Not a band to see live, I've learnt. For nostalgia's sake, the show was fun, and Shirley Manson is as beautiful and hot as ever. She had great presence, coming out in a severe bun and a cape (which she removed after the first two songs), and it was exciting to watch her pacing round and round on stage as if barely contained, prowling with feline grace. Her voice was great too, slinky and strong.
But the sound was so muddy, the crisp cool stuttering music not coming across live at all with the pedestrian grunt of the guitars and drums. I saw a review that called it a colourful wall of sound, but it just sounded like an unsubtle messy noise to me, with songs having no place to go as they started at full throttle and bludgeoned their way to end (ruining the quiet melancholy of classics such as #1 Crush).
Set list was fun though - lots of old songs, particularly from the first and second album including some deep cuts that were enjoyable for an old fan. Highlight was probably (and somewhat surprisingly) I Think I'm Paranoid, which had the requisite lightness, and I got to hear Only Happy When It Rains, which was the song that made me love them in the first place all those years ago so the show was worth it to the 13 year-old fangirl inside of me. :)
Automatic Systematic Habit
Queer
Blood for Poppies
Push It
Hammering in My Head
Control
Why Do You Love Me
#1 Crush
I Think I'm Paranoid
Milk
Cherry Lips (Go Baby Go!)
The One
Battle in Me
When I Grown Up
The Trick Is To Keep Breathing
Only Happy When It Rains
Vow
You Look So Fine
Special
Stupid Girl
Beloved Freak
Showing posts with label live music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label live music. Show all posts
Monday, February 25, 2013
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Tripod: Men of Substance
13 Jan 2013 - Drama Theatre, Sydney Opera House
from 3pod.com.au
I hadn't been sure of what to expect actually - this was the first time I'd seen Tripod perform something closer to a comedy set, rather than their D&D musical 'Tripod versus the Dragon'. As we sat down in our great seats (third row, in the middle) my friends nodded approvingly, but joked that we didn't need this good a view as we'd had in my previous feat of excellent ticket karma that saw us admiring the um, talents of the bare-chested cast at Pirates of Penzance.
"No shirtlessness here!" we chortled - then BAM! Tripod opened with pasty middle-aged beer guts for comedy. ;) It made me wonder what the 'substance' in their show title referred to. Thickening waistlines? or maybe the experience gained with age, after more than 15 years together as an act. They milked this for all it was worth throughout the show, memorably about Yon not changing in all that time ("He's like Benjamin Button - on pause!").
Other highlights in the compact show (a little over an hour) included the opening song, Adult Contemporary ("Haven't had a new musical experience since 1994!"); Close all the Local Pubs Down ("Let's move to where the music is - and stop it."); the tax song that becomes a Barry White parody to great effect (and was educational too!) and Yon's hilarious paen on looking back on your twenties with unrealistic fondness ("I think I would've remembered sacrificing a child..."). Oh, and encore song YouTube Party though my only complaint would be that there weren't enough references to cats. :)
In fact, this show felt like it made just for me and my friends - I mean, it featured stupid dancing, age anxiety, musical geekery and just plain geekery, things we're all extremely familiar with. Tripod even sang about Waiting for the Game to Load when we'd literally had a conversation about the days of cassette-loaded games before walking in. What were the chances of that?!
All in all, this show was terrific fun. It was a great showcase of their ability to knowingly and lovingly parody a wide range of musical genres. And apart from being good musicians with great harmonies, I appreciated how nicely constructed the set was, jokes upon jokes that set up for even bigger laughs later in the night. It left wishing for a longer show, more jokes, more songs...so here's to another 16 years!
Saturday, January 5, 2013
Two Door Cinema Club/The Vaccines - 3 Jan 2013 - Hordern Pavilion
Due to a mix-up with the run times on the Hordern website, we rocked up not long after doors opened and had to queue, the horror (no really, I don't think I've queued for a band since forever). Once we were in we decided to give The Jungle Giants a go. They struck me as very young, and as Al noted, their sound is just like a dozen other bands you'd hear on triple J at the moment (we thought maybe early Dappled Cities, Vampire Weekend, Givers, etc etc). But props for a confident, tight set that was a crowd-pleaser.
The great thing about punk(-ish) bands is that if you don't like a song, you know another one will be along in less than two minutes. The Vaccines were on for only 40 minutes but they managed a full-sized set in that time! Since they're quite bouncy on record, I kind of expected them to be even louder and more fun live, but it didn't translate completely. Justin Young's vocals were a bit thin and seemed a lost in the mix at times; so upbeat singles like Teenage Icon and If You Wanna didn't quite have the punch expected. Highlights for me were I Always Knew with good audience sing-a-long, and surprisingly, All in White from 2011's What Did You Expect...
No Hope
Tiger Blood
Wreckin' Bar (Ra Ra Ra)
I Always Knew
Wetsuit
Aftershave Ocean
Teenage Icon
Ghost Town
Post Break-up Sex
All in White
If You Wanna
Bad Mood
Norgaard
I'd been told good things about Two Door Cinema Club as a live experience, and I'm happy to say they lived up to them. It was an energetic, enjoyable set - tuneful and lots of fun to dance to (which meant, unfortunately, lots of flaily, drunk dudebros, but what can you do?). Lead singer Alex Trimble's voice was good and strong, cutting through the sound and rhythm to soar in songs like Wake Up and Sun. Nice staging too - the ever-changing light show backdrop was simple but effective and worked well with the music. And you can never go wrong with giant balloons for a strong finish. :)
photo thanks to Al
Sleep Alone
Undercover Martyn
Do You Want It All
This is the Life
Wake Up
You're Not Stubborn
Sun
Pyramid
I Can Talk
Costume Party
The World is Watching
New Year
Something Good Can Work
Handshake
Eat That Up, It's Good For You
Someday
Come Back Home
What You Know
Monday, December 24, 2012
Patrick Wolf - 8/9 Sept 2012 - The Studio, Sydney Opera House
Writing this MONTHS after I made notes reminds me that I really really should write these fresh. Oh well.
Support act Brous were a weird mix of Kate Bush and Fleet Foxes, except not as enjoyable as that sounds. They had elements that I normally like and thought would be a great match for Patrick Wolf - Baroque harmonies, plenty of unusual instruments (such as the harmonium, zither, bassoon and recorder) - but it just didn't work for me. In part, it might've been because they tried for awkward banter that assumed too much engagement with the audience to start with; they obviously did have fans there, but there wasn’t enough warmth coming the stage, nor returning. It was an awkward set that dragged for me.
And there was even more instrument porn, but done right! It was just Patrick on stage with one other musician, and they cycled through a range of instruments each, from violin and piano and harp and even a saw; and also his beautiful voice, used just like another instrument. There was a lot of emotion in the performance too the clear joy in The Magic Position, gratefulness for his aunt (who was in the audience) for supporting him, love and acceptance in House and Bermondsey Street.
I really appreciated the depth of his back catalogue, and the lovely mix of older (Hard Times) and newer (Together), popular (The City) and rare (such as Penzance). The Sundark and Riverlight arrangements were great, giving a fresh sound. Standouts for me were Tristan and Oblivion, which despite being acoustic kept their edges; Tristan was slinky has hell, and Oblivion sounds completely different in a really melancholic, beautiful way.
So we only planned to go the once…but this show was so so so good that as soon as it ended, even as we were still sitting in our (front row!) seats, Al and I turned to each other and almost simultaneously said, “If there are still seats for tomorrow…” And there were – and even more amazingly, they were the EXACT SAME SEATS IN THE FRONT ROW for a near-sold out show. No, we don’t understand how that could be possible either. But we didn't question our luck and bought them, quick smart.
The Sunday night show was a much more subdued affair. Patrick seemed to be in a hurry to race to an end, with a lot less banter, not opening himself up to the audience like first night. With less connection, so the night seemed to go a lot faster and ended rather abruptly.
But he did change up the set list, and Bluebells was my standout this night. I also loved hearing Overture at the start, with another great arrangement. And the music was still beautiful and totally worth the impulse buy. :)
Sept 9 setlist
Overture
London
Demolition
Tristan
Paris
Bluebells
Oblivion
Hard Times
Together
Wind in the Wires
House
Magic Position
Trust
Penzance
The City
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
The Living End - 27 Nov 2012 - Hi Fi Sydney
I am old, I am old, I wear the bottoms of my trousers rolled. So I’d enthusiastically agreed to the idea of reliving being 14 as soundtracked by The Living End, but after dinner, a cup of a tea and a rest of a super soft couch, I was feeling much less enthusiastic about venturing out at 9pm into the pouring rain.
And when I finally entered the Hi Fi, soaked from waiting at the door, finding myself at the back of the room packed with tall people, and realised The Living End weren’t going to be on until 10:30, I had a mini tantrum inside my head. Gah, It’s a work night, I think. Then, FFS, I’ve really turned into a grumpy old woman.
But we’d arrived mid-set for Area 7, and I’d forgotten just how many of their fun songs I knew. And by the time they finished their set with Bitter Words I was smiling and singing along. Things were looking up!
I’d seen The Living End once before, though seen might be too optimistic a description because their average fan is a burly dude twice my height, so the last time I saw people’s sweaty backs a lot. But we got lucky this time around and found a patch of good ground with a decent view of the stage, and juuuuust shy of the inevitable circle pit in the middle of the room.
The night got off to a great start with the delicious irony of a roomful of adults regressing gleefully to their teenage years by screaming out, “I’m a brat and I know everything”. After that blistering start with Prisoner of Society, Chris said fondly, “This album never gets old.” Pause, and following cheers, “Even if we do.” So so true.
But there was so much love in that room – the band for their creation, for each other, for the fans, and vice versa for the fans. This was the perfect nostalgia show, seeing a beloved band from your teenage years playing an album that’s aged well and seeing them enjoy it as much as the audience.
All the big hits got the loudest singalongs, the most frenetic dancing and movement. But even the deeper cuts were great: Trapped was so much fun live, with the Area 7 brass section adding even more oomph. Have They Forgotten sounded immense and angrier live, and it’s sad that the lyrics are still so relevant today to the asylum seeker situation today.
In fact, the whole album has aged remarkably well. And as me and my friends said over and over to each other after, hearing their self-titled album played end to end live only serves to remind what a great album of singles it was; there wasn’t a dud song in the mix, not one song we couldn’t sing almost word-perfectly, even after 14 years.
The band also kept the set fresh and interesting by deviating into great, tight jams that played with familiar songs, like in All Torn Down. And watching Chris Cheney play guitar is still….what do the kids say these days? Ah that’s right, he can still get it, yeah.
At night’s end, teenage me (okay, adult me too) was in raptures at seeing them play Closing In live, which has been one of my favourite songs forever and ever. Scott even still does the trick where he slings the double bass over his shoulders to play behind his back! Though I guess with age this only lasted for like five seconds, hahah.
To further remind everyone of their advanced age, towards the end of the night, Chris thanks the audience for “buying the album…yeah, remember buying?” Cue LOLs from a roomful of people who still remember and own CDs.
But all in all, a great gig - high energy atmosphere, awesome playing, and incredibly catchy tunes. I ended the night so sweaty, so happy, and with so many fond memories - what more could a girl (okay, an elderly lady) ask for?
