19 posts tagged “sydney”
19 Nov - The Step Inn Fortitude Valley, Queensland w Mexico City & Sue Ray
27 Nov - The Tote Melbourne, Victoria. w James McCann’s Dirty Skirt Band, Black Pony Express & Little John.
An honourable mention also has to go to Jamie Hutchings. I'm sure he's being playing shows in some form or another since before the dawn of time. Always enjoyable.... and, it seems, about to embark on a tour of europe, so if you're over that way, be sure to keep your eyes and ears peeled. Or maybe just look at his website for tour dates (might be easier).
20 Nov 2009 - MUM at World Bar, Kings Cross, Sydney, 21 Nov 2009 - The Clubhouse (formerly Empire Corner Bar), Fortitude Valley
Just wanted to give you an update on how this Sydney-based trio are doing; a few interesting tidbits, in case you were curious.
Looks like the boys are on the road... showing off some of the songs soon to be presented on their first album. So yes.... if you're in Sydney on the 5th of September (and you aren't planning to be dancing like a crazy person at Britpop) mosey on down to Spectrum and you can see the boys playing to their home crowd; sure to be a splendid evening.
The following week you can catch them in Brisbane, playing at Big Sound (music industry summit and showcase - ooh! quite a lot of splendid bands playing).
Buy tickets here: http://www.moshtix.com.au/event.aspx?id=29844
Something a little more interesting.... the bands previous single, The Lighthouse,
has had a very splendid music video created for it. Stemming from a
collaboration between the Polish visual artist, Karolina Glusiec
and members of the band, the video is being featured on Rage as Indie
Video of
the Week, but you can watch it right now if you click right here.
www.myspace.com/astreetlightsong
Bluejuice
Recently announced nominees of a J Award for music video of the year, Sydney band Bluejuice are all over the shop at the moment. I really just want to point you in the direction of the video that accompanies their latest single, Broken Leg. Despite being an incredibly catchy song, the video is hilarious.
The information sitting before me also says that September 18th is the release date for the new album, Head of the Hawk.
http://www.bluejuice.info/
http://www.secret-service.com.au
http://www.dew-process.com
A band I've heard lots about, but not heard lots of. I thought it was time i paid some attention. I know they've been around for a while, but i didn't realise how incredibly young they were (and still are, i assume). After releasing their debut EP in 2007, Bridezilla have become a favourite at Triple J and independent radio; being compared to bands such as the Dirty Three and Cat Power.
The band was hand picked by Nick Cave to play at the recent Australian ATP Festival and will now share stages with some of the world's biggest acts at ATP Festival in New York in September.
Based in Sydney, Bridezilla have reportedly been locked away in rural NSW recording their debut album with US producer Kramer. Recording has finished, and the album is set to be released in the US in 2010. Now they are a bit older; more mature their debut album is sure to be a success with their already large fan base. The album is due to be released in the US in 2010 (not sure about Australia though).
So.... I've been presented with their self-titled EP (I'm assuming it was shunted my way, being Australian and all), which was released in Australia ages ago (2007).... What's it like? Well... it's sound-laden, smooth and haunting. Sweeping chords, embellished with violin and a spot of saxophone. It's not the sort of music for those with short attention spans or itching for a dance, although St Francine and Brown Paper Bag are slightly more upbeat
If you like elevator music than Robin Guthrie is for you. I'm reading about this guy and what the internet tells me is that, amongst other things, he's been a "massive" influence on bands such as My Bloody Valentine and M83. Interesting no?
But anyway, 28th of September sees the release of Robin's new album, Carousel. What I've been given is a single off this album, Some Sort of Paradise. Pleasant enough, but i must admit, after getting about 2 minutes into the track i was thinking "i hope this song has a hard-hitting, catchy chorus (the sure-fire way into sally's heart)"... but no. Yeah, the song is instrumental, but not even a catchy interlude (which I'm sure is the completely intention of Robin and highly appealing to a great swathe of people).
I haven't heard the rest of the album, and I do feel slightly terrible considering the resume of Robin, but listening to Some Sort Of Paradise with my eyes closed I could have sworn I was sitting in the toilets down at Marrickville Metro. Great hangover tune.
