The Getaway Plan played an “all ages” gig at the Red Room – University of Queensland, 19 July 2008 as part of the Brisbane leg of their “Where The City Meets The Sea” tour (supported by Goodnight Nurse and Closure in Moscow).
Live Review: fasterlouder review by brittles
Photos: The Getaway Plan live
Links: The Getaway Plan @ Myspace – Boomtown Records – University of Queensland – FasterLouder
Support bands: Closure in Moscow – Goodnight Nurse
It’s rare for a musician to hold an influence in the music world for over twenty years. It’s rare for a musician to excel as frontman in one of the most respected bands of all time, and solo artist in their own right. But Black Francis has, which is why it gives The Frontier Touring Company great pleasure to confirm that Black Francis will headline shows in Fremantle, Adelaide, Brisbane and Melbourne this September/October – his first in over a decade.
This tour will see Black Francis perform in support of his two most recent releases; 2007’s Bluefinger (out now through Shock) and 2008’s mini-album Svn Fngrs (out now through Shock). Boisterous and meticulous, Bluefinger and Svn Fngrs have announced to the world that Black Francis’ songwriting and performance skills are as potent as ever.
Bluefinger – speculated to be the material originally ear-marked for the Pixies’ new record – sees Black Francis at the top of his game. Dutch artist Herman Brood – the man widely considered to be the epitome of sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll – is heavily referenced through the album, continuing Black Francis’ penchant for expressing his unique take on the world.
Of the album, the NME gushed: “The unlikely, ghoulish inspiration of a dead Dutch pop star has forced Pixies’ frontman Frank Black into making his finest album since the demise of his influential ’90s alt.rockers.”
Mojo expressed similar sentiments: “Bluefinger marks an artistic rebirth for the king of quiet/loud.” And Rolling Stone concurred: “On Bluefinger, it sounds like the Pixies’ fantastic reunion shows have allowed Black to finally shed his ambivalence about rocking out. So he does.”
Even the notoriously fierce Pitchfork couldn’t maintain their usual veneer of nonchalance: “Bluefinger is the best overall solo record Black has released in a long time…”
It’s been over a decade since Black Francis last played headline shows in Australia. Tickets to see Black Francis play as part of the Pixies in 2007 sold out in a frenzy. You don’t need svn fngrs to figure out what the equation will be in 2008.
Tickets are on sale Wednesday 30 July.
Pre-sale tickets will be available from noon AEST Monday 28 July
Sunday 28 September Metropolis, Fremantle
Moshtix 1300 438 849 or www.moshtix.com.au
Monday 29 September HQ Complex, Adelaide
Venue*Tix (08) 8225 8888 or www.venutix.com.au
Wednesday 1 October Arena, Brisbane
Ticketek 132 849 or www.ticketek.com.au;
Arena Online 1300 762 545 or www.arenaonline.com.au
Thursday 2 October Forum Theatre, Melbourne
Ticketek 132 849 or www.ticketek.com.au
QPAC is getting all jazzed up to host some of Australia’s biggest names in jazz.
For an entire weekend in August, jazz fans will be treated to two days of non-stop music by some of the country’s finest performers and bands. Jazz music will weave its way through QPAC with known and local artists performing across two venues from midday to 11pm on Saturday, 16 August and midday to 6pm on Sunday, 17 August.
The exceptional line up includes one of Australia’s leading international artists, Bob Barnard (pictured, left), who will perform with his all-star band; the highly regarded composer, performer and educator Bob Sedergreen and Australia’s top rated traditional/ mainstream jazz group, The Syncopators.
Featuring all styles of jazz, Giants of Jazz also features: Geoff Bull’s Olympia Jazz Band, George Washingmachine, Julie O’Hara, Peter Baylor, Laique, The Jazz Factory, Clare Hansson, Harry Lynn Quartet, Queensland Conservatorium Big Band, Jazz String.
QPAC’s Artistic Director John Kotzas said Giants of Jazz was a great opportunity for lovers of jazz to indulge in a smorgasboard of entertainment.
“It’s rare to get this number of artists of this calibre together under one roof for an entire weekend,” Mr Kotzas said.
“It’s also rare for jazz to be performed in these intimate surrounds, enabling fans an up-close and personal experience.
“Giants of Jazz builds on QPAC’s incredibly successful Jazz Fridays, which has seen local jazz artists performing in Cascade Court regularly since February,” Mr Kotzas said.
