Hi Sophie can you let us know a little about yourself as a musician? When did you discover your love for music? How long have you been in the industry?

Hi Dave. I’ve been playing music since early high school when I ditched my piano lessons (which I enjoyed but never really felt super inspired by) for impromptu guitar lessons with my big sister, ten years my senior. I’ve now gone onto inherit her beloved Maton acoustic guitar which she bought with the money she earned as a Coles checkout chick… at some point she figured I’d get more use out of it and it sounded a little better under my fingertips. In 2003 I heard The Waifs’ album Up All Night and that turned me onto all things folk-roots in a big way. I started songwriting around the age of 15 and snuck into many local singer-songwriter gigs, Clare Bowditch at the Corner Hotel is one that springs to mind. Since then I played a bit in late high school, had many jams with people on my travels and have just gotten a bit more serious about it in the last two years or so. I’m now 22 year-old newcomer and I’d say this EP will be my first real foray into the music industry.

 

Who are members of Little Wise and what are their roles?

I play acoustic guitar and banjo and when I play solo I also do a little harmonica, mandolin and stomp box. Then there’s Megan Bernard on her famous baby-blue strat and Miguel Rios on acoustic guitar, slide and mandolin. Megan and Miguel (or Meg and Mig as I like to call them) are fabulous singer-songwriters in their own right. The rhythm section is made up on Conrad Tracey on drums and Arlene Fletcher on double and electric bass.

 

How long have Little Wise been playing together? Can you tell us how you originally formed? Where did your name come from?

Little Wise was initially an acoustic duo, I used to play around Melbourne with another guy on second guitar and backing vocals. The name comes from the literal meaning of my name, reversed in order; Sophie coming from the Greek word for Wisdom and Klein meaning small or little in German and Yiddish. Coincidently, I happen to be pretty small in stature too! The formation of the full Little Wise band was a fairly recent event, it happened only in the last month or so, following the recording of the EP.

 

How would you describe your sound?

Warm folk-roots with the melodic sensibility of pop music.

 

Who are your influences?

The Waifs, Bob Dylan, Paul Kelly, The Beatles, Neil Young, Ani Difranco, Gillan Welch, Ryan Adams, Angus & Julia Stone, Rosie Burgess Trio.

 

Have you had many gigs recently?

Recently we haven’t had many gigs because we’ve been focusing on recording and rehearsing. Aside from the upcoming launch, we’re playing a show on May 12 in Ballarat, on 17 August at Martians Café in Deans Marsh and 18 Aug at The Loft in Warrnambool. I’m sure there’ll be plenty more to come for 2012 though.

 

You’re about to have a gig to launch your EP, what have you got planned for the night and what can people expect to see/hear on the night?

We have two fabulous supports. Lauren Glezer is a good friend with a soulful, husky voice and a very honest, beautiful songwriting style. Lauren and I are in a songwriters’ collective together and she’s the sort of performer you just can’t take your eyes off. Lauren and I are planning on doing a song or two together on the night. Then there’s Oh! Pep. One of the members, Paddy Montgomery, lives at the house in Brunswick where I recorded the EP. He played mandolin on the song “Home” and bazuki on “Growing Old”.

Then Little Wise will be playing a set which will include all the songs from the EP and more. It will be the official launch of the full Little Wise band, so people who know the tunes will be surprised by the way our sound has been transformed. People who haven’t heard the music before can expect lush sounds and sensitive arrangements, storytelling songs and my new band’s impressive musicianship.

 

If you could share a stage with any band in the world who would you choose?

This is a tricky one because all the bands that come to mind would leave me shaking in my boots and unable to perform… But I’d have to say The Waifs. Hopefully I’d play it cool enough to keep it together! I just have such a deep love and connection to their music.

 

What are your career highlights so far?

Supporting the Rosie Burgess Trio a couple of times last year; even though Rosie’s a good friend, I have an enormous amount of respect for her music and as such it was a great honor.  Recording the EP with producer Aurora Jane was definitely a big highlight, as is launching it with the full band.

 

If a crowd comes to see Little Wise perform live what will they go away remembering?

People usually remember the banjo. It’s a relatively quirky instrument, even though it has gained a lot of popularity in the last few years with bands like Mumford & Sons hitting the scene. I’m not even a great banjo picker or anything… I play it more like a guitar really. But people always comment and remember it.

I think people also go away remembering my voice, perhaps some lyrics that resonated with them and sometimes my height, being very short, is a point of interest to people too.

 

You’ve just about to release a new EP. What can people expect to hear on it?

The Moments of Clarity is my debut EP, and as such is a collection of new and old songs. There’s a lot of variety style-wise on it. The title track is more of a hooky folk-pop song that slowly swells and builds slowly throughout the song. Home is folky with mandolin and an athmospheric 5 part trombone section. Then there’s Ride Now which is more of a blues-rock tune which takes some people by surprise a little. Growing Old is a sort of Beatles-meets REM- meets The Waifs with a quirky sort of bazuki part that gives it a bit of a world music edge. The final track Red Guitar is a lot roomier, moodier and mystical than the rest of the record, it’s probably clear that it was produced by someone else, Joel Witenberg.

 

What was the process like recording the EP?

The recording process was a big learning curve for me. Prior to that, I hadn’t really had any studio experience. It was amazing getting to work with Jane (Aurora Jane), she has decades of experience and she knew exactly how to nurture me in the process. The recording environment was very relaxed, it was all done in Aurora Jane’s Brunswick bungalow out the back of a blue house filled with many musician house-mates. It was summer time and there’s a beautiful garden there with banana trees and a pond, which provided a good environment for breaks, eating delicious meals and getting the creative juices flowing. Jane and her housemates (and their many musician guests) were nothing but encouraging and inspiring.

 

Because I didn’t have a band that stage, I was lucky enough to have some excellent musician friends I could call on to make guest appearances on the record. These included Alex Burkoy (Tinpan Orange) on bass, Sam Lohs (Fruit, RBT) on drums and backing vocals, Rosie Burgess (RBT) ripped out a gutsy harmonica solo on Ride Now, Jude Perl played keys, Lou Cumming (Poco La Pax) played trombone and Paddy Montgomery played mandolin and bazuki. Jane played a lot of instruments too. Because the songs had never been played as a full band before, we had to use a lot of imagination, adding the parts layer by layer.

 

Where do you hope Little Wise ends up in 2012? What are you short term goals? What are your long term goals?

