Zunker's Awesomest Music Reviews

Spunk Rock @ A & I Hall, Bangalow, NSW (21/01/08)

2008-01-25T22:29:00.001+10:00

Spunk Rock was a 10th birthday celebration for Spunk Records. Spunk Records is an Australian Label that looks after the releases of some independent artists (and distributed through EMI). Well, Spunk Rock was a very different and memorable experience all round. Tickets were only available though the Love Police website, there was very limited advertising (if any). The venue was a small country town hall in the little town of Bangalow in northern NSW (about 2 hours south of Brisbane). The event was BYO and had a strange vibe that brought back memories of the end of year concerts from primary school. When I arrived there was a fair amount of disorganisation, they were running a bit late with opening the doors, but no one seemed to mind. The even was a community group (something like the rural fire-fighters) were there selling curry and soft drinks. The concert had an overall birthday vibe with the crowd singing happy birthday once to Spunk Records. And later in the night all the artists came out and sung happy birthday to Spunk Records one more time. I was quite impressed with the sound quality given the venue, but it’s amazing what a qualified sound technician can achieve. (I assume Spunk Records used one of there own guys and possible their own gear, so it should have been good.)

Jack Ladder

I wasn’t particularly drawn into Jack Ladder’s set. I didn’t find the music bad in the same way I didn’t find it great. Mostly a matter of personal taste I think. Jack Ladder’s performance came across nervous and awkward. My lack of enthusiasm for these earlier acts on might have had something to do with how excited I was about the international acts.

Performance 5.5
Technical 7.5

Holly Throsby

I thought I would have really enjoyed Holly Throsby live. I quite like her music and I have started too really like this style of female vocally drive soft-folk. But once again I had trouble getting into her set. I would like to see Holly Throsby live again before I make up my mind about her live performances, but I do like some of her recorded stuff.

Performance 6
Technical 8

Joanna Newsom

I was so excited to finally see Joanna Newsom live. I had only heard great things about her live performances. Joanna Newsom lived up to all those expectations. What a truly talented musician, and its not everyday you get to see a harpist. The great technical skill that Joanna Newsom exhibits on this beautiful instrument is absolutely mesmerising. I will grant that her music didn’t particularly fit-in all that well with the other artists in this line up, but I was still blown away. I will definitely be seeing Joanna Newsom next time she is in the country.

Performance 8
Technical 8

Jens Lekman

I don’t know how anyone couldn’t be left smiling after seeing Jens Lekman live. Jens was so charismatic and funny that even the toughest bloke would have be left swaying to his music with a great big girly smile. This is music that just makes you feel happy. Jens was working as a solo act at this show so he was doing some looping and the like to add a bit more depth and commented that he is no Andrew Bird. The totally combination of Jens Lekman’s feel good songs, dreamy eyes, warm vocals and charisma is more than enough to melt anyone heart. A truly remarkable musician, I hope to see him again very soon.

Performance 8.5
Technical 9

Andrew Bird

I hadn’t really had much exposure to Andrew Bird’s music prior to this concert. However I was aware about the rather large amount of rapidly growing hype around him and his new album. What an interesting live performer. His music is quite remarkable and performing as a solo act he shows off his talent of mastering his own looping with great ease. If I had to pick one word to describe Andrew Bird’s live performance I would say have to say eccentric. Very entertaining to watch and amazing what you can do just with a violin. I look forward to seeing him again when he returns.

Performance 9
Technical 9

Spoon

Even though I was very excited about seeing these guys I skipped seeing them at the Big Day Out (to get in the D for Arcade Fire). Well I was very impressed with their set (even if it was a bit too loud, but the mixing was still superb). I like it when bands can live up to and exceed your expectations at a live show. My love for Spoon’s music has only grown even more since seeing them live. Yet again I can’t wait for these guys to return.

Performance 9
Technical 8.5

Big Day Out @ Parklands, Gold Coast (20/01/08)

2008-01-24T21:20:00.004+10:00

Well a year had past and I had forgotten about the badly aching legs from the last Big Day Out. This was yet another line up not to be missed. (Not quite as good as the 2007 line up but then Muse-Tool headline is near impossible to top.) My plans at this year Big Day Out changed quite a bit since I decided kind of last minute to go to Spunk Rock.

The John Steel Singers (V Energy Stage)
The John Steel Singers attracted a decent size crowd for 11am. All members performed well and were well received by the crowd. With their catchy songs and recent air time on triple j, things are really starting to move along for The John Steel Singers. And, I know the bass player. How cool am I? I know someone who played at Big Day Out. Yeah. Jealous?

Performance 6.5
Technical 7

The Gin Club (Green Stage)
The Gin Club are another great Brisbane band churning out some of the most entertaining acoustic folk rock that you will ever hear. These guys always look like they are having the best time on stage. Only saw the last 15mins of their set but what I did see was quite good. You will be hearing more from The Gin Club in the near future I am sure.

Performance 6.5
Technical 7

British India (Green Stage)
British India gets the award for the loudest band. Not that surprising with a sound that combines hard to heavy rock with punk influences. The crowd got right into this set, and there was a sudden influx of people as the rain started to come down. The atmosphere was good and I quite enjoyed their set.

Performance 7
Technical 7

Josh Pyke (Green Stage)
Josh Pyke has had one of the quickest rises of any Australian artist in recent time; starting in mid 2006 with his first Brisbane headlining show at The Troubadour, only to return later that year to play The Zoo, then again in mid 2007 to play The Tivoli, finishing 2007 in the Concert Hall at QPAC, and in front of sold-out crowds. And now playing to a packed Green Stage at the Big Day Out, a truly talented singer/songwriter. I can’t wait to see what he does for his next album. I only caught the first 15 minutes of Josh Pyke’s set, but what I did see was good, sound was bit screwed (too loud really for Josh Pyke’s acoustically driven music).

Performance 7
Technical 6.5

Kate Nash (Essential Stage)
This was another one of those unfortunate events where the technical side of things was so bad that is was hard to really enjoy the performance. The mixing was just woeful. The vocals were lost, instrumentation wasn’t balanced. Surely it isn’t that complicated music to mix. I mean The Gin Club had 10 musicians on stage and the sound techs coped with that, likewise with the 11 strong Arcade Fire. It wouldn’t be fair to judge Kate Nash solely on this performance as I am sure with a competent sound tech this would have been a much more enjoyable set. The sound did get marginally better as the set progressed, but it still wasn’t good.

Performance 6.5
Technical 5

Then there was some lunch before we headed to the main stage to make sure we were in the D for Arcade Fire which was some 3 hours in advance. We got in without too much problem this year, and unlike last year there was a lot of movement in and out of the D (which is good). Yet again the Big Day Out organisers stuffed up the big video screens set up at the main stage. They still think that you can have an outdoor screen without a black surround that provides the contrast so it’s easier to see the picture.

Midnight Juggernauts (Orange Stage)
I had actually wanted to see Midnight Juggernauts for a while but never really was keen enough to pay for a gig. Well I enjoyed their set and they have some pretty eager and excitable fans, which added to a great atmosphere. I was pleasantly surprised by their live performance. However I still don’t know if I am keen enough to go out of my way to see them again, they just didn’t quite win me over. Road to Recovery and Shadows were the two main highlights of the set.

Performance 7
Technical 7

Regurgitator (Blue Stage)
I haven’t really been all that impressed with Regurgitator’s last few releases. The last album of theirs that I really liked was …art. They did perform well and where looking pretty stylish all dressed in white. The crowd was up and dancing. Naturally the highlight for most of the crowd was Polyester Girl.

Performance 7
Technical 7

Hilltop Hoods (Orange Stage)
I was quite impressed with the Hilltop Hoods. The only draw back to seeing the Hilltop Hoods live is the type of people this type of music attracts. We have stereotypes for a reason people, because they exist. A great example was when one of these “fans” tried to converse with me. “Oh look man they are doing it with an orchestra”, she said pointing to the string quartet. Naturally I said nothing. With intelligence like that one can’t help but think that this fantastic music is wasted on people who simply don’t have the capacity to comprehend it.

Performance 8
Technical 8

Grinspoon (Blue Stage)
Grinspoon were better than I was anticipating and crowd just went off. I have seen Grinspoon a number of times before so I was quite impressed with how well they got the crowd going. Most likely had lot to do with their new album Alibis and Other Lies which has given Grinspoon a newer and slightly more upbeat sound.

Performance 8
Technical 8

Arcade Fire (Orange Stage)
Now the main reason for me coming to this year’s Big Day Out. Arcade Fire did not disappoint. All 11 band members that were on stage are all individually and extraordinarily talented, with most members changing/rotating instruments for each song and each joining in with the vocals. And I have nothing but respect for a band who tours with a pipe organ. The set list was as follows:

Wake Up
Keep The Car Running (Antichrist Television Blues)
Neighbourhood #2 (Laika)
No Cars Go
Haiti
Black Wave/Bad Vibrations
Intervention
Neighbourhood #1 (Tunnels)
Neighbourhood #3 (Power Out)
Rebellion (Lies)

Intervention and Wake Up, Keep The Car Running were my personal highlights, although the whole set was astounding. Towards the end of the set the percussionist (at the time) ran out into the crowd beating his drum and running around the D which really got the crowd going and some security guards left wondering what the hell was going on. Truly remarkable performance, they get a 10 and it was only a festival performance. I think if I see them on their own headlining tour I might explode … or something.

Performance 10
Technical 9

Silverchair (Blue Stage)
Now for the biggest mistake of my 2008 Big Day Out, being close enough to the main stage to still hear Silverchair’s pitiful set. I should have left the D and seen Unkle in the Boiler Room. Daniel Johns just seemed out of it, drunk most likely. He was constantly trying to get the crowd to cheer. That kind of shit just doesn’t work at a festival … unless you are doing an exceptional job, which Silverchair most certainly were not. Paul Mac was accompanying Silverchair on stage I would have much preferred to here Paul Mac play some solo stuff than listen to Silverchair. The crowd really wanted to hear something from Frogstomp (Silverchair’s first album) but they didn’t deliver. Now I know they must get sick of playing the stuff they wrote when they were only 14, but that is what got them to where they are today, it’s a part of who they are. The only reprieve we got was when they closed with Freak.

Performance 5
Technical 7.5

Björk (Orange Stage)
Only Björk could get away with being lead onto the stage by a marching band without it coming across totally pretentious. OK maybe it was pretentious but Björk can totally pull it off. This whole stage show was stimulating, with the full brass band, the costumes and the awesome laser show. If you have the chance to see Björk, you must. Even if you don’t particularly like her music, the randomness and purely questionable art (isn’t that true art, ok too deep a discussion for here) will surely entertain you.

