It’s about time! We finally have a physical release from my current favourite local act - Private Life. The official launch happened on Friday May 11 at The Workers Club in Fitzroy and it was a good one.
Upon entry, attendees were given a copy of the band’s first EP - Follow The Sun, featuring the title track and Black Heart. A very welcome touch was that the CD cover was hand-sewn by frontwoman Renee Cassar, making it truly a limited edition collectable.
(Close up on the left, crowd photo from the band’s Facebook page on the right).
Given that I’ve already reviewed them twice (1,2) since October, I’m not going to go into any detail about the set. Just know that it was great as always.
Keep your eyes peeled for a music video for Follow The Sun over the next week or so.
Come down to this gig at the Espy on Saturday June 2 to see them with your own eyes. All of the bands on the lineup are bound for big things in the future and it’s 100% free, so you’ve got no excuse.
It might be time for Amy to step out from behind the drum kit. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been a big fan of what Stonefield have been doing for the past two years - I wouldn’t have seen them five times live otherwise. What I witnessed at this show though was, I hope, the evolution of the band. The “novelty factor” of Stonefield has been flogged to death since they came on the scene - be it about their age, the fact that they are all sisters or that Amy is a singing drummer - and I know they can’t be too happy with these labels.
The show started off like any other and was progressing as expected, on the way to being just another good show. There was a handful of new and unreleased tracks, including personal favourite Move Out Of My Shadow - which I’m very glad to see in the tracklist of their upcoming Bad Reality EP.
With only a handful of songs left in the set the band invited a friend on stage to play drums, freeing Amy to become a standalone frontwoman. The result would surely have pleased the band and their entourage because she was great. Everyone already knew she has the voice, but what we now know is that she has the stage presence to match it with the best.
Despite being based just over the ditch, it’s been over two years since Gin Wigmore has plied her trade in Melbourne town. She finally made it again though, on the back of new album Gravel & Wine.
Gin was supported on the night by a local band Eaten By Dogs. I only caught the last five or six songs of their set, but I was happy with what I heard. They had a folk/country sound with vocals reminding me a bit of Hurricane-type Bob Dylan and who could be unhappy with a support band that covers Bruce Springsteen?
By the time Gin came on stage The Workers Club was full to overflowing, and with good reason. The crowd turnout was great to see, especially since Gravel & Wine still isn’t available on Australian shores (due for release on April 13). Apparently Gin was hungover sick, but I’m sure that no one would have noticed had she not told us. Her delivery was spot on and just like last time the performance was enthralling. Her stage presence (but not her music) reminds me of a less innocent Sia - brimming with natural confidence.
The set started well with Hey Ho and Devil In Me, but it wasn’t until Kill Of The Night that the show really took off. Under My Skin was well received, but overshadowed by the crowd’s reaction to recent single Black Sheep. Apparently Melbourne is one of the only cities where Black Sheep didn’t get radio airplay, but judging by the volume of the singalong, either Gin’s radio spies were mistaken or there were more than a few people who went down the same path as me - by ordering the album online from an NZ music shop. My personal favourite off the new album Sweet Hell rounded out the set.
This was my third time seeing Death Cab, but I was far more excited than I’d been for the presvious shows. The first was a festival set at Splendour in 2006 and the second was on their last Australian tour, when I wasn’t as big a fan as I am now.
Adding to this, Dappled Cities were supporting, which I definitely approved of. The guys from Dappled Cities were previewing some material from an upcoming album, but still managed plenty of time in their set for some old favourites. Fire Fire Fire and The Price were obvious highlights but the new tracks were pretty impressive too, so I am now eagerly awaiting the album.
At a very early stage of their set, it dawned on me just how much heavier Death Cab For Cutie’s sound is compared to what I expected/remembered. I see Ben Gibbard as one of our generation’s finest lyricists, so when you combine this with his distinctive and superb vocals I often make the mistake of throwing them into the “easy listening” category.
