John is all about celebrating the best of music, arts, and culture in Australia. He's a prolific reviewer and interviewer who's always on the pulse of what's new and exciting. His reviews are in-depth and thoughtful, giving readers a sense of what to expect from live performances, albums, and festivals. John's vibe on The AU Review is one of infectious enthusiasm, passion, and dedication to showcasing the vibrant cultural landscape of Australia.
It’s hard to believe that Hoodoo Gurus released their debut album Stoneage Romeos forty years ago. Winning awards in the day, it’s as fresh and exciting now as it was back then. The sold out crowd crammed the three levels of the Hindley Street Music Hall to witness rock history. Opening act, Dallas Crane are…
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South Asian indie-pop musician TUSHAR has just released his sophomore EP, Feels Like a Start. The title song is a feel-good uplifting pop song that just makes you feel happy. The song is infectious, with an upbeat vibe. The pace slows down a little for a previous single “Peaches and Wine”, but the deep brooding…
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Next year the Mundi Mundi Bash will be your best outback music festival option, as the Birdsville Bash will be taking a break for a 2025. Running over three days from the 21st to the 23rd of August, the festival on the outskirts of Broken Hill has several options for 1, 2 or 3 days,…
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It was a beautifully balmy Tuesday evening at The Drive for Troye Sivan‘s Something to Give Each Other Adelaide stopover. The Drive as a venue has come a long way since it was Memorial Drive back in the day, hosting the likes of Rod Stewart and Midnight Oil. Since the Adelaide Oval modernisation, the Drive’s subsequent…
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Australian rock legends Hoodoo Gurus have just begun their national Back to the Stoneage Tour, with additional shows added earlier this year to cater for the incredible demand. Playing the Stoneage Romeos album in full to celebrate the 40th anniversary of its release, the band is excited to be back on the road. Lead singer…
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For the fourth year of Froth and Fury, the festival moved down the road to Hart’s Mill. One assumes that it was due to logistical reasons; not having to close off roads, two stages side by side, and more space. There are still three stages, with the Froth and Fury stages alternating shows, with the…
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Adelaide is the Australian UNESCO City of Music, which may go part of the way to explain why there is so much musical talent in South Australia. The SA Music Awards, held at the Dom Polski Centre this year, is a way of recognising talent, established, new and emerging. With the support of several Government,…
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On November 11th, Vietjet are having a flash sale on airfares between Australia and Vietnam. For just AUD$199 (depending on route) customers can book flights for travel between 1 January and 22 May 2025. Just use the code VJ11 when booking through the website www.vietjetair.com or using the mobile app. Vietjet flies to destinations such…
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Andrew Hozier-Byrne, known professionally as Hozier, is an Irish musician, singer and songwriter. You may know him from the viral song “Take Me to Church”, but he is so much more than that. On Friday evening at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre, he bought a full repertoire of songs from his collection of folk, soul and…
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Melbourne artist Eugene Fox has just released his debut single; a stirring folk track titled “Miss The Goalie”. The track oozes with the charm of clever songwriting and sweet, plucky guitar melodies, and was written and recorded in his home studio in the Northern suburbs of Melbourne. We reached out to Eugene to discuss the…
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Formed in Ballarat in 1987, The Mavis’s carved a solid following in the Aussie rock scene. Led by Becky Thomas (a.k.a. Beki Thomas, Beki Colada) on vocals and keyboards and her brother Matt Thomas on guitar and vocals, they originally called it quits back in 2001, after launching hits including “Cry” and “Naughty Boy”. They’ve…
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Andr is a musician from Taiwan that we caught up with recently at SXSW Sydney for the Taiwanese Beats Showcase. She shares her excitement about performing at Sydney and the enthusiastic crowd. She discusses her musical journey, starting with learning guitar in junior high and writing songs at 15. Her upcoming album, “Under Your Bed,”…
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The Adelaide Film Festival presented the Australian Premiere of director Justin Kurzel’s movie The Order at the Piccadilly Theatre last Wednesday evening. Based on a true story, it stars Jude Law as world weary FBI agent Terry Husk, who is sent to investigate a series of armed robberies in the Pacific Northwest in 1983. Nicholas…
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For those who love music, beer and skating, this two day free event at Manly Beach this weekend – tonight and tomorrow, November 1st and 2nd – may be just the thing for you. Young Henrys and Volcom are hosting the event at Hotel Steyne, with DJ sets from Dune Rats, The Buoys, Haiku Hands…
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Singer Chit Chat Von Loopin Stab sat down with the AU review to discuss Machine Gun Fellatio’s reunion and recent performances, including a secret gig in Newcastle. The band members, who hadn’t played together in 20 years, felt a sense of nostalgia and rejuvenation, with standout moments like rehearsing with Marshall stacks and the entire…
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David Thompson, lead singer of Adelaide folk band Bromham, chats about their live performances, emphasizing community and collaboration. Their upcoming EP, Adulthood, is inspired by personal challenges, including infertility and property issues. The song “Friends” reflects the support from diverse friends, while another track honours Hannah’s sister. The EP features local Adelaide artist Max Ballard’s…
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The University of Adelaide Theatre Guild are presenting the Patrick Barlow adaption of the novel The 39 Steps by John Buchan and the subsequent movie by Alfred Hitchcock. Patrick Barlow is an English actor, comedian and playwright, whose adaption was first presented on London’s West end in 2005. Despite the Hitchcock movie being presented in 1935,…
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Adelaide’s Froth and Fury Festival, the massive all-ages alternative craft beer and music event is back at The Port in November with an explosive lineup of 33 bands across three stages. Northlane, Thy Art Is Murder, and Fear Factory lead the lineup, including the USA band’s only Australian show. Testeagles and Day Of Contempt will be playing exclusive reunion shows….