Feel free to have a listen and disagree with me.
http://www.robinguthrie.com
Have a splendid day!
Sally
sally@weheartmusic.com
As you know, Australians have the best taste in music. This weekend Australian radio station, Triple J, is counting down the Hottest 100 of all time. I recall, in the past, I have made a post regarding the annual Hottest 100 that Triple J broadcast every Australia Day (January 26th).
Basically, for this event, the public were invited to vote for up to 10 songs that they regarded as being the best songs of all time. Easy! Voting was not just limited to Australians, so my first statement could potentially be wrong, but an interesting exercise all the same. It is this weekend that they are now counting down the top 100, well worth a listen.
(Although i guarantee my 10 wont be in there.... well not all of them anyway)
I'm posting this because you, right now, can click HERE and listen along. Hurry! They've started!
The last time I used the word "cute" in a review I got a little bit of piss taken out of me, but from what I have in front of me with respect to the London-based outfit, Pocketbooks, "cute" is one of the first words that springs to mind. It's pop, indiepop.... the cutest kind. *covers head ready for arse-kicking*.
Footsteps is the name of the song I'm referring to. It's the pretty harmonies, the simple beat, the uncomplicated lyrics and the catchy catchy tune.
I'd like to hope that the rest of the tracks from the debut album, Flight Paths, are as this lovely, but alas i have not heard it. But you can hear some more of their tunes on their MySpace page.
The song is available on iTunes, and you can also download it free here:
Pocketbooks - Footsteps (MP3)
And you can watch a video for the song here:
Pocketbooks - Footsteps (Video)
Are you in Australia?
Well do I have some thing pleasant for you!
Sydney three-piece Where's Jerome have had their latest tune, Into The Ocean, made single of the week this week on iTunes.... unfortunately it's only available to iTunes users in Australia.
So.... Download it FREE all week from iTunes! Hurry. Click on the link below!
http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=322312905&s=143460
For more info (or if you're not lucky enough to be standing on these fair shores) you can look here:
http://www.wheresjerome.com/
http://www.myspace.com/wheresjerome
That's all for today.
Sally
sally@weheartmusic.com
A little backlog seems to be building up in my earpod recently... but now it is time... to spread some love. The love i'm spreading today is for a group of english boys and one of Sydney's favourite ladies.
Favours For Sailors
It's definitely not your poncey indiepop, which is kinda of odd, because when i imagine giving favours to sailors..... no Sally, don't go there.
Not arriving on my radar until recently, it seems again, I am one of the last to know. According to their MySpace page, Favours For Sailors
are attracting quite a lot of the right sort of attention from a number
of notable British radio personalities (Zane Lowe and Steve Lamacq)
and magazines (Uncut and Clash). What I have here is a delightful
set of songs from a particular radio session.... of unknown date
or relevance, but anyway..... all the same they're a set of songs with well rounded sounds, ripe for a sing
along and a little jig session. Profound lyrics? No, not really. But
still, very catchy indeed. I Dreamt That You Dreamt That I Loved You In My Dreams .... good to hear everyone has odd dreams occasionally.
So who are they? The word is Favours For Sailors are a group of four, four boys, four English boys, some from Cornwall, some from London. Meeting somehow, somewhere and there you have it. A band is born. One point I've read that gets me more interested is that Scottish band Dananananaykroyd (another band to belatedly hit my radar) handpicked Favours For Sailors to tour with them on the southern leg of their recent tour. Rumour has it that the boys are currently recording the follow up to their debut mini album ‘Furious Sons’.
If
you head back over to their MySpace page, you'll notice a few live
dates coming up. It might be an idea that eyes and ears are kept peeled
for word on these guys because, in my opinion, we'll be hearing more
from Favours From Sailors at some point in the near future.
A lovely young lady with an amazing voice, based in Sydney, well worth a listen or three. I wont spend a lot of time talking up Miss Blasko, I'll save that for another time. What I have to share with you now however, is a little listening treat. If you click here you will be transported to a place where you can get.... FOR FREE.... a track, No Turning Back , off the new album by the lovely Sarah Blasko. I wont say much. Just listen.
