Klaxons @ The Tivoli, Fortitude Valley (27/10/07)

Klaxons

It was strange lining up at The Tivoli at 3pm on a Saturday afternoon. Even stranger was being in a line with a bunch of under 18 year olds as I was going to the all ages concert. It was so incredibly hot waiting in that line especially since doors didn’t open on time. The atmosphere was crazy, the under 18’s go off, I don’t think I have seen a mosh-pit so big at The Tivoli before. The crowd was loud but the Klaxons were even louder. The Klaxons pumped out a very enthusiastic set of their psychedelic rock. I was sceptical about going to an all ages gig, but the crowd really made this concert. I don’t think I would like to go to too many all-ages gigs, but they are definitely not as bad or annoying as I had imagined. Gravity’s Rainbow along with Golden Skans and Atlantis to Interzone were all major highlights. Probably most of all Atlantis to Interzone as this is where the Klaxons really take that psychedelic edge up a notch, such a high energy song and the crowd just soaks it all up. On a technical side the light show was pretty good, but the sound was good for the most part albeit too loud. It was so strange when I left The Tivoli afterwards. It was only 5pm so it was still hot outside and the sun still shining.

Performance 7.5
Technical 7

Ben Kweller with Iron On @ The Zoo, Fortitude Valley (24/10/07)

Iron On

Once again I was at The Zoo and experiencing the truly woeful sound that went beyond just poor mixing, it was also far too loud and as a result all the vocals became muffled. This was obviously not bands fault at all, as even they were complaining about the volume being far too loud. It has been quite a while since I have heard anything from Iron On and the new stuff (from what I could make out though the painful sound mixing) seems to … well be better. Iron On struggled with their on stage performance due the incredibly horrific sound mixing and volume. The Zoo is capable of good sound, such as the set that followed for one.

Performance 6
Technical 3


Ben Kweller

I had waited far too long for this. First thing I am sure everyone noticed was that we could not only hear Ben’s voice but listen to it comfortably. Ben opened with I Need You Back and a much more alternate country vibe builds with Family Tree and numerous new tracks. Ben turns solo for a bit and delivers a tingling crowd sung version of On My Way and a beautiful cover of Brian Wilson’s God Only Knows. Only further proving that Ben Kweller is not only a fantastic singer/songwriter but also a great performer, who knows how to build the intimacy even in a pack hot stuffy Zoo. The set takes another turn and sees Ben Kweller with the band back on stage to give us Hospital Bed and Make It Up. Ben Kweller admits to us that this is his first time in Brisbane without visiting the casino, at which point his bassist attempts a spontaneous version of Steve Miller Band’s The Joker. Ben jokes that The Gambler would be more appropriate, but the bassist wins out and a somewhat comical version develops. Sundress was the last song of the main set, which left me hopeful that Ready and Wasted was still to come (along with some other hits of Ben’s). However it was not to be with the band returning to only perform The Rules before the ugly light come on, and the crowd disperses into the night.

This set was proof that good sound is possible at The Zoo. It will never be great or amazing sound quality due to the complete lack of acoustics that The Zoo offers, but good is possible.

Performance 9
Technical 7.5

Kate Miller-Heidke with Tara Simmons, and Liam Griffin @ The Globe, Fortitude Valley (13/10/07)

Liam Griffin

As I arrived late I only got to see Liam Griffin’s last song. Since the gig I have listened to a few of Liam’s tracks on his MySpace and I am a bit disappointed that I didn’t get to see more of Liam’s set. Liam list of influences is pretty awesome: “The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Jeff Buckley, Coldplay, Miles Davis, Silverchair, Radiohead, The Dears, Arcade Fire, Rufus Wainwright, Elbow, Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds, Muse, Gomez, The Shins.” Check him out if you are still interested.


Tara Simmons

Tara Simmons has an interesting sound that combines, acoustically driven cello and keys with bits of pre-recorded electronica from a laptop. The result is a lot better than that description might lead you to believe, however still odd. Ballet was probably the highlight song for me. Not really my sort of thing, and I probably wont seek Tara out on her own, but I wouldn’t avoid her if she was a support.

Performance 6
Technical 7


Kate Miller-Heidke

Pretty much the same show as last night, same set list. But the whole show just seemed to be better, don’t know if it was the atmosphere as both shows went on sale at the same time. See the previous review for set list. Kate gig has one drunken heckler which she handled like the professional that she is.

Performance 9.5
Technical 8

Kate Miller-Heidke with Kristy London & The Other Halves, and Jacob Diefenbach @ The Globe, Fortitude Valley (12/10/07)

Jacob Diefenbach

Jacob Diefenbach screams musical theatre all rolled into a one man (boy) show. His technique on the keyboard doesn’t look relaxed which makes me think that Jacob is mostly self-taught. Jacob’s enthusiasm and honesty shines through like the big bright show lights of Broadway. Jacob’s younger days as a gay teen growing up in the central Queensland town of Rockhampton has provided him with a fair dose of material to draw from. Jacob both reflects back to the past and looks to future with a breath of fresh air and humour. Jacob’s highlight song of the night for me was Take Him Screaming.