Performance 9
Technical 9.5

The Lord of Lightning
The link above is the best thing I could find on the interwebs about these guys that shows what they do. This is cool for anyone, but way cooler for the physicists, electrical engineers, nerds and geeks alike. Essentially you have two guys wearing metallic mesh suits (that acts as a faraday cage) that climb on top of Tesla coils and put on a show with huge arcs of electricity and have a “fight” with said arcs.

LCD Soundsystem (Boiler Room)
I caught the last 40 minutes of LCD Soundsystem, which was great. The Boiler Room was practically empty for this time of night, you could casually walk right up to the stage or hang back a bit about a third of the way back in the marquee and have heaps of room to dance. The lack of people had something to do with some band that got back together called “Rage Against The Machine”. Anyway LCD Soundsystem put everything into their very energetic performance. I was glad I didn’t miss them.

Performance 9
Technical 8.5

Rage Against The Machine (Blue Stage)
After LCD Soundsystem I did pop around to the check out the crowd in front of the main stage for Rage Against The Machine. It was insane and I was glad that I didn’t bother. For those of you who know how the Big Day Out main stage is set up the mosh-pit extended beyond the D barrier all the way back to the entrance to the D. Insane!

Top three bands from this year’s Big Day Out (in my opinion) in order were:
Arcade Fire
Björk
LCD Soundsystem

Sufjan Stevens with Pikelet @ The Tivoli, Fortitude Valley (10/01/08)

2008-01-12T10:55:00.002+10:00

Pikelet

I found it difficult to get into Pikelet’s set and when she describes her own music as both ambient and psychedelic it’s no wonder I was having trouble. The sound is very different verging on the experimental and I found it all a bit intrusive (probably not the word I am really after), definitely not easy listening. It was a peculiar choice of support for someone like Sufjan Stevens.

Performance 6
Technical 7

Sufjan Stevens

It was always going to be hard for Sufjan Stevens to live up to the hype and my expectations. I was excited to be seeing him accompanied with a full band including a brass section. However the songs I enjoyed the most throughout the set were the stripped back acoustic/solo songs. Sufjan seemed to struggle with his vocals when he was backed by the full band, seemed to lose that softness which just makes everyone go all gooey inside. Don’t get me wrong Sufjan Stevens is a wonderful performer. My expectations were just set ridiculously high. Sufjan Stevens was captivating in a similar way to José González. Then there was the cake, someone baked a cake for Sufjan Stevens and after receiving the cake Sufjan expressed his thanks with a “I love you guys”. The set just flew by in what felt like about half the time. I would love to see Sufjan Stevens perform a solo/acoustic set (to a seated Tivoli).

Performance 8
Technical 9

José González with Emily Barker @ The Tivoli, Fortitude Valley (03/01/08)

2008-01-04T12:49:00.002+10:00

Emily Barker

Emily Barker warmed the crowd up with a big plate of alt-country with a side of folk for good measure. I didn’t find Emily all that captivating, but that probably had a lot to do with the fact that I was pretty pumped to see José González. Personally I think Emily Barker’s music would serve as a good soundtrack as background music to quiet Sunday session (at the pub) in the mid-afternoon. The music is there to allow everyone to relax and reflect with friends on the week past.

Performance 6
Technical 7

José González

It was simply astonishing to see the raw talent of this amazing musician in person. His technique with the guitar was so refined that it looked RSI inducing. I probably have never been so captivated by one musician before. What was a 75 minute set felt like only 30 minutes the time just flew by. This is a bittersweet thing. Good, as it is proof that it was indeed a captivating and highly enjoyable set to witness. Bad, as it seemed to be all over way too soon. If you want to see an absolutely captivating and thoroughly entertaining acoustic musician, you must see José González.

Performance 9
Technical 8

Nevereverland: Daft Punk, SebastiAn & Kavinsky, The Presets, and Cut Copy @ Riverstage, Brisbane (20/12/07)

2007-12-29T22:03:00.000+10:00

Cut Copy

I was pretty keen to see Cut Copy, given all the hype. Cut Copy performed a pretty tight set with major highlights were So Haunted and Hearts on Fire (which incidentally is a song I really like). I am not typically a huge fan of DJ/Dance music, but I can appreciate what these guys are doing. I wouldn’t say they lived up to the hype but most DJ/Dance acts don’t tend to be that entertaining as a stage act.

Performance 6.5
Technical 8.5

The Presets

The Preset delivered a set that was high energy and entertaining to watch. The Preset put a lot into their live performances which is refreshing in Psychedelic / Techno scene. They aren’t tied down to their sound gear and move around the stage which adds to the overall energy of their set. Current single My People was well received, but the biggest highlight was the song that really started it all for these guys Are You The One.

Performance 8.5
Technical 9

SebastiAn & Kavinsky

I didn’t really know much about either of these guys before I saw them on the support list. They have been supporting Daft Punk on this worldwide Alive tour. The only one that I can say got a big reaction from the crowd was their remix Rage Against the Machine’s Killing in the Name. I was a pretty good lead in set for the main act, Daft Punk. They finished their set by playing LCD Soundsystem’s Daft Punk is playing at my House.

Performance 6.5
Technical 9

Daft Punk

The two wondrous robots appear on stage in their giant pyramid, the electro noise slowly starts to make sense. Human. Robot. The crowd is going absolutely nuts in anticipation of what is ahead, slowly it builds and before too long the sounds of Robot Rock are being belted out across a hyped up Riverstage crowd. And the music just doesn’t stop it’s over 30 minutes in before we even get a short break, one track just morphing into the next. This experience is hard to put into words. Firstly you have the music (obviously), they there is the lights, the lasers, the lights, the screens, the lights, the pyramid, the lights, the robot suits. Did I mention the lights? During Television Rules the Nation they drop in the chorus from Around the World as a teaser of what is still to come. Daft Punk did not disappoint, this show was astonishing, life changing even. These guys are up with Muse as a live act (dare I say maybe even better) and I wanted to give them an 11. I really hope that Daft Punk release a DVD of their pyramid shows. When Daft Punk got to Around the World it morphs into Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger with the lyrics flashing up on the massive screens when the track get to the glitch loop section saying “fuck it”, FUCK is flashing on the screen in time with the music. The same thing with the lyrics flashing on the screen in time with music also happened earlier during Technologic. One More Time was simply amazing and the crowd was going ballistic likewise for Da Funk. Wait, who am I trying to kid? The whole show was just one colossal high. Just when you thought the stimulation had reached its highest point the robots come back out for an encore but this time there isn’t a heap of flashing lights, instead total darkness and the robots suits light up (as per picture above). They play about a 10 minute track which includes Human After All, Together, One More Time (Reprise), Music Sounds Better With You. I was buzzing so much after this concert that I only got about 4 hours sleep, and I was still smiling like a git for days afterwards. I will definitely be seeing these guys again if I have the chance. Come back soon.

Performance 10
Technical 10

Amanda Palmer with The Danger Ensemble, The Red Paintings, Emma Dean, and The Follow @ The Zoo, Fortitude Valley (19/12/07)

2007-12-21T12:37:00.000+10:00

The Follow

Amanda Palmer liked The Follow that much that she dragged them up to Brisbane to support her at The Zoo and gave them a personal introduction. The Follow’s music is best described simply as alternative rock. I can see why Amanda Palmer likes them, and they deliver a very energetic performance. Highlight song was the slightly more poppy Happy Now which is featured on their EP “Hope You’re Happy”.

Performance 6.5
Technical 5

Emma Dean

Emma Dean has been building quite the fan base during 2006 and 2007 since departing from Kate Miller-Heidke’s band. Emma Dean has an alternative pop folk sound, similar to Kate Miller-Heidke but with her own uniqueness. 3 Meals is very similar to some of Kate Miller-Heidke’s more recent songs like Words. Her performance style is similar to Kate in the way that she comes across a bit cheeky between songs and enchanting during the songs. This combined with her immense confidence on stage, this all adds up to a greatly entertaining set. Surprisingly the sound was pretty good (very good if you compare it to The Zoo’s usual subpar sound).

Performance 7.5
Technical 7

The Red Paintings

I need to more of The Red Painting in my life. I always say that after seeing The Red Paintings, but I very rarely do anything about it. The Red Paintings combine classically driven stings with psychedelic rock and Trash Mcsweeney’s haunting vocals that are similar to Placebo’s Brian Molko earlier releases. When you see The Red Paintings’ live performance there is much more to experience than just their music. There are elaborate costumes, artists creating their art works (David Hooper from CBD Gallery on this occasion), and usually something else special and tonight that was burlesque performer Miss Bertie who performed throughout the set. The Red Paintings are real treat to see live. Sound was still surprisingly good. The strings ended up a bit buried on a couple of tracks under all the heavier rock. I was shocked that they didn’t play Mad World during their set but I wasn’t disappointed as Trash Mcsweeney and Amanda Palmer performed it at the end of the night as a lovely haunting duet.

Performance 8.5
Technical 6.5

Amanda Palmer with The Danger Ensemble

Amanda Palmer (of The Dresden Dolls) was in Australia to promote her soon to be release debut solo album “Who Killed Amanda Palmer” produced by Ben Folds after he sent her some fan mail. In keeping with the theme of this release, a dead Amanda Palmer was carried out onto the stage and propped up in front of the microphone that slowly came to life as the music built up around her. Amanda Palmer is an excellent stage performer her performance was full of attitude and theatrical to watch. Amanda has a natural openness that makes her live performances feel so relaxed. The set was filled with songs from the upcoming solo release as well as The Dresden Doll’s classics and a few covers. Coin Operated Boy was probably the crowd highlight. Amanda was joined on stage throughout the set by The Danger Ensemble who provided the performance art, dance and mime. The crowd went absolutely crazy when Amanda Palmer performed a hilarious cover of Rihanna’s “hit” Umbrella, complete with umbrella dancers. Amanda got a huge response to her sing-along ukulele cover of Radiohead’s Creep. But if I had to pick one song of the night, it would have to be the very last song of which was the evocative cover of Roland Orzabal’s Mad World. This show was amazing and Amanda Palmer put everything she had into it.

Performance 9.5
Technical 7.5

Kate Miller-Heidke with Dead Letter Chorus, and Tjupurra @ The Tivoli, Fortitude Valley (09/12/07)

2007-12-10T22:20:00.000+10:00

Ah reserved seating upstairs at The Tivoli, well worth the extra money.

