Photography by Darcy Rahn

The What So Not Remix (Flume’s side project with Emoh Instead) of Major Lazer’s, Get Free was a highlight of the night. The quintessential What So Not “wacked out” drops were a sure hit, bolstering the crowd’s atmosphere, which had been relatively subdued up until that point.

Other tracks that elicited the same response were Sleepless, Holding On and On Top.

The fact that he has the ability to create greatly received tracks means that he has the talent but just needs to take some time to make his set more personalised. It was blatantly obvious that Flume’s performance was anything but live, apart from his small chit chat with the audience and occasional drumbeats. It’s more disappointing that a person as talented as Flume cannot provide the audience with a performance which is truly live, when it’s obvious that his skills are so limitless.

A huge noise of elevated squeals rose from the crowd and as I looked to the back of the stage, Murphy had come back on stage. After a live rendition of Left Alone, the awkward Murphy (perhaps due to the absence of his keyboard) and Harley spoke about the recent collaboration. All in the crowd got a special taste of a new track, made up of Chet Faker’s vocals poking through Flume’s laid back building beats. I have a strong feeling it will be a chart favourite once it does get officially released over the radio waves.

As Flume walked off stage cheers and female screams resonated around the room. Quickly enough he strolled back on stage for his encore to unleash the HyperParadise remix. Samples of this song had been teased and trickled previously though his set, so all that suspense was finally fulfilled. The clapping samples in the introduction of the song upped the ante and brought the night to a clear peak.

Although some moments in the set were disappointing, the greatest part of the night was being able to see how much both artists have developed particularly over the past couple of years. Both of these artists have come across great success as a result of hard work and genuine interest and love for what they do. In the future I just hope that Flume maintains his original thirst for creating quality tunes and refocuses to give a little bit more back to those fans who have put them there.
By Tanya Bunter

Photography by Darcy Rahn

The What So Not Remix (Flume’s side project with Emoh Instead) of Major Lazer’s, Get Free was a highlight of the night. The quintessential What So Not “wacked out” drops were a sure hit, bolstering the crowd’s atmosphere, which had been relatively subdued up until that point.

Other tracks that elicited the same response were Sleepless, Holding On and On Top.

The fact that he has the ability to create greatly received tracks means that he has the talent but just needs to take some time to make his set more personalised. It was blatantly obvious that Flume’s performance was anything but live, apart from his small chit chat with the audience and occasional drumbeats. It’s more disappointing that a person as talented as Flume cannot provide the audience with a performance which is truly live, when it’s obvious that his skills are so limitless.

A huge noise of elevated squeals rose from the crowd and as I looked to the back of the stage, Murphy had come back on stage. After a live rendition of Left Alone, the awkward Murphy (perhaps due to the absence of his keyboard) and Harley spoke about the recent collaboration. All in the crowd got a special taste of a new track, made up of Chet Faker’s vocals poking through Flume’s laid back building beats. I have a strong feeling it will be a chart favourite once it does get officially released over the radio waves.

As Flume walked off stage cheers and female screams resonated around the room. Quickly enough he strolled back on stage for his encore to unleash the HyperParadise remix. Samples of this song had been teased and trickled previously though his set, so all that suspense was finally fulfilled. The clapping samples in the introduction of the song upped the ante and brought the night to a clear peak.

Although some moments in the set were disappointing, the greatest part of the night was being able to see how much both artists have developed particularly over the past couple of years. Both of these artists have come across great success as a result of hard work and genuine interest and love for what they do. In the future I just hope that Flume maintains his original thirst for creating quality tunes and refocuses to give a little bit more back to those fans who have put them there.
By Tanya Bunter

Giles (Damon Lockwood) is a former theatre director who, like the rest of the human race (those who have not been mercilessly exterminated), is imprisoned and enslaved by robots. He is summoned from perpetual toil in the mines by Executive Producer Master Bot (Sean Walsh) to help the robots create their first piece of art.

Giles, as the only human, is naturally the most sympathetic character, and Lockwood brings a deep pathos to the role. Renee Newman-Storen (German Integrator Bot) and Ben Mortley (Soldier Bot/Claw Bot) give intentionally wooden (or should that be metallic) performances, from which much of the humour is derived.

The studio at The Blue Room Theatre seats around 50, and the intimacy of the action is immediately striking. The small venue might have proved a hindrance, were it not for the intelligent set design and clever use of props by director-producer Philip Miolin and stage manager Jennifer Friend. The utilisation of video projection (Tim Barretto) – in addition to the consummate lighting and sound skills of Joe Lui – provides an added layer of immersion, helping to convey the impression of a larger and more realised setting.

