Live Reviews

With horror films these days, it’s difficult to avoid either the “torture-porn” sort of films – Saw, Hostel etc. – or the “found footage” stylings of the surprisingly never-ending Paramormal Activity series. But for those who hold the genre close to their heart, it’s hard not to look back to films like The Excorcist or…

There are many words one could use to describe an artist as compelling as Kirin J Callinan. The terms ‘controversial’ and ‘confronting’ seem to get thrown around a lot and after watching his show at Jive on Friday night I’m going to go with chameleon. Last time I saw Callinan he was playing to a…

Pop rock connoisseurs Lime Cordiale took over The Standard Friday night for the launch of their single ‘Bullshit Aside’ off pending EP Falling up the Stairs. The Sydney based quartet led by brothers Oli and Louis Leimbach are gaining some well-deserved attention, with their latest release picked up by the good folks over at Triple J. They’ve put out an…

Held in a Chain Factory on Friday night, Converse brought their national run of “GET LOUD” shows to Brisbane, featuring explosive performances from The Laurels, The Murlocs and Tiny Migrants. Here are a few photos from the night and if you’re in Auckland on the 18th of July you can heads along to the last…

Little larrikin Lawrence Greenwood AKA Whitley has been MIA from the Australian music scene for a while on an indefinite hiatus. For those not familiar with Whitley he was basically Australia’s answer to Scott Walker or Nick Drake, a troubadour with impeccably crafted heartachingly sweet songs. His hiatus resulted in a lot of travelling to some intriguing…

Michel Gondry has always been one of my favourite directors. His ability to take dreamlike concepts and turn them into something visually tangible has always been his strength, and a unifying quality between all his productions – be they feature length, short or music video format. Though perhaps we won’t consider The Green Hornet in…

Less than a month after taking over The Vanguard, the Femme Locale showcase made its return for round four on Friday night. This time, the crowd gathered in the cozy second floor of The Hive Bar to watch Christine Jane, Imogen Bel, and Rosie Catalano perform an intimate concert.

Some gigs fade into memory as nothing more than a fun night, others we try desperately to forget… and then there are the few that we know we’ll always remember. They’re the honest, personal, sometimes elaborate performances that sit apart from the rest. They’re usually put together by a band who are at the top…

I’ve always found David Gordon Green to be a surprising director. Who would have predicted the auteur of the acclaimed George Washington (released back in 2001 in limited theatres and given wider life on DVD thanks to the Criterion Collection) would end up collaborating with comedian Danny McBride on a series of films (Your Highness…

A smoky room with damp blue lighting and black leather sofas doesn’t seem the ideal spot for a dance gig where the stickiest floor on Oxford St was home to the Willow Beats EP launch. But the venue was strangely cosy and, despite their niche work, it was a sold out show for Sydney. Stoney…

The Way, Way Back was written and directed by Jim Rash and Nat Faxon, who are best known as the co-writers for the Alexander Payne helmed The Descendants, as well as playing the Dean in Community and Ben in the TV series Ben & Kate, respectively. The Way, Way Back, which premiered last Thursday night…

Lovelace is a film in two halves. The first is the story of Linda Lovelace – the iconic actress from the 70s porn film sensation Deep Throat – that everyone else had told, including Lovelace herself in her early cash-ins such as Inside Linda Lovelace. The second is the story that Linda revealed when she…

The location for this review has moved. You can read it HERE.