Just like the last show, Ben played I Will Possess Your Heart solo, but this time around it was mid-set rather than leading off the encore. Either way, it was as magical as ever. I was over the moon to hear them play Little Bribes, but the whole set was pretty great. Finishing on Transatlanticism was a perfect end to the night.
I bought a ticket to this gig with every intention of seeing headliner Phil Jamieson, even though the supports were the main drawcards. On the night though, a severe case of the CBF’s won out, so I left before the main act.
The opening support for the night was Dave Larkin, former front man for Dallas Crane. The last time I saw him live was in 2008 supporting Jeff Martin. On that occasion he barely said a word and played mostly Dallas Crane songs. This time around he was vocal but reluctant to play those songs, hinting a few times of a less than amicable breakup. I was happy to hear a Gun Street Girls song, but based on the way he speaks of this project I was one of the only people to have bought the album… He finished with a flurry of Dallas Crane songs, which pleased the dozen or so people who made an effort to get in early for his set.
Evil J & Saint Cecilia’s set was plagued by issues with their loop pedals, but the show was still enjoyable. They did a good job of holding things together and the couple of new songs unveiled on the night showed that there’s still plenty of goodness to come from these gals.
Since becomming a fan in the early 2000s, I somehow managed to miss two Incubus tours - 2004 and 2008 - due to lack of funds. One direct consequence of this was that for the last seven or so years, they have been #1 on my “To See” list (note to self: update that list).
Incubus have drawn a bit of criticism of late (especially from a few of my friends) for producing shit music - a statement that I strongly disagree with. Their last two albums, whilst not containing any songs I’d call favourites, have dished up some great tracks in A Kiss To Send Us Off, Love Hurts, Switchblade and Promises, Promises - all of which except the latter got a gig at this show. Having said that, the difference in pure intensity between the older tracks and the newer tracks was clearly visible. Privilege and Pardon Me were a great combo to kick off the night and Vitamin and Nice To Know You were also great. The final three tracks of the main set were the big highlight - Wish You Were Here, Drive & Megalomaniac - and Magic Medicine into A Certain Shade Of Green was a perfect end to the night.
If nothing else, Chris Kilmore alone was worth the entry fee. He was great value on the decks and his hair had a mind of its own… Crazy cool.
I hate crowds at the best of times, so I was somewhat dreading a festival full of hipsters held in a laneway… Luckily, the layout at the Footscray Community Arts Centre worked a treat as there were barely any cramped crowds all day. Moving between stages was a breeze and for most of the acts I saw, it was simple to just walk up to the front of the stage. I can’t comment on prices or anything queue related, but I was a big fan of the festival logistically and aesthetically.
This show was nothing short of perfect. Röyksopp have never come to Australia before this tour and I hadn’t so much as seen a video of them performing live, so I went into the show with no idea what was about to happen. When they opened with a nearly 10 minute version of instrumental song Alpha Male, I was settling in for a downtempo night of ambient music, which was fine by me. A complete shift in expectations came with song number two as personal favourite Happy Up Here set up a party atmosphere that was maintained throughout the night. The guys were very energetic throughout and appeared to make a point of individually acknowledging crowd members. Add in their ridiculous yet strangely apt costumes and it was clear that this was not simply just a gig, but an all out spectacle.
One of the lingering questions was always going to be what they did with their “collaboration” songs, since they are the most popular. The answer was that they brought one of the collaborators with them. Sadly it wasn’t Karin Dreijer Andersson, Lykke Li or Robyn, but Anneli Drecker. True To Life was the only Drecker song that was played on the night, but she did a commendable job of impersonating Robyn and Andersson on Girl And The Robot and This Must Be It, respectively. Her stage presence fitted perfectly with the rest of the band and the vibe of the night and her performance of What Else Is There? was, for lack of a better phrase, fucking mesmerising!
