THE BUZZ BEHIND

Celebrating their 25th anniversary in 2010, Buzz Dance Theatre this month presents a stunning and intriguing new dance theatre work, Behind The Veneer. A highly physical and accessible dance production, wherein five young professional dancers dance out a story that provides an insight into the games we play to preserve inner most feelings and cover insecurities, and use a ‘veneer’ to function in different situations to stay in control, and keep relationships afloat.

Behind The Veneer is recommended for audiences 13 and over. Catch Behind The Veneer at The Playhouse from March 10-13, and Mandurah PAC on March 16-17. For full details head to buzzdance.com.au.

KULCHA CULTURE

It’s a weekend to reap some goodness at Kulcha in Fremantle. On Friday, March 5, Espiritu, is an evening where rhythm, music and song combine with modern flamenco in an investigation of spirit, courage and life. Recently returned from her studies in Madrid, Karen Henderson will debut at Kulcha as a solo artist with special guests Jose Giraldo, Manolo Munoz and Marcus Perozzi.

On Saturday, March 6, Saggezza bring passionate, sultry and sizzling music from contemporary gypsy and tango cultures around Europe and South America. Featuring Ashley Arbuckle, Cathie Travers, Paul Tanner and Phil Waldron, Saggezza offer a smooth mix of sensuous melody and extreme virtuosity on violin, accordion, percussion and bass. 8pm start for both shows.

GYPSY KING

Gypsy guitar legend Lulo Reinhardt is coming to Australia to perform with an international, five-piece band.  The grand-nephew of jazz legend Django Reinhardt and nephew of Gypsy violin master Shnuckenack Reinhardt, Lulo comes from a long line of virtuoso musicians and his voice comes from a musical voyage that has discovered flamenco roots in Spain and Latin/Brazilian jazz from South America.

Lulo Reinhardt performs on Thursday, March 11, at Friends; Friday, March 12, at the Fly By Night Club; Saturday, March 13, at Queens Park Theatre, Geraldton; Sunday, March 14, at Mundaring Weir Hotel and Monday, March 15, back at Friends.

WAVING FROM

MOSCOW

They were ‘kicked off’ the Soundwave line-up in a sea of controversy. But now Melbourne’s progressive rockers, Closure In Moscow are finally coming to Perth for a series of more intimate shows on Thursday, March 18, at the Rocket Room (doors open 8pm, 18+); Friday, March 19, at Breakers Bar in Geraldton (doors open 8pm, 18+); and Saturday, March 20, at YMCA HQ Leederville (doors open 3pm, under 18s). Tickets on sale through moshtix.com.au.

CAPITAL,

GENTLEMEN…

Quite fittingly the last ever band to grace the stage at the Hydey, Capital City’s second album Keep It Stupid, Sucker has been getting nice raves from around Australia and even scored them some shout-outs in the New York Post as a result of their inclusion in the CMJ Music Marathon last October. Check out myspace.com/capitalcityaus for more on that. Capital City hit Amplifier Bar this Friday, March 5, with special guests Daytura, Stoney Joe and The Slow Beings (which between them boast a collection of musicians from bands such as The Stems, You Am I, The Bamboos, Header, Outstation and Circus Murders). Doors open 8pm, $10 entry.

LOOP THE LOOP

A night of experimental electronica and low fi sound, Analog To Digital is coming to Scitech…  after dark. Melbourne-based multi instrumentalist Nick Carson heads the evening; a man whose solo work employs the use of instantaneous composition and improvisation to explore psychoacoustics through themed recordings, compositions for film and live performances. He’ll be joined by Furchick (Claire Parnell) who works with bass, drums/percussion, vocals and loops. Also in on the noise is Pex, whose performance is generally a trundling jukebox of lean, loop-based instrumental pop, punk and folk, tangled melodies surfing over rhythmic chugs and stabs. Support from Amber Fresh and Kynan Tan, with audiovisual installation from 7pm. Intrigued? Head to Scitech on Tuesday, March 16. Entry $10. Doors open 7pm, first performance 7.30pm.

GIFT FROM THE PIXIES

We’re stoked at the news that the Pixies are heading to Perth later this month as part of their New Zealand and Australian Doolittle Live tour, and now comes news that the Australian shows will be recorded by Abbey Road Live (from EMI New York), who will offer high quality CD sets to fans immediately after each show. Disc sets will be available at the concerts and fans may also opt to have the CDs shipped home, regardless of whether they attended the show or not. And those with iPhones should get onto the Pixies mobile app (developed by Abbey Road) that enables Pixies fans to share pictures, purchase live content and much more (available from iTunes). For more information on the CDs hit up doolittlelive.com.

BLACK & BLUE

Fresh from their annual New Orleans Mardi Gras celebrations, the Perth Blues Club at the Charles Hotel forges ahead on Tuesday, March 9, with Mike Elrington Band, Kontraband Trio and Men In Blues. It’s a triumvirate of rock and power blues so head down from 8pm. Entry is $15 and $10 for PBC members. Also coming up is the CD launch for Gerard Maunick’s album, World Citizen, produced by Luke Steele. Joining Maunick for this special event on Tuesday, March 16, with be the Simon Cox Band and Paul Ubana Jones. For more details head to perthbluesclub.com.au.

NERD STYLE

Get ready to rip out your best I’m A Bus dance, as Perth’s kooky Casio kings of yesteryear, Turnstyle, are back. Speaking on the eve of the band’s reformation show, frontman Adem K tells X-Press this is a one off gig purely to satisfy a craving to hit the boards with his old mates PJ and Dean Davies again.

“It’s a pure nostalgia trip,” he muses. “I used to be against the idea of reforming bands, but then I realised it’s actually getting people who stopped going to gigs years and years ago out of their lounge rooms and going out again. I like that.”

Turnstyle were the antithesis of the mainstream in the late ’90s, dressed in cardigans and playing dinky Casio ballads of bliss in an empire of big, brute rock. Even so, the trio managed to crack the big-league with the intoxicating Spray Water On Your Stereo before calling it a day.
X-Press’ curiosity is piqued – is this reformation truly just a one off? “I will never say never,” Adem K suggests, with a smirk in his tone. “It’s hard to say…at this point I’ll say it’s a one off but if the stars align again then we’ll see what happens…”

Turnstyle return to the scene of the crime at Amplifier this Saturday, March 6, flanked by Seja Vogel (Sekiden, Regurgitator), Boys!Boys!Boys! and Burgers Of Beef. Get into it, while the retro’s hot.