Spotlight – 6: Liechtenstein
Liechtenstein! Liechtenstein! Liechtenstein! Liechtenstein! Liechtenstein! Liechtenstein! Liechtenstein! Liechtenstein! Liechtenstein! Liechtenstein! Liechtenstein! Liechtenstein! Liechtenstein! Liechtenstein! Liechtenstein! Liechtenstein! Liechtenstein! Liechtenstein! Liechtenstein! Liechtenstein! Liechtenstein! Liechtenstein! Liechtenstein! Liechtenstein! Liechtenstein! Liechtenstein! Liechtenstein! Liechtenstein! Liechtenstein! Liechtenstein! Liechtenstein! Liechtenstein! Liechtenstein! Liechtenstein! Liechtenstein! Liechtenstein! Liechtenstein! Liechtenstein! Liechtenstein! Liechtenstein! Liechtenstein! Liechtenstein! Liechtenstein! Liechtenstein! Liechtenstein! Liechtenstein! Liechtenstein! Liechtenstein! Liechtenstein! Liechtenstein! Liechtenstein! Liechtenstein! Liechtenstein! Liechtenstein! Liechtenstein! […]
Spotlight – 5: Brilliant Colors
Brilliant Colors‘ music captures – in essence, not in sound – the early Beat Happening groove so sweetly you know it must be coincidence. So: not twee, not fey or cute or any of those other words erroneously associated with Calvin Johnson’s work. (It’s not his fault he spawned a legion of admirers who missed […]
Spotlight – 4: The Lovely Eggs
It’s like listening to The Vaselines being interpreted by The Bobby McGee’s interpreting Moldy Peaches while severely under the influence of snakebite. It’s like being exposed to five generations of art students pretending they’re still seven years old and that’s it’s still really amusing to say ‘poo’. It’s like a musical enema. It’s like hearing […]
Spotlight – 3: Pocketbooks
Earlier this evening, I was floundering: unable to decide what to do with the remains of a slow-cooked pork roast. Looked at, and discarded, many recipes without even testing them. Finally, I decided to throw in a few slices of apple, a scattering of brown sugar, some vintage cheddar – of course – and toast […]
Spotlight – 2: Beaches
Occasionally, I wonder if I stopped off in the wrong city. It’d be nice to travel down to Northcote or Collingwood of an evening and be able to catch a sprawling set of often instrumental music from Beaches: music that touches on much of what I enjoy (Krautrock, 60s garage, beach parties, Sonic Youth, 1980 […]
Spotlight – 1: The Ethical Debating Society
The Ethical Debating Society create a righteous racket, a confusion of good intentions and wonderful, garbled drumming. Vocals come strident and supportive and fast. You don’t need to understand or even make out individual consonants because you just know you’d be down the front dancing furious and spasmodic to the jerky, flailing rhythms, the storm […]
Florence + The Machine + King Princess @ Brisbane Entertainment Centre, 17.03.2023
Friday morning finds me doing the weekly shopping and at one stage parked to a very expensive-looking red sports car, its body work adorned with a strange mix of Wiccan imagery but also actual Bible quotes. Later on that evening, I can’t help but wonder whether the driver is here watching Florence + The Machine. […]
Died Pretty @ The Croxton Bandroom 23.04.2021
For the last year it’s been like a nuclear winter for the live music scene in Melbourne. Fourteen months to be specific. The last live gig I saw in Melbourne (apart from buskers in Bourke St) was Julia Jacklin at Melbourne Zoo back in February 2020. That was just before Covid Lockdown 1.0 happened. I […]
Queen + Adam Lambert @ Metricon Stadium, 29.02.2020
I promised myself I would never do this. Never, ever. I just had no interest. Absolutely none. And it wasn’t just that, it was more. There was always something unsavoury about the whole thing. Why did I feel like this? Queen were the band of my youth, from start to finish, from 1980s Flash soundtrack […]
The Specials @ Melbourne Zoo, 11.03.2017
Storm clouds threaten but never come close to snuffing out the enthusiasm of the crowd at Melbourne Zoo for what is the ultimate gig in this year’s Zoo Twilights series. It’s been five years since The Specials last toured Australia and the fans are more than appreciative of the balmy Saturday evening and happy vibe […]
