Author: Larry Heath

Your EP Panic Notes has been rated highly by music critics across the country – are you pleased with how it has been received? It’s felt great to finally have something that represents us. It seemed like we were a band for a fair while before actually recording our first EP and we seriously went…

Folk rock (with an extra injection of country flair) is certainly hot property in Australia. Mumford & Sons took out the Hottest 100, The Proclaimers just dominated Australia, touring alongside the B52s, Dropkick Murphys gain more fans by the day (“I’m Shipping Up to Boston” became an AFL song last year, strangely enough) and locally…

Boutique festivals are few and far between in Australia – let alone ones that involve camping! It comes with great relief, therefore, that Playground Weekender is here to create an original atmosphere and an unbeatable experience for punters. Are you ready to experience this? Are you ready to party? While I personally have never made it up…

S.L.A.M. (Save Live Australia’s Music) is a collective of Victoria’s broader musical community who have joined forces to make their voice heard as local music becomes increasingly under threat due to these ill conceived Liquor Licensing Laws. S.L.A.M. are calling on musicians and music lovers from all genres, creeds and generations to unite together to…

So out of the Cameras trio (made up of Fraser, Eleanor and Ben) I understand that two of you share both songwriting and vocal duties. Which two would that be, and could you give us a bit of insight as to how this process goes down? This is true – Eleanor and myself (Fraser) both…

Photos by HARDWARE and used with permission.

Not since Franz Ferdinand, have a band made such an impact with their first ever single, that they’ve stormed right to the top of the Hottest 100 – and now only Susan Boyle can keep them from the top of the ARIA charts! Yes indeed, the London based lads that are Mumford & Sons have…

Performing up to 150 shows annually, The Beach Boys remain one of the hardest working groups in show business – but tonight was the first time they’d ever played the Sydney Opera House – as they joked – “it may have taken us 50 years to play this beautiful venue – but it hasn’t even…

On the eve of Australia Day, and his performance at the Oversea’s Passenger Terminal in Sydney, I had a chance to chat to Ash Grunwald, who’s just about to release a new live album, and continue a relentless touring schedule – this time with the Funkoars by his side. So you’ve got a new Live…

It’s been a few years since I last attended the Sydney Laneway festival. As impressive as the lineups always are, I’d been content with their sideshows, knowing the negative attributes of the original venue. Having to line up for the Basement, noise restrictions making hearing bands on the main stage difficult (already made much the…

As I sit down to write this review, I’m reading a newspaper article on Rogue’s Gallery, comprised almost entirely of reactions to the show from Twitter. Many of which seemed to be negative, and thus they argue: Sydney was outraged by the show! Since when did out-of-context comments on Twitter become a voice of authority?…

When it comes to “supergroups”, let’s face it: the majority have been disappointing at best. But then again, none of them had the calibre of talent that Them Crooked Vultures has at its disposal. On drums, the legendary Dave Grohl (tonight playing in the same venue he played with Nirvana back in 1992). On guitar…

I’ve done 5 days of Bluesfest, the two and a bit days of Splendour – I even did 2 V Festivals one year. I’ve done 8 consecutive nights of live music. But going to 2 Big Day Outs in a row, in Sydney, on the two hottest days of the year – I don’t think…

If there’s one success story worth looking into, it’s that of A Fire Inside (AFI), a Californian alternative rock band who exploded into worldwide prominence in 2003. Little do many know, however, that this happened 12 years after they’d formed. But they’ve been unstoppable since. I recently had the opportunity to speak with drummer Adam Carson, ahead…

First up were Sydney’s own Bridezilla – or as Colin “Grizzly” Meloy, Decemberists unshaven frontman, called them – our local heroes! And indeed they are, continuing to impress crowds wherever they pop up… which seems to be just about everywhere at the moment, keeping the girls (and boy) very busy no doubt. We’ve spent plenty…

