Southern rock royalty LYNYRD SKYNYRD has heralded the calls of their devoted fans, announcing their very first Australian shows since the band’s formation.
Boasting a rich and prolific history of more than 60 albums and sales exceeding 30 million worldwide, Lynyrd Skynyrd’s southern sounds are etched on the American rock landscape and their cult classics such as ‘Sweet Home Alabama’ and ‘Free Bird’ ingrained in the American spirit.
Continue reading Lynyrd Skynyrd – Australian Shows – February 2014
Having witnessed Poland’s blackened death metal legends Behemoth slay everyone in attendance on their Sydney date of their last Australian tour in 2010, you can bet we were more than a little excited when we learned of their upcoming 2013 tour dates. Fast forward to Saturday October 26 and we arrive at Sydney Uni’s Manning Bar to find that several hundred other excited Behemoth fans were already lining out the door and around the corner. 
As we arrive at Sydney’s Metro Theatre to a line of punters that stretches down that little side street and around the corner, we realise this will be one of this year’s more special musical events. The range of fans waiting patiently for Steven Wilson’s gig are as mixed and varied as the artist’s back catalogue, with young and old, male and female, overtly metal and overtly not… 
Dark Tranquillity will finally be returning to tour Australia; it will be their first time back here since 2006. One of the pioneers of the Swedish Gothenburg Melodic Death Metal scene of the time, and, an iconic namesake in their own right, Dark Tranquillity has evolved into far more than a pigeon holed stereotype act akin to the region which has defined a genre of its own. Dark Tranquillity is the complete package; they have that emotional and captivating groove laden sound with enough melodic and crisp guitars which is nowadays filled with melancholic thought provoking hooks and music score; they have a charisma and aura uniquely defined and attached to everything they do; they are, in the true sense, standing alone yet leading the way for the evolution and continuation of acts that spawned from Sweden born of the Gothenburg Melodic Death Metal mould. Dark Tranquillity is entrenched in the hearts and souls of a gripping cross section demographic.
A varied crowd aging from early twenties to people old enough to be parents of the band themselves congregate at the Unibar in Wollongong to see Something for Kate (SFK), a town SFK haven’t visited since 2009. This kind of group creates a lovely atmosphere at a gig, people of many ages and backgrounds coming together to enjoy music from a band that have been consistently impressive for twenty years. There is not a doubtful mind in the room, SFK are sure to impress once again on this chilly May night. 
Telstra customers will be among the first in Australia able to purchase tickets to the Australian leg of U.S rock legends Bon Jovi, Because We Can – Australian Tour.
If Stone Music Festival’s first day was a salute to rock then day two proved a little more difficult to pigeonhole. The bill included an American piano man, two elder statesmen of Oz music, a new band and two former Australian Idol contestants. I suppose we’ll just have to say that this unlikely grouping meant that this was a celebration of music, pure and simple.
Sydney was wet and it wasn’t David Lee Roth’s fault. Saturday morning had seen the heavens open again and again but rock ain’t about being comfortable and a little water never killed anyone. On day one of the inaugural Stone Music Festival, guitar heroes were king and no one was going to let a few showers rain on their musical parade.