Live Reviews

Against all odds, expectations and forecasts, Festival of the Sun lived up to its name this weekend in the coastal NSW town of Port Macquarie, delivering two days of great music, excellent vibes and, indeed… a great deal of Sun. Though people start camping from much earlier – enjoying their BYO drinks, limited capacity (3,000)…

Over the course of its seven years, the uniquely named Clockenflap has become Hong Kong’s premiere contemporary music and arts festival, presenting a mix of local Hong Kong indie bands with the finest artists from around the world. This year, with music spread over 3 days and 9 stages, the event proved bigger than ever,…

As it seemed most of Melbourne were dressing as cats and making their way to the Katy Perry concert (#katycats), an nonetheless impressive contingent of the city’s less under-16 female crowd filled up the Corner Hotel for the second of two just-about-sold-out performances from Manchester Orchestra, supported by Ballarat’s Apes and Brooklyn based Kevin Devine….

The 7th Australasian Worldwide Music Expo – featuring 58 groups performing over 4 days alongside a two day conference – kicked off with an opening party early on Thursday evening with Pete Murray, Benny Walker and a Welcome to Country ceremony. Benny Walker impressed at the opening night event, performing solo on the guitar –…

Thursday night saw the legendary singer-songwriter Rodriguez play the first of three sold-out shows in Perth’s picturesque Kings Park, and his first show in Perth since 1981. Joining Rodriguez on the bill was a host of Australian talent, including Archie Roach, Little May and Perth’s own Fox Cat Rabbit. Local band Fox Cat Rabbit kicked…

Last week four of Australia’s best female singers, performers and songwriters, Katie Noonan, Melody Pool, Sam Buckingham and Angie Hart, helped close this years ARTBAR season with their show, Songs That Made Me, a celebration of the songs that helped to inspire them as musicians and people. Songs That Made Me, the live show, is…

With almost twenty years since their last Perth show, and 7 months since the postponement of their Australian tour in the wake of the sudden death of L’Wren Scott, The Rolling Stones showed on Wednesday night that not only do good things come to those who wait, and that they were more than worth the…

Returning to Australia this week for their first tour here since 2012 (where they were supported by Bombay Bicycle Club), Manchurians Elbow filled up the Sydney Opera House last night for the first of two shows at the venue which even Guy Garvey couldn’t help but admit was “iconic”. But as the show went on,…

They are one of Australia’s most loved and lauded live acts and sadly, they are calling it quits. Those crazy cats from Bluejuice have decided it’s time to hang up the ridiculous home-made costumes and move on to new projects and lives. In the span of 13 years of touring, if you hadn’t seen them play at…

Brisbane’s Arundel have undertaken a fascinating journey to bring them to the point they’re at now. With its origins as a solo project that resulted in brilliant tracks like “Living with Dinosaurs” (that we featured on the AU some 3 years ago) from Lucas Arundell (yes, two l’s), Arundel has evolved into a massive five…

It doesn’t happen very often that when a band drops a new album we’re graced with a live show to go along with the promotion train that follows it. Sydney fans were fortunate to not only have Irish rockers The Script play for them, but it was at The Metro too, a considerably smaller venue than the…

I was fortunate enough to travel around India with Sheppard back in 2012 (you can look back at the interview I conducted with them HERE) and by the end of that trip, having seen them live a good 5 or 6 times, I never wanted to hear their catchy single “Let Me Down Easy” again….

Having unfortunately missed the always wonderful Caitlin Park, Castlemaine rising star D.D Dumbo hit the stage at the Oxford Art Factory not long after I arrived, serving as the precursor to Melbourne’s Courtney Barnett, playing her second of three sold out shows in Sydney tonight. Looping guitar, vocals, recorders and percussion – potentially even with…

It was hard to ignore the grins on their faces as Alt-J emerged to thousands of adoring, screaming fans at their sold out Enmore Theatre gig tonight. Launching right into “Hunger of the Pine” off their new album This Is All Yours, the audience was singing and humming along from the first notes and you…

Thursday night saw Adelaide’s The Yearlings play their first West Australia show in around six years (according to singer/guitarist Chris Parkinson), taking to the recently refurbished Clancy’s Fish Pub stage to launch their latest record All the Wandering with a wonderfully intimate performance. Kick starting proceedings was Sara Tindley a singer-songwriter from NSW, and friend…

