Prague

Tallest Christmas tree in all of Europe, 2009. The thing falls on this English bloke; as if being English wasn’t making him miserable enough to begin with. Still suing Prague Council. Merry Christmas.

2010 – Tree’s five metres shorter and still the tallest in Europe.

Greese that's better than the musical

Wiz, Wizzy... What affectionate name can I now possibly give to my credit card, which has a new landlord and is formally named ’28 Degrees’? I think perhaps ‘Greesy’ is the right name to use, though this hardly portrays the awesomeness that my oh-so-magical Wizard once gave me (and still does, albeit under a more transparent title). This rant is to point something out – just how bloody good the greese in your wallet can be at the ATM (good enough to irritate their customer service team upon them knowing how you use the product). You top up the card with your own money and essentially it becomes a debit card, as you’re not running into the trap of withdrawing credit from an ATM anymore. But alas, you might find yourself with none of your own and delve into the wallet for another card, Greesy’s arch-enemy, in fact – the bank card. This may seem the better option when faced with the fear of credit card traps on the auto tellers, but believe me, when your bank card whacks a healthy $13 conversion fee on that taking, then the ATM scratches a further $5, the couple of dollars you’d lose before you top-up Greesy aint looking so bad anymore.

Albums 2010

Here’re my favourites for the year; the only list that you won’t find Arcade Fire on – hey, no one reads this so I don’t need to suck up to anyone / appease the masses.

20 – 11 in no particular order to kick it off then:::

Hungry Kids of Hungary – Escapades
Simon Carter – The Black Book of the Universe
The National – High Violet
Sia – We Are Born
Paris Wells – Various Small Fires
Nicolas Roy – In A Shoebox Under The Bed
Delta Spirit – History From Below
Boy & Bear – With Emperor Antarctica (and their cover of Fall At Your Feet on the Crowded House covers compilations is plain brilliant)
The Basics – Live @ The Northcote Social Club
Beach House – Teen Dream

And 10 – 1 in some kind of order:::

10.

Top track: Thieves In The Night

9.

Top track: This Is What I Said

8.

Top track: Hudson River

7.

Top track: Running Out

6.

Top track: Giving Up The Gun

5.

Top track: White Knuckles (Best video: This Too Shall Pass)

4.

Top track: Sunday


3.

Top track: Not Stuck Here


2.

Top track: Hold On, I’m Coming On (I think, this one was hard to pick one favourite from)


1.

Top track: Old Fitzroy and Letter – tie!

Heidelberg

I think I’m going to design a statue in honour of shininess. It doesn’t have to be too realistic or anything; really – I mean who would ever dream of scratching an actual wild boar on the nose. The thing about the statue is, none of these old fashioned folk ever really thought about how silly their work would look in a few decades time. For instance, the lions guarding Munich’s Residence are all old and dull, with miniature heads gleaming below them (and people don’t even rub these for a particular reason). My statue will give the “rubber” certain qualities depending on where the statue is rubbed. Let’s go with the pig idea – rub the nose for good luck, rub the stomach to find a good lunch, rub the backside for good bowel movements, rub the head to remember where you left your keys, and run your credit card through the swiper being held by the pig for, er, good fortune? Just imagine how shiny my statue will be in 100 years time; I might get into the Guinness Book or something.

There’s a monkey in Heidelberg that’s on the right track – shiny fingers and disc in hand; but still his mice friends next door are shinier than his hollow face because rubbing them means you’ll have lots of children. The terms and conditions, however, state that the children will in fact look like mice themselves and chew through all the electrical cables in your home. Still, the Germany doesn’t ask for your hard earned pennies to fall from the mouth of a pig into a drain. As if anyone exchanges a coin to rub the snout of their next ham sandwich.


The Bridge Monkey in Heidelberg, Germany


Porcellino in Florence, Italy

Munich

Mary’s column – a testament to the gullibility of Munchens, apparently. The story goes that the Swedish occupied Munich during the Thirty Years’ War (truth) – Munich being the highly Catholic city, and the Swedish those evil, evil Protestants. Munich had to get rid of them, so they asked what they wanted. The Swedes had their price, but the humble people of Munich couldn’t come close to scrounging all that together, so they went to occupiers with a price of their own: the share of gold they could manage, and the balance to be paid in beer. Now, this worked and the Swedes left, but afterward the people were a little confused because their boss man was nowhere to be found. They found their leader a few days later in a township well outside of Munich and they were pretty bothered by the fact they’d solved the problem and all the while he’d been hiding out. Not the case, he promptly told them, he’d in fact come out of the city following the occupation to pray to the Virgin Mother that those pesky Proddies get lost and, hey presto, his “praying” had worked. “Rightio, huzzuh” could be the loose translation of the Munchens, and up went the column to say thanks for helping hand Miss Mary! Now, looking back on this, the real saviour of the day was beer, not any heavenly being. Go beer – you are truly awesome.

