Brian Jonestown Massacre and The Raveonettes at Oxford Art Factory, Sydney

Carol Bowditch was at the sold-out Raveonettes and Brian Jonestown Massacre show in Sydney: 

Having already sold out the Metro, this massive double headliner played a follow-up show to fans at OAF. The Raveonettes got the ball rolling. After starting with slower, acoustic ballads that helped ease themselves and the crowd into the set, as things progressed the songs became more daring and frenzied. Within the heavier tracks, however, the harmonic shared vocals were often lost and indistinguishable, hidden under dense layers of guitar fuzz that washed over the crowd. 

The duo remained effortlessly cool as they played songs back-to-back with little interaction with the audience. There was one moment however, where singer Sharin (pictured below), broke her restrained demeanour, flashing a cheeky smile to the punters. From this break of poise, you could tell that she could see that the crowd were obviously digging what was being created on stage. A climatic performance of Aly Walk With Me closed their show. The chainsaw-like guitar feedback was interspersed with seductive vocals, and a delicate chime noise sounded intermittently between the aggressive sounds created by Sharin as she mashed her palm against the fret board. It was just perfect. 

Brain Jonestown Massacre (pictured top and below) then took over to a heaving venue. The San Fran eight-piece, led by the notoriously surly Anton Newcombe, played a marathon two-hour set, playing a mix of old and new material. The crowd, sardined within the space, outstretched their limbs to catch the lights from the stage and make shapes to the shoegazey, blues infused sounds. They danced as the band churned out hits like the psychedelic rollercoaster of That Girl Suicide and the hypnotic Super-Sonic. Positioned far side-stage, Newcombe was constantly being upstaged by percussionist, the “tambourine man” Joel Gion, who exerted charisma and showmanship throughout the show to the delight of the crowd. His cocky stage presence really added to the rock n roll image of the band that we had coveted in the documentary Dig!. A surprising inclusion to the set was (David Bowie I Love You) Since I Was Six that had the crowd droning along to the down tempo rework. Anemone, usually sung by a female vocalist, worked fine with Anton's lead and was still delightfully fluid and full of attitude.

The Brian Jonestown Massacre’s set was long, obviously, due to the twenty or so album releases that they have under their belt.  There were times where the similar sounding tracks became tiresome, but I guess my expectations that they would play their 90’s releases like Take it From The Man, or Strung Out in Heaven in their entirety was never going to happen. The band took heavily from this year’s release Aufheben, which from lack of familiarly, didn’t resonate as strongly with me as the old favourites that they played. 

Overall, the two bands played the new material that they were here to tour well, both displaying the fine musicianship that they are known for. I’ll definitely need to take the time to give both new releases a proper listen. 

Review by Carol Bowditch. Photos by Carol Bowditch and Bobby Townsend.

ma. gallery's third birthday party at Oxford Art Factory, Sydney

From humble beginnings in 2009, ma. gallery has grown to become a widely recognised “travelling circus”, showcasing over 300 creative types in Sydney, Melbourne & Tokyo. To celebrate its third birthday, there was a massive shindig at Sydney's Oxford Art Factory.

Amid art murals by Sydney-based international exhibiting artists Jumbo, Esjay, Bennett, John Hynd & Jaxie Yael, a bunch of bands, DJs, a load of booze and some live tattoos artists ensured that the festivities went off with a bang. Especially noteworthy were exceptional sets from La Mancha Negra (pictured above), Mother & Son (pictured, below) and Kill City Creeps. Meanwhile, Glitter Canyon (pictured, bottom) headlined the night with a histrionic set which saw them wrestle with individual crowd members and climb the rafters.

A fittingly fun and interesting party to celebrate three fantastic years of ma. gallery. Here's to many more.

Words and pictures by Bobby Townsend. See more photos on Facebook.

Wavves at Oxford Art Factory, Sydney

Carol Bowditch checked out Wavves and Sures in Sydney last week: 

Local young guns, Sures, warmed the crowd and I couldn’t help feel like my 16-year-old self at a battle of the bands show at my high school. These kids have potential but just were going at it much like teenage sex, everything, all at once, with underwhelming results.

