Out and About

What’s inside:
4 Blank Expression
5 RAW Youth Art Exhibition
6 Q & A Time with Ruteger
8 A Tale from Lair of the Twisted Kitten
9 Show us your RIFFS!
10 Laura Imbruglia
11 Reverse Engineers: Chip Music
12 Diaries from the Road: Violethands
13 The Spectrum Guide
14 Out and About
15 A Vine Most Golden
16 Live Reviews
17 Unnamed Feeling
18 Movie Manic
19 Local & Live gig guide
Who made it:
Editor: Claire R Dulloo
Contributors: Rhett Butler, Korshi Dosoo, Claire R Dulloo, Em Faulkner, Steven Johnson, Edward Jones,
olegvolk.net and Violethands.
Our cover stars:
Blank Expression
Cover designed by:
daleharris @ channel42
Who we’d like to thank:
Nadia, Lizzie, Margaret & all the staff at CD&E, Marianne & the BAA, Davels, Em, Rebecca Sutton, Kane,
Shannon, Kit Marlowe, Agey, Dave & Lucas [OzClick], Col, Laura, Bridget & Tash, Leonie & family, Amanda
Keller, Ed & Bill, Chris Martin, Timmah, Dale and the makers of Google. And a Happy Birthday to the twins.
Copyright © 2004 by Vample Publishing.
Opinions published in Spectrum are not necessarily those of City Greater of Bendigo Cultural Development and Events.
No material in this publication may be reproduced without permission. Or else! Thankyou for choosing Spectrum. Have a nice day.
www.vamplepublishing.com
2
Email of the Month:
Dear Spectrum,
Firstly I’d like to say thanks for bringing this magazine back to print.
I used to look forward to reading it when it was around a couple
of years ago. Is it possible to have it in a few more stores in suburbs
outside of the CBD? I was hoping you could do an interview with
John Butler who is touring here soon. John Butler Trio is a great
Aussie group and this tour is helping to raise funds for refugees.
Thanks for making the bus ride home a little less mundane.
J. O’Hara
Dr J Butler, no relation (that we know
of) to musician John Butler.
Thanks for your feedback, J. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get an interview at the last
minute with JB. I did, however, get to speak to another John Butler, one Bio-technician
of Calaveras County, USA. He couldn’t offer any comments on the current rise in the
popularity of blues and roots music, but he did tell me a heck of a lot of interesting
things about the extraction, amplification, and sequencing of mitochondrial DNA from
human hair shafts.
With the inspirational Ben Harper and Jack Johnson leading the way, blues and roots
music and surf rock is taking off in a big way in the Australian mainstream and alt
scene. Although some may find it hard to tell the difference between Pete Murray,
Xavier Rudd, The Beautiful Girls or Donovan Frankenreiter, these artists have solid
talent and are going from strength to strength. And JBT is no exception. Last month
the trio became the first independent act ever to have an album debut at number one
in Australia.
JBT are doing a tour of the nation with focus on regional towns. Butler, well known for
his catchy tunes influenced by his strong political views, is donating $1 of every ticket
to the Refugee Action Coalition. Any JBT gig is sure to be a huge event with Butler
saying that fans can ‘expect about two and a half hours of music…ranging from very
mellow to extremely intense.’
It will be an all ages event, so show your support and bring your Nan along for
a memorable night. Held at the Schweppes Centre in Marong Road, JBT will be
supported by the soulful and melodic Tommee [www.tommeemusic.com]
See our gig guide on Page 19 for more details.
As for having more copies of Spectrum further a field, we try to
get as many to the outer suburbs as possible and always
appreciate any offers of help with distribution.
-Ed.
3
Blending through a powerful mix
of nu metal, melodic hardcore and
hard rock, Blank Expression (BE)
is definitely something that’s sought
after by the ears of many. Forming
in late 2001, the band played some
original tunes during school lunches
and not too long after they started
performing live. They have supported
the likes of Blood Duster, Bluebottle
Kiss, Motorace and Antiskeptic and
Sender.