And as with any town in Europe really, Munich’s got some nice churches around town. Frauenkirche is one that’s got a pretty funny story going for it. When it was being built, the Devil rocked up one evening and got really mad: “No way, not another one!!” – that kinda thing. So he goes to the door and opens the place up and there isn’t a ray of light in the place. “This is awesome!” he figures, as far as he could tell people would come to this “Church” to worship him in the darkness, not God! So he summons the builder and makes a deal with him: build no windows in the place and he’ll speed the building process to 20 years (that’s darn impressive for the time). The deal is made. Sure enough, the place is finished in the time period – amazing! The Devil comes back, pretty chuffed, and opens the doors only to find the place full of life, light and prayer! Now, he’s pretty furious at this point and summons the builder to throttle him and claim the dude’s soul. “Actually, buddy...” the builder begins, “I didn’t build any windows. Those were there the whole time, only blocked by these here pillars.” (see photo below) The Devil is so angry he stomps his foot into the floor of the church, leaving his footprint forever there (same size as mine, actually). So, if anyone is wandering how to build a church quickly... Oh wait, they can already do that these days.


Frauenkirche.. This was the Pope's hood before he moved to the mansion


Theatinerkirche.. This one's spectacular - so much detail, all in plain white plaster; a standout of the Church run

And beer. Oh, Munich and your beer. I’ve not been to Oktoberfest, but after seeing how busy the beer halls are in OFF season, I can hardly even imagine how crazy the place must be in late September! Here you’re expected to drink by the litre, and don’t just stop at one (it’s totes locs you know). It’s damn good, too. The purity laws ensure that everything is kept clean as well, so according to the locals there’s no such thing as a hangover from Bavarian beers (believe it... cue Ripley's Believe It Or Not music).

MELBOURNE MUSIC (02-10/10/2010)

It's The Animals!!! Oh wait, no, it's The Frowning Clouds... @ City Square, Swanston Street

Over the past week Melbourne’s been a little spoilt; with freebies spotted all over our fantastic city. Everything from acoustic performances on trams to full scale concerts in Federation Square have come together in the first “Melbourne Music” event – one which has embraced some of the lesser known talents about town, the love of the arts in Australia’s music capital, and the coming of warmer weather. Resulting in successes all round, Melbourne Music looks like something that’ll be back in years to come.

It’s been pretty hard to miss the free concerts about town – with the new City Square stage attracting as many unaware passersby as it did fans of the bands playing, and Fed Square booming on a couple of occasions.

In a massive kick to the teeth, avid St Kilda supporter, Dan Sultan, led the charge at Fed Square last Saturday post Collingwood’s thrashing of his Saints. Though no loss for his beloved team was getting in the way of his show; the man proving why he’s Melbourne’s favourite son and why you don’t have to pay for quality live shows – as did Melbourne bands Eagle & The Worm, Dan Kelly’s Dream Band and British India before him.


Dan Kelly's Dream Band trippin' @ Fed Square

Seriously though, Dan Sultan is a purebred performer – busting out all his big soul rock numbers to make the very most of his band. There was probably no better choice to launch the week.


Dan Sultan 'I Like It' - song title says it all!

What followed throughout the week were concerts on trains, trams, in the city centre, at stations, at the Arts Centre and all over the joint. Making the most of the City Square Stage – an installation across Collins Street from Melbourne Town Hall – on Wednesday night was local trio The Hazelman Brothers, who played a set of acoustic guitars and harmonies powered by a trailer bearing solar panels. And they only just went under 100 per cent post sundown; a fact that meant they could have played all night despite the overcast charging throughout the day!

City Square was certainly the key venue throughout the week, with concerts timed perfectly for anyone wanting to skip their homebound train to catch some tunes.


Jonathon Boulet gets people on their feet with 'A Community Service Announcement'

Melbourne Music was also the perfect opportunity to launch Fed Square Live - what is to be a fortnightly event at said venue that will feature our best emerging artists. Thursday evening saw the likes of Skipping Girl Vinegar and Jonathon Boulet launch the event – both charming acts drawing a nicely sized crowd.


Skipping Girl Vinegar rockin' out @ Fed Square

The biggest highlight of the launch (and there were a few) had to go to an old dude in the crowd rather than either of the bands. His martial arts style dance moves had the seated listeners amused and, eventually, up and dancing along. A true sport who’ll hopefully return in a couple of weeks when [ME] and Mr. Percival hit the stage.


Stealing the show: This old dude knows what the kids like


Jess McAvoy plays to a quizzical few @ Southern Cross Station

Finally, this last weekend supplied plenty for those wanting to get a final fix of freebies (and again for those not quite sure why there was a proper set up for Jess McAvoy and her guitar in the middle of Southern Cross). The Bedroom Philosopher – who’d previously sung about the 86 tram on, you guessed it, the 86 tram – entertained some hardcore fans and passersby at the tram stop in Bourke Street Mall; happily obliging “requests” by making up his own melody and words to the likes of Six Months In A Leaky Boat.


