Montpelier, Blame Ringo and Claire Whiting
What a miracle! I was actually on time for the gig last night! Hurrah! And what a night. Night one of the Broken Compass Tour, a nine day tour of regional and rural areas in Queensland and New South Wales, featuring three very talented acts, Claire Whiting, Blame Ringo, and Montpelier. I would say they gave their tour a pretty decent kick start.
Greeting me as a walked into the Troubadour this night, was the vocal talent that is Claire Whiting. She brought a calming, pensive atmosphere to the venue with her carefully interwoven melodies. She is the kind of performer that I can see sitting on a bar stool, on a small stage with just her guitar and a small room full of people. The ultimate personal gig. Tonight however she performed with her entourage, including an electric double bass, and keys. The keys added such a beautiful touch to her songs, with almost improv like flourishes enhancing Claire's already full sound. I have to mention the double bass. It was electric! How awesome is that! Sorry... But really, it was pretty cool to see on stage.
A while ago I had the pleasure of hearing Blame Ringo play, and I have to admit, the gig did nothing for me. But this time around it completely upturned my opinions. On reflection, I believe that the venue was not right, and the band before Tin Can Radio created too different a vibe to what there were going for. Maybe, that's just my thoughts. But, like I said, this time around, it was a completely different story. I found myself going with the boys as they moved from ballad-esk pieces to more upbeat ones, and loving every second. What I found fascinating is that all the three out the front shared the lead vocal job. Which made for an even more diverse program. Having now, today, also hear their album they are growing on me more and more. This is a good thing. Sometimes you just don't get something the first time you experience it, but the more you are exposed to it, the more it grows on you. For me, that's the case with Blame Ringo.
Montpelier... I'd heard of them, never experienced them, but I had been told though that there were dreamy. And that is by far the most accurate term for them. One, they are all just really, really good looking, especially the bass player. But more so, two, their music takes you on a journey, whether you want to go or not. One of their song especially hit a note with me. It was a strange, and sort of an unnerving feeling. But musicians have that power, whether they choose to use it of not it up to them. Like Blame Ringo the band also shared the vocal work around, although the bass player did seem to be the one most likely to be singing lead. He had a incredible range. The first song they played showed just this, his vocal line soaring well about the rest. It was a sight and sound to behold.
With such an amazing line up, The Broken Compass, are going to light up stages in such places that often get forgotten by many bands. I do believe that audiences are going to be in for a treat.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Sunday, July 25, 2010
The Boat People - 24 July 2010, The Troubadour
w/ Skinny Jean, The Medics
So I wasn't planning on going to the Troubadour last night, but plans for the night finished a little earlier than I expected and there I found myself. I won't lie. Two Boat People gigs in two days, I'm OK with that!
Tonight they played a very similar set list to last night dropping "Hours and Hours" from Chandeliers and picking up quite a few more from Dear Darkly. I was OK with this also. One thing I have to comment on is the arrangement and format of some of their song. It was so great to hear a completely different arrangement of the same songs that they had performed the night before! It made for a completely different experience, and shows just how talented this band really is. This sold out show also had a vastly different atmosphere to that of the Sound Lounge. Where the Gold Coast was very chilled, the Brisbane show brought a much louder crowd. But loud in the best possible way. But then again, home town shows will do that! Enough said.
So I wasn't planning on going to the Troubadour last night, but plans for the night finished a little earlier than I expected and there I found myself. I won't lie. Two Boat People gigs in two days, I'm OK with that!
Tonight they played a very similar set list to last night dropping "Hours and Hours" from Chandeliers and picking up quite a few more from Dear Darkly. I was OK with this also. One thing I have to comment on is the arrangement and format of some of their song. It was so great to hear a completely different arrangement of the same songs that they had performed the night before! It made for a completely different experience, and shows just how talented this band really is. This sold out show also had a vastly different atmosphere to that of the Sound Lounge. Where the Gold Coast was very chilled, the Brisbane show brought a much louder crowd. But loud in the best possible way. But then again, home town shows will do that! Enough said.