In the short term I hope to get as many people as possible to the album launch and I’d like to get the band playing as tight as possible.

Long term I’d love to play some festivals and do some touring. There’s a possibility of a small tour later this year so keep your ears and eyes out for it!

 

Where do you play live so people can come to see you?

So far Little Wise has played at venues such as the Wesley Anne, 303, Gershwin Room and other live music venues around Melbourne. People should catch our launch at the Curtin on the 30^th and the other shows out of Melbourne mentioned above. There’ll be plenty more shows around Melbourne this year.

 

Is there anything else you would like people to know about Little Wise?

The EP will be available for purchase online via bandcamp, at gigs, and from selected stores including Pure Pop Records- St Kilda, Readings- Malvern and Carlton stores, Sunflower Bookshop Elsternwick.

We’re searching for someone to make a high quality video recording on the night of the launch.. if you know anyone who can help us out, let us know! Thanks!

 

Do you have a website people can check out?

Follow us on

FB: facebook.com/LittleWiseMusic

Twitter: LittleWiseMusic

Hear music on bandcamp: littlewise.bandcamp.com

Website: www.littlewise.com.au

Dave Griffiths

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Firstly Liz, thanks for agreeing to do this, I’ll start by asking about your new album, Warm In The Darkness, what can people expect to hear on it?

This album is a full band album, very different to my stripped back, solo album Tides of Time released a couple of years ago. The songs are quite poppy and there are lots of guitars, a horn section, backing vocals and keys as well

 

What influenced you while writing for it? What was the process like putting it together?

I always draw from a lot of influences; from people around me, stories I hear, things I’ve read. I think being on the road a lot has topped up the inspiration bank a fair bit because I’ve come across people and situations I usually would never have met or experienced. That helps you to view the world from different perspectives as a writer.

 

You’re touring to promote the album, what do you love about touring, what do you hate?

I love the travel aspect; seeing different places and the constant movement which, although sometimes tiring, is also for the most part energising for me. I hate losing the keys to the hire van which I did recently. Not good.

 

Do you still get nervous before shows? Any pre-stage rituals?

I do get nervous, yes. I’m more nervous before some gigs than others but there doesn’t seem to be any pattern to that nervousness, it’s quite random. I try and get a little bit of time (even if it’s only a couple of minutes) completely to myself before I go on stage to gather my thoughts and think about what I’m about to do. But apart from that I don’t have any rituals, no.

 

You’ve played at some pretty big festivals recently…do you prefer big festival shows or intimate pub shows?

It depends on the atmosphere at the time. Sometimes a smaller group of people in a smaller space can generate a much bigger and more inspiring energy than a big crowd at a festival venue and sometimes the opposite is true. That’s one of the great and elusive things about live music. Every situation is different and every gig has the potential to be something really special.

 

Would you have to say that the Sydney Opera House was one of the best venues you have ever played at?

I toured with Eric Bibb playing solo supports for him a couple of years ago. I got to play at some beautiful old theatres like the Enmore in Sydney and the Palais in Melbourne. The acoustics in those places are amazing. The Opera House was definitely up there though, yeah!

 

You’ve toured with the likes of Mia Dyson and Ash Grunwald but if you could choose to share the stage with any artist/band in the world who would you choose and why?

I’d love to play with Bonnie Raitt. I have so much respect for her as a guitar player particularly.

 

How has earning the Music Career Building Grant from Arts Victoria helped you out?

It helped me to make an album without the full on pressures of trying to fund it completely myself. That allowed me to put all of my energy into the creative processes.

 

What was your reaction when you first heard that you had won it?

Very happy and somewhat surprised. I had to read it a couple of times!

 

So where to next for Liz Stringer? What are your short term goals? What are your long term goals?

Short term goals are to tour the album and try and get it to a wider audience than my previous albums. Long term I’d like to get back to Germany (where I used to live) to start playing more regularly over in Europe.

 

Where will people be able to pick up copies of Warm In The Darkness from?

Copies are available from my website (www.lizstringer.com), the Vitamin Records website (www.vitamin.net.au) and from most music shops. The record is also available on iTunes along with all my other releases.

 

Is there anything else you would like people to know about Liz Stringer?

I’ll let my music do the talking, I think!

 

Do you have a website people can check out?

www.lizstringer.com

Liz Stringer’s Tour Dates are as follows:

Thurs 12 April, 2012 – Readings Books & Music St Kilda, St Kilda, VIC
6.30pm In-store (free)
Fri 13 April @ Basement Discs, Melbourne, VIC, 12:30pm In-store (free)
Fri 13 April @ I Dream a Highway, Northcote, VIC, 6pm In-store (free)
Sat 14 April @- Pure Pop Records, St Kilda VIC, 6pm In-store (free)
20-22 April – Apollo Bay Music Festival, Apollo Bay, VIC
www.apollobaymusicfestival.com
Thurs 26 April @ Republic Bar, Hobart, TAS , 9pm $10 at the door
www.republicbar.com With special guest Van Walker
Fri 27 April @ Red Hot Music, Devonport, TAS , 7.30pm, $25 door; ticket bookings via RED HOT MUSIC Ph (03)64242286 or (03)64249816
With special guest Van Walker
Sat 28 April @ Wheatsheaf Hotel, Thebarton, SA, 9pm $15 at the door With special guest Van Walker
Thurs 3 May @ ANU Bar, Canberra, ACT 8pm $15 at the door, www.anuunion.com.au With special guest Van Walker and Julia & The Deep Sea Sirens
Fri 4 May @ Grand Junction Hotel, Maitland, NSW 8:30pm Free entry.
With special guest Van Walker
Sat 5 May @ Camelot Lounge, Marrickville, NSW 7:30pm $20
www.camelotlounge.com With special guest Liz Martin
Sun 6 May @ Yours And Owls, Wollongong, NSW 7pm $15
www.yoursandowls.com.au With special guest Jeremy Edwards and
Julianne Henry
Fri 11 May @ Mullum Music Presents, @ The Bowlo, Mullumbimby, NSW $15
www.mullummusic.com Support : TBA
Sat 12 May @ No. 5 Church St, Bellingen, NSW 8:30pm $12
With special guest Van Walker
Fri 18 May @ Railway Express, Parap, NT 8:30pm $20
www.railwayexpress.org With special guest Van Walker
Sat 19 May @ Five Rivers Medicine Show – The Hoochery, Kununurra, WA
Tix $50 from the Hoochery and The Kununurra Visitors Centre
Fri 25 May @ Five Rivers Medicine Show – The Boab Inn, Derby, WA Tix $50+bf from the Boab Inn and the Derby Visitors Centre
Sat 26 May @ Five Rivers Medicine Show – Divers Tavern, Broome WA,
Tix $35+bf from Divers Tavern and Chunes of Broome
Thurs 31 May @ Fly By Night – Fly Trap, Fremantle, WA 7pm Pre-sale $18.50 inc BF. Door $23.50 inc BF www.flybynight.org With special guest Van Walker
Fri 1 June @ Indie Bar, Scarborough, WA 8:30pm $10 at the door
With special guests Van Walker, Miche Suite
Sun 3 June @ Redcliffe on Murray, Pinjarra, WA Afternoon, Free entry
With special guest Van Walker
Fri 8 June @ Lyonville Hall, Lyonville, VIC 8pm $15 www.trybooking.com/BHKB With special guest Van Walker
Sun 10 June @ Corner Hotel – QUEEN’S BIRTHDAY PUBLIC HOLIDAY EVE
MELBOURNE LAUNCH, Richmond, VIC
$20+bf www.cornerhotel.com With special guest TBA
Fri 22 June @ Caravan Music Club, Oakleigh, VIC, 8pm $27 + BF (reserved seat), $22 + BF (GA), $25 (door) www.caravanmusic.com.au Support : Van Walker
Sat 23 June @ Meeniyan Town Hall, Meeniyan, VIC 8pm $25 members & concession, $30 full price www.lyrebirdartscouncil.com.au Support : Van Walker

