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The long line of people queueing outside the The Tivoli in Brisbane, waiting excitedly to enter the venue was a good indication of the ever growing popularity of headline act The Jezabels. Touring on the back of their latest album release “The Brink”, the band continues to deliver quality music and live shows and tonight we would witness exactly that.
Continue reading Live Review | The Jezabels @ The Tivoli, Brisbane | May 6, 2014
Review by Scott Singh
Again comes that time of year where a mixture of locals and people from out of the state come together for a chilly day of good music at Groovin The Moo 2014 held at The University of Canberra. There was a clear distinction of who was a local and who wasn’t based on the apparel worn to combat the weather. Though, despite where you came from, the festival provided enough musical diversity to satisfy anyone’s quota for the day.
To start the day, Sweet Shoppe opened with a short but tenderising set that did intrigue many festival goers as they started their day. With a hypoactive sounds that sports a gifted female vocalist, the set was a great representation of the local talent coming from Canberra. It is always encouraging when locals make the effort to come out and support the band they enjoy at the start of the day.
Continue reading Live Review | Groovin The Moo 2014 | Canberra
Review by Wanda Hill
The legendary Wailers played a mesmerizing set to a captivated audience at Sydney’s classic venue The Enmore Theatre. Hit song after hit song was played to perfection and delivered with passion, integrity and the magic that has captured fans of Bob Marley and Wailers, all over the world.
Bass player Aston “Family Man” Barrett is the foundation of the band having co-produced and played with Bob Marley and the Wailers throughout the 70’s, writing many of the world famous bass line grooves. Keeping this music alive and spreading the message and wisdom contained within the lyrics remains a strong focus for Aston.
Continue reading Live Review | The Wailers + Sly & Robbie & the Taxi Gang with Bitty Mclean @ Enmore Theatre, Sydney | April 19 2014
Day three of Bluesfest.
With the sunshine continuing to beam happily down of the festival and music filling the air, there is no better place to be than Bluesfest.
Some Of Our Day 3 Highlights
Kate Miller-Heidke delighted fans with an early afternoon set. Kate’s stunning looks matched with superbly written songs delivered with pitch perfect vocals made for a great start to the festival day.
Jimmie Vaughan stepped up to the plate and showed us why he’s one of the most respected blues guitarist around. Keeping it clean and clear his guitar spoke volumes and there was nothing you could do but sit back and soak up the sound.
If you wanted to get up and shake it, Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 performance at the Mojo stage was the place to be. Kuti along with the band and the dancers took to the stage with their Afrobeat rhythms and it proved impossible not to get on your feet to jump and dance along.
A massive crowd assembled at the Mojo stage to witness John Butler Trio live and they were rewarded with a performance nothing short of amazing. Butler’s guitar work mesmerised throughout the set with clear fan favourites being “Ocean” and “Zebra”.
To say Dave Matthews Band blew the roof of the Mojo stage would be an understatement. Playing for almost three hour takes some doing but the crowd loved every moment. To top things off, Warren Haynes also made an appearance, joining the band on stage and playing a cover of Bob Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower”… magic!
Day 4 headliners include Erykah Babu, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Govt Mule, Jimmie Vaughan, Ozomatli and many more! It’s a huge day and we recommend you get in early to also check out a few of the early performances.
Here’s a few suggestions:
Kim Churchill, C.W Stoneking, Foy Vance, Kasey Chambers, Tim Rogers… just to name a few.
Byron Bay Bluesfest
Day 3 – April 19, 2014
Visit www.bluesfest.com.au for all festival information and updates.
Day two of Bluesfest.
For day 2 of Bluesfest we were blessed with beautiful weather to set the mode of the day.
Once again impressed with the festival layout that offers easy access to all stages, along with plenty of food stalls and bars, plenty of shelter *should you need it*, amenities aplenty. Overall verdict… fantastic!