BE were runners-up in the Blue Light
Battle of the Bands Competition in
2003. Other notable achievements
include performing at Chips n Gravy
(2002), being one of nine bands
to record two songs for the 2002/
2003 Bendigo Bands BRIT CD, and
participating in the 2002/2003 Koori
Careers Information Day. BE selffunded their first self-titled six track
demo CD in early 2003. Recorded in
their own shed, the demo sold over
120 copies in three months.
Full Bled Circle is BE’s self-funded
debut EP which showcases seven
of the band’s newest tracks from
mid to late 2003. The EP was coproduced, recorded & engineered
by Liam Brewer at Gary Dewar
Studios, Bendigo. It was also
mixed by Liam Brewer at Fluid
Audio in Strathfieldsaye (Victoria)
and professionally mastered and
manufactured in Melbourne with
graphic design by daleharris @
Channel42.
Fresh from finishing their final year of
secondary education, they are ready
to bring their music to the next level.
With all members of the band citing
4
different influences, their inspiration
comes mainly from artists such as
Marilyn Manson, Muse, American
Head Charge, Rammstein, Faith no
More, Korn and Static X. Late 2002
saw Blank Expression writing new
and improved material and now the
lads have many new originals ready
to bleed the ears of their fans.
The main goal of the band now is to
play as many gigs as possible. BE
want to reach as many audiences
as they can and promote themselves
Australia-wide. Their dedication,
professionalism
and
energetic
live shows will take them far. Most
recently the band wowed audiences
at the Dahlia & Arts Festival in March
and at the Easter FREEZA show,
which also featured local acts Of
Anaesthesia and Ermintrude, with
Epicure as headliners.
Full Bled Circle is available now at
local music stores in Bendigo and at
BE live shows.
Contact:
www.blankexpression.org
blank_xpression@hotmail.com
www.mp3.com.au/blankexpression
[0417 517 525 - Kane]
See a live review of BE on page 16
Lucinda Scott’s Black Alley Question
Mark (Photograph)
RAW YOUTH
ART EXHIBITION
DUDLEY HOUSE
2004
A CD&E initiative, the RAW Youth Arts Competition unearthed some fantastic talent. Open to
contestants between 14-26 years, the competition winner received $1000 from the Greater City
of Bendigo. The pieces were then exhibited for a week at View Street’s Dudley House.
Spectator by Benjamin Wallis (Acrylic)
Winning piece: Spiral (Ceramic)
by Carly Day
5
Local favourites, Ruteger have a new album ready to unleash on the public. The eleven-track
Formation of Flight will be released worldwide on May 3rd on their own label, Robot Records. It
will be distributed in Australia & New Zealand by MGM. I caught up with lead singer, Shannon
Wakefield, to get the low-down on the up and coming release.
C: What can fans expect from the upcoming release Formation of Flight?
S: This record is 110% better then anything else we have released. It has an anti-love sentiment
that will remain with anyone who listens to it.
C: What have been some of the challenges setting up your own record label, Robot Records?
S: No challenges, just the fact it’s all 100% funded by the members of the band and doesn’t
leave much cash for mass media advertising.
C: Do you ever re-invent yourselves in regards to
image or for publicity’s sake?
S: We do think of image to some degree—we make
sure we have no logos on T-shirts in photo shoots or
videos. I think you need to look good on stage—not
just wear everyday clothes; it adds to the performance
and the ladies seem to appreciate a man who’s taking
care of himself with some nice threads.
“You just need a good product and
to believe in yourself and work
hard with self-promotion”
www.ruteger.com.au
C: How long did the recording process take?
S: The album was done bit by bit when we had the cash—starting in June 2002. Three weeks in
total were spent on the recording and mixing. I’m really looking forward to doing album number
three in winter of this year.
C: Do all of the band members have other day jobs?
S: Gav, the drummer is a music teacher—kind of like Bendigo’s John Foreman, but for the kids.
