Category Archives: Melbourne

Live Review | The Ocean @ The Hi-Fi, Melbourne with Sydonia, Lo! – 26 May 2012

Review by Billy Geary
The OceanThe Ocean are one of the more interesting bands of the past few decades. The brainchild of guitarist Robin Staps, The Ocean has, over the years, morphed into one of the most forward thinking and innovative metal bands in the world. Their show at Melbourne’s Hi-Fi bar on Saturday night was the second last leg of their maiden tour of Australia, and what a night it was.

Upon descending the steps below Swanston Street, Sydney’s Lo! and their brand of chaotic hardcore was reverberating around the room and up the staircase. First impressions were good, with the quartet proving dynamic on the Hi-Fi’s stage. Front man Jamie-Leigh Smith screamed his way around the room, both on stage and off it and gradually won over an oddly surly audience over as their set progressed. Coming across as a mixture of Converge and Mastodon, the sludgy riffs from Carl Whitbread sounded huge over the PA, really driving the band’s sound into the punters present. At the conclusion of their set, it was more than obvious why they were hand picked by The Ocean to support the entire tour.
Continue reading Live Review | The Ocean @ The Hi-Fi, Melbourne with Sydonia, Lo! – 26 May 2012

Live Review: Dead Letter Circus + Fair to Midland + Twelve Foot Ninja @ Ferntree Gully Hotel – 17 May 2012

Review by Billy Geary
Trekking all the way out to Ferntree Gully for a gig is always an interesting experience and Thursday night was no different, with a line up boasting some of Australia’s and America’s best alternative rock bands. With Brisbane natives Dead Letter Circus having been on tour with Texan five piece Fair to Midland in the States for the past few months, it was time to bring the party (and Fair to Midland) back home for their own national tour.

Local staples Twelve Foot Ninja have been given the support slot for the entire tour, and clearly loving the experience. Opening with ‘War,’ one of the band’s heavier numbers, the audience was instantly engaged. The most impressive thing about Twelve Foot Ninja is their ability to move between genres with the flick of a switch, this trait exemplified through ‘FEAR’ and ‘Manufacture of Consent,’ both featuring plenty of heaviness with a dash of reggae and dub influences. Similarly, new track ‘Shuriken’ will be one to look out for on their forthcoming album showcasing vocalist Nick’s outstanding vocals and a smattering of samples. Twelve Foot Ninja’s set came to an end via a powerful rendition of ‘Clarion,’ reminding punters exactly why they’re known as one of the tightest live acts in Melbourne.
Continue reading Live Review: Dead Letter Circus + Fair to Midland + Twelve Foot Ninja @ Ferntree Gully Hotel – 17 May 2012

Photo Gallery: Dead Letter Circus + Fair to Midland + Twelve Foot Ninja – The Hi-Fi, Melbourne – 18 May 2012

Photographer: Annie Wilson – Amped Photography

Continue reading Photo Gallery: Dead Letter Circus + Fair to Midland + Twelve Foot Ninja – The Hi-Fi, Melbourne – 18 May 2012

Photo Gallery: Cherry Rock Festival @ AC/DC Lane, Melbourne – 29 April 2012

Photographer: Tony Proudfoot PHOTOGRAPHY for Life Music Media


Continue reading Photo Gallery: Cherry Rock Festival @ AC/DC Lane, Melbourne – 29 April 2012

Live Review: Stonefield @ Northcote Social Club, Melbourne – 24 April 2012

Review by Ben Connolly
There are a couple of caveats to make about Stonefield as they took to the stage at The Northcote Social Club. The first is that they are a band of young, impossibly cute sisters from country Victoria, all apart from singer/drummer Amy Findlay, able to lay claim to being teenagers. It’s abundantly clear at times, too, with their youth defying their position – furtive, self-conscious glances to each other through face-shielding long lanky locks, seeking silent approval and encouragement – never mind the packed room full of hopeful adoration right at their feet.

The second note is about the style of music they produce – 70’s era synth-heavy psych-influenced prog-rock straight from their parents vinyl collection. It’s a genre with a shaky recent history in the Australian rock scene, with name after name hailed in the UK press as the next great hope of rock music only to fall in a heap come time and critical analysis. It’s a hype seemingly mirrored in Stonefield’s already mythically-charged short history – plucked from their country-town garage, they won a slot at Perth’s One Movement industry event, where a band booker snapped them up to play on the John Peel stage at the holiest of holy grails, Glastonbury. All of this while still labouring under a short EP and doing the merry-go-round of Triple J’s perpetual Unearthed treadmill.
Continue reading Live Review: Stonefield @ Northcote Social Club, Melbourne – 24 April 2012

Photo Gallery: Stonefield, The Delta Riggs @ Northcote Social Club, Melbourne – 24th April 2012

Photographer: Tony Proudfoot PHOTOGRAPHY for Life Music Media

Photographer: Tony Proudfoot PHOTOGRAPHY
Continue reading Photo Gallery: Stonefield, The Delta Riggs @ Northcote Social Club, Melbourne – 24th April 2012

Live Review: SEASICK STEVE – The Corner Hotel, Melbourne – 10 April 2012

Review by Ben Connolly
It was abundantly clear from the get-go that there was an elephant in the suffocatingly packed band room at The Corner Hotel, and it was in the guise of one John Paul Jones. This was not his gig – his name didn’t appear on the posters, gig guides or tickets and nor was there an allusion to him with the band’s name – Seasick Steve. Singular. Not “Seasick Steve and Friends”, not even the oblique “Seasick Steve Trio”. This was, for all intents and purposes, a solo gig by one of the most enigmatic and curious blues performers to have broken through into the mainstream during the past few years.