Prisoner of Society
Growing Up (Falling Down)
Second Solution
West End Riot
Bloody Mary
Monday
All Torn Down
Saves the Day
Trapped
Have They Forgotten
Fly Away
I Want A Day
Sleep On It
Closing In
(Georgie Girl – Seekers cover)
Tainted Love – Soft Cell cover
And when I finally entered the Hi Fi, soaked from waiting at the door, finding myself at the back of the room packed with tall people, and realised The Living End weren’t going to be on until 10:30, I had a mini tantrum inside my head. Gah, It’s a work night, I think. Then, FFS, I’ve really turned into a grumpy old woman.
But we’d arrived mid-set for Area 7, and I’d forgotten just how many of their fun songs I knew. And by the time they finished their set with Bitter Words I was smiling and singing along. Things were looking up!
I’d seen The Living End once before, though seen might be too optimistic a description because their average fan is a burly dude twice my height, so the last time I saw people’s sweaty backs a lot. But we got lucky this time around and found a patch of good ground with a decent view of the stage, and juuuuust shy of the inevitable circle pit in the middle of the room.
The night got off to a great start with the delicious irony of a roomful of adults regressing gleefully to their teenage years by screaming out, “I’m a brat and I know everything”. After that blistering start with Prisoner of Society, Chris said fondly, “This album never gets old.” Pause, and following cheers, “Even if we do.” So so true.
But there was so much love in that room – the band for their creation, for each other, for the fans, and vice versa for the fans. This was the perfect nostalgia show, seeing a beloved band from your teenage years playing an album that’s aged well and seeing them enjoy it as much as the audience.
All the big hits got the loudest singalongs, the most frenetic dancing and movement. But even the deeper cuts were great: Trapped was so much fun live, with the Area 7 brass section adding even more oomph. Have They Forgotten sounded immense and angrier live, and it’s sad that the lyrics are still so relevant today to the asylum seeker situation today.
In fact, the whole album has aged remarkably well. And as me and my friends said over and over to each other after, hearing their self-titled album played end to end live only serves to remind what a great album of singles it was; there wasn’t a dud song in the mix, not one song we couldn’t sing almost word-perfectly, even after 14 years.
The band also kept the set fresh and interesting by deviating into great, tight jams that played with familiar songs, like in All Torn Down. And watching Chris Cheney play guitar is still….what do the kids say these days? Ah that’s right, he can still get it, yeah.
At night’s end, teenage me (okay, adult me too) was in raptures at seeing them play Closing In live, which has been one of my favourite songs forever and ever. Scott even still does the trick where he slings the double bass over his shoulders to play behind his back! Though I guess with age this only lasted for like five seconds, hahah.
To further remind everyone of their advanced age, towards the end of the night, Chris thanks the audience for “buying the album…yeah, remember buying?” Cue LOLs from a roomful of people who still remember and own CDs.
But all in all, a great gig - high energy atmosphere, awesome playing, and incredibly catchy tunes. I ended the night so sweaty, so happy, and with so many fond memories - what more could a girl (okay, an elderly lady) ask for?
Prisoner of Society
Growing Up (Falling Down)
Second Solution
West End Riot
Bloody Mary
Monday
All Torn Down
Saves the Day
Trapped
Have They Forgotten
Fly Away
I Want A Day
Sleep On It
Closing In
(Georgie Girl – Seekers cover)
Tainted Love – Soft Cell cover
Monday, March 5, 2012
Manchester Orchestra – 4 Mar 2012 – Hi Fi Sydney
Um, long time no see…I blame tumblr (and occasionally, life). Anyway, back with an old favourite, the gig write-up.
Manchester Orchestra (4 Mar 2012, Hi-Fi Sydney)
It was a wet night, the rain at one point so heavy that Al and I despaired of having to walk up to the Hi Fi (formerly the Forum). But rain had not stopped Manchester Orchestra from playing last night, though it had cancelled the festival they were originally coming out for, so I sucked it up as well and ended up with squelchy, gross shoes for the rest of the night (yeah yeah, first world problems, I will quit whining).*
But Manchester Orchestra were totally worth it.
The band were obviously happy to be here despite everything, and in fine form. Andy Hull was such a sweetheart, thanking the audience a fair few times for coming out, saying they hadn’t been expecting the obviously enthusiastic crowd - admittedly, the Hi-Fi appears to hold less than the Metro, but the room was well-packed last night. There were way more dudebros present than I’d expected (and TALL ones, at that), but it was a mostly pleasant crowd apart the obnoxious jerks who were trying to start a circle-pit centre front. There were plenty of sing-a-longs, for songs from all three albums, but the crowd was good at keeping a hushed, awed silence during the beautiful, quiet moments; all the better to listen to Andy’s fantastic voice.
And he was in such fine form, from the get go with that distinctive voice on show (and Simple Math) opener Deer. The whole band was great, really tight and giving the massive, monstrous songs their all. But mostly, I found myself thinking, at different times during the night, that Andy Hull really was both the master of the melodic scream (such as in the angrier, powerful songs like Everything to Nothing), and also of the most delicate heartbreak.
It wasn’t a show with a lot of banter (though Andy and Robert were funny and easy-going when they did speak), but it was a beautifully thought out set. There was a really great flow from one song to the next, whether it was the almost perfectly natural slides from one musical theme to a complementary one, or a thrilling jump from the soft and lulling to the shock of the loud and vice versa.
Highlights for me included the a monster-sounding My Friend Marcus early in the set, an utterly gorgeous near-solo performance from Andy of a summer demo (see video above), and then the entirely unexpected The River, followed by a stripped, slowed down version of The Only One that drew out the anticipatory build to the moment everything cut loose, followed by the sombre take of their cover of The Party’s Over – “Turn the lights out / All good things must come to an end” - to lead them off the stage for the first time.
They returned after a short break for an encore, starting with I Got Friends, “the only popular song we’ve had here” (which I’m sure is a LIE considering how well the crowd knew most of the songs), followed by a fun Now That You’re Home. There was some self-deprecatingly funny banter thrown in there too; Andy brushing back his sweaty almost-fro like hair and saying despairingly, “I hate my hair. That’s all I’ve been thinking about all night,” to which Robert tried to reassure him he looked like Dylan. “Bob DYLAN?” Andy answered disbelievingly. But to end the night, I’m glad they went with Where Have You Been, one of my favourites, and its haunting refrain lasted with me long after the show.
Deer
Pride
100 Dollars
April Fool
My Friend Marcus
Pensacola
Pale Black Eye
We Were Made Out of Lightening
Shake It Out
I Can Barely Breathe
Colly Strings
Simple Math
Everything to Nothing
The River
The Only One
The Party’s Over
I Got Friends
Now That You’re Home
Where Have You Been
* PS I just realised that the last time I saw them, I was also wet and damp and they were also totally worth it then too. :)
Manchester Orchestra (4 Mar 2012, Hi-Fi Sydney)
It was a wet night, the rain at one point so heavy that Al and I despaired of having to walk up to the Hi Fi (formerly the Forum). But rain had not stopped Manchester Orchestra from playing last night, though it had cancelled the festival they were originally coming out for, so I sucked it up as well and ended up with squelchy, gross shoes for the rest of the night (yeah yeah, first world problems, I will quit whining).*
But Manchester Orchestra were totally worth it.
The band were obviously happy to be here despite everything, and in fine form. Andy Hull was such a sweetheart, thanking the audience a fair few times for coming out, saying they hadn’t been expecting the obviously enthusiastic crowd - admittedly, the Hi-Fi appears to hold less than the Metro, but the room was well-packed last night. There were way more dudebros present than I’d expected (and TALL ones, at that), but it was a mostly pleasant crowd apart the obnoxious jerks who were trying to start a circle-pit centre front. There were plenty of sing-a-longs, for songs from all three albums, but the crowd was good at keeping a hushed, awed silence during the beautiful, quiet moments; all the better to listen to Andy’s fantastic voice.
And he was in such fine form, from the get go with that distinctive voice on show (and Simple Math) opener Deer. The whole band was great, really tight and giving the massive, monstrous songs their all. But mostly, I found myself thinking, at different times during the night, that Andy Hull really was both the master of the melodic scream (such as in the angrier, powerful songs like Everything to Nothing), and also of the most delicate heartbreak.
It wasn’t a show with a lot of banter (though Andy and Robert were funny and easy-going when they did speak), but it was a beautifully thought out set. There was a really great flow from one song to the next, whether it was the almost perfectly natural slides from one musical theme to a complementary one, or a thrilling jump from the soft and lulling to the shock of the loud and vice versa.
Highlights for me included the a monster-sounding My Friend Marcus early in the set, an utterly gorgeous near-solo performance from Andy of a summer demo (see video above), and then the entirely unexpected The River, followed by a stripped, slowed down version of The Only One that drew out the anticipatory build to the moment everything cut loose, followed by the sombre take of their cover of The Party’s Over – “Turn the lights out / All good things must come to an end” - to lead them off the stage for the first time.
They returned after a short break for an encore, starting with I Got Friends, “the only popular song we’ve had here” (which I’m sure is a LIE considering how well the crowd knew most of the songs), followed by a fun Now That You’re Home. There was some self-deprecatingly funny banter thrown in there too; Andy brushing back his sweaty almost-fro like hair and saying despairingly, “I hate my hair. That’s all I’ve been thinking about all night,” to which Robert tried to reassure him he looked like Dylan. “Bob DYLAN?” Andy answered disbelievingly. But to end the night, I’m glad they went with Where Have You Been, one of my favourites, and its haunting refrain lasted with me long after the show.
Deer
Pride
100 Dollars
April Fool
My Friend Marcus
Pensacola
Pale Black Eye
We Were Made Out of Lightening
Shake It Out
I Can Barely Breathe
Colly Strings
Simple Math
Everything to Nothing
The River
The Only One
The Party’s Over
I Got Friends
Now That You’re Home
Where Have You Been
* PS I just realised that the last time I saw them, I was also wet and damp and they were also totally worth it then too. :)
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Okkervil River - 18 Oct 2011 - The Metro
The last time I saw Okkervil River (in May 2009) I never wrote up the concert in detail, but this was my gobsmacked, joyful summary:
"Oh my god, Okkervil River. They were AMAZING and totally renewed my faith in the power of live music. Will Sheff had the audience completely enthralled with his musical storytelling, and the whole band was having fun and playing well - loose and a little rough, but really good, and passionate. <3333333"
It still sits in my personal pantheon of best live shows EVER. So while I was really really looking forward to the gig on Tuesday night, part of me was also worried that I would be disappointed because of my stratospheric expectations.
But I needn't have worried. They are still one of the most face-meltingly fantastic acts live. They dove straight into it with a rollicking Wake and Be Fine from their latest album I Am Very Far, and then just barrelled through one high-octane, wonderful song after another, the energy levels lowering for just a few quieter moments here and there, like on the lovely A Girl in Port.
A Girl in Port
While last time what I came away with was an awe at the intimate, intense experience at the Annandale with more broody songs like A Stone and Another Radio Song, this time around I was struck by the energy and joy emanating from the stage. Hearing Okkervil songs live is a revelation; it's not about hearing a note-perfect copy but the the music coursing through your body, thrumming with energy and emotion.
I loved hearing every song on the set list, though particular surprises and highlights were Piratess came across like a torch song, more haunting in person with Will Sheff's mournful voice; and the one-two-three punch of Your Past Life as a Blast, Our Life is not a Movie or Maybe and Lost Coastlines where each song ended on such a terrific burst of energy that I thought surely, they're done for the night, and prepared myself for their exit - and then they'd throw themselves into the next song with glee.
