Slam Day Gig Guide

0 Comments. 300 Views. Posted 22 Feb 2012 @ 12:32pm.
  This Thursday February 23 marks two years from when 20,000 people marched through Melbourne to the tune of AC/DC’s Long Way To The Top, in protest against the Victorian Government’s misguided policy link between live music and violence. The SLAM rally was the largest cultural protest in Australia’s history and now, on the anniversary of the march, venues are participating in the inaugural national SLAM day to celebrate local musicians and small venues the country over. SLAM day applauds Melbourne's thriving small venue culture and the indisputable strength of live Australian music and... Read More!
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The Specials feature, music.
0 Comments. 36 Views. Posted 22 Feb 2012 @ 10:42am.
  The Iron Lady portrays an England beset with social, political and economic strife.  Strikes, food shortages, racial conflict played against the pomp and ceremony of the Silver Jubilee. By the late 1970s, with the Winter of Discontent eroding into the English people’s traditional resilience, the Conservative Party swept to power, winding back welfare programs and cracking down on... Read More
Vanessa Amorosi feature, music.
0 Comments. 146 Views. Posted 22 Feb 2012 @ 10:39am.
  Vanessa Amorosi’s story of discovery and rise to fame is fairly standard up to a certain point; Young Melbourne girl discovered singing in shopping centre by certified hit-maker, Mark Holden - success ensues. However, Amorosi’s subsequent annihilation of her ‘singing starlet’ image and break from Holden have over time resulted in some ‘serious artist’ allegations, and ‘good girl gone bad’... Read More
Gappy Ranks feature, music.
0 Comments. 45 Views. Posted 21 Feb 2012 @ 11:18am.
  It’s a long journey from England to Australia, but according to Gappy Ranks (aka Jacob Williams), every mile of it is worth it if it means spreading the message of reggae across the world. As the reggae star points out – if they’re calling you back to do another show, that means you got something right the last time around. “It’s a pleasure to be back in Australia,” says Williams. “Just... Read More
Karavan! International Gypsy Music Festival feature, music, festivals.
0 Comments. 61 Views. Posted 21 Feb 2012 @ 11:14am.
  2012 will mark the third year that the Karavan! International Gypsy Music Festival – Australia’s premier festival which covers all types of gypsy music both old and new – will roll into Melbourne’s famous Corner Hotel. The festival has been expanding in size every year since its inception and so too has the lineup. This year’s event will again showcase the very best international bands as... Read More
Elbow feature, music.
1 Comments. 226 Views. Posted 21 Feb 2012 @ 11:10am.
  Elbow’s last album was the first album they made knowing it was actually going to be released. For a band with more critical acclaim and underground praise than Doves, Embrace and Athlete, roped together with a copy of NME and a Brit Award and the knot-tying of the entire BBC, this Manchester fivesome have spent twenty years deserving some goddamn recognition. “We’ve come a long way, but... Read More
Lostprophets feature, music.
0 Comments. 746 Views. Posted 17 Feb 2012 @ 10:22am.
  When classic, almost parody-like images of rock'n'roll excess are conjured up, one can’t help but imagine the misunderstood heavy rocker sitting alone in his home, usually somewhere in Los Angeles. And though Lostprophets originally hail from Pontypridd, Wales, many of the members of Lostprophets, including drummer Luke Johnson now find themselves taking up residence in the City of Angels... Read More
Jason Lytle feature, music.
0 Comments. 193 Views. Posted 17 Feb 2012 @ 10:09am.
  The notion of the starving artist is a puzzling one. Musicians are expected to sacrifice material well-being and live on minimum expenses, then dedicate their disposable income to producing more art for public consumption. A romantic notion, sure, but not always a sustainable one. When Jason Lytle – frontman and mastermind of influential ‘90s indie space-pop band Grandaddy – announced the... Read More
Slow Club feature, music.
0 Comments. 131 Views. Posted 17 Feb 2012 @ 9:58am.
  Almost two years ago to the day, Slow Club stole my last twenty bucks. At Sydney Festival to see Camera Obscura, I was stunned by the opening act who all but blew them off the stage. Unsure if I’d ever be able to hear their music again, I almost had to fake a seizure to get through the crowd at the merch stand to grab their first album, Yeah, So?. The long, penniless walk home was worth it... Read More
KRS-One feature, music.
0 Comments. 397 Views. Posted 16 Feb 2012 @ 9:51am.
  There are no rappers in the world like KRS-One. In the Bronx during 1973, next to none had front row seats to witness DJ Kool Herc creating the legendary breakbeat. None claim that they are a living manifestation of hip hop. None are bona fide philosophers. And none are catching a boat for four fucking weeks to visit Australia, not just as a performer, but as an “anthropologist”. Yes... Read More
Brous feature, music.
