We’d like to dedicate this article to the memory of Rowland S Howard – One of Australia’s finest musicians who lost his battle with liver cancer today. For many of us at the AU review, his shows around the country were highlights of the year – and we feel honoured to have been able to have experienced the master at work… as he blew crowds away in spite of his illness. RIP.
In the final installment of the best of 2009 series, we take a look back at some of the AU crew’s favourite gigs of 2009! From this, we have laid out for you the tour of the year, the runner up tour of the year as well as the undoubted festival of the year.
We can’t wait to see what 2010 will bring… thanks as always to our contributors for their fine work in 2009.
It may have been way back in January, but the experience that are The Hives live is still fresh in our minds… a tour of which included a very special cover show at the Metro.
We jumped, we screamed, we laughed- we listened to every word. Howlin’ Pelle Almqvist was our master, our preacher; he even had us raise our left hands
pledging our allegiance to the band. And no other. For, let’s face it, no one loves The Hives more than The Hives themselves.- Larry Heath
[Click here to read the full review from the Sydney Metro Theatre 06.01.09 show]
My most anticipated gig of the year. Every promise was fulfilled.
Everything I could have hoped for happened. Coldplay returned to our
shores supported by Aussie prog rock
maestros, Decoder Ring and psychedelic New York rockers, Mercury Rev.
But it was Chris Martin and co. that left every single person crammed
into a sold out Acer Arena (the first of four such shows in a row) with
moments they would never forget. Gigantic balls of appropriately
coloured confetti exploding throughout Yellow. Viva La Vida’s deafening
crowd-assisted crescendo. An intimate mini-concert played up amongst
the crowd in the nosebleed seats. The paper butterflies fluttering down
during Lovers in Japan. Nine months later and I’m still dreaming of the
Osaka sun. – Ashton Jones
[Click here to read the full review from the Sydney Acer Arena 11.03.09 show]
Comments on the show held at Cockatoo Island, Sydney:
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 back in January, Sydney finally got to
see what the rest of the world doesn’t know about: the festival
alternative to festivals, headlined and curated by our very own Nick
Cave and the Bad Seeds. And thanks in part to Sydney Festival, we got
the same festival two days in a row, held on the iconic Cockatoo Island
in Sydney Harbour.
In doing so, everyone who wanted a ticket to the event, got a ticket;
and with neither day selling-out, it was clear the day would have a
relaxed vibe before one even made it to the island. Indeed, it was so,
and the atmosphere was something unique as a result. One rarely had to
worry about queues or being squashed in the crowds- they could do what
they wanted and see who they desired… at any time. And thanks to some
clever timetabling, there was rarely a clash that couldn’t be amended
by just missing 15 minutes of a band here and there. This enabled the
discovery of some very special performances by individuals with whom
had remained foreign until that moment. Certainly no where else but
this event would you be able to experience such acts. And as for Nick
Cave, no one else performed on the island while he and the Bad Seeds
took to the main stage, leading all attendants, an amalgamation of
young and old, together as one, gazing in wonder at the headline event,
whilst enjoying your space and your surroundings.
This was special. This was unique. This was All Tomorrow’s Parties. – Larry Heath
[Click here to read the full review from the Sydney show]
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And now we turn it over to our individual contributors, as we hear their top 5 of 2009!
Aaron Diaz
1. Fleet Foxes @ Metro Theatre
Although much earlier in the year, this show was able to withstand the
barrage of great shows that i attended for the remainder of the year.
At the time possibly one of the hottest bands arriving on our shores
for the festivals welcoming the Australian Audiences into 2009. The
North Westerners bringing their harmonies to our shores selling out
venues across the country. Enthralling audiences with their reverb
washed sound.
2. My Morning Jacket @ Metro Theatre
3. Battles @ Opera House [Read the full AU Review]
4. TV on the Radio @ Metro Theatre
5. Deerhunter @ Manning Bar
Larry Heath
1. The Hives – Metro Theatre [Read the full AU review]
2. Phoenix – Enmore Theatre [Read the full AU Review]
3. The Presets – Sound Relief Sydney [Read the full AU Review]
4. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – All Tomorrow’s Parties (Sydney) [Read the full AU Review]
5. Simon and Garfunkel – Acer Arena [Read the full AU Review]
Ashton Jones
1. Coldplay @ Acer Arena [Read the full AU Review]
2. Flaming Lips @ Splendour in the Grass, Belongi Fields, Byron Bay [Read the full AU Review]
3. Bloc Party @ Museum of Contemporary Art [Read the full AU Review]
4. Steve Aoki @ Metro Theatre [Read the full AU Review]
5. The Pharcyde @ Good Vibrations [Read the full AU Review]
Kat Mahina
1) Maximo Park @ Billboard – Maximo Park are one of the best live acts I have ever seen. Frontman Paul Smith can gyrate in a fashion that would make Elvis blush and their latest tour in promotion of Quicken The Heart did not disappoint with a fantastic mix of songs from their back catalogue all performed with furious passion and energy. It suprises me greatly that a band of their calibre are still playing shitty venues like Billboard here in Aus, but seeing a concert worthy of a stadium performed in such an intimate venue was a very special thing indeed. [Read the full AU Review]
2) Hot Chip @ Melbourne BDO [Read the full AU Review]
3) Cut Off Your Hands @ Billboard [Read reviews of their Sydney shows]
4) Philadelphia Grand Jury @ The East Brunswick Club [Read 5 reviews of their 2009 shows]
5) Does It Offend You, Yeah? @ Billboard [Read reviews of their Sydney show]
Gareth Page
1) THE BRONX, MARIACHI EL BRONX, OUCH MY FACE – Billboard – September
After blitzing the crowds in Melbourne last December (’08), including
an incredible set at a very wet Meredith Music festival, The Bronx
returned to town, with their mariachi alter-ego’s in tow as their
opening act. Mariachi el Bronx gave us a lovely set of full blown
Mariachi tunes which managed to keep the attention of even the most
staunch punk rocker in the sold out Billboards. The Bronx delivered an
incredible set of punk/rock full of high energy, honesty and good old
balls out rockin. If you are even remotely into rock shows then next
time the Bronx roll into town, be sure and get along. The Bronx take
the #1 gig of the year for mine, and to be honest it’s not even close. [Read the full AU Review]
2) NOFX, BAD RELIGION – The Palace – September [Read the full AU Review]
3) STRAY CATS – The Forum – February
4) THE SOPHISTICANTS, SHYROBYN, SMURFINGER, THE 5:48 – Blue Tile Lounge – July [Read the full AU Review]
5) KING CANNONS, JOHNNY AND THE JOHNNY JOHNNYS – The Tote [Read the full AU Review]
Rob Pechar
ECSR, Thee Oh Sees, Witch Hats @ Billboards
Every band looked, sounded and played like they could have headlined. It was a late entry, but an easy choice for gig of the year. Special mention to ECSR at the Zoo in February too.
