Last night was the triumphant return of Boy & Bear to the live stage with a sold out show at the Forum Theatre to celebrate their new single "Hold Your Nerve" and the upcoming release of new album Suck On Light. Mary and I got there for the second opening act Tia Gostelow, who played a good set with her band that had a few standout tracks, including their Triple J Like A Version cover of Empire Of The Sun's "We Are The People."
Boy & Bear came out on stage and opened their set with "Old Town Blues". They played songs from across their career, ranging from "Rabbit Song" off the With Emperor Antarctica EP, "Milk & Sticks," "Part Time Believer," "Feeding Line" and "Big Man" off Moonfire, "Three Headed Woman," "Bridges," "Harlequin Dream," and "A Moment's Grace" off Harlequin Dream, and "Breakdown Slow" and "Walk The Wire" off Limit of Love.
It has been four long years between albums and there were questions about
whether the band could continue due to lead singer Dave Hosking's health
issues, but thankfully they are back with the new album Suck On Light. We got a preview of a few of the tracks as they did "Work Of Art," "Suck On Light" and "Hold Your Nerve." The big surprise of the night though was that in this new era of Boy & Bear they have shockingly reversed their long held rule never to do an encore. The band came back out on stage after the main set to play "Limit Of Love," their cover of Crowded House's "Fall At Your Feet" (along with a verse of Neil Young's "Heart Of Gold") and then finished the night with "Southern Sun." I'm really happy the band is back and able to tour again, and I'm looking forward to the release of the new album at the end of September.
Surprisingly it has been 18 months since Boy & Bear last played in Melbourne. Mary, Tash and I met up tonight at Festival Hall for their all ages gig in support of their latest album Limit Of Love. We arrived for the second support act, Brisbane band Art Of Sleeping. They had the crowd into their anthemic indie rock sound.
Boy & Bear began their set with the title track "Limit Of Love." Lead singer Dave Hosking was slightly awkward without his guitar and didn't seem to know what to do with his hands. It was good to hear old favorite "Rabbit Song" early in the set, followed by "Lordy May." Pretty much all of Limit of Love was played, and I really enjoyed "Where'd You Go," "Man Alone," "Just Dumb" and my favorite song off the album "A Thousand Faces." Other highlights from the previous albums included "Southern Sun" and "Old Town Blues" off of Harlequin Dream and "Golden Jubilee," "Feeding Line" and "Big Man" off of Moonfire.
As it was Dave's birthday today drummer Tim Hart got everyone to sing "Happy Birthday" to him. They did their Triple J Like A Version cover of Amy Winehouse's "Back To Black," but I'm not so sure about the arrangement they chose. In keeping with tradition they had to make the no encore announcement three songs from the end of the set. For "Harlequin Dream" a saxophone player came out to play the sax solo at the end of the song (the easiest 20 seconds of work you could have). They finished the night with the single "Walk The Wire." It was another fantastic show from the guys and you know you will get nothing less when seeing them live.
Here is the hilarious video by Oh Yeah Wow for "Walk The Wire"
It's hard to believe it has been nearly a year since I last saw Boy & Bear play live. They have been busy touring all over the world in support of their latest album Harlequin Dream, so it was nice for them to come back to play some more shows for their Australian fans. Our show at the Palais Theatre was the second in Melbourne this week, but the first one that went on sale and sold out. The opening act tonight was the wonderful Holy Holy, who sounded fantastic in the acoustics of the Palais. Mary and I were happy to get to see them again and they played lots of new songs in addition to the previously released tracks "Impossible Like You," "House Of Cards" and new single "History."
Every time Boy & Bear come through town they play bigger and bigger venues, and there was a wide range of ages in the audience tonight. The set contained songs from all of their releases, and I was really happy to hear "Rabbit Song" so early on in the evening. They tended to play many of songs back to back with no break, and sounded really solid after all the touring they've been doing this year. Some of the many highlights included "Lordy May," "My Only One," "Back Down The Black," "Milk & Sticks" and "Old Town Blues." They also brought back their cover of Crowded House's "Fall At Your Feet" into the set, which was great to hear and my third Crowdies cover of the week after The Basics shows. Dave Hosking apologized to everyone for calling this the Get Up & Dance Tour since they were playing a seated venue where you weren't allowed to stand. This didn't stop a small group of people in the middle section though who popped up to dance during "Southern Sun" and "Feeding Line." I have to give the band mad props for keeping up their no encore policy, which they warned everyone about toward the end so no one would be disappointed (or stick around clapping for no reason). The last song for the evening was the lovely and touching "Big Man."