0 Comments. 150 Views. Posted 16 Feb 2012 @ 9:46am.
  Last October, to cap off an already accomplished 2011, Sophia Brous was astonished to hear of her nominations for not one, but three EG Awards – Best Song (for Streamers), Best New Talent and Best Female Artist – but for fortunate music fans who had already witnessed the talents of this truly versatile artist, the acknowledgement was hardly unexpected. The Melbourne singer-songwriter was... Read More
Dashboard Confessional feature, music.
0 Comments. 304 Views. Posted 16 Feb 2012 @ 9:44am.
  Ten years is a long time to do anything. Consider where you were ten years ago, and the extenuating circumstances that brought you to the place you are today. Odds are you’re not only in a different place, but the place you’re in and the person you are now is quite far from the expectations you had ten years ago. This harried attempt to find solid footing is simply the nature of the... Read More
Puta Madre Brothers feature, music.
0 Comments. 298 Views. Posted 15 Feb 2012 @ 10:07am.
  At one stage of Puta Madre Brothers’ European sojourn last year, the band’s cross-cultural mutated cross-pollination almost got out of hand. “There was one night when we were playing in an African club in Switzerland, and we were Australians playing Mexican music. It was snowing outside, and we’re in an Ethiopian club – we just stopped and looked around, and thought ‘this is really weird... Read More
The Dead Leaves feature, music.
0 Comments. 404 Views. Posted 15 Feb 2012 @ 10:02am.
  It might be a peaking summer day outside, but in the air-conditioned confines of a label office, half of Melbourne’s The Dead Leaves are looking, as always, extremely dapper. “We heard you were coming, so we dressed up” jokes guitarist Andy Pollock, bedecked in a neat pressed shirt framed by a waistcoast and full Windsor-knotted tie. He is flanked by frontman Matt Joe Gow, he of the cool... Read More
St. Vincent feature, music.
0 Comments. 365 Views. Posted 15 Feb 2012 @ 9:58am.
  Society is in dire need of artists who have something important to say. St. Vincent (aka Annie Clark) is doing her part. Cruel – the second track on her most personal album to date, Strange Mercy – was one of the most significant songs of 2011. In addressing the objectification and dehumanisation of women via society-imposed standards, St. Vincent has evolved from being a shiny bead in a... Read More
Gareth Liddiard feature, music.
0 Comments. 172 Views. Posted 14 Feb 2012 @ 3:32pm.
  Whether performing solo or with The Drones, Gareth Liddiard has taken audiences to some unique places. From haunted Australian landscapes in The Gala Mill, outer space in Havilah or the highlands in Strange Tourist, those that have followed have been rewarded by his musical and lyrical vision. At the same time live performances of The Drones have been renowned for their twisted intensity... Read More
Cass McCombs feature, music.
0 Comments. 265 Views. Posted 14 Feb 2012 @ 2:58pm.
  As a fat man once said of the motherland, Cass McCombs is 'a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma'. With press contact limited to email after the release of his beautifully tender fourth record Catacombs in 2009, McCombs took the logical next stop of conducting all promotion of last year's WIT'S END by post. While the more cynical may attribute the resulting aura of mystery to... Read More
Floating Me feature, music.
0 Comments. 120 Views. Posted 14 Feb 2012 @ 2:49pm.
  Normal bands first get together, maybe release an EP or two, then unleash the ever-important debut album... Floating Me is not a normal or average band in any sense of the word, with its members opting to do things the opposite way by conceptualising their first record, then officially proclaiming themselves a collective. Frontman, and ex-Scary Mother vocalist, Andrew Gillespie explains... Read More
Switchfoot feature, music.
0 Comments. 242 Views. Posted 10 Feb 2012 @ 11:15am.
  At the risk of stating the blatantly obvious, American rock band Switchfoot are far from the heaviest band on the Soundwave bill. They're also probably the least debaucherous and party-ready band in the lineup, with all members being staunch Christians. With all that said, they may seem an interesting choice for a massive bill chock-full of ungodly, murderously heavy bands such as... Read More
Tex Perkins - The Man In Black feature, music.
0 Comments. 227 Views. Posted 10 Feb 2012 @ 10:27am.
  The date was January 13, 1968. Johnny Cash was in the midst of performing two now-legendary shows at California’s infamous Folsom Prison. The performance was being recorded, the inmates were going positively nuts, and Cash was hitting his stride. But then a photographer invaded his personal space. In a moment of rage, Cash flipped the bird to the unfortunate snapper. The resulting... Read More
DJ QBert feature, music.
0 Comments. 257 Views. Posted 9 Feb 2012 @ 12:08pm.
  Richard Quitevis is still moving forward. Yesterday a famous battle DJ with a score of titles under his belt – today an enterprising man who sits on the cusp of a transformation in music and media. Oh dear. Where to begin? Well, interests in music, media, software, hardware, production, teaching – I mean, the list goes on and on. But let’s talk about what is perhaps his greatest love, the... Read More
Tinie Tempah feature, music.
