Coming down from a holiday is always really hard to do, and I only know this now that I’m experiencing it. I spent nine weeks in Europe and neglected to update the blog in that time, mainly because of the awful little netbook I borrowed from my dad – hope you guys didn’t miss me too much, sorry for being such a slob! Now that I’m home it’s just a matter of staring at the sixteen figurines I collected from over there – one from each city – and wishing myself back. I love Sydney but there is something about the freshness of foreignness that I can never find at home, and I feel like I’m going to spend most of the rest of my life chasing that taste, that smell and feeling.

The first gig we checked out abroad was Josh Ritter at Botanique, Brussels (September 14). I first listened to good old Josh in 2007 when I was interning at Rolling Stone, so he’s always been really special to me and the fact that he would be my first overseas gig ever made him even more so. The venue was a little hard to navigate but rather pretty – an old botanical garden centre, with some plant life still around, with the Orangerie, where the gig took place, tucked neatly away in a corner. In the support slot was Ritter’s wife Dawn Landes, who lifted spirits with her upbeat folk tunes with the help of her backing band, The Hounds. Ritter himself was one of the most genuine showmen I’d ever seen – never without a smile on his face, he bounded through a set of tunes lifted mainly from his latest album So Runs The World Away, also slowing down for incredibly intimate moments starring just him and an acoustic guitar. There were also some surprises, including a perfect cover of Talking Heads’ ‘Once in a Lifetime’ – hearing a thousand people chanting “same as it ever was” was definitely one of the highlights of my entire holiday – and the finale ‘Wait For Love’, sung a cappella by Ritter, Landes and both their respective bands, all in a line with hands joined. Though there was sadly no ‘Girl in the War’ or ‘The Temptation of Adam’, this was an absolutely beautiful evening with one of music’s most underrated poets and showmen – and the set list I got afterwards made a wonderful souvenir, too.

After some problems with the ticketing bureaucrats in Munich that ended up seeing us pay double, our second gig was Grinderman at Muffathalle (October 11). Everyone in my life seems to be a Nick Cave tragic but I was never fully convinced – I can say, though, that this performance was intense. After some vocal gymnastics from opening act Anna Calvi Cave and friends took the stage and wasted no time in getting started with ‘Mickey Mouse and the Goodbye Man’, continually spitting “we sucked her, we sucked her, we sucked her dry”. Not a family friendly show by any means, but one that showed just how much influence this 53-year-old dude has had not only in Australia, but in the world – these were some of the most dedicated fans I’d ever seen, sweating and screaming along. Cave was an electric showman, barely keeping still and thrusting like someone decades younger, and though sometimes vocally he missed the mark a little (‘Palaces of Montezuma’, my favourite track from Grinderman 2, saw a little off-key vocal delivery) it was a performance too charged to really fault. Brilliant performer and a good introduction to Nick Cave live – now just to get more into the back catalogue.

Oslo was an absolute dream – without a doubt one of the best stops on the trip. The first night we were there (October 24) we went to a little jazz club called Blå, located in a dingy little alleyway with a chandelier randomly hanging overhead and graffiti covering the walls. A chandelier. In an alleyway. Only in Norway, friends! Though it took about 45 minutes to actually get in it was well worth it. Packed full of interesting characters and strung with flags of the world, it was absolutely pumping with the most passionate music and laid out a little like an open mic night, with performers getting up on stage and giving it their all – from beat boxers to tuba players and an amazing a cappella group from Iceland who set the floor on fire with their cover of Beyonce’s ‘Crazy in Love’. Due to having just arrived that night, we were exhausted and had to call it a night after about an hour in the club, but I definitely recommend this place for anyone visiting Oslo who’s the least bit interested in music and culture – it runs every Sunday night and is a wonderful introduction to the busy Norwegian music scene.

We also met up with Sjur Lyseid from The Little Hands of Asphalt – the reason I fell in love with Oslo in the first place! After a really lovely afternoon with Sjur at Revolver, one of the biggest venues for independent music in Oslo, he kindly got us into a gig called Havresekken (October 27) at Gamla, right in the middle of town. It was undoubtedly one of my most unique live music experiences ever, and one that I’m not likely to soon forget! We were given a ticket at the start of the night which we were to exchange for a scoop of oatmeal (yes, oatmeal). Each of the four bands had a jar and we were to pour the oatmeal into the jar or jars as we saw fit, and that was how the organisers figured out how to divide payment between the artists! A really clever idea, yes – but the question is, why oatmeal?! But onto the acts for the night – first up was My Little Pony (pictured), the band I was there to see. They play adorable twee indie pop with alternating boy-girl vocals, which may sound typical but still has an edge all its own, with lyrics about wanting to be Andrew Bird and that distinctive Norwegian accent present in the English vocals. Definitely a band worth checking out for fans of Belle and Sebastian, Camera Obscura etc, and a good indication of the indie scene in Norway right now.

