You often hear an AU contributor rate a gig as a highlight of the year, but by the time the year is over, what still sits on that top 5 list? Well, we asked our contributors just that and from all those responses we bring you the AU’s top thirteen international tours of 2013! Read on and see how many of the gigs you were at…
13. Band of Horses
When: January 2013 inc. Big Day Out – See Reviews & Photos from the Tour!
What we said: In all honesty, this was one of the best performances I’ve experienced in a long time. Band of Horses are a phenomenally talented act with a brilliant ability to make their recordings all the more exciting to experience live. – Lucy Inglis
12. Swans
When: February 2013 inc. ATP Festival – See Reviews & Photos from the Tour!
What we said: During “Nathalie” the bass amp blows up. Perhaps it’s the sheer volume turned up to 11. The performance is beguiling yet confronting. The sounds created during the set are ugly yet beautiful, painful but necessary. The polarity of the performance is what makes it so memorable. Swans put on a show that defies description, that won’t easily be forgotten. – Anna-Maria Megalogenis
11. Neil Young and Crazy Horse
When: March 2013 – See Reviews & Photos from the Tour!
Watching Neil Young and Crazy Horse with the beauty of the Hunter Valley surrounding me was very memorable, and incredibly fun. There’s something about outdoor gigs, when they’re done properly, they’re the most beautiful thing you’ll ever experience.
10. Japandroids
When: August to September 2013 – See Reviews & Photos from the Tour!
What we said: There are moments that are truly special when you’re at a live show. Whether it’s seeing a band/artist before they become megastars (Passenger, say) or seeing a band tour their most iconic album for an anniversary tour, there are moments as a punter where you’re at a venue thinking, ‘This probably won’t happen again’. Tonight was one of those nights – Japandroids playing one of Adelaide’s smaller stages, on a Tuesday night? Chaos. – Sosefina Fuamoli
9. Father John Misty
When: February 2013 – See Reviews & Photos from the Tour!
What we said: Looking back on Father John Misty’s performance on Tuesday night at Metro Theatre, there can be no denying that this singer songwriter delivers his stunning and truly intelligent material with a brilliant dose of charisma. Making the trip over from his home in Laurel Canyon, USA, Father John Misty (aka Josh Tillman) played an energy-drenched set filled up mostly with songs from his highly esteemed debut album, Fear Fun. – Lucy Inglis
8. FIDLAR
When: July to August 2013 inc. Splendour – See Reviews & Photos from the Tour!
What we said: The band were electric. Lo-fi garage punk noise and songs covering simple themes of beer, skating, cocaine and surfing. The insane crowd kept up with the enthusiasm of the music and the gig ended with a free-for-all crowd rush to the stage, while everyone sang along, completely swamping the band into the mass of humanity. The lead singer would be found hanging upside down above it all. It was just the fitting way to end one of the best gigs I’ve seen for the year. – Jason Strange
7. Weezer
When: January 2013 – See Reviews & Photos from the Tour!
What we said: Tonight was all about Weezer, and indeed they did not disappoint. The venue packed up tight as they took to the stage and played through an hour or so of their greatest hits. They reminded us why we liked them in the first place (fun, catchy songs), they reminded us that they’re incredibly talented musicians, and more than anything, they reminded us what it was like to be a teenager. Because by the time the Greatest Hits set was coming to an end, and they cranked out “El Scortcho”, every single person in the Entertainment Centre reverted in one swift moment to their teenage years. They screamed every word to every song. They fistpumped in the air. They jumped around and headbanged. They approved of the band who earlier dedicated “Hash Pipe” as their ‘sacrifice to the gods of rock’ because the 15 year old inside them told them to. It was an intense, contagious energy. – Larry Heath
6. Puscifier
When: February 2013 inc. Soundwave Festival – See Reviews & Photos from the Tour!
Visually a feast of gargantuan proportions. Maynard James Keenan sang behind a magnifying framed glass, that enlarged his face and that of Carina Round. The whole stage was set up like an airplane, with Keenan as the pilot at the helm and even foil packets of peanuts were flung into the audience featuring the brace position of “Vagina Airlines.” Despite popular opinion, Keenan does have a sense of humour. Breathtaking harmonies over soaring, bass driven songs.
5. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
When: February to March 2013 – See Reviews & Photos from the Tour!
We decided to put the Seeds in the “international” category rather than “local”, as they base themselves in the UK… and Nick Cave defies location. This gave us more room in the locals article, which you’ll see soon, to support artists based in Australia! Win win.
I had awesome seats down the front for this, not that I sat much, and it was fantastic to hear the new music with the whole band and orchestra from a primary school. Once they kicked the kids off it was time to let rip for Cave and Co. Fans stormed to the front and we got a major case of ‘this is freaking awesome’ as Nick shimmied around the stage, grabbed fans hands (at one point, he fell into the crowd), he kicked his legs out and about and gave the music all almighty roar into the night… ahh, rocking memories are made of these…
4. Beyoncé
When: November 2013 – See Reviews & Photos from the Tour!
Everything from the stage production to the choreography to Beyonce’s hair was on point during this show and it stands out as the best show of the year for me. I’d never seen a pop star perform in this capacity before and I finally understand why Beyonce is regarded as such an A-Grade entertainer as she is anything else. Though she’d been slaying shows in Australia for a few weeks prior to this show, her live vocals were still amazing and she made every move look absolutely flawless. If she tells you to bow down, you bow the fuck down. – Sosefina Fuamoli
She may not have had the current dominating self-titled record out, but Queen B brought a mostly excellent set list and while it wasn’t perfect (never tamper with ‘If I Were A Boy’ again please) she plastered the few cracks with her jaw-dropping dancing and unparalleled confidence. She flew over the crowd and rained glitter from her dress for goodness sake. – Chris Singh
3. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band
When: March 2013 – See Reviews & Photos from the Tour!
I have never been the biggest Bruce fan yet it didn’t matter with seeing him live. I’ve never been to a gig before where it just didn’t matter not knowing every song. I still felt like I was part of the set, I enjoyed every second of the show and I’m going again in 2014. Even though the show went for a long time, it didn’t feel like it. Bruce and the E Street Band put on an amazing performance with stamina, sweat and love. They really are amazing to see live, really amazing to hear and if you’re lucky enough, lucky to touch!
2. Muse
When: December 2013 – See Reviews & Photos from the Tour!
After a three year wait, one of my all-time favourite bands out of England returned to Adelaide. The 2nd Law stage show continues to promote Muse’s batshit mentality when it comes to live tours, with the pyramid shooting great visuals through the night. Matt Bellamy showed off his chops as a frontman more than I’d seen before, leaving a fair whack of the guitar and keys to Morgan Nicholls, as he concentrated more on vocals and getting amongst the crowd. For a band who’ve been together for as long as Muse has, they’re showing no signs of slowing down or pandering to their fans/critics and this show was a great reminder of this. A killer live band, as always. – Sosefina Fuamoli
1. Foals
When: January 2013 inc. Big Day Out and September to October 2013 – See Reviews & Photos from the Tour!
What We Said: Everything about tonight was pretty much perfect, the set list, the lighting, the venue, Yannis’ hair. My only disappointment was the exclusion of old favourite “Cassius” and the more recent “Out of the Woods”. But let’s be honest, if I had my way I would have made Foals play every single song they have ever made because they are so insanely amazing and I love them (in case you couldn’t tell already). Long story short, Foals totally nailed it and it is with such confidence I can say this has been hands down, the best gig of 2013 so far. There’s three months left for anybody else to top this, so good luck. You may need it. – Bridget Hustwaite
