Set Sail and Holland at Oxford Art Factory, Sydney

SET SAIL
HOLLAND
Oxford Art Factory, Sydney, 15/12/11

On Thursday night, indie pop Sydney-siders Set Sail headlined the Chasing Summer tour at Oxford Art Factory. Despite Sydney's depressing, unseasonably shit weather, inside, the feel of summer flowed freely. If you closed your eyes you could almost taste the salt in the air and feel the sand between your toes.

I would be lying if I didn't admit that part of Set Sail's appeal is the fact that there's something on offer for every teenage girl's tastes. Set Sail are an undeniably handsome band. Each member sports a vastly different look but somehow they mesh together perfectly onstage to make beautiful, happy music. Commendations to the wonderfully enthusiastic violinist who played with so much passion that several times he snapped the bow chords and eventually, snapped the entire bow in half. As if it had happened hundreds of times before, without hesitation he simply began to play the instrument like a guitar with his fingers.

At one point, the band invited the single members of the crowd to pair up and dance on-stage. Set Sail are certainly a group that know how to engage an audience. They managed to make the night overwhelmingly fun and had everyone in the room singing, dancing, smiling and clapping, even with a remarkably upbeat rendition of the Verve's Bittersweet Symphony.

Usually I hate encores. They are a cliché. They make me incredibly angry. But when three band members remove their shirts for the encore, I can make an exception and applaud along with everyone else in the room.

Opening for Set Sail were Brisbane four-piece, Holland. Not much for small talk and playing to an audience that started out more concerned with their position in line at the bar, Holland were left to win over the room with nothing but their talent. Which they did. One of the things that sets them apart from your average generic indie-folk band is that frontman Jarryd Klapper can actually sing. Amazingly. When he hit each high note, he managed to bring near silence to the room.

It was an all-round perfect summer night, a brief reprieve from the reality of the freezing wind and spitting rain on Oxford Street that no doubt made everyone in the room yearn for the summer that us Sydney-siders have so far been robbed of.

Review by Celeste Macdonald

Holland interview

Celeste Macdonald talks to Holland's Jarryd Klapper about the Australian band's EP, playing live and how his Mum is his biggest fan:

A clichéd phrase that I profusely hate is 'down to earth'. Usually strictly reserved for desperate personal ads, I'm going to use it just this once because it fits so well. It's a quality I notice immediately when speaking to Holland's frontman, vocalist and guitarist, Jarryd Klapper. When I apologise for being flustered and sheepishly explain the phone troubles that have caused this, Klapper offers to bring one of his spares to Holland's upcoming Sydney show with Set Sail. It's a warmth that's typical of bands hailing from Brisbane (and dare I say lacking in certain Sydney/Melbourne groups) and such genuineness transpires beautifully into Holland's music, from their delicate lyrics to their live recordings - two of which, For You and Interlude, are featured on Holland's newly released EP, No Control.

When I ask what the response to the No Control EP has been like, Klapper is at first hesitant and finally responds, "My mum loves it, she's stoked on it, she tries to give it to everyone." I mention how much we're loving the exclusive live video of Interlude at Bobbysix, which causes him to laugh. "I hope you're not just saying that to make me feel better. We weren't even sure if we were gonna put it on the EP." Klapper describes the track as "a bit of a throwaway," which the band arranged just a few hours before it was recorded. I reiterate how much we like it, to which he responds, "It's not actually that good if you listen to it. I've listened to it a few times and it sounds worse every time I hear it." He is of course, entirely wrong. There's something about the unpolished quality of Holland's live recordings – a certain brutal honesty about the live medium that creates the perfect synergy with the very nature of the band and what they're trying to achieve. Klapper manages to agree with me on the unpolished comment, mentioning modestly that it only took about two or three takes to get it right. If you've already checked the video out, you'll know that's a pretty damn amazing effort, more so when you consider that it's shot in a single take. "I'd rather have a bunch of flaws."

It's no wonder then that Klapper considers Holland primarily a live performance band. "We love playing live, it's why we do the whole thing." It's a statement that you'd probably hear from 99.9 percent of bands but in the case of this quartet, you get the feeling it's actually true. "Going to the studio is a bit of fun," he adds. And as for his favourite Holland gig, it's a slightly unusual venue: Sydney's Old Manly Boatshed. The singer mentions that they've always played well there. Again, with his usual brand of modesty, he is careful to add that the gigs he has played there have been his favourites in terms of sound. He laughs, there were, "never many people there."

I'm intrigued to know, being a Brisbane boy, Klapper's opinions regarding the sometimes 'cliquey' Sydney and Melbourne scenes. He admits to feeling the geographical distance but insists the band will remain in Brisbane for now, crediting the "better quality of life," that the sunshine state's capital has to offer as the main reason. But like many Australian bands, Holland haven't ruled out an eventual move to London. As for now? Expect plenty more live shows. "Playing to crowds," Klapper confirms when we talk of the short-term future. He pauses, then corrects himself. "Groups," he laughs. "Groups are smaller than crowds."

Take our word for it, it won't be long before Holland are playing to some seriously big crowds.