The second artist, Javid Afsari Rad, played the traditional Persian santur, a stringed and hammered instrument that provided a real departure from the last set. It was an emotionally charged set that was mostly instrumental but also included some vocals, and for most of it the crowd was too stunned to speak. Certainly not like anything I’d heard or seen before – incredibly passionate and stylised, probably the don’t-you-dare-even-breathe moment of the night. Experiences like these are definitely worth checking out if you’re not all too familiar with world music. Check out the video below – not from the night I saw him, but great nonetheless.

Naming your band after an album by an influential metal group from your own country is an awful idea, but apparently Deathcrush doesn’t really care. The trio, with a male drummer and two female vocalists (also on guitar and bass), played an incredibly contrived brand of metal that reeked of trying far too hard. Though there was certainly skill – especially with the drummer, who hit the skins with precision – it didn’t cancel out the absurdly cringeworthy lyrics, such as “you don’t love me, you just love my doggy style” whilst both vocalists strutted around the stage, jumped off it to stroll around the crowd seductively… You get the picture. Just a really unpalatable performance all in all, and to top it off one of the singers was seen socialising with two older women who were most likely her mother and grandmother after the show. “Hey mum, what’d you think of my new lyrics?”

The final band, Centre of the Universe, was one of the most bizarre things I’d ever witnessed. Playing an eclectic set of experimental electronic, what really stood out about this group was just how absurd it all was, not musically but visually. One band member, on clarinet and keys, wore a vest covered in floppy disks – yes, floppy disks – which he would sporadically rip off and throw into the crowd. It was this strange performance art which kept the audience captivated rather than the music, or at least that’s how it worked for me – but at the end of the night their jar was pretty full, so maybe it worked out well after all. The clarinet was an interesting touch for sure, though, and one which elevated the tunes from throwaway experimentation to something a little more intriguing. So all up, Havresekken was a total hoot – four completely unrelated bands, beautiful venue and the most insane payment method ever. Oslo is really one of the best places in the world for music – it’s absolutely crazy and beautiful and full of so much passion.

Aside from live music, I was also incredibly happy to be able to visit Liverpool and check out all the Beatles stuff there. I’ll spare you the rant but it was amazing to see some of the places where those four influential men grew up and wrote some of the best songs this world has ever seen – and I kissed John Lennon outside the Cavern Club and had a flower picked for me from his childhood gardens! Best few days ever.

Nine weeks, twelve countries, sixteen cities – I am the luckiest girl in the world. It really has been difficult settling back into normal life after all of that, and I do wish I’d been able to check out more music while I was there – especially local bands – but I can’t really ask for much more than what I got. Music is just as brilliant everywhere else in the world and it was a real honour and pleasure to find that out first hand. Thank you, Europe, and see you again soon.

Photo credit

Supported by: Collarbones, Aidan Roberts (The Maple Trail)

Collarbones was a surprising start to the night. A cross-city collaboration between Sydney’s Marcus Whale and Adelaide’s Travis Cook, tonight’s performance was simple and effective – Cook stood hunched over a MacBook, programming and slicing breakbeats and samples, and Whale showed a mature vocal command as he crooned over the noise. The band that comes to mind almost instantaneously upon hearing this music is Seekae who, funnily enough, were covered during the set, as was J.Lo with an unexpected ‘Jenny From The Block’. Boyishly charming and undeniably talented, Collarbones’ performance tonight was casual but impressive and, judging by the number of feet shuffling and heads bobbing, pretty damn groovy too.

Blue Mountains band The Maple Trail was a solo affair tonight, starring frontman Aidan Roberts. Armed only with an electric guitar, Roberts employed a loop pedal to accompany himself as he meandered through a set of surf-inspired songs, sometimes grabbing a string bow and sawing across the guitar strings to create an interesting, but grating, effect. It’s interesting to see Roberts working alone on stage – there’s no doubt that he’s charismatic, but the chatter in the room soon raised above the level of Roberts’ playing as the loops and his gentle vocals inched too close to monotony. The set lacked the usual power of a Maple Trail show, feeling instead like a second-rate version of the real deal.

Melbourne trio Otouto has climbed the international ranks quickly, playing their last Sydney show for quite a while tonight before they spend the rest of the year in the USA. Tonight’s performance was laced with creative techniques and vocal gymnastics, demonstrated instantly when opening with Sushi and following with a perfect take on latest single ‘W. Hillier’. Throughout the evening, sisters Hazel and Martha Brown not only took on vocal duties but also flitted between three synthesisers, glasses of pitched water and guitar. The band showcased several new songs, which kept with the general Otouto feel but introduced some interesting new vocal and harmonic techniques. Pedalling through most songs from this year’s Pip with a few notable exceptions (Martha normally plays viola on ‘Cartoon Shoes’, but was string-free tonight as the song was excluded), the band closed with a “cheesy” cover – Mariah Carey’s ‘Touch My Body’. Seasoned performers like Otouto are tricky to fault, although tonight’s show was missing that extra punch that usually takes their shows to the next level.

