The Jezabels’ third full-length album, Synthia, was released in February this year, delivering more of the powerful synth-pop that the band is revered for. Unfortunately, the supporting tour (planned for earlier this year) had to be cancelled, due to synth player Heather Shannon undergoing treatment for ovarian cancer. Now that everyone’s health is in check,…
It was affirming to see that the room was already mostly filled when first act Baby Blue took to the stage, opening the night. Baby Blue brought a dreamy indie pop-rock that danced between decidedly 60s sounds, as well as moments nearly reminiscent of Major Leagues. Fronted by Rhea Caldwell’s unique voice, we were taken across a…
The last time that Canadian punk outfit PUP were on Australian shores, they were touring as support for The Smith Street Band. It’s a kind of beautiful irony that they’re back, headlining a sold-out tour, supported by Aussie indie-punk darlings Camp Cope (who have a very intertwined history with The Smith Street Band themselves). We…
Long before the lockout laws, something else was killing the vibe among Sydney’s party scene: competition. One or two day festivals across the country were dropping like flies and it seemed like Fuzzy’s long-running Parklife was about to meet the axe, until the business made the wise decision to go boutique. Downsizing and effectively avoiding…
Supporting last year’s extremely successful debut LP In A Restless House, City Calm Down seem more at home than ever. Straight off the line up from Splendour in the Grass, the electronic-rock band excitably rounded out their month of touring with a string of homegrown gigs at Melbourne’s own 170 Russell. Although a gradual crowd welcomed City Calm…
It seemed the skies were on our side for the Perth leg of the DANCE worshipping festival that is Listen Out arrived at the new venue of the Western Parklands for its 2016 instalment. It appeared that storms of any variations, both weather and artists, would not be seen over the weekend. Boasting the likes…
Montaigne has been one of those artists who, in the past, I’ve approached hesitantly. I could never properly believe that this girl was as big as the hype that followed her. I mean, how could she be? The pedestal she’s been put on by fans and critics alike has been an incredible one. Seeing her…
It’s rare that you get an event like Stonecutters come through Adelaide with as much gusto as this event has done now, two years running. It’s grown up for 2016, moving to the larger digs of the old Queen’s Theatre and expanded over two nights instead of cramming bands into one. Boasting a line up of…
Adelaide’s hard rocking mini festival Stonecutters returned for its second year, boasting a colossal line-up of the loudest and loosest bands going around. Held over two days in Adelaide’s Queen’s Theatre, the gathering doubled in size since its last romp, playing host to local, national and international bands. Local lads Larsen kicked off night one,…
Since showcasing at BIGSOUND 2015, The Lulu Raes have had a hectic tour schedule, sharing stages with the likes of Jamie XX, The Jungle Giants and Sticky Fingers. In support of their recently released EP, All Our Parents Are Divorced, they’ve been touring the country, winning hearts and dance floors along the way. When they took on Northcote…
A large part of me feels like there’s little point in writing a review like this. Tim Freedman and The Whitlams have had a command of live music in Australia for so long now that I do sometimes wonder, “why bother?” I mean people don’t read reviews of Whitlams shows to find out if they’re…
For one magical week of the year, Fortitude Valley transforms to a musical haven; a subtropical playground bathed in the auditory ambrosia that is BIGSOUND. Christmas for the music industry has just passed, and what a week BIGSOUND 2016 has been. Dissection, examination and support of the Australian music community sustained the BIGSOUND conference during the…
Indie electro pop trio Lilt stormed a sold out Jimmy’s Den in Northbridge on Saturday night, flooding the packed venue with lush brooding dance tunes for the launch of their latest single “Wait No More”. Bringing along fellow locals Phocal and Angus Dawson, the show was a full house, full volume yet intimate affair highlighting the stellar…
Despite the dreary winter weather still clinging to WA, people flocked to the basement of The Odd Fellow in Fremantle on Saturday night to soak up the positive vibes as it transformed into an electric den of energy under performances from L-Fresh the Lion’s Become Tour. Sparking with pointedly political verse, heavy beats and 100%…
You know how much a ticket was to see one of my favourite artists play the last show on her current tour? $15. Fifteen Australian dollars. A year ago, I was in London spending that much on a pint of beer. Yeah, the beers were delicious, but I’d have definitely been more than happy to…
