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Live Review: The Waifs at The Palais Theatre – 3rd June 2023

Review by Natasha Wyborn
Photos by David Jackson – shotz by jackson

The Waifs – ‘Up All Night’ – 20th Anniversary Tour

Saturday night saw a welcome return to the band’s adopted base of Melbourne, and now playing to a sell-out crowd of loyal fans in St Kilda; it was like coming home. The tour highlights the twentieth anniversary of one of Australian music’s greatest all-time albums. ‘Up All Night’ achieved double platinum status and won four ARIA Awards, no mean feat for a folk band from Albany in Western Australia. The show was an opportunity to play the album, an instant hit with fans.

Up All Night was the fourth album from the Australian Folk Mainstays. The trio comprises sisters Vikki Thorn, Donna Simpson and Josh Cunningham. Taking the stage, Simpson said this is a ‘Celebration of music. Feel free to sing along; that is exactly what the crowd did from start to finish. Opening the set with ‘Bridal Train’ from the 2004 same-titled EP. The song is not the band’s biggest hit but remains a crowd favourite. 

‘Shiny Apple’ followed by the album ‘A Brief History Live’ highlighted the distinctive three-clap intro by Simpson. Even after all these years, the lyrics are still haunting. The chorus of masses sang carefully, not to out sing Simpson as she held centre stage. 

Additional band members were introduced, long term friends Ben Franz on bass and David Ross MacDonald on drums arrived to complete the evening’s lineup. 

‘ Something’s Coming ‘ from the 2017 album ‘Ironbark; highlighted Thorn on Harmonica. All band members looked comfortable from the start exchanging banter.

What happened next was why the audience and loyal fans made the journey—hearing ‘Up All Night’ and playing the album in order was pure genius allowing the audience to know what was coming. I remember buying this CD when it was first released; I played it repeatedly and loved every song. Like all The Waifs albums, the song writing was shared between all members, a true meaning of collaboration. At the time, much like now, I was captivated by the freshness of this trio, the ability to add a stage in their life and allow the listener to jump in and share the experience.

The cover photo from the album provided a perfect backdrop to the evening ahead. ‘The lighthouse on the album cover is located at Cape Shank in Victoria’, Cunningham told the audience. It was clear from the start all members have lost nothing over the years, and all continue to bring something to the table. In between songs, the band gave insights into some of the lyrics, including.

‘London Still’ where Simpson lets the audience in on the song’s background. “People think this song is about me living in London for a long period, and I was there for four days, hatted the place and wanted to come home”. 

‘Lighthouse’ Cunningham told the audience the inspiration for this song was a fantasy about running away to own a lighthouse. A confessed introvert that liked his own company, it seemed like a good idea at the time. Although unachievable, Cunningham highlighted the ‘beautiful thing about being a songwriter is your dreams live on in a song.’ 

‘Since I’ve Been Around’ was Penned by Cunningham about his hometown in Moruya, NSW. The song delivered passionately highlighted the craftsmanship of one of Australia’s superior songwriters; Cunningham’s face showed signs of emotion, and the music still resonates with him after all these years. Thorn added the story of supporting Bob Dylan on his 2003 American Tour at the song’s end. At the soundcheck, Dylan said he ‘Liked That One’ referring to Cunninghams’ music, a better accolade I doubt you could not get anywhere.  

‘Three Down’, written by Vikki Thorn, talks about life on the road in America and the confinements of working, travelling and living with members over a long period. 

At the album’s completion, the band took the opportunity to play the audience some new music. Simpson excitedly disclosed to the audience, “I have written a song. It’s not a break-up song”, sharing her love for her new partner, Curly. The song title references her lover’s occupation working three shifts on and three off. ‘Swing’ is a song that undoubtedly has a place on the new album. ‘Heart in The Game’ could easily be sung at a local footy game or even the MCG. 

