Die On Planes, Happy New Year, and The Rational Academy

The Waiting Room continues its ascent to the top of the pile. Last die on planes show. Last Happy New Year show in Brisbane I think. Another great Rational Academy set.

Die On Planes - Live @ The Waiting Room - 25-Nov-11
The Rational Academy - Live @ The Waiting Room - 25-Nov-11
Happy New Year - Live @ The Waiting Room - 25-Nov-11

Dreamtime Launch

Not content with 7 nights of loud heavy stuff I backed up the next night for Dreamtime and their psychedelic dream pop. Supported by The Rational Academy warming up for their upcoming tour of Japan, and Secret Birds.

All this and I actually got stuff done at work. Pretty much a perfect week.

The Rational Academy - Live @ The Waiting Room - 22 Oct 2011

Secret Birds - Live @ The Waiting Room - 22 Oct 2011

Dreamtime - Live @ The Waiting Room - 22 Oct 2011

Step Inn Front Bar for Electronic Noise and Loud Guitars

D Black back from Japan for a while starts off a night of Electronica and Noise. Ambrose Chapel and Silver Screens from Toowoomba ended up with short sets because of delays for gear problems. There was so much electronic gear on stage that it's a wonder any Electronica gig goes well. Then finish the night with Die On Planes who get better every time I see them and Rational Academy or was it White Bears of Norway tonight? not sure even they know some nights. And what did it cost; $10 or something like that. Why would you bother with TV at home.

D Black - Live @ The Step Inn - 01 April 2010

Ambrose Chapel - Live @ The Step Inn - 01 April 2010

Die On Planes - Live @ The Step Inn - 01 April 2010

Rational Academy - Live @ The Step Inn - 01 April 2010

Silver Screens - Live @ The Step Inn - 01 April 2010

Sounds Like Brisbane

Sounds Like Brisbane is new venture by a group of Brisbane labels to promote Brisbane music. A launch of sorts occurred last evening in two lanes in the CBD. The sound in each was surprisingly good. I was impressed with the Island Court space when I finally found it. The building on the Island houses a nice coffee shop and someone suggested the spare space on the ground floor was to become a venue.

Most of these bands you have heard here before. They are here again because I like them.

Finally got to see Last Dinosaurs and they are impressive for young kids. Maybe a little slick for someone so young but I suppose it's a necessity if you are being groomed for success. If that sounds like I'm putting them down it isn't meant to. They are an organic band rather than some of the manufactured crap that gets pushed out and their songwriting is promising. I hope they do well.

Halfway I am pretty sure I've seen/heard before but I don't seem to have recorded it. This is usually how I remember unfortunately. I have a soft spot for country rock. Sweetheart Of The Rodeo is one of my all time favourite records. It was the soundtrack to the morning of my wedding. Blondie was to have been the soundtrack to the reception and John Woods a ZZZ presenter put together a really nice mixtape of then current [1979] punk/new wave stuff but after about three songs the guests revolted and made the DJ play something they knew. And we hand't even gotten to Razar.

Meanwhile back in 2010 here are some top pop combos for your listening pleasure.

Nova Scotia - Live @ Burnett Lane - 18 Jun 2010
Butcher Birds - Live @ Burnett Lane - 18 Jun 2010
Last Dinosaurs - Live @ Burnett Lane - 18 Jun 2010
The Rational Academy - Live @ Island Ct Lane - 18 June 2010
Halfway - Live @ Island Ct Lane - 18 June 2010

Wiley Reed is not a top pop combo. He's a blues man. I first heard Wiley Reed playing after dinner at a restaurant The Cork & Fork up on Petrie Terrace in the early 70's. I waited there for a year or so so I heard him a lot. I had trouble finding the Island Court stage so I only got the last few songs.
Wiley Reed - Live @ Island Ct Lane - 18 June 2010

Vampillia and Turnpike

Not quite the last 2009 show. But one of my favourite bands, Turnpike, supporting Vampillia, A Japanese barrel of laughs. Vampires, Opera, and Ninja Guitar.

No Name is actually the Vampillia drummer playing along to some cool lounge jazz stylings. When I say playing along I mean over the top of. Very good he is. But Rational Academy were left with only 15 minutes to play and Laurence English played for a similar time and got so excited he broke his Macs screen.

Merry Christmas to all my visitors. Last show of 2009 will be Dave McCormack's Supa Happy Fun Day show with Seja and Gentle Ben as supports. The New Year kicks off on Jan 1 with Roots Manuva and then a bunch of festivals like Laneway and Sunset Sounds. No BDO in 2010 for me. Seriously, Muse?? Again?? Anyway have a happy and safe holiday season wherever you are.

Turnpike - Live @ The Clubhouse - 18 Dec 2009

No Name - Live @ The Clubhouse - 18 Dec 2009

The Rational Academy - Live @ The Clubhouse - 18 Dec 2009

Vampillia - Live @ The Clubhouse - 18 Dec 2009-50

Meanwhile, Out In The Front Bar

Rational Academy and No Anchor.

The first time I have seen Rational Academy in full flight since the departure of Meredith. Almost rock these days. I like the new direction.