Patrons can purchase a full-day pass for either Saturday or Sunday or a full weekend pass.
Ticket Information:
Dates: Saturday 16, August and Sunday, 17 August
Venues: Cremorne Theatre & Studio 1, QPAC
Tickets: Single Day Pass $105; 2 Day Weekend Pass $198
Bookings: qtix.com.au or 136 246
QPAC’s free Nights Outside program is gaining a reputation for showcasing some of the country’s biggest names in music and this month it’s set to grow further.
In recent months, acts such as Avalon Drive, Sparkadia and Young and Restless have had QPAC’s Cascade Court buzzing. (click here for Avalon Drive QPAC article)
On 19 July, Tex Perkins will headline the entertainment along with his good friend and former Cruel Sea cavalier, James Cruikshank.
Fresh from recording his new studio album, due to be released by Universal Records later this year, Tex comes to QPAC to play some classic tunes from his back catalogue – and possibly some new tracks too.
Also featuring at Nights Outside on 19 July is Australian alt pop-rock treasure Fi Claus.
Brisbane based Fi has recently toured Australia to launch her second iTunes single, I’ll Be Spending. Fi Claus’s free performance at QPAC will feature Emma Dean.
Ticket Information:
What: Nights Outside – featuring Tex Perkins and Fi Claus
When: Saturday 19 July from 7pm
Where: Cascade Court, QPAC, South Bank
Tickets: FREE
Presented by 4C arts collective
A creative cacophony for a community cause
On July 19 the 4C arts collective will host the Connect Four Art Party, the follow up to the highly successful premiere March event.
The evening will feature of massive array of art in a multiplicity of styles and formats including some of Brisbane’s best bands and DJs plus burlesque, circus and physical performance and all kinds of other shenanigans.
Supplies will be provided for attendees to create and participate in making art to add to the event.
All proceeds will be donated to the Women’s Legal Service. This organisation relies on grants and donations to provide free legal advice for women in difficult circumstances.Saturday, July 19, 2008
5:00pm – midnight
Valley studios, Fortitude Valley
610 Ann st
BYO
LITTLE VEGAS AND THE FUZZ PARADE
THE STRANGE ATTRACTORS
LITTLE SCOUT
MA SHEEN
DASTARDLY KUTS
plus fabulous burlesque performances from:
LENA MARLENE
LADY LAINE
AND CIRCUS PERFORMERS (TBA)
Links:
4C Arts Collective
Parkway Drive and Have Heart ripped up the Tivoli on Friday the 13th (13 June 2008).
Boston’s Have Heart is easily one of the biggest bands in straight edge hardcore scene and managed nothing less than a solid, full on performance that saw the packed Tivoli crowd jumping and screaming for more… perfect fodder for the mainline act “Parkway Drive“. Have Heart’s front man Pat Flynn is the face of the straight edge movement and proved that this movement is alive and well in Brisbane.
As Parkway Drive entered the stage, the crowd surged forward and erupted in classic hardcore fan style, flying fists, circle pits, and a mountain of aggression. Parkway Drive blistered through their set and did not disappoint, offering up (among others) “Gimme A D”, “Siren’s Song” and “Guns for Show, Knives for a Pro”, their high energy show that would have kept the hardest hardcore critic happy.
Links: Parkway Drive – Have Heart
Venue: The Tivoli Brisbane
Sunday July 27 sees the birth of Home Grown In The Valley, a boutique music festival in the rain forest surrounds of the Currumbin Valley Bird Gardens. The line up brings together Australian music icons Ian Moss, Richard Clapton and Diesel, revered guitarists Phil Emmanuel, as well as blues & roots legends Kevin Borich and Steve Edmonds.
Sunday 27 July, 2008 @ The Bird Gardens, 746 Currumbin Creek Rd, Currumbin Valley, Southern Gold Coast. 11:00am to 9:30pm
To purchase tickets to Home Grown In The Valley, head to www.inthevalley.com.au or Southport RSL, Scarborough St, Southport.
As part of Brisbane Festival 2008, the ultimate street party reclaims Racecourse Road for one massive day only.
Check out the three stages of FREE live music and create your own soundtrack to a perfect day out with the amazing sounds of jazz, world music, funk, pop and rock performances coming to you from all around Australia. The day’s performance includes Australia’s premier original soul/funk outfit Pablo Discobar, roots group Afro Dizzi Act, The Tonights a trio unbounded by genre, indie rockers Kristy London and The Other Halves, singer songwriter Emma Dean, Australia’s hottest latin band Chu‘Kale’ and many more.
