Tag Archives: Review

Album Review: The Commoners – Restless

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

THE COMMONERS – RESTLESS
Released – 5th July 2024
Gypsy Soul Records

Canadian Roots-Rock quintet from Toronto, The Commoners have been on something of a rocket ride for the past few years since their critically acclaimed sophomore album Find A Better Way was released in 2022, with a string of tour dates across their homeland and regular tours to the UK.  With their highly anticipated third album, Restless now released by Gypsy Soul Records, and yet more tours and festival appearances booked for the remainder of 2024, the pace doesn’t look like slowing anytime soon. 

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Live Review and Photos: CMA Fest 2024 – Nashville – Day 2

Words and Photos – LE / PC – @insideedgephotography

LIFE MUSIC MEDIA is on the ground in Nashville, Tennessee for the 2024 CMA Fest week – bringing some highlights from the core festival events, and a taste of the myriad of other gigs, performances and experiences that see the Country Music world take over the city for a full week.

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Album Review: COLLATERAL – Should’ve Known Better

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

COLLATERAL
SHOULD’VE KNOWN BETTER

Released May 24th 2024
Big Shot Records

Having blitzed their way onto the British rock scene in 2020, weeks before COVID appeared to shut the country down, and prevent any in-person touring to promote the record, Collateral was forced to cancel their highly successful tour with Phil X (Bon Jovi) halfway through.  This made the band hungry to keep the momentum. With innovative ways to produce top quality live streams, the band became special guests supporting a range of artists through online events.

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Live Review and Photos: CMA Fest 2024 – Nashville – Day 1

Words and Photos – LE / PC – @insideedgephotography

LIFE MUSIC MEDIA is on the ground in Nashville, Tennessee for the 2024 CMA Fest week – bringing some highlights from the core festival events, and a taste of the myriad of other gigs, performances and experiences that see the Country Music world take over the city for a full week.

Continue reading Live Review and Photos: CMA Fest 2024 – Nashville – Day 1

Live Review + Photos: JAYNE DENHAM – Album Launch Show – 03 May 2024

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

JAYNE DENHAM
The Beer Shed Brewery – Campbelltown
May 3rd 2024
Album Launch show for MOONSHINE.

Having reviewed the record last week, it was fantastic to be able to get to the live launch of the Moonshine album with Jayne Denham fronting her highly proficient band in a thoughtfully crafted and structured pair of sets, at the excellent venue within The Beer Shed Brewing Co premises in Leumeah, NSW.  Boasting a great sound system, and better lights than many inner-city music venues, the venue was packed for this sold out show.

Continue reading Live Review + Photos: JAYNE DENHAM – Album Launch Show – 03 May 2024

Album Review: Jayne Denham – Moonshine

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

JAYNE DENHAM 
MOONSHINE
Released – May 3rd 2024

This is Australian country music at its peak – superbly crafted and produced, but displaying raw emotions while evoking a gritty sense of the prohibition era through a set of great songs, sourced from a number of the world’s finest current country music artists and songwriters,  delivered by Jayne Denham in the next evolution of her era-inspired albums.

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Album Review: The Milk Men – Holy Cow

Review by Peter Coates

THE MILK MEN – HOLY COW
Released – 3rd May 2024

The Milk Men are: Adam Norsworthy (The Mustangs) on guitar, Jamie Smy on vocals, Lloyd Green (son of Mick Green – Johnny Kidd & The Pirates) on bass guitar, and Mike Roberts (from the excellent Pirates) on drums. The guys have been rocking around the UK for the past 14 years, with an exhilarating live show, and Holy Cow is their fifth studio album release.

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Live Review: Joe Bonamassa at Royal Albert Hall, London – April 4th 2024

Review – Peter Coates
Photos – Marty Moffatt

Any Joe Bonamassa show is something of an event, and the now fairly regular occurrences at the Royal Albert Hall are on another level.  This was the 11th show here in 15 years, and the first of two nights, and the local musician network was out in force to watch one of the masters at work. The lights dim, and the intro tape gets overtaken by the band, and then Joe hits the stage in sharp suit, shades and sneakers, and we are off and running.

