Founding Editor and Publisher of the AU review. Currently based in Toronto, Canada. You can follow him on Twitter @larry_heath or on Instagram @larryheath.
Two years and one album since they last graced the Metro stage, Maxïmo Park returned to entertain Sydney audiences on Friday night. Supporting Maxïmo Park on their long awaited Quicken The Heart tour were Melbourne duo Denim Owl. Not since Fergie supported The Police have I seen a stranger support choice. One one hand, you’ve…
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When it comes to the business side of the Australian club scene, there are few bigger names than Peter Raff. In 2001, Peter collaborated with Frank Coleta to form what is now the biggest brand of the Australian club scene, and our answer to UK’s Ministry of Sound: Onelove. I recently had the opportunity to…
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As I entered the Metro on a humid Friday evening, I found myself somehow pleased that this Midnight Juggernauts concert would be an over 18s affair, right back at the venue I first remember seeing the band, supporting Electric Six way back in 2005. And what a way they’ve come since then! Headlining the same…
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Combine a 6pm start, with a rainy Sunday evening, and the fact that everyone who lives near the Annandale would have just been getting home from the Newtown Festival – PLUS the fact that very few people have ever heard of Mark Steiner (more would have heard of the fantastic Des Miller, however) – and…
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If there is one musical event which has come to encapsulate Summer in Australia, there’s no argument that it’s the Big Day Out – the 2010 edition of which has now sold out around the country, despite a lineup born out of a recycling bin. But in Sydney, there is a parallel force for our…
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One of the most defining moments in modern music occurred in August 1986, when Paul Simon released the groundbreaking Graceland LP. The majority of the album was recorded in South Africa and shot the Mbaqanga musical style into the Western mainstream. While such a style was indeed influential before this point, suddenly it became “the…
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I recently had the pleasure of experiencing Sydney’s Sherlock’s Daughter live for the first time, in support of Lisa Mitchell (read the review here), so was no doubt thrilled when I recently received their debut self-titled EP. But that said, I did approach the EP with a fair amount of trepidation – who was to…
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It’s a rare thing in this day and age to see a live music-oriented series survive on Australian Television. Even programs on MTV and Channel [V] don’t seem to stick around for too long. There is one popular exception to this rule, however. Kia Soul’s Live at the Chapel . Originating in Melbourne in 2003,…
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What’s this!? Larry, reviewing a gig in Melbourne!? Well yes indeed boys and girls, I recently took a trip down south, and got to go to my first ever gig in your fine city! Although, I HAD been down to Big Day Out and V Festival this year and last year, respectively – so I…
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Unfortunately I was unable to attend the entire day of the latest “pub” festival to hit the Sydney scene, and as such arrived just as 4th band for the day, Alter Ego Mania, were finishing their set. I didn’t see enough of these guys to comment on them properly, but liked what I saw…
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It was only a few short weeks ago that I was first introduced to Lisa Mitchell, via the adorable video of ‘Coin Laundry’. I have to say I was quite stunned when I went on to discover she had managed a near sell-out tour of the country at the same time. Well boys and girls,…
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I find this quite strange to admit, but this performance was the first time I’d ever set foot inside the UNSW Roundhouse. Just thought I’d put that out there. But it’s a venue I quite like – it’s just a bit of a pain to get to! The set up, and the premise, of the…
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As the crowd slowly trickled into new “it” night, JUST? at Club 77, The Vignettes launched into their set. While I’ve reviewed this band before (see it here), tonight I felt I was given a much more accurate taste as to what they were all about. Joel, for one, felt much more relaxed to say…
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Jamie T is one of those performers with whom you know you probably SHOULDN’T like – but there’s something about him that keeps drawing you back in – and his live show, the first of an impressive two sold out nights at the Metro, proved much the same. Opening for Jamie T was Ernest Ellis,…
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DOUBLE TAKE – Alexandra Duguid and Gareth Page each give their takes on this highly anticipated concert. Review by Alexandra Duguid: I entered the venue to be welcomed by Mariachi El Bronx, the novelty alter-ego of the Bronx and an unusual concept executed flawlessly by the LA based-punk band, who were…well not a punk band…
