 [Photos: Matt Palmer] |
Q150 Proclamation Day Concert @ Riverstage, Brisbane 10 December 2009 Photographer: Matt Palmer Gallery:
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Tour News: Devin Townsend Project Australian Tour – March 2010
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Some 15 years ago, Steve Vai dubbed the then 19 year old Devin Townsend “The Boy Genius”. Vai was being most sincere, rather than sarcastic.
Since then Townsend has amazed, beguiled and occasionally baffled all comers in numerous incarnations spanning the extreme noise metal of Strapping Young Lad to the intricate melodies of Ocean Machine; Devin has had his hand in almost every genre of music, from industrial metal to progressive rock to ambient sounds. All of these projects had one thing in common: GENIUS. From the perfection of the wall of noise that was ‘Strapping Young Lad’ to the brilliance of ‘The Devin Townsend Band’, Hevy Devy has embarked on his most ambitious project yet; |
Continue reading Tour News: Devin Townsend Project Australian Tour – March 2010
Live Review: Mono, laura, Del Toro @ The Hi-Fi, Brisbane 6 December 2009
Reviewer: Denis Semchenko
 [Photo: Stuart Blythe] |
Concluding my adventures in Hi-Fi (Brisbane) (to paraphrase an R.E.M. album title) for the week – Sia on Thursday, Jarvis Cocker on Saturday – is a Sunday night event with a bill that looks like post-rock lover’s wet dream: Japanese celestial noise giants Mono, sublime Melbournians laura and Brisbane’s own math soundscapists Del Toro. In contrast with the packed earlier shows, there’s room to move and the alcohol-fuelled rowdiness, frequent at “name” gigs, is absent: everyone’s here to listen to MUSIC. |
Continue reading Live Review: Mono, laura, Del Toro @ The Hi-Fi, Brisbane 6 December 2009
News: BIG DAY OUT 2010 – THIRD ROUND OF ACTS ANNOUNCED
Summer has begun, the New Year is just around the corner, and so is the BIG DAY OUT! We’re thrilled to let you in on the final artists who will be touring with the BIG DAY OUT in 2010 plus the local acts taking to the stage in each city.
BIG DAY OUT 2010 is hosting the mother of all celebrations – FEAR FACTORY’s 21st birthday. Continue reading News: BIG DAY OUT 2010 – THIRD ROUND OF ACTS ANNOUNCED
News: Datarock Australian Tour – January 2010
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Norway’s Datarock have returned with the follow up to the geek-chic party album of 2005, Datarock Datarock and will be heading down under to serve it up live to Australian audiences.
Their debut mixed Happy Mondays punk-funk with warped Devo humour, and was well received locally with ‘Computer Camp Love’ landing #12 on Triple J’s Hottest 100. The new album, Red, has lost none of the duo’s aptitude for so-classic-you-must-haveheard-it-before hooks, but this follow-up is an altogether more concept-driven beast. |
Continue reading News: Datarock Australian Tour – January 2010
Live Review | Dream Theater @ Brisbane Convention Centre 3 December 2009 with Pain of Salvation
By: Hannah Collins
With the Majesty symbol out in force, The Brisbane convention centre slowly begins to fill as fans old and new await a set of mammoth proportions.
The venue is still relatively empty as support act, Pain Of Salvation (Sweden) begin to play. The 5 piece, consisting of Daniel Gildenlöw (vocals/guitar), John Hallgren (Backing vocals/Guitar) , Fredrik Hermansson (synthesizers) Léo Margarit (drums/backing vocals) and Per Schelander (bass guitar/backing vocals) announce themselves as “A Swedish band, with a French drummer… somewhat like Meshugga, but with notes”… an interesting analogy.
Their sound comprises of powerfully accentuated guitar work, progressive yet full, with a large and differential vocal range, being contributed to by the excessive use of backing vocals from three different members of the band. Although submitting to be a backup vocalist only, Hallgren seems to have a larger more substantial vocal sound, not only contributing to backup but taking whole sections of songs to claim as his own with his husky larger than life undertones.
Continue reading Live Review | Dream Theater @ Brisbane Convention Centre 3 December 2009 with Pain of Salvation
Photo Gallery | Dream Theater @ Brisbane Convention Centre 3 December 2009
Click the image to view the photo gallery
[Photo: Stuart Blythe]
Continue reading Photo Gallery | Dream Theater @ Brisbane Convention Centre 3 December 2009
Live Review: Aria Awards 2009 Red Carpet Wrap up
The Aria’s Red Carpet
By: Bek Grealy
[Photos: Stuart Blythe ]
36 degree heat blistered the red carpet as an entourage of stylish Limousines followed suit to the entrance of the red carpet. The fans eagerly awaited their stars, one hand grasping their digital cameras in anticipation, the other holding a makeshift fan and the odd shout of “Robbie or Keith” could be heard from a distance.
As the stars made their way up the red carpet, photographers, Television production crew and journalists fought their way to the front to capture the moment.
Continue reading Live Review: Aria Awards 2009 Red Carpet Wrap up
Interview: Sam Clark – Broken
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Since Neighbours first aired on Australian television it’s almost been de rigueur for its stars to branch out and launch a singing career. It’s fair to say that the move has panned out better for some than others (Holly Valance anyone?). Sam Clark is the latest actor to step up to the plate. Elize Strydom (LMM) caught up with him a few days into a three month promotional tour from his new single ‘Broken’ and discovered this kid ain’t no one hit wonder.