I said on the night that it was in my top ten gigs of all time and two weeks on, that still rings true. One of my goals in life is now to see Röyksopp perform live somewhere in Scandinavia. Who is coming with me?
The Bronx were heavier than what I normally listen to but as their set went on I enjoyed it more. Even though a friend who is a massive fan told me I was wrong, I found myself drawing comparisons to At the Drive-In. Later songs sounded like an early Grinspoon (ie. DCX3, Champion and Post Enebriated Anxiety) and apparently I was closer to the mark with that comparison. I’m not going to become a fan, but they were a decent support act.
I was never a massive Soundgarden fan, but there’s no doubting that Chris Cornell has one of the best rock voices in history. Add in the fact that Matt Cameron is drumming and that’s enough to convince me to come along, even if it is just to say that I have. To that point, it was an ok show but that’s about as far as I’d go. Soundgarden are seen as a heavy rock band, but most of their songs are way too drawn out to sustain energy and to keep me enthralled. They somehow find a balance between wanting to start headbanging and also wanting to just lay back on a couch and listen. The highlights were Outshined, Rusty Cage, My Wave and Blow Up The Outside World.
For the record, knowing I had to be up by 5 the next day for work may have affected my mood a bit throughout the gig and I left with one song songs still to come in the main set. Looking back at the setlist, I wouldn’t have got much out of what I missed, so it was probably a good decision.
I knew nothing of Immigrant Union before this show and a few songs in I thought I was on a winner. They sounded like an upbeat rock band, with a hint of country influences (think Wilco). After those couple of songs, they lost me a bit as they delved deeper into the country sound - coming across as just another stereotypical country band with an american twang. This continued through most of the set, with the exception of the final song and one sung by the female guitarist (possibly Bookshelf, going through some Youtube videos).
After having now seeing Noel Gallagher live and “solo” (read: without Liam) my opinion of him has changed drastically. At Oasis shows he was always side of stage, acting as though he couldn’t be bothered being there. Add this to the fact that Liam retained the core of Oasis with the breakup as Beady Eye and it’s painting a clear picture of a tool. A second-hand account of some of his banter from the night would probably confirm this view, but seeing it first-hand it was clearly tongue-in-cheek. Take, for example (and I’m paraphrasing):
It’s strange playing with all of you sitting down. I guess this is what it feels like to be in the support band.
(For the record, Noel didn’t “demand” the audience stand after he said this, as some reviewers will have you think. He simply asked “Are they making you sit down?” to which the crowd reacted immediately by standing.)
The bad part about you all standing is that it reveals some really bad dancing. Not from us though, we’re all great dancers.
I didn’t work on my setlist for 10 minutes last June just to come here and take requests so you can save your breath. Especially since none of you are wearing any merch. Tightarses.
Musically, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds isn’t a huge departure from his work with Oasis. The songs are overly simplistic, with a rare quality of being enthralling at the same time. (Stranded On) The Wrong Beach, AKA… What A Life!, The Death Of You And Me and Dream On were all great, as were Oasis “covers” Mucky Fingers, The Importance Of Being Idle and Don’t Look Back In Anger. See the full setlist here.
This was a gig I attended more out of curiosity than adulation. Eleanor Friedberger, especially from her days with The Fiery Furnaces, has a voice that demands acknowledgement - simultaneously fragile and powerful. The fragility is more at play in her solo work, which falls just short of having a breakout song. Live, it was very similar - entertaining, but lacking something to take it to the next level. My Mistakes and Scenes From Bensonhurst were the picks of the bunch.
It was refreshing to see an artist with enough nerve to stop halfway through a song to ask audience members (in the front row no less) to be quiet. Seriously, if you’re paying good money to see someone and you’re a big enough fan to be in the front few rows, why talk through the whole thing? While I’m on the subject of audiences, tonight’s crowd was bordering on embarrassing. If an act of the calibre of Eleanor Friedberger is playing to about 100 people in the Northcote Social Club, something is wrong.
