Tune in to AURAL APOCALYPSE (http://www.realindustrialradio.com/) for DJ Merrick's interview with Brillig's Matt, Elizabeth & Ben, recorded on 31st May immediately after their festival performance in the gorgeous Schauspielhaus Theatre, Leipzig (Germany). Now for those tricky time zones....

For those of you in Australia, the broadcast will run on Thursday 16 July , approx 11:30am (SA time; 11:00 am for east-coasters). German buddies will need to be up bright and early on Thursday (4am....), and those Stateside in LA can catch the PDT broadcast at 7pm on Wednesday 15 July. Or there is always the podcast option, TBA: AURAL APOCALYPSE PODCAST (http://auralapocalypse.podomatic.com/)

In more live-to-air news, you can also listen to Matt & Denni chatting on Radio Wave (Czech Republic), recorded in mid-May while in Prague. Hear it on Radio Wave Interview:
http://www.rozhlas.cz/radiowave/musicche ck/_zprava/586830




(Brillig & DJ Merrick)




(Radio Wave, Prague CZ)

Just a very quick wind up of the highlights from Brillig's first overseas tour...quite simply, it was the best thing the band has ever done, and they're still smiling!

Brillig's festival performance at WGT in Leipzig, Germany is easily the band's favourite show, where they performed in the gorgeous Schauspielhaus Theatre to a huge crowd...and received a standing ovation!! Aww, shucks... that was a nice moment indeed. See some footage on Myspace, and even more at YouTube/brilligaustralia.

The band also took in several shows in Berlin, including the renowned Shokoladen - or 'chocolate factory', and a way-cool 'underground' venue, 'Sin Club', as well as a quick visit to Prague, playing at XT3 and the Red Room. Great responses all around, and everyone was just so darn nice & welcoming!

Brillig also spent quality time with their Chemnitz-based (German) record label Black Rain, who were so incredibly nice, they even made a 'Brillig cake' for the band at a special post-show party!!! Fit for any mad tea party indeed. Sweet! (and yes, you could eat the frosting!)

SEE OUR PHOTO ALBUMS for pics from WGT, side shows, and other shenanigans...

The festival was amazing, the gigs were great fun, the cities were gorgeous, the beer was delicious, the autobahn was crazy, but most of all, Brillig will remember the generosity and friendliness of all the people they met.

The band is grateful to all who helped make their trip so memorable, with extra special thanks to Gerald & Katja (Black Rain), Nicholas & Naomi (Dandelion Wine, and Lobsty!), Pavel & Paesant (Radio Wave), Aliese, Pippa & Cath, Sarah (Shokoladen), Lady Gaby (Sin Club), Linda, Stefan & Petr (Austrade), Marika & Jo (Home for Wayward Bands), Leo & Lucy (Promo-fabrik), Alexander (Velvet Photos), Merrick (Aural Apocalypse) and of course ArtsSA for the touring support.

Now, plans are afoot for a return visit in 2010.....

* BRILLIG LANDS IN TRIPLE J UNEARTHED PLAYLIST

Big thanks to Triple J and Unearthed supporters - Brillig is thrilled that the title track of its latest EP "Jack Davey" appeared in the Unearthed Featured Music playlist for 4th March 2009! Have a listen to some tracks (including some not on Myspace...) and add your own reviews to Brillig's Unearthed page: www.triplejunearthed.com/brillig . 

* BRILLIG IS NUMBER 3 FOR 2008 ON THREE D RADIO!!

As announced on Australia Day 2009, beloved Adelaide station Three D revealed its 100+1 most played tracks for Jan-Dec 2008.

Brillig's Oct 2008 EP, "Jack Davey" took out the number 3 spot on the list, ahead of such illustrious acts as The Audreys (4) and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds (10).

The 3 position beats Brillig's previous record of 6, and the Jack Davey EP itself had already enjoyed several weeks at the No.1 and No.2 position from October.

The band would like to thank all of the station's presenters, listeners and subscribers for their wonderful support.

Congrats to all the bands on the list (see the full 101 acts at www.threedradio.com ), and hooray for Three D Radio!! 

