Tag Archives: Seasick Steve

Live Review: SEASICK STEVE – The Corner Hotel, Melbourne – 10 April 2012

Review by Ben Connolly
It was abundantly clear from the get-go that there was an elephant in the suffocatingly packed band room at The Corner Hotel, and it was in the guise of one John Paul Jones. This was not his gig – his name didn’t appear on the posters, gig guides or tickets and nor was there an allusion to him with the band’s name – Seasick Steve. Singular. Not “Seasick Steve and Friends”, not even the oblique “Seasick Steve Trio”. This was, for all intents and purposes, a solo gig by one of the most enigmatic and curious blues performers to have broken through into the mainstream during the past few years.

But it cannot be argued that the full house was solely there to bear witness to Seasick’s foreign hobo stories and wicked collection of do-it-yourself guitars. A cursory glance through the crowd put it almost overwhelmingly at middle-aged men; a stink of stale cigarette smoke clinging to their jackets, their greyed locks either trimmed close in demure recognition of their fading youth, or proudly allowed to grow and slicked back. They could easily be fans of either artist and a warm enough welcome was extended to the man with his name on the posters as he introduced the set with Diddley Bo, a slide blues number played on a junkyard one-string contraption.
Continue reading Live Review: SEASICK STEVE – The Corner Hotel, Melbourne – 10 April 2012

Byron Bay Bluesfest 2012 – Day 4 – John Butler Trio, Blue King Brown, The Pogues, Josh Pyke, The Audreys, Angelique Kidjo, Round Mountain Girls, Joanne Shaw Taylor, Seasick Steve, Maceo Parker, Eagle and The Worm, Watussi, Busby Marou, Mama Kin

Photographer: Chris Dornan Photography

Photographer: Chris Dornan Photography
Continue reading Byron Bay Bluesfest 2012 – Day 4 – John Butler Trio, Blue King Brown, The Pogues, Josh Pyke, The Audreys, Angelique Kidjo, Round Mountain Girls, Joanne Shaw Taylor, Seasick Steve, Maceo Parker, Eagle and The Worm, Watussi, Busby Marou, Mama Kin

Photo Gallery: Byron Bay Bluesfest 2012 (Day 3) – John Fogerty, Brian Setzer’s Rockabilly Riot!, Ziggy Marley, Seasick Steve, Blitzen Trapper, Donovan, Angelique Kido, Ray Beadle, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Steve Earle, Tijuana Cartel

Photographer: Stuart Blythe

Photographer: Stuart Blythe
Continue reading Photo Gallery: Byron Bay Bluesfest 2012 (Day 3) – John Fogerty, Brian Setzer’s Rockabilly Riot!, Ziggy Marley, Seasick Steve, Blitzen Trapper, Donovan, Angelique Kido, Ray Beadle, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Steve Earle, Tijuana Cartel

Live Review: Sunset Sounds 2010 – Day 1

Author: Duncan McKimm

Sunset Sounds 2010   In a supreme tease to office workers across the CBD, Sunset Sounds opened its gates for a second year to accept the swarm of humanity buzzing around the Botanic Gardens mid-afternoon. Unfortunately, as I hold the excruciating dual-citizenship of office peon and festival-goer, my entry time didn’t allow me to see either the ethereal north Queenslanders The Middle East or local noisemakers DZ.

I was, however, in time to see some nouveau disco from Brooklyn’s Phenomenal Handclap Band, who brought the funk to the Gardens stage right on time for the thickening crowd. Radio favourites like ’15 to 20’ were on beat, on point and pitch perfect – while ‘I been born again’ nailed the vaguely hippy atmosphere you get from standing under the majestic figs listening to music in the afternoon. Nothing like a funky jam out to really kick a festival off right.

With Jamie T not far away, the Riverstage gradually filled as the grey sky dimmed (nature’s shout out to the Brit?). Also in this time (between five and six thirty) it seemed the whole crowd had become very, er, animated… Jamie came on stage to a warm welcome – possibly fans from his recent tour, or possibly just pumped festival folk (see earlier animation remark). He and his Pacemakers launched into a set evenly split between his two albums – with the newer material really hitting with the crowd. Whether that’s a result of those songs having been written with a band instead of solo, or the crowd being new fans (T birds? T bags? ) I’m not sure. Unfortunately in something of an omen for the rest of the bands that night, his set lost focus midway through, with a solo rendition of ‘Back in the Game’ killing off the momentum. He wrangled it back with some good banter and a pleasantly loose ‘Sticks and Stones’, but overall the result was a bit of a near-miss.

Over to the Hibiscus Stage for a bit of Seasick Steve where my first thought was of where to best go to find some music that wouldn’t put me to sleep. Luckily I’d simply stumbled into the Sunset Sounds mid-set slump, which the formerly homeless entertainer exited with some exceptional blues guitar riffing. “We’re gonna play for the whole hour they gave us – I don’t give a fuck whether the band before us went long, we’re playin’ the whole thing, you can come tear me off the stage if you want”. Nothing like a menacing rant to the stage manager from a man that, let’s face it, may still carry a shiv, to really add a bit of excitement to the set.

Burning away from the last of Seasick Steve to catch Art Vs Science but my good lord – the crowd! The Gardens stage was packed out to way past the sound tent. These boys must be having the time of their lives riding the crest of the Triple J wave. ‘Parlez Vous Francais’ predictably had the crowd going nuts, but again, they followed with a mid-set slump! Now someone like Seasick Steve or even Jamie T you can probably forgive, as they’re not simply about getting a dancefloor moving (although I’m sure they’d enjoy it if it happened). But when your primary aim is to have the crowd moving non-stop, YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE TO MAKE SOME NOISE FELLAS! Tuning of guitars should be done while the rhythm section keeps the beat cranking away, not while they sneak a quick mid-set ciggie. If in doubt look at the girls in the front row – if they aren’t dancing you’re not doing your job right. The VERY animated crowd was leaving in droves before AVS could find the accelerator again for ‘Flippers’, most trying to secure a spot for Moby on the main stage presumably.