Dave Griffiths

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Okay let’s ask the big question first… true or false that the name of your band actually comes from a ‘term’ used for monkey penises? If true, how the hell did that come about?

True. James Feros, our lead guitarist, was watching a documentary on proboscis monkeys from Borneo. If you look down at the male’s nether regions you’ll certainly discover a phallus that resembles a red rocket. We all found this to be the perfect name for our band.

The lost couple of years has been epic for you guys, what has been the highlight for you?

I guess the biggest highlight so far was playing with Tumbleweed and You am I at last years Reclink Cup.  Playing The Birthday Party songs as our homage to Nick Cave is a fond memory.

Did you have to pinch yourself when you saw your clip on the legendary ‘Rage’? Did you stay up to see it on TV?

The director of the clip “Rupert Porter” and myself were at a party. Rage just so happened to be on in the background so we had a peak. To be honest it was a tad surreal and ridiculous. I don’t think one can ever get used to seeing themselves on the screen. It’s like when you hear your voice being recorded, most people hate the sound of their own voice. It’s very similar when you see yourself, you kind of want to just look away.

So tell us about your new EP, ‘Ham’… what can people expect to hear on it?

I think the main drive of “Ham” is a Rock N Roll that doesn’t hold back.. It’s fast, relentless and drives like a teenager going for a joy ride.

What was influencing you as you were writing it? What was the process like putting it together?

The biggest change in our approach to this EP was the fact that everyone in the band was delivering a chunk of themselves in the writing process. In the first album it was mainly the two James and myself writing all our songs. This time round everyone was involved and that can definitely be heard on “Ham”.  I think it sounds richer and has more of a spicy flavour to it.

I’ve heard that the EP will be available on USB stick at some venues… what was the thoughts behind releasing it that way?

The EP will be on a limited issue of Red Rocket USB sticks. We’ve made 250 and will be selling them at our launch at The Northcote Social Club on the 11^th May. It will also be available on iTunes. We made the decision to release it this way because frankly we are over the sound of digital. We recorded the songs digitally so we thought we might as well release it digitally. CDs are so on the way out.  We only want to record to tape and print on vinyl from now on( of course we will release everything on digital format as well). The sound is much warmer for the kind of music we play.  At least with these rocket USBs we are actually giving our punters something useful. After loading our songs they can wipe them and use the stick whichever way they see fit. Feels great to finally give something that is practical.

So where to next for the Red Rockets Of Borneo? Where do you hope to end up in 2012? What are you short term goals? What are your long term goals?

Our lead guitarist, James Feros is going overseas for about four months at the end of July so our main objective is to start working on our second album before he goes. We recently built a sound studio and are very keen to attack our new material. I think festivals are the key for us and we will endeavor to get ourselves out amongst the crowds towards the end of 2012 and the beginning of 2013. I think due to our strong bond as a band and friends, Red Rockets of Borneo will be around for a long time yet.

Where do you play live so people can come to see you?

We’ve been playing live at many venues around Melbourne for the past two years. After our launch on Friday, the next show is a fundraiser for Toll/Coles Somerton workers put on by the National Union of Workers at Trades Hall on the 8^th June. I think we have gigs coming up at ‘Yah Yahs’, ‘The Tote’ and hopefully at ‘The Old Bar’ once again. I guess we’ll be aiming to gig as much as we can before the talented Mr Feros says Bon Voyage.

Is there anything else you would like people to know about the Red Rockets Of Borneo?

I think the main thing to know about Red Rockets of Borneo is that we are an incredibly fun live band. We don’t hold back and are always having a great time on stage. We’re close friends and this is extremely obvious when you see us performing.

Do you have a website people can check out?

Our website is coming soon to computers near you. But in the meantime you can check out our bandcamp page… redrocketsofborneo.bandcamp.com

Dave Griffiths

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Luke can you let us know a little about yourself as a musician? When did you discover your love for music? How long have you been in the industry

I have been playing music for about 18 years and active in the industry for about 6 years. I have played guitar for pop group “Scarlett Belle”, Reigan Derry, The Perfect Revolution, Adam Katz, and dozens of emerging singers. I have also completed 2 national tours with The Perfect Revolution and supported the likes of Gyroscope, Juke Kartel, The Butterfly Effect, Tame Impala and Bag Raiders. I released my first EP “Seasons” in 2010, the success of which lead me to actively pursue a solo career. Since making that decision in September 2011 I have began work on my new record “Here and Now” which was released in March and followed by a national tour.

 

How long have you been playing with your current live band?

As a group we have played together since the beginning of this tour.

