Live Reviews

Adelaide took a step down memory lane on Thursday night at Fowler’s Live. The Ataris, the early 2000s punk rock band that you could take home to mum were back in town for the first time in many years. Being there conjured memories of the glory days of punk in Adelaide when every pub had…

Bonnaroo hit its stride on Friday with a jam packed lineup meant to rock, surprise and most importantly distract the tens of thousands in attendance from the sweltering heat. Thursday marked the beginning of the 15th edition of Bonnaroo, but Friday marks the first day of the Main Stage and when the big bands come out to play. The day…

I’m rarely totally surprised at club shows these days. Sometimes there’ll be a moment or two that’ll take me off-guard, but not often. But then, then, there are moments that will have me looking around and noticing everyone else around me is having the same, ‘Is this actually happening?’ point of recognition. Cue Monte Morgan emerging from…

Boy, oh boy. Adelaidians – a term now endorsed by Mr George himself – had to wait 32 years for Boy George and Culture Club to return to our fair city. But return they did, and with gusto. Kicking off the band’s world tour here in Adelaide on Monday night, the enigmatic frontman expressed love…

Oh boy. Wow wee. There is so much talent floating around Adelaide these days. At times during Saturday evening at The Gov, I quite honestly felt as if I was one of those blessed souls that just happened to be at The Cavern Club in 1961 when Epstein saw The Beatles for the first time….

Arriving right on opening time, there’s already a substantial queue of people eager to make a beeline for the Björk Live DJ Set room. It’s a good thing that they are there early, as once you’re in the space, you quickly realise that if you want to actually see the Icelandic musical genius, you will…

When I saw Client Liaison for the first time live at Groovin’ The Moo this past April, I was blown away. The enigmatic frontman Monte Morgan had the crowd eating out of the palm of his hand, solidifying the two-turned-four piece band as the act of the day. With such high standards, I was genuinely…

Violent Soho’s WACO Tour was already in full swing with its Adelaide date, having already torn through a stack of sold out shows in Brisbane and Melbourne. Joined on-stage by some of their best and most rowdy mates, the crowd was in for a treat. Newcastle duo Gooch Palms opened the show with their unique…

The first time I saw Common live was in Sydney, around 2006, when he was brought out as the token hip hop act for Big Day Out. It was, to my knowledge, his first headline tour across the country and I was lucky enough to witness it in a venue as intimate as Metro Theatre….

‘We play rain, hail or shine’ has never been more relevant than in 2016 for Perth festivals, however the Bunbury leg of Groovin’ The Moo managed to march on through the temperamental weather with some killer acts without resorting to doing the worm through a giant mud puddle. While for those staying outside of Bunbury, getting on…

If I were to ever offer any pieces of advice to the gig going public, there would be two bits. The first would be to try avoid living more than 50km from the venue you’re attending, while the second would be to make sure you don’t forget to N/A work the night of a show….

The Producers Bar, situated down the east end of Adelaide’s city district, is not a venue I would’ve associated with a bustling live music and entertainment environment. It’s a venue that has seen shut down to then be rebranded, to then be shut down again, a few times; a venue that has always shown potential, but…

A distinct lack of mooing was made up for by a whole lot of groovin’, with Groovin’ The Moo rolling through the Prince of Wales Showground in Bendigo for another year. Punters were fairly low in numbers early in the day, with an 11am start leaving plenty of time for the heavens to potentially open…

Ah, Groovin’ the Moo. The one festival on the Australian live music calendar that offers city slickers an opportunity to ‘head regional’ (even if, in SA, this means a half hour drive up into the hills), underage music fans can thrive on copious amounts of Red Bull and whatever else for the day and everyone can enjoy…

The last time I had the pleasure of having a bit of a groove in the moo was in Maitland, 2012, when the likes of Public Enemy, City and Colour, Kimbra, The Maccabees, Kaiser Chiefs and Andrew WK headlined, amongst a plethora of other guns. Even looking back on the line up now, I wish I could go back…

