Column: News
| Date Published: Tuesday, 10 April 12
| Author: Julia Winterflood
| 1 year, 1 month ago
The hard-hitting sounds of Brisbane rock outfit Greenthief will reverberate inside the dingy Basement on Friday April 13 when the band hit town to support their upcoming single Epidemic. Greenthief’s forthcoming track is their latest offering since 2011’s Retribution, recorded with renowned UK producer Steve James (Sex Pistols, The Jam). The tour hardened three-piece have spent the majority of the last eighteen months on the road, establishing a stalwart following in both regional and capital cities across the nation. Their expressive new material, paired with a refined and explosive live show, sees Greenthief prepare to put their strongest foot forward. 8pm. $10 on the door.
Origin and Sydney Opera House have joined forces in search of two promising music writers to experience some of the hottest live music acts in the world as ‘Origin Bloggers’ at Vivid LIVE, Friday May 25 – Sunday June 3. Winners will be offered VIP access to headline gigs. Applicants will have to submit a 100 word review of a recent performance attended and explain in 50 words why energy efficiency is important to them and the live music scene. Aspiring writers can enter via the Vivid LIVE Facebook page. The competition is open to those aged between 18 and 35. Entries close 12pm on Friday May 11.
Calling all you dusty-fingered purveyors of champion sounds and old classics, the Landspeed Record Store Day is on once again, giving lovers of licks and barons of beats over 2000 lovingly-used LPs to flick through. As always every genre will be catered for and there will be exclusive vinyl releases to get your mitts on. Saturday April 21 is the date to circle in the diary and 30 Garema Place, Civic is the location to program into your GPS (although don’t drive all the way along City Walk; the fuzz don’t like that for some reason). Be sure to bring along any unwanted vinyl for selling while you’re at it.
There aren't that many bands either here or abroad that can blissfully blend ambience with melody. It's a difficult marriage, but one that's been carried off beautifully by bands like Sigur Ros, Bliss and Antony and the Johnsons. On Saturday April 21, Lowlakes will bring that skill to The Phoenix. While the group originally found their home in Alice Springs, the band is geographically agnostic. This outfit sets out to dictate the new standard for contemplative songwriting, producing work that amalgamates shimmering ambiance with alternative pop. Frontman Tom Snowdon's gripping vocals straddle the line between being earthly and present, and have been likened to those of Jeff Buckley. 9.30pm. Free.
In a career spanning 45 years the legendary English singer, songwriter and guitar virtuoso Ralph McTell has amassed an impressive back catalogue of over 350 songs, including Streets Of London (if you haven't seen the Big Train sketch, do yourself a favour and click here).
McTell will be making his final farewell tour of Australia, appearing at the Woden Southern Cross Club on Thursday April 26. This will be the last chance audiences will have to see the revered artist perform live here. The tour will showcase material from his latest album Somewhere Down The Road and from the Bob Dylan birthday tribute, Don’t Think Twice It’s Alright, along with some old favourites. 8.30pm. $49/$82 with dinner. Tickets at www.cscc.com.au or call 02 6283 7288.
Brodburger, created by then 22-year-old chef Sascha Brodbeck and co-owned with Joelle Bou-Jaoude, has become a landmark on the Canberra map, delivering gourmet burgers by the scenic Lake Burley Griffin in Bowen Park. But thanks to some questionable thinking by the National Capital Authority (NCA) – that considered the beautiful and now iconic red van an eye-sore in the parliamentary triangle – Brodburger’s future was uncertain for most of 2010 and 2011. NCA chief executive, Gary Rake, told The Canberra Times back in 2012 that the van did not comply with the National Capital Plan, which states that “developments must show an appropriate quality of architectural design consistent with their location in this area of special national concern”, suggesting the nearby toilet block was more appropriate. Mmmmm.