Supported by: Bearhug

The last week and a half has been nothing short of spectacular, with so many great artists gracing our fair city, giving me the opportunity to see seven international acts in such a short space of time – none of which I’d seen previously. So it was with a somewhat heavy heart that Wednesday rolled around, the last show of the lot – Broken Social Scene. As it turned out, it was also the best of the lot.

Sydney five-piece Bearhug, who recently signed to Spunk, started the night off with a style of music that sounded very much like BSS indeed, but with vocals which potentially need a bit more work. The instrumentals, including a triple billing of guitars which often provided a healthy aural assault, were spacious and ambitious, and the songs on which vocals did not feature were the most enjoyable for their atmosphere. The five young members were extremely focused throughout the set, with drummer Nick Mabbitt breaking one of his sticks only several songs in, but also attempted to interact with the crowd in small slices of banter which were often a little awkward. There is a way to go for Bearhug, but for a first impression they did rather well – Ryan Phealan just needs to work on his voice, which sounds a little unsure at the best of times in a live situation.

You will recall, if you are a regular visitor to this blog, that I do not often use first person narratives when reviewing – I find it a little unprofessional at best, and try to remain somewhat impartial. Not possible when wanting to describe Broken Social Scene‘s performance last night, because it hit me at the very core and became a very personal evening. Quite simply, one of the best – if not THE best – performance I have witnessed in my seven years (as of next week!) of concert-going, but those who have witnessed BSS live before have reported that it paled in comparison to past shows. Which just proves how powerful these guys are, if a sub-par performance from them topples basically everyone else I’ve ever seen.

With a live personnel varying from one person to twelve people, the show we experienced last night was distinctly different from those offered by other bands because of its sheer scope. Opening with Forgiveness Rock Record‘s expansive first track ‘World Sick’ (my track of the year so far), it was evident immediately that these guys really know what they are doing – the sounds emanating from the stage were enormous, as was Kevin Drew’s voice, and though the buildup of the song was not as intense as on record it culminated in a loose jam straight away, with five guitars plugging in together. The various band members would move around the stage to different instruments during the night, with two drum kits often played simultaneously and a super impressive local horn section brought in during ‘Art House Director’ and returning throughout the evening, adding an extra element without which the performance would have seriously suffered.

The set was expectedly heavy with songs from the band’s latest release, but there were several surprises in store for older fans, in the form of songs like ‘KC Accidental’ and ‘Ibi Dreams of Pavement (A Better Day)’. Unfortunately, due to Lisa Lobsinger contracting the flu, any female-fronted songs were unable to be performed last night, meaning that favourites like ’7/4 (Shoreline)’, ‘Anthems For A Seventeen-Year-Old Girl’ and ‘Swimmers’ were left off the set list. Lobsinger wafted around the stage from time to time, taking to the drumkit and half-heartedly tinkering on the keys, but there was too much else going on with the other eleven performers to spend too much time dwelling on what could have been.

Lead vocals were tossed around during the night, with Brendan Canning taking the mic for the excellent ‘Water In Hell’ (dedicated to Bearhug) and ‘Love Is New’, from his own BSS Presents album. Canning and Drew made sure to engage with the audience throughout, often inappropriately, and though each has his own individual sense of humour both were charming if not a little kooky. Drew wandered through the crowd during ‘Ungrateful Little Father’ and slung the “money changes everything” line over to the crowd during ‘Superconnected’, during which the tiny venue was drowned in so much noise that if you closed your eyes you’d think you were somewhere much bigger.

Maybe the highlight of the set, ‘Lover’s Spit’ featured with Drew on keys and vocals and four band members eventually joining on melodica, harmonica, trumpet and saxophone for a subtle and personal number before the rest of the band came back for an “encore”. The night ended with FRR instrumental number ‘Meet Me In The Basement’, atmospheric as ever, and it seemed to stretch out forever as that four-note riff echoed around the room with vigour. Drew shouted his thanks over it as it went on and on, and by the time it ripped to a close the venue had more or less erupted with cheers.

It’s quite difficult to describe an experience like a Broken Social Scene show, and I’m just sorry that I didn’t pay these guys much attention when they last toured. Obviously the show would have been better if Lobsinger wasn’t sick, or if they brought Feist with them (as they did in 2008), but to me, with nothing to compare last night to, there is no band going around today that does this whole ‘collective’ thing better. If you can only see one band this year, make it Broken Social Scene – last night brimmed with excitement, passion and a real sense of musical excellence.