Here's the video for the latest single "Old Town Blues"
It's been over a year since I last saw Boy & Bear play live. Last night was the first show of their three night stand at The Forum in support of their latest album Harlequin Dream. Tash and I got there in time for the opening acts Dustin Tebbutt and Battleships, both from Sydney. I really liked Battleships as they had a bit of a dark and industrial sound with hints of Interpol, and the drummer was an absolute machine.
Boy & Bear came onstage to the sound of ELO's "Evil Woman" before launching into their current single "Three Headed Woman." The mix of songs throughout their hour and a half set was equal parts old and new. It was great to hear "Rabbit Song" and "Mexican Mavis" off the first EP although I was a bit surprised quite a few people in the crowd didn't seem to know them. "Lordy May" and "Big Man" off of Moonfire were lovely, and "Milk & Sticks" got a huge reaction from the sold out crowd. The songs from the new album were also great and often included the backing of two violinists. The stand out tracks for me were "Southern Sun," "Old Town Blues," "A Moment's Grace," "Back Down The Black" and "Real Estate."
The guys were grateful and appreciative of the Melbourne audiences that keep coming
back to see them play. There was also a running gag throughout the night about Killian's alter ego
Neil Moon, named after his moon boot as he broke a toe right before the tour
started. "Harlequin Dream" featured a saxophone solo and the guys joked that it was a lot of pressure on the guy for those 20 seconds of work each night. Dave warned the crowd about band's policy of not doing encores before launching into "Golden Jubilee" and the closing song "Feeding Line" which had everyone singing and dancing along. It's always great to be able to see Boy & Bear live and watch as they become more popular each time they return to Melbourne.
Last night Mary and I met up at The Forum for Boy & Bear's second sold out show in Melbourne. The band are playing in more intimate venues around the country for this tour as a thank you to their fans who have been there from the beginning. As we walked into the foyer I was quite impressed by what may be the best merchandise I've seen at a show (besides tea towels)- Boy & Bear scarves and beanies. They were very cute although I didn't buy any.
The first act for the evening was Sydney band Tin Sparrow. While I thought they were good it was hard to ignore how much many of their songs sounded like the headliners. Next up was The Jungle Giants from Brisbane, who sounded great. I enjoyed their set and it was nice to see a female lead guitarist for a change. Their bass player was very energetic and did a run through the crowd during their last song.
Boy & Bear started their set with a reworked opening to "Rabbit Song" before launching into "Lordy May." They played nearly all of the songs off their ARIA award winning album Moonfire, including "Milk & Sticks," "Part Time Believer," "Feeding Line" and my favorites "Big Man" and "My Only One." We were also fortunate enough to get two new songs (one was titled "Three Headed Woman"). In addition they did their cover of Crowded House's "Fall At Your Feet," which had me thinking of ex-Crowdies drummer Peter Jones who sadly passed away that afternoon from brain cancer. The single that started it all, "Mexican Mavis" got a big reaction from the crowd and they finished the night with an rousing rendition of "Golden Jubilee." It was another wonderful gig by the band and I'm glad they are still sticking to their philosophy of no encores even when they have enough material to actually do one now.
Here is the video for the latest single "Big Man," animated by Negative Films
Another year is coming to a close which can only mean one thing- time for all those end of year top ten lists. Not to be left out, here are my top ten favorite songs for 2011 (aka songs that make me want to hit repeat after having just listened to them).
10. Slow Dancer "Leave It To Me" Slow Dancer is the solo project of Simon Okely from Oh Mercy. "Leave It To Me" is the first song he has put up online and I really love the laid back feel to Simon's music as well as his excellent guitar playing. Definitely one to watch for 2012.
9. The Good China "No More Maps, No More Roads"
2011 saw the return of The Good China to the Melbourne live scene after nearly a year's hiatus. The single "No More Maps, No More Roads" was a live favorite and has all the great hallmarks of a Good China track, including lots of hand claps.
8. Boy & Bear "Feeding Line"
It has been a monster year for Sydney's Boy & Bear, having won 5 ARIA awards for their debut album Moonfire. "Feeding Line" was the first single off the album, and signaled a new musical direction for the band from their previous EP.
7. The Harpoons "Keep You Around"
Another favorite band of mine that reemerged this year was The Harpoons. "Keep You Around" showcases Bec Rigby's soulful voice in this song about love with the great lyric "when you smiled at me I was a hopeless case." I am definitely looking forward to their debut album coming out in 2012.