Also, if you'd like to hear more (and quite a few live shows coming up to keep track of), this is where you need to go: http://www.myspace.com/sarahblasko
Until next time.
Sally
sally@weheartmusic.com
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Tour Dates
06/12/09 Oxford Arts Factory, Sydney
Read More
06/13/09 The Tote, Victoria 06/20/09 Amplifier Bar, Perth |
I must admit, that I fell off the Tucker B's bandwagon quite a while ago; not a clue where they had gone. They may not have gone anywhere.... but all the same.... they're back! Nightmares In The Key Of (((((WOW))))) is the fifth album of this Perth band, now based in Sydney.
On paper the album looks excellent: a new drummer - none other than Mr Matt Blackman of Purplene, Charge Group and Palace Of Fire fame; recorded with Burke Reid (The Drones, Gerling); and the inclusion of a saxophone and the vocal stylings of what I can only assume is a real cockatiel...
If you look at their website (http://www.tuckerbs.com/) you'll understand when it's said that these guys are a bit special. This is very much reflected in Nightmares In The Key Of (((((WOW))))). It's quirky and strange. It's carries the vibe... like that movie... you know... about the leprechaun in space? Don't listen to it in the dark. At the same time it swings from creepy (WOW) to tuneful and pretty (No Lazy Death) and catchy (Jungle).
Tucker B's are very much about the lyrics. Nothing mushy or heartwarming here. No sweet voices or beautiful harmonies. Not even a great deal of singing in tune. All wrapped up in some kind of bizzaro mixture of genres.... synthesizers, loud guitars, soft guitars, that weird voice altering contraption, odd wails, rock, indie, country, who can tell? That key of (((((WOW))))).... ooh err.
All up, an exciting album, highly recommended, but not for the faint hearted. So.... May 30th (album release date - not just throwing random dates about)... get
Also... http://www.myspace.com/tuckerbs
Sally
sally@weheartmusic.com
So i thought i might prepare a little digest of bands that have been performing around the shop in the recent-ish past
Found At Sea - astreetlightsong - Days Like Stars - The Shipwrecked - Hopetoun Hotel - May 8th
Firstly, I would like to say that the sound at the Hopetoun was particularly bad last night. Sadly, it made the keyboard of the The Shipwrecked sound way too loud and drowned out a lot of the other sounds. Maybe another listen is in order. Days Like Stars were cute (but obviously not trying to be cute), the songs were your average guitar rock, but with an obvious mum and dad combo recording the set on their video camera in the audience, who could help but chortle as the guys proceeded to "rock out" to songs that simply didn't suit such "rocking outness". Entertaining all the same.
I had said previously that astreetlightsong would be worth seeing live, so that was my mission for the evening. I wasn't disappointed. Even though the overall sound was still pretty poor, astreetlightsong put on a super show. There's something about seeing a band live that you just don't get from a recording. Whether it be seeing that they can actually play instruments (it's not their Uncle Barry), looking at the large amount of computerisation and guitar peddles required to get their sound or just to see they they are human and how they interact with the crowd. It all adds up. These guys were just that little bit different to the other three bands on the bill. Slightly more electronically weighted, less of a pure guitar sound. Was a nice change. They also seemed to have a swathe of young lady fans, which can't be a bad thing!
Armed with matching ties (sort of), headlining band Found at Sea, rounded out the evening. Formerly called 'Helter' (ring any bells?) these guy have just finished their debut self-titled album, produced by ARIA award winning Paul McKercher (Augie March, Sarah Blasko, You Am I). If you love guitars, if you love the sound they make, if you like that easy listening rock feel, Found at Sea will be right up your alley. It's perfect music to sit down, with beer in hand and tap your foot on the floor. Sadly, the Hopetoun has no chairs.... so we were out of luck.
If you want to trackdown these guys some future tour dates might just be:
13th May 2009 - Phoenix Bar, Canberra
14th May 2009 - Ding Dong Lounge, Melbourne (headlined by astreetlightsong)
15th May 2009 - Public Bar, North Melbourne
3rd June 2009 - Annandale Hotel, Sydney
19th June 2009 - The Supper Club, Sydney
More information? Go here:
Now for some bands I haven't seen in a while (or are on the list of bands that you probably want to see).