Set:
World Sick
Stars and Sons
Texico Bitches
Fire Eye’d Boy
Forced To Love
Sweetest Kill
Art House Director
Cause = Time
Frightening Lives
Love Is New
Water In Hell
Superconnected
Ungrateful Little Father
KC Accidental
Lover’s Spit
—
Ibi Dreams Of Pavement (A Better Day)
Meet Me In The Basement

The first time I saw local lads Sierra Fin, in a support slot for Final Fantasy back in 2008, I was really underwhelmed – at the time they played mild mid-tempo indie pop that had nothing differentiating it from the next band, with a performance that was pretty unmemorable too. It seems that since then the boys have done some soul-searching and re-emerged as one of the most exciting support bands in recent memory. They’ve added a member (Kent Eastwood – accordion/guitar – playing his first gig with them tonight) and also just wrapped up the recording of their debut album, The Cautionary Tale of the Beautiful Blackout, a concept album centred on orchestral arrangements. The addition of Eastwood’s accordion adds a new dynamic to the songs, which are still in the general area of indie-pop but are now more lush and focused, with some cuts adopting a darker edge. The highlight of the set was ‘Bluebird Song’, in which singer Russ Tainton strummed a ukelele as he and his bandmates harmonised before throwing the tune over to the audience, all too glad to oblige in a singalong as Tainton jumped off the stage and wandered through the crowd. The orchestral parts of the songs were filled out via computer, swelling to enormity as the band showcased never-before-heard songs from the upcoming record. Their first show since finishing the album, tonight’s set proved that this band will no doubt become a staple in Sydney’s live scene – a fantastic return.

Scotland’s Frightened Rabbit has been a favourite on Australian shores this year, playing at Laneway in February and back again a mere six months later. Adoring fans were all too eager to express their enthusiasm, with singalongs breaking out left, right and centre and a quiet awe emanating around the venue throughout the evening. Playing mostly from this year’s The Winter of Mixed Drinks, the band opened with ‘Skip The Youth’ and the charisma of frontman Scott Hutchison was immediately detected – he stopped throughout the evening to make jokes, often at his own expense and always to the delight of the crowd. The often abrasive rhythm section contrasted nicely with Hutchison’s gentle, lilting guitar tones, at times complemented also acoustically.

Beautiful kaleidoscopic lights swirled as the performance progressed, with the backing vocals of Hutchison’s four bandmates airtight and atmospheric, especially on the wonderful ‘Swim Until You Can’t See Land’. None of Frightened Rabbit’s performance relied on gimmicks – the music itself was extremely focused and driven forth by incredible joy, both on and off stage. The very grateful Hutchison encored with a solo ‘Poke’ before the band returned to the stage, culminating in an extended jam after Hutchison walked off after closer ‘Keep Yourself Warm’. After witnessing their live show, there’s no questioning why this band has received praise worldwide – Frightened Rabbit achieved the perfect mix of musical passion and enjoyment for both performers and spectators.

Set:
Skip The Youth
The Modern Leper
Nothing Like You
The Loneliness And The Scream
The Twist
The Wrestle
Footshooter
My Backwards Walk
Head Rolls Off
Old Old Fashioned
Swim Until You Can’t See Land
Good Arms Vs. Bad Arms
—
Poke
Living In Colour
Keep Yourself Warm

Supported by: Seth Frightening

It was two years ago to the day that Sigur Rós last stepped onto Sydney soil, playing a spellbinding show to a packed-out Hordern Pavilion. Of course, at the centre of the Icelandic band’s hopelessly ethereal music is frontman Jón Þór Birgisson aka Jónsi, he of the otherworldly voice – and so when the announcement was made that he would be trekking back to Australia in support of his first solo album, Go, the question was whether or not he’d be able to match the magic of his band’s last visit. The answer is both yes and no – but we’ll get to that in a second.

Starting proceedings was a New Zealand act by the name of Seth Frightening. Recorded, the project is the sole work of Sean Kelly (aka Seth), but tonight he was joined by a friend, both clutching an acoustic guitar. It was quite difficult to understand what the project’s direction musically is supposed to be – while the recorded material is pleasant enough to listen to, live it was a mess, with the harmonising vocals sometimes raising to an ill-pitched scream that seemed not to be abstract in purpose rather than just a miss. The guitars, raw and honest, did sometimes reach a point of cohesion, with both performers occasionally taking on a rapid strum to create a more frantic and interesting atmosphere, but altogether the set was uninspiring and downright confusing. It could perhaps have been an off night for Seth Frightening, but the songs seemed melodically and structurally unsound and the performance itself offered nothing interesting enough to make up for that.

As the lights dimmed for the man of the hour to take the stage, simply set up with a bare tree background, Jónsi appeared, armed only with an acoustic guitar. Beginning with ‘Stars In Still Water’, accompanied only by a band member on gentle glockenspiel, it was straight away evident that he has lost little in terms of vocal ability in his years away from our shores. Pure, beautiful and undulated, such a quiet and unassuming tune was an excellent way to open a set that would show off the sheer range of his voice, which admittedly at times strained to hit the highest registers. The first few songs of the night continued in a similar vein, carried along by his four bandmates (including his boyfriend Alex Somers, one half of Jónsi and Alex), swelling appropriately during songs like the divine ‘Tornado’ with its rolling piano. The room was still during these first songs, with Jónsi pausing momentarily during the unreleased ‘Icicle Sleeves’ to a completely silent Enmore – perhaps the audience, one of the most respectful in recent memory, was stunned out of speech because of the inexplicable beauty washing over them, with the only noise being clapping (sometimes at the wrong time). It was intense, to say the least, but that all changed in an instant when the more upbeat songs from Go began to roll out.

