Sara Bareilles - 24 September 2014, The Tivoli

w/ Ben Abraham

It’s been a long time coming for Sara Bareilles to return to Australia. After supporting Maroon 5 almost four years ago she had not returned to our southern shores until now. I am a huge Bareilles, and have been since her debut release, so for her to finally have a run of headline shows in Australia, was something I would not soon miss.

Opening the night was the super talented Ben Abraham. Sara introduced the musician herself and told the story of their fateful meeting over the Interwebs. His opening song was truly stunning. With lyrics like “Until you, I was a stingless guitar” it was just so heartfelt and really tender moment. His crown banter is just about second to none, as he riffed on his guitar while telling us stories about his songs or teaching us the harmonies to one of his songs about Home. A very polished artist who definitely is in need of further looking up!

The crowd at The Tivoli was a very vocal bunch and when Sara Bareilles took to the stage there was a ruckus that rivaled the welcoming of many an artist taking the stage. She opened her set with a solo version of “Let the Rain” on guitar. She backed this up with “Uncharted” solo on the Piano. What is so striking about Bareilles live, is her ability to portray her songs in a very different way to the way they are on record. She mixed up the melodies, and while maintaining the essence of the song takes you to a different place than that which you expected.

Her band joined her on stage for “Love on the Rocks” and I was surprised at the intimate setting that she was creating. With just two additional band members, one on synths, and the other on electronic drums, they created a very minimal yet rich sound. It was great to hear some of the artist’s older song, including cult favourite “Love Song”. However it was overshadowed by the next track “Hurclues”. Bareilles proclaimed this track as the centerpiece of her latest record The Blessed Unrest, as it signified all that was occurring in her personal life during the writing of the tracks for this album. Her rendition of it was heart-wrenchingly beautiful.

She then covered Sia’s smash hit “Chandelier” accompanied just on Ukelele. While the vocal melody stayed very much as strong as the original, it was insane to hear the power of Bareilles’ vocals in contrast to the tiny sound of the Uke. For her to successfully match Sia’s power in that song was incredible. Ben Abraham then joined her on stage for a couple of songs, “December”, “Chasing the Sun” and one of Ben’s songs. They were all proper duets, where each artist would sing a verse each and complement each other on the harmonies. It was great to hear two stunning voices working so well together.

One thing I have neglected to mention is just how hilarious Sara Bareilles is. I’d read that she is a crack up in her live show, but had little evidence until now. She is ridiculous, casually dropping the f-bomb on a semi-regular basis and paying out on people coming in late. Very funny stuff. She performed “I Choose You” before segueing directly into “Sweet As Whole”, other wise know as the “Asshole Song.” It was freaking hilarious!

She finished her set strongly with “King of Anything” and “Brave” back to back. What a great choice. They were both killer songs and really finished the set off exceedingly well. But! It was not all over just yet, for her Encore, she came back onto stage to perform a solo rendition of “Gravitiy”, one of my all time favourite songs. It was perfect. The whole set was perfect.

Sara Bareilles was everything I had hoped for live and then some. Such a great gig! However, with the tour being entitled “The Little Black Dress Tour”, it was distinctly lacking the title track in the set list… A small price to pay for other greatness I suppose. Lets just hope we will not have to wait another four years to see her back on our fair shores again.

BIGSOUND, Night 2 - 11 September 2014, Fortitude Valley

w/ Deep Sea Arcade, Gold Fields, Harmony James, Jeremy Neale, Safie, Tkay Maidza, Eves, Dozzi, The Phoncurves

Night Two of BIGSOUND Live for me was a little more unplanned than Night One, allowing me to come across some unexpected talent along the way. As with any day at a festival like this, however, with all the amazing highs there were also, unfortunately, some lows. But we may have the fun police to blame for that... read on!

Opening Night Two were The Phoncurves. These two lovely ladies together with the lads in their band were a rather chilled way to begin the evening. Their individual voices are beautiful, but together in harmony is something else. Their song “Heartstrings” was a beautiful tune. I love the way that they have samples of their voices on the pads as further layering of vocal harmonies. It is a clever way to have a more dense quality of sound. In their songs there were some unexpected tempo changes between the verses and choruses. But for them, it actually works really well.

Next on my list was Tully on Tully, but unfortunately they were having some technical glitches and the hard decision was made to move on. Dozzi won the bid to fill the big gap left by Tully on Tully. While I am not usually the biggest fan of Country music, their county inflections were just so darn beautiful! Their mash up of Lady Gaga’s “You and I” and The Beatles “Hey Jude” was absolutely incredible. The three sisters each have their own unique performing style and are all a little badass. Their latest single “Weakness” was really rad, and I absolutely loved it!

Next up was Eves. Eves is an artist that I have heard so much about and I’ve always wanted to see live, but have missed her every single time! I think I should have made more of an effort, as she is one powerhouse performer! She is so tiny, yet has the charisma to hold a huge stage. Her dancing is eccentric and infectious you can’t help but get into the music. Her production was really unique. There were many unexpected harmonic changes that were quite out of the ordinary and a welcome break the dance music stereotype.

