Amyl And The Sniffers- Croxton Bandroom

Tonight was the first of two sold out headline shows for Amyl and The Sniffers at the Croxton Bandroom. These shows were delayed a couple times due to lockdowns and restrictions (or "cursed" in the view of lead singer Amy Taylor).

Opening the evening was three piece female rock band Bitch Diesel, who each took turn singing lead vocals. Next up was three piece punk band, CLAMM, who I thought were fantastic from the start to the finish of their set. They had great songs that covered a wide range of societal issues and are definitely worth checking out.

Amyl and The Sniffers came out to big cheers from the crowd and launched their set with "Freaks To The Front." They played many songs off their latest album Comfort To Me, including my favorites "Guided By Angels," "Security," "Knifey," "Hertz" and "Don't Fence Me In." Amy prowled the stage and interacted with the crowd throughout the night and the mosh pit went off, especially to older songs like "I'm Not A Loser" and "Gacked on Anger." The band sounded tight as they tore through their set, and it was a fantastic homecoming show after a tough couple weeks for the band as their overseas tour was impacted by members getting COVID-19.

Here's the video for "Guided By Angels"

Andy White- Brunswick Artists' Bar

Tonight was a bit of a reunion with some of old friends as we gathered at the Brunswick Artists' Bar to see Andy White play and celebrate the release of his new single "Another Sunny Day." Andy played two sets of songs solo on guitar from throughout his career at this intimate show. Highlights for me were the ALT track "Penelope Tree," "If You Want It," "The Guilty and The Innocent," "James Joyce's Grave," and "Groovy Kind Of Way." He also previewed some songs off his new album This Garden Is Only Temporary and songs he wrote during previous lockdowns such as "Stay At Home" and "Isolation."

It was great to catch up with Fran, Lara, Peter and Mark as well as chat with Andy after the show ahead of him heading overseas to tour the UK in January. Andy's new album is due to be released on 28 January 2022.

Romy Vager and Chloe Alison Escott- Northcote Social Club

I was back at the Northcote Social Club tonight, this time with Belinda, to see a co-headline show with Romy Vager (RVG) and Chloe Alison Escott (The Native Cats) being put on by Chapter Music. We arrived just as Sleeper and Snake (the folk side project of Amy Hill and Al Monfort of Terry) were finishing their set.

Chloe Alison Escott was next up on the stage, and played solo on a keyboard. She did songs off her newest album Stars Under Contract along with some of her favorites that she felt weren’t getting enough plays on streaming services. There was some fun banter with members of the crowd along with several amusing anecdotes throughout the set.

Romy Vager was the final act of the evening, playing solo on electric guitar. She opened with "Vincent Van Gogh" and her set consisted of a mix of unreleased tracks, a few RVG songs, and a cover of a song by The Triffids. The RVG tracks were quite stripped back with "Cause and Effect" (a personal fave of mine and the first time I've heard it live), "Feral Beach" and "Photograph," which was the final song of the night. I always love seeing Romy live and it was a privilege to listen to the reworked arrangements to some of her songs.

Cry Club- God I'm Such A Mess Album Tour

Tonight Ash and I headed to the Northcote Social Club for Cry Club's album launch tour, which had been delayed a month due to lockdown and COVID restrictions. The opening act for the evening was three piece Melbourne pop punk band Baby Shower. Their lead singer was on electric ukulele and the set included their new single "Look At Me I'm An Asshole" and a cover of Delta Goodrem's "Born To Try." Next up was the drag king Jesse Dean, who did lip sync performances to The Killers' "Mr Brightside" and Doja Cat's "Boss Bitch" (complete with an outfit change).

Cry Club hit the stage and launched the evening with a new song (there were several sprinkled throughout the set). However, tonight was a celebration of the duo's excellent debut album God I'm Such A Mess, and we were treated to hearing the album played in full. Highlights for me were "DFTM," "Don't Go," "Lighters," "Quit," "Nine Of Swords," "Robert Smith" and the last song of the night, the album closer "Two Hearts." The band are fantastic live, full of energy, and had everyone dancing and singing along in the crowd for most of the set. Definitely check them out if you get the chance.

