Monday, August 23, 2010

Kirin J Callinan

Actually a good crowd for a Sunday night and why not? Two of Brisbanes finest plus Kirin J Callinan. Kirin is cabaret I guess is about as good as I can describe it but with shards of guitar occasionally jammed in the underbelly.

This was close to a perfect gig.

Per Purpose - Live @ The Troubadour - 22 Aug 2010

Los Huevos - Live @ The Troubadour - 22 Aug 2010

Kirin J Callinan - Live @ The Troubadour - 22 Aug 2010

Meredith McHugh has gone to Baltimore

but she gave us a going away present.

Opals & Poole is Meredith and Adrian Diery on ukes and guitar with percussion. Quite beautiful.
Opals & Poole - Live @ The Hanger - 20 Aug 2010

Big Nation is a mixture of BigStrongBrute and Carry Nation.
Big Nation - Live @ The Hanger - 20 Aug 2010

Seja has help from Meredith and Renae on drums.
Seja - Live @ The Hanger - 20 Aug 2010

Hear Turnpike rehearse many of their famous songs
Turnpike - Live @ The Hanger - 20 Aug 2010

Seaplane also played up.

PVT, Seekae, and Axxonn

PVT launched their latest CD at the Zoo. An impressive set from Axxonn featuring songs by golly instead of one piece with a couple of movements.

Seekae were hot and cold for me. The songs with live drumming were the best. A couple of purely synth tracks were fairly aimless and sounded like collections of riffs with nowhere to go.

PVT were great. Some complained that the new material is weaker than the old stuff. I thought it was pretty much all up to their old standards.

Axxonn - Live @ The Zoo - 19 Aug 2010

Seekae - Live @ The Zoo - 19 Aug 2010

PVT - Live @ The Zoo - 19 Aug 2010

Pretty Boys CD Launch at The Prince of Wales

Support band Perhaps Maybe are purveyors of Pony Rock. Still not sure what that is. Seems to be a mixture of nu-metal, punk, hardcore and soft toys [all of them ponies].

Perhaps Maybe - Live @ The Prince Of Wales - 13 Aug 2010


Pretty Boys played most songs they know in the style we all love; loud, wet, and fast.

Pretty Boys - Live @ The Prince Of Wales - 13 Aug 2010

Dave McCormack at The Vanguard

Courtesy of Mr McCormack here is a recording of his set at The Vanguard last month.

Dave McCormack - Live @ The Vanguard - 29 Jul 2010

Darren Hanlon

Darren Hanlon played at The Globe. Gympie came to town to cheer him on. I really like Darren Hanlon. He writes with humour and intelligence about the big things and the small things ad he has nice tunes.

Darren Hanlon - Live @ The Globe - 07 Aug 2010

Monday, August 9, 2010

The Grates Go To The Ekka

For out-of-towners the Ekka is the local Agricultural Show/State Fair or Exhibition shortened in the Australian way to Ekka. So to attract the youngsters they have a concert series and last Friday night The Grates were in town taking a break from writing their next album in an undisclosed location somewhere in the USA.

The new stuff sounds pretty good. So does the old stuff. Pae's voice takes a few songs to warm up she is then in good form for not having performed much at all over the last few months.

Local youngsters Ball Park Music have some good songs and are great support.

Ball Park Music - Live @ The RNA Show - 06 Aug 2010

The Grates - Live @ The RNA Show - 06 Aug 2010

Young Liberals and Dollarbar at The X & Y Bar

Dollarbar don't play very often so when they do it's worth going. Tonight it's the cut down version featuring Dale Peachy, Scott Brique, and a/the? Peachy brother. Cute Girls Have the Best Diseases and Red Cars Go Faster finish off a fine set.


The Young Liberals - Live @ The X & Y Bar - 05 Aug 2010

Dollarbar - Live @ The X & Y Bar - 05 Aug 2010

Splendour In The Grass Day 3

Mess Hall have a great festival set. For some reason a lot of people bad mouth We Are Scientists and Ash. No idea why. They are both perfectly fine pop bands. Surfer Blood should be as entertaining. Broken Social Scene don't feel tired at all. Passion Pit were a lot better than I expected. Mumford & Sons do nothing for me I'm afraid. The Pixies still have it. I'm glad I came. I hope I make it back to the tent.

Surfer Blood - Live @ Splendour In The Grass - 01 Aug 2010

Mess Hall - Live @ Splendour In The Grass - 01 Aug 2010

We Are Scientists - Live @ Splendour In The Grass - 01 Aug 2010

Ash - Live @ Splendour In The Grass - 01 Aug 2010

Broken Social Scene - Live @ Splendour In The Grass - 01 Aug 2010

Passion Pit [Last 3 Songs] - Live @ Splendour In The Grass - 01 Aug 2010

Mumford & Sons - Live @ Splendour In The Grass - 01 Aug 2010

The Pixies - Live @ Splendour In The Grass - 01 Aug 2010

Splendour In The Grass Day 2

Band of Skulls were my find of the festival. The Drums really ought to re think their stage act. Tame Impala are great. The Strokes are actually quite good. If I drink enough mid strength beer will I eventually stop feeling my feet. God I hope so.

Band Of Skulls - Live @ Splendour In The Grass - 31 Jul 2010

Philadelphia Grand Jury - Live @ Splendour In The Grass - 31 Jul 2010

Tame Impala - Live @ Splendour In The Grass - 31 Jul 2010

The Drums - Live @ Splendour In The Grass - 31 Jul 2010

Wolfmother - Live @ Splendour In The Grass - 31 Jul 2010

Florence & The Machine - Live @ Splendour In The Grass - 31 Jul 2010

The Strokes - Live @ Splendour In The Grass - 31 Jul 2010

Splendour In The Grass Day 1

Woodford is a great site. But it is big. And the roads are long. So I ended up spending longer stretches at the Main Stage than I might have at Byron Bay. Today however I got to all three stages. Skipping Girl Vinegar started dead on 11.00am which as chance woulds have it is when the bars opened. I missed their first song.

A language warning on the Foals or Seven Bells recording. Some pilled up bogan wandered back from the front and decided I would be the perfect person to appreciate his dance style which mainly involved elbowing and generally knocking me around no matter where I stood. And believe me I tried to move out of his way. Anyway I eventually told him to go away. He did. I leave it in for that full sensurround experience.

Skipping Girl Vinegar - Live @ Splendour In The Grass - 30 July 2010

Joy Formidable - Live @ Splendour In The Grass - 30 Jul 2010

Violent Soho - Live @ Splendour In The Grass - 30 Jul 2010

School Of Seven Bells - Live @ Splendour In The Grass - 30 Jul 2010

Foals - Live @ Splendour In The Grass - 30 Jul 2010

Midlake - Live @ Splendour In The Grass - 30 Jul 2010