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.
In these times of uncertainty, it’s good to have some positive energy to look forward to. Adelaide’s own Spin Off Festival is back in 2022 with some of Splendour’s most popular bands. Get ready to party on Friday 22nd July with… GLASS ANIMALS · JACK HARLOW · SPACEY JANE · BALL PARK MUSIC · G…
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The Wombats are kicking off the new year in style, about to release their fifth studio album Fix Yourself, Not The World. Lead singer Murph caught up with The AU Review’s John Goodridge about the making of the album; out tomorrow through Warner Music Australia. Would you say this album is the most challenging one you’ve…
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Daniel Muggleton leaps out onto the stage, both noticeable and memorable for his bright red tracksuit. A fine fashion choice? Probably not, but if you Google “tracksuit comedian”, he is on the top of the list. So, it’s perhaps a wise one. The venue (Gluttony‘s Piglet – not Adelaide’s Rhino Room where you’ll see him this Thursday)…
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The centrepiece of the 2022 Adelaide Fringe is set to be Sky Song, combining aerial drones with music from First Nations artists. Running for 31 nights at the Adelaide Showgrounds, the event will combine state of the art technology from Celestial with traditional Indigenous music. Narrated by the iconic Archie Roach, a swarm of drones…
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Long celebrated as one of Adelaide’s leading festivals, WOMADelaide have released the first thirty names for the 30th event in 2022. Heading the line up is veteran performer Paul Kelly, who not only played at the inaugural event, but played on the one-off WOMAD Indian-Pacific train trip from Perth to Pimba in 1996, and at…
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It was a dark and stormy night, but inside the Adelaide Unibar, five Psych bands were there to warm things up. Sons of Zoku headlined proceedings along with Nite Rites, The Howling Fog and last minute substitutions from Maisie and Road Wings. Our photographer John Goodridge was there to capture these images.
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In the comfortably chic apartment “La Vie En Rose” cackles on the gramophone. “A life in pink”, as it translates. “Miss Nightingale” swishes through the sheer curtains to fix the crack in the record. Karla Hillam is Miss Nightingale and her voice and looks are perfect for the role. A shock of red hair falls…
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Tunguska 2021 brought a new line-up of sound artists to create and share healing waves in the beautiful space that is Adelaide’s The Gov. Presenting a collection of psychedelic sounds to lull you into the abyss, post-rock for space to experience these great energetic waves of sound, shoegaze delivering ethereal and shocking elements, inducing experimental…
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Daniel Muggleton leaps out onto the stage at Adelaide Fringe, both noticeable and memorable for his bright red tracksuit. A fine fashion choice? Probably not, but if you Google “tracksuit comedian”, he is on the top of the list. So, it’s perhaps a wise one. The venue (Gluttony‘s Piglet) is probably not the best available…
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A lone wanderer stumbles amongst a crew of meta-human misfits in a dystopian world, industrial, cyberpunk in the not-too-distant future. This is the Barbaroi and this is her initiation. The stage is stripped, stark, future industrial and feels like a movie set. A driving contemporary musical backdrop includes artists such as NIN, Radiohead and early…
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As the audience assembles in the foyer of the Mill, yellow envelopes are handed out. The instructions are to write a question for the Fake-Fake Psychic and seal them within the envelope. We place them in a glass bowl near the stage as we enter. A statement is projected up on the screen. Words are…
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The open-air MOA mini stadium at the rear of Gluttony was literally packed to the rafters. A dedicated crowd of followers of Hugh Sheridan were there to watch him strut his stuff in HUGHMAN. Bursting onstage, Sheridan soon spotted a Crows-guernsey-wearing man and pulled him on stage. Surprise. He’s one of the plethora of dancers…
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My closing memory of Yas Queen is a rousing rendition of Queen’s “Somebody to Love” with the audience standing and cheering a stunning performance. The journey along the way was a roller coaster ride of emotion. The opening number was also strong, but a number of factors threatened to derail the show. There was the…
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Day four of the WOMADelaide festival opened with Adelaide duo, Siberian Tiger. Their soulful and heartfelt tunes were a beautiful accompaniment to a sunny afternoon. The Teskey Brothers hit the stage next. The brothers have built quite a following from their festival appearances over the years and were a popular addition to the lineup. There…
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Tash Sultana finished off day three of WOMADelaide in typical brash style. Sultana has a certain way of cajoling, enticing and threatening sounds from their plethora of instruments. They are surrounded by these instruments but is in no way confined by them. As they soar and float around the stage, they set each one off…