6. Liam Finn "Don't Even Know Your Name"
This song was not a single but it's my favorite track off Liam Finn's latest album FOMO. "Don't Even Know Your Name" has a driving beat and an optimistic energy to it, and I absolutely love the chorus (which for some reason reminds me of "Panic" by The Smiths). Here's a live version of song, but do seek out the album track.
5. Brous "Streamers"
The first single off of Brous' self-titled debut EP, "Streamers" sounds like a song from a 1960s James Bond film. Sophia Brous' voice is quite amazing and I love how the first verse of this song keeps speeding up. There is a definite cinematic quality to her music and it will be interesting to see what she produces next.
4. Seeker Lover Keeper "Even Though I'm A Woman" Seeker Lover Keeper is the female Australian supergroup made up of Sarah Blasko, Sally Seltmann and Holly Throsby. One of the initial singles off of their self-titled debut album, "Even Though I'm A Woman" is a song about long distance love sung by Holly and written by Sally with some biting lyrics such as "I love you more when I'm missing you, it's why I'm always away." The song is a bit of an anthem for female independence.
3. Kimbra "Cameo Lover" Kimbra is originally from New Zealand but has been living in Melbourne the past few years. "Cameo Lover" come off of her debut album Vows and won her the 2011 Vanda and Young Songwriting Competition as well as an ARIA award for best female artist. I love the contrast between the verses and chorus of this song as well as its fantastic video.
2. Gotye "State Of The Art"
You may have thought that I would pick Gotye's biggest hit to date, but no, my favorite song off of his latest album Making Mirrors is "State Of The Art." Only Wally would write a song about his beloved Lowrey Cotillion organ. My favorite part of the song is when the bossa nova rhythm kicks in to the lyric "start the bossa nova beat and limbo from the living to the kitchen." The video animation by Rubber House is also exceptional.
1. Oh Mercy "Stay Please Stay"
My most played song of the year is Oh Mercy's "Stay Please Stay," the first single off their second album Great Barrier Grief. I absolutely adore the chorus of this song, especially Thomas Savage's beautiful jangly guitar. It also has a great closing lyric by Alexander with "what can I do with a love that gathers dust in a busy room?" An indie pop classic.
This week is Melbourne Music Week, with today being the Live Music Safari where over 60 acts were playing for free in various venues around the city. Tash and I met up at The John Curtin Hotel in Carlton to catch the first act of the night on bill there, our beloved and much missed band The Harpoons. They started the evening with "You're The One I Love" and played a half hour set of old and new songs, including "Faith" and the fantastic new single "Keep You Around" (have a listen here). Bec Rigby's voice was as amazing and powerful as I remembered it to be, and the band harmonies were lovely. It is so great to have The Harpoons playing live again and hopefully a debut album is on the horizon.
I also had another concert to attend this evening, which was the first of two shows at the Palace Theatre by Boy & Bear in support of their debut album Moonfire. I arrived at the venue as Ball Park Music was finishing their set and caught their last two songs "Sad Rude Future Dude" and "It's Nice to be Alive."
Boy & Bear came out onto the stage to big cheers from the crowd and started their set with "Lordy May." They played the majority of both the Moonfire album and With Emperor Antarctica EP. Highlights of the set for me were "Blood To Gold," "Mexican Mavis," "Milk & Sticks" and "My Only One" (the end part of that song gets me every time). The band were accompanied by a violinist and cellist on several songs, and the crowd sang along to almost everything, including their cover of Crowded House's "Fall At Your Feet." Towards the end of the set they brought out all the supporting bands to sing backing vocals on "Big Man" and then finished the evening with their hit single "Feeding Line." Staying true to previous tour stops in Melbourne the boys continue to maintain their tradition of not playing encores. It was an excellent show and all the touring they have done this year has made them into a really tight live band.
Here's the video for the latest single "Part Time Believer"
Last night Mary and I met up for our usual dinner at Mexicali Rose before heading over to the Corner Hotel for the third sold out night (but first show on sale) of Boy & Bear's autumn tour. The first opening act was Brisbane singer-songwriter Emma-Louise, who was accompanied by a band. She has a soft and kind of ethereal voice and played mostly slower songs with a couple fast numbers. Overall she sounded good. Next up was Sydney band Jinja Safari, who impressed me very much. They have a fantastic energy on stage, and their songs are uplifing and full of Afro-Caribbean beats which reminded me a bit of Vampire Weekend. They are definitely a band to watch and were very entertaining.