* BRILLIG INVITED TO OVERSEAS FEST IN MAY 2009

Brillig can now officially announce that they have been invited to play at Wave-Gotik-Treffen (WGT) in May/June 2009, the world's largest dark alternative festival which attracts upwards of 25,000 people to Leipzig, Germany.

The band is absolutely thrilled to be making their European festival debut, and will be joining 150+ bands from across the globe on the lineup, including a handful from Brillig's own label Black Rain Music Group.

Wave-Gotik-Treffen (Treffen means "the meeting") is an annual festival for music and arts featuring performances from a variety of genres (e.g. Gothic rock, EBM, Darkwave, Neofolk, Neoclassical, Noise, Medieval Music, Experimental) throughout the city of Leipzig over 4 days on Whitsuntide (ie. the week beginning on Whitsunday, or seventh Sunday after Easter).

WGT has seen the likes of The Human League, Cocteau Twins, Alphaville, Soft Cell, The Legendary Pink Dots, Lydia Lunch grace the stage in the past, as well as other faves in the genre Opeth, Emilie Autumn, My Dying Bride, Cinema Strange and many others. Early reports tell us that this year will see the return of Clan of Xymox, Feindflug, KMFDM, & Psyche, with more announcements of the lineup and full festival details are expected in the coming months.

Brillig is the only South Australian band on the bill.

Brillig will be playing as a full acoustic band for the event (including live drums), and will be releasing a new full album through Black Rain in April 2009. The German-based label covers the territories of Europe, Russia and North America, and has been instrumental in Brillig's growing presence in the overseas market through the release of the 2007 LP "Mirror on the Wall" and 2007 special release "The Plagiarist".

Making the most of the quick trip, Brillig is currently lining up other showcase events and a string of European shows with labelmates Dandelion Wine (VIC), who have a wealth of international touring experience under their belts. More dates TBA soon...

Many grateful thanks to ArtsSA for their touring support. 

Brillig would like to thank all who came along to the Halloween launch of the new 'Jack Davey' EP.

We'd like to pass on our thanks and best wishes to the following good folk:

- Nicholas and Naomi from Dandelion Wine, who made the trek from Melbourne to perform on the night (thanks Naomi for the photos too).

- Thom Combe doing such a fine job mixing so many different instruments on the night.

- Jackie Reichstein for the band photo & for painting such tragic epitaths on our tombstones.

- Aliese for being super merch-y.

- Steve Salvi for the glorious custom made ukulele.

- Rip It Up & dB Magazines for their help toward the show.

- 3D radio for its extended support of brillig.

Thanks all for coming along to the show - 'twas much appreciated.

Brillig would especially like to thank our gracious hosts at the Grace Emily - Clanger for giving us the go ahead to turn the stage into a cemetery; and George and Frances for their generous help and support.

Brillig's setlist was as follows;

Death At Sea

Jack Davey

The Red Coats

Absinthe Makes The Heart Grow Fonder

The Old Captain

The Plagiarist

Like Leaves From Winter's Tree

The Frozen Lake

Assorted Fate

Bird From The Ashes

Phantom's Theme (Paul Williams)

Springtime In Kyoto

Revamp

Photos from the evening can be seen in our photos section.

X brillig


BRILLIG - Next Shows

Sunday 23rd November
*Whitmore Square Art Fair, Adelaide SA
Brillig Trio - 3pm Sharp.

*Grace Emily Hotel, Adelaide SA
Brillg Trio - 8pm
supporting Mick Thomas (Weddings Parties Anything).

New Brillig EP 'Jack Davey' available now  at www.myspace.com/brilligacoustic

* "JACK DAVEY" EP LAUNCH
Adelaide cult band Brillig are ecstatic to be releasing a brand new recording, showcasing their signature sound of Gothic Folk.

Titled "Jack Davey", the 5 track recording was completed at the end of September in Hillside Studios with famed SA producer Matt Hills (Wolf & Cub), and is the first release since Brillig's reinvention as a four-piece acoustic act. The EP was a long time coming for the band, whose previous work (Mirror on the Wall LP 2007) represented an entirely different style.

