It’s hard to explain exactly what you’ll experience when ARIA award winning a cappella quartet The Idea Of North perform at this year’s Noosa Jazz Festival, but an experience it’s guaranteed to be.
“There’s one thing to sing in a group and there’s another thing to sing in an a cappella group where we face the challenge of covering for the musicians that aren’t there,” the quartet’s soprano Sally Cameron says.
The quartet that James Morrison refers to as ‘the best contemporary a cappella group in the country’ are known for their distinct sound and style which crosses the genres of jazz, folk, gospel, pop, classical and comedy – performed entirely without instruments but with a little bit of vocal percussion thrown in for good measure.
“This brings benefits and difficulties, as sometimes we emulate musician’s sounds, our bass singer being a vocal percussionist who provides a bass line and rhythm. Then there are times we don’t do any percussive sounds at all and it’s just the straight four voices, which requires impeccable tuning and an excellent sense of time.”
Although their studio records have been hugely successful, Sally believes the real magic happens when the four voices take to the stage and confront a live audience.
“People tell us it’s quite different seeing us live and hearing our music on our albums as we do quite a lot of comedy numbers, and the banter we have between each other is a very big part of the show, which of course you don’t get in the recording.”
The story of The Idea Of North started in 1993 when the four original members, students from the Canberra School of Music (ANU) befriended each other and started jamming for friends and family, the requests for songs growing exponentially over the years.
“There came a time when their soprano was going to move to Sydney so they decided to record the music that they had learned together as a kind of keepsake and it turned out to be the first of 10 albums that TIOF have made,” Sally explains.
In 1998 the friends transformed their hobby into a full time gig, proving a good move as their audiences grew and a new era of international invitations, festivals and chart success was ushered in.
“We won the ARIA for ‘Best Jazz Album’ in 2010 for our seventh album ‘Feels Like Spring’ which definitely had to be a highlight which none of us really saw coming. It was really, really special to be recognised in that way because we work really hard to get good results.”
‘Feels Like Spring’ was a collaboration with their longtime friend and mentor James Morrison, who the quartet consider to be their honorary fifth member.
“He’s actually been there since quite early on in the group’s formation, so he’s definitely been a big part of the evolution of TIOF, having played on three of our albums. We’ve performed live together and guested on his albums. He’s such a great mentor who we go to regularly for advice because he knows so much about the world of entertainment and about music.”
The group’s tenth studio album, ‘Smile’, will be released this month, allowing a small window for fans to familiarise themselves with the new repertoire before TIOF perform in Noosa for the Jazz Festival.
“We usually write our set list on the day, but we will be doing a range of some of our newer tunes, some of our fresh stuff and some tunes that have been with us for almost all of our 20 years. We’ve done Noosa Jazz Festival before so we know what to expect. The locals love their jazz and it attracts jazz lovers from all over Australia, so we will try to keep everyone’s interest level up throughout the show.”
According to Sally, the business of a cappella is booming, with interest in the style starting from a younger age then witnessed ten years ago.
“To be honest I think this is probably partly because of music reality shows and shows like ‘Glee’ which are really helpful for young kids getting into it and people seeing it as a legitimate career. There are so many more groups now and we are really happy to be a part of educating the next generation of a cappella singers in Australia.”
The Idea Of North Perform at The Noosa Jazz Festival August 31. ‘Smile’ will be released August 16.
It’s become somewhat of a tradition for Australia’s biggest winter festival to wildly underestimate the pulling power of certain rising acts, choosing to allocate a mid-afternoon tent slot to a band that could pack out the main stage in primetime.
This year the distinction went to Snakadaktal, who on the eve of their debut album’s release, managed to flood Splendour In Grass’s GW McLennan tent with a cavalcade of eager punters on the final day of the festival.
