Live Reviews

Aussie hip hop royalty Bliss n Eso treated their Brisbane fans to a once-off show with the Brisbane Symphony Orchestra at Fortitude Music Hall on Friday, 17 June. The highly-anticipated special event was part of the Strings Attached concert series and saw the ARIA award winning, multi-platinum trio backed by a 35-piece orchestra to bring…

Sydney hip hop duo Horrorshow have been bringing smiles to fans on a 13-date national headline run for the first time in two years. The local legends stopped at The Triffid in Brisbane on Saturday 11 June to celebrate their new EP Good Problems (released 13 May), supported by Jannah Beth and Khi’leb. Kicking off…

As the world shows signs of returning to normal it is the little things that stand out the most. The opportunity to see people smile. The ability to high five a stranger. And the chance to stand in groups of thousands and take in your favorite band again. With the sun shining down on the…

When this scribe mentioned in passing to his sister that he was going to see Ocean Alley, she replied “all their songs sound the same”. To those familiar with the Northern Beaches six-piece that’s not quite true, but it is one challenge with their live shows. Yes, they have some absolute hits which are guaranteed…

The Avalanches released their debut album Since I Left You in 2000 to critical acclaim. Created from countless music and film samples, it was a grand musical collage, creating orchestral sounds from layers of disparate noises. Tonight at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre, the Avalanches duo of Robbie Chater and Tony Di Blasi were joined by…

*UPDATE* [19/05/2022]: Well, the news is out now. Every single music fan in Sydney is going to be knocking down the online Live Nation door as of Friday 20th May in a frantic attempt to scrape up tickets to Kendrick Lamar’s new Australia tour for 2022. The Compton emcee, who just released the brilliant Mr…

Cronulla/Byron Bay four-piece Caravãna Sun have grown in popularity on the back of heartfelt single “Whale Song” appearing on 2021 Netflix doco Seaspiracy but don’t be fooled, their live shows are far from solemn. The pop-infused indie rock foursome have evolved a lot over the past decade since their 2013 debut LP Aya, with ska,…

“Now kids, this is what 1993 sounded like,” lead singer Tim Rogers announced before You Am I launched into mid-90s hit “Cathy’s Clown”. The irony was lost on few at Friday night’s show at Perth’s Rosemount Hotel, populated by an older crowd wanting to re-live those 90’s pop-rock memories from when they were the kids…

The artist, known as Birdz, a proud Butchulla rapper, original from Katherine in the NT, arrived on the expansive Enmore stage to a smattering of early arrivals. It didn’t take much encouragement for the main floor the start filling as he introduced himself and dove into a visceral highlight from his 2021 Legacy album, ‘Aussie…

It’s been an alluring three nights for any fans of dreamesque Indie rock in Melbourne, as Methyl Ethel and their haunting opening act, Ash Baroque & Les Fleurs d’Ombre spent their evenings at the Night Cat. The opening act of Ash Baroque and Les Fleurs d’Ombre had a flair for the dramatic. Including drag, operatic…

We love long weekends – particularly when they give us an opportunity to dance, eat well and sing along to Lime Cordiale’s ‘Inappropriate Behaviour’. Groovin’ the Moo (GTM) did just that in Canberra! This year, Groovin’ the Moo was held at the EPIC Showgrounds, a place we usually find graced by farmer’s markets, exhibitions and…

A recently remarried Jack White took to the stage last night in Brooklyn’s Barclay Stadium, as part of his North American tour for the brilliant new album Fear of the Dawn – one of the iconic Detroit musician’s finest to date, and the first of two albums he’s set to release this year. The 2…

The excitement was palpable as we crunched our way through mud and pebbles towards the 33rd annual Byron Bay Bluesfest. After two years of cancellations, the 2022 festival was not just a celebration of music but a true celebration of life and the joy of human connection. I’d had my first Bluesfest experience back in…

The time has come for Brisbane rock trio Columbus to call it a day after a decade. Before announcing the breakup on their socials, the band released their latest EP Driving in the Dark on 24 March – featuring singles “Pain is a Mirror”, “Temporary Summer” and “Full Heart”. The beloved punks played the second…

Huge touring festival Under the Southern Stars brought its stellar lineup to the Brisbane Riverstage on Sunday 27 March for the final show of a 12-date run. Headlined by legends Stone Temple Pilots, Bush and Cheap Trick, this celebration of 90s rock was the first international tour of Australia in two years. An afternoon of…

