Night 2 - Set Sail, Mosman Alder, Loon Lake, Hey Geronimo, Hungry Kids of Hungary, Elizabeth Rose, Tin Sparrow, Argentina, Aston Shuffle
The night kicked off at The Zoo with Set Sail. The Sydney band
absolutely blew me away! Another name randomly picked off a list, the
band are indie pop at it’s finest. The three piece, with added bass, not
only play stellar tunes, but are also well presented and put on one
hell entertaining show.
The violin player is one of the most eccentric players I’ve ever
seen. Most of the time when you see a violin player on stage, they’re
stiff and play the instrument like it was designed, as a classical
augmentation to the band. This guy was rocking out and not only playing
it in a traditional fashion, but holding it like it were a guitar, and
playing chords on in. Rad. After the tune “Kids “ the frontman stood on
the bass drum and did a backflip onto the lower stage, and said “that’s
how the kids grow up in America” Holy wow, this band were sensational.
Next up at Alhambra was Mosman Alder. This band are so mellow,
due to the fact the lead singer’s vocals blends into the texture of the
band rather than soaring over the top of it. This is another band with a
dedicated violin player, yet this player is so so different to the one
just witnessed. She was more of the classical type, playing stiffly and
singing harmonies. I’m not saying this is a bad thing. It works well for
this band. And I do really like what they create together.
I had planned on getting into Loon Lake, however, the Q Music Stage was packed, and there was very little chance of getting a good look at the lads. So off the Hey Geronimo
at The Zoo I went. Good-looking ridiculous fun. This band certainly
know how to throw a party, and get everybody dancing. The band played
all the tracks of their self title EP as well as a couple of newies.
During the first half of the set there was this annoying “photographer”
climbing on stage to take photos of the bass player, Greg, and getting
all up in his face. Turns out it was their rapper friend, how jumped up
on stage for that song to get up to his usual antics. This song had the
entire crowd bouncing.
Staying at The Zoo for Hungry Kids of Hungary, was a good
idea. Apparently the line was epicly long. Tonight marked the first time
HKoH have played in Brisbane in over a year. They played a whole bunch
of new songs off their forthcoming record as well as old favourites,
including “Writstwatch”, “Let you Down” and “Coming Around”. Of their
new songs, opener “Sharp Shooter” is set to be their next single, and
sounds rad! They lads have really stepped it up since the last time they
played to a home crowd. If the set was anything to go by, we have not
seen the best of the boys yet.
At the Press Club, Elizabeth Rose was breaking hearts with her
electric tunes. It was the perfect little stage for her. With her
laptop, her synth set up and her truly stunning voice she wowed the
crowd. Miss Rose was another I picked off a list, and again I was blown
away by how much I loved her set. She was so into the music she was
producing, and there was not a second where she wasn’t moving or
pulsing. “Again” was one of the highlights of her set for me, as well as
her last song. This set was only meant to be a pop in, see what was
happening before catching the full set of Tin Sparrow, but I was captivated and did not want to go anywhere.
I walked into Mustang Bar in the middle of Tin Sparrow’s
rendition of “Bricks”. This is such a heartfelt song and it was moving
to hear it performed live. The harmonies created by the four piece are
truly stunning. In their other songs, the arrangements get a little
repetitive at times, with the same vocal harmonies being repeated for
entire sections of the song. I do love this band though.
Moving next door to Oh Hello, Argentina was playing strutting
his stuff on an extend stage. His music is always different, regardless
of when you hear him. The arrangements are always slightly different.
This is what makes this group so amazing to listen to time and time
again. It would have been so good to hear all of the set but alas. At
BIGSOUND this is a hard thing to achieve.
The closer for BIGSOUND Live 2012 was The Aston Shuffle at the
Bakery Land Stage. This was nothing less than a dance party. Their
music is cleverly constructed electro, and was an amazing way to finish
the night. They played a good mix of old and new tunes. But the new
tunes were a little rough around the edges. They fell apart at time, and
at the end of their set it was a serious anti-climax. They had put all
this work into creating the perfect dance environment, and then the last
section of the last song had no weight behind it. Regardless, great
set.