 

Here's the video for "Two Hearts"

Brunswick Music Festival- Joelistics and Loretta & Her Boyfriends

It was around this time last year that the coronavirus pandemic started to hit Australia and a number of shows at the Brunswick Music Festival were cancelled. Thankfully this year the festival has been able to go ahead despite a short five-day lockdown in Melbourne in mid-February. 

 

On Saturday night I met up with Belinda at Howler to see the sold out Joelistics Presents Film School album launch. As with other recent gigs we sat in chairs set up on the floor of the bandroom. The opening acts were DJ Paso Bionic and Beatrice (Haiku Hands/Kardajala Kirridarra), who did a set of ethereal sounding electronic music along with some great visuals behind her. When Joel came out on stage he told us to sit back and relax into the show, which was a collaboration with other musicians and artists. The members of the band jammed and improvised with each other as film clips played behind them and contemporary dancers performed on the floor and stage. It was a really interesting and special show and we both felt it was almost something you would expect to see at the Arts Centre.

Tonight Ash and I headed to the recently opened Brunswick Artists' Bar (downstairs from the Brunswick Ballroom) on Sydney Road to see Loretta & Her Boyfriends. We managed to grab a couple chairs to cram into the small, intimate space. Loretta Miller (Jazz Party) and her bandmates played two sets of songs from some of her favorite female jazz and blues singers, including Peggy Lee, Nina Simone, Sarah Vaughan, Julia Lee and Patsy Cline. They appropriately finished the evening with the song "Last Call (For Alcohol)." It was an entertaining night and nice to be able to check out the renovations to the venue.

RVG- Malthouse Outdoor Stage

The Malthouse Outdoor Stage is hosting a number of COVID Safe shows this summer as live music returns to Melbourne. Belinda and I headed there this afternoon for the 5:30pm early show for RVG. I must admit it was a bit odd to be sitting at a table watching them play in the sunshine. They opened with "Alexandra" and included a number of songs off their latest album Feral in the set, including "Little Sharkie & The White Pointer Sisters," "Help Somebody," "Christian Neurosurgeon" and "I Used To Love You." Other highlights were "IBM," "Vincent Van Gogh," "A Quality Of Mercy," "That's All" and the set closer "Feral Beach." RVG is such a force of a band to watch live and today's show was no different. It was good to finally get to hear the tracks off Feral live now that they can play shows again.

 

Here's the video for "I Used To Love You"

The Living End- Sounds Better Together

The coronavirus pandemic has been catastrophic for the live music industry, with many music venues the first to close and the last to be able to reopen. The Mushroom Group and Victorian Government have partnered for a series of COVID Safe concerts across the state under the banner of Sounds Better Together. Tonight's show that I attended, which only went on sale last week, was The Living End at Forum Melbourne.

It was a bit strange to have seats on the floor of the Forum, but groups of ticket holders were safely spaced from each other. Opening the night was four piece Melbourne punk band Bakers Eddy. They played a very energetic set, with the lead singer taking out his microphone with his guitar during one song. They had people standing up out of their seats by the end of their set.

The Living End tried to begin the evening with "Pictures In The Mirror" but had two false starts as Scott Owen's bass wasn't working. Third time was a charm though and there was some relief from the band when they got through the whole song. The set list covered songs from throughout their extensive catalogue, with old favorites like "Second Solution," "Roll On," "Prisoner Of Society," "All Torn Down" and "White Noise" alongside some deeper album cuts such as "'Til The End," "Bloody Mary," "Hold Up," and "From Here On In." 

