AMBER CALLING
by Scott McLennan
Amber Calling singer Mike Porcaro has a perspective on his band Amber Calling that few vocalists are privy to. Confined to the sidelines while being treated for a throat problem early in the year, Mike was able to watch his band perform with temporary singer Andrew Campbell and make note of ways to move the local rock group forward.
“At first I wanted to stay away just so I didn’t steal any of the band’s limelight,” Mike recalls. “It would have been very hard on Andrew to walk into that position and pick up where I left off. I think I went to two shows and hung at the back the whole time watching. It wasn’t a great feeling watching somebody else singing my own songs, but I had no other choice. Watching them, I could see our faults and what we were doing right. Me being able to watch the show from an outsider’s perspective definitely brings a lot of improvement to the band and as soon as I rejoined the band I told them what we could do to help.” 
Were the band welcoming of your comments?
“They really were. I thought once I told them what I thought they would rip my head off to tell you the truth, because there was a few things where I’d say, ‘Dude, that just doesn’t work’, but they were all very accepting.”
Mike’s enforced rest occurred after months of vocal struggle.
“I had a fair few throat problems and I’d struggled to sing a full set for a while there. I went to my doctor and he stuck a camera down my throat and told me that I had to stop smoking and drinking. Things improved, but I still couldn’t get through a full live set so I had no choice but to take six months off. After five months I went back to the doctor and everything was clear, so I was able to rejoin the band. I never used to warm up, but I warm now. I drink a lot of tea and honey before I play and try and take care of my voice as much as possible. I still have a beer and occasionally have a cigarette as well, but nowhere near the amount I was previously using.”
Former Hey Hey It’s Saturday producer Jack Strom, who previously managed Vanessa Amorosi, is now managing the band and sending their music around the world.
“Our manager Jack Strom got us onto a sampler that included a couple of tracks off the EP. The sampler got sent to America a couple of months ago and gets played on campus radio stations, which helps to get us out there.”
Preparing for the first full-scale show since the official release of their EP, The Truth About Lies, Amber Calling are excited to return to the Governor Hindmarsh stage alongside like-minded Melbourne act The Getaway Plan.
“This is actually the first time we’ve played with The Getaway Plan, so we’re rapt about that,” Mike. “They’re one of my favourite Australian bands.”
Amber Calling play The Governor Hindmarsh on Sat Jun 28 with The Getaway Plan and Closure In Moscow. The Truth About Lies is out now through Tenspeed.

A DEVIL AMONGST THE TAILORS
by David Knight
The breezy beach hip hop of A Devil Amongst The Tailors got a major boost a few weekends ago when three of the tracks from their debut album Learning To Swim found their way onto the Triple J airwaves.
“We had a purple patch last weekend,” says MC/beats maker Adam Dormand. “On Thursday Jazz Club got a spin. On Saturday The Good, The Bad And The Ugly and on Sunday they played Summertime. So, we had three different tracks on four days – it was great. I’m not sure whether we’re on the playlist or not. We haven’t heard from them but hopefully one of them gets on the playlist. That’s our goal.”
The debut album from A Devil Amongst The Tailors comes two years after their EP Straight From The Underground. Taking six to nine months to record, Adam says despite the album having a cruisy element, the recording was a hard slog.
“We got into it, then we realised some better techniques so we went back and re-recorded a whole heap of stuff and then our bass player [Luke] was going overseas so he had to perform all his parts quite rushed. In the last couple of weeks he was here and then we decided to can a few tracks so we wrote some new ones in the midst of it and then laid them down pretty quick. There was definitely some ups and downs in it so it did take quite a while.”
Despite the hard slog, capturing the Aussie summer vibe was an aim when recording.
“The beats I kind of made that we were going with were summery and I guess that summery breezy vibe, we made that the theme for the album. It’s good that it does sound easier than what it was. Next time round will do it heaps easier - the recording, anyway.”
Did the recording at North Brighton influence the record as well?
“We were recording some of it in the summer months as well, ‘cause Mike’s studio is basically his house or his parents’ house. It’s right on the beach house so in between takes we’d head out for a break on the beach. So, that’s where the title of the album all ties into it - the metaphor to write, produce and record an album ourselves.”
Recently A Devil Amongst The Tailors launched the album at the Sceptre with extra members, The Transatlantics’ trumpet player Chris Weber, as well as vocalist Emma Jones. Adam says Chris will be at their live shows when available and Emma is on her way to becoming a full-time member.
“She basically is, in that article [from a rival publication] we said we haven’t sat her down yet. She’s going to play every time possible. If she wasn’t available we can still play, we just change our sequence of songs and which songs we play.”
A Devil Amongst The Tailors play Coopers Alive at the Crown & Sceptre on Sat Jul 26. Learning To Swim is out through MGM.