Fox + Sui were a great find to come out of this gig, playing the main support slot. They are a two-piece playing cutesy electronic music similar to Sneaker Pimps (or closer to home, Pikelet). Fox is Andras Fox - a beatmaker from Melbourne; and Sui Zhen - a singer with amazing vocals based in Sydney. Their music isn’t overly complicated, but they definitely mix well, making the most of each other’s talents. I very much look forward to their debut EP (which shouldn’t be too far away) and the ensuing shows.
In what could be seen as an indictment of the current state of the music listening public’s tastes, tUnE-yArDs failed to sell out a single show at the Corner Hotel but Matt Corby managed to sell out five. This is not so much of a dig at Matt Corby as it is at the listeners. I understand that tUnE-yArDs can be a bit of a mindfuck on first listen, but at least she is producing music that has a point of difference. Her album of last year - w h o k i l l - is one of the most unique (and best) I have heard in recent times and to think that there’s so many people out there who call themselves music lovers that might be missing out on hearing it (and many other amazing artists) because they’re not willing to venture outside their comfort zones is a sad thought indeed.
Because of aforementioned album, this gig came as one of my most anticipated in recent memory and it definitely lived up to expectations. Loop pedals are nothing new in the live music industry, for example Liam Finn (here) and Eddie Vedder (here), but Merrill took things to a new level, managing to create some truly magical sounds. The set was dominated by songs of her most recent album, but also featured two songs from her debut album and one new track. Because the songs were all so brilliantly reproduced live, the highlights were just my favourite songs from the album - Bizness, Es-So and My Country.
Apparently being voted in the top 10 albums of 2011 by nearly every music press outlet wasn’t enough to generate sufficient interest in tUnE-yArDs this time around, but hopefully a few more people manage to jump on board so that she’ll be back sooner rather than later.
Teeth & Tongue are a local favourite of mine (especially live) so getting a chance to see them as supports was most welcome. They were previewing live material, which dominated the majority of the set. The older songs (Unfamiliar Skirts & Sad Sun) were great as always, but the newer stuff was hard to get into. Party and I Got Your Number were the best of the bunch. At first listen the two albums to date have taken a while to grow on me though, so I’m sure the same will happen with these new songs eventually.
Sons & Daughters were everything I hoped for and a great way for me to say farewell to one of Melbourne’s finest live music venues - the East Brunswick Club. I’ve seen some great shows here over the years and being on the northside I’ll definitely miss the short commute home afterwards. What I won’t miss is the carpet (if you can still call it that). With twelve years worth of beer spillages under foot, dancing was limited by the strain of trying to lift my feet out of the stickiness. It was hard to resist though, because these Scots sure know how to put on a party. The set was a good mix of the old and the new, with Rama Lama, Breaking Fun, Rebel With The Ghost and Gilt Complex all going down a treat. Add this to the comical banter (and the delicious Glaswegian accents) and it was a good night!
Sietta are a JJJ Next Crop artist who describe themselves as Electro Soul. This sounds good in theory, but not in reality. The two components of their music were enjoyable as separate parts but I struggled with the two at once. Caiti has a great voice but it was rarely used to potential, trying to mimic every other soul singer by singing well below her range. The beats were pretty cool, but the combination just sounded like a badly remixed Alicia Keys song.
Grey Ghost now have an EP out and I guess you could call this their first headline show. Friends who went said it was great but I didn’t think it compared to the Evelyn show late last year. There wasn’t as much energy on stage and they skipped over my favourite from that night (whatever the song was that saw the whole band on drums). It’s hard to tell whether last time it was the novelty of seeing one of my friends on stage for the same time or whether this show was a bit lacking. Regardless, I think their show is more suited to a larger stage and with their recent signing to EMI, jopefully they’ll be hitting a festival near you soon
Here’s some of my thoughts about the recent Falls Festival in Marion Bay. Better late than never, as they say… It’s a bit lengthy so here’s a shortened version: I had fun.
