Saskwatch- Nose Dive Tour

Last night Mary and I met up at the Corner Hotel for the second sold out show by Saskwatch in support of their latest album Nose Dive.  The opening act of the all Melbourne bill was Grizzly Jim Lawrie.  This was the first time I've seen him with a full band and they played a fantastic set of alt-country and 70's rock sounding songs.  I really liked the new single "Midnight Run."

Next up was New Gods, who amazingly was the one Little Red offshoot band I had never seen live before.  They played an eclectic set of dance/funk and more guitar-based indie rock songs.  Dom seems to have been attending raves as he had the waving arm and hand movements down pat.  The Saskwatch horn section came out to play with them on their last song which got the crowd excited.

Saskwatch has been on the Melbourne music scene for a few years and I was excited to finally see this nine piece soul band live.  The Corner was absolutely packed by the time they hit the stage.  Their set was very entertaining as they played a mix of songs from both their albums, including "Don't Wanna Try," "Your Love," "Give Me A Reason," and "Keep Me In Mind."  The ballads "Left Me To Die," "Call Your Name" and "Now That We're Alone" really showcased Nkechi Anele's amazing voice.  They also played their cover of Little Red's "Coca Cola" but for some reason didn't get Dom and Adrian out to play it with them.  The main set closed with "Hands," which had the whole crowd clapping along, and after returning to the stage for a one song encore it was all over.  It's great to see Saskwatch gaining success and building an even bigger following as they are a very talented band.

Here's the clip for "Born To Break Your Heart"

Naked Bodies- Single Launch

Photo by Greta Parry

Last night I headed off to The Workers Club for the debut single launch by Quang Dinh's band Naked Bodies.  The first act for the evening was Melbourne singer-songwriter Grizzly Jim Lawrie.  He played a beautiful set of his folk songs on acoustic guitar, including "Take Things Fast" and "Over The River."  He's been a part of the local music scene for years and his debut album is out this week.  Next up was Melbourne four piece Quince.  They played an energetic set of psychobilly and punk music.

The room was much more full by the time Naked Bodies took the stage.  The band were launching their double A side single Fiction Tree/Monkey Blues, both songs which they played on the night.  The other songs in the set were good as well with a couple standouts.  Having a band member on violin for some tracks added a unique dimension to their sound.  It was good to see Quang back in the swing of things and I look forward to future releases from them.

Here's the video for "Fiction Tree"