The Bedroom Philosopher entertaining commuters @ Bourke Street Mall

Sunday saw Oh Mercy close the whole event back at City Square – there breezy pop charming one of the bigger crowds on what was one the first “awesome weather” days of the season.

So, what more could we ask from this Melbourne Music event? Firstly, that it returns next year. Perhaps it could be extended – that’d be nice, especially if promotion was more heavy-on. The variety of locations this time around was great, as were the acts – though there’s certainly plenty more that’ll be wanting a piece of it next time. Overall, though – well done M-Town!!!

Ben Kweller + Delta Spirit @ The Hifi Bar, Melbourne (06/10/2010)

I've been wanting to catch Delta Spirit again since seeing them with Cold War Kids a couple of years back. Sure enough they came back, but they were doing the "support" thing again (damn it Australia, like them more!). Anyway, turns out Ben Kweller's pretty fun himself, so all in all a good night.

Here's my review from FasterLouder:

The last time Delta Spirit were in Aus, they were playing Splendour as well as supporting Cold War Kids on a national tour. Similarly this time around, the band tagged alongside their Californian buddy Ben Kweller instead of playing their own shows. They may not have a massive fan base here, but with a busting live presence like theirs, they deserve one.

Walking on stage as deadpan and dully as they could pull off, Delta Spirit seemingly put on a ruse to lull the crowd into confusion with a lacklustre verse and chorus of People Turn Around. Any worry was quickly punched in the face as the cropped version dropped into the heavy intro of Bushwick Blues, with the band belting about and vocalist Matt Vasquez squawking his mighty voice.


Bushwick Blues

What followed from there was a straight up rock show – no fancy gimmicks, just five musicians putting everything they had into their instruments. The set consisted mostly of material from the band’s second release, and from that it was predominantly the more raucous tunes. Percussion plays a big part in Delta Spirit’s shows too, and this gig was no exception with the addition of a second bass drum and various others during Children and the clank of a bin lid on, appropriately, Trashcan.

Their set was short but so devilishly sweet; enough to leave a good impression on new ears and satisfy fans (at least in quality if not quantity). Given that the Hi-fi made punters wait a good 90 minutes post door times, the short set seemed odd, though at least there was little wait for Ben Kweller once they were done.

“There’s no way I’m cancelling a show because of me.” Kweller was sick and he made it clear from the outset this wasn’t going to be his finest hour – but given the love-in he has with Australia there was no way he was going to let a bug stand in the way of entertainment. He knew what he had to do and his first rule of business was just that: teach the crowd the opening track I Don’t Know Why.

With the crowd happy to oblige and his band members’ mics turned right up, Kweller was set to go and although his ailment was obvious a lot of the time, he still had the engaging stakes working in his favour (all the while hoping he was a least not as bad as an “off Dylan show”).

Kweller has the kind of attitude you can’t help but like. He’s extremely laid back and can win over his crowd easily with a bunch of quips and his dorky expressions. He exudes a kind of positiveness that wasn’t at all deterred by the fact he was a little off his game; a kind of positiveness that he pulls off so well that it’s difficult to notice the menace when he sings stuff like, “I need a machinegun to blow you the fuck away from me.”

The night’s set list was a healthy mix of tracks from across Kweller’s catalogue, with new material nowhere to come by (as the man’s admitted he’d hate to be bored of it before releasing it). Teasing the audience with a reworked Sundress was a nice touch, the song staying soft instead of hitting fast and loud and provoking affectionate jeers.

A cover of Roger Miller’s You Can’t Roller Skate In A Buffalo Herd was a fun addition, too, with Kweller adding his own little rant, “You can’t bring a guitar on a Qantas aeroplane” to the tune. He must have had planes on the mind, as later he announced, “I may not have a platinum record, but I’m platinum on American Airlines.”

On My Way was the biggest sing along of the evening, with the crowd basically taking over the choruses (much to Kweller’s relief), before he took another opportunity to rest his vocal cords during a very lengthy blues jam within Red Eye.


Fight

In the end, the cheer during the opening piano of Penny On The Train Track was telling of how much the crowd were waiting for Kweller’s signature track, and Kweller was all smiles as he held his voice together nicely to finish the night – complete with an interweaving of Brown Eyed Girl thrown in the middle of the song.

And like the germs he probably spat over the front rows, his smile was just as contagious; leaving the Hi-fi in high spirits indeed. With a new album due in the near future and an apparent obsession with our shores, expect to see a healthy Kweller returning soon enough.

Klaxons @ Palace Theatre, Melbourne (03/09/2010)

MAGICK, WITHOUT TEARS / THE MAGICKAL VENEER / THE WAY TO MOTHER NOOSE / THE WAY TO SUCK AN EGG / THE WAY TO GOLDEN DAWN / THE WAY TO KOH PHANGAN



I saw Klaxons a few years back at the Forum. The mosh was incredible, but the show was a little, well, meh. They lacked the crazy antics and mental light show that should accompany their music. This time around, they kept the mosh and brought the rest along, too.