It was then that Jónsi began to interact with the audience, taking “I love you!”s and “have my babies” calls with good humour and hardly showing any signs of panic when the piano gave out. The string of energy started with Go opener ‘Go Do’, which saw the previously static crowd break out into delighted smiles as everyone began to move. This was a different Jónsi altogether, and it’s refreshing (but also takes away from the mystery, somewhat) to be able to know exactly what he’s singing now, with his move to English lyrics. It wasn’t quite the same as a Sigur Rós show because of the heightened energy and this ability to comprehend the singer exactly, and yet the atmosphere was so joyous that no one seemed to care. The streak continued with ‘Boy Lilikoi’ and ‘Animal Arithmetic’ before slowing back down, and funnily enough the audience was able to make the switch right back to solemn respect, proving yet again Jónsi’s incredible power.

With a few more serene songs, Jónsi ended the main portion of the set in a loose instrumental buzz that was topped off by his vocals cracking over a loop into oblivion. Returning seconds later for an encore, he was dressed in a fabulous feathered headdress, wrapped in an Icelandic flag, as he charmed the crowd again for the last section of the night. ‘Grow Till Tall’ was one of the most powerful ends to a concert I’ve ever seen – it was a wonderful way to focus precisely on his voice, and the instrumental build-up, especially with the drums, climaxed so perfectly into his impassioned vocals. Eventually thrown into a loop, Jónsi topped off his own vocals with a kind of frenzied screaming as the lights dramatically flickered, drowning him out, and by the time he walked off stage the audience was completely immobilised. Emerging with his bandmates for a final bow, there was not a single face in the crowd that didn’t have a smile stamped stupidly all over it.

Anyone coming to this show expecting a replica of the Sigur Rós experience did not get that, but the experience on offer is beautiful too, just in a different way. Slightly marred by a poor sound mix which saw the bass turned up too loud, what would have potentially pushed this show to perfection is if the entirety of the stage setup, which from reports around the rest of the world is breathtaking, was brought to Australia. Comparisons and venue complaints aside, it was a night that illustrated exactly why Jónsi is such a well-loved figure in the international music community and a true showman. Hopefully we’ll see him back on these shores in the very near future.

Set:
Stars In Still Water
Hengilás
Icicle Sleeves
Kolnidur
Tornado
Sinking Friendships
Saint Naive
Go Do
Boy Lilikoi
Animal Arithmetic
[new song]
Around Us
—
Sticks and Stones
Grow Till Tall

(via jonsi.com – check out the set list, hilarious!

Supported by: The Like, Gypsy and the Cat

Have you ever watched a support act and thought “wow, what the hell does this have to do with anything?” That’s kind of the general feel that echoed around the Hordern when Gypsy and the Cat – originally from Melbourne, more recently based in London – took the stage. Usually support acts have some kind of commonality with the headliners – so as to, you know, interest the crowd – but Gypsy’s music was, for the most part, bland guitar-driven pop rock, borrowing from the cheesiest moments of the 80s, laced with saccharine harmonies that wouldn’t sound out of place on a Hillsong soundtrack. This band has been on the rise lately and it’s honestly quite difficult to comprehend why that is. In part because of the total irrelevance of the band to the audience, and also in part because of – well, their music being boring as hell, Gypsy and the Cat really failed to impress.

Los Angeles’ The Like took the stage next, this being their first visit to Australia. The all-girl four-piece provided a welcome change in pace from the dreary performance that preceded it, with singer Elizabeth Berg a little fireball of energy. At times it was a little too contrived, like a rock and roll version of the Spice Girls, but songs like ‘Trouble In Paradise’ packed a hefty punch that kept the performance somewhat engaging. The music generally, though, was neither inspiring nor aggravating – this band drew very little emotional reaction either way. Two of the girls have fathers in the business (a Geffen rep and the drummer for Elvis Costello and the Attractions) – perhaps without that connection they wouldn’t have reached the international touring circuit because while they weren’t unbearable, they also weren’t anything out of the ordinary.

My history with The Strokes is weird. I claimed hatred for them in high school – I think I read some cool music magazine or something that hated on them and I wanted to be cool too, without knowing much about their music at all. I always liked ’12:51’ regardless (secretly!), but it wasn’t until this year that I decided to give them another go – and they are basically the only thing I’ve been listening to all year, and the band whose tickets I was most desperate for. Go figure.