I think someone was on sound police duties, as where Eves had body shaking bass sounds, Tkay Maidza’s bass sounds were flimsy and weak in comparison. For such a large outdoor venue it was really disappointing. This pocket rocket is so darn talented and struts the stage effortlessly bringing her own unique presence to the venue.

Safia was up next at an almost capacity Woolly Mammoth. Holy shit this band is awesome! They have an amazing groove with their electronica goodness. The trio have been so successful with their song “Listen to Soul, Listen to Blues” and it was great to see that they closed their set with this song. They said that this was the song that started it all, but they have evolved so much since this song was released. They have become more sophisticated, more polished band with intelligent production and stellar falsetto vocals.

Coming off the back of Safia was Jeremy Neale at Alhambra Lounge. His blues inspired repertoire was rather rad and really got the crowd moving and grooving. He has a certain stage manner about him when he performs that makes it impossible to resist the urge to dance. It is quite special.

Harmony James was next on the agenda, making her the second country artist of the night. She has a beautiful spirit about her. Although I didn’t manage to catch all of her set, in what I did hear there was a true and strong story telling ability that not many artist can fully capture. Couple this with her melody writing talent, and you have a true songstress. It’ any wonder she a current Q Music award winner!

Gold Fields were another true highlight of the night. After their hiatus, they are back with a vengeance boasting new songs and rad production to boot. It was nice to see the sound police had been kicked out since Tkay Maidza’s set previously in the night. With such gritty production, it was such a beautiful contrast to have such smooth vocals layered over the top. Their song “Treehouse” was the absolute highlight of the set. I hope they are not planning on going anywhere anytime soon. I can’t wait to hear a full set from them in the very near future.

To round out the night - and the official part of the festival - was Deep Sea Arcade (pictured). This band just keep getting better and better. Since I last saw them play live they have added a whole bunch of new songs to their set list and have got even looser. The frontman’s vocals are unique in this industry and always continue to intrigue me. It was great to hear some newer songs including “Girls” but also some older songs including my personal favourite “Lonely in Your Arms”.

The true standout of Night Two of BIGSOUND was by far and away Safia. They utterly blew my mind. I mean, it’s gone. So with 21 bands over two nights, that brings BIGSOUND Live to a close for 2014. Well played BIGSOUND, well played. I’m spent!

BIGSOUND, Night 1 - 10 September 2014, Fortitude Valley

w/ Okenyo, Mosman Alder, Lanks, Stillwater Giants, Jane Tyrrell, Lime Cordiale, Little Odessa, Lower Spectrum, Fieldings, Rolls Bayce

BIGSOUND Live is always a great opportunity to catch some of the best bands in the business while also discovering new favourite acts you didn’t even realise exist! It is such a vibrant event full of networking and all round joy.

Opening the live showcases was Rolls Bayce at the Zoo. Dean McGrath, of Hungry Kids of Hungary fame, fronts this relatively new band and it truly has his style written all over it! In a nutshell, this band are really rather rad! They have a great stage manner and cut right crap and get to the good stuff. Rolls Bayce boast a fusion of styles including old school Rock, with a little bit of 60s Funk and Soul thrown in there for good measure. Their hit single “Don’t Get Me Wrong” was definitely a highlight of the set. I foresee good things for this band. Keep an ear out!

New up for the night was Fieldings at Ric’s Bar. The frontwoman sings with such conviction, passion and with a certain cry in voice that tugs at your heartstrings. The accompanying drums were mostly toms and this really suited this style of music. Couple this together with the ambient synth and it was the perfect combination of chilled awesomeness! “Shoots and Rattles” was a great tune and really sums up what this artist is all about!

Lower Spectrum was up next up at The Brightside. He creates a vast soundscape of true electronica goodness. Although I wasn’t able to stay for long, what I did see has definitely prompted me to look them up further.

It’s great to see The Elephant getting involved as a BIGSOUND Live venue this year. Their outdoor space out the back of the venue was the perfect location for a mid-size stage and Little Odessa was playing, truly knocking everybody’s socks off! They are just a whole bunch of fun. Nothing can stop the frontman from his rampage of being arguably one of the most exciting up and coming local frontmen at the moment. There were too many highlights in this set to mention them all, however, their performance of “All Night” was a too awesome for words. I was definitely a fan before, now I think I am a little obsessed. Forgive me!

Back at The Zoo, Lime Cordiale were tearing things up, sending their pop inspired vibes throughout the venue creating a dance party to rival all dance party. The two frontmen really worked well together and when backed with a Trombone and Bari Sax they created some very lush sounds. While I was uncertain at first, the more I hear of their set, the more I liked them! Their song “Falling Up The Stairs” was a definite highlight.

Heading back to The Elephant to see Jane Tyrrell was a good decision. She has a powerful voice that was backed by intelligent electronica programming. She dressed up for the occasion in a classy red dress and coat. Although I loved what was going on, she kind of lost me half way through her set.

