Smash Into Pieces ‘Armaheaven Prophecy Tour’ @ Mary’s Underground, Sydney 23/082025

Welcome to Arcadia, where the heroes are calling!

Wake up! For it is time to succumb to the mighty flow within here, Arcadia. Behold the rulers of this realm, the mighty cinematic, epic genre-fusing majesty that is Sweden’s Smash Into Pieces. The band have spread their musical chapters of epic proportions, outlining their story, as it spreads like a virus throughout the masses around the globe. But unlike a virus, meant to cripple and weaken, the band's ninth chapter, which brings them to Australian shores for the first time, is to empower and enrich fans with their enigmatic musical essence and creativity on-stage and off.

Let us see how this wildfire of an evolving global phenomenon will catch in a small, nay, very small venue, rather than the full scale dominance of their usual shows…

As a truly dynamic cinematic intro starts, equipped with LED screens at the stage’s back, dramatic booming bass (which literally shakes me and the small yet beautiful venue,) leaving me thankful that I’m wearing earplugs, plus in-sync lighting, I fear that lead singer Chris’s vocals may fall short in the flurry of bass and cinema antics. The band emerge onto the stage in perfect synchronicity and timing of the song, ‘Flow’ and its beat-drop. When said beat and all accompanying sound elements, mixed sublimely, me and those around me get well and truly enwrapped in the just that, flow… and the force is strong in that one!

As for my fear of Chris’s vocals being burnt to smoulders in the inferno of sounds, when the vocals were meant to come in during ‘Flow’ I thought my fears had come to fruition. However, I’m not sure whether the vocals were adjusted quickly, or Chris made adjustments on his part, or maybe I didn’t hear the vocals because they simply were delayed to build up suspense? Regardless, as the song progresses and the subsequent songs in its wake, even with the audience singing along like loyal die-hard fans which they evidently are, I can still hear Chris’s voice easily, and wow does its potency hit home and leave an Afterglow in my soul… sorry, couldn’t help myself.

Photos by Brock Morgan

Guitarists Benjamin and Per, constantly swap positions on the stage, high-fiving, shaking hands, hugging and singing right up in our faces here at the front, I mean, I’ve gotta make sure I don’t head-bang straight into one of their guitars as hilarious as that would be! And this display of personal connection is sustained throughout the whole show! It’s clear the band are loving the intimate venue size!

As for the other two band members, lead singer Chris and the illustrious futuristic drummer Apok? Well, for all I know Chris could be hugging me, high-fiving and singing to me, but honestly, the stage is a blaze in motion and lighting from both venue and LED backdrops plus Apok’s own LED mask and lasers at his fingertips, it truly is a sight to behold, even for me with a fraction of sight!

One thing of importance to note also, is that between songs, when typically artists will take a few seconds, no matter how brief, to maybe have a sip of water, grab a new instrument or talk to the audience, Smash Into Pieces do things a bit differently. Between songs tonight, are interludes, played over the speakers and on the LED screen, to both add to the apocalyptic, A.I age, cinematic essence of the performance, as well as to give the band a chance to regroup. The band do chat to us in the audience, but instead of breaking the performances continuity, they do-so during intro’s, outro’s and bridge sections predominantly, very rarely breaking the flow.

All this is packed into a golden bullet of tracks including all my personal favourites, like ‘Trigger’, ‘All Eyes On You’, ‘Arcadia’, ‘Heroes Are Calling’, ‘Venom’ and my #1 favourite, which I told Benjamin and Per in our interview before the show, that if they don’t play I’d cry, ‘Six Feet Under’ as their grand finale!

(Click here to watch the full interview)

My Apple watch reckons I did 3,500 steps during the bands performance with the way I was constantly dancing/rocking out, and as a result, I’m drenched in sweat! Surprisingly however, the performance was apparently only about one hour and ten minutes long, rather than the typical ninety minute set! Disappointing? Not even slightly! I’m shocked that was only a touch over an hour, as they played at least fifteen songs, including all my favourites and delivered them in blazing energy with a stadium quality stage presence and effects build.