And done. Over the two nights, I managed to fit in 18 bands, over 8
stages. This is something that never happens in Brisbane. Over half of
these venues do not usually exist, or do not play live music on a
regular basis. And it’s so disheartening to see! This BIGSOUND week
shows just how important the music industry is, and how it can all come
together to create something truly amazing. It’s not everyday that you
can pick a name off a list in ignorance, walk in and discover something
sensational. That is what BIGSOUND is to me. A showcase of artists that
you may not go out of your way to see, because you’ve just not heard of
them before, but stumble in and think wow.
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
BIGSOUND Live - 12 September 2012, Fortitude Valley
Night 1 - The Good Ship, Electric Empire, Boy in a Box, Clairy Browne and the Bangin' Rackettes, YesYou, Ball Park Music, Millions, Velociraptor
This years BIGSOUND was bigger and better than ever. They boasted 120 bands over 12 stages. They did not fail to deliver. With all new venues including Magic City, Mustang Bar, and Press Club, the whirlwind Live program just that, a whirlwind. 30 minute sets, 20 minute turnarounds. With five sets per venue per night, there was absolutely no way to get to everything, but oh my, did I try make the most of sensational two night live music event.
First up were The Good Ship at the Q Music Stage in the lane behind The Zoo. After playing their first song, they announced “thanks for Something for Kate for opening for us!” True statement! The band had just finished up the EMI industry party. Funny none the less. The Good Ship are all kinds of fun, and make me think of being a old school pub with pirates, wenches, and good ol’ fashioned booze. The relentless ‘mm-cha’ notion of their music was enough to get the crowd bobbing in a frenzy. It’s so great to see the use of a Banjo, Piano Accordion, Trumpet and Monkey Stick (beer bottle caps fixes to a central pole).
Electric Empire were up next at the Bakery Lane stage. BIGSOUND is an even for going out to hear bands you’ve never heard of play a set. So, when you pick a name semi-randomly off the list of bands playing that time slot, that you’ve never heard of before, it can either be an amazing surprise, just good, or meh. These lads were one of the real surprises for me this BIGSOUND. They were crazy awesome! Funk infused goodness. They’re the kind of band you can properly dance to, that’s not electro/house. They had the musical stops in all the right places and in all honest, I could not keep a grin off my face. The three main vocalists, have such different voices, and it was awesome to see each of them take a verse in on particular song.
Electric Playground was again part of the BIGSOUND music venue list, but it still was not an enjoyable venue. In my opinion, it’s way too loud for the room it boasts. I could be such an amazing venue, but… Boy in a Box were the first band of the night in that particular venue, and the venue really distracted how good these lads actually are.
Back at the Bakery Lane Stage was Clairy Browne and the Bangin’ Rackettes. This 60s pop/soul inspired band was certainly something different from almost everything else at BIGSOUND. She boasted three back up singers (The Bangin’ Rackettes) as well as a full rhythm section and Baritone Sax. The doo-wap girls certainly complemented Clairy herself, and really showcased the talent of the group. Something that has to be said about the band is the dance moves of the Bangin’ Rackettes. They are so cliché doo-wap that it was, at the same time, cringe worthy and truly awesome.
A brisk stroll to the Press Club brought YesYou to the stage. They opened with “The Half Of It”. This is such a good song, especially live. On the tiny, tiny stage, the four piece and all their equipment barely fit, and it came as little surprise that when the drummer was belting out drum fills that the hardware supporting the cymbals started loosening, rendering parts of the kit useless for the song. In one point, vocalist Tara Simmons took center stage for a tune. This track is awesome, and I can’t wait to hear it in solid form.