It had been four years since the New Yorkers last visited Australia and the atmosphere in the venue was one of tremendous excitement. When the lights came on and the five of them walked out, bursting into ‘New York City Cops’, the place more or less exploded. What followed was a short and succinct set comprising songs from all three of the band’s albums, all inciting the same rapturous reactions. The thing about the performance is that there were absolutely no gimmicks, besides the brilliant lighting which included an illuminated Pacman game – banter was kept to a minimum (save for a few witticisms from Julian Casablancas) and the joy of the show was found within the audience’s enthusiasm more so than the band on stage. Sounding almost exactly as they do recorded, The Strokes turned the floor of the Hordern into an enormous dance party, everyone at the mercy of Mr Casablancas – maybe the most effortlessly cool person in the world. Who else could wear sunglasses inside for over an hour without drawing any criticism? His distinctive drawl blasted through the speakers with ease, only slightly marred by technical problems that saw an intermittent buzz come through, with the rhythm section providing a rock solid foundation.

The band has been playing basically the exact same set list at all their recent shows, but it’s quite a good mix, save for the exclusion of some songs that would have sounded excellent live. The most rabid reactions were to songs like ‘What Ever Happened?’, ‘Last Nite’ and ‘Reptilia’, perhaps because of the nostalgia factor – and ‘Juicebox’ and ‘Heart in a Cage’, both included in the encore, were ferocious beasts with the former seeing Nikolai Fraiture shred the hell out of that infectious bass line and the latter’s shrieking riff blowing the roof off.

Clocking in at just over an hour, The Strokes did not play for even close to long enough – seeing as the set list was identical to those played at festivals, it was short, sweet but left all wanting a little more, especially for the enormously expensive ticket price. While some people flock to live shows for the profundity of an act, The Strokes’ set reaffirmed completely that there’s another appeal to live music that has nothing to do with art. It’s called having a massive amount of fun.

Set:
New York City Cops
The Modern Age
Hard To Explain
What Ever Happened?
You Only Live Once
Soma
Is This It
Vision Of Division
I Can’t Win
Reptilia
Last Nite
—
Juicebox
Someday
Under Control
Heart In A Cage
Take It Or Leave It

I can’t lie – I don’t know much about electronic music. I enjoy it casually, but I wouldn’t be able to talk about it extensively or call myself a massive fan. When the chance came along to see two of the genre’s biggest bands in action, though, I couldn’t exactly refuse – after all, both have reputations as heavyweights on the live circuit as well as recorded, so why not? For those obsessed with electronic music who are unable to attend Splendour in the Grass this weekend, too, this was a really big night – the only huge double bill amongst the sideshows this year – so it wasn’t any surprise that the venue was packed to the rafters.

Hot Chip was down a member, with co-vocalist Joe Goddard on paternity leave, but the UK band didn’t miss a beat. Getting started with ‘Boy From School’, laden thick with vocal harmonies and a thumping bass that carried throughout the set, Goddard’s presence became evident when his face flashed onto a screen, moving and singing along to the songs – though sometimes slightly out of sync, it was an inventive touch that filled in the gaps. Bringing out auxiliary instruments such as maracas and having guitarist Al Doyle occasionally taking an extra percussive role heightened the frenzy as the band powered through hits like ‘Over and Over’ and new tracks from their latest album One Life Stand, all linked in a medley style and driven by those infuriatingly catchy electronic blips. Closing with ‘Ready For The Floor’, the crowd was just that as the wait for LCD Soundsystem began.

As a thick layer of smoke billowed over the floor and a piano tinkered its introduction, the members of New York City’s finest emerged, bleeding into ‘Us Vs. Them’. The beauty of LCD Soundsystem’s songs is that on record they are 8-minute epics, meaning that live they swelter to intense highs matched by the enthusiasm by both the band and audience, made all the more exciting by the presence of a huge flashing disco ball. Frontman James Murphy, in no way sober, wished an audience member happy birthday and segued into a glorious ‘All My Friends’ by singing ‘Love Is In The Air’ for a recently wed friend. The two percussionists together made a racket that saw drummer Pat Mahoney break his kick drum pedal two songs in, and Murphy himself joined in the percussion at times too, pushing songs like ‘Daft Punk is Playing At My House’ to incredible heights. Though the performance started losing steam towards the end, ‘Yeah’ kicked it right back up, setting the dance floor on fire, and first encore ‘Losing My Edge’ was laced with delicious irony (which hilariously seemed to pass over a lot of people in the crowd – really, come on now, what band are you seeing?).

Closing with a rousing ‘New York I Love You, But You’re Bringing Me Down’ (the night’s “Lionel Richie moment”, according to Murphy) mixed with Jay-Z’s ‘Empire State of Mind’, lights flashing, the feeling around the pavilion was one of triumph. Though throughout the evening I’d been having a bit of a laugh at all the ridiculous hipster dance moves echoing around the venue, by the end of it I too was flailing my limbs like a demented rag doll – after all, if you can’t beat them, you sure as hell better join them.

