Lord Of The Flies Feature - Time Out Sydney, March 2012

Lord of the Flies

10 Apr-12 May , 

Kids, 

Performances, 

Theatre

 Recommended

The definitive tale of teenage tension is revisited on stage for a new generation to discover

                                                                            First published on 3 Feb 2012. Updated on 13 May 2012

 

For many teenagers, a life without parental rule would be a dream come true. But the reality, of course, would be quite a different story.

Nowhere is this idea better dealt with than in William Golding’s 1954 novelLord of the Flies. Set on a tropical island during a nuclear war, it sees a group of male, pre-teen plane crash survivors struggling to cope after the initial glow of anarchy wanes. And for their latest production, the New Theatre will be injecting a fresh lease of life into this gripping story.

The adaptation allows the novel’s confronting themes to resonate with a new modern audience. “The thin veneer of civilisation it portrays is always shocking,” says director Anthony Skuse. “And when watching the news today, there is a similar sad savagery that sits underneath what you see.” And Skuse is keen to use his stage to introduce the novel to a new generation of young readers. “The play will hopefully bring a lot of people to the book for the first time,” he says. “Also, for those studying it at school, seeing it realised on stage is a great way to better understand it.”

Skuse’s adaptation will stay true to the source material, but uses a cast of older actors. “I think it’s great to keep it in period and with British accents. Audiences don’t always need everything to be updated,” he explains. A rake stage (which slopes upwards, away from the audience) allows the force of the original novel to shine, too. “It makes for a very dynamic space,” says Skuse. “It gives a wonderful energy as the actors move up and down it. I want to transport the audience to the island, and when it’s right there in front of you, it’ll be very exciting.”

New Theatre 542 King St, Newtown 2042. 1300 13 11 88. www.newtheatre.org.au. Wed-Sat 8pm; Sun 5pm. $15-$30. Apr 10-May 12.

Words by Stuart Holmes

Ziggy Marley Feature - Time Out Sydney, March 2012

Ziggy Marley

Sun 08 Apr , 

Gigs, 

Music, 

Reggae, 

Rock, 

Roots

The son of reggae music's most revered performer continues the family tradition and finds his own voice

First published on 2 Feb 2012. Updated on 2 Feb 2012.

When your father is – let’s face it – a music icon, it can’t be easy to go out on your own. But for David ‘Ziggy’ Marley, the eldest son of Bob, there was no such pressure. Instead, his musical upbringing liberated him to become an accomplished artist in his own right.

“It was a growing process,” explains Ziggy, from his residence in Los Angeles. “You start out young, emulating what you see, and then grow up trying to find your own expression. Today, I have my own voice, but it can’t be separated from my father because music is naturally a part of what we [Marleys] do.”

There are inescapable comparisons to his father’s sound, both lyrically and rhythmically. You can hear Bob’s sublime signature vocal tone over the upbeat groove of Ziggy’s recent single, ‘Forward to Love’ ­­– the song itself mirrors his father’s hit, ‘One Love/People Get Ready’. And the son, like his father, digs deep in the song-writing process to find a message he wants to share. “I’m not so much into the beats. I’m more into the spiritual side of the music,” he tells us. You can hear that on his latest album, Wild and Free ­– a collection of traditional reggae textures with mantric overtones – which he’ll bring to Sydney for Byron Bay Bluesfest and his own sideshow in the city.

Music undeniably flows through the veins of the Marleys, but would Ziggy encourage any of his six children to continue the legacy? “If it’s what they want to do, and it has a purpose, then sure. But it should be about what is true to them,” he says.

Whether they continue the family trend or not, Ziggy firmly believes that music is crucial to a child’s upbringing, and not just for his own children, having been an official supporter of the Little Kids Rock charity for four years. The organisation restores and revitalises music education in disadvantaged schools, which is work close to his heart. “Music is one of the most essential things in life,” he vouches. “It is what teaches us.”

The hard-working singer has now released four solo albums, and won an impressive five Grammy Awards; an accolade his father never received during the academy’s pre-reggae category days (though he was honoured with a belated Lifetime Achievement Award in 2001). But the gilded gramophones and industry acclaim don’t come close to what Ziggy considers his biggest triumph as a musician.

“It’s the freedom that I’ve gained. Nobody owns me, or my music,” he says proudly. “This is what my father envisioned for himself, and now I am free too. That is my greatest achievement.”

Ziggy Marley will also play Byron Bay Bluesfest, Tyagarah Tee Tree Farm, Tyagarah, 
Apr 5-9. 

Words by Stuart Holmes

My Morning Jacket Feature - Time Out Sydney, March 2012

My Morning Jacket

Tue 03 Apr , 

Alternative, 

Book Early, 

Folk, 

Gigs, 

Indie, 

Music, 

Rock

The roots rockers frontman, Jim James, is feeling reflective ahead of the band’s Bluesfest appearance and sideshow

First published on 7 Nov 2011. Updated on 6 Mar 2012.

Much has changed since the inception of My Morning Jacket in the late '90s, not least of all Jim James; their founder, frontman and songwriter. Just play some tracks from the Jacket's latest and much-acclaimed album, Circuital, which look back on times gone by with equal measures of fondness and regret.

After heavily touring Europe and the USA, Circuital will finally receive its live airing here at the Byron Bay Bluesfest in April. This will be followed by a comparatively intimate sideshow at the Enmore Theatre. Speaking from the comfort of home in Louisville, Kentucky, James spoke with Time Out about the new album, the passage of time and... the Muppets.

Would you describe your latest album, Circuital, as a look back on the journey your life has taken so far?