I’m anything but disappointed, I’m not left craving more, don’t get me wrong, if they had more to give I’d be getting that step-count up higher, but I’m left buzzing with their musical mark laser branded on my soul.

The band may have indeed infected me with a virus somehow, as days later I’m craving another dose. If anyone ever has a chance to witness their live performances, do NOT pass it up!

Kita Alexander ‘Press Pause Australian Tour’ @ Factory Theatre, Sydney 26/07/2025.

LET’S DIVE INTO THE GOOD VIBES!

Kita Alexander ‘Press Pause Australian Tour’ @ Factory Theatre, Sydney 26/07/2025.

The skies are clear, the weather is cool and the happy vibes are ready. So let’s dive straight into some feel-good, refreshing breezes of indie-pop hits from Brisbane’s own, Kita Alexander, as she celebrates her ‘Press Pause’ single with a tour. This follows on from supporting Dua Lipa on her Australian leg of her world tour.

I was really wondering what approach I’d take on this review, capturing the flow, the current of the show, splashing around different ideas, and then it hit me like a tidal-wave…

Kita swims out onto the stage to a sea of predominantly young fans, in ecstasy of Kita’s appearance, calling out to her like seagulls, hungry for a music-filled night. Then comes the first wave, ‘Zodiac’. This anthemic pop hit snags the audiences full attention, and directs the high energy like a strong current. Even though the energy is high in the crowd around me, it isn’t chaotic and smothering like getting pulled under by a strong wave hitting, no, it’s nicely riding that wave. The wave in question, the song, is well mixed and perfectly formed by Kita and her band, I honesty can’t fault it, so I just relax and float away with the good vibes pulling us like a tide.

The next three songs which consist of, ‘Easy’, ‘Like You Want To’ and finally, ‘Communicate’ skim the crowds energy over the musics flow surged by Kita beautifully, with Kita using this time to build the shows momentum, like paddling towards a cresting wave. Kita reaches out and moves around the stage, projecting her attention to her audience in segments, as if Kita performs maneuvers on a surf board as she approaches the wave. Each of these songs have a unique essence, whilst all being uplifting and high spirited. Just like a wave ebbing after its zenith, ‘Communicate’ starts easing the carrying momentum.

Kita now takes a respite and chats to the audience, before gliding through the next few songs, ‘Date Night’(usually featuring country artist Morgan Evans)’Hotel’, and unreleased track ‘Back To Sydney’ and the DJO cover ‘End Of Beginning’. These songs bring a raw, acoustic portion to the show. Adding a cool, respite in the high energy is always a great tactic to keep things fresh, and keeping to the theme of this review, is really like floating on calm waves while you await the next wave to surf. Although for me personally, four acoustic songs in a row was a bit much and lacked the energy and depth musically for the show for a bit too long. However, Kate Night, preceded by Kita chatting to us about her love of country music and working with Morgan on the track, was like looking up at the sky as your floating in the calm waters, then noticing a beautiful rainbow. Plus Kita’s guitarist needing to stop and retune his guitar after starting ‘Hotel’ adds to the live show experience and authenticity, while ‘Back to Sydney’ gives us a taste of things yet to come, like noticing an exciting looking wave approaching in the distance. And finally, ‘Back To Beginnings’ give us a fresh perspective on a loved track by another artist.

So now we approach the main event, the waves we were getting pumped for! Kita starts surging for leading with ‘Can’t Help Myself’, to build the energy back up. Then the crowd soaks up and happily rides waves such as ‘Figure It Out’, ‘Queen’ and Kita’s version of ‘Atmosphere’ (normally Kita features in that song with Fisher), before perfectly gliding through the peaking energy of touring track, ‘Press Pause’.