The Boat People - 23 July 2010, The Sound Lounge (Gold Coast)
w/ Dan Parsons, The Bell Divers
I seem to be gaining this bad habit - rocking up to gigs late and missing the first act! And I hate myself for it every time, because as I found out once, years ago, sometimes the support act can actually become the reason for future attendance at a gig. I was at a gig once, at which The Boat People were supporting. They were due to release their second album Chandeliers in the coming months, and were previewing some of the song from it at this gig including "Awkward Orchid Orchard". I had never heard of these four men before and I won't lie, was not expecting greatness. However after only their first song, I knew I had found my calling in life. I would become a groupie! Haha! In all seriousness though, for me, since that first gig The Boat People have only achieved greatness producing brilliant live shows which display the diversity and depth of the group. Their new record Dear Darkly shows just how far they have come. But enough history. Back to the night at hand.
Like I mentioned, I missed The Bell Divers and was a little disheartened that I could not ask people what they thought. (This not being the Troub and all...) Regardless, as we arrived we were greeted with the presence that is Dan Parsons setting up on stage. He opened with an acoustic version of "This City" which I thought was an interesting way to start a set, but it actually worked really well. He then brought to the stage his band, Lovecreep, to see out the rest of the set. On a side note, his guitarist I realised just this night is Steve Grady, the same Steve Grady that I saw last week with Dan Parsons performing as his drummer. What a crazy random happenstance. But then again, this world is a little incestuous. Just a little bit... Moving on... I love Dan's work. He belted out one stunning pop tune after the next, with no recovery time factored in! It was incredible. He invited James O'Brien from The Boat People to the stage to help him with a couple of songs, and I just have to mention one in particular. Dan always has his effects mic with him, which never ceases to make me chuckle, and for "Run With Me" James had the pleasure of taking full advantage of this mic. The combination delay and reverb was just awesome. Awesome. Haha! Maybe a little over the top, but awesome all the same! This was a very different set to the one I saw a couple of weeks ago at his album launch. And I do believe this is a very good thing! The fact that he can bring such a diverse take on the same songs, shows that this man is going to go far!
And then came The Boat People. I have already spoken of their greatness, but add that to a pairs of white shoes hanging off mic stands and wedges, and you have the Dear Darkly album launch. Kicking off with "Under the Ocean" they moved through almost all the songs off their new record, and threw in some frigginsweet songs from Chandeliers as well. Unfortunately, as will always happen, the gig was a little spoiled but a drunken idiot. The majority of the audience was seated, either at tables or on the floor, however there was on guy who insisted on standing in front, making out and humping his girl. Let's just say that it was a little awkward for all those sitting behind having to watch... Robin almost lost it with hysterics at one stage. T'was so awkward. So, so much. Regardless, the boys did an awesome job, and it was good to hear so many songs off their new record which I had not previously hear live! New masterpieces like "Cat's Collar" and "Damn Defensive" and old favorites like "Born in the 80s". As they left the stage on that last song, I was a little saddened that they did not finish with "Light of Love (You Got A...) ". They always tend to finish with that one, and I will have it known that it is by far my favorite song. But, to my great pleasure, they returned to the stage and announced they would play one more that had been cut from the set list last minute. And thus, the night finished with that same song I would have been disappointed to miss!! A brilliant end to a TOP night!
I seem to be gaining this bad habit - rocking up to gigs late and missing the first act! And I hate myself for it every time, because as I found out once, years ago, sometimes the support act can actually become the reason for future attendance at a gig. I was at a gig once, at which The Boat People were supporting. They were due to release their second album Chandeliers in the coming months, and were previewing some of the song from it at this gig including "Awkward Orchid Orchard". I had never heard of these four men before and I won't lie, was not expecting greatness. However after only their first song, I knew I had found my calling in life. I would become a groupie! Haha! In all seriousness though, for me, since that first gig The Boat People have only achieved greatness producing brilliant live shows which display the diversity and depth of the group. Their new record Dear Darkly shows just how far they have come. But enough history. Back to the night at hand.
Like I mentioned, I missed The Bell Divers and was a little disheartened that I could not ask people what they thought. (This not being the Troub and all...) Regardless, as we arrived we were greeted with the presence that is Dan Parsons setting up on stage. He opened with an acoustic version of "This City" which I thought was an interesting way to start a set, but it actually worked really well. He then brought to the stage his band, Lovecreep, to see out the rest of the set. On a side note, his guitarist I realised just this night is Steve Grady, the same Steve Grady that I saw last week with Dan Parsons performing as his drummer. What a crazy random happenstance. But then again, this world is a little incestuous. Just a little bit... Moving on... I love Dan's work. He belted out one stunning pop tune after the next, with no recovery time factored in! It was incredible. He invited James O'Brien from The Boat People to the stage to help him with a couple of songs, and I just have to mention one in particular. Dan always has his effects mic with him, which never ceases to make me chuckle, and for "Run With Me" James had the pleasure of taking full advantage of this mic. The combination delay and reverb was just awesome. Awesome. Haha! Maybe a little over the top, but awesome all the same! This was a very different set to the one I saw a couple of weeks ago at his album launch. And I do believe this is a very good thing! The fact that he can bring such a diverse take on the same songs, shows that this man is going to go far!
