Author: Larry Heath

When I received the new album Ghosts of The Horizon, from Perth natives The Holy Sea, I first assumed it was a debut. I was so blown away by what I heard that I couldn’t believe I’d never heard of them before. But low and behold, this was their third album (following on from Blessed…

Amid a sea of rumour and innuendo, we’re here to set you straight and make all your heavy music prayers come true… NO SLEEP TIL, is a national touring festival that will deliver a mix of the best international and local acts from the legendary to the up and comers. Make sure you’re sitting down…

Never thought I’d see the day! Here’s the message from Homebake HQ Whilst this past weekend witnessed a state of political confusion, we concur that we’ve certainly had our fair share as well. That said and with such a plethora of festival announcements of late, we’ve decided to go against the grain and as such…

In a move that should surprise no one after Kanye supported them in 2006, Jay-Z will be the VERY special guest when U2 tour Australia and New Zealand in November/December, later this year – all a part of the epic 360˚ Tour. If you haven’t seen Jay-Z live before, expect to be WOW-ed. He’s an incredible…

The incredible Silversun Pickups are returning to Australia next month, touring with Birds of Tokyo, and playing Coaster Festival! And now they’ve announced a one off show in Melbourne… here are the details: EXCLUSIVE HEADLINE SHOW IN MELBOURNE! The Frontier Touring Company is proud to announce Silversun Pickups will be performing a one night only,…

Fans of female singer/songwriters will have all heard about Lilith Fair – Sarah McLachlan’s touring Music Festival in the USA. She’s bringing a “taste” of the event down to Australia in October! And she’s bringing some familiar faces along for the ride…. here’s the press release: Chugg Entertainment, in conjunction with Nettwerk Music Group, is…

Radar Radio and Jim Beam have joined forces with The Gaelic Club in Sydney to present ‘Freshly Cut’ – a showcase of “some of Australia’s best upcoming artists”. Tonight, in it’s fifth installment, Sydney based Lions At Your Door celebrated the launch of their latest single with a spectacular show alongside fellow locals Paper Moon…

After the common courtesy of weather-related chat, we got down to the business end of things with DZ before they headed off to the US of A. I hear you guys headed up to Splendour in the Grass last month? Yeah, we just went as punters. It’s the fifth year I’ve been now. It’s always…

Tonight was night three of Laura Imbruglia’s Excelsior Hotel August residency, and the first time I’d ever had the opportunity to catch the singer/songwriter in action. Following on from “Country Laura” and “Acoustic Laura”, tonight she was in band mode, performing as a three piece, with support from locals Machine Machine. The five piece set the night off with a polished…

VOTING HAS NOW CLOSED IN THIS COMPETITION We’re pleased to announce the WINNERS of the AU review band competition! Congratulations to Dirt Farmer and Dan Webb, both from Melbourne. Thanks to everyone that voted for their favourite artists! You can listen to all 6 finalists below. BANDS Big Old Bears (Perth) With influences dating back to…

We at the AU review think this is one of the coolest festivals of the year, so it’s a pity to see them in trouble. However, you can help! They’ve announced a 2-for-1 offer which is pretty damn kind of them. Even if you’ve already bought a ticket, you can bring a friend! Here are…

Ah, Meredith time approaches for another year. And now here’s most of the lineup! In the press release they said: “We are beyond proud of this one – it’s über-appropriate for The 20th Meredith: Grand, Pirate and Fun.” You know what? We couldn’t agree more. DIRTY THREE / WASHED OUT / LITTLE RED / GIRLS…

As they tour around Australia supporting Slash and playing their own shows, celebrating the launch of their new album, we chatted to the lead singer of Australia’s own Juke Kartel. Now based in Los Angeles, Toby Rand talks about Slash, living in the USA and their new album! Hi Toby! Thanks for taking the time…

When it comes to visits from iconic hip hop artists, for once I’m happy to say we’ve been spoilt down here in Australia. In the last year alone, we’ve had a veritable wet dream lineup of America’s finest artists on our shores: Wu-Tang, Method Man and Redman, A Tribe Called Quest, Big Boi (Outkast), Busta…

To celebrate the release of LONG GONE WHISTLE The Songs Of Maurice Frawley, co-producers and creative partners; Paul Kelly and Charlie Owen have invited the performers of LONG GONE WHISTLE  to join them on stage at the fundraising album launch which will be held on Thursday August 19th at The Esplanade Hotel, St Kilda.   The…

