By DOMINIC FEAIN
Byron Bay’s Bluesfest hit full stride yesterday, following a cracker opening night on Thursday, and the heavens responded in kind.
Let’s face it, it just wouldn’t be Bluesfest without the rain.
While it certainly wasn’t the 100mm organisers had promised would drain off faster than a heavy metal anthem, it did pour down.
But that didn’t deter the hundreds of punters spilling out three sides of Crossroads stage where Rodriguez had just won over a new generation of fans. The crowd knew most of the words to his classic 1970 album, Cold Fact, and weren’t afraid to sing them. It was spine-tingling stuff.
On the flip-side, it was yet another classic Bluesfest audience – relaxed, intelligent and forgiving – offering musicians the kind of reception that has elicited some extraordinary live performances over the years, and earned the festival an international reputation among artists second to none in Australia.
Continue reading Review: Bluesfest Byron Bay 2013 – Day 2 Wrap
Two of the biggest names in rock’n’roll and heavy metal joined forces and descended upon Brisbane in a fiery, laser light filled show complete with upside down drum solos, acrobatics, ladies on stilts, flying musicians and pyrotechnics.
The last time 
Ahh, the annual Soundwave cavalcade. A time for sunburn, aching legs, aching livers and severe tinnitus. For those with average bank accounts, Soundwave is usually a choice between the main festival and the many and varied accompanying ‘Sidewave’ shows.
The Sunday set for the Gold Coast 
As is the case with many bands that are somewhat lesser known, despite being critically acclaimed and possessing a stellar live sound, British four piece 
Travelling to 
Australian death metal fans generally aren’t quite as lucky when it comes to high-profile gigs like their brethren who enjoy less-heavy strains of metal. You could probably blame the state of the music industry for the lack of international death artists all the way over here to our little patch of dirt in the middle of nowhere.
Sex, sing-alongs, comedy, catchy tunes and balls out fun! Yep, 
Tonight’s all-ages gig meant it was an early start for punters hoping to check out all four bands playing The Big Top at Sydney’s Luna Park. While the eager crowd wrapped its way around the Luna Park grounds in serpentine fashion, patiently waiting for the doors to open, it seems as though most of the other press outlets missed the memo on playing times, with the photo pit looking rather barren for opening act, 
On a darkened stage and with little fanfare, a pretty and bespectacled 
Boldness is not generally an adjective jumping to mind when you think of Kiwi band Shihad. With its skinny black-jeans clad legs planted firmly in the safe melodic-tinged rock scene pushed forth as the genre de jour of the late 90s and early 00s, you’d hardly seek out their albums to push boundaries or explore sonic adventures. Even more so in the past few years, where they’ve rotated around the all-too-familiar downward spiral of record-promote-tour-hope for relevance-rinse-repeat: it’s hardly a recipe for the cutting edge.