Josh, our guitarist is at uni studying proctology and is also a fledging guitar teacher. Jamie the
bassist is currently testing beds at Forty Winks for durability. I myself am currently working with
disadvantaged people and writing music.
C: Who writes most of the material?
S: I write all the songs! I arrange them before I take them to the guys. Most of the time I demo
them a few times then Jamie, Josh and I get together and work out a second guitar part. From
there, Jamie works out some bass. Then we get together with Gav and work out the drums.
6
C: How have you found the Melbourne live music scene compared to the local scene?
S: I like playing in Bendigo because I like being able to dump my gear at home after a gig and
still go out, which you can’t do in Melbourne. I think in Bendigo artists need to support other
bands by attending their shows. It helps to keep the original live music scene in Bendigo alive.
C: Have you ever had stage fright?
S: For the first three or four years I had really bad anxiety before a show. I still get really nervous
playing gigs. I just get half-cut before a show and also have a shitload of energy drinks.
C: Have you ever pictured an audience naked or appeared naked on
stage?
S: No, but they should have a big naked party at our upcoming CD launch.
I have played in my underwear and in PJs a few times. Maybe one day we
will perform a Chilli Peppers cover and ‘dress’ like them on stage.
C: Rumour has it you will be starring on Neighbours. Is acting a sideline
career for you?
S: I am also going to be doing modelling in the next Harris Scarfe
catalogue.
Yeah, I taught myself how to act by watching the test pilot of the new Friends spin-off show,
Joey.
C: Does Dr. Karl Kennedy intimidate you?
S: No coz I’m taller than him and younger and I can whip his arse at a game of Twister.
C: Who are some of your influences and whom would you love to share the stage with?
S: Some of the bands that have influenced my songwriting are: Beach Boys, You Am I, Weezer,
Foo Fighters, The Beatles, R.E.M, Jimi Hendrix, U2, Buffalo Tom, Flaming Lips, AC/DC & Ryan
Adams. I’d love to play with the Foo Fighters coz they would be down to earth and they f***ing
rock!
C: What’s the attitude of industry reps and city punters when they learn you are from a regional
town?
S: No different, if anything they are a bit naïve. They ask if we are the only band from Bendigo.
Here we have one the most exciting musical scenes in Australia with heaps of refreshing young
acts and well-established ones.
C: Is it hard for Bendigo bands to get noticed on a national scale? How did you go about
attracting attention for Ruteger?
S: Not really; you just need a good product and to believe in yourself and work hard with selfpromotion. Ruteger got noticed because my step-dad is Rupert Murdoch.
C: Can I have your autograph?
S: Would you like my bank account details also?
Ruteger’s album launch: April 8 at the Golden Vine, 9pm $5 Guests: Bohdan Dower
(Sender) & Skip (Ethanol).
Melbourne launch: June 12th at the Duke of Windsor Hotel with support from Vantage
& The Forgotten Ways.
7
8
www.lairofthetwistedkitten.co.uk
lair of the
twisted
kitten
a
tale from
Show Us Your Riffs!
Liz Phair has been accused of selling out.
Britney is trying desperately to stay in the game.
Jewel has left her musical roots in favour of a
Cleavage & Hipster Barbie
Let-it-all-go Di Franco
twist on mainstream pop, with a subtle dose
of sarcasm and irony, that few are picking up on. And Michelle Branch just appeared ‘sans
clothing’ in Maximum magazine.
Just when did our music industry (or perhaps the credible female artists themselves) decide
that the way to sell albums was to sex it up and strip off? How about those who have changed
their views entirely, what does this do to their credibility? Can you imagine if Ani DiFranco had
packed up her label and signed up with a major? It may just have been the death of her everblossoming career. And yet, people who have shunned the mainstream market for years, have
suddenly yielded to the pressure under the guise of empowering themselves sexually.
It may ring true coming from the likes of Peaches, but she’s always been questioning what is
and what isn’t acceptable for women from day one. There’s no doubt that the Alison Mossharts
(The Kills) and the Karen Os (Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs) of this world exert a sexual energy when
performing that is truly alluring. But they don’t strip off and their reputations remain untainted.
