Youssou N’Dour at Bluesfest Byron Bay 2018 Photographer : Stuart Blythe
Bluesfest 2018 – Friday 30th March – Day 2
www.bluesfest.com.au
Mesmerising singing in language, dancing and didgeridoo emanated from the Boomerang Festival dance grounds from early in the day. Smoking leaves scented the air around people gathered to watch Jannawi Dance Clan and Muggera Dancers. Setting the tone, for a day filled with crowd participation, the lead song man invited the audience to learn a few dances. Connecting with, honouring and protecting the land was a strong theme in the movements and intention of the dances we were invited to learn. Continue reading Live Review : Bluesfest Byron Bay 2018 – Day 2→
Bluesfest Byron Bay 2018 – Thursday 29th March – Day 1
Rain cannot keep away the dedicated amphibious Bluesfest patron happy to withstand a bit of discomfort for the annual feast of music, artfully curated by Bluesfest director Peter Noble each year. The festival opened along with the sky, as the fertile fields of Tyagarah became the scene of another epic gathering of masters of sound from around the globe.
CMC Rocks Festival
Willowbank Raceway – Ipswich, QLD
March 15 – 18th 2018
This was our first visit to the 11-year old CMC Rocks Festival, and it will not be the last – what a brilliantly-run, well-managed, relaxed and impressive festival this is, at least from the media viewpoint, but also from the punter’s angle. The venue is laid out around the two main stages, with bars, shops and food stalls all around, plenty of room to view both the stages, and lots of trees to shade under during the day. Continue reading Live Review : CMC Rocks Festival – March 15 – 18th 2018→
Review and Photos: Peter Coates – www.facebook.com/InsideEdgePhotography
LUKE BRYAN / DUSTIN LYNCH – QUDOS BANK ARENA, SYDNEY – 16th March 2018
An excited crowd scooted to the Qudos Bank Arena to witness the first Australian show for USA Country-Rock superstars Luke Bryan and Dustin Lynch both here for the CMC Rocks festival in Queensland. Luke is now Country Music royalty, and Dustin one of the up & coming artists – 750,000 Instagram followers for him, compared to 4.5 million for Luke. Continue reading Live Review : Luke Bryan + Dustin Lynch at Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney – 16 March 2018→
Review by Natasha Wyborn KC and the Sunshine Band at Rochford Wines | Yarra Valley VIC | 10 December 2017 Photographer: David Jackson
A Day on the Green | Rochford Wines | Yarra Valley, Victoria | 10 December 2017
“You can’t stop the music”. Well actually you can, in the Yarra Valley on Sunday evening promoter Michael Newton was faced with the unenviable task of informing the packed venue that due to an illness of founding member Victor Willis, Village People would not be performing. The event scaled back to three acts would go ahead following an apology from the promoter. At this stage there were a number of patrons that took the option of a refund and left the venue. For the majority of the crowd they stayed and partied like it was 1976.
Australia’s Marcia Hines hit the stage looking glamorous in a shinny pant suit. Hines graced and moved around the stage much like her countdown years in the 70’s. Backed by a talented three piece ensumble the disco era was the obvious theme of her set. Hines also snuck in the odd classic “You” went over well with the crowd. Sadly as quick as it began it was over with Hines blasting out “It’s Raining Men” to the dancing crowd.
A Village People tribute by DJ Grand Master Baitz complete with an audience “Village People” fashion parade received the endorsement of the crowd with one Indian dancer so committed to the YMCA he could easily have taken the place in the current line up of the band. A brief appearance by Village People including Victor Willis also recieved the crowds admiration.
Philadelphia born 70’s disco icons Sister Sledge took the stage featuring founding members and sisters Debbie and Kim Sledge. From the onset it was a trip back to Studio 54 and the days where the disco ball ruled every dance floor in the world. Playing hits like “Frankie”, “He’s the Greatest Dancer”, “Thinking of You” and “Mama Never Told Me”. The band got an immediate reaction from the crowd. From dancing pantsuits and cork high heels to a construction worker who had jumped fence from the village to join the disco people. Finishing their set with the world wide smash “We Are Family” there was an obvious love and unity in the crowd.