By 10pm, the faux stoner, Hawaiian-shirt-wearing crowd had packed out OAF and excitedly waited for Wavves to take over. The Cali boys opened with King of the Beach and everyone completely lost their shit. This track set a breakneck pace that was sustained for the rest of the show.

The set was heavy with material taken from their last two albums. They churned out songs from their 2011 release, Life Sux, including I Wanna Meet Dave Grohl, while selections from their standout previous album showed diversity, such as the more sombre Green Eyes. Meanwhile, slacker anthem Take on the World had the crowd throwing themselves about, stage-diving and roaring the chorus.

I was aware that the band had recently been playing a cover of Sonic Youth’s 100% as part of their set and once again it made an appearance. The addition of their rendition of the punk classic was better than expected and well executed in classic lo-fi Wavves style.

Wavves' surf-infused brand of garage punk was a fine way to spend a brisk Tuesday night and a more-than-welcome distraction to the working week for a boisterous Oxford Arts crowd. After the four-piece belted out the hits and made the requisite references to smoking weed, we all went home with ringing ears, content in the knowledge that the opening riff from King of the Beach would be stuck in our heads for days.

Review by Carol Bowditch. Shitty iPhone pic by Bobby Townsend.

Sydney's ma. gallery celebrates its third birthday with an epic shindig

Sydney's ma. gallery is going all out this year for its third birthday with the help of Oxford Art Factory, who are opening their doors for a night of underground talent & entertainment, with spiced rum shots on arrival for guests & live tattoo artists sponsored by Sailor Jerry.

From their humble beginnings in 2009, ma. gallery has grown to become a widely recognized “travelling circus”, showcasing over 300 creative types in Sydney, Melbourne & Tokyo. To celebrate their third birthday they are pulling out the big guns on May 19th, with a mouth watering line up, including La Mancha Negra, The Walk On By, Mother & Son, Kill City Creeps, Glitter Canyon, Atom Bombs, Spirit Valley, Danger Danny’s, The Pieter Van Den Hoogen Band & House Of Beggars (feat Popey from Dead China Dolls). There'll also be art murals by Sydney-based international exhibiting artists Jumbo, Esjay, Bennett, John Hynd & Jaxie Yael, as well as vinyl DJ’s spinning some sick tunes.

We'll be there this Saturday May 19th, and you should be too. So get your tickets today for the bargain price of ten bones.

Tickets available through Moshtix.

Oxford Art Factory's 2nd Hat Party - the photos.

Sydney's Oxford Art Factory hosted a hat-tastic party on Thursday night, with free entry, free booze and a bunch of awesome local bands doing their thing. There was only one rule. You had to wear a hat. Well, actually, even those that turned up sans headgear were still allowed to come and play.

There were brilliant sets from Veen, Dampvamp, Group (aka the James Manson Blues Band), Tales In Space, Bang! Bang! Rock 'n' Roll and The Jones Rival, while Skarlett Saramore played a kickass DJRUM SET in a glass cube (really).

Booze flowed and hats were doffed as party-goers danced their legs off to the sick sounds that were being delivered at pace by the bands and DJs. There would be some sore, yet well decorated, heads come the morning. Here are a few photos of the hattractive folks who made the party what it was. That's right, HATTRACTIVE. Boom.

Words and pictures by Bobby Townsend

Kate Martin - Candle Burnin’, Wax Drippin’

Candle Burnin’, Wax Drippin’ is the second single released from Kate Martin's upcoming sophomore album, Hand Me My Bow And Arrow, and is a pretty slice of Blasko/Feist/that chick out of The Cardigans loveliness.

According to Kate, Hand Me My Bow And Arrow, was a difficult second album to make, but not for the usual reasons of writer’s block or procrastination. Instead, the Aussie songstress was beset by a series of battles throughout the writing and recording process, beginning with family breakdown, and followed up by lost jobs, discarded boyfriends, unpaid rent and being evacuated from her house to escape a cyclone. “The album came together surprisingly easily”, Kate explains, “I wasn’t exactly short of material to write about." Candle Burnin’ Wax Drippin' is about the relationship that you know will fail from the start, but you stay in it regardless.

Kate is playing a special album preview show March 15th at Oxford Arts Factory in Sydney.