For the most part, coming from people who have previously looked down on selling your look
to sell albums this constant babbling about sexual empowerment of women is a little hard
to swallow. Ever since Fiona Horn posed for Tongue magazine it has become increasingly
obvious that cheap gimmicks are supposed to sell more records or books, than superlative
writing and outstanding art or music. Talent and passion in these professions has taken a
backseat to aesthetics and marketing. Yet, I see long-term fans being completely stunned
and appalled. Going over the top with the sexual antics and flaunting wealth doesn’t seem to
have helped flailing artists such as the young Britney Spears with album sales. Despite all the
glitz, glamour and the ever-shortening length of their shirts and skirts they have yet to gain the
respect their predecessors were able to accumulate. In Britney’s case, I would make mention
of Janet Jackson as someone who is both a good performer and singer, but alas she too has
recently fallen victim to the same marketing ploys. Little Miss Spears should be rehearsing
her singing instead of gushing over and trying to emulate the likes of Madonna. Britney, who
despite constant effort, has done next to nothing to boost her career.
The thing about art is, that once it is created, it is left entirely to interpretation. If people view
your art and see something entirely different to what you intended, then you have to be ready to
defend your art and you have to be prepared for the backlash.
A change will do you good, intuition may lead you in the right direction, but
just be careful that it’s somewhere you want to go. Nobody wants his or her
career to be distilled down to that one tiny but powerful phrase: sell-out.
Em Faulkner
Agree? Disagree? Conspiracy theories?
Then email: haveyouseenmelately?@blamlan.com
Alison ‘Messhair’
Mosshart
9
Watch Out For….
Songs about cicadas, anarchist vegans, msn love, first
boyfriends and not being gay. This is Laura Imbruglia,
quirky folk/punk/pop heroine. I saw Laura supporting
Tegan & Sara at the Corner Hotel last year. So I did
what I always do when I’ve found an artist that appeals
to me. I hassled management until they agreed to let me
do an interview. But Laura, a 20-something Sydney-sider, was happy to chat and answer
all the questions I had about her music, favourite foods and how highly she rates herself
as a geek!
Laura picked up a guitar in year nine and hasn’t put one down since. Back then she was
inspired by Nirvana—had a scary obsession with them, in fact. She admits to being a
lover of musicals growing up (Annie in particular) and unfortunately, Boyz II Men. Laura
has supported such acts as Tenacious D, The Eels, Tegan & Sara, Alex Lloyd, Jodi Phillis,
Skulker, Big Heavy Stuff and Machine Translations. She also boasts a healthy obsession
for Queen and is a huge fan of the Melbourne label Candle Records (showcasing bands
like The Lucksmiths and Darren Hanlon). She also told me she’d love to play live with
Bright Eyes and Queen (if only dear Freddie was still with us). Laura has had a lot of
support from Sydney radio station FBI and has a growing dedicated fan base all over the
nation. She proudly rates herself as being 8/10 in the geek stakes.
Laura’s debut EP It Makes a Crunchy Noise is a collection of six memorable pop-folk
tunes. You’ll have to listen to them more than once, even if just to make sure you heard
the lyrics right the first time! Recorded and produced by Candle Records’ Tim Oxley, the
EP is available through her own label Ready Freddie Records. Laura hopes to have a new
album out in mid-late 2004. Her favourite song of her own at the moment is one called
Home Sweet Home. She has written nearly an album’s worth of material for her next
release. She is currently looking for
someone who can hit the skins like
a pro as she forms a band to back
up her unique style. Laura’s future
aspirations include improving her
songwriting and diversifying her
music.
Check
out
her
delicious
website:
www.lauraimbruglia.com
10
THE REVERSE
ENGINEERS
Loscha and James Earthenware are no strangers to doing strange things. By this I mean
sampling all sorts of odd noises and chucking them into a variable melting pot of audio
delights. Says Loscha of the 2-man noise-crunching machine, ‘It’s been a whirlwind ride.