Here's my full review of the show, as published on thedwarf.com.au:


=================

They’ve taken their damn time with it all, but Klaxons are finally back on the scene, causing a stir and getting the indie ravers excited once again. In the interim, however, they’ve managed to lose a bit of the buzz that made them so huge off the back of Myths of the Near Future. The super-hype is overrated though, and even if Klaxons couldn’t sell tremendous amounts of tickets to their Melbourne show, they managed to put on one hell of a good one. Armed with their sophomore effort, Surfing the Void, Klaxons gave the eager punters exactly what they wanted.

Before the night’s main attraction came Parades, a local sextet that seems to be going from strength to strength. Parades offered the dismal showing of early comers a more than worthwhile set – the poor numbers probably thanks to the headliners late arrival and hour wait between live bands.

The band offered a mix of sounds, from ambient soundscapes to electronic numbers and with plenty of rock thrown in, too. Shared vocals helped a lot in variation stakes as well. One memorable track saw real percussion swapped for electronic pads, guitar replaced with an effects board and a water bottle of rice added to the mix – altogether creating a lengthy and impressive instrumental number, complete with some sweet vocal effects thrown in.

Not ones to save it all for the end, Parades broke into full rock jams throughout the set; the three guitarists playing in anarchy with drums thundering from the side of stage. That being said, the best of these moments was saved til last, with flashing white spotlights sending Parades out in fine form.

If there was any question as to what kind of show Klaxons were going to bring to Melbourne this time around, that was answered within five minutes of their arriving on stage. Opening with ‘Flashover’ off their latest release, Klaxons – who look like the most misfit outfit around (the rock star, the pretty boy, the creepy one and the geeky one) – bashed out a demonstration of the set to come: loud, fast and enough to get the rowdy crowd riled up.


Opening track 'Flashover'

The crowd reacted on the floor by surging into a mosh pit, jumping in chaotic unison and punching fists to the air. Similarly, those on the balcony gave their response, causing the platform to shake underfoot all round. From the beginning, the band and crowd were giving it their all.

There’ve been plenty of mixed reactions surrounding the Klaxons' second release, but all that was difficult to see as all songs slotted in nicely together on the setlist. There was little to no jarring between new and old and whilst the crowd admittedly reacted a lot more keenly to older favourites, the new stuff wasn’t snubbed off. The heavy radio beatings of ‘Echoes’ seemed to have paid off, too, with the track getting as big a crowd reaction as the formidable ‘Golden Scans’.

The mosh pit heaved throughout the hour set; there were crowd surfers, fights, cans and drinks thrown and other such ugly behaviour from within the crowd, but Klaxons seemed to lap it up, the band proclaiming, “That’s madness, that’s what that is” following the sheer mental reaction to ‘Magick’.

Before the clock’s big hand had completed full circle, Klaxons rounded out their set with another mosh-friendly number, ‘It’s Not Over Yet’ (which the crowd knew too well it wasn’t). Back they came minutes later with two more – ‘Surfing the Void’ (chaos in song form) and ‘Atlantis to Interzone’ – the final one proving to be the night’s standout with every booming “DJ” a signal for the crowd up front to intensify its behaviour.

Klaxons might have taken their time for the second take, but on the stage that period has paid off tremendously. They’ll be back for Falls Festival at year’s end and, quite frankly, this is what a good New Year’s party is calling for.


'Two Receivers'


=================

Basement Birds @ Forum Theatre, Melbourne (14/08/2010)

Alrighty, finally my review has been put on the site. Not exactly sure what's going on with the formatting these days - bold inside quotations? Odd. Anyway...

Here is the collaboration of four fine gentlemen - Kav Temperley (Eskimo Joe), Kevin Mitchell (Jebediah), Josh Pyke and Steve Parking. Separately they sound good, together they sound good, too. This show had a really cool background with all these kite birds strung up - check out the vids to see what I mean.

You can read my full review of the show at thedwarf.

Vids:
Cinnamon & Smoke:


A really simple, yet very well done cover of Sarah Blasko's All I Want:

Eels @ Palace Theatre, Melbourne (15/08/2010)

Ok, so in keeping with my out of order gig updates on here, I'll jump to Sunday night and Eels at the Palace. For the record, it's not my fault - I load all reviews the day after, so Saturday's Forum outing will have to wait for the time being.

Eels! Woo! This was spectacularly different from the last time I saw them, and thinking about it now I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I did when leaving (odd, I know). This was scuzzed blues at its finest; E is one cool guy.

Head to FasterLouder to read my full review of the night, which strangely enough featured a ventriloquist for support...

Vids:
That Look You Give That Guy:


Souljacker Pt. 1:


I'm Going To Stop Pretending That I Didn't Break Your Heart:

Pivot @ Corner Hotel, Melbourne (12/08/2010)

Pivot, PVT, whatever you choose to call them, have to be one of the best live acts we have. CHECK THEM OUT! This show was definitely one of my favourites this year. Read my full review at thedwarf by heading here.