Caitlin Park and Oliver Tank to join Active Child at his Laneway sideshows

We're big fans of Sydney's Caitlin Park (above) and Oliver Tank here at Bobbysix.com. Indeed, Park's stunningly beautiful debut album, Milk Annual, was one of the frontrunners in our Album of the Year poll (beaten to the prize by some bunch of chancers called Radiohead) and Tank also got a mention or two in our End of Year Review. So it is with excitement that we today discovered they will both be supporting LA resident Pat Grossi - aka Active Child - for a couple of sideshows to his St Jerome's Laneway Festival appearances in Australia this summer.

Intimately charting joy and heartbreak, battles with monogamy and love lost and rediscovered, Active Child's stories are tenderly delivered. From his father’s tenure at Priority Records (home to NWA and Dr Dre to name a couple), to his own choral experiences as a youngster, Pat draws from a wide range of inspirations including West Coast beats, soaring R&B and 1980’s New Order. He is unquestionably worth your attention.

As well as playing at St Jerome's Laneway Festival across Australia, you can catch Active Child headline a hugely impressive line-up featuring Caitlin Park and Oliver Tank in Sydney and Melbourne:

Sunday 29 January – Oxford Art Factory – Sydney
Tickets from Moshtix, online www.moshtix.com.au, by phone 1300 Get Tix (438 849), on your mobile via www.moshtix.mobi and Moshtix outlets.

Wednesday 8 February – East Brunswick Club – Melbourne. 
Tickets from the East Brunswick Club, online www.eastbrunswickclub.com, by phone 9388 9794 and 57 Swan St Richmond, 10am-8pm Mon-Sat.

Picture by Bobby Townsend

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

Matt Corby and Tigertown at Oxford Art Factory, Sydney

The loop pedal, these days, is often over-used, badly used and, if you like, badly over-used, but Matt Corby (above) showed how it should be done. His delicate layering of guitar and vocals created a textured atmosphere from which he build interestingly-structured, brooding compositions with the help of a three-piece band (including Bree Tranter from The Middle East). The Australian singer, seemingly bewildered to be playing to a sold-out room, belted out a bit of country rock and also delivered some really tender moments. If parts of the crowd hadn't been so fucking chatty, they might have actually heard some of it. Still it was their loss, as his performance was certainly worth paying attention to. He even gave out food from his rider, mid-set. Clearly, he is nothing if not a good host.

Before Corby, Tigertown's (below) ever-smiling members purveyed really enjoyable indie-pop in its purest form. In a time when pop music seems to revolve around vocoder vocals and nonsense lyrics, this local bunch are really refreshing in that they are a proper band delivering well-structured songs with sweet female vocals that are catchy as hell.

Another great night at Sydney's brilliant Oxford Art Factory then, with two fine acts humbly doing their thing and doing it very well. You're sure to be hearing more from both of them in the future. If you're listening, of course.

Words and pictures by Bobby Townsend.

Bobby Six spins some tunes at the Captured Sydney Grand Finale this Sunday

It's weird what goes through a person's head. And by 'person', I mean me. There are so many things to occupy one's mind. Philosophy, politics, art, literature, the great unanswered questions. However, today I have been thinking a lot about that Shaggy song. Surely, the whole thing is massively flawed. I mean, if your other half walks in on you doing naughty things on the kitchen floor with another lady, simply saying "It wasn't me," isn't going to do much good? It clearly was, and is, you. Also, you know that All Saints song? Shouldn't it be, "A few answers that I need to know"? You would only need to know questions if you were some kind of quiz-master, right?

Anyway, all of the above nonsense has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that, this Sunday the 2nd of October, the Grand Finale of Captured Sydney takes place at Oxford Art Factory Gallery Bar. Captured is a competition in which six filmmakers were paired with six bands to make some truly inspiring clips and it's up to you to decide which is the best. Voting continues here until 10pm on Sunday. The winning band and filmmaker will be announced on the night at 11pm.

Before the big announcement, you can catch the brilliant Cameras and Chicks Who Love Guns (who are both in the competition) in a one-night-only double bill. Also you'll get one last chance to see all the clips again. And before that? Oh yeah, you'll find Bobby Six on the wheels of steel, offering up 90 minutes of good shit.

