The Ocean Party- Tote Residency

Every Saturday in July has seen The Ocean Party playing at The Tote Hotel Front Bar in support of their recently released EP In A Knot.  Since this was the last Saturday of their residency Mary and I made sure we finally got down there to see them play (despite the rain today).  We arrived as the second band on the bill, MSG, was about to start.  They were a low-fi indie trio with a female lead singer/guitarist and some short, punchy songs.

The Ocean Party began the evening with their two recent singles "On The Floor" and "In A Knot."  Their set list mainly featured songs off their upcoming album Social Clubs, which showcased Lachlan, Curtis and Liam on lead vocals at various points.  It was nice to have a sneak preview of these new tracks, including "Bored of it All," "Sit on the Hill" and "Waiting."  We were also treated to old favorites "The Dogs" and possibly the most honest song ever written about male puberty "Shakin' Like a Leaf."  After the show I had a lovely chat with Lachlan and finally got a copy of The Sun Rolled Off The Hills CD.

Here's the video for "In A Knot" (feel sorry for Lachlan- it was cold when this was shot)

THE OCEAN PARTY - IN A KNOT from Lucky Dolphin on Vimeo.

The Empress Hotel 25th Musical Anniversary

The Empress Hotel has spent the past four days celebrating 25 years of live music at the venue.  I have seen quite a few shows here, and even got up on stage to sing Crowded House karaoke with The Basics in 2008.  Mary and I had burgers in the dining room and then headed into the band room for the start of the final night of celebrations.

The first act for the evening was Melbourne duo D.D Dumbo, which consisted of a guitarist and drummer/percussionist.  The lead singer did guitar, drum and/or vocal samples at the start of each song and used those loops to build the songs around.  I thought they sounded great and even played an interesting cover of Roy Orbison's "Crying."  For a band that is just starting out they were very impressive.

The main reason for coming to this gig was the chance to see The Basics live again, although it was just Tim and Wally since Kris is in Kenya working with The Red Cross.  Others must have had the same idea because the boys drew the biggest crowd of any act on the bill tonight.  They started their set with "Second Best" and then humorously launched into "Three Cool Cats" of all songs with the audience clapping along to the rhythm.  "Rattle My Chain" reminded Wally that playing the drums takes a lot of energy (he doesn't play as much for Gotye shows), and Sandra from The Empress came up on stage to dance to their cover of The Kinks' "All Day and All of the Night."  "Call it Rhythm and Blues" had everyone dancing, and after a quick version of "Happy Birthday" for Tim's mum the whole crowd sang along to "Just Hold On."  The last song of the set was "Money (Gimme, Gimme)" and while there were calls for an encore that was it from the boys for the night.  While we did miss Kris, the "Silver Basics" were still fantastic and Wally and Tim had a good time on stage.

The Basics boys were originally billed as DJs for the night, which they also did between sets.  Mary and I were standing between the turn tables and the stage for the evening so we were able to chat with them and Mary talked me into finally getting a photo with Wally (he was being very generous with the numerous fans who were coming up to him after The Basics set).  I think my favorite memory of the night was when Tim and Wally had their arms around each other and were reaching out to me as they sang "We are your friends."

There was a mystery band added to the bill last minute under the moniker "Presidents and Shitkickers" who I correctly guessed was Melbourne's very own Big Scary. Tom and Jo played some old songs from their EPs and recent album Vacation as well as a few new ones.  Highlights included "Falling Away," "Purple," "Gladiator," "Mix Tape" and the last song of their set and one of my favorites, "Autumn."

The final act of the evening was The Bedroom Philosopher (aka Justin Heazlewood) and his Awkwardstra.  Justin is another comedian who I have been meaning to catch at the comedy festival but haven't, so I was excited to finally see him live.  He started his set by regurgitating a couple of small instruments and then launched into "The Bedroom Philosopher."  His songs had us laughing throughout and my favorites were "Cars 2," "Inanimate Electronic Helper," and a reworked version of his hit song "Northcote (So Hungover)" with YouTube comments on the video replacing the verses.  In the spirit of the night he wrote and performed a "Song for The Empress" and finished with "Corporate Punk" just in time for curfew.

This was a wonderful gig overall and a great celebration of a venue that continues to support and discover new talent.  I hope The Empress Hotel has many more years of live music to come as they are an important part of the Melbourne music scene.