Coupla vids:



Really, I cannot recommend this band enough..

Whitley @ The HiFi Bar, Melbourne (13/08/2010)

Whitley played his final ever gig in Melbourne! He'll be missed - this was a really good show, with plenty of negativity (:P) thrown in. Read my full review of the show on FasterLouder by heading here.

Check out some vids:

Piece You Took From Me - from the first, solo acoustic set:


Killer - from the second, full band, rockin' set:

Mumford & Sons @ Palace Theatre, Melbourne (28/07/2010)

Oh look at the venue... surprise! Englishman Marcus Mumford and his mighty Sons sure know how to perform those Sigh No More songs! Gotta love a bit of banjo and double bass. Supports from new favs Boy & Bear and Alberta Cross weren't sets to turn away from either. Read my full review of the show at FasterLouder by heading here.

Sigh No More (the song, not the album :P):

Band of Horses @ Palace Theatre, Melbourne (27/07/2010)

South Carolina's Band of Horses put on a great show at the Palace Theatre (I swear I go to this venue more than any other these days...) They brought with them a crap load of guitars and the fattest projector I have EVER seen. Cool stuff. Read my full review of the show at thedwarf by heading here, and check out a couple of vids below...

Our Swords:


Monsters - epic eight minute closing song : gets bloody good as it goes on:


Setlist:
1. Ode To LRC
2. Wicked Gil
3. Northwest Apartment
4. Islands On The Coast
5. The Great Salt Lake
6. Blue Beard
7. Is There A Ghost
8. Weed Party
9. Marry Song
10. Laredo
11. Detlef Schrempf
12. Older
13. Cigarettes, Wedding Bands
14. Factory
15. No One's Gonna Love You
16. The First Song
17. The Funeral
18. The General Specific

19. Just The Other Side Of Nowhere (Kris Kristofferson cover)
20. Our Swords
21. Monsters

Scissor Sisters @ Festival Hall, Melbourne (26/07/2010)

Woo! Scissor Sisters! Sure, they haven't been around for yonks, but this sure as hell made up for that. One of the most fun and entertaining shows I've been to in a while! With added Kylie, too. You can read my full review of the show on FasterLouder by heading here; check out some vids from the show below; and see the full set list at the bottom of the post.

Kiss You Off:


Any Which Way feat. Kylie Minogue:


All The Lovers (technically a Kylie song so I can hardly say it features her):


Set list
Night Work
Laura
She’s My Man
Something Like This
Whole New Way
Tits On The Radio
Harder You Get
Running Out
Take Your Mama
Kiss You Off
Skin Tight
Skin This Cat
Fire With Fire
Any Which Way
I Don’t Feel Like Dancin
Paul McCartney
Night Life
--
All the Lovers
--
Comfortably Numb
Invisible Light
Filthy/Gorgeous

Kasabian @ Festival Hall (23/07/2010)

I'm back! Here's a write-up of Kasabian's Melbourne show on Friday night. It was a lot better than their January show - plenty of first album material and moshing! Head to FasterLouder here to read my full review.

Georgia Fields @ The Toff in Town (29/04/2010)

The wonderful Georgia Fields played with her "Mini-Indie-Orchestra" at the Toff last night. Read all about it at the Dwarf here.

This is the last song of the night, All the King's Men:

Kid Sam @ The Northcote Social Club, Melbourne (02/04/2010)

My 50th post, and what better band to have in the spot than Melbourne's Kid Sam! The pair put on a great show - read my review at the Dwarf here.

We're Mostly Made of Water:

Old Crow Medicine Show, Jordie Lane @ The Thornbury Theatre, Melbourne (31/03/2010)

Even if the venue did look like it should host year 12 formals, the Old Crow Medicine Show fitted right in! Bluegrass, Americana, whatever you want to call it, these guys are bloody good fun live. And the great Jordie Lane supported solo!

Read all about it at the Dwarf here.

Vids! (in order of appearance)

Jordie Lane, I Could Die Looking At You:


Old Crow Medicine Show - Wheelin' / Ruckus together:


Shortnin' Bread:


Tell It:


"Your grandma used to dance here"

Orb Weaver

So this might not be Roy himself, but its still pretty cool - seen here building a web. I love these spiders, they're everywhere around the house here.

Brand New @ The Palace Theatre, Melbourne (28/03/2010)

New York's Brand New put on a ripper show at the Palace. Read all about it at FasterLouder here!

One video from the night, You Won't Know (it goes dark, blurry, focussed, blurry, focussed... that's all thanks to the super manic lighting... hooray!)

Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros @ The Corner, Melbourne (27/03/2010)

Wow, talk about a FUN gig! Read all about the crazy hippy cult here at FasterLouder.

This is the encore of the evening, Brother, performed to a seated crowd... Yes, Alex Ebert got people to sit on that amazingly sticky floor. I think he said, "if you all sit on one another's laps, no one will have to sit on the floor"...