Tjupurra
Couldn’t find a website, Indigenous musician Tjupurra is best described as the David Ford of didgeridoos. Well its sort of a didgeridoo, but its length was adjustable (a didgeribone, or a trombidoo maybe). Using loops and playbacks he managed to create some amazing sounds at one point you could have sworn he was playing a guitar. Anyway he was quite entertaining to watch and made good use of humour between songs, although it did take me a little while to get into it. Only one word can be used to describe Tjupurra, “deadly”.

Performance 6.5
Technical 6

Dead Letter Chorus

I was excited to finally see Dead Letter Chorus. Unfortunately I was murderously let down by the sheer incompetence of the sound technician. I can’t express how disappointed I was. The Tivoli renowned as one of the best live music venues in Brisbane and one that I rave about technical sound quality. Dead Letter Chorus did put on a good performance. The mixing wasn’t all bad except we were getting blasted by and over amped drum kit. I was mainly to do with the fact that the volume was just far too loud. Also I am sad to report that there were feedback issues and the sound technician did nothing to try and rectify the situation. I hate it when the technical work is this bad because it takes away from the band’s overall performance. I do want to see these guys again, as long as it’s not the sound technicians goal to make everyone’s ears bleed.

Performance 6.5
Technical 4

Kate Miller-Heidke

The 4 months (or so) of solid on the road constant touring has obviously taken its toll on Kate Miller-Heidke and her voice. Her performance was still outstanding and full of energy, which is a huge testament in its own. Kate just wasn’t at her best. Kate’s set was what has become pretty standard opening with Little Adam and closing with Space They Cannot Touch. I am going to steal a quote from the Kate Miller-Heidke forum.

“After Little Adam she said that when she was in NSW a girl came up to he after the show and asked what the song was about. Kate told her it was God writing a letter to Adam. The girl looked blank.
Kate: "You know, Adam and Eve from the Bible." The girl still looked totally blank and confused.
Kate: "Actually it's about a little retarded boy called Adam who is downstairs playing with himself."
Girl: "That's EXACTLY what I thought it was about!!"”

You’re the voice was fantastic, as well at Kier and Sally’s Speed of Red Intermission as always. Thank god it was a different sound technician on for Kate, although I suspect that lighting technician might have still been in training it was only a bit off but still good.

Performance 8
Technical 8

Rooftop Nightwatch @ The Zoo, Fortitude Valley (29/11/07)

2007-12-05T20:50:00.000+10:00

Firstly there were other bands on that night, but it was mid week, I was tired, feeling antisocial, and I was really only there to see Rooftop Nightwatch.

Rooftop Nightwatch

Since my last review Rooftop Nightwatch they have become more comfortable with performing live. They seemed quite relaxed on stage but I think they might have been shitting themselves on the inside at landing a gig at The Zoo so early in their short history (debut gig at Ric’s was only in August). Pat and Mellissa’s vocals complement each other well. All the members play their instruments with care and what at time looks a bit like restraint, resulting sound is quite unique. I enjoy the subtly of Rooftop Nightwatch’s music. This is one Brisbane indie pop group to keep your eye on in 2008 with there EP to be released sometime (hopefully) early in 2008.

Performance 6.5
Technical 6.5

Muse with The Checks @ Riverstage, Brisbane (21/11/07)

2007-12-04T21:03:00.000+10:00

The Checks

The Checks are a rock band from New Zealand, this could have been a big break for these guys, touring with Muse, however they failed to impress. The Checks are best described like a bad version of Jet, and remember Jet isn’t all that good one could go as far as mediocre. I was impressed with the sound quality. (Afterthought, maybe Muse chooses a really bad support band to make them look even better, and the support even worse.)

Performance 4.5
Technical 7.5

Muse

I thought Muse was more than impressive at the Big Day Out and that was just a festival performance. (Festivals act as good samplers, always better to see a headlining show.) My expectations were set really high for this concert, and Muse didn’t fail to smash through them and go way beyond my expectations. The stage was set up with a grand piano with a clear Perspex lid to minimise impact on the supermassive screens, lights and visual show. Even the drum kit was clear to allow the audience the chance to see Dominic Howard at work. The set list was epic, just when you thought they couldn’t take it any further they still managed to take it to the next level.

Take a Bow
Map of the Problematic + Maggie's Farm outro
New Born+ Microphone Fiend riff + Ashamed outro
Butterflies & Hurricanes
Microcuts +riff
Supermassive Black Hole
Feeling Good (cover)
Ruled by Secrecy
Soldiers' Poem
Invincible
Hysteria
Fury + Whole Lotta Love riff)
Starlight
Time is Running Out
Stockholm Syndrome

Plug in Baby (balloons released)
Deadstar riff + Hypermusic riff
Knights of Cydonia (release the CO2)

Truly an amazing show! Matthew Bellamy vocal talent is amazing. This live show showed off everything that is good about Matt’s vocals, his range, his control. It just looks so simple and natural. The use of all the equipment only enhances the experience you might think that screens, lights, balloons and a truly epic release of co2 at the end might be distracting from the music. Well you would be wrong! The strike a superb balance and well timed musical and visual stimulation that just makes you wide eyed, smile from ear to ear, and just taking you to the point before you are about explode from the sheer awesomeness, and holding you their for the entire show.

The cover of Feeling Good gives Matt the real chance to show off his amazing vocal talent, showing off both control and range. Describing these guys music as progressive just doesn’t even cut it. They combine so many genres and styles of music. {Insert insightful detailed music break down here if you can find one.} Matt’s piano skills are quite amazing (would not surprise me to find out he is classically trained), as well as, the at times unorthodox technique with the guitar. When does a musician or group of musicians know that they have achieved the following transitions from, simple musicians, to rock stars, to revolutionaries, to rock gods? Provided Muse continue to produce their truly outstanding progressive (I know it doesn’t cut it) music and back it up with absolutely epic live concerts, I believe Muse who are definite revolutionaries are destine to be rock gods.

Muse has broken my scale yet again, however deserving of 11 the scale only goes to 10. There was one ever so minor glitch with the mixing early on but it was quickly rectified. No recording does Muse justice to them compared to their live performance, and I really love their albums too.

Performance 10
Technical 9.5

Bill Callahan (aka Smog) with The Small Knives, Chris Pickering, and Shiver Like Timber @ The Troubadour, Fortitude Valley (03/11/07)

2007-12-03T16:10:00.000+10:00

Firstly, The Troubadour is a fantastic venue which I don’t attend nearly enough. Everyone needs more Troubadour gig’s in their lives.

Shiver Like Timber

Shiver Like Timber tries to warm the crowd up with some minimalist solo folk combining only her electric guitar and her vocals. I can’t quite decide whether I like her vocal style or not. I quite liked the track called Wandertumble. Shiver Like Timber is an act that you would have to make up your own mind about because I haven’t at this point. There is potential but it needs some work or something.

Performance 5.5
Technical 7.5

Chris Pickering

Chris Pickering performed a solo set accompanying his vocals with his guitar and harmonica. Chris Pickering’s inherent alternate country style captivates the fast growing Troubadour crowd. The thing I like the most about The Troubadour is that it attracts a respectful and intimate audience. This is the case during Chris Pickering’s set and the crowd warms to him quite well. Chris’s set finishes with a huge round of applause from the now almost full-to-capacity Troubadour.

Performance 6.5
Technical 7.5

The Small Knives

The Small Knives from Melbourne play to a restless crowd as it is now getting late and people are eager to see the main act for the night. The chatter of the crowd builds during their set but they push though with what is a pretty tight performance. The Small Knives are a folk group with pop influences. I am sure I would have enjoyed this set more if I myself wasn’t starting to get tired and restless and wanted to see the headlining act for the night. As a reviewer pointed out on FasterLouder, The Small Knives have a very similar sound to Norwegian band “Kings of Convenience”.

Performance 6
Technical 7

Bill Callahan (formerly Smog)

I went into this gig having not heard much of Callahan’s discography. I went purely on a friend’s recommendation. Since seeing him live, I have spent a bit of time researching and listening to some of his earlier works. Bill Callahan’s music has an elegant and simplistic feel that is reminiscent of his former Smog days however this newer material incorporates a greater depth of instrumentation. Bill Callahan and his single small acoustic guitar is joined on stage by three female violinist who double as backing vocalists on some tracks, a bass guitar player and a drummer. The band never attracts your attention away from Callahan’s guitar and vocals, rather providing simply subtleties that bring depth whilst still maintaining that simple and natural feel. Diamond Dancer and Sycamore are set highlights from the latest release Woke on a Whaleheart. Other highlights from the two hour (from 11pm to 1am) long set included, Teenage Spaceship, Rock Bottom Riser, and Cold Blooded Old Times. The Troubadour’s sound gear held up surprisingly well to Bill Callahan strong and commanding baritone vocals.

Performance 9
Technical 9

Josh Pyke with 78 Saab, and Whitley @ Concert Hall, QPAC, South Bank (01/11/07)

2007-12-01T14:14:00.000+10:00

Whitley

Whitley warmed the crowd up with his subtle country folk sounds, a good opener for Josh Pyke. However I was too excited about seeing Josh Pyke in the QPAC Concert Hall to take too much of Whitley’s set in. I would definitely like to see Whitley perform at The Troubadour sometime. I Remember is an absolutely lovely song and getting some well deserved air time on triple j.

Performance 7
Technical 10

78 Saab

78 Saab seemed a bit of a strange choice for this bill to me. Their performance was good but didn’t really fit in with the feel of the evening. 78 Saab have been around the Australian indie rock scene for quite sometime now (over 10 years I believe). I am sure I would have been a lot more interested in 78 Saab’s set if it wasn’t put between Whitley and Josh Pyke. I can’t see me going out of my way to see 78 Saab again soon. It’s not that they aren’t any good (far from it), I am just not that into their music. Overall their performance was good, with only a very minor technical problem.

Performance 6.5
Technical 9.5

Josh Pyke

I have seen Josh Pyke a couple of times now and he acts just keep getting classer and classer. Firstly by stepping out of The Zoo to The Tivoli and now performing in the Concert Hall at QPAC. There were back drops, UV lights, stage props and backgrounds. Josh Pyke did mention that Monkey with a Drum Tour would be special and he didn’t disappoint. Josh seems much more comfortable on stage, and I don’t think he believed that he could sell out the Concert Hall. Josh interacted with crowd with some story telling of his home life. One of which was about when he purchased a piece of furniture from Ikea for his wife. He got the right style/model but the only problem was that he got the wrong colour. Josh didn’t even like this piece of furniture and his wife hated the colour, so now they are stuff with this thing that neither of them like. Anyway the set was good, Josh previewed some new tracks that he had been working on and they had a slightly more country/folk sound which was great. Sound was great naturally. It’s great to see a live act in a room with the acoustics specially designed for that that purpose.