It was an epoch defining moment for the nascent Melbourne collective, capping off years of hard work ascending through the ranks in festivals such as last year’s Boogie and this year’s Laneway circuit. The Splendour appearance also marks the band’s final performance before the release of ‘Sleep In The Water’, their debut LP following on from the breakthrough success of their 2011 self-titled EP.
Speaking in the weeks leading up to Splendour, and ahead of the ‘Sleep In The Water’ national launch tour, vocalist/ synth-master Phoebe Cockburn recounts the long lead-up to the record from her home at the foot of the Dandenongs.
“We’ve been eager to write this record for as long as we have been together. So that process begun a long time ago,” Phoebe recalls. “It was only when we’d finished certain tours and other things that we were able to knuckle down and really begin to write this record. That probably started about a year ago. We always intended to create a record that had its own life and we didn’t want listeners to think that they had got their head around it in the first listen. There were certain things we really focused on and tried to push when recording.”
Honing their captivating sonic craft into the LP form, Snakadaktal have achieved a formidable sense of cohesion on ‘Sleep In The Water’. That sense of fluidity was a fully motivated choice, explains Phoebe.
“We wanted the record to have a strong sense of cohesiveness before we started recording. One of the themes that flows across the record is water. It works as a natural dynamic across the album, lyrically and sonically. We wanted those sounds to be able to play onto each other and flow into each song, for it to be one body of work rather than a bundle of individual songs.”
Emerging in such a prominent fashion at an early age, Phoebe exudes an erudite purposefulness when it comes to discussing music as a profession.
“It’s been my main focus in my life. With age, development comes naturally as well. So it probably has a lot to do with the process of recording our EP in comparison to the LP. It was very much a home job when recording the EP, recording vocals straight after jumping in the pool. It was summer and we were singing into a cupboard.
“With this record, we had a lot more technical capacity with the way we recorded it, plus a producer to help us out with that. The producer was Dan Hume [Evermore]. He brought a great friendship that we all shared with him. He’s a really talented musician in his own right. He was able to listen to us in the way we always wanted, and he was able to move through the record patiently in the way we always wanted to.”
Due in large part to their 2011 Triple J Unearthed High victory, the image of school-aged wunderkinds has stuck with Snakadaktal in the subsequent years. But the Steiner school alumni have managed to rise above the tag in 2013.
“We’ve all grown up in different ways over the past couple of years, but wholly we are a bunch of friends and that’s always the priority for us,” Phoebe muses. “I feel that it has happened naturally. It was a huge focus when we began releasing music, especially with the Unearthed High competition. It became a huge part of who we are. But we always wanted to present ourselves in a way that wasn’t so much about the image or the age, just about the music. That seems to have become more possible as we’ve grown up a little bit.”
With a striking sound that is very much international in flavour, Snakadaktal possess the makings of a bigtime musical export. Aspirations of this scale are beginning to be realised, as exhibited by an overseas sojourn earlier in the year.
“We’ve done a little tour in the UK which took place in May this year. It was great, we were able to explore different venues and the live music scene in London and various other cities of the UK. That helped us to spread that sound internationally a little bit, even just to dip our toes into that water. I guess that’s the beginning of what we’d like to do so far. But we’re happy to focus as much as we can on Australia to begin with. We have no rush in terms of that.”
Experiencing radio success with their self-titled EP and subsequent singles, the band have steadily been easing in tracks from ‘Sleep In The Water’ into their current setlist.
“We’ve played many of the tracks on the Laneway tour, plus in the UK we were giving them our best shot. Because this is our first album tour, we do want to make that our focus. So the new songs will be a big part of our show this time around. I guess they’re all going to be a challenge in their own way, and they’re going to be special in their own way. For the live setting, we have a lot of plans for the song ‘Union’. We haven’t actually played it live yet, but we’re hoping to find something special for that track.”
‘Sleep In The Water’ is out now. Snakadaktal play The Hi-Fi September 20 and Great Northern, Byron, September 21.
Kick-Ass, Hit Girl and Red Mist return for the follow-up to 2010’s irreverent global hit: ‘Kick-Ass 2’.