Life Music Media: Where do I find you this afternoon? Sam Clark: 662km from the city..city..of…thhh…Sydney. Ah, I can’t even speak! I’ve been driving for too long already. |
LMM: You have a relentless schedule ahead of you for the next three months. How are you going to handle it?
SC: I’ll just have to man up and deal with it! It’s all good fun. I get to play my music. I’m releasing my first single so it’s exciting. I just have to look at all the positives and the workload is something that has to happen.
LMM: You’re no stranger to hard work. Tell me the difference between the average day on the set of Neighbours and the average day as Sam Clark the rock star?
Continue reading Interview: Sam Clark – Broken
DOPE (USA) + SOIL (USA) Australian Tour December 2009
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Australia, strap yourself in, ‘cause dope and SOiL are joining forces to make one huge, hell of a show and throwing it our way! These two hard-hitting bands are renowned for their wild and industrial driven live shows, which will be sure to blow audiences when they both tour Australia’s east coast for the first time.
dope, with their politically charged, sonic arsenal of sounds mixed with a grooving, melodic style appeals to metal fans across the board. Their live set has been described by reviewers as crazy, primal, tight and pumped full of raw energy, and they get their audience going wild, so you know you’re in for one hell of a show. Not only do these boys play kick-ass music, their sex-drugs-and-rock-n-roll attitude and swagger will leave you craving more of them. |
Continue reading DOPE (USA) + SOIL (USA) Australian Tour December 2009
News: Another electrifying artist announce for Bluesfest 2010!
The second major round of artists to perform at the 21st Anniversary Bluesfest has been announced! Australia’s most awarded and internationally renowned festival officially will be held at its permanent new home – at the Tyagarah Tea Tree farm just off the Pacific Highway, 12 minutes north of Byron Bay. The Easter weekend dates for your diary are Thursday April 1 through to Monday April 5, 2010!
Festival goers should also note that the new and updated playing schedule is now online, and one day tickets are now also on sale – just visit www.bluesfest.com.au to see it all. This announcement marks the first time so many artists (over 50) have been unveiled this early, along with the playing schedule – giving fans more time than ever to plan their Easter holidays. Continue reading News: Another electrifying artist announce for Bluesfest 2010!
EP Review: Tara Simmons – All You Can
Review: Lana Harris
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There are very few musicians about today who can craft such an accurate visual portrait of their music as Tara Simmons has done with her new EP, All You Can. The cover depicts a childish collection of objects – colourful magnetic letters, a doll with a crocheted dress, plastic representations of party foods, but on closer inspection… there are dismembered doll limbs in display jars on the wall, an unconscious hamster lying inert on the worn table. The tainted innocence portrayed fits Tara’s music on All You Can all too well. Track three, ‘Rosemary’ begins as a gentle folky song before swelling to a dirge like chorus and revealing itself lyrically as the deconstruction of a discourteous woman. Track one, ‘The Fundamentalist’, has reverential overtones, with its choral back up vocals and organ chords, but I wonder if Tara is playing with her |
Photo Gallery: Aria Awards 2009 – Red Carpet
Live Review: Aria Awards 2009 Red Carpet Wrap up
Click the image to view the photo gallery [Photo: Stuart Blythe] |
Aria Awards 2009 – Red Carpet @ The Acer Arena, Sydney Photographer: Stuart Blythe
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Live Review: Karnivool, Regular John, Coerce @ The Tivoli, 25 November 2009
 [Photo: Stuart Blythe] |
Karnivool, Regular John, Coerce @ The Tivoli, 25.11.2009 By Denis Semchenko Having successfully escaped my Pearl Jam fan-invaded neighbourhood, by the time I get to The Tivoli openers Coerce have already finished. From a friend’s account, the UK combo played a solid set of angular prog-rock with At The Drive-In leanings, which would have by all means made for a decent listening experience for this writer. For the time being, though, Sydneysiders Regular John will do – and they do it with gusto, cranking up heady garage-rock riffs and pentatonic licks and flailing the ‘70s long hair. Some post-2002 Grinspoon echoes are heard throughout but the quartet’s overall feel is that of the ballsy vintage rock & roll, somewhat incongruous given the headliner’s complex, emotion-drenched oeuvre, yet fun nonetheless. |
Continue reading Live Review: Karnivool, Regular John, Coerce @ The Tivoli, 25 November 2009
CD Review: Hungry Kids of Hungary – Let You Down
Review: Lana Harris
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Flutes have a fairy tale history of hypnotising the impressionable – think of the Pied Piper of Hamelin leading the children from the city, and the forest dweller Pan and his pipes that make maidens dance until sunrise. Is it just a coincidence that a trilling flute introduces Hungry Kids of Hungary’s new single ‘Let You Down’? The song is the first taste of the ‘Kids debut album, due out in 2010. Prolific bunch – the release follows straight off the back of Mega Mountain, released just this year, and home to Triple J rotated singles ‘Old Money’ and ‘Set it Right’. |
Continue reading CD Review: Hungry Kids of Hungary – Let You Down