In 1956, Eurovision began. In 2015, Australia joined. Now in 2024, Eurovision has come to Australia. The world’s biggest and most extravagant music contest is touring for the first time in its history, so it only makes sense that after visiting the likes of London, Paris and Madrid, Australia would be next. All parties knew…
BLOKBSTR are a band that are probably hoping not to be pigeon-holed. The three-piece from Sydney gave us a bit of everything. Samples, instrument swaps, wacky dancing and lots..and lots of voice reverb. Their fun pop-rock translates into an entertaining opening to the night, with a crowd they dubbed as the biggest they’d played enjoying…
For the fourth year of Froth and Fury, the festival moved down the road to Hart’s Mill. One assumes that it was due to logistical reasons; not having to close off roads, two stages side by side, and more space. There are still three stages, with the Froth and Fury stages alternating shows, with the…
Andrew Hozier-Byrne, known professionally as Hozier, is an Irish musician, singer and songwriter. You may know him from the viral song “Take Me to Church”, but he is so much more than that. On Friday evening at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre, he bought a full repertoire of songs from his collection of folk, soul and…
The growl from the stage at the Enmore as the early crowd shuffled in was nothing short of ferocious as abrasive punk lords, C.O.F.F.I.N (Children of Finland Fighting in Norway) warmed up the almost capacity crowd. The Sydney group formed almost 20 years ago and continue to make visceral Australia punk-rock peaking just last year…
If the remaining members of the Beastie Boys ever wanted to recreate the music video for “Intergalactic” surely Chris Martin wouldn’t mind stepping in for the late, great MCA. I’m not sure when Coldplay became obsessed with the galaxy but the band has been doing this titanic, leave-the-world-behind super-pop thing for many years now. It’s…
Historically Hayley Mary has never failed to deliver. One of the best vocalists of the past 15 years or so, she has always crushed a live show. Heading out on her own on the back of her debut solo album Roman XS, she brought the goods once more to Sydney’s Waywards club. After a couple of…
A sinister wall of synths and strings shoots from the tiny Sydney Opera House forecourt stage. One of music’s most formidable creatives is cheering himself on as the flickering orange glow illuminates his half-cocked cackle, making him look like a mad scientist as he fiddles away with his equipment and twists his arms into the…
The poison chalice of rock and roll superstardom is the seductive, yet false, promise of eternal youth. Like lightning in a bottle, the volatile mix of youth and adolescent rebellion—capturing the pulse of a generation at precisely the right moment—feels unstoppable. Immune to time. But inevitably, that image cracks, and even the greats confront the…
One of history’s most highly influential UK rappers is returning to Australia after a painfully long absence. During the peak of his popularity, Dizzee Rascal was a regular in Australia and in remarkably high demand thanks to classic albums such as Boy In Da Corner and Maths + English. And while those projects still hold…
I still remember the cracks clearly. The first one reverberated up my right leg to let me know something was wrong, while the second immediately followed and sent me into a panic. A sprain? Annoying. It’ll heal. But how did I sprain my foot at a concert? It’s Halloween in 2010 and I’m watching Nas,…
It’ll be no surprise to hear fans who didn’t snap up a ticket feel the sting of regret once The Weeknd completes his two sold-out performances in Sydney. Once videos emerge, reviews are written and photo galleries are published (ours is here), it’ll become clear that those not at Accor Stadium on October 23 or…
Despite a seasonal Sydney thunderstorm, the SXSW Sydney music action was still going strong at venues in the inner west. Down at the UTS Underground, for the Rolling Stone Music takeover, Singaporean rapper Yung Raja was giving it all he had. The Rolling Stone House event ran for three nights, in partnership with American Apparel,…
Thursday was another jam packed day of local and international music at SXSW Sydney. Opening the day is Ila Barker, a singer / songwriter from Winnipeg, Canada. Her gentle introspective folk songs come a place of recovering from an abusive relationship. She played songs from her latest album “Fool Under Water.” Her songs are of…
Navigating the SXSW Sydney music offerings is like being at a giant festival. Performances are spread over a number of venues in the inner west and part of the fun is discovering how many cool music venues are within walking distance of each other. There is such a wide variety of offerings, it’s important to…