After Kick-Ass’ (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) insane bravery inspires a new wave of self-made masked crusaders, led by the badass Colonel Stars and Stripes (Jim Carrey), our hero joins them on patrol.
When these amateur superheroes are hunted down by Red Mist (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) — reborn as The Mother F%&*^r — only the blade-wielding Hit Girl (Chloë Grace Moretz) can prevent their annihilation.
To win one of five in-season double passes This competition has closed.
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COMING SOON! #433 - 24.4.2002 |
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Drawing inspiration from the devastation of the 2011 floods, ‘Trollop’ is a creative foray that explores how they affected those who were not directly hit – the ‘lucky ones'.
Overwhelmed by the destruction she obsessively watches on her television, Clara (Amy Ingram) hides herself away from the world while her partner Erik, (Anthony Standish) does his best to be happy for the both of them. However, we learn his relentless positivity hides his own demons.
Clara — a children’s author — has a wild imagination, but instead of helping her tell playful stories; it is filled with nightmarish visions. Adding to the growing tension is the arrival of a stranger in the night – Eugenie (QTC newcomer Lucy-Ann Langkilde) – who “brings the End of Days to their door”.
Winner of the 2012/ 2013 Queensland Premier's Drama Award – there is much to like about Maxine Mellor’s multifaceted vision, which not only looks at helplessness and a crumbling relationship, but also incorporates old myths and internet trolling.
It is wonderfully staged, with the stark white of the couple’s apartment contrasting with the debris outside and the images of destruction and Clara’s nightmares that are projected on their walls.
Mellor’s characters hurtle through their lives exposing each fragility and in this end, the performances are uniformly effective, Standish especially so. If the audience are looking for neat resolutions – this is not the play for them. In the end however, it suffers from trying to juggle too many ideas when focusing more deeply on a few might have been more satisfying.
‘Trollop’ plays at Queensland Theatre Company’s The Greenhouse at 78 Montague Road, South Brisbane until August 17.
A story about an underdog prevailing over the aristocracy, 'A New Way To Pay Old Debts' is a surprisingly modern take on a classic.
Presented by Brisbane Arts Theatre and directed by Ron Kelly, this version stars revered Australian stage and screen actor Steven Tandy. Playing the infamous villain Sir Giles Overreach, NIDA graduate Tandy brings his years of experience to the role.
Describe the show in 5 words?
Exciting, flashy, innovative, classic treasure.
What role do you play and how did you come to be involved?
I play Sir Giles Overreach, a true theatrical villain of the old tradition. He is cruel, vicious, domineering, scheming and ruthless. A total atheist. I came to be involved through my friend, Ron Kelly, who took on the role of Artistic Director of the Arts Theatre at the beginning of this year. He had known of this play and was anxious to inform theatre-goers that there had been other great playwrights of that day, besides Shakespeare and Marlowe.
What is your elevator pitch about the play?
The play concerns itself with high stakes — love, lust, death, ownership of property, social climbing, man's inhumanity to man, retribution, madness and rich, powerful language.
Do you think the play is still relevant and what kind of audience will this appeal to?
The play is absolutely and unequivocally still relevant, dealing with universal themes of corruption and power-seeking that still go on today. Any reasonably thoughtful and interested theatre-goer should find the play absolutely riveting.
Who is your favourite villain from literature/ film?
One of my most favourite villains in all film or literature would have to be the hideous character portrayed by Donald Sutherland in Bernardo Bertolucci's sprawling epic of fascism in Italy, '1900' (Cinque-Cento). Monstrous — a killer and a liar. Bill Sykes in 'Oliver!' also greatly affected me as a child.
Best line in the play and why?
One of my favourite lines in the play is where Sir Giles reveals his social inferiority and "nouveau-riche" aspirations when he says to his henchman, Marrall "'Tis a rich man's pride! There having ever been more than a feud, a strange antipathy, between us and true gentry."