No Anchor with two basses will eventually destroy the world.

Rational Academy - Live @ The Step Inn - 27 Nov 2009

No Anchor - Live @ The Step Inn - 27 Nov 2009

The Last[ish] Rational Academy Show

in the current lineup at least. Meredeth and Ollie leave. Who knows what will happen next. Having said that I check the myspace page to make sure I spell everyones name right and Meredeth and Ollie have already disappeared; sic transit etc. Welcome Amelia, Todd, and Matt. You have a lot to live up to.

I got into the room after the first track had started so the fade in is a few minutes into it.

Rational Academy - Live @ The Judy - 11 Sept 2008[23.15MB]

Qua
They were supporting Qua. I like Qua a lot. His music is playful and he always seems to be enjoying himself. It builds well and while it's precise it doesn't sound calculated.

Probably best to listen to with headphones. The speaker system at the Judy was all round the room and some of it might sound like it's coming from behind even though I was looking directly at the performers.

Qua - - Live @ The Judy - 11 Sept 2008 [53.54MB]

This Weekend I Went To

GOMA Up Late
Stereo Total - Live @ GOMA Up Late - 22 Aug 2008.mp3 (80.4 MB)

The Troubadour
The Rational Academy - Live @ The Troubadour - 23 Aug 2008 (43.45MB)
Bachelorette - Live @ The Troubadour - 23 Aug 2008.mp3 (48.91 MB)
Beach House - Live @ The Troubadour - 23 Aug 2008.mp3 (67.23 MB)

and now I'm tired and want to go to bed.

Stranded CD Launch at The Zoo

If you don't know what this was about then you aren't taking any notice of the list of other blogs on the right there. You should be visiting Before Hollywood regularly and you would know about their fantastic 3 CD compilation "Stranded" that features 42 tracks by some [not all at all] of Brisbane's finest rock bands. And if you consider it doesn't contains anything other than indie, indie-folk, and garage flavoured bands [with a couple of others thrown in for good measure] but no metal, no hip hop,no jazz, no blues, no reggae; then you get an idea of how broad the music scene is in this small [2 mil people] out of the way city on the edge of the empire. And there's a whole nuther 3 CD compilation waiting to be made by Brisbane metal alone if someone in that scene was interested.

Rumour has it that Gav and Cam's method of finding content was to list their 100 favourite brisbands and email them asking if they would like to be on the compilation. The first batch of emails went out to 40 bands and they got 42 "Yes Please" emails in reply. So they stopped there before it had to be a magazines series with a free cd in each issue. Even if this is not true, it should be.

What is pleasantly surprising is that you could actually have a list of favorite local rock bands that went past the end of one hand. I don't want to sound old but seriously when I was growing up and the Punk scene in Brisbane had bands like The Saints, The Leftovers, The Survivors, The Go-Betweens, Razar, V2 & The Hilton Bombers playing round the traps you could count on 4 limbs the number of actual non-covers bands playing let alone your favorites.

So if you haven't yet, then click now and have a good look before you buy anyway. Buy now, Limited Edition, All proceeds to a good cause etc. But the bottom line is that it's just a great collection of fine songs and if you can't find at least 1 CD's worth of stuff you love then I feel sorry for your children who must be growing up in a house full of crap music.

/end of rant section.

And for those who missed the Launch party, here is most of it. I missed most of the Monster Monster set [sorry Dan] and the start of the Rational Academy set but what I did hear was top stuff.

Ambitious Lovers
The problem with big rooms and small bands is levels. From a whisper to a scream sounds fine if the crowd noise is not at greater than whisper levels to start with. Don't get me started again on people having conversations. Anyway, I've compressed this set so it can be heard more easily. I think it sounds OK but if anyone has a problem let me know.

Ambitious Lovers - Live @ The Zoo - 15 Aug 2008.mp3 (50.45 MB)

Nova Scotia
A set now being referred to by people who heard it as 'one of the best ever' by one of Brisbane's favourite bands. The first song is a little uneven but after that it is pretty much what everyone says.

Nova Scotia - Live @ The Zoo - 15 Aug 2008.mp3 (46.61 MB)

Tragic/Athletic
I hadn't heard these guys before [though I recognized everyone in the band] and overall I was impressed. Some equipment problems on stage with periods of no music, sorry, but persist and you will be rewarded. At the end there is a one song appearance by Yeow Meow which is easily accomplished because the two bands share many members.

Tragic_Athletic - Live @ The Zoo - 15 Aug 2008.mp3 (42.06 MB)

The Rational Academy
Speaking of which, Yeow Meow and The Rational Academy also share many [2 of 3] members so the changeover between bands was about 45 sec. I did not know this was to happen and I had to return to my car to get a new tape so I missed most of the first song. But I'm happy with the rest. Don't know if it's just my memory but the band seems to be shortening their songs and adding more vocal tracks than when I first heard them a couple of years ago. I like the way they are sounding these days in any case.

The Rational Academy - Live @ The Zoo - 15 Aug 2008.mp3 (61.08 MB)

Thank you once again to Gav and Cam for Before Hollywood and their hard work on this project.