And so Kita triumphantly finishes surfing that climactic wave with arms held high, letting the tide wash her calmly off stage… but hang on, is that an even bigger wave approaching fast?!

Of course, all gigs these days have a planned encore but at least Kita’s is ONE last song, not three or so. Of course, it’s her latest single and top song on Apple Music, the song that gets stuck in my head so damn easily, ‘I Don’t Wanna Go Home’. Aptly named for an encore! This song dive-bombs the energy in the crowd more than ever before, with Kita absorbing the splashes of high energy and using it to float her own even stronger!

Despite the slower slightly over-flooded acoustic section, all in all, still very much enjoyed myself, and would definitely go for another dip in that sea in the future!

Pete Murray ‘I Am Fire National Acoustic Tour’ @ Enmore Theatre Sydney 18/07/2025

DO NOT SING THIS SONG TO YOUR WIFE, DON'T DO IT!

Ok, let’s back up for a sec, I’m scrolling through my emails and see one and was like, “oh cool, the aussie singer-songwriter icon that is, of course, pete murray, is going on tour. I’ve seen pete live a few times now and he always puts on a good show, yeah i’m keen! not much else to really think about, yep, got it in my calendar, got a support worker/friend taking me, we’ll have a pub feed and a drink before the show, sounds like a bloody-brilliant friday night in newtown. good company, good food, cider and good live music, hell-yeah!” Couple of cider’s knocked back, ahhhh, …hmmm what’s this tour actually in celebration of? Pete doing a Swifty wasn’t it?

Now, I rock up at a sold-out Enmore Theatre, do some quick jumps and stretches, ready to do some head-banging in the mosh. Wait, where’s the moshpit? What’s all this seating bullsh**?! Just kidding, I mean no, it is actually all seating, would be quite funny to see full-on moshing at a Pete Murray concert. I mean I was going to sit regardless, sit back and relax for a change. I turn to my friend and say, “can you look up what this tour is in celebration for please”.

This tour isn’t in fact just to celebrate Pete becoming an independent artist and doing a Swifty, re-recording all his tracks on his own terms, this is apparently Pete’s first ever acoustic solo tour of Australia, AND he’s recently released a new single ‘I Am Fire’ Pretty epic! And it’s also pretty epic that the country of loyal fans will still sellout the Enmore for him, even when it’s a stripped-back acoustic solo show!

Now, some concerts I find it hard to write a full review on. I’ll thoroughly enjoy it yes, the sound mix, the bands sound, song choice, on-stage energy were all spot-on, but that can be said in, well, 19 words… now what? Tonight though, I’m going to have trouble not writing too much, peoples attention-spans don’t usually exceed around 1k words apparently.

The issue being this, I’ve been to 473 concerts prior to tonight, and none of them were like this. Yes, I’ve been to acoustic gigs before, sure, but not like this. (insert dramatic theatrical sounds here)

So Pete casually walks out onto the stage, and seemingly unrehearsed, chats to us, asking us if we’re nervous? I’m not he says, not nervous at all. Then he introduces us to the first song. Not too sure which song it is, regardless, it’s brilliant! The beautiful thing about this being a solo acoustic show, is that it’s literally just Pete’s hypnotic voice, his guitar, and occasionally harmonica, so the sound mix is I would imagine, easy to nail, and it does just that. Plus, no fancy lights to “accentuate” so the focus purely on Pete and his music.

“But Brendan, wouldn’t that get repetitive and boring after 90 minutes? Just a guy singing and strumming his guitar?”. Yeah I guess, oh well, review over, sorry guys, next time aye…

Just a couple more things before I go…

Normally I’d say yes, a guy simply singing and playing the guitar would get boring, but Pete’s storytelling, both heartfelt and incredibly humorous, with quick wit keeps my attention firmly locked and a big smile constantly on my face! I can’t say the same for the girls apparently in the row in front of my friend and I, Googling images of Pete Murray shirtless.