What has your preparation for this role entailed?
My preparation for the role has entailed detailed, assiduous study of the text and a realisation that, as an actor, I can, for once, really 'let fly' with an acting technique that is vocally unrestrained and powerful. I have no doubt that Sir Giles Overreach is one of the greatest roles I have ever had the good fortune to portray in my 43 years of professional acting.
Any funny/ crazy/ weird behind-the-scenes stories?
I can't think of any particularly funny, weird or crazy 'behind-the-scene' stories as yet, but no doubt some will occur during our four-week run. It is a delightful cast, and a very comfortable, intimate space to play in.
Anything else our readers should know?
Just come along to the Arts Theatre and bathe in its unique charm and intimacy — it reminds me so much of the Genesian Theatre in Kent Street, Sydney, with its charming overhead little balcony.
What do you want audiences to say as they leave?
"Wow! That was great! I'm coming again!"
'A New Way To Pay Old Debts' Is running at The Brisbane Arts Theatre until August 24.
When stepping into a major role in an iconic play such as 'The Glass Menagerie', it is fair to say that there will be audience expectations and a whole lot of pressure to perform. Jason Klarwein, as Tom, the narrator in Tennessee Williams' most loved play, is less intimidated and more thankful to be playing the role in this reclothed classic.
Describe the show in 5 words.
A tragi-comic look at a family in a state of collapse. I know that's more than five but I never liked rules.
What is your role and how did it come about?
I play Tom, the amusingly depressed son trying to get out of the rut he is in. I'm also the narrator of the play and Tennessee Williams based the character on himself. The 'Menagerie' is his most autobiographical work. David Berthold and I have been trying to work together on something and I finally had some time to say yes to this play.
This is a famous play, do you feel extra pressure to play it a certain way or have it received a certain way?
I think people have memories, like the play 'The Glass Menagerie', that are heightened and not quite real. This is my experience when talking to people about Tennessee Williams. People confuse a whole lot of celluloid experience with the theatrical experience and in Tennessee's case, the scripts are radically different.
Have you played this role or been involved in another version of 'The Glass Menagerie?'
No. This is a gift of a role. I have been in two productions of 'A Streetcar Named Desire' so I'm very familiar with his motifs.
What is your fav. line in the play and why?
I have many. In a fight with his mother Tom gives her this gift of truth — “Every time you come in yelling that God damn 'Rise and Shine! Rise and Shine!', I say to myself, 'How lucky dead people are!'” Tom also says this of the cinema: “People go to the movies instead of moving. Hollywood characters are supposed to have all the adventures for everybody in America, while everybody in America sits in a dark room and watches them have them.”
What do you want the audience to say as they leave?
"Well that was a ride! Let's drink!"
Has there been any special preparation for this role?
A lot of accent work and textual preparation. Also finding 101 things to do with a zippo lighter has been fun.
Some words to describe your castmates? What is the team like and what is the mix like?
The play is very fast and furious in places so it requires a lot of listening and complicity to make this come off the page. We are very lucky to have a dextrous cast that play well together but are hard working.
If someone famous had to play the narrator of your life - who would it be and why?
Ian McKellen or Morgan Freeman. They would make my life sound sexy yet intelligently pre-destined
Anything else readers should know?
This is no old-school boring play. The reason it's a classic is that it thrills with laughter and then rips you apart. Oh yeah and the structure and placement of the writing is beautiful.
'The Glass Menagerie' runs until August 31 at La Boite's Roundhouse Theatre.
In this multi-tasking, multi vitamin-taking, multi-media era, we find ourselves trying to be so in control that our lives turn to chaos.
Drawing on her own battles of balance and perfection, Brisbane's Belinda Raisin will soon take the stage in her hilarious cabaret, 'Confessions of a Control Freak'.
