Nat’s What I Reckon

Enmore Theatre

Sydney, Australia

May 15, 2021

Not unlike we have alluded to in the review of  Nat’s What I Reckon’s recently released book, the man’s talents are manifold and his antics are best to be experienced via his  immensely popular YouTube channel or in the flesh as it allows not only for finer nuances but also his personality to shine through, which is an integral part of his appeal.

With his star on the rise and resonance having intensified throughout 2020,  it was nice to see him take on bigger stages in 2021 like the Enmore Theatre as part of his “On Purpose” tour.

The evening was a melange of storytelling with Nat giving insights into the wild ride that saw him become an internet phenomenon and the creative process and inspirations that fuelled it all. With his idiosyncratic piss-taking demeanour he manages to incorporate multimedia components into his stage show, which punctuate and substantiate his accessible and wry anecdotes, backed by audience participation, interactive dialogues, his appreciation of music.

What makes the show is both Nat’s unique energy as well as the fact that while his brand of comedy is silly and unapologetic yet never lacks an inherent humanist edge and an outlook at what is perceived to be normal that is informed by his brushes with mental health issues.

Given Nat’s What I Reckon’s traction and quantum leap his career and his stage craft has taken over the last twelve months, it should only be a matter of time until he will channel his alchemy in ways that will take him to the next level both in terms of comedic performances as well as success in other English speaking parts of this earthround.

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image from artist website

This Searing Light, The Sun and Everything Else: Joy Division: The Oral History

Faber & Faber

Joy Division aficionados would be intimately familiar with the movie on the band from 2007, which was meant to portray the story of the band channelled through their own lenses, substantiated by input from other contemporary witnesses.

Jon Savage's approach to this tome on the history of Joy Division was informed by interviews the content of which never made it into the narrative of the aforementioned movie, backed by accounts of over fifteen witnesses including but not limited to Peter Hook, Bernard Sumner, Annike Honore, Deborah Curtis, Paul Morley, Tony Wilson, Rob Gretton and Martin Hannet.

The result is a less linear complementary piece, shedding light on the band’s genesis via their rise to their eventual tragic demise set against the backdrop of dreary post-industrial Manchester, which could be interpreted as what you would get in addition to the movie’s director’s cut.

Now, if you are a hardcore JD fan, it’s unlikely that this book will deliver never heard before facts, however, it is definitely a well written collection of interviews that aid in adding yet another facet to the unique outfit that Joy Division was – specifically when it comes to the different perspectives contributed by those who were actually involved.

An insightful ode to the creation of the monument of original and extraordinary creativity that was Joy Division and one that remains unrivalled to this day.

Water of Life – Whisky Company & Bruichladdich

Being a whisky aficionado on terra australis can be challenging at times, specifically when it comes to sourcing drops from the old world. With orders from overseas being subjected to extortionate taxes, it is vitally important to have a local, trusted distributor that continuous delivers the goods when it comes to expertly sourcing the best quality single malt whiskies at a competitive price.

This is where the Whisky Company comes into play.

Founded by Craig and Katherine Merson, a pair with Scottish roots and immense knowledge of whisky, they are not out there to merely  convert the uninitiated but based on your preferences, aim to assist in pointing you in the right direction and helping to find a bottle that tickles your fancy to set you on a course of discovery and global adventure.

Given Whisky Company’s love for experiences, expectations were high when a Bruichladdich Scotch Whisky Virtual Tasting Event was announced, especially since Chloe Wood was going to be involved, a never not charming luminary in the field of whisky and Islay at large, who hosted the tasting via Zoom directly from Glasgow.

With Chloe having grown up merely a few miles from Port Charlotte on the mecca of whisky, i.e. the isle of Islay in Scotland, and having been actively involved with Bruichladdich all of her professional life, there could not have been a more suitable guide.

Flanked by Bruichladdich Brand Representative Andy Buntine, who represents the distillery in Australia, we were off to an immensely engaging and fun evening with knowledge being dropped left, right and centre on history and production through to character, flavours and aromas of the Bruichladdich range, all the while accentuating the romance of the story and brand.

