fell
out with INXS for a while over their 1991 live album that
according to Meldrum wasn’t particularly live at all and contained far too many studio overdubs. Meldrum’s criticism of
the album happened during Meldrum’s weekly spot on Hey
Hey, and according to the band caused the album to sink in
the charts and cost them thousands of dollars.
Love or loathe him,
Meldrum has been instrumental in breaking many
Australian bands here and
overseas. According to him
he doesn’t play favourites
and rarely likes to write or
say anything critical about
an album or artist. The Never,
Um, Ever Ending Story: Life,
Countdown and Everything In
Between is a terrifically enjoyable read, full of wild stories
and even wilder characters.
– CHRIS MICHAELS
20
$29.99
Along with Brian Lara, Sachin Tendulkar was the most dominant batsman cricket has seen for the last 25 years. Few
players have so dominated their chosen sport as Tendulkar
did for India during the 1990s and 2000s. Often compared
to the great Don Bradman, Tendulkar had an impeccable batting technique, incredible temperament and one of cricket’s
smartest brains. Sachin Tendulkar: Playing It My Way is an
autobiography any cricket lover would want in their collection. In it, Tendulker talks about his upbringing, how cricket
became a career and the giants steps he took in such a
small space of time to reach the number one spot in cricket.
Tendulker has always come across, on the playing field
anyway, as having a wonderful even-handed temperament.
Did you ever see him remonstrate with an umpire about a
poor decision? Ever see him get too involved in the sledging
nonsense that became so obvious during the 2000s? Nope.
With these pages he does indeed open up more, and gently
lets loose on some
of the incidents that
have occurred over
the last 25 years
in cricket. He talks
with regret about the
Harbhajan Singh/
Andrew Symonds
affair which rocked
relations between
India and Australia
and almost ended
a tour early. He also
talks about Greg
Chappell’s
time
as coach of India,
and the friction
that was caused by
Chappell’s demeanour and the on-going presence of television cameras for a documentary on Chappell’s Indian odyssey.
Tendulker talks about comparisons over the years between
himself and Don Bradman, and getting to meet the cricketing
legend in Adelaide in the 1990s. He clearly and concisely
details the various cricket tours he was involved with from the
late 90s onwards, when he burst onto the scene as a wiry
17 year old. And talks about the first time he toured Australia
in 1991/2, taking on the-then still green Shane Warne and
making his debut century on Aussie soil.
Sachin Tendulkar: Playing It My Way is a fantastic read –
full of insight and passion and with a real depth that’s lacking
in other cricketing biographies. And what a perfect time to
buy – as we sit on the cusp of another exciting cricket season
with India again the visitors.
– CHRIS MICHAELS
INTO THE BLACK: THE INSIDE STORY OF
METALLICA, 1991-2014
Paul Brannigan / Ian Winwood
Faber / Allen & Unwin$29.99
Metallica started out in the early 1980s as a straight heavy
metal band, but metamorphosed into one of the hardest rocking rock bands of the late 80s, 90s and 00s, and
along the way re-invented themselves musically. Not all of
those re-inventions pleased every long-time fan, but of all
the bands to come out of the US heavy metal scene in the
80s, Metallica could well claim to be one of the rare ones
that didn’t sell out.
Along the journey, band members have died, quit the
band and battled inner demons like drug and alcohol abuse
and dysfunctional personalities. It’s been a long road, and a
bumpy one at best, but Metallica have proven themselves to
be survivors, and willing to do things their way.
Into The Black: The Inside Story of Metallica, 1991-2014
is a wonderfully detailed account of the madness since 1991,
and the release of Metallica’s White Album - The Black Album.
The Black Album saw Metallica rise to new heights, and the
album sold in the millions. The next year the band went out
on the road with Guns ‘n’ Roses on a US tour that set a new
benchmark for debauchery, drug taking and quarrels. The
difficulty was GNR’s lead singer Axl Rose and his penchant
for unpredictable behaviour. Brannigan and Winwood do a
splendid job of capturing the madness of that tour – and
Metallica’s own internal struggles that followed over the next
couple of albums, as their musical direction changed.