A former ballerina, Belinda becomes Francis, whose attempt to trade the ‘now, now now’ for ‘namaste’, sees life rapidly slow as the virtues of procrastination and a mix of yoga and alcohol start taking over. Belinda says inspiration for the cabaret came from realising the way she was living her life was so ridiculous, it was actually hilarious.
“I started by looking at my own life and going, 'God, how is it still so chaotic, even though I'm trying to slow down?' I was like, 'How am I training for Bikram Yoga Championships?' That's one thing I could let go. Do something a little less hardcore.”
With time to reflect on her hectic life while writing the show, Belinda says change is a slow process, but she does try to “step back and laugh.
Joining Belinda will be Brisbane pianist and Nth Degree member Jamie Teh. “Our coming together is a great story about serendipity,” Belinda says. “I worked with [Jamie's wife] a number of years ago — in my first-ever musical. For 'Confessions of a Control Freak' I had a musical director and pianist lined up, but he moved to America to do a Broadway musical, so I had to look for someone else. I sent emails out to some friends including Jen. She called me straight away and was like, 'I've had a baby and I'm not working at the moment, so I've got a bit of time on my hands ... what about me?” And I was like, “'Yeah! Definitely'. Then Jen said, 'And my husband's an amazing pianist'. I was like, 'Score!'”
'Confessions of a Control Freak' will play at the Judith Wright Centre from August 15-17.
Do you want a better way to avoid the mud, leaking tents, mosquitoes, the sizzling sun, dust storms, that random stoned guy or unbearably opinionated hipsters when tackling Splendour In The Grass?
Well, you can do a whole lot worst than hiring a Hippie Camper from Apollo. Unfortunately, you still need to sit (literally) through the car queue — unless Apollo have designed a flying campervan by this time next year, and if so, we’ve already shouted “shotgun” .
This year, Scene was entrusted with Betty, a two-berth campervan stocked with a super comfy mattress, curtains for those more discreet moments (yes, it is a two-berth), a couple of pimpin’ deckchairs (cup holder included!!), sleeping bags, blankets, more cutlery and kitchen utensils than some West End restaurants, water basin, frudge (we had a Kiwi snapping the photos, guys), an awning (more on that later) and enough battery life to power a small city (but not a car stereo or interior light when left on over night — thanks Garry! And super thanks to the Splendour crew who brought the battery back to life on Monday morning) for a weekend.
Picking up the Camper from the northside, the super friendly staff at Apollo had us on the road in no time and we were headed south at a nice click. Aside from a little sideways movement from crosswinds, Betty drove like a dream for this first-time van operator. Though by the end of the weekend, the biceps had grown measurably. But that’s a nice side-effect, innit.
Once we had encountered the slog that was the delays entering Splendour — and guys, c’mon, why so much whining? Seriously, what’d you expect with 15,000 people descending on the place, the majority on Friday? #SimpleMathKids — our trusty Betty skillfully navigated the mud with aplomb. Except for the time when we needed 20 festival newbies and 1 disgruntled South African to latch onto the back of the Camper for the appropriate weight to dislodge the wheels from the North Byron gunk. Thanks guys.
Across all three nights I slept like a log — the first time I’d encountered such a feat at Splendour, this my 11th campaign (yes, I’m old) — with six/ seven hours of solid shut-eye leaving me refreshed for the following days activities/ antics. Well played, Betty.
Another solid element to the Camper was the inclusion of an awning — this provided no shortage of relief from the sun, particularly in the morning while enjoying the fruits of the beforementioned shut-eye. It was also a handy addition when the rains did finally arrive late Sunday. While others resorted to jet skis to handle the conditions, I was left entertaining my mates in the dry, but minus that interior light!
So after a four-day epic adventure to Splendour In The Grass and copious amounts of dancing and more mud than a national tractor-pull championship, the Hippie Camper pulled her weight, allowing The Matchstick and friends a superb weekend away that doesn’t have to be replicated at Splendour, but does provide the best camping moments you could hope to encounter!
For more information about Hippie Campers and Apollo head to hippiecamper.com/holiday