Uncle Vanya, currently playing at Fortyfivedownstairs, Melbourne, is Laurence Strangio’s raw and funny adaptation of Anton Chekhov’s melancholic exploration of ageing, boredom, and middle class angst, set against the backdrop of a large Russian country estate, managed by Uncle Vanya, and inhabited by various family members and other hangers-on. When the elderly Professor who owns the estate and his glamorous second wife Yelena arrive for a visit, it throws Vanya’s (and everyone else’s) life into chaos. Each of the nine characters is terminally depressed, and the sudden upset of their established routines prompts them to examine each of their lives individually, and critique their own lack of happiness.

Although it was written over 100 years ago, Uncle Vanya is a relevant call to arms to follow your dreams, to not waste your life and to avoid spending your closing years lamenting what might have been. Strangio describes the setting of his adaptation of the play as “a version of then set in now – an impressionistic amalgam of rural Russia and inner-urban Melbourne”. Strangio could have updated the play with, as he says, “mobile phones and gratuitous Facebook references”, but instead he has opted to keep the play more or less set as it was written to highlight the fact that not much has changed, and that although late 18^th Century Russia and modern day Melbourne are worlds away from each other, the themes Chekhov explores are still completely relevant, perhaps even more so now than then.

Richard Bligh is excellent, channelling Norman Gunston as the sarcastic, cynical Uncle Vanya, his frustrations with his family and the disappointment with the life he has lead are palpable as he sweats and frets across the stage, taking out his own inadequacies on the family around him. Peter Finlay is terrific as the larger-than-life pompous academic Alexander Serebryakov (his costume design particularly stands out against the largely drab ensembles favoured by the other characters), but the standout performer is Bruce Woolley as the delightfully strange and hugely appealing Doctor Astrov. His presence in the estate and his reactions to those around him border on autistic, often to hilarious effect. Sarah Ranken as the young, love struck Sonya has a tendency to overact occasionally, however her potential as an actor is clear, and as she gains more and more experience there’s no doubt she’ll flourish on our stages and screens for years to come.

Fortyfivedownstairs is not a traditional theatre, but a wide-open gallery/perfomance space, in which the cast performs more or less on the same plane as the audience.  The laneway outside, visible through the huge windows across the back wall, is used effectively, adding another layer of depth to the physical aspect of the performance. The production design is exquisite, with beautiful antique furniture, books, and dressings complemented perfectly by the exposed brickwork, hardwood floors and steel beams of Fortyfivedownstairs. Thanks to the nature of this unique building as an unorthodox staging arrangement (which Strangio describes as “a jumping off point for the creative ideas in staging the piece and also a tangible source of inspiration for the performers”) in conjunction with the attention to detail in the design, from your place in the audience you truly feel like you’ve been plonked straight into the house where all the action takes place.

It’s no secret that us Vultures have short attention spans, but even so, this staging of Uncle Vanya is probably half an hour too long, and the thrilling climax that builds halfway through the second act is spoiled by an overlong, drawn out conclusion. But this is a minor quibble with an otherwise engaging adaptation of one of Chekhov’s masterpieces.

Check out our interview with director Laurence Strangio.

This was stolen from Vulture Magazine Uncle Vanya @ Fortyfivedownstairs

The Maccabees soon appeared onstage, and from the outset, their bombastic brand of quintessentially English indie rock and roll was tight, energetic, and delivered with passion. Despite having released three albums since 2004, this was The Maccabees first trip to our shores, and for a band who have only really had a presence in Australia recently, they were certainly getting a lot of love from the crowd. Early highlights included the atmospheric ‘No Kind Words’, the Bloc Party-esque ‘Lego’ and the absolutely delightful ‘Glimmer’. As they played tracks from all three of their albums, the crowd was a joyous sea of smiling faces, all dancing and singing along.

The musicianship on display was absolutely flawless. For a band which on more than one occasion had lead singer Orlando Weeks’ voice drenched with reverb, three interweaving guitar parts playing at once (the twin guitars of brothers Hugo and Felix White joined by Weeks’ Gibson), and electronic samples integrated seamlessly with the live instruments, not one misstep was made, and none of the myriad sounds was lost in the fold. Sam Doyle is one of the most solid indie rock drummers around, and together with bassist Rupert Jarvis, The Maccabees rhythm section is infallible.