The latest twist in this development should see some permanency finally installed to this bizarre situation. In a press release issued today, the ACT Government has brokered an arrangement with the Brodburger owners and the Canberra Glassworks to shift the operation to the café site at the Glassworks. The partnership has included a retrofit of the café area to ensure the feel of the Brodburger caravan will be appropriately represented. And for those, like me, concerned that the beloved red van will be clogging up a future landfill site, happily the caravan will be parked outside the Glassworks site, perhaps with the idea of becoming a smokehouse for future meats.
In this humble magazine’s opinion, this is exactly the kind of move that should be happening in Canberra more often; groups working together to become greater than the sum of its parts rather than so called authorities looking to crush creativity.
Arts Minister Joy Burch got in on the act when she officially launched the new location on the morning of Monday March 26.
“The Canberra Glassworks is an ideal location for the Brodburger business because it is close to Bowen Park and the business should be able to keep its current loyal clientele. We’re very excited about the re-opening and hope that it heralds a new chapter in the Kingston arts precinct,” said Ms Burch.
The press release went on to state:
Many Canberrans will mourn the loss of the previous site – sitting by the lake with a burger purchased from a caravan was a particular kind of experience in and of itself however, the advantage of the new location at the Canberra Glassworks is a good outcome for everyone involved. Brodburger had outgrown the caravan – hot in summer, cold in winter, too cramped – they needed an opportunity to grow. The new site will include indoor and outdoor seating, a liquor licence, extended opening hours and they’re even opening for breakfast. It’s not far from its previous location and the lake is still there.
The partnership with the Canberra Glassworks has a certain synergy with both organisations focused on the artistry and excellence of their work. Visitors to the Canberra Glassworks can view artists creating their artworks in the Hotshop or the Engine Room whilst at the new Brodburger, patrons can see Sascha and his team cooking in the open kitchen space – so the secrets to his amazing burgers will be on view for all to see!
“Canberra Glassworks is thrilled to have Brodburger within our facility,” said Ann Jakle, CEO of Canberra Glassworks. “We have missed the opportunity of providing our patrons and artists working here with great food and coffee and are looking forward to a long and mutually rewarding partnership,” she said.
Sascha Brodbeck of Brodburger says, “We miss our customers and hope to provide them with an even better experience from the Canberra Glassworks. We can always open up the pavilion doors in winter if anyone misses the cold... We not only put effort in our food we are also mindful about providing a fun atmosphere and as we settle in, delivery to the park on nice sunny days will be an option...”
And Joelle Bou-Jaoude of Brodburger declares that, “We are very happy to be a part of this amazing family and cannot wait to create more wonderful memories from our new home. Our burgers were made with tough love at the caravan as conditions were very harsh for both our works and our customers... Here it will just be love.”
Brodburger will be open to the public from Tuesday March 27.
Is it that time of year already? Yes, Splendour in the Grass line-up announcement time. It happens earlier every year I swear. And what an eclectic assembly they have summoned for their triumphant return to the Belongil Fields, Byron Bay site. Observe:
Jack White
Bloc Party
Smashing Pumpkins
At The Drive-In
The Shins
Hilltop Hoods
The Kooks
Gossip
Miike Snow
Dirty Three
Lana Del Rey
360
Azealia Banks
Tame Impala
Explosions In The Sky
Ladyhawke
The Afghan Whigs
Missy Higgins
Wolfmother
Metric
Kimbra
Mudhoney
Band Of Skulls
Spiderbait
Django Django
Gypsy & The Cat
San Cisco
Last Dinosaurs
Electric Guest
Muscles
Angus Stone
DZ Deathrays
Howler
Lanie Lane
Fun.