Some examples include, telling us how he’s a strong believer in fate and things happening for a reason. Example, Pete didn’t get into music until he was 22… wait, Pete only looks 25 to me? Pete tells us the story of how a close friend of his,  and Pete, were hanging out one day, and his friend, Charles, announced “I’m going to buy myself a guitar and start getting lessons!”. So Pete thought, “Yeah, sounds like a cool idea, I might give that a go too”. So Pete went and bought an acoustic guitar, got a few lessons, and loved it. He said he spent the next two years practicing in his room over and over, not the whole two years, I did leave my room at times he said. Then after those two years, he called up Charles and said “come over, I’ve got something to show you”. Then Pete played these songs on the guitar for Charles, who was astounded, then tells Pete that he never ended up getting a guitar and lessons after all. That was apparently the last time he saw Charles, as a year later, Charles died of a brain aneurysm. Devastated and so thankful for Charles’s friendship and for accidentally igniting Pete’s passion for music, Pete named his son Charles.

Other stories included how when Pete was living/backpacking around England and Europe, he went over with his friend from Sneaky Sound System, and they rented a two bedroom flat in London… with 19 other Aussies. Pete and his fellow musician friend used to put on shows at night, Pete’s friend would play original songs, and Pete covers as he only played covers at that time, then one night, a girl told Pete to play an original song of his, which Pete replied, “I don’t have any” “why not?” “uhm, I just do covers” “you should write your own songs”. So, just so he was prepared, just in case he ever ran into that girl again, shortly after a guy in the flat started seeing one of the girls that rented out one of the rooms and the couple decided to make love, not in the room and bed where the girl stayed, no, out in the loungeroom, on the floor, next to Pete… “it never lasted long, that was my only comfort” Pete tells us, he backpacked around Europe and started writing his own music, just in case he ever ran into that girl again. So because of that, meeting the girl, not the close proximately quick love making I mean, Pete started writing his own music, leading to the songs we all know today.

I honestly can keep writing for several more pages about Pete’s stories, seemingly unrehearsed, but surely he’d have to know roughly what he’ll tell us and when. But one stand out hilarious, quick-witted moment was when he told us, after playing ‘So Beautiful’, how guys have come up and told him how they played that song at their wedding. “Mate, why? Seriously, do not sing that song to your wife!” with a chuckle. Then Pete says “it’s a song you should be singing to your wife, at a divorce maybe, but this isn’t a Coldplay concert” (or something along those lines). Everyone burst out laughing at the reference to the incident at a Coldplay concert the day before.

Just like the build up to the climax of a movie, no I’m not referencing the flat in England, after Pete splashes the set with all our favourite hits including ‘Opportunity’ which Pete tells us how he was lucky enough to meet John Mayer and have John sing it with Pete at the Aria’s one year, but in the rehearsals John was singing flat, which Pete was freaking out about, and how do you tell John Mayer he’s singing flat? You don’t. So when John says to Pete with a sigh of frustration, “I’m singing flat” Pete replies”Oh really” but in the end they both nailed it. The set also included hits like ‘Free’ ‘Always Winner’ and for the last couple of songs, when the audience were in intensely high spirits, filled to the brim with music and humour, he brings long-time touring and recording partner and opening support artist Brett Woods out to raise the buzzing atmosphere even higher, closing the night with the timeless hit, ‘Better Days’ with everyone singing along even more and louder than in previous songs, and got me and my friend standing and waving our arms side to side to the closing vocal melody with a huge smile on our faces!

So ask yourself, did that sound boring and repetitive to you?    

Ps. Sorry for exceeding the typical attention span, honestly I could have kept going!  

Bliss N Eso ‘Party On The Moon’ Tour, Evan Theatre, Penrith NSW 12/07/2025

WHO’S UP FOR A PARTY ON THE MOON?!