My ‘Ramones’ Disco, the Toff in Town, NYE 08/09
Tom Gabel, the Corner [Read the full AU Review]
The Hives (First Night, Cover Show) – The Metro
La Dispute, Irene’s Warehouse
Chris Singh
1. Coldplay @ Acer Arena
It was not as entertaining as The Hives; wasn’t as insane and adrenaline-inducing as The Prodigy or Crystal Castles; and did not have as much pizzazz as The Flaming Lips. However, no other concert that I have been to this year could compare to the beauty of Coldplay’s live set. Never have I walked away from a concert as satisfied as I did both nights that I saw them at the Acer Arena. The exploding yellow balls of confetti, released during ‘Yellow’, and the hordes of paper butterflies, dropped from the ceiling during ‘Lovers in Japan’ along with the excellent visuals kept the crowd entertained and the environment fresh, but it was Chris Martin’s crowd interaction and the great translation of their songs into a live setting that guaranteed this concert the number one spot on my end-of-year list. Filled with effective self-deprecating humour and a bunch of anecdotes, Martin really brought himself down to earth in the eyes of the adoring audience which made the concert feel extremely intimate despite the size of the Acer. Hearing some of the most affecting songs that you have ever heard live is an unforgettable experience in itself, but the creativity that they put into performances such as ‘Talk’ and ‘God put a smile upon your face’ and wonderful acoustic versions (performed whilst standing amongst the crowd!) of ‘Green Eyes’ and The Monkee’s ‘I’m A Believer’ enhanced the experience for me; and if that wasn’t enough, their performance of ‘Politik,’ as an opener to their crowd-pleasing encore took my breath away, literally. I really wish I could put all 5 of these gigs as number one as they were all brilliant performances from top notch artists; but Coldplay win on account of effect, value and beauty.
[Click here to read the full review from the Sydney Acer Arena 11.03.09 show]
2. The Hives @ Metro Theatre (Pelle Almqvist is the most charismatic front-man in music today; the music was intense, the interaction was unique and hilarious, and the sweat was widespread; rock at its best) [Read the full AU review]
3. The Prodigy @ Big Day out Melbourne (No other live band can give you more adrenaline than The Prodigy – They really do bring out the crazy in everyone) [Read the full AU Review]
4. The Presets @ Sound Relief Sydney (They have the open-air stage and the heavy rain to thank, what an experience!) [Read the full AU Review]
5. Q-Tip @ Good Vibrations Perth (I flew all the way to Perth just to see this legendary rapper live again after his set was cut short at the Sydney Good Vibes, and it was well worth it, he even let me sing into the mic!)
David Young
1. TVOTR @ The Metro
Seeing Brooklyn’s TV on the Radio twice in two days was one of my
all-time favourite experiences. I was able to witness the band in two
different environments, in front of completely different crowds. The
first day, in 40-degree heat at the Big Day Out, saw a run-through of
singles and upbeat tracks to a dance-ready festival crowd. It was
excellent, but it felt as if there were a few elements noticeably
missing. These were discovered the very next day inside a packed Metro
to a comparatively smaller crowd. The set was longer and more versatile
(jumping from slower jams like Crying and DLZ to rollicking,
high-octane numbers such as The Wrong Way and Wolf Like Me), the band
themselves were a lot more comfortable…and to top it all off, they
had a goddamn HORN section! Dancing Choose sounded perfect for it. For
one night only, a packed Sydney hipster mecca was home to one of the
downright coolest bands in the world. It could have come across as
little more than sweaty pretension, but instead we got a performance
that was raw, passionate and completely watchable from start to finish.
Every single person in attendance learned a little thing about live
music that night.
2. Amanda Palmer @ Sydney Opera House
3. Nine Inch Nails @ Soundwave Sydney [Read the full AU Review]
4. Neil Young @ BDO, Sydney [Read the Melbourne Review]
5. La Dispute @ North Wollongong Rehearsal Studio
