Death Cab For Cutie brought their I Built You A Tower Tour tour to Sydney’s Hordern Pavilion tonight, with Ben Gibbard leading the band through set of much-loved classics and new material. Nearly three decades in, Death Cab For Cutie remain one of modern indie rock’s most enduring acts, built on Gibbard’s unmistakable voice and…
Foo Fighters, the American rock heavyweight champions led by the charismatic Dave Grohl, delivered a full-throttle night of thunderous guitars, huge singalong anthems and rock ’n’ roll at Sydney’s Accor Stadium. It was a stadium-sized celebration of rock ’n’ roll with a catalogue packed with modern rock classics including “All My Life”, “My Hero”, “Learn To…
Steve Kilbey and The Church delivered a beautiful performance at the Sydney Opera House, with George Ellis conducting the orchestra and bringing a fresh perspective to the band’s much-love catalogue Steve Kilbey’s distinctive vocals remained at the centre, floating above the orchestral arrangements while the band’s layered guitars created a shimmering wall of sound. Familiar…
TISM played their first of two shows at Sydney’s Enmore Theatre on their TSIM No Mistakes tour. TISM turned the Enmore Theatre into a full-blown circus of chaos, satire and gloriously unhinged punk rock. Armed with their trademark masks, sharp-edged humour and an arsenal of irreverent anthems, the Melbourne provocateurs delivered a raucous performance that…
Seattle grunge legends Mudhoney brought their Australian tour to Sydney’s Factory Theatre on Thursday night. They were joined by Californian garage-rock trio Primitive Ring and local favourites Cammy Cautious and the Wrestlers. Mudhoney have one Australian show remaining, at The Northern in Byron Bay on Sunday, 25 October. You can grab a ticket HERE. Amy…
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard treating us to a full rock ’n’ roll show at Hordern Pavilion, before heading to Liberty Hall for a rave, with just a road separating the two venues; two shows – one massive night! Xiao Xiao kicked the night off with a killer support set before King Gizz turned…
British indie-rock nostalgia hit full volume at Sydney’s Hordern Pavilion as Razorlight and James delivered a double bill packed with guitar-driven anthems. Razorlight brought the swagger, guitars and the energy, with Johnny Borrell leading the charge and then James followed led by vocalist Tim Booth with his stage presence and an emotionally charged performance backed…
Happy Mondays brought their gloriously messy blend of Madchester grooves, psychedelic rock and dancefloor chaos to Sydney’s Enmore Theatre celebrating the 35th anniversary of their seminal album, Pills ‘n’ Thrills and Bellyaches plus the hits. Frontman Shaun Ryder remained the wonderfully unpredictable centre of it all, delivering the songs with his trademark swagger while the…
One of the reasons why the Mundi Mundi Bash is so popular is due in part to the sense of community and camaraderie on show. This year, the Bush Choir and the Mundi Undi Run raised some $150,ooo for the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS). This year, some 1,600 festival-goers joined the fun and raced…
Frenzal Rhomb‘s San Souci has just turned 23 and, to celebrate, the band have taken to the road for a mammoth Australian tour running from August through to November. On Friday night, they took to the stage at The Gov in Tartanya/Adelaide, with support from Handouts. Photographer John Goodridge was there to bring us all…
Massive Attack the pioneers of trip-hop returned to Sydney for the first time since 2010 to play to a sold out Afterpay Arena (formerly known as Qudos Bank Arena). Robert Del Naja and Grant Marshall stood largely in silhouette as the enormous screens behind them became a constantly shifting collage of images, headlines and political…
Gang Of Youths made their triumphant return to the Sydney live music scene last night, performing at the iconic Sydney Opera House to an enthusiastic sold out concert hall. Led by the charismatic front man David Le’aupepe they didn’t disappoint playing fan favourites and new songs. Gretta Ray even joined in for the closer of…
Silversun Pickups returned to Australia for the first time in 14 years and played Sydney’s Enmore Theatre showcasing their brand new album Tenterhook plus their classic rock gems “Lazy Eye” and “Panic Switch”. Although Brian Aubert was suffering from a cold (vocals were fine) his guitar surged with waves of distortion and Nikki Monninger’s fluid…
After Friday’s shenanigans at Adelaide’s Beer and BBQ Festival, things settled down a touch for the Saturday sessions. Whether it was the rain, the Crows game next door, or something else, numbers were down compared to the night before. Which made navigating the event easier, but there is something to be said for squeezing through…
Adelaide’s Beer and BBQ Festival has evolved from having market stalls in the cowsheds at the Showgrounds to more of a mini music festival at The Drive, right next door to Adelaide Oval. With a welcome balmy warm night and the lure of headlining band TISM, the joint was packed to the rafters. But was…