In my last article looking back on Digital & Music Matters in Singapore (there’s a pile of interviews still to come!), I’m going to take you back to the Beer Garden, the concept bar where we also spent our Wednesday evening for the annual Aussie BBQ. On Friday, the venue a showcase of bands from…

Baz Luhrmann has always been hit and miss for me. Though I can understand why his filmic style is detested by some, and loved by others, for me the success of his style comes down to the content. Sometimes it works, other times it doesn’t. Australia – average story equals an average film, though admittedly…

When I arrived at the HP Showcase at the New Zealand themed bar Fern & Kiwi, as part of the 2013 Music Matters LIVE event in Singapore, I was greeted to a band from India called Indus Creed (pictured above), members of whom I saw take part in the Bombay Metal Project at the NH7…

The New Zealand themed bar Fern and Kiwi was one of the many places to be on the final night of Music Matters Live in Singapore on Friday night, though if you wanted to see some local music, there was none better. The Made in Singapore showcased displayed some of the finest local talent in…

It was Japanese rock mania when I arrived at Clarke Quay for the second night of Music Matters LIVE. The free, public, outdoor stage would be home to two massive J-Rock acts: flumpool and SID, which saw fans waiting in the heat for hours. They would then move indoors into the Beer Market, where the…

“It’s my first time in Australia and I think I like it.” A few sweet words and she had us hooked. The crowd, that is… and it’s Lorde we loved. I first realised I had a girl crush on this underage, quirky, New Zealand beauty named Ella Yelich O’Connor (aka Lorde) when her catchy tune…

Emma Louise’s vs. Head vs. Heart is easily one of the most captivating records to be released this year, proving that the attention she found with 2011’s “Jungle” was more than luck — she is undeniably talented and utterly deserving of the success she’s having. I attended her show with high expectations, and was not…

When I saw Tonight Alive at Manning Bar just over a year ago, it was easy to see that they had a lot of potential. However, as strong as their performance was, they were still a fairly new band — on stage, their presence merely asked for the audience’s attention. When I saw them this…

Trams suck. Really, they do. The tram heading toward this gig tonight seemed to be slowly moved up The Esplanade like a moose with constipation. Eventually it dawdled to The Palais in the plodding fashion that trams do. The Heart of St Kilda has become a special event, and when it comes around each year,…

Sometimes all people want is a drink and song. Halfway between a small gig and your friend’s living room, the Folk Club embraces all that is cosy about folk music while giving artists the chance to perform at full force in front of an audience they can actually see (and talk to afterwards). Folk Club…

This year’s run of the Groovin’ the Moo festival came to a close at Bunbury’s Hay Park on Saturday. Though the festival has been running for a couple of years now, this was the first time I’d ventured along, drawn in part by an eclectic line-up of both Australian and international artists. The festival was…

Ah, Tenacious D. The infamous rock and roll duo (although perhaps they are best described as a “rock and roll tribute act”), comprised of Kyle Gass and Jack Black were last seen on our shores supporting the Foo Fighters at the end of last 2011. Since then they have released a new record (Rize of…

I first heard Bec and Ben’s “This Is Why I Love You” last year, on a compilation released by My Sydney Riot. I’ve been a fan since then, but it’s only recently that I’ve had the chance to catch them live. Supported by Burn Antares and The Chitticks, they filled the FBi Social with rock…

Owl Eyes’s debut record Nightswim has a very laid-back atmosphere, so I was under the impression that her live show would be just as smooth. Between the performances of her support acts, the technical mishaps, and the surprising amount of energy she possessed, the night was somewhat scattered — but ultimately, enjoyable.

I’ve always felt like Frightened Rabbit are one of those bands who fit into one of two categories: either you’ve seen them live and rave about them, or they’ve slipped under your radar and you’ve never really heard of them. They’re a band whose Scottish folk sensibilities seem to have connected to a growing audience…

Monday night saw Beth Orton kick off her current Australian tour at St. Joseph’s Church in Subiaco, Perth. It was quite simply put an exquisite night of music, with Orton, despite fighting off a cold and jet lag, in fine form. Though as the night progressed it became quickly clear that church pews aren’t designed…

Adelaide fans were lucky to very lucky to see Black Sabbath, and they knew it. Having originally being left off of the tour, Adelaide fans petitioned hard and got their wish with the Tuesday night gig at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre being added as the final date on Black Sabbath’s Australian tour. The venue was…