MOG - ozgenre's Posts

Pretty, but not really Odd - Panic At The Disco - Acer Arena - August 22nd, 2008

ozgenre — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 00:15:00 GMT

On Friday night, I took off home to relax (nice to have an early-ending week because of this job, though that may change) and then getting ready for 'Panic At The Disco' at Acer Arena. Now, I have to note that my experience with 'Panic At The Disco' is small - but I like their retro-baroque-circus-pop approach, at least from the few tracks that I have heard (and clips I have seen). I'm the sort of person who tunes in when friends of mine (who also have an eclectic music taste) say that they like something. So, I had grabbed some tracks last time they were here, and had a listen to their new album about 2 months ago or so. I was interested in seeing what sort of show they'd put on, too, as they have a reputation for being very Pseudo-Victorian (kind of like Abney Park lite) crossed with a little 1960's sunshine pop. I think one of the things I get jaded with is that bands don't put on as good a show as their albums suggest (or, of course, that the shows they bring 'down south' are just an unfortunately crippled version of their normal shows, because of the tyranny of distance).

So, lysdexic_prose, arby_doll and I arrived at Acer, walked through Security, got our wristbands and headed down into the floor area. I think we got in in time to catch the last 2 songs from 'Cobra Starship'. Of course I had missed the bands title breakout track 'Snakes On A Plane (Bring It)', which was my only exposure to them before tonight. Whilst they had obvious cred from coming off the Warped Tour in the US, what I was seeing (as I had predicted) was a band onstage with a a lot of fun and energy, but with no real 'show' component. Now that being said, and before I get pilloried for being unfair, I believe that the sound was good, the band seemed genuinely happy and energetic, and the audience reaction was more than happy to see these guys onstage. To their credit, we saw them enjoyably bounce through two songs which more than made up for the (what appeared to me to be) somewhat plain stage behind them. Of course they were the first support, but still had their screaming fan-base, which was really good to see - all too often support bands get relegated to the wilderness of 10% attendance as people wait for the headliners.

Having said that, we decided to head outside to grab snacks and drinks and (of course) check out the merchandise. Here I was VERY impressed with the range available, as there was a wide range of clothing, posters, CDs and DVDs available. This is what I expect when I see a merchandise stand, and the wide range was there for all three bands. Of course the pricing was rather prohibitive, but there was still a booming trade being made. After 10 minutes waiting in line, Cobra Starship obviously finished and there was a veritable stampede of younger audience out into the main foyer. I thought it was for the merchandise booth (which it partially was) but mostly (as I quickly discovered) due to a signing/meet & greet, due to start sometime soon - and Cobra Starship fans were damned if they were going to miss out. So, retiring to a table to eat, and drink a little, the line grew and (to be honest) we were so engrossed in conversation that we totally missed 'The Academy Is...' as the main support. I didn't have a lot invested in seeing them, but I assumed that as the main support they would be tearing the arena down and laying the foundations for the main show. I must admit that, even with the doors open to the main arena, we didn't hear much of a reaction at all. There was one BIG cheer that went up, which I can only assume was either a well-known track (perhaps 'Neighbours'?) or more than likely, the introduction of Sydney-born guitarist Michael Chislett. Of course it was at this point when I realised (so did Bekk and Barbs) the average age of the attendees - and I think we'll leave it at that for that part of the observation. Mind you, the second big cheer sounded as 'The Academy Is...' finished and the line for the Meet & Greet (which was at that point 4 people wide, and stretched all the way across the front of the Acer foyer) simply geometrically exploded. We were rather fortuitously placed as about 5 minutes later, Security blocked off the seating area, though leaving the 'older' patrons to their eating/drinking (I'm not sure how Barbs and Bekk felt about being 'older' patrons), and then escorted the members of both 'Cobra Starship' and 'Academy Is...' right past us to their signing tables (about 3 metres away). I think I know firsthand somewhat what Beatlemania was about, after witnessing the reception that the two groups recieved. Nothing too unruly, just really loudly appreciative. Earplugs, how I love thee. Anyway, after staying to watch the signing for a couple of minutes, we decided that it was time to head down to the 'Panic Pit' and get ready for the main show.

It was good to see that there was a stage setup for 'Panic At The Disco'. When the lights went down, the comparison between the responses to the two support bands and PATD, was something you could feel, not just hear. Having said that, I was not expecting the hi-res screen which came to life as soon as the band took to the stage. That impressed me immediately, and I was looking forward to the rest of the spectacle. 'Panic At The Disco' know their audience, and know what they are looking for. What was delivered different to their normal shows, though. It was visually a cross between a retro 60's Psychedelia show, an arena show, and an small pub-show. It's interesting to see a band who (whilst in a venue like Acer Arena) can still make it seem intimate, like a show at The Annandale. The staging was very worthwhile, and inidicative of the stageshow I was looking forward to seeing. Multiple frames around the band comprising of the stage, a fake procenium arch, and a framed screen behind them all led to a depth you don't really get in a normal stage-show. As mentioned before, the hi-res screen (behind the band) was filled with a wonderfully colourful combination of anatomical drawings, animated silhouettes of the band, and a constantly growing and moving garden (the animations were, at times, almost Monty-Pythonesque in their appearance). With microphone stands festooned with flowers, twin bubble-machines (in full force during 'Behind The Sea'), and stage-cotumes which looked more like a snapshot from The Strawberry Alarm Clock in their heyday, they ripped through a good 10 songs with the audience going wild during each number. It was interesting to hear them quiet down when either Brendon [Urie], or Jon [Walker] started chatting to the audience, too. These fans were hanging on their every word. The chat intervals weren't too long though just long enough to strike an intimacy with the large audience, and they pushed all the right buttons with local references, the ubiquitous "Aussie Aussie Aussie!" chant, sly-wink asides referring to "...thinking of maybe moving here" - all calculated to get pops from the (primarily) teen-female audience, and leading into their next number. The illumination of the entire audience by all their mobile phones and cigarette lighters during 'Northern Downpour' was quite magical. Overall, though, the band presents a fairly wholesome image onstage, and not one which suggests that (as mentioned in an interview) they want to actually be the next 'Radiohead'.

Excellent stage-presence, and vocals, notwithstanding, I was looking forward to, hoping for, and (unfortunately) was disappointed in not getting, the whole Victorian circus aspect of their past stageshows. That directly references my earlier comment of 'cut-down versions of overseas productions'. Even though they had decided that the 'Pretty. Odd. Tour' would become a more streamlined show, sans circus performers, I was still hoping to see the full production. I guess that when a band has a good reputation for a good stage-show (as well as their sound) and you mainly only get the (good) sound, it still leaves you a little wistful for what might have been. Perhaps that's just me, as I like the whole package in a show.

Still, in saying that, I was not overly disappointed with their show, in fact I was very impressed with what they did provide as they were just what the doctor orderd for that night. A feel-good show, with a double-barrel encore, which left the audience drained, yet still hoping for just one more song.

Are We Not Fans?? - Devo - August 1st, 2008

ozgenre — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 05:33:43 GMT

We got to Fox Studios at about 7:30pm, briefly catching up with Nerdi, DomesticMouse and Bad Pauly before heading into The Hordern to catch the support band, Reguritator.

Barbs hadn't seen them live before (I had, at Big Day Out) and so I knew what to expect. Even with a replacement drummer on the night, who was more than fitting into the bands sound, they were good, although the audience seemed a little quiet. To be honest, I liked the 4 songs I caught, but for some reason they didn't really catch me. After almost every song, the band kept gushing about how they were there to support "the best [hottest] fucking band in the world!" and whilst that was the prime rerason I was there, it got old after the 3rd time they said it. Still, I got to the front, and managed to catch some shots of the band with the non-professional camera before the person behind me (also with a non-professional camera) got pinged by Security for having a 'professional camera'.

I think we need to have a real guideline as to what a 'professional' camera is. I tend to think that any camerra with a lens over 52mm should be deemed professional, but many non-professional cameras can take much better shots than an SLR these days. (Have a look at PC User this month for examples). They really need to have a look at what 'professional' is deemed to be (although on the flip-side I do understand that they need something to work from and 'a removalble lens' is probably as good a place to start as any).

Anyway, The Gurge were good - but I think they were better at BDO. So, after 4 songs we wandered out to look at the Merch. The Energy Domes [flowerpot hats] (only a hundred apparently) went instantly, and there were no programmes (Tour Books), no CDs or DVDs for Devo (though Regurgitator had a DVD). I was surprised (pleasantly) to see Devo Australian Tour posters available and I had a chat with the Playbill Manager there who initially scoffed at the idea of having DVDs and CDs, but after a few minutes (and comparing it to other shows they managed merchandise for, like 'War Of The Worlds' and 'Wicked!', and noting that - especially on consignment - even with a very small margin, they would make a more-than-passable profit) he jotted down some details and said he'd look at that for future gigs - which (IMO) is a positive step (although if anything does come of it I will be [pleasantly] surprised).