Tim Hamblin (Drums) – we have played together since the first day I went solo

Ben Kershaw (Bass/Guitars) – plays with “The Perfect Revolution” so we have played music together for about 6 years. He came on board with this project in preparation for the “Here and Now” Tour

Jackson Barclay – has come on board for the Melbourne and Adelaide legs of this tour due to the unavailability of my regular guitarist

 

How would you describe your sound?

Acoustic driven pop. It draws upon influences from rock, country, blues and pop music but consistently maintains the featured role of the acoustic guitar.

 

Who are your influences?

John Mayer, Colbie Caillat, Keith Urban, Rascal Flatts

 

Have you had many gigs recently?

I began the “Here and Now” Tour on 31^st March and have played almost every day since, doubling up on several of them.

 

You recently did a whole bunch of shows in the U.S. can you describe what that is like?

The USA was amazing. My favourite place to perform was definitely Memphis. There is such a rich culture of music there that is truly inspiring. I also loved playing in Nashville and LA.

 

If you could share a stage with any band in the world who would you choose?

John Mayer hands down

 

You’re just embarking on your ‘Here And Now’ Tour, are you nervous?

Yeah I suppose there are a few nerves there, not so much about playing, but rather the response I’ll get from playing these new songs to new people around the country.

 

You’re doing a gig in Beaconsfield in Victoria, are you looking forward to it? Why are you looking forward to it?

I am so pumped about coming to Beaconsfield. I have never been there before and have already been swamped by people saying they are excited for me to come down. I understand that is also shares that rich love of music that I described before so I am very excited to party with the folks from Beaconsfield.

 

You’re also doing some school visits… what do you normally do at these visits?

With school visits there are two focuses. Obviously I am trying to promote the new music, but for me it is also about inspiring young people who have a passion for music or who may have never given it a second thought. Growing up I played in church with a couple of guys who recently won a bunch of ARIA’s, and they gave me that same inspiration that I hope to bring to students at every school I visit.

 

What are your career highlights so far?

Playing at Easterfest in Toowoomba has definitely been a highlight as it is one of the biggest festivals in Australia. Launching my EP to my home crowd was also pretty amazing.

If a crowd comes to see Luke Robinson perform live what will they go away remembering?

One huge party.

 

You’ve just released a new EP. What can people expect to hear on it?

People can expect to hear me, where I am at the moment in my life. There are good times and bad times but always an attitude of looking forward through any situation. There will be loud songs and soft songs and everything inbetween.

 

What was the process like recording the EP?

One of the best experiences of my life. We pretty much went into lockdown for a week and the creative juices just started flowing. I felt like we discovered not only the songs, but the sound that is Luke Robinson at present.

 

Where do you hope Luke Robinson ends up in 2012? What are you short term goals? What are your long term goals?

My biggest goal is simply that my music is exposed to as many people as possible, and they it impacts each of them personally.

I am also hoping to return to the USA later this year to tour with some good friends of mine.

 

Where do you play live so people can come to see you?

I am performing all over Australia as part of this tour. All dates are available on my website.

 

Is there anything else you would like people to know about Luke Robinson?

My brand new single: New Year, New Place is available on iTunes and the video clip can be viewed on Youtube.

 

Do you have a website people can check out?

www.lukerobinsonsound.com

www.facebook.com/lukerobinsonsound

Twitter: @LukeRSound

 

Luke Robinson is peforming one show in Victoria (at Beaconsfield) as part of ‘Here And Now Tour’. The concet is being held at Lighthouse (in BBC), cnr Old Princes Highway & Desmond Court, Beaconsfield. This is a free event but there is a door list operating on the night so if you would like a double pass just contact subculturemedia@yahoo.com or ring 0401810437.

Dave Griffiths

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Hi Michael, can you tell us a little bit about yourself? How old were you when you first realised that you were a) funny and b) that comedy was a something that you could make a career out of?

Sure. Well, I’m a Melbourne based stand up comedian. I probably realised people found me funny back when I was in Primary School. I remember being in school plays and making my friends laugh by telling funny stories. It took me a long time to realise you could make a career out of doing comedy. I grew up in the country and had never seen stand up until I was about fourteen and my Mum took me to see Dave O’Neil. I remember thinking that I wanted to do what he was doing.

 

You don’t ever seem to see signs to ‘Comedy School’… so where do young comedians go to hone their skills? How long have you been performing?

The only way to learn how to do stand up is to go out and do stand up. It was very tough when I started because there were no comedy clubs out in the country where I lived. So when I started I just took any sort of gig I could get; I performed for the parents and teachers council at the local high school, MCed the dog jumping trials at the local agricultural fair, told jokes at the kindergarten picnic – anything. I used to often perform at music nights. They’d advertise then in the paper as “Open Mic” nights, but they wouldn’t specify you had to be a musician, so I’d just ring and sign up. Then on the night I’d just show up and the organisers would ask where my guitar was. It was pretty terrible (some kid shouting at drunks in between folk guitarists), but it helped me develop material.

 

What are the highlights in your career so far?

Getting to perform at The Comedy Store in London was pretty incredible. I also go to tell some jokes during half time at the Telstra Dome and getting to perform in front of about 20,000 people was pretty amazing.

 

If somebody comes to see one of your shows what can they normally expect to see?

Me, telling some jokes on stage, just mucking around and having fun. I hope people who come see me perform feel like they’re hanging out with me, maybe in my lounge room or somewhere, just having a laugh.

 

What inspires you to write new material? Are there certain celebs that whenever they open their mouths you know they are providing you with material?

I don’t really do any jokes about celebrities because it dates so quickly and there’s other comedians who do it a lot better. It’s kind of for the same reason I don’t do much political material. I’m mostly inspired by life; all the crazy things that happen to me. I exaggerate a bit, but most of what I talk about is based on something that’s happened to me.

 

You were recently on Australia’s Got Talent… how nerve wracking was that?

Terrifying. I went in to the taping and quickly realised there was two types of people they’d called in to be on the show; people with talent, and nutters to make fun of. Some times it was really obvious which group a person was in, but sometimes you couldn’t tell if they were talented or a nut. I remember they tore strips of a quartet of school girls just before I went onstage and I thought “man, I hope they haven’t picked me to be a nutter”. Luckily, all the judges liked my stuff and I went really well.

 

You were also on Rove… does he write now he’s moved to L.A. or has he done a Mel Gibson and turned his back on the Land Down Under?

