Boutique festivals are few and far between in Australia – let alone ones that involve camping! It comes with great relief, therefore, that Playground Weekender is here to create an original atmosphere and an unbeatable experience for punters. Are you ready to experience this? Are you ready to party? While I personally have never made it up…
Read MoreS.L.A.M. (Save Live Australia’s Music) is a collective of Victoria’s broader musical community who have joined forces to make their voice heard as local music becomes increasingly under threat due to these ill conceived Liquor Licensing Laws. S.L.A.M. are calling on musicians and music lovers from all genres, creeds and generations to unite together to…
Read MoreSo out of the Cameras trio (made up of Fraser, Eleanor and Ben) I understand that two of you share both songwriting and vocal duties. Which two would that be, and could you give us a bit of insight as to how this process goes down? This is true – Eleanor and myself (Fraser) both…
Read MoreOwen Pallett is not a name you will be instantly familiar with, but you will have heard his musical fingerprints all over some of the best releases of the last couple of years. He has been in constant demand for his string arrangements; recent work includes the string arrangements for The Last Shadow Puppets, Arcade…
Read MorePerforming up to 150 shows annually, The Beach Boys remain one of the hardest working groups in show business – but tonight was the first time they’d ever played the Sydney Opera House – as they joked – “it may have taken us 50 years to play this beautiful venue – but it hasn’t even…
Read MoreNot since Franz Ferdinand, have a band made such an impact with their first ever single, that they’ve stormed right to the top of the Hottest 100 – and now only Susan Boyle can keep them from the top of the ARIA charts! Yes indeed, the London based lads that are Mumford & Sons have…
Read MoreOn the eve of Australia Day, and his performance at the Oversea’s Passenger Terminal in Sydney, I had a chance to chat to Ash Grunwald, who’s just about to release a new live album, and continue a relentless touring schedule – this time with the Funkoars by his side. So you’ve got a new Live…
Read MoreOne of Australia’s favourite young talents, Yves Klein Blue, are getting ready to launch onto the Bacardi Express in March! Kat Mahina had the chance to talk to the group ahead of the tour, as they reminisce on their recording experiences in LA, and make us a bit curious as to what exactly went down…
Read MoreThe UK’s legendary Club NME will be hitting our shores this month for a party night of mayhem featuring Australia’s own Philadelphia Grand Jury, Yacht Club DJ’s, Purple Sneaker’s DJ’s and a special set from Andy Rourke (The Smiths). In celebration of the impending Austral ian Tour the phenomenal Yacht Club DJ’s have put their…
Read MoreIt’s been a few years since I last attended the Sydney Laneway festival. As impressive as the lineups always are, I’d been content with their sideshows, knowing the negative attributes of the original venue. Having to line up for the Basement, noise restrictions making hearing bands on the main stage difficult (already made much the…
Read MoreWhen it comes to “supergroups”, let’s face it: the majority have been disappointing at best. But then again, none of them had the calibre of talent that Them Crooked Vultures has at its disposal. On drums, the legendary Dave Grohl (tonight playing in the same venue he played with Nirvana back in 1992). On guitar…
Read MoreAs I sit down to write this review, I’m reading a newspaper article on Rogue’s Gallery, comprised almost entirely of reactions to the show from Twitter. Many of which seemed to be negative, and thus they argue: Sydney was outraged by the show! Since when did out-of-context comments on Twitter become a voice of authority?…
Read MoreI’ve done 5 days of Bluesfest, the two and a bit days of Splendour – I even did 2 V Festivals one year. I’ve done 8 consecutive nights of live music. But going to 2 Big Day Outs in a row, in Sydney, on the two hottest days of the year – I don’t think…
Read MoreIf there’s one success story worth looking into, it’s that of A Fire Inside (AFI), a Californian alternative rock band who exploded into worldwide prominence in 2003. Little do many know, however, that this happened 12 years after they’d formed. But they’ve been unstoppable since. I recently had the opportunity to speak with drummer Adam Carson, ahead…
Read MoreDecibully is a Milwaukee based folk-rock band, formed in 2001 by front man and general all-rounder William Seidel. World Travels Fast is their third major release, and their first on new label Listening Party Records. For a relatively young band, they have been heavily lauded thanks to their prior releases Sing Out America! and City…
