Music Reviews & Features @jamesstafford - Tumblr Blog

LIVE REVIEW: EASY STAR ALL-STARS / KINGFISHA

EASY STAR ALL-STARS / KINGFISHA The Zoo Thu Jan 5 2012

After a spring of festivals, supports and launches, Kingfisha’s momentum continues into the new year and the local roots-reggae rockers are stoked to open the show tonight at The Zoo, although the early birds are few and far between. Currently one of Brisbane’s tightest sounding outfits, Kingfisha’s sound has been simmering slowly for years, and their effortlessly smooth set this evening is a testament to their consistency. After Bassist Shannon Green reassures us that their debut album is indeed coming soon, they play Island Vibe mix tape hit Diggin’ For Fire.

Returning to The Zoo almost three years after their last visit, New York eight-piece reggae recyclers Easy Star All-Stars fill the stage literally and figuratively, as they announce how fun it has been to play through their revered release Dub Side of the Moon again on this tour. The live interpretation of Pink Floyd’s experimental masterpiece Dark Side of the Moon is even crazier than the recorded one, and they fill some of the more ponderous moments with drum flourishes and brass solos. While they’re best known for reworking artists such as Pink Floyd, Radiohead and The Beatles, they’re also here to launch their very own album First Light and I’m sure there are a couple of newbies squeezed somewhere in between Radiodread’s Let Down and an Easy Stars Lonely Hearts Dub Band medley.

Finishing their Australian tour here in Brisbane, the band’s spirits are high and the audience do their best to keep up. After a short break, guitarist Shelton Garner returns to encore with an amazing solo version of Bob Marley’s Redemption Song, before the band return to finish with their superb rasta-reinvention of Radiohead’s Karma Police.

JAMES STAFFORD

LIVE REVIEW: FU MANCHU / BLACK COBRA / MATT SONIC & THE HIGH TIMES

FU MANCHU / BLACK COBRA / MATT SONIC & THE HIGH TIMES The HiFi – Fri May 4 2012

A decent early crowd has gathered on this buzzing Friday evening with the Labour Day long weekend ahead and an evening of heavy California groove to come. Opening with all the spirit of a big-show headliner, Matt Sonic & The High Times power through a set of carefully crafted fuzz rock complete with stomping beats, lead breaks and a measured dosage of cock-rock posturing. Its actually a homecoming of sorts for band leader/singer/guitarist Matt who grew up just west of here, although he has certainly come of age working his way through the competitive Melbourne live scene, and his experience is on show tonight for all to see.

Returning to Australia after a blistering display at the Step Inn supporting Nick Oliveri’s Death Acoustic tour in 2010, San Francisco Bay Area’s Black Cobra are surely metal’s most efficient outfit, managing to pack what can only be described as an avalanche of awesome into their guitar-drum two-punch combo. I’ve become quite a fan of their hypnotic riffing and unrelenting intensity and have devoured their latest release Invernal eagerly; a number of these new tunes fill The Hifi’s cavernous lungs with an unholy gusto. Singing guitarist Jason Landrian plays his down-tuned six-string with some kind of sequencer/sampler running, although it can only be heard when his Orange quad box quiets, while drummer Rafa Martinez, originally the bass player in Acid King, performs double kick triplets with only a single kick! While the first half of their set flies by in a hail of flailing riffs and flying drum sticks, their more dynamic material comes to life in the later half, including Inveral’s excellent instrumental track Abyss.