 

They also played a couple songs off their latest album Wunderbar with "Wake Up The Vampires" and "Drop The Needle." There was a lot of singing and dancing in the crowd, especially once everyone was standing up about a third of the way through the set. For the encore they played a rousing rendition of "Uncle Harry" to finish the evening. It was a great show full of energy and the usual musical prowess of this fantastic live band. I think everyone leaving the Forum felt their spirits lifted post-lockdown and that our city is coming back to life.

Here's the video for "Otherside"

Olympia- Rare & Solo

Tonight I attended the first of three sold out shows by Olympia at The Gasometer Hotel which are occuring over the next two nights. This was my very first gig since March 2020! Of course during COVID times things are a bit different: smaller audience numbers due to social distancing, early and late shows, and seating on the bandroom floor. The Gaso also has the added bonus of a retractable roof to assist with ventilation.

Opening the show this evening was Taylah Carroll, who played her set solo on electric guitar. Her songs were introspective and dreamy sounding, and I think it would be interesting to hear them played with a full band.

Olympia came out wearing a red turtleneck mini dress and started with "Biscuits" before segueing into "Somewhere To Disappear," both off her debut album Self Talk. Alternating between electric guitar and keyboard she played songs from all her releases, including "Atlantis" off her first EP, "This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things," "Honey" and "Different Cities" from Self Talk, and "Hounds," "Two Hands" and "Nervous Riders" off her most recent album Flamingo.

 

The show was quite entertaining as she talked about the source material and inspirations for many of the songs, which ranged from films, tv shows and news events to tales from her own life. She also had copious notes printed out to refer to, with one of the funniest moments being a questionable review from Beat Magazine. After listening to these stories it was then interesting to pick up on lines in the lyrics and understand the songs a bit better. Olympia seemed to have kept herself busy during Melbourne's lockdown as she also played a couple new songs and even gave a shout out to everyone who was working from home and keeping the green light on, which I think many office workers could to relate to (myself included).

Here's the video for "This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things"

C.W. Stoneking- Brunswick Music Festival

The annual Brunswick Music Festival is currently happening in venues around town and tonight I attended a sold out performance by C.W. Stoneking at Estonian House. Opening the evening was Melbourne folk singer Anna Cordell, who played an ethereal sounding set on electric and acoustic guitar featuring songs from her latest album. Given the rapidly evolving situation with the coronavirus pandemic, she joked it was hard for her to avoid singing songs about sickness and death.

C.W. Stoneking came out onto the stage and started his solo set with "How Long." He played songs from all three of his albums, including favorites such as "Goin The Country" from King Hokum, "The Love Me Or Die" from Jungle Blues, and "I'm A Jungle Man," "We Gon' Boogaloo," "Good Luck Charm" and "The Thing I Done" from Gon Boogaloo. During the hour and half long set he was his usual amusing self with song intros, and handled a couple ladies in the crowd well who were calling out for him to show his ankles.

There were a few audience sing alongs to "The Zombie," "Talking Lion Blues" and "Jailhouse Blues." C.W. was only half joking when he said we should enjoy this show because after this weekend there won't be any gigs for a long time (restrictions against gatherings above 500 people come into effect on Monday). For C.W. he's already feeling the impact of coronavirus as he's had to cancel a month long US tour that was going to start next week. It is strange times were are currently living in, but he sent us out gently into the night by closing with "Jungle Lullaby."

Here's a live version of "Good Luck Charm"

Orville Peck- Pony Australian Tour

There was huge anticipation in the crowd for tonight's show with country crooner Orville Peck on his first Australian tour. The show sold out so fast it was upgraded from Howler to the larger Corner Hotel. Melbourne singer-songwriter Gena Rose Bruce opened the show playing her dreamy and melancholy songs as a duo on two electric guitars.