Starting out with the Bruichladdich’s honeyed and florally sweet Classic Laddie and the delicately peated Port Charlotte expressions, which we have covered in granular detail before, the first highlight was presented in form of the archaic Bere Barley expression: With Bere Barley having less yield and therefore more emphasis on barley flavours, it is as expected more vibrant on the nose with pears, vanilla, apples and oranges being on the forefront aroma-wise.

I love the distillate-driven mouthfeel and the chocolatey, earthy flavours, which seamlessly transition to spicy, dried fruity flavours and oaky vanilla finish with citrus reverberating. Definitely need to secure myself a bottle for the collection.

The highlight of the evening for Bruichladdich aficionados like myself was to get a taste of Port Charlotte Valinch, expressions of which are getting more and more difficult to come by.

What Bruichladdich’s head distiller Adam Hannett has channelled his alchemy in here is clocking in at over 60% ABV and what stings the nostrils is what I would described as a marriage of toffee and peat, accentuated by a biscuity and berry rich sweetness that sits against a backbone of coffee and bacon with nutty overtones peppered in. It evoked a Pavlovian response with me.

On the top of the mouth, the sweetness of the cask comes through, with sherry notes pervading black pepper, charcoal ash, coffee beans, wet soil and fruity peat flavour profiles.

The elongated finish culminates in an exquisite and warm gingery crescendo, which leaves one lusting for another dram.

An interesting factotum was to learn that Bruichladdich has started a campaign to reduce their overall carbon footprint and an initiative to send bottles out without tins, which demonstrates not only the endeavour to their commitment to sustainability.

Being a hopeless  smoke and peat head, I sneakily saved the sample of Octomore 11.1 for last.

With Bruichladdich’s yearly Octomore releases having earned a reputation as peat bombs, it was interesting to see that with the 11 series, they dialled back the phenol parts per million component a bit, which allows for other nuances to shine through in a more prominent manner , e.g.  Scottish mainland  barley flavours. An example par excellence for Bruichladdich’s emphasis on provenance and terroir.

On the nose the 11.1 convinces with not only the tested and tried peat aromas but a complex flavour profile comprised of eucalyptus, vanilla and brine.

What materializes on the palate in the most delicious oily manner are  vanilla notes unfold backed by a slight alcohol burn and accentuated by peppery, orangey and zesty highlights. Peat smoke sits in the middle  and revibrates throughout without completely taking over, which results in a delicious and dynamic profile. In essence, I’d go as far as saying that the Octomore 11 series is one of the accessible ones, especially for the uninitiated looking to work themselves into the glorious realm of Octomore.

I cannot wait for the 2021 Fèis Ìle expressions and the Octomore 12 series, which will hopefully see the light of day later this year.

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image provided

Thus Let Us Drink Beer – Young Henrys Unifier and GABS Festival

The intersections of love for music and beer is one of the focus areas that in ingrained into the DNE of Young Henrys brewery, which is not only evident in their collaborations with bands to create idiosyncratic brews but also in their on-going support of live music.

The beauty with Young Henrys is that every time one thinks they might have peaked, a new project comes about that tops their previous stellar efforts.

Case in point: Their new collaboration with Rolling Stone magazine, which sees them create a hazy pale not only inspired by but meant to be a celebration of music that made a difference in the world.

Appropriately named The Unifier, the pale ale is a tour de force in hoppy haziness and part of an initiative to saluting and appreciating the efforts of musicians that channelled their art into protesting injustice, overcoming divides and bringing people together.

While the idea and concept is noble, it sure does not hurt that the name of YH’s latest emission also unifies tropical, stone fruit, and fresh floral notes set against a backbone of malt, with highlights of rolled oats and a delicate bitterness clocking in at 19 IBU.

With a percentage of the proceeds from The Unifier going to Support Act, the Dylan Alcott Foundation, and Autism Camp Australia, doing the right and good things has seldomly been made easier and delicious.