Set:
Us vs. Them
Drunk Girls
Get Innocuous!
Pow Pow
Daft Punk Is Playing At My House
All My Friends
I Can Change
Tribulations
Movement
Yeah
—
Losing My Edge
New York, I Love You But You’re Bringing Me Down / Empire State Of Mind

All photos from FasterLouder

Supported by: Here We Go Magic, Kid Sam

The Melbourne cousins behind Kid Sam make music so vast that it’s incredible to think there are only two people behind it. The pair slowly eased into a set that sometimes lent itself to post-rock style guitars and at others featured loud distorted riffs, always topped with Kieran Ryan’s reverb-drenched vocals. Kishore Ryan, who also hits the skins for Otouto and Seagull, is one of Australia’s best drummers at the moment with his precision and passion, creating a vicious wall of sound coupled with the guitar at climaxes. This band has been on the rise lately for very good reason – check them out if you get the chance for a hypnotic show.

While Here We Go Magic’s music itself doesn’t offer anything particularly impressive or different, the Brooklyn band’s live delivery was spot on. Playing in Australia for the first time, the quintet was a multi-functioning machine but plugged in together for busy five-part vocal harmonies when required to create a dancey atmosphere throughout the audience. Though met with technical problems mid-set, the band powered on through an explosively jaunty set, slowing down occasionally to show an atmospheric, melodic side. Extra props to bassist Jen Turner for a very interesting set of dance moves that did not stop for the entirety of the band’s set.

Tonight’s show was the first of Grizzly Bear’s two in Sydney but the venue was far from full, lacking the famous barrier separating floors, but the enormously lush and textured sounds emanating from the Brooklyn quartet filled the gaps in the room. Beginning with Daniel Rossen’s floaty vocals in Veckatimest opener ‘Southern Point’, duties were soon handed over to co-vocalist Ed Droste for ‘Cheerleader’, where their voices melted together in a goosebump-inducing swirl. The two alternated during the night, with bassist Chris Taylor and drummer Christopher Bear providing backing vocals, most stunning on ‘Knife’. The impressive stage setup included jars of lightbulbs hung from wooden structures and a lit hessian backdrop cut to look like the jaws of a cavern, with the lights flashing dramatically to create an atmosphere perfectly suited to the antique feel of the Enmore.

Despite general tightness and stunning visuals, the performance wasn’t without fault – ‘Two Weeks’ fell flat, with none of its recorded harmonic thickness and Taylor letting up in an endearing backing vocal slip, and the performance itself began to drag slightly as it neared the end (though ‘Showcase’, apparently performed for the first time in three years, was a welcome surprise). Minor flaws aside, though, Grizzly Bear was mostly an impressive beast of a live band, their songs possessing a raw beauty that shone all the brighter on stage.

Set:
Southern Point
Cheerleader
Little Brother
Knife
Shift
Fine For Now
Two Weeks
Showcase
Ready, Able
I Live With You
Foreground
—
While You Wait For The Others
On A Neck, On A Spit
—
Fix It

Supported by: Sleepyhands, The Tourist

Photo: FasterLouder

Shuffling in from the blistering cold, punters were met first with the sounds of The Tourist, clearly chuffed to be playing to their biggest crowd yet. The partnership of acoustic and electric guitar, and the total lack of bass, created a pleasantly dreamy atmosphere, but the vocals formed this band’s main problem area. The two singers often fell short in hitting the right notes harmonically, causing a subtle dissonant clash, and the backup vocalist proved a stronger voice than the lead, who struggled to project. The band’s admirable ideas will be able to be executed with ease once they have more shows under their belt.

Seven-piece Sleepyhands started off averagely, with the boy-girl vocals failing to properly gel, but soon drove into an energetic and instant set with musical ideas reflecting the growingly popular bluegrass-pop smarts of Mumford & Sons. Their stage presence was excitingly vigorous, with impassioned yelling puncturing most songs (sounding out of place at times but just right at others) and providing a much-needed adrenaline rush to the audience. Conveying organic emotion and looking like they were having a hell of a lot of fun on stage, Sleepyhands were the surprise hit of the night, despite some occasional off-key moments.

Ernest Ellis is doing mighty well for himself – his debut album Hunting dropped only two weeks ago, with no EPs preceding, and yet the venue was packed. Backed by a three-piece band, the hirsute mountaineer opened with ‘Want for Anything’, the driving drums and ghostly vocals drawing immediate Temper Trap comparisons, before making the brave jump into cover territory only two songs in with a rendition of The Doors’ ‘The End’. It seems that Ellis is able to take these risks, though – he turned the room into a throbbing dance hall with extended upbeat song jams, something you wouldn’t expect that from hearing his recorded material, and played plenty of non-album tracks. His voice sounds spectacular both in its falsetto form (the heartbreaking ‘Loveless’) and its sustained brood (acoustic solo number ‘Valley Song’), though some recorded immediacy was dampened with the sheer number of people present. The evening ended with audience members jumping up on stage to joyously dance with the band; though the set list was uneven at best, Ellis and friends are wonderful performers and this is just the beginning for them.

