Neko Case @ Elisabeth Murdoch Hall, Melbourne Recital Centre, 13.03.2019

Photo courtesy of @eliseormston It’s been a busy week for live music all over Australia. There were so many tantalising acts, both local and international, I had to rationalise and choose how many gigs I could attend (unfair). By the time tickets went on sale for Neko Case at the Melbourne Recital Centre, I almost […]
Marlon Williams & The Yarra Benders + Laura Jean @ Zoo Twilights, Melbourne, 08.03.2019

photo courtesy Jessie Fowler @jessiecfowler Another month of Zoo Twilights concerts is almost a wrap, with Marlon Williams, supported by Laura Jean, as the penultimate show. Laura Jean and her band arrive on the stage at dusk. I’m not familiar with her music, and she takes a couple of songs to warm up, but her […]
Alex Cameron + Body Type + Laurence Pike @ The Croxton Bandroom, Melbourne, 03.05.2018

Alex Cameron makes every show feel like a homecoming. He’s a warm presence on stage. He speaks calmly and fondly about his connections to Melbourne, and dedicates more than a few “…and on the saxophone…!” asides to his friend-cum-‘business-partner’ Roy Molloy. Anyone familiar with Cameron’s work knows it toes the line of satire to the […]
Phoenix @ The Forum, Melbourne, 26.02.2018

Jeez louise – Phoenix have been around for a while. Having released their debut record United back in 2000, they’re coming up on 20 years as a commercial band – reading into it a little more they smashed that barrier last year since they technically formed in ‘97. A lot of people my age would […]
Q&A with Cable Ties

Photo: Teds Records Cable Ties hold a special place as one of Melbourne’s most beloved bands, one in strong pedigree of fearless rock acts that are seemingly constantly shattering the boundaries of what you think they may achieve. In February, they’ll join artists like The War on Drugs, Aldous Harding, and Anderson Paak, in touring Australia’s […]
Marlon Williams and The Yarra Benders @ Howler, Melbourne, 20.11.2017

Here in Australia we love to claim New Zealanders, especially musicians, as our own. It’s pretty safe to say that we’d kill to brag about Marlon Williams being an Aussie. I mean, he was based in Melbourne for a while. Let’s face it, he’s a prodigy. A rare vocal genius and still only 26 years […]
A Passion Unstated but Deeply Felt: Beaches’ ‘Second of Spring’

There are few Australian groups which can truly grasp the mind-manifesting ideas of the psychedelic sound and its underpinning ethos but Beaches are an act that consistently strikes the anvil on its head. A collection of members from well-known Melbournian acts with a few more extra hands thrown in, the five-piece have retained a lengthy […]
Sigur Rós @ Margaret Court Arena, 27.07.2017

Although it’s almost five years since Sigur Rós last played in Melbourne, memories of the second ‘Harvest’ festival remain strong. Back in November 2012, Sigur Rós headlined a brilliant line up on the great lawn sprawling before the historic Werribee Mansion. That night was perfect and emotionally resonant. My partner didn’t make that festival; he […]
Xiu Xiu Plays The Music of Twin Peaks @ The Substation, Newport, 23.06.2017

For a moment, when technical difficulties intrude, Jamie Stewart’s mask slips. “Sometimes, all you can do is just fucking start over” he offers to the crowd at Melbourne’s electrical-warehouse-come-arty-locale The Substation. It’s only song two of the evening, but Stewart’s missed vocal entrance is easily forgiven – given the scope of the evening, it’s a […]