One line to describe working with each artist:  Dap Kings: Scary, but a hell of a lot of fun playing with some of the raddest musicians around   John Taylor: incredibly inspiring. We knew it was going to be good, but jamming with John and Alex Greenwald was one of the best feelings we had…

Heralding all the way from Mali, Vieux Farka Touré headlined Beck’s Festival Bar on Friday night for his first ever Sydney performance, carrying on the legacy of his father, Ali Farka Touré, while being a highly respected musician in his own right. First up was Dan Sultan and band, who has been dubbed “the black Elvis” by fellow performer Clare…

Last week, I had the opportunity to chat to Kieran Ryan, one half of Melbourne two piece Kid Sam – the project he shares with cousin and drummer Kishore Ryan. The pair are about to embark on one of the most exciting periods of their lives, performing on the national Laneway bill, and supporting Daniel…

Ahead of her upcoming Australian Bacardi Express headlining tour, the AU review had a brief chat with the pop star. Enjoy! She keeps it short and sweet. This is the second time you’ve visited Australia in the last 6 months, what is it about Australia that keeps you coming back? The crowd. Everyone at our…

It’s day 5 of Sydney Festival, and the first round of artists are coming to an end. Tonight marked the final performance in the Spiegeltent of Montreal’s Patrick Watson, who went on to play at Beck’s Festival Bar (replacing The Middle East and supporting Grizzly Bear) for his final Sydney gig – and we were…

The following is one review where no amount of hyperbole will do true justice to the overwhelming feeling that comes from experiencing a live event such as this. Tonight, Grizzly Bear brought Sydney to its emotional knees in an evening of beautiful intensity that is so rarely found live – especially in a unique setting…

I love Karen O. There is no denying that she’s the queen of cool in the world of music today. And tonight she was back to prove to Sydney why – playing to a sell out crowd at the Hordern Pavillion – their largest show in the city to date. But first up were Sydney’s…

After an incredibly hectic (but fun) 2009, the Sydney Festival organisers took a step back for their third Festival First Night: going for quality, not quantity – getting rid of the Fuzzy stage, spreading out the stages at Martin Place, and giving the City of Sydney a night it won’t soon forget.  For me, the majority of…

When you speak of the Summer festival season, there is one festival that reigns supreme: The Big Day Out. Now in its 18th year, it’s a festival which indeed lives up to its name. The biggest acts in the world, under what feels like the hottest sun in the world – it’s Australia’s time to…

Chairlift and The Phenomenal Handclap Band are two artists who have had a very interesting 2009. Underground hits in their home state of New York, the bands quickly reached international airwaves with singles “Bruises” (as featured in an Apple ad campaign) and “15 to 20”, respectively. And now, riding the successes of each, they’re jet…

They’ve been keeping quiet for some time now, but Sydney outfit The Holidays are well and truly back for our listening pleasure. With 2 EPs under their belt, a shitload of touring behind them, and new single “Moonlight Hours” receiving a good amount of airtime, The Holidays are finally ready to launch into a territory…

Its been a while since Editors were last on Australian shores, and we couldn’t be more excited to welcome them back (and for this reviewer, it’s my first experience with the Birmingham based group… so I must say I was ever the more excited). But first up were Melbourne duo Big Scary – a band…

As Andrew Bird told the just about sold out crowd that “it’s not every day you get to play in a venue that’s also an international icon” – I was reminded just how special a venue the Sydney Opera House is, and how lucky we are to not only have the venue in our vicinity,…

As I rolled out of bed yesterday morning, complete with a throbbing headache and an innate desire to remain in bed for at least another 24 hours, I peaked out the window to see clouds looming over the city. As with any hangover, not a great way to start the day. Little was I to…

Ahead of their forthcoming tour, which includes a stint in Sydney at the intimate boutique festival that is Days Like This!, Andy Cat of Ugly Duckling chats to the AU review about how the present is making him ill, how the past still rests in his beeper, and what the future holds for the prolific…