Browse 17982 Reviews & Comments (Page 261)

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 Andy J Ryan Devendra Banhart – Metro Theatre, 24 January 2010 The floors of the Metro were sparsely populated for Melbourne's Pikelet, but she made the most of her time with some intriguing guitar and gadget wonky pop. The crowd swelled immensely in time for the Texan headliner, who had bought along his backing band The Grogs for his first visit to our shores since 2004. Banhart bounded out with a grin and graciously individually introduced the band as his first order of business before they got things going with ‘Long Haired Child’. There were extravagant arm movements and bad dancing aplenty contributing the whole ‘gosh darn’ pleasant vibe permeating through the room. The band weren’t mere backing musicians, with the drummer giving an intro worthy of a TV evangelist “here’s Devendra coming at you with some words of love” for the jaunty ‘Baby’. An intimate solo bracket followed, of just Banhart with an acoustic, no fuss, low lights and it resulted in big cheers. Banhart’s between song banter ranged from the almost sermon-like ‘I take everything as a sign from God’ to rants against smokers, to observations on Eddy Murphy’s Raw to reminiscing about things that took place at “an intersection in San Francisco”. So while you have this uniquely entertaining and endearing individual - who everyone had been waiting years to see and with people hanging of his every word - he was diluted somewhat by his egalitarian belief in sharing the spotlight with his bandmates. Everyone got a turn singing, songs gave way to jams, and we even got “a reggae song played by white people”. While the set was enjoyable enough, it all just got a bit ‘holiday resort’ in its tone, which for a big room of folks on a simmering summer night probably isn’t such a bad thing, really. But I was left to ponder how good a smaller venue, solo scenario would have been to showcase this idiosyncratic individual, though I ‘spose he at least got shirtless for the encore, if you are into that sort of thing. Devendra Banhart & The Grogs / Pikelet Apr 26, 2023
 Andy J Ryan Fear Factory, Manning Bar, January 18, 2009 Fear Factory returned to Australia as an all new machine for their Big Day Out Sydney sideshow. After a false start last June due to recording commitments, the latest line-up of Fear Factory finally made it to Australia. Anticipation was running high and the pit was thick with black-shirt-clad humanity and excitement. The bar lines stretched almost half way across the back of the room as a chant went up from the first few rows. As the room darkened, the band's logo was lit and out they rushed, with singer Burton C. Bell flanked on either side by large nugget-y men intent to wreak havoc with their instruments - bass player and Viking lookalike Byron Stroud and the imposing Dino Cazares, whose guitar looked like a toy in his bulging arms. Sitting up back high behind the drums was the stoic vision of drummer Gene Hoglan and he burst into a blur of sticks for the pummelling opening of 'Shock' and unstirringly blasted incomprehensibly rapid explosions of beats or cracking attacks of bass drum and toms for the remainder of the night without so much as blinking. Fear Factory and their multi-levelled sounds are highly influential to numerous bands across a number of strains that veer away from traditional metal. Their styles converge even within the one song. 'Smasher/Devourer' has the hard-riff grit and gravelly scream of your heavier and darker shades of the genre before it pares back to an industrial haze of noise and even a scream-along, fist-pumping chorus in the middle. Some songs jump between styles more seamlessly than others, as the many stilted attempts to incite a circle pit showed, but the songs were done with such volume and precision it tended to blow away the disjointedness. There was a bracket of songs from their 1992 debut ('Martyr', 'Scapegoat' and 'Crash Test') that were lapped up, and some new songs aired - the melodic crush of 'Powershifter' and 'Fear Campaign' which is a riff and machine-gun drum-fired, industrial-tinged monster of a thing. We were sent off into the night with a triumvirate of tracks from Demanufacture, ending with the whole crowd screaming and punching along to the chanting repeated lyric of 'Replica': "I don't want to live this way". Huge. Fear Factory Apr 26, 2023
