Live Reviews

After a short run with the resident DJ, The Meltdown opened the evening’s affair, with a funk driven soul bias the multi-piece band a perfect thematic warm up for genre-vague Cat Empire. Their music was fun, but in a more muted way than what the Cat Empire provided, allowing for the crowd to ease into…

When Cog announced they were touring again, the hairs on my neck stood up. Having taken a break from touring nearly ten years ago, they’re thankfully back doing what they do best – music. On this tour, they’re also bringing a new album, Drawn Together, with them, the band’s first new music in ten years. A wave of…

Sydney’s Cog have remained incredibly active since returning from a six-year hiatus in 2016, finally releasing new music last year and launching into 2019 with new song Drawn Together. Taking the single on a national tour before heading to Europe, the three-piece played a completely packed Max Watt’s. Opener, Melbourne’s The Omnific surprised the early arrivers…

The final day of Party In The Paddock was a special one, not only were there many amazing international artists to grace Tasmania for the first time, but the inclusion of a magical moment within Yungblud’s set made this year’s Party In The Paddock something the attendees will not soon forget. This, coupled with the…

The day started off with dark clouds and the threat of rain at any moment. A sprinkling of water showered festival go-ers as they waltzed into the festival, a pulsating mass of Gorman jackets, four dollar plastic rain coats and the occasional punter (myself) who forgot to check the weather report. There was fear in…

Party In The Paddock Day Two is where the magic really started with the opening of the main paddock and a large variety of acts and activities spread throughout the day. Early morning yoga was the perfect refresh from the energies of the previous night with the relaxing activity helping forget the memories of a…

Moving into another year, Party In The Paddock kicked off it’s first day with it’s classic pre-party. With the main paddock stage cordoned off, ‘Vibestown; the food and second stage district was fired up for some of Australia’s premiere growing talents to show off their talents as breakout 2018 artists GFlip, Middle Kids and Slowly…

It is no secret that music and travel go hand in hand. The concept of place is the perfect muse for musicians, since a real depth of emotion can be linked to a geographical location or experience. English singer-songwriter George Ezra, who is no stranger to travelling, gave a truly memorable performance to a buzzing audience…

The classic “if it ain’t broke” phrase will always apply to The Prodigy and their exemplary live experience. The genre-bending rave that the UK trio have been tweaking and perfecting for decades makes for one of the most explosive, frenetic and intense live music experiences one can have. That’s always been the case. And it’s…

The line – up for So Pop read like the best of the Nineties – Lou Bega, Eiffel 65, Blue, Vengaboys, Aqua – it was the soundtrack of my High School years. Nostalgia hung heavy in the air as the first act of the night, Mr President, took to the stage. By the time B*WITCHED captivated…

The sun was shining as Laneway Festival took over the Sydney College of the Arts for another year. Arriving at 4pm in an effort to protect myself from the blistering sun, Camp Cope were playing tacks like “Lost: Season One” on the newly named Dr Martens stage, to a strong crowd; though there did feel…

Sydney’s Hordern Pavilion was a chorus women and men alike, diving their voices down an octave as they tried to be one with the holistic round sound of George Ezra on Thursday night. Kicking off the sold-out evening was Brisbanite Eves Karydas, who’s had an impressive 12 months of climbing up the support act ladder….

Florence + The Machine played to nearly thirty thousand people at Sydney’s The Domain this past weekend, and if you’re going to take anything away from this review let it be this: Florence Welch is so much better than all of us, in every facet possible. There’s no two ways about it. It’s as simple…

Fifty years in the music business and Phil Collins is adamant that he’s not dead yet. His current Australian tour – named after his memoir that is also marking over 20 years between drinks – may be designed for people to lower their expectations. The English multi-instrumentalist seems older than his 67 years but while…

On Saturday 8th June 2019, Iconic chanteuse Celine Dion will finally bring her run of Las Vegas residencies to a definite close, sixteen years after she first began performing at The Colosseum. The powerhouse vocalist, now almost forty years into a storied career, is currently working her way to a historical moment for Las Vegas’…