LOCAL HYPE

ADELAIDE BOYS TO PLAY WITH STU HAMM
Adelaide boys DJP Crew have secured the position as the band for Stu Hamm’s upcoming Adelaide gig. Stu is bass player for the likes of Steve Vai, Joe Satriani and Frank Gambale as well as many G3 tours. Dieter Schoell (drums and percussion and formerly of Innuendo), Jamie Ramzan (guitars and shredding and formerly of Nokturnal), Pigsy (keyboards and guitar synth and formerly of  Zep Boys and The Jimmy Barnes Band) will be performing with Stu Hamm on his Australian Hartke bass clinic tour on Thu Jul 3 from 8pm at Live On Light Square. Don’t miss this fantastic chance to see a bass legend perform and speak about his influences, techniques and equipment.  Stu will also be doing a signing for fans at 10am on Fri Jul 4 at Rock Music, 308 Pulteney St, before embarking on the 2008 national Joe Satriani tour which hits Thebarton Theatre on Thu Jul 10. Tickets available at Rock Music, 308 Pulteney St.

TRANSMISSION LIVE!
Wander down to Adelaide’s best new party venue the Edinburgh Castle for Transmission LIVE! as they bring the Adelaide band scene and Indie kids together for a huge night of cool music. This month see Femme Fatales, The Battery Kids and Trixie Plain rock out on stage with Transmission DJs keeping the party kicking until way late playing indie dancefloor hits. Doors open from 10pm on Fri Jun 27. Everyone’s welcome at the Transmission Party!

MAKING ADELAIDE PROUD
Congratulations are in store for locally produced radio play Songs In The Blood! Recently announced as a winner in the prestigious New York Festivals Radio Broadcasting Awards, achieving a silver medal in the category of Radio Feature & Human Relations, it is one of only five Australian radio productions to even achieve finalist status at the Festival. Produced by Radio Adelaide 101.5FM in partnership with Women’s Health Statewide, it dramatises the true stories of a group of HIV positive and affected women, including mothers, sisters, partners and daughters of HIV positive people. Well done!

LAST REMINDER
If you haven’t sorted yourselves out for the FOOM competition, do so now! This is your last reminder. Budding songwriters, composers and lyricists have only until Mon Jun 30 to submit entries in the 2008 Festival of Original Music Song Competition (FOOM) run by SCALA (Songwriters, Composers And Lyricists Association). Run annually since 1994, FOOM has helped original musicians around Australia and overseas to get their songs heard through a yearly CD release of the winning songs from each competition. Artists on previous albums have included members of the highly successful band Fruit, Heather Frahn and Kylie Cowling from the band Legless. Further details are available from SCALA’s website at <scala.org.au>, at 8431 4063 or from SCALA, PO Box 228, Kensington Park, 5068.

SA FOLK CENTRE
There is nothing like a new musical hotspot to warm the heart and soul throughout the Adelaide winter season! Kicking off last Thursday at the SA Folk Centre, some of Adelaide's most distinguished musicians gathered together to present what has been dubbed as Top Shelf entertainment. So if you’re keen to experience some quality local talent once a week, you know where to go. Doors open at 8pm and it’s a mere $10 entry fee (or $5 concession).