Big Scary
Michael Kiwanuka
Seekae
Friends
Yacht Club Dj's
Bertie Blackman
Jinja Safari
Blue King Brown
Youth Lagoon
Pond
The Beautiful Girls
Tijuana Cartel
Ball Park Music
The Rubens
Ben Howard
Bleeding Knees Club
Zulu Winter
The Medics
Shihad
Hypnotic Brass Ensemble
Husky
Kate Miller-Heidke
Father John Misty
Emma Louise
Chet Faker
Here We Go Magic
Parachute Youth
Mosman Alder
The Cast Of Cheers
Wolf & Cub
Gossling
Beni
Sampology (AV/DJ show)
Canyons (DJ Set)
Nina Las Vegas
Danny T
Alison Wonderland
Nice and Ego (AV/DJ show)
Flume
Gloves
Luke Million
Harris Robotis
Alley Oop
Tickets go on sale at 9am on Friday April 27. For more info head to http://splendourinthegrass.com/tickets-ticketing-information.html
Yes, as the wholly unprofessional title says, purveyors of high-pitched swearing and Queen-esque stadium rock The Darkness are coming to the ANU Refectory on Thursday May 10 as part of their Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us tour. The tight-panted quartet are a perennial favourite here at BMA Mag HQ – many a deadline has been soundtracked by super loud replays of Permission To Land and One Way Ticket To Hell... and Back – so this news sees us all violently polluting our leopard-print britches with delight. Add to this the news that Canberra favourites Fun Machine will support and we’re in for one helluva night of fun.
It’s been four years since The Darkness strutted the Aussie boards. In that time they broke up and reformed and, blessedly, we will be getting the original lineup in all their snow-flecked glory – Justin Hawkins (eyewear-shattering vocals/guitar), brother Dan Hawkins (guitar/backing vocals), Frankie Poullain (bass) and Ed Graham (drums).
To celebrate the occasion, the group are giving us all a free download of latest single Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us, which you can grab from www.theactualdarkness.com .
Tickets for the show – which will be the closing night of the tour – are $72 + bf from Ticketek and are on sale from Wednesday April 4. Grab one as soon as you can mother fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuc-KAAAA!
Gotye has just become the first Australian artist this century to have a #1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the USA with the song he produced and recorded in his home studio, the ubiquitous earworm Somebody That I Used to Know featuring the stunning career timing of Kimbra.
The term “meteoric rise” has been bandied about a lot these days (in fact the term “term X has been bandied about a lot these days” has been bandied about a lot these days) but nowhere is it more true in Australian music than with music’s nice guy Wally De Backer.
In the past three decades the only other Aussie artists to top the charts in the world’s biggest music market were Men At Work, INXS and Savage Garden.
Gotye’s single has now accrued over five million sales worldwide (that’s nearly a quarter of Australia’s population maths hounds) with over 500,000 copies sold in the U.S. last week alone. In fact Somebody That I Used To Know is only the sixth song in American chart history to sell more than half a million downloads in just one week. His album Making Mirrors also broke into the top 10 of the US Billboard 200 this week, hitting the #7 spot. It has sold well over a million copies around the world so far.
Even more mental is the fact that Glee have snapped up the uber-single for a future cover. Gotye’s US success follows similar achievements elsewhere. The song has now been #1 on iTunes in 33 countries and the album has been certified Gold in major markets including the UK, Germany, France and Canada. It is 3 x Platinum here in Australia. Congratulations Wally. Couldn’t happen to a nicer fella.
Raw City Rukus have done a fine job flying the Canberra hip hop flag over the past few years, releasing an admirable slice of boom-bap with debut LP Genesis earlier in the year (produced by D’Opus and featuring Roshambo for a true celebration of Canberra talent) and sharing the stage with the likes of Pharoahe Monch, Jean Grae, Koolism, Drapht, Illy, Horrorshow and Spit Syndicate at their festival performances. And now, it is time for them to say goodbye. But shed not a tear, O ravenous reaper of rap, for they will not be gone forever. The six-strong crew will be having a hiatus for the happy happening of travelling the world and writing new material, and they promise us “make no mistake, we will be back! Bigger, better and fresher than ever before.”
In the meantime, they are hosting a farewell show at Trinity Bar on Friday April 20 and will be joined by good musical mates and general destroyers of dancefloors Peking Duk and DJ Rush. Tix are $10 before 10pm or $15 after. Be sure to get along to what is sure to be a riotous evening and see off the boys in fine style.