I’m a huge fan of Rove. I won the Campus Comedy competition (a search for Australia’s funniest university student), and a week later I got a phone call. “Hi Michael, this is Rove” said the voice on the other end of the line, and I thought “Oh yeah, sure it is! I bet this is one of my mates trying to trick me. A big star like Rove wouldn’t call some uni student”. But he invited me to come and work as a warm up comedian on his show and when his assistant sent me all these emails I started to realise it was real. He was a really nice guy, and it was amazing he’d support a young comedian like that.

 

What do you instantly think of when I say the words ‘Melbourne Comedy Festival’?

Hard work. The festival is brutally competitive, and the competition just gets tougher each year.

 

So tell us a little about Squeaky Clean Comedy and how you got involved?

It’s a two hour, gala style comedy show featuring some of Australia’s best comedians doing brilliant clean comedy. I got involved when they ran the first Squeaky Clean back in 2008 and were looking for an MC. Since then it’s just grown and grown. It’s great that the people of Melbourne have been so supportive of the show.

 

Does the fact that’s it called Squeaky Clean mean the audience and better behaved and less likely to throw fruit at you (the MC) if the acts hit a dull point?

Not really. The crowds we get at Squeaky Clean are pretty much the same as the crowds you’d get at any comedy club in the country. People won’t let me get away with bad jokes just because they’re clean. I still have to bring great comedy or people will be angry (and maybe throw some fruit).

 

If people want to see you outside of the Comedy Festival where and when do you normally do your shows?

I’m always traveling around performing, and it’s hard for me to know where I’m going to be in a few months. However I do help run a weekly room called “The Variety Collective” in Melbourne which I perform at a fair bit. Sign up to my mailing list or like me on Facebook if you want to know about upcoming shows/stalk me.

 

Do you have a website people can check out?

Sure do, and it’s about to undergo a huge update so check it out: www.michaelconnell.com.au

 

Michael Connell will be part of the ‘Squeaky Clean Comedy’ show at the 2012 Melbourne Comedy Festival

Venue: Melbourne City Conference Centre 333 Swanston Street, Melbourne (opposite State Library)
Dates: Saturday 7th, 14th and 21st April – 3 shows only!
Tickets: $35.00 Premium, $30.00 Full, $25.00 Conc, $24.00 Groups of 8+ Times: 7.30pm (Two Hour Gala Event)

Dave Griffiths

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Hi Sarah, can you tell us a little bit about yourself? How old were you when you first realised that you had the necessary skills to become a ventriloquist and that it was a something that you could make a career out of?

Ventriloquism is something I picked up relatively late in life. I learnt it just a few years ago.  I never really expected it to be something I could make a career out of, but somehow I have!

 

You don’t ever seem to see signs to ‘Ventriloquism School’… so where do young ventriloquists go to hone their skills? How long have you been performing?

Years ago ventriloquism was passed on by generations of performers but there aren’t many around now especially in Australia. Luckily these days there are books and dvds and even a ventriloquist convention where you can attend classes and lectures. I’d been a performer for about 10 years before I took up ventriloquism so I think that really helped. The basic technique of speaking without moving your lips is really only a small part of ventriloquism. Forming and maintaining the illusion of your separate characters is really the biggest challenge.

 

What are the highlights in your career so far?

There have been a lot of them. Performing for 2000 drunk and excitable fans at the opening of The Eels concert was really fun.  Doing stand up in South Korea in a smoky bar full of American GI’s was very surreal.  Performing for other ventriloquists including some of the real masters at the International Ventriloquist Convention in the States was a huge honour.  I’ve been lucky enough to see some amazing destinations through my work on cruise ships as well.

 

You got some great responses in Adelaide, what is it like to do a festival like that?

Adelaide Fringe was amazing. It’s the second largest fringe festival in the world so it is an incredible creative environment for performers. I was really thrilled to get such great reviews. The best part of it though was meeting some of my comedy idols including Heath McIvor who is the puppeteer of Randy and The Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppet Theatre.

 

If somebody comes to see one of your shows what can they normally expect to see?

Puppets, puns and unashamed dorkiness.

 

What do you instantly think of when I say the words ‘Melbourne Comedy Festival’?

I think fun, friends and lack of sleep.

 

So tell us a little about Squeaky Clean Comedy and how you got involved?

I help run a comedy room called The Variety Collective. One of the co-organisers, comedian Michael Connell was in Squeaky Clean last year and suggested I get involved. It’s a great fit for me because I tend to work pretty clean anyway and I really like the opportunity to work with other comedians.

 

Can you tell us a little about the show you are doing at Squeaky Clean Comedy and what ‘friends’ you will have on stage around you?

I will be working with my main puppet friend Kitten. He’s a modeled on my own belligerent cat. We will be attempting the classic ventriloquist act of drinking a glass of water while the puppet sings.

 

If people want to see you outside of the Comedy Festival where and when do you normally do your shows?

I do a lot of work on cruise ships but if you don’t have the sea legs for that then the best place to catch me is The Variety Collective. We run every Wednesday at 8pm at the Brunswick Green and I host and perform at it once a month.

 

Do you have a website people can check out?

My website is http://www.sarahjones.com.au. I also have a facebook page: www.facebook.com/sarahjonescomedy where I upload videos and photos.  For more information on the Variety Collective visit: http://www.thevarietycollective.com/

 

Sarah Jones will be part of the ‘Squeaky Clean Comedy’ show at the 2012 Melbourne Comedy Festival

Venue: Melbourne City Conference Centre 333 Swanston Street, Melbourne (opposite State Library)
Dates: Saturday 7th, 14th and 21st April – 3 shows only!
Tickets: $35.00 Premium, $30.00 Full, $25.00 Conc, $24.00 Groups of 8+ Times: 7.30pm (Two Hour Gala Event)

Dave Griffiths

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I’ve caught Michael Amott, lead guitarist in extreme metal outfit Arch Enemy, in a strange place… at home. ‘You’re actually one of the very few people to actually catch a member of Arch Enemy at home… I’m just sitting down with a coffee,’ he laughs.

Things are about to get pretty hectic for Arch Enemy. On the back of their critically acclaimed ninth studio album, Khaos Legions they are about to hit the road on a tour that will take them from their homeland of Sweden to Tunisia then right across Asia, onto Australia and then back across Europe. Technically the band are now on the road until the 27^th October with very few breaks in between.

Add to that fact that just ten days ago the band announced that founding guitarist and Michael’s brother Christopher Amott has just quit the band, replaced by former Arsis band member, Nick Cordle.

