The Forum always reminds me of an 80s nightclub with its mirrored ceilings and three storeys looking down on the stage. This gave the evening a somewhat club feeling that benefited Fat Freddy’s Drop by highlighting the electronic side of their sound. Too often they are lumped in with the dub/reggae genre when in fact they are much more than that. Theirs is a sound … Continue reading REVIEW: FAT FREDDY’S DROP @ The Forum, Sydney (17/10/09)
This was my second album release gig in the last 6 days, the previous one being The Scare show at The Annandale. Both were hugely celebratory affairs that highlighted both the pride the bands have in their efforts and the high level of support they have from fans, friends and family. Sydney crowds are often accused of passive reactions to live rock n roll shows … Continue reading REVIEW: THE MALADIES @ OAF, Sydney (05/11/09)
The Mess Hall have had an extended break from live shows to record their new album For The Birds (out next month) so their show at the intimate Oxford Art Factory was a great opportunity to check out some of the new songs and see where the band is heading. Daisy Tully opened the night to a sparse early crowed and showed her talents extend … Continue reading REVIEW: THE MESS HALL live @ OAF, Sydney (16/10/09)
Shihad have been fully committed to ‘rock’ for 21 years and over that time they have had their fair share of ups and downs with the death of their manager Gerald Dwyer during 1995s Big Day Out tour and the ill fated name change to Pacifier in a bid for more commercial success. 2009 sees an interesting time for the band with a new album … Continue reading REVIEW: SHIHAD @ The Annandale, Sydney (18/09/09)
Sunday night is always a hard night to ‘rock’ with the thought of work the next day or just the previous 48 hours catching up with you. Sometimes though it can be a refreshing blast of sound that clears out the cobwebs and reconfirms how truly invigorating rock n roll can be. Monster Magnet was all of these things in a near two hour set … Continue reading REVIEW: MONSTER MAGNET live @ Metro Theatre, Sydney (06/09/09)
Unfortunately I missed Leena due to EMI’s published stage times being completely wrong. She did make a guest appearance during Paul Dempsey’s set and provided some gorgeous backing vocals that blended effortlessly with Dempsey’s huskier tones. Parallel Lions is the new band for Ollie Browne from Art Of Fighting alongside a couple of friends in drummer Sam Bates and guitar/keyboards/backing vocalist Hamish Michael. Art Of … Continue reading REVIEW: PAUL DEMPSEY @ Manning Bar, Sydney (19/09/09)
It is always interesting to see which bands get the big breaks and which don’t. Violent Soho have recently signed to Thurston Moore’s Ecstatic Peace label after he heard their debut We Don’t Belong Here, and they’ve played some showcase gigs in the USA including one exclusive performance for Rick Rubin. Talons on the other hand recently released their debut self-titled album and have been … Continue reading REVIEW: TALONS + VIOLENT SOHO @ Spectrum (29/08/09)
Hype can be a poison arrow sometimes with excess praise heaped on a band by high profile dictators of taste. In the case of Vivian Girls, their rise to fame has polarised many. Some people love their hazy droning jangle pop that filters detuned girl-group harmonies through garage rock and indie while others dismiss them as tuneless, repetitive and atonal. Their Australian tour gave us … Continue reading REVIEW: VIVIAN GIRLS @ Spectrum, Sydney (25/09/09)
Singer/songwriters tend to be a dime a dozen these days. They range from the earnest wannabes that think they can change the world to the shy introverted ones who cautiously go about their craft, always softly treading in self doubt but at the same time driven by that urge to create, emote and tell stories through music. Where does Sydney’s JuliaWhy? fit into all this? … Continue reading FUTURE LEGENDS #1: JULIAWHY?
Reviewed for LiveGuide It seems like Salmonella Dub are popping up in Australia every few months these days and on further investigation it appears that this Freak tour is something like their 30th visit these shores. As usual they attracted a sellout crowd and proceeded to twist the melons and move the feet of pretty much everyone in the Metro. Another feature of Salmonella Dub … Continue reading REVIEW: SALMONELLA DUB @ Metro Theatre, Sydney (06/07/09)
Reviewed for LiveGuide. Vic Chesnutt and Victoria Williams have been recording and performing for two decades and they have both had their share of physical setbacks. Chesnutt ended up paralysed after a car crash aged 18 and, as an adult, Victoria Williams learnt she was suffering from multiple sclerosis. These conditions made for interesting and at times moving performances from the two Vics at the … Continue reading REVIEW: VIC CHESNUTT & VICTORIA WILLIAMS @ Factory, Sydney (10/07/09)
Reviewed for FasterLouder. They had waited a long time for their two-tone heroes, 26 years according to the band, and finally the wait was over for the seemingly large number of Sydney fans of The Specials. Doc Martens, pork pie hats, suspenders, sideburns and well-cut slacks were on proud display as the faithful revisited their youth with the intention of celebrating a unique band. There … Continue reading REVIEW: THE SPECIALS @ Enmore Theatre, Sydney (28/07/09)
Doubtful Sounds 