I love the Stillwater Giants to pieces and I was very disappointed to see that there was such a small crowd for their set. They are really good at what they do and it was quite sad to see he venue less than half full! The harmonies created by the vocalists are exquisite and are a real signifying feature of the band. I remember them being a lot more fun live, however, tonight they just weren’t all there. “Fly Under the radar” is still an amazing song and I was glad to see that they finished their set with it.

It’s so great to have the opportunity to discover new artist, and BIGSOUND definitely gives you that opportunity. Lanks was a band I picked off a list, and I was very pleasantly surprised. They have a really cool groove with their synths and the addition of some flute over the top as well. Even though I only saw part of their set, they are definitely a band that needs looking up!

I have a bit of a thing for the frontman of Mosman Alder’s voice. His baritone is so smooth, and tonight it was just as perfect as ever. I haven’t seen this band live in the longest of times and I was really pleasantly surprised with how polished they were. With this band, because of their mellow vibes I don’t know if having them in the final timeslot of the night was advantageous for them. I know I wanted to finish the night with a bit of a party. Because of this I trundled across the road to Ric’s to see who was playing.

This turned out to be the best decision of the entire night. Okenyo was, in my opinion, the highlight of the entire night, and I almost missed her! She has so much soul and passion for the music she was performing and at times I got some Janelle Monae vibes. Her song “Mirage” was mind boggling, with everything about it being truly perfect. The simplicity of the drums and synth coupled with the intricacy and control of the vocal pyrotechnics was just incredible. It just all seemed so effortless. “Rising” was also another amazing tune. It was definitely a great decision to finish the night off here rather than with Mosman Alder.

That brings Night One of BIGSOUND Live to a close. The true highlight of the night was Okenyo, with some other great sets from Little Odessa and Rolls Bayce. Night Two promises to be just as fun filled and just as hectic. Stay tuned!

The Aston Shuffle - 29 August 2014, The Zoo

w/ Just a Gent, CLN, Jordan Burns vs Jordan James

There was a lot to love and a lot to dislike about The Aston Shuffle's gig at the Zoo on Friday night. The good things came from The Aston Shuffle themselves, however the long wait before the boys hit the stage was much less enjoyable.


Up first with live remixes and mash ups was Jordan Burns vs Jordan James, who set the right mood buy unfortunately played to an empty room - there's only so much a DJ can do without an audience. Next up was CLN. He had a really interesting thing going on. His music was super groovy and was really great to sit and listen to.

To play to a dead room is a musicians worst nightmare. Even more so for an electronic artist, but CLN handled it quite well. What made CLN’s set a little tedious, however, was the tempo of his electronica music. He kept it really mellow and while it was complexly and densely layered, it lost its impact after the third or fourth song. His remixes towards the end, however, were clever and nicely done and ended things on a strong note.

Just a Gent played next and opened his set with a remix of the theme from the Phantom of the Opera. I think that this sums up this electronica artist wholly. In his top hat and three piece suit, with tails, he was the first act of the night to actually get people to the front of the room and up and dancing. His range of repertoire was diverse and kept everyone guessing. One minute he was playing recent tunes the next he was back to obscure 90's pop. To tell you the true though, I was totally ok with that and it worked cohesively.

While the support acts weren't all that bad, the major problem was that they played for up to an hour each. With three acts it makes for a very... very long wait to see the headline act, who played only as long as any one of their support acts. Now, I know The Aston Shuffle are an electronic band and I love them to pieces for this, and I know they cater to that type of crowd and that type of timeslot, but that sort of build up was bit much.

What made the night oh so worthwhile was the genius that is The Aston Shuffle. Their sophisticated electronic music uses so much ingenuity that they are able to set themselves apart from the rest of the pack. Throughout the set, they welcomed two vocalists to the stage to perform the vocals from their latest release Photographs. It was such a nice touch to their live show that gives their brilliant record the strong outing it deserves.

Postcards tracks littered the set, with “Back and Forth”, “Never Take it Away” and “Ordinary Love” being particular highlights. But it was when they got to the end of the set when things got really special. During “Tear it Down”, their guest female vocalist, appeared on stage mid-song in a Mirror Ball suit. The strobe lighting focused on her in center stage as she subtly moved her body to reflect the light throughout the entire venue. It was truly stunning!

Although the night was disappointingly long, The Aston Shuffle have really stepped up their live shows, making them one of the most exciting live electronic acts around. Kudos lads.

A Great Big World - 2 August 2014, The Tivoli

w/ Jordan Leser

If you’re ever feeling sad, down or just generally bleh, can I recommend you go put on A Great Big World’s record, or better yet, just go to one of their shows. I was blown away by just how heartfelt, sincere and just plain happy these two young gentlemen are when they perform.

When the lights dimmed, Jordan Leser took to the stage to get the night started. With her rich, mellow alto tones, she sang of heartbreat, and of loss. She gave her performance to a very captivated audience, to the point that she said, “you’re a very attentive audience considering you’re not even her to see me. Thank you”. Her songs “Brother Moon” and her self-admitted ’happiest song’ about her Grandma were definitely the highlights of the set. Accompanied by only her piano, Miss Leser’s set was quite simply beautiful!