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When I heard that Robert Schneider was making his first ever trip down under, I found myself asking… like, Rob “The Hot Chick” Schneider? But on second glance I realised that it was, in fact, the famed lead of one of my favourite bands, Apples in Stereo! This was one rare acoustic performance I knew…
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Hopetoun Hotel once again showcases some of the city’s best talent. Danimals, The Laurels and Songs are three of the hottest bands in Sydney right now, and they blew the roof off the venue, in front of an – as expected – sold out crowd. The following The Laurels have, in particular, is quite astounding…
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If you know where to look on a given night, the city of Sydney offers some great “secret” shows in warehouse spaces around town, often free, and often (eventually) shut down by the cops due to noise complaints. And it’s on this Saturday evening where I found myself in a Surry Hills Warehouse, watching a…
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Tonight, the Hopetoun Hotel outsourced its Headline act to Japan, and with some local support by their side, provided an evening of some interesting musical treats. I unfortunately missed opening act Virgo Rising, but I hear great things about the Sydney band, and will definitely endevour to catch them at a later date. Skullsquadron, up…
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While I can’t say I’m as big a fan as some of the others in the room, Ben Folds has been at the top of my “to see” list for quite some time, and not only did he not disappoint, but provided me with one of the most memorable evenings I’ve ever had the pleasure…
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SPECIAL REVIEW FEATURE(S): TWITTER FEED For Australian fans of Wolf Parade and their many side projects (Frog Eyes, Handsome Furs, Sunset Rubdown etc.), it’s been a hard run over the years, with not a single visit to our shores. Until now. Behold! The first Australian tour of Handsome Furs, Dan Boeckner’s side project with wife…
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The last time I attended an iTunes LIVE gig at the Apple Store, it was last year’s now legendary performance by The Presets. Many of those who had been lucky enough to make it inside had been waiting all day. Last night’s Paul Dempsey performance, however, was far more low key – patrons able…
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It’s always interesting to see how a crowd will react to a band they probably haven’t heard of, especially when that crowd is full of people in the fashion and art industries. In other words – people who don’t really consider themselves “into live music”. Last night’s launch of the new fashion-focused “Tangent Magazine” was…
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The fantastic concept that is The JD Set has returned to our shores for a second round, showcasing an audience’s pick of relatively unknown bands (Brittle and Starting Sunday) alongside one of Australia’s most popular acts (Faker)… All for free! The way they ran the ticketing system was fairly simple: register for tickets online, bring…
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SPECIAL REVIEW FEATURE(S): TWITTER FEED As the crowd began to filter into the Enmore, lone support act CATCALL, formerly of Kiosk, took to the stage, performing “Be My Earthquake” to open her half-hour-or-so set. Reasonably catchy, the song was enhanced by a rarely seen 3-piece backup band. While other songs were brought down by the…
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While touted as the “debut [V] Live event”, today’s event was always going to be a hard reminder of the days when Channel [V] ACTUALLY brought regular live music to the streets of Sydney. Free events, usually at Fox Studios, showcased some of the world’s hottest properties (Foo Fighters, Incubus, The Dandy Warhols and Queens…
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SPECIAL REVIEW FEATURE(S): TWITTER FEED While their appearance at Splendour in the Grass, was touted as an “exclusive Australian appearance”, Bloc Party have managed to fit in a few “secret” shows along the route. On Friday night, they appeared at the Great Northern Hotel in Byron Bay for the pre-Splendour party – in which they,…
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Why wait for the full review? In an AU review FIRST, from Friday night to Sunday night, Larry & Chris uploaded live tweets – both text and pics – from Australia’s signature winter festival. Check out the archived embedded feed here: #Splendour lives on! Full coverage from tomorrow! Then Bloc Party @ MCA. They played…
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As I entered Manning Bar, it was immediately clear that tonight would be a unique evening. Donning newspaper hats, a good 500 people had taken over the dance floor, sitting down, cross-legged, slowly sipping away on their beer. Yes, tonight these 20-somethings would all be singing along to tunes from their youth. And with the…
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On the cusp of yet another last-minute cancellation from Ajax (okay, perhaps that’s a bit harsh… I only know of one other time he’s done that in Sydney this year), some may have been a bit disappointed to hear his replacement, Act Your Age, hitting the main stage decks on arrival instead. But after some…
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