With ears still ringing, the curtains draw back to reveal Southern California’s desert rock legends Fu Manchu standing in classic five-piece formation as they open with Eatin’ Dust and continue with Hell On Wheels in an up-tempo kick start to a truly free-wheeling stoner-rock road-train. While Regal Begal is one of their most recognizable tunes, they ease off slightly with the bluesy Boogy Van, when suddenly all momentum is lost as a punter drenches front man Scott Hill and his prized Dan Armstrong clear guitar with a mouth-full of warm beer. Clearly thrown by the slight, Hill takes a minute and a significant amount of resolve to regain composure and continue with Bionic Astronautics from their latest release, the fittingly titled Signs of Infinite Power; a subtle irony surely lost on the fool in the front row. With such a comprehensive discography, the set continues like a greatest hits compilation, drawing sporadically from California Crossing, We Must Obey, The Action is Go, In Search of… and King of the Road. Closing their main set with the down-beat groove of Saturn III, they waste little time in returning to encore with Squash That Fly, a crowd favourite, before finishing with their well worn cover of the Blue Oyster Cult’s Godzilla. After a promising start and a stellar set list, the crowd is left wondering what might have been, ruing the idiocy of the few, a feeling that is all too familiar for many regular Brisbane gig-goers.

JAMES STAFFORD

LIVE REVIEW: MERZBOW / CURED PINK / SIMON WHETHAM

MONO10 - MERZBOW / CURED PINK / SIMON WHETHAM Judith Wright Centre – Thu May 10 2012

Curator extraordinaire Lawrence English introduces Mono10 and encourages tonight’s very healthy audience to get comfortable for a blackout performance by Sydney-based sound artist Simon Whetham. His exquisitely restrained, digitally rendered composition swells, crests and contracts with sounds from nature and the built environment and is easily the most beautiful set of the evening.

Cured Pink are an experimental trio with a sprawling setup of junkyard constructions and conventional instruments used in unconventional ways. A working angle grinder is bolted to a box and dragged through the audience, creating a current of curious bodies while amplified whispers and heavy breathing generates an almost schizophrenic droning rhythm. The rhythm develops organically as they gravitate towards an electric bass and drum kit and the improvisation continues until a consenting silence is realised.

Earplugs are required for the internationally renowned Japanese noise-art pioneer Merzbow who wastes no time decimating the eardrums of the brave few with his extremely loud and abrasive sound manipulations. He callously strikes, scrapes and plucks an intriguing stringed instrument, sending the resulting cacophony through an array of electronics that modulate, delay, distort, amplify and loop. While some punters enjoy a boogie (yes, really), most, like myself, withdraw deep into themselves, letting waves of floor shaking vibrations induce a nihilistic catharsis, the likes of which I haven’t experienced since his Mike Patton collaboration Maldoror traumatized The Capitol in 1996.

JAMES STAFFORD

INTERVIEW: TREY SPRUANCE - SECRET CHIEFS 3

NOT-SO-SECRET MANIFESTO 13 May 2007

Descending from his home in the Santa Cruz Mountains, multi-instrumentalist, composer and famed analogue producer Trey Spruance recently found enough cell-phone reception to chat with James Stafford about his pet project the Secret Chiefs 3, and their impending tour down under.

You’ve just finished a U.S. tour, how did that go? Spruance: “This last one that we did went great, I had my first all-round positive experience with the different clubs; I’m used to being at odds with them. Australia has never been a problem in that respect. We broke in some new people on this last tour, and they went really well, better than expected really.

Have you found a stable Secret Chiefs 3 line-up? Spruance: “There hasn’t been one consistent line-up for the Secret Chiefs ever, so true to form, we’re bringing to Australia a different line-up from the one we just did, including Danny Heifitz and Bar McKinnon who are based in Australia. And with two of our members based in Australia, I’m not talking out of my ass when I say Australia is like our second home.

Next stop Australia then? Spruance: “Yeah, but I have to finish a big record that I’ve being working on this month before we come to Australia; the Book of Souls.

Book M, Book of Horizons and Book of Souls, are they forming a metaphorical encyclopaedia? Spruance: “Like translating a concept that can’t be read with the eyes into a language that can be read with the eyes, I think that music is an even more elastic medium than writing things down with alphabets and words.