On a Thursday night, The Gov fills out comfortably to await the return of Paul Dempsey to his beloved Kingdom. The air is chilly, but the vibe on the inside of the popular venue remains warm and inviting. It’s been a little while since the Australian favourite has been to Adelaide in this capacity and with…
If Maxwell’s Urban Hang Suite, Maxwell’s stunning debut album, was released today instead of two decades ago perhaps it would be him who would hold the power to glue our eyes to a live stream of a near empty room for days on end. Perhaps it would be #Maxwell that would constantly trend on Twitter…
The first song I ever heard by Grouplove was “Colours”; I think it was an iTunes Single of the Week back in the days before streaming – remember those?! In the months that followed, while the tune had incredibly high rotation on my iPod, I remember having a feeling they’d be kick-ass live. Hitting the Oxford…
Since the release of their debut LP The Heist in 2012, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis have dominated the global music scene. While their latest project, This Unruly Mess I’ve Made, hasn’t peaked as high on the charts, it’s definitely helped cement the duo’s already loyal following, made evident in their live show. Frequent collaborator XP opened, running through…
Thousands of miles from home on a hot August night in the middle of the United States, Broods and Jarryd James had a night they won’t soon forget. Three hours before the show and right after Broods’ soundcheck, a thunderstorm hit the downtown Omaha, Nebraska area and wiped out the power of three city blocks. Unfortunately,…
It’s not the first or the last time Hey Geronimo‘s music will be synonymous with the Beach Boys. Catchy lyrics about guys, girls and fun times with a quirky vibe seem to be the signature of Hey Geronimo’s new album, Crashing Into The Sun. The feeling of nostalgia was even more present the final stopover of…
I’ve had a confusing and somewhat hypocritical relationship with Macklemore & Ryan Lewis over the years. I was indignant in 2012 when my boy Flume came a mere fourth in the Triple J Hottest 100, wildly proclaiming how wrong it was that “Thrift Shop” should take the title; all the while grooving along to that…
The pro’s of getting the chance to review a show announced the day it’s performed is that you don’t have to wait two hours in line, in the freezing wind and rain, to see one of Australia’s best live bands. Luckily for me, I was reviewing, so got to bypass the 50m long line and…
In town as part of Australia’s premier winter festival Splendour In The Grass, Los Angeles natives The Internet hit Sydney’s Metro Theatre stage and left the crowd frothing at the bit in one of the most satisfying displays and uses of bass in recent memory. Opening the night was local DJ and quite possibly The…
Having seen The Cure at Splendour in the Grass six nights previous to their Adelaide show, I had a pretty good idea of what kind of show I was walking into when I got into the venue on Friday night. With three hours allocated to their beloved catalogue of music and no support act, these headline shows of…
Late July for non-Splendour goers means just one thing- side shows, one of which being UK double-header Jake Bugg and Blossoms at Melbourne’s Palais Theatre. Blossoms took to the stage with authority and, despite the still filling room and seated crowd (a side effect of Melbourne’s severe lack of mid-sized venues), were impressive from their…
In 1991, Perry Farrell had an idea to create something no one had tried before. 25 years later, Lollapalooza has been perhaps one of the most influential things ever to happen to live music. Over 160,000 people flock to Grant Park in Chicago to catch singers and bands from all over the world spanning every…
The weather is a little chilly and blustery, winter is still lingering but Splendour In The Grass season always brings with it a bounty of warm sideshows. Tonight’s British bout would feature young whipper snappers Blossoms opening for the eternally young looking Jake Bugg. The State Theatre was an intriguing but adequate choice of venue for the…
Splendour in the Grass has existed as a must-attend festival in the minds of almost every Australian music fan since its inception in 2001. Widely regarded as one of the music events on the Australian calendar, the Byron Bay festival has seen some of the world’s best tread its stages and offer up live music…
The 1975 can’t seem to get away from our beloved country. After a string of January shows, the alt-pop band upped the ante for the second coming of arena sideshows after this year’s Splendour in The Grass for their sophomore album, I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful yet So Unaware of…
