1 May 2014
Geelong locals will be all too familiar with the name Michael Stangel. Having grown up around the area, he is one of our biggest success stories. For those other regional readers of Forte, well, Mr Stangel is one of Australia’s biggest record producers, working alongside The Veronicas, Dean Geyer and Shannon Noll, as well as being a contestant on last year’s season of the Channel Nine show, The Voice.
1 May 2014
Last year, acclaimed Melbourne saxophonist Paul Van Ross headed overseas to lay down two albums. In the lead up to the release of the Cuban album, I sat down with Paul to chat about the writing and recording of the new material.
1 May 2014
“The idea came to me when I woke up one morning in Ecuador. I was doing a bit of soul searching and thought wouldn’t it be a great idea to start a market,” she says. “Then I came back and saw that there was a gap in the market. There was no platform for our creatives to get their work out.”
1 May 2014
We feel pretty busy of late. Besides our normal stuff of running and doing gigs, I have also been involved in three separate art exhibitions – two at Outré Galleries (Sydney and Melbourne) and this one coming up at Boom Gallery in Geelong. Besides all that, we have also been spending a lot of time working on our O/S tour which starts this June.
1 May 2014
“I always like to get in the audience’s face a little bit, try and drag them into the joy and the energy which is present in all Jape Squad shows,” says Woody, Jape Squad’s lead vocalist. “With Jape Squad we really like to take the audience on the musical ride.”
1 May 2014
Hunters & Collectors trumpeter Jack Howard is bringing his band, The Ambassadors of Love, to the Anglesea Golf Club on May 24. The performance, part of the venue’s Roo Twilights music series, is a tribute to the songs of songwriting legends Burt Bacharach and Hal David. According to Jack, the Ambassadors of Love arose out of what was intended to be a one-off gig at a St Kilda record shop.
1 May 2014
Robyn Hitchcock is on a bus, riding around the inner streets of Sydney, when I finally get on to him to chat about his upcoming couple of months of touring around Australia. With a couple of special anniversaries celebrated throughout his solo show, Robyn is also teaming up with Steve Kilbey, frontman for seminal ’80s Oz rockers The Church, for a couple of shows.
1 May 2014
They’re the personification of punk rockers of the past: loud, raucous and rude, yet they possess a certain ‘je ne sais quoi’ that we find irresistible. So it’s no great surprise the Drunk Mums have been touted as “one of the best bands coming out of Melbourne” by manager and Cherry Bar owner, James Young.
1 May 2014
“It’s homogenised rap-money bullshit. It just sounds ridiculous to hear an Aussie rapping about how much money they’ve got, because anyone who makes hip hop in Australia knows the financial reality! It doesn’t add up if you’re broke, boasting and bragging about how f*ckin’ baller you are when everyone knows we’re just scraping by.”
1 May 2014
I’m unsure if it’s been said before, but it almost definitely has to be true: “A band that bathes together stays together”. In the case of Melbourne rockers My Echo, and according to a certain Facebook photo, bathing together seems to work for the better. In a stroke of homecoming beauty, the Melbourne-based band will be returning to their hometown of Bendigo to play one of Australia’s favourite festivals, Groovin’ the Moo.
1 May 2014
“After Marc died there was no band and there was never going to be one,” explains Marc’s brother and bassist Todd Hunter. “I did soundtrack work for ten years and at the end of that time I just felt like the songs needed to be played again, and I got a bit lonely for the Dragon songs.”
17 April 2014
As in the world of originals, you need a few things to fall your way if you want to be a successful cover band. Arguably, you need a little more. Playing songs people know and love can be a gamble, as we tend to be protective of songs we hold dear. Wooshka seem to be doing things just right.
17 April 2014
It is steeped in blues music folklore that Robert Johnson sold his soul to the devil at the crossroads in Clarksdale, Mississippi; and on a pilgrimage to the site, Dreamboogie kind of did the same thing. Lucky for them they did, because this allowed them to cheat death after their tour van nearly went off the edge of a cliff whilst on tour in Phillip Island.