Lost Coastlines
For every song they played I could think of another I wanted to hear played, but still I walked out humming their songs, grinning from ear to ear, madly proselytising about Okkervil's supremacy as a band to treasure.
Wake and Be Fine
For Real
Rider
Black
Piratess
A Girl in Port
Son of Our So-Called Friend
We Need a Myth
The Valley
No Key No Plan (Will Scheff, Richard Pestorius)
So Come Back I Am Waiting
John Allyn Smith Sails
Your Past Life as a Blast (mp3 from last.fm)
Our Life is not a Movie or Maybe
Lost Coastlines
The Rise
Westfall
Unless It's Kicks
"Oh my god, Okkervil River. They were AMAZING and totally renewed my faith in the power of live music. Will Sheff had the audience completely enthralled with his musical storytelling, and the whole band was having fun and playing well - loose and a little rough, but really good, and passionate. <3333333"
It still sits in my personal pantheon of best live shows EVER. So while I was really really looking forward to the gig on Tuesday night, part of me was also worried that I would be disappointed because of my stratospheric expectations.
But I needn't have worried. They are still one of the most face-meltingly fantastic acts live. They dove straight into it with a rollicking Wake and Be Fine from their latest album I Am Very Far, and then just barrelled through one high-octane, wonderful song after another, the energy levels lowering for just a few quieter moments here and there, like on the lovely A Girl in Port.
A Girl in Port
While last time what I came away with was an awe at the intimate, intense experience at the Annandale with more broody songs like A Stone and Another Radio Song, this time around I was struck by the energy and joy emanating from the stage. Hearing Okkervil songs live is a revelation; it's not about hearing a note-perfect copy but the the music coursing through your body, thrumming with energy and emotion.
I loved hearing every song on the set list, though particular surprises and highlights were Piratess came across like a torch song, more haunting in person with Will Sheff's mournful voice; and the one-two-three punch of Your Past Life as a Blast, Our Life is not a Movie or Maybe and Lost Coastlines where each song ended on such a terrific burst of energy that I thought surely, they're done for the night, and prepared myself for their exit - and then they'd throw themselves into the next song with glee.
Lost Coastlines
For every song they played I could think of another I wanted to hear played, but still I walked out humming their songs, grinning from ear to ear, madly proselytising about Okkervil's supremacy as a band to treasure.
Wake and Be Fine
For Real
Rider
Black
Piratess
A Girl in Port
Son of Our So-Called Friend
We Need a Myth
The Valley
No Key No Plan (Will Scheff, Richard Pestorius)
So Come Back I Am Waiting
John Allyn Smith Sails
Your Past Life as a Blast (mp3 from last.fm)
Our Life is not a Movie or Maybe
Lost Coastlines
The Rise
Westfall
Unless It's Kicks
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Pulp - 27 Jul 2011 - Hordern Pavillion
Jarvis Cocker made this show – whether dancing awkwardly at the front of the stage, making near-pornographic whispers into the mike or climbing all over massive speakers, he’s so on, possibly more than any other frontman I’ve ever seen. And even though it’s been 10 years since they’ve had a big hit, and over 10 years since I came to love them, there’s something wonderful in seeing his skinny, floppy haired silhouette in person.
The show itself is slick, with giant screens, the band name literally up in lights, and even a night-vision cam, but it wouldn’t work if the band weren’t so damn committed and good at what they do, even after a long hiatus. They played all the hits, sprinkled liberally through a setlist heavy with songs from Different Class (they played all but two songs from that album). Pop hits Disco 2000 and Common People were the most heartily received with a collective singalong and the terrible dancing of a generation of 20 and 30 somethings who were once the awkward, sensitive, sexually frustrated teens and youths that Pulp captures so well in its songs - and for a few golden moments we were those kids once more.
But it was more than just teenage nostalgia – the highlights for me were the songs that allowed Cocker and his band to bring on the layered musical brilliance and the over-the-top psychosexual melodrama such as I Spy, F.E.E.L.I.N.G.C.A.L.L.E.D.L.O.V.E and This is Hardcore.
Apart from being annoyed the the show started way earlier than advertised, so that we turned up halfway through the first song, this was such a brilliant, high-energy night full of great music that was part nostalgia trip but also somehow didn't seem dated at all.
Do You Remember the First Time?
Pink Glove
Bad Cover Version
Pencil Skirt
Something Changed
Disco 2000
Sorted For E's & Wizz
F.E.E.L.I.N.G.C.A.L.L.E.D.L.O.V.E.
I Spy
Babies
Underwear
This Is Hardcore
The Fear
Sunrise
Bar Italia
Common People
Like a Friend
Live Bed Show
Mis-Shapes
The show itself is slick, with giant screens, the band name literally up in lights, and even a night-vision cam, but it wouldn’t work if the band weren’t so damn committed and good at what they do, even after a long hiatus. They played all the hits, sprinkled liberally through a setlist heavy with songs from Different Class (they played all but two songs from that album). Pop hits Disco 2000 and Common People were the most heartily received with a collective singalong and the terrible dancing of a generation of 20 and 30 somethings who were once the awkward, sensitive, sexually frustrated teens and youths that Pulp captures so well in its songs - and for a few golden moments we were those kids once more.
But it was more than just teenage nostalgia – the highlights for me were the songs that allowed Cocker and his band to bring on the layered musical brilliance and the over-the-top psychosexual melodrama such as I Spy, F.E.E.L.I.N.G.C.A.L.L.E.D.L.O.V.E and This is Hardcore.
Apart from being annoyed the the show started way earlier than advertised, so that we turned up halfway through the first song, this was such a brilliant, high-energy night full of great music that was part nostalgia trip but also somehow didn't seem dated at all.
Do You Remember the First Time?
Pink Glove
Bad Cover Version
Pencil Skirt
Something Changed
Disco 2000
Sorted For E's & Wizz
F.E.E.L.I.N.G.C.A.L.L.E.D.L.O.V.E.
I Spy
Babies
Underwear
This Is Hardcore
The Fear
Sunrise
Bar Italia
Common People
Like a Friend
Live Bed Show
Mis-Shapes
Friday, March 11, 2011
Belle and Sebastian - 10 Mar 2011 - Opera House
Set list
I Fought in a War
Expectations
Dirty Dream No. 2
I'm Not Living in the Real World (Stevie)
Piazza, New York Catcher
I Want the World to Stop
Antony
Sukie in the Playground
Fox in the Snow
A Century of Fakers
Travelling Light (Stevie)
Write About Love
I Didn't See It Coming
Boy with the Arab Strap
Judy and the Dream of Horses
Sleep the Clock Around
Blues Are Still Blue
Me and the Major
I Fought in a War
Expectations
Dirty Dream No. 2
I'm Not Living in the Real World (Stevie)
Piazza, New York Catcher
I Want the World to Stop
Antony
Sukie in the Playground
Fox in the Snow
A Century of Fakers
Travelling Light (Stevie)
Write About Love
I Didn't See It Coming
Boy with the Arab Strap
Judy and the Dream of Horses
Sleep the Clock Around
Blues Are Still Blue
Me and the Major
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Andrew McMahon - 10 Feb 2011 - The HiFi (Brisbane)
"Wouldn't it be funny," Al said to me as we ambled along Boundary St in Brisbane’s West End, “If we came all the way to Brisbane to see Andrew McMahon and then somehow missed the show?”
I think she said this to tease me about my worry that we’d forgotten to bring the tickets from Sydney, knowing full well we had them. But I admit to having a moment of panic when, upon entering the venue at 9:45pm ahead of the advertised 10pm starting time, we heard Andrew’s distinctive voice drifting down the corridor through the building.
Yes, he’d started early — so we only made it to the surprisingly packed floor as Andrew finished playing his first song, solo on the piano. He stayed seated at the piano for the rest of the show though he was joined by Jack’s Mannequin bandmate Bobby Anderson on the guitar for the rest of this set. They were lovely in harmony with each other, and even with just the two of them and an instrument each on stage they played with gusto and had a surprisingly amount of energy.
Andrew was adorable on stage — endearing and utterly earnest in performance. He introduced every single song, sometimes adding colour with anecdotes about song name choices and his motivations for writing a song (or admitting he couldn’t remember why he’d written it!) Some of them were serious and illuminating, like the story behind the rather depressingly titled Hey Hey Hey (We’re All Going to Die), and some were just amusing, like his reminiscing about being a stoner and insisting on a blue light in his room for about six months as an intro to She Paints Me Blue.
The set list was a treat, with both Jack’s Mannequin and Something Corporate songs getting an airing. It was a fun singing along to JM songs I love (like La La Lie at Andrew’s urging and the affirming The Resolution) but it was also great, as more of a latter-day JM fan, to be introduced to older Something Corporate cuts like the beautifully sad Down. Andrew even threw in a cover of Elton John’s rocket man, which worked well with his voice and his great piano work.
Andrew left the stage after just over an hour. All through the night there’d been the occasional call for Konstantine from the audience, but as Andrew returned to the stage for the encore, some obnoxious fans started to really yell for the song. Andrew tried charmingly to reason with them about why wouldn’t be playing it, but he became a little flustered as his words fell on mostly deaf ears, and the calls continued. (For the interested, the reason is to prevent him from having to play the song every night of his life — if he plays it at one gig then every following audience would demand and expect it. Fair enough.) However, the night still ended on a lovely, upbeat note with a singalong to Dark Blue, the song staying with me and looping through my head as we walked back to our accommodation.
All in all, I loved seeing him play again, to hear him play a longer set than I've ever managed before. Even though it was a solo tour, which restricted him to the piano and he couldn’t bounce around and be all energetic and muppety, he really is a pleasure to see and hear live.
photo from primroserobinson
Hammer and Strings (A Lullaby)
Mix Tape
Crashin’
As You Sleep
Holiday from Real
She Paints Me Blue
La La Lie
The Resolution
Rocket Man (Elton John cover)
Swim
Down
21 and Invincible
Hey Hey Hey (We’re All Going to Die)
Bruised
Spinning
Punk Rock Princess
Olive (Bobby Anderson side project)
Dark Blue
I think she said this to tease me about my worry that we’d forgotten to bring the tickets from Sydney, knowing full well we had them. But I admit to having a moment of panic when, upon entering the venue at 9:45pm ahead of the advertised 10pm starting time, we heard Andrew’s distinctive voice drifting down the corridor through the building.
Yes, he’d started early — so we only made it to the surprisingly packed floor as Andrew finished playing his first song, solo on the piano. He stayed seated at the piano for the rest of the show though he was joined by Jack’s Mannequin bandmate Bobby Anderson on the guitar for the rest of this set. They were lovely in harmony with each other, and even with just the two of them and an instrument each on stage they played with gusto and had a surprisingly amount of energy.
Andrew was adorable on stage — endearing and utterly earnest in performance. He introduced every single song, sometimes adding colour with anecdotes about song name choices and his motivations for writing a song (or admitting he couldn’t remember why he’d written it!) Some of them were serious and illuminating, like the story behind the rather depressingly titled Hey Hey Hey (We’re All Going to Die), and some were just amusing, like his reminiscing about being a stoner and insisting on a blue light in his room for about six months as an intro to She Paints Me Blue.