Performance 6.5
Technical 7


Kristy London & The Other Halves

Kristy London & The Other Halves bring some indie rock to the Brisvegas scene (also not to mention the very sequin-esk dress of Kristy). Kristy London and The Other Halves produce a varied sound though never steering to far away from their distinctive indie rock sound (soft though to some quite hard and heavy). Although Kristy London & The Other Halves music isn’t off putting it didn’t really grab me. I have a feeling that they may struggle to gain popularity. I didn’t find Kristy London particularly entertaining with her on stage performance. There were a couple of technical hiccups.

Performance 6
Technical 6.5


Kate Miller-Heidke

Set list style review, because we should all know by now what I think of this amazing chanteuse.

Out & In – this is appears to becoming Kate’s opening song, no complaints here, it is a beautiful song to open with
Little Adam – always a hit, Kate’s vocals never fail to impress
Make it Last – the current single so it gets the crowd going
Mama – strong vocals with some gritty guitar
Ducks Don’t Need Satellites – simple really isn’t it
Dreams – the song that was inspired by a bit of nasty unrequited love

Intermission: Speed of Red (Sally and Kier) – Sally and Kier show off for us, usually a costume change would occur here but not tonight.

Bored With Me – inspired by the “cunt” (Kate’s words I swear) that became bored with her
Apartment
Shoebox – does anyone else get the feeling that Kate doesn’t like living in an apartment
I Got The Way – inspired by catching the train to school, Ben McCarthy is really impressive during this song with his one handed bass action and a shaker in the other
You’re the Voice – yep the Kate Miller-Heidke cover of a John Farnham classic
Australian Idol
Words – the first single from Little Adam

Encore: Space They Cannot Touch – probably my favourite Kate Miller-Heidke song

I would have like to have seen, some more older stuff in there as well, like Blah Blah, but all in all it was a great set.

Performance 9
Technical 8

Angus and Julia Stone with The Orange Bird @ The Tivoli, Fortitude Valley (05/10/07)

The Orange Bird

The Orange Bird played an eclectic set, crossing all genres from folk to alternative to experimental to roots, all with a minimalist theme. If you mix The Stranglers with a smaller version of The White Buffalo you might be somewhere in the ball park. I quite liked some of The Orange Birds songs, however during the more experimental bursts throughout the set it was hard to determine where one song finished and the next began (a little too experimental for my liking). Free to Burn is one song that really got my attention and I don’t really know why. The Orange Bird seemed to quite enjoy performing and appeared relaxed on stage. Technical side of things were pretty good, but did struggle with the mixing at times (that tends to happen with experimental music).

Performance 6.5
Technical 7.5


Angus and Julia Stone


I have been trying to get and see Angus and Julia Stone for ages, but their Brisbane dates always seemed to clash with something else that I already had tickets for. And what a very cool pair of siblings they are. Even though Angus and Julia Stone were performing before a sold out Tivoli crowd they both have this ability (warmth) to strip that away and create a very intimate atmosphere. Angus and Julia interact with the crowd well and occasionally explain the underlying inspiration for their songs (or Julia just gets side tracked telling a little story). The major highlights of the set were Paper Aeroplane, Wasted, Private Lawns and The Beast. Angus and Julia Stone just create such a relaxed environment that allows their beautiful music just to flow over you and leaves all warm and fuzzy and thinking about the simple things in life. (Clichéd, I know.) The sound was quickly bought up to a high standard after just a few songs and the volume was just right. I can’t wait to see these guys in Brisbane again (I just hope I don’t already have tickets to something).

P.S. I probably just jinxed myself.

Performance 9
Technical 9

Birds of Tokyo with Soft White Machine, and The Gallant @ The Zoo, Fortitude Valley (04/10/07)

All bands, in particular local bands, need to heed this warning:
“Don’t trust The Zoo sound techs with your music. Provide your own tried, tested and trusted sound techs. Please. For your sake and ours.”

The Gallant

The Gallant was a band that I had never even heard of, although they did seem to have quite a few fans in the small early crowd. Unfortunately the sound was terrible. However like a lot of new alternative rock bands they focus too much on the instrumental side. Producing a hard hitting rock sound and not paying a great deal of attention to their vocals. I can see how some of the Birds of Tokyo fans may have appreciated this music. However I am not one of them. I doubt I will seek The Gallant out again. In fact if they were to a support at a future gig it would give me a good reason to turn up late. The sound was just woeful, even for The Zoo’s standard.

Performance 5.5
Technical 3


Soft White Machine

Soft White Machine was only a mild improvement on The Gallant. The vocals were slightly better, from what I could hear anyway, the sound mixing was appalling. Soft White Machine is everything but soft, they describe themselves as progressive rock, I would go further and say that they are progressive hard rock. A couple of Soft White Machine’s songs have potential. Soft White Machine was only able to hold my attention for a couple of songs. I just don’t think this kind of music is my thing.

