Gazing out over a sea of happy faces all staring at a source of inspiration is one of the highlights of Bluesfest, a religious experience of sorts. Finding togetherness in appreciation for another’s artistic expression is the kind of non denominational worship that can heal old wounds and start new friendships. Whether you like an an artist or not it is hard to ignore the passion, talent and commitment required to build a career around music that lets you travel the world. What greater way to spend a designated holy day than watching people who have risen to god/dess status in our lifetimes and listen to the gifts they bring. Continue reading Live Review : Bluesfest Byron Bay 2019 – Day 2→
Bluesfest Day 1 – 18 April 2019
www.bluesfest.com.au
If you are wondering why people keep coming back to Bluesfest year after year for 30 years, it’s because there is always new and exciting music to discover here. Whether it be seeing an artist for the first time that you have never heard of that has actually been around for decades and is really famous somewhere else, or having the opportunity to see recently emerged artists from right here on your doorstep. Day 1 brought the Bluesfest crowd a taste of what is hot in Australia right now with Dallas Woods, Baker Boy and Ocean Alley all on the menu. Continue reading Live Review : Bluesfest Byron Bay 2019 – Day 1→
Review and photos by Peter Coates – www.facebook.com/InsideEdgePhotography
Introducing Nashville at The Factory Theatre, Sydney – 21st March 2019
A four-artist bill featuring some of North America’s most exciting established and up-and-coming artists – Brandy Clark, Devin Dawson, Lindsay Ell and Tenille Townes have embarked on a unique tour following their CMC Rocks appearances, in a totally different style and format to what many Country Music fans would be used to. Designed to introduce current artists from Nashville to music fans around the world, this two-hour seated show presented the artists on stage together, in a rare stripped-back environment, mirroring a quintessential Nashville “writers round”, we saw the four, all of whom are on their first trip Down Under, take turns to introduce their songs, sharing the stories behind the tracks, along with some fascinating personal life and career experiences. Continue reading Live Review + Photos : Introducing Nashville 2019 at The Factory Theatre, Sydney – 21st March 2019→
Nickelback have the big stage set and great lights of the stadium rock band they now are, and open up with Feed The Machine, followed by Woke Up this Morning and while we are packing up the cameras, the more laid back hit of Photograph. An extra guitarist appears for the huge crowd singalong of Far Away to fill out the acoustic depth, and keeps popping up on guitar and keys through the set. And the light show continues to impress. Continue reading Live Review : NICKELBACK – ‘Feed The Machine’ Tour – Brisbane Entertainment Centre – 13 February 2019→
Review and photos by Peter Coates – www.facebook.com/InsideEdgePhotography
Dallas Davidson is a name that many people will not know, and I reckon a chunk of the crowd who made it in to the Enmore from the storm outside might have thought he was the low-budget warm-up act doing covers of country number ones…..the thing is, Dallas wrote all of these for Luke Bryan, Jake Owen, Bake Shelton, Jason Aldean and Lady Antebellum…..so he really is entitled! Continue reading Live Review : RANDY HOUSER at Enmore Theatre, Sydney – 13 December 2018→
Dead Letter Circus at Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle – 13 December 2018 Photographer: Ben Hosking
It feels like only yesterday that I was lucky enough to see Melbourne’s Circles supporting Tesseract at Sydney’s Metro Theatre. OK, so it was mid-September. However, in that time the band have been touring non-stop, including a jaunt to Europe and all that road time has paid dividends.
Despite already being a tight, taut and polished modern metal outfit, Circles dominated the Cambridge Hotel stage tonight with an obvious growth in confidence – not only in themselves, but also in the tracks off their latest album that make up the bulk of tonight’s set list. In fact, there didn’t seem to be a single song off their first EP to be heard. What's even more impressive is that they pulled this off with a fill-in bassist while Drew Patton was sidelined by a new baby. Just phenomenal.
Brisbane’s Dead Letter Circus has a long history of wowing audiences and listeners alike. Forming in 2004 (their debut album landing in 2010), singer Kim Benzie estimated that the band had played the Cambridge stage some six times over the years and tonight’s near-full house is testament not only to their memorable modern prog rock songs, but also a willingness to put in the long miles.
Tonight, they’re on fine form, with an extensive set list covering their entire catalogue. Some seventeen tracks have the Newcastle crowd wowed before a venue curfew sees them leave the stage without an encore. Frankly, if anyone is disappointed, they shouldn’t be. We were all treated to a night of some of this country’s best forward-thinking heavy music.
Words and Photos by Ben Hosking – www.hoskingindustries.com.au
Parkway Drive at NEX, Newcastle – 27 October 2018 Photographer: Ben Hosking – Hosking Industries
First a word of advice: It can really pay to check the opening times for a gig on more than one website! Thanks to an erroneous door time listing on one ticket website, this humbled reviewer ended up missing the brutal Thy Art is Murder.
Thankfully I didn’t miss the mighty Killswitch Engage, who tonight were playing the role of main support. For some, that might seem like an odd place for a renowned international act. However, when you look out across the sold out room at NEX in Newcastle (the old Worker’s Club), it seems like a pretty shrewd move and one that will no doubt win the Massachusetts band plenty of new fans off the back of a typically super strong performance. Continue reading Live Review : Parkway Drive and Killswitch Engage at NEX, Newcastle – 27 October 2018→