Boy & Bear came out to big cheers from the sold out crowd. Their hour long set was an even mix of old songs and new ones from the album they have just finished recording, which sound great. We got to hear old favorites "Mexican Mavis," "Blood to Gold," and "Rabbit Song," as well as their amazing cover of Crowded House's "Fall at Your Feet." During their sound check in the afternoon an amp caught on fire and they thought it was the most rock and roll thing that has ever happened to them. One fan on Facebook coined the term "death folk" and at the end of the following song Dave had managed to break a guitar string. Despite the band's suggestion, no one started a circle pit on the floor. The final song of the night was their new single "Feeding Line." It was another wonderful show, and I have to give props to the people who dressed up like the "Rabbit Song" video- especially the guy in the tie cape.
The J Awards (from radio station Triple J) were announced today and my faves Boy & Bear won Unearthed Artist of the Year. Very exciting stuff and well deserved. Here they are performing an acoustic version of "Blood to Gold" in New York City.
Tonight I headed over to The East Brunswick Club for the second of three sold out shows by Boy & Bear. The first opening act for the evening was Passenger, aka UK singer/songwriter Mike Rosenberg. He was great to watch and listen to, with both funny and moving folk songs played on acoustic guitar. His latest album Flight of the Crow has him collaborating with assorted Australian artists, including Boy & Bear, who came out and joined him to sing "Shape of Love" without mics from the middle of the floor. He did a fantastic cover of Simon and Garfunkel's "Sound of Silence" and had the crowd singing along at the end of his set to "Holes." Next up was Perth alternative band The Chemist. They had the song title of the night with "Heaven's Got a Dress Code." Highlights of their set included the songs "Lullaby #1" and "When the Morning Comes."
It's exciting to see the word spreading about Boy & Bear and how popular they have become. They opened with "The Storm" and then went into their latest single "Blood to Gold." The set was a mix of songs from With Emperor Antarctica and new ones they have written, which are these amazing, epic numbers. All of the bands came onto the stage to sing a cover of Bon Iver's "Flume." Other highlights of the night were "Rabbit Song" and "Mexican Mavis" with its extended intro. I absolutely love this band and their harmonies are just so beautiful and uplifting that you can't help but walk away feeling inspired after seeing them perform.
Clinton, Kevin and I went to see Boy & Bear tonight for their first headlining tour in support of their new EP With Emperor Antarctica. Before hitting the venue we went and had dinner at Warwick Thai on Sydney Road in Brunswick. The food was good with generous serving sizes and fairly cheap prices.
We arrived at Northcote Social Club just as Oh Ye Denver Birds was about to start their set. I had a quick listen to their Myspace page and thought they would be decent, but the band that played tonight sounded nothing like the recorded songs. It was quite disappointing.
Boy & Bear came out to big cheers from the sold out crowd and opened with "Blood to Gold." They played all the songs off the EP and a few new ones as well. Lead singer Dave Hosking has such a soothing voice I could listen to him sing all night. That combined with the harmonies from the other band members made every song sound fantastic. The current single "Rabbit Song" received a great reception from the crowd and was probably the highlight of the evening. They also treated us to a cover of Bon Iver's "Flume," and finished the night with their first ever single "Mexican Mavis." Although it was a short set due to their lack of material (which Dave was apologetic about), they are an absolutely amazing band and I can't wait for them to write enough songs to be able to release a full length album.
Here's the video for "Rabbit Song" for your viewing pleasure:
Tonight Clinton, Kevin and I met up at The East Brunswick Club to see Hungry Kids of Hungary return to Melbourne on their "Air Sick" tour. The first band I saw for the evening was Boy & Bear from Sydney. I was really impressed by them and their harmonies and folk sounding music, which is a bit similar to Fleet Foxes. They are definitely a band to watch. Next up was Ernest Ellis, also from Sydney, who had a few songs that sounded good, but overall their set didn't really grab my attention.
Hungry Kids of Hungary came out to the nearly sold out venue and opened with their latest single "Let You Down." They then launched into a couple new songs that they've just recorded for their new album. The set list was a mix of old and new material. As always it was good to hear "Set It Right," "Lenny," and "Old Money." For "Scattered Diamonds" the members of Boy & Bear came up to play percussion and sing along. They ended the set with "Good Times" and then for an encore did a cover of M.I.A.'s "Paper Planes." It was great to see them play once again and enjoy those harmonies and wonderful power pop songs. The new material sounds good, so I'm looking forward to a full length debut album.