Finishing their main set with mega hit ‘Pelican’, and then treating us to a three song encore, which included ‘Go’, ‘Precious Time’ and a brand new song never played anywhere before, ever (!), The Maccabees are a band who absolutely looked to be enjoying themselves on stage, and appeared genuinely flattered by the response they received from the Melbourne crowd. While we couldn’t really understand what the very softly spoken Weeks was saying, we’re pretty sure he mumbled something about how great it was to be here. Felix White, who, it must be said, definitely pulled a pose whenever he noticed a camera pointed at him from the crowd, had to be virtually dragged off stage by his brother at the end of the gig. A pity, because had he stuck around, we could have enjoyed these grinning Englishmen for many hours more.

This was stolen from Vulture Magazine The Maccabees @ The HiFi Bar, Melbourne

This looks fun

The Godfather of Australian roots music, Mat McHugh, is about to embark on his Love Come Save Me tour having chalked up over 30,000 downloads from the album that he’s giving away to the masses for FREE. As part of his 7-stop national tour he has just announced the support acts that will be warming up the crowd. It’s darn exciting. Let’s just say The Vulture is licking its beak in anticipation of this one. Here’s all the info you need folks!

Saturday 19^th May   Tanks Arts Centre  QLD 

www.tanksartscentre.com 

46 Collins Avenue, Edge Hill, CAIRNS

Tickets from www.ticketlink.com.au

Doors open 6.30pm

Wednesday 30th May     Black Bear Lodge              QLD

with Dom Miller -  http://dommiller.bandcamp.com/

www.blackbearlodge.com.au

1st floor 322 Brunswick Street, Fortitude Valley

Tickets $35 + bf from www.oztix.com

Doors open 7pm

Friday 1st June   The Standard      NSW

with Hayden Calnin - https://www.facebook.com/haydencalninmusic and Georgi Kay – https://www.facebook.com/pages/Georgi-Kay/203677039665299

www.wearethestandard.com.au

Lvl 3, 383 Bourke Street Surry Hills

Tickets $20 + bf from www.moshtix.com

Doors open 8pm

Saturday 2nd June       Newport Arms     NSW

www.newportarms.com.au

Free entry

Mat on stage 5pm

Thursday 7th June  The Corner Hotel  VIC

with Hayden Calnin - https://www.facebook.com/haydencalninmusic

www.cornerhotel.com

57 Swan St, Richmond, MELBOURNE

Tickets $20 +bf from The Corner box office (03) 9427 9198

Doors open 8.30pm

Friday 8th June     Jive         SA

with Laura Hill - https://www.facebook.com/laurahillmusic

www.jivevenue.com

181 Hindley St, ADELAIDE

Tickets $20 + bf from www.moshtix.com.au

Doors open 8pm

Saturday 9th June   Mojo’s Bar   WA

with Benjamin Witt (The Chemist) - https://www.facebook.com/thechemistband

www.mojosbar.com.au

237 Queen Victoria St, North Fremantle

Tickets $30 + bf from www.heatseeker.com & www.moshtix.com.au
Doors open 8pm

This was stolen from Vulture Magazine Mat McHugh Announces Support Acts

Fresh from his first UK show and whirlwind tour around the country as part of the Groovin’ The Moo festival, Melbourne rapper 360 has just announced a countdown until his highly anticipated “Flying Tour” kicks off around Australia in June.

With 14 out of 17 shows completely sold out, 360 is urging his fans to buy tickets now as they are in extremely high demand. Several new shows have been added to the tour for Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth.

This comes as 360’s YouTube channel hit a phenomenal total of 9 million views this week and his album Falling & Flying surging back into the top ten album charts on iTunes.

360 has an online army that totals over 200,000 Facebook fans and 16,000 Twitter followers, impressive figures which this foul-mouthed rapper is unashamedly proud of. “Another day, another accolade,” his Facebook profile boasts.

Channel [V], New World Artists and Crucial Music present:

360 – “The Flying Tour” JUNE 2012

With Hermitude* & Bam Bam

Special Guest – Gossling

FRI JUNE 8 – Waves, Wollongong NSW (18+) SOLD OUT

SAT JUNE 9 – Come Together Festival, Sydney NSW (Licensed/All Ages) SOLD OUT

SUN JUN 10 – The HiFi, Brisbane QLD (18+) SOLD OUT

MON JUN 11 – The HiFi, Brisbane QLD 12:00pm – 3:30 pm (U18) SOLD OUT

MON JUN 11 – The HiFi, Brisbane QLD 8:00pm (18+) 2ND & FINAL SHOW

Tickets via: Oztix: www.360.oztix.com.au / 1300 762 545 / Oztix outlets The Hi FI: www.thehifi.com.au/ 1300 843 443