After a brief break, the band returned for a two-song encore

‘Take It In’ is a song reflecting on Cable Beach while the band were in Melbourne, featuring vocals by Missy Higgins. ‘Ironbark’, a crowd favourite, was the perfect ending to the night.

I cannot end this review without mentioning the special guests for the evening. 

Missy Higgins. On any other occasion, she is the headliner; however, on Saturday, through respect and admiration, she returned to play with a band that was influential in her career during the early days. 

Playing keyboards and guitar Higgins gave an insight into her career, songs and profoundly personal life, including a still-raw marriage breakdown, especially over the past twelve months. Her song list was interesting, returning to 2003 and playing tracks from her first EP. Higgins was open about her love and respect for The Waifs; this is obvious as these days, she plays undercard to no one. There was a clear reflection about a time after finishing her supporting set; she would sit, watch the band, and sell her then EP collecting names for her ever-growing mailing list. 

Her set included two brand songs, each filled with rawness; you could feel the emotion in the room. The songs had no names yet, fresh from the heart to the pen, then transferred onto the keyboard; I felt lucky to be in the audience for this; I think we all ‘Grieve for your love’, Missy.

Higgins gave insight into a time living in her parent’s garage; at only nineteen years of age, there was love, a relationship shared by both her sister and herself and the conflict that pursued. A close family and, as a result, an apology in music ‘The Special Two was written.

‘The Cactus that Found the Beat’ is an original song with a jazz feel written when Higgins was in year twelve. Accompanied by her brother David Higgins was a real treat to watch.

Jeff Lang was once described as ‘Australia’s Best Blues and Roots Musician. On Saturday night, you could easily see why. Lang’s guitar echoed around the theatre. Lang introduced his main role of the evening was to ‘Warm up the air’ for the headliners, but his role was so much more. Playing acoustic in its traditional way or as a slide guitar, Lang commanded attention and left me wanting to see him play a complete set and his own show. 

As this tour continues throughout Australia, the number of shows continues to grow. At last count, it was 44 and growing. It was worth the three-hour drive to sit and listen to three multi-talented musicians; going by crowd numbers, I am not alone in this opinion. 

Setlist 
Bridal Train, Shiny Apple, Something’s Coming , Fisherman’s Daughter, Nothing New, London Still, Lighthouse, Flesh & Blood, Highway One, Since I Been Around, 4th Floor, Rescue, 3 Down, Sweetness, Up All Night, Go, Swing, Miles, Heart In The Game,

Encore
Take It In, Ironbark

David Jackson, Photos

Album Review: Jen Mize & The Rough N’ Tumble

Review by Peter Coates – www.facebook.com/InsideEdgePhotography

JEN MIZE & THE ROUGH N’ TUMBLE
Released – May 19th
Pathfinder Records

The self-titled debut album from 8-piece Country / Blues / Soul / Funk big band, Jen Mize & The Rough N’ Tumble is a fantastic collection of soulful, swaggering entertainment.

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Album Review: Midnite City – In At The Deep End

Review by Peter Coates – www.facebook.com/InsideEdgePhotography

MIDNITE CITY
IN AT THE DEEP END
Released – June 23rd
Pride & Joy Music

Since bursting out onto the scene in Nottingham in 2017, Midnite City have toured, gigged, rehearsed and recorded as much as possible, despite the issues from the pandemic, taken on the world and are considered one of the top modern exponents of quality melodic rock.  

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Album Review: Mike Ross – Third Eye Open

Review by Peter Coates – www.facebook.com/InsideEdgePhotography

MIKE ROSS
THIRD EYE OPEN
Released – 28th April 2023

Mike Ross may be familiar to some as one of the three guitarist components of powerhouse UK Blues band RHR (Redfern, Hutchinson, Ross) alongside slide guitar hero Troy Redfern, and heavy blues rocker Jack J Hutchinson (both of whom have been covered in LMM).