0 Comments. 316 Views. Posted 9 Feb 2012 @ 12:02pm.
  Whether you’re a fan of the underground or the mainstream charts – if you haven’t heard Tinie Tempah’s mentioned over the past few years, you clearly haven’t been paying attention. The South-London born and bred rapper, known to his parents as Patrick Chukwuemeka Okogwu,  might only have released his debut single early in 2010, but that hasn’t stopped him from shredding through the... Read More
Antiskeptic feature, music.
0 Comments. 222 Views. Posted 9 Feb 2012 @ 11:01am.
  When the punk rock institution that was the Arthouse closed its doors for the last time in 2011, anyone that had ever seen a show there, played there in a band or just got really drunk in the beer garden knew that Melbourne was losing an iconic live music venue that would never be able to be replaced. But as it is with life, more often than not as one thing ends, another thing begins. For... Read More
Dan Mangan feature, music.
0 Comments. 503 Views. Posted 9 Feb 2012 @ 10:42am.
  Dan Mangan has learned to exercise a little more caution in life. The heartwarming Canadian born singer-songwriter now finds himself in a place where his consistent efforts have to pay off; he doesn’t have to risk his sanity and credit rating for opportunities to bring his gutsy brand of folk rock to audiences far and wide. While many in Mangan’s boat suffer from a Canadian complex, in... Read More
Enter Shikari feature, music.
0 Comments. 346 Views. Posted 9 Feb 2012 @ 10:32am.
  Hailing from St Albans in the UK, alternative metal band Enter Shikari is a tough bunch to pin down, style-wise. Sure, they’re a bloody heavy mob ­– exhibiting the bombastic flair of metal with the speed of thrashing hardcore, these guys will certainly get a mosh-pit going! But what their fans find so endearing about their sound is that they mash electronic subgenres into the mix, in... Read More
Dead Letter Circus feature, music.
0 Comments. 1,024 Views. Posted 8 Feb 2012 @ 12:23pm.
  It’s certainly an interesting time to be a human being on planet Earth, according to Dead Letter Circus frontman Kim Benzie. There’s a revolution coming – a changing of the guard – the singer warns, and the old, grey men currently in power had better watch their backs. “Our last album [This Is The Warning, 2010] was like the wake-up call. Opening your eyes and realising that as humans we... Read More
Stonefield feature, music.
0 Comments. 520 Views. Posted 8 Feb 2012 @ 10:12am.
  It’s hard to imagine that Victorian band Stonefield, that’s members range from 13-21 years of age, could be ‘veterans’ of St. Kilda Festival, but as lead singer and drummer Amy Findlay explains, they are. “I guess you could say we’ve kind of grown up as a band at St Kilda Festival!” explains a genuinely excited Findlay. “In 2010 we played on The Push stage through a Freeza thing for... Read More
Harry James Angus Band feature, music.
0 Comments. 195 Views. Posted 8 Feb 2012 @ 10:09am.
  “The last time I played at St Kilda Festival was with Jackson Jackson and it was the day of the bushfires, and it was a strange feeling,” recounts Harry James Angus. “It was hot and everyone just heard that something was happening out in the hills, you know such a strange vibe. So hopefully this will be a bit more fun than last time.” The Melbourne based musician has got to be one of the... Read More
Devin Townsend Project feature, music.
0 Comments. 635 Views. Posted 8 Feb 2012 @ 9:58am.
  Devin Townsend first came to the world's attention via guitar hero Steve Vai in 1993. Vai, usually known as an instrumental artist, wanted a vocalist for his Sex & Religion album. All the demos the label sent over were from real pretty, safe-sounding singers. Vai was despondent. Then Devin Townsend's demo landed on his desk. Today "hard rock vocalist for hire" is the last thing... Read More
Scaramouche feature, music.
0 Comments. 372 Views. Posted 7 Feb 2012 @ 1:52pm.
  It’s been said that absence makes the heart grow fonder. Yet this isn’t the case for Scaramouche, the Melbourne via Canberra five-piece act. Known for their propulsive rhythms and old-school, classic rock-influenced mentality, Scaramouche is remarkably content in their new surroundings. “It was the music scene that brought us here,” says drummer John Milton, on the line from his... Read More
Sleepmakeswaves feature, music.
0 Comments. 250 Views. Posted 7 Feb 2012 @ 1:45pm.
  Making it in your home country is one thing, taking on the global market is another. Sydney experimental instrumentalists sleepmakeswaves are certainly not afraid of the challenge, gearing up for a solid jaunt in the big wide world come March. With appearances at South by Southwest in the US and an expansive tour of Europe already etched into their itineraries, it won’t be long before the... Read More
Custard feature, music.
