Setting it off in my 'hood

Resin Dogs played at the Jacaranda Festival in Goodna last night. That was supercool - lots of kids and oldies who probably didn't dig hip hop, but there was a good little crowd bouncing in the front (except for the fat old chick in tight skimpy clothes grinding... ew). I'm not a huge fan of MCing, but I looooooooooove those infectious beats and samples. I really appreciated the live instrumentation of guitar, bass and drums, along with the scratching and effects. And the visuals were really cool, particularly when they did a Midnight Oil song and looped footage of Peter Garrett dancing. Very fun (and I think fat old chick in tight skimpy clothes may have started a fight at the end). Like everyone, Resin Dogs have a myspace.

Wine, dance and song

Doch was an absolutely spectacular 2 hours spent at the Powerhouse last Thursday night. The guest singers were beautifully expressive, while the instruments were played with great technical ability as well as fun and passion. I can't believe how fast they could play! And with such a large orchestra, the layers of sound were coordinated amazingly. The slower songs had me transfixed, while the livelier pieces got me up and dancing by the end. My favourite aspect of Doch and Balkan gypsy music is the element of wit, humour, satire or irony expressed in musical style, which I just can't quite articulate into words.

Grate as ever

Friday night started out at the Jubilee Hotel, where Block Past Maple played six brilliant original songs. My favourite was the 1950s style love song with a lovely doo-wop chord progression. The band, and in particular the lead singer Stu, has improved phenomenally in style and confidence since their last gig. Kudos to the guys, and a shout out to the drummer Jeremy who is one top bloke :)

Faker were first up at the Tivoli, and like at Big Day Out, were jumping and climbing all over the stage. 'Hurricane' had the whole crowd dancing, while the songs that weren't off Addicted Romantic, and hence that I hadn't heard before, were interesting and somewhat promising.

The Grates, like always, were as fun as I had expected. I was jumping around and singing along most of the time, and I'm still in awe of Patience's energy on stage. I love their raw sound - just drums, guitar, vocals, and occasionally keyboards played by a panda, come across so well live. The white winter stage decor and faux snow were also rather cool.

Eargasmic

Unfortunately missed On/Oxx playing at the Zoo last night. Came halfway through Macromantics, who were these two crazy chicks mixing and MCing some fun bouncin' hip-hop with much energy and attitude. Check 'em, they have a myspace.

My Disco were really really really gooooood. Okay, they might have been playing the same song over and over, I wasn't entirely sure, but the live sound was spectacularly enveloping. They played a really tight set - all their timings and accentuations were perfect, and they were all working damn hard up there. Hell impressed. And I think I'm in love with the drummer!

Vegas Kings at Ric's

Hmm well... I have to say, I was mildly disappointed by the gig on Saturday night. It was by no means bad, but just not that great. I like their music, definitely, but I think what they were trying to do just wasn't conveyed as well live as I had expected. Each of the individual elements within the music was well played, and I appreciated that, but it just didn't all come together clearly enough to move me in any great way, and perhaps they sped it up a bit too much for me to enjoy. That said, I'd probably still see them play again, and look forward to anything they offer in the future.

Youngsters no more

Last night was spent at the Zoo, and what a night! First off was The Mean Streaks, who were young, full of energy and highly impressive! A feisty and fiery bunch, the lead singer chick sounds like an angrier version of Karen O from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and their new drummer was this nice girl I vaguely knew (of) through uni. Charismatic as the band and their music were, they were somewhat overshadowed by a ring-in tambourine chick who just went nutso all over the stage. It inspired me to reconsider my prospects of a career as a "musician" - I don't think it's beyond my capabilities to go on stage drunk and bash a tambourine on stuff while a band plays. Anyway yeah, The Mean Streaks were fun, see their myspace.

I really loved Happy Hate Me Nots, perhaps more than I expected. I'm really glad to have heard of them and to have heard their anthology before this gig. I particularly like how they represent punk ideology, but their melodies and lyrics also have great aesthetic value. They performed well, and I could really see that they'd had great experience in gigging, and delivered their songs with a sense of nostalgia. I'm curious to see if they'll write, record and perform new material following this recent reformation.

The Buzzcocks were insane! I'd not moshed in a really long time, and I've never really seen masculine aggressive moshing to this extent before. It was bizarre, I usually keep to myself and enjoy having my own space at gigs, but somehow I got a therapeutic sense of satisfacton from pushing and shoving around with strange people. It was also amusing to witness a mutual enjoyment between people acting violently against each other, like some sort of bonding ritual. The band also happened to be really good (I can't believe that they're so last generation - I swear I was the youngest person at the venue), and it was obviously by the performance that such passionate crowd activity was inspired, but it was foreign to me to enjoy a gig without cognitively focusing on the band. I didn't make it through the entire set, leaving a little worse for wear, but it surely was a freaking awesome experience!

