The following review is a two-in-one. In the Oxford Art Factory gallery, we had Bird Automatic closing out their month long residency with a rollicking set. Meanwhile, in the main room, The Veils and Oh Mercy were playing to a just-about-sold-out crowd, in a dual headlining show. Larry Heath attempted to review both gigs at…
Read More
Having the privilege to enjoy the heat of Summer on New Years Eve is something deeply embedded in the Australian experience – and something we shouldn’t take for granted. So why have the same, boring old NYE, when you could be rocking out to the worlds finest bands, in some of the countries most beautiful…
Read More
I arrived at the Enmore Theatre on a warm Thursday evening, greeted by an equally warm venue (air conditioning problems!), and a crowd who were enjoying Sydney’s Mental As Anything – who opened up what was essentially a triple bill, the eccentric group playing through a good selection of their hits. Come to this of…
Read More
When I was in Los Angeles in 2006, I passed up the opportunity to see Zero 7, accompanied by Jose Gonzalez and Sia, at the Hollywood Bowl. Oh, how I still regret this decision. But the result of this decision meant that this gig at the Enmore would be the first time I’d have the…
Read More
Taking a moment away from his recording studio in Coffs Harbour, Johnny Mackay from Melbourne’s Children Collide had a chat to us at the AU review – speaking on the bands recent USA tour, the state of the Australian live scene, and how he doesn’t mind Children Collide becoming a “Video Game Band”. Read to…
Read More
Last week, Larry had the opportunity to speak to Jim Webster, drummer of the up-and-coming UK band Baddies, who are in town next month to play Pyramid Rock Festival and Purple Sneakers NYE House Party in Sydney. What followed was an interesting insight into the lives of a band on the rise, excited by their…
Read More
When one thinks of music they love in Sydney these days, it’s unsurprising that most say “Cloud Control!” – their warm on stage presence, combined with some of the catchiest songs since Dappled Cities were “Fly”, always make for a show that leaves audiences spellbound, hypnotised, and shaking their tail-feather. But this was a night…
Read More
I am not a fan of outdoor arena events. The concert itself is always something special, mind you, a notion of “epic” that you can’t quite match in any other setting – regardless of the performer. But when you combine some 35,000 people going to one event, alongside unpredictable weather (in this case, one of…
Read More
A Byron Bay band without a single dreadlock among them? Meet Polaroid Fame, a snap-friendly (pun intended) five-piece armed with a whole array of vintage New Romantic hooks and with a sound glossier than hair gel. Keen to surf the last wave of ‘80s revival before the noughties are well and truly over, PF’s debut…
Read More
In this week’s Festival Spotlight, we turn our attention to the increasingly popular Laneway Festival. What started out as a small showcase of bands at St Jerome’s Laneway in Melbourne, has become a mammoth touring festival, with some of the worlds most respected artists taking the stage, and publications such as Pitchfork giving the thumbs…
Read More
With Sydney Festival finally announcing its 2010 lineup, they’ve once again delivered a truly eclectic group of musicians, who’ll be entertaining Sydneysiders in a variety of unique venues. What continues to amaze me is just how impressive these line-ups are, year after year – it helps, of course, that we are provided with artists who…
Read More
Two years and one album since they last graced the Metro stage, Maxïmo Park returned to entertain Sydney audiences on Friday night. Supporting Maxïmo Park on their long awaited Quicken The Heart tour were Melbourne duo Denim Owl. Not since Fergie supported The Police have I seen a stranger support choice. One one hand, you’ve…
Read More
When it comes to the business side of the Australian club scene, there are few bigger names than Peter Raff. In 2001, Peter collaborated with Frank Coleta to form what is now the biggest brand of the Australian club scene, and our answer to UK’s Ministry of Sound: Onelove. I recently had the opportunity to…
Read More
Combine a 6pm start, with a rainy Sunday evening, and the fact that everyone who lives near the Annandale would have just been getting home from the Newtown Festival – PLUS the fact that very few people have ever heard of Mark Steiner (more would have heard of the fantastic Des Miller, however) – and…
Read More
As I entered the Metro on a humid Friday evening, I found myself somehow pleased that this Midnight Juggernauts concert would be an over 18s affair, right back at the venue I first remember seeing the band, supporting Electric Six way back in 2005. And what a way they’ve come since then! Headlining the same…