When Fuzzy promotions first announced a new boutique EDM festival was to be replacing Parklife, my stomach sank with dismay. Parklife had given the fondest memories and still sits in my heart as being my favourite festival experience. Yet walking up to the gates of Listen Out I was filled with excitement, the bill held…

Tonight would be a night of some mystical and magical music, a chance to be immersed in the wild and occasionally wacky sounds that some of Australia’s indie pop folk have to offer. Tonight would be the launch for Dan Kelly’s new single “Melbourne VS Sydney” and coincidentally his main support Richard in Your Mind are Sydney locals, whilst…

As they tour the world in support of their sophomore record Silent Treatment – their first to garner an international release – Norwegian quintet Highasakite are in Australia this week for the first time, stopping off for some intimate performances at Oxford Art Factory in Sydney and on Saturday at Howler in Melbourne. I went…

Patrick James’ Broken Lines EP tour hit the West Coast on Saturday night with a show at the Fly By Night in Fremantle. Despite the miserable weather a sizeable crowd turned out for James’ return to the Fly, this time playing the main stage. Opening the evenings proceedings were Central Coast duo Winterbourne, playing their…

The Sydney Fringe Festival has officially kicked off its 5th annual edition with their first ever street party in Surry Hills. Fringe Ignite: Heat The Streets saw bars and shopfronts on Crown Street transform into free entry pop-up music venues, while street musicians roamed and people danced. No one needed to close down the street,…

Celebrating the long awaited release of their debut self-titled album, Brisbane monolith Velociraptor are currently touring the country with Sydney’s Bloods, and Friday night took them to Sydney’s Newtown Social Club (formerly The Sandringham Hotel, for those playing a home) for a show that happened to coincide with their Album Release Date (read our review…

Though Sydney’s Scott Spark is now two full length albums deep, it’s a rare occurrence to witness the man in action – even in his hometown. Marking the release of his sophomore LP Muscle Memory at the Vanguard, however, was a rare live performance from the talented singer/songwriter. Focusing on his latest, critically acclaimed release,…

Judging by the ticket sales, Courtney Love was clearly taking a gamble with her her first solo tour of Australia. As it turns out, Adelaide decided not to even take a punt. There really is no excuse that Adelaidians could make that would justify their lack of effort. Tickets were originally sold for around $80,…

Currently travelling around the country to promote his single “Police Car”, Melbourne’s Owen Rabbit is an emerging talent searching for a place amongst the talented engineers of electronic soundscapes across the country. Not in the sense that he’s actively seeking out a position amongst or along side them, through some grand master plan of world…

The Beards always pull a big crowd and put on a great show. So when they rolled in to The Gov on Saturday night, there was no way I was going to miss it. The gig was a sell-out, and on a freezing winters night The Gov felt like a Viking mead hall, wall-to-wall with…

In their first Sydney concert since their much lauded Opera House headline gig of 2012, First Aid Kit have returned to Australia, fresh off the release of their new LP Stay Gold, here as part of the Splendour in the Grass contingency. Tonight’s performance at the Metro Theatre may be a bit of a step…

Friday night saw Ben Howard finally make it across west for a sold out show at Perth’s Astor Theatre, kicking off a run of dates that sees Howard also take to the stage at Splendour in the Grass. Yet this was a show, as Howard revealed, that came ever so close to being cancelled, with…

The time has come once again for the annual barrage of Splendour in the Grass sideshows to hit the city of Sydney, and things have kicked off at the Metro Theatre with a sold out appearance from Iceland’s latest export Ásgeir, supported by Brisbane’s Airling – who will also be appearing at Splendour this weekend…

After a day where the gods beamed their sun on the festival site, an ominous overcast morning proved that T in the Park’s second day wouldn’t be as kind. But with punters eagerly awaiting entry well before the gates opened, it doesn’t seem to be the Scottish way to let wet weather get in the…

After a rainy day and night, the sun peered through the clouds in Scotland for the third and final day of T in the Park, which would see Arctic Monkeys close the festival’s main stage in typically rockin’ fashion, while Example, Disclosure and Sven Vath ensured there were ways to end the weekend for everyone….