...it's the magical mystery kind...

Angus & Julia Stone @ The Palace, Melbourne (26/03/2010)

Haven't reviewed a gig in a while, so this was a good one to break the drought! Read all about it on FasterLouder here.

Angus & Julia Stone put on a great show, which included heaps of new material. None of that here though - a coupla clips...

Just A Boy - first song of the encore:


And their cover of Fleetwood Mac's Dreams (feat. Boy and Bear - all those extra people on stage):


...go on and on and on and on...

Franz Ferdinand @ The Forum, Melbourne (03/05/2010)

Woo, Franz Ferdinand! Here's a bunch of clips from the Forum show...

No You Girls - the opening song of the night:


The always delightful, Take Me Out:


Walk Away - one of the few songs off the second album to be played. First in the encore:


And lastly, Franz covering LCD Soundsystem's All My Friends:


AND ALSO...
Support for the night was the Philly Jays. Here they are playing The New Neil Young:


...wanna go...

The Polyphonic Spree @ The Forum Theatre, Melbourne (27/02/2010)

This had to be one of the most visually appealing and fun gigs I've ever been to! The Polyphonic Spree, this time touring with 17 members, are always amazing live (how can you now be with that many musicians?) but this was just plain exceptional! Everyone was costumed up with indian headdresses, bling and flashing slap bands - SLAP BANDS! And The Polyphonic Spree played for over 2 hours (note, though, their intro went for about 15 minutes... :P). And there were BALLOONS! YAY!

And I cannot recommend The New Orleans Bingo Show highly enough! They opened the night and put on SUCH an entertaining show. Pretty cool sound, too.



You can read all about it in my review on fasterlouder by heading here.

I've got some videos, too. The first is their opening track, minus the lengthy, lengthy introduction behind the curtain.


The second is Two Thousand Places:


And lastly, here's a bit of the New Orleans Bingo Show:


Oh, and nothing beats rockin' out on the cello!

Recent reviews

Just have a couple of links I wanted to post up on here.

Luluc @ Christmas Street Warehouse (11/02/2010), reviewed on thedwarf here. Such a beautiful sound.

Joe Gideon & The Shark @ The East Brunswick Club (20/02/2010), reviewed on fasterlouder here.

The almighty Faith No More and The Eagles of Death Metal @ Festival Hall (Festering Hall) (25/02/2010), reviewed on fasterlouder also here. We may have been in the worst possible seats for this show, but it sure as hell was a good one!

AC/DC @ Etihad Stadium, Melbourne (13/02/2010)

Just wanted to share this photo to try and get across the scale of this thing...



Seriously huge. And everyone was wearing glowing red devil horns, which made the crowd look incredible from up on high where I was.

I reviewed the show for fasterlouder, head here for a read.

Laneway Festival in Footscray, Melbourne (30/01/2010)

Whoa, ok, I'm seriously behind in getting these things up on here...

This is from way back in January, remember then? Dammit, it's March already.

Awesome day in Footscray (can you believe it?). Sun + Awesome music = yay! Florence & The Machine were beyond great, Mumford & Sons had serious sound issues that made their "hype moment of the day" a little bit of a problem, Dappled Cities were creepy in their golden suits, and everything each way and in between was pretty darn good.

I reviewed the day here for thedwarf, so please head over and have a read.

One video from the day, it's Hockey playing Song Away:


“They knew I’d burn if I played in the sun”

The View @ Falls Festival (30/12/2009) &@ the Hifi (03/12/2009)

Some more lateness! Why not!?

This time it's the View, who performed cool sets at both Falls Festival and the Hifi in Melbourne.

From Falls, this is Wasteland


Here's the Falls setlist:


From their sideshow at the Hifi, this is Glass Smash and Grans For Tea:



The setlist:


DUNDEE!

Editors @ Falls Festival (30/12/2009) & @ The Palace (04/01/2010)

Editors! This is London's finest, caught in all their glory at the Falls Festival in Lorne as well as their sideshow at the Palace in Melbourne.

Falls Festival, including In This Light and On This Evening and Eat Raw Meat = Blood Drool, both off the new album.



Here's the setlist from Falls:


And if you wanna read about Editors at Falls (albeit briefly), you can see my review at FasterLouder by heading here.

And at the Palace (1hr 45min show :D). In order of appearance: Blood, All Sparks, The Racing Rats and Munich






"I swear to God, in this light and on this evening, Melbourne's become the most beautiful thing I've seen."

What's happening in Hue?

Hue isn’t what you would call a “big city”; its tourism area is its ancient citadel, ravaged by the American War and slowly progressing with reconstruction. The city life seems pretty easy-going, with pushbikes making up a good majority of the traffic. The market has long been a hub of Hue activity, too (for tourists as much as locals); its narrow maze of fresh produce, clothes and all sorts of junk (and not so junk) making it as much of a challenge as it is a way of life. It was the main hub, that is, until a Big C Supercentre opened at the other end of town... And all hell seems to have broken loose.