Performance 9.5
Technical 10

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

2007-11-24T16:51:00.000+10:00

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)

2007-11-22T21:47:00.000+10:00

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)

2007-11-20T19:09:00.000+10:00

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)

2007-11-20T18:57:00.000+10:00

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)

2007-11-18T18:12:00.000+10:00

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)

2007-11-11T12:37:00.000+10:00

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)

2007-11-07T20:36:00.000+10:00

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)

2007-11-04T18:46:00.000+10:00

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)

2007-11-03T15:58:00.000+10:00

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

Regina Spektor with Only Son @ The Tivoli, Fortitude Valley (09/07/07)

2007-09-30T16:01:00.000+10:00

Only Son

Only Son kicked things off with a couple of “solo” songs just him and his guitar. After which he introduces his “backing band” an iPod. Only Son’s set wasn’t all that amazing. I mean he loses a lot of depth of his performance when his backing band is an iPod. I can only assume that his set would have been a completely different experience with a real backing band.

He was quite good with the crowd, quite self-deprecating which most Australian’s appreciate. He did win some fan with a little story about his new found love for koala bears. Which personal annoyed me, because they aren’t koala BEARS, they are koalas they are NOT BEARS.

Anyway, technically everything was fairly sound for the Tivoli however some direct control over the sound was lost due to his backing band being an iPod.

Performance 6.5
Technical 8

Regina Spektor

Regina Spektor slowly made her way out onto the stage with the assistance of a cane. Regina limped across the stage and sat herself down in front of mic, and opened the set with an a cappella version of Ain’t No Cover. Regina then made her way slowly to the piano and said that she may be loopier than normal tonight due to the drugs for her leg. The audience sings along to the chorus of TV on the Radio, and Fidelity. Toward the end of the set Only Son accompanied Regina on Hotel Song featuring some deft beatboxing which drew a huge applause. Regina’s peculiarly quirky personality shines though her songs both with the lyrics and her unique vocal styling. Regina seemed to be still amazed, slightly uncomfortable and very modest with the appreciation we show her after each song, thanking the crowd after every song.

Performance 8
Technical 9.5

Kate Miller-Heidke with Cuthbert and the Night Walkers (30/06/07, The Tivoli, Fortitude Valley)

2007-08-11T10:19:00.000+10:00

Cuthbert and the Night Walkers

I wasn’t sitting in the best spot for Cuthbert and the Night Walkers. I was in the third row, to the right of the stage (it was a reserved seating event). Cuthbert and the Night Walkers provided the crowd with a fun and thoroughly entertaining set. Cuthbert and the Night Walkers music is lyrically driven with immense harmonies. The 4 singers (Night Walker Choir) became the “big band” during one of the songs, comprising of all the usual “big” brass instruments but only in kazoo form. The 2 guys dressed like clowns provided the percussion and other sound needs of the band, as well as some on stage shenanigans. Front man Richie provides the lead acoustic guitar and vocals dressed all up with a top hat and tails. This complemented their sound well, which I want to say had a 1930’s – 40’s feel, but a whole lot better. Highlight was Red Frogs. Technical was of the usual high Tivoli standard.

Performance 7.5
Technical 9

Kate Miller-Heidke

I am going to do this review in set list form with comments about some of the songs because you all already know what I think about Kate Miller-Heidke. Technical was great throughout, expect one song needed a tad more vocal.

Little Adam
Apartment
Make It Last - (Kate made a comment about a fan talking to her after the show about how nice it was to have a song understanding the nature of the problem the said fan and her partner were having (in the bedroom), however in this song Kate is actually reflecting on the disposable nature of our society.)

Mama
Ducks Don’t Need Satellites
Toxic – (HIGHLIGHT, Britney Spears cover)
Bored With Me
Dreams

Intermission (costume change): Speed of Red (Sallie & Kier)

Space They Cannot Touch – (HIGLIGHT, This song make me tingle all over, in the very good way)

Shoebox – (Kate commented about the fact that Shoebox carries a very similar theme to Apartment.)

I Got the Way
Don’t Let Go
Australian Idol – (HIGHLIGHT, As always)
Words – (HIGHLIGHT, Naturally as it is the current single.)

Encore: Monster - (Another song that I really like.)

Kate thanked Cuthbert and the Night Walkers for their support, and commented “… and you thought I was weird”.

Kate was excited that Words getting air play on ABC 612, in particular during a segment called “polarisation”, which they ask people to ring with opinions (like/hate). Most people liked it. However one guy who hated it said on live national radio “I would rather scratch my bowels out with a stick than hear that song again”.

I personally believe that Kate’s first single Words was a gutsy move, but it does personify Kate well. The new album sees Kate taking her music to a different level.

Performance 10
Technical 9

Mt Augustus with Joel Saunders, and Rialto Decibel Choir (20/06/07, The Troubadour, Fortitude Valley)

2007-08-10T21:19:00.000+10:00

My first night at The Troubadour in ages, oh how I have missed The Troubadour. Disclaimer: I know members of Rialto Decibel Choir and Mt Augustus.

Rialto Decibel Choir
Rialto Decibel Choir seemed a little nervous which is expected when this is their first gig in the well respected Troubadour. Rialto Decibel Choir’s songs mainly comprise of catchy guitar riffs mixed with their soft and unique vocals. Rialto Decibel Choir is unlike anything that I have ever really heard before, as such I am undecided as to whether I personally really like their music. However I do appreciate what they are doing. Definitely worth a look if you are looking for something a bit different.

Performance 6.5
Technical 7

Joel Saunders

I don’t really know what to say about Joel Saunders, I think a friend of mine summed it up quite well, “I think we aren’t cool enough anymore”. Joel Saunders has a very unique sound. Joel mainly did covers of some pop hits, with his very own twist (e.g. “Say It Right” by Nelly Furtado). The sound tech looked very stressed, as he didn’t know what to do with Joel’s music, and I don’t blame him. I can’t really explain it any better, so if you are still interested go and have a look at his videos on his (evil) myspace (evil). Joel had two guys dressed as robots to provide us with some other enthusiastic dancing and shenanigans.

Performance 5
Technical 6

Mt Augustus

I may just be getting into Mt Augustus a little too much. I think it’s the best music project that the Cameron Smith and Patrick Elliott duo have been a part of thus far. These guys throw a bit of everything into their various songs (e.g. Guitar, Banjo, Mandolin, Musical Saw, Keys, Accordion, just to list a few). Their sound is best described as Indie Folk Rock with a hint of Pop. The biggest change that I noticed compared to pervious Cam and Pat projects is the quality of Cam’s vocals. The Warmest Winter is one of my favourites and verges more on the pop end of the Mt Augustus scale.

Performance 7
Technical 7.5

Kate Miller-Heidke with The Hampdens, and Speed of Purple (12/05/07, The Zoo, Fortitude Valley)

2007-08-02T20:44:00.000+10:00

Speed of Purple

I think I saw Speed of Purple not at their best, especially since there were only two of the three members on stage. The music lacked depth, and they seemed to struggle with their nerves. The set up was a bit strange and crowd was fairly sparse for The Zoo, but it was early. The setup on stage was strange especially with the percussionist straddling her drum. I suspect that Speed of Purple are fairly reliant on each other to create a good sound, which just doesn’t quite work when you take someone out of the picture. Mixing was surprising of a high standard for an early act at The Zoo, however it was only a keyboard, drum and vocals.

Performance 6
Technical 7

The Hampdens

The crowd started to build during The Hampdens set. The crowd became noisier as it grew, with very few people taking the time to shut-the-hell-up to take in the pleasant relaxed ambient rock set. Susannah Legge’s vocals are something really special. It would have been a far more enjoyable set without the noisy crowd and feedback issues.

Performance 7
Technical 6

Kate Miller-Heidke

Kate Miller-Heidke opens her set with a lovely solo version of Out and In before the rest of her band joins her on stage. This gig was about a month before the release of her debut album “Little Eve”. Consequently her set drew heavily from it. Little Adam sounded better then it had ever before. Kate’s cover of Britney Spear’s Toxic really got the crowd going. Other highlights included, The Space They Cannot Touch, Mama and of course the then very new quirky single Words to finish the set. The crowd were left wanting more and Kate didn’t disappoint with an encore including the cult hit Australian Idol. The only thing holding this back from another perfect 10 performance was that it lacked the now expected costume change.

Performance 9
Technical 7

Josh Pyke with Old Man River, and Melanie Horsnell (05/05/07, The Tivoli, Fortitude Valley)

2007-07-22T15:40:00.000+10:00

Melanie Horsnell

Melanie Horsnell failed to capture my attention, her music would suffice as background noise at a quite pub. Most of her songs sounded very similar, and didn’t excite me. I am always open to the possibility of changing my opinion, but a lot would have to change. The best song of the set was a cover of Gotye’s Heart’s A Mess. Melanie failed to get the crowd interested in partaking in the filming of her “possibly” new film clip. Melanie wanted people to use their video phones to film whatever they want during the song and send it to her. Technical standard was of the usual high Tivoli standard.

Performance 5.5
Technical 8

Old Man River

Old Man River (aka Ohad Rein) and his band walk out on stage to Barry White’s Can’t Get Enough of Your Love Baby. One thing that I can definitely agree on with the Old Man River fans is that Ohad’s strength is in his song writing. It will be interesting to see what Old Man River does next. My jury is still out until the second album is released. He has the potential to be a great singer/songwriter or just become another Jack Johnson (which no-one wants). It was a Tivoli gig so you should by now know the story by now about the technical side of things.

Performance 8
Technical 8.5

Josh Pyke

Josh Pyke kicks off his set with a solo performance of a cover of House at Pooh’s Corner. After this the curtain rose to reveal the backing band (drums, bass and violin) and they launch into Fill You In followed by sing-along Memories & Dust. Other highlights from Josh’s set include Lines on Palms, Private Education, and Middle of the Hill. The encore saw Josh return to the stage to perform a song with some good old banjo, followed by Kids Don’t Sell Their Hopes So Fast and finished with Feeding the Wolves. Josh Pyke seemed a lot more comfortable on stage with a full backing band than at pervious gigs. Mixing and lighting were almost perfect throughout the set.