The set list was a treat, with both Jack’s Mannequin and Something Corporate songs getting an airing. It was a fun singing along to JM songs I love (like La La Lie at Andrew’s urging and the affirming The Resolution) but it was also great, as more of a latter-day JM fan, to be introduced to older Something Corporate cuts like the beautifully sad Down. Andrew even threw in a cover of Elton John’s rocket man, which worked well with his voice and his great piano work.
Andrew left the stage after just over an hour. All through the night there’d been the occasional call for Konstantine from the audience, but as Andrew returned to the stage for the encore, some obnoxious fans started to really yell for the song. Andrew tried charmingly to reason with them about why wouldn’t be playing it, but he became a little flustered as his words fell on mostly deaf ears, and the calls continued. (For the interested, the reason is to prevent him from having to play the song every night of his life — if he plays it at one gig then every following audience would demand and expect it. Fair enough.) However, the night still ended on a lovely, upbeat note with a singalong to Dark Blue, the song staying with me and looping through my head as we walked back to our accommodation.
All in all, I loved seeing him play again, to hear him play a longer set than I've ever managed before. Even though it was a solo tour, which restricted him to the piano and he couldn’t bounce around and be all energetic and muppety, he really is a pleasure to see and hear live.
Hammer and Strings (A Lullaby)
Mix Tape
Crashin’
As You Sleep
Holiday from Real
She Paints Me Blue
La La Lie
The Resolution
Rocket Man (Elton John cover)
Swim
Down
21 and Invincible
Hey Hey Hey (We’re All Going to Die)
Bruised
Spinning
Punk Rock Princess
Olive (Bobby Anderson side project)
Dark Blue
Menomena - 7 Feb 2011 - Factory Theatre
The last two Menomena albums made my favourites list of their respective years of release, so I was really really looking forward to this show, on their first tour of Australia. And they did not disappoint!
They started loud, strong and muscular with the aptly named Muscle’n Flo followed by two great tracks from Mines, their fantastic album from last year, including the awesome, funky TAOS. All through the show they were such a joy to listen to; the multilayered music, bouncing from atmospheric to rocking, from energetic to haunting and reflective, all with the restless, driving rhythm. I loved the vocals provided by the whole band, strange lines of harmony weaving in and out of each other, an odd mix of voices that shouldn’t work and yet sound so good together.
The four-piece band were fun on stage, with a great line in sweetly snarky banter between themselves and the small but dedicated audience. Justin Harris made time to thank the crowd for appreciating the deep cuts they were playing as they dipped into material from first album I am the Fun Blame Monster!, including The Late Great Libido, one of my favourites, which Harris said was the first time they’d played it live in four years! They were also fairly patient with the obnoxious elements of the crowd who kept heckling and yelling for Evil Bee, which the band demurred from playing since it’s usually sung by recently departed band member Brent Knopf.
The Late Great Libido
Despite the fact it was only their fourth show with Brent’s replacement, the enthusiastic, prone-to-dancing Paul Alcott on keyboard, the band were great, throwing themselves into the performance with abandon, giving it their all. Justin Harris was suffering a cold that was causing him to lose his voice – he apologised after some songs where his voice was noticeably breaking but powered on through the show, singing and playing with skill the baritone sax (to my great instrument-geek joy). And Danny Seim was just AMAZING to watch as he pounded away - the drumming, oh the drumming.
Even though their set was a little over an hour long, they were so charming and talented live, with a show so full of wonderful music, I didn’t feel cheated at all and enjoyed every moment.
Muscle'n Flo
Five Little Rooms
TAOS
Weird
Tithe
Strongest Man In The World
Twenty Cell Revolt
BOTE
The Late Great Libido
Queen Black Acid
Dirty Cartoons
Rotten Hell
Ghostship
The Pelican
They started loud, strong and muscular with the aptly named Muscle’n Flo followed by two great tracks from Mines, their fantastic album from last year, including the awesome, funky TAOS. All through the show they were such a joy to listen to; the multilayered music, bouncing from atmospheric to rocking, from energetic to haunting and reflective, all with the restless, driving rhythm. I loved the vocals provided by the whole band, strange lines of harmony weaving in and out of each other, an odd mix of voices that shouldn’t work and yet sound so good together.
The four-piece band were fun on stage, with a great line in sweetly snarky banter between themselves and the small but dedicated audience. Justin Harris made time to thank the crowd for appreciating the deep cuts they were playing as they dipped into material from first album I am the Fun Blame Monster!, including The Late Great Libido, one of my favourites, which Harris said was the first time they’d played it live in four years! They were also fairly patient with the obnoxious elements of the crowd who kept heckling and yelling for Evil Bee, which the band demurred from playing since it’s usually sung by recently departed band member Brent Knopf.
The Late Great Libido
Despite the fact it was only their fourth show with Brent’s replacement, the enthusiastic, prone-to-dancing Paul Alcott on keyboard, the band were great, throwing themselves into the performance with abandon, giving it their all. Justin Harris was suffering a cold that was causing him to lose his voice – he apologised after some songs where his voice was noticeably breaking but powered on through the show, singing and playing with skill the baritone sax (to my great instrument-geek joy). And Danny Seim was just AMAZING to watch as he pounded away - the drumming, oh the drumming.
Even though their set was a little over an hour long, they were so charming and talented live, with a show so full of wonderful music, I didn’t feel cheated at all and enjoyed every moment.
Muscle'n Flo
Five Little Rooms
TAOS
Weird
Tithe
Strongest Man In The World
Twenty Cell Revolt
BOTE
The Late Great Libido
Queen Black Acid
Dirty Cartoons
Rotten Hell
Ghostship
The Pelican
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Best of: Music in 2010
Here be my 10 favourite albums of the year:
1. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy by Kanye West
All those crazy, musically-diverse layers - beats, lyrics, themes, ego and doubts - through the album.
watch: the trailer (or "moving portrait" as Kanye called it) for the video for 'Power' (which is rumoured to be 40+ minutes long), my favourite song along with 'Monster' (but I love Monster more for Nicki Minaj's verse - she steals the song out from everyone)
2. The Suburbs by Arcade Fire
The album did not grab me on first listen, but it was definitely a grower - just like previous album Neon Bible - and by the end of the year I had completely fallen in love with the storytelling, the atmosphere. The music is lighter, but the claustrophobia of the Suburbs is clear still within, the dark heart under the beautiful, peaceful surface.
Listen: 'The Suburbs' / 'Month of May'
3. All Days are Night: Songs for Lulu by Rufus Wainwright.
I love that Rufus Wainwright's idea of“stripped back”still includes gorgeously lush piano-driven heartbreaking paens to grief and love.
Download: 'Who are you, New York?'
4. Everything Under the Sun by Jukebox the Ghost
So many fine, catchy pop songs, so much intelligent thought behind it. Great follow-up album.
Watch: the band being interviewed at the 'Bean' in Chicago, where they talk about Ben Folds Five comparisons and why they have such a weird band name.
5. Mines by Menomena
I love the musical layers in the songs, from the different qualities of the voices to the fuzzy bass to the beat to those great horns.
Download: 'TAOS'
6. Danger Days by My Chemical Romance
Anthemic and built to be played loud - it's not rocket science, but it is damn catchy and fun.
Watch: Art is the Weapon - a trailer of sorts for the first single, the intro for the thru-story and palette and concept for their whole album.
7. Life is Sweet! Pleased to Meet You by Lightspeed Champion
Great songs that are more complex than they seem at first, with lush orchestral arrangements, clever lyrics, and diverse musical styles.
8. Steel Train by Steel Train
Sweet, fun indie pop that I've had on repeat constantly this year.
Listen: 'Turnpike Ghost'
9. The Age of Adz by Sufjan Stevens
I'm still not sure I entirely like this album end-to-end though that might be my reflex reaction to at times deliberately harsh electronica mix through his trademark his beautiful, floaty music. But the album does have some absolutely terrific moments, such as I Walked and the 25 minute standout, Impossible Soul.
Download: 'I Walked'
10. The ArchAndroid by Janelle Monae
I love her voice, and the ambitious mishmash of genres and styles all through her music, while remaining catchy as hell.
Watch: the video for 'Tightrope' - great song, great storytelling, creepy video with some mesmerising footwork. What's not to like?
Honourable Mentions
Bad Books – Bad Books
Belle and Sebastian - Belle and Sebastian Write About Love
Annuals – Sweet Sister EP
Boy & Bear – With Emperor Antarctic EP
Looking forward to new releases in 2011 from:
Patrick Wolf (Lupercalia)
Panic! at the Disco (Vices and Virtues)
The Decemberists (The King is Dead is out now)
Bright Eyes (The People's Key)
Okkervil River (I am Very Far)
Manchester Orchestra (Simple Math)
Taking Back Sunday
also rumoured to release new albums are:
fun.
Radiohead
Blink-182
It's looking to be an exciting new year of music! And hopefully some of these guys tour, which brings me to...
live music from 2010!
I saw a total of 19 bands at 16 shows. This included seeing Kevin Devine 3 times and Brand New twice in the space of five days and I don't regret any of that at all (as you will see from the list of best shows below).
Nine Favourite Performances
1. Kevin Devine @ East Brunswick Club, 29 Mar
2. Brand New @ Enmore Theatre, 25 Mar
3. The Decemberists @ The Metro, 19 Jan
4. The Pixies @ Hordern Pavilion, 14 Mar
5. Delta Spirit @ Factory Theatre, 3 Oct
6. Band of Horses @ Enmore Theatre, 29 July
7. Spoon @ The Forum, 7 May
8. Sunny Day Real Estate @ UNSW Roundhouse, 23 Feb
9. Neko Case @ City Recital Hall, 12 Jan
Upcoming Shows:
Sufjan Stevens, Menomena, Andrew McMahon, Belle and Sebastian
1. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy by Kanye West
All those crazy, musically-diverse layers - beats, lyrics, themes, ego and doubts - through the album.
watch: the trailer (or "moving portrait" as Kanye called it) for the video for 'Power' (which is rumoured to be 40+ minutes long), my favourite song along with 'Monster' (but I love Monster more for Nicki Minaj's verse - she steals the song out from everyone)
2. The Suburbs by Arcade Fire
The album did not grab me on first listen, but it was definitely a grower - just like previous album Neon Bible - and by the end of the year I had completely fallen in love with the storytelling, the atmosphere. The music is lighter, but the claustrophobia of the Suburbs is clear still within, the dark heart under the beautiful, peaceful surface.
Listen: 'The Suburbs' / 'Month of May'
3. All Days are Night: Songs for Lulu by Rufus Wainwright.
I love that Rufus Wainwright's idea of“stripped back”still includes gorgeously lush piano-driven heartbreaking paens to grief and love.
Download: 'Who are you, New York?'
4. Everything Under the Sun by Jukebox the Ghost
So many fine, catchy pop songs, so much intelligent thought behind it. Great follow-up album.
Watch: the band being interviewed at the 'Bean' in Chicago, where they talk about Ben Folds Five comparisons and why they have such a weird band name.
5. Mines by Menomena
I love the musical layers in the songs, from the different qualities of the voices to the fuzzy bass to the beat to those great horns.
Download: 'TAOS'
6. Danger Days by My Chemical Romance
Anthemic and built to be played loud - it's not rocket science, but it is damn catchy and fun.
Watch: Art is the Weapon - a trailer of sorts for the first single, the intro for the thru-story and palette and concept for their whole album.
7. Life is Sweet! Pleased to Meet You by Lightspeed Champion
Great songs that are more complex than they seem at first, with lush orchestral arrangements, clever lyrics, and diverse musical styles.