 Andy J Ryan M. Craft, Oxford Art Factory, Friday 15 January, 2010 So this is the state of things in Sydney in 2010, on the way to the Oxford Art Factory I went past a line of 600 or so metres of dolled-up people lining up to get into the last ever Purple Sneakers. Upon arriving to the OAF there were only maybe a dozen people scattered around its periphery. Regardless, Emma Russack strode out with a violin and drums accompaniment and a voice that defied her small stature. After a coy introduction she began, eyes clasped shut and swaying in time to her subtle strumming as she lost herself in the songs. It was really quite gripping, like a slightly less atmospheric Dirty Three being fronted by Cat Power. The last two songs eased the tone a bit, sing-a-longs about some school bullies and the finale, ‘Sex on the Beach’ – the sandy shagging type, not the cocktail – a bit fun and frivolous end to a great set. The crowd had filled out by the time M. (for Martin) Craft took the stage. The amps and the drum kit were delightfully decorated with white fairy lights which provided a fitting balmy backyard evoking backdrop for the sparsely-strummed opening number ‘The Last Leaf of Summer’. The male/female vocal exchanges of ‘Sweets’ made it just so before new album opener and beery ballad ‘Beautiful Future’ kicked things on a bit. Most recently seen on these shores as guitarist for touring Britpop icon Jarvis Cockers’ latest rather rollicking album, his own work takes on a rather more unobtrusive tones. The songs, the great bulk of which are taken from his new album Arrows At the Sun, are reserved and considered, the lyrics being lingered over laments or simple narratives of everyday love and it’s many troubles. Craft too, is a restrained almost aloof performer, happy to just pace and strum back and forth as if on a short lead attached to his microphone in between delivering doses of his quiet, yearning-filled voice. The three song encore would probably do much to spark Sidewinder reformation rumour-mongering, with Pip Branson joining on stage to contribute on violin, which in addition to Shane Melder, who had spent the night on drums, meant that 3/4 of the former Canberra quartet were on-stage together for the first time in more than a decade. So as the last notes of the rather sweet adoring ode of ‘You Are the Music’ nicely ended the set, apparently Rhianna, and not us, ‘are the music’ deemed suitable to play at such a juncture, and the previously easily distracted and mostly chatting crowd burst energetically into life and bad-dancing. Yep, welcome to live music in Sydney 2010. M Craft / emma russack Apr 26, 2023
 Andy J Ryan King Khan & the Shrines - Oxford Art Factory, 6 January, 2010 A jam-packed Oxford Art Factory got to hail the hot-panted King in a soulful midweek extravaganza. King Khan is what would have happened if Little Richard had taken the other fork in the road and gone away from faith and the lord and instead found soul, sex and bad, bad women. He is as genuinely exciting as the '50s squealer, and while not as flashily exuberant, is as equally as magnetic. The jam-packed crowd was a bopping mass of heads expectantly awaiting his arrival, and his entrance was more than fitting. After a brief intro from his seven-piece band - comprising two guitarists, a three-piece bass blasting section, keys, drums and a flapper-era bedazzled cheerleader - King Khan arrived resplendent in his own crown, cape and immediate overwhelming presence, and launched into '(How Can I Keep You) Outta Harm's Way' off his latest record with The Shrines, What Is?!. Pretty much every last person in the audience was beside them self with excitement; it was thrilling. The sounds and the man himself were just so brazenly sexual and - despite the flying pom poms of the on-stage cheerleader - there was just something dangerous and forbidden about it all. People who were casually standing mere seconds ago were suddenly swarthily swaying and gyrating along despite themselves. A few songs later we were all shouting along to a blunt ode to one of Khan's less svelte concubines with "She's fat, she's ugly, but I really, really love her". A "gospel" song was introduced with a most