Newcastle punk favourites Trophy Eyes know how to put on a show and seeing them live is a rite of passage in the local heavy scene. The esteemed four-piece kicked off their first tour since 2020 at a packed Eleven Dive Bar in Maroochydore with Waxflower on Thursday 24 March. It was the first of…

Sydney emo-punk favourites Bloom have rocketed to success in the last two years and hurdled every obstacle of the pandemic. Their highly-anticipated Sink into the Soil Tour – originally planned for June 2020 – kicked off at The Brightside in Brisbane on Friday 18 March in celebration of their latest single. It was the band’s…

The weather slowly warmed up over the Adelaide Cup long weekend, making Sunday a perfect day at Womadelaide. Rugs marked meeting spots under the trees. Lines formed at the free water stations. Some visitors discovered artist workshops and Planet Talks. Kids had plenty of zones and activities to keep them busy. The lifting of some…

With such and incredible range of music on offer at Womadelaide, it can be easy to forget that there is much more available. HEXADECA music-making playground and roving performers entertain the families. There’s Eddie Betts story time in the KidsZone. Yoga from Human.Kind studios for the early risers. The Taste the World sessions have moved into…

Celebrating thirty years of presenting world music, WOMADelaide has weathered COVID restrictions to put on a massive show for 2022. As international travel uncertainties played out, the focus this year has been on highlighting Indigenous and Pacific Island acts. After the traditional Kuarna Welcome to Country, Cairo-born oud virtuoso, Joseph Tawadros played with the Adelaide…

It has been rapidly coming together for Genesis Owusu. After releasing an EP in 2017, and some singles in the following years, everything was set and bubbling, on the threshold of an explosion; a big, dramatic and impossible to miss kind of explosion. With the release of his debut studio album, Smiling with No Teeth,…

Sometimes, everything aligns to create that perfect moment. International Women’s Day marking the opening night of Lady Sings the Blues was one of those moments. As the full-house crowd filled the Melba Spiegeltent in Gluttony, it was clear that something special was about to happen. The feeling of the wooden floors, the mirrored walls, the…

It felt like a long time coming, the Foo Fighters released both their Bee Gees inspired album, Hail Satin under the name DeeGees and released their most recent Grammy-nominated record, Medicine At Midnight. Yet, every time it felt like we may see the glimpse of an announcement that the Foo Fighters would come to tour…

Sydney metalcore legends Polaris have quickly established themselves as one of the most revered heavy bands in Australia. Known for their explosive live performances and dedication to their craft, the quintet has been dying to bring their sophomore record The Death of Me – released 21 February 2020 – to stages across the country since…

The Electric Dreams collective are presenting several immersive arts programs for the 2022 Adelaide Fringe. These include the alternate realities of Bedtime Stories, Volo: Dreams of Flight interactive VR swings, First Nations centerpiece performance Sky Song, and more. This reviewer found themselves in the confines of the Pacific Islander room at the Adelaide Museum, where…

WA-based psychedelic rockers Pond opened the Perth Festival at the wondrous Fremantle Arts Centre on Friday night in front of a gig-starved audience on a glorious late summer’s evening. Pond are much more than a Kmart version of Tame Impala and they showcased that to their tune-thirsty audience, with a fun and groovy display that…

Melbourne rap legend Seth Sentry’s anticipated Brisbane leg of the Super Cool Tree House tour at The Zoo on Friday 11 February was more like a party than a gig. A night full of comic skits, fan participation, drinking contests and stagedives, the man definitely put on a show. Accompanied by the infamous DJ Sizzle…

Beloved Brisbane hardcore five-piece Stepson finally got to take their acclaimed debut album Help Me, Help You on the road last week after countless setbacks and it was definitely worth the wait. After having to reschedule the tour four times in response to the everchanging government restrictions surrounding live music and venue capacity, the Melbourne…

While the sun-scorched Melbourne, homage was paid to the release of The Teskey Brothers’ newest album Live at Hamer Hall at the Sidney Myer music bowl alongside the Orchestra Victoria (OV). With what seemed to be a full house, close to two and a half hours of folk, blues and rhythm were unleashed on an…

After multiple postponements, one wouldn’t be surprised if Mallrat decided to cancel her run of two shows at the Forum in Melbourne. Thankfully, she persevered and we were finally able to get a taste of her emphatic pop sounds once again at the Forum on Tuesday night. To make sure the evening started off with…