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To say that it’s been a difficult time for the arts industry over the last year is an understatement. The Adelaide Fringe was one of the last events held in 2020 before Coronavirus hit and is now back in a far reduced capacity and social distance friendly way. Which doesn’t mean that everything is smooth…
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By the second day of Womadelaide, a certain peace and harmony had developed in the crowd. COVID precautions were understood and the mad rush to see everything had changed into a more relaxed atmosphere. Not that this stopped newcomer indigenous rappers MRLN x RKM whipping up some energy onstage. Marlon Motlop (AKA MRLN) was born…
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Reuben Kaye is no stranger to Adelaide audiences. He is entertained and delighted us over several festivals and fringes. As emcee tonight, Kaye invites us down his late-night Kaye Hole with a group of fellow performers. The Kaye Hole is a safe place, except if you’re a straight heterosexual man who, for once, find themselves…
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The scaled-down COVID-safe Womadelaide still had plenty of the charm and community that we expect from this annual world music festival. Jamie Goldsmith presented a welcome to country and explained the meanings of the traditional greetings and names. King Rodney Park was named after a Kuarna elder. Womad opened with seasoned performer Archie Roach, who…
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You may remember Paul McDermott from our television screens back in the eighties as one of the Doug Anthony All Stars. He’s not as stunningly attractive these days, but with his new bearded look, one could say that he’s still got a certain appeal – to other men with beards, perhaps. Forty years of entertaining…
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Magic duo Sam & Justin (known as The Showmen) present the Adult Only Magic Show at Gluttony. The show is marketed as an incredible array of hilariously raucous comedy, mind-bending illusions and stunningly dangerous stunts. The fast-paced show has plenty of audience participation with free drink cards for those helping on stage. Not that many…
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DIRT is the story of an Australian tourist, played by Will King, travelling in Moscow who hooks up with the local tour guide (Patrick Livesey). The romantic interplay between the two evolves over the course of the performance, but each has a hidden story that gradually unfolds. The play is set in contemporary Russia and…
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Amy Hetherington’s one-person stand-up show Don’t Feed The Ducks is a little of a misnomer. If you are expecting an hour of duck jokes, you’d be disappointed. There are duck jokes. But, there’s also a whole lot more to the show. From the moment that the audience are squeezed into the broom-cupboard sized Hell’s Kitchen at…
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DARK TRANSMISSIONS: psyched-out Shoegaze, Post-Punk, Synth and Noise taking you on a hazy and hypnotic Ride. Melbourne band USER made the trip over to join local Adelaide bands The Howling Fog, The Condos and Visitors. John Goodridge was there and brings us these photos from the night.
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There was a good crowd in the Magic Mirror Spiegeltent for the final weekend performance of Rouge. Despite the increasing talk of COVID-19 in the press, audiences remained undaunted and expectant. The tent has a circular stage in the centre, with good views all round. The high fabric and glass covered walls gave the space…
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As the audience is shepherded into the tiny downstairs Hell Fire space in the Rhino Room venue, they are greeted by a bearded man wearing nothing but a pair of white briefs. Smiling and friendly, he welcomes everyone with open arms. This is going to be a very intimate performance. Cam Venn explains the show…
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Dystopia is a dark fantastical production set in a post-apocalyptic future Earth. The opening screen shows a static montage of bomber planes, skulls, wartime destruction. This sets the scene for the performance to come. The audience catches glimpses of the characters, an elfin ballerina, a doll, lone guitarist, a zombie troupe and more. The lone…
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From the moment he swaggers into the room, you can tell Tyler Everett (played by Tom Crotty) is going to own the audience. Making eye contact, he begins his story of sex, violence and city living. Dressed in a black leather jacket, white t-shirt and designer stubble, with a backpack slung over his shoulder he…
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Rip, Drag and Ruminate is a collection of short works from the Adelaide College of the Arts 3rd Year Dancers. Six pieces were presented. The opening sequence by Isobel Stolinski, “To Whom it May Concern”, dealt with art censorship and scrutiny. The Acid Arab soundtrack helped to create an uplifting message which contrasted with the…
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Level 5 of the RCC played host to an insane collection of classic Japanese punk rock last week. Friday night saw the Jet Boys joined by a last minute addition to the Fringe, the 5,6,7,8’s, consisting of Sachiko and Yoshiko “Ronnie” Fujiyama, two sisters from Tokyo, for Tokyo Jet Daze Opening the night early were Adelaide…
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