Into
The
Black:
The Inside Story of
Metallica, 1991-2014
charts the bands’ rise
in fortunes after 1991,
and doesn’t sugarcoat
the battles. James
Hetfield, Lars Ulrich,
Kirk Hammet, the three
longest serving members of the band, certainly never always see
eye to eye and their
disagreements were at
their most fierce during
the making of 2003’s St Anger, and captured in the documentary Some Kind Of Monster. Reading about those battles
is withering stuff.
Not just a book for Metallica fans – (I’m not but found
it incredibly fascinating all the same), or even heavy metal
fans. What Brannigan and Winwood have produced here is
a joyfully insightful read about one of the most significant
bands in music history – a band that paved the way for so
many after it without even being equaled for talent or ballsout-of-your-back-pocket attitude.
– CHRIS MICHAELS
PLAY ON: NOW, THEN & FLEETWOOD MAC
Mick Fleetwood, with Anthony Bozza
Hodder & Stoughton / Hachette
$32.99
Fleetwood Mac started out in the 1960s as a blues band featuring Peter Green, but found massive success and increased
popularity in the late 1970s, helped in no small part by
the arrival of new band members Stevie Nicks and Lindsay
Buckingham. Nicks and Buckingham, lovers and collaborators up to that point joined Mick Fleetwood, John McVie and
Christine McVie to form the definitive Fleetwood Mac line-up.
Then in 1976, as both Nicks and Buckingham and the McVies
were going through painful break-ups the band made their
Rumours album, one of the greatest albums of time.
That the album got made at all is testament to the band
and their ability to shelve the immense personal conflict that
was happening to make a brilliant album, featuring songs
like Go Your Own Way, Songbird and Dreams. Released in
February 1977, Rumours was a gigantic hit both critically
and commercially.
Mick Fleetwood was
the man who oversaw
that album, kept the
band members in
check and also doubled as the bands’
manager. As drummer,
he was responsible for
laying down the groove
for the album, and
was the band’s natural
leader. While things
were falling apart with
the band members an
album still had to be
made. In many ways
Rumours was such a
good album because of that turmoil.
Play On: Now, Then and Fleetwood Mac rolls through
Fleetwood’s life from his early years growing up in Cornwall
and Egypt, to the stadium tours of Fleetwood Mac – with the all
the conflict and difficulties that came with as the band grew.
It is a thoroughly entertaining read, full of wit and honesty,
and very well written. Fleetwood doesn’t hold back when talking about his own failings as a husband and lover, his affairs
with Stevie Nicks and his drug and alcohol usage. Fleetwood
Mac kept a large part of Colombia in funds in the 70s and
80s such was their heavy use of cocaine, and Fleetwood
talks openly and honestly about his and his fellow band
mates’ habits.
Play On: Now, Then and Fleetwood Mac is being released at
a good time as Fleetwood Mac once again head into the studio
and hit the road for another world tour, which will hopefully take
in Australia in early 2015. And once again the tour and album
will feature all members of the definitive Mac line-up (Christine
McVie quit the band in 1998). Until then, grab yourself a copy
of Play On and enjoy a cracking read from one of rock’s great
drummers and band leaders.
– CHRIS MICHAELS
PRIVATE BILL: IN LOVE & WAR
Barrie Cassidy
Melbourne University Press
$29.99
Barrie Cassidy should be familiar to those who follow
politics in Australia. He has been a journalist who once
was the senior press secretary and later advisor to Prime
Minister Bob Hawke. For over a decade he has presented
Insiders, a weekly current affairs program on ABC TV
as well as until recently the sports program Offsiders.
Cassidy previously published The Party Thieves, a book
that charted the demise of the Rudd Government after
the 2007 election.
Private Bill is the much more personal story of his
late father Bill. As a 28 year old private in the Australian
Army, Bill was on the island of Crete in May 1941 and
witnessed the massive paratrooper-led invasion of Crete
by the Germans.
By 29 May 1941 Bill was a prisoner of war like many
others caught on the island. The bulk of the book chronicles Bill’s experiences as a prisoner of war interspersed
with an account of the life of Myra, Bill’s wife and the
mother of Barrie as well as Bill’s extended family.
The book relates the incredible hardships that prisoners of war experienced as well as the difficulties families
faced back in Australia not knowing what had happened
to their loved ones.