Some Of Our Day 2 Highlights
Having seen Tijuana Cartel perform a number of times over the past few years, we were eager to arrive early and catch their 12:30pm set at the Mojo stage. Their style of infused Latin American/Afro Cuban break beat + world music was the perfect way to start the festival day and get you up and dancing.
Continue reading Live Review | Byron Bay Bluesfest 2014 | Day 2 Wrap
This year is the 25th Anniversary of Byron Bay Bluesfest and possibly the biggest Bluesfest held to date. Arriving at the festival you immediately realise the size and scale of the event. Huge camping areas teaming with festival goers, friendly volunteers directing cars to parking areas and spreading an infectious happiness to all that pass by. The music emanating from the venue as you approach the gates. The blended aromas of various cuisines wafting from the food stalls and the overall “feel good” vibe in the air.
Continue reading Live Review | Byron Bay Bluesfest 2014 | Day 1 Wrap
Words and Pics: Ben Hosking – www.hoskingindustries.com.au
Last time this reviewer was lucky enough to see Killswitch Engagewas at what was then called the Forum at Moore Park (now the HiFi). It was a sideshow to another festival and the bill included Divine Heresy and Shadows Fall. It was a remarkable show housed within a diminutive venue when the band was fronted by the mighty Howard Jones – who, at one point in the show climbed the speaker stack and proceeded to fall into the crowd below. The anticipation level was high for tonight’s show.
Continue reading Live Review | Killswitch Engage + Kill Devil Hill @ UNSW Roundhouse, Sydney | April 12, 2014
Words and Pics: Ben Hosking – www.hoskingindustries.com.au
To say that we were a little concerned about Monster Magnet’s set upon reaching the HiFi Bar just as the doors were opening would be an understatement. Simply put, there was very little sign of life. Granted, it was a dismal evening with some drizzle and cold Autumn winds blowing through, but there was hot night of raucous rock and roll to be enjoyed inside.
Regardless, Sydney band Arrowhead opened the night’s festivities to an almost empty room, rocking out with an energetic mix of mid-paced stoner/desert/Sabbath vibes. The three-piece made a beautiful racket and the small crowd clearly appreciated their driving, grooving slabs of riffage.
Continue reading Live Review | Monster Magnet + King of the North + Arrowhead @ Hi-Fi Bar, Sydney – April 4, 2014
Review and article photo by Courtney Laura
To say I was buzzing with excitement as I took my seat in Sydney’s Qantas Credit Union Arena waiting for Thirty Seconds To Mars is an understatement. Looking around the room, it was filling up nicely. The atmosphere was building and as London band the White Lies stepped onto the stage the room erupted ready to party with them.
The 5-piece band captivated with their raw, edgy sound and successfully pumped up the energy of the crowd in readiness for the headline act.
Continue reading Live Review | Thirty Seconds to Mars at Qantas Credit Union Arena in Sydney
Words by Denis Semchenko
It’s a gorgeous Thursday evening in the Queensland capital, the smell of the rain still hanging in the crisp air after an earlier downpour. Following a brisk walk to the Tempo, we are met with a killer blast of noise: that’s Hope Drone, eagerly conforming to their moniker by dousing the venue with bucketfuls of post-black metal (yep – everything is “post” these days) and death growls. It’s not all Cookie Monster-esque bluster, though – the quartet aren’t shy on melody and have their cleans and atmospherics down pat.
Continue reading Live Review | Caspian + Meniscus + Hope Drone @ The Tempo Hotel, Brisbane | March 21, 2014
Review by Ben Connolly
With a white sequined dinner jacket, and a ‘fro straight outta Brooklyn circa 1972, it was clear from the first strained note that Charles Bradley was every inch of his impressive mythology. The bio reads like a carefully scripted wrap-sheet: he was raised in a dirt-poor Brooklyn, from which he escaped only to spend decades drifting and working odd jobs, and spending serious time as a homeless grafter. On record, it’s heart-on-the-sleeve honesty of a man who knows no other. On stage it’s merely confirmation, as the performer pours every last ounce of feeling into the overwrought vocals and leaves nothing behind.