We wandered to the Bar and ran into DJ Voodoo, Mark Humphries, and ran into David Callan (and his wife) whom I hadn't seen (well hadn't spoken to) in about 6 years. The nice thing was that not only did he stop to say "Hi!" but both he and his wife spent a good 20 minutes just hanging and chatting with us. It was very very cool to catch up with him and I hope I get to make that a more regular thing, as both David (and his brother Peter) have always been great people and always took time to just chat. (Oh yes - I should note - David plays the carrot in those V8 adverts, and is also in a number of other ads, as well as being a brilliant improv actor, his brother Peter has also been in so many ads it's not funny, and was one of my first friends at Theatresports all those years ago).

Going back into the hall, it was time for the lights to go down, people streamed in and the old 'Public Service Education Film' started. The crowd screamed and then went quiet, in a kind of reverent hush. After the film has finished, with a faint D-E-V-O getting brighter on the screen, shadowy forms came onto the stage. Again the crowd roared and the lights came up on a group of men, Mark and Bob Mothersbaugh, Gerald and Bob Casale, and Neil Taylor standing in yellow overalls, with red energy-domes on their heads. For the first time in over 20 years, DEVO had returned to Sydney. As I recall, the setlist, included: "Going Under", "Peek-a-Boo!", "Girl U Want", "Whip It", "Secret Agent Man", "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction", "Uncontrollable Urge", "Mongoloid", "Blockhead", "Jocko Homo", "Smart Patrol/Mr. DNA", "Gates of Steel", "We Are Devo", "Freedom of Choice", "Gut Feeling", and after a short break, their encore of "Beautiful World" (with a surprise appearance of, and sung by, Booji Boy).

This was more than a stroll down memory lane, it was a fully-fleged pogo (the dance, not the stick). From the first notes, the boys - yes they will always be 'the boys', hit all the right marks for the night. They interracted with the audience, they performed, and they knew their audience. The really nice thing about the show was that this was Devo, 25 years on, older (and a little bigger in some cases) but unapologetically so. This was a show which should not have been missed by any Devo fan. It was tight, and fed us all the right ingredients. They took me back to the alternative (non-corporate harder and edgier) 80's, they bounced around the stage, they led cheers, they walked into the front of the audience as we all answered the De-Volution Mass Mantra 'Are We Not Men?' "We Are Devo!", they tore each others overalls off to change costumes halfway through, they frisbee'd Energy Domes over the crowd, and threw happy-face bouncy balls to the audience (I got one of the bouncy balls at least), and gave us what we wanted - a glorious night of De-Volution.

The Apple is Sweet to the core - Kate Miller-Heidke, The Annandale, May 10th, 2008

ozgenre — Wed, 14 May 2008 05:46:49 GMT

Last Saturday night was a very pleasant dinner at The Annandale with Miss Kate, Brian, and Barbara before heading into the Band-Room to see Kate Miller-Heidke.

I'm getting ingo the deplorable habit of not seeing support bands unless I know them - and this is something I think I should get out of the habit of doing. Why? Well how else can you tell if you like 'new' music if you just go and see the bands you want to see. (After all, there's a reason that supports are there - unless it's Vaness Amarosi supporting Kiss - but I digress).

It was nice to be finishing a meal and having the headliner walk in through the restaurant. Seriously - the talk all but stopped and whispers of "There she is..." permeated the room. That there's an indication fo the level of 'fame' associated with her right now, she stops a room. Then again, this IS the woman who joined the estwhile Cyndi Lauper onstage a little while ago (which to me seems like it was the teeming of two equally talented bookends) to perform 'Girls Just Wanna Have Fun'. Still, the band-room was packed and kept filling. The Merchandise table was full of T-Shirts, girly-fitted-singlet-tops, programme-album books and CDs and DVDs! Hoorah! I spent time wondering what to get (and of course the CD/DVD combo won out) andf went inside to try to get a space. The nice things about having venues which don't llow smoking in them is that people have to go outside - this makes getting down the front a whole not easier, and down the front is where I wanted to be for this show.

From the moment the screen raised up and Kate's band took the stage the applause and sporadic cheers were a constant throughout the show. Kate's show was so familiar - and it's not from having seen her perform before. There's something familiar in the lilt and the delivery which begs the question: is the she love-child of a tri-fusion of Cyndi Lauper, Kate Bush and Debbie Harry? Whilst her band is a talented background presence, (Keir Nuttal [Guitars], Ben McCarthy [Bass, Vocals], Steve Pope - the Alpha Male [Drums], and the astonishly talented (and Golden Guitar nominated) Nicole Brophy [Backing Vocals, Acoustic Guitar]) Kate heself is a gleaming light onstage. Perhaps it was the white banged hairsyle, or the multilayered skirts, or perhaps just the honest radiant smile, offset by an innocently-sly-humour-filled expression, coupled with a pounding staccato delivery of her first number, but damn if she doesn't light up the room. What she lacks in ascerbic delivery a-la Debbie Harry, she makes up for in subtly and wonderfully subversive lyrics in the Lauper vein. A very neat 12-song set (mostly from her multi-Aria-nominated 'Little Eve' album) with a 2 song encore which had the Annadale not only packed to the back walls and out into the merch/pinball room, but begging for more.

This is her last tour promoting Little Eve, and thence she goes into 'next album' mode and we won't see her for a bit - yet seeing her tonight was a real pleasure. I like artists who can hold their own onstage (especially when they can hold the audience in the palm of their hand). They're a pleasure to watch, and Kate (along with her band) was an absolute pleasure to experience. Everyone talks about 'Australian Idol' as being her (current) tour-de-force, and it was an audience favourite on the night, I think her signature on this night was her version of 'You're The Voice' which blended almost seemlessly into a 'Bohemian Rhapsody'-inspired riff in the middle. It honestly made me laugh (in an embarrassingly delighted manner, like a 3 year-old discovering something wonderous) and the only thing that would have made it better would have been John Farnham in the audience singing along.

The sound and the Band are sharp indeed. - Porcupine Tree, Enmore Theatre, April 26th, 2008

ozgenre — Thu, 01 May 2008 08:07:36 GMT

Now some people may not know Porcupine Tree, as progressive Rock is not something you hear a lot about these days (along with the term 'concept albums'). My first advice is to go and listen to some tracks and be entranced... or if you want some history listen to Tangerine Dream to begin with as you go off to sleep one night. Then you'll be ready for something a little more epic, perhaps heavier, like Pink Floyd, and perhaps eye-opening. Though be aware that there is more than a little metal in Porcupine Tree's roots (npi) and that makes it all the better.

I was (as is the way of things these days) running a tad behind this evening due to various reasons to do with a leaky roof, people getting ready to go out, me being internet-saddled and flu-ridden, etc... and so I did miss most of the support band, Sleep Parade, which is a shame as I had caught up with them (online) to check out how they would mesh with the crowd there to see Porcupine Tree. I was lucky enough to get in to hear the end of one of their songs and I DO mean the end- I think it was the epic Weeping Walls... Sleep Parade are a three piece Melbourne band whose roots also lie in with Pink Floyd and Tangerine Dream. The nice thing is that they also like to explore the fact that music does not have to be confined to radio-slots of 2.5 minutes and unlike the more recent self-fellating of Billy Corrigan at Soundwave, their 5+ minutes of music is good and not self-important. Give them perhaps another year and they will be awesome (they are very damned good now - but they will only get better) compare the 1st album and this more recent one - they're on their way.

Of course after a quick explosion of roadies all over the stage, and people jamming the merchandise stand (which ran out of Tour T-Shirts my size..dammit... and I didn't see any CDs either - they must have gone [or were never there]) the lights went down and porcupine tree entered to (what I can only describe as) a thunderous welcome. The Enmore Theatre is a nice venue but there are times I worry that the mezzanine floor will collapse under the stamping feet of those who want more from encores, and who can't applaud loudly enough with their hands.

One of the things I liked about Porcupine Tree was their extended use of visuals. For a Prog Rock band, IMO, I think the use of these is an essential part of the performance. As a quick aside, some EBM bands would do well to perhaps make some film-clips to play alongside their tracks as this would add to the overall show. All throughout the 12 main set songs the visuals were more than complementary to the numbers, windswept landscapes melded with kaleidoscopic capsules and dancing metal automatons - each clip supporting the song and mood - not just random 'pretty' visuals, these were filmed for the numbers specifically, some even lifted specifically (and expanded from) their DVDs. From 'Fear Of A Blank Planet' (their most recent album title-track), through the show-stopping 'Anesthetize'[sic] (which had pretty much all people in the audience spellbound), 'Blackest Eyes' which had all of us bouncing off the walls, to their closer 'Sleep Together' - with the requisite dancing automata on the screen. They are gracious effluvious in their thanks to their fans and left the stage. This is when I thought the mezzanine floor would collapse and maim hundreds of fans. I have rarely heard such an audience response - especially to something which is not that regularly heard live. It almost rivalled the Alice Cooper Concert of a couple of years ago. The (as expected) encore was only three songs long, but what songs! Two of the more anticipated numbers and one surprise instrumental ('Mother and Child Divided') which I thought was a nice segue into the last 2 numbers for the night. We apparently got 'Mother and Child Divided' whereas Melbourne didn't(?) but I heard the same from Paul Stanley at KISS (no offense, but it's a nice way to give the fans a little local intimacy with the band). However, as I said, this segue into the final two numbers was a very good choice and the real closer 'Halo' was awesome.