Bill survived the war and settled back in Chiltern in northern
Victoria where he raised a family, working hard and became
very involved in the sporting life of the town. In 1991, just 50
years after the invasion of Crete, a letter arrived for Myra from
a son to whom she had given birth while Bill was missing,
presumed dead. She
had harboured the
secret of a brief affair
she had for those 50
years. The boy had
been given up for
adoption at birth. The
news shattered Bill
especially the secrecy
over decades of marriage. The revelation
triggered for Bill what
is now called PTSD.
This along with medical problems and
developing dementia
made the last few
years of Bill’s life very
difficult.
Barrie Cassidy recounts all this family history with candour.
Private Bill reveals the enormous stress that war service
placed on men like Bill and the cost that their families
faced back home. Myra’s ‘secret’ would be replicated in
many families as the war took its toll on everyone. This is a
very honest book which gives a snap shot of life in Australia
during the Second World War as well as the terrible experiences of death and destruction witnessed by men like Bill
Cassidy.
– PAUL NICHOLSON
IF I KNEW YOU WERE GOING TO BE THIS
BEAUTIFUL I NEVER WOULD HAVE
LET YOU GO
Judy Chicurel
Hachette
$29.99
This is a book that is of its time; steeped in an era and a
place that forms its very core. Not only the major social
and political influences, such as the Vietnam War, but the
littering of movie titles, songs, literature and iconic brand
names throughout.
Set in a sleepy beach town outside of New York, the author
explores the effects of growing up through recounting the
summer between the end of high school and the beginning of
the rest of life through her female protagonist, Katie, and her
surrounding community. This summer (with flashbacks and
flash-forwards) marks a passage of time that is pivotal and
which Katie is all too aware of; she knows this summer marks
an irreversible change even as that change is occurring.
Understanding relationships forms a major part of the
girls’ growth, and is a key issue in the text. However Chicurel
also explores, among other things; drug use, drinking,
unplanned teenage pregnancy, religion, abuse, homophobia, death, post traumatic stress, racial tension and poverty.
We see this group of children learn how to interact with one
another, how to deal with disturbing adult situations, and how
to remove themselves from their communities’ destructive
cycles and leave. Yet, sadly, some of them fall at the wayside not everyone makes it out of Elephant Beach.
Despite the seriousness of some of the issues raised,
the book retains an element of humour, and the accompanying nostalgic tone that permeates the novel, giving even
its hard hitting issues a hazy rosy glow, creates a sad happiness that is masterfully crafted. This is what gives the book
its true beauty.
This is all further heightened by
the books breathtaking imagery, it
appeals to all the
senses, and evokes
scenes so strongly
that after reading
the book one feels
as though one has
really spent a whole
summer there too.
Everything is subject
to intense scrutiny
by the author, and
is presented to the
reader down to the
minutest detail, and
yet the plot is no way
saturated by these intense descriptions. Chicurel balances
her imagery against the depth and variety in the plot, so that
she simply places the reader where and when she wants
them to be.
The characters are well thought out, the scenes are clear
and present; you cannot help but become entirely involved
in their lives. Despite the difficult nature of some scenes, the
overall tone of the book gives one a sense of hope, and creates a sadness that is tinged with joy, or perhaps it’s vice
versa. Either way I would highly recommend reading this text,
and having the tissues handy when you do.
– LILY GUY-VOGEL
THE SLIVER MOON: REFLECTIONS ON LIFE,
DEATH AND WRITING
Bryce Courtenay
Penguin Australia$24.99
Bryce Courtney had a mantra for life:
‘When you’re skating on thin ice, you may as well tap dance.’
The Silver Moon: Reflections on Life, Death and Writing
is Courtenay’s final book. It’s a memoir of sorts, a collection
of insights and short stories. It’s a manual to write popular
fiction. And it’s Courtney’s mantra put into words, as only he
could, shaped onto paper and offered out as a small piece
of his soul.
Courtenay led a fascinating life. His background is hardly
required here because it’s so well known. He was born to
hardship in South Africa before immigrating to Australia in
the late 1950s. Courtney begun at the lowest rung of the
ladder – a concept he discusses in the final chapters of The
Silver Moon – and worked tirelessly to climb higher. He was
intelligent and kind and down-to-earth; he was a gardener
and a pet-owner and a boxer and adman. But above all else
he was a storyteller.