And, entry is FREE. That's two great bands, six great video clips, and some idiot on the decks, all for zero dollars. What the heck else are you going to do with your Sunday night? Especially considering you can have a lie-in on Monday.

SET TIMES 
8pm DJ Bobby Six
9.30pm Cameras
10pm Films are screened, winning filmmaker announced, as selected by a group of industry judges (of which Bobby Six is one).
10.30pm Chicks Who Love Guns
11pm Winning band announced, as voted by the public.
11.05pm until late - OAF Resident DJs

The Preachers and Whipped Cream Chargers, Oxford Art Factory

Last week, Whipped Cream Chargers (above) showcased some songs from their upcoming debut album at Sydney's Oxford Art Factory. Theirs is a world of rolling tobacco, very late nights, long-necks, fine literature and op shops and, late on this rainy Thursday night, they bashed out tunes that shimmied and shook with a dirty rock 'n' roll groove. As always, we could probably have done without the disrobing of singer Sebastian, whose stage presence sometimes feels a little heavy on the histrionics, but, semi-naked males aside, it was a winning display from a very likable bunch. Their album is something to really look forward to. Read my interview with them here.

Before them, another up-and-coming Sydney band, The Preachers (above), played a fine set of rock 'n' roll country blues, with the duelling vocals of guitarist Gideon Benson and keyboardist Isabella Manfredi contrasting perfectly: the thunderous shudder of Benson and the calming rain of Manfredi. Their sound is like Fleetwood Mac being slapped repeatedly around the face by Tom Waits in some dirty, smoke-filled blues bar. Which is obviously pretty awesome. Learn more about The Preachers from my interview with them.

Getting To Know... Whipped Cream Chargers

In the latest from BobbySix.com's Getting To Know... series, Felix Fernando Gailey from Sydney six-piece Whipped Cream Chargers talks about Zelda, the local scene and fat cats in Japan:

I would describe Whipped Cream Chargers' sound as a cacophony of eager Princes, some more desperate than others, wooing Rapunzel, Zelda and the ghost of Princess Diana down from their share-house/ivory-tower/maxi-pad for spliffs and 2nd base.

We take inspiration from unrequited love (and the subsequent murder that ensues not long after), high/higher states of consciousness, natural tobacco, Iso brand cream cylinders, free meals, free beers and freedom.

It might surprise people to learn that in Japan, it is common folklore that when a cat becomes too fat, it runs the risk of growing an extra tail and transforming into its original being of a Demi-God. Aeons ago, the forces-that-be took the Cat God's power and enormous size and turned it into a pre-evolved critter. Subsequently, this mythos leads to innumerable euthanasia of fat cats all around japan.

Sydney is said to be worse than it actually is. In Sydney, it is necessary for a band to really put in the miles to survive given a lack of council and arts based endorsement. Rather than depending on that support, underground bands are pushed to solicit and promote themselves with the support of nobody else but each other. For example, Ping! is what one may consider a supergroup, consisting of members of Warhorse, Domeyko/Gonzalez, Danimals, Bridezilla, Whipped Cream Chargers, Dead China Doll and Arkestra. Its an absolute honor to associate and be down with these sick puppies (not the terrible band) in a city that I feel I like more than it likes me. There are then promoters who deserve honorable mentions for supporting and more-or-less carrying the weight of live music on their shoulders: the likes of Jasper Clifford-Smith (Chocolate Jesus), James Shirlaw (Double Dragon), Lucas George (Goodbye Sunshine Festival), Mikey Carr (Musicfeeds) and Mark Gerber (Oxford Art Factory). Nothing however, can or will redeem the shitty excuse for public transport in this city.

I wish Whipped Cream Chargers had written The Prophet by Kahil Gibran. Apparently it is used more frequently than any other book to get laid. Even more than The Game.

In five years time we'll all ascend to higher astral levels with the help of aliens, say some pseudo-scientists. If that doesn't eventuate, Sydney will be a bustling scene filled with squids and coral, The Blue Mountains will be a beach destination and the remaining living members of the Whippy C's will all be able to grow beards... hopefully.

Become part of Whipped Cream Charger's world. Visit them on Myspace or Facebook.