Flight of the Conchords- 2012 Australian Tour

Poster by Jason Munn

Mary and I were fortunate enough to attend the Flight of the Conchord's sold out show at The Plenary in the Melbourne Convention Exhibition Centre tonight.  Although our tickets were off to the side and a bit further back than I would have liked, thankfully the venue had screens on either side of the stage so we were able to see what was happening throughout the evening. 

The opening act was stand-up comedian and fellow Marinite Arj Barker, who also played Bret and Jemaine's friend Dave in the FOTC tv series.  Arj is a frequent visitor to Melbourne, and it was good to finally get to see him live as I unfortunately haven't made it to any of his comedy festival shows.  I enjoyed his set, including his funny observations about building design in Melbourne.

Bret and Jemaine snuck out onto the stage in the darkness after Arj finished and launched into "Too Many Dicks (On the Dance Floor)" complete with decorated cardboard boxes on their heads.  They then swung the boxes around to the silver painted side to play one of my favorite songs of theirs "Robots."  The band for this tour consisted of Bret, Jemaine and Nigel Collins on cello and drums (the only "member of the NZSO" they brought over to Australia with them).  The show ran for two hours and was full of songs from the tv show as well as some new ones.  Highlights included "Inner City Pressure," "Hiphopopotamus vs. Rhymenoceros," "Bowie," "The Most Beautiful Girl (In the Room)," "Hurt Feelings" and "Business Time."  In between songs they told stories about their "wild" rock life on the road, which all tied together nicely in the lyrics of one of the encore songs "Back on the Road."  We were also treated to some skin tight glam era outfits for "Demon Woman," which had the boys displaying a lot of chest hair as well as some wire filled scarves and capes to make it look like they were in front of a wind machine.  Overall it was very entertaining and funny night and hopefully one of these days there will be a season three of the Flight of the Conchords tv show.

New Directions for School Leadership and the Teaching Profession

This morning I was privileged to attend the launch of the discussion paper I've been working on New directions for school leadership and the teaching profession by the Premier, Minister responsible for the Teaching Profession, and Minister for Education at Parliament House.  The paper outlines the Government's strategy for moving the Victorian education system into the global top tier by improving the teaching profession.  The three key reform areas focus on attracting great people into teaching, creating a high performing profession, and leaders providing strong direction and support.  Consultation on the paper will now occur over the next few months, and should lead to a longer term strategy.

The Bamboos- Medicine Man Tour

It has been ages since I last saw Danny and Ruth, so when they suggested I come along to see The Bamboos play at the Corner Hotel last night it was hard to say no.  We met up for dinner beforehand at Fonda Mexican on Swan Street in Richmond, and were also joined for the evening by Ruth's cousin Anne.  As you know I am always on the hunt for great Mexican food in Melbourne and am often let down.  The vegetarian burrito I had was good but I would have preferred rice instead of quinoa.  I will give Fonda Mexican props for having a kangaroo burrito on the menu though.

We arrived at the Corner Hotel half way through AXOLOTL's set. Their songs were very atmospheric and featured Ella Thompson on lead vocals (she is also part of The Bamboos). The last song they played "Electricity" was best of the ones we heard.

I must admit that I know very little about The Bamboos, even though they have been around for over a decade and have just released their fifth album.  The brainchild of bandleader Lance Ferguson, this Melbourne soul and funk outfit features main vocalist Kylie Auldist as well as some big name guest musicians on their latest album Medicine Man.  Their set was entertaining and had the crowd moving throughout the night.  Unfortunately Tim Rogers wasn't there to sing lead vocals on "I Got Burned" but we were treated to special guest vocalists Bobby Flynn, Daniel Merriweather, and Megan Washington who did three songs with the band and was amazing.  They finished the night with "Keep Me In Mind."

Here's the video for the single "I Got Burned" (featuring Tim Rogers)

Major Tom And The Atoms- Shake It Til You Break It EP Launch

Last night it was time to get atomic again for the Shake It Til You Break It EP launch by Major Tom and The Atoms at The Evelyn Hotel.  Mary and I took advantage of the deal to received the EP for free with a pre-purchased ticket.

The first act for the evening was Quang Dinh and Band (tentatively called Naked Bodies).  It was good to see Quang playing solo again as he has always been my favorite Little Red songwriter (shh, don't tell Tom).  He was joined on stage by a solid backing band for a short set that included the songs "Hollywood Blvd," "For Jane" and "Monkey Blues" (which I remembered from when I saw him play a few years ago).