And then came The Boat People. I have already spoken of their greatness, but add that to a pairs of white shoes hanging off mic stands and wedges, and you have the Dear Darkly album launch. Kicking off with "Under the Ocean" they moved through almost all the songs off their new record, and threw in some frigginsweet songs from Chandeliers as well. Unfortunately, as will always happen, the gig was a little spoiled but a drunken idiot. The majority of the audience was seated, either at tables or on the floor, however there was on guy who insisted on standing in front, making out and humping his girl. Let's just say that it was a little awkward for all those sitting behind having to watch... Robin almost lost it with hysterics at one stage. T'was so awkward. So, so much. Regardless, the boys did an awesome job, and it was good to hear so many songs off their new record which I had not previously hear live! New masterpieces like "Cat's Collar" and "Damn Defensive" and old favorites like "Born in the 80s". As they left the stage on that last song, I was a little saddened that they did not finish with "Light of Love (You Got A...) ". They always tend to finish with that one, and I will have it known that it is by far my favorite song. But, to my great pleasure, they returned to the stage and announced they would play one more that had been cut from the set list last minute. And thus, the night finished with that same song I would have been disappointed to miss!! A brilliant end to a TOP night!
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Drawn From Bees - 16 July 2010, The Troubadour
w/ Alba Varden, Delamare, The Oceanics
Two nights in a row at The Troubadour. I see no problem with this. And this gig had been in my calender for quite some time. Due to my organisational slackness though, I had double booked, which caused me to miss The Oceanics, which made me sad inside. I was told though that there are one to watch.
Delamare are not your typical Troubadour band, creating more of an Rock-Indie sound than any other classification. The five brought to the stage a diverse array of songs that moved from serious rock tunes to the bridging line in between. While not my usual piece of cake, I found myself with a silly grin on my face for much of their set. Which in my book means that the bad has got something special. There we go, they have my seal of approval.
With a quick turnover, next came Alba Varden. I can't explain it, but they didn't do anything for me. I hate to admit it, but I really didn't enjoy their set. What i did find interesting though was their instrumentation. They combined the typical guitar, bass, and skins with a frontman-vocalist with a shaker, and a "bits" percussion player. A lot of percussion for one band I thought, but each to their own. During this set as people kept rolling in for the main attraction, I noticed how many guys nowadays wear beanies on a night out! It was almost a little ridiculous how many guys there were! I know it's winter and all, but still...
Dan James is someone you just can't miss in a crowd. His bleached blond hair is an entity unto itself! And just as this exuberant hair stands out in a crowd, so too does this same frontman light up a stage. Hearing a bands recording just never has the same as experiencing them live and Drawn From Bees are no exception. Each member brings an essence to the music, which in turn lets the music take on a life of it's own. Dan, Stew and Matt's vocal harmonies blend together to form a lush sound that i have to say reminds me of one of my favorite American Indie bands Immaculate Machine. For me "Long Tooth Setting Sun" was definitely the highlight. Calling upon some friends including Kane from Hungry Kids of Hungary they produced exquisite five part harmonies which i thought might have been something that could not be reproduced on stage, but alas I was so very wrong! And I am glad I was.
So, tonight, although the support acts didn't really do it much for me, (regardless of Delamare still getting the smile of approval), Drawn From Bees made up for it ten fold. They were sensational! That is all.
Two nights in a row at The Troubadour. I see no problem with this. And this gig had been in my calender for quite some time. Due to my organisational slackness though, I had double booked, which caused me to miss The Oceanics, which made me sad inside. I was told though that there are one to watch.
Delamare are not your typical Troubadour band, creating more of an Rock-Indie sound than any other classification. The five brought to the stage a diverse array of songs that moved from serious rock tunes to the bridging line in between. While not my usual piece of cake, I found myself with a silly grin on my face for much of their set. Which in my book means that the bad has got something special. There we go, they have my seal of approval.