Since the airing of the story on us on the ABC’s Mondo Thingo we have had lots of attention,
which has been great. We’ve been doing heaps more gigs, and the fan base is growing. There
are more and more familiar faces at each show.’
The Reverse Engineers are practitioners of Chip Music, implementing and modifying Obsolete
Technology to suit their own evil purposes. ‘If it doesn’t sound cool enough or it’s too
normal’, Earthenware instructs, ‘you just pull it apart, poke around with wires and solder
in a few extra switches.’ If it’s mathematical, involves electronics and sounds good then
it’s sure to turn these two on.
The Reverse Engineers feature regularly at Fitzroy’s
Kent St Café (oddly not located in Kent St, but in
Smith St) and at the Good Morning Captain in
Collingwood. They have even been known to
entertain the ears of audiences at Bendigo’s
own Undue Noise. This is where the boys met
a year ago and they’ve been jamming ever since.
Located in different cities, these jams often
happen over the phone.
When not being bummed out about not having girlfriends, the
guys love playing
their huge collection of Casio and Yamaha gear, as well as some
of the strange and rare
oddities in their possession. ‘The UniSynth is irreplaceable and a major part of our sound,’
says Earthenware, ‘I am spending hundreds of dollars on a flight case for it, so it doesn’t get
wrecked.’
‘We hope to use our first record
advance on getting laser
treatment so we won’t ever
have to shave our faces again’
In discussing the equipment collection with the duo I
quickly found out that redundancy is the name of the
game. Many small Casios are in flocks covering the
floor. ‘We own a few VL-1s, two VL-5s, two Mattel
Synsonics drum machines. If anyone out there has
anything they wish to donate, please get in touch,
we’d love to give your old stuff a loving home.’
If experimental music is your kind of ear candy then check these guys out at BarOpen in
Fitzroy on Sunday, 30th May.
Goals for The Reverse Engineers: to have enough money to buy all the Casio keyboards from
EBay…all of them!
:. ask questions .:
Email: reveng@tpg.com.au
:. donate your old tech .:
11
Diaries from The Road:
Violethands at the Port Fairy Folk Festival
2004
Dear Diary (i.e. Spectrum readers!),
Playing at Port Fairy Folk Festival was something the band had been looking forward
to for awhile. Port Fairy hosts one of the biggest festivals in Australia attracting about
60,000 people over the long weekend in March. I must say we were a little excited!
After leaving Bendigo at about 11am Friday we arrived in Port Fairy late afternoon.
Our first gig was at 7pm at the Fiddlers Green, in the middle of town. Despite the whipping wind
and sporadic splashes of rain, we had a surprisingly
good turnout for our 90min set. Even the tattooed
heckler with the Rottweiler seemed to enjoy the
show and made it memorable for us. It was great
to see a few familiar faces amongst the crowd.
Our first night camping was certainly a wet one.
It was surprising to see the band members up
so early the next day. Our thanks goes out to
the group next to us for keeping everyone awake
until 4 in the morning...which was OK because
we did the same to them the following night!!
After studying the program we each wandered our separate ways, having our own unique festival
experience. Gypsy met Kevin Bennet from The Flood and was rather overjoyed. One thing about
this Folk Festival compared to other events is the size. Huge marquees, loads of people, heaps of
food and long lines to match! The crowds are fantastic, I must say, very supportive and appreciative.
After a day exploring on Saturday we met up at the Railway Stage for another cold, wet
outdoor gig. It was still a good turnout, which was great. Sunday we played indoors at
the community centre, which was our favourite gig. Great crowd, great sound and great
lights! Tash had an unfortunate experience with the surprise discovery of a rather large and
naked man blatantly displaying himself in the wrong place at the wrong time. Something
she believes she’ll never recover from, and something the rest of us found quite amusing.
Having played three out of four gigs, the girls decided to take themselves on a trip to the beach.