WANT TO WORK IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY?
Want to really know how the music business works? Want to learn from industry professionals who are actually doing it? Beginning in July, Ausmusic SA’s How To Organise Your Own Music Event course is an eight-week specialist event management course designed to provide learners with the knowledge and skills required to stage a music event including planning, logistics, budgeting, sponsorship venue confirmation, risk management and more. Starting on Tue Jul 8 and finishing on Tue Aug 26, the course runs from 7pm until 10pm and is $295. Each course features prominent guest lecturers, including lawyers, publicists, venue operators, event and band managers – people who make their living from the music business – who are happy to share their skills and experiences to make your learning easier. If you’re interested, go to <musicsa.com.au/resources/courses.aspx> for full course details and enrolment forms.

THE MOLTING VULTURES
In scenes reminiscent of National Lampoons Animal House, or more likely Rodney Dangerfield’s Back to School, The Molting Vultures are heading back to university! The MVs are playing at the Adelaide Uni Bar on Thu Jun 26 from 8pm, so don your school uniform for some reminiscing! Beer will be drunk and music will be played, so spread the word and tell the kids - the mature age students are taking over for a lesson on Garage Rock 101. Check out <myspace.com/moltingvultures> for more info.

THE SHINY BRIGHTS
For most bands starting their career, a three-gig run of Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney is extreme, but in five weeks indie rock sensations The Shiny Brights are taking it to another level. They’re doing Adelaide, LA and New York! Yup, that’s right! The band has been locked in for two exclusive showcase gigs in New York and LA in July as well as a string of shows in October, which have been arranged by some of the promoters behind popular US festivals CMJ, Coachella and SXSW. Head to their gig at Jive on Fri Jul 11 with Mona Lisa Overdrive and Jupiter Lead to support them and help with the fundraising required to head over there! Get behind our local talent! Oh and you also get an exclusive goodies package with the Jive ticket. The ticket not only gets you into the indie rock ‘send off’ gig of the year, you also get a pre-release copy of their EP “Let’s Not And Say We Did” (not in stores until August) and a free ticket to their massive EP launch at the Governor Hindmarsh on Sat Aug 30 All tickets are $30 and can be pre-purchased at <moshtix.com.au> (or the door if not sold out prior). There are only 300 tickets available for this show so get in quick! It will sell out.

FEMME FATALES
We’ve received some updates from Femme Fatales, so here it goes. They’ve just completed their debut EP and they will be taking their talents to the east coast throughout July! Before they head off, however, they will be holding their hometown EP launch on Fri Jul 18 at Rocket Bar, so if you’d like to catch up with some locals that rock, do so now!  

The ARTISANS
Adelaide indie favourites from the ’90s, The Artisans, have reformed to celebrate the imminent launch of this year’s SALA (South Australian Living Artist Festival) artist monograph on its lead singer Gerry Wedd who is a ceramicist and Mambo artist. The bands eclectic mix of alternative, country and dark guitar music will have its first airing in 12 years at the Grace Emily on Thu Jul 10 at 9pm and then once again to mark the start of SALA week at the Jade Monkey on Sat Aug 2. So take a stroll down memory lane and reminisce with The Artisans.

JADE MONKEY
On Thu Jun 26, Jade Monkey will be playing host to a night of promised energetic indie rock, so if you’d like to saturate yourselves in all things music based, you know where to go! Driven by local acts Double Standard, O’Clock and The Authentic Replica, it’ll be one to mark down in the ol’ diary.

ZETA
It’s been a long wait, but Zeta’s debut EP, recorded in late 2007 with Adelaide producer Matt Hills (Wolf & Cub, City Riots and The Lucksmiths), is finally read for independent release on Fri Jul 4 at Rocket Bar. Part reckless psychotic energy and part melodic fuzzdown, they’re a band to certainly keep an eye out. Do the right thing and head along to see Zeta with Lumonics, Mr Wednesday and DJ Cameron Bird (of Architecture In Helsinki)!

THE ECHOES OF YOU
Spawned from numerous Adelaide bands such as Baxter, Shirtfront and Miracle Hat, The Echoes of You are a four-piece collaborative with its beginnings dating back to late 2006. Since then the band has evolved its sound through collaboration with friends, band mates, former lovers and of course, vintage musicalia. They’ll be performing on Thu Jun 26 at the Electric Light Hotel, so if you’d like to see what they’re all about, head along!