Performance 8.5
Technical 9.5

Wilco with Glenn Richards (16/04/07, The Tivoli, Fortitude Valley)

2007-06-30T11:44:00.000+10:00

After a great deal of contemplation I bit the bullet and went along to this gig. What a fantastic experience! It was definitely worth being broke over, in my true indie ways “music over food”.

Glenn RichardsThis was a great treat to see Glenn Richards (from Augie March) perform a solo acoustic set. Glenn was pretty nervous as he hadn’t played a live show in a while especially solo in front of so many people for quite sometime. Glenn performed most of the Augie March hits, and a song which he wrote a number of years ago and had been trying to get it on the last few albums (and hopes it will make it on the next one). After Glenn Richards performed Mother Greer he was glad for it to be over as he told the audience his fingers where doing one thing and his head another. Glenn ended the set abruptly by stopping mid song (approx. 30 seconds left) just before the vocals were about to go up, and said something to the affect, “yeah that’ll do … See ya, you have been great”, and walks off stage. Mixing was up to the usual high standard I expect from The Tivoli.

Performance 8
Technical 9

Wilco

Wilco’s Indie/Alternative/Acoustic Rock sound has just as much variety as that description allows for. And, this gig did not disappoint, as Wilco performed a set that spanned over their entire discography. What a rare treat for Brisbane, for Wilco to kick off their massive world tour, for the then soon to be released “Sky Blue Sky” album. Jeff Tweedy apologised upfront if they were a bit rusty as this was their first live show in quite a while. The first thing you notice about a Wilco gig is that you get two shows in one. You naturally get Wilco at their best (live) and a Jeff Tweedy comedy commentary which runs throughout the set. Apparently we were all pirates, but that may have had something to do with the fact that half the audience was singing along word for word to the officially unreleased tracks on “Sky Blue Sky”. Jeff Tweedy made a comment, “As some of you may or may not know our album was leaked onto the internet”. Here is the huge set list which includes the not one but two encores and lasted for over 2 hours.

You are my face
Break your heart
Muzzle of bees
Handshake drugs
Shot in the arm
Impossible Germany
Sky blue sky
Airline to heaven
Ashes
War on war
At least
Jesus
Theologians
Walken
I’m the man

Have it here
Humming bird
California starts
The late greats
Kingpin

HMD
Spiders
Passenger side

One side highlight was when Jeff Tweedy shot down this guy in the crowd who stated he was from San Francisco and Jeff told him that they came here to get away from that [I assume loud Americans]. The mixing and lighting was both excellent. I really hope Wilco return to Australia soon.

Performance 9.5
Technical 9

Gomez with The White Buffalo, and The Panda Band (11/04/07, The Tivoli, Fortitude Valley)

2007-06-23T10:53:00.000+10:00

The Panda Band

I was completely ignorant to The Panda Band and there music before this gig. The Panda Banda are an interesting mix of Indie, Pop and Rock. Although their live shows lean a lot more towards the Indie Rock side of things, because lets face it we would all love to be rock stars. The Panda Band had a great energy on stage and you could genuinely see that all these guys get along really well with each other. The set in my opinion was fairly unpolished and raw, which would I normal get right into, (especially since so much of today’s music is over-produced/edited removing all the imperfections and emotion into an over-worked generic mix). For some reason I just didn’t really get into The Panda Band. It may have had something to do with the mixing especially towards the beginning of the set. There was simply too much vocal, which somewhat got sorted out by a slightly inexperienced or partially deaf sound tech by pushing everything else up, instead of bringing the vocal down. I have said it before and I will say it again, louder is NOT always better. I do believe that The Panda Band will be become one of the many great Aussie indie bands, but holding no more than a fistful of major mainstream (commercial) hits. (Prove me wrong boys, by all means)

Performance 7
Technical 7

The White Buffalo

The thing I like about going to Gomez gigs is that I am usually exposed to new artists and music that I wouldn’t have normally discovered on my own. The White Buffalo performs solo acoustic rock with a twist of country, heavily driven by his outstanding vocals. I wouldn’t ordinarily listen to this kind of music but I did quite enjoy it. The White Buffalo has a huge presents in the room, both in stature and musically (it’s almost a commanding presents). He purely gets an extra 0.5 on his performance as he said motherfuckers during his between song banter. Technically, the sound was pretty good though out the set, not much was done in the way of lighting, but anything else would have distracted from the overall performance.

Performance 7.5
Technical 9

Gomez

What more can I say about Gomez that hasn’t already been said. You don’t ever want a Gomez gig to end, because you are having too much fun and so are they. I always leave a Gomez gig with a huge smile on my face that probably looks totally ridiculous. All your problems melt away when these guys perform and you leave the gig left wondering what had you so worried or annoyed to begin with. I quite often listen to Gomez after a difficult day a work.

Here's the setlist, in somewhat jumbled order.

Revolutionary Kind
Hamoa Beach
Love is Better Than A Warm Trombone
These 3 Sins
See the World
Here Comes the Breeze
Cry on Demand
Notice
We Haven't Turned Around
Girlshapedlovedrug
Detroit Swing 66
Charley Patton Songs
Get Myself Arrested
Blue Moon Rising
Hangover
Devil Will Ride

Chasing Ghosts With Alcohol
Rnb
How We Operate

My personal highlights were Detroit Swing 66 probably one of my first favorite Gomez songs, and first time I have seen it performed live. Get Myself Arrested and Hangover as always, the crowd loves these ones everyone sings along. The huge jams in Girlshapedlovedrug, Charlie Patton Songs and an excellent extended version How We Operate with a cappella intro. My only slight disappointment was that Gomez didn’t perform In Our Gun, which would be my overall favourite Gomez song and is awesome performed live.

The lighting was fantastic throughout the set and the mixing was up to the usual high standard that I have come to expect from The Tivoli. These guys have so much fun and it is just as fun to watch, if you haven’t seen Gomez live yet, you must. Gomez is a band that just keeps on getting better and better.

Performance 10
Technical 9.5

V Festival (01/04/07, AVICA Resort, Gold Coast)

2007-04-09T15:41:00.000+10:00

Well the first ever V Festival on the Gold Coast did not get off to a fantastic start. The main gates opened, but the ticket processing area was not, so we didn’t move too far. There seemed to be some confusion over what was meant to be happening. After a very long wait they finally stated to check tickets and let us in at about 12:30, when the first band was actually meant to start, hence why “That Stage” was running late all day. Also the ridiculous names of the stages made it confusing especially if you were trying to locate your friends on the mobile phone. The stages where called, “This Stage” (Blue), “That Stage” (Red), “Other Stage” (Yellow) and there was a DJ tent called “Virgin Mobile Venue”. You would think the colours would make it easier. Right? Wrong, there were no colours around any of the stages, except for the Blue and Red lights around “This Stage” and “That Stage” respectively, some of the signage was a bit confusing at first, but once we got the layout sorted out all was fine. The price of the food was even more expensive than standard festival expensive. I had a lamb kebab $8.50, other prices of things I didn’t buy, 600mL water $4, Roast Beef Roll $7, and corn on the cob $4 each. It was just crazy prices for food, the Big Day Out isn’t that expensive but I guess that’s what happens when you have the local Lions catering building in the middle of Parklands (keeps it competitive).

Ok enough about what they did badly to the things that were done really well. The use of big screens either side of the two main stages (“This” and “That”) with various camera people working around the stages capturing all the close-up footage you could handle. I think these screens helped control the crowd as there was no huge push to get close to get a good view. The Big Day Out needs to seriously consider having the same/similar thing. The free ponchos where great if you got in early enough to keep you nice and dry from the couple of small showers that did pass over. Since I am not a person who drinks alcohol at festivals, I loved the segregation of the bars and the fact that you were not permitted to remove alcohol from the designated bar areas. The crowd was fantastic all day. I was not once pushed or shoved by a drunken sweaty yob and coping half their beer/rum down my back. This may also have had something to do with the V Festival not selling out, but it was also a great venue with a good layout. (Only gripe with the layout is “That Stage” should have been turned away a little more from “This Stage” towards the entrance.)

The major thing that I am now torn over is the concept of the dual stage set up (like at the Big Day Out). I use to think that this was the only way to go for a festival, whilst a dual stage provides continuous music, but since there is no break the crowd is less likely to disperse between sets. This inhibits fans from getting up close for their favourite bands.

Now to the reviews I will keep them short and I am not going to do the first two bands I saw because I can’t really remember them so they can’t have been that good.

Phoenix (This Stage) performed a tight set. The sound was great and performances had the rock star approval of the crowd. During the last song singer, Thomas Mars, came down off the stage and entered the crowd. The crowd went a little nuts and security had no idea what to do. Thomas was getting hair ruffled by everyone. I guess it was so for the next three days tops those people could be like “Oh my God I touched that singer from that band at V Festival called Phoenix.” Thomas eventually made his way back to the front and security dragged him over the crowd barrier (at his request). Anyway Phoenix was one of the best overall sets at the V Festival. I can only hope that they return soon.

Performance 9.5
Technical 9.5

Nouvelle Vague (That Stage) are, to quote the V Festival descriptor, “Genre-bending at it’s most innovative, the sound of Nouvelle Vague is best summarised as “covers of 80s new wave and punk rehashed into a bossanova incarnation.” Intriguing, non?” Si, very intriguing indeed. Nouvelle Vague acoustic remixes are captivating and singer Mélanie Pain has a very similar sound to Kate Miller-Heidke. Entertaining and a great set that would have gone nicely with a bottle of wine and a cheese platter picnic.

Performance 8
Technical 9

Gnarls Barkley (That Stage) was one of the most energetic acts I have seen in a while got the whole crowd pumping. Gnarls Barkley has the support of a full band including a string quartet. Gnarls Barkley were too big for “That Stage”, hell they are a band with such a huge personality and attitude that no stage is big enough to contain it. What else did you expect when you put Danger Mouse and Cee-Lo Green together on the same stage. I was a little concerned when Cee-Lo Green (Thomas Callaway) started talking the crowd up staying that we all know this song, so he is going to hardly sing it and that he wanted us to do it. Now I am all for crowd participation but there is no way that a crowd can reproduce the vocals for Crazy. Thankfully he realised that not many people were even going to attempt these vocals, so he took over.

Performance 9.5
Technical 9

The Rapture (Other Stage) were by far the loudest at the V Festival. The Rapture produced a high energy performance that really created a buzz. A great act to have seen just as the sun was setting to reenergise everyone before the night-time proceedings.