I hung about with the crowd for a little while afterwards... as there was this persistent afterglow which everyone was sharing, perhaps that along with the promise of a speedy return to Australia by the band.

The rock chicks are NOT dead! Juliette and The Licks - The Forum, April 25th, 2008

ozgenre — Thu, 01 May 2008 08:00:12 GMT

The Forum is a venue I always associate with dance parties and more of your 3D World set, and the 3 hire cars which pulled up in front of our cab almost proved that by disgorging Eve and 50 Cent who were (along with Juliette Lewis) performing at the MTV Awards the following night.

I was more than pleased to note that we had only missed the support band (although I don't know them, and don't know what they sound like, that's terrible I know) and not missed the start of Juliette and The Licks. I was also pleased to see that the merchandise table contained not only T-shirts, but also both CDs from the band - as well as T's and CDs from the support band... maybe someone's reading these comments that I make and passing it on - I wish - as the more recent bands are actually supplying CDs and DVDs at their merchandise tables - again something I recommend.

Still, Juliette [Lewis] and The Licks. I must say that I knew nothing of this band until I read that they were coming here in Drum Media a few months ago - which is when I quickly bought tickets. I have to admit that I was initially (as I am sure others have been) attracted to the band because of Juliette Lewis herself, and the fact that she had eschewed acting to pursue a music career about 5 years ago. Of course we all assume(d) that to some degree she will be like any other actress-cum-popster and be over-produced, over coiffed and quintessentially fake. I was VERY happily proven wrong by pre-listening to her music before the gig, and it was absolutely disproved by her performance onstage.

The woman is a performer who is one part Chrissie Amphlett, one part Suzie Quatro, one part Bjork and a whole chunk of talent. She's theatrical, she rocks, she emotes, she works WITH her band (not just fronts them), she connects intimately and almost viscerally with her audience, she obviously not only enjoys but is totally into what she is doing, she is humble enough to look happily embarrassed when the audience cheers her on, and did I mention that she is remarkably talented as a singer (as well as an actress)?

With material gleaned from her two albums, she hit the stage running and, even though she took the odd 15 seconds to catch her breath, did not let up for the entire set. 2 costume changes in the set, with her trademarked 'Amerindian' persona starting the gig (they had feather-headdresses for sale at the merchandise table too), stripping off to a one-piece cut-out leotard and yellow jeans about a third of the way through, and briefly donning a sequinned cocktail dress for 3 numbers.

She (like Rollins 2 nights before) did not let up and won the 300 audience over easily. She even gave us a very rock-chick rendition of 'Dirty Deeds' by AC/DC with the apology of ("I'm sure everyone does this when they're here..."). Actually, Juliette, no-one does, and it just went to show where her music roots come from. They come from here. I'll be happily buying tickets for her next show which, according to her, will only be in about 18 months. I can't wait!

Your kiss is on my lips - SNOG - The Gaelic, April 24th, 2008

ozgenre — Thu, 01 May 2008 07:48:40 GMT

Now I have heard SNOG before and they're pretty much a done deal (what you see is what you get - and that is a VERY good thuing let me tell you).

Let's start with the supports (The Inflatable Voodoo Dolls and Bleepin' J Squawkins) were more interesting inasmuch as seeing how far they have come along since they started play a few years ago.

The IVD are technically very damned good - but let's face it kids, they're no Kraftwerk. As I told Joe(from The IVD) that night, they have to start engaging the audience to break through (at least that's my opinion, others may differ). If they can crack that VNV Nation-style audience connection spike, they could go really REALLY far, and that's something to look forward to. It was good to chat with Joe after the set too. He's always got good ideas - some which are coming to fruition very soon - but I say shtum on that.

Bleepin' J Squawkins is in the same basket as The IVD. Technically good, though hardware did start failing halfway through the set (in saying that, he recovered with some lightning fast repairs and cross-circuiting [whilst still playing, mind you]) and finished off really well. Technical kudos and performance kudos as well! Again keeping attention on what you are doing/playing is a great thing, but at the end of the day, you're also there to perform for the audience, and perhaps that's something I don't get with some EBM artists. VERY damned good - great sound, know their way in and out of a Synth like it was a trip around the block at home, but that's where their focus is. I want to be engaged by more than the sounds (though BIG damned Kudos to the brilliant sounds that are produced live!)

Of course, as I mentioned SNOG brought up the last - where the others were technically more than competent, SNOG filled the performance Gap. This is where the experience shows as the audience connection was right there in front of you. Great visuals, great performance, excellent all round. It's sad when you can sum it all up like that - they are great. I was looking forward to the after-party (originally at Club 77, but was 'somehow double-booked') but the venue closed everyone out at about 1:30am - and there were more people there than there were after Assemblage 23 and we were there until 4am that morning so... one wonders what happened. Still it made for an earlyish morning.

Curiosity did NOT kill the cat. Henry Rollins - Seymour Centre, April 23rd, 2008

ozgenre — Thu, 01 May 2008 07:34:31 GMT

Last Wednesday, I was fortunate enough to see Henry Rollins in his (do not say the words) Spoken Word performance 'Provoked'. To say that I was in awe is somewhat of an understatement.

Rollins has such a wealth of material to draw on with a ration of 25% research Vs 90% experience, yes that is not a typo. He reads, he questions, he hops on a plane and goes to Pakistan, you know - little things like that.

From walking onstage he did not stop - I mean did NOT stop his passionate, intense, yet Celtic-knot weave of dialogue which had me at times wondering "Where the hell is he going with this tangent?!" only to have him tie it into 3 point he's made 5, 8, and 15 minutes ago. The man is a consummate narrator and let's be honest, any artist who takes the time to spend 15 minutes on why he loves coming here (26 times at this current count) and congratulating us on ousting "George W Bush's ass-vacuum" and what it can mean to have the Prime Minister of our country chastise the Chinese about Tibet ("...in fucking Mandarin!!") has my vote for instant citizenship offer.

I think he breathed during his show, I know he had a gulp of water or two. He moulded the audience from the cultural cringe of John Howard and George W Bush, through shock at his school life and some of his parental upbringing, astonishment at his audacity to just go off and visit Chechnya and Iran because he didn't want to be told what he should believe about those places, laughter at his geeky-fanboyisms in meeting Iggy Pop and his days breathing back-hair with Black Flag, through his visits to South African AIDS clinics and his bittersweet stand-in stint with The Rutts (his favourite band in the whole universe - check them out) at their farewell concert in the UK (by their request I might add).

Of course this only paints broad strokes as to the content of his show - and if he comes here to once again sit and have an intimate chat with another 400 people, I recommend that you maim someone to get a ticket.

Not hating people - Just rocking! - Mz Ann Thropik - Hermann's Bar - April 10th, 2008

ozgenre — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 08:28:31 GMT

Now the weird thing about Hermann's is that it's smaller than it looks (and smaller than it photographs for that matter). It has an OK sound for a small room, and the bar prices are not over-exorbitant.

We got there after the first band had finished (which was a shame because the name of the first band - 'Day Of The Meerkat' - had me more than interested in seeing what they were like. Alas that was not to be. Suffice to say that we got in, in time, for 'Brigitte Handley & The Dark Shadows' to start up. I've heard of them but never seen them before and that is unfortunate because I have obviously been missing out. It's rock without the pretention. Brigitte makes a great front-person for the band. She looks good, she sounds good and she's not there to 'flash her skin' at the audience. Also, she plays a mean guitar, and that brings up the credibility several notches. She's in it for the music, and hell... it shows. Bass player, Carley Chalker, is probably one of the more entertaining bassists I have seen in a while. Now, sure, there are others who might to crazy and/or off-the-wall stuff (and let's face it, jumping from a speaker stack into an audience is pretty off-the-wall - yet full of awesome) but Carley doesn't do that (that I have seen anyway ;)). She's just enjoying the hell out of herself onstage and anyone who can play as well as she can, and almost perform a solo limbo show (because she's so into what she's playing right then) has got a lot to give an audience and she does. The only unfortunate thing is that Nerida Wu (on drums) is hidden up the back. OK I know drummers are - but it's a pity because she obviously enjoys the hell out of her playing as well and on a small stage (such as Hermann's) her enjoyment is a little lost. Maybe some more light onto her would have helped, but I was specifically looking so the talent and enjoyment level wasn't lost on me at all. Good tunes, and great playing styles, and getting the audience caught up in what they were doing... that's what a good gig is all about.

'The Wrath' came on next and these Gold Coast boys can wail. Again, they were restricted by the venue - but they played a lot more of the stage. Creeper's vocal style worked well as front-man (sans instrument) he could simply just use more of the stage and leer into the audience which is what the audience wanted. His style is more to attack the audience but not in a thrash/grindcore manner. The Wrath attack with their performance just as other 'heavier' bands attack with violent overtones. One of the things I specifically liked about Creeper's audience use, was that he knew where to take the audience (and how to take them there) without threatening them, or screaming lyrics at them. That's kind of refreshing to see these days (in the circles I travel in). Now that comparison is obviously a generalisation, but it's nice to see that a singer can use his voice, and the stage, and not have to revert to a stereotype to put the music across. Great playing overall, too. I'll be interested in see when these guys come back down south.