8. Steel Train by Steel Train
Sweet, fun indie pop that I've had on repeat constantly this year.
Listen: 'Turnpike Ghost'
9. The Age of Adz by Sufjan Stevens
I'm still not sure I entirely like this album end-to-end though that might be my reflex reaction to at times deliberately harsh electronica mix through his trademark his beautiful, floaty music. But the album does have some absolutely terrific moments, such as I Walked and the 25 minute standout, Impossible Soul.
Download: 'I Walked'
10. The ArchAndroid by Janelle Monae
I love her voice, and the ambitious mishmash of genres and styles all through her music, while remaining catchy as hell.
Watch: the video for 'Tightrope' - great song, great storytelling, creepy video with some mesmerising footwork. What's not to like?
Honourable Mentions
Bad Books – Bad Books
Belle and Sebastian - Belle and Sebastian Write About Love
Annuals – Sweet Sister EP
Boy & Bear – With Emperor Antarctic EP
Looking forward to new releases in 2011 from:
Patrick Wolf (Lupercalia)
Panic! at the Disco (Vices and Virtues)
The Decemberists (The King is Dead is out now)
Bright Eyes (The People's Key)
Okkervil River (I am Very Far)
Manchester Orchestra (Simple Math)
Taking Back Sunday
also rumoured to release new albums are:
fun.
Radiohead
Blink-182
It's looking to be an exciting new year of music! And hopefully some of these guys tour, which brings me to...
live music from 2010!
I saw a total of 19 bands at 16 shows. This included seeing Kevin Devine 3 times and Brand New twice in the space of five days and I don't regret any of that at all (as you will see from the list of best shows below).
Nine Favourite Performances
1. Kevin Devine @ East Brunswick Club, 29 Mar
2. Brand New @ Enmore Theatre, 25 Mar
3. The Decemberists @ The Metro, 19 Jan
4. The Pixies @ Hordern Pavilion, 14 Mar
5. Delta Spirit @ Factory Theatre, 3 Oct
6. Band of Horses @ Enmore Theatre, 29 July
7. Spoon @ The Forum, 7 May
8. Sunny Day Real Estate @ UNSW Roundhouse, 23 Feb
9. Neko Case @ City Recital Hall, 12 Jan
Upcoming Shows:
Sufjan Stevens, Menomena, Andrew McMahon, Belle and Sebastian
Monday, January 10, 2011
Dec 2010 live music compendium (Lemonheads, Jebediah, Lightspeed Champion)
I had three shows lined up for December and unfortunately all three were rather frustrating.
The Lemonheads - 1 Dec 2010 - The Metro
To be honest, this was really 'Evan Dando and friends who are not the original Lemonheads playing through It's a Shame About Ray and then another twenty songs'. All within an hour and a bit, mind - it was an automated assembly line of songs, one note-perfect, joyless rendition after another. The room, sweaty and fully packed for the sold-out show, perked up at the singles and created a nice atmosphere with nostalgic singalongs, but on stage there was nothing fun at all. Dando barely acknowledged the audience, saying about ten words the whole night - and eight of them were 'thank you'. There was a one song encore, a shambolic version of Outdoor Type with old friends and support band Smudge, but at least Dando seemed to be enjoying himself for the first time all night. The band were proficient in their playing, and he still has that great voice (rather unfairly, it seemed that all that hard living has agreed with him) but ultimately, it was not a rousing comeback or even a fun nostalgia trip.
Jebediah - 9 Dec 2010 - Annadale Hotel
And Jebediah was not the fun nostalgia trip I was looking for either. I had such a good time at their last show at the Annadale. This time though...yeah, they were still loud and energetic and still ridiculously young looking (Kev Mitchell has surely drunk from the fountain of life). But after the late start, an hour of listening to them play obscure songs from their back catalog and none of thie hits, weaksauce banter and one too many moments of tech problems, we decided to bail. Just one more song, Al and I said, wanting to give them the benefit of the doubt, but after four times we gave it up for lost. You can't go back to being sixteen again...again.
Lightspeed Champion - 3 Jan 2011 - Spectrum
This was a show steeped in chaos from the start. Cancelled and then rescheduled in the new year, after Devonte Hynes was stuck in New York due to snowstorms, it was a tiny crowd that gathered about a foot from the stage on the night, with the much more popular Born Ruffians show on at the same time just three doors down the road.
Hynes' was truly playing a solo show - just one man on stage, with an electric guitar, an acoustic guitar, a keyboard and...a laptop. And this is where things get kind of bizarre - he chose, for half the set, to sing along with his backing tracks playing on his laptop, forsaking live instrumentation for the pre-recorded version, even when he *had* said instrumentation at his disposal. This meant that at times, it felt like we were watching someone at karaoke - well-sung karaoke, sure, but still a little underwhelming as an audience at a show. The biggest shame was that when Hynes chose to go without the track and just accompany himself on guitar or keyboard, he was really good and the music was really really lovely. The highlights, for me, were an acoustic version of Deadhead Blues and of Flush Out, a new song (which he released for free download today!).
He was well-received, none the less; surrounded by enthusiastic fanboys and one very persistent photographer, he struck poses and sang his heart out and for the last song, a cover of Hello, he sang to the crowd in the thick of the crowd on the tiny floor, which finally broke the nervous atmosphere and gave the show and the room some life, just a little too late.
The Lemonheads - 1 Dec 2010 - The Metro
To be honest, this was really 'Evan Dando and friends who are not the original Lemonheads playing through It's a Shame About Ray and then another twenty songs'. All within an hour and a bit, mind - it was an automated assembly line of songs, one note-perfect, joyless rendition after another. The room, sweaty and fully packed for the sold-out show, perked up at the singles and created a nice atmosphere with nostalgic singalongs, but on stage there was nothing fun at all. Dando barely acknowledged the audience, saying about ten words the whole night - and eight of them were 'thank you'. There was a one song encore, a shambolic version of Outdoor Type with old friends and support band Smudge, but at least Dando seemed to be enjoying himself for the first time all night. The band were proficient in their playing, and he still has that great voice (rather unfairly, it seemed that all that hard living has agreed with him) but ultimately, it was not a rousing comeback or even a fun nostalgia trip.
Jebediah - 9 Dec 2010 - Annadale Hotel
And Jebediah was not the fun nostalgia trip I was looking for either. I had such a good time at their last show at the Annadale. This time though...yeah, they were still loud and energetic and still ridiculously young looking (Kev Mitchell has surely drunk from the fountain of life). But after the late start, an hour of listening to them play obscure songs from their back catalog and none of thie hits, weaksauce banter and one too many moments of tech problems, we decided to bail. Just one more song, Al and I said, wanting to give them the benefit of the doubt, but after four times we gave it up for lost. You can't go back to being sixteen again...again.
Lightspeed Champion - 3 Jan 2011 - Spectrum
This was a show steeped in chaos from the start. Cancelled and then rescheduled in the new year, after Devonte Hynes was stuck in New York due to snowstorms, it was a tiny crowd that gathered about a foot from the stage on the night, with the much more popular Born Ruffians show on at the same time just three doors down the road.
Hynes' was truly playing a solo show - just one man on stage, with an electric guitar, an acoustic guitar, a keyboard and...a laptop. And this is where things get kind of bizarre - he chose, for half the set, to sing along with his backing tracks playing on his laptop, forsaking live instrumentation for the pre-recorded version, even when he *had* said instrumentation at his disposal. This meant that at times, it felt like we were watching someone at karaoke - well-sung karaoke, sure, but still a little underwhelming as an audience at a show. The biggest shame was that when Hynes chose to go without the track and just accompany himself on guitar or keyboard, he was really good and the music was really really lovely. The highlights, for me, were an acoustic version of Deadhead Blues and of Flush Out, a new song (which he released for free download today!).
He was well-received, none the less; surrounded by enthusiastic fanboys and one very persistent photographer, he struck poses and sang his heart out and for the last song, a cover of Hello, he sang to the crowd in the thick of the crowd on the tiny floor, which finally broke the nervous atmosphere and gave the show and the room some life, just a little too late.
Monday, October 4, 2010
Ben Kweller/Delta Spirit - 3 Oct 2010 - Factory Theatre
Having not seen any live music in a while, I was itching to catch a gig when I saw that Delta Spirit, who really impressed me at Lollapalooza last year, would be supporting Ben Kweller. I like both artists, the tickets were cheap - I was sold! And I'm so glad we made such a last minute decision to go because I had a really enjoyable night of country-tinged Americana rock.
picture from Delta Spirit by delta spirit
When I saw Delta Spirit for the first time last year, I hadn't heard any of their songs before, but I was so taken by their great stage presence and their catchy tunes. Frontman Matt Vasquez isn't hard on the eyes either...
Tonight, they launched into a rocking set with so much energy, and it was fantastic. I fell a little bit in love with the amazing drummer and the fact they often had double drums going. The band were multi-talented, switching between instruments with ease (and Matt played the harmonica also!); plus the band played so tightly together, which was all the more surprising when they announced the touring guitarist was only playing his second show ever with the rest of the band.
Their eight song set heavily featured songs from their just-released second album History from Below but it was pretty darn catch and melded well with the dips into their older material. The highlight me for me was the back-to-back pairing of Trashcan and People C'mon, though the rollicking set closer - intro'd as the first song they ever wrote - was also lot of fun with its call and response sing-a-long and the instructions for everyone who was enjoying the gig to 'get low' - and most of the room got to their knees obediently!
Delta Spirit - Trashcan (live @ Factory Theatre, 3/10/10)
It was a great show and surrounded by happy, dedicated fans, the 40 minutes went by too fast.
Bushwick Blues
St Francis
Trashcan
People C'mon
History from Below
VIvian
Children
(?)
Confession time - I haven't listened to a full Ben Kweller album since, oh, 2004. So I wasn't really sure what to expect from his set apart from wanting to hear at least one or two songs from his earlier albums. One thing I really really didn't expect was how young he looked as he came on stage in his black Ramones T-shirt and red jeans. Despite seeming like he's been around the music scene for a long time, he's only 29 and he still looks and sounds like he could be 18.
On stage, he was adorable, throwing in ad-libs about not having played Make It Up in forever and apologising when he messed up the words at one point. I was happy two songs in when he played Commerce, TX and even happier a song later when he played a raucous fun rendition of I Need You Back. He played a mean guitar too - and his small band (a bassist, a drummer and a bare set) jammed well together with a shaggy, shambolic charm.
On My Way
Commerce, TX
Make It Up
I Need You Back
Red Eye
Walk on Me
Wantin' Her Again
...
We left after about seven songs. If there hadn't been a more pressing need to find a sweet supper (a mission which failed) and to get home before the last train, I would've been happy to hear some more from him.
When I saw Delta Spirit for the first time last year, I hadn't heard any of their songs before, but I was so taken by their great stage presence and their catchy tunes. Frontman Matt Vasquez isn't hard on the eyes either...
Tonight, they launched into a rocking set with so much energy, and it was fantastic. I fell a little bit in love with the amazing drummer and the fact they often had double drums going. The band were multi-talented, switching between instruments with ease (and Matt played the harmonica also!); plus the band played so tightly together, which was all the more surprising when they announced the touring guitarist was only playing his second show ever with the rest of the band.