At the Zoo, there was a massive line to get into see Ball Park Music. It is so good to see the band play The Zoo again. After multiple shows at the The HiFi, it must feel nice to return to the roots and return to play one of the first big venues they played in. Tonight they played quite a few new tracks off their forthcoming record Museum. Of all the tracks “Great Display of Patience” is going to be a crowd favourite for sure judging on tonight’s performance. As well as these new tracks they played old favourites including “Sad Rude Future Dude”, “All I Want Is You” and “iFly” as well as new favourite “Surrender”. I was so glad to see them back at the more intimate room that is the Zoo and they created such an amazing vibe!
Back at Electric Playground was Millions. These guys create really darn catchy indie rock stuff, playing a mixture of old and new material for the short set. One look down at the mosh was all you needed to see, as the people were going wild, and dancing like maniacs.
Last but not least for the night was Velociraptor at the Q Music Stage. This band, in a nutshell, is organized chaos. On stage they are one of the most dysfunctional groups I’ve seen; four electric guitars, two bass guitars, and a synth. I don’t quite get the need two bass guitars and four electric guitars. There’s only so many different ways a chord progression can be played right? Regardless, this band produces some hell good tunes, and was a great way to end the epic night.
What a night! So much good music, a fair bit of which, I hadn’t really been exposed to before. The highlight for me, apart from personal favourites Ball Park Music, was Electric Empire. They were just so good, and such a surprise considering I picked them randomly off the list of bands playing the timeslot. Now… Night two.
This years BIGSOUND was bigger and better than ever. They boasted 120 bands over 12 stages. They did not fail to deliver. With all new venues including Magic City, Mustang Bar, and Press Club, the whirlwind Live program just that, a whirlwind. 30 minute sets, 20 minute turnarounds. With five sets per venue per night, there was absolutely no way to get to everything, but oh my, did I try make the most of sensational two night live music event.
First up were The Good Ship at the Q Music Stage in the lane behind The Zoo. After playing their first song, they announced “thanks for Something for Kate for opening for us!” True statement! The band had just finished up the EMI industry party. Funny none the less. The Good Ship are all kinds of fun, and make me think of being a old school pub with pirates, wenches, and good ol’ fashioned booze. The relentless ‘mm-cha’ notion of their music was enough to get the crowd bobbing in a frenzy. It’s so great to see the use of a Banjo, Piano Accordion, Trumpet and Monkey Stick (beer bottle caps fixes to a central pole).
Electric Empire were up next at the Bakery Lane stage. BIGSOUND is an even for going out to hear bands you’ve never heard of play a set. So, when you pick a name semi-randomly off the list of bands playing that time slot, that you’ve never heard of before, it can either be an amazing surprise, just good, or meh. These lads were one of the real surprises for me this BIGSOUND. They were crazy awesome! Funk infused goodness. They’re the kind of band you can properly dance to, that’s not electro/house. They had the musical stops in all the right places and in all honest, I could not keep a grin off my face. The three main vocalists, have such different voices, and it was awesome to see each of them take a verse in on particular song.
Electric Playground was again part of the BIGSOUND music venue list, but it still was not an enjoyable venue. In my opinion, it’s way too loud for the room it boasts. I could be such an amazing venue, but… Boy in a Box were the first band of the night in that particular venue, and the venue really distracted how good these lads actually are.
Back at the Bakery Lane Stage was Clairy Browne and the Bangin’ Rackettes. This 60s pop/soul inspired band was certainly something different from almost everything else at BIGSOUND. She boasted three back up singers (The Bangin’ Rackettes) as well as a full rhythm section and Baritone Sax. The doo-wap girls certainly complemented Clairy herself, and really showcased the talent of the group. Something that has to be said about the band is the dance moves of the Bangin’ Rackettes. They are so cliché doo-wap that it was, at the same time, cringe worthy and truly awesome.
A brisk stroll to the Press Club brought YesYou to the stage. They opened with “The Half Of It”. This is such a good song, especially live. On the tiny, tiny stage, the four piece and all their equipment barely fit, and it came as little surprise that when the drummer was belting out drum fills that the hardware supporting the cymbals started loosening, rendering parts of the kit useless for the song. In one point, vocalist Tara Simmons took center stage for a tune. This track is awesome, and I can’t wait to hear it in solid form.