unholy story of Khan climbing inside a woman only to be reborn, and the psychedelic romp of 'Stone Soup' saw nearly half the band mingling through the audience. We got a stomping cover of The Saints' brassy classic 'Know Your Product' and somewhere along the way while returning for an encore Khan managed to lose all his clothes, save for some black and gold hot pants, his crown and his lurid orange cape. There really was just so much going on - clothes and sweat were flying everywhere, band members swapped instruments seemingly at will and made regular excursions into the crowd, water was spat and sprayed - and the whole night ended with the stage empty save for three drunken dames who were now trying their best to work a guitar. An hour and a bit of debauchery with some molten hot soul as the soundtrack. Is it too early to decree gig of the year? Unforgettable. King Khan & The Shrines Apr 26, 2023
 Andy J Ryan The church Factory Theatre – 12 December 2009 Quite fittingly, the Factory Theatre hosted the church on the Sabbath day. The church are one of those enduring bands that don’t really have any albums – of the 31 to their name - you could call ‘bad’. Sure there may be a mildly disagreeable song here or there, but overall the church’s musical output is a quality body of work, which certainly translates to their live showing. Right from the outset – a smoke-shrouded ‘Tantalised’, - well, quite simply, we were. There was rarely less than 22 strings a-shimmering on stage - your regular bass & guitar and a 12-stringed acoustic or jangle-tastic Rickenbacker - add some atmospheric keyboard washes and the producer-precision percussion up back from Tim Powles, and it all adds up to a completely compelling sound. The really intriguing thing about the church is their inter-band dynamic. On one hand, you have the ultra-perfectionist and utterly intricate guitarist Peter Koppes in stark contrast to the exuberance and abandon of Marty Wilson-Piper. Then there’s singer and main-songwriter Steve Kilbey who seems to have a crippling complex from being somewhat overshadowed by the latter. They’re structurally akin to Fall Out Boy, except unlike the modern day indie-emo-teen dreamboat that is Pete Wenz, Marty nowadays looks like he sleeps in parks. The Church Apr 26, 2023
 Andy J Ryan Charlie's Good Tonight - Bridge Hotel Rozelle, 11 December, 2009 A special gig to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the famed Rolling Stones in Concert album swings into Sydney. The dark and drab Bridge Hotel band room was temporarily transformed back to November, 1969 and Madison Square Garden for the night by Tim Rogers and his hand-picked band The Monkey Men. The Rolling Stones album in question - Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out! - was a landmark work, widely considered one of the finer live albums ever released. The band were approaching their peak creatively, having just released Let it Bleed - the first in what is considered their triumvirate of classic records - and were chomping at the bit to tour, having been off the road for almost two years. I say all this as way of introduction, as the album was performed so dutifully and faithful to the original - in both set list and sound - tonight felt just like a scaled down version of actually being there. The 'Stones made a great go of selling American blues music back to America, and tonight in the first bracket of songs: 'Jumpin' Jack Flash', Chuck Berry's 'Carol', 'Stray Cat Blues', 'Love in Vain' and 'Under My Thumb' they sold the blues back to the Bridge Hotel. The musicians, including Tim's fellow You Am I guitar-slinger Davey Lane, former Snout frontman Ross McClennan on bass and Ian Kinnear doing his best Charlie Watts impression - obviously have a high regard for the record, and were playing the songs almost note perfect. Almost too much so, in fact - some sections saw them using every ounce of their concentration just to replicate the right notes, which detracted from the performance and visual side of things a shade; at some points you craved a bit of spontaneity or improvisation. Tim Rogers made a believably bawdy Mick Jagger, affecting his hyperactive strut, wiry skinniness and overt sexuality to a tee. Things really got cracking after a rollicking 'Midnight Rambler' segued into 'Sympathy For the Devil' and didn't let up - 'Honky Tonk Woman', met 'Street Fighting Man' before one last hit of 'Satisfaction', preceding a ripping encore of 'Gimme Shelter' and 'Brown Sugar'. While Charlie was good that famed night, but they were all good on this one. Tim Rogers & the Monkey Men Apr 26, 2023