Finally there was the band that we were all there to see 'Mz Ann Thropik'. This is not the Mz Ann that I have come to know (in seeing them play quite often) this was a rockier... perhaps a harder edged Mz Ann, and that's not a bad thing at all. Sure there have been line-up changes and overall I think that these have been for the better. With each change the band grows (somewhat like Magdelena's ubiquitous butterfly imagery) into something from a chrysalis (no pun intended). Sure we love (what I call) the 'Alice songs', haunting and atmospheric, and I'm sure they'll keep on the setlists. However, the harder numbers seem to be working really well - or is it the harder approach. I'm not sure. What I am sure about is that the band is maturing, and I very much like the direction they're going in. It was a pleasure to see the band ripping through their set, and the audience were obviously just as pleased to see the high energy that the band sustained. I am certain they must have been tired, as they'd only just come back from one tour and here they were again heading off on another leg. Mags didn't look too tired - and I think that's because she projects a joy and energy in her performance that could give the Energiser Bunny a run for its money. Mz Ann is definitely a staple in my "if they're playing in town I want to see them" pile.

Nice to see Merchandise there that took advantage of the audience (inasmuch as having more than just T-shirts). CDs? DVDs? Keep those things coming at gigs, because if we like what we hear, we're going to buy them and THAT (to me) is more of an indicator than just bods through the door. You can have all the look and all the reputation that you like - but if you play badly, people won't buy what you have to sell... it's a theory anyway ;)

Under The Sea - The Red Paintings - April 5, 2008

ozgenre — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 01:29:00 GMT

Last weekend I was fortunate enough to catch The Red Paintings at The Factory, for their 'We Belong In The Sea Tour'. Now the first time I saw them was when they were supporting The Dresden Dolls at the UNSW Roundhouse and I was immediately taken in by the production they put on. I thought they were absolutely stunning then (it was the 'Destroy All Robots Tour'). I really like a band which puts on a show, and the 'Paintings don't dissappoint at all.

I, unfortunately, missed their first support (Spazmoo), but did manage to catch Paper Champions, who warmed the audience very well, and the lead singer does a great job belting out tunes. He looks good and works the stage well, Paper Champions is one to watch out for in the future.

Now, beleiving an underwater setting is always a tough ask for the audience, as without a large tank it's just not happening. However, with some improvisation, lighting and a willing audience it can happen and happen well. The Factory has nice procenium staging, the lighting and associated gauze effects worked well, the sound was good, audience was more than appreciative, and therefore the show overall worked a treat in that venue. Although the reviews for Red Paintings shows have generally been good, I think they are sadly somewhat underrated by the public (even though I have grown to like them quite a lot). They always go all out with costuming and set, and their signature body-painting/artists are always a welcome addition. I should add that their music is seriously very good!

I must admit that I'll be looking for their next show with much anticipation, even if it's on ther same tour. After all, to have all the band in undersea/Kabuki costume, 2 mermaids live onstage being painted by body-artists, portraits being painted from scratch by other artists, and having a real connection to your audience - well, it's an experience not to be missed. Not to mention that they are very damned good melodically as well.

I'll be interested to hear what their impending US Tour is going to be like and how they're received over there.

V is for Victory! V-Festival, Sydney, March 2008

ozgenre — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 06:54:36 GMT

Perhaps a little late - but still important, after all V-Fest has only just left the country.

Getting to the location (Centennial Park) was a joy, apart from traffic, of course. The area was fenced intelligently, with many crowd controllers to direct people toward the large open entrance. Now this was the way to get people into a large Festival. Good lines, easy to get to, large entry gates with enough intelligent security staff, no 'overbearing' police presence, programmes handed out as you go through, easy signage, water and food easy to find and not overpriced, Gosh! Soundwave can learn a lot (and no quips about Richard Bransen's money backing it - the things I have mentioned are all common sense and generally written up in the Terms and Conditions of people/vendors wanting to take part in Festivals).

The bands were very easy to find, 3 stages all far enough apart to have sound distortion at an absolute minimum. Though, I must admit that it was a trek between This Stage, That Stage and The Other Stage (yes those were the names which amused me no end). The only problem I found, was at the end of the day where you had to leave one area early to get to Duran Duran, and then with some having to leave that early to get back to The Smashing Pumkins (which in hindsight was a BIG mistake). Still, it's tough to program multiple international acts (of similar though diverse popularity) and if I had one complaint of the Festival overall, I would have that as my only one - the overlap of bands which I wanted to see. Still, I did get to see who I wanted to, and to me that was what was important.

We got in easily, walked about, found where everything was, ran into people we knew (in one case being almost rugby-tackled by Lisa and Earley Curley (of 2RRR fame). Found the food, found the demountable toilets and found the bars. Nothing was hidesouly overpriced and there seemed to be plenty of stock. not to mention a plethora of merchandies was available, though (again) I say... NO CDs/DVDs. Again a missed opportunity. I would have expected that Mr Branson would seize that opportunity by the horns, but there were only shirts and hats to be seen.

Thence on to the bands... I think Modest Mouse was playing when we got in - but not paying much attention whuilst looking about and orienting ourselves means that unfortunately I have nothing to say about them, save that they didn't sound bad.

Jesus And Mary Chain - had a rocky start to their set with some technical hitches and foldback issues. One could tell by the scathing glances of both Reid brothers toward the mixing enclosure, followed a song later by a snappish "I can't hear anything up here!" A fair cop, and to be frank a few fans (knowing William's penchant for leaving a gig if something's not right) expected the set to stop very soon... but lo and behold technical hitches evaporated (showing that unlike others I could name, when V Festival see a problem they solve it right then and there). Still, the best thing was seeing people who were not born when 'The Chain' formed in their post-punk heyday, seriously getting into them. Of course there were the 'old-timers' like me who were there to see if they still had the edge after their reformation. They did - and handed it out in spades. I think the only criticism I would have it that the Reid brothers are so in sync with the band and the numbers, that they almost stroll their way through the set. It doesn't come off as boredom and 'business as usual'... yet. However, it does come across as comfortable in their skins and in what they are doing - no less enjoyable, just comfortable. As others have noted earlier, it's always funny seeing british bands come 'down under' and have them cringe at the sun. Nicely, though, the band took the light and the crowd and the minor glitches in their stride. A sign of professionalism, and experience. All too soon the set was over :(...

Queens Of The Stone Age - I can't even recall one number they played. Why? It was all SO good. A blistering set... I think that's all I can really say about them. They attacked the stage with a fierceness rarely seen in this country. Now, fierceness is not meaning the same as violence, but more of a focussed fury directed through arrthymic chord blasting, frentic drum and vocals sharpened so as to make you look behind you. Very intense and very worthwhile. Definitely one of the reasons I was at the Festival in the first place, and I was not dissappointed in their performance one iota. The only disappointing thing was needing to leave about halfway through the set to get to the next stage (across the fields and far away) to check out Duran Duran.

Duran Duran - I've heard reports that the set by Duran Duran was lacklustre and camp. Strangely enough 'camp' tends to be about things 20 years ago, 60's was camp in the 80's, so 80's is camp now. 90's will be camp in 2010, get the drift? Anyway, I'm not sure what those people were watching, but the Duran Duran I saw was breathtaking. I was apprehensive, as the last time they were here it was a case of 'How large has Simon gotten now?'. Thankfully Mr LeBon and company seem to have gone to the same dietician as The Cure, they were up, about, mobile, dancey, and had a big stage presence. 'Hungry Like The Wolf', 'Planet Earth', 'Rio', 'Girls On Film' the boys hit all the marks with a pretty damned flawless performance, marred only (for me) by the absence of 'The Reflex'. The crowd I was in seriously got off on the show, and didn't want it to end. It was a nice touch to have the lights dim out and go off in-between songs (as that's when Earth Hour had struck, and even though the ticket included paying a carbon footprint off-set, it was a nice gesture regardless). The set ended they came back for an encore and still the fans wated more. However, in a Festival environment you can't really be that self-indulgent. It was also a nice touch to have Simon tell everyone to get on over and see the end of The Pumpkins as well, which was what we all did as soon as the Duran's set had definitely finished.

Smashing Pumpkins - I only got to hear the last bit of the Pumkins' set, as I took the trek across the field. What I saw was a seething mass of people obviously having a great time... backlit with some great lightning in amongst the clouds. What I heard was... er... self-indulgent rubbish. I was expecting spotless and manic grunge, a reflection of the Pumkins of old. What I heard was a 20 minute (although it seemed like hours in a dentist's chair) warbling feedback-laden wanking ode to a guitar hero. I THINK this was 'United States', but I could be wrong. Can someone please enlighten me as to what Corgan and company were thinking with this. Granted, perhaps they were expecting that people would just suck it up because (after all) it IS The Smashing Pumpkins. However, many (including ourselves) weren't so forgiving. I think we suffered through about 15-20 minutes and then elected to walk off (with the other masses) out of the Festival. Well, it was the final band (except for The Presets, but they were all the way over the other side of the grounds. To be frank, the only good thing about the Pumkins' set (for us) was the lightning show in the background, others may disagree. I have heard they they hit the stage running and that their earlier numbers (of the set) were great and right on the mark. Pity I didn't get to hear the greatness and all I (and those of us coming in from other stages) got was the guitar masturbation show. Back it up Billy, you're supposed to get better toward the end of the set and 'leave the crowd wanting more', not 'have more of the crowd wanting to leave'.