A little while later the lights dimmed once more and the “Circle of Life” from the Lion King started playing. As it the song finished, A Great Big World, together with their band, walked on stage and immediately got straight into it with “Rockstar”. I don’t really know what the “Circle of Life” was all about, but hey, it was pretty rad all the same.

There was the perfect balance of storytelling, band banter and performing. It was enlightening to hear how some of their songs came about and the stories behind their inspiration. Ian Axel and Chad Vaccarino are both such sensational musicians and have talent that well justifies their successes. I mean, their falsetto voices!? Wow! But what makes the duo such amazing performers is their ability to convey their music with such positivity, enthusiasm and pure passion. I had a silly little grin on my face for the entirety of the night.

With songs like “Cheer Up”, “You’ll Be Okay” and their cover of “Got to Get You Into My Life” the hopeful nature of the repertoire is transparently clear. This is not even mentioning their song “Everyone is Gay” a song they penned in support of a website offering support for LGBTQ youth. It is such a positive and fun song, and their performance of it was actually hysterically funny and one of the highlights of the set.

In the middle of the set, they played their smash hit “Say Something”. What was really spectacular about this song was that it was just Ian Axel and his piano. No bells, no whistles, no other members of the band, just pure passion. There were moments where his voice broke on the high notes and it made it tear at your heartstrings even more. It was such a beautiful moment.

There is no doubt in my mind that this is certainly the happiest I’ve been at a gig in a long while. Every moment was filled with unexpected excitement and wow moments and is something I will not soon forget.

Bec Laughton - 19 June 2014, Black Bear Lodge

w/ Zeek Power, Astrid

When I heard that Bec Laughton was playing in celebration of her latest EP release M&R, I knew there would be no way I was going to miss this gig. Can I say right now, this particular gig is in my Top 5 of all time! Here’s why.

The night opened with solo artist Astrid (now without her band the Asteroids) who is a pocket-sized powerhouse. She opened her set with a tune called “Threadbare” a track consisting entirely of vocal loops strung together to create something mesmerising. There were times where her technology or loops failed her but with her hilarious mid song intersections she was able to just go along with it and pay her self out in a way that was so genuinely amusing without ever meaning to be.

What makes Astrid such an incredible artist, however, is her flawless vocal technique. She was able to sing and loop the most beautiful vocal runs in perfect harmony with herself to create the backing for many of her tracks. If you have not heard of this young woman, you need to get her into your ears right now. She is sensational.

To back up this performance was Zeek Power, another solo artist with a similar, yet completely different feel to the previous artist. He has such a mellow voice that complemented the tone colour of his acoustic guitar so very well. The music he performed was so very earnest and sincere. His song “Sunshine” was so incredibly beautiful and really moved me. Not only can this artist sing a darn good tune, he is also an incredible beat boxer and rapper, and some of my favourite moments of the set were these songs. Especially the last tunes of the set. Amazing.

While these two artists are stupidly amazing and talented, and I mean this very, very sincerely, when is come to Bec Laughton, she is just in a league of her own. You know the artists who perform live versions of their songs that just sound exactly like the recorded versions? Yeah, Bec is not one of those artists. She and her stupidly talented band completely reinvented each of the tunes in the set to fill the Black Bear Lodge with funk infused goodness.

Bec herself said that tonight she was going to do some cool things she has always wanted to do, but has never achieved live. She asked her hometown crowd to forgive her for her indulgences. There was nothing to forgive. One was a ballad accompanied only by two bass guitars and is honestly one of the most beautiful things I have ever listed to. The lyrics went something like this “I will love you red head style, like fire”. It also contained a bass guitar solo that was just mind-shattering.

The second was to perform a vocal/choral arrangement of one her songs. For this she invited all the performing artists, including Astrid and Zeek Power along with a few other friends. It was another beautiful moment. The third was to incorporate a dance break from dance group MnB Entertaiment. Holy talented mofos! Wow.

She played songs from all of her three EP releases, as well as some new tracks and also some 90s inspired covers including the themes from Captain Planet, and the Fresh Prince of Bel Air. She closed her set by saying, “If you’ve had a tough day, if you’ve had a tough week, if you’ve had a tough existence in life thus far, this one is for you.” She then went on to play her latest single “M&R”. For her encore she played created a song on the spot with the help of the inspirational words “running” and “chicken” from the crowd. It is honestly one of the funniest things I’ve ever witnessed. “I want to love and squeeze you and stop running like a chicken, Bwok, bwok.”

There was too much awesomness to appropriately do the gig justice in writing. I’ve been to a lot of gigs in my time, but this (self-proclaimed) small, skinny, red headed, white girl lead one of top 5 gigs I have ever been to. Big call I know, but well deserving. If you can possibly catch her on her remaining tour dates, you should. Cancel your planes, or relocate them so they coincide with the venue. You will not be disappointed.