At the Zoo, there was a massive line to get into see Ball Park Music. It is so good to see the band play The Zoo again. After multiple shows at the The HiFi, it must feel nice to return to the roots and return to play one of the first big venues they played in. Tonight they played quite a few new tracks off their forthcoming record Museum. Of all the tracks “Great Display of Patience” is going to be a crowd favourite for sure judging on tonight’s performance. As well as these new tracks they played old favourites including “Sad Rude Future Dude”, “All I Want Is You” and “iFly” as well as new favourite “Surrender”. I was so glad to see them back at the more intimate room that is the Zoo and they created such an amazing vibe!
Back at Electric Playground was Millions. These guys create really darn catchy indie rock stuff, playing a mixture of old and new material for the short set. One look down at the mosh was all you needed to see, as the people were going wild, and dancing like maniacs.
Last but not least for the night was Velociraptor at the Q Music Stage. This band, in a nutshell, is organized chaos. On stage they are one of the most dysfunctional groups I’ve seen; four electric guitars, two bass guitars, and a synth. I don’t quite get the need two bass guitars and four electric guitars. There’s only so many different ways a chord progression can be played right? Regardless, this band produces some hell good tunes, and was a great way to end the epic night.
What a night! So much good music, a fair bit of which, I hadn’t really been exposed to before. The highlight for me, apart from personal favourites Ball Park Music, was Electric Empire. They were just so good, and such a surprise considering I picked them randomly off the list of bands playing the timeslot. Now… Night two.
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Kate Miller-Heidke - 26 August 2012, The HiFi
w/ The Beards
Supporting the amazing Kate Miller-Heidke were The Beards. They have luscious beards, and sing songs about beards. They don’t like people without beards. The only reason they are on tour with Kate Miller-Heidke is because they are “supporting” the fact that she doesn’t have a beard. It’s a little hard to take these guys seriously, but that’s the whole point, right? I couldn’t keep a smile off my face throughout their entire set, and at times it was laugh out loud funny.
For those of you who have been living under a rock for the last little while, The Beards have songs with lyrics including “as long as your dad doesn’t have a beard, you have two mums”, “there was once a band called Kings of Leon and they shaved off their beards and now they’re shit”, plus their Hottest 100 hit, titled “You Should Consider Having Sex With A Bearded Man”. The thing about this band is that behind those ridiculous lyrics are a stupidly talented bunch of musicians. The frontman is not only a seriously talented singer, but also saxophonist, keytar, and melodica player. They’re just a hell decent band.
Looking back in time, the first Kate Miller-Heidke gig I went to would have been in 2005. And, oh my, what a journey she has embarked on over the years. When Kate and band came onto the stage, there was a huge eruption of sound, however, as soon as guitarist, Keir Nuttall, started playing “Iron and Fire” there was dead silence, and when Kate sang her first phrase, there was another eruption of sound. But for the rest of the song, the silence returned and there was not a sound in the room. To say it was intense is the understatement of the year. Her one hour and forty-five minute set was filled with songs from her latest record Nightflight, as well as tunes from both Curiouser and Litter Eve. I was so glad to hear her playing track from these early albums, including a massively slowed down rendition of “Mama”.
Kate has a wonderful way of reinterpreting her music for the stage, and it was so great to hear “God’s Gift to Women” open with just the acoustic guitar, before moving into something much heavier and drum based. This came straight after a selection of songs including “Politics in Space” and “The Devil Wears a Suit”, played without Dan Parsons on the drums, but instead on guitar. Kate’s cover tonight was a mash up of Eminem's “The Real Slim Shady” and Kanye West's “Monster”. To see a petite white woman rap is certainly something you need to experience at least once in your life.