As New Zealand’s Artisan Guns travel around Australia with The Holidays and Hungry Kids of Hungary, supporting their new EP “Hearts”, I chatted with guitarist Jonathan Pearce about their East Coast tour, the new EP and more! Hey Guys! Thanks for taking the time to talk to us! My pleasure! It’s Jonathan here, I’m the…

Splendour in the Grass 2010. It’s a festival we’re all still talking about here at AU HQ – and so we thought we’d let a few more contributors (reviewers and photographers) share their experiences with you …  Johnny Au: As a complete novice to camping at festivals I approached Splendour with a fair amount of…

It’s been a while since we’ve heard from Killing Heidi’s Elle and Jesse Hooper. In the early 00s, it was hard to avoid their music, but as the scene changed, and their audience grew older, so did they, essentially disappearing from the scene after the release of their third album in 2004. It was at…

Hip Hop fans young and old filled the Hordern Pavilion to capacity on Wednesday night, there to experience the legends of the genre in the flesh: A Tribe Called Quest. For some in the room, tonight was not only a night they’d waited almost two decades to experience, but a night they perhaps never thought…

I understand it was your birthday yesterday! Indeed, yes! So how hungover are you? Pretty hungover! *laughs* I read on your Twitter account that you had about 20 interviews to do in Australia today! That’s one kind of birthday present I suppose… It’s always nice to have so much love coming from Australia. At least…

TICKET DETAILS: Standard Tickets: $135 + $7bf = $142 (no hidden charges) “More Expensive” Tickets: $195 + $7bf = $202 (no hidden charges) “More Expensive” ticket gets you access to the delightfully shaded “Botanic Bar”, which includes: * Speedier bar and a shit-load of toilets * A viewing platform to relax and unwind * A…

A new Summa, a new flavour….Summadayze. Summadayze returns to Australia 2011! Here’s the lowdown on the first announcement. Head to the artist bios to find out if they’re playing in your city! David Guetta Armin Van Buuren* Justice (DJ Set)* N*E*R*D* Armand Van Helden* Bob Sinclar Chromeo* Boys Noize Erol Alkan* Miami Horror Claude Von…

Sunset Sounds’ smooth grooves and fine rockin’ tunes are warming up for this hot summer festival – back for the third year in 2011 after sell out shows the past two years running. Set under the lush green canopies of Brisbane’s magnificent City and Botanic Gardens, this gathering of superfine artists from near and far…

The Falls Music and Arts Festival jukebox is bursting with goodness, spinning inside, raring to be unleashed. Lean over and flick through because this sound machine is filled to the brim with talent from near and far that will make your skin tingle and your mind blow. Celebrating a magnificent 18 years in Lorne and…

SOUNDWAVE RETURNS, BIGGER, BETTER & GOING WHERE NO FESTIVAL HAS GONE BEFORE… There used to be a saying at Soundwave that no one band is bigger than the festival. That saying will be tested in 2011 as we proudly announce a rare chance to see rock legends IRON MAIDEN as the headline artist for next…

As I entered the Splendour grounds for the final day – exhausted, aching, sunburnt – I couldn’t help but feel quite at a loss as to what my life would be like without sleeping in an overheated van, experiencing such amazing music in the middle of nowhere. It has truly been an outstanding weekend I…

All girl rock bands are not only few and far between in the current live music scene, but I think it’s fair to say that they’ve always been a rarity. Enter Creepers, a five piece Sydney band, made up entirely of talented females, two of which kick the shit out of the drums quite frequently….

When attending Splendour in the Grass, one part of the day quite difficult to make it in time for is anything pre-Noon. Two bands who fit into this category conveniently joined forces for a wonderful evening at the Oxford Art Factory, and my final Splendour in the Grass sideshow for 2010. Having regretfully missed a…

48 hours or so after Splendour came to an end, I return to Sydney slightly under the weather, with the memories of an excellent weekend that passed by all too quickly. Thankfully, the sideshows continue around the city and the country, keeping our live music withdrawals at bay – at least for the moment. The…

The wonderful fortnight of Splendour in the Grass sideshows continued last night with the sole international hip hop artist to get a spot on the lineup: Canada’s K-OS. Catching him briefly at Splendour and being blown away by his set at Good Vibrations many years ago, I had eagerly anticipated his sideshow. I arrived at…