LIVE REVIEW: David Byrne & St. Vincent @ State Theatre, Sydney (18/01/13)
by Chris Familton Take a musical icon who has made a career out of balancing art and popular music, combine him with a quirky indie songstress and you have a fascinating meeting of age, gender and artistic creativity. David Byrne & St Vincent released their album Love This Giant last year and received much praise … Read more
LIVE REVIEW: Primal Scream @ Enmore Theatre, Sydney (05/12/12)
by Chris Familton The Delta Riggs were given the task of warming up the arriving punters and though there were only a handful present at the start of their set, by its conclusion there was a healthy contingent showing their appreciation for a committed and entertaining set. The Delta Riggs are a band that have … Read more
LIVE REVIEW: Beck @ State Theatre, Sydney (14/11/12)
by Chris Familton It is always a pleasure to visit the ornate surroundings of Sydney’s State Theatre with its outlandish detailing and proclivity for gold and chandeliers. It creates a certain mood and atmosphere and definitely lends a sense of occasion to whichever band is gracing its stage. UK’s Dark Horses had the opening honours … Read more
LIVE REVIEW: Charlie Horse @ The Factory Floor, Sydney (03/11/12)
by Chris Familton Featuring Charlie Horse bassist Craig Beck on guitar and vocals, Rushing Dolls have a big strong sound that relies on 90s rock dynamics and impassioned vocals from the school of Placebo but they lacked a stage presence that might otherwise make their songs more believable and enjoyable. They build melody into their … Read more
LIVE REVIEW: Thurston Moore @ The Hi-Fi, Sydney (26/10/12)
by Chris Familton Regardless of how straight Thurston Moore’s 2012 solo album sounds the sonic provocateur is always one step away from experimental music and the sculpting of sound rather than song. Though his set would prove to be more of the latter Moore balanced things with the support act, Marco Fusinato who is known … Read more
LIVE REVIEW: Xiu Xiu @ Goodgod Small Club, Sydney (17/10/12)
by Chris Familton With some mildly unnervingly field recordings serenading Goodgod’s spinning mirror balls Rites Wild took the floor and proceeded to weave some intoxicating, pulsing electronic kosmiche tracks that sounded like the soundtrack to a dystopian analog future. Her long and spacious tracks delivered immersive and engaging results with some wonderful synth lines dancing … Read more
LIVE REVIEW: Lee Ranaldo @ OAF, Sydney (20/10/12)
by Chris Familton Melbourne’s Pony Face opened the evening and proved to be just as enigmatic and hard to pin down as they sound on record. The trio operate in the realm of dark atmospheric rock and showed they have a great handle on space and dynamics with songs that worked up often gentle and … Read more
LIVE REVIEW: Gary Clark Jr. @ Annandale Hotel, Sydney (28/09/12)
by Chris Familton Doc Holliday Takes the Shotgun had the opening honours and proceeded to rip up the memo that says the support band has to battle shitty sound, a disinterested sparse crowd and not upstage the main act. The singer and bassist spent the set lurching madly around the stage and dancefloor looking vaguely … Read more
LIVE REVIEW: Shihad @ Metro Theatre, Sydney 07/09/12
by Chris Familton A night of celebratory rock was kicked off by locals The Upskirts and though at first coming across as fairly generic alt rock they soon revealed a real mixture of influences. They swung from Arctic Monkeys guitar pop to a a great dirgy track sung by drummer Thomas Kell that sounded like … Read more
LIVE REVIEW: Iowa @ Fbi Social, Kings Cross Hotel, Sydney (16/08/12)
by C. Familton Narrow Lands were the first of the four guitar-heavy bands to grace the stage and they impressed with their aggressive, controlled playing that inhabits the dark and heavy end of post-rock. The bass-led Waste of Weekend in particular balanced groove and dissonance to great effect. Lyyar also deal in grand guitar … Read more
