Sydney music scene humble explorer

Angus and Julia Stone at Regent Theatre 20.06.2008

2008-06-22T11:48:00.004+10:00

Instruments on the stage before the main gig might make a innocent bystander think theres a small orchestra playing next such is the extent of musical genius of two siblings from Newport. Well most of those instruments are brought out at the time which is just right.
But first things first lets start with with Victor Valdez. Not every day you see a harp on the stage and not every day in this day and age you see a musician who is not on myspace. This just makes the support act more interesting as there is a certain mystery and surprise not knowing what will happen on stage while he is performing. His skills on the harp are just amazing his show entertaining and brings a certain old school feeling to the altar of music where the artist is full of respect for the audience dressed up for the occasion and indeed looks like the happiest person alive when he is on stage performing with a manner of a true old school gentleman. Most of the audience that made it to the support act were quite happy with the performance cheering Victor when ever they could and even joined in as he played the famous classic La Bamba. Great job by Angus and Julia for bringing him on the tour as it always nice to listen and experience different cultures.
After a break that took almost an eternity (i had a coffee during that break and making it it was also close to eternity. One could fall asleep before it was made and when they finally made it it wasn't even hot therefore i don't really recommend coffee at Wollongong's Regent Theatre.- enough about the coffee) Angus Julia their drummer and bassist entered the stage to an enormous cheer of the audience.
I don't know but when Julia entered the stage in that wonderful gown and stared her dancing routines i just went back in time. Now I have a picture in my head that this gig didn't happen on Friday but it took place in some medieval times and when on private lawns (2nd song i think) Julia took her trumpet and started playing she looked like as if shes holding a sword threatening to cut the heads of unbelievers. The threat was scary enough to shut up most of the audience after initial chat about them entering the stage.
Its never a danger for Angus and Julia to oversaturate their music with a certain instrument. They use a lot of them but just a little bit at the right moment witch makes you lust for more and more of those special moments. Of course the acoustic guitar ant the piano are bases for most of the songs but you can also hear a trumpet trombone electric guitar harmonica and more which i cant even name in english.
The concert had 2 themes night and day with the sun and clouds lighted up during the first part then a moon and stars when they played some of their slower more romantic songs. And as even a child will tell you after a night theres always a new day and the sun has to come up. Regent Theatre is a seating venue but in front of the stage theres a lot of room for dancing. So when the sun came up for the second time it was shining so brightly that some of the people on the audience couldn't resist and had to go on to the dance floor. I have to say i was one of them. Unfortunately there was also some fuckers yes i have to say fuckers who went in front of the stage and talked all the way through the rest of the show. How many times do i have to say the more you talk the further away you should be from the stage please spread the word about this law if the person behind you talks less then you you should be behind them that way if you're the loudest person in the room you will be all the way at the back and everyone would be happier.
There was also a few idiots who jumped on the stage during the encore security promptly took care of them which made the rest of the audience so much happier. They will have a story to tell to their friend at school on Monday morning hope remains their friends wont be impressed.
It was a mesmerizing night never the less with the crowd favorites the beast, bella just a boy, paper aeroplane sang together by the band and the audience. I have to say for me one of the highlights was also the song sang with Victor Valdez when Angus plays on Trombone and Julia on a trumpet and Victor on a harp and a song that Julia sent to some guy over the internet. The chemistry was there the use of the different instruments made the show more interesting and a great set of images provided but a great subtle lighting show which was just a complement for the music of Angus and Julia stone. Kevin Rudd should hire Angus and Julia to play in every town and city instead of giving out baby bonuses as I'm sure that was a lot of love making happening in Wollongong after such a beautiful and romantic show.

And something not connected to the gig. Thank you Ireland for voting against the ratification of the EU constitution. It probably wont stop them to unite Europe in socialism but at least it will delay the process.

Access All Ages at the Factory Theatre 21.03.2008

2008-03-24T11:54:00.003+11:00

A few word from the venue's website:

"The Factory Theatre is Sydney’s newest, most exciting live venue. Purpose built, the Factory hosts an array of live music and performances, from international rock concerts to intimate cabaret shows, film and dance. The Factory brings a breath of fresh air to Sydney's entertainment scene and a commitment to nurturing emerging performers and acts."

With all the hype surrounding this event that finally kids have a place to experience good live music. A great initiative from the Factory Theatre. Its all nice and beautiful you would think but its not. If you commit to something you got to do it right. And theres no excuses. I don't want a heart surgeon that has good intentions i want a heart surgeon that wont kill me.