Let’s broaden the scope a bit, shall we?

If you are remotely into craft beer and cider, the annual GABS festival is the equivalent of Easter and Christmas rolled up in one. After not being put on last year, brew aficionados have been waiting with bated breath for taps to open again.

The 2021 Sydney incarnation of the GABS festival was only minorly impaired by COVID-19 restrictions and one could not wait to roam free in a bid to savour the new emissions of most of the breweries we have previously covered as well as discover new ones.

If that was not incentive enough, GABS’ USP is that on top of their respective core ranges, breweries offer beers that have not only never been brewed before but are specifically concocted for the festival, clocking in at over one hundred exclusives variants.

Sounds like Disneyland for beer hounds? You bet it is.

Needless to say, breweries are getting creative and weird to celebrate the occasion with their new creations and it is never not a delight to get a tasting paddle the flavours of which take you to uncharted territories flavour-wise.

The proffering of the hoppy liquid deliciousness is framed by an array of carefully curated masterclasses, roving musical entertainment, panel discussions, games known from the Oktoberfest as well as a selection of spirit bars and food trucks to provide sustenance.

Standouts of this year’s GABS festival were Dainton and Akasha Brewery with their never not delightful brews, along with Green Beacon Brewing Co, who have yet to emit a subpar brew.

While I ventured to have at least a sip of the weirder offerings, my favourite variant, i.e. IPAs, were a focus area and suffice to say, I am lucky to call terra australis in that regard. I can only hope that some of the GABS creations manage to make it into the respective breweries’ regular portfolio.

The Formative Years

Mute Records

It seems like aeons ago that through my parents’ record collection I was exposed to Grace Jones’ of “Warm leatherette” – a cover version of The Normal.

The Normal was Daniel Miller’s first musical endeavour before he started a record label which was to release a steady stream of genre defining releases. Mute Records’ first release, i.e. Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschafts’ single "Kebab-Träume", was an instant classic and set the tone for what was to come.

Apart from being a home for Miller’s own projects, it was as early as 1980 that the label released the first moves of trailblazing outfits like Fad Gadget and noise pioneers like Boyd Rice’s NON.

While I have yet to come across a Mute Records release that is not at least interesting and curious, Mute Records singlehandedly changed the face of the British electronic music scene with the first release of Depeche Mode. A release that kickstarted Mute Records’ rapid expansion and a relationship that lasts until this very day.

What I have always admired about Mute Records and Daniel Miller is that he never ceased to support and mine for new experimental artists, despite growing to a veritable major label with the release of Alison Moyet and Vince Clark joining forces in 1982 with Yazoo.

A year later saw Depeche Mode release “Everything counts”  and while this release catapulted Mute Records even further towards commercial success, Miller never ceased to support underground music and secured the back catalogues of acts like Throbbing Gristle and Cabaret Voltaire.

The release of The Birthday Party’s final 12” in 1983 was followed by the debut single of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds in the same year that Miller released an album with archive material of  Einstürzende Neubauten – bands that should cross-pollinate across releases and spawn a range of boundary pushing collaborations between bands.

A myriad of releases followed in the 1980s, of which Depeche Mode’s compilation of the band’s singles to commemorate the first five years of Mute Records is only one of many early releases that became instant classics that stand the test of time until this very day.

Mute Records continued its support of underground artists with the signing of acts like Diamanda Galas and Laibach, before Depeche Mode released the so far most successful album of the label with “Music for the Masses”.

The 1990s saw Mute Records continue their journey, cultivating the careers of its main acts while continuing to support and release underground and lesser known acts, branching out into different genres with the establishment of a myriad of sub-labels before it was acquired by EMI in 2003, with Daniel Manner remaining at the helm of the label’s endeavours.

In a bid to reinvigorate the DNA of Mute Records, Daniel Miller negotiated with EMI the re-establishment of Mute Records as an independent label in 2010, backed by EMI’s infrastructure, with the core acts siding with Miller and creating the foundation for what is still going through forty-three years after its inception.