Are the intricately detailed and illustrated Middle-Eastern philosophical manifestos in the album artwork congruous with the music, i.e. more than a gimmick? Spruance: “The music itself comes from those ideas. The different tuning and rhythmic stuff we do is very literally based on those philosophies and are the real sub-stratum or the hermetic basis of the Secret Chiefs 3. We’re just getting more articulate about what those things are within the music now. It’s getting more and more literal; it is becoming that philosophy over time. We’re sort of in a middle stage right now and that’s why I think its so exciting, implementing all of that stuff and realising that it can work in this modern western society where we can relate to it on a musical level, even if we can’t wrap our brains around it.”

Do you approach recording much differently to playing live? Spruance: “In my view, a live concert has all of this ethereal energy floating around the room and you can’t get that on an album. This is a mistake a lot of bands make, they’re reluctant to do a bunch of over-dubbing or “over-produce” their album, but you have to do something to make up for the fact that its not a live show. For me, that’s where record production is an art in and of itself, and its one of the things that must be done to make it worth everybody’s time to sit down and listen to your fucking music!

What kind of live show can we expect this time? Spruance: “It’s definitely going to be loud and I’m sorry about that. It involves turning up acoustic instruments up really loud, which is really dangerous and probably shouldn’t really be done, but we do it anyway. We’ve had to get instruments re-threaded according to the tonalities we’ve been applying and we’re exploring some non-equal tempered scales, so that means we’re bringing a lot of different kinds of instruments. We’re pretty disciplined about our intonations.”

Are you looking forward to the tour? Spruance: “Yeah, Brisbane was definitely our favourite show from the last Australian tour, it was very special. Eyvind was going through some things at the time and it was a real catharsis.”

Secret Chiefs 3 seize the stage at The Coolangatta Hotel on Saturday19 May and The Zoo on Sunday 20 May 2007. Published 12 May 2007

LIVE REVIEW: CARPATHIAN / THE VALLEY / ARMAGEDDON SKY / PRO TEAM

CARPATHIAN / THE VALLEY / ARMAGEDDON SKY / PRO TEAM H.M. Basement Wednesday 21 June

Melbourne’s Pro Team kicked off the Basement leg of Carpathian’s epic East Coast tour to little effect. Their hardcore intensions were felt, but lacked clarity and power in the delivery.

Second up were Armageddon Sky who succeeded in reviling me at every possible opportunity. Their attempts at dual vocal coordination were rough and their clichéd emo rock-poses were hideously comedic. Unfortunately for them, they weren’t laughing.

The Valley’s no-nonsense metalcore was a welcome lobotomy after the previous trauma. The well equipped five-piece served it up to the few willing punters left in the place, stopping briefly to mumble song names too long to remember. Their drummer Tim Glastonbury exceeded the role of rhythm keeper, keeping busy with good tom work and punchy double kick.

Carpathian emerged over an hour early and whatever had gone wrong earlier was soon forgotten. Their distinctive brand of new-school hardcore was belted out while vocalist Martinxxx paced side to side, scowling threateningly. The floor of the Basement morphed into a flailing mass of swinging arms with closed fists as the hardcore soundtrack permeated their layers of calm. The new faster track Suckerpunch was dedicated to Brisbane fans, while some got a chance to scream a chorus into the microphone. The Nothing To Lose launch seemed over in a flash, but Carpathian weren’t interested in an encore. Maybe next time. JAMES STAFFORD

LIVE REVIEW: KREATOR / MINDSNARE

KREATOR / MINDSNARE Arena Sat 26 August 2006

Brisbane’s infamous black-shirt brigade marched on the Arena on Saturday night, in anticipation of the first Brisbane visit by Euro-thrash legends Kreator. ‘Twas more a lake than a sea of black shirts though as floor space at the Arena was fairly generous, and upstairs closed altogether.

The gloriously obnoxious hardcore of Mindsnare greeted the small but dedicated gathering who received a set fiercely tuned by their recent touring in support of Ringworm. Sharp drumming coloured the full-length set, also characterised by gnarly changes and gruelling speed. Sharing guitarists with fellow Melbournians Bloodduster, Mindsnare’s mid-range sound is classic crusty hardcore, although their searing lead breaks added a metal edge perfectly suited to the impending headliners.