Performance 9
Technical 8

Beck (This Stage) was good as Beck could be. He must have been recovering or coming down with something because unfortunately his voice wasn’t at its best. However his set was extremely entertaining complete with live puppets, where the puppeteers were copying the bands movements with their puppets. The use of the cameras and the big screens completed the overall experience. You would look at the stage and see Beck singing, then look up at the screen and there was “Puppet Beck” singing along. Another part of the Beck experience was when his band gathered around a table set with plates, bowls, cutlery and glasses, and stated to freestyle at the table using the cutlery to tap anything on the table (including the table) slowly building it up. Beck was polite enough to ask if we could hear the table (which we could). It’s quite amazing the sound you can get out of a dinner table.

The puppets ventured out to the front of the stage and, as the puppets headed back to the back of the stage again, “Puppet Beck” stayed out the front and hopped on the end of Beck’s guitar and was over course copying every movement. (There is only one word to describe it and that’s “cute”.) Beck did announce that he would be back, hopefully sooner rather than later.

Performance 9
Technical 8

Pixies (This Stage) What can be said. The Pixies rocked! Played all the favourites and then some, including my personal favourite “Monkey Gone To Heaven” which I woke up with in my head the next morning and where it remained for the rest of day. The stage was set with only what can be described as “rock musician minimalist” the only things on stage where instruments and the corresponding amplifiers. The lighting was very rock-esk as you would expect. The best thing about the Pixies set was that there was no mucking around they were here to play music and that’s what they were going to do. Here is the huge setlist:

In Heaven'/'Wave Of Mutilation (UK Surf)
Bone Machine
Monkey Gone To Heaven
U-Mass
Head On
Caribou
Subbacultcha
No. 13 Baby
Tame
Hey
The Holiday Song
Here Comes Your Man
Wave Of Mutilation
Planet Of Sound
Debaser
Crackity Jones
Something Against You
Isla De Encanta
Nimrod's Son
Vamos
Where Is My Mind

The Pixies did the best suited encore break for a festival by remaining on stage before playing their last two songs.

La La Love You
Gigantic

I really hope the Pixies enjoyed their first time touring Australia and I hope they will be back again soon.

Performance 9.5
Technical 9

The Mars Volta (14/03/07, BCEC, South Bank)

2007-03-24T09:07:00.000+10:00

I arrived at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre (BCEC) just after 7:00pm, doors were already open. For those of you who have not attended BCEC for a concert, is it good to know that you are not permitted to have your drinks in anything other than a cardboard cup (which is supplied for beverage transfer).

The strange thing was there was no support so we sat around and waited until about 8:45pm for The Mars Volta to start. Also it is interesting to note that this gig/concert didn’t sell out. For those of you who don’t know there are currently eight guys in The Mars Volta. From left to right of stage:

Adrian Terrazas-Gonzales - Flute, Tenor Saxophone, Bass Clarinet and additional wind & percussion instruments
Marcel Rodriguez-Lopez - Percussion, synthesizers
Omar Rodriguez-Lopez - Composer, Guitar, synthesizers, production
Thomas Pridgen - Drums
Juan Alderete - Bass
Cedric Bixler Zavala - Lyrics, Vocals
Isaiah "Ikey" Owens - Keyboards
Paul Hinojos - Guitar, Sound Manipulation

Omar and Cedric write all the music and they were the driving force behind At the Drive-In. This brings me to my next point of just how typically “indie” these guys are and their history. Omar and Cedric worked hard with At the Drive-In, gaining massive popularity and becoming commercially successful. Just when At the Drive-In’s success was starting to reach its peak, Omar and Cedric are all like this band/group is being so restrictive of my music creativity (man). So At the Drive-In broke up and The Mars Volta were born. At the Drive-In defiantly had a certain sound to them, so I can see why Omar and Cedric felt compelled to create a more explorative band such as The Mars Volta. The Mars Volta’s music is much more varied than At the Drive-In and I can only assume this is what Omar and Cedric were going for.

Anyway back to the set. The set list went something like this:
Rapid Fire
Roulette
Cygnuss
Viscera
Idle Tooth
Drunkship
Vermicide
Tetris
Cicatriz
Mecca
Baphomet

The great thing about seeing The Mars Volta live is that, they very rarely just reproduce the sound that is recorded on their CD’s. Which lets face it is why we go and see live music. The Mars Volta do not disappoint with almost each of the eight getting a chance to let their creative side out with some awesome solos. I particularly like the almost duelling that went on for a while between Omar on lead guitar and Adrian on sax. Omar would play a little something on his guitar and Adrian would reply with a similar sound on the sax, Omar upping the anti each time. Thomas Pridgen (on drums) is relatively new to The Mars Volta and I tend to agree with some other reviews out there that Thomas was trying a bit too hard at times to make his mark in the band. But all in all a good performance filled with lots of on stage antics by Cedric, including a lot of throwing his white microphone (with white lead) around and catching it (also Cedric was mainly dressed in black so it provided a great contrast to the white mic). There was also a bit of “rock status” climbing on top of equipment (amps, etc).

From the technical side of things, firstly the BCEC doesn’t have great acoustics. That being said it would be difficult to get he mixing of eight musicians in any space. However this is what they do and I think the mixing could have been better. Isaiah "Ikey" Owens awesome work on the keyboards was just getting washed out a lot of the time. The quality of the mixing varied throughout the set. The lighting and effects were of a high standard during the songs, however the between song lighting while sort of themed (purple down-lights on the stage), became very repetitive and a bit boring.

There was no encore, and the set wrapped at about 10:55pm so it was a good two hour set from The Mars Volta.

Performance 8.5
Technical 7

Garage to V (01/03/07, The Troubadour, Fortitude Valley)

2007-03-01T20:47:00.000+10:00

Well unfortunately I had a bit of a headache and was feeling tired so I piked on Garage to V. I guess I will be seeing the winner at the V Festival one month from now.

Kate Miller-Heidke with Andrew Morris (22/02/07, JWCOCA, Fortitude Valley)

2007-02-24T08:16:00.000+10:00

This was my first visit to the Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Arts. We enjoyed a couple of drinks before the show in the foyer, and the bar prices were very reasonable ($5 for premium beer, and $8.50/$35.50 for a Barossa Shiraz). The show took place in the performance space which was set up with cabaret style seating down the front with theatre style seating behind that (off course I was sitting down the front, second row of tables left of centre for the best view). This created a great relaxed atmosphere. The sound was superb, just to prove to all those n00bs in most live music venues that loud is very rarely best (exception Mogwai), it’s the correct mixing that matters the most.

Andrew Morris
I have only recently reviewed Andrew Morris for a December gig, however his performance this time was a much more relaxed solo acoustic set. He had a selection of 2 or 3 harmonicas to accompany his guitar. This time he had a fixation on beer, throughout the set he kept looking for his beer on stage. I am sure this led to him mentioning some of the guys sitting up the front were “hitting the Golds” which led to Channel 10’s Beach Cricket and to Australia’s current losing streak, he promptly stopped himself and said “we’re here for music”. I think I liked this set better than the one I saw in December at The Zoo. The main highlight was when Andrew Morris completed this set with “Let It Roll”. I guess nothing really struck me about Andrew Morris’s set, it was a good performance. I am just a bit indifferent to this particular genre of music.

Performance 7.5
Technical 10

Kate Miller-Heidke
Kate Miller-Heidke commenced her set with the opening track from her second EP (Circular Breathing) “Out and in”. Immediately following the rest of band took their positions on stage. Kate Miller-Heidke is a phenomenal performer. Her voice is pure and operatic. There was only 2 other hits from Kate Miller-Heidke’s previous EP’s namely, “Space they cannot touch” and “Apartment”. The rest of the set was filled with new songs from the upcoming album and live favourites. One of the major highlights was when Kate Miller-Heidke played tribute to Britney Spears (current perils) with her own version of “Toxic”. This version of Toxic was outstanding, crossing genres from pop to a bit rock to heavy rock to Kate Miller-Heidke’s own style. The boys (Keir and Scotty) seemed to really enjoy the chance to rock out during the heavy rock section of “Toxic”. A Kate Miller-Heidke set would not be complete without “Australian Idol” and “Psycho Killer”, and a costume change. The costume change gives Keir Nuttall a chance to entertain the crowd this was done with a little number called “Piece of shit”, which involved calling a lot of things a piece of shit (e.g. James Blunt, Nickleback), and finishing on one everyone can agree on “Paris Hilton, silly tart”. Just before Kate performed “Little Adam” she informed us of her upcoming debut album to be released in June, would be titled “Little Eve”.

A great use of lights through out the set helped establish the mood (and comedy) of the performance (e.g. green lights used during “Australian Idol” and red lights used during “Psycho Killer”). No digital media can ever do her justice. If you can get along to see Kate Miller-Heidke live just do it. It will be a night to remember.

In the mean time be sure to catch Kate Miller-Heidke on RocKwiz on SBS TV this Saturday 24th February 9.20pm performing “Australian Idol”, I quote, “in what will be it's ONLY television airing” and a special duet with Paul Dempsey (from Something for Kate) of a 1980’s hit for Wham!

Performance 10
Technical 10

Big Day Out (21/01/07, Parklands, Gold Coast)

2007-02-13T19:14:00.001+10:00

I probably approach Big Day Out a little different to most people. Firstly, I try to see as many of the international acts that I want to see, and then I fill in the gaps with acts that I wouldn’t normally go to see. Obviously scheduling comes into it, and I may have to struggle through a set in order to find a good vantage point (e.g. Jet). This year all the bands that I saw I had never seen before live.

Operator Please (Green Stage) where a good way to kick off the Big Day Out, the reason the technical is low is due to some feedback issues and they were really loud even for a festival.

Performance 7
Technical 6

Macromantics (Hot House) carry a lot of energy and even though rap isn’t particularly a genre I enjoy, I could appreciate what they were doing.

Performance 7
Technical 7.5

That 1 Guy (Hot House), well to quote the words from the Big Day Out website, “a one-man band straight outta your imagination who plays a home made, seven foot tall, metallic Magic Pipe”. That is exactly what you get. I don’t think I would fully appreciate a recorded version of That 1 Guy’s music, however very entertaining to see live.

Performance 8.5
Technical 8

DJ Aniki (Boiler Room) whom I have always a soft spot for, presented a very professional set, slowly building the energy, getting everyone primed for Lily Allen.

Performance 7
Technical 8

Lily Allen (Boiler Room) one of the biggest highlights and she is far too popular to be contained by the Boiler Room. The marquee was packed and people standing everywhere outside and around anywhere. This was a full class act by Lily Allen, supported by a full band including a three piece brass section.

