Tenacious D @ The Palais

While some musical-comedy acts struggle to maintain audience interest for longer than a single song, Tenacious D are the exception that proves the rule. There's no question that the appeal is Jack...
music live review
Om @ The Hi-Fi Posted 21 May 2013 @ 2:27pm 98 views 0 comments Here are three phrases from Om’s Wikipedia page which give you a bit of an idea of who they are, and give me a creative way to disguise lazy writing: “similar in structure to Tibetan and Byzantine chant”, “Live at Jerusalem” and “natural vibration of the universe”. Unsurprisingly, also listed on the page is “stoner rock”.   Om, consisting of bassist/vocalist Al Cisneros, drummer Emil Amos...
Local Natives @ The Forum Posted 21 May 2013 @ 2:23pm 102 views 0 comments Although it wasn’t quite a full house at the Forum for Local Natives, it was a certainly a very appreciative crowd. This LA indie-rock band are experts at crafting accessible, hook-laden songs with a real depth to them and they have the potential to be huge. Tonight felt like the sharing of a secret among a crowd who have connected to the group’s strong set of songs on an emotional level and had...
Beastwars @ The Bendigo Posted 21 May 2013 @ 2:16pm 444 views 0 comments I hate flying. I always end up catatonic with fear, unable to ingest any form of inflight entertainment. I guess it’s the uncertainty that accompanies being trapped in a hurtling tube of metal through the upper reaches of our atmosphere. Earlier on in the year during a nasty bout of turbulence, I turned to Air New Zealand’s media unit for solace – tuning in to the alphabetically-benefited Kiwi...
Tame Impala @ Festival Hall Posted 14 May 2013 @ 11:54am 237 views 0 comments It certainly cannot be said that Tame Impala have shied away from the spotlight. An ever-present name on a festival bill, the Perth psychedelic rock outfit have continued to build their fanbase across the nation and now take the stage in their biggest headline tour to date. The last time they visited Festival Hall, they supported MGMT. They now arrived just days after playing to thousands at...
Melbourne Ska Orchestra @ The Forum Posted 14 May 2013 @ 11:44am 189 views 0 comments The Forum was abuzz. Wading through a sea of fedoras and dapper black suit n’ ties, an infectious energy and anticipation flooded the crowd. And it was a decent crowd – for the Melbourne Ska Orchestra’s first ever headline gig, the place was close to sold out. Present mainly at festivals and always sharing the bill, MSO have garnered a following with people who liked to dance – nay, skank – to...
Hamish Anderson @ The Toff Posted 14 May 2013 @ 11:20am 155 views 0 comments With a youthful fragility akin to James Blake, 21-year-old Hamish Anderson was received on stage by a full house. Finding it nearly impossible to see Anderson clearly, some of us resorted to standing on vacant chairs in order to get a decent glimpse. Kicking into a heavy blues prelude, the confident Anderson moved freely across the podium, often turning away from his audience to engage in a call...
Groovin The Moo 2013 @ Bendigo Showgrounds Posted 14 May 2013 @ 11:01am 226 views 0 comments The fifth year of Bendigo’s Groovin The Moo proved a mixed bag, with a line-up that delivered in fits and starts. Lyrical-miracle Tuka and MC Ellesquire were among the festival’s first acts, the locals playing to a packed marquee. They were met with an excess of enthusiasm, their slick fusion of house, hip hop and RnB delighting punters. While there was a distinct absence of anything ground-...
Hungry Kids Of Hungary @ The Corner Posted 7 May 2013 @ 2:42pm 172 views 0 comments Having not yet recovered from the penetrating and enigmatic gaze of The Preatures' vocalist Isabella Manfred and her sexually-charged chemistry with co-vocalist and guitarist Gideon Bensen, Hungry Kids Of Hungary were received on stage by an energised crowd. The five-piece Brisbane band kicked into What In The World, the opening track of their sophomore album, You're A Shadow. The boys were...
The Kooks @ The Palais Posted 7 May 2013 @ 2:17pm 151 views 0 comments No disrespect to The Kooks, but I honestly had no idea how popular they really were. I really enjoyed their first album, Inside In/Inside Out, but always assumed that was the peak of their fame.   Turns out I was wrong. The Palais was packed to the rafters with their legion of fans. Even more interesting was that while the girls screamed and danced, it was their jocky, metrosexual...
Flume @ Festival Hall Posted 7 May 2013 @ 2:09pm 189 views 0 comments Wedged firmly at the back of the standing area filled with pretty young things, the Flume hubbub was buzzing. An audience amped by a performance from supporting act Chet Faker, arms flailed, bodies were hoisted on shoulders and throats ran hoarse when Flume graced the stage.   In a simple button-up with hair slicked to the side, Harry Streton embodied all things classic, not your usual...