Smirnoff unveils its Nightlife Exchange Project

You may remember how BobbySix.com went to Johannesburg in May for the Smirnoff Experience South Africa. Four months on comes The Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange Project. This experiment will see 14 countries from six continents - including USA, UK, Brazil, Lebanon, Poland and Australia - work with respected nightlife figures to celebrate the best elements of their country’s nightlife. These ideas will be captured online, packed-up in a crate and transformed into actual event experiences. In a finale on 27th November, the world will swap nights, with each country exchanging the best of their nightlife with that of another.

Via Facebook.com/SmirnoffAustralia, people in Aus are invited to make suggestions for what represents the best of their local nightlife. Once the suggestions are all in, it will be up to the local expert to decide what will represent each country in the exchange.

Dan Single, co-founder of Ksubi and Bang Gang, will curate Australia’s crate, which arrived in Sydney's Darling Harbour yesterday and will then head off to Melbourne next week. To mark Sydney's launch, artist Ed Woodley (of China Heights and Oxford Art Factory fame) created a live installation using the crate as his canvas. BobbySix.com went along to take some pictures.

The contents of Australia’s crate, as nominated by the people and curated by Single, will be revealed on October 21st at a send-off party in Sydney. Each country will then pack-up the best of its nightlife into a crate for one of the other countries to experience on November 27th.

Submit your ideas and find out how you can be a part of the worldwide party by becoming a fan here.

Jeffrey Lewis & The Junkyard, Oxford Art Factory, Sydney

JEFFREY LEWIS & THE JUNKYARD
WIFEY
LITTLE LOVERS
Oxford Art Factory
10/03/10

The first of two Sydney-based support acts, Little Lovers played upbeat indie rock with an occasional country feel. The trio’s songs were unpretentious and often rather catchy. Wifey’s set was slightly less vivacious but the grown-up melodic tunes were a nicely dreamy way to take the edge off lyrics about frontman Andy Calvert contemplating chopping his penis off.

Three-piece Jeffrey Lewis & The Junkyard (of which Jeffrey’s brother, Jack, is the bassist) took to the stage minus set-list and treated the audience to a hugely entertaining 90 minutes. Purists may scoff at Lewis’ beaten up old guitar and his less than perfect vocal, but they would be missing the point. Disarmingly affable, the New-Yorker was recently described by none other than Jarvis Cocker as “The best lyricist working in the US today,” and he soon set about proving this with a collection of varied songs that ranged from touching to hilarious while always connecting with the audience through everyday truths.

There were punky rock outs and gentler - really wordy - acoustic numbers that showcased his writing talents, as themes of self-doubt, lost love and depression were treated with sincerity and humour. He told fantastical stories about various ways he could commit suicide (while suggesting that Pitchfork would only give his death 3.6 out of 10), played old classics like The Last Time I Did Acid I Went Insane and sang simple ditties about things like moving house (“You’re not sure, but you’re going to claim the blinds were busted like that when you came,”). He even gave a lecture called The Complete History of the Development of Punk Rock on the Lower East Side Of New York City from 1950-1975, which was performed entirely in rhyming couplets interspersed with snippets of covers from the likes of The Velvet Underground and Patti Smith. There were also projected slide-shows set to music, most notably the genuinely interesting history of the legend of Native American, Sitting Bull.

So all this begs the question, why was the venue half empty? No wonder the Sydney live scene is struggling if people won’t part with $25 for a show as inventive, intimate, intelligent and downright feel-good as this. Still, those who were there left happy in the knowledge that they had been in the presence of a genius. And a humble, self-deprecating genius at that.

Sideways Hitchhiker Residency at Oxford Art Factory

Sydney's Sideways Hitchhiker are halfway through a month-long residency at Oxford Art Factory. I checked out one of their shows last week and was treated to a typically vibrant display. Since I last saw them, they have grown from a trio into a four-oh... or a quartet, if you like. The addition of a keyboardist has added further depth to their sound.

If you are in the city in October, swing by Oxford Arts on a Friday night and check them out. There is a different support band each week, and the best thing of all is that it's free to get in. And you can't get more of a bargain than that. Details here.