Courtenay wrote 21 books in 23 years. More than that,
he wrote 21 good books 23 years. He was a prolific and a
gifted writer, and the products of these qualities – his novels –
graced bestselling lists around the world.
The Silver Moon arranges pieces of Courtenay’s mind onto
the page. It’s autobiographical, but not chronological. It’s as
if the journals that span his life have been opened, the dust
blown away and old entries selected to form a new volume.
They’re chosen not at random – not quite – but because
they’re humble and touching and contribute to the definition of his character. They’re about gardening and his pets.
He touches on his childhood but only briefly. They’re small
moments that contribute to a greater sketch of the man that
Bryce Courtenay was.
A large section of The Silver Moon details how to write
good popular fiction. These tips are clever and provide an
insight into the process behind his writing.
But they’re more than that: The Silver Moon is a celebration of Courtenay’s life and works. You couldn’t celebrate
the man without celebrating the written word. And that’s
what he does here, and in other chapters of the book.
He loved writing and
the English language.
He urges that words
must be taken care
of in the age of social
media, which threatens to remove the
life from language.
The Silver Moon is
a very short book. It’s
also very sweet and
very sad. It’s a must
read for the many
fans of Courtenay.
And maybe for anyone trying to understand the landscape
of Australian fiction – which Courtenay changed – or for
anyone with a spare hour and a spot in the sun.
I’ll leave you now with the way that Bryce Courtenay
would like to have been left, buried vertically in a cardboard
box below a ghost gum. No tombstone, no name plaque, no
given place in the Australian bush of sunshine and cold, wild
wind and calm, where fire renews growth, somewhere natural
where my flesh and bones might be useful to the eternal
renewal of life. Now, wouldn’t that be the way to go – there
goes the ghost gum of Bryce Courtenay.
– KELLIE COMER
ROCK COVERS
Robbie Busch, Jonathon Kirby, Julius
Wiedemann
Taschen
$44.50
Some album covers are legendary. Fleetwood Mac’s
Rumours; Nirvana’s Nevermind. Both are featured in
Taschen’s wonderful new hardcover book Rock Covers, featuring album covers over the years. Some album covers are
as collectable as the records themselves. Had anyone seen
anything like Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon before?
It’s doubtful.
The cover that graces this wonderful book is so unique, so
different to anything anyone had seen before. The art of the
album cover took hold in the 1970s and has since become
an institution. Bands realised that a good album cover was
as big a draw card as the actual music on the album. They
started enlisting proper artists to create masterpieces on
cardboard to woo the listener in, and to create an indelible
mark on the music and art landscape.
So many album covers have now become classics. Dire
Straits' Brothers In Arms with that shiny national steel guitar. Paul McCartney’s Band On The Run, Michael Parkinson
and all. In fact, the Beatles could always be relied upon to
produce an interesting album cover. Jimi Hendrix and the
myriad of naked ladies. Shocking at the time, seminal now.
They are all here.
You may not own all of these albums, and let’s face it few
of us do, but you will no doubt know the artist when you see
the cover. That’s the secret of a great album cover.
– CHRIS MICHAELS
21
film
REVIEWS
INFINITELY POLAR BEAR
Mark Ruffalo, Zoe Saldana
Director: Maya Forbes
Paper Street Films & Bad Robot in association with Park
Pictures & distributed by Sony Pictures Classics.
Release Date: March 5, 2015
Rating: MA
Ever been to a movie
where you don’t know
what to expect?
Well that was me
before heading to
see Infinitely Polar
Bear. Of course, then
I spent 90 minutes in
the dark contemplating the full range of
human emotions, and emerged speechless. Not because I
didn’t enjoy what I saw; I love a good emotional head spin
as much as the next girl. No, I simply could not explain what
I had just witnessed, which for a person who makes her living
watching things and explaining them is quite the conundrum.
So where to begin?