Subtly imbued throughout the narrative is an underlying conservationist message. Giles visits the ‘Overgrown City’, which has been reclaimed by nature since humanity’s downfall. He expresses surprise upon witnessing the now verdant surrounds, but to the robots it is logical that, as they require oxygen to power their own internal systems, they would not emulate humanity’s degradation of the environment and thereby cause their own self-destruction.

The robots do not favour one form of life over another; their rule is the ultimate expression of species egalitarianism. When challenged on the robots’ harsh methods, Executive Producer Master Bot responds that the planet has faired better under robot guidance than when humans dominated the planet and caused vast extinctions of flora and fauna.

There is a clear Stoppardian influence on this tragicomedy, evident in the way in which serious issues are approached with wit, verve and a dash of absurdism. The second half employs a ‘play within a play’ structure that explores the creative endeavours that go into the conception of any piece of art, as well as the battle for recognition that follows. Indeed, the biggest laugh of the night came when Giles recounted his former life as a struggling theatre director – playing to cramped venues – at which point he broke the fourth wall to glance knowingly at the confined environs of The Blue Room Theatre.

‘Robots vs Art’ is at its best when it aims high. The most arresting and enduring image of the performance came from the robots: a vision of Paris’s Arc de Triomphe entangled and encapsulated by vines, over the centuries suffocated and ultimately crushed in nature’s ultimate reclamation; an expression of the impermanence of human edifice.

Like the greatest artistic works, ‘Robots vs Art’ is not merely art for art’s sake; it holds up a mirror to the society in which we live.

By Andrew MacNiven

‘Robots vs Art’ is playing at The Blue Room Theatre until Saturday 1 June. Buy your tickets here.

However, until the 19^th of May, it won’t be the Hip Hop Kara’YO’ke crowd that’ll be looking down their snout at you, it will be the work of local artist Brenton See.

A selection of carefully crafted pieces align the walls of The Bird, the acrylic selection of characters, animals and flowers will be available to view for the remainder of the weekend.

Regrettably, I missed the opening night, which featured a selection of hand-painted furniture, and well as the artist painting a tattooed-up two-tone giraffe on a skateboard deck. This would’ve been a spectacle to say the least.

The influence of the old skool and traditional tattoo styles is prevalent throughout the works, and works particularly well in pieces such as the aforementioned Drop Crotch Meerkat (acrylic on skateboard deck; $250), The Viking (acrylic on skateboard deck; $250), and The Eagles Head (acrylic on watercolour paper; $130). A particularly dope skate deck is the Stormtrooper (acrylic on skateboard deck; $250), in which the super-fine meticulous line work is put at the forefront by the bright red negative space.

Personally though, if I chose to buy a new skateboard rather than eat this week, I would have to go for the Gnar-Whal (acrylic on skateboard deck; $200). The piece consists of just that – a gnarly-arse, grey-wash narwhal proudly stretching the length of the deck. No more, no less.

So, while you may have missed the opening night, the live giraffe painting and the collection of dope furniture, you still have a chance to glimpse a decent array of pieces left up until Sunday night. And, if my Facebook lurking serves me correctly, Brenton See will have another exhibition at Kurb Gallery from the 6^th July. It is called Super Predator, and features a bad-ass four-eyed wolf. Don’t sleep on it.

By Ollie Read

Brenton See’s Solo Exhibition is open until this Sunday at The Bird. Hit the Facebook link for more info – http://www.facebook.com/events/507720369276331/

Presented by Les Currie & GHP, the play is probably not one to bring your parents too. I didn’t heed this warning and instead sat through one of the most uncomfortable, shocking, controversial and thrilling productions that I have ever had the pleasure of viewing, along side the folks. Surprisingly, they loved it as well.

Courtesy of Les Currie & GHP

This re-worked all-male production has been imported directly from an acclaimed run in London’s West End. Skilfully directed by Alexandra Spencer-Jones, ‘A Clockwork Orange’ tells the story of little Alex DeLarge (mesmerizingly played by Martin McCreadie), a teenager escaping the tedium of adolescence through the avenues of sex and ‘ultra-violence’. After a testosterone-filled theatrical fight sequence, Alex ends up in the manipulating hands of government where his playful villainy is viciously restrained.