I have had this album on regular play since I got an early copy, and have struggled to put pen to paper with a review until now.  Third Eye Open is not a typical blues album – it is deeply angry, grungy and heavy, and the lyrics cover a number of social topics that Mike feels very strongly about. Most of all, it rocks!

After a number of releases over the COVID period, this album is the first record of original Mike Ross music since The Clovis Limit Pt 2 in 2020, and while it includes some old riffs and licks resurrected from his archive, including the lead track I Swear, which is discordant, intense, and opens up with some heavy powerchords and searing guitar breaks before the main riff kicks in.  Mike says he had “AC/DC plays Black Sabbath riffs” in mind for the feel of the record, and this certainly fits this one. The bass from Derek Randall is crushingly heavy, and Darren Lee provides an immense and solid drum pattern that just powers the track from start to finish. 

More in the same vein with Cool Water, with a chopping guitar riff over another thunderous backing, and a pre-chorus that is out of line with the hugely melodic chorus.  Mike’s voice is not pretty, but he really shows of the strength and range in this one, and adds some nice touches on the organ to add some warmth to the track.  

Title track Third Eye Open, all 8.18m of uncompromising lyrics over the heaviest of riffage, with the vocals delivered with real vitriol tackling some pretty decisive subjects such as sexual freedom, moral signalling and a suggestion that ‘not behaving like an asshole when you knew better’ could be the path to enlightenment!  After the first rounds of verse and chords, the track morphs into a Pink Floyd-like middle-eight segment, with soaring trippy guitar lines over a 60’s bass line, and some spoken-word chatter throughout.  Then we are back with the heavy riff and some distorted guitar soloing before an even more angst-ridden verse, and a final chorus with the lead guitar shredding over the top of it. Phew!

A brief pause for breath with Born To Me, which sees Jack J Hutchinson adding some vocals, and which rolls through a couple of mellow verses, always threatening to explode, but keeping a level of restraint with some cracking slide guitar providing a neat counterpoint to the monotone of the chorus melody. Just as you think the track is over, a feedback buzz leads into a frenetic return to the main riff, heavier and fizzier, and with some intense slide guitar thrashing that must be amazing to see live (I am really looking forward to June 11th in North London).

Mike played in a band called Taller Than, and Fallen Down was one of their tracks, so it stands out slightly here as being a bit ‘off-message’, however the guitar playing remains incandescent through the light and shade of the different dynamics of the various segments of the track.  There is a real old-school Delta blues grit to Face By The Window, all slide guitar, distorted voice, and a snare-driven backbeat, with the slide guitar solo over the broken-chord plucking of the main riff.

We stray into Black Crowes / Blackberry Smoke territory with The Preacher, with a hard-driving guitar riff over the off beat bass and drums.  Powerplay magazine described Mike’s work as “like Led Zep fronted by Charlie Starr” and this track epitomises those words.  A scintillating old-school guitar solo.  The track also has a similar feel to band-mate Jack J Hutchinson’s material, and I love the way the last couple of choruses are delivered with a whole host of extra harmonies (including JJH) and crowd-shouted vocals, while Mike lets rip on the guitar.

There is a southern rock feel too to Ugly Brain, which rumbles along driven by a solid cowbell that provides the straight-up beat, while the band plays around with circular riffs and patterns.  The pre-chorus has a huge hook, and again the chorus melody is a little off-key, but complements the basic sound of the track perfectly.  Eulogy is a return to the steamhammer riffing that by now we are sensing Mike Ross is so comfortable with, with a tension in the lead vocals, and some spaced out guitars, and an almost white-noise bridge of swirling guitars and voice.  This almost has a Talking Heads vibe to the structure and tone, but there is no doubt that it fits with the Mike Ross sound.