Infinitely Polar Bear portrays a loving husband and father
struggling with manic depression, played by Mark Ruffalo of
Avengers stardom. In 1978, Cameron Stuart, (Ruffalo) suffers a nervous breakdown rendering him virtually unemployable. Despite being initially charmed by Cameron’s manic
up-swings, his wife Maggie, (Zoe Saldana) now has to work
to support their two young daughters. Highly educated and
yet completely broke, their life becomes almost unbearable.
In desperation, Maggie ventures to New York to gain
her business degree, thinking that this will lead to a better
life for them all. Unfortunately this leaves Cameron, who
despite his irrational, unreliable nature is now forced to
raise his two girls alone.
The film chronicles the 18 months that Maggie is away in
a series of aggressive and sporadic episodes as Cam struggles to cope with his condition, support, entertain and provide for his girls and win back the affections of his wife.
Humour, heartbreak and hardships; its all there. For every
mistake Cameron makes, his love for his girls and his wife is
evident. Despite his struggles, Ruffalo manages to keep his
character sympathetic, even at his darkest and most complex.
Infinitely Polar Bear presents the controversial statement
that maybe raising a family isn’t for everyone, and that it certainly isn’t easy for them. Not something to watch if you’re
looking for a pick me up but well worth the look.
– JENNA WOODS
THIS IS WHERE I LEAVE YOU
Jason Bateman, Tina Fey, Jane Fonda, Adam Driver,
Rose Byrne
Director: Shawn Levy
21 Laps Entertainment, Spring Creek Productions,
Warner Bros.
Release Date: Coming to DVD soon
Rating: M
The dysfunctional Altman family are forced to spend a full
seven days in each other’s company to fulfil their Father’s
dying wish to sit Shiva. Over the course of the seven days the
family are forced to reconcile with each other and help each
other through their own personal dilemmas.
Although a primarily comedian filled cast, This Is Where I
Leave You is surprisingly touching. As you follow Judd Altman
(Jason Bateman) from his now defunct personal life to his
unconventional family reunion you realise why the Altman’s
have avoided each other for so long.
Jason Bateman and Tina Fey really shine in this film.
Showing that comedic actors can do more than just comedy
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these two draw you into their character’s life. As always
Jane Fonda kills it as the overbearing, therapist mother.
Honourable mention has to go out to Kathryn Hahn who has
to be one of the most underrated and talented supporting
actresses over the past decade.
The film does well to take you on a journey with this family,
as bits and pieces of their past are revealed and you understand why they are the way they are. Some of the dialogue
is a bit cliché but overall redeems itself with some profound
statements about adult life and the almost inevitable depression of not following your heart. Where this film falls short
however is there is no closure and a lot of loose ends; I am
not sure if this is how the original novel plays out as well or
if this is simply a consequence of attempting an adaptation.
This Is Where I Leave You is a refreshing film, allowing the
audience a chance to laugh and feel the pain of the Altman
family. Take the time to see this one as it doesn’t disappoint.
– SHARNI WHITE
ST. VINCENT
Bill Murray, Melissa McCarthy, Jaeden Lieberher
Director: Theodore Melfi
Chernin Entertainment, Crescendo Productions,
Goldenlight Films, Weinstein Company
Release Date: In Cinemas Now
Rating: M
When you see the names Melissa McCarthy and Bill Murray
in the cast list for St. Vincent you immediately think you’re
in for a hilarious ride, what you get however is a stunning
portrayal of humanity. Vin McKenna (Bill Murray) is a drunk,
a gambler and a low-life. He spends every Thursday with the
pregnant ‘lady of the night’ Daka (Naomi Watts) and he is
in debt to the bank. It is at this point that Maggie (Melissa
McCarthy) and Oliver (Jaeden Lieberher) crash into his life;
almost literally as their rental moving truck destroys Vin’s
tree, fence and car.
What follows is one of the best examinations of morality
I have seen in a while. Oliver is thrown into the care of Vin
as Maggie gets held up at work. As they spend more and
more time together it becomes clear that underneath the
dirty clothes, swearing, smoking and alcohol dependence is
a kind-hearted man.
The performances in this
film are beyond great. As
much as we know Melissa
McCarthy to be one of the
funniest women in the
industry, her measured
performance throughout
the film shows that she
can also handle drama
and emotion with great
talent. Bill Murray delights
in this role, his range and
capabilities as an actor are demonstrated throughout the
film. Newcomer Jaeden Lieberher is a standout in this film.