For a bald vegan midget, Moby certainly knows how to rock a show out. If you maybe aren’t the biggest fans of his work (I’d defy anyone to like everything he’s done), believe me – his live show is essential. It shows some of his greatest tracks in a new light – more punch, more verve, more…balls. Crass though it may be, ‘ballsy’ is the best adjective to describe the show. The man wore his guitar like a rock star and fronted his band like he owned the joint (which he may well do – he has quite the property portfolio). Tracks like Porcelain swam hauntingly around the amphitheatre, washing over the crowd with clarity and precision. Body Rock was suitably beefy, although the volume could certainly have been cranked up some. Even as close as the sound-tent the music was on the quieter side of things. His set is always eclectic and this one was no exception – dropping a thrashy punk song (“the first song I ever wrote”), before asking the crowd if he could add “three completely over the top disco tracks, if that’s alright?” – Moby nailed his banter, chatty but without losing momentum. There were no objections from the crowd to his setlist as the dancing spread backwards from the pit and up the hill. By the time he decided to hit us with his trancier material at the close the entire Riverstage was “Haviiin’ iiiiiit” (as a nearby Pom exclaimed). As the man himself summed up – “I’ve made a lot of different types of music in my time, but at the heart of it, I’m still a little raver. Some of the greatest times in my life have been spent with my hands in the air in some field listening to techno as the sun comes up”. Amen to that.

And so concludes Day 1 of Sounds of Spring 2010.

Sunset Sounds Day 1 January 6 2010


Related:
Live Review: Sunset Sounds 2010 – Day 1
Live Review: Sunset Sounds 2010 – Day 2
Photos: Sunset Sounds 2010 – Day 1 by Matt Palmer
Photos: Sunset Sounds 2010 – Day 2 by Matt Palmer
Photos: Sunset Sounds 2010 – by Stuart Blythe

Announcing A Fourth Day For The Falls Music & Arts Festival In Lorne, VIC, The Falls Funk ‘n’ Soul Revue & The Phenomenal Handclap Band

PHCBand   A Fourth Day For The Falls Music & Arts Festival Lorne, VIC
The Falls Funk’n’Soul Revue on December 28
The Phenomenal Handclap Band
PLUS a belly of laughs from some funny men.

Due to popular demand, that saw a mass go-go dance-off at the 2008 event in Tasmania, the exclusive hip-happening bayside hustle, The Falls Funk’n’Soul Revue makes a stand in Lorne on December 28! This exclusive, pre-festival par-tay will see an afternoon and evening of the finest funk, soul, bossa-nova & boogaloo, featuring;

Continue reading Announcing A Fourth Day For The Falls Music & Arts Festival In Lorne, VIC, The Falls Funk ‘n’ Soul Revue & The Phenomenal Handclap Band

Sunset Sounds 2010 First Line Up Announcement – Brisbane 6-7 January 2010

Yeah Yeah Yeahs   Australia’s newest, hottest, summer music festival SUNSET SOUNDS is back for its sophomore year after the inaugural SELL-OUT event in January; returning to the stunning Brisbane Botanical and City Gardens over January 6 and 7 to invoke a sumptuous summer soiree of delights.

With tickets to The Falls Festival selling out each year, fans need not despair as the most sumptuous of the handpicked spices from around the globe that are playing The Falls will frolic in the park at Sunset Sounds, such as;

The kaleidoscopic vocals of Karen O guiding the formidable YEAH YEAH YEAH’S (USA); iconic songwriter and producer, MOBY (USA); rewriting the hip hop rulebook comes HILLTOP HOODS; nerve-shatteringly beautiful and likely

contender for Album Of The Year, GRIZZLY BEAR (USA – First Ever Australian Shows); harmony-laden whole hearted dynamism of THE TEMPER TRAP; in his first Oz performance with new international band comes XAVIER RUDD; iconic modern rockers the EDITORS (UK); the ethereal, organic and immaculate performance of SARAH BLASKO; the unbridled dynamic energy of incendiary guitar virtuosos RODRIGO Y GABRIELA (Mexico); a hootenanny hoedown from bluesman SEASICK STEVE (USA); captivating soaring vocals and sonic alchemy of EMILIANA TORRINI (Iceland); the dazzling guitar work and shimmering tapestry of future folk from KAKI KING (USA); Chicago-based multi-instrumentalist and lyricist, the eclectic ANDREW BIRD (USA); diversely mixed palate of classic gypsy-pop from YVES KLEIN BLUE; sweet pop-folk sensibilities of LISA MITCHELL; the 11-peice psychedelic-soul big band explosion from dynamite act KING KHAN AND THE SHRINES (Germany – First Ever Australian Shows); the rare multi-instrumentalism and indie-rock melting-pot of THE JOHN STEEL SINGERS; three sets of funky hands from the feel-good brand of obscure pulsating electro/pop from ART VS. SCIENCE and the lush, raw, emotive power from Townsville folk darling’s THE MIDDLE EAST. Plus, LOADS MORE LOCAL & INTERNTAIONAL ACTS to be announced
Continue reading Sunset Sounds 2010 First Line Up Announcement – Brisbane 6-7 January 2010