THU JUN 14 – The HiFi, Melbourne VIC (18+) 2ND & FINAL SHOW

Tickets via: Oztix: www.360.oztix.com.au / 1300 762 545 / Oztix outlets The Hi FI: www.thehifi.com.au/ 1300 843 443 – Polyester Records-CBD & Fitzroy, Sight n Sound – Northcote & Boronia

FRI JUN 15 – The HiFi, Melbourne VIC (18+) SOLD OUT

SAT JUN 16 – Pier Live, Frankston VIC 1:00 – 5:00 pm (U18) SOLD OUT

SAT JUN 16 – Pier Live, Frankston VIC (18)

Tickets via: Oztix www.360.oztix.com.au   / 1300 762 545  / Oztix outlets, Ticketmaster www.ticketmaster.com.au /136 100 and from the Venue, www.pierlive.com.au or PH: 03 9783 9800

SUN JUNE 17 – The HiFi, Melbourne VIC 12:00 – 3:30 pm (U18) SOLD OUT

WED JUNE 20 – The Gov, Adelaide SA (Licensed/All Ages) SOLD OUT

THU JUNE 21 – The Gov, Adelaide SA (Licensed All Ages) SOLD OUT

FRI JUNE 22 – Villa, Perth WA (18+) SOLD OUT

SAT JUNE 23 – Astor Theatre, Perth WA 1:00 – 5:00 pm (U18) SOLD OUT

SAT JUNE 23 – Villa, Perth WA (18+) 2ND & FINAL SHOW

Tickets via Oztix: www.360.oztix.com.au / 1300 762 545 / Oztix outlets Moshtix: www.moshtix.com.au / 1300 GET TIX/ Moshtix outlets

SUN JUNE 24 – Astor Theatre, Perth WA 1:00 – 5:00 pm (U18) SOLD OUT

FRI JUNE 29 – The Metro, Sydney NSW (18+) SOLD OUT with SPIT SYNDICATE & BAM BAM

*Hermitude not appearing at The Metro, Sydney

360 – album Falling & Flying out now, featuring ‘Child’, ‘Boys Like You’ (feat. Gossling), ‘Killer’, ‘Throw It Away’ (feat. Josh Pyke) & Just Got Started (feat. Pez)

www.360music.com.au  / www.facebook.com/3ree6ixty

This was stolen from Vulture Magazine Countdown from 360

Not everybody is wiggling. Sadface.

Has your inner child felt uneasy the last few days? Have you noticed more screaming children in shopping centres? There could just be a correlation between these uneasy and distraught children and with a recent announcement by four skivvy clad men – Anthony, Greg, Jeff and Murray from The Wiggles.

“The legacy of the red, yellow and purple skivvys will be passed down to a new generation of Wiggles…”

Perhaps one of Australia’s most successful musical exports, The Wiggles play for over one million people a year and on May 16^th, they announced that everybody will not be wiggling.

The legacy of the red, yellow and purple skivvys will be passed down to a new generation of Wiggles, named as Lachy, Simon and Emma –who will become the first female skivvy wearer in the groups 21 year history.

The blue Wiggle, Anthony will be staying on board the Big Red Car and continuing to entertain children (and unashamed adults) across the globe.

After 21 years of performing and over 4000 shows to an extremely dedicated legion of fans, Greg, Jeff and Murray cited family reasons as being behind their decision in a video directed at their young audience.

“The Wiggles are here to stay. I’m going to keep my blue skivvy and we will be singing and just like before,” said Anthony.

“It’s been so great having Greg back with us so far this year, and to finish our time on stage all together again seems so fitting,” Jeff said in a statement on the groups website.

2012 will mark their final world tour together, giving both The Wiggles and their fans a chance to say goodbye.

Murray, Greg and Jeff have stated in the video that they will be staying on board at Wiggle HQ to help with musical direction.

The Wiggles will be touring Australia in November/December this year with specific dates due to be confirmed and announced in August.

View the announcement here:

This was stolen from Vulture Magazine A New Type of Wiggle

Boom! Melbourne connoisseurs of ‘the epic’ and just strait-up awesome people, Playwrite, are back with a video clip or their new single “Borderline”. Taking the reigns, Caity Fowler steps up on this track to showcase her lead vocal qualities, with usual front-man, Jordan White providing sonorous support. The combination is beautiful, as is the instrumentation from the rest of the six-piece on this hypnotic tune. “Borderline” boasts huge tribal beats, warm layers of keys and bass, and a fantastic vocal melody that needs to be listened to over and over again.