Black Sabbath @ Rod Laver Arena Posted 7 May 2013 @ 2:01pm 338 views 1 comment Openers Shihad had the arduous task of warming up a crowd who gave their last shit for a support act during the Hawke years. You can kind of hear the debt Johnny Toogood and Co. owe to the headliners, but their riffs are too bludgeoning to prompt much of a reaction. Johnny leans heavy on throwing the devil horns to prompt a crowd response – but given that hand gesture was supposedly invented by...
Cherry Rock013 @ AC/DC Lane Posted 7 May 2013 @ 1:45pm 1 view 0 comments Stick with me on this one: originally fairy tales were dark, gruesome and macabre legends, children losing their thumbs for sucking them, daughters traded to the devil. As years passed they were cleaned up, sanitised, given happy endings and sold to the masses. Well, on Saturday night I saw Aerosmith at Rod Laver Arena – there were autocue monitors on every corner of the stage with the lyrics to...
The Temper Trap @ Festival Hall Posted 30 Apr 2013 @ 1:51pm 152 views 0 comments Everything comes full circle when The Temper Trap end their gig with defining hit Sweet Disposition. The single that launched the Melbourne five-piece into the Australian music consciousness has become an anthem of sorts and serves as a thank-you to an audience that has clearly loved them from the start. It was also an affirmation; The Temper Trap is here to stay. The crowd moved in thick...
Tool @ Rod Laver Arena Posted 30 Apr 2013 @ 1:41pm 929 views 0 comments There aren’t many bands around anymore where your first step is spinning one of their records, and by the second step you’re already lost in a labyrinth of irregular time signatures and hidden tracks, not to mention researching the Fibonacci sequence.   Opening with Hooker With A Penis, followed by Vicarious, Sober and Schism, Tool drew from each of their four albums. If memory serves, this...
The Drones @ The Forum Posted 30 Apr 2013 @ 1:28pm 173 views 0 comments Mixing it up slightly for tonight's support slot, King Gizzard And The Lizard took a more measured approach – whether it be out of reverence for the man who inspired the title of Garage Liddiard, or simply a less-attacking stratagem to comply with their role as the night's warmup. Playing tracks from their recently released Eyes Like The Sky was a curious choice, especially when performed sans...
Bermuda Float @ Victoria Star Cruiseship Posted 30 Apr 2013 @ 1:11pm 185 views 0 comments It seemed like a slightly gimmicky premise on paper. Four acts – the scope of a mini-festival – performing on a party cruise setting sail from a Docklands wharf while we cut a sick one around Port Phillip Bay. Turns out the cruise alone was worth the admission, providing some pretty spectacular views of our fair cityscape. As for a music venue, it provided the intimacy of an ad-hoc warehouse gig...
Songs @ The Workers Club Posted 23 Apr 2013 @ 1:48pm 141 views 0 comments It was a deceptively full Workers Club that formed the bed for Sydney four-piece Songs to lay down 50 minutes of quirky and understated rock. The understatement and calm reassurance of Songs’ music, that sounds like a coalescence of Kim Gordon, J Mascis and Bob Dylan, cloaked me in a haze so it wasn’t until two songs into Songs’ set that I realised the room was full of (very quiet and still)...
Saskwatch @ Prince Bandroom Posted 23 Apr 2013 @ 1:41pm 175 views 0 comments One of the most exciting new names in Australian soul, Melbourne nine-piece Saskwatch proved they can indeed get the party started on a Friday night. Touring in support of new single I Get Lonely, the band had St Kilda’s music savvy rubbing shoulders – very closely – to some sweet, old-fashioned grooves.   Horns at the ready and frontwoman Nkechi Anele spritely bounces onto stage, instantly...
Kirin J Callinan @ Grace Darling Posted 23 Apr 2013 @ 1:37pm 194 views 0 comments As far as Kirin J Callinan performances go, the two-night return stint at Grace Darling was relatively conventional fare. Returning to solo mode, Kirin opened each set with a classic (Thighs Saturday, She Sunday) before showcasing material from his just-announced debut album.   Support came from The Shags Experience aka The Impeccable DJ Swim Between The Shags And His Moog, which pretty...
Dick Diver @ The Tote Posted 23 Apr 2013 @ 1:26pm 162 views 0 comments It seemed like Dick Diver were a bit too big for the humble Tote. The day prior, a headline show at The Corner was announced for this July. It will probably sell out, much like The Tote tonight. Deservedly so, because right now Dick Diver are unstoppable. New LP Calendar Days is a perfect slice of Australian pop and a month prior they stormed Golden Plains for the definitive set of the festival...