Eagle and the Worm - 6 June 2014, Black Bear Lodge

w/ Fox & Fowl, Love Signs


Eagle and the Worm have been a little quiet of late, until Record Store Day hit that is, and we had the pleasure of listening to their latest single "Automatic" on 7-inch wax. To celebrate this new release, the band celebrated with a string of east coast tour dates.

Opening the night were Brisbane locals Love Signs who played to an almost empty room. It was so disappointing, because they are actually quite good. Although a little rough around the edges, the vocalist has a good voice and did an amazing job. It wouldn't hurt the trio, however, to venture out of the power ballad set list they have going on, and have a little more charisma on stage. Still for an up and coming band, a good opening slot.

Up next were Fox & Fowl. The five piece had a really great thing going on and were more the support act I expected for a band such as Eagle and the Worm. They had a good balance of fun upbeat music to dance to and music just to groove and pulse along to. Their rendition of "Bette Davis Eyes" was really rad and by time they got the then of their set they had most of the ever-growing crowd of their feet grooving along. Also, a special mention must go to the frontman on his exceptional Tambourine-ing skills.

I’ve been a big Eagle and the Worm fan for quite some time and tonight was no disappointment. They started off strong, but then there was a lull in the middle of their set which made me think that they were not as 'fun' as they used to be and that they were even a little mellow. By the time they got to the back end of their set list, it all came together and started making sense. Closing with a fun of "Futureman", "Automatic" and “All I Know", among others made for a hectic dance party.

EatW have such control of the songs they play and it makes me so incredible happy when bands can take liberties with their songs and reinvent them in new and fantastic ways. They had instrumental solos in almost all of their songs, which just enhanced my opinion of the band. They have such control of the ebb and flow and a song and also of the dynamics. So, so good.

Overall it was an awesome night, but the lack of turn out was both surprising and disappointing. Maybe it’s just that they have been away from Brisbane for a while or maybe it’s that they’ve just been absent for a time, but I would have expected there to be so many more people at the venue. Your loss guys, it was an amazing gig!

Michale Bublé - 12 May 2014, Brisbane Entertainment Centre

w/ Naturally 7

He is suave. He’s more than a little bit sexy. He is one of the funniest performers I’ve ever seen live. He has a filthy potty mouth. And he has unquestionably one of the single best vocals of our generation. He is the one, the only Michael Bublé.

However, lets just take a breath. As elegantly put by Naturally 7, 'You can’t go into a Michael Bublé concert without a decent warm up. That’s why we’re here'. Naturally 7 have an amazing thing going on and they take being an acapella group to the next level and their version of Coldplay’s "Fix You" was honestly one of the most incredible things I've ever heard. Not only do they sing wonderfully, they put on a hell good show. For a half hour support set they had the crowd up on their feet dancing and singing like they didn’t have a care in the world. They certainly achieve their goal of warming the crowd up for Mr. Bublé.

As the lights once again dimmed, the band started playing a musical overture that segued into the intro of "Fever". The curtains raised and there was Michael Bublé towards the back of the stage upon the top of a ramp, with his head down singing. The crowd went nuts. Half way through the song, he, in true Bublé style slid with those shiny black shoes down ramp to the front of the stage, where he continued to sing. He then went straight into "Haven’t Met You Yet" before taking the time to have an intimate chat with all 11,000+ of us.

What was really cool about the stage set up was the movable band platforms. There were time when there were at the very back of the stage and Mr. Bublé had the full stage and other times where they were right up there with him. In addition, there was the amazing light screen. Sometimes it doubled the video feed, other times it showed close ups of the band, and then other times it had amazing visuals. It was a really good combination of different things to create a visual feast.

He sang standards including "Moondance", "Feeling Good" and "I’ve Got the World on a String", before moving onto the ballad section of he set. He brought to the stage his wonderful string section to perform "That’s All", "Close Your Eyes" and "Home" to name a few. Then, again, in true Bublé style he said, 'I love singing ballads, but if I sing one more, I’m going to cut myself'. Cheeky rascal! I don’t think I’ve ever laughed so much at a gig!

At this point in the show, he moved to the little stage at the back of the stadium to perform a Motown inspired set with Naturally 7. It was a great to see him interacting with the crowd at the back and singing some awesome tunes including "Ain’t Too Proud to Beg" and "To Love Somebody". He closed this section of the set with "All You Need Is Love/Burning Love", where he made his way back to the main stage accompanied by confetti hearts that had been fired into the crowd.

He closed the set with "It’s a Beautiful Day" before retaking the stage for his encore. I am so happy that he performed "Cry Me a River"; his version is my all time favourite version of the song and he sang with so much passion. There were moments where he looked hurt, and other times he looked truly angry. It was by far the highlight of the set for me, visually and vocally.

Now, I don’t know if this was a set up or what, but a woman was brought up onstage with a sign that read, 'My Grade 4 class don’t believe I can meet you. Prove me wrong!' He indeed proved them wrong and sang them a special rendition of "You Got A Friend in Me". Wrapping up the show was the single most incredible moment of the set. During "Song For You" the lights went down, and when they came back up again, he was without microphone, and proceeded to sing the rest of the song without amplification. After a two hour set, to project over the entire hall was a feat in itself, but to do so with so much passion and emotion was truly breathtaking and something I’ll not soon forget.