You can be part of the group/crowd at the following venues:

Thursday 15 December - Oxford Art Factory, Sydney
Friday 16 December - The Loft, Gold Coast
Saturday 17 December - Sol Bar, Maroochydoore
Sunday 18 December - Old Museum, Brisbane

Interview by Celeste Macdonald

Bobbysix exclusive! Holland live video clip.

After the ridiculously grand, bloated and back-slapping affair that was yesterday's ARIAs, we felt we should counterbalance things by bringing you some good, honest, home-grown emerging sounds. Something unpretentious and free from fanfare. Therefore, we'd like to introduce you to Holland, who might just be one of the Australian music scene’s best kept secrets.

Named after the legendary early 70’s recording by the Beach Boys and hailing from Brisbane, the four-piece are being compared to Band of Horses, City and Colour, Elbow & Badly Drawn Boy, yet look like they should be playing rock and roll... ("beardcore" our our friends at Twenty-Two just called them)

Check out the above clip - which is a Bobbysix exclusive by the way - and keep an eye out over the next little while for an interview with the band and also the chance to win their new EP. Oh, and if you live in Aus, then you can see them live at one of the following venues.

HOLLAND TOUR DATES
Saturday 3 December - Jive Bar, Adelaide
Friday 9 December – The Hi Fi, Brisbane
Saturday 10 December - The Hi Fi, Melbourne
Thursday 15 December - Oxford Art Factory, Sydney
Friday 16 December - The Loft, Gold Coast
Saturday 17 December - Sol Bar, Maroochydoore
Sunday 18 December - Old Museum, Brisbane

Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange Project - Australia gets Italy, England swaps with Jamaica, USA goes Dutch

Last night, we hit up the announcement party in Sydney, where it was revealed that Australia will swap with Italy as part of The Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange Project – a one-of-a-kind global experience in which 50 countries celebrate the best of their local nightlife. Junior Jack & Kid Créme and Alex Gaudino will headline the Italian-inspired Australia event, while Aussie group Nervo and Bang Gang Deejay’s will fly over to Italy as the Italians receive the best of Australia’s homegrown nightlife, as voted by Australians.

With the goal of helping 10 million people discover, share and swap unique nightlife, the Australian team is already gearing up to be part of larger-than-life events worldwide. Once all of the suggestions are in, Australia’s ambassador Anna Lunoe will help select the ones that best represent Australia’s vibrant and varied nightlife. These ingredients will be packed into a crate for Italy to experience when the world swaps nights in the epic finale on 12 November. Supercool Anna (above), who played an Italian-tinged DJ set at the launch last night, says: “I can wait for this event. I’m really looking forward to welcoming Junior Jack & Kid Créme and Alex Gaudino, and seeing how they recreate the Italian nightlife experience Down Under. I’m also super excited to see the best of Australia’s nightlife come alive for the people of Italy to enjoy. We have had some awesome suggestions so far on what makes Australia’s nightlife truly unique, so we expect the event on 12 November to be a one-of-a-kind experience in both countries.” Fans can continue to submit their suggestions for what best characterises nightlife in Australia, via the Smirnoff Australia Facebook page and also enter the competition to win tickets to be at the Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange Project event in a top-secret Australian location.

Meanwhile, good old Blighty was picked to swap with Jamaica, meaning that they'll be some Jamaican vibes vibes going down in London Town while a representation of England (overpaid footballers and an unhealthy obsession with the weather? Yeah, it's the same joke we made this time last year, sorry) will be heading in the other direction. Brits head here to submit your ideas and to keep up to date with the latest news. Another really interesting exchange is sure to be between the United States and the Netherlands.

Talking of the US, Madonna will attend the New York celebration to help handpick the overall global winner of the online dance competition alongside her choreographers Rich and Tone. Finalists will compete in front of Queen of Pop (which is a pretty scary prospect if you ask us) for the winning spot. The winner may get the opportunity to join Madonna on her next tour as one of her dancers. For entry information and to win the chance to be there, visit the Smirnoff Facebook page.

The confirmed nightlife swaps are:
GREAT BRITAIN with JAMAICA
IRELAND with THAILAND
BRAZIL with GERMANY
CANADA with VIETNAM
USA with NETHERLANDS
DUBAI with MEXICO
VENEZUELA with CYPRUS
ARGENTINA with TURKEY

Discover your new favourite band at The Great Escape.

This Thursday to Saturday, the Great Escape Festival takes over Brighton, in the South of England. Tickets are still available so do yourself a favour and grab one today to enable yourself to whizz from from cool venue to cool venue to check the fuck out of amazing acts from all over the world.

As you will know, we are quite Aussie-focused here at BobbySix.com, so are excited to see The Jezebels, The Holidays, Cloud Control, Little Red and PVT. Meanwhile, big names from elsewhere like Friendly Fires and Sufjan Stevens are also getting our pulses racing.

The very best thing about TGE though, aside from the beautiful punters and the amazing atmosphere that it brings to the city, is that it affords music fans the opportunity to stumble upon bands of whom they have little knowledge. You never know, you might just discover your new favourite group there this year. Like, for instance, Dutch indiefolk act I Am Oak (pictured above), who play on Thursday at 9pm at the Unitarian Church. Check their sweet sounds below:

Words by Rob Townsend