With Kreator chants flaring at the smoke machine’s behest, the excitable crowd’s anxious wait was short lived and well rewarded. Dazzled by the stadium-sized lighting rig, the audience barely had time to react to the newer opening track Enemy of God before being driven at speed through a thrash-metal time-warp, complete with Flying V guitars, big hair, and calls to “destroy this fucking place!”

The speed-metal veracity of these aging icons eclipsed their cheesy song intros, while their powerful precision helped overshadow their glam-metal posing. The delivery of Riot of Violence was almost dangerous in it’s intensity and Betrayer closed the regular set with a bang. Tracking back to their 1985 debut in an incredible encore, Kreator delivered to Brisbane a time capsule of thrash that some had waited two decades to sample.

In his fading German accent singer/guitarist Mille Petrozza repeatedly incited the paltry crowd to form a moshpit, expecting in return as much as they had dished out. Never resting on their back catalogue, Kreator played with purpose and earned the collective awe of the dedicated few.

James Stafford

LIVE REVIEW: ADRIAN BELEW / THE BLACKWATER FEVER

Adrian Belew / The Blackwater Fever Maroochydore Sands Tavern Friday 5 May 2006

Friday afternoon traffic, fatigue and inflated petrol prices didn’t deter me from catching alt.rock pioneer Adrian Belew and band in what I thought should have been a memorable gig in an exotic location. Barely exotic, The Sands Tavern lies in the shadows of Sunshine Plaza, many blocks from anywhere remotely interesting in Maroochydore. The gig was certainly memorable, but for reasons I never expected.

The Blackwater Fever’s set got underway when it became clear that waiting for an audience was a futile prospect. The two-piece act filled the room with a larger-than-their-lineup-suggests dirty bluesy sound, akin to that of the Black Keys. True to their roots, they opened with a Buddy Guy cover and progressed through a number of gararge blues tunes, congratulating their drummer on the arrival of a newborn part way through.

After an amazing set at the East Coast Blues and Roots Festival and sell out southern shows, the emptiness of the Sands Tavern bemused Adrian Belew and band almost as much as it shocked me. The 14-strong audience included the engineer, the support band and the bar staff, as counted out loud by the man himself. The set that followed was like a private session with the “twang bar king”, complete with Parker Guitar and sessions band including Al Slavik on bass and John Prior on drums.

Personal fave and Side One album track Ampersand received an early showing as did Beat Box Guitar, which was nominated for a Grammy in the Best Rock Instrumental category. His band performed well considering the recorded versions of these tracks feature Les Claypool on Bass and Danny Carey on Drums.

Midway through the set, the tiny audience got a rare chance to choose which direction to take the set, “sweet or rockin’?”. Rockin’ was the overwhelming response, where some incredible soloing took over and prompted Al Slavik to unleash his almighty Chapman Stick; A fat fret-boarded beast with five bass and five guitar strings.

Having pinched myself a few times throughout the course of the gig, I was again surprised by the friendliness of Adrian and band, who descended the stage and mingled contentedly. Surely never to be repeated, this intimate insight into one of the world’s most prolific and influential alt.guitarists was a privilege and, for me, shall remain a cherished music moment. James Stafford

ALBUM REVIEW: THE MARS VOLTA Amputechture (Universal/GSL)

A measured emotional progression from the pioneers of post punk.

Love ‘em or hate ‘em, The Mars Volta have carved a divisive niche for themselves within the rock world. Ignorant of expectation, each album probes deeper into the creative souls of the partners at heart of the group; guitarist Omar Rodriguez-Lopez is credited with the music and arrangements, and singer Cedric Bixler-Zavala the melody and lyric creator.

For me, Amputechture is an intoxicating romance, adorned with all manor of emotional moments elicited by Bixler-Zavala in his passionate Latino soaked soliloquies, while the exhaustively illustrated instrumental section pens another distinctive chapter in Rodriguez-Lopez’s production and arrangement evolution.