Newton Faulkner at Oxford Art Factory

NEWTON FAULKNER
ERIN MARSHALL
26/08/09

Through a winning smile, Erin Marshall (pictured below) played a selection of acoustic pop songs from her upcoming EP, Things I Can’t Change. Sometimes breezy, sometimes pensive, but always accessible, Marshall’s tunes are the kind you’d hear on the radio and then find yourself humming for the next couple of days. A perfect example of this was Hard Case To Crack, an insanely infectious swing/jazz/pop number which had the crowd clapping along as she bounced around the stage with her acoustic guitar. Boasting oodles of charisma and a note-perfect and seemingly effortless vocal, big things could lie ahead for this singer/songwriter from Sydney.

Dreadlocked Englishman Newton Faulkner (pictured, top) really knows his way around a guitar. Within seconds of stepping on stage, his hands were flying all over the place in a blur of motion, his fingers crawling up the fret-board like spiders on speed. He drummed beats on the guitar’s body and played a specially adapted pedal-board organ with his shoeless feet. It was mesmerising.
 An affable character, he encouraged crowd participation at every possible juncture, played along to a cassette tape and busted out a mini-guitar for She’s Got The Time and the imaginatively titled follow-up She’s Got The Time 2. However, fun as all this was, his more serious songs were actually his best, like the rousing Dream Catch Me and his take on Massive Attack’s Teardrop. The highlight was his final offering: the stripped-down I’m Not Giving Up Yet from his imminent second album, Rebuilt By Humans. This song served to illustrate the only slightly frustrating aspect of the evening. Simply, for someone who can write a beautiful, meaningful ballad like this and who has such a great vocal, he spends a little bit too much time farting around with things like UFO (“better watch out for the anal probe”). While we might only be scratching the surface of his talent, with a few more songs like his set-closer, and less time spent getting the crowd to sing along as if they were pirates with rabies, Faulkner could really be one of the standout songwriters of his generation.

SoKo - Oxford Art Factory

SOKO
CUTHBERT & THE NIGHTWALKERS
Oxford Art Factory, Sydney 29/12/08

Cuthbert & The Nightwalkers offered more percussion than you could shake a stick at, including melodicas, tambourines, xylophone, cowbell, shakers, finger-clicks and a whistle. With cute female vocals backing the male lead, the Sydney seven-piece sounded like an even more twee version of Belle and Sebastian, if such a thing is possible. While so many bands are all about haircuts and posturing, this bunch of dags are a breath of fresh air; their catchy songs were played with exuberance and a smile, in a performance that was heart-warming and simply brilliant.

Trying to out-cute the support act would prove difficult for most artists, but SoKo, Stephanie Sokolinski to her parents, took the challenge in her stride. “Because of jetlag I will start with a little lullaby,” she said in a tiny French voice before playing a delicate solo number that made everyone in the crowd want to put her in their pocket and take her home. After pausing the set to “do something very important” (light a scented candle and place it on the keyboard), the diminutive French chanteuse was joined by her two-piece band as she cried her way through the heart-breaking, Happy Hippy Birthday. I’m Feeling Shitty Today followed, as she plucked at a ukulele.

It wasn’t all angsty stuff though, and while the slower numbers revealed a raw, Kimya Dawson-esque tenderness, there were plenty of upbeat and silly moments which came closer to Dawson’s previous band, The Moldy Peaches. The 21-year old wore a tiger on her head during I Wanna Look Like a Tiger. I Never Meant To Hurt You saw her bash seven shades out of the drum kit, during Baby Cat she invited the audience to join in for some meowing, while Sweet Peanut Butter was a protest song about convenience stores not stocking her favourite spread. Wet Dreams and radio-favourite, I’ll Kill Her, went down a storm too.

With no set-list to speak of (“We brainstorm after every song,”) it was a ramshackle affair and, after two hours, she eventually said goodbye with I Will Never Love You. While the set was insanely long for an artist who has yet to release an album, there was enough variation to keep it interesting as her style varied from delicate indie to punk/new-wave via country-folk. Ultimately though, it was the sheer charm and charisma of this sweet singer made the evening so utterly enchanting.

Review and pictures by Rob Townsend.

Adam Green - Oxford Art Factory

ADAM GREEN
SONGS
Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst, 16/12/08

Sydney-based Songs opened the evening sounding a bit like The Go Betweens. While the set was slightly too long to retain momentum throughout, the four-piece offered intelligence in their sound and there were some stirring moments, as they carefully built up layers with guitars, keys, drums, bass and male/female vocals.