17 April 2014
In the digital age where all the bands vie for the top spot on the iTunes or ARIA Chart, it’s easy to forget about older mediums and the days gone by; enjoying an album for its entirety instead of just hitting ‘skip track’ in iTunes. April 19th marks Record Store Day for 2014, which has over the past few years led to a resurgence in vinyl records through special releases and reissues available on the day.
17 April 2014
Starting work in an unfamiliar city may be daunting for some but for Jamie Smith, the new general manager at Courthouse ARTS, it’s a welcome change. “I love the fact that I know a little bit about Geelong but not too much. It’s like an adventure, and that’s why I love travelling so much,” Jamie says. “I’ve moved to cities that I’ve known nothing about, so this feels like another adventure.”
17 April 2014
The name Juan Alban should be one that is all too familiar with the Forte readership. For those unfamiliar with his name though, Alban fronted a little band called Epicure, who was one of the most successful through the 2000s in the Australian music scene. Last year Alban released his debut solo record entitled Dr Pelican on Holiday!, and if you remember reading the review for it, I said that it was a cracking acoustic and relaxing listen.
17 April 2014
Laura Palmer is a band built on a love for Twin Peaks, strong songwriting, and badass pop/punk. Since forming in mid-2013, the band has slowly built a platform of touring extensively in support of the likes of Snuff, Off with Their Heads and Paper Arms. I spoke to lead guitarist/singer Niam about the upcoming tour with the USA’s The Slow Death and the release of their forthcoming EP.
17 April 2014
There is sure to be the odd reader out there who has imagined themselves as a rock star. While some may only live the dream within their imagination, others set out to make things a reality. We had the great pleasure to sit down with Jesse Thorson, a guy who certainly falls into the latter category.
17 April 2014
Ash Grunwald has been a busy man: two albums in the past two and a half years, recording and touring with two thirds of The Living End, and playing gigs in Canada, around Australia and soon in the USA – a very hectic schedule for a man who considers himself “lazy”.
17 April 2014
Australia’s Got Talent sensation Justice Crew is coming to Geelong as part of their national #HYPETOUR. The dance troupe’s recent successes include their platinum singles ‘Boom Boom’, ‘Best Night’ and ‘Everybody’, two previous nationwide tours, and representing Australia at the ABU TV Song Festival in Vietnam last year. Founding member Len Pearce says their music is intended to make people feel good about themselves.
17 April 2014
These days few albums stand the test of time, particularity those pigeonholed as mainstream punk/hardcore. Then along comes PAGE AVENUE: 10 Years and Counting, the “re-imagining” of SOTY’s 2003 breakthrough release, and suddenly anything is possible.
17 April 2014
Since being unearthed by triple j in 2010, they have gone on to become one of the biggest names all over the world. Infamous for their blissful five-part vocal harmonies and their relaxed acoustic vibes, Boy & Bear have over the years woven their music into the hearts of Australia. On the back of the release of their sophomore album, Harlequin Dream (2013), they are touring around the country and stopping off in several regional centres along the way. Although he’s been in the band for a good 18 months, bass player Dave Symes is still the new kid on the block, as I found out.
3 April 2014
30 years on since forming, Strange Tenants are still regarded as the godfathers of Australian ska. In addition to that, they are the most recorded ska band of all time – and they are headed down this way to play at the Ocean Grove Festivus on Saturday, April 12. The music scene has changed a hell of a lot since the ’80s, and although they aren’t playing six nights a week anymore, Strange Tenants are still enjoying playing music together.
3 April 2014
First rising to prominence with his band Not Drowning, Waving in the 1980s, David Bridie has over the years become the real deal. Together with his band, My Friend the Chocolate Cake, as well as his solo work, he is one of the most regarded musicians in the Australian scene. Last year, he released his fourth solo studio album Wake and has been touring on the back of that since.