With a few chairs and a couple of drinks packed, it was a good wind down. Monday saw us
play our final gig at The Lighthouse Café, again to a great audience. Overall, we each came
away with some good memories and highlights and are looking forward to playing there again!
Bridget & Tash xox
12
The Spectrum Guide to Famous Figures Throughout
History
Names to drop during perspicacious conversations
Karl Marx
German philosopher, economist, and revolutionary. With the help
and support of Friedrich Engels he wrote The Communist Manifesto
(1848) and Das Kapital (1867-1894). These works explain historical
development in terms of the interaction of contradictory economic
forces, form the basis of all communist theory, and have had a profound
influence on the social sciences. Famous for Duck Soup, afraid of
using a razor blade and not so famous for his abuse of the bottle and bad bow ties.
Lenin
Russian founder of the Bolsheviks, leader of the Russian Revolution (1917),
and first head of the USSR (1917-1924). As a communist theoretician Lenin
held that workers could not develop a revolutionary consciousness without
the guidance of a vanguard party and that imperialism was a particular
stage of capitalist development. Had a best friend by the name of Paul,
who couldn’t come to terms with Lenin’s second marriage, thus becoming insanely
jealous. They had ‘artistic differences’ and Lenin was stabbed in the back. Frequently.
Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche
German philosopher who reasoned that Christianity’s emphasis on the
afterlife makes its believers less able to cope with earthly life. Creator
of Superman (Übermensch), he believed that a man such as this
would be able to channel passions creatively instead of suppressing
them. Nietzsche liked wearing lots of black and was known to be a
bit of a metal fan. Famous for the quote ‘The earth has a skin and that
skin has diseases, one of those diseases is man.’ Rather a cheerful chap, all round.
Andy Warhol
Born Andrew Warhola, this American artist and filmaker was the
leader of the pop art movement. He produced paintings and silkscreen prints of commonplace images, such as soup cans and
photographs of celebrities. Some believe he is overrated, while
some others base their life’s ambition on trying to emulate him.
Had a truly horrible haircut that made it easy to replicate into
a wig for David Bowie to portray the artist in the film Basquiat.
13
Out and About...
The boys from Firing Line, supporting Sender at the Golden Vine,
March ‘04.
Angelic Voice: Juan, Epicure’s lead singer.
Albert from The Strokes at The Palais.
Photograph by Steven Johnson.
14
A
Vine
Most
Golden
The Golden Vine. Not so much of a golden tint and not a vine in sight.
It’s not false advertising—it’s Bendigo’s premier venue for showcasing local
bands.
But where do I start to describe the transformation that has come over one of
Bendigo’s favourite watering holes? It’s more than just a pub? There’s nothing
like a hard earned thirst? A place where everyone knows your name? (If that’s
the case they’ll now know who nicked those Epicure and Ash Grunwald
posters from the walls after each gig!)
The new management at the Myrtle Street hotel is superb. Not only are Leonie
and family keeping the live music scene going, but they are all so friendly and
the place definitely has a family feel.
Every Tuesday evening is Jam Night—a chance for everybody who’s a nobody
or even a somebody to show off their talent. The atmosphere is relaxed and a
great way to get heard if you are an aspiring muso. But get in there early to
get a seat as it can get pretty busy!
Various acts from local to national scale are featured at the Vine each week.
Coming up is the legendary Chris Wilson, with support from talented
Bendigonians Tyson Hodges Trio (aka TH3). Local favourites such as Sender,
Ruteger, Violethands, McAlpine’s Fusiliers, voicepopfoible, Firing Line, The
Violet Protocols and Ethanol feature regularly.
So come on down and meet the staff. There are
no underage gigs, so bring a parent if you want
to see a band. And if you tell them that I sent
you, you may just be politely declined a free
drink.
Cheers!
{keep your eye on our gig guide for gigs on at the Vine}
Mid-strum: Mr. Brown from
McAlpine’s Fusiliers
15
O P E T H
Live Review
by David Tuite
Saturday 27th March
Corner Hotel,
Richmond.