Performance 10
Technical 9.5

The Sleepy Jackson (Green Stage) is hard for me to rate their performance as I was sitting back just chilling for a bit, but what I heard and did actually see (their last song) was good.

Performance 7.5
Technical 8.5

Kasabian (Green Stage) provided some good straight up British rock. I didn’t really know what to expect from these guys. All I can say is that these guys have definitely won a new fan. I look forward to when they return to Australia for a headlining tour.

Performance 9.5
Technical 9.5

The Killers (Orange Stage) produced a great sound, but where a little bit boring with their on stage performance. I think The Killers would be more spectacular in a large indoor venue (e.g. Brisbane Entertainment Centre). Somewhat disappointing, but enjoyable.

Performance 7.5
Technical 10

Jet (Blue Stage). Let me say straight off the bat, I don’t think I have ever become so bored during a live rock set. Jet were trying really hard to keep the crowd going during their set. I think that the majority of the people in the D were there to see Muse and Tool, with little or no interest in seeing Jet.

Performance 6.5
Technical 8.5

Muse (Orange Stage) MUSE! Now this is who I really came to see and “oh my god”. As one of my friends simply put it “Best live band. Ever!” These guys put on a class act and even provided me with entertainment before they were on stage. During the aforementioned Jet and became bored my eyes wandered over to the Orange Stage and I was already in awe. Some of the equipment on the stage, was but not limited to, two massive screens, these strange but very cool looking plastic tube things with lights, and from another review I read, apparently a plethora of foot pedals/switches connected to there guitars.

I think the set list was as follows:
Knights of Cydonia
Starlight
New Born
Supermassive Black Hole
Hysteria
Map of the Problematique
Invincible
Time Is Running Out
Plug in Baby
Stockholm Syndrome
Take a Bow

Just outstanding if my scale went to 11 Muse would definitely get it. I have my fingers crossed and hope that Muse will be returning for a headlining tour of Australia again soon. I have achieved a new benchmark, from which all other live performances will now forever be judged by.

Performance 10
Technical 10

Tool (Blue Stage) did what Tool are known for, and provided us with the heaviest modern metal experience ever.

The set list went something like this:
Stinkfist (extended)
The Pot
Forty-Six & 2
Jambi
Schism (extended)
Opiate
Sober
Lateralus
Vicarious
Ænima

And all that lasted 90 minutes. The stage had three (maybe four) screens across the back. The best thing about seeing Tool live is the drummer, Danny Carey, two kick drums, countless other drums and symbols, and to top it all off a gong positioned behind him. According to other Tool fans it was a real surprise and a treat to get Opiate live. The most exciting thing about Tool’s set was when they announced that they would be back in November/December this year. Just outstanding!

Performance 10
Technical 10

All in all the technical was of a high standard through out the day and various stages. The highlights from Big Day Out 2007 with no surprises were Muse, Tool, Lily Allen, and Kasabian, with the most interesting going to That 1 Guy. I don’t know if I will do a festival again ... but if the headlining acts are of the same quality again I might just put up with the aching legs.

Bob Evans with Andrew Morris (03/12/06, The Zoo, Fortitude Valley)

2007-02-13T17:02:00.000+10:00

Well I have been really lazy this gig was over two months ago. So the review will be very short.

Andrew Morris
Andrew Morris started his set in the alternative rock genre which morphed into folk and then some almost full blown country. Alternative rock tracks like “Let It Roll” made me think of Powderfinger’s earlier stuff with particular reference to his vocal styling. I quite enjoy the alternative rock and folk style music. I didn’t mind some of the country stuff but it got a bit too much country for my liking. However, though this he gave an energetic and refreshing performance which was entertaining and provided a relaxed feel for a smooth transition to Bob Evans. The Zoo lived up to its average technical skill, the mixing was a bit off in a few tracks, but we did manage to avoid and real nasty feedback. (So, I guess it was above average for The Zoo, maybe they are getting better or maybe I have suffered more hearing damage then I would like to admit too.)

Performance 7
Technical 6.5

Now this is going to test my memory.

Bob Evans
What I can remember of Bob Evans was he saved us from the terrible sound people at The Zoo by providing his own sound guy (as all musicians with any class should do). Also he expressed his love for the Brisbane fans and how supportive the Brisbane fans have been. He also mentioned how he should move to Brisbane not only for the fans but he seemed to imply it would help him with his finances, (well playing to sold out audiences has to be good for the bank roll). Towards the end of the set Bob Evans was attempting one of his earlier songs and was stumbling over the words, and noticed a girl standing towards the front who knew all the words. So like any professional, he admits that he can’t remember the words, so he drags her up on stage to help him out. If my memory serves me well, I think she corrected him 3 times during that one song. It was a fun relaxed gig.

Performance 8.5
Technical 7

The Cat Empire with Tortured Soul (22/11/06, The Tivoli, Fortitude Valley)

2006-11-26T20:56:00.000+10:00

Tortured Soul
I had no idea what to expect from Tortured Soul from Brooklyn, New York. Well what and act, these guys carry some real energy and enthusiasm through into their music and they do it with style. If I were to explain their genre of music I guess it would be a mix of, house, and dance with a pinch of trance. (I am not into the dance music scene so I might be way off with that.) I think the reason I enjoyed these guys so much is that it’s not the typically thing I would go out of my way to see. Some of the tracks were very smoothly bridged together. The guy on keys was amazing. Lighting and mixing were both of a high standard. A great warm-up act to The Cat Empire.

Performance 8.5
Technical 8

The Cat Empire
The Cat Empire were fantastic, I don’t think they performed any of their songs as they were recorded. During every song they broke out in the middle to allow for some free-styling, everyone got their chance in the spotlight. These guys really enjoy what they do, and aren’t afraid to show it. The leader of “The Empire Horns” Ross Irwin really impressed me with his trumpeting skills. Everyone in “The Empire Horns” adds that extra depth that is synonymous with The Cat Empire. The only reason they didn’t receive a 10 for performance is because Harry lost his place at one point. I could have been a lot harsher, but these guys just have too much energy. The crowd was amazing and really got into it. The mixing was pretty good all night. I found the lighting and effects a bit distracting at times but on the whole were pretty good. Too many highlights to list. If you haven’t seen these guys live yet, I suggest you do as soon and as often as possible.

Performance 9.5
Technical 8.5

Josh Pyke with Jen Cloher & The Endless Sea, and Princess 1.5 (27/10/06, The Zoo, Fortitude Valley)

2006-11-26T16:11:00.000+10:00

You will have to forgive the short reviews. I thought I had written this show up ages ago, but obviously I didn’t.

Princess One Point Five
I didn’t really find Princess One Point Five all that captivating. There were some major sound issues with feedback and some really poor mixing. Only a couple of there songs grabbed me, but mostly I found the music a bit repetitive.

Performance 6
Technical 6

Jen Cloher & The Endless Sea
Jen Cloher & The Endless Sea have a decent sized fan base, however I don’t think too many were present. There seemed to be a large number of people who were just there to Josh Pyke and that’s fine, but if you aren’t going to shut up and show a bit of respect to the support acts don’t come until the act you want to see starts. Anyway, Jen had a couple of words about the situation in as a polite way a possible, trying to get the crowd into a song which was a bit of a quieter/softer track. The sound mixing improved slightly with only one bit of major feedback. I was a little distracted by all the “jocks” talking. But from what I heard Jen Cloher & The Endless Sea were captivating and did their best to cope with the incompetent sound crew that works The Zoo.

Performance 7.5
Technical 6.5

Josh Pyke
I think due to the success of Josh Pyke this year and the mainstream radio stations (i.e. Nova) getting a hold of his hit single “Middle Of The Hill”, there was an overwhelming amount of “jocks” present at this concert. And yes I am a snob, and proud to admit it. These people have no respect for the art of music making they have no real passion for it, they probably only came to The Zoo that night because some mainstream radio (i.e. Nova) ran a promo, and told them to come, They are so mindless, they didn’t even really react to too many tracks other than “Middle Of The Hill”. And the talking continued even during Josh Pyke’s set, I mean you have paid good money to this concert and no you are wasting that money because you are talking.

Right now I have got that out of the way. There were still plenty of Josh Pyke fans there ones that supported him pre-mainstream radio, and went to his troubadour shows. Josh personally thanked some of the fans that he recognised, from these earlier shows. The mixing and lighting was by far better, as Josh Pyke had his own sound and lighting crew. Josh Pyke is one guy who is on the way up quick. I really look forward to hearing more from Josh Pyke and his band in the near future with a second album.

Performance 8
Technical 8.5

Kate Miller-Heidke with The Audreys (04/10/06, The Tivoli, Fortitude Valley)

2006-10-07T00:50:00.000+10:00

The Audreys
The Audreys are a South Australian band, and are best described in their own words taken from their website. “Country twang delivered with the smokiest of vocals, rolling roots and authentic banjo and violin picking.” I didn’t really know what to expect from The Audreys. Well what a great band they are. Taasha’s vocals are outstanding and well complemented by the mix of instrumentation used by all the band members. There were a couple of problems with the mixing, and the lighting was pretty standard, but suited the style of music.

Performance 8
Technical 8

Kate Miller-Heidke
The vocal acrobatics of Kate Miller-Heidke is something that should not be missed. The talent (and I mean TALENT, wink, wink, nudge, nudge, know what a mean) of this opera trained singer really shines through when she is on stage. No recording can ever do her true justice compared to her live performances. The lighting was superb, mixing was faultless, and to top it all of a costume change as well. The full exploitation of The Tivoli’s stage, curtains, lighting and props, including the use of a disco ball, made this concert a concert to remember. Highlights of the night for me included, “Blah Blah”, “Australian Idol” and Keir Nuttall’s song while Kate was off stage changing into another beautiful dress.

Performance 10
Technical 10

Ben Folds with The Queensland Orchestra (15/09/2006, Concert Hall, QPAC, South Bank)

2006-09-22T11:58:00.000+10:00

Yeah I went twice, so ha! But this time I was sitting front row centre.

I thought the Thursday night was impressive, until I went on Friday night. All the technical problems had been tweaked out of the system the night before, so no issues there at all. Biggest highlight was when Ben jumped straight into “One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solemn Faces”, slightly catching the orchestra off guard. Ben played it with such pace, that I think the orchestra had trouble keeping up in parts, but the cellists added a bit of their own class, by giving the crowd not one but two twirls of their cellos, mid song.