Because of my commitments on Good Friday I missed Cassette Kids and Bridgemary Kiss. The show was running late so i managed to see The Holidays. First they were fighting with equipment for 30 min, then they fought with the sound mixing guy for the rest of the show to no avail. He fucked their sound just like any other band that was on stage that night. The Holidays sounded to me a bit like Arctic Monkeys without the Newcastle accent without which the monkeys would loose all the appeal. But I wont go further into judging the music of the Holidays because I'm sure they didn't sound like they wanted, because of the venue's incompetence. Between every song Simon Jones the vocalist was complaining about feedback and the sound. He wanted to do something but the sound guy either didn't care or didn't know which valve to turn. At First i thought it might have been the bands laziness not getting everything right at the sound check but then came the next band Bridezilla. It was the first time i saw The Holidays so i didn't exactly know how they should sound. With Bridezilla i saw them 4 times before and from the first notes i knew something was wrong.

Holiday Sidewinder also tried to point the sound man in the right direction between songs and guess what no success. For someone who heard these songs at Enmore they were really bad.For most of the songs I heard mostly Holiday's guitar and a little bit of Daisy. Milly was blowing that saxophone like crazy but most of the time i couldn't hear nothing that she was playing. With each song i just got angrier. A band is spilling their guts out there and all this effort is being wasted because the venue hired someone who hasn't got a clue what sound mixing is about.
Then came the British India of course not before someone tried to setup the feedback for 30 minutes for them and I didn't think it worked perfectly as Nic Wilson the lead guitarist was working with the valves on the amp between each song. The sound was to loud even for my camera as you can see below.

All i could hear is the base guitar. If the low sound wave can destroy internal organs this is the time it was possible. The building was literally shaking. As I have Donor A written on my driver's license those organs may still be useful for someone well maybe they cant use the liver but nevertheless all the other organs should be fine. To protect them after a few songs i decided to retreat to the back. As it was even to loud over there i decide to head home. The credit goes to the band though they gave it all. For me i would like to see them again in a more band friendly venue.
Now to sum up the show i purposely quoted Factory Theatres website at the start of this review to show all the bullshit that they claim. Every time i go there there is always a stuff up. So much for purpose built venue. The architect must've been drunk. Why the hell would you put a wooden floor in front of the stage. Hello people having drinks and jumping around. At the end of the night the floor is so sticky you can barely walk there. It might work for intimate seating concert but not for a rock gig. The air conditioning is not existent even though it was cold outside inside it was stuffy and plain hot. The managers incompetence is just to much to handle if they really cared about "commitment to nurturing emerging performers and acts" they would hire a person who complements those bands music not one that wrecks it. A monkey would've done a better job at that console. I feel sorry for all the kids that came there. They don't have much opportunities to listen to those bands live. They were having fun yes but they didn't experience the bands as they should. Maybe the organizers thought that they don't have to do the best for the kids. Well I'm a staunch believer in free markets. And free market works like this someone gives you $15 and you should make sure he is having fun no matter who he is crippled stupid lesbian tall short fut ugly. There's no discriminating in free markets. Maybe some of those kids believe they got their value for money i did not. It would be ok if the bands were shit as you cant blame the venue for a poor band. But if you cant hear the band because of venues incompetence theres no excuses for that. I'm boycotting this venue for at least 6 months no matter who's gonna play there. After that i might go and see something there but if its shit like it was this time another period of them not getting my money is imminent.

Cat Power at the Enmore Theatre 09.03.2008

2008-03-22T18:59:00.005+11:00

I was late like always. Every time i go to a gig I'm late. Well could've been more late as the first act was so bad it doesn't even deserve a mentioning even on a blog like this one. You know what I'm not even gonna take the effort to find what was her name if she didn't put any effort in while she was performing. She was more busy fixing up her dress than actually singing and she looked drunk. No excuses.
Lets go to the next one Mr Jim White (Dirty Three) and Mick Turner (Dirty Three). Jim of course on the drums and Mick on guitar and various other instruments which i cant recall as i was to lazy to write this earlier. Well the highlight of the evening would have to be Jim White his drumming is just excellent so much complexity in playing what well a rhythm instrument. His hands were just flying through the air hitting the drum with a huge rate per minute but it wasn't just banging the drums those were the touches of a true master knowing when to nibble the thing and giving a huge spanking when the percussion deserved it. First time i saw him live and i was really impressed with this great muso. Just letting himself go and letting the music just fly. Judah Bauer played the guitar and various other instruments putting them in loops just creating a backdrop to Jim's drumming doing a great work of it.

Now comes the main act. While i see great reviews around i just did not dig it. First time i saw Chan was at her worst (thats not my opinion i explain soon) supporting Nick Cave & Bad Seeds at Big Top Luna Park and she was this scared little vulnerable woman who was scared of even the smallest applause. Now she was with a band a band of great musicians Jim White (Dirty Three), keyboardist player Greg Foreman (Delta 72) guitarist Judah Bauer (Blues Explosion), bassist Erik Paparazzi. She couldn't hide behind the piano so she was out the in front of the stage in the center with a spotlight brightly shining on her, but in my opinion thats not where she belongs. Its not the Cat Power I knew. I just don't dig the new cat power. Her stage antics just scream to me "I'm dancing yes but I'm not here. Its as if she's not there there is no public therefore theres nothing to be scared. I always adored her voice but i just saw a constant battle between the band and her voice. A few years back in an intimate settings when it was only her and the piano her voice sounded as if every note had a meaning. At this gig i think she just overdone it She showed a great range yes but it sounded as a show of more than trying to cause an effect on the audience with each note. It got to a point where i just got tired with it and i just wished she would shut up and let Jim take over.