As the saying goes, it’s the journey that matters here, as distinctly staccato track Meccamputechture transitions through a sonic portal to an incredible duo of virtuosic acoustic guitar and touching Spanish voice in Asilos Magdalena, which communicates a raft of sadness despite the language barrier.

This their fourth major release, Amputechture reaffirms certain sonic motifs that have helped to define the TMV sound, all the while resisting a move toward a more linear or accessible style. Their characteristic use of surreal imagery also continues in the artwork provided with Amputechture, this time sampling the “Big Mutant” painting by Jeff Jordan.

Like an abstract noir film, Amputechture can feel like a mysterious challenge; the inclusion of lyrics and art are a bonus but function less like clues and more like red herrings in the quest to understand. Not an album for all occasions, the epic adventure that is Amputechture offers an alternative to the verse-chorus-verse monotony of the mainstream rock world, should such an escape be required. James Stafford

LIVE REVIEW: A.I.M. / MINUS LIFE / SAUSAGE CHOPPER / THE DEAD / PSYCHOTIC LEMMINGS

A.I.M. / MINUS LIFE / SAUSAGE CHOPPER / THE DEAD / PSYCHOTIC LEMMINGS HER MAJESTY’S BASEMENT - Saturday 7 January 2007

Brisbane’s post punk and hardcore scene was out in force on Saturday at the Basement, rampaging through six bands and three generations in six hours. It feels like a lifetime has passed since the last time I saw the Psychotic Lemmings in action and with Andrew Peachy on drums they pack a one inch punk rock punch that smarts right around the chin. The Dead then darken the mood with their deep deathly sound. And in true punk rock incestuousness, a now bloody Peachy fronts Sausage Chopper who have hardened their edge significantly. An “emo” tombstone prop meets a violent end and they introduce a new dance involving a ladder that only adds to the blood on the singer’s face. Minus Life round out the metal for the evening in an orchestrated symphony of chaos. Big vocals, low keys and intense rhythm typify a blockbuster set from this experienced Brisbane lineup. Anger in Motion (A.I.M.) take the stage, now thawed from their cryogenic sleep. Their sound betrays their age and they show the mo-hawked kids how edgy punk should be done. Look out for A.I.M. over the coming months with some promising support slots and a whole lot of time to make up for. Apologies to the opening act who replaced INVOCATION, I can’t find your name anywhere! Be sure to list in the Rave A-Z this year! James Stafford

LIVE REVIEW: That One Guy / Switchkicker

THAT ONE GUY / SWITCHKICKER (Solo Acoustic) The Troubadour - Saturday 3 December 2005

Looming tall over the growing Troubador audience is the “Magic Pipe”, a phallicly proud contraption adorned with the signature hat of it’s owner, That One Guy, AKA Mike Silverman. It’s inanimate presence is overwhelming and draws plenty of attention from punters as they climb the stairs and find the bar. But more about the Magic Pipe later.

In the meantime we get a solo set from the vocalist of Sydney siders Switchkicker. Stating that he’s not used to the Guitar, Daniel Sutherland delivers an empassioned performance which at times leaves him gasping for air. As each song finishes it feels as if a little bit of weight has been lifted from his soul and the warm reception he receives reflects that.

The Magic Pipe is That One Guy’s amazingly engineered midi machine, consisting of strings, sensor pads and free flowing joints. It’s played with his hands, a cello bow, drumstick and even a credit card, and is carefully orchestrated with loops controlled by his feet. It’s the ultimate fusing of art and machinery, in an eerily Cronenberg-esque fashion, organic meets electronic.