Their eight song set heavily featured songs from their just-released second album History from Below but it was pretty darn catch and melded well with the dips into their older material. The highlight me for me was the back-to-back pairing of Trashcan and People C'mon, though the rollicking set closer - intro'd as the first song they ever wrote - was also lot of fun with its call and response sing-a-long and the instructions for everyone who was enjoying the gig to 'get low' - and most of the room got to their knees obediently!
Delta Spirit - Trashcan (live @ Factory Theatre, 3/10/10)
It was a great show and surrounded by happy, dedicated fans, the 40 minutes went by too fast.
Bushwick Blues
St Francis
Trashcan
People C'mon
History from Below
VIvian
Children
(?)
Confession time - I haven't listened to a full Ben Kweller album since, oh, 2004. So I wasn't really sure what to expect from his set apart from wanting to hear at least one or two songs from his earlier albums. One thing I really really didn't expect was how young he looked as he came on stage in his black Ramones T-shirt and red jeans. Despite seeming like he's been around the music scene for a long time, he's only 29 and he still looks and sounds like he could be 18.
On stage, he was adorable, throwing in ad-libs about not having played Make It Up in forever and apologising when he messed up the words at one point. I was happy two songs in when he played Commerce, TX and even happier a song later when he played a raucous fun rendition of I Need You Back. He played a mean guitar too - and his small band (a bassist, a drummer and a bare set) jammed well together with a shaggy, shambolic charm.
On My Way
Commerce, TX
Make It Up
I Need You Back
Red Eye
Walk on Me
Wantin' Her Again
...
We left after about seven songs. If there hadn't been a more pressing need to find a sweet supper (a mission which failed) and to get home before the last train, I would've been happy to hear some more from him.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Band of Horses - 29 July 2010 - Enmore Theatre
This was a rather nostalgic show, for one main reason that had nothing really to do with Band of Horses at all: as I stood on the floor of the Enmore with my best friend, we realised it was almost exactly twelve years to the day we saw our first live concert together, at the Enmore. Ah, plus ça change, and all that.
It was also the third time I'd seen Band of Horses in three years, and while it could not reach the same transcedenscent heights as that glorious time two years ago at the Metro, I certainly still enjoyed last night a great deal, and came out with a big grin, the songs ringing in my ears. They really are wonderful musicians, individually and as a band, and they have a really lovely laid-back presence on stage that works well with their music and their audience. During Detlef Schrempf - which sounded utterly beautiful - someone put up their lighter to Ben Bridwell's glee, and soon, with his encouragement from the stage, everyone raised their lighters in their air. For the rest of the song there was a sea of flickering yellow glows in the dark, and it was just perfect (and perfectly old school; it's just so much prettier than a sea of mobile phone glows) in that moment.
I liked the visual component too: they beamed spliced together footage of live shows and backstage antics as a frenetic backdrop to the more upbeat songs, which were fun; while the slower songs, particularly the more country-sounding tunes from latest album Infinite Arms, were matched with quite peaceful, lovely views of empty American landscapes - snow-capped mountains, endless skies, star filled nights.
At times I thought the mix was a little uneven, I couldn't hear Ben Bridwell over the music sometimes, which made me sad because, man, that voice is golden. But it might not be the sound guy's fault, because we were also stuck next to an intensely irritating couple who talked loudly through 80% of the songs. Also, he was saying stuff like, "Play something I know, I paid good money for this!" and "We should've gone to the Strokes instead." I'm pretty sure everyone around us wished they'd gone to there instead too, then we wouldn't have to listen to them whining incessantly, and tempting us to punch his face in. :p
But apart from that annoying blip, the rest of the show was a delight. Highlight of the night for me was the back-to-back pairing of Ode to LRC, stomping good fun as always, and The Funeral, magnificient. I was a little sad that they didn't play Our Swords and they didn't play Monsters, but I couldn't really fault them when they closed with Am I A Good Man, which was so unexpected but so so appreciated. I'm glad they're still covering that, and I loved hearing the interplay of Ryan Monroe and Ben Bridwell's voices on that song live again. :D
I was keeping note of what they played, except after the seventh song I accidentally deleted it from my phone, d'oh. The set list below is from the review by jayhorn5 that I stumbled across.
The Great Salt Lake
Is There A Ghost
Weed Party
NW Apt.
Islands on the Coast
Blue Beard
Compliments
The General Specific
Older
Marry Song
Detlef Schrempf
Factory
Cigarettes, Wedding Bells
(new song)
Laredo
Wicked Gil
Ode to the LRC
The Funeral
No One's Gonna Love You
Am I A Good Man (Them Two cover)
No One's Gonna Love You (video from phlegmphatale", who braved sore arms once again)
It was also the third time I'd seen Band of Horses in three years, and while it could not reach the same transcedenscent heights as that glorious time two years ago at the Metro, I certainly still enjoyed last night a great deal, and came out with a big grin, the songs ringing in my ears. They really are wonderful musicians, individually and as a band, and they have a really lovely laid-back presence on stage that works well with their music and their audience. During Detlef Schrempf - which sounded utterly beautiful - someone put up their lighter to Ben Bridwell's glee, and soon, with his encouragement from the stage, everyone raised their lighters in their air. For the rest of the song there was a sea of flickering yellow glows in the dark, and it was just perfect (and perfectly old school; it's just so much prettier than a sea of mobile phone glows) in that moment.
I liked the visual component too: they beamed spliced together footage of live shows and backstage antics as a frenetic backdrop to the more upbeat songs, which were fun; while the slower songs, particularly the more country-sounding tunes from latest album Infinite Arms, were matched with quite peaceful, lovely views of empty American landscapes - snow-capped mountains, endless skies, star filled nights.
At times I thought the mix was a little uneven, I couldn't hear Ben Bridwell over the music sometimes, which made me sad because, man, that voice is golden. But it might not be the sound guy's fault, because we were also stuck next to an intensely irritating couple who talked loudly through 80% of the songs. Also, he was saying stuff like, "Play something I know, I paid good money for this!" and "We should've gone to the Strokes instead." I'm pretty sure everyone around us wished they'd gone to there instead too, then we wouldn't have to listen to them whining incessantly, and tempting us to punch his face in. :p
But apart from that annoying blip, the rest of the show was a delight. Highlight of the night for me was the back-to-back pairing of Ode to LRC, stomping good fun as always, and The Funeral, magnificient. I was a little sad that they didn't play Our Swords and they didn't play Monsters, but I couldn't really fault them when they closed with Am I A Good Man, which was so unexpected but so so appreciated. I'm glad they're still covering that, and I loved hearing the interplay of Ryan Monroe and Ben Bridwell's voices on that song live again. :D
I was keeping note of what they played, except after the seventh song I accidentally deleted it from my phone, d'oh. The set list below is from the review by jayhorn5 that I stumbled across.
The Great Salt Lake
Is There A Ghost
Weed Party
NW Apt.
Islands on the Coast
Blue Beard
Compliments
The General Specific
Older
Marry Song
Detlef Schrempf
Factory
Cigarettes, Wedding Bells
(new song)
Laredo
Wicked Gil
Ode to the LRC
The Funeral
No One's Gonna Love You
Am I A Good Man (Them Two cover)
No One's Gonna Love You (video from phlegmphatale", who braved sore arms once again)
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Cobra Starship - 16 Mar 2010 - UNSW Roundhouse
So Al and I may have way before doors opened coughbecausewewereattendingthemeetandgreetcough* but we weren't really prepared to jostle in the building crowd of kids with artfully messy hair and neon leggings who were already thronging around the door.**
We hung around the near deserted 18+ area upstairs for Owl City's set; the songs have pretty melodies but none of them were memorable except for one song that riffed on Pachebel's Canon. We moved downstairs before Cobra Starship took to the stage, and watched warily as the floor filled with small, underdressed teens dancing for their lives at all the songs on the PA before the show. I'd seen Cobra Starship three times before, as they languished in support acts for their more famous labelmates, but after the popularity of a certain summer hit featuring Leighton Meester, they'd obviously picked up a much younger, much more mainstream audience. And for the first time ever I felt truly truly old at a gig.
However, the show was still great fun. Gabe remains one of the most charismatic frontmen I've seen, with his propensity for rambly rants part of his charm. The band manages to hold their own too, with Alex taking on banter duties for most of the show while the rest of the band demonstrated a fond, long-suffering patience as Gabe invariably sang and danced all up in their space. Audience participation was, as with all Cobra shows, an essential, from the girl who went on stage to do a spirited version of Travis McCoy's rap in Snakes on a Plane to Gabe calling on the crowd to put their fangs up (though this time round, with fewer die-hard fans, the audience needed some prompting as to how). The band also orchestrated a Mexican wave from one side of the room to the other, rather patronisingly asking the young crowd if they knew what a wave was before giving us step-by-step instructions, leading Al to witheringly say in my ear, "I feel like I'm at a Wiggles show".
The sound was fuzzy as it always seems to be in the Roundhouse, but the band brought a lot of energy and joy to the night, and Ryland's guitar moves were hot (white hot! *g*). The set was heavy with songs from the latest album, Hot Mess, which the adoring, party-hearty crowd loved, though I was a bit said to see only muted response for some of their equally good older material. Also, considering they have three albums to draw on, their set was ridiculously short; they played for only 45 minutes before leaving the stage. The reason for that was clear though when they returned for an eagerly awaited encore. Gabe's vocal issues have been widely reported in the last year; his singing was fine through the main set but it was obvious by the encore that his voice was shot. He continued cracking jokes with his hoarse voice though and they pushed through two more songs, closing with massive hit Good Girls Gone Bad to the crowd's cheering delight.
The City is at War
Pete Wentz is the Only Reason We're Famous
Nice Guys Finish Last
Kiss My Sass
My Moves Are White (White Hot That Is)
Wet Hot American Summer
The Church of Hot Addiction
Send My Love to the Dancefloor I'll See You in Hell (Hey Mr DJ)
Smile for the Paparazzi
Snakes on a Plane
Hot Mess
Guilty Pleasure
The Scene is Dead; Long Live the Scene
Good Girls Go Bad
* So, my first meet and greet, heh. It involved a lot of waiting in lines with young, squealy, mostly female fans. Al and I had discussed a plan of attack before our turn; we were going to stick together so we wouldn't get stuck making awkward conversation with individual band members...but we were split up as we stepped up. I awkwardly talked to Alex Suarez, the bassist, about seeing the Pixies as he signed for me, followed by the rest of the band in quick succession with little more than a quick 'hi'. Lead singer Gabe Saporta told me he was happy to see a fan of their earlier stuff - I'd brought the CD booklet of their first album - and gave me a high five when I told him it was my favourite of their albums. Al was brave enough to ask them to do hands hearts with us for our one allotted photo.
You may have noticed...tall band is tall
** As we sat a little aways, this kid came up and asked if he could wait with us since he was on his lonesome for the gig. He was here for support act Owl City, but after he and Al started chatting about pop-punk bands they were into, he acquiesced to give Cobra a try. :) He was adorable, not least because he thought we were still in uni, lol. But we gave ourselves away after a while of chatting about bands we'd seen, when he remarked "Wow, you guys go to a lot of shows". Of course we had, in comparison; he was probably in kindegarten when I went to my first show (I wish I were joking, but...)
We hung around the near deserted 18+ area upstairs for Owl City's set; the songs have pretty melodies but none of them were memorable except for one song that riffed on Pachebel's Canon. We moved downstairs before Cobra Starship took to the stage, and watched warily as the floor filled with small, underdressed teens dancing for their lives at all the songs on the PA before the show. I'd seen Cobra Starship three times before, as they languished in support acts for their more famous labelmates, but after the popularity of a certain summer hit featuring Leighton Meester, they'd obviously picked up a much younger, much more mainstream audience. And for the first time ever I felt truly truly old at a gig.