Next up was Red Rockets of Borneo, a psychobilly sounding rock band from Melbourne.  Their front man was very charismatic and entertaining as he danced around and I thought their songs were good.

Major Tom and the Atoms emerged onto a dimly lit and smoky stage to big cheers from the crowd.  They played a tight set of songs from the EP as well as other unreleased tracks.  Sean roamed into the crowd several times while playing the saxophone and highlights of the set were "Rolling Stone," "Hey Flo" and an absolutely cracking version of "The House That Love Built."  They finished the night with their current single "Mockingbird" and had everyone clapping along to the rhythm.  It was great to see such a big turn out for the launch and lots of people dancing at the front of the stage.  I highly recommend the EP, which you can order from their website.

Here's the video for "The House That Love Built"

Eurovision 2012

It's that time of year where they break out a lot of pyro, wind and smoke machines- the Eurovision Song Contest! This year it was held in Baku, Azerbaijan with 26 countries competing in the Grand Final.  All of my favorites from the semi-finals made it through, including this year's winner Sweden.

Loreen (Sweden)- "Euphoria"


Watching the vote count is always entertaining as you get to see all the different voting blocs among the European nations.  I also wonder if some were throwing their top points toward countries they knew wouldn't have the money to host the contest next year.  My favorite performances of the night were:

Nina Zilli (Italy)- "L'Amore È Femmina (Out of Love)"


Mandinga (Romania)- "Zaleilah"


Buranovskiye Babushki (Russia)- "Party for Everybody"

Boy & Bear- Remembering The Mexican Tour

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

Major Tom And The Atoms- The House That Love Built Single Launch

After Bic Runga's show last night Mary and I walked to Cherry Bar on AC/DC Lane to catch Major Tom And The Atoms' single launch.  We arrived just as the band were setting up so it was perfect timing.  They started their set with "Wishing Well" and soon had the crowd in the pit dancing up a storm to their songs, including "Mockingbird," "Lizard King," "Hey Flo" and the single being launched that evening "The House That Love Built."  For a few songs Tom was joined on stage by Jacqui Rath, which added some female vocals to the mix.  It was a fun and entertaining set as expected, and they finished off the night with my favorite song of theirs "Rolling Stone."  Now that Tom has officially left Little Red he is focusing all his energy into the new band.  I'm looking forward to the release next month of their debut EP Shake It Til You Break It.

Bic Runga- Hello Hello Tour

Last night Mary and I made our way to the beautiful Athenaeum Theatre for Bic Runga's tour in support of her latest album Belle.  We had insanely close seats in the second row on the right hand side of the stage.  The opening act was Sydney singer-songwriter Ollie Brown.  He played solo on acoustic guitar and was quite hilarious with his between song banter.  Ollie recently won the Australia's Best Busker competition and we were impressed with his songs.  He also did a cover of Jackson Browne's "These Days."

Bic Runga began her set with "When I See You Smile."  She played the first few songs solo on guitar, including "Drive" and "Something Good" before being joined on stage by her band.  Bic was very thankful that we came to see here since she has been AWOL for the past six years.  She alternated between acoustic and electric guitar and piano throughout the evening, playing songs from all of her albums.  Highlights included "Get Some Sleep," "Winning Arrow," "Tiny Little Piece of My Heart," "Hello Hello" and "Darkness All Around Us."  She finished the main set with "Sway" and had the crowd singing along from the first verse.  The encore began with "Good Love" and then Bic played "Gravity" solo on piano for the last song of the night.  It was great to finally see Bic live again and hopefully it won't be too long before she is back playing in Melbourne.

Here is Bic's video for the first single off the album Belle, "Hello Hello"

Quietly Living Life

I have been a bit neglectful of the blog lately since I haven't been doing too much outside of my normal routine.  April has been full of its usual holidays (Easter, ANZAC Day) so it's been nice to have shorter work weeks and some days off.  I have been good about getting myself to the gym at least three times a week for one to two hours of classes (depending on the day).

At the end of March the Department moved into its new structure, so I am now working in a new division, but under my old general manager.  My main focus is still on school workforce reform, and hopefully at some point the paper I have been working on will see the light of day.  We are also awaiting the announcement of the state budget on Tuesday to see if there will be further cuts to the public service (currently 10% will be cut over the next two years). 

The AFL 2012 season began in March and Essendon has had a great start to the year.  We are currently 4-1, having lost the ANZAC Day match to Collingwood on Wednesday by only one point in a heart stopping finish.  The boys are playing better with each round, and hopefully this momentum will continue to build throughout the season.  I also hope to actually make it to at least one game this year!