Aussie Hip-hop OG’s Bliss N Eso and their fans, have gone from racing across Flowers In The Pavement during the Day Of The Dog, to elevate into the atmosphere of timeless Hip-Hop anthems with Flying Colours. But they and we, didn’t leave it there, oh hell-no, those Flying Colours sent us to new heights Running On Air, higher, higher and higher, until we threw our musical arms wide, dove head-first in musical greatness, further defining the genre, twirling and weaving through that Circus In The Sky. Seemingly Off The Grid of possibility, the band and their fans have been circling The Sun, and now, it’s time to Party On The Moon… in Penrith.

Look, I’m sure you can go down the road to Kingswood and find someone who’ll sell you something that’ll seriously make you think you are in fact on the moon, but honestly, I’ll pass, these legends’ live shows themselves are like the most potent drug, and best of all, being completely clear-minded to soak up the musical party in its entirety!

I’ve been following these guys since 2009, not literally of course, that’d be rather tiring I’d imagine, plus, I don’t think blind people would make very successful stalkers. All jokes aside, there’s a very good reason or two that keeps bringing me to their shows, tonight being #14, and it’s not JUST their ever-growing catalogue of bangers.

Let me break it down for y’all…

I won’t do a song-by-song breakdown, that’d be one insanely long review, instead ima paint the canvas with those bold, free musical colours.

The canvas in which is the live shows foundation; BnE don’t just preach “Peace Love and Unity” in their lyrics, they live and breathe it at their shows. I’ve seen them in numerous venues of varying sizes and production capabilities, but the one constant at all shows, is always, and I truly mean always being connected with their audience. The show tonight starts off shakily, after being significantly late to take-off, which seemed to only build fans’ excitement and I guess, chance to buy more at the bar, shortly after BnE explode onto the stage amidst a theatrical recording, they quickly stop, as they notice a fan had fallen on the ground, toward the back of the standing area, and wasn’t getting back up. The band made sure staff sorted it out and took care of their fallen fan, telling us they’ll come back on stage to properly start when they get the thumbs up that the fan’s alright. Now, during the high-as-hell, energy of the show as it gets underway, the band connect with us by talking to us on a personal level during songs, getting us to clap, sing and chant what they want at their command, talking to us like regular happy-as-f**k Aussie music lovers, not celebs, giving us the real, plus reaching out to us, high-fiving and fist bumping. Some blind guy at the front even copped an epic signed poster from Eso between songs!

The sound/defining colours; BnE’s music along is uplifting, anthemic and you can’t help but to smile and get jiggy to, no sitting down if it can be helped! The boys amp it right up and smash that energy up through the roof at their live shows, with Bliss, Eso and DJ Izm all feeding off each other like one body, one  heart and soul, with their live drummer being like a paint brush helping keep the consistency and texture of the musical paint. I have to note, at all BnE shows the sound mixer is superb, I never have any issues defining individual sound elements, with Bliss and Eso’s vocals always clearly taking centre-stage, and tonight’s no different!

Blend of musical colours/song choice; The set wasn’t cut short, despite the late start luckily, we get a smorgasbord of a packed 21-song setlist, featuring a beautiful mix of old and new fan favourites that make my eyes light up! From ‘Family Affairs’ early in the set which is always a treat at BnE shows, especially with how well they get the audience to rap-along, to feel-good mature as f**, anthem ‘Act Your Age’, to ‘OG’, my personal favourite ‘My Life’ new singles ‘Vacation’ and ‘Chemical Heart’ with Grinspoon, and classics ‘The Sea Is Rising’ and finishing up with ‘Addicted’.

Textures and tone; I must say that the boys still bring the extremely high energy performance emitting love, big smiles, inclusion as if they know or at least, want to know each and every one of us, and over-all bright musical colours! Despite a lot of hip-hop acts us crowd chants like “say oh-yeah, say f**k-yeah” and “make some f**kin’ noise!” to interact with the audience which is great of course, but often is used too liberally, often adding too much oil or too much texture where it’s not needed, ending up distracting from the big picture, the music. BnE do those crowd interactive techniques too, but they’ve had years of practicing and refining their art, so now be at the point to perfectly apply it effectively.