However, the show was still great fun. Gabe remains one of the most charismatic frontmen I've seen, with his propensity for rambly rants part of his charm. The band manages to hold their own too, with Alex taking on banter duties for most of the show while the rest of the band demonstrated a fond, long-suffering patience as Gabe invariably sang and danced all up in their space. Audience participation was, as with all Cobra shows, an essential, from the girl who went on stage to do a spirited version of Travis McCoy's rap in Snakes on a Plane to Gabe calling on the crowd to put their fangs up (though this time round, with fewer die-hard fans, the audience needed some prompting as to how). The band also orchestrated a Mexican wave from one side of the room to the other, rather patronisingly asking the young crowd if they knew what a wave was before giving us step-by-step instructions, leading Al to witheringly say in my ear, "I feel like I'm at a Wiggles show".
The sound was fuzzy as it always seems to be in the Roundhouse, but the band brought a lot of energy and joy to the night, and Ryland's guitar moves were hot (white hot! *g*). The set was heavy with songs from the latest album, Hot Mess, which the adoring, party-hearty crowd loved, though I was a bit said to see only muted response for some of their equally good older material. Also, considering they have three albums to draw on, their set was ridiculously short; they played for only 45 minutes before leaving the stage. The reason for that was clear though when they returned for an eagerly awaited encore. Gabe's vocal issues have been widely reported in the last year; his singing was fine through the main set but it was obvious by the encore that his voice was shot. He continued cracking jokes with his hoarse voice though and they pushed through two more songs, closing with massive hit Good Girls Gone Bad to the crowd's cheering delight.
The City is at War
Pete Wentz is the Only Reason We're Famous
Nice Guys Finish Last
Kiss My Sass
My Moves Are White (White Hot That Is)
Wet Hot American Summer
The Church of Hot Addiction
Send My Love to the Dancefloor I'll See You in Hell (Hey Mr DJ)
Smile for the Paparazzi
Snakes on a Plane
Hot Mess
Guilty Pleasure
The Scene is Dead; Long Live the Scene
Good Girls Go Bad
* So, my first meet and greet, heh. It involved a lot of waiting in lines with young, squealy, mostly female fans. Al and I had discussed a plan of attack before our turn; we were going to stick together so we wouldn't get stuck making awkward conversation with individual band members...but we were split up as we stepped up. I awkwardly talked to Alex Suarez, the bassist, about seeing the Pixies as he signed for me, followed by the rest of the band in quick succession with little more than a quick 'hi'. Lead singer Gabe Saporta told me he was happy to see a fan of their earlier stuff - I'd brought the CD booklet of their first album - and gave me a high five when I told him it was my favourite of their albums. Al was brave enough to ask them to do hands hearts with us for our one allotted photo.
** As we sat a little aways, this kid came up and asked if he could wait with us since he was on his lonesome for the gig. He was here for support act Owl City, but after he and Al started chatting about pop-punk bands they were into, he acquiesced to give Cobra a try. :) He was adorable, not least because he thought we were still in uni, lol. But we gave ourselves away after a while of chatting about bands we'd seen, when he remarked "Wow, you guys go to a lot of shows". Of course we had, in comparison; he was probably in kindegarten when I went to my first show (I wish I were joking, but...)
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Pixies - 14 Mar 2010 - Hordern Pavilion
I remember when I missed out the last time the Pixies toured here in 2007, Al taunted (okay, gently teased) me that I might never get the chance to see them again. Hah! Luckily they returned (and will return again in July for Splendour), this time celebrating the 20th anniversary of Doolittle by playing it in its entirety. For once, I was easily among the 'youngsters'; the crowd was full of fervent fans from when the album was first released, and they showered the band with love and adoration throughout the show. The band, in turn, were visibly happy to be there, and Kim Deal's grin could, and did, light up the room (when I could see it...gah, tall people).
The show was so so good all through. They started with a four song run, all B-sides from Doolittle, building the anticipation so when the jangly guitar riff at the start of Debaser finally rang out, the room was just primed to explode in glee. Al turned to me and said, "They've still got it!" and then two seconds later, one of the guys in front of us turned to his friend and said exactly the same thing. They really did still have it - from Frank's wild growling vocal, Kim and Frank's voices in eerie harmony on Silver, those wonderful bass lines, the guitar hooks ringing out - everything sounded familiar and wonderful and not at all dated.
If I had to pick a highlight I'd pick, after a great deal of deliberation, the back-to-back amazingness of the first four songs off Doolittle, and of course Gigantic, which sounded so full and warm, and capped off a great night.
Dancing at the Manta Ray
Weird at My School
Bailey's Walk
Manta Ray
Debaser
Tame
Wave of Mutilation
I Bleed
Here Comes Your Man
Dead
Monkey Gone to Heaven
Mr. Grieves
Crackity Jones
La La Love You
No. 13 Baby
There Goes My Gun
Hey
Silver
Gouge Away
Wave of Mutilation (UK Surf version)
Into the White
Mind
Planet of Sound
Dig for Fire
Gigantic
The show was so so good all through. They started with a four song run, all B-sides from Doolittle, building the anticipation so when the jangly guitar riff at the start of Debaser finally rang out, the room was just primed to explode in glee. Al turned to me and said, "They've still got it!" and then two seconds later, one of the guys in front of us turned to his friend and said exactly the same thing. They really did still have it - from Frank's wild growling vocal, Kim and Frank's voices in eerie harmony on Silver, those wonderful bass lines, the guitar hooks ringing out - everything sounded familiar and wonderful and not at all dated.
If I had to pick a highlight I'd pick, after a great deal of deliberation, the back-to-back amazingness of the first four songs off Doolittle, and of course Gigantic, which sounded so full and warm, and capped off a great night.
Dancing at the Manta Ray
Weird at My School
Bailey's Walk
Manta Ray
Debaser
Tame
Wave of Mutilation
I Bleed
Here Comes Your Man
Dead
Monkey Gone to Heaven
Mr. Grieves
Crackity Jones
La La Love You
No. 13 Baby
There Goes My Gun
Hey
Silver
Gouge Away
Wave of Mutilation (UK Surf version)
Into the White
Mind
Planet of Sound
Dig for Fire
Gigantic
Kevin Devine - 29 Mar 2010 – East Brunswick Club (Melb)
First we had to endure a boring few hours in East Brunswick (where everything closes after 4pm, grr) then we couldn’t tear ourselves away from the pitiful support act (Black is the Colour) out of some sense of horrimusement. The lead singer slash guitarist actually introduced a song by saying it was “about AIDS and whatever”. He and the bassist looked like they were going to have a fight either on stage or immediately after the show, and they were both monumentally bitter about the fact they were a support band, constantly telling the audience gloomily that they knew we were only here to see Kevin Devine. These guys should have been thanking their lucky stars they’d managed to get a slot as a support band. It was possibly the dullest half hour I'd ever been subjected to, and Al and I only got through it by making up stories about how the band was going to break up backstage.
The room was really tiny, and it wasn't packed by the time Kevin made it on stage, but it was a warmly receptive crowd nevertheless. I am really glad that he played his own shows on this tour – it was great to see him in both settings, whether it be backed by a hard rocking band to emphasise the strength and power of his songs, or playing acoustically in small rooms where the skill of his songwriting and voice really shines. I hadn’t thought songs like Brother's Blood and Carnival – so rich in instrumentation, loud and powerful on record – could be just as good when only performed solo with just a guitar, but Kevin Devine played his voice like an instrument to give his performance greater depth and emotion. Acoustic nowadays seems to be a synonym for ‘soft and somnolent’ but in this case it was anything but – the rage and range he managed to convey with the naked voice was amazing; I get all verklempt when I think about it still.
Brother's Blood (acoustic)
The setlist was good, weaving between songs from latest album Brother’s Blood to older material and a nod to his influences with a Neutral Milk Hotel cover. Older songs saw adjustments, additional verses, like the extended Burning City Smoking. The undercurrent of political anger that drives so much of his work was more present in this solo show than the crowd-friendly support sets he’d played; that said there were still plenty of light moments during the gig, with joyful renditions of crowd favourites such as Just Stay and No Time Flat.
Kevin wandered through the crowd before the gig, calmly greeting fans who were brave enough to walk up and say hi, and he promised to stay around after the gig to talk to more people. Al, after saying very emphatically that she did not need to meet him, scored herself an impromptu chat when, at the very moment she reached the merch desk to buy her copy of Brother's Blood, Kevin came and swapped places with the merch guy! :D
Billion Bees
Brooklyn Boy
Just Stay
I Could Be with Anyone
Hand of God
Carnival
No Time Flat
Yr Husband
Burning City Smoking
Holland, 1945 (NMH cover)
(?)
Wolf’s Mouth
Another Bag of Bones
Brother’s Blood
Me and My Friends
The room was really tiny, and it wasn't packed by the time Kevin made it on stage, but it was a warmly receptive crowd nevertheless. I am really glad that he played his own shows on this tour – it was great to see him in both settings, whether it be backed by a hard rocking band to emphasise the strength and power of his songs, or playing acoustically in small rooms where the skill of his songwriting and voice really shines. I hadn’t thought songs like Brother's Blood and Carnival – so rich in instrumentation, loud and powerful on record – could be just as good when only performed solo with just a guitar, but Kevin Devine played his voice like an instrument to give his performance greater depth and emotion. Acoustic nowadays seems to be a synonym for ‘soft and somnolent’ but in this case it was anything but – the rage and range he managed to convey with the naked voice was amazing; I get all verklempt when I think about it still.
Brother's Blood (acoustic)
The setlist was good, weaving between songs from latest album Brother’s Blood to older material and a nod to his influences with a Neutral Milk Hotel cover. Older songs saw adjustments, additional verses, like the extended Burning City Smoking. The undercurrent of political anger that drives so much of his work was more present in this solo show than the crowd-friendly support sets he’d played; that said there were still plenty of light moments during the gig, with joyful renditions of crowd favourites such as Just Stay and No Time Flat.
Kevin wandered through the crowd before the gig, calmly greeting fans who were brave enough to walk up and say hi, and he promised to stay around after the gig to talk to more people. Al, after saying very emphatically that she did not need to meet him, scored herself an impromptu chat when, at the very moment she reached the merch desk to buy her copy of Brother's Blood, Kevin came and swapped places with the merch guy! :D
Billion Bees
Brooklyn Boy
Just Stay
I Could Be with Anyone
Hand of God
Carnival
No Time Flat
Yr Husband
Burning City Smoking
Holland, 1945 (NMH cover)
(?)
Wolf’s Mouth
Another Bag of Bones
Brother’s Blood
Me and My Friends
Monday, May 31, 2010
Kevin Devine / Brand New - 28 Mar 2010 – Palace Theatre (Melb)
We got onto the floor about five minutes before Kevin Devine went on stage. Once again, he was supported by his temporary band, and once again, he was in fine, energetic form. The theatre was yet to really fill, but there was a good sized audience covering about half the floor, and Kevin was well-received enough. He played the same set list as Sydney though this time Jesse Lacey came on stage to growl through a verse in the Nirvana cover. Jesse sounded hoarse and rough, but it suited the song so I thought nothing of it at the time.