Orville Peck came out in a gold fringe mask and powder blue embroidered suit with pink button down shirt and started the evening with "Big Sky." He and his fantastic band played nearly every song off his debut album Pony, ranging from the ballads "Dead Of The Night," "Queen Of The Rodeo," "Roses Are Falling," and "Kansas (Remembers Me Now)" to the upbeat "Winds Of Change," "Turn To Hate," "Buffalo Run" and the barnstormer "Take You Back (The Iron Hoof Cattle Call)."

Orville was such a great showman on stage as he intro'd each song, joked around, and even stated he wanted to move to Australia and work in a koala sanctuary. We were lucky enough to be treated to a new, unreleased song called "No Glory In The West." He also played covers of songs from some of his country idols with "Something To Brag About" by Tammy Wynette and George Jones (which he sang with band member Brea Salvede), "Ooh Las Vegas" by Gram Parsons with Emmylou Harris, and for the encore "Fancy" by Bobby Gentry. It was such an entertaining show and Orville's voice and talents brought together people from different backgrounds to watch him perform live.

Here's the video for "Dead Of The Night"

Vampire Weekend- Father Of The Bride Australian Tour

It has been six years since Vampire Weekend last played in Australia, and tonight's sold out show at the Forum was surprisingly their first ever headline show here. This was supposed to be a Falls Festival side show, but it became their only show in Victoria as the Lorne site was shut down due to extreme weather conditions and bushfire fears in the lead up to New Year's Eve.

Belinda joined me on the absolutely packed main floor of the venue. There were no support acts so the crowd was ready to go when Vampire Weekend hit the stage and started the set with "Bambina" off their latest album Father Of The Bride. It was an epic concert that lasted nearly three hours as they played songs off all four of their albums. I had no idea they were a bit of a jam band live with multiple drummers, guitar players and keyboardists.

"Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa" was played a few songs in and nearly became the undoing of the entire show due to a loss of power to the guitars and bass twice mid-song. This led to a couple of lengthy delays as the road crew tried to fix the problem. Thankfully the third time was a charm and they made it through the whole song to the relief of everyone in the room. The band sounded amazing and frontman Ezra Koenig’s singing was just like the vocals on the albums. My highlights were the older tracks from the first two albums, including "A-Punk," "Oxford Comma," "Holiday," "White Sky," "Horchata," "Cousins" and "Giving Up The Gun." With the stage backdrop of a giant globe that rotated on its axis, Ezra talked about current events during the show, including the impact of the Australian bushfires and his support for US presidential candidate Bernie Sanders.

The main set finished with "Jerusalem, New York, Berlin," and for the encore they started with "Sunflower." Ezra then asked for audience requests, which included "Diplomat's Sun" and "The Kids Don't Stand A Chance." To close out the evening they played "Ya Hey" as two large inflated globes bounced through the crowd on the floor of the Forum.

Here's the video for "This Life"

Fave Albums: 2010s

In 2012 I wrote a series of posts on my favorite albums. As we come to the end of this decade, I thought it would be opportune to select my 10 favorite albums from the 2010s (listed in alphabetical order). I should note that this list doesn't include Gotye's Making Mirrors (2011) or Oh Mercy's Deep Heat (2012), which I previously wrote about.

The Basics released their fourth studio album The Age Of Entitlement in 2015. It's an album that showcases the evolution of their sound and is the closest we've come to new songs from Wally De Backer while waiting for that new Gotye album. Wally, Kris and Tim take turns singing lead on tracks, and also showcase their beautiful harmonies. This album is also more politically themed with songs such as "What Ever Happened To The Working Class?," "Time Poor" and "Tunaomba Saidia." My favorite song off the album is "A Coward's Prayer" as it sounds like a Crowded House track.

Beck's 2017 album Colors was a the return to the energetic and danceable Beck albums of old with songs such as "Colors," "Seventh Heaven," "I'm So Free," "Square One" and my favorite track "Dreams." Beck and his producer Greg Kurstin played nearly every instrument on each track, and it's a fun album to listen to from start to finish.