At the end of the night, people streamed out of the grounds to the FREE busses (provided by the Festival) back to the city/central transport hubs. We elected to walk as it really wasn't too far. All In All it was a great Festival, and very professionally run. Roll on next year.

V is for Victory! V-Festival, Sydney, March 2008

ozgenre — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 06:54:29 GMT

Perhaps a little late - but still important, after all V-Fest has only just left the country.

V is for Victory - V-Festival, March 29th, 2008

ozgenre — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 06:29:16 GMT

Perhaps a little late - but still important, after all V-Fest has only just left the country.

I was looking forward to this quite a lot because I was going to see a few bands I hadn't seen before (even though they were so well known it's not funny). The morning was simply a case of futzing about and getting ready, you know the drill, then having Jared, Alicia, Barbara and Gill arrive for all of us to leave and get to Centennial park about 2pm (although Jared and Kate were running a tad late and turned up after us). Getting to the location is was fenced intelligently, with many crowd controllers to direct people toward the large open entrance. Now this was the way to get people into a large Festival. Good lines, easy to get to, large entry gates with enough intelligent security staff, no 'overbearing' police presence, programmes handed out as you go through, easy signage, water and food easy to find and not overpriced, Gosh! Soundwave can learn a lot (and no quips about Richard Bransen's money backing it - the things I have mentioned are all common sense and generally written up in the Terms and Conditions of people/vendors wanting to take part in Festivals).

The Finnish to a Long Weekend

ozgenre — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 02:45:45 GMT

It's true that a long weekend did end on Monday, yet it wasn't quite over. Tuesday was an evening of going out to see H.I.M, on their 'Venus Doom Tour', at The Big Top at Luna Park. Work finished, and thence a quick shower and change and then off to meet Bekk, who was happily looking forward to seeing H.I.M ever since they announced their show last year. Now, I am only familiar with a couple of their numbers, but I was more than happy to go along and be educated :) I headed onto the train at Town Hall (having people move out of my way, because (since the head-shaving) I'm now a scary bald man in black), had a random girl tell me that she loved me on the train (which was really all kinds of random), joined the black-clad throng at Milson's Point Station, trekked down the hill and caught up with Bekk in time to hurry up and wait in line for about an hour. Peachy.

The random 'I Think I Love You' girl passed by as we were going in (she was also going to the show with her boi) and we got through with minimal "You can't take that into this venue" comments - though they did try to get my camera banned, they didn't because the lens was the right size (apparently they are trying to ban any camera with a removable lens because they are deemed 'professional' - actually many of the small digitals take better and closer pics than your average SLR-Digital cameras these days). Still, I got it in, once I flashed some ID... I love my licence... and were in time to hear the support band McQueen.

McQueen... I've not heard them before, but they were really very good. An all girl rock-group from England, they really stopped the audience cold. It's tough playing to an audience who are there for one specific band, and support for Finnish emo-rock gods H.I.M is a tough gig to get (look at what happened to the scarecely appreciated support for last year's gig). However, McQueen won the audience over. They were somewhat like the love-child of The Runaways and Suzie Quatro, but with a more modern rock-edge to them. The Band (Leah Duors on Vocals, Hayley Cramer on Drums, Cat de Casanove on Guitars, and Gina Collins on Bass) knew their target audience and interspersed their set with reminders that they knew the crowd was here to see H.I.M and to their credit didn't beg for attention. they just played out - and they wailed. They really played to that core audience knowledge, which is something the crowd really appreciated. McQueen weren't there to be sassy, or smart-arsed. They were there to play rock to a specific audience and play rock they did... kind of a Goth-Rock, but without added Emo (it makes sense to me). I liked them so much I bought the album, and it seems that they had gotten over their jet-lag from Perth (I asked them about that at their signing in between their set and H.I.M).

Anyway, Bekk, with no ID, couldn't get alcohol, which pissed her off no end - the thing I LIKE about The Big Top is their 'alcohol corral' where you enter, drink and have half of the floor to yourselves. The thing I DON'T like about it is that you can't mingle with your non-drinking friends. Still, at an all-ages gig you need some alcohol-control mechanisms, and this is as good as it gets in an enclosed venue. Then the lights went down and the volume went up and the members of H.I.M strolled onstage ( a little too csually I thought). Remember that H.I.M was here last year and gave a more than well-polished performance replete with chandeliers, mist and heartagrams galore. This year the stage was more reminiscent of a Tubeway Army gig from the 80's (although with dimmer lighting with changing colours), but that combined with the mist and back fan-lighting gave it an almost sepulchral feel. The audience reactions, especially those from the non-drinking age, showed that even though numbers appeared to be down from last year, the emotion and audience receptivity was well up. Guys in the audience were fans, and girls were also ardent fans and/or were in tears - something I haven't seen a lot of in this present day of music fandom. It's good to see that a band can still touch an audience member with their presence.

Again, the merchanise was overpriced (though the McQueen gear was about right), and apart from the McQueen CD, there were no CD/DVDs for H.I.M - again a captive market badly missed.

If I had one complaint about their set, it would be that wearing a beanie (to me) wasn't really representative of a polished goth-emo look, and I think it looked perhaps a little too grungey-casual for what I was expecting. Over all, even though they were musically great, their attitude was a little too much middle-finger-in-the-air for what I expected. That being said, that's the only thing I can really fault for the gig. They played a great set of about an hour, hitting their best from the past 6 albums and giving the audience what they were there for.

I would like to think that perhaps the guys were a little tired from playing Perth and hitting Sydney, though the Sydney audience were more than receptive and rabid for the attention. Maybe it was a bit of an off night (performance-wise). I would be interested to see another show, just to see if they were not quite up to par, or if this is a change in attitude from the Finnish Goth-Rockers.

...and Party Every Day

ozgenre — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 14:07:32 GMT

There's precious little that one can do to relive one's youth. You can look back on scrapbooks, you can read an old magazine or two at the dentists, or just perhaps you bring out that old stereo and load up an old vinyl LP. Maybe, just maybe... it would be Destroyer. That's a mission for a day... OR perhaps you could go and see the masters of Rock, live.

With work finished for a day, and performing what would be described as a magicians quick-change, it was then a frantic dash straight out to Acer Arena to ignore Vanessa Amarossi and to see the one and only KISS! On arrival, and navigating the throngs outside, we got in to see what we could see. Check out the merch stand and feel the excitement build. (I think that the only thing that peeved me was that there were only a very few finite number of Programme Books available - and that sucked because I didn't get one). However, getting into Acer was the easy part... getting a T-Shirt was also easy... well OK, perhaps it was a little crowded. Then, of course, catching up with people we knew as they got past security. The funny part was my friend Michelle running around yelling "Maiden! Maiden!" to all the KISS fans only to have her end up demanding to have a KISS tattoo bought for her after the show.

Finding our seats was simple, only to be confronted by the 'Biggest KISS Banner In The World'(TM). Honestly, the air was electric. KISS had been here back in 1996, and before that (I am happy to be corrected on this) only in 1980... which was the only other time I had seen them, actually. So I was really looking forward to the show. The lights dimmed to the expected audience cheer, a pause, and then the chants started..."We Want KISS! We Want KISS!" finally a voice rang out over the dimmed lights: "Sydney! You Asked for it!..." The audience roar went up, almost drowning out the amplified voice. "The hottest band in the world! KISS!!". The banner dropped, and the first sets of pyros went off. The strobing KISS logo sign behind the drum kit flashed on, backlighting all four members of the band onstage, in full regalia/armour, as they launched into their first number, "Deuce". From that point on the show did not stop or even let up.

For over an hour Gene, Paul, Tommy and Eric pounded through the hits ranging from "Shout It Out Loud", through "Lick It Up", "100,000 Years", "Love Gun" and "Detroit Rock City". Employee-turned band-member, Tommy Thayer, took up the mantle vacated by Ace Frehley (which at times begs the question as to, with only 2 original members left, is this still KISS or a KISS tribute band?) and yet, Tommy produced the goods with Frehley's signature tune "Shock Me". "Black Diamond" saw Eric Singer take up the lead vocal. The band wove a mixture of nostalgic Glam Rock and simplistic (yet audience enthralling) hard-hitting tunes. Gene Simmonds breathed fire, spat blood, played his axe and flew to the heavens (about 20 metres up to the top of the lighting rig) for a solo. For their final number, even Singer's drumkit was elevated up past the KISS logo, with flame pots and pyros outlining the band-members. Then as the stage hit darkness - which left afterimages of green and red, the audience went ballistic, demanding an encore. Of course it happened and the inevitable encore produced an acoustic version of "Shandi" and the 2 final show-stoppers "I Was Made For Loving You" and the 'international anthem' "Rock And Roll All Night" which had a repeat of the drum-kit raising, along with 2 side-stages elevating Simmonds and Thayes, leaving Paul the spotlight in centre stage (which is ironic when you read the many rumours of his being the next to leave the band after this 35 year Anniversary Tour).