There were no bells and whistles in the show, just a single man, backed by an incredible live band affectionately known as 'Team Bublé'. He doesn’t take himself too seriously and it is clear he absolutely loves what he does. He said at one point during the show something to the extent of, 'As you go off to your lives tomorrow, you may not think of me. However, I will think of you always. Because of you I get to do what I love every day of the week. Thank you.'

No, Thank you Mr. Bublé. You are truly an amazing artist and it was an absolute pleasure to be in your company for the evening.

The Naked and Famous - 5 May 2014, The Hi-Fi

w/ Vancouver Sleep Clinic

The Naked and Famous have been busy little bees of late. Fresh off the back of the Big Day Out tour earlier in the year, and touring currently with the Groovin’ the Moo festival tour, the band found a little time to do a handful of sideshows. And oh what a treat it is to see this band live.

Opening the night at the Hi-Fi were Brisbane locals Vancouver Sleep Clinic. First off, who are this band and why have I never heard of them before? Have I been sleeping under log for too long? This band ooze atmospheric, ambient awesomeness. While I am usually the first to say that too many reverberant effects on the vocals are an easy cover-up for a shitty voice, VSC’s frontman has a sensational set of pipes and uses the effects to his advantage to create dreamy and convincing falsetto over the top of the rest of the band.

What I loved most about this band however, was the complex layering in the texture of all their songs. Each instrument had their own intricate liens, which were so diverse and essential to creating the atmosphere in each song. There were times where the song stripped back to a single instrument then re-layered each part individually before getting back into the groove. Here was where this magic really shone through. Amazing. A beautiful set lads.

After all I’d heard, and after all I’d read, as a first time live listener of The Naked and Famous, I had super high hopes for the New Zealanders. Was I disappointed? Hell freaking no! The band are super polished while retaining a certain charm and charisma that only come from a true love of performing. They opened up the set with a duo of songs from last years release In Rolling Waves choosing to start the set quite mellow with “A Stillness” before turning to their latest single “Hearts Like Ours”. When they got to “In Rolling Waves” Alisa Xayalith, in her super cute way, got the crowd involved by getting us to sing along in the chorus. It was pretty rad sound, but nothing quite like what was to come towards the end of the set.

It was really nice to see that the band played an equally balanced number of songs from each of their studio releases. They toned things down a little with “The Sun” before getting right back into it with “Frayed” and “I Kill Giants”. Pretty sure that “I Kill Giants” was my favourite song of the set. There’s just something about it that is so extremely powerful. Couple this together with the super personal meaning behind the song, and it is incredible. A truly amazing moment in the set.

We all knew it was coming, and we weren’t disappointed! “All of this” and “Punching In A Dream”. It was a pretty genius move putting them back-to-back though. Good choice. That moment I mentioned before? The crowd got super vocal on both of these tracks and created an atmosphere worthy of this festival savvy band. They “closed” the set with “No Way”, which I felt was fitting, as it nicely sums up that this band can be tender, yet also rock the out. And what would a set be without a fake Encore. I love how all bands do it. Needless to say, they closed properly with “Young Blood”. What would a The Naked and Famous gig be without it!

This band is so hot right now it’s frightening! And this is just the start of the tour for them. They head off straight after their Groovin’ the Moo and sideshow commitments to the UK and Europe to strut their stuff there. It is an absolute privilege to watch this band do what they do, and see them enjoying it so much.

Pharrell Williams - 12 March 2014, Brisbane Riverstage

w/ Baauer, Nina Las Vegas

Multi-Grammy winner Pharrell Williams is on fire right now, and it is no surprise that tickets for his Brisbane sideshow were hot property. So much so that it warranted a venue upgrade to the Riverstage.

Opening the night was Nina Las Vegas and I absolutely love what she is selling. She played a good mix of both Australian and international tracks while mashing them together like a pro. The mosh as a whole didn’t really respond to the mix of songs, but it was a pleasantly chilled way to begin the evening.

Next up was Baauer. The “Harlem Shake” artist provided us with a range of diversely mixed tunes that really got the mosh bouncing. He also had cool visual effects one of which that created a real-time silhouetted image of him projected on the screen that stood behind him.

Pharrel slowly strutted out onto the stage, sending the crowd into frenzy; he soaked it all up with a bright smile on his famously smooth face. He stood posed upon the stage just looking out before he started off with a few covers, including “Hollaback Girl” and “Hot in Herre”.

Within the first couple of songs, he not only lost his jacket, but also his shirt - typical! He also insisted that girls from the front come on stage and dance with him. While this was a novelty, it actually looked quite good from where I was standing. Also, what an experience for those girls!

While there were many engaging things going on, there were also some major issues with the performance. For one, I thought he would play a lot more material from his latest release GIRL, however, there was only the duo of song, “Hunter” and Academy Award nominated song “Happy”. All the rest were super back catalogue or covers. This may have been okay had these back catalogue and cover songs not been half songs whipped into a medley performance. I’m talking one verse and one chorus - two choruses max, never the full song.

