by Chris Familton Artists get hyped beyond belief in this day and age so when a true legend whose discography spans thirty two years announces a rare Australian tour, his diehard fans and the wider public quite rightly get excited. Prince’s aversion to the media and interviews has given him an aura of mystique, much the same way as Dylan and over his career he … Continue reading LIVE REVIEW: Prince @ Allphones Arena, Sydney (11/05/12)
by Chris Familton Artist curated events like this have been extremely popular overseas in recent years, primarily due to the success of All Tomorrow’s Parties. Unfortunately here in Australia similar festivals have been few and far between with the most notable being the 2009 ATP shows in the hands of Nick Cave. The Hoodoo Gurus have sought to rectify the situation with Dig It Up! … Continue reading LIVE REVIEW: Dig It Up!: The Hoodoo Gurus Invitational @ Enmore, Sydney (22/04/12)
by Chris Familton My Morning Jacket did the early attendees a great service in bringing Dawes down to Australia with them and it was a real shame more people weren’t there to get a taste of their straightforward Americana that caught the ear with its plentiful use of space and some nice power pop dynamics. Fronted by Taylor Goldsmith, the band is definitely more than … Continue reading LIVE REVIEW: My Morning Jacket @ Enmore Theatre, Sydney (03/04/12)
written by Chris Familton Despite some sound issues/delays Charlie Horse and Suzy Connolly both played great sets at The Sando last night. Charlie Horse seemed to convert their frustrations into some fiery playing with Paul McDonald throwing rock shapes on guitar and Matt Brown almost overpowering the PA with his superb drumming. Out front Crystal Rose is a captivating front woman showing she can both … Continue reading LIVE REVIEW: Charlie Horse, Suzy Connolly @ Sandringham Hotel, Sydney (19/04/12)
written by Chris Familton The Entertainment Centre had a reduced, curtained off capacity, no doubt due to the lack of a sellout yet those in attendance compensated with deafening screams and applause all night. Up first were local duo Radio Ink who are firmly in the commercial dance pop realm, mixing songs from the likes of Survivor, Bee Gees and Daft Punk into a pretty … Continue reading LIVE REVIEW: Duran Duran @ Sydney Entertainment Centre, 27/03/12
written by Chris Familton Newcomers DCM (Wolfmother’s Chris Ross and Daniel Stricker of the Midnight Juggernauts) set up their keyboards and effect units on the dancefloor in front of the stage and opened the evening with some glorious kraut-tinged electronica that was the perfect sonic calm before the storm to come. They showed a nice balance between pseudo ambient washes of sounds and some harder … Continue reading LIVE REVIEW: WOODEN SHJIPS @ OAF, SYDNEY (24/03/12)
written by Chris Familton Warming up the arriving punters was ten piece band The Cactus Channel, fresh out of Princes High School in Melbourne. Even before I knew their history their young appearance and demeanor felt like that of a school band but as soon as they started playing any notion of a curriculum music project went out the window. All were great players, especially … Continue reading LIVE REVIEW: Charles Bradley @ Factory Theatre, Sydney (16/03/12)
written by Chris Familton To get an idea of the current state of metal you’d be hard pressed to find a better club gig like this. Featuring three bands each representing a different strand of intelligent, hard and heavy guitar music the evening above all showed that there are many divergent threads to a genre that has without a doubt the most devotional of fans. … Continue reading LIVE REVIEW: Mastodon, Gojira, Kvelertak @ The Hi-Fi, Sydney (01/02/12)
written by Chris Familton The ease with which anyone can attempt to record guitars, synths and drum machines and then send the results into the world via the internet has enabled bedroom geniuses to emerge and find niche markets that may or may not translate into wider success. Two such acts were on display at OAF. Oliver Tank had a huge 2011 with a trip … Continue reading LIVE REVIEW: Youth Lagoon & Oliver Tank @ OAF, Sydney (16/02/12)
written by Chris Familton Jack Ladder was in solo mode in the early opening slot and he showed that the songs from last year’s excellent Hurtsville LP can work just as well when stripped back to that rich, melodramatic voice and a fantastic effect laden guitar sound. He only managed to play a handful of songs before he was ushered stage right yet he impressed … Continue reading LIVE REVIEW: The Horrors @ Metro Theatre, Sydney (03/02/12)
written by Chris Familton Eleanor Friedberger only recently stepped out from her regular role in The Fiery Furnaces with last years solo debut Last Summer yet there were no solo nerves evident when she stepped into the late afternoon light of the Spiegeltent stage. Not even a delayed start due to a malfunctioning guitar lead could unsettle her as she set about showcasing some of … Continue reading LIVE REVIEW: Eleanor Friedberger @ The Famous Spiegeltent, Sydney (28/01/12)
written by Chris Familton Arriving at the soulless Entertainment Centre felt like a Delorean trip back to the early 90s with Sydney’s alternative/grunge/rock/metal community out in full force. Faded flannel shirts were scattered through the gathering hordes while the black t-shirt seemed to be the default dress code for the evening. Inside as the melodic hardcore of The Bronx (who had to hightail it up … Continue reading LIVE REVIEW: Soundgarden @ Sydney Entertainment Centre (25/01/12)
Doubtful Sounds 