Month: January 2009

Leonard Cohen + Paul Kelly – Sydney Entertainment Centre (29.01.09)

Trying to write a review for a Leonard Cohen concert has been one of the hardest tasks I’ve undertaken in recent memory (clearly I live a difficult life…). To be able to clearly articulate this experience is far outside my skills as a writer. Put simply, I will never be able to replicate the true…

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A Sydneysider's Take on Melbourne's Big Day Out 2009

Having attended the Sydney Big Day Out for the past 5 years, it would be fair to say that being sick of the crowd that attends this event is an understatement. So, loving Melbourne, I decided to make the trip down south for this year’s epic BDO event – and boy, did it pay off….

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The Curse of Company + Cuthbert and the Nightwalkers + Fulton Lights (NYC) – Hopetoun Hotel (23.01.09)

While everyone else was at the Sydney Big Day Out (including, initially, some members of The Curse of Company), a small group had gathered at the Hopetoun Hotel for what was to be an excellent, albeit rather humid, night of live music. First up, all the way from New York, was the one-man machine of…

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SYDNEY FESTIVAL: All Tomorrow's Parties – Cockatoo Island (18.01.09)

Going to an All Tomorrow’s Parties [ATP] festival is like being in on a fantastic secret, a secret which has been kept from Australia’s shores for way too long. But this past weekend, Sydney finally got to see what the rest of the world doesn’t know about: the festival alternative to festivals, headlined and curated…

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SYDNEY FESTIVAL: The Bays (Performing a Live Soundtrack to Run Lola Run) – Darling Harbour (14.01.09)

A beautiful sunny day preceded the first event in the “iiNet Films Afloat” series: a unique event (part of the Sydney Festival) showcasing bands from around the world playing live (and original) soundtracks to three films. Enter the Dragon, Fantastic Planet and this, the seminal 1998 film Run Lola Run. And a good thing it…

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SYDNEY FESTIVAL: Festival First Night – Streets of Sydney (10.01.09)

Following last year’s hugely successful inaugural event (headlined by Mr. Brian Wilson), and a Sydney Festival with profits through the roof, they said they were going to make the 2009 Festival First Night absolutely massive by comparison. And thanks of course to an increased budget, it appears they were able to pull it off. Taking…

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The Black Keys + Gomez + Ash Grunwald + Dr. Dog – Luna Park Big Top (09.01.09)

In what has to be one of the best value-for-money tickets Sydney has seen in quite a long time (this side of “free”), Dr. Dog, Ash Grunwald, Gomez and The Black Keys lit up the Luna Park Big Top in a night not quite unlike the end of a day at Byron’s Blues Festival. Indeed,…

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Dr. Dog + Philadelphia Grand Jury – Beach Road Bondi (07.01.09)

One of the best things about getting into a band before anyone else in town is that every now and then you’ll get an opportunity to see said band for free. But usually this isn’t a privilege extended to fans of a band from, say, Philadelphia! Yesterday, however, an exception was made, and The Filth’s…

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The Hives – Metro Theatre (06.01.09)

Fresh off a hit of Franz Ferdinand, next on the calendar were the gods of Sweden: The Hives. And I don’t really know how to write a review for this one. I mean this gig was just so mind-blowingly good that words can’t really describe it. But let’s give it a shot. Fresh off a…

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Myspace Secret Show: Franz Ferdinand – Enmore Theatre (06.01.09)

FINALLY! FRANZ HAVE RETURNED! And they’re making new music too! For us Franz Ferdinand fans, it’s a very exciting time indeed – and well overdue. But for those of us who were already attending The Hives on the evening of the 6th when their gig was announced for the same night, disappointment was definitely the…

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The Honey Brothers – The Supper Club (03.01.09)

Now the first thing you may wonder when you look at the above picture is: Wait a minute, is that Vinnie Chase / Adrian Grenier in a band? Did I just miss Adrian Grenier in Sydney? The answer to both is, indeed, yes. With Adrian playing both guitar and drums (usually the latter) in The…

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