Tucker B's
The Tucker B's have been around for quite a while. Originally from Perth, they are about to release a new record Nightmares in the key of (((((WOW))))); their fifth record. As I haven't heard the album and this paragraph makes it sounds fairly intriguing, it's better to copy and paste than write something irrelevant...
"Commencing with a caterwauling cacophony of doom, the album delves deep into the band's wide-eyed wonder of relationships. Candid and disturbing revelations set against a diverse backdrop, Nightmares at times re-visits the guitar thuggery of previous albums Chubby and Bish Bosh II: The Bosh Bosh. At other times the band strips away just a little of the sludge to reveal beautiful yet strange pop melodies, and weird, unsettling lyrical observations. For this is an album made by MEN about other MEN and WOMEN and CHILDREN."
I haven't seen these guys for many years, but I hope to catch them this time around.... and yes, here's where I'd go:
Peabody
These guys seem to always be playing somewhere... except for a few hours at night and during morning tea break (and sometimes afternoon tea break). Peabody, another band who has been playing in Sydney for as long as I can remember (and that's only as far back as 2001), they're rocky, they're poppy, and they have endearing head wiggles and nerd glasses. Their only fault is the fact that their current drummer is much less entertaining than their previous drummer. They recently played a splendid show supported by The Laurels and Charge Group; also excellent bands. In case you were wondering, Peabody and Melbourne's Actor Slash Model are off on a tour starting this very weekend!
DATES!
Friday 15 May - Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy, VIC - Supporting Actor Slash Model
Friday 29 May - The Great Northern Hotel, Byron Bay, NSW - Supported by Actor Slash Model (FREE GIG)
Saturday 30 May - The Troubadour, Fortitude Valley, QLD - Supported by Actor Slash Model
Crow
Crow are very old indeed (don't tell them i said that). The more interesting fact is that Crow have a new album coming out this year. You know Crow, don't you? No? Look here:http://www.myspace.com/crowcrowcrowyourboat.
They are quite entertaining live. Completely unpretentious with a wealth of experience, especially in intimate environments (does that sound creepy?). If you don't believe me, Crow are playing a number of shows in the near future. So, for a good time, call......... no........ go to the Bald Faced Stag Hotel in Leichhardt on May 22nd, have a beverage and enjoy the show. Supported by The Holy Soul and Dead China Doll, should be an excellent night!
The Laurels
I caught The Laurels a while back when they supported Peabody, and I was very impressed. This is an easy band to like. They describe themselves as psychedelic/shoegaze, which i guess is quite accurate. If you like Ride or The Jesus and Mary Chain, you'll probably like these guys (and girl).
The word is that The Laurels have "almost" finished recording their long awaited debut release, but that probably should be confirmed before you camp out in a record shop. In the meantime, they have a few shows lined up that would definitely be worth checking out.
6th June, 2009 - The Hopetoun Hotel - with Peabody
13th June 2009 - The Hopetoun Hotel - with the redsunband
26th June 2009 - World Bar - FBI radio fundraiser (get to it!)
18th July 2009 - The Hopetoun Hotel, 7" launch with Ghosts of Television/Warhorse/Whores
Lamplight
I haven't seen Lamplight, so I can't comment on their ability to make you feel like dancing, but they're definitely on my list. Unlike me, you may be in Melbourne.... if so.... you might like the check this out. Lamplight are about to release a new single, A Sun That Will Not Rise, to celebrate this, they will be launching the video clip and single AT THE SAME TIME at the Northcote Social Club on the Sunday the 7th of June (Queen's birthday long weekend, so no excuses!). If you aren't in Melbourne, never fear! Lamplight will be undertaking an extensive national tour in June and July.
For more information go to:
www.lamplight.com.au
Also, if you are specifically into bearded bands you might like to check out a previous review .
Parades
A bit of a wildcard for you, I haven't dug deeply into what Parades have to offer, but from simply investigating their website, things are looking good. Pop/rock, not too harsh on the ear, but admittedly would be better heard very loud (and/or live). Unfortunately, I had planned to have this written a few days ago to let you know that Parades would be launching their single, Hunters, at the Hopetoun Hotel on May 9th.... and yes, it is now May 13th. Sorry!