Signed in Europe/North America/Russia by Germany's Black Rain label, Brillig have been making a name for themselves in the overseas glossy mags and airwaves. Their 2007 LP has earned glowing reviews from the UK, Germany, Italy, Spain, Russia and more, and they reached #2 on the Italian Alternative Chart alongside such acts as Interpol and Editors.

Back home in Australia, Brillig performed across the country from 2007 - early 2008 as both a duo & trio, and supported the likes of The Handsome Family (USA), The Audreys, CW Stoneking, Ned Collette, Sime Nugent, Martin Martini & the Bone Palace Orchestra, The Yearlings & others. The band recently finished half a year of self-imposed hibernation from the live scene, concentrating on honing their acoustic sound, collecting a host of new instruments (including a banjo, autoharp, piano accordion and ukulele) and writing an entire set of new material.

The band's return to the stage in September heralded the historic addition of live drums to the full lineup, debuting the talents of new drummer Ben Macklin (ex-Bit By Bats). The show was packed with people from all walks of life - goths, indie kids, folk & alt.country fans of all ages, you name it! - and the band's set of quirky material went down a treat.

Brillig's new EP "Jack Davey" showcases their strongest songwriting to date, with an unmistakable theme of loss & longing. But proving that "all that's dark is not dreary", the EP is full of enchanting melodies & sweet harmonies which manage to create a strangely uplifting and dreamily romantic atmosphere.

The graceful instrumentation produces alternating sparse & lush soundscapes, making full use of the band's versatile sound and array of instruments:

* Male/Female vocals * Viola * Banjo * Guitar *
* Ukulele * Bass * Piano Accordion * Drums * Harmonica *
* & traditional Americana folk instrument, the Autoharp *


In true Brillig style, "Jack Davey" will be launched on Halloween (Friday, 31st October) at the beloved Grace Emily Hotel. Known for their love of elaborate stage settings (as demonstrated in their popular Adelaide Fringe Fest show & National CD Launch Tour 2007), the band has created yet another stage set & props themed especially for the event.

Brillig will be performing on the night as a full acoustic band with live drums & bass, and joining in the mayhem will be great pals and record labelmates, Dandelion Wine (VIC). They too, will have a new CD in tow, having successfully launched an LP overseas during their massive shows across Europe last May & June. And in breaking news, Brillig & Dandelion Wine are currently lining up international tour dates together for mid 2009...watch this space for details.

In the meantime, you can hear 2 new tracks from Brillig's EP on Myspace: Title track "Jack Davey", and "Phantom's Theme" Get listening now!

BRILLIG's "Jack Davey" EP LAUNCH & HALLOWEEN PARTY:
Full acoustic band
FRIDAY 31ST OCTOBER
@ Grace Emily Hotel (232 Waymouth St, Adelaide SA)
w/ ethereal post-dreampopsters, Dandelion Wine (VIC)
9:30pm; Free Entry
**Brillig have chosen to play first, at approx 10pm


* About the Tracks:

"JACK DAVEY"
Brillig's new signature tune and EP Title Track - an old fashioned waltz time murder ballad. Exploring the rich heritage of folk songs, "Jack Davey" delves into the title character's life as gambler and murderer.

"BIRD FROM THE ASHES"
The banjo leads another old time song evoking America's Southern Past. A tale of young & troubled Nellie Jones, whose misfortunes ultimately lead her to take matters into her own hands, with tragic results.

"ASSORTED FATE"
Beautiful melodies and a disarmingly upbeat tempo carry this story of how everyone's fate is unique unto themselves - in the end we are all alone.

"PHANTOM'S THEME" (Paul Williams)
After meeting iconic songwriter Paul Williams (The Rainbow Connection) in '08, Brillig recorded his song Phantom's Theme as a tribute of sorts. Autoharp adds beauty to this song of the struggle between the good and bad within us.

"THE FROZEN LAKE"
A lament for a lost love. This poignant song sees Brillig at their most sparse and direct, musically giving room to the sentiment that in the end, a true love can defeat anything except time.
 
 

Hey Friends,

Here is the 'Official Press Release' for our next show... and new sound!

GOTHIC FOLK ACT BRILLIG DEBUTS WITH DRUMS

After 6 months of self-imposed hibernation, Adelaide cult band Brillig returns to the stage on Saturday 13 September at the Wheatsheaf Hotel (George St, Thebarton SA).

