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.
Last year’s Heaps Good Festival was such an incredibly great show that it’s hard to understand why this year’s wasn’t bigger and better. Moving the stages from the main oval at the Adelaide Showgrounds into the pavilion area seemed to dampen the festival vibe. Fortunately, the food court was outside, which gave something of a…
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Despite threatening thunderstorms in the morning, it all heated up for Wildlands Festival in Adelaide on Sunday afternoon. Set in the parklands near the Adelaide High School, it was an easy venue for the predominantly young crowd to access. A large tent in the centre of the grounds provided shade, with the single main stage…
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From the moment the curtain rises on the Miss Saigon stage, the audience knows that they are in for an incredible journey. The Adelaide Festival Centre stage has been skilfully transformed into a Saigon war zone. Soldiers run roughshod through busy villagers’ lives, choppers flying noisily overhead, bombs exploding in the distance, and chaos and…
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Groove Armada have been releasing banging dance tunes such as “I see You Baby” and “Superstyling” for over 25 years. The British duo of Andy Cato and Tom Findlay are bringing their DJ set back to Australia in January for Adelaide’s Vintage Vibes Festival. We chatted about what’s kept the show fresh over all these…
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There’s a palpable sense of excitement and anticipation in the air as the Meredith Music lovers set up camp and make their way to the amphitheatre. Seasoned attendees have secured their favourite spots, decorated their campsite and set up their couches in the amphitheatre. Friday’s weather is hot and windy, but that doesn’t deter the…
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If you live in Brisbane, Adelaide or Perth, you probably already have Wildlands Festival in your diary. The set times for these three events have just been released to help you plan your day. Brisbane is hosting the event on New years Eve at the Brisbane Showgrounds and it’s a massive line-up. RÜFÜS DU SOL will…
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We see a lot of new release news, but this one really captured our eye. Just this week, Impressed Recordings have released a limited edition coloured vinyl pressing of the classic Wiggles album, Yummy Yummy. The original line up of Murray, Jeff, Anthony and Greg, went on to become household names with hits such as…
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Like fitting the final piece to a jigsaw puzzle, the announcement of Ball Park Music as headliners for next year’s Vintage Vibes Festival is great news for music lovers. After last years debut in the Adelaide Hills, this year is set to be a must attend on your calendar. Joining Ball Park Music are UK’s…
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WOMADelaide has been a part of Adelaide’s DNA for over thirty years. Founded by Peter Gabriel in 1992, it draws people together to celebrate world music and the joy of life. It’s recent home has been among the trees in the glorious Botanic Park/Tainmuntilla adjacent to the Adelaide Zoo. Over the years it has grown…
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After stunning audiences at this year’s NLMA awards, and again at the SA Music Awards, Carla Lippis and Mondo Psycho have released an unhinged video that captures their style perfectly. The title of the song, “I Paint with the Brush of Violence” tells it all. Lippis’s personal style evokes the black macintosh-wearing killers of Dario…
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The Avalanches, the Australian electronic music duo of Tony Di Blasi and Robbie Chater, took the world by storm in 1997 with the release of their debut album, Since I Left You. Consisting of some 3000 samples and with hit singles such as “Frontier Psychiatrist”, it has become a classic album. They recently released a…
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Since bursting on the scene in 2015 with her debut single “Wish I Was”, AYLA has consistently crafted brooding pop-gems. Known for her distinctive and eclectic style, AYLA has just released an emotionally charged single, “Should’ve Been Fine.” AYLA asks her listeners to ponder the fragility of life and the importance of seizing the moment…
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Our friends at Young Henrys have always been ones to push the barriers when it comes to releasing new beer varieties. This time, just in time for summer, is a core range of Cold XPA. Brewed cold. Drink colder. This joins the existing lineup of Newtowner, Hazy Pale Ale, Natural Larger, IPA, Stayer Mid Strength, Cloudy Cider & Ginger Beer. The beer…
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Under the direction of Connor Duncan and adapted by Annie Baker, Chekhov’s classic play Uncle Vanya is brought to life in Adelaide’s Little Theatre by the Theatre Guild Student Society. Anton Chekhov (1860-1904) is considered one of the great Russian playwrights and a key figure in the 19th Century movement towards dramatic realism and naturalism….
