Live Reviews

Live Review: DZ Deathrays – Knitting Factory, Brooklyn New York (20.07.16)

Despite being in a small venue in the middle of Williamsburg on a hot and humid New York night, it feels like I’m back at the Oxford Art Factory in Sydney. I’m surrounded by Australian accents every which way, drinking beer and about to watch DZ Deathrays. Given it’s a Wednesday night and they’re not…

Read more

Live Review: MANE + Ollie English + Jordan Tito – The Bluebee Room, Adelaide (15.07.16)

MANE aka Paige Court comes to the scene fresh and wide-eyed to some, but once you listen to any of her songs, you’ll quickly get the impression that this young songwriter has emotional lyrics and stories to burn. Launching her House of Horror EP at a well-attended show at The Bluebee Room in the heart of the Adelaide’s CBD…

Read more

Live Review: Brother Brad + Sabrina Soares – Union Hotel, Enmore (07.06.16)

The recent conversation about funding cuts to community radio was met with much opposition. Much of the opposition came from the music community and bands, many of whom got their first radio play on community radio. It’s a pity that the cuts to community radio is such a real thing, because it’s bands like Brother…

Read more

Live Review: Glass Animals – 170 Russell, Melbourne (06.07.16)

This week, Glass Animals returned to Australia with a live show that had been so highly anticipated, all shows on their quick east coast run sold out impressively well in record time. Since Australian crowds first fell under the spell of their grooves and eclectic and exotic interpolation of beats and rhythm at the Falls…

Read more

Live Review: The Delta Riggs – Fat Controller, Adelaide (24.06.16)

Who better to tear Adelaide’s Fat Controller down on a Friday night, but the psychedelic, rock grooves that are The Delta Riggs? The room filled out as time went on before the show. The Pretty Littles played their bit of the night jamming out tracks that only brought fans closer to the purple and red…

Read more

Live Review: Urthboy + L-FRESH THE LION + Okenyo – Rocket Bar, Adelaide (24.06.16)

Urthboy‘s national album tour for The Past Beats Inside Me Like a Second Heartbeat wrapped up over the weekend, with shows in South Australia and out in Western Australia bringing the Elefant Traks family to many, many fans. With L-FRESH THE LION and Okenyo on support duties, this was an incredible line up of talent, both established and emerging – a…

Read more

Live Review: Sia – Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Colorado (22.06.16)

On Wednesday night in Morrison, Colorado, Sia opened the US Festival SeriesFest with a special performance at the historic Red Rock Amphitheatre, headlining the opening night of the festival in its second year. SeriesFest aims to be the “Sundance of Television”, offering a platform for independent television writers, producers and creators to have a platform to…

Read more

Live Review: Brandy – Enmore Theatre, Sydney (20.06.16)

Back in the 90s, when standards in R&B were still a thing, Brandy rose to become one of the genre’s best known and successful solo performers, eclipsing her contemporaries with a remarkably golden husky voice, defined by the kind of warmth and charisma that easily set her apart and set her on the path to…

Read more

Live Review: Steel Panther – The Big Top, Sydney (17.06.16)

Last night, 80’s parody band Steel Panther rocked The Big Top in Sydney’s Luna Park. If you’ve heard even one Steel Panther song, you know exactly what to expect from their live performance and god, I hope for their sake there was not a single feminist without a sense of humour in the audience. The…

Read more

Live Review: Urthboy + L-FRESH The LION + OKENYO – Oxford Art Factory, Sydney (16.06.16)

I’ve said it before, but mid-week shows are always outstanding. It’s not just mid-week gigs that go down a treat; it’s anything that breaks up the monotonous nature of work. While there would have been plenty of other reasons for people to have a cheeky night out on a Thursday night, for me, it was…

Read more

Live Review: Spit Syndicate + NVSTY MILITIA – Rocket Bar, Adelaide (17.06.16)

The last time I properly remember Spit Syndicate coming through Adelaide was maybe in 2012. Playing to a handful of people on a Thursday night at then-metal bar Enigma, the fans who had deigned to leave their houses on a weeknight to see the Sydney rappers (plus Joyride on decks) do their thing got a great show….

Read more

Live Review: The Smith Street Band + Luca Brasi + Joelistics – Capitol, Perth (10.06.16)

There was a hint of unrest in the lead up to The Smith Street Band’s second show in Perth last Friday night, some slight tension after harsh words were dealt out by frontman Wil Wagner over some unsavoury punters that had the crowd feeling he’d painted Perth with the same brush. Much to the relief…

Read more

Festival Review: Sunday at Bonnaroo 2016 – Manchester, Tennessee (12.06.16)

Sunday marked the final day of Bonnaroo and there was little mercy on the crowd as temperatures reached the highest they had been for the four day festival. The sweltering heat didn’t prevent a stacked lineup from wonderfully wrapping up the 15th edition of one of the best festivals in the world. Sunday is the shortest day…

Read more

Festival Review: Saturday at Bonnaroo 2016 – Manchester, Tennessee (11.06.16)

The clouds opened up and the lightning came down, but no force of nature was stronger than Pearl Jam Saturday night at Bonnaroo. It had been eight years since Pearl Jam last played the Manchester, TN festival, but the wait was very much worth it. The unexpected 90 minute delay due to lightning only helped drum up…

Read more

Live Review: The Ataris + Columbus + Dead Joe – Fowlers Live, Adelaide (09.06.16)

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…

Read more

Festival Review: Friday at Bonnaroo 2016 – Manchester, Tennessee (11.06.16)

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…

Read more

Live Review: Client Liaison – Fat Controller, Adelaide (10.06.16)

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…

Read more

Live Review: Culture Club + Kids In The Kitchen – Adelaide Entertainment Centre (06.06.16)

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…

Read more

Live Review: Sam Brittain + Wasted Wanderers + Kelly Menhennet + B R Dalton – The Gov, Adelaide (04.06.16)

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….

Read more

Live Review: Björk Digital – Carriageworks, Sydney (04.06.16)

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…

Read more

Live Review: Client Liaison – Metro Theatre, Sydney (27.05.16)

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…

Read more

Live Review: Violent Soho + DZ Deathrays + Dune Rats + Gooch Palms – Thebarton Theatre, Adelaide (19.05.16)

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…

Read more

Live Review: Common + Talib Kweli + Sarah Connor – Enmore Theatre, Sydney (09.05.16)

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….

Read more

Festival Review: Groovin’ the Moo – Hay Park, Bunbury (07.05.16)

‘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…

Read more

Live Review: Little May + E^ST + Australia – Metro Theatre, Sydney (06.05.16)

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….

Read more

Live Review: Philadelphia Grand Jury – The Producers Bar, Adelaide (30.04.16)

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…

Read more

Festival Review: Groovin’ The Moo – Prince of Wales Showgrounds, Bendigo (30.04.16)

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…

Read more

Festival Review: Groovin’ the Moo – Oakbank Racecourse (25.04.16)

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…

Read more

Festival Review: Groovin’ the Moo – University of Canberra (24.04.16)

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…

Read more

Festival Review: Groovin The Moo, Maitland (23.04.16)

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…

Read more