Whilst SXSW Sydney officially opened on Monday, the opening parties started on Tuesday. SXSW has been running for several years in Texas, but this is the second year in Sydney. With a program that features conferences and programmes from the Tech and Innovation fields, Games, Music and Screen, it really is an important networking and…
When Bernard Fanning and Paul Dempsey released The Deluge—their first collaboration under the Fanning Dempsey National Park moniker—back in August, the unique sonic transformation they created immediately captured my attention. Beneath the excitement of two Australian rock legends joining forces, however, one key question went unasked: how would this new, synth pop mix and match…
The atmosphere in Melbourne was electric last night as Olivia Rodrigo kicked off the first of her four highly anticipated shows at Rod Laver Arena. Since the tour was announced earlier this year, fans have eagerly waited for their chance to see the pop sensation, with tickets selling out in minutes. By showtime, eager crowds…
TISM fans are known to be fanatical about their favourite band. The same day that a “secret” warm up gig was announced at The Gov hotel in Adelaide, the show sold out. With doors opening at 1pm, the pub itself opened the doors at midday to a throng of fans that would normally be just…
How good is not having to travel more than 15 minutes to get to a gig after a long working week? In short, it’s pretty bloody good. Bringing world class acts to Western Sydney is well overdue, and having Boy & Bear, Middle Kids and Dylan Wright grace the impressive Sydney Coliseum in Rooty Hill…
Despite being released in June, the title track from Hiatus Kaiyote’s Love Heart Cheat Code has only recently stopped echoing in my mind. Luckily this past weekend the band added a stop at Brisbane’s Fortitude Music Hall to their list of home dates before heading off to the UK, planting that chorus in my head…
Saturday August 31st saw the last gig of Trophy Eyes’ headline tour, with support from Towns and Boston Manor. Melbourne’s Forum was packed for the sold-out show, with fans lining up hours in advance. It was great to see hundreds there early to show their support for Adelaide duo Towns, who in the past have…
It’s only late August, but one thing is for sure: this is the year of suffering. Perth metalcore legends Make Them Suffer have been a local staple for over 15 years now, so it’s no surprise that they’ve established themselves as one of the best. Having supported the mighty Bring Me the Horizon on their…
Coinciding with the release of their new album MajorDomo, Teenage Dads kicked off their Aussie tour in the River City this past Friday at The Tivoli. I have a special place in my heart for The Tivoli, the 1500-seat venue nestled in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley. The venue’s intimacy always highlights how powerful live music can…
Pop singer, Charley, is a superstar in the making. Her home support slot on the Sydney leg of the Griff tour is sure to spark her career into a fully fledged flame – after all, she’s now just one degree of separation away from Taylor Swift and that’s not something many Australian artists can boast….
I’ve been lucky enough to see the Foo Fighters a couple of times in Los Angeles over the years. First was in 2006 at The Pantages, in the shows that wound up on their CD/DVD release Skin and Bones. And then in 2018 at the second (and presumably final) year of their Cal Jam Festival. The…
Massive crowds, sweltering heat, and scarce cloud cover made the Hinterland music festival quite the endurance test. But thanks to one of the best festivals lineups of 2024 and proper hydration, the latest edition of the Iowa music festival was an incredible weekend. Hinterland began in 2015 and has evolved into multiple forms over the…
On Friday July 26, we had the pleasure of seeing one of Australia’s favourite Freo bands, San Cisco, where they played at the UC Refectory as part of their regional tour. It’s always a treat to have a band stop by to say hello in Canberra: especially when it’s to do with a new studio…
The premise of Unsound, a part of Illuminate Adelaide is to bring artists together who don’t suit a mainstream audience. Experimental noise probably generally describes the genre. The type of artistry that is polarising. People either love it or hate it. Fortunately, the audience was more of the “love it” type. The opening act of…
Dutch classical pianist, Joep Beving was last in Adelaide four years ago, just as the pandemic hit. Last time he was finishing a tour, so it makes sense that he starts it all back here again. As the lights dim, the music begins, almost to quiet to hear. The audience silences and is captivated by…