Backed by a makeshift band including Operator Please’s Chris Holland, Adam Green’s baritone croon sounded delicious during opener Emily. Dressed in a pink leather jacket, skin-tight purple jeans, silver shoes and no shirt, the New Yorker had a maniacal look in his eyes as he danced bizarrely – like a cross between Iggy Pop and a child high from too much soda. Before crowd-surfing his way through Broadcast Beach, he gleefully informed the crowd that, on this, his debut Sydney appearance, he was really, really drunk.

While there were obviously lots of tunes from his latest record, the brevity of Green’s compositions meant he was also able to extensively revisit his back-catalogue. It was a high-energy affair as he rattled off Gemstones and Friends Of Mine, and occasionally he had to bring the tempo down simply to catch a breath. After he embarked on some more crowd-surfing (this time topless, as his jacket had long-since been discarded), the highlight of the night came when he stood alone on stage and performed an acoustic rendition of Mozzarella Swastikas. The cryptic nature of the lyrics were typical of Green’s style: “He fed my dolphin stars/Like you’d put gasoline in cars,” he sang. His band soon rejoined him as he played further tracks from his debut album. Dance With Me got the crowd moving with its suitably jaunty chorus and Baby’s Gonna Die Tonight ended the set with a bang. After an encore which included the nasty No Legs (“There’s no wrong way to fuck a girl with no legs/Just tell her you love her as she’s crawling away”) and crowd-favourite Carolina, Green left the stage looking exhausted.

The show was always fun and occasionally insane, but the craziness on offer shouldn’t detract from the fact that, above anything, Green is a fantastic songwriter who can segue so many musical styles with incredible comfort. It takes some talent to go from a Sinatra-style croon to a post-punk holler all within the same song and make it work. It may have taken this unique artist five albums to make it to Sydney, but it was worth the wait.

Review by Rob Townsend

Does It Offend You, Yeah? at Oxford Art Factory

DOES IT OFFEND YOU, YEAH?
GRAFTON PRIMARY
THE E.L.F.
Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst
01/10/08

Maybe I’m missing something, but I don’t see the appeal of watching a scruffy bloke standing behind a laptop and singing over grating dance music. However, despite having the charisma of a bad wedding DJ, Gerling’s Darren Cross, aka The E.L.F. sure got the kids in the Van She T-shirts dancing. Still, if you’re a Van She fan, you’ll dance to pretty much anything.

Local weirdos Grafton Primary (below) were far more pleasing on the eye and ear. Singer Joshua Garden danced like a spasming robot in a pork pie hat, neckerchief, sleeveless shirt and eyeliner, while his brother Benjamin played some serious keytar and bravely opted for the T-shirt and tie combination. Their deliciously 80s electro was Depeche Mode meets The Human League meets Mighty Boosh’s Future Sailors. And it’s not hard to be entertained by that.

English indie/dance act Does It Offend You, Yeah? (above) soon whipped the crowd into a frenzy even though bassist/vocalist James Rushent was forced to play the gig sitting down. “I broke my leg on stage in L.A.” he told us. “Still, if you’re going to do it anywhere, you might as well do it there.” This prompted chirpy guitarist/vocalist Morgan Quaintance to tell the audience, “And if you’re going to dance, you might as well fucking do it here.” A packed room duly obliged.
Highlights included the surf-punk craziness of Attack Of The 50-Ft Lesbian Octopus and the more subtle indie of Dawn Of The Dead, while the lyrically-banal Let’s Make Out proved to be the singalong anthem of the night. A barnstorming set which surreally included a crowd-surfing appearance from Har Mar Superstar came to a crescendo with We Are Rock Stars and, when the [slightly tiresome] vocodor vocals made way for a banging instrumental chorus, the whole room went nuts.

But the night ended anti-climactically. Despite loud requests from the crowd, the Brits chose not to end with the appropriately-named Epic Last Song, and instead encored with a cover of Devo’s Whip It. While they were perhaps adhering to the notion of leaving the people wanting more, when you only have one album’s worth of material to offer it’s surely a foolhardy decision not to play what is unquestionably your best song, especially when the crowd is literally crying out for it. Did its omission disappoint us? Yeah.

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