More than a quirky sideshow however, he has a set that spans genres from classical to drum and bass, touching on everything in between. His own tracks Weasel Potpie and The Moon Is Disgusting Because it’s Made of Cheese go down well, with his answer to Bohemian Rhapsody, the epic Songs in the Key of Beatch, drawing mid track howls and cheers. That One Guy’s quirky demeanor, self effacing wit and obsession with cheese remind me of fellow San Franciscan Les Claypool of Primus fame, and there was even a Black Sabbath riff thrown in. And just when I’d thought I had seen it all, he pulled out a saw and played Somewhere Over the Rainbow. In a word: amazing. JAMES STAFFORD

LIVE REVIEW: Queensland Rock Awards 2005

Queensland Rock Awards / Butterfingers / Melodyssey / Finalists Suncorp Piazza - Sunday 11 December 2005

The culmination of months worth of heats and finals were realised at Suncorp Piazza on Sunday when the Grand Final of the Queensland Rock Awards took over Southbank. 10 bands played off for a $25 000 kick start into the music biz, including recording, promotion and representation prizes from a variety of industry sponsors. Headlining the event were former Q.R.A. winners Melodyssey and local anti-heroes Butterfingers.

Backing up from a sold out solo show at the Zoo on Friday, Butterfingers played to only a dedicated few after a long day of big stage rock. Their set of anthemic hip-hop-rock was tight although it seemed like they were running through the motions at this stage of the night. Covering all of their popular tracks, they used the opportunity to test out some newer harder edged material which went down well.

Sunny coasters Melodyssey delivered a set to warm up for the eventual winners and showed appreciation to the crowd and the promoter. Test driving tracks from a forthcoming album, their no nonsense set provided an example of what can be done with the spoils of this encouraging competition.

Taking out the grand prize were local nu-metal merchants Repeat Offender who’s tight sound and consistent stage show gave them the edge. Giving them a run for their money however were energetic three piece 111, metal exponents In-Cyde and pop-punk devotees Victory Lane. Another notable act was Tom Michaels and Good Company whose groovy blues rock was brought back by popular demand.

Building again after a couple of quiet years, the Queensland Rock Awards have returned to put on a great event for the finalists of this state wide competition. Facing the odds of a tough Queensland summer and an already expensive festival circuit, it’s a pity that the audience turnout didn’t reflect the scale and quality of this show. James Stafford

THEATRE REVIEW: BOYS NIGHT IN

BOYS NIGHT IN - Written By Stephen Rowan Metro Arts Theatre - Season 5 - 22 August 2005

In the final performance for the 2005 Metro Arts Independents season, the Sons of Germaine Greer have delivered a singing and dancing all male cabaret called Boys Night In. Written by Stephen Rowan and co-directed by Linda Hassall and Shaun Charles, Boys Night In is a farcical insight into the private world of men, albeit hammed up for the stage. Colloquially charged and definitely not PC, Boys Night In is equal parts thought provoking and silly, somewhere between satire and social commentary. The opening act alone is worth the price of admission, a swan lake parody, the three men bathed in down light and dressed in jocks and socks alone, rising from an awkward slumber to dress for the night ahead. Two things become clear very early on; this is no Shakespeare, and the link to Germaine Greer is in name and name alone. The men farewell their missus’ early on and from there the testosterone fueled, alcohol assisted fun begins. Imagine your father and his two best mates, after a considerable drinking session, let loose on Triple M’s CD library and you are part way there. Throw in a roller skating dance choreographer and you’re even closer. Drinking games, female beauty products, pornography and a little latent homo-eroticism are all standard fare in this piece which has a subtly intelligent script that has a tendency to surprise you with it’s depth. For all of the repetitive banter about cars, women, sport and politics, Boys Night In does cover some surprisingly frank subject matter, giving the actors a chance to demonstrate their ability to move from burlesque humour to serious drama at the drop of a tinny. One particular deviation delves into the death of one of the boy’s mothers and is startlingly confronting. Adding to the outrageous dialogue and meandering plot is the musical aspect of the cabaret. A number of songs from the mythical Aussie pub-rock song book have been re-worked to punctuate the narrative, choreographed and sung live in their full atonal glory. Painstakingly re-lyricised to fit the show, eighties and nineties hits such as The Australian Crawl’s Boys Light Up make an appearance, with fully executed dance steps to boot. The rowdy response from the opening night audience is a good gauge as to their effect - each musical interlude is applauded, many people laughing well into the next act. The Sons Of Germaine Greer have produced another hilarious, if not offensive, addition to their Aussie larrikin series of works that began in 2001 with Three Blokes and Their Eskies. The performance of Boys Night In is an innovative and fun-filled theatrical experience, the few timing issues are completely forgivable, if not endearing. Although I’d recommend an adult only audience, Boys Night In hits with both men and women alike, friendly firing blows in the battle of the sexes. Truly, a production for the ‘noughties’ generation.