Continue reading Live Review | Charles Bradley + Saskwatch @ Melbourne Zoo Twilight – March 7, 2014
Review by Ben Connolly
Photos by Annie Wilson
In the great lottery of the Sidewave venue scramble, Placebo must surely have pulled the short straw. Not that St Kilda’s Palais Theatre is generally anything to be disappointed with – its grungy dilapidation holds a special place in Melbourne’s rock vernacular. But when it comes to a furious set by one of the world’s best emotive post-punk purveyors, those torn leather seats are just woeful.
Seated gigs are sometimes just the pits, with often fickle gig-going punters varying between reckless abandon and a studied aloofness, meaning that on any given night you can find yourself jumping to your heart’s content surrounded by fellow revellers, or having to reign in your exuberance or suffer the fate of a thousand daggers shot your way.
Continue reading Live Review | Placebo @ Palais Theatre, Melbourne – February 27, 2014
Review by Ben Connolly
Gig talkers are just the pits aren’t they? The bane of any true fans, their inanities strike at the most inopportune of moments, ruining a classic heart on the sleeve moment or a strained high-note, in spite of the daggers of ice being shot across the room, or even the indignant ‘shushing’ from those more forthright in their opinions. Things get a little swayed, however, when those interrupting the moments are three fully grown lions displaying their pleasure/displeasure in no uncertain terms.
And that’s exactly the bizarre set of circumstances thrown up at you when your Friday night gig is set in the heart of one of Melbourne’s most treasured inner-city reserves – the Royal Melbourne Zoo. Its Zoo Twilight series is now in full swing, hosting fellow Melbournites Something For Kate on its current swing around the country playing on specialist outdoor stages. Wedged in between the entrance and the lion’s den, the stage area is a beautiful vista of sunset-tinged greenery interspersed with picnic blankets and a solid smattering of baby capsules.
Continue reading Live Review | Something For Kate + The Orbweavers @ Melbourne Zoo Twilights – February 21, 2014
Words and Pics: Ben Hosking – www.hoskingindustries.com.au
What a freakin’ line up! Tonight’s Soundwave sideshow has sold out Luna Park’s Big Top and had punters lining up around the venue since 9am. It’s hardly surprising when you have Nu Metal legends Korn and comic super villain Rob Zombie headlining the same bill.
Opening tonight’s festivities are the masked crazies Mushroomhead. While their sound may not completely live up to their evil image, they offer an interesting three vocal assault, combining rap, screams and melodic vocals over a thickened bed of crushing riffs and soaring choruses. Tonight’s performance quickly whips up the early crowd, with all three singers launching into the crowd at one point.
Continue reading Live Review | Rob Zombie + Korn + Mushroomhead | Big Top Luna Park, Sydney – February 24, 2014
Review by Brandon Blythe
The streets leading into Brisbane’s RNA Showgrounds were flooded with excited fans eagerly waiting for the gates to open to this years Soundwave festival. As far as the eye can see were show goers of all age’s shapes and sizes proudly wearing their favourite band moniker or dressed in attention seeking costumes. The gates open, the crowd spills in and the day begins.
Our first stop was Amon Amarth who had been slated the very early 11am spot on Stage 4. The early start didn’t stop a league of loyal fans from packing the stage to see the Swedish melodic death metal band blasting out their best… Viking ship and all.
“Mon the Biff” – On Stage 1, Biffy Clyro gave everything they had and more! The shirtless, tattooed Scots rocking out a frantic set of favourites, fuelling the audience and setting a standard for the day ahead. Frontman Simon Neil captivatingly plays and sings and connects with the crowd. Ending on a high “We are Biffy f**king Clyro!“.
Continue reading Live Review | Soundwave Festival 2014 – Brisbane