I've read accounts of the band being weary and just going through the motions, and their stage schtick being old and hackneyed, but from what I saw on Thursday night, there's no doubt that these guys can still hold their own with any band on the planet. Sure, every city they tour may be their second home, and every city may be the 'The Rock N Roll Capital of [insert country here]', but hell, who doesn't want to hear that? We all do. It's part of the show - and you DO get a thrill when Paul screams it. To be honest, who cares if their songs are nostalgic rock? You go to see KISS for exactly that, you get just what you expect, and the spectacle, and (let's face it) the audience hypnotising show-of-shows. Yeah.

Never Gonna Stop...

ozgenre — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 05:14:22 GMT

Finally... after the weekend (and with the absence of my God-daughter who had a ticket waiting for her, but she didn't turn up): last night was Ozzy Osbourne (supported by Sevendust). Eleven years ago I missed him when he toured with Black Sabbath, which was unfortunate as I would have liked to see him at the peak of his powers. I have to admit that after seeing him in The Osbournes (on MTV) I was initially hesitant about getting a ticket. Now, however, I am very glad that I did. Met up with my friend Michelle after work, had some Japanese and Sake before heading into Acer Arena, where (having Gold Standing Tickets) got up close to Sevendust's last couple of numbers, which were surprisingly melodic and quite powerful. Means that I will be investigating them in the next week or so. No offense to Sevendust, but I was there to see the Godfather of Metal.

Intermission, an Ozzy Tour T-Shirt... (WTF is with it and the prices? The cheapest T was $50!! Talk about seriously ripping people off! Something has to be done about the prices over at Acer Arena) ... I got a drink (a can of Bundy & Coke for $7.50), dashed down to the floor and after a montage of bigscreen photos, the great man hit the stage. Still a little bent over from having over a decade of (allegedly) having an incorrect prescription for his medical condition(s), his well-documented excesses in the 70's and 80's, followed by his near-fatal quad-bike crash 4 years ago (Jeez! Was it that long ago??) his smile was still infectious, his eyes still as dark and piercing as they ever were, and his voice still steadily rocks out. He's a fucking madman onstage, loves the attention, and can still belt out 'Mr. Crowley' and 'Suicide Solution' like no-one else can. Many solo numbers (remember that he has been solo for almost twice as long as he was with Sabbath) interspersed with some Sabbath numbers made the night seriously good (at times I think I have a gift for understatement). He goaded the audience into participating (Pft! like they needed any encouragement) to the extent that at one early point he simply dropped trou and mooned the multi-thousand strong roaring crowd. Of course that roaring jumped up several notches as soon as the opening beats of 'War Pigs' started. I should note again that his voice is clear and strong, frenetic as ever, and steady; and (apart from some sound issues which seemed more technical than anything else) his lyrics are still clear and still speak with that manic undercurrent of forbidden darkness.

His support band was utterly amazing and his lead guitarist, a Viking guitar legend ripped out of Norse mythology by the name of Zakk Wyldd, gave Ozzy a mid-set rest as he launched into a blistering 15-20 minute lead guitar solo which sent the entire auditorium into paroxysms of stunned cheering (coupled with main-screen projections of female fans baring breasts to gain the attention of both Zakk and the rest of the heaving crowd). This man had all the Rock-God tricks of the trade, not only with the stance and the body to carry it off, he weilded his guitar like a weapon of old, even to the extent of playing it behing his neck and even melodically hitting chord progressions with his teeth. I was breathless... the girls next to me had 'melted' (I think that's the kindest word to use). The show finished up and the encore was as good as expected, and 'Paranoid' being the very Sabbath-oriented finish that we fans wanted. Unfortunately, the hoped-for second encore didn't happen... but no matter.

The Prince Of Darkness had returned, graced us with his still hallowed presence and has sworn that he will not wait another 11 years to be back and bless us all again with his 'satanic' gifts.

I will live forever ... Immortal 15/03/08

ozgenre — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 04:51:55 GMT

Last Saturday night I finally got to see Immortal at The Metro. Originally I knew that my friend Jules was going, and I suspected that her friend, Liv, would be there as well. So, with an initial ticket mix-up all solved, I headed in. Joined Liv at Bar Ace, thence to The Metro to pay their horribly overblown prices and drink with Jules and company whilst Ruins were playing. No offense to Ruins but I was enjoying the company.

So, intermission happened and then Immortal walked onstage to a huge reception. Now,They workerd the stage, and made contact with the audience (again this is something that I prefer a band to do) - although my only criticism of their audience contact would be that it was only the 'mosh' area and not really addressing those in the 'cheap seats'. Now, I'm not usually a rabid fan of Norwegian Black Metal, although I must add that I DO like it. I also wasn't expecting to see so many people I knew there... silly me. This was my first time seeing Immortal live (no not even a DVD, OK?) and as far as I am concerned, Immortal had a huge stage-presence, they hit all their hallmark numbers (I'd been swatting up on their discography) AND did their standard fire-breathing at the end. I may get pilloried for the comparison but I found them very KISS-like (except that the music is much more gravelly and a lot more [dare I say it] hardcore). Where KISS has the market in commercialist-performance, Immortal has the market in edgier hardcore performance. They seemed to get off on the Sydney audience, and that's the important thing I think. If a band so obviously hits their marks, and they get off on the audience, the feed-back to and from is something electric and this indeed was just that.

I liked Immortal and I'll be back to see them again, hopefuly in an equally intimate venue like The Metro. A larger venue would seriously detract from the rapport with the audience. After the show, I did lose Heather and I did lose kanika and company as well... after a couple of drinks - it happens on a 'school-night' after a show like that.

There's No Business Like Show Business

ozgenre — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 00:07:38 GMT

Mindless Self Indulgence - The Gaelic Theatre - Feb 26th.

For a band to call themselves 'Mindless Self Indulgence' is a nice tip of the hat to the post-punk boom of the late 70's and also a wry nod to the audience. "You want a band to have this... well here it is." Conversely, MSI is not really mindless.

Many of their lyrics are quite sharp and pointed (kind of like post-punk cynicism), and as far as Self-Indulgent... well perhaps so. but after all... it is a show they're putting on - and as such most performers are self-indulgent to a degree...

However, this show is anything but. The band cares about what the audience thinks and cares about their enjoyment. Having seen MSI at Soundwave 2008, and having them shine as one of the performance highlights, I was certainly looking forward to their 'solo' appearance at The Gaelic. There's 2 reasons really; a) It was their solo set and; b) It was The Gaelic and to be honest it's a fairly intimate venue which really enhances the experience of an act.

The line out front was already in full lurching formation as it shambled molasses-like toward the front door. of course this meant that people may/would miss the first support ... er... well seeing as I didn't see them, I missed them and their name has (regrettably) gone to the realm of lost memories. There was the beat-drumming of the band through the walls, but of course that shouldn't be used as a basis for measuring performance. Of course, lining up was interspersed with bouts of torrential rain which caused a lemming-like dash through to The Madison Hotel to partake in some liquid refreshment. Finally, rocking into The Gaelic, I swiped my card and was able to see a rejuvenated Dead Inside The Chrysalis onstage.

Now I have seen DITC a number of times supporting various different acts, and 'festivals' but this time (though their look and sound are still very similar to what they have had in the past) they seem to have a bit of rejuvenation happening. not only are they less gaunt, but they seem to be getting more happiness out of what they are playing. perhaps a lifestyle change? or perhaps just finally settling into their genre, as opposed to frantically chasing it (which is the perception I have had in that past). Don't get me wrong, the set was still wonderfully frantic, and full of classic DITC eye-candy, but more together as opposed to each member trying to catch up to/outdo the other. It was nice to see them avoid this behaviour.

A 'new-ish' lineup meant that there appeared to be some nervousness, or perhaps it was a little uncertainty how they mesh together witgh a live audience as discerning as MSI fans, but overall it was an very enjoyable set. Nice eye-candy in LeXX TroNIx, but please give her more to do (I take this to still be her settling in period, so it's not a bad criticism). It would have helped, though, if DITC knew how they were ending - to say "One more song." and then have the bassist say "Nope!" was funny... but ended on a les energetic/lower note than I am sure they wanted. Mind you, that also meant that their set actually ran to time. (Of course by the end of the MSI Tour I am sure LeXX will have settled in really well).

DITC finished and that's when I grabbed my MSI T-Shirt. I was still wanting the opportunity to grab more merch, as I am a sucker for buying CDs/DVDs when I am seeing band I like (and I already have all the DITC CDs at this stage). MSI CDs/DVDs (even bootlegs?) yes please - and this seems to be a trend right now. A lack of non-wearable merch. Shirts are all fine, but what I really want is a bit of the show to take home. So, bring on the specific Tour shirts along with the CDs and/or DVDs.

Still, with T-shirt in tow... I jammed further into the crowd and waited for MSI to hit the stage.