Hue's marketplace


Hue's Supercentre


You walk into the plaza entrance and it immediately feels as though you’ve been plucked out of Vietnam and plonked into Bangkok, but it still seems reasonable enough... Go upstairs to the Big C itself and it’s another story. First off, security will chase you through the store if you haven’t seen them before entering. It’s policy to have your bag sealed in plastic before entrance; obviously no thought given to the fact many people keep their money in their bag. But hey, it’s amusing nonetheless. The crowds are like those at Myer, first thing on Boxing Day, only this is 5 o’clock in the afternoon and there are no sales (but that doesn’t mean there are no specials).



Sealed for protection (or something) - you're not allowed in with an unbagged bag


The crowds are an indication of just what this centre has brought to Hue – lower prices. There were literally swarms of people scrounging through piles of clothes. The isles were bursting at any given moment. There was a bakery upstairs that had sold out of baguettes. The crowd were wrestling one another off as they loudly waited for more bread, which was to be bought in bulk by those patient enough to wait and sold for an inflated price on the street outside (clever, but kind of annoying that they tried to mark ours up about 500%). The place was cheap, sure, but for any specials one had to face the madness; a consumer madness that seemed totally new to these Vietnamese.

Now, for the average Joe, this all seemed wonderful, but the effects of this Supercentre – all new and shiny – are seemingly yet to arise. Of course this is only an assumption, but doesn’t having a giant mall, which purchases produce in bulk (serious bulk) and undercuts the prices of everything on the street kind of drive out the local shopkeepers and vendors. And aren’t a bulk (serious bulk, yet again) percentage of Hue citizens such local merchants?

As a tourist, I’m more than happy to be ripped off a “little” (perhaps “miniscule amount” is more appropriate, remembering that 20 Aussie cents is a lot in Vietnam) buying water or beer off the street – it’s common and it’s helping the little man. But such a sentiment is hardly universal, so what happens when suddenly everything becomes so much cheaper and the “little man” can no longer compete...

And what happens to the city itself? It may be at the other end of town, but I’m sure that’s how the development of Saigon started as well (and look where that’s gone in three years). How long before the citadel’s reconstruction efforts are transferred to the consumer development of Hue as the next big city? I for one would like to see Hue guarding canons aimed at the Big C.

Food for thought, so to speak.

Andrew Bird @ The Hifi (01/01/2010)

So I'm a little late getting this one up.. whoops. There's plenty more lateness to come here on Goattube, so stay tuned.

In the meantime, Andrew Bird is, was and will be amazing. I came out of the Hifi saying this was the best gig of the year. Sure, it may have been the first day of the year, but it was certainly a brilliant show nonetheless! You can read all about it on FasterLouder by heading here.

I got one vid from the night, The Privateers:

On the road to Sapa... A day in Bac Ha

I did a few little bits and pieces of writing whilst in Vietnam. Here's the first of them - along with pretty pictures =D





Nine hours on an overnight train sounds pretty daunting, what with the in and out speed between townships and the rickety rockety swing of the bunk. Our previous night on Halong Bay had been a treat – the rumbling hum of the motor and steady pace made us feel not the least bit seaborn. Happily enough, though, after much nervous energy spent on “oh, we’re gonna be stuffed tomorrow,” it was 6 am and we were sitting in Lao Cai, North Vietnam, eating Pho and ready to embrace the day ahead.

That is, provided that the rain gave way. I think my laughing at those back home in Melbourne must have caught up with me – the heavens had opened and we certainly has ominous expectations. A lot can change in three and half hours, though, and that it did. Our thoughts turned from fear of the rain – which did eventually cease – to angst towards our “guide’s” tardiness. Apparently, they can’t drive in the rain here so they had to wait. Right.

With a bit of warmth back in the sky, it was off to Bac Ha markets to see how the tribe people do it (“it” being “stuff in general,” of course). First and most obvious things first – the Hmong tribe women do things bright – they wear traditional clothes so technicoloured that Joe himself would be jealous. They’re a social people, too; a pair of older women stood happily amongst the pushing throb of tourists chuckling away (probably at the red head watching them chuckling) and the eatery of the market was simply bursting with voices of those eating “stews” – floating pig knees, anyone?



The colours of Bac Ha


Trading incense


Lunch time


A little local


The men, whilst I think of it, are the lazy ones here, leaving all of the work to their better halves whilst they laugh away behind a spoon and, more importantly, a drink. We were told that Sunday is a day for the men to drink. We were later told that was a lie, and that every day is a day for the men to drink.