This incredible day will also feature heaps of activities for children and families with face painting, workshops in circus, physical theatre, juggling, dance and kite making plus more than 150 stalls offering gourmet produce, community information and arts and crafts for sale. Complete your day by visiting the retail stores and restaurants that make Racecourse Road the hub of North Brisbane.
FEATURING
Pablo Discobar, Kafka, Afro Dizzi Act, Emma Dean, Chu‘kale’, The Tonights, Tim Loydell & the Deckchairs, Kristy London & the Other Halves, 8 Ball Aitken
VENUE
Racecourse Road, Ascot QLD
DATE & TIME
Sunday 20 July – 10am to 5pm
TICKETS
FREE. No bookings required.
TRANSPORT
TRANSLink 13 12 30 or www.translink.com.au
Train: Ascot Station
Bus: Racecourse Road, Kingsford Smith Drive & Lancaster Road
CityCat: Bretts Wharf
Parking: Eagle Farm Racecourse with a gold coin donation to charity and limited street parking available
MORE INFO
Food and beverages will be available for sale from a variety of stalls and cafes and restaurants along Racecourse Road. Umbrella making, kite making, jewellery, circus and dance workshops will run throughout the day.
For information on road closures, alternate traffic routes and parking restrictions visit http://www.brisbanefestival.com.au/.
The Dropkick Murphy’s, who have evolved over the past decade into one of the most beloved punk-inspired bands in the world, played to a sell out crowd at The Tivoli.
Review on it way…
Links: The Tivoli – The Dropkick Murphy’s – Sick Of It All – FasterLouder
Photos: LifeMusicMedia photoset
Avalon Drive rocked out at the QPAC “Nights Outside” series of concerts.
Saturday saw an outstanding nights entertainment at QPAC’s Cascade Court outdoor venue. As part of the “Nights Outside” series of free concerts, Avalon Drive, Repeat Offender and Little Red Light made their mark.
More Photos
Uncharted winners Avalon Drive will headline QPAC’s free Nights Outside concert this Saturday night.
The award-winning rock band who spent much of last year touring with INXS, The Veronicas and Yellowcard and performing their own national tours will take to the stage in QPAC’s Cascade Court as the lead act in a dynamic night of live music performed by some of Brisbane’s best up-and-coming rock bands.
Formed in 2005, in 2006, the band’s rise was imminent when they released the EP The City Of Burnt Out Lights which spawned two singles including radio favourite, Get Up which the band went on to perform nationally as Rove Live’s house band and guest performance on Toasted TV.
Joining Avalon Drive on the bill will be the five-piece Brisbane rock band Repeat Offender, who will perform its first all ages concert this year at QPAC. Repeat Offender has shared the stage with some of the country’s best musicians including The John Butler Trio, The Butterfly Effect, The Veronicas, My Chemical Romance and The Killers. Be sure to listen out to songs from the band’s first EP To a Modern Love.
Completing the rocking line-up will be the explosive trio Little Red Light. Incorporating a quirky, funk-rock style to its music, Little Red Light is a relative newcomer to Brisbane’s music scene, but already it is making a big impact with a growing fan base.
Event Details:
What: Nights Outside – featuring Avalon Drive, Repeat Offender and Little Red Light.
When: Saturday 24 May from 7pm until
Where: Cascade Court, QPAC, South Bank
Tickets: Free Event
Presented by
QPAC – Queensland Performing Arts Centre
Links: QPAC Night Outside
Splendour In The Grass – 2008 SOLD OUT
*** ALL 2008 TICKETS SOLD OUT ***
“….the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow is an amazing line-up and the type of outstanding performances that have become the festival’s trademark. the two best days in any music lover’s calendar year… Splendour in the Grass!” Faster Louder
SPLENDOUR IN THE GRASS will return to warm up your winter this Saturday 2nd and Sunday August 3rd, 2008. Australia’s much loved festival event will take place at Belongil Fields in Byron Bay and will feature a veritable feast of musical treasures from around the globe.