I like how they operate

Pertaining to live music, Gomez at the Tivoli last night was the best $70 I've ever spent. Freaking amazing. Their catchy and straightforward, yet earnest and soulful songs were performed just brilliantly. So rich in sound, with their plethora of instruments and effects, they filled the entire room with music and atmosphere. And the vocals, OHMYGOD the vocals were powerful, that gravelly husky voice that comes through among the harmonies, as well as belted out loudly over everything else. The dynamics of the performance was impeccable - the timing, the pauses and the variations in intensity were all perfectly delivered. Gomez pleased the crowd with most of the songs from How We Operate as well as an even selection from the other albums, and worked hard in a beautiful one-and-a-half-hour set. And these guys just loved what they were doing and really meant it.

(Obviously, I'm far too blown away to write a coherent reveiw here. Just believe me, it was sensational.)

Them Was Scientists

The Rocketsmiths (formerly known as The John Citizens) were the support act last night at the Zoo. A quirky pop band, they made a variety of loud fun sounds that I enjoyed.

I was pleasantly surprised by We Are Scientists, quite impressed. Having heard only a few songs of theirs on the radio, I wasn't entirely sure what to expect. Their delivery was tight, with the lead vocals really strong. There was a mix of catchy riffs and ambient jams on the guitar, while the bass and drums were brisk and pounding. Think The Killers/Bloc Party, with a bit of... I dunno, Youth Group? mixed in, but with dirtier American punk rock undertones. The (rather young) crowd went rather nutso and rowdy, which was cool, while the few slightly slower songs were intriguing. The stage banter was also quirky, nerdy and fun.

Not a band whose album I would invest into listening to with contemplation, but I was very much entertained.

The Rocketsmiths' Official Site
The Rocketsmiths' myspace

We Are Scientists' Official Site
We Are Scientists' myspace

About time I finally saw them

These guys are pretty cool. Saw them on Saturday night rockin' out Ric's, where the gigs are free and nobody tries too hard to look trendy. (Elsewhere, people really do try far too hard, and still fail to look trendy. The moral of the story: never try.) The Corbett brothers were full of raw primal energy on stage, and I even got drenched in Gentle (sexy) Ben's sweat at one stage. Not entirely sure I appreciated that. Anyway, jumping around was fun, even at the expense of my toes. The guys are off to tour Europe now, but in the meantime check out their myspace.

Splendiferous

So I could talk about how overcrowded it was, or how muddy it was, or how much of a bitch it was to get to the GW McLennan Theatre... well whatever, this is all about the music, man. A recap of the sets I saw:


Saturday

Brittle Fex - Emo kids with bad hair, obviously pretty psyched to be there. Fairly crap music and sentiment, but the drumming was kinda cool.

Dungen - They made a point of telling us, and even making us repeat, that it's pronounced Doong-yen. Or something like that, they're Swedish anyway. A bit erratic in styles that left me lost at times, with some tunes slightly poppy while others having an ambient mystical feel, but interesting enough to have the potential to develop into something great.

Youth Group - Consistently producing tight performances and quality songs, but pretty much the same as how they played at Big Day Out. Perhaps need some stage personality, but I enjoyed it so I shouldn't complain.

The Grates - A very fun band to jump around to, and their simplistic sound combination of energetic drum, guitar and vocals propelled by Patience's playful charisma was very effective in a festival crowd. Balloons are also fun.

Lior - Too crowded when I got there, so didn't get in far enough to really get a great sense of the atmosphere. I'm sure those close enough to see would have been highly impressed with his guitar skills. We all enjoyed a group hug-and-sway-along to "This Old Love" nevertheless.

Mogwai - Self-indulgent as one would expect, but produced very lovely powerful sounds and ambience that had me mesmerised. Hey, I dig that wanky shit.

Sonic Youth - I was ready to die happy after experiencing that performance. Best live set I have ever seen, I can't get over it. A sound I already love soooo much sounded just that much better live, with the lush riffs taking me deliriously high and the kickdrum pounding into my chest making me want to explode. And feedback... to capture feedback in a recording just doesn't do it justice. Not to mention the artists themselves - at 50-something, Kim Gordon somehow manages to grow spunkier and rock harder with age.

DJ Shadow - Disappointing according to many, I saw the last half hour and was fairly impressed. "Mashing On The Motorway" was interestingly challenging to dance to, with regularly surprising changes in rhythm.


Sunday

The Zutons - A brit-pop/rock sort of sound that included saxomophone made for a fun happy crowd-pleasing set. Very accessible and hence much potential for popularity.

The Vines - The much-anticipated mystery act. I was excited to learn who it was to be for a few seconds, before I remembered that hey, they kinda suck these days. With not much substance to their songs, they tried to rock in a riotous rambunctious we're-supercool Oasis-esque manner that didn't really work for me. Okay so I admit I didn't mind them once upon a time, but I conclude that their sound got old rather than got worse. Even their first few break-through singles didn't evoke any sort of nostalgia of a past time and place. Good on them for trashing the stage though, it was the most entertaining thing they did.