With a quick turnover, next came Alba Varden. I can't explain it, but they didn't do anything for me. I hate to admit it, but I really didn't enjoy their set. What i did find interesting though was their instrumentation. They combined the typical guitar, bass, and skins with a frontman-vocalist with a shaker, and a "bits" percussion player. A lot of percussion for one band I thought, but each to their own. During this set as people kept rolling in for the main attraction, I noticed how many guys nowadays wear beanies on a night out! It was almost a little ridiculous how many guys there were! I know it's winter and all, but still...
Dan James is someone you just can't miss in a crowd. His bleached blond hair is an entity unto itself! And just as this exuberant hair stands out in a crowd, so too does this same frontman light up a stage. Hearing a bands recording just never has the same as experiencing them live and Drawn From Bees are no exception. Each member brings an essence to the music, which in turn lets the music take on a life of it's own. Dan, Stew and Matt's vocal harmonies blend together to form a lush sound that i have to say reminds me of one of my favorite American Indie bands Immaculate Machine. For me "Long Tooth Setting Sun" was definitely the highlight. Calling upon some friends including Kane from Hungry Kids of Hungary they produced exquisite five part harmonies which i thought might have been something that could not be reproduced on stage, but alas I was so very wrong! And I am glad I was.
So, tonight, although the support acts didn't really do it much for me, (regardless of Delamare still getting the smile of approval), Drawn From Bees made up for it ten fold. They were sensational! That is all.
Friday, July 16, 2010
Matt Corby - 15 July 2010, The Troubadour
w/Tara Simmons, Steve Grady, This Means That
I learnt two things from this gig last night. First, never underestimate someone you've never heard of, and second, standing near drunk people at gigs does not make for a good experience.
Unfortunately, I missed most of the first act, This Means That, but from what I did hear (only the last song) it would have been pretty darn good. Sitting on the floor at the Troubadour has become an old habit for me. I never get there in time for a couch, and as tonight would later prove, I always choose the wrong place to sit. As Steve Grady was setting up, I was surprised to see Dan Parsons also on stage. For a second I had forgotten that he started off drumming, before making a name for himself as a solo artist. Regardless, I was really, really impressed with Steve Grady. He brought a folk-like atmosphere to his performance, while throwing in a bit of rock and country into the mix as well. He also brought some harmonica skills to the stage, and while the first attempt failed a little (I still don't really know what happened) his second attempt proved much more successful. One of the highlights was his rendition of "Concrete Garden". He brought to the stage a lady-friend, and together produced the beautiful tune. Like I said, i was really impressed by this young up and coming, purchasing a CD later on.
Tara Simmons. Where to begin. I have always loved her music. Having first heard her supporting at a Kate Miller-Heidke gig at The Globe, with her full entourage (including her cellos) almost two years previous, I had not had the chance to hear her since. Having since collected her new discs with anticipation, it was good to finally hear her live once again. Performing with only a three piece on stage this night (w/ double bass, and drums/sampler) it produced a raw sound that I'm guessing is a little unusual from what normally occurs on stage. Regardless, it was a brilliant performance. Her version of "All You Can" was frigginsweet! I love how she utilises the sampler, with her backings on it. Seeing as though she was the only one singing on stage it had all her vocal harmonies on it as well as the missing cellos and beats. I was quite annoyed by some of the crowd. She performed a solo piece called "Rosemary". Just a Tara - a keyboard and a voice, so quite a soft, mellow sound. People would just not shut up! I swear, the noise of the chatter was louder than the sound she was creating! And she was mic-ed up! Regardless, I will conclude that she was awesome.
By this stage of the night, the Troubadour was packed. Heaps of people sitting towards the front, and even more standing behind that. I unfortunately was sitting o the edge of what turned out to be the pathway this night. You can never tell with the Troub! *sigh* Fun times... As Matt Croby came to the stage, everyone rose to their feet in anticipation. I'll admit right now, that I had never heard of Matt Corby. From the conversation I overheard from the drunk guy standing next to me, he was on Australian Idol. I cringed. That's why it was so packed... Stupid Australian Idol. As he started though, I was blown away. He was amazing. He first 'song' immediately captivated and silenced the audience, merging from one theme to the next. During this artistic process, he used a loop creator, which in my books raises anyone to another level (but then again I love it when people create there own backing live on stage from scratch). Starting with just guitar, adding different riffs he moved on to add four, maybe five vocal parts over the top, before standing in front of the mics on stage, singing the melody line. It really was a sight to behold. My judgmental views of this man were completely shattered. I also marveled at the quality of this tone of voice. His use of vibrato was exquisite. After this first 'song' he introduced himself and such, and the drunk guy beside me shouted praises and such. (He continued this at every chance he was given, including during songs... *sigh* drunk people...)