Supported by: Noxshi

Photo: Herald Sun

I have a confession to make – I don’t really know much about Cat Stevens/Yusuf/whatever you want to call him. I own a couple of his records on vinyl (my uncle dumped a bunch of LPs in my room when I was a teenager and I obsessively listened to a few – hello, Talking Heads!) but other than the odd song or two, I wouldn’t call myself an aficionado of any type. When I heard he was coming to town, though, I thought of how awesome other comeback shows I’d seen had been (hello, Simon & Garfunkel, I miss you terribly) and decided it wouldn’t be such a bad idea to go. Thankfully I didn’t have to fork out $120+ for it because I ended up getting myself some sweet media tickets, and I’m so glad I did – this was a hell of a show.

Before the evening had even begun, though, the number one unwritten law of concerts had been broken. As everyone shuffled into the venue, Cat Stevens songs were blaring over the PA, welcoming us all to our seats. Is this as bad as wearing a band’s shirt to their gig? Is it worse? I don’t know, but I had a reluctant bop in my seat to ‘(I Never Wanted) To Be A Star’ until the lights dimmed and Noxshi came out on stage.

There was very clearly only one reason why this band had been invited to play the show, that being the fact that frontman Yoriyos was created with the genetics of Yusuf himself. (or, if I was being punny, because they share a FATHER AND SON relationship. Oh ho ho). Whilst technically proficient, Noxshi’s absurd hard funk (parts Mars Volta, parts Russell Brand’s Infant Sorrow), coupled with psychedelic swirls on three large panels, was not only bland, but also much too abrasive for the mostly octogenarian audience. The loudest cheers of the set were reserved for Yoriyos’ constant assurance that “he’s coming soon”, speaking volumes about the reception of Noxshi’s music itself.

Those cheers increased thousandfold when Yusuf walked out on stage, strumming a guitar and singing Lilywhite in that distinctive voice. It’s been 35 years since the artist formerly known as Cat Stevens set foot on Australian soil, so tonight was not without expectation, but all standards were surpassed with a moving and light-hearted set. Sitting before a backdrop that changed digitally to suit each individual song, Yusuf proved that songs over four decades old still hold relevance today, such as ‘Where Do The Children Play?’, which he related to the BP oil spill. Pedalling through old favourites (including a medley featuring a singalong-inducing ‘The First Cut Is The Deepest’), Yusuf also played some newer material such as Boots and Sand, all accompanied by back-stories.

Far and away the highlight of the night was the ingenious arrangement of classic songs into a musical theatre format – favourites like ‘Matthew and Son’ and ‘But I Might Die Tonight’ were abridged to become scenes in a love story, narrated by Yusuf between songs and accompanied by beautiful slides. Always the joker, Yusuf several times played the opening bars of a song to rapturous applause, only to pull back, laughing “I don’t feel like playing that one yet”. Accompaniment varied from minimalistic to a full seven-piece band (including original ’70s recording partner Alun Davies, sporting a Cat Stevens shirt), and at one point Yusuf abandoned the stage for his bandmates to lead the crowd in a rousing rendition of ‘Waltzing Matilda’, returning to join in at the end.

Here’s the thing – I know that most of these comeback shows are completely scripted. Hey, my heart broke into a million pieces when I saw Simon & Garfunkel for the second time and noted that every single bit of dialogue was identical, and then watched the Old Friends DVD from 2004 and noticed that all of that was exactly the same, too. Despite the fact that his set lists have all been identical so far this tour and that he’s probably scripted too, Yusuf actually seemed genuine – like he really wanted to be there, like he really cared about the words he was singing and the people he was singing them to.

Saving the big classics like ‘Morning Has Broken’, ‘Wild World’, ‘Father and Son’ and ‘Peace Train’ for last, Yusuf had 10 000 people spellbound, like a grandfather telling stories to wide-eyed children. These two short hours were life-affirming, for some people a throwback to their youth, and for others (like me) confirmation that life was better in the 1960s.

(Sad about the lack of any religious ranting, though.)

Set:
Lilywhite
The Wind
Midday
Where Do The Children Play?
Medley (I Love My Dog/Here Comes My Baby/The First Cut Is The Deepest)
Fill My Eyes
Boots and Sand
Miles From Nowhere
World of Darkness
Maybe There’s A World
Matthew and Son
But I Might Die Tonight
Remember The Days of the Old Schoolyard
Doors
Road to Find Out
Tuesday’s Dead
Roadsinger
Don’t Be Shy
Waltzing Matilda
Bad Brakes
Sitting
Morning Has Broken
Wild World
Father and Son
—
Moonshadow
All Kinds of Roses
Rubylove
—
Ruins
Peace Train