Backed by nine musicians and four gorgeous dancers, Harry Casey AKA KC lead his Sunshine Band (KC and the Sunshine Band) through a collection of hits which resulted in on your feet based on the ground and moving basically from the first beat. All the hits were showcased including “(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty”, “Keep It Comin’ Love” and “Boogie Shoes”. The 79 smash “Please Don’t Go” saw the crowd change from disco dance floor to close and romantic. Casey’s engagement throughout the set was entertaining. Commenting on his age and waist expansion “I’m 66 and over the years i have gained a few pounds, there was a time when I was going to rename the band to KFC” referring to the colonel Sanders… everyone laughed . A highlight for the evening was the inclusion of the 1974 Casey penned “Rock Your Baby” made famous by George McCrae. The hits kept coming with “Boogie Shoes” and “Get Down Tonight” before wrapping up with “That’s the Way (I Like It).
There seem to be more and more bands out there defying genres and refusing to be pigeon-holed as any one class of rock…..classic, indie, progressive or hardcore….there is a bit of something for all in the latest release from Finnish trio Von Hertzen Brothers, with their 6th album War Is Over released on the Mascot Label Group at the start of November. Continue reading Album Review : Von Hertzen Brothers – War Is Over→
Live – The Reunion World Tour at Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne – 17 November 2017 Photographer : David Jackson
What a perfect night for Melbourne’s share of the “Live” reunion. Live supported by Lifehouse and The Calling – 17th November 2017 – Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne Victoria.
Stevie Nicks + Pretenders (Chrissie Hynde) at A Day On THe Green – Rochford Wines Yarra Valley Victoria – 18 November 2017 Photographer : David Jackson
Neither an electric storm or pouring rain could stop the final show of the 24 Karat Gold tour held at Rochford Wines in the Yarra Valley, Victoria. The latest instalment of A Day on the Green pitted two Rock & Roll Hall of Famers on the one bill. Pretenders’ Chrissie Hynde from Akron, Ohio was brought up on the punk side of town mentored by Malcolm McLaren. On the other side is Stevie Nicks from Phoenix, Arizona a member of one of the most influential bands in music history. Given these ladies musical roots, both should have been on a collision course to destroy each other, that said, they are the best of friends. It’s a “storytellers” tour Nicks told the audience early in her set. Continue reading Live Review : Stevie Nicks ’24 Karat Gold Tour’ with Pretenders (Chrissie Hynde) at Rochford Wines Yarra Valley Victoria – 18 November 2017→
If someone thought the 80’s were dead and buried no-one told the sell out crowd at Wagga Wagga on the weekend. The Murrumbidgee Turf Club opened its gates to over 3,000 people on Saturday to celebrate some of the best 70’s, 80’s and 90’s Australian music had to offer. Taking the crowd back to a time when a beer was a dollar and the most songs you could fit on a cassette was 12, social media and the internet were years away but somehow we survived. Continue reading Live Review : Rock at the Races – Wagga Wagga – 11 November 2017→
Midnight Oil at Gateway Lakes, Wodonga- 3 November 2017
As Midnight Oil lead singer Peter Garrett belted out the lyrics to the Oils classic Blue Sky Mine “Hope the crumbs in my pocket can keep me for another night” to another sellout crowd on Friday night you couldn’t help but wonder that if the band was being rewarded exclusively in food this show would be worthy of a 10 course executive meal. Gateway Lakes Wodonga and a sell out crowd of over 12,000 was the current stopover on the bands Great Circle World Tour. The packed venue comprising of an audience of all ages was primed and ready for arguable Australia’s greatest band. Continue reading Live Review : Midnight Oil at Gateway Lakes, Wodonga- 3 November 2017→
Review by Peter Coates
This is the second album release for the blues rock collective that is Supersonic Blues Machine – three great and well-respected musicians at the core of the band in Fabrizio Grossi (Bass), Kenny Aronoff (Drums) and Lance Lopez (Vocals / Guitar), and a bunch of “friends” guesting on the album and at the live shows the band gets to play. Continue reading Album Review : Supersonic Blues Machine – Californisoul→