Brother's Blood
Cotton Crush
Carnival
Time to Burn (Another Bag of Bones)
You're Trailing Yourself
School (Nirvana cover; with Jesse Lacey)
I Could Be With Anyone
Buried by the Buzz
Just Stay
Brother's Blood
By the time Brand New were due on stage, the theatre was packed tight. Al and I were lucky to grab a spot on the steps at the back of the floor, which gave me the best view I’ve ever had of the band. Unfortunately, Jesse had lost his voice between Sydney and Melbourne. He didn’t let up though, tearing through the first four songs of the set, the same Daisy screamfest as they did in Sydney. It was painful to listen to at times, but I appreciated that they didn’t cut the night short to save his voice, but rather did the best they could as a band. They made some great setlist changes too, again mixing old with new, adding Mix Tape (the first time I’ve heard it live!) and swapping Shower Scene for The No Seatbelt Song , Limousine for Bought a Bride.
Mix Tape
At the end of the night, Jesse closed with Play Crack the Sky solo, as he did in Sydney. Halfway through, a second figure came onto the dim stage with a guitar, then proceeded to trip over some cords, stopping Jesse in his tracks. Kevin Devine (for it was he) and Jesse then had a very cute exchange, bantering about Kevin ruining the whole performance ("you just ruined like two hours of music!"), before they tried to resume from the second verse - which Kevin missed. Lololol. Jesse’s voice was still cracking and off-key, but it was lovely to see them perform together, and they obviously enjoyed each other's presence.
Play Crack the Sky
Sound-wise, this night was a bit of a bust, but it didn't matter. I got this feeling, from both nights, that these might be the last times I see Brand New perform for a long long time, if not forever – it felt like a farewell tour, from the fantastic career-spanning setlists to the way the band connected with the audience and played to fans in a way they hadn’t always before. I think the Sydney show was slightly better - Jesse still had his voice, hometown bias, plus better overall atmosphere - but I wouldn't have missed the Melbourne show for anything, just to see them live again. I'm grateful that I got to see them supported by Kevin Devine, an artist I never would've heard of and loved had it not been for Brand New and their incestuous music making circle; and I'm glad to have had the chance to see them play such different sets each time they toured. But there was a sadness this time round too, the feeling that it was the end of an era, whether for them, or for me, or both.
Sink
Vices
Gasoline
In a Jar
Sowing Season (Yeah)
The Archers Bows Have Broken
Okay I Believe You But My Tommy Gun Don't
Sic Transit Gloria...Glory Fades
Mix Tape
The Shower Scene
Jude Law and a Semester Abroad
Seventy Times 7
Jesus
You Won't Know
Degausser
You Stole
At the Bottom
Limousine
Play Crack the Sky (with Kevin Devine)
Brother's Blood
Cotton Crush
Carnival
Time to Burn (Another Bag of Bones)
You're Trailing Yourself
School (Nirvana cover; with Jesse Lacey)
I Could Be With Anyone
Buried by the Buzz
Just Stay
Brother's Blood
By the time Brand New were due on stage, the theatre was packed tight. Al and I were lucky to grab a spot on the steps at the back of the floor, which gave me the best view I’ve ever had of the band. Unfortunately, Jesse had lost his voice between Sydney and Melbourne. He didn’t let up though, tearing through the first four songs of the set, the same Daisy screamfest as they did in Sydney. It was painful to listen to at times, but I appreciated that they didn’t cut the night short to save his voice, but rather did the best they could as a band. They made some great setlist changes too, again mixing old with new, adding Mix Tape (the first time I’ve heard it live!) and swapping Shower Scene for The No Seatbelt Song , Limousine for Bought a Bride.
Mix Tape
At the end of the night, Jesse closed with Play Crack the Sky solo, as he did in Sydney. Halfway through, a second figure came onto the dim stage with a guitar, then proceeded to trip over some cords, stopping Jesse in his tracks. Kevin Devine (for it was he) and Jesse then had a very cute exchange, bantering about Kevin ruining the whole performance ("you just ruined like two hours of music!"), before they tried to resume from the second verse - which Kevin missed. Lololol. Jesse’s voice was still cracking and off-key, but it was lovely to see them perform together, and they obviously enjoyed each other's presence.
Play Crack the Sky
Sound-wise, this night was a bit of a bust, but it didn't matter. I got this feeling, from both nights, that these might be the last times I see Brand New perform for a long long time, if not forever – it felt like a farewell tour, from the fantastic career-spanning setlists to the way the band connected with the audience and played to fans in a way they hadn’t always before. I think the Sydney show was slightly better - Jesse still had his voice, hometown bias, plus better overall atmosphere - but I wouldn't have missed the Melbourne show for anything, just to see them live again. I'm grateful that I got to see them supported by Kevin Devine, an artist I never would've heard of and loved had it not been for Brand New and their incestuous music making circle; and I'm glad to have had the chance to see them play such different sets each time they toured. But there was a sadness this time round too, the feeling that it was the end of an era, whether for them, or for me, or both.
Sink
Vices
Gasoline
In a Jar
Sowing Season (Yeah)
The Archers Bows Have Broken
Okay I Believe You But My Tommy Gun Don't
Sic Transit Gloria...Glory Fades
Mix Tape
The Shower Scene
Jude Law and a Semester Abroad
Seventy Times 7
Jesus
You Won't Know
Degausser
You Stole
At the Bottom
Limousine
Play Crack the Sky (with Kevin Devine)
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Kevin Devine / Brand New - 25 Mar 2010 - Enmore Theatre
I have no objectivity left regarding these two artists/bands. Let's just say that last night was AMAZING and I am so glad that I will get to see them at least once again in the next week. They met my stratospheric expectations and went beyond. I'll try to write a proper review of the run of shows when I get back from Melbourne...
OK, so it's two months later, and I still have hearteyes when I think about this night.
I'd seen Kevin Devine once before, on a sidestage at Lollapalooza with his Goddamn Band, and it was one of my highlights of the festival. I didn't hold much hope for seeing him again, not in Australia at least, for he had practically no profile here; so you can guess how ecstatic I was when I discovered not only were one of my favourite bands, Brand New, returning to Australia, they were bringing Kevin Devine, a friend of theirs, as the support.
He'd played a solo acoustic gig at the Annadale the night before (which I kinda regret missing now) but in his support slot, Kevin Devine was amped and backed by a temporary band that included Brand New's Vinnie Acardi on guitar. They played a great set, mostly of his punchier songs, which suited the excited crowd and atmosphere. I was blown away, once again, by the power and emotion in his music; Brother's Blood is electrifyingly intense live, with its slow burning passion, building up to the dizzying climax of his throaty screams of 'my sorry heart' and the guitar wailing its solo after to lead to its weary, quiet end.
Cotton Crush
Carnival
Time to Burn (Another Bag of Bones)
You're Trailing Yourself
School (Nirvana cover)I Could Be With Anyone
Buried by the Buzz
Just Stay
Brother's Blood
Even though not all fans have embraced last year's album, Daisy, as they have the two before it, there was a buzzing crowd waiting in the Enmore for Brand New. They started with a scream-tastic block of songs from Daisy, loud and raucous and bold, but it wasn't until the fifth song - Sowing Season from previous album The Devil and God are Raging Inside Me - that the crowd really went nuts. Al noted that the set was a travel back in time, going from Daisy to TDAGARIM then back to Deja Entendu and then even further back to poppier favourites from first album Your Favourite Weapon.
This unexpected but welcomed dip into the past was part of what made this concert feel like one for the fans. While I love them to bits, the previous times I've seen Brand New there's always been a level of disconnect between band and audience, as if they, in keeping with the inward looking music, were often playing for themselves and no one else. This time, the music was still in turn angry and restless with energy, but the atmosphere overall was somewhat lighter and less introspective; the band seemed to have gotten the hang on enjoying themselves, losing themselves in the music, while bringing the audience along with them.
It wasn't all sweetness and light though; the second half of the set was dominated by moodier songs, a reminder of how hauntingly good Brand New are with the painful, the emotional. No encore, but the set was so satisfying - in length, in song choice, in performance - that I didn't mind. And I left with my fannish fervour renewed, and with even greater anticipation for the Melbourne shows.
Sink
Vices
Gasoline
In a Jar
Sowing Season (Yeah)
The Archers Bows Have Broken
Okay I Believe You But My Tommy Gun Don't
Sic Transit Gloria...Glory Fades
The No Seatbelt Song
Jude Law and a Semester Abroad
Seventy Times 7
Jesus
You Won't Know
Degausser
You Stole
Bought A Bride
At the Bottom
Play Crack the Sky
OK, so it's two months later, and I still have hearteyes when I think about this night.
I'd seen Kevin Devine once before, on a sidestage at Lollapalooza with his Goddamn Band, and it was one of my highlights of the festival. I didn't hold much hope for seeing him again, not in Australia at least, for he had practically no profile here; so you can guess how ecstatic I was when I discovered not only were one of my favourite bands, Brand New, returning to Australia, they were bringing Kevin Devine, a friend of theirs, as the support.
He'd played a solo acoustic gig at the Annadale the night before (which I kinda regret missing now) but in his support slot, Kevin Devine was amped and backed by a temporary band that included Brand New's Vinnie Acardi on guitar. They played a great set, mostly of his punchier songs, which suited the excited crowd and atmosphere. I was blown away, once again, by the power and emotion in his music; Brother's Blood is electrifyingly intense live, with its slow burning passion, building up to the dizzying climax of his throaty screams of 'my sorry heart' and the guitar wailing its solo after to lead to its weary, quiet end.
Cotton Crush
Carnival
Time to Burn (Another Bag of Bones)
You're Trailing Yourself
School (Nirvana cover)I Could Be With Anyone
Buried by the Buzz
Just Stay
Brother's Blood
Even though not all fans have embraced last year's album, Daisy, as they have the two before it, there was a buzzing crowd waiting in the Enmore for Brand New. They started with a scream-tastic block of songs from Daisy, loud and raucous and bold, but it wasn't until the fifth song - Sowing Season from previous album The Devil and God are Raging Inside Me - that the crowd really went nuts. Al noted that the set was a travel back in time, going from Daisy to TDAGARIM then back to Deja Entendu and then even further back to poppier favourites from first album Your Favourite Weapon.
This unexpected but welcomed dip into the past was part of what made this concert feel like one for the fans. While I love them to bits, the previous times I've seen Brand New there's always been a level of disconnect between band and audience, as if they, in keeping with the inward looking music, were often playing for themselves and no one else. This time, the music was still in turn angry and restless with energy, but the atmosphere overall was somewhat lighter and less introspective; the band seemed to have gotten the hang on enjoying themselves, losing themselves in the music, while bringing the audience along with them.
It wasn't all sweetness and light though; the second half of the set was dominated by moodier songs, a reminder of how hauntingly good Brand New are with the painful, the emotional. No encore, but the set was so satisfying - in length, in song choice, in performance - that I didn't mind. And I left with my fannish fervour renewed, and with even greater anticipation for the Melbourne shows.
Sink
Vices
Gasoline
In a Jar
Sowing Season (Yeah)
The Archers Bows Have Broken
Okay I Believe You But My Tommy Gun Don't
Sic Transit Gloria...Glory Fades
The No Seatbelt Song
Jude Law and a Semester Abroad
Seventy Times 7
Jesus
You Won't Know
Degausser
You Stole
Bought A Bride
At the Bottom
Play Crack the Sky
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