This year all tickets to SPLENDOUR IN THE GRASS will be sold online through the ticketing service, Qjump, via www.qjump.com.au. Qjump is a newly launched online ticketing company whose parent company has 7 years experience providing web based ticketing services. Qjump sells tickets for many leading Australian events and venues and its website and custom built hosting environment has been specifically designed to meet the high capacity on-sale demands of events like Splendour. In our efforts to improve and streamline the ticketing process, this year’s tickets will be delivered to buyers by email using Qjump’s print@home e-ticket. The benefits of this include reducing paper usage, greenhouse gas emissions and ticket scalping as well as reducing the cost of delivery for ticket buyers. Tickets go on sale at www.qjump.com.au from 9am on Thursday 22nd May.
From Akron, Ohio and Bristol, UK to Reykjavik, Iceland and the sunny Gold Coast, here’s a taste of the first acts lined up to thrill at SPLENDOUR 2008.
Splendour In The Grass Lineup Announcement (first acts lineup) –
Devo, The Music, Wolfmother, Sigur Ros, The Living End, The Presets
Tricky, Vampire Weekend, Ben Lee, Cold War Kids, The Fratellis
The Wombats, Pnau, Laura Marling, The Vines, The Grates, Operator Please,
Band of Horses, Van She, The Panics, Gyroscope, MSTRKRFT, Lightspeed Champion,
The Brown Birds from Windy Hill, Scribe, The Gin Club…
AND MORE TO BE ANNOUNCED
SPLENDOUR IN THE GRASS 2008 TICKET PRICES
Event ticket $199 (inc gst) + bf
Green Event Ticket $206 (inc gst) + bf
Camping ticket $132 (inc gst) + bf
TICKETS ON SALE THURSDAY 22ND MAY AT 9AM
Internet sales only – www.qjump.com.au
Links: Splendour In The Grass site
Faster Louder
To experience some of the best live music Australia has to offer this Labour Day long weekend, there’s only one place to be – The Caxton Street Seafood Festival.
This year’s Festival will be held on Sunday 4 May 2008, and along with delicious seafood, wine and beer, there’s a sight and sound for every musical palate.
There’s a massive amount of locally home-grown talent on offer including the likes of Nik Phillips, Nina May, DJ Jimmy Z, the infectiously manic Butterfingers and electro tinged rock band, Elation.
The eclectic mix also includes indie rocker Diana Anaid, jazz diva Grace Knight and trio and Sydney based hip hop and beats label, Urthboy.
Continue reading The Caxton Street Seafood Festival – Sunday 4th May 2008
The Basement Bar at Acacia Ridge Hotel played host to an awesome night where Upsize , The Radiators and The Angels played live and loud! Rock shall never die!
Brisbane rock band Upsize totally rocked the Basement Bar to over a crowd of a 1000. Upsize are playing gigs around Brisbane promoting their debut CD West End Delicacy . They were the perfect band to get the crowd worked up in anticipation of The Radiators and The Angels performances. Upsize’s performance was outstanding, playing all the songs off their debut CD plus a few others which had the crowd jumping and yelling for more!
When The Radiators hit the stage, a wave of people surged forward. If it wasn’t for the guardrail the band would have been engulfed completely. The crowd varied in ages, from late teens to mid to late sixties. The Radiators had everyone nodding, feet tapping, jumping up and down as well as singing along. Everyone, no matter what age, appeared to know all the words to all the songs.
The Radiators started with a few of their slower and older classics like Summer Holiday , and by the time they started playing You Gimme Head , you couldn’t hear the band over the crowd singing. After decades of playing live gigs, The Radiators continue to wow their audience with an adrenaline filled performance.
The Angels. What more can be said? The name itself makes you want to bow down low and chant “We’re not worthy! We’re not worthy!” The Angels have a repertoire spanning nearly 3 decades with countless hits including Take A Long Line, After The Rain, Mr Damage, Straight Jacket and their first major hit Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again? , which were all performed to the delight of the audience. All that experience has been polished to the extent that you almost feel that you’re listening to the CD.
Friday night was surreal. Not only did we have more Australian rock’n’roll history than you could poke a stick at, the rock’n’roll was picked up and carried forward into the present by Upsize. As I said at the beginning of the review, Rock shall never die!
Reviewed for: FasterLouder.com.au
Photos: Upsize flickr photo set and The Angels & The Radiators flickr photo set
The Quicksilver Pro-Show Festival 2007….
Reviews: FasterLouder
Photos: Flickr Photo set and FasterLouder Photo set