Jack Ladder & The Dreamlanders- Blue Poles Tour

Last night was the launch of Jack Ladder & The Dreamlanders new album Blue Poles at the Corner Hotel. Mary and I got there for the last few songs by electronic act Golden Syrup (aka Sara Retallick).

Next on the bill was Alex Gow from Oh Mercy doing a solo set. It's never a great sign when someone needs to use an asthma inhaler to be able to sing, and Alex was on his three times throughout the set due to a cold. He opened with a cover of Ed Kuepper's "This Hideous Place" and played a mix of songs from his last few albums ranging from the brooding "Iron Cross" and "Lady Eucalyptus" to the more uptempo "Sandy" and "Deep Heat." Alex invited Liam McGorry to join him on stage to play trumpet on "National Park" and his new unreleased track "Time And Date In New York," which was the last song he played. Despite not feeling great Alex powered through his short set.

The room was pretty full by the time Jack Ladder & The Dreamlanders took to the stage. The set list featured many songs from Blue Poles, with highlights being "Can't Say," "White Flag," "Blue Mirror," and my favorite "Susan." Jack's baritone voice and the cool vibe of the band had the crowd entranced from the start, with bassist Donny Benet getting a couple of shout outs during the evening. The set also contained some tracks from previous releases, including "Cold Feet," "Come On Back This Way," and "Hurtsville" with Alex joining the band on acoustic guitar. Overall it was an entertaining night with two of Australia's most talented lyricists.

Here's the video for "Susan":

Father John Misty- Pure Comedy Tour

As part of his sideshows for the Laneway Festival, Father John Misty (aka Josh Tillman) played a sold out show tonight at The Forum in support of his latest album Pure Comedy. This was a bigger, more traditional rock venue than when he came through town last year. Opening the evening was Jack Ladder and The Dreamlanders. They mainly played new tracks off their upcoming album, with the single "Susan" being my favorite song in the set.

The driving drum beat of "Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings" kicked off Father John Misty's set as he walked out on stage. It was a sign of things to come as his first two albums featured prominently in the set list, which mixed some deep album cuts along with better known tracks such as "Nancy From Now On," "Only Son Of A Ladiesman," "Fun Times In Babylon," "Chateau Lobby #4 (In C For Two Virgins)," "Bored In The USA" and "I Love You, Honeybear."

Josh himself was unusually quiet for most of the evening and limited his banter in between songs. The middle section of the set was more slow and country tinged, which could have been a hint at his mood. One of the most meta moments of the evening was when he performed "The Night Josh Tillman Came To Our Apt." complete with the video which stars him in all the roles playing on the screen behind him.

I was happy we did get some Pure Comedy tracks in the second half of the two hour set, including "Total Entertainment Forever," "Things It Would Have Been Helpful To Know Before The Revolution" "Ballad Of The Dying Man" and "Pure Comedy," which kicked off the encore. It was during the encore that someone in the crowd started blowing bubbles, which made Josh crack a smile as they flew past him on stage. The night finished with "Holy Shit" and a rocking version of "The Ideal Husband." It sounds like there is a new album on the horizon for this year, so hopefully he will be back soon for another show in Melbourne.

Here's the video for "Things It Would Have Been Helpful To Know Before The Revolution":