Eye of the Spider
I love the name, I haven't listened to them and the poster (a lady with a moustache!) for the show is excellent. GO!
Sally
sally@weheartmusic.com
ASTREETLIGHTSONG - The Ocean Floor
These guys are a new-ish band, based in Sydney. Three guys who, from all reports, appear to be storming forward, gaining immense popularity.. with tunes being played on FBi radio and JJJ ; being runners up in the SONY/BMG Uncharted Competition in 2007; and even having the very exciting claim to fame of supporting The Church on their recent tour. The Ocean Floor is their new EP, which contains seven tracks including their new single, The Lighthouse.
Just listening to these tracks, ASTREETLIGHTSONG have something a bit different. They look young, very young, yet their sound is more mature. I suppose that's how they scored The Church support slot. The tunes, are slow, mellow and slightly dark; they would be excellent played very loud... with ear protection worn at all times, of course. However, unlike most songs of the same description, they are not grating on a short attention span.
In addition to The Ocean Floor, the guys have another EP available.... and and and as i mentioned they can be heard on any decent (Australian) radio station as well as seen on yours and my favourite drunken viewing... none other than Rage on the ABC.
I look forward to sitting, sipping a beer in front of these boys... at a venue near me.
If you feel that you would like to do the same.... here's a hint to hunting them down in person:
|
Hopetoun Hotel | Sydney, NSW | |
|
Phoenix Bar | Canberra, ACT | |
|
Ding Dong Lounge | Melbourne, VIC | |
|
Public Bar | North Melbourne, VIC |
If you want to know more.... this is where you should be clicking:
Official website: http://www.astreetlightsong.com
MySpork Page: http://www.myspace.com/astreetlightsong
Ex Norwegian
Ex Norwegian are a four-piece out of Miami Beach, Florida, in the US. Their name is apparently a reference from that Monty Python sketch about the dead parrot... interesting choice to say the least. Their debut album, Standby, was released in March 2009 on the newly formed Dying Van Gogh label and Sally happened to stumble across a copy of it a while ago (and apologises for sitting on it for so long before she wrote about it).... *ahem*.
What can i say? It's poppy, it's cute, it's quite danceable. Housework or roadtrip? This is the album for you. Off the top of my head, I can't actually name a band that I would say they sound like. This is probably not a bad thing, it's always good to be original after all. Looking at their "influences" as per their myspork page, I can't see a band I don't like (it's all about me it's it?), The Kinks, The Easybeats, David Bowie....nice. I also see further Monty Python-esque references... a good sense of humour goes a long way in my books.
But I'm loving the smiliness that this album makes me feel, even the slower songs are quite happy sounding. A special mention for smile-making goes to the track, Dance Trance Pants, which both makes me smile as well as remind me of a friend who makes his own orange pants to go to what i would describe as, "terrible techno evenings".
Just one thing... the track, Add Vice.... don't you think the first few lines sound a lot like Jimmy Ruffin's "What Becomes Of The Broken-hearted"? What? You don't have a copy of Standby to compare it to? Well you'd best get one.
Alternatively, see them here:
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Tobacco Road |
Miami, Florida | |
|
Churchill’s Hideaway |
Miami, Florida | |
|
Miami Art Central |
Miami, Florida | |
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Buck 15 | Miami Beach, Florida | |
|
Churchill’s Hideaway |
Miami, Florida | |
|
Propaganda | Lake Worth, Florida | |
|
Mansion 462 - Summer Tour | Chapel Hill, North Carolina |
Apparently, the band are preparing for the next album to be released at the end of the year... ooh! So keep your eye on the prize.... and here: http://www.exnorwegian.com
Just two questions: What is sudeki? and What is Fujeira?... That is all.
Other news...
Being Anzac day, there is a wonderous array of fun things happening....
Tonight at the Hopetoun Hotel in Surry Hills (Sydney) we have none other than Peabody, Charge Group and The Laurels ...... brilliant.