California outfit The Neighbourhood touched down in Melbourne on Friday for the third Australian stop of THE WOURLD TOUR. Margaret Court Arena was packed with an eyeliner-and-dark-clothing-clad audience, more than eager from the moment the doors opened. Known for their moody sound, frontman Jesse Rutherford delivered a huge set with his signature edgy croon, full…
Dry Cleaning brought their sharp post-punk sound to RISING this week, taking over the Forum with the fuzzy, deadpan delivery that has made the London outfit such a distinctive force. Frontwoman Florence Shaw moved through the band’s surreal catalogue with cool precision to a crowd locked in from start to finish. The AU’s Eloise Coomber…
Gil Scott-Heron’s legacy was honoured at RISING this week, with longtime collaborator Brian Jackson joining Yasiin Bey to perform a stunning tribute at the Forum. The night moved through jazz, spoken word and early hip-hop influences. With Jackson returning to a body of work he helped shape and Bey carrying the material with a steady…
Japanese-American singer-songwriter Mitski performed the first of four sold-out nights at the iconic Sydney Opera House Concert Hall as part of Sydney’s Vivid Festival. The stage production was theatrical, setup like her own lounge room, inviting the audience into her own personal space. Her fans reacted with enthusiasm and were not disappointed after a 7…
Melbourne dance punk band Gut Health headlined Tumbalong Nights as part of Sydney’s Vivid Festival on a rain soaked night surrounded by impressive vivid lights. One of Australia’s best new bands with frontwoman Athina Uh Oh leading the charge with an explosive performance backed by her brilliant band with pulsing basslines, wiry guitars and danceable…
Cult art pop band Sparks featuring brothers Ron Mael and Russell Mael performed in the Joan Sutherland Theatre as part of Vivid LIVE at Sydney Opera House. Russell moved across the stage with impossible energy, while Ron sat motionless behind the keyboard, expressionless, intimidating and hilarious all at once. The contrast remains one of live music’s great…
The weather remained foul for the final day of The Great Escape, but spirits were high as we headed into the home stretch of another brilliant week on the south coast. Saturday belongs to the Australian contingent at the beach stages, with artists taking over all three venues and flying the flag in style. One…
Split Enz returned to Sydney with original members Tim Finn, Eddie Rayner, Neil Finn and Noel Crombie to play live at TikToc Entertainment Centre Sydney on their The Forever Enz Tour. The first of two nights. A nostalgic night from New Zealand’s greatest export playing the classic hits from their back catalogue including “History Never…
Day three at The Great Escape delivered another whirlwind run through packed rooms, beachside stages and buzz bands destined for much bigger things. We kicked things off at Daltons with Twat Union. We recently added their brilliant new single “Period Sex” to our Discovery Playlist, so it was great to finally catch it live. They…
Day two at The Great Escape delivered another whirlwind of venue hopping, seaside chills and seriously impressive performances, with the weather still refusing to believe summer is around the corner. Thankfully, Brighton’s venues were doing their best to keep everyone warm. One of the annual highlights of the festival is always the Australian showcase at…
The opening day of The Great Escape delivered just about every season imaginable. Hail hammered the Brighton seafront, torrential rain swept through the lanes, occasional bursts of sunshine teased festivalgoers into optimism, and the cold reminded everyone that perhaps summer isn’t quite here yet after all. Still, none of it stopped thousands descending on the…
Every May, Liverpool — one of the UK’s most historic music cities — becomes a launchpad for the next generation of artists as Liverpool Sound City returns with another stacked lineup of rising talent. This weekend saw Sound City transform venues across Liverpool into an absolute buzzing showcase of emerging artists. This is a festival…
British indie rock band Maximo Park on their 20th Anniversary Australian tour played Sydney’s Liberty Hall, led by the energetic front man Paul Smith delivering a brilliant set of hook-driven indie rock classics to a full house of enthusiastic fans. Kicking off with songs from their 2005 album A Certain Trigger including “Signal and Sign”,…
Mumford & Sons Prizefighter Australian tour kicked off in Melbourne on Friday. Folk Bitch Trio opened with three-part harmonies that filled the arena with a gorgeous warmth, definitely a proud local moment. Mumford & Sons did what they do best, shifting seamlessly from hushed, reverent moments to full-throttle sing-alongs, with the new Prizefighter material slotting comfortably…
When a musician throws a birthday party, he has some friends to call upon to make it special. Which is exactly what Sean of Sean Blackwell did on Friday night. To get the party started, Thom Lion played some tunes on the electronic piano accompanied by Troy from The Yellow Wallpaper on drums and Dylby…