So has it been stressful for Michael to see his brother leave the band. ‘No actually it hasn’t,’ he says. ‘In a way it has felt nice. Chris has been away from the band before (he had a two-year hiatus between 2005-2007), at that time we played with Gus G who now plays with Ozzy Osbourne and also with Fredrik Akesson who of course is now with Opeth. With Nick in the band we sound good and we are pumped which we wasn’t towards the end with my brother. I live for this so when someone in the group isn’t it’s a bummer… it drags you down as well.’

I ask Michael how they went about finding a new guitarist. ‘Well Chris actually told us about his decision way back in October so we’ve had a while to make arrangements. We had toured with his band across North America and I had a talked with him a few times and I remember making a metal note of him. Then when Chris pulled out I thought of this guy that I had talked to. I liked the way he played, his stage presence but I wanted to know what he was like as a person. You don’t want to bring a drug addict or an alcoholic into your band…you don’t want an asshole… having said that he’ll probably turn out to be a serial killer… they’ll be a string of mysterious deaths and bodies being found in each place we play,’ laughs Michael. ‘Seriously though, he is a nice guy, great stage presence but no ego… which means he fits into Arch Enemy really well because the rest of us have massive egos…oh that’s going to look terrible in print,’ he says laughing even harder.

So are Arch Enemy looking forward to coming back to Australia? ‘We love Australia,’ says Michael. ‘Love the vibe there, love the fans. The first time around we really didn’t know how much love there was for us in Australia so it came as a surprise… but this time we are prepared. The show is going to be different this time around, we’ve fitted three or four songs of Khaos Legions into our set along with some of our older stuff. In Japan we are letting the fans pick some of the songs we are playing, so maybe we’ll do the same in Australia. We are actually pretty lucky though. I hear of a lot of bands that have fans that aren’t so accepting of newer songs in a set, they’ll be like ‘just play stuff from your third album’, but our fans normally accept new stuff pretty well. So if you are in Australia and are into Arch Enemy get your asses to the shows because it may be a while before we are there again.’

Does that mean Arch Enemy are taking a break? ‘Oh no… no way,’ says Michael again laughing. ‘We are touring heavily in 2012 and 2013…and okay we may take a little break in some of 2013 but then we will be recording for an album due out in 2014. Actually we have already started writing it… in a sense. This time around I took a break for about a week, like everybody told me to, but then I got restless so I called up our drummer, Daniel and went into the studio to rehearse but we ended up jamming and think we may have ended up with some songs to work on there. Seriously, the creative side of doesn’t stop, it doesn’t know how to take a break. It’s not like I have to keep writing… it’s just I want to keep writing… actually maybe I do have to keep writing, it’s who I am… it’s what I live for!’

‘I probably won’t even be able to relax that much while I am in Melbourne. I’d love to be catching up with friends, and I have a few in Australia, but I’ll have to fit that in with of course the concerts but also a few in-stores and some promos for my own custom guitars… it’ll be great though.

So if you want to see Arch Enemy as part of their Khaos Legions tour the dates are as follows:

 

30^th April 2012 – Manning Bar, Sydney

1^st May 2012 – Billboard The Venue, Melbourne.

Dave Griffiths

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Who are the members of Sheppard and what are their roles?

The current members of Sheppard’s live show are:

George Sheppard:      Vocals/Keys

Amy Sheppard:           Vocals/Percussion

Emma Sheppard:        Bass Guitar

Jason Bovino:             Acoustic Guitar

Michael Butler:          Electric Guitar

Jared Tredly: Drums

For the recordings, all of the music, lyrics and parts are written and performed by George Sheppard, Amy Sheppard and Jason Bovino.

How long have you been playing together? Can you tell us how you originally formed? Where did your name come from?

 We’ve been taking it seriously for just over one year now. Amy and I used to muck around and write songs all the time, experimenting with different styles. We used to book time in the studio on an occasional basis just to see what happened with some of the music we wrote. The outcome was always great, so we just kept going with it. We put some of these recordings up online at sites like Triple J Unearthed, MySpace, Soundcloud, etc… and eventually toured to Manila, Philippines in November 2010 to perform our first few shows and record more music. The response was amazing… We arrived at the airport to crazed fans!

Check this out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hr2I_BR5sGI

 

On March 7 last year, we decided it was getting serious enough to bring Sydney guitarist Jason Bovino into the mix. He was the brother of one of my good friends, he wrote his own music too, and he had a great knowledge of music theory, so after speaking with him in depth about it, it seemed like the right move to bring him to the table. As soon as he arrived in Brisbane the three of us really gelled creatively, and since then we’ve written almost 30 tracks together. He lived with us for 8 months last year while we wrote and recorded our first album, “The Circus Dance of Circumstance”

 

The name? Hahaha… Well its our last name, so that’s where it comes from, but we didn’t originally intend to use our surname as the branding for our music. We needed a working title for the group, and since it began as a brother/sister duo, we just used our last name. It was meant to be a temporary thing, but over time, people started to know our band as “SHEPPARD!” and the name kind of just stuck!

How would you describe your sound?

Haha… This is always a tough question to answer… I never truly know how to describe a sound, but if we were to try and classify our music into a genre, it would probably be Alternative Pop. Or Indie Pop. Or Alternative Indie Pop. Haha you see? It’s definitely some sort of variation of Pop music. We like to keep things fresh, energetic, colourful and fun, but still maintain a sense of maturity and credibility.

Who are your influences?

We’ve had plenty of influences… My biggest one would be Coldplay. Chris Martin is definitely my favourite performer, and I just love the magic they bring to every show they play, and every song they perform.

Amy is a huge Fleetwood Mac fan. She can’t get enough of Stevie Knicks. She’s literally got every album, DVD and book they’ve released.

I’m also a big listener of atmospheric French electro/pop band Air. Their album “Moon Safari” has been the soundtrack of my life for a long time, and I’m yet to find a song that makes me feel the way that “La Femme D’Argent” does.

Obviously The Beatles have had a big influence on our writing, as I’m sure they’ve had on most songwriters today.

Even songs from our childhood like Aqua’s “Dr. Jones”, or Mr. President’s “Coco Jumbo” have had somewhat of an influence to the music we’re writing today… It was great to be a kid growing up in the 90’s! haha… in fact, that’s exactly what our song “Cheese On Toast” is written about. Growing up in the 90’s.