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The cast of The Correspondent and other dignitaries were out in force for the opening night of the Adelaide Film Festival. The movie tells the gripping story of Peter Greste, a journalist who was sent to cover the riots in Egypt following the election in 2013, and was arrested and convicted of terrorism. Richard Roxburgh…
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Metallica have just announced that Australia will be part of their M72 World Tour in November 2025. Metallica will perform in stadiums in Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney and Auckland. These shows will include the famous Snake Pit extending from the front of the stage, meaning that the band will perform at each end of…
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The iconic Melbourne identity “Chopper” is back reincarnated in the hilariously talented Heath Franklin. Heath will present his brand new show “Not Here To F*** Spiders” over two nights in Melbourne in November. This is Chopper’s triumphant return after a short break to focus on his ‘other’ life and come back fiestier than ever. We…
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Despite a seasonal Sydney thunderstorm, the SXSW Sydney music action was still going strong at venues in the inner west. Down at the UTS Underground, for the Rolling Stone Music takeover, Singaporean rapper Yung Raja was giving it all he had. The Rolling Stone House event ran for three nights, in partnership with American Apparel,…
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Thursday was another jam packed day of local and international music at SXSW Sydney. Opening the day is Ila Barker, a singer / songwriter from Winnipeg, Canada. Her gentle introspective folk songs come a place of recovering from an abusive relationship. She played songs from her latest album “Fool Under Water.” Her songs are of…
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The first announcement of artists to play WOMADelaide 2025 includes the iconic British artist PJ Harvey. Her visit to Australia will be the first in eight years. For the last two years she has been touring with her band across the UK and Europe to outstanding reviews. Her performances have included tracks from her tenth…
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Navigating the SXSW Sydney music offerings is like being at a giant festival. Performances are spread over a number of venues in the inner west and part of the fun is discovering how many cool music venues are within walking distance of each other. There is such a wide variety of offerings, it’s important to…
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Whilst SXSW Sydney officially opened on Monday, the opening parties started on Tuesday. SXSW has been running for several years in Texas, but this is the second year in Sydney. With a program that features conferences and programmes from the Tech and Innovation fields, Games, Music and Screen, it really is an important networking and…
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TISM fans are known to be fanatical about their favourite band. The same day that a “secret” warm up gig was announced at The Gov hotel in Adelaide, the show sold out. With doors opening at 1pm, the pub itself opened the doors at midday to a throng of fans that would normally be just…
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Almost fifty years ago, the movie Grease was adapted from the original stage play and became a critical and commercial success. With Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta playing the parts of romantics Sandy and Danny, the 1978 movie has been embedded in Western culture. Meanwhile, the stage production has provided entertainment in various theatres around…
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David Williamson is Australia’s best known and most widely performed playwright and one of our leading screenwriters. One of his early plays, The Department was commissioned to open the Dunstan Playhouse in 1974. He has had over fifty five plays produced, including Don’s Party and The Club and written screenplays for several movies such as…
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Four movies and other events have been teased out ahead of the full Adelaide Film Festival announcement coming on September 17th. Cannes Film Festival 2024 Palme d’Or Award winner, Anora, reimagines Pretty Woman as a tragicomedy and cements director Sean Baker as someone to watch. It screens at the AFF on Thursday October 24th. Screening…
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