Also, all of the cuts he played had the backing vocals played too loud by Pharrel's DJ. DJ EQ, meaning that there were double vocals being performed for the entire show. Pre-recorded and live. I think more than 50% of the time he wasn’t singing at all, instead basking in the glory and enjoying the crowd's consistently euphoric reaction.

In saying all of this, he has an impressive level of energy and works the crowd oh-so-well; he also monologued a lot. When it came time to end the set, after surprisingly few songs, he gave a speech about the nature and importance of happiness; quite inspirational, if a little corny. This, of course, preceded “Happy”. It is such a damn good song. So damn good in fact, that he played it twice. Once from the stage, then he moved to the middle of the mosh and, with little more than a handful of security guards, sang it again. A triple encore of one of the most vibrant singles released in recent memory.

There’s no denying that this multi-award winner is one of the hottest artists around at the moment and, despite some minor issues with the set, he put on an amazing show; definitely one to tick off the bucket list.

Elizabeth Rose - 8 March 2014, Alhambra

 

w/ Safia, Fishing

Ever since stumbling into a random venue at BigSound a couple of years ago and witnessing the genius that is Elizabeth Rose, I’ve been following her career closely. Yet, strangely enough, this is the first time I’ve seen her out of BigSound context.

The beginning of the night started off with duo Fishing. I loved what they were trying to do. It had an essence of video game music (the awesome kind) crossed with the sophisticated, densely layered type of electronica. Despite them being a bit rough around the edges, I absolutely loved the set, even with all the 'mistakes'. You know what guys? If you hadn't mentioned it, I wouldn't have even noticed. Touche!

Safia were amazing! The lead singers vocals are so interesting. He’s kind a got a whistle tone going on, yet can throw out the rich tones as well; really pleasant to listen to, layered on top of the production. “Mercury” was one of my favourites of the set, but it was the band’s cover of The Aston Shuffle’s “Tear it Down” that really sold me on them. And then you’ve got the gem that is “Listen to Soul, Listen to Blues” (Seriously, how did this song not position higher than number 76 in Hottest 100!) It was so much more amazing and intense live and captured the yearning in the opening section and the introverted dance in the middle. Just amazing.

Elizabeth Rose was on fire, and while there was a lot hell-right with her set, there was also a whole lot wrong with her set. Her vocals were stunning, and the visual performance captivating. She utilised her projected visuals brilliantly, and they mated the songs quite well. It was great to her performing songs from not only her latest self-titled release, but also her debut release Crystallise. She also performed her Triple J ‘Like a Version’ cover “Rhythm of the Night” which went off and got the crowd moving and dancing.

It’s always intriguing to see the difference a venue makes in the delivery and reception of a show. For Elizabeth Rose as an electronica artist, Alhambra was a good venue choice. However, as a viewer of the gig who adores her music, when the venue opens their doors to the wider public before the set has finished, well, use your imagination - it’s a Saturday night.

All in all, it was an amazing set, but I could see her frustration during “The Good Life” and the way in which she got off that stage quickly. Also, I do wish she had played a longer set. I was expecting a full 45-plus minute set from the headline act, but was disappointed that she brought the set to a close after only half an hour.

The Kite String Tangle - 22 February 2014, The Zoo

w/ Kilter, Tincture

On a steamy night in Brisbane, Danny Harley brought his solo project, The Kite String Tangle, back to his hometown. On night 11 of a 12 night consecutive, and completely sold out tour there was no signs of wear and tare, instead a certain refinement.

Opening the night was Brisbane local Tincture. The effects he used on his vocals were so infatuating and suited the production he was producing both live and pre-prepared oh so well. It added colour and something so beautifully lush. He utilised what can only be described as face melting and room shaking bass. It was rad, however when it gets to the second last song and it's at a frequency so unrelenting and that makes you so uncomfortable you almost have to leave, I think you’ve got to rethink some things. That said, he has a real flair for capturing the crowd even for such a young performer.

Next up was Sydney act Kilter. In complete contrast, he didn’t sing, but rather did a lot more remixing with more live production. There was a particular moment where I could wipe a grin off my face. This happened in the song where is used samples of steel drums. Despite the fact that it was a dance track, it had a really authentic island-calypso vibe. What stood out about Kilter was his use of musical segues. It added a level of sophistication to the performance rather than stopping between each song. Overall, an awesome performance.

The last time I saw The Kite String Tangle was in 2012 as an opening support act. I said them that he was one to watch, and I’ve never been happier to be right. After his top 20 placement in the Hottest 100 he has had a rapid rise to fame. And well deserved! Tonight he was on fire. There was no sign of fatigue after 10 consecutive nights on tour, including four sold out shows at Melbourne’s Northcote Social Club.

There is simplicity and effortlessness to the way that Danny Harley performs. Surrounded by a myriad of electronic platforms, he performed his own music as well as covers of songs, including Lorde’s “Tennis Court”. This interesting thing about this particular rendition of the song was that there was seemingly nothing of the real song sampled. Instead, it was all his own work, and his own live vocal. It was really cool.