After a 12 year hiatus Blur reunited with producer Stephen Street for the release of their eighth studio album The Magic Whip in 2015. This album was a return to the original line up with guitarist Graham Coxton back in the band. The songs originated from Blur being stuck in Hong Kong for a week after a Japanese festival was cancelled in 2013. Nothing happened with the songs for over a year, but thankfully they went back to work on them and The Magic Whip was released to broad critical acclaim. It's a very cohesive album that carries its Hong Kong and Asian influence throughout, especially on tracks like "New World Towers," "Ice Cream Man," "Ghost Ship" and "Pyongyang." My favorite song is the otherworldly "Thought I Was A Spaceman."

Melbourne's Crayon Fields released their third album No One Deserves You in 2015 after a six year hiatus. It's an album that is as dreamy as their previous releases, with the jangly guitar pop and songwriting of lead singer Geoffrey O'Connor. I don't think there is a dud song on the album, with my favorite track being "Somewhere Good," which is a bit of a motivating song if you are going through tough times.

Fleet Foxes released their third album Crack-Up in 2017 after a six year break in-between albums. The release contains many epic and shifting soundscapes in the extended tracks such as "I Am All That I Need / Arroyo Seco / Thumbprint Scar" and "Third Of My / Odaigahara," as well as the band's famous harmonies. My favorite song is "On Another Ocean (January / June)" especially as it kicks into the guitar part around half way through the song.

Grizzly Bear's fourth album Shields was released in 2012 and was a collaborative songwriting effort by the band with bassist Chris Taylor in the producer chair. While a couple songs came from a failed first attempt at recording in Marfa, Texas, the bulk of the album was recorded in singer Ed Droste's grandmother's house in Cape Cod. As with their previous albums both Ed and Daniel Rossen took turns on lead vocals, with my favorite track being the atmospheric and urgent "Yet Again."

Dan Kelly always brings a unique and humorous take on life through his songs, and his second solo album, 2015's Leisure Panic!, is no different. It covers a wide range of topics and Australian themes with songs such as "Melbourne vs Sydney," "Gold Coast Man," "Baby Bonus" and "National Park and Wildlife." My favorite is the epic opening track "On The Run" with its extended jam.

Trixie Mattel (aka Brian Firkus) is not only one of my favorite drag queens, but also an extremely talented musician and songwriter. Her first album Two Birds was released in 2017 and features country and folk songs inspired by Trixie's rural Wisconsin roots. There are humorous and upbeat tracks like "Mama Don't Make Me Put On The Dress Again" and "Bluegrass," but also some sad ones about lost love, with my favorite being the touching "I'll Wear Your Ring."

Olympia's 2016 debut album Self Talk is an atmospheric collection of songs that ambitiously touch on different themes and styles. Despite this, it still manages to feel like a cohesive album. Her layered and ethereal vocals feature throughout, with my favorite track being the moody "Different Cities."

RVG's debut album A Quality Of Mercy was released in 2017 and reminded me of many of my favorite 80's alternative bands with its sound. Romy Vager sings with a sense of urgency and writes lyrics on a variety of topics, including the unique love song "IBM" which includes a sample of a dial up modem. My favorite track is the jangly guitar filled "Cause And Effect."

Indie Australia Sampler Vol. 10

As we come to the end of 2019, I have once again compiled a list of my favorite Australian songs for this year. I have struggled a bit to come up with an extensive list, which is likely due to a number of my favorite bands either disbanding or not releasing anything new this year. That, or I'm finally too old and out of touch with the current music scene! Happy listening to another set of diverse artists.