Overall, an incredible night that i almost didn't experience, due to indecisiveness. I'm so happy though that my side of me that says "screw being tired and go!" won out in the end. But, what did i learn from this night? Don't judge what you don't know about, and avoid standing near drunk people.
I learnt two things from this gig last night. First, never underestimate someone you've never heard of, and second, standing near drunk people at gigs does not make for a good experience.
Unfortunately, I missed most of the first act, This Means That, but from what I did hear (only the last song) it would have been pretty darn good. Sitting on the floor at the Troubadour has become an old habit for me. I never get there in time for a couch, and as tonight would later prove, I always choose the wrong place to sit. As Steve Grady was setting up, I was surprised to see Dan Parsons also on stage. For a second I had forgotten that he started off drumming, before making a name for himself as a solo artist. Regardless, I was really, really impressed with Steve Grady. He brought a folk-like atmosphere to his performance, while throwing in a bit of rock and country into the mix as well. He also brought some harmonica skills to the stage, and while the first attempt failed a little (I still don't really know what happened) his second attempt proved much more successful. One of the highlights was his rendition of "Concrete Garden". He brought to the stage a lady-friend, and together produced the beautiful tune. Like I said, i was really impressed by this young up and coming, purchasing a CD later on.
Tara Simmons. Where to begin. I have always loved her music. Having first heard her supporting at a Kate Miller-Heidke gig at The Globe, with her full entourage (including her cellos) almost two years previous, I had not had the chance to hear her since. Having since collected her new discs with anticipation, it was good to finally hear her live once again. Performing with only a three piece on stage this night (w/ double bass, and drums/sampler) it produced a raw sound that I'm guessing is a little unusual from what normally occurs on stage. Regardless, it was a brilliant performance. Her version of "All You Can" was frigginsweet! I love how she utilises the sampler, with her backings on it. Seeing as though she was the only one singing on stage it had all her vocal harmonies on it as well as the missing cellos and beats. I was quite annoyed by some of the crowd. She performed a solo piece called "Rosemary". Just a Tara - a keyboard and a voice, so quite a soft, mellow sound. People would just not shut up! I swear, the noise of the chatter was louder than the sound she was creating! And she was mic-ed up! Regardless, I will conclude that she was awesome.
By this stage of the night, the Troubadour was packed. Heaps of people sitting towards the front, and even more standing behind that. I unfortunately was sitting o the edge of what turned out to be the pathway this night. You can never tell with the Troub! *sigh* Fun times... As Matt Croby came to the stage, everyone rose to their feet in anticipation. I'll admit right now, that I had never heard of Matt Corby. From the conversation I overheard from the drunk guy standing next to me, he was on Australian Idol. I cringed. That's why it was so packed... Stupid Australian Idol. As he started though, I was blown away. He was amazing. He first 'song' immediately captivated and silenced the audience, merging from one theme to the next. During this artistic process, he used a loop creator, which in my books raises anyone to another level (but then again I love it when people create there own backing live on stage from scratch). Starting with just guitar, adding different riffs he moved on to add four, maybe five vocal parts over the top, before standing in front of the mics on stage, singing the melody line. It really was a sight to behold. My judgmental views of this man were completely shattered. I also marveled at the quality of this tone of voice. His use of vibrato was exquisite. After this first 'song' he introduced himself and such, and the drunk guy beside me shouted praises and such. (He continued this at every chance he was given, including during songs... *sigh* drunk people...)
Overall, an incredible night that i almost didn't experience, due to indecisiveness. I'm so happy though that my side of me that says "screw being tired and go!" won out in the end. But, what did i learn from this night? Don't judge what you don't know about, and avoid standing near drunk people.
Step One
I've been wanting to start this for some time now, and have finally had the motivation to take the first step. I find myself at a fair few gigs around Brisbane, most of which frigginsweet, other are just sweet. Regardless, I though it might be a good idea to share these snapshots into a musicians career with others, and here be it - A Gig Reviewed.
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