 

You just won the Heat at The Hard Rock, what was it like fronting up on stage that night?

To be honest, it was quite nerve-wracking! I mean, sure, we’ve performed in front of large audiences before, but we’ve never subjected ourselves to playing in front of JUDGES! Hahaha… That part of it was a little unsettling, knowing that every second of your performance was being scrutinized and analyzed by top industry professionals, but the feedback they gave us was mostly positive, and even the criticism they had was constructive and has helped us polish our live performance. All in all, we had an amazing night playing alongside some amazing bands. “Animal” and “Substation X” were both a really talented bunch of musicians, and an all round fantastic group of guys, and I can’t wait to see where their music takes them.

 

Was it a surprise for you guys that you won? How did you guys felt you had gone after your set?

 It was a complete surprise! I went to the first heat a week before our slot, and after those three bands played, I realized that our music was a lot more Pop than every other band that had entered the competition. I mean, they don’t exactly call it the Fun Pop Café do they? It’s the HARD ROCK Café, and that’s exactly what these other bands play. Hard Rock. Punk. Metal. I thought that would be a huge disadvantage for us. Plus, the bands that we were up against were pretty spectacular. We were first up on the night, and after we finished, I was happy with the way it had gone, and the feedback we had received, but then the other bands started to play and my confidence began to dwindle… haha. It truly was an amazing honour to be crowned the winner of our heat. I just hope we can bring it through for the finals on the 24^th!

 

What was it like playing at Hard Rock?

It was pretty amazing! Having all of these iconic costumes and famous instruments from the Gods of music surrounding you is pretty inspiring, and it certainly helps you lift your game. The venue was slick, the crowd was responsive, the judges were informative, the technicians were experienced and helpful, the staff were extremely accommodating and friendly, and I can’t wait to do it all again.

 

Have you had many other gigs recently?

 We played a free concert at the Powerhouse in Brisbane recently, which was so much fun. We just told all our family and friends to invite whoever they wanted, and we filled the seats pretty quickly. I got to play a grand piano for the first time on stage, which is something I’ve always wanted to do! It was a night to remember and we will be doing it all again at the end of April.

 

If you could share a stage with any band in the world who would you choose?

 I would most certainly have to choose Coldplay. They seem like such a fun group of people, and they are all truly musicians at the top of their game. It would be a dream come true to be able to share the stage with such a world class act. I absolutely love their music, their energy, their image, and their personas. They’re obviously doing something right, so yeah, if there was one band we could share the stage with, I wouldn’t go past Coldplay.

 

What are Sheppard’s career highlights so far?

 I think a major highlight for us has been our tour to Papua New Guinea. Amy, Emma and I spent our childhoods in PNG, and it was amazing to go back and perform in the place we grew up. We hadn’t been back in almost a decade, so it really was an eye opening experience. We played two sold out shows to an audience of 500 seats, and all of the proceeds went to various notable charities around the country. I think we raised about $50,000 for charities over those two evenings. It was a pretty great feeling to know that we helped bring books to school children, helped heart surgeons buy necessary expensive medical equipment, and helped bring awareness to domestic violence in PNG, all with our music! The further up the ladder we climb in this industry, the more power and influence we’ll have to help the people who need it. That’s an extremely exciting prospect.

 

That, and also the fact that we’ve been signed up to perform in a movie. The producers of the upcoming horror film “Old 37” have contacted us from New York regarding the use of our music in their film. We will be featured extensively on the soundtrack, we get to appear in the movie at a party scene, and they also film us a video clip using the set of the movie… Very exciting!

 

If a crowd comes to see Sheppard perform live what will they go away remembering?

 We would hope they walk away remembering our music! Haha we really want to promote a sense of fun on stage, and we want that fun to infect our audience. We always have great after parties at the conclusion of our shows, and the audience is always invited to come have a drink with us somewhere cool, so the fun lasts a lot longer than the show! That’s what we want to achieve with our performance. We want the fun to last longer than the show. We want people to be singing along to our music not only for the rest of the night, but all the next day, all the next week, and, HECK! ALL THE NEXT YEAR! Hahaha…

Are there any plans for a full length album or EP soon?

Indeed. We’ve recorded a full-length album titled “The Circus Dance of Circumstance”, which is currently up online at:

http://soundcloud.com/sheppard-3

 

We’ve also got CD’s that anyone can have. We will send them a copy if they email us their address at amyandgeorgesheppard@hotmail.com.

 

We haven’t released anything commercially as of yet, but our music is definitely out there!

Where do you hope Sheppard ends up in 2012? What are you short term goals? What are your long term goals?

Haha, well we dream big. Obviously if we’re gonna do this, then we want to do it right and get to the top of our game. Long term goals include playing sold out world tours, performing as headliners for the world’s top music festivals, going mutli-platinum with our records, and winning Grammys… haha I told you, we dream big. I mean, obviously just to be able to play music for a living at ANY level would be a blessing, and we feel that anything beyond that is a bonus, but they’re bonuses that we’re working towards! You gotta dream big.

 

As for short-term goals, I would love to make it through the Australian finals of Hard Rock Rising. That would be unreal. We would love to get a full-time manager on board, establish ourselves as a new force in the Australian music scene, and we would love to be touring with a big international act by the end of the year. That would be a pretty awesome achievement.

Where do you play live so people can come to see you? When will you be at Hard Rock next?

We usually play at various events around Brisbane, but most recently we’ve been communicating with the Brisbane Powerhouse about the prospect of putting on some shows. If anyone wants to come see us, that would be the place to check us out! We’ll also be back at the Hard Rock Café Sydney on the 24^th of March to battle it out with the other finalists! That will be a truly exciting evening. If you’re free, you should certainly pop along! Or rock along…. Whatever takes your fancy… haha.

Is there anything else you would like people to know about Sheppard?

We’re just normal people who have been lucky enough to have been given the opportunity to do something that we love, and there’s not a second that goes by that we don’t pinch ourselves. We’re always keen to meet and connect with our fans. We want to know everybody! We want to take as many people as we can along on this crazy ride.

So please email us at either: sheppardband@gmail.com

Or amyandgeorgesheppard@hotmail.com and say hi!

 

Do you have a website people can check out?

At the moment we don’t have our own website. We’re currently working closely with a PR company on building an effective, visually stunning site that we can refer people to, but for the moment, just head to our Facebook page!
www.facebook.com/sheppardband

 

Don’t forget to like us!