Yeah, absolutely. I’m a pretty reflective person that’s always trying to look at the past and learn from it. When we found ourselves back home [in Kentucky, making the album], there was definitely a lot of reflecting going on.

Has your outlook on life changed since you started the band?

I’ve become a more positive, healthy person, though I definitely slip into some of the old traps that I’ve fallen into my whole life. That said, I think all of us [in the band] are trying to grow and be better people.

How did the reflective approach to writing Circuital compare with previous albums?

I just looked back [on life] and ideas popped into my head. I filtered them and added a little of whatever was going on with me at the time. I would say it was definitely the most fun record that we’ve ever made.

What memories do you have of your previous visits to Australia?

We’ve always just loved it. I always try to take a couple of days after the tour to hang out. I always try to tell people it’s like visiting another planet, but you can understand the language! The first time we came over, everything just seemed so surreally backwards – the sun seemed like it was setting upside down and the water turned the other way. You see birds and animals that you wouldn’t normally see. We’ve always loved coming over and we can’t wait to come back.

What else have you got in the pipeline for 2012?

I’ve made a solo record that’s gonna come out sometime this year and will try to tour with that. I’ll also be getting together with Monsters Of Folk [a supergroup with Bright Eyes’ Conor Oberst and Mike Mogis, plus M Ward] to work on a second record. Then we’ll be doing more My Morning Jacket touring.

We hear you’ve had a few problems with the Muppets lately. What happened?

We were gonna make an album of music as the Electric Mayhem [band from the Muppet Show] which would’ve been a kind of Gorillaz thing, but the guy we were working with got fired, and his superior just dropped the project. I then wrote a couple of songs for their latest movie, but they didn’t get chosen, so there a couple of different points of Muppet rejection. [Laughs] I guess the universe just wasn’t ready for us to be involved!

Words by Stuart Holmes

Ryan Adams Live Review - Time Out Sydney, February 2012

Ryan Adams

Tue 28 Feb , 

Acoustic, 

Book Early, 

Country, 

Folk, 

Gigs, 

Music, 

Rock

The loveable rogue provides a musical masterclass which offers much more than expected

First published on 4 Nov 2011. Updated on 29 Feb 2012.

By his own admission, Ryan Adams has been an unpredictable character over the years. Like so many other musicians, drink and drugs hindered a flourishing career that commenced with his debut album, Heartbreaker, and went sky-high with its follow-up, the modern day masterpiece Gold. His infamous story of causing the former manager of Slayer to quit as his own events organiser within 24 hours speaks volumes. He could certainly be difficult when he wanted to be.

On record, you’d be forgiven for thinking that Adams was actually clean and sober during the hard times; such was the quality of the material that followed his breakthrough into the mainstream. Whilst various poisons took control of his personal life, his efforts as a recording artist were miraculously unaffected. (In 2005 alone he released a solo album, plus two records with his former band the Cardinals, one of which was a double disc.) As a live act, however, it was a different story.

Thankfully, things were remedied by 2006, and whilst he is still guilty of having his moments (including a recent spat with Neil Finn on a TV recording in London), his success increases as time goes by on account of his musical output. This is confirmed by tonight’s sold out show at the Opera House, a venue which Adams boyishly likens to “a giant robotic lady bug”.

After an excellent opening slot from Jason Isbell (formerly of Drive-By Truckers), Adams humbly wanders onstage, carrying his notebook and a hot beverage, which highlights the positive changes he has made.

Sat down, he opens up with the heavenly ‘Oh My Sweet Carolina’, which commands respectful silence and receives a rapturous first batch of applause. What follows is just about all you could ask for from a Ryan Adams show, plus a little bit more.

The audience is treated (and it truly is a treat) to 23 more tracks which span across his impressive discography. Six or seven years ago, Adams could often be guilty of excessive self-indulgence; playing large numbers of obscurities from his back catalogue, and creating Dylan-like re-workings which caused even die-hard fans some confusion. Not anymore.

The set list spans Adams’s solo efforts (plus a handful from his records with the Cardinals, as well as his Whiskeytown days) and ensures that everyone in attendance leaves satisfied. ‘Firecracker’ is a suitably explosive, with its harmonica moments driving the song forwards; ‘Dear Chicago’ has developed into a poignant lament since its early origins as a demo track; even his popular cover version of ‘Wonderwall’ receives an unexpected airing, with its hauntingly beautiful delivery managing to eclipse its original Britpop roots. The Ryan Adams of 2012 sees a rare talent at the top of their game, and it is simply a joy to behold.

Whilst Adams has ironed out the creases of his live shows these days, his idiosyncrasies remain intact, but against the backdrop of astounding musicianship they are now endearing rather than frustrating. His sense of humour is surreal, treading a fine line between madness and genius, with regular material being scattered with ad-libbed skits.  Of these moments tonight, the most notable is the bizarre yet hilarious ‘Ode to Mr. Cat’ (titled to be confirmed), which makes an imaginative prelude to his piano-led rendition of ‘New York, New York’.

After wonderful versions of ‘Two’ and ‘16 Days’, an exclamation mark is placed at the end of show when Adams delivers a heartbreaking performance of ‘Come Pick Me Up’, from his appropriately titled debut. Everyone stands, everyone cheers, and everyone wants more.

The inevitable encore provides a cover of ‘Round Round’ by Ratt (American 80’s hard rock band), and ‘Strawberry Wine’ from the greatly overlooked ‘29’ album, with the latter’s simple melody swaying the audience into a calm state of being after all of the excitement preceding it.

All of the components that make up the reason for Adams’s adoration have always been in place; they just haven’t necessarily always been there simultaneously. Now, more than ever in recent years, the puzzle is mercifully complete, and long may it remain so.

Words by Stuart Holmes