Read More
This Saturday has been massive – no, I’m not talking any hedonism. Still, I only manage to see the last half of Perth resident and frequent Brisbane guest Jeff Martin and his fearsome Armada. The show is in full swing and numerous exotic instruments such as the harp guitar, sarod, harmonium and theremin are tantalisingly…
Read More
If there is one musical event which has come to encapsulate Summer in Australia, there’s no argument that it’s the Big Day Out – the 2010 edition of which has now sold out around the country, despite a lineup born out of a recycling bin. But in Sydney, there is a parallel force for our…
Read More
One of the most defining moments in modern music occurred in August 1986, when Paul Simon released the groundbreaking Graceland LP. The majority of the album was recorded in South Africa and shot the Mbaqanga musical style into the Western mainstream. While such a style was indeed influential before this point, suddenly it became “the…
Read More
It’s a rare thing in this day and age to see a live music-oriented series survive on Australian Television. Even programs on MTV and Channel [V] don’t seem to stick around for too long. There is one popular exception to this rule, however. Kia Soul’s Live at the Chapel . Originating in Melbourne in 2003,…
Read More
I recently had the pleasure of experiencing Sydney’s Sherlock’s Daughter live for the first time, in support of Lisa Mitchell (read the review here), so was no doubt thrilled when I recently received their debut self-titled EP. But that said, I did approach the EP with a fair amount of trepidation – who was to…
Read More
What’s this!? Larry, reviewing a gig in Melbourne!? Well yes indeed boys and girls, I recently took a trip down south, and got to go to my first ever gig in your fine city! Although, I HAD been down to Big Day Out and V Festival this year and last year, respectively – so I…
Read More
Unfortunately I was unable to attend the entire day of the latest “pub” festival to hit the Sydney scene, and as such arrived just as 4th band for the day, Alter Ego Mania, were finishing their set. I didn’t see enough of these guys to comment on them properly, but liked what I saw…
Read More
Fresh from a completely different live music event in the Valley, I walk a number of flights of stairs to the Top Floor – an art/music space and perhaps the only venue of its kind in Brisbane CBD. Warming up tonight’s festivities – Felinedown’s first anniversary/EP digital re-release party – are dance-punks Moon Jog, whose…
Read More
I find this quite strange to admit, but this performance was the first time I’d ever set foot inside the UNSW Roundhouse. Just thought I’d put that out there. But it’s a venue I quite like – it’s just a bit of a pain to get to! The set up, and the premise, of the…
Read More
It was only a few short weeks ago that I was first introduced to Lisa Mitchell, via the adorable video of ‘Coin Laundry’. I have to say I was quite stunned when I went on to discover she had managed a near sell-out tour of the country at the same time. Well boys and girls,…
Read More
The music played through 299’s PA is positively deafening on all of the venue’s three levels, while the live sound is only marginally subtler – an obstacle not even helped by my trusty earplugs – however the punishing decibels do little to detract me and fellow music lovers from appreciating tonight’s local talent trifecta. Having…
Read More
As the crowd slowly trickled into new “it” night, JUST? at Club 77, The Vignettes launched into their set. While I’ve reviewed this band before (see it here), tonight I felt I was given a much more accurate taste as to what they were all about. Joel, for one, felt much more relaxed to say…
Read More
Jamie T is one of those performers with whom you know you probably SHOULDN’T like – but there’s something about him that keeps drawing you back in – and his live show, the first of an impressive two sold out nights at the Metro, proved much the same. Opening for Jamie T was Ernest Ellis,…
Read More
DOUBLE TAKE – Alexandra Duguid and Gareth Page each give their takes on this highly anticipated concert. Review by Alexandra Duguid: I entered the venue to be welcomed by Mariachi El Bronx, the novelty alter-ego of the Bronx and an unusual concept executed flawlessly by the LA based-punk band, who were…well not a punk band…
Read More
When I heard that Robert Schneider was making his first ever trip down under, I found myself asking… like, Rob “The Hot Chick” Schneider? But on second glance I realised that it was, in fact, the famed lead of one of my favourite bands, Apples in Stereo! This was one rare acoustic performance I knew…
Read More