The occasion marks Brillig's debut as a full acoustic Gothic Folk band, the latest incarnation of this versatile group. Brillig began in 2000 as an industrial goth act, later morphing to darkwave electro pop (complete with 80s keyboard & drum machines), and finally, following their melodic roots back to an acoustic sound in 2007.

Having performed across the country in 07/08 as a Gothic Folk Duo & Trio, they are proud to announce the historic addition of live drums to the full band lineup.

Hitting the skins is Ben Macklin (ex-Bit By Bats), who lends his superb & subtle percussive style to the mix. The Sept 13th gig will be Ben's first with Brillig, and his 1st time on stage since the demise of popular national act Bit By Bats in 2007.Ben has also joined Brillig at Hillside Studios (Adelaide) of late, and a new EP is expected in late October.

Once again working with famed SA producer Matt Hills (Wolf & Cub), Brillig have been thrilled with the results so far and will be releasing a few new tracks from their forthcoming EP on Myspace in the coming weeks.

Brillig's gig will also showcase a stack of new songs, all exploring the traditional folk themes of death, loss & longing. From murder ballads to treacherous sea shanties, tales of suicide and love lost, brillig's new set takes the audience on a melancholic journey, but one that is oddly uplifting and dreamily romantic.

Brillig's enchanting melodies & sweet male/female vocal harmonies prove all that's dark is not dreary, and the graceful and intricate instrumentation features:

Matt Swayne: Vocals * Guitar * Banjo * Harmonica

Elizabeth Reid: Vocals * Viola * Autoharp (Americana folk instrument) * Accordion * Ukulele

Denni Meredith: Bass

Ben Macklin: Drums

Performing across Australia, Brillig have played with such acclaimed acts as The Handsome Family (USA), The Audreys, CW Stoneking (VIC), Martin Martini & the Bone Palace Orchestra (VIC), Jason Webley (USA), Ned Collette (VIC), Andrew Morris (QLD), Sime Nugent (VIC), The Yearlings, John Baker Duo, Huckleberry Swedes & more.

Brillig is signed to Germany's Black Rain label (European, North American, Russian territories), who released a preview single & LP in 2007. Both have been receiving great reviews and airplay in the UK, USA, Germany, Italy, France, Spain, Belgium & Russia. (see myspace.com/brilligacoustic for press quotes)

Don't miss Brillig's full acoustic band as they hit the stage on Saturday 13th September at the Wheatsheaf Hotel. Folk music will never be the same!

Friday 25th July @ The Wheatsheaf Hotel

Making a RARE appearance after nearly 5 months of self-imposed song-writing hibernation, brillig will be playing a special set on Friday 25th July at the Wheatsheaf Hotel, as they open for the irreverent and outrageous Martin Martini & the Bone Palace Orchestra.

Hailing from Melbourne, MM&TBPO are renowned for putting on quite a show... 'Think Baz Luhrmann meets Tim Burton, think The Cat Empire with manic depression.' - Beat Magazine. Sounds like a great match for brillig.... Also joining in the fun will be gorgeous Adelaide act The Joans, with local legend Mick Wordley marking his debut performance as a new Joan!

As brillig's first live SA show since February, the band will be showcasing heaps of new tracks on the night - most of which share the theme of ... death. As they say, nothing like brillig to cheer you up!

From murder to suicide, the passing of lifetime lovers to the untimely demise of a schizophrenic young girl, brillig's stories will lure you into their dark and dramatic world of gothic folk / pop.

The band will also feature several new instruments, with Matt's 'new look' banjo, sonorous Guild guitar & Elizabeth's beloved autoharp joining their menagerie of viola, harmonica, & piano accordion. Bassist Denni will round out the trio format for the evening, and expect some fun announcements about brillig's plans for the rest of 2008.

The next brillig gig is in September... details & other exciting news to be announced soon!

brillig - Friday 25th July
@ Wheatsheaf Hotel

Supporting
Martin Martini & the
Bone Palace Orchestra
also with The Joans

8 PM
*(brillig open 8:30 SHARP)
$15 Tickets
from the Venue