The odd-ball of the record – in that it is perhaps the most straight-up song, is (Be With You) Tonight, a duet with well-known London blues-rock singer Jess Hayes.  This adds some country to the southern rock feel, with clean and melodic vocals.  Mike delivers a powerful solo, and gets the chance to show off some subtlety in the longer solo section.  The third of the tracks that were part of a crowdfunder project in 2022 is Never No More, and this sees angry Mike bemoaning the lack of depth of so much modern music, and lambasting the faceless elite who control and manipulate public opinion to serve their own ends.    This is a fine slab of grungy southern rock, with a clean lead-break over sparse bass and drums (Brian Irwin on the kit for this one), before Mike ramps up the anger in both lyrics and delivery before the final chorus and a howl of feedback to close.

The record comes in at 72 minutes so you are getting value for money here, and it closed with the epic Kicks Like A Mule, which sees Mike produce something a bit more mainstream in terms of melody and structure, a driving 1980’s rocker, featuring twin-guitar harmonies, some superb accents in the pre-chorus, an extended solo that sees Mike really shine, and which then slides into a lengthy outro of chorus and guitar breaks that will no doubt be a feature of the live shows.

There is a darkness and an edge to much of the stuff on this record, and the lyrics are angry and harsh a times, but there is so much to like in Mike Ross’ work, honest, gritty and earthy, like all great “blues” artists.  This record will appeal to a whole range of listeners, from classic blues guitar fans, to grungier heavy rock and southern rock aficionados.  Most of all, if you enjoy loud heavy guitar-driven music then sit back, turn up the volume, and enjoy the power and passion of Third Eye Open.

Useful Links:
Website :
www.mikerossmusic.co.uk  

Facebook : 
https://www.facebook.com/themikerossband 

Instagram : 
https://www.instagram.com/mike_ross_music 

YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzc67yK6bpnQMYHP7C4XLIQ 

UK Dates – 2023
May 13: Stockton Blues Festival (solo show)
May16: Broadstairs The Wrotham
May 20: St Austell Band Club (solo show)
May 24: Brighton The Greys
May 25: Bournemouth Poole Hill Brewery
May 26: Gillingham (Kent) Riverside Music Club
June 11: London Princess Alexandra, Crouch End (solo show)
June 23: Hastings, Black Box (solo show)
June 24: Sheffield Honey Bee Blues Club
June 25: Leicester HRH AOR Blues Crows

Full details and tickets available from www.mikerossmusic.co.uk   

Pic – Halek Gurer

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Album Review: Davisson Brothers Band – Home Is Where The Heart Is

Review by Peter Coates – www.facebook.com/InsideEdgePhotography

DAVISSON BROTHER BAND
HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS
Released – May 5th 2023
Red Dog Recordings

These down-home, bluegrass / country / rock / stomping country boys from the Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia first appeared on the Aussie radar when the often prescient Michael Chugg pulled them across for CMC Rocks in 2018, and then got them back for some headline shows in 2019, and they certainly attracted some positive attention here for The Fighter album that they toured.

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Live Review: Sleep Token at The Metro, Sydney – Saturday 29 April 2023

Review and photos by Krista Melsom – kristabellaphotography

Full disclosure. Prior to the tour announcement, I had never heard of Sleep Token. However, when their tour announcement flooded my social media, I was intrigued and decided to request to cover the gig. BEST. DECISION. EVER. I left the venue in a state of euphoria, my mind still trying to comprehend what I had just witnessed and experienced. Gather around, get comfy and let’s dive into what was likely one of the best concerts I’d ever been to. 

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Album Review: Winger – Seven

Review by Peter Coates – www.facebook.com/InsideEdgePhotography

WINGER – SEVEN
Released – 5th May 2023
Frontiers Records

This is the first album release from WINGER in more than 8 years, since the excellent Better Days Comin’ was released in 2014.

The band includes all four original members, Kip Winger himself on bass and lead vocals, virtuoso lead guitarist Reb Beach, Rod Morgenstein on drums and Paul Taylor on keys and guitar, plus John Roth who has been the additional guitarist for some time.

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