Hit the stage is just what they did. I swear, from the band taking their places until the final Ethel Merman number, the band didn't stiop. I really like the fact that Jimmy engages the audience and takes some time out to screw with them (in the good way). I mean, losing the mic because he's stuffed it down his pants (and then getting a couple of the audience to find it), grabbing an audience members handbag and going through it in public, chatting between numbers with obviously awful yet pointed 'Aussie' references. It was good engagement, and something I like to see from a band. not to mention that they performed for the audience, they put on a show - and THAT is what I want to see. I say it a lot but I really don't like a band just standing there playing. I like them to have a good time and put on a show. I was also more than impressed when Lyn-Z did her stage-dive from the stage-left speaker stack, followed by a few minutes of crowd surfing. The one thing that I was interested in seeing was the anmount of audience stage-diving that went on. As long as it doesn't interrupt the band, I have no issue with it, but if it does, I don't like the interruption to the flow of the show.

The set included many of MSI's 'well known' numbers ("Stupid Mother Fucker!" is probably one of my faves now) but I have a soft spot for "Kill The Rock" and "Golden I" - I hadn't heard them really before. Some were familiar from Soundwave and at least this time Jimmy didn't haven to contend with the stupidity of the 'animal' element throwing missiles at him.

The Ethel Merman "No Business Like Show Business" ending was great. It was a seriously camp moment and just what such a high energy show needed at the end - the band poking fun at themselves and saying that this WAS a show. A show I can most highly recommend. After having seen them twice now I can honestly say that MSI is a showbiz force to be reckoned with and as far as them playing live is conncerned, there really IS no business like Showbusiness.

Soundwave 2008

ozgenre — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 02:13:25 GMT

This is more a critique of the Soundwave Music festival than any specific Bands, though I do give a thumbnail of the ones I caught toward the end.

Firstly, let me say that the bands I saw yesterday at Soundwave were (overall) good. Some were VERY good, one was tedious - I thought that might have been just my personal taste, but talking to other fans they agreed that they were lacking in performance. There were good things about the Festival, and some very bad things. Well folks, this is another complaint about the Festival - although this time from an Event Management and Security perspective (hey! It's what I do for a living).

Let me start off by saying that organising a concert with one band and support is a headache and a half (depending on the band) so 40+ acts gets my standing applause and kudos. That being said - to take on such a large enterprise means that you have a lot of marks to hit - and the chances of missing them increases with each addition. That being said, there are things which must be addressed next year or else this will simply turn into another 'shambles' like this year.

Security. Whilst there were some guards who were doing their job, and handling the irate people in the line at the front, perhaps some of the ones perving on the girls for half ther day and not doing anything else could be better served down toward the mosh-pit where half-baked morons were running about finding things to peg at the artists onstage. I am sure there are pics of half of these people doing this, and to be honest, when the missiles didn't hit the bands (as I heard one did at another stage), I wonder how people in the mosh felt when those full cans hit them in the face? Find these guys and toss them out - no refund. End of story. Also, how the hell did people get alcohol into the venue in 'flask' bottles? They strapped then to their legs under their baggy shorts. Common frisking practice guys. Make it a policy, and enforce bag searches. For that matter what happened to allow the fence to come down earlier in the day, and have about 60 people run in? Also, why did Security not respond appropriately? (I've seen the YouTube clip - it was laughable). Some guards were good, the others were... in need of experience or re-training.

Access. The lines to get in were a joke. It took about 20 mins to trek to the gate, from the road, about an hour-90 mins to get in, and then another 20 mins to get from stage to stage. Kudos to the Guards who had to cope with the irate people - but the fact that they had Police staggered around the gate (not the dog-squad police, the regular ones) showed that there were serious concerns. However, having people walking the lines and explaining what the holdup was would have helped (not to mention having someone to stop people cutting in), also to monitor heat issues. The lines were in the sun - shade would have helped a lot, so would water. Also, the bottlenecks. I know that Sydney Park is under reconstruction, but guys, some of these bottlenecks were just damned laughable and indeed an accident waiting to happen. Kudos for getting a walkway in at about 4pm, but really - the hours before that were a problem, not to mention the other bottlenecks. I assume the stage placement was due to construction work(?), but having a map which showed the actual fence-lines in relation to stage location and obvious LARGE sign-posting directions (street-signs if you will) would have helped.

Water. Enough has been said about this - and to be honest as a licenced venue you have the responsibility to serve free water, otherwise you are in breach of licencing. You did that - much later in the day. Also, the reason for water is two-fold, rehydration and cooling the body down, hence warm water is only half the battle. It's not whinging to demand that which the law says you must have.

Food. Too expensive, lines mismanaged, and ran out way too soon. Perhaps the vendors can be advised to increase by an hour or so the amounts they have to handle the 'dinner' rush. Not to mention the line-up for food/water was also a joke. Either have more vendor locations and/or larger vendors. After all - the estimates of crowd numbers you had beforehand, therefore catering to them should have been an easy call for the vendors.

Merch. T-Shirts are all well and good (though I missed out on getting a Soundwave 2008 one - that's my personal complaint ;)) - but I wonder if other merchandise can be supplied. CDs, etc...? impulse buying for the band you just saw is a powerful marketing tool - and one which should be looked at - that's just an idea not a criticism so much.

Alcohol. If that's what you're there for, that's what you get. Though to only have beer at the end of the day - for those who don't drink it, is a little sad. perhaps an increase in amount for next year? Also, what was it with the no sunglasses in the middle of the glare? (That's just me being curious) Something to do with intox rules? I mean I have an RSA, there are no 'sunglasses off' rules involved in the course, so this makes me curious. Also, in running out of some alcohol varieties... again, with a pre-determined estimate of attendees, you can get the alcohol (perhaps on consignment) and then return the unused amounts. Not everyone likes beer (especially warm beer, it makes people drink faster and then get sicker).

Porta-Loos. Stages 1 & 2 didn't have any for the crowd. If you needed to go, you needed to go - a long way away. I can hope that we are talking about space considerations here, but a row on stage right of the Stages would have helped a little, and perhaps a row at the back of the hill, behind the fence (so idiots can't tip them over and have them 'flow' down the hill). It means you almost (and many did) lose their seats for some of the big bands, not to mention that getting to them was a trek and then the wait. Further many had non-functioning 'locks' on the doors, not to mention that they needed to be cleaned more regularly as some were (to be brutally honest) disgusting.

Safety. Again I have to note the issues with crowd-pegging (throwing missiles at other patrons and bands) which appeared to go on with no Security presence or reprisals. Train the bulk of your guards, people. It's not hard. They're getting paid, make sure they earn the money. Also, how the hell did people get alcohol into the venue in 'flask' bottles? They strapped then to their legs under their baggy shorts. Common frisking practice guys. Make it a policy, and enforce bag searches. All it takes is one law-suit of 'Breach Of Duty Of Care' and the Festival loses excessively BIG dollars. Crowd issues with bottlenecked fences, causes for heat exhaustion and crush issues - wider access would be safer. The mudslide outside of Stages 1 & 2 became a hazard. Supplying a water-stop was a great thing to do, well done, but it caused a walkway hazard for quite some time thereafter. Just a thought - some of that hard plastic/rubber 'bar-flooring' for the area would have helped - and been much safer. Can I ask, was the fencing and crowd-flow taken into account in the Risk Management/Assessment planning stages?

Bands. Replacements and last minute pull-outs are not the fault of the organisers, all they can do is offer refunds - which is the morally right thing to do (and the legality of refunds/not supplying refunds is in the Terms and Conditions of Purchase - but always remember Caveat Emptor 'let the buyer beware') - and book replacements. However, scheduling (the nightmare of most people) is something that should be seriously looked at - too many headliners on at the same time? Why? Just because you might like one band on Stage 1 doesn't mean that you don't like any other sort... on Stage 4 - 20+ minutes away. Have a care with international headliners - as we may want to see more than one stage. Clashes are not fun at all - especially when the stages are a Nullabor trek apart. Also, when bands run early or (leaving a gap to be filled) get them to extend (if they can) OR leave a gap. People work out what they want to see based on the schedule and if you run 15 mins early, then people who are 20+ minutes away from the stage (due to stage location) will miss their bands. Schedules are made to be adhered to (with obvious provisions made for crisis mamagement).

These are the major things I noted on the day - I'm leaving out the niggling little ones - as nothing can ever go precisely to plan.

That being said - I fully enjoyed Plain White T's (and want to see their other show on Wednesday and I think I will). Scary Kids Scaring Kids were a lot of fun and a nice padding band leading up to ...MSI who were great onstage with a huge presence (even in the face of adversity - the missile-throwing yobbo-element) and I will enjoy their sideshow tomorrow night. Thursday (one of the replacement bands) were a force onstage although a lot of their songs sounded similar ;) their 'Wall of Death' was a sight to behold and they actually had a working circle pit. Incubus were the major disappointment of the night (and I think MSI would have been better in this slot) - Incubus were lacklustre and, to be honest self-indulgently tedious with no presence and very little charisma. Finally Offspring saved the night with a blistering set full of all the good numbers, I think they knew they had to make up for the previous band's lack of presence and so they hit the stage running.

Overall, I enjoyed the bands, and I had a really good time seeing them. However, the seeming lack of organising/delivery of the Festival was a major turn off to myself and many others.