Today we have the Essential Festival (Dappled Cities, Bluejuice, Young & Restless, The Scare, The Holidays, The Scare, Belles Will Ring, Cloud control, Spod, The E.L.F , More) at Spectrum, 34B, Vegas Bar, Qbar, and the Oxford Art Factory... but hurry because it starts at 3pm.
and not to discriminate... at the Hobgoblin (London) tonight we have monthly Chimp Night with our favourite ape themed band, Celebrity Chimp .
We also have the recently announced first installment of bands to be playing at Splendour in The Grass ... The Flaming Lips, Bloc Party, Jane’s Addiction, MGMT, Friendly Fires, Leader Cheetah, Yuksek, Augie March, Manchester Orchestra, Little Birdy, The Gutter Twins, Birds Of Tokyo, Josh Pyke, Sarah Blasko, Midnight Juggernauts, The Specials..... Please buy Sally a ticket.
Sally
sally@weheartmusic.com
| Read More |
I had only seen Razorlight a few weeks previous (click here for review), so no surprises really. Pretty much exactly the same show. Except the drummer seemed to have morphed into a different person (with brilliant facial expressions). On that topic, interestingly enough, the internet has provided me with two interesting pieces of information:
1. Andy Burrows, Razorlight drummer, has recently quit the band; and
2. Andy Burrows, Razorlight drummer, has a knitting addiction.
Hmm.... i wonder if these two things are related (or true, for that matter).
Anyway, Johnny was maniacally bouncing around, not a lot of talking... or any engagement of the crowd for that matter. To tell you the truth, it was slightly boring. Specifically, I'm talking about the long, self-indulgent rendition of In The City, which went on for about 7 hours (give or take a couple of hours). It's possible though, that it was because I'd seen it all before.
Overall, despite my short attention span, Razorlight do put on an excellent and entertaining performance.
The band i was actually there to see, however, were the Kaiser Chiefs. These guys never disappoint and were true to form. It's simply beautiful, the way in which young (I say young, but secretly hope he's older than me) Ricky Wilson engages the crowd; gets everyone riled up. I thought I was sure to cop a fondle this time (after missing out last time when he "crowd surfed from the stage to the back bar at the Metro theatre) after he was carried him on their shoulders as far as the barrier in the middle of the lower floor of the Enmore and proceeded to "crowd surf" back, but alas... no.
Brilliant show, completely unpretentious. Never Miss A Beat, The Angry Mob, Good Days Bad Days, Everyday I love You Less and Less, Ruby..... all sing-a-long-able tunes. Ricky getting slowly more trollied as the night went on, culminating in dragging one of the shirtless yobs up on to the stage, only to be hoisted onto his shoulders. Gold. The only unfortunate thing about it was the borderline view of the guys front bits (and the not so borederline view of his arse).... oh and that the drum stick that was aimed at his arse crack by drummer, Nick Hodgson, missed it's target.
I don't know about you, or anyone else, but to me, The Kaiser Chiefs transport me out of Australia, back to England, specifically the Northern half of England. Laid back... with a pint and a sausage butty (*shudder*).... or specifically a seedy student bar in Preston.... but we don't need to go there!
So next time, when you think.... "deary me, $90 for a band", if it's the Kaiser Chiefs... say "Yes, please!".
In case you were wondering, the boys have a few shows coming up...
| 07/04/09 | Singapore, Fort Canning Park |
|---|---|
| 19/06/09 | Budapest, Hungary, Papp Laszlo Budapest Sportarena |
| 04/07/09 | Arras, France, Main Square Festival |
| 05/07/09 | Belgium, Werchter Festival |
| 18/07/09 | Norway, slottsfjell festival |
| 24/07/09 | Copenhagen, Denmark, Fredagsrock |
| 28/08/09 | Reading, Reading Festival |
| 30/08/09 | Leeds, Leeds Festival |
For more info and other treats, pop long to their website: http://www.kaiserchiefs.co.uk
Hang on! What happened to the Temper Trap? Ripped off!
See you later.
Sally
sally@weheartmusic.com
Sydney, 4th February, 2009 - with Wolf and Cub
Primal Scream is one of the bands in a special list in my head. This list is of bands that I know if I don’t see them now, I will never get a chance to see them. Bands that were at their height in the 90s, that went all quiet (or broke up) and have now come back…. just for me (or so I like to think). Dodgy, The Coral, The Jesus and Mary Chain… and now Primal Scream.