 Andy J Ryan Jarvis Cocker – Metro Theatre, 8 December, 2009 M.Craft, who may be better known to those of a certain vintage as 1/4 of the eternally underrated 90s band Sidewinder, opened proceedings playing his deft acoustically-driven tunes with minimal backing. It is fair to say he didn’t entirely capture the crowd’s attention, getting his biggest cheer when he mentioned that he was also guitarist for Jarvis Cocker. “I get two paychecks this way” he might’ve said if he was a cheap laugh connisour who had wasted too much of the 2000s watching The Simpsons, The curtains were drawn and the anticipation rose immeasurably. A single spotlight cast a circle of light in the centre of the red velvet. Drum beats began, the light strobed and Jarvis Cocker jauntily leapt through the parting curtain to a heroic cheer and began pointing individually at members of the crowd uttering a different name each time. The gesturing and name calling became louder and more frenzied, before a riff rang out from the dark duh, du duhhh and Jarvis leapt up in one sweeping arc landing with his long bony finger set straight into the crowd and screamed out for the one name he had been longing for all along, Angela! The next song was introduced by Jarvis advising that today was actually ‘candy floss day’ in the United States, and coincidentally, was also the anniversary of the Pearl Harbour bombings, and perhaps that was a bit serious so they needed something a bit lighter to commemorate. I don’t mean to be so ‘English’ so soon and mention the weather but it’s really hot. Pulp’s best moments were when Jarvis was at his most sexually exasperated, his solo work is no exception, with a feisty ‘Fucking Song’ introduced with a haughty “With this song I’m going to have sex with everyone in the room, the sound is going to go out and penetrate your earholes”. I went to the Zoo today, and saw some kolas, and apparently the reason they sleep for 20 hours a day is that the one and only thing they eat requires all their energy just to digest it. Why wouldn’t they just eat something else?Like chocolate? At which point Jarvis took a chocolate car out of his coat pocket and took one square out and ate it before giving the rest to someone in the crowd with instructions to share it out to everyone. He then produced another bar and took it to another section of the audience with the same instructions, but adding “your job is a bit harder as that’s a flake”. How do you feel about audience participation? Cause we couldn’t really afford to bring a full male choir with us on tour” “all songs are autobiographical to some extend, and none moreso than this one” – I never said I was deep One part of growing old is that you reach a point where you accept jazz into your life, you get to an age where you suddenly say ‘Kenny G come right in” and you start to embrace saxophones. M. Craft, once one-quarter of seminal '90s band Sidewinder and current Jarvis guitarist, opened proceedings playing his deft acoustically-driven tunes with minimal backing, evoking a polite response from the crowd. The curtains were drawn and the anticipation built. A spotlight cast light in the centre of the red velvet. Drum beats began, the light strobed and Jarvis Cocker jauntily leapt through the parting curtain to a cheer and began pointing individually at members of the crowd uttering a different name each time. The gesturing and name calling became louder and more frenzied - "Sandra", "Renee", "Michelle" - before a riff rang out from the dark ... duh, du duhhh ... and Jarvis leapt up in one sweeping arc, landing with his long bony finger set straight into the crowd and screamed out for the one name he had been longing for all along - 'Angela'! The thing with seeing Jarvis Cocker is, the actual songs are only a tiny percent of the whole Jarvis experience. His pre-song introductions covered everything from the fact today was 'Candy Floss Day' in the US (conjured to lighten the mood of the nations as it was also the anniversary of Pearl Harbour - he theorized), the diet of koala bears, and the weather - for which he apologised for being so 'English' for mentioning it. And then there was the dancing, which I can only describe it as a mixture of dapper disco moves muddled with overly-excitable tai-chi breakdowns and illusionist-standard hand tricks. Pulp's better moments were when Jarvis was at his most sexually exasperated; his solo work is no exception, with a feisty 'F---ing Song' introduced with a haughty "With this song I'm going to have sex with everyone in the room, the sound is going to go out and penetrate your earholes". 