Something of note was his staging. He had this beautiful set of light globes that surrounded his instruments at different heights, and were programmed to in a nutshell make things look amazing. Combine this with the a live projection of his trademark TKST logo with different colours and themes and it created a Zoo stage that looked like so much more than it normally does. Even with more than on person onstage! It was wondrous! He ended his set with his “Given the Chance” and the crowd went wild. And with good reason. It is such an amazing song with thoughtful production and a catchy hook. And live? So much better.

Despite the fact that The Zoo was a hot, sweaty sauna it was an amazing show with so much in your face bass that it made you sick. In a good way. I said it two years ago that he is one to watch, as he really understands his niche, and I’ll say it again. Keep an eye on this one. He’s only going to keep on going.

Avicii - 24 January 2014, The Riverstage

w/ New World Sound, Joel Fletcher

You got to give credit where credit is due. 24 year old, solo DJ, Tim Bergling, better know by his stage name as Avicii, sold out the Riverstage. Not to mention selling out countless other stadium sized venues all over the world. Although being around for quite some time with his studio album True, he has become a true force to be reckoned with.

Starting with the opening of the gates at a hell early 5pm, was Australian DJ Joel Fletcher. Although there was only a relatively small mosh at base of the hill, those who there were up and dancing. He was very smart in his choices of songs to remix, crossing a whole range of songs into true dance tunes, including “Sweet Dreams”, Linkin Park’s “In the End” and Zedd’s “Clarity”. He was smart in his choice of drops and worked the crowd well.

With no more than a minute in changeover time New World Sound were on the decks. Now, this was an all ages gig, with too many teenagers underdressed and many parents there with there pre-teen children. Keep this in mind when I say that the first song NWS played was full of profanities. Hey, I’m the first to admit that in dance music it’s not only ok to drop the f bomb, but expected. But in an all ages gig, I thought it would be a little more tactful. Moving on. New World Sound were not as bassy as I would have expected and had a totally different way of live remixing. Their latest original track was really rad. They are really good at what they do, however they should never be allowed to have a microphone. All their aside comments were completely unnecessary and broke the continuity of the set.

Avicii. Where do I even start? He is very good at what he does. As soon as he walked on stage, the whole Riverstage exploded with energy. As well as his own songs, he remixed versions of Florence’s “You got the Love”, and “Tracks of My Tears”, both of which really stood out amongst the other remix tracks. It still amazes me how a single man on stage can actually connect with the audience, however he was so engaging to watch while he mixed. There was not a single moment where he lost the silly little grin he had on his face. It was infectious. Put that together with the amazing graphic production behind him and it made for a visually amazing show.

While his remixes were thoughtful and well done, it was his originals that really got the crowd dancing like maniacs. Take “Levels” for example. You could hear the entire 9000+ strong crowd singing along and really making it a fantastic experience.

With Brisbane the first stop on his international tour it was an intense, amazing and rather special night. Who can ever have too much dance music right?

The Buzzbees - 9 January 2014, The Zoo

w/ The Con & the Liar, Second Affair

For me as a music lover, I always love to hear and witness musicians on their musical journey. At the Zoo, this evening played host to The Buzzbees’ first headline show. This is such a big deal in the journey and brings the band another step closer to reaching their goals.

Opening the night was Second Affair. It is clear that these guys have been heavily influenced by pub rock, and they have captured the style in their original songs so incredibly well. I mean this as the highest complement. Their songs were intelligent and memorable, with their single “Driving Blindly” standing out particularly in the set. The vocalists worked well together with the lead singing really working the room. Also, the guitar solos. They were amazing! Shared by the two guitarists in turn, each instance was skillful and highly technical, while still capturing the essence of the song. Rad.

The Con & the Liar shook things up a little after Second Affair. The two piece boasted that this was only their fourth public gig together. While I am all for supporting musicians in all definitions of the word, I had no idea what they, as a band, were going for. There was a mixture of experimental jams, blues and something I don’t even know what to call. While they do take on a minimalist approach, there were times where their songs actually needed something else, a bass, another guitar, keys, another vocalist. Something else. When they got the middle, bluesy section of their set, they had a really good thing going on. Everything else was unfortunately, a bit meh.

The Buzzbees. Holy wow. I’ve never been happier to have my socks blown off by a band that I, ashamedly, had never heard of. They had an intelligent way of songwriting that showed that they had something many 'new' bands forget. Restraint. For me, the highlight of the set was a track called "Projector". I think it highlights everything that this band is all about - also, "The Drifter" was standout track.

You know when bands have that extra instrument, like a violin, or ukulele or trumpet just for no apparent reason? You ask yourself, what was the actual point to having that as part of the song. It had no purpose. The Buzzbees' use of mandolin and ukulele was the complete opposite of that. It was apparent that they had written their songs with the instruments in mind. A real treat to witness.

Seriously, I have never been happier to be pleasantly surprised at a gig. These guys have all the talent to go far in this, the Brisbane music industry.