James Stafford

LIVE REVIEW: Karnivool / King Mungi / Reveler

Karnivool / King Mungi / Reveler The Zoo - Thursday 20 October 2005 Reveler open in energetic style at The Zoo tonight with one of the bigger sounding three piece acts I can recall. Their attempts to rouse the heat-struck crowd are partially successful, their occasional harmonies taking the edge off what could have been quite a heavy set.

King Mungi are local groove metal staples and their set goes down well although it was a little empty sounding off the desk. It’s been a while since I’ve seen King Mungi and they seem to have stepped up the tempo and lowered the funk.

Just when I thought low-fi guitar rock had taken over the world, along comes an act from Perth that reminds me how good a thoughtfully complex five piece can be. Karnivool pack a set list of epic proportions and raise the bar for metal acts Australia wide. The intricately structured songs from their independent release Themata are realised fully live, with incredibly rendered vocals and a dynamically precise rhythm section. A number of Karnivool’s tracks have received regular airplay nationally and deservedly so, it was definitely a treat to see them before an inevitable major label signing. JAMES STAFFORD

LIVE REVIEW: Missy Higgins / Ben Lee / Ray LaMontagne / Ash Grunwald / The McMenamins

Missy Higgins / Ben Lee / Ray LaMontagne / Ash Grunwald / The McMenamins Brisbane Riverstage - Saturday 29 October 2005 The Brisbane Riverstage played host to some of Australia’s biggest selling pop icons Saturday night in a festival-like gig played to a sell out 10 000-strong crowd. In support of headliner Missy Higgins were four quite different artists that would normally pack a venue of their own. Ash Grunwald was a stand out, his easy going oratory garnered a captive audience while his white boy blues roots shone through proudly in an impassioned Tom Waits cover. Bearing in mind that your reviewer tends to avoid ARIA darlings of the magnitude of Missy Higgins and Ben Lee out of habit, this gig was surprisingly entertaining.

I have finally found what it is that people see in Ben Lee - he is a seasoned performer and his gratingly simple lyrics sound cool when voiced by a couple of thousand young fans. His saccharine humility did get the better of him though and I wasn’t the only one to scoff when the “believe in your dreams” lines started flowing between songs.

Missy Higgins was a mite less irritating than her overkilled TV ads and I was left awestruck with her impeccably powerful vocal performance. Covering most of her hit album The Sound of White, Higgins’ encore began with a rocking Ben Lee duet, a cover of Laid by James. And after four and a half hours of sardine-packed spectatorship I returned to my comfort zone, horizons duly expanded. JAMES STAFFORD

LIVE REVIEW: AFTER THE FALL / AIRBOURNE / GRAND FATAL

AFTER THE FALL / AIRBOURNE / GRAND FATAL The Zoo - Saturday 17 September 2005 The Zoo is bustling early on this gusty Saturday night, well before the first act GRAND FATAL take the stage. The Sydney-siders are full of energy and rock out hard, to the detriment of their sound which is loose, and unfocussed. I return from a bite to eat to find The Zoo resembling an AC/DC gig circa 1983. Bare chests, mullets and power chords go a long way towards describing second support AIRBOURNE. They manage to get the now sell out Zoo audience moving, despite their fashion faux pas.