1. L-FRESH The LION - "Born To Stand Out"


2. Sampa The Great - "Final Form"


3. Olympia - "Hounds"


4. Kate Miller Heidke - "Zero Gravity"


5. The Basics - "Land Of 1000 Dances"


6. Boy & Bear - "Hold Your Nerve"


7. RVG - "Alexandra"


8. Emma Russack & Lachlan Denton - "Catch"


9. Lachlan Denton & Studio Magic - "A Brother"


10. Seeker Lover Keeper - "Superstar"

RVG- The Espy

Tonight was the first time I've been back to The Espy since they reopened after doing major renovations. It's become much more yuppified in the bar areas, but The Gershwin Room still had its old charm, which is where I headed to see RVG play this evening. It was a bit of a gothic and industrial sounding start with the two opening acts V and The Native Cats. Both played as duos and used a variety of samples and beats to create and layer their songs on stage.

When RVG came out lead singer Romy Vager started the set by apologizing for making all us Northsiders come to the Southside for a gig. RVG have had a pretty big year of touring internationally, so this show was part of a triumphant homecoming tour of Australia. They played a mix of old and new songs during their hour long set, and while they acknowledged the lack of new releases this year, it sounds like a new single should be out in early 2020. Highlights of the set were "Alexandra," "A Quality Of Mercy," "IBM," "Vincent Van Gogh," "I Used To Love You" and a new song called "Christian Neurosurgeon." As usual the whole band were on fire, and Romy is such an emotive frontwoman as she performs that you don't take your eyes off her. For the encore they didn't want to leave the stage because it would have put them in the kitchen, so they stayed on and finished the night with "Feral Beach," which was partially inspired by the time Romy lived in St Kilda.

Here's a live version of "Christian Neurosurgeon"

Emma Russack and Lachlan Denton- Noisy Ritual

Noisy Ritual in East Brunswick bills itself as an urban winery as they make their own premium wines with grapes sourced from vineyards all around Victoria. The space itself is a big hall with barrels lining the walls around the room, a bar, small stage at the front, and tables and benches to sit on to enjoy your glass of wine along with a light selection of bar food.

On Thursday evenings Noisy Ritual hosts the event School Night, which features live music. Sean and I headed over there tonight for a glass of wine and to catch Emma Russack and Lachlan Denton (formerly The Ocean Party) play some songs they have recorded together as a duo. Their new album Take The Reigns just came out last week, and they played some songs off of it including "Cake," "Love For Myself," and "When You Wake Up." They also played songs from their previous two releases, including a couple of my favorites from Lachlan with "I'm Right Here" and "I'll Be The Rock." The banter between the two of them in between songs was hilarious and also revealing about personal incidents (e.g. Lachlan's woodworking accident) as well as their friendship.

Here's a live video of them playing "The Heatwave (Eloise)" and "I'll Be The Rock"

Pokey LaFarge- Australian Solo Tour 2019

Tonight was the final date of American musician Pokey LaFarge's Australian tour at the Northcote Social Club. Opening the evening was Nashville resident Sierra Ferrell, who played an amazing solo set on acoustic guitar. She had a unique old-timey style of singing, and her guitar fingerpicking on her faster country/bluegrass songs was impressive. Her newer tracks sounded more like classic country and were slower and melancholy. She was really great and I highly recommend checking her out if you get the chance.

Pokey LaFarge was greeted with big cheers from the sold out crowd as he came out on stage to play his solo set. He was in a really great mood and hyped up on Red Bull (and then a couple shots of tequila). He played a range of songs from his back catalogue on acoustic guitar, as well as a few unreleased tracks from his upcoming album due out in the first half of 2020. Highlights for me included "Wanna Be Your Man," "Something In The Water," "Goodbye, Barcelona" and "The Devil Ain't Lazy." It was amazing to watch him play the guitar and he really interacted well with the crowd and got everyone to sing along. For the encore he came out into the middle of the floor and stood on a crate to play unplugged, which included a cover of Roger Miller's "King Of The Road," "Bad Girl" and one of his earliest song "Josephine" to finish. It was a really fantastic and special gig, and such a pleasure to see these two talented musicians in person.