Well everyone said that shes the worst live performer ever. But you know what i loved that bad performances from her i wish they come back cause they work better for me than the new GREAT Cat Power.

Holiday Sidewinder and Dan Kelly at the Vanguard 16.02.2008

2008-02-17T18:06:00.004+11:00

It is very hard to perform while people are still eating trying to take their eyes away form a juicy steak they have on their plates towards yourself especially if its your first solo show. Holiday Sidewinder pulled it of brilliantly though. She was very nervous at the beginning which was felt during the first few songs but it just got better and better as the show progressed and her confidence just grew. To be honest i didn't expect much from her solo show i just hoped to not be disappointed as i was with Amanda Palmer of Dresden Dolls when she did a solo tour of Australia. Enjoying the band doesn't necessarily mean you will enjoy a solo performance of a band member playing a solo show. But with holiday it was a pleasure to be there. She had a lot of variety in her songs insuring that the performance wasn't a monotonous one. You could see that she doesn't have a huge experience playing solo shows but ill just quote the guy sitting next to me "She will go a long way" and Dan Kelly might just be right asking Holiday to give him support shows when she's big and famous.

Now to the main performer Dan Kelly. He did a very entertaining show It was hilarious smart witty funny but thats all. His music didn't move me at all and i was wondering whether his actually a comedian or a musician. As i said its a bit tricky with solo shows I never saw Dan with alpha males and maybe the songs sound much better but his solo show didn't quite cut it for me. Its was like a good comedy in the cinema it might be good and funny and entertaining but it never has a chance to get an Oscar. Maybe its his falsetto that I hate or lack of variation and although i didn't agree with some of his views i praise him for leaving political correctness behind the door and not being afraid of speaking his mind.

Bridezilla at Beach Road Hotel in Bondi 03.02.2008

2008-02-10T19:08:00.001+11:00

I remember exactly when i first saw bridezilla it was on 1st of December 2007 supporting Architecture in Helsinki. I remember sitting upstairs with a double vodka and red bull in my hand wishing that the support bands will go as quick as possible. As i was sitting there those 4 young girls and a boy entered the stage. At first i thought that they are working at enmore serving drinks or something but when they started playing i knew why they were there on the stage. I was blown away with their music and was anxious to check their next gigs. Next came annandale hotel gig supporting the drones. And most recent one at beach road hotel in Bondi.The band started with songs form their debut ep with a great fashion. Holiday looked really good with the red dress and a rose (i think it was a rose) painted on her cheek her performance was as always up to scratch. Daisy as crazy as she is the stage is never big enough for her and although she had little room to move she managed to do a few kilometers running from one end of stage to the other. Josh looked really good on the drums he even had time to reply to my thumbs up during the show. Millie looked like she is the king (political correctness requires me to say the queen but i'm not politically correct) of the world with the saxophone and Pia completing the picture on lead guitar. Besides the songs known from the debut ep there were also some new tracks played which were really good so lets hope an album will be recorded in the near future. The gig worked out really well the highlights being brown paper bag with some people actually singing along and st Francine with a great impro by Millie. And just when i though it has all come to an end because st francine is usually their last song they played a new one which was for me was one of the best of the night. Unfortunately i don't know the title of it. The only annoyance i had with the gig was some 3 girls talking through the entire show. Thats another reason why the first row is the best spot to have at a concert no one in front of you will annoy you except when maybe the band sucks. But its hard to imagine that happening with Bridezilla even on their worst day I'm sure they are able to deliver a blistering performance. For those of you lucky enough to have laneway tickets i urge you to see Bridezilla you will be swept away by their angel looks and devilish music they play.

First exploration not of the music scene but that of blog scene

2008-02-10T12:58:00.000+11:00

Now first post is just here to check my blog settings. Check how it wil present itself and all the other crap that is just here so you can move to another blog straight away :). What will my blog be about well i doscovered a vibrant music scene in Sydney with so much amazing talent and i would like other people to know about it. So i want to review mostly small young bands that are sprawling around sydney like mushrooms after rain. Well we had 3 weeks of rain now in sydney maybe thats the reason for such talent. On the other hand the talent was here all along its just hard to find when all that media is presenting is the incest beetween two veronica sisters and the sexy hair of nicklebacks frontman. Uh oh my god this is a blog about music and it mentioned nickleback. That is just wrong. Oh well lets just forget about it and move on.
Feel free to comment abuse me and praise me as long as you present some logical argument for it. Other than that thank you for reading and i hope you will click again.
Also english is my second language so feel free to correct me if i make mistakes.