The Temper Trap / Papa vs Pretty
December 5, 2008
Oxford Art Factory

It’s been a while since Melbourne prodigies The Temper Trap have made their way north to Sydney, and quite a buzz has been developing about them in the meantime. Not surprisingly then, even in these difficult economic times that everyone’s always talking about, the Oxford Art Factory was nicely packed on Saturday night for the band’s return to their home away from home.

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Midnight Juggernauts
British India
Van She
Bluejuice
Lost Valentinos
Children Collide

Manning House
Saturday October 18th, 2008

That’s right. Festival season is upon us once again. And in these days when no self-respecting festival will deign to charge you much less than $150 for vast lineups containing two or three acts you know well alongside two dozen you’ve never heard of, what an opportunity the crowd at Sydney University’s Manning Bar have presented us with in Sounds in the Grounds. Four of Australia’s hottest acts for forty bucks? Could we possibly go wrong? The short answer is “No”. Read the rest of this entry »

The John Steel Singers
The Kahn Brothers
Sherlock’s Daughter
Melanie Horsnell
Des Miller and Sui Zhen

The Annandale Hotel
Saturday July 26th, 2008
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Nevereverland 2008
Hordern Pavilion
Saturday, December 13

How exactly does one review the nine hours of sonic bliss that was Nevereverland 2008? The experience was almost stream-of-consciousness, a strange mutation between rock festival and rave, with such a diverse yet universally excellent assortment of artists that brief evaluation seems a difficult task. In the spirit of the day, then, I think I’ll opt for a simple blow by blow of how it all went down – or at least my experience of it.

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Ryan Adams and the Cardinals
Enmore Theatre
January 29, 2009

Last time Ryan Adams came to town with his incredible band, The Cardinals, he really had his cranky hat on. Appearing on a sumptuously designed stage set, under subdued purple lighting, he refused to engage in any kind of discourse with the audience. Eventually the repeated yells of “Turn the light on!” were too much, and he stormed off stage: “Maybe while we’re gone you can have a think about how to be a proper audience”. Hmmm, not exactly a warm and fuzzy experience. Then again, the musical performance was exceptional.

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Thursday, October 30
The Metro Theatre, Sydney

OK, at the risk of sounding like some pop psychologist or worse, I just have to say it: I don’t think success and recognition sit all that well with Glenn Richards. The steady downwards progression in quality from album to album corresponds to Augie March’s rise as a force in the Australian music industry. Sunset Studies appeared out of nowhere and blew us away. Strange Bird failed to meet our (probably unfairly inflated) expectations, but it was still pretty damn good. Moo You Bloody Choir nudged the band pretty firmly into the mainstream, both in terms of sound and airplay, spearheaded by the spectacular success of “One Crowded Hour”. And then, riding an immense swell of critical and industry anticipation, along comes Watch Me Disappear. OK, it’s not a bad album by any stretch of the imagination, but just stop for a moment and compare it to Sunset Studies. There simply is no comparison.
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Oxford Art Factory
Friday August 29, 2008

As the curtain swept back from the stage, we were greeted by a carefully crafted view of white on white. The band had obviously been busy pegging sheets to the scaffolds as the punters continued to stream into the OAF’s Live Art Space (Mercy Arms obviously attract a dedicated crowd; I’ve never seen the main bar so deserted while a decent crowd fills the other room). It takes guts to get up on stage in white tights, but this band showed they’re just serious enough about their aesthetic to do it. Good on them, but at times throughout this gig I was struck by the possibility that these boys might take themselves just a little bit too seriously? Read the rest of this entry »