Read MoreFirst up were Sydney’s own Bridezilla – or as Colin “Grizzly” Meloy, Decemberists unshaven frontman, called them – our local heroes! And indeed they are, continuing to impress crowds wherever they pop up… which seems to be just about everywhere at the moment, keeping the girls (and boy) very busy no doubt. We’ve spent plenty…
Read MoreBig Day Out 2010, here we come. In contrast to pleasant cloudy weather at last year’s event, it is so hot today you could practically cook eggs in the sunrays (cue plenty of exposed flesh, Southern Cross tatts, silly sombreros etc in the crowd) by the time we arrive on the Gold Coast – so…
Read MoreOne line to describe working with each artist: Dap Kings: Scary, but a hell of a lot of fun playing with some of the raddest musicians around John Taylor: incredibly inspiring. We knew it was going to be good, but jamming with John and Alex Greenwald was one of the best feelings we had…
Read MoreThe four years since the release of Midlake‘s sophomore record has seen an interesting shift in the broader spectrum of ‘alternative’ music, with a massive rise in a more hybridized, synthesised and crossover sound championed by groups like The Presets, MGMT and Crystal Castles. In these electro-driven times, it’s a real pleasure to find a…
Read MoreHeralding all the way from Mali, Vieux Farka Touré headlined Beck’s Festival Bar on Friday night for his first ever Sydney performance, carrying on the legacy of his father, Ali Farka Touré, while being a highly respected musician in his own right. First up was Dan Sultan and band, who has been dubbed “the black Elvis” by fellow performer Clare…
Read MoreAhead of her upcoming Australian Bacardi Express headlining tour, the AU review had a brief chat with the pop star. Enjoy! She keeps it short and sweet. This is the second time you’ve visited Australia in the last 6 months, what is it about Australia that keeps you coming back? The crowd. Everyone at our…
Read MoreLast week, I had the opportunity to chat to Kieran Ryan, one half of Melbourne two piece Kid Sam – the project he shares with cousin and drummer Kishore Ryan. The pair are about to embark on one of the most exciting periods of their lives, performing on the national Laneway bill, and supporting Daniel…
Read MoreKat Mahina chats with the Cassette Kids ahead of the release of their debut LP, Nothing on TV, and their anticipated stint on the Bacardi Express circuit, supporting La Roux! Your debut album Nothing on TV is set for release in March this year. How’s the writing and recording process been and what can your…
Read MoreIt’s day 5 of Sydney Festival, and the first round of artists are coming to an end. Tonight marked the final performance in the Spiegeltent of Montreal’s Patrick Watson, who went on to play at Beck’s Festival Bar (replacing The Middle East and supporting Grizzly Bear) for his final Sydney gig – and we were…
Read MoreWhen you speak of the Summer festival season, there is one festival that reigns supreme: The Big Day Out. Now in its 18th year, it’s a festival which indeed lives up to its name. The biggest acts in the world, under what feels like the hottest sun in the world – it’s Australia’s time to…
Read MoreAfter an incredibly hectic (but fun) 2009, the Sydney Festival organisers took a step back for their third Festival First Night: going for quality, not quantity – getting rid of the Fuzzy stage, spreading out the stages at Martin Place, and giving the City of Sydney a night it won’t soon forget. For me, the majority of…
Read MoreI love Karen O. There is no denying that she’s the queen of cool in the world of music today. And tonight she was back to prove to Sydney why – playing to a sell out crowd at the Hordern Pavillion – their largest show in the city to date. But first up were Sydney’s…
Read MoreThe following is one review where no amount of hyperbole will do true justice to the overwhelming feeling that comes from experiencing a live event such as this. Tonight, Grizzly Bear brought Sydney to its emotional knees in an evening of beautiful intensity that is so rarely found live – especially in a unique setting…
Read MoreChairlift and The Phenomenal Handclap Band are two artists who have had a very interesting 2009. Underground hits in their home state of New York, the bands quickly reached international airwaves with singles “Bruises” (as featured in an Apple ad campaign) and “15 to 20”, respectively. And now, riding the successes of each, they’re jet…
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