But it cannot be argued that the full house was solely there to bear witness to Seasick’s foreign hobo stories and wicked collection of do-it-yourself guitars. A cursory glance through the crowd put it almost overwhelmingly at middle-aged men; a stink of stale cigarette smoke clinging to their jackets, their greyed locks either trimmed close in demure recognition of their fading youth, or proudly allowed to grow and slicked back. They could easily be fans of either artist and a warm enough welcome was extended to the man with his name on the posters as he introduced the set with Diddley Bo, a slide blues number played on a junkyard one-string contraption.
Continue reading Live Review: SEASICK STEVE – The Corner Hotel, Melbourne – 10 April 2012

Live Review: Angelique Kidjo @ Melbourne Recital Centre – 5th April 2012

Review by Ben Connolly
It’s not often that an accomplished artist of the calibre of Anglique Kidjo is in danger of being overshadowed at her own headline gig. But early on the evening at her East Coast Blues and Roots sideshow in Melbourne recently, that was clearly on the cards, with both the support act Vusi Mahlasela and even the venue itself, the Melbourne Recital Centre, proving to be highlights on what was to become a magical night.

TheMelbourne Recital Centre seemed a strange choice of venue, with the architecturally intriguing concert hall tucked away in a corner of the cultural precinct usually playing host to staid chamber pieces and sober recitals. High-energy, percussive-intense gigs of the type Kidjo has become famous for seemed an incongruous mix for the plush, sit-down hall – a round peg trying to squeeze into its obtuse, honeycombed exterior, if you will. This is not to detract from the venue itself – far from it, in fact, as many of the full house took the opportunity to marvel at its plush interior. The warm foyer invited curious exploration, with wide, flowing stairs leading to the stalls above. The hall’s walls were etched with flowing designs, like that of a wood-worm snaking its way throughout and invited child-like wonder as patron after patron failed to resist the urge to run their fingers along its entrails. Once seated, the vaulted ceiling and angular facias all spoke of its acoustically-pleasing design – the proof of which was highlighted time and again throughout the performances.
Continue reading Live Review: Angelique Kidjo @ Melbourne Recital Centre – 5th April 2012

Live Review: Evanescence @ Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne with Blaqk Audio & The Khyber Belt – 24th March 2012

Review By Billy Geary
The lead up to the release of Evanescence’s self titled album (their first in 5 years) was, put lightly, a tumultuous one. With rumours of break ups and the like, plenty wondered if we’d seen the last of them. Not to be killed off though, Evanescence finally made it back to Australia and on Saturday night, put on an excellent showcase of their vast catalogue of hits.

First up was Melbourne’s own The Khyber Belt, the lucky local band that was selected to open every show of the tour. For a band barely a year into gigging, it’s fair to say they’ve risen quickly within the Australian scene. Vocalist Forbes McKail was his usual energetic self, bounding around the huge stage. Closing their quick set with ‘We The People,’ taken off their debut EP
Continue reading Live Review: Evanescence @ Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne with Blaqk Audio & The Khyber Belt – 24th March 2012

L’Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival 2012 – Runway 5 – Presented by Cosmopolitan

Photographer: Naomi Rahim – Design & Photography
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Photographer: Naomi Rahim – Design & Photography

The L’Oréal Melbourne Fashion Festival
L’Oŕeal Paris Runway 05 presented by Cosmopolitan features Australia’s prominent designers showcasing the latest trends and looks for Autumn/Winter 2012. Renowned for their drama and style, featuring Joveeba, Rodeo Show, Shona Joy, Talulah, Wayne Cooper and White Suedes.
Continue reading L’Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival 2012 – Runway 5 – Presented by Cosmopolitan

L’Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival 2012 – Independent Runway | Photos!

Photographer: Naomi Rahim – Design & Photography

Photographer: Naomi Rahim – Design & Photography

The L’Oréal Melbourne Fashion Festival
The LMFF independent Runway is presented by Yen and The Thousands. Independently spirited fashion labels come together in a unique runway production to present bold, innovative and edgy collections.
Designers:
Song for the Mute, Something Else by Natalie Wood, One Fell Swoop, Lui Hon, Livia Arena, Ksubi, Jolet, Garth Cook, Francis Leon, Extinct
Continue reading L’Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival 2012 – Independent Runway | Photos!