'Homewrecker' was hilariously prefaced with "one part of growing old is that you reach a point where you accept jazz into your life, you get to an age where you suddenly say 'Kenny G come right in' and you start to embrace saxophones". There was the rather stomping coupling of 'Fat Children' and 'Black Magic', the twisted-disco of 'You're in My Eyes' and a fitting finale of 'C-s' are Still Running the World' ending an utterly fantastic and uplifting set from one of the icons of our time. The enduring appeal of Jarvis is that while everyone finds complications in their life, and begrudgingly endure the ritual and routine of daily life, very few can express and observe them so saliently, and set them to songs so engagingly. Jarvis Cocker / M Craft Apr 26, 2023
 Andy J Ryan Underground Lovers – Annandale Hotel, December 4, 2009 The original line-up played together for the first (well technically second, as there was also a secret warm-up show in Melbourne a few weeks back) time in 15 years on the eve of their Homebake performance. Shows like this are really just a privilege to attend. While the term “underrated” is often used about the Underground Lovers, they were far too interesting and musically evasive to ever become too popular. A chance to see them live at any stage was a rare treat, let alone almost nine years after they split. It really doesn't matter what is even played; just having the opportunity to hear the songs again live is enough. A heck of a lot of people had the same idea, as the Annandale was jam-packed. The band certainly weren’t treating the show as a mere loosener; they had the full five-piece band supplemented by samplers and keys, while behind them a range of ever-changing patterns and stark visuals were projected, and Vincent Giarrusso up front seemed to be enjoying it more than anyone as they ripped into ‘Eastside Stories’. The Underground Lovers were so brimming with musical innovation and inspiration throughout their career that while the set mainly covered the band¹s first three albums, it was still a diverse array of sounds. The slow atmospheric crackle of ‘Ways T’Burn’ flowed into the wistful Phillipa Nihill-sung ‘I Was Right’ before taking detours into more meandering electro-tinged territory and the droning ‘Takes You Back’ with an almost-“funky” version of ‘Your Eyes’. They showed their delicate side with the sparse and haunting ‘Holiday’ with Nihill again on vocals, and brought forth their more rollicking side with a robust, guitar-firing rendition of ‘Promenade’. The only hint of the length of the hiatus was a slightly groggy ‘Some Sweet Mourning’. ‘Las Vegas’ was lapped up as an encore, so much so that certain sections of the crowd prematurely hooted and hollered through the song’s silent lull, much to Giarrusso’s disappointment, who was hoping “to hear a pin drop”. Then, with the indecision over what song to close the night with prompting a few fake false starts – including ‘Khe Sahn’, ‘My Sharona’, and most teasingly of all ‘Losin’ It’ – their softer finale could almost be considered an anti-climax. Regardless, it was magnificent to have them back and it’s no mere nostalgia act when the songs are this timeless. Underground Lovers Apr 26, 2023
