4 July 2014
Heathen Skulls and Metal Obsession are the ones to thank for the Origins of Hate tour. In the blue corner you have Melbourne’s Mason. Since releasing their self-titled debut in 2011, the band has toured and shared stages with Havok, Primate, Forbidden, Hobbs Angel of Death, Blood Duster, King Parrot and Elm Street among others. They entered the studio in 2012 to record their debut album Warhead, a release that features an appearance from Jeff Loomis (Nevermore). In the red corner you have Harlott.
4 July 2014
Stable Music is thrilled to present three of their finest for next month’s Mutant Dance, the club night dedicated to the evolution of dance music. Lining up will be Safari, Doug Benson and Matt Radovich. Safari is the alter ego of Samuel Klett-Navarro, a man who grew up in the heart of Madrid but now calls Australia home. He has warmed up or closed down sets for Radio Slave, Stacey Pullen, Ripperton and Robert Babicz (aka Rob Acid).
4 July 2014
Earlier this year Lior released his newest album, Shattered Reflections. Born in Israel, Lior moved with his family to Sydney when he was ten. He released his debut, Autumn Flow, in 2005, which garnered three ARIA nominations and a J Award nomination. He is also quite the wanderer, performing in the UK, Singapore and Korea as part of WOMAD, as well as every nook and cranny of Australia. For his latest release, Lior spent a couple of weeks travelling and writing music with friend and collaborator Cameron Dale.
3 July 2014
Another week and another killer show at Bendigo’s Music Man Megastore. Taking place next month is an all-ages ripper featuring Thanartist, Red in Tooth, Fifth Day of Ice, Griever and To Atlantis Light. Thanartist, Fifth Day of Ice and Red in Tooth have been on the road for around a week where they have been playing a stack of shows in the name of Queensland’s metal scene. Thanartist formed in late 2011 and has toured with the best in the business including Thy Art is Murder, The Amity Affliction, Dream On, Dreamer, Buried in Verona, Twelve Foot Ninja and Dead Letter Circus.
2 July 2014
Holy guacamole! As far as A Day on the Green shows go, it doesn’t get much bigger than this. Actually, as far as any show goes, it doesn’t get much bigger than this. Thanks to Live Nation Global Touring, Sting and Paul Simon are heading to Australia with their On Stage Together tour. That’s right – Sting and Paul Simon, two of music’s most renowned artists.
1 July 2014
We were pretty chuffed when we got to spend a little time with songman Tim Hulsman recently. The son of a preacher, Tim turned his back on religion at the age of 18. Music became his passion, and the tough journey began. Following the usual kind of music dealings (band breakups and all that jazz), Tim found his calling in acoustic-based music and storytelling. As 2013 broke, the songman found he was brimming with a new energy and new songs.
30 June 2014
Norse will lead a brutal force of metal on an expedition stretching the east coast. The NSW-based extreme metal band has recently coughed up their latest EP, Pest, which has been receiving a stack of great press from various metal outlets. Who else is joining them? Fellow NSW outfit Apparitions of Null, Victoria’s Hadal Maw and Canberra’s Aeon of Horus.
30 June 2014
Dude, Where’s My Beer is a regional weekender set to take place early next month. Basically, a bunch of bands decided it would be good to get together and perform all-ages back-to-back shows across a Friday, Saturday and Sunday during the school holidays. Ain’t that sweet of ’em? Lining up for the trio of dates will be When Giants Sleep, Road to Ransome, Bayharbour, To the Grave and Interview with an Escape Artist.
29 June 2014
As the age of 17, Rhys Crimmin took out second place in the Australian Busking Competition (2003). It was a massive way to kick-start a career that continues to go from strength to strength. The magic happens in a live setting, where you will find Rhys surrounded by instruments, his arsenal including four different styles of guitars (including 6- and 12-string acoustics, Resonator and Weissenborn lap steel), along with didgeridoos, harmonicas, kazoo and foot percussion.
29 June 2014
There aren’t a great many muso or band out there that can lay claim to having made 15 albums, but folk-blues songman Jeff Lang sure can. I Live in My Head a Lot These Days is his new release, and after all this time he is still mixing it up a little.
29 June 2014
Music has played a part in Josh Rennie-Hynes’ life for as long as he can remember. The Brisbane songman has been in and out of bands for a good chunk of his life, yet it was while living in Canada when things picked up speed. While living in a ski resort, Josh stumbled upon a local restaurant that hosted a music competition. Each week musicians would play off against each other, with the eventual winner landing professional recording time.
29 June 2014
Blues pairings don’t get much cooler than Chris Wilson and Geoff Achison, with both players having been an essential part of Australian blues for many years. Chris joined the band Sole Twisters in 1984, before joining Harem Scarem the following year. While a member of Harem Scarem, Wilson lent his harmonica skills to Paul Kelly and the Coloured Girls’ debut, Gossip. He has been releasing solo material since 1992. Geoff arrived on the blues scene in the 1990s through the Dutch Tilders. He is widely regarded as one of Australia’s finest guitarists.