0 Comments. 625 Views. Posted 7 Feb 2012 @ 1:41pm.
  It’s been over a decade since Brisbane band Custard pulled the pin on their hectic career. Burnt out by years of touring, the decision to split was, according to drummer Glenn Thompson, a collective and amicable one. “Those times are a bit blurry now, but it just seemed to peter out,” Thompson recalls. “Even if we hadn’t broken up, I reckon I could have just quit anyway because it was... Read More
DJ Krush dance, feature, music.
0 Comments. 185 Views. Posted 6 Feb 2012 @ 5:42pm.
  In 1854, Commodore Matthew Perry of the United States Navy forced Japan to open its doors to the rest of the world after almost 1,000 years of self-perpetuated seclusion. So otherworldly were the ways of the Japanese that still to this day the Western world marvels at their societal and cultural mechanics; there is a grace and gentleness to everything they do.   Hideaki Ishi aka DJ... Read More
Bonobo dance, feature, music.
0 Comments. 393 Views. Posted 6 Feb 2012 @ 5:26pm.
  Effortless, laidback cool is something that seems instinctive to London-born and New York-based Ninja Tune stalwart Simon Green, better known through his production alias Bonobo. With ten years worth of expansive, breezy electronica to his name that’s much-lauded by fellow musicians and music critics, it’s no wonder that news of his first live tour of Australia was met with enough... Read More
British India feature, music.
0 Comments. 311 Views. Posted 6 Feb 2012 @ 5:19pm.
  The St Kilda Festival is one of Melbourne's most enjoyable music events, and that's saying something. One of the big drawcards of the festival for 2012 is Melbourne-based indie rock band British India. This four piece have been treading the boards in venues across Melbourne and the country for eight years now, and have attained solid success in that time. Three albums (two of which charted... Read More
Scott Kelly & John Baizley feature, music.
0 Comments. 439 Views. Posted 3 Feb 2012 @ 8:09am.
The impending arrival of Scott Kelly and John Baizley, two titans of underground heavy music, will have many metal heads, punkers, stoners and proggers salivating. However, given the nature of their solo work, those with an ear for plaintive, introspective, personal songs played deftly and simply on an acoustic guitar would be wise to get themselves a ticket too. Neurosis’ Scott Kelly is all too... Read More
The Beautiful Girls feature, music.
0 Comments. 438 Views. Posted 3 Feb 2012 @ 7:52am.
In the ten years that The Beautiful Girls have been delivering their fun-loving mixture of roots, reggae and rock, they’ve played in all sorts of venues. But there’s been one type of venue they haven’t played – until now, that is. With the Melbourne Zoo launching its 150th Anniversary Celebrations with a series of concerts featuring some of Australia’s best performers, Mat McHugh,... Read More
Tim McMillan Band feature, music.
0 Comments. 815 Views. Posted 3 Feb 2012 @ 6:42am.
Australia is well known for breeding kickarse guitarists. Angus Young, Tommy Emmanuel, Brett Garsed….Tim McMillan is up there with the best of them. This dude combines the melodicism of Jeff Buckley with the eclecticism of Frank Zappa, the harmonic creativity of Devin Townsend and the technique of your Stanley Jordans and Chris Brodericks. McMillan is about to release his latest album, Angel... Read More
Publicist dance, feature, music.
0 Comments. 360 Views. Posted 2 Feb 2012 @ 3:50pm.
  Sebastian Thomson can’t be contained. As the drummer for post-rockers Trans Am and punk outfit Weird War, Thomson took to the skins like a bat out of hell. He had a presence that spoke for itself. Yet even within the many releases Thomson was a part of with Trans Am, there was a consistent musical growth. Trans Am, pioneers of their genre, kept pushing the boundaries of what could normally... Read More
Phil Jamieson feature, music.
0 Comments. 602 Views. Posted 2 Feb 2012 @ 12:41pm.
Phil Jamieson is this generation’s first ‘laconic anti-hero.’ He represents an ‘imperfect idol’ who is a role model to an even less perfect youth with both walks of life having become distorted in a period of unparalleled economic boom that has seen many Australians live a life of misspent excess. Having grown up on the sleepy Northern Coast of New South Wales, Jamieson was thrust into Australia’... Read More
Evanescence feature, music.
0 Comments. 368 Views. Posted 2 Feb 2012 @ 7:57am.
  Amy Lee from American gothic rock outfit Evanescence turned 30 years old in December 2011. Her band formed in 1995, and so if you do the maths she was just in her mid teens when she put together the outfit that has gone on to sell records in the tens of millions, win Grammy Awards and gain all sorts of other awards, accolades and successes since. However, she tends not to view this in such... Read More