Making the way up the F3 on what’s become an annual pilgrimage to the Maitland Showground for the 2016 edition of Groovin The Moo, the weather and travel gods weren’t playing too nice as the convoy of punters hit unneeded rain, traffic and in my case a near empty petrol tank. As the only touring…

The elevator is sardine tin crammed. Excited teens are clutching photographs, t-shirts, and – in a couple of cases – a ukulele. At the 39th floor, the doors open and we spill out at the Twitter Australia HQ. It’s floor to ceiling glass on nearly all sides, the view over the CBD and the glittering…

Sydney has recently received a lot of flack for its lack of nightlife, but that is easily crushed upon a wriggle into Oxford Art Factory on a weeknight. On this particular night, the lineup featured Aussie favourites Paces and Branchez supporting all-star American DJ/producer Dillon Francis. What was once underground is now familiar, when it…

A number of bands, including Lime Cordiale, Good Boy, Deep Sea Arcade and Lily and the Bellows, took over Oxford Art Factory for Rare Finds‘ first birthday celebration! On the main stage, Lime Cordiale slayed. The band has been on a break from playing live but you wouldn’t have known it, based on their performance….

Craig Nicholls‘ reputation precedes him. As The Vines’ lead singer, he’s been through a lot over the years, but tonight, the music is the focus. We’re treated to stripped back versions of the laid back Vines’ songs, as well as a few covers (spoiler alert, there was no “Ms Jackson”), and the night was enjoyable…

Hilltop Hoods hit their hometown over the weekend to celebrate the release of their latest album, Drinking From The Sun, Walking Under Stars Restrung—their follow-up to 2007’s The Hard Road: Restrung. Joined by Adelaide Symphony Orchestra (ASO), Adelaide Chamber Singers and other special guests, the sold-out crowd was in for a monumental night. A.B. Original…

With an odd burst of warm weather over the weekend, Northbridge was buzzing nice and early on Saturday night with the maze of boutique bars around Jimmy’s Den thriving as we waited for doors open. After hearing an interview with the band, I was well and truly keen to see Sydney act Tigertown taking their…

As the smell of weed makes its way around the Enmore Theatre, the lights go down and Gang of Youths slowly take the stage to the Rocky theme. Young girls jump up and down in trepidation, their enthusiasm a sign of what’s to come in tonight’s show. Opening with “Restraint and Release”, the crowd sing “So…

It’s of little debate that indie-folk dreamers Daughter are one talented band. Countless times I have found myself curled up in the foetal position on my bed, their haunting melodies floating through my bedroom. Even when I’m not doing that, that’s the imagery that comes from their delicate music – the crumbling of the self. The woman…

The first weekend of April saw the inaugural Rock And Roll Writers Festival take over Brisbane music venue The Brightside for two days of discussion and debate, devoted to the strong relationship between music and literature. A coup for the Brisbane arts scene, festival organisers Leanne de Souza and Joe Woolley brought together a killer line-up of…

There’s a unique feeling of pride that hits whenever you see a band you’ve been following for some time take what’s been a constantly developing live show up to that next level. It’s like all the pieces of the puzzle you’ve been seeing come closer together over the last few years finally click and, when you stand…

Kanye West once said, “I am flawed as a human being, but my music is perfect…You could go back to Beethoven and shit, but as far as this lifetime, though, this is all you got.” While I agree with most of this statement, the truest aspect is the comparison of the self-described biggest musician on…

There’s something to be said about witnessing an artist who truly knows their way around an instrument, especially in an intimate setting such as Venue 505, which is well known for corralling the greatest and sometimes most inconspicuous local jazz talent. Paul Mason and his power trio put their names up on 505’s entry way…

Five full days of music will wear even the most vehement live music fanatic thin. Byron Bay Bluesfest is always a big ask for those who are up to the task, but the ones who stick it out for the entire Easter Weekend are rewarded with some of the best, most profoundly satisfying live music…

To say I’ve been anticipating the return of The Decemberists for some time is an understatement. Since first seeing the Portland, Oregon group in Canada almost ten years ago, I’ve jumped at every chance to see the band live. When first in Australia for Big Day Out in 2010, I was lucky enough to catch…