Continue reading Live Review: Joe Bonamassa at Royal Albert Hall, London – April 4th 2024

Live Review + Photos: Byron Bay Bluesfest – Monday 01 April 2024

Review by Wanda Hill
Photos by Ant Ritz

Byron Bay Bluesfest

A vigorous end to the 35th Bluesfest was had with Californian band Infectious Grooves powering up the Mojo with unprecedented levels of exhilaration and raw energy. Front man Mike Muir (also from Suicidal Tendencies) spoke between songs, espousing living life your own way and the benefits of abstaining from alcohol. Hardcore motivational speaking between funk/metal masterpieces that are a rare treat stylistically for Bluesfest. Festival director Peter Noble was down the front enjoying the final night’s headline act. Clearly his passion for music across a diverse range of genres is what makes his musical curation such a success year after year.  Bassist extraordinaire Rob Trujillo (current Metallica and former Suicidal Tendencies) brought his signature heavy yet deeply funky basslines to the show, and towards the end of the set his son Tye Trujillo (current Suicidal Tendencies) also a bass player of phenomenal skill, joined the band on stage for double delivery of bass brilliance.

Continue reading Live Review + Photos: Byron Bay Bluesfest – Monday 01 April 2024

Live Review + Photos: Byron Bay Bluesfest – Sunday 31 March 2024

Review by Wanda Hill
Photos by Ant Ritz

Byron Bay Bluesfest

Great to witness some new to Bluesfest artists performing over the weekend. The Jambalaya was alive with powerful female vocalists this easter Sunday. Fresh Australian talent WILSN blew everyone away with the beauty and clarity of her tone. Citing a few years living in Nashville as seminal in her song writing development. She is back in Australia now sharing her contemporary soul music with new audiences. Don’t miss the opportunity to see her emerging brilliance 5pm today at the Delta stage.

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Live Review + Photos: Byron Bay Bluesfest – Saturday 30 March 2024

Review by Wanda Hill
Photos by Ant Ritz

Byron Bay Bluesfest

Saturday Night Bluesfest 2024

Big bands and big personalities were the flavour of Saturday night. Age is no impediment to pulling a crowd at Bluesfest. Tom Jones had the lion’s share of the festival crowd donning portable camp chairs at the Crossroads, while he sang Sex Bomb and other hits to the largest audience so far at this year’s festival. At 83, women are still throwing their underwear at him. The Blind Boys of Alabama joined him on stage for a few songs making the one man show a more collaborative experience. With that much love in the room for one man he must be able to float to his next show. An aeroplane is probably unnecessary.    

Continue reading Live Review + Photos: Byron Bay Bluesfest – Saturday 30 March 2024

Live Review + Photos: Byron Bay Bluesfest – 28-29 March 2024

Review by Wanda Hill
Photos by Ant Ritz

Celebrating 35 years of Byron Bay Bluesfest

With recent seminal festival cancelations front of mind, celebrating 35 years of Byron Bay’s Bluesfest really is a remarkable achievement. In a press conference yesterday Peter Noble announced that the 36th Byron Bay Bluesfest will be a four rather than a five day event next year, to help ease music industry pressures and ensure continued delivery of the regions premiere world class music event.

The 2024 iteration started in glorious sunshine and good vibes. The thinner crowds of Thursday night enabled friends to find each other easily amidst a sense of being in a magical place for a marathon of music. The sunset obliged filling the sky with golds and reds, illuminating the feelings of happiness oozing from the venue.

Continue reading Live Review + Photos: Byron Bay Bluesfest – 28-29 March 2024

Album Review: Walter Trout – Broken

Review and live photos by Peter Coates – www.facebook.com/InsideEdgePhotography

WALTER TROUT – BROKEN 
PROVOGUE RECORDS / MASCOT LABEL GROUP
Release Date – 1st March 2024

All of us are broken. But no-one is beyond repair. It’s a philosophy that Walter Trout has lived by during seven volatile decades at the heart of America’s society and blues-rock scene. Even now, with the world more fractured than ever – by politics, economics, social media and culture wars – the fabled US bluesman’s latest album, Broken, chronicles the bitter schisms of modern life but refuses to succumb to them.

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Album Review: Bex Marshall – Fortuna

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

BEX MARSHALL – FORTUNA

Released – 1st March 2024
Dixie Frog Records

The long-awaited studio album from Bex Marshall, Fortuna, is a ten-track blues tapestry that bulges to the edges with addictive hooks and story lines. Bex is a writer of notability, she pushes the boundaries of blues and weaves the genre in and out of blues, funk, rock, and Americana.

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Album Review: Philip Sayce – The Wolves Are Coming

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

PHILIP SAYCE
THE WOLVES ARE COMING
Released – 23rd Feb 2024

Atomic Gemini/Forty Below Records

Rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter Philip Sayce is excited to announce the release of his highly anticipated studio album The Wolves Are Coming.

Born in Wales and raised in Toronto, Philip’s love of the guitar started early.  As a teen, Philip was plucked from the Toronto blues scene by the legendary Jeff Healey, who took the young guitarist under his wing and showed him the ropes, touring the world and recording as a member of Healey’s band.  From 2004 to 2009, Philip toured internationally and recorded with Melissa Etheridge.

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