Beyond his years Lieberher is able to hold the focus of the
audience, demanding attention and showing he deserves to
be a part of this star studded cast.
St. Vincent is a well written, deeply moving story of life and
its surprises, good and bad. A mix of fantastic acting and an
emotionally charged script leads to one of the year’s quiet
little gems. One not to be missed, St. Vincent will remind you
that anyone can be a saint.
– SHARNI WHITE
NIGHTCRAWLER
Jake Gyllenhaal, Rene Russo, Riz Ahmed
Director: Dan Gilroy
Bold Films
Release Date: In cinemas NOW
Rating: MA
Dan Gilroy’s latest effort Nightcrawler follows the journey of
socially inept Lou Bloom (Jake Gyllenhaal) as he blurs the
line between reporting crime and creating it. As much as
this film tries to be a crime thriller, its greatest strength is its
character story. Gyllenhaal is mesmerising in this role; his
face drawn and intense, perfectly portraying a man on the
edge of insanity. Bloom’s lack of empathy paired with his
uncompromising need for success creates a character we all
fear; it embodies that part of us that stares at a disaster or
horrific accident as if it is entertainment. Bloom is cold and
unforgiving, forging his way to the top through lies and his
obsession to be the star of his work.
Gilroy does well to keep the focus of the film on Bloom.
Every shot is framed beautifully and with purpose, sometimes lingering on Bloom’s face as he considers his options.
It is with these shots that the audience develops an understanding of Bloom and his thought patterns.
Nightcrawler is consistently uncomfortable. As an
audience we are trained to
root for the protagonist, but
Lou Bloom is completely
unlikeable. He is on the
verge of psychopathic,
pushing the audience to
distance themselves, creating another element of
isolation. Overall the film is
a great ride, although a bit
of a slow burner with a lot
of repetition, the development of Lou Bloom and his
rise to success are enough to keep you on the edge of your
seat. The audience is left wondering how long before Bloom
tips over the edge and goes too far.
Nightcrawler leaves you feeling uneasy and cold, as much
as you fight it, you can’t help but to walk away knowing that
there is a little bit of Lou Bloom in all of us.
– SHARNI WHITE
THE INTERVIEW
Seth Rogen, James Franco
Director: Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen
Sony Pictures
Release Date: 22nd January
Rating: MA
So after all the leakage and controversy, it turns out that The
Interview is kind of overrated. Celebrity tabloid show ‘Skylark
Tonight’ lands a ground breaking interview with Kim Jong-Un
(Randall Park), leader of the communist country of North Korea
and supposedly huge fan of Dave Skylark (James Franco). Both
Dave Skylark and his producer-in-crime Aaron Rapoport (Seth
Rogen) are sent to North Korea by the C.I.A to complete the
interview as well as assassinate the communist leader; naturally this doesn’t go to plan.
Generally a fan of Seth Rogen, I am disappointed to say
The Interview failed to hit the mark. The jokes were predictable, the storyline predictable, the ending… you guessed it –
predictable. There are the occasional hilarious scene and a
few great one-liners, but overall The Interview was relatively
boring. The best scenes are those lead by Rogen himself,
the worst were usually the ones with James Franco, basically
cancelling out 80% of the film. The bromance between Rogen
and Franco is very much alive, but fails to give the film a
pulse. It feels like the sort of film two drunken buddies come
up with over beers and a bong, the only difference is this
made it from stoner talk to film screens.
The film isn’t awful, it is just weak. Cinematically it looks
beautiful, the colour, the clothing the set design are fantastic, but story and dialogue wise it falls short. The Interview
almost doesn’t go far enough to be funny, you can almost
see the intention to be funny; it just isn’t. The film struggles to walk the line between self-aware and unintentionally funny, they tried too
hard. If you want something
simple to watch that has a
few cheap laughs, watch The
Interview; if you want to see
the funniest film of the year,
skip this one. Sony Pictures
might want to thank the
hackers for this one, without
them I doubt very much that
The Interview would be much
more than a fizzle in what
looks to be a very promising
year of film.
– SHARNI WHITE
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