This was stolen from Vulture Magazine Playwrite Drop New Video Clip

The handsome Londonite will be bringing his soulful dance party to Australia next week, playing headline shows in Sydney and Melbourne. Be prepared for an onslaught of slinky smooth, wistful and woozy sounds as he hits the road with label-mates Tom Vek and Jonathan Boulet.

His debut album, World, You Need A Change Of Mind was released in March to critical praise all round, with the New York Times describing Kindness’s music “Moody and sexy”.

Bainbridge shows knowledge beyond his years and really is something else, difficult to even touch upon, his quirky and addictive video collection on Youtube is like nothing we’ve seen before!

Check out his new video for ‘House’ here:

World, You Need A Change Of Mind is out now and available at JB HI-FI and iTunes.

KINDNESS IN AUSTRALIA

w/ Tom Vek & Jonathan Boulet

Thursday May 24 – The Hi Fi – Melbourne, VIC
Saturday May 26 – Sydney Opera House (The Studio) – Sydney, NSW

This was stolen from Vulture Magazine Kindness Debuts his Live Show in Australia

Lucky for us, the age defying guitar god can’t seem to stay away from Australia too long, with several Oz  trips in the past few years and more recently his surprise appearance with Alter Bridge at this year’s Soundwave Festival.

With epic wailer Myles Kennedy and his backup band The Conspirators in tow, Slash will be shredding up Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane as well as visiting our sheep-loving friends in NZ with dates in both Auckland and Christchurch.

Expect  a classic set list of Slash’s finest with a mix of Guns ‘N Roses, Velvet Revolver, Slash’s Snakepit and of course his two solo albums which will include some killer new gems.

Check out this newly released video of new song ‘You’re A Lie’ from new album Apocalyptic Love here:

Slash – Australian Tour Dates:

Friday 17th August – Vector Arena, Auckland
Sunday 19th August – CBS Arena, Christchurch
Thursday 23rd August – The Riverstage, Brisbane
Saturday 25th August – Entertainment Centre, Sydney
Sunday 26th August – Hisense Arena, Melbourne
Tuesday 28th August – The Barton Theatre, Adelaide
Thursday 30th August – Metro City, Perth

Tickets on sale 1st June

This was stolen from Vulture Magazine Slash Announces Australian Shows

Ex-Mercy Arms, sometime associate of Jack Ladder and Lost Animal, the Kris Moyes-directed video sees Callinan glitching around sumptuous parlours, farmyards, waterfalls and mountaintops as a gif, accompanied by a small boy, a veiled naked woman and a pony, and wearing nothing more than his underpants and boots.

There is panoramic spell-casting, leg-humping, pony-love and tooth-baring: pulsing away beneath is ‘W II W’ itself, which sees KJC growling with menace over the huge array of romantic/industrial, gloom/bloom sounds he manages to wrest out of his guitar (and mile-long effect chain), giving the listener some idea of the atmospheric, delay-fixated séances that his live performances comprise.

Callinan will release ‘W II W’ digitally on June 19, with a vinyl release to follow on July 31. The single will precede the release of his increasingly anticipated debut solo album, the release of which on Siberia records has yet to be announced.

Vulture readers that want in on the weirdness don’t have long to wait: touring the east coast in June with the support of a full band, Callinan will play Brisbane’s Black Bear Lodge on the 21^st, Sydney’s Goodgod Small Club on the 22^nd, and Melbourne’s Tote Hotel on the 28^th.

This was stolen from Vulture Magazine Kirin J Callinan Video Release

Harlem rap goddess, singer and lyricist Azealia Banks will release her EPI 1991 digitally on May 29.

The 20-year-old, who conquered NME’s Cool List and tore into third place in the BBC’s Sounds of 2011 poll, is currently at work on a full-length debut album to be released later this year.

With over 15 million YouTube views already, the EP’s lead single, ‘212’, needs  little introduction. Banks slips effortlessly between glib, acerbic rap, dramatic vocals and a ferocious climax. It’s a track full of contradictions – impish and sexy, beguiling and vitriolic – and of course, there’s that C-word, which, at first, does feel a bit of a novelty stunt. Musically, it’s pretty straightforward, but Banks’ gleeful, sneering delivery is bang-on.

Watch the video here:

This was stolen from Vulture Magazine All the way to the Banks