Tamales at Mamasita

Although I haven't been to any gigs for the last couple months (never fear, there are some shows coming up in May) I have been catching up with friends, including Will and Helen who have been out visiting from the UK with their little ones.  I have also been getting out for lunch and dinner at some old favorite restaurants (Mamasita, China Red, Shuji Sushi) as well as trying some new places such as The Hardware Societe, The Mess Hall, Miss Marmalade, and burgers at Hoboken and Phoenix Public House.  I am also completely obsessed at the moment with the delicious macarons at La Belle Miette.  Kat and I have been escaping work to go there on an almost weekly basis.  They made special hot cross bun and Easter egg ones for Easter, and the salted caramel macaron is one of the most amazing things I have ever tasted.  Check them out if you are in Melbourne.

Melbourne Street Art

Brunswick, 2012 by Baby Guerrilla

Union Lane, Melbourne, 2011 by Conrad Bizjak

Northcote, 2011 by Be Free

Brous at The Spiegeltent

After a relaxing tapas dinner along the waterfront at Byblos, Amrita, her husband and sister and I walked along Southbank to the Arts Centre to see Brous play at The Famous Spiegeltent.  Wearing a fantastic hot pink dress she started the evening with "Little Ticket." For this show Sophia had her regular band along with some special guests including Dan Luscombe (The Drones), Mick Harvey and Evelyn Morris (Pikelet).  She played mostly new songs (some just recently written) as well as "Streamers" and "Oh My Brother" from her EP.  Mick joined her on guitar for "Southern Belle" and "Small Hands" and Evelyn came out to play on a beautiful song that I think was called "Lulu."  Sophia's voice and vocal range were amazing throughout the night and she finished her hour long set with another new one titled "Of The Causeway."  Hopefully her debut album will be released this year and if the new songs are any indication is should be a great one.

Here's the video for "Little Ticket"

Another Year Older

Photo by Kat

Today is my birthday and it has been a pretty good day.  I went out to lunch at Shuji Sushi with Clinton, and then came back to a beautiful bouquet of flowers at my desk from my parents and cupcakes from my work colleagues.  They know me too well!  After work I had a lovely dinner at my favorite Mexican restaurant Mamasita with Chantal, Amrita and Onagh.  We grabbed the last table and had an assortment of dishes and margaritas.  Then we headed off to the bar on the 35th floor of the Sofitel for a night cap before heading home.  Thanks to everyone for the birthday wishes throughout the day (and to those in the US who will be sending them tomorrow when I officially turn a year older).

The Artist

Tonight after work Amrita and I headed to the Kino Cinemas to see the award winning film The Artist.  Shot in black-and-white it covers the end of the silent film era and the beginning of talkies through the eyes of silent film star George Valentin (Jean Dujardin) and rising starlet Peppy Miller (Berenice Bejo).  Most of the film is silent and I can understand why Jean Dujardin is winning all the best actor awards because he is amazing in the way he conveys different emotions without the use of dialogue.  Uggie the dog is also a standout as Valentin's trusty companion.  The cinematography is gorgeous, and it was great to see all the shots around Los Angeles.  If you haven't seen The Artist yet you should definitely check it out as I think it will take home even more awards at the Oscars.

Major Tom And The Atoms

After a yummy dinner at Baba, Mary and I headed to The Retreat Hotel last night to catch Major Tom And The Atoms, the latest side project from Tom Hartney of Little Red.  The opening band was Jimmy Hawk And The Endless Party.  I enjoyed their songs and they had a few people up dancing by the end of their set.

Major Tom And The Atoms played a mix of original numbers and covers during their very entertaining and energetic set.  Tom's baritone voice sounded great and the musicians in the band are all fantastic, particularly the saxophone player who had some mad solos throughout the night.  Covers played included Smokey Robinson's "Get Ready," The Box Tops' "The Letter" and a medley of the themes from Jaws, The Pink Panther, Get Smart and Batman which was used to introduce the band.  Of the bands original songs, "Hey Flo" and "Rolling Stone" were standout tracks.  They finished their set with "The House That Love Built" and then for an encore did an inspired cover of Guns N' Roses' "Welcome To The Jungle."  It was a really fun night and we look forward to catching them live again soon.