The production explores the influence and need for power in today’s society, highlighting the key idea of youth culture and generational control. These simple premises are as relevant now as they were when originally written by Anthony Burgess in 1962.

‘A Clockwork Orange’ does not hide behind glamorous sets and expensive costumes. The ‘wow’ factor comes directly from the performances. The intense and energy-driven theatrical movement electrified the stage; it was near impossible to not feel the pure vivacity emanating into the audience.

Out of the 10-person ensemble cast, McCreadie’s hypnotising use of his voice and body made him the clear standout performer, instilling both fear and admiration into the audience … at the same time. That is no easy feat.

The fast-paced 90-minute production does not shy away from drawing out the language between the overpowering and immersive fight scenes. The opening line, “What’s it going to be then, eh?” is grunted in a way that immediately puts the audience into a state of unease. A mix between Russian and cockney Language is symbolic of a futuristic world and thankfully words such as “appypolly loggy”, “eggiweg”, viddy” and “yarbles” are explained on a very helpful ‘Nadsat Dictionary’.

The use of music was instrumental in creating tension within the performance. A techno-neoclassical-punk-rock-dubstep mix was employed to great effect. From the moment you enter to the moment you leave, the booming technical mash-up of well-known music immerses you into the world of Alex DeLarge and his Droogs.

The best part of this production (which cannot be said about many other adapted productions) is that it does not rely on the audience’s prior knowledge of the novel or film to tell the story. The production can stand by itself. So if you have no initial idea of what the show is, don’t worry, all the sex, violence and tension will still be very clearly communicated.

Unfortunately on Tuesday night, the Subiaco Arts Centre was only half full. It’s a rare occurrence in Perth, but an oversaturation of theatre has caused some amazing productions such as ‘A Clockwork Orange’ to suffer. Internationally renowned productions such as ‘Jersey Boys’, ‘The Death of a Salesman’ and Cirque Du Soleil’s ‘Ovo’ have sadly depleted the potential audience for this incredibly satisfying production.

Tickets are relatively pricey, but for the once-in-a-lifetime theatrical experience, the cost is definitely worth it.

By Ryan Lewis

‘A Clockwork Orange’ is at the Subiaco Arts Centre until this Sunday 19th May. Make the most of your last minute chance and buy your tickets here.

One such occurrence is Hussle Hussle, held every second Friday of the month at Mojo’s Bar. Previous times at Hussle Hussle have seen some fine local and national acts, such as the likes of Rapaport, Ozi Battla and The Empty Cup grace the stage. May finds the presence of Jones Jnr making the trip across the Nullarbor, with the presence of Ev Jones, of Rumpunch and Hobo Bordeaux fame, who has burst into the national consciousness thanks to the highly ranked version of Matt Corby’s Brother with Thundamentals. Backing up the talented vocalist and the other half of Jones Jr, DJ Morgs of Thundamentals also made the trip across. Friday night saw a shakeup of the usual business that make up a hip hop gig, with the act choice showing some love for the ladies.

Taking the stage after a ripping set by Leon Osborn, Anders took to the stage curiously as a solo affair. Normally seen in the company of emcees Marksman Lloyd and Coin Banks as part of UPNUP, Anders took the stage packing, with a guitar case strapped to his back. Rather than whipping out his usual guitar, the cased object proved to be a flat table for Anders to hoist his laptop, MPC and keyboard onto. Announcing that things hadn’t quite gone to plan, the singer stated “It could be good, it could be horrible” and proceeded to lay down beats created on the spot, spliced with his incredible RnB/soul singing. The tone for the night was set with this scaled back affair, with Anders closer to Leon Osborn compared to his usual performances, it was clear from the onset that this night was going to be a little different from the norm. Interacting with the audience, the cries of “BASS!” where duly answered, after Anders got a chance to do things in his own fashion before wrapping up his set.

Whilst the weather was cooling down, none of this had an effect on Koko Fes. Backed up by Capt’n K on the 1’s and 2 as well as full percussion, the trio helped the audience forget about the rain outside. After a call to arms that that consisted of a chorus to “keep the fires burning”, the singer/emcee started to rhyme in Creole. Did many understand what was being rhymed about? Not really. Did anyone really care? Judging by the bodies on the dance floor, not at all. The combination of rapid fire Creole combined with percussion provided by bongos and its ilk was a reminder of the warmer climate faced in the year. After a few tracks in Creole, Amani of The Amani Consort took to the stage. The duo than improvised a fun little ditty about coconuts, rhyming about their butts and anything else that came to mind. The set was a great opportunity for people to forget about the weather to heat up the dance floor and was a much needed ray of sunshine on a miserable day weather wise.