The hype for Novocastrians AFTER THE FALL is palpable, their Brisbane fan base helped along no doubt by their numerous hi-rotation Triple J tracks and frequent tours north. Supporting the release of their new album Always and Forever out on Festival Mushroom, After the Fall play a tight set, recorded for posterity on multi-camera video. The singer’s camera inspired antics don’t detract from his performance, their set a well oiled example of melodic pop punk, catchy, edgy and refined.

If not for the distinctive hook, Mirror Mirroir is an instantly recognisable hit when the crowd’s collective squeal rises to it’s first line. After the Fall are nothing new but their pop punk standards are sure to find an audience in this radio friendly world. JAMES STAFFORD

LIVE REVIEW: Fantômas / Jay Katz

Fantômas / Jay Katz The Tivoli - Saturday 10 September 2005

Warming up the hyperactive Tivoli crowd on Saturday night is Jay Katz, A.K.A. Jaimie Leonarder from the Movie Show on SBS. His eclectic DJ set of spy music, lounge jazz and sonic deviations are a fitting primer for the main act although the vocal audience aren’t patient enough to wait. While his intricate atmospherics are lost on the boozed audience, their repeated chants for the main act would be better saved for the upcoming Mötley Crüe tour.

Katz’s vocal interjections vary between self effacing humour and anxiety ridden satire, either a manic trip or a genius attempt to build tension. His track selection ranges between the obscure and the inanely popular. Of note is a unique karaoke version of We are the World where no-one, including Bob-Feed the World-Geldof, was safe from his biting commentary. It’s his acerbic wit however that leaves me questioning whether we have in fact heard from this man before, perhaps from behind a mask and an electro-pop outfit?

And then there is Fantômas who emerge cool, calm and collected to the theme from Team America… Fuck Yeah! In their forth tour through Brisbane, Fantômas sound every bit the ensemble of American underground icons that their lineup suggests. Dave Lombardo’s booming drum kit, let alone his mastery of it, never fails to amaze and front man Mike Patton is in fine form and full voice from the get go. Opening with Cape Fear they move through the first six tracks in no time, mixing licks from their latest release Suspended Animation and the horror themes of Directors Cut.

Pummelled in an unrelenting fashion for the next 60 minutes, a once vocal crowd seem to mosh themselves into catatonia with Lombardo’s syncopated, unpredictable rhythms. An impressive and unexpected deviation into material from the claustrophobic Delirium Cordia album is a welcome respite with it’s almost ambient percussion taking many-a-metal head into uncharted territory. A punked up cover of T-Rex’s Chariot Choogle and another early demo track close the set, but not before Patton’s customary wit have a chance to shine through. Taunting the sweaty “Rednecks from Brisbane” with a chant he himself had endured earlier converted to “Shut-the-fuck Up”, it was an almost endearing tribute after the passionate and intense performance they delivered on cue. After a fine evening of challenging rhythms and piercing feedback, the stream of contented faces outside the Tivoli are a testament to the super group’s ability to entertain and also work as a substitute for Ritalin.

JAMES STAFFORD

LIVE REVIEW: Vegas Kings

Vegas Kings The Troubadour – Late Residency - Friday 19 August 2005

Pulling the late shift at the Troubadour on Friday were Brisbane blues-rockers Vegas Kings who are half way through their August residency. Spanking out a set to an already warm Troubadour crowd, the Kings combined many of the tried and tested licks with a number of tracks from their forthcoming EP, slated for release in November. With a new drummer banging faux fur skins, The Vegas Kings seem to have settled into a rhythm that stands to continue in their 1am slot for two more free shows. Expect to rock out hard, expect extended jams, expect to get on stage, expect Ben or Pete to fall down hard, still strumming. The sixties décor of the Troubadour perfectly compliments the retro-psychedelia that songs such as God Damn or I Ain’t Getting No Sleep generate. Watch out for the Kings and their incestuous Brisvegas line up throughout August at the Troubadour and get a sneak peak of where their train wreck, amphetamine blues will crash in this latest incarnation. JAMES STAFFORD

Trending Blogs

Recently Viewed Blogs

Music Reviews & Features