Ahh, Sweden—the
home of so many fine metal bands. High on
that list is four-piece black metal gods Opeth.
Smoke was reflected from the coloured lights
on an otherwise black stage. The air was
stagnant with the smell of beer, sweat and
cigarettes as I rubbed shoulders with sweaty
metal heads with long hair and dreads. Then
the band came out, uplifting the crowd, which
roared approval and bore the left hand of Satan.
The lead singer Mikael, was great at interacting
with the crowd, and everyone started chanting.
Opeth played along to our encouragement with
much enthusiasm.
The play list included To Bid You Farewell,
Deliverance and The Drapery Falls—all the
biggest crowd pleasers. The vocals were clear
and the guitar sounded awesome, although the
stage wasn’t high enough to see the guitars or
the drummer. The only encore was Blackwater
Park. The bass guitar was magnificent and
technical with every riff sounding clean and
mixed fantastically. Both guitars played in
harmony and perfect tuning. Drumming was
awesomely timed with clean double bass,
which was played in sync with a strobe light to
add to the effect.
The whole atmosphere at the gig was a sociable
one. Security guards, bar staff and metal heads
alike were enjoying what the night had to offer.
Some heavy moshing took place in the crowd
at the front, which made it painful to get caught
up in. To prevent injury and enjoy the music
I suggest finding a place in the middle of the
venue (it helps if you are tall, too!) Earplugs are
also highly recommended at any metal gig.
Opeth spoke of writing a new album and
touring again here sometime, which I look
forward to immensely. Although there does
need to be better ventilation at the venue (and
it couldn’t hurt to have the stage a little higher)
I gave the concert a 9/10.
16
blank expression:
live at the lake
Perhaps I’m getting old
(OK, I know I am) and I
think a metal gig is the
perfect test to see if you are getting a
little long in the tooth. Loud eardrumbursting music, moshing, the fear your
Gucci wallet will somehow fall out of your
pocket and be forever lost in a crowd
of dust and sweat… I’m the first one to
admit I’m not the usual candidate for a
live metal gig. But I had heard it on good
authority that the band Blank Expression
had great stage presence. Curious, and
with camera in hand, I headed out to
Eaglehawk’s Dahlia & Arts Festival band
night at Lake Neanger. I always enjoy
checking out local bands and this line-up
was promising to be highly entertaining.
A freezing cold wind whipped around
the lake and I found myself surrounded
by crowds of wind-blown teenagers all
waiting for the next act to start.
The boys burst onto the stage and into
their set with rigour and the enthusiastic
energy that fans have come to expect
from a live BE show. From the first song
they had the front rows moshing and the
whole audience was engaged as lead
singer Kane gave the performance all
his effort. Adding to the atmosphere was
bassist/keyboardist
James—complete
with war paint-style on his bare chest,
arms and face. The band seemed to be
having as equally good time as the crowd.
The gig launched their self-titled EP, Full
Bled Circle, which includes songs that
many fans there already knew and were
singing along to. The group had a core
group of fans present, proudly wearing
their Blank t-shirts and trucker caps.
For something fun and truly memorable,
catch Blank Expression soon at one of
their live shows.
Louis Claveria won Metallica’s exclusive Australian competition
to design CD art for their single, The Unnamed Feeling.
web: http://home.iprimus.com.au/mik
email: lvc80@hotmail.com
17
The Butterfly Effect
Goodbye Lenin!
The overbearingly hyperactive Ashton Kutcher,
who is a household name now thanks to his
Anna-Nicole-Smithesque relationship with
Demi Moore, has made the big leap from
comedy to drama with his first serious role in
the psychological drama The Butterfly Effect.
The movie’s title is derived
from the famous chaos-theory
which suggests that the flapping
of a butterfly’s wings on one
side of the world might trigger
a hurricane on the other. This
flick is about time-travel and the
ramifications of cause and effect;
however, unlike many tame and
glitzy films of the same genre (like the Back to
the Future trilogy), its subject matter is dark and
somewhat disturbing.