As a conclusion to her encore, she played an acoustic rendition of “Space They Cannot Touch”. This is my all time favourite Kate Miller-Heidke song, and it was such a special moment to hear it played with only Keir on acoustic guitar, and Maddie Page, Dan Parsons and James O’Brien grouped around a single microphone singing harmonies. Such a perfect way to end the brilliant set.
Supporting the amazing Kate Miller-Heidke were The Beards. They have luscious beards, and sing songs about beards. They don’t like people without beards. The only reason they are on tour with Kate Miller-Heidke is because they are “supporting” the fact that she doesn’t have a beard. It’s a little hard to take these guys seriously, but that’s the whole point, right? I couldn’t keep a smile off my face throughout their entire set, and at times it was laugh out loud funny.
For those of you who have been living under a rock for the last little while, The Beards have songs with lyrics including “as long as your dad doesn’t have a beard, you have two mums”, “there was once a band called Kings of Leon and they shaved off their beards and now they’re shit”, plus their Hottest 100 hit, titled “You Should Consider Having Sex With A Bearded Man”. The thing about this band is that behind those ridiculous lyrics are a stupidly talented bunch of musicians. The frontman is not only a seriously talented singer, but also saxophonist, keytar, and melodica player. They’re just a hell decent band.
Looking back in time, the first Kate Miller-Heidke gig I went to would have been in 2005. And, oh my, what a journey she has embarked on over the years. When Kate and band came onto the stage, there was a huge eruption of sound, however, as soon as guitarist, Keir Nuttall, started playing “Iron and Fire” there was dead silence, and when Kate sang her first phrase, there was another eruption of sound. But for the rest of the song, the silence returned and there was not a sound in the room. To say it was intense is the understatement of the year. Her one hour and forty-five minute set was filled with songs from her latest record Nightflight, as well as tunes from both Curiouser and Litter Eve. I was so glad to hear her playing track from these early albums, including a massively slowed down rendition of “Mama”.
Kate has a wonderful way of reinterpreting her music for the stage, and it was so great to hear “God’s Gift to Women” open with just the acoustic guitar, before moving into something much heavier and drum based. This came straight after a selection of songs including “Politics in Space” and “The Devil Wears a Suit”, played without Dan Parsons on the drums, but instead on guitar. Kate’s cover tonight was a mash up of Eminem's “The Real Slim Shady” and Kanye West's “Monster”. To see a petite white woman rap is certainly something you need to experience at least once in your life.
As a conclusion to her encore, she played an acoustic rendition of “Space They Cannot Touch”. This is my all time favourite Kate Miller-Heidke song, and it was such a special moment to hear it played with only Keir on acoustic guitar, and Maddie Page, Dan Parsons and James O’Brien grouped around a single microphone singing harmonies. Such a perfect way to end the brilliant set.
Jinja Safari - 18 August 2012, The HiFi
w/ White Arrows, Opossum
Jinja Safari has been touring the country on their Blind Date tour, taking along with them White Arrows, hailing from LA, as well as Opossum, from across the Tasman. It’s nice to see Jinja Safari playing the larger venue that is The HiFi, however, for some reason or another, by the time they were ready to get their set under way, the venue was probably just over half full.
To open the night was LA band, White Arrows. These guys are all kinds of rad! They have a heavy electro-pop kind of sound that was well received by those that made the effort to get to the venue early. It’s the kind of music that you instinctively pulse along to. I’m not talking the slight head bob, but the whole body type of pulse. Their tune “Stay at Home” had quite a different feel to the music they had showcased so far, but it was still really involving. Their second last song has to be mentioned, as it featured a synthesised riff that sounded as though it was created from old school computer sounds. But, not only was it novel, it was catchy as all hell. These lads do put on a good, fun show, and I do believe their first tour to Australia has won them many new fans.