Snow Patrol - A lovely band with sweet lyrics, a delightful sound and an optimistic sentiment. Quintessentially Indie. Pleased loyal fans with favourites.

Presets - Dance-rock rarely disappoints, particularly at an event where people would expect to have a dance or to rock out.

José González - Only made it for Teardrop, which was beautifully delivered. I expect the rest of the set would have been of similar calibre.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Stupid name, impressive sound. I dig that chick's voice, it's something like a phenomena.

Gerling - Better than they were at Big Day Out, but I would have liked to hear more of their electro, especially being in the Mix Up Tent.

Scissor Sisters - Glam rock never ceases to entertain. Lost interest during slower songs, but that Ana Matronic has some sassy attitude that gets the crowd moving to that pumpin' groovin' sound.

Eels - No Strings Attached at Tivoli, Thursday 20 July 2006

When the Eels came to Brisbane in 2005 on their With Strings tour, they promised they would rock again. This time, with No Strings Attached, rock is certainly what they did indeed. The show opened in darkness with a rumble of sound effects that augmented anticipation within the audience, many of whom having high expectations from their previous performance at the Tivoli. Lights brightened to reveal Mark Everett and each of his Eels barbate and sporting sunglasses, dressed in various uniforms. The band delivered a selection of songs from their latest album, Blinking Lights And Other Revelations, as well as older favourites, most with high-paced boisterousness, only slowing down occasionally for a more poignant ballad.

The appeal of the Eels’ sound is unique yet somewhat explicable – a balance between genius and simplicity of heartfelt lyrics, coupled with mellow chords, delivered in performance of self-condescending and wistful yet honest and optimistic fervour. While some fans may have preferred Mr E’s softer songs, most appreciated the intensity achieved by sped-up renditions, and all were undeniably entertained by the energetic stage antics in any case. Big Al, dressed in a security guard costume, danced kung-fu fighting style, distributed whipped cream to the audience, made witty banter between songs and occasionally even played tambourine or provided backing vocals.

The set ended with the catchy classics “I Like Birds” and “Mr E’s Beautiful Blues”, leaving Eels fans rocked out but in anticipation of a new album and tour in the future.

Setlist:

• Old Shit/New Shit
• The Other Shoe
• Rock Show (Iggy Pop/Peaches)
• Crazy Love (Willie Dixon)
• Eyes Down
• Dirty Girl
• After The Operation
• Jesus Gonna Be Here (Tom Waits)
• Mother Mary
• A Magic World
• Rags To Rags
• I'm Going To Stop Pretending That I Didn't Break Your Heart
• Last Stop: This Town
• Not Ready Yet
• Railroad Man
• Dog Faced Boy
• Souljacker Pt.1
• I Put A Spell On You (Screamin' Jay Hawkins)
• That's Life (Frank Sinatra)

ENCORE
• Cancer For The Cure
• I Like Birds
• Mr. E's Beautiful Blues

SECOND ENCORE
• Saturday Morning

He covers Ashlee Simpson

Was at the very cool cruisey Alley Bar (if only they had a website I would link it) last night, and this "band" called Harvey Britain was playing. The "band" consists of one guy named Dan singing and strumming an acoustic guitar. Strange. Even stranger, he did a cover of an Ashlee Simpson song (I didn't recognise it myself, as if you would Mad!).

Anyway he seemed rather nice, so I thought I'd give his myspace a plug, though in a less spectacular fashion than he did, because he spelled out the address in song. And he's playing at the Alley Bar again in two weeks, on Wednesday July 5.

Everyone thought it was a shame for Belle and the boy Sebastian...

... to have to end the show!

One of the funnest gigs I've ever been to! 2 hours of jumping around and grinning our heads off at the band of guitar, bass, trumpet, percussion, keyboard, violin, cello, flute, toy instruments... and oh so deliciously sweet harmonies. They were full of character and having a ball on stage.

My highlights:

• A funky version "If She Wants Me" (possibly my fave song)
• "I'm A Cuckoo", the only song about breaking up that's fun to dance to
• A lovely cover of the Go-Betweens' "Bye Bye Pride"
• The panda chick! So jealous! There were a bunch of cool crazies who all wore animal masks, and threw their masks on stage, which the band used as props from time to time, and Stuart pulled this girl in a panda mask on stage for a dance and she was supercool, I wanted to be her!

Setlist:

• The Stars Of Track And Field
• Another Sunny Day
• Funny Little Frog
• Like Dylan In The Movies
• Sukie In The Graveyard
• Electronic Renaissance
• If She Wants Me
• To Be Myself Completely
• Dress Up In You
• Bye Bye Pride (The Go-Betweens)
• Piazza, New York Catcher
• Act Of The Apostle Part 1
• If You're Feeling Sinister
• The Blues Are Still Blue
• Le Pastie De La Bourgeoisie
• I'm A Cuckoo
• Jonathan David
• White Collar Boy
• The State I Am In

ENCORE
• Your Covers Blown
• The Boy With The Arab Strap

Ahh so sad it's over, I want to see them again!!!