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Debut flights from Adelaide via Perth have begun just this week. At Adelaide Airport, Executive GM of People Culture and Customer at Adelaide Airport, Dermot O’Neil and Brenton Cox, Managing Director welcomed Vietjet, who are the first carriers offering direct flights to Vietnam. South Australian Tourism Minister, Zoe Bettison was also there to help with the…
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With 36 bands over three stages running all day, there was so much to see at Froth and Fury Festival that it would be impossible to see it all. From local punk rock outfits to the raucous antics of Suicidal Tendencies, there had to be a heavy metal band to suit your tastes. Taking over…
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With The Butterfly Effect and Suicidal Tendencies heading up an extravaganza of 36 heavy, alternative and underground acts over three stages at Pirate Life Brewery, you’ll be kicking yourself if you miss the last of the ticket allocation. Froth and Fury is a specially handcrafted brew of Rock, Punk, Metal, Hardcore, Stoner, Sludge and Doom…
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Formed in London in 2016 and now based between Berlin and Zurich, Kerala Dust is a four-piece band influenced by iconic indie acts like CAN, The Velvet Underground, and Tom Waits. They fuse their influence of psychedelic rock, blues, and techno into their own signature hypnotic sound. In late 2020, they released their debut album…
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It was packed to the rafters on Sunday night at the Hindley Street Music Hall as punters excitedly waited for the triumphant return of UK legends Bloc Party. Co-founders Kele Okereke on lead vocals and Russell Lissack on lead guitar were joined by Louise Bartle on drums and touring bassist Harry Deacon. They played a generous…
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In a show of exuberance, the South Australian music community came together at Woodville Town Hall to celebrate. Indigenous act DEM MOB shone, winning five awards, including the prestigious Emily Burrows Award, which includes a $5,000 grant for professional development. They also took home Best Regional Artist, Best Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Artist, and…
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The second instalment of Harvest Rock is back in the Adelaide parklands, bigger and better than even the first. After last year’s wet weather, the event organisers ensured plenty of astroturf would keep the mud away if it did rain. Luckily, this weekend we were blessed with glorious weather after a brief early shower at…
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Landing by accident on the comedy scene in 2019, My Cousin Vlad is Australia’s first official ‘Immaculagent’. A real estate agent by day, and an observational professor by night… actually… by day as well. While on his CATASTROPHA National Tour, and ahead of his shows in Newcastle, Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth, we called him to…
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Soulfully inspired, multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter, Rob Edwards combines jazz, blues and R&B with the powerful art of storytelling to create a unique and authentic sound. The release of the raw and authentic “Dreaming” dives into the painful and all too common story of the Stolen Generation in Australia, and the effects it has passed on from…
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True-crime docu-drama SPEEDWAY is based on the unsolved murders that claimed the lives of four teens working in a burger restaurant in 1978. The town of Speedway is the location of the famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway. This feature debut from Adelaide’s Luke Rynderman and co-director Adam Kamien tries to piece together the 40-year-old cold case…
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Housekeeping for Beginners is set in a chaotic family home in Macedonia. However, this is no ordinary household. Dita lives with her girlfriend and her two daughters, tiny troublemaker Mia and rebellious teen Vanesa. The house is a sort of drop-in centre for the queer and homeless, with Toni, who tends to pick up younger guys…
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Hen (Saoirse Ronan) and Junior (Paul Mescal) are farming a remote piece of land that has been in his family for generations. The land is under drought, and globally the environment is struggling. In the middle of the night, an uninvited government agent (Aaron Pierre) shows up at their door with a surprise. Junior has…
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Ahead of their forthcoming sophomore album, Bury Me in the Garden, scheduled for release on November 23, indie family folk band Sturt Avenue have released two singles. The soul-stirring tracks “Against the World” and “Still in Love” are two quite different sounding tracks. “Against the World” is an evocative track that explores the importance of…
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WOMADelaide has today announced the first 28 artists for the 2024 festival, from 8 to 11 March – featuring Ziggy Marley (Jamaica), The Budos Band (USA), Arooj Aftab (USA/Pakistan), Gilberto Gil (Brazil) and DakhaBrakha (Ukraine). Ziggy Marley, son of iconic reggae singer Bob Marley, is set to perform in Adelaide for the first time since 2012. With a career spanning 40 years and 8 Grammys…
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Adelaide artists and producers My Chérie and UOMO have released an introspective and harmonious single, “runrunrun”. This is their second collaboration after releasing “Crush” in March 2022. UOMO is the side project from the Adelaide indie/dance duo China Roses. The song invites listeners to dive into their personal self-discovery journey while celebrating life’s quirks and…
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Ink, a play by James Graham, tells the compelling story of the first year of Rupert Murdoch’s purchase of The Sun newspaper in 1969. Initially performed in London’s West End in 2017, this performance from the University of Adelaide Theatre Guild by directors Robert Bell and Rebecca Kemp takes place in the Little Theatre, buried…
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