Live Reviews

I entered the doors to the sounds of Melbourne via Munich trio Verdaine, who had deep dark tones and ploughed through their set like no-one’s business. I was standing there with drink in hand trying to think whether or not the band were giving off some sort of shoegaze vibe, but at the same time,…

As I was heading to this gig I started to think about weird existential issues about the Australian music scene: why isn’t soul and funk given the attention it well deserves? Hell, there are bands and singers who sweat and work to the bone to deliver great gigs each week in and around Australia, yet…

It’s always interesting when you get to see a performer for a second or third time. Tonight was my second chance to spend the evening in the company of Joan As Police Woman, the first having been on her last Australian tour: a gig that was standing room only at Jive, while she was touring…

With a massive day of Vivid behind me, I moved onto FBi Social at Kings Cross Hotel to close out my night, catching an acclaimed Vivid artist who I unfortunately missed earlier in the week: Manchester’s Wu Lyf. Having sat down with Ellery and Tom of the group a few days prior (you’ll be able…

With Dom finishing earlier than expected, I was able to make my next performance – Chicago’s Hypnotic Brass Ensemble at the Sydney Opera House Theatre – with plenty of time to kill. So, I grabbed a glass of wine, took my seat, and proceeded to enjoy an amazing hour and a half or so of…

I kicked off an epic day of Vivid early, catching Yo Gabba Gabba! ahead of some fascinating chats at Creative Sydney. Dubbed “Creative Futures”, today’s talks were streamed live online, so I hope you had a chance to catch it too! The segment “Building the Brand” was of particular mention, with intriguing insight into the…

“Thank you for staying with us. This is very much the weirdest gig we’ve ever played. Sorry that it wasn’t loud enough.” I almost feel like DZ Deathrays, who are quoted here as they brought their show to an end, summed up the night better than I ever could. As the night hit 1am, the…

There’s nothing quite like a Sunday night where you’re serenaded by some truly beautiful performances, in the relaxing atmosphere of a venue like The Vanguard. This particular Sunday night in question featured the talents of Georgia Fields, Brian Campeau and Tara Simmons – three wonderful performers who gave me the sort of end to a…

Katie Noonan’s voice is so powerful, yet so delicate it’s hard to think about anything else than what is happening on stage. Elixir is a trio who have been one of Katie’s many musical projects in the jazz world ever since the festival rollicking days of george. Her voice is perfect to this style of…

Things started out chilled enough. Cilla Jane and her acoustic guitar were charming, with her cutesy vocals and tunes about the important things in life, like riding your bicycle. She had the seated crowd in quiet wonder, with songs that meant so much more than that, such as “‘Til The Morning Comes”, and “One Deep…

Featuring a decidedly more ‘underground’ lineup than in 2010 or 09, the third annual Big British Sound event was downsized from the Metro to the Gaelic Theatre, and the ticket price was a ridiculously affordable $10. Throw in the fact that many guests were able to walk away with a couple of free drinks and…

When it comes to regional music festivals, you don’t get much bigger, nor more exciting, than the travelling circus that is Groovin’ The Moo. From the crowds to the bands to its general atmosphere, I have to say that Groovin’ has fast become one of my favourite annual Australian music events. So it was with…

I made my way into the second day of Bluesfest with the following mentality: here is where the real fun begins. With legends such as BB King and Grace Jones gracing the Bluesfest stage, today was going to be quite special indeed… Brisbane based Transvaal Diamond Syndicate were wrapping up their APRA stage set as…

Bluesfest is back with its biggest and most impressive lineup ever. Stretching over 6 days – taking full advantage of the super long weekend – it goes without saying that Peter Noble has outdone himself in his 2011 installment. We’ll probably never see anything like this on Australian soil again! So can something with such…

I believe it was Bob Marley who said “one good thing about music, when it hits, you feel no pain”. Well, the punters at this year’s Blues and Roots were in for a pain free day, with the music on offer being of the highest quality from artists of the highest calibre. Organisers have been…