Heat with that Latin Salsa Beat

ozgenre — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 05:56:57 GMT

The Sydney Festival is in full swing and what better way to hit the second week of the month-long party than to spend it stretched out, on an oversized life-saver ring, in a marquee surrounded by (inflatable) palm trees, holding many excellent daiquiris, eating excellent food, spending the time with good friends, hundreds of fruit-bats wheeling overhead, and being entranced by Jazz In The Domain featuring The Spanish Harlem Orchestra for 2 hours.

Conducted by the world-renowned Oscar Hernández, they hit the stage around 8pm and did not stop for 3 hours - well OK, they had a 20 minute intermission - however, the music lingered throughout the interval and people didn't stop dancing. The Orchestra themselves, though, these people are seriously Musicians par excellence!!! What a night it was :) I can't begin to describe the intricacies of their rhythms, their tight brass-heavy harmonies, their mid-fith vocals, their poly-percussive (almost subliminally tribal) breaks, or their indefatiguable energy. As a variation of the traditional 'Jazz In The Domain' it was as welcome as seltzer and fresh lime in the tropics. To top it off - we were treated to some of the city's finest Salsa/Latin/Mambo dancers on podiums, under each of the 3 x 10metre screens as well as on the main stage behind and beside the orchestra, in a 35 minute crashing finale which brought everyone to their feet clamouring for more - and more they got with 2 more encores. If these musicians didn't go backstage and getr taken away by ambulance (on oxygen) I would be very surprised. That much energy and talent must come at a supernatural cost.

MANY Thanks to Gary (who doesn't have a blog of any kind, but what the hey...) who buys additions and gadgets to make the 'Marquee' bigger and better each year (Hey! Nikki! Remember when we all started doing this? we used to BUILD the marquee ;)), to Heidi (Sinclair, yes I deleted Photo #46, now I just have to find another one to take it's place), to Nikki (obviously for said daiquiris and making this a time honoured tradition), to Eric (for being such a good shot with grapes), David, Ruth and little Ada (especially Ada for providing some excellent dancing and photo opportunities).

I Twittered this statrement to my other journal earlier in the night - but even though the Salsa beat, the Orchestra, and all of the above was DAMNED excellent! I always (now) have that niggling in the back of my head whenever I hear Salsa or Mambo music... "El Diablo Con Dinero" (Senor B-u-u-urns!)

She's dead... wrapped in plastic

ozgenre — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 00:35:58 GMT

As a side note to another journal post elsewhere... : Amanda Palmer was outstanding on Monday night, at The Factory, and seeing Paul Mcnally (of The Surprise Arm) and Alicia there was excellent, too. I did get to chat with Paul about a possible Surprise Arm reunion, but that (as with many defunct bands) is not really a happening concern, which is a pity. Also a pity that Erin wasn't there, she got sidetracked with date-mix-ups and family things. Weird part of the evening - one of The Veronicas was at the show just being a fan. The nice thing was that she wasn't mobbed. No overt security around her (though I think she was spending mot of hwer time with a 'minder'. She is SO small, comes up to me shoulder, really. (Just thought I'd throw that in there...).

Catching The Follow beforehand was also damned good. I hadn't seen them perform since their EP Launch at 34b (on the same bill as MzAnnThropik about 2(?) years ago whilst Steve Burnett was still in the band). The Follow were really tight and worthwhile seeing again - They have a chrity gig on at Bar Broadway on Thursday night for Cystic Fibrosis - not to mention that I'm grabbing their CDs as soon as I get the chance. Great stage presence by the entire band band and the frontman, Azaria, was brilliant. He reminds me of a cross between early David Bowie and Jim Morrison. Not to mention that the mixing for the night was excellent!

Anyway, Amanda Palmer's show "Who Killed Amanda Palmer" (a nice take on the old Twin Peaks teaser slogan) was brilliant. The album comes out early 2008 and is being mixed by Ben Folds, who helped put this project together. Onstage for well over an hour (about 90 mins I would guess) she was joined by The Danger Ensemble from Brisbane who gave a performance art edge to a few of her numbers. A few were curious about her solo show, and what type of edge it would have, apart from the dark edge known and loved by her legions of fans. She didn't disappoint the audience at all - the new material elegantly slips into her repetoir as well as playing Dresden Dolls faves like 'Coin Operated Boy' to huge cheers from the 300+ crowd. The nice thing was her engaging the audience in conversation as well, I like artists that have a chat with you as well as giving you what you went to hear, and Ms Palmer did not dissapopoint. Still, she was great and she dropped the hint that she would be doing a season at the Opera House Studio next year... though not giving specific dates at this stage.

The show finally finished (to everyone's voiced dismay) with the audience not letting her to get away without delivering 2 encores, one being Umberella, and the other being a ukelele version of Creep. A very satifying night which I think was summed up by an SMS I got from a friend of mine: "I think I will pick myself up off the floor now and somehow go home." Indeed Amanda Palmer floored most people there.

Always look on the bright side... of Homebake

ozgenre — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 02:58:53 GMT

Homebake 2007. Sure, we had people popping around from 10am to get ready. We had Ernie forgetting that she was going and running crazily to get to mine before we headed into The Domain, and Imogene who turned up just after us and didn't end up needing the ticket bought for her, as she nabbed a free ticket (yes a FREE) ticket from some guy out the front giving them away (hence leaving me with a spare). Pft, such is life I say. Anyway, the day was hot, the bands were great (and you actually didn't need to be in the mosh to appreciate some of them, as the sound carried very well and very clearly). The weather was hot, and because of the recent rain the word muggy doesn't do it justice. You could cut the air and serve it with whipped cream, calling it a pavlova, it was that humid. Still, the trees were a good place to sit and take in the ambience, the fence-jumpers, the security who were doing little but chatting up girls who wore shorts so low you needed a wax-job sold with each pair (not that there's anything wrong with that). I'm not going to go on about each band I saw... well not in great detail, anyway. In order of seeing them:

Behind Crimson Eyes - better than I expected for a 'Festival Warm-up Band' (I mean being in that early-ish slot). I'd never heard them before - and they were good in that geeky early Weezer way, which means I'll keep an eye on where they are playing next.

Wicked Beat Sound System - the 3 numbers I heard were... ummm... pedestrian at best. They have a reputation of making people want to dance, but nope - very laid-back and slow-ish. If the songs had more drive and were more upbeat (at least double the tempo they were at) they would have been good. Could be that they are better in the evening after the heat of the day is gone. However, this time, not my thing.

Operator Please - an audience favourite and justifiably so. You didn't need to be in the mosh to hear them, and they were bang on. Looks like ARIA success has given them much confidence and they didn't disappoint.

Soft Tigers - Never heard of them, and was interested in shade, so heard them by accident. Nice, tight, and fun onstage. A good brassy sound.

The Brunettes - Surprisingly good. Seemed a bit gimmicky to begin with, but they were also quite tight and the Hopetoun stage suited them. Poppy with an air of 'we don't give a damn'

Gotye - One man and his drums went to slay the Festival. I think he just walked onstage and wanted to have fun, and it showed because it drew crowd from all over the grounds. Mind you he was early - by an hour, so something must have gone awry with another artist. Still, VERY worthwhile live.

Missy Higgins - at the risk of sounding insulting (and I'm not) she was a one-woman wrecking crew. She held the audience in her hand and squeezed the cheers out of them. She was awesome live - regardless of the 'muff-diving' jokes being thrown about by the Neanderthals standing next to me.

Architects In Helsinki - 4 words - Always Worth The Effort.

Divinyls - After announcing her problems with having MS on A Current Affair the night before, Chrissie hit the stage with a complete "I may be sick, and I've told everyone, so fuck that let's have a good time!" attitude which I admired straight up. At times she looked tired and took frequent opportunities to sit and rest while still belting out songs in that great 1980's rock-chick style. She was brassy, in-your-face, carried the tunes, and gave the audience the "See?! I can still do this!" attitude. She's still got it, and the rest of the band was great, too. I've always liked the disturbingly good gimmick of having a choir of young girls (dressed in catholic school-girl uniforms) singing the chorus to 'I Touch Myself' as an introduction to the band :)

Pnau - frantically trying to keep their volume down during the clash with the Divinyls' time-slot. Thus, they were on last in The Big Top. Brilliant, tight, slick, almost a pre-recorded sound. Very professional and a lot of fun to end the night on - even if they went overtime :)

No pass outs until 5pm meant that they had to get cash-out EFTPOS in onsite, which was smart as people were complaining at the start of the day. Drink prices were abysmal - but what can you do with a monopoly on alcohol? The queues were inordinately long (some taking an hour to move through - I watched, I wouldn't stand in a queue for an hour). The added $1 to the price of all drinks was a brilliant move though. You could redeem each can for $1 token which you could then collect and (in essence) get discounts on further drink purchases. Hence, the grounds were almost spotless. Brilliant strategy! They were even cashing all unused tokens in for cash at the end of the evening.

All in all, it was a great day, with great company. Some REALLY great company.

My main Web-Log

ozgenre — Mon, 26 Jun 2006 06:46:17 GMT

...can be found at http://ozgenre.livejournal.com