Springing from Adelaide, high energy four-piece Donnarumma are a total force to be reckoned with. Following the release of their latest single “Rollercoaster” in November, the band are currently in the middle of their six-date tour across the south and east coasts of the country. This week, the Grace Darling Hotel (Collingwood) hosted their Melbourne show, also welcoming…

Chatter within Brisbane’s The Bearded Lady had one common topic: the Nazi flag incident. The previous week, a punk band caused outrage when two dim-witted members unveiled a Nazi flag. It reeked of desperate attention-seeking, especially compared to the sonic provocations of Melbourne noise legends Primitive Calculators. Formed in 1978, Primitive Calculators existed for two…

There’s something really underrated about bands that play with as a three piece. Sure, having twelve people in your band means you can add incredible depth to your sound, but the raw basic-ness of guitar, bass and drums is something that will always manage to be magic in live setting. This is no different when…

Following ten years in Hobart – and a free block party last year in Launceston to test the waters – Mona Foma made its official debut in the Northern Tasmanian City this weekend, with a stellar weekend of art and music which took over Launceston for an event unlike anything locals have ever seen. Grimy…

While it is often true that Wednesday nights are relegated to early evenings or an easy night in at home, those who ventured from the safety of these homes were rewarded earlier in the week by a mammoth live performance of nostalgia and music with some of modern music’s famous artists spanning the course of…

Paul Capsis is a performer who appreciates artists who are both unique and true to their real selves. You could argue that he too fits into this distinctive mould. His Sydney Festival show at the Magic Mirrors Spiegeltent was an eclectic love letter to his many inspirations. The repertoire for the night was arranged by…

Leon Bridges is a man constantly wanting to change things up. Whether it be the generation of fans he’s aiming his music at, or the type of music he’s playing, the Fort Worth musician is all about taking things down a slightly different path and hoping you come along for the ride. Returning to Sydney…

Once upon a time, I really enjoyed Monday night shows. This was at a time when I was at uni without any real obligations. Now, I am a boring person with a desk job that gets up early for work five days a week. You’re probably thinking, why am I telling you this? There is…

The legendary Fleetwood Mac have today announced that they will be returning to Australia for a six-date arena tour across August and September. As one of the first mammoth tour announcements for 2019, the Grammy winning band responsible for hits like “Dreams” and “Go Your Own Way” will be making stops in Perth, Brisbane, Sydney…

Now in its third year, Grow Your Own Festival takes place on the North Coast of NSW in the Forster-Tuncurry area. Started in 2016 by local Holly Rankin, aka Jack River, the original motivation of the event was to bring more music to the region for the youth of the area. It has since grown into…

Fresh from the Falls and Field Day circuits, British artist Mahalia rocked a sold-out show at The Lansdowne Hotel on what could have otherwise been a quiet Monday night. Opening for her was Jack Gray: the combination of beachy waves, a silk shirt and old school boyish charm. The Sunshine Coast singer had the crowd…

Falling in with the other major internationals on sideshow duty Soccer Mommy finished the Melbourne; and final show of her two leg Australia tour. The show was filled with many fun moments as well as Soccer Mommy’s (Sophie Allison) appreciation towards her Melbourne fans who filled the Howler in Brunswick for the near sold out…

Kicking the year off again with another Falls Festival sideshow, I ventured on down to Sydney’s Metro Theatre to take in the goods that The Vaccines are currently delivering as part of their current Combat Sports album tour. Opening up the night were Newcastle band Vacations. Making the trip down to Sydney, the touring five-piece…

The recent debate about who is the current “King of R&B” (sparked by a claim from Cash Money artist Jacquees) is not as clear cut as it has been made out to be. This isn’t the first time someone who has claimed to be the king of a genre or style of music. T.I once…

Twenty Nineteen is finally at our feet and to mark the moment, The Vaccines flew across the entire globe to give Aussies something to remember during the first week of the new year. The English group appeared at The Croxton Bandroom (Thornbury) alongside Newcastle band, Vacations, and left the sardine-packed crowd drenched in a sublime blend of both perspiration and…