28 June 2014
When asked the important questions such as ‘What Australian biscuit complements your cup of tea in the green goom before a show?’ REMi really doesn’t know how to answer at all. We’re chatting about his new record Raw X Infinity which was released over the last few weeks and he is relating to me about how the after-party following gigs can go either one of two ways. They can be what you’d usually expect, or the downtime and relaxed post-show celebrations would most likely involve Chinese jasmine tea and a serve of Mongolian BBQ, rather than a hard Australian biscuit.
28 June 2014
As you fine readers may have stumbled across last issue, Ocean Grove is set to host the local leg of a worldwide charity concert next month – the first version to take place in Australia. The Light of Day charity concert is staged in aid of Australian and US Parkinson’s charities. Its origins begin in 1998 when artist manager and music industry veteran Bob Benjamin set out to celebrate his 40th birthday. At the time recently diagnosed with Parkinson’s, Bob asked for donations to be made to the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation in lieu of birthday gifts.
28 June 2014
Gas Light is a 1938 play penned by British dramatist Patrick Hamilton that tells the story of a couple whose relationship is questioned by an outsider. Set in London in 1880, the play takes place within the home of Jack and Bella. Bella believes she is going insane, while Jack’s unexplained disappearances only fuel the problem. Following the arrival of a police detective, questions begin to arise.
28 June 2014
REMINDER: Fun4Kids Festival is Australia’s best children’s festival. 2014’s event is an eight day ripper featuring 15 zones of kids’ entertainment and activities. Taking place inside a purpose-built 2.5 acre indoor village, Fun4Kids takes place daily from Sunday, June 29 through Sunday, July 6. Festival doors open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For further information please visit fun4kids.com.au.
27 June 2014
Surfcoast grunge group The Underhanded are about to release their debut EP, Superpsycho. The EP was recorded at Melbourne’s Birdland studios with producer Rob Long and is due for release later this year. The Underhanded features Patrick Doolan on vocals, Ian Hawkins on bass, Jarrah Taylor on drums and guitarist Cory Balloch, who says they all really enjoyed recording the EP.
27 June 2014
With the massive rise in popularity of electronic music, more and more musicians are turning to software such as Ableton Live to create, produce and perform their artistic visions. With the mid-year intake into Oxygen College’s Electronic Music Production course commencing in July, I caught up with Chris Wheelwright who runs the EMP program at Oxygen to find out about the course and how to begin your journey into electronic music.
27 June 2014
So back in 2010 Dave Wright and Liam Cameron began playing shows under the moniker Once Upon a Time in the West. Things worked okay, but there was a little something missing. A little two something’s missing. Enter Rob Barber and Tim Cavanagh and a name change to Dave Wright & The Midnight Electrics. Busting out their narrative-driven rock with a country tinge, the band released their debut EP in 2012.
27 June 2014
Who is the Peppercorn Queen? That would be Jackie Marshall, a Queensland-raised singer-songwriter and AMP shortlisted artist with 1001 tales to tell. Her latest release is EP The Good Life, an album that has been in the planning for five years. Recorded in an old tobacco shed in New South Wales, the EP features three original songs and three covers.
27 June 2014
As we have become accustomed to, Martians Café has a few wonderful gigs coming your way. This Saturday, June 28, Tiffany Eckhardt and Dave Steel will perform. Regarded by many as the most dynamic couple in Australian blues folk, the pair’s latest release is Big Big Sky. On July 5 blues/acoustic/roots songman Benny Walker will perform. Hailing from regional Victoria, Benny has attracted a loyal following both locally and abroad. And on July 12 you have the always cool Dave Graney.
27 June 2014
A visit to a DVD store resulted in me returning home with a CD by a local act instead of a copy of the Steve Coogan movie I had planned to borrow. Trying to find a link between a film featuring the hilariously awful Alan Partridge and an alternative country folk duo is not possible, although Coogan does allow his character to have moments of melancholy.
27 June 2014
Hello those that love my lame article introductions, Daniel here with an account of what’s been happening at the venue trading under the name “The Eastern” these days. Located at 81 Humffray Street, North Ballarat, The Eastern has changed hands many times over the years (previously known as Eastern Station Hotel) and has had many different owners’ gimmicks in promoting itself (the previous owners had an article in Ballarat’s local newspaper titled “Australia’s Most Haunted Hotel”).
26 June 2014
REMINDER: As you know, due to a bout of laryngitis Chet Faker was forced to postpone his Geelong date at The Wool Exchange Entertainment Complex. The rescheduled show will now take place on Wednesday, July 2. A rising star in the world of soultronica, Chet Faker has a stack of international touring to get to once his local dates wrap up.