Final observation; Even though my musical taste generally gravitates more towards rock and metal, Bliss N Eso is, well put very simply fun! I always have an amazing time at their shows even during the more “gangster rap” style songs that I’m generally not a big fan of, I always have a smile on my face and build up a sweat from jumping and dancing!

After all, music isn’t just heard, it’s felt, it’s experienced. That’s exactly what BnE give fans, an experience that you can feel long after the show finishes!

Killing Heidi ‘Reflector’ 25th Anniversary Tour @ Liberty Hall Sydney 27/06/2025

CALM DOWN, IT’S REALLY HAPPENING!

Calm Down there Superman/Supergirl, you read the title right! Aussie rock icons of the late 90’s/early 2000’s, Killing Heidi comprised of siblings Ella and Jessie Hooper, are taking a moment to fully appreciate and relish the huge success of their career-defining album ‘Reflector’, 25 years on, and what better way to do so, than with putting their Mascara on and playing the album IN FULL for fans all around the country, just like they did when they were teens!

So I guess you could say 25 years is a pretty good Reflector in which to look back on this incredible album. Let’s see if the band can pull it off just like the good ol’ days…

Tonight, instead of my usual opting to be a fan-girl up at the front barrier, where I can really gauge the atmosphere of a concert in a tactile sense, I instead feel like just chilling out and resting my delicately aging joints for this one. As venue staff assist me going up to the mezzanine via the elevator (unlike the old utilitarian elevators often found at venues such as The Metro Theatre and The Factory Theatre, this one is modern and well kept), and take a seat, even from here, leading up to Killing Heidi coming on stage, I can feel the crowd is charged with excitement!

So we know the band are playing ‘Reflector’ in full, but the album opens with ‘Mascara’ and ‘Weir’, arguably the bands two biggest songs, normally saved for the encore, so how will this go?

The band do still open with ‘Mascara’ followed by ‘Weir’, and understandably the crowd go nuts! The sound is spot on from the sound mixers, which excellently highlights Ella’s punchy vocals and I can focus on each other instrument sound individually without stain which is a real aural treat. I feel that in ‘Mascara’ Ellas voice in the choruses aren’t as punchy and attitude-filled as originally, but melodically she’s nailing it. ‘Weir’ is spot on in my opinion, and I’d say the crowd shares that opinion too by the sounds of it, the musical energy is high giving back what the crowd emanates but ten-fold, and my support worker tells me the on-stage energy is just as potently charged.

So after ‘Superman/Supergirl’ the energy on the recorded album does lessen in most parts, but the band keep the crowd fixed with reflecting on their time as a band, sharing engaging tales with the audience, giving fans the full experience, not just having great music played.

The band finish performing the tracks from ‘Reflector’ then after a small break, give us an encore, which contains fan favourite ‘Calm Down’ and my personal favourite, ‘I Am’. the only difference in this reflection of ‘I Am’ is I don’t detect that slight vocal-fry rough grit in a couple of notes in the chorus, but that’s so minor and insignificant.

Reflecting on the night, it was bloody brilliant! It didn’t drag out past its expiration date, coming in at a fraction under 90 minutes, was great support from the venue staff, the energy on stage and in the crowd was amped and above all else, the sound was ace and kept my full attention from start to finish!

Here’s to another 25 years!

The Living End @ Metro Theatre Sydney 16/05/25

G’DAY AFLIE

Oi, take a look any this cracker of a gig why don’t ya! Aussie punk rock pioneers and all-round bloody legends in the Aussie music scenes history, The Living End, have surprised fans, me included, with the news of a new song titled ‘Alfie’, the first new music in a whoppin’ 8 years. To celebrate, the band have announced two intimate shows, one in Melbourne and the other in Sydney, just in case this reviews title of where the show’s at confused anyone. The living end have been an integral part of my life in the concert scene, and I was only introduced to the amazing life of live music in 2008, these guys have been an integral part of so many more folks lives for a lot longer, putting on unforgettable high-energy rock shows.