 Andy J Ryan Tumbleweed - Waves Nightclub, Towradgi Beach Hotel, October 31, 2009 A full house came to witness what had been dubbed the 'Back from the Grave' show for the recently reformed local grunge icons Tumbleweed. Right from the moment the doors opened, a long line of punters comprising a diverse range of size, shape, hair length and red eyes snaked back out into the car park. The 1450-capacity Waves was almost completely packed by the time second support act Hytest had completed their set of mostly shouting and swearing. Darkness then descended across the venue and the anticipation rose. The blackness was broken by a bolt of strobe lights with an ominous Vincent Price-esque voice over of terror-tinged horror screaming, "It's Alive!" Three long-haired dudes and one slightly shorter-haired one then took to the stage, strapped on their strings, picked up sticks and started summoning sounds from the deep, dark recesses of time. Singer Richie Lewis was the last to join the fray, adding a voice to the chaos, writhing his way manically through their first track to kick things off. Tumbleweed had returned to earth. After offering genuinely awed thanks for everyone who was in attendance and how great it was to be back, then broke into 'Hang Around' and the place went berserk, '90s-style. A steaming, mangled flurry of moshing humanity broke out up front, spewing forth occasional offerings to the stage, riding atop the crest of the crowd to reach their destination, only to leap back trustingly into the mire. Lewis observing, "Stage diving, cool! I haven't seen that since 1996." Tumbleweed were so potent and forceful you would never have known it was the band's first show after an almost decade-long hiatus, save for the extra allotted slots in the set for band drink breaks. While their sort of music - bloated with masses of swirling guitars and three-bong jams - isn't really being made today, it wasn't really being made by anyone else back then either. It's as luminously captivating as it ever was, whether it be the ecstatically throbbing build up to 'TV Genocide', the tender touches of 'Acid Rain' and 'Sundial', or the bubbling riffs of 'Gyroscope' and 'Nothin' to Do With the Weather' to the whole-crowd sing-along of 'Daddy Longlegs'. This wasn't just a nostalgic trip, taking you back to better, younger times; it was potent, awesome music being played by an inspired band that was making tonight the best time of your life. Completely kick-arse and will scare the absolute shit out of some Jet fans at Homebake. Tumbleweed / Hytest Apr 26, 2023
 Spanishjohnny72 Una serata speciale con un Vinicio inedito. Per presentare il suo nuovo disco, Tredici canzoni urgenti, ci immerge in un muro di suoni, generi e suggestioni letterarie, accompagnato da tredici eccellenti musicisti in una cornice d'eccezione. Notte indimenticabile ma dedicata a caposseliani doc. Top three: 1) Con i tasti che c'abbiamo 2) Ariosto governatore 3) Papa nero (che ascolta i me cansion in venexian, perché xe nero african). Grande chiusura con Giovanni Telegrafista, Bardamù e Polka di Warsava Vinicio Capossela Apr 26, 2023
 Pedrochu Blown away by Mamaleek and Duma Imperial Triumphant played Spirit of Ecstasy in full Big Brave played nature morte in full Roadburn 2023, Day 04 Apr 26, 2023
 Pedrochu Blown away by Duma & Deafkids, unfortunately we missed many bands that day Roadburn 2023, Day 03 Apr 26, 2023
 Pedrochu oh yeah and we missed the HANL secret show because it was not announced anywhere online Roadburn 2023, Day 02 Apr 26, 2023
 Pedrochu Blown away by Elizabeth Colour Wheel, the collab Under the Surface+White Boy Scream and Ashenspire Deafheaven played Sunbather in full Bell Witch played The Clandestine Gate in full Roadburn 2023, Day 02 Apr 26, 2023
 Christian D Went with my mom and Mike Oliva. David Sedaris Apr 26, 2023
 Gil Walters Woodstock in the West ! Devonshire Downs Apr 26, 2023
 Trfcwm That was the best concert and that was the last time I got to spend having a great time with my brother. He got really sick and passed away 4 years later. That concert will always be in my heart, we had the best time. My brother didn’t dance and by the time kool & the gang were performing Get down on it he was. He had a good time and it means so much to me now. I will never forget it. He idolized Eddie Van Halen, I hop they are in heaven rocking it out. Van Halen / Kool & The Gang Apr 26, 2023
 Chcmicalworld My biggest flex is that I have the setlist from this show 🙌🏻 Modest Mouse / Beach Fossils / Cloud Nothings / Tropical Fuck Storm Apr 26, 2023
 Tootsan AKON Ft Konvict Kartel Promo Tour TRE CARTER / OG BOO DIRTY / TONE TONE Akon Apr 25, 2023
 Sara Burns http://archives.mtexpress.com/archives.mtexpress.com Northern Rockies Folk Festival 2006 Apr 25, 2023