I also thought the part where Ben freestyles (and “Misirlou”) towards the end of “Philosophy”, was impressive on Thursday night. Well, that was nothing compared to Friday night. Ben was teasing the Orchestra, pretending to be ready for the big finish, and then continuing with more freestyle piano, which I think contributed to the orchestra enthusiasm in big finish to “Philosophy”.

The Queensland Orchestra seemed to be a lot more relaxed, than the previous night, I think that’s because they knew what kind of crowd to expect.

Because this was the first concert to go on sale the atmosphere was far better, as the Concert Hall was packed with all the die hard Ben Folds fans.

Performance 10
Technical 10

Ben Folds with The Queensland Orchestra (14/09/2006, Concert Hall, QPAC, South Bank)

2006-09-19T15:50:00.000+10:00

I have seen Ben Folds on his last three tours in Brisbane, The Three Bens (Ben Folds, Ben Lee and Ben Kweller), the Songs for Silverman tour and now with The Queensland Orchestra. He started the night with the classic Ben Folds hit Zac and Sarah. There were some slight audio problems during the first couple of songs, but it was all resolved quickly. It took me a while to get use the sound of being in a concert hall, so much more ethereal. The Concert Hall is a venue that has truly great acoustics, and not just a room filled with blaring amps and speakers to counteract the reverberation (like some live music venues I go to, *cough* The Arena *cough*).

The big surprise was when The Dresden Dolls graced the stage and gave a spectacular rendition of their “Coin-Operated Boy”. The Dresden Dolls stuck around to help Ben out with a song, providing drums and backing vocals. Another high point of the show was when Ben called on a tenor to add some vocal prowess to one of his songs.

Ben ended the show with my favourite song “The Luckiest”. What a night, I couldn’t wait for the next night when I got to go again, and sit front row centre, instead of in the third row to the right.

Performance 9
Technical 9

Gomez with The Vasco Era (02/09/06, The Tivoli, Fortitude Valley)

2006-09-03T11:54:00.000+10:00

The Vasco Era
I hadn’t even heard of The Vasco Era, before this gig. One thing I can say about The Vasco Era is that they are enthusiastic. In particular the drummer (Michael Fitzgerald), who during a couple of songs was standing up at his drum kit and really bashing the hell out of the drums. The lead vocalist and guitarist (Sid O’Neil) showed off his slide guitar technique and drumming skills during a couple of songs. There were a couple of feedback problems early in the set but it was quickly corrected by the fantastic technical crew at The Tivoli. The lighting was off beat at the start of the set, but improved as the set progressed.

The sound of The Vasco Era is not for everyone, but the self described “raw and energetic rock / blues fusion” is generating quite a buzz in the Melbourne music scene.

Performance 6.5
Technical 6.5

Gomez
This was my first live Gomez experience and it was everything I hoped it to be. The unique sound of Gomez is captivating and all inspiring. (that was a bit wanky) These guys were fantastic and they really enjoy what they do. The set was a superb mix of new and old, and with a great and memorable back catalogue of music to choose from it was always going to be a great night. One of the two of the most memorable moments of the night was when Tom Gray forgot the words to “Sweet Virginia”. Tom stoped and asked the crowd for assistance, but everyone was suggesting different things, so he just picked thing up from the second verse. The other memorable moment was when they closed their encore with the old Gomez classic “Get Myself Arrested”. The lighting and mixing was of a high standard.

Performance 9
Technical 8.5

P.S. Have I mentioned that I love The Tivoli, the best live music venue in Brisbane.

Bluebottle Kiss with The Gin Club, and An Horse (11/08/06, The Rev, Fortitude Valley)

2006-08-27T11:54:00.000+10:00

An Horse
Kate Cooper, aka An Horse, and band member of Iron On, kicked things off for the night with a nice relaxed set. An Horse joked with the crowd and performed somewhat nervously. At one point she even admitted to only writing a song a couple days prior and apologised in advance in case she stuffed it up. The performance all in all was interesting and I probably wouldn’t have seen her otherwise, but it’s always nice to experience new things. There were a few technical problems such as feedback.

Performance 6.5
Technical 5

The Gin Club
The Gin Club were fantastic as always live. The Gin Club share the love, all the 5 guys up the front swapped guitars and each had a chance to woo the crowd with their vocal greatness. Even though The Gin Club was a support act they played a full set, to the crowd’s delight. The set was plagued with technical problems, mainly a very uncomfortable feedback problem. The Gin Club persevered and their overall performance prevailed.

Performance 9
Technical 4

One thing I should have mentioned earlier is how long this concert was. Doors opened a 8:30pm, with the first act starting at about 9:00pm and Bluebottle Kiss concluding their encore act at 1:30am.

Bluebottle Kiss
Bluebottle Kiss have been on the Australian music scene for some time now (since the mid 90’s). Bluebottle Kiss in its full greatness has 13 band members including, 2 drummers, 4 backing vocalist, 1 trumpeter, 1 trombonist, 1 saxophonist, 1 bass guitarist, 1 lead guitarist, and 1 second guitarist. It was an extremely tight fit on the small stage at The Rev. This combination adds extra depth to the music that Bluebottle Kiss produce. Unfortunately, just as The Gin Club battled with technical problems, so did Bluebottle Kiss, main problem being feedback again. Songs which I enjoyed the most was when all 13 band members where on stage, these songs just carried a lot of depth and the mastery required to compose such pieces is outstanding.

So, why haven’t Bluebottle Kiss made it big? This was a question that we tried to answer as we walked back to our cars after the gig. A friend of mine suggested that it might be because Bluebottle Kiss are just too much rock for the average person to handle. I tend to agree, and I am not saying that they should tone it done to get a big fancy record deal. Bluebottle Kiss has a lot to contribute to the indie music scene just the way they are. A stellar performance and the long awaited encore personified the band well.

Performance 8
Technical 4

Augie March with Jolie Holland, and David Ford (10/08/06, The Tivoli, Fortitude Valley)

2006-08-19T18:20:00.000+10:00

David Ford
The mood at the start of this gig was very relaxed. The crowd gathered on the main floor and sat down, which was nice. I along with most others had not heard of David Ford before tonight, which is sometimes the best, no expectations. David Ford came out and played his first song just his unique vocal sound and guitar. During his second song we became aware of his real talent, when part way through he stoped playing his guitar but it didn’t stop, then he moved to the piano, then to the tambourine, (etc.) all playing in loops, with perfect timing. The number of layers that he could add to the music was endless. State of the Union, ended in a big way, I lost count of the number of samples/loops that he had towards the end. There was so much going on, a massive build up of vocals, with some in canon.

David’s vocal talent (range) alone should see him go far, but as a complete one-man-band, his performance was incredible.

Performance 9.5
Technical 9.5

Jolie Holland
Personally, I would have hated to be the act that followed David Ford, especially after the crowd really got into David’s performance. I was informed that Jolie Holland had a somewhat large following. I think I am being a bit harsh here, but Jolie Holland didn’t really fit in with the feel and flow of the concert. David built the crowed up nicely, but Jolie Holland couldn’t maintain the interest and enthusiasm. The music was good, just out of place between David Ford and the headlining Augie March. (In my opinion a better order would have been, Jolie Holland, David Ford, then Augie March.)

Performance 6
Technical 8

Augie March
One thing I can definitely say about Augie March is that they are even better live. They have a slightly different sound live when compared to their CD recordings, more rock when live. The guys have a good amount of banter both with the audience and with each other and leads to a few good laughs, why they change guitars, tune, rest, etc. Augie March is definitely a band on the up and up.

Performance 9.5
Technical 9.5

Did I mention that I really like The Tivoli, and hence why the technical marks are all of such a high standard. YAY, for The Tivoli, my favourite live music venue.

Artic Monkeys with The Grates (06/08/06, The Arena, Fortitude Valley)

2006-08-13T09:31:00.000+10:00

The Grates
I am going to be upfront about this and say, I don’t really like The Grates. It’s mainly the style of Patience’s singing, which I am fully aware is a big part of The Grates overall style. Even though The Grates are not my cup of tea I will try to be fair in reviewing their performance. John and Alana both performed exceptionally well, and I personally immensely appreciated the music behind the vocals that they produced. Patience added a lot of energy to The Grates performance and really got the crowd going, jumping and dancing around the stage. Patience’s singing was not being helped by all that jumping around. As a result in my opinion the best song she performed all night was their last song of the set “Science Is Golden”, simply because she was not jumping around and could actually sing. There were no major technical hitches that I picked up, and the lighting was fantastic.

Performance 6
Technical 8

Arctic Monkeys
To be honest I was undecided about the Arctic Monkeys, and this concert was either going to lead me to like them or just be impartial towards their music. The crowd completely packed the dance floor in front of the stage. Forming an intense mosh pit, which had some crazy sideway movement even before there was any sign of the Arctic Monkeys. The lighting really set the scene and contributed to the concert, giving it plenty of rock status. The only thing which I am unsure whether it added or took away from the overall performance was how drunk Alex was (he was pretty smashed). Alex in between song banter was in a mumbling British accent, which he apologised for. (HAHA) I recommend keeping an eye on these guys, future shows should be a real treat once they have another album or two out. I hope to see a second album from them soon.

Performance 8
Technical 9

Mogwai with The Red Paintings (12/07/06, The Zoo, Fortitude Valley)

2006-08-12T10:37:00.000+10:00

The Red Paintings
Simply, I really like The Red Paintings (TRP). They have great stage presents, the performances by all the musicians was of a high standard, each adding their own unique layers to each song. The show was fun and visually stimulating with the great use of costumes, make up and props, all standard affairs for TRP. The overall technical aspect was good, my only criticism was a few problems with the mixing from time to time, mainly it was with the violin and cello, as they became a bit buried under the multitude of layers that TRP have in their music.

Performance 8
Technical 8

Mogwai
This was the first time I had seen Mogwai live, and it was fantastic, monumental even. Mogwai did what they do best, rocked and rocked loudly. No criticism from me at all. Just to prove that Mogwai is about being the best that they can be, below is a quote taken from Trach’s Journal on The Red Paintings website. (http://www.theredpaintings.com/v2/tashjournal.htm)

“Mogwai had replaced all the venues gear with all new equipment and there was lots of it. The sound system, the desks even the fold back desk was just incredible what was even cooler is that they let us use it all and well it just sounded so so big and crystal clear too (of course this is Mogwai so you would only expect the best) much thanks to Mogwai.”

It's a pity the scale only goes to 10!
Performance 10
Technical 10