Opossum confused me tonight. I wanted to like them, and to appreciate them, however there were just so many things off with their performance that it made it very hard. The fact that the keyboard player was at a right angle to the audience so you basically couldn’t see her face was not the best of ideas. I understand why, in that for the improvised and experimental nature of some of the songs, all members of the three piece had to be able to see each other, but it made it so the band lost all their impact. Also, in the mix, the keys overpowered and the vocals didn’t stand out at all. You couldn’t understand a word they were singing about, nor even when they were speaking to the audience. Their music isn’t bad, not at all, however these things mentioned made it difficult to enjoy what they were producing. When the girl picked up her guitar for the last two songs, the whole style of their music changed. It was more structured, thus more “appealing” to the wider audience.
Jinja Safari. Holy Wow. This band is amazing. They opened the night with “Hiccus” closely followed by “Families”. Tonight was a night for the new as well as the old. The band played heaps of new songs, while playing old favourites like “Peter Pan” as well. Their latest single “Toothless Grin” is a sensational song and really shows the direction the band are heading in. As for showmanship, these flamboyant lads are second to none! They graced the stage, jumping over things and beating their chests, and they didn’t stop there. There was even a moment when crazy man, Papa Knight, clambered onto one of the speakers, making him over seven feet in the air, before jumping off and running back to his synth. Jinja Safari have all the normal instruments you would expect from a band, but add some fun stuff, including a keytar, wood flute, xylophone and their signature sitar.
Jinja Safari keep going from strength to strength; they’re amazing one show, and the next time you see them, they’re even better. The stupid thing about this gig is the fact that there weren’t enough people in the room experiencing the incredible things these three bands were producing. Meh, they missed an simply sensational show.
Jinja Safari has been touring the country on their Blind Date tour, taking along with them White Arrows, hailing from LA, as well as Opossum, from across the Tasman. It’s nice to see Jinja Safari playing the larger venue that is The HiFi, however, for some reason or another, by the time they were ready to get their set under way, the venue was probably just over half full.
To open the night was LA band, White Arrows. These guys are all kinds of rad! They have a heavy electro-pop kind of sound that was well received by those that made the effort to get to the venue early. It’s the kind of music that you instinctively pulse along to. I’m not talking the slight head bob, but the whole body type of pulse. Their tune “Stay at Home” had quite a different feel to the music they had showcased so far, but it was still really involving. Their second last song has to be mentioned, as it featured a synthesised riff that sounded as though it was created from old school computer sounds. But, not only was it novel, it was catchy as all hell. These lads do put on a good, fun show, and I do believe their first tour to Australia has won them many new fans.
Opossum confused me tonight. I wanted to like them, and to appreciate them, however there were just so many things off with their performance that it made it very hard. The fact that the keyboard player was at a right angle to the audience so you basically couldn’t see her face was not the best of ideas. I understand why, in that for the improvised and experimental nature of some of the songs, all members of the three piece had to be able to see each other, but it made it so the band lost all their impact. Also, in the mix, the keys overpowered and the vocals didn’t stand out at all. You couldn’t understand a word they were singing about, nor even when they were speaking to the audience. Their music isn’t bad, not at all, however these things mentioned made it difficult to enjoy what they were producing. When the girl picked up her guitar for the last two songs, the whole style of their music changed. It was more structured, thus more “appealing” to the wider audience.
Jinja Safari. Holy Wow. This band is amazing. They opened the night with “Hiccus” closely followed by “Families”. Tonight was a night for the new as well as the old. The band played heaps of new songs, while playing old favourites like “Peter Pan” as well. Their latest single “Toothless Grin” is a sensational song and really shows the direction the band are heading in. As for showmanship, these flamboyant lads are second to none! They graced the stage, jumping over things and beating their chests, and they didn’t stop there. There was even a moment when crazy man, Papa Knight, clambered onto one of the speakers, making him over seven feet in the air, before jumping off and running back to his synth. Jinja Safari have all the normal instruments you would expect from a band, but add some fun stuff, including a keytar, wood flute, xylophone and their signature sitar.
Jinja Safari keep going from strength to strength; they’re amazing one show, and the next time you see them, they’re even better. The stupid thing about this gig is the fact that there weren’t enough people in the room experiencing the incredible things these three bands were producing. Meh, they missed an simply sensational show.
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