With that fun out of the way, it was time for the main act. Striding on stage to a sample stating “Welcome to the show”, the duo launched into a soulful rendition of You and Me Were Meant to Be. Commenting on the time gap between the two states, the duo then launched into a pitch perfect rendition of Sad Song, whose harmonies conjured up the Motown era, whose songs could cover serious subject matter without having to turn up the volume or sounding like the diary of a sulky teenage girl. Don’t Need That Love continued this vibe, a declaration about moving on in life after loss.

The Sydney connections were raised with Ain’t No Foolin’, which normally has emcee Ellesquire laying down verse, instead the audience where treated to an instrumental version. This merely highlighted the production values found on the Soul Tape and other Jones Jnr material, which is informally excellent and varied. The sound evoked the brilliant A Bright Cold Day by Dutch, substituting the Folk overtones on that album for Rhythm and Blues, Gospel and Soul. This was rammed home with the Sam & Dave soul tribute that was You Can’t Go Wrong as well as with If you Really Feel the Way I Do, which had Disco actually sound decent. It wasn’t all on Morgs though, throughout the set, Ev Jones would use his hands to alter the sound of his wonderful voice to supplement the mix, much like a skilled trumpeter who would purposely muffle his horn at key points to add to the sound. With the set drawing to a close, it was time to wrap things up, much to the chagrin of the audience who were mostly female. Ev thanked the organizers of yet another fun session Hussle Hussle, with this gig being the first time Jones Jnr have toured outside of Sydney. The duo left the stage, leaving Capt’n K the task of keeping the groove going in his capable hands

Hussle Hussle continues to provide the people of Fremantle fine entertainment after the rigors of the working week, come rain, hail or shine. Friday night was targeted more at the bearers of the XX chromosome, a group not usually targeted by Hip Hop, as its proponents tend to be all male. Not that the guys minded, they got treated to chilled out session free of the usual aggravation and got to view something a little different for the night. The fact they would’ve left with very happy partners to beat the winter blues was probably worth the admission price alone.

By David Coffey

Photography by Daniel Craig

LIKE Jones Jnr on Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/jonesjnrmusic

LIKE Hussle Hussle on Facebook to stay up to day with their gigs -http://www.facebook.com/HussleMusic

Next Hussle Hussle features The Tongue!

Courtesy of Village Cinemas

When Jason (Rafi Gavron) is arrested in a narcotics bust, his father John Matthews (Dwayne Johnson) is introduced to the brutal truth of mandatory sentencing laws. Despite Jason being a naïve and somewhat innocent player in the drug-world, the feds and the prosecutor (Susan Sarandon) expect him to snitch on his friends – or ultimately set them up to take his blame – as part of his plea deal. Being a kid with principles, Jason refuses to set anyone up. Instead, John offers himself as a snitch in order to help the DEA arrest key players in the drug ring.

Snitch was inspired by true events, so casting was an important key to making the film believable as well as being able to pull the audience in to the story, so they might empathise with the characters. Dwayne Johnson has lately been typecast as the ‘new action hero to replace Schwarzenegger’, however his performance in this film can prove that he has great acting abilities beyond action scenes. Yes, they are his notable and strong features, but Snitch gave him the chance to prove he is a serious actor as well.

It’s doubtful that he has ever cried before but when he did in this film, hearts broke for him. He was really able to make you believe the situation was as real to us as it was to his character.
Susan Sarandon and Jon Bernthal were perfectly cast as well; they brought their characters to life and made them realistic and believable.

The most convincing character however was not a big role, but an undercover DEA officer played by Barry Pepper. His performance was flawless, and his hair and make-up team were also just as amazing. He really captured the seriousness of being a DEA officer who has been undercover, and the passion for justice that they seem to have.

Director, Ric Roman Waugh, was creative enough to make the film work as a stand-alone action-filled film; however by the end you will realise that there is so much more to the film than that- there is a deep and underlying political stance. Before the end credits, audience were given a website to go to regarding the mandatory minimum sentence for FIRST TIME drug offenders (10 years without parole): www.takepart.com/snitch. This site is a campaign that informs the audience that this sentence is more than what REPEAT convicted child molesters and rapists receive.

Overall, Snitch is a well-made and thought-provoking movie that addresses a need for political change in the American justice system.

By Linda Tran.

Snitch is now screening!