Drink some wine, play some cards, drink some more wine... The guy in the blue has actually passed out from drinking too much


The market is serious business. Whilst the shopping quarter might cater for the tourists and remain relatively docile, the locals’ quarters are anything but, with women swarming enmasse after the fresh produce and materials to make the items then found back in the shopping section. There’s all sorts of trade going on here, but none more confronting (for me) than in the top level of the market – the dog trade. Now, I completely see the point that: “If we bred dogs and cats for eating and had sheep as pets, we’d be mortified at the thought of lamb shanks” (mmm, shanks)... But the fact of the matter is simple, I don’t love sheep. I don’t love cows, pigs, snakes, iguana (yep, they eat em here). I do, on the other hand, feel very uneasy seeing pups traded up to be dinner in the months to come. This was the part of Bac Ha I just had to turn my back on.

[We did later learn this – the Vietnamese keep dogs as pets and they would never eat their own pet, just their neighbours! ...Their words, not mine.]

From the markets of Bac Ha, it was off to see how the Flower Hmong lived further out of the town. The lives of these tribe people is nothing short of impressive – the way they are so self contained on these mountains. These particular tribe people are well known in the north for one particular type of produce – corn wine! This is powerful stuff, seriously so. Say one wanted to prepare a chicken for dinner (get ready for this Christopher Walken); simply give it a sip of this stuff and it’ll pluck itself (or, in some cases, simply explode). Myth? Maybe. This stuff is sometimes used as lighter fuel and volunteering eagerly to try it before actually realising the fact was an interesting touch to the day. Chest = burning.



Brewing the corn wine


As startling as a gulp of corn wine might be, nothing quite compares to the thrill (“thrill”?) of a Vietnamese driver. Now, I thought the Europeans did bus driving up hills crazy... Well they have nothing on this. It’s not so much the speed, but moreso the desire to never be stuck behind any vehicle, even if the vehicle in front is keeping good speed. A honk means means “look out, I’m overtaking you.” A flash from an oncoming vehicle means “get back in your lane, I’d rather not faceplant your bus.” Sure, decent enough communication, but hardly useful when one bus overtakes another in a full 180 turn around a mountainside, with sheer cliff to the left and yet another bus oncoming around the bend. It happened. And again. And again. The drivers might just have a death wish, or they might be trying to scare the tourists. Hell, for lack of any amusement parks they might just be trying to boost tourism via makeshift thrill rides (“With unbeatable views to boot!”).

Oh, and only a Vietnamese driver could replace his review mirror with a DVD player, screening some Miss World bikini, followed by the finest (cough) in Vietnamese pop karaoke contest no less.



Who likes a sing along?


All of this for under $15... sounds good.

2009 Gigs - The Challenge

Hey everyone,

I've made this video for everyone to see my year of gigs in 2009. The challenge now lies in guessing as many of the gig/festival sets as possible! The best score gets, well, credit..?



Enjoy!

My Top 10 Gigs of 2009

This list was very hard, given the quality of music last year brought with it. The list has dropped the likes of my favourite Scots (payback for no photo, Alex), as well as the amazingly skilled Kaki King (who wowed Tait and I at Ruby's in Feb). It also fails to include The Drones, who I consider probably the best Aussie live act, and Martini's funeral, which could possibly top a "Strangest Gig List" if I had one. Still, I'm pretty happy with the following selection...

10.
Painters & Dockers @ Prince of Wales (20 November)
Age EG Awards
Old fellas playing with more energy than most younger bands. Cool (and creepy).

Read all about it here at FasterLouder



9.
Birds of Tokyo @ Melbourne Town Hall (15 November)
Broken Strings Tour
They're great live usually, but add a string quartet and it's an even grander event!



8.
Doves @ Palace Theatre (28 July)
Beaten on this list by the band that supported them (see No. 7) Doves can't do much wrong as far as I'm concerned - an awesome night!

Read all about it here at FasterLouder



7.
The Middle East @ The Corner (11 October)
As far as captivating goes, I've never heard the Corner so silent. A gorgeous show.

Read all about it here at FasterLouder



6.
Port O'Brien @ Northcote Social Club (3 February)
This was a real surprise for me - a pack of folkies that really know how to put on a show.

Read all about it here at FasterLouder



5.
Dr. Dog @ Gershwin Room (10 January)
Another great live band, playing off the back of 2008's brilliant Fate.



4.
Kaiser Chiefs @ Palace Theatre (1 April)
Just shafted by No. 3, the Kaisers continually prove to be one of the best live acts around. Damn fun!




3.
Maximo Park @ Billboard (11 November)
Paul Smith's dancing never fails to impress me. These guys had the room in the palm of their hands.

Read all about it here at FasterLouder



2.
"Before Too Long" A Tribute to Paul Kelly @ Forum Theatre (14 November)
Just a great bunch of musicians playing the classic Aussie tunes of Paul Kelly - beautiful.

Read all about it here at FasterLouder

Dumb Things:



And the winner is...


1.
Augie March @ Forum Theatre (29 August)
Favourite band, favourite venue, 2.5 hours including heaps of old material... doesn't get much better than that for me. And the band's last gig for a long while :(. Funnily enough, it's the only show in this list that I have no review/photos/vids for...