The Pretty Littles @ The Tote Posted 16 Apr 2013 @ 3:17pm 484 views 0 comments In frontman Jack’s own words The Pretty Littles found themselves in the midst of ‘a rare treat’ when the Tote was filled to capacity on Saturday night, “my Mum and Dad couldn’t get in!”   The band room was bursting at the seams with friends, family and a tangible sense of Saturday night excitement. The band put their own pretty spin on TV On The Radio’s Wolf Like Me to open.   Keeping...
Mutemath @ Billboard Posted 16 Apr 2013 @ 3:13pm 149 views 0 comments Love hurts, you guys. I know because this show basically exacerbated an existing neck injury I had, but no one could help throwing themselves around to nearly every track. When Mutemath last came out to our city they played The Corner, and its stage felt almost unable to hold them. Billboard however has a nice big stage but remains an intimate space, and with its tiered wooden floor we were all...
Jake Shimabukuro @ The Corner Posted 16 Apr 2013 @ 3:09pm 148 views 0 comments One of the first true YouTube sensations - courtesy of his much-viewed cover of George Harrison's While My Guitar Gently Weeps back in 2006 - you could say that ukulele master Jake Shimabukuro has definitively shattered preconceptions of his chosen instrument as merely an implement of simple folk music. But to characterise him as some kind of genre-bending 'novelty' artist would also be doing...
Ben Howard @ The Corner Posted 16 Apr 2013 @ 3:04pm 235 views 0 comments We are 13 years past the millennium, if you are a folky singer-songwriter, finger plucking your way into the hearts of women, you start at minus ten. And if you are ever to gain any credibility, you need to be able to bring something fresh to a table that has almost been hacked to kindling by the mediocrity of Mumford & Sons. With this in mind, Ben Howard cuts an interesting...
Public Image Limited @ The Palace Posted 16 Apr 2013 @ 2:41pm 427 views 0 comments John Lydon’s choice of name for his post-Sex Pistols outfit was a typically blunt swipe at both the cynical media-manipulation tactics of Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren, and the mainstream media’s puerile attempts at constructing the political agenda. Two days before tonight’s PiL gig – the band’s first journey here in almost 25 years – Lydon again found himself at the centre of public...
Endless Boogie @ The Tote Posted 9 Apr 2013 @ 2:35pm 254 views 0 comments Where do you start with a night like tonight? At the beginning, I suppose. The Patron Saints weren’t even on the advertised bill, but Kim Volkman had managed to score himself an opening spot at the last minute. With Billy Pommer overseas, Phil Grinder was allegedly spotted in a supermarket carpark, and drafted to take over drumming duties. James McCann had been in the front bar for three minutes...
Client Liaison @ The Toff Posted 9 Apr 2013 @ 2:21pm 200 views 0 comments Don’t judge me, but I had a little snooze during Client Liaison’s Golden Plains set (I had just watched 12 hours of music, okay). As I stretched out on the hill enjoying some precious Zs I could faintly hear the thump of their dirty disco beats, sending the amphitheatre into a delicious dance spasm. I have since regretted missing them. To my delight, the cosmopolitan Melbournian duo played The...
The xx @ Festival Hall Posted 9 Apr 2013 @ 2:07pm 418 views 0 comments Selling out two Festival Hall gigs, the crowd poured into venue like moths to a flame. The standing area was soon filled to capacity. Eventually, The xx filed onstage. Jamie XX manned about eight different pieces of equipment/instruments including his turntables, keyboards, drum machine and what seemed to be an glockenspiel.  Opening with Try, both Oliver and Romy were able to exercise...
Byron Bay Bluesfest 2013 @ Tyagarah Tree Farm Posted 9 Apr 2013 @ 2:03pm 414 views 0 comments There are a number of things that immediately stand out to a Bluesfest virgin. There are wide thoroughfares that encourage easy transition between stages, the bars are evenly and conveniently spaced and the mix at each stage is near perfect. After nearly two days of sheeting rain the site is still highly functional; a benefit that is all the more noticeable after years of standing (and...
Psarantonis @ The Forum Posted 2 Apr 2013 @ 4:19pm 877 views 0 comments Four years after his last Australian tour and an electrifying performance at All Tomorrow’s Parties festival in Mt Buller, the deep voiced, Zeus-like, larger than life patriarch of Cretan folk music returned to Melbourne for the Antipodes festival. The man that the World Music Institute dubbed the “Jimi Hendrix of the Cretan lyre” is no stranger to Australian audiences owing to his collaborations...