With two critically acclaimed albums, a fistful of EPs and a whole lot of passport stamps behind them, The Boat People are a band that have a come a long way since they started playing together as high school friends in a little town two hours outside of Brisbane, Australia. With the release of their third album, Dear Darkly, the band has cast aside all the rules to deliver their most diverse and impressive work to date.

They’ve played The Great Escape UK, CMJ Music Marathon NYC, toured the UK twice and the US three times including shows at SXSW, The Viper Room, Spaceland, Pianos and a live set on Morning Becomes Eclectic KCRW. They’ve also nabbed slots at some of Australia’s biggest festivals and supported David Byrne, The Shins and Midlake.

Those three acts are a good place to start to describe the band’s sound – expansive, unconventional pop with a blush of wry optimism and romance.

In the UK their second album Chandeliers was given 4 stars by Uncut Magazine and picked by Planet Sounds as one of the top 50 albums of 2008, while Australia’s Mess + Noise said “A genuinely great Australian pop album…as good as anything you will hear in the genre this year”. US tastemaker Nic Harcourt called them “My favourite Australian band”.

While Chandeliers was three years in the making, the band changed their approach for new album Dear Darkly, opting to work quickly and with a wider palette. Produced by John Castle (Washington) in Melbourne where half the band now resides, it is perhaps at risk of being deemed ‘eclectic’ by those who never set their iPods to shuffle.

Fri, 30 July

Doors: 8pm

Tickets:  $10 pre-sales HERE & $15 door sales

200,000 joules of nervous energy, 2,500 rehearsals, 250 Demo
recordings, 25 bad jokes, 4 members, 2 years in the making…It’s
Vanuatu Scalps First Show! Ryan, Heath, Ian and Grant would like to
invite you to the very first Vanuatu Scalps concert. Sunday the first
of August at the Workers Club, with the very special Woolen Kits and
Silverbits also performing on the night. Please step into our cloud.

http://www.myspace.com/vanuatuscalps

http://www.myspace.com/woollenkits

http://www.myspace.com/silverbits

Sun, 1 August

Doors:  7:30pm

Tickets:  $8 Concession/$10 Full Price

Post-Script Records present a night of fun filled fantasy with Neon Love, In Tongues and Tehachapi banging out infectious grooves in and around your ear holes.

Gather round for the launch of Neon Love’s new music clip, “I Am Vampire”, produced by young and talented film student Isabelle Love-Dack. Neon Love have developed their sound, finding inspiration in all that’s skewed and wack in various clichéd teenage life experiences.

Said to be “… like watching a prince have a super-hot tantrum onstage.”

Supporting acts include the twirling sounds of Tehachapi’s epically inspired psychedelic/shoegaze and In Tongues’ noise rock inferno. The good boys at the Workers Club will be putting on $5 basics for your hydrating pleasure, so be there at 8.30 or be square. $8 entry.

Thurs, 5 August

Doors:  8:30PM

Tickets:  $8

Mid-State Orange have been working away on writing and practicing some newish songs (in fact drinking beer and eating falafel), and would like to play them for you, along with some older ones.  So they asked some friends to play with them, and before you know it, there appeared to be an actual gig forming.  Extreme Wheeze are playing, which is superb, and also Super Melody, the new project for James Cecil from AIH.  Things kick off at 8PM on the 8/8 and it costs $8 to get in.  Bring your auspicious cats along: this is a veritable bonanza of good luck and nice music.

Sun, 8 August

Doors:  7:30pm

Tickets:  $8

Born in Tokyo and raised in Melbourne, Asami is a singer songwriter with an unmistakable voice.  Her music is packed with memories of life, love and everything in between, drawing inspiration from artists such as Sia, Ben Harper and Karen O to create timeless and playful pop tunes.Starting off as a side project three years ago, Asami has culminated in transforming her sound for the big stage with her band.  Together, they have spent the last year performing, studying, recording and growing as a four-piece to create an effortless sound combining elements of acoustic pop, folk and indie music.  Be sure to catch Asami and her band at the Workers Club on August 14^th launching her debut EP “Sweeter”.

http://www.myspace.com/asamilovesyou

Sat, 14 August

Doors: 8pm

Tickets:  $10 pre-sale, $12 on the door

One night under the watchful eye of a bloated moon, by the guiding hand of Casey Rice and the dogged ear of Jack the Bear, Melbourne’s damaged no-wavers, Wunderlust, came together to forge a gift…Born from the quagmire of malcontent, a wave of unbridled enthusiasm and the wayward giggles of the insane there came forth their debut album, Swammerdam. In the guise of an innocent 2-inch reel tape it spoke directly to the forsaken, the wild and the holy. One listener experienced a virtual reality upon hearing these sweet sounds. Others reported enlightenment while many felt the sudden urge to defecate. Swammerdam is finally being launched for the world to hear this Saturday 21st August at the Workers Club. Support is from the Oren Ambarchi Trio, Magic Silver White and DJ J-Red (World DMC Champ!). DJ Rick (Twerps) will be spinning up a storm in the front bar. Doors open 8pm. $10 Entry.

Saturday 21 August

Doors:  8pm

Tickets:  $10

Named after a Gaslight Radio song, The Jewel and the Falcon is a happy-go-lucky band formed by Patrick Matthews (Youth Group) and Sarah Kelly (theredsunband).  Sarah was tired of sad songs and Patrick was bored of the bass guitar, so they formed a little band based around singing harmonies and getting Patrick’s songs all worked out and into band form. Both sing and play the guitar and are backed by Ben James (Talons) on drums and Sam Cross on the bass.  The Jewel and the Falcon are currently recording in a shed in Waverton and are launching an EP this August.

Sat, 28 August

Doors:  8pm

Tickets:  $10

Every Wednesday at the Workers Club, resident DJ’s Andy(stroyer) Lane and tomtom aka Lazerferrari of True Live settle in for the long haul with the finest soul, blues, rocksteady and rare grooves the known world has to offer from 6 – close.
But as if the records weren’t enough, Agua drink specials are also on the menu all night along with some sweet-ass give aways, including a bottle of the delicious stuff. Combine all that with the new Autumn menu and suddenly Wednesdays seem like the best day of the week.

Drink Specials! AGWA BOMB: $9.5, AGWA SHOT: $7

Every Wednesday

From 6pm in the Front Bar

Free Entry

Got a hankering for DJs who know their shit? Problem solved, my fine feathered friend: Every Friday in the Workers’ Front Bar will see you get your fill with the INFAMOUS FIVE…

DJ Nick Rave
Rat Vs Possum mastermind, warehouse party veteran and the person sporting the best haircut in Melbourne, Matt Kulesza brings a rainbow of sounds to Friday night.

DJ Joey Lightbulb
The one-man party machine, Never Cheer Before You Know Who’s Winning co-host, Inpress royalty and general man about town.

DJ Deadly Doug
Highly skilled US import and foreign correspondent Doug Wallen heads to Melbourne with a Masters degree in US indie 101, a healthy minor sequence in the Dunedin sound and a working knowledge of just about everything else you can/can’t think of.

DJ Shane O’Donohue
Back behind the helm as Editor of Inpress, hear the latest and greatest…