With Raval gone and the Annandale under similar threat, Sydney is once again set to witness a facelift of its live scene. Hotel Hollywood, around the corner from the Macquarie Hotel, is looking to pick up from where Raval left off, while two new venues have popped up, looking to fill a gap in the…

Having already taken in a whole heap of music during the day, my Friday evening remained a bit of a blank canvas right up until the night began. My first destination: Bright Eyes announced a ‘pop-up show’, however as essentially no one was let into this event, and gauging that fact pretty quickly, I made…

The Aussie BBQ has become an institution of the annual SXSW calendar. Organised by Stage Mothers, the event is now put on in four North American cities around the time of SXSW: Toronto (during CMW), New York City, Los Angeles and of course, here in Austin. The event showcases the best in Australian music –…

While most of the South by Southwest contingency say their goodbyes on the Saturday evening, I decided to stay on board for an extra night – primarily to get to be a tourist for once (checking out the capital building, etc), but also to engage in another South by Southwest tradition shared by many. Stubb’s…

One of the worst parts about travelling around on a tight schedule are the delays one encounters while awaiting their next flight. One such delay hit me today, travelling from Las Vegas to San Francisco. The latter is an airport known for its delays – with two runways quite close together, it’s common practice for…

Where his 2010 event was very much about the star power, 2011 saw Perez Hilton turn the focus of his annual “One Night in Austin” party to the music – celebrating a selection of often lesser known international artists – including some Aussies and Kiwis – who he had been enjoying during SXSW, and in…

Now, here’s where things get really fun. The Auditorium Stage sees some of the festival’s biggest names play free shows to the public. So, you can imagine the shitfight to get into the venue – some 40,000 people making their way to witness the now legendary New Yorkers. In fact, the only reason I got…

My Friday began with a bit of running around, grabbing the obligatory complimentary breakfasts that a couple of the events were running. This resulted in me catching up with Jonquil again (see part one), as I surprisingly sung along to a few of their tracks in the process. It seemed that they had caught on…

It was my second morning in Austin, and decided I best check out some of the free day music on display at the Convention Centre. First up, Erland and the Carnival, whose debut album I gave a glowing review to a year or so ago. They’ve since released a new album, Nightingale (their North American…

In between my visits to the Canadian Music week in Toronto and SXSW in Austin, I spent 48 hours in New York City, catching the 2nd leg of the Aussie BBQ tour at the Bowery Ballroom on the 13th and the cinematic stylings of Godspeed! You Black Emperor at Terminal 5 (where LCD Soundsystem will…

Day turned into night and I found myself with a bit of running around to do. First up were NewVillager, a three piece based out of New York, playing at Maggie Mae’s. While the sound at the venue left a lot to be desired, they impressed the crowd, producing unique and entertaining music off their…

With the music portion of SXSW officially kicking off today, so did the mountain of day parties to conquer: free food, free booze and a whole heap of amazing music. I first headed to the annual Canadian Blast BBQ in the park opposite the convention centre, fitting in a few interviews which you’ll see soon,…

As I sit in the airport departing Austin, Texas for the second consecutive year, I begin the long process of looking back over the last six days, in which an overload of music was shot my way, courtesy of the fine folk at South by Southwest (SXSW). First, it needs to be established that SXSW…

Day Four of Canadian Music Week After 3 days of some amazing music, excellent panels and the usual networking opportunities, it was time to bid farewell to our time in Toronto*. But today it was Australia’s turn to truly shine, with its annual Aussie BBQ showcase. Taking place at the semi-legendary Horseshoe Tavern, the day…

We arrive at the Friday portion of the festival, in which things really seemed to kick off – attendance grew as the headliners arrived, while the choice between showcases grew more and more difficult. Today also saw my first opportunity to catch some day performances. The most notable of these was the impressive lineup at…