Performance 5.5
Technical 4


Birds of Tokyo

The crowd has grown dramatically and has tightly gathered in front of the stage for the arrival of Birds of Tokyo, and remains tightly packed for the first few songs. Before the heat of an un-air-conditioned Zoo becomes too much and the crowd spreads outs. The biggest disappointment for me again was the sound. The mixing was dreadful and it was far too loud. A huge part of the Birds of Tokyo’s sound is Ian Kenny’s fantastic vocals, which you couldn’t hear due to the incompetent mixing. Typical highlights were Wayside, Off Kilter, Minor War and my personal favourite which they opened with Black Sheets. Birds of Tokyo seem to have a harder sound live (although this gig is not the best to judge that). Birds of Tokyo look really good on stage and the crowd respond accordingly (I didn’t expect such a hardcore crowd). All I can hope is that when these guys return they either play a decent venue or ensure someone they can trust is on sound.

Performance 6.5
Technical 2.5

Mt Augustus with Rooftop Nightwatch @ Ric’s Bar, Fortitude Valley (09/08/07)

Rooftop Nightwatch

I later found out that this was Rooftop Nightwatch’s debut show, quite impressive albeit a bit nervous. Rooftop Nightwatch managed to pump out a tight indie-pop sound. The set involved a lot of instrument changes, similar to what you expect from Mt Augustus. I suppose that’s what happens when the bands influences goes as far as some of the band members coming from other local Brisbane bands such as The John Steele Singers, Mt Augustus and Roman History. Once these guys become a bit more comfortable on stage, I am sure they will be one band hard to miss on the Brisbane local scene.

Performance 6
Technical 6.5


Mt Augustus

I have said it before, I really like Mt Augustus. Their sound is getting better and better regardless of how self-deprecating Cam attempts to be. I am sure they are learning just as much about some of their instruments as I am about their sound. Cam’s vocals still amaze me they have matured beautifully. I really need to get along to some more local gigs. The Brisbane scene is alive and well. The true highlights of the set for me were The Warmest Winter and Club Soda. There was a couple of technical hiccups, but quite good considering the cramped space of the Ric’s downstairs bar.

Performance 6.5
Technical 6

The Cure @ BEC, Boondall (08/08/07)

The Cure

This was an experience. The Cure were on stage for almost 3 hours, performed a total of 38 songs.

Main Set:
Tape
Open
alt.end
A Night Like This
The Walk
The End of The World
Lovesong
Pictures of You
Lullaby
Catch
Hot Hot Hot!!!
Push
Inbetween Days
Friday I'm In Love
Just Like Heaven
Primary
Shake Dog Shake
Never Enough - as a three piece, Robert didn't play guitar
From The Edge of The Deep Green Sea
A Strange Day
Wrong Number
One Hundred Years
Shiver and Shake
End

Encore 1:
Let's Go To Bed
Close To Me
Why Can't I Be You?

Encore 2:
At Night
M
Play For Today
A Forest

Encore 3:
Three Imaginary Boys
Fire in Cairo
Boys Don't Cry
Jumping Someone Else's Train
Grinding Halt
10:15 Saturday Night
Killing an Arab

I use to think that The Cure created somewhat simplistic alternative rock music. However after seeing them perform live the talent of all the band members really stood out. It’s a testament to their music creating abilities. I guess I assumed their music was a bit simplistic purely because of the fact that it sounds so right. Weak explanation, I know. The highly tuned skill that each member of The Cure exudes with their chosen instrument is nothing short of amazing. The guitar expertise is most noticeable. The accompanying light show filled the BEC and added to the whole experience (albeit slightly annoying at times, I don’t particularly like lights that shine directly into my eyes. The crowd was a mix of the old fans from the early 80’s right through to teens that probably have only just discovered The Cure. Like I said, “This was an experience”.

Performance 10
Technical 9.5

Arctic Monkeys with Operator Please @ The Tivoli, Fortitude Valley (04/08/07)

Operator Please

I had the opportunity to see Operator Please at the Big Day Out earlier in the year. Whilst I think their performance at the Big Day Out was slightly better, I must admit that the crowd warmed to them better here. I guess that’s what happens when you get a fair amount of national air time, and have such infectious catchy songs. Big hits with the crowd were all the usual suspects of Just a Song About Ping Pong and Get What You Want.

Performance 6.5
Technical 8.5


Arctic Monkeys

I don’t think I have seen The Tivoli crowd so packed. The main floor area was packed with eager fans with the balcony equally packed with fans hanging out and over the railing to try and improve their view of the stage. I haven’t been in such an enthusiastic crowd for some time. The crowd really made this a great experience. They were singing along, dancing, throwing their hands up in the air. Every song was a highlight. The Tivoli just had such a great atmosphere all night. The only disappointment came when the last song was played and we all had to go home. I said in a previous review that was undecided about the Arctic Monkeys. That is no longer the case with the continued superb releases since then and following it all up with live show like this one. This is yet another band that I will be taking an interest in and eagerly await the next full length release.

Performance 9
Technical 9.5