Are you, like me, wary of the term
‘German Comedy’? Well don’t be put off
because Goodbye Lenin!
is as heartwarming as it is clever and amusing.
Kutcher plays Evan Treborn, a twenty-year-old
college student haunted by regret. He’s suffered
more than his fair share of childhood traumas;
some so nasty they led to blackouts when he
was younger. Evan discovers that he has the
ability to go back in time - to pivotal points in his
childhood - and potentially change them.
Written and directed by the same duo that
helmed the wickedly inventive Final Destination
2, The Butterfly Effect is a compelling, edgy
and visually stunning genre piece that lingers
in the mind long after viewing. The entire cast
delivers good performances, and although
he’s not brilliant in the role, Kutcher’s transition
from comedy to drama is quite smooth, as he
portrays Evan with a great amount of maturity
and control. Hopefully, in future films, we’ll see
more of this serious side to Kutcher, because I
for one can only handle so much of his regular
Punk’d boisterousness.
Rhett Butler
You can read the full version of this review at:
www.vamplepublishing.com
Click on Spectrum Street Press to access the issue
archives.
It’s 1989 and Alex’s proud socialist mother
has fallen into a coma. When she awakes,
an elaborate scheme concocted by Alex
prevents her from finding out that Lenin and
Communism didn’t win. After her post heart
attack coma, Alex is told any major shock
may kill his mother so he tries everything
he can to protect her from the truth: the
fall of the Berlin Wall and the introduction
of western capitalism into Germany.
Daniel Bruhl gives a moving performance as
Alex, a boy desperately trying to preserve his
mother’s health while also trying to recreate
the strong, confident woman she once was.
His mother, played by Katrin Sass, is very
convincing in making us believe the illusion
that director Wolfgang Becker (Children’s
Games, Life is All You Get) creates.
Based on the book by Bernd Lichtenberg,
the characters are so well written that
it is easy to identify with each of them.
One memorable scene is
when the mother glances out
the window of their apartment
and sees a gigantic CocaCola sign and asks ‘What’s
that?’
Thus
follows
a
hilarious scene, in which
Alex and his friend create fake news footage
revealing that the recipe for the infamous
cola was in fact a socialist invention,
stolen from the East Germans by the west.
Overall, Goodbye Lenin! is a quirky,
witty drama that confronts political
ideas and social change, and ends up
being a somewhat sad, story of love.
[CRD]
Showing at the Star Cinema
www.sonyclassics.com/goodbye
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April 8th
Ruteger Album Launch – Golden Vine
April 9th
Lacquer – Hopetoun Hotel
L
O
C
A
L
A
N
D
April 25th
Undue Noise – 8pm – Old Fire Station
Apr 30th
Violet Protocols w/ Retro Dog – Hopetoun Hotel
May 1st
voicepopfoible CD launch w/ Junior (SA) – Golden Vine
May 7th
Blank Expression, eyeleveleye & Repture (Melb) – Hopetoun Hotel
Ethanol – Black Swan Hotel
May 8th
Ethanol – Golden Vine
May 14th
Violethands – Golden Vine
May 15th
Sender EP launch w/ Resident – Golden Vine
May 16th
Of Anaesthesia – Revolver
L
I
V
E
RAW Youth Art
Exhibition Dudley
House View St
Until April 4th
May 21st
John Butler Trio – Schweppes Centre, Bendigo
Tix on sale April 23rd from box office: 5440 6200
Atisha Buddhist
Centre Open Day
Sunday, May 23rd
May 22nd
Ruteger – Golden Vine
May 30th
Reverse Engineers and CasioNova – BarOpen, Fitzroy
June 3rd
Violet
Protocols CD launch – w/ Shannon (Ruteger) Golden Vine
June 4th
Chris Wilson w/ Tyson Hodges Trio – Golden Vine
If you have any gigs you want listed email spectrum@blamlan.com
Or drop off a flier at CD&E next to the Bendigo library.
19
spectrum@blamlan.com
www.vamplepublishing.com
p.o. box 436
bendigo 3552