It really is like reconnecting with an old mate after several years, so let’s see if time much has changed between us and our good ol mates…

so first off, this gig sold out well before the show, even with only having a week’s notice, so there’s a lot of us looking forward to reconnecting with good ol’ Uncle Harry, and this is confirmed by the packed line outside the venue of fans eagerly awaiting doors to open and then to fill the dance floor, not that you really “dance” at a sweaty pub rock gig like this.

Photos by Jif Morrison

The band start with quite frankly, a bloody-ripper ‘Roll On’. This song is met with the whole venue singing along to every word like no time at all has passed. The band are also exactly on point in sound and energy like they were always when they played at every festival, back when festivals actually existed in Australia, as well as pumping out there own albums and tours from what I can ascertain, but the night is still young.

Without giving us a single second to finish cheering roacusly after ‘Roll On’, the band charge straight into fan favourite ‘Second Solution’ kinda ironically named second song of the night. Still, no fault from the band dishing out the gritty pub rock vibes like the old days, and the crowd reciprocates nicely!

ok ok, there needs to be a bit of give in the energy at some point right? Nah, well kinda, as the band tear through their vast catalogue of hits like ‘All Torn Down’, ‘White Noise’ and’Bloody Mary’, the musical energy, and so too the bands, changes yeah, with being more extreme and crunchy at-Peanut Butter at times, to levelling out slightly in other songs, so the band don’t bloody pass out I guess, the over-all energy even from those ever-so slightly tamer songs like ‘Bloody Mary’, still exude a potent presence, adding to the nights climate.

All of this is while the band, lead by lead singer Chris, interacts with the audience on a personal level, like reading out aa girls in a wheelchair’s sign saying it was the first time she’s seen the band, and she’s loved them ever since she was 2. Chris talks to the hardcore fan, then to us, telling us stories about their career as a band, and of course performing their new track ‘Alfie’, which even though it only came out yesterday, everyone’s singing along too as if it’s a golden oldie from the band.

One very impressive classic move from The Living End, is Chris climbing up onto bassist Scott’s big double bass during the bridge section of cult classic, ‘West End Riot’. I was wondering if the band would still pull it off now, I mean c’mon, they’ve been at this for a time or two, pumping out the hard yacker, but they don’t disappoint, and better yet, don’t fall on their asses!

Now all good things have to come to an end, and a high velocity rock gig can only stay high velocity for so long, and I think if they dragged it out any longer I personally would’ve started losing enthusiasm, so finishing off the show with Aussie rock anthem ‘Prisoner Of Society’ then to cap it all off on a cracker of a feel good anthem, ‘Uncle Harry’ (I’m sure it was certainly a feel-good moment for old Uncle Harry, pissin in the bath after a few too many), it felt like a very satisfying gig!

Even though a few of those lower energy tracks might not’ve been my favourites, in an objective way I can’t fault the show, I only wish the band chucked in ‘Who’s Gonna Save Us’ and ‘Wake Up’, but there’s so many classics from these lads some are bound to miss out.

I absolutely love how you can go a few years without listening to some songs, but as soon as they start pumping, it thrusts you back in time as if no time has past, just like reconnecting with old mates!

Just grab a beer throw your arm around that mate, raise your glass and you’ll be right mate!

Pier Street Party, Frankston 24/02/2018

LET’S PARTY!

Pier Street Party, Frankston VIC Australia 24/02/2018

Come party down where the city meets the sea, right near the magic fountain, here in Frankston for this year’s Pier Street Party! With a line-up featuring Aussie hip-hop heavy-weights Thundamentals, party favourites Art Vs Science, garage indie-rock legends Gyroscope, alt-rock escape artists The Getaway Plan, attention demanding indie-rockers Rackett and fresh hip-hop artist Jesswar, I’m sure today will make us all feel alive! .....the bar near by may contribute to that as well.