Here's a clip of "Rolling Stone" to give you an idea of what they sound like live:

The Harpoons- Walk Away Single Launch

Last night Mary and I headed to The Toff in Town to see The Harpoons launch their latest single "Walk Away."  The first act on for the evening was Oscar Key Sung of Oscar + Martin.  It was a lovely, laid back set from Oscar who has a very soulful voice.  He sang along to pre-programmed beats and also used a looping pedal for his vocals at some points. 

Next up was Melbourne band The Neighborhood Youth.  They sounded promising at the start with their indie rock sound and jangly guitars, but after a while their songs started to blend together.  While I think they are talented their problem may be that they sound too much like a blend of other popular bands.

By the time The Harpoons took the stage the venue was packed.  They played a great set with a mix of old favorites and new songs.  "Faith" was the usual showstopper, showcasing Bec Rigby's amazing voice.  It was also good to hear "Swim My Baby" live again and the new single "Walk Away" for the first time.  We were even treated to a cover of Bill Withers' "Just The Two Of Us."  They finished the main set with "Keep You Around" and played "Garden City" for an encore.  I'm happy to see their popularity growing and can't wait for this debut album to be released.

Sunday Afternoon with The Good China

Photo by Guerilla Creative

This afternoon I ventured out into the hot weather to see The Good China play as part of Johnny Rock & The Limits Sunday residency at The Workers Club in Fitzroy.  The Chinas played a fairly even mix of old and new songs in their 45 minute set, including "If Pain Persists," "All Nothing," "We Found 3 Whistles" and "No More Maps, No More Roads."  The newer stuff sounds good, and I have heard some of it live once or twice before.  There was also some amusing banter in between songs, including a discussion of the movie Predator.  Unfortunately I didn't have time to stay for the full bill, but it was nice to be in a cool, dark room for a bit listening to live music.

The Ocean Party- Young Love Single Launch

Last night Mary and I went to the John Curtin Hotel to see The Ocean Party launch their latest single "Young Love."  First up for the evening was Slow Dancer, who played a great set.  Simon was once again accompanied by Rohan Sforcina on drums and James Harding on bass.  "Leave It To Me" and "Home" were my highlights and it was nice to see Simon's Oh Mercy bandmates out to support him.

The second band on the bill was Melbourne three piece ScotDrakula.  They played a very energetic set of punk/indie sounding songs with a hint of rockabilly as well.  I really liked them and it was good to see a female drummer in the band.  Next was The Eliza Band, a side project of Rory Cooke, the lead singer of Gaslight Radio.  They played songs from their debut album Firework Dogs, of which "The Preston Front" was a stand out, and finished their set with a Gaslight Radio song.

Surprisingly there was just a small crowd in the bandroom by the time The Ocean Party took the stage. Nevertheless they played a solid set of songs from their various releases, including "The Dogs," "Deadbeat," "Shaking Like A Leaf" and their new single "Young Love."  After the show Mary and I scored their entire back catalog for $10, which was an amazing offer.  Their debut album The Sun Rolled Off The Hills will be released in February.

Here's the video for "The Dogs"

Fleet Foxes

Last night Tash and I had dinner at Amigos on Acland Street (another overpriced, average Mexican restaurant in Melbourne- surprise, surprise) before heading to the Palais Theatre for Fleet Foxes sold out show.  The last time they came through town I was away overseas, so I was very excited to finally see them live.  The opening act was Grand Salvo, the moniker of Melbourne singer-songwriter Paddy Mann.  He played a lovely set of folk music and was joined on stage at various times by a female vocalist and cellist for different songs.

The nearly two hour set by Seattle's Fleet Foxes was absolutely amazing.  Their four part harmonies just soared and they played all the songs with energy and a sense of purpose.  This was not a quiet folk show.  The lighting was quite subtle with the band only occasionally lit from the front and background projections of moving stars overlaid with different geometric shapes.  The set list consisted of songs from all three of their releases, including my favorites "Mykonos," "Ragged Wood," "Your Protector," "Montezuma," "Battery Kinzie," "The Shrine/An Argument" and "Grown Ocean."  Quite a few of the songs were played back to back, and the band would sometimes double up on the same instruments to intensify the sound.  When they did talk with the crowd the guys were quite funny, especially in telling a story about being in the same hotel elevator as Public Enemy's Flavor Flav the last time they were in Melbourne.  The band received standing ovations at the end of the main set and after the last song of the night, "Helplessness Blues."  This was a fantastic gig to kick off 2012 with, and will be a hard one to beat.

Here is the amazing animated video for "The Shrine/An Argument"