Here's the video for "Riot In The Streets"

Ride- Australian Tour 2019

It has been 25 years since British shoegaze band Ride last toured in Australia, so Belinda and I were really looking forward to tonight's show at the Forum Theatre. Opening the evening was Melbourne four piece Shiva and the Hazards, who attempted to evoke the sounds of previous eras of British rock.

Ride came out to big cheers from the capacity crowd and opened with "Jump Jet" off their new album This Is Not A Safe Place. Their hour and a half set was a mix of newer and older material that all seemed to cohere together despite the decades between some tracks. Of course, it was great to hear those older songs I was so familiar with from the early 1990s, particularly "Seagull," "Taste" and "Vapour Trail" from the Nowhere album, which is an all time favorite of mine. Overall it was a really amazing gig and they were so powerful live, with some songs turning into a wall of sound at points throughout the night. The band seems to be firing on all cylinders even after all these years.

Here's the video for "Future Love"

Marlon Williams with The Impossible Orchestra: Make Way For Love

Tonight was the start of the three day Supersense: Festival of the Ecstatic at Arts Centre Melbourne. Mary and I headed down to Hamer Hall to see Marlon Williams and The Yarra Benders play the album Make Way For Love with The Impossible Orchestra, conducted by Brett Kelly. We had amazing seats in the second row, which made the performance feel quite intimate. The band came out on stage all wearing suits for the occasion, with Marlon wearing a blue suit with a black lapel and bow tie.

It was great to hear these songs reinterpreted with the addition of the orchestra as they added even more melancholy and drama to each track. Highlights were "Come To Me," "What's Chasing You," "Make Way For Love" and his duet with Aldous Harding "Nobody Gets What They Want Anymore," in which he sang both parts (despite her being in the Arts Centre for her own show later that evening). We were treated to a brand new unreleased song, as well as some old favorites like "Dark Child," "I'm Lost Without You" and a spine-tingling version of "When I Was A Young Girl." They finished the main set with their usual cover of Screamin' Jay Hawkins' "Portrait Of A Man."

For the encore, Marlon ditched his suit top for a singlet and asked us to indulge his opera fantasy as he sang in French "Je Crois Entendres Encore" from Georges Bizet's opera Les Pecheurs de Perles. Then they finished the night by inviting everyone in the audience to sing along to Harry Nilsson's "Without You" (perhaps best known from Mariah Carey's version of the song). This was such a special show to be able to attend and hear in the acoustics of Hamer Hall and a great way to kick off the weekend.

Here's the video for "Come To Me"

Boy & Bear- Hold Your Nerve Australian Tour

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.

Here's the video for "Hold Your Nerve"

Seeker Lover Keeper- Let It Out Single Launch

It's been eight years since Seeker Lover Keeper released their debut album. The supergroup featuring Sarah Blasko, Sally Seltmann and Holly Throsby are back and played a couple intimate shows in Sydney and Melbourne ahead of the August release of their new album Wild Seeds. I was fortunate to get a ticket to last night's sold out show at the Northcote Social Club.

I arrived for the second opening act, Alice Skye, who just managed to make the show after flight delays from Sydney. She played a short and mellow set that featured songs from her debut album Friends With Feelings. Accompanied by a guitarist and playing keys, she joked that she was bringing the room down with her more somber songs.

Seeker Lover Keeper then hit the stage in full band mode and treated us to a sneak peak of Wild Seeds as they played the new album in full from start to finish. There was not one dud song in the bunch and they took turns singing lead and harmonising together. The banter was quite funny and a bit awkward at times, and included some running commentary on Sarah’s throat gargling in the upstairs toilet (which an audience member walked in on).

After they were done playing Wild Seeds they did a few tracks from their first album with "Light All My Lights," "On My Own," and the anthemic "Even Though I’m A Woman" to finish the main set. For the encore the three of them came back out and sang "Bring Me Back" to close out the night. It was an excellent show and I'm looking forward to getting the album when it comes out.

Here's the video for "Let It Out" featuring Magda Szubanski