I managed to miss the support act Wolf and Cub, which is a bit disappointing, but being a Wednesday night at a venue that really doesn’t have the most direct public transport link from my house, meant that I wasn’t going to be there early. Plus someone was offering me a lift…. Beggars can’t be choosers. Anyway, managed to get a pretty good viewing spot (or so I thought) even turning up as late as I did.
I’m not sure whether I should be ashamed to admit it, but when the band walked on stage I couldn’t help myself from smiling like a village idiot and nearly weeing my pants. Bobby Gillespie! Mani!.... and the other ones…. I hadn’t really known what to expect.
I must say, and I nearly wish I didn’t have this opinion, that I was more excited about seeing them in person than I was impressed by their music. It was very loud (however we were standing in front of the largest speaker stack ever constructed) and bobby wasn’t really able to carry a tune, but the tight jeans and overall aura of awesomeness of them cancelled it out.
Bobby swung from wild arm waving to standing in a zombie-like state (I could have sworn he was looking at someone at the side of stage for a signal to begin singing again). Trying to determine whether Bobby was just out of it, or if he just naturally looks like a zombie, did occupy a large chunk of my brain. Not a lot of chit-chat, not coherent chit-chat anyway… but whether that was because he was a completely trollied or just Scottish, who can tell?
They played everything I wanted (except for Loaded, but I won’t whine about it)… I even had a bit of a sing-along with Movin’ On Up. Most importantly they played Suicide Sally and Johnny Guitar, because I do like a good song with my name in it.
So I can now cross another band off my list... and another member of the Stone Roses (one day I’ll see them all, I’m collecting them one by one). Brilliant!
Sally
Photos by Greg
We got there to catch the support act, for which I'm glad. These boys were called Slow Down Honey and they were pretty bloody good. Pop/rock sounds very fitting for pulling some cute dance moves, worth a listen.
I actually commented to my friend their night that they give me a beach vibe. I actually thought they might be from the northern beaches, but now i see (on their MySpace page) that they are from the Central Coast..... pretty close guess.... sort of! It's not that their music had a Beach Boys sound, it's just... well I don't know.... it was just the vibe.
AND... the most impressive thing is that it was said that this was their first gig played to more than 10 people but man, were they tight. It didn't sound like they were fresh out of their mum's garage at all!
Anyway..... if you're curious, have a look at their MySpace page and it will all become clear AND you might even be able to stalk them in real life. (I mention the Playground Weekender festival as an example - Primal Scream ooh!)
Razorlight were pretty much exactly what I expected they would be. Sold out show. No disappoinments.
Good old Johnny Borrell... I developed a negative opinion of him around the same time I developed a negative opinion of the NME. Cast your mind back to mid-2004....back when i used to lock myself away in my bedroom in Brighton and count the tools on the English music scene (and try to do the NME crossword, but fail miserably every single time). Maybe he's matured, maybe I was delusuional back then, who can tell? All i know is I sure wasn't going to be getting anywhere near him to find out!
But you have to admit.... he sure has a lot of energy and with energy comes entertainment.... and jumping around like a goose is exactly what i want to see. He didn't say a lot, but secretly, I was more interested in his shirt, and the rate at which it would no longer be covering his chest. I was also mesmerised by the fact that about halfway through the show Johnny looked like he had just had a fully-clothed shower, yet the rest of the band looked almost pristine. Spooky.... no, not really.
They played all the hits, new and old. In The Morning, Golden Touch, America, Hostage of Love... the list goes on. And didn't the kids love it! I almost felt ashamed that I didn't know every word to every song.
So where can you see them?
Well, it seems they're all over the shop in the months to come. Starting with Melbourne tonight (January 31st at the Hi Fi Bar - another sold out show), the US, Mexico then back to the sunny UK.... only to return to Australia in March for the V Festival and a side show supporting the Kasier Chiefs (pre-sale tickets go on sale on Feb 5th).
For more information and tickets:
Official Website: www.razorlight.co.uk
MySpace page: www.myspace.com/razorlight
V Festival Website: www.vfestival.com.au
Sally
sally@weheartmusic.com