Dave Griffiths

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”Just Turned Twenty” Jayden Hicks was about to tread the stage  as one of the night club performers (Les Cagelles) in La Cage Aux Folles, which opens at the National Theatre  St Kilda this coming Friday

Jayden has been dancing since he was under 3 years old, training for 13 years at Vickis Dancing Academy in Jazz, Tap and Ballet. Throughout that time he also participated in local Musical Theatre including Annie, The King and I, Hello Dolly as well as landing the lead role in Oliver. Jayden began training professionally at Australian International School of Coaching under the direction of Brian Nolan (Australian Ballet) and Miss Viktorya Titova (Kiev Ballet), completed full time in Jason Colemans inaugural full time year at the Ministry of Dance and completed his scholarship year at the Space under the direction of Daniel Brown and Natalya Bobenko.  He was ready. Or was he?

What was the biggest surprise in the show?

’Getting used to being a Drag Queen. The show is very different to what I was expecting, it is very dance based, which I am really enjoying. I have always been a dancer (and wanted to be a dancer) but I have never prepared for something as gruelling as this show. We have two choreographers putting the show together?’

Do they walk around with sticks?

Jayden laughs. “No. They are very nice.’

As a Draq Queen, Jayden never leaves his persona and we never see the real life Jayden on stage. ‘I am drag from head to toe,’ he explains. ‘It takes over half an hour to get ready for each performance,’ he explains. Chosen as one of two of the Cagelles to be photographed for publicity purposes, Jayden battled the wig for the photos. ‘It is such a pain that thing, it was slipping in my eyes and felt heavy on my head.’

I suggested he was going to have to move very carefully. Jayden was thinking. ‘I haven’t yet figured out how to work it,’ he muses.

It was a very careful preparation for the part. Jayden did a full body shave and prepared himself for the part. He did not however done outfit and head out into St Kilda. ‘I waited for the time on stage, and that photo shoot gave me a lot of confidence. Favorite number in the show would have the be “Mascara.’

‘It’s the first number that the leading drag queen does. It is very nice. We have little Fedoras on. ‘

Jayden was asked to be in the show. No nail biting auditioning process here. Robbie Carmelotti, a producer he had worked with in the past, had suggested to Quirky Productions that Jayden would be perfect for La Cage. One recommendation and Jayden was through!

John O’May is George. David Rogers- Smith is playing Albin, with Jacob played by Nicholas Kong.

La Cage Aux Folles is on at The Natiopnal Theatre from 16th March for two weeks.

 

 

 

Peter Sutton

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Hi guys can you tell us the names of the members of Waverley and what are their roles?

- Darius Papak: VOX & Guitar – Daniel Papak: Guitar & VOX – Lee Daniel: Drums – Andrew McManus: Bass

 

How long have Waverley been playing together? Can you tell us how you originally formed? Where did your name come from?

In it’s current form, Waverley have been playing together for around a year and a bit. Brothers Daniel & Darius have always been writing together, and originally formed Waverley a few years back because we wanted to actually ‘play’ together. We’d always been in separate bands, though we wrote heaps of music together, so it seemed the obvious next step. The name Waverley.. Well seeing all our favorite bands stole all our favorite names, we settled for the suburb we wrote our first EP in. It rolls off the tongue and it has sentiment, even if it’s bitter haha..

 

How would you describe your sound?

High Energy Grunge Rock

 

Who are your influences?

A few of each of our influences would be Osker, The Who, Jebediah, Nirvana, Local H, and Violent Soho – But shit, I mean, we just like everything.

 

Have you had many gigs recently?

Not as many as we’d like while we’ve been preparing for each launch, but we’re ramping it up as soon as the albums out. Can’t fuckin wait to play more shows!

 

If you could share a stage with any band in the world who would you choose?

I’m a sucker for my favorite band, it wouldn’t fit entirely but I’m gonna have to say (if they were all still around) The Beatles.

 

What are your career highlights so far?

Recording this album, making our film clips and the two single launches so far. It’s just been fuckin fun, and it’s amazing to see people getting into it.

 

If a crowd comes to see Waverley perform live what will they go away remembering?

That was intense.

 

You’re about to release a new album. What can people expect to hear on it?

A lot of raw emotion. A good blend of Rock, Grunge and even a hint of Punk we listened to growin up and lovin music through the 90′s. It’s intense to play it so I’d say it’s intense to listen to it, but most of all there’s just a lot of ‘real’ shit.

 

What was the process like recording the album?

With a line up change prior to the recording of the album, we spent a bit of time getting to know each others styles and changing up the songs to be something we were all pumped about. That was fun and an amazing experience. Recording was a shorter process but working with the Hothouse Audio guys Craig & Jez is a breeze, they have their shit down-pat. Especially working with Jez, he has a knack for knowin exactly what your saying you want no matter how shitty you explain it.. I can’t wait to work with him again.

 

Are you nervous about the album’s release?

Yes and no.. These things are always a bit nerve racking especially releasing an album independently. It can cost a bit of money and you put your heart and soul into it, but in so many ways no too. We’re all fuckin happy with the way the album has turned out, and that alone is a major and important part of the process. There’s nothing worse than getting to the end of a recording process to not be happy with what you end up with.

 

Where do you hope Waverley ends up in 2012? What are you short term goals? What are your long term goals?

Playing shit loads of shows and makin people just connect with our music. As for the long term, we just wanna be able to keep doin it, releasing albums and playing shows to people who wanna listen. We have a lot more we wanna say and portray. The only thing better than writing a song that ‘feels right’ and portrays exactly what you wanted to say, is hearing someone else say ‘That’s exactly how I feel’.

 

Where do you play live so people can come to see you?

All around. Being based in Melbourne we mostly play in Melbourne, and we tend to frequent bars and pubs in the inner city suburbs. Yah Yah’s – The Brunswick Hotel – Noise Bar, places like that. But once the albums out we intend to play anywhere and everywhere. We’re releasing the Album at the Empress Hotel on the 30^th March.

 

Is there anything else you would like people to know about Waverley?

We’re just four dudes, four good friends, we love making and playing music, we’re real, and between the four of us we’ve been through and seen all the same shit everyone else has, so it doesn’t matter if you’re seein us live or listening to our record, we’re gonna make you feel feelings.

 

Do you have a website people can check out?

You can get to all our websites through www.waverleyband.com

Dave Griffiths

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