Ready or not, here we go!

To my surprise, Rackett are up first instead of originally intended opener Jeswar, so upon entry to the party, I’m a little anxious as we’re slightly late for when Rackett are scheduled to start. Luckily however, the bands haven’t started yet for some reason, then I realise that this is likely due to the absence of people in the party as yet, which is unfortunate for Rackett as they’re a band not to be missed! Just as I stroll to the front barrier and get set up, the band now start to wow the small crowd that turned up early! Lead singer Bec starts the set by saying hi to us, which normally at a show deflates the hype, but in such a casual intimate setting as this however, it goes down well to connect with us from the get go. As the music is launched in the first song, the musical energy is powerful and with Bec groovin’ around the stage straight away, it awakens our attention nice and early. Unfortunately however, the sound mixer has done a poor job mixing the vocals, so hearing Bec’s dynamic voice is a challenge sadly!  Moving further along, attention is demanded even more, with the sound changing from pop-rock with catchy vocal hooks, to a more pop/punk vibe with slightly clearer vocals likely thanks to Bec putting more force into them, plus killer guitar riffs, and as the vibe reaches it’s peak nearing the sets’ end, Bec jumping off the stage, sitting on the barrier next to a certain super-attractive blind guy, which Bec must agree with, seeing as she sings to me, I mean him, while caressing his face with her free hand, then leans down and kisses me, stimulating my full attention in all sorts of ways. Bec goes on to share the love around with the rest of her audience, running a random girls hand down her front, singing with people and just busting a move in front of the barrier, demanding everyone’s attention, and drawing people closer to the front.

Now all my blood has returned to it’s regular parts of my body, I’m going to go take a wander and scope out this place. The area is small, and basic which is good as far as me navigating it, with a few typical festival food options (burgers, pizza, hot dogs etc) a bar and a merchandise stand surrounding the standing area with park benches at the back to chill out and eat at, and if this isn’t good enough for you, we are right outside Pelly Bar, with more beverage and seating options. This may surprise you, but I am only human, so now would be a good time to sample some of the food and alcohol on offer here and chillax while Jesswar take to the stage, before the big guns come out and I park myself at the front barrier like a true groupy.

Jesswar’s gangster rap is getting peoples’ attention as they continue to enter the event, but for me, it’s getting a little repetitive and isn’t living up to the hype that Rackett left. 

After refuelling, I’ve returned to the front barrier ready for The Getaway Plan, which is lucky as the crowds are really starting to roll in and near full capacity. The Getaway Plan too start the show with a greeting to their fans, but while an eery bass carries Matt’s voice, keeping the excitement high. The Getaway Plan put on a brilliant high-energy performance filled with awesome guitar riffs and hooks and the band all rocking out on stage enthusiastically, but unfortunately, the sound mixer has again stuffed up, making Matt’s incredible voice which differs in range and dynamics very hard to hear hidden below the rest of the bands’ sound.... I honestly think people can probably hear my singing more clearly then Matt’s... those poor sods. The Getaway Plan’s set features a brilliant blend of old and new hits, flowed well to vary the energy levels at strategic intervals, plus the addition of the song ‘Lovesick’ which the band haven’t played live since their 2013 ‘Lovesick Tour’ to my knowledge, and got the crowd rocking out and energised, but the poor sound mixing with the vocals let the otherwise epic set down dramatically to my deep disappointment!

Now for Gyroscope to ride the hype The Getaway Plan left for them. The crowd is starting to get quite rowdy with the occasional random drunken statement being shouted at the band and peoples’ balance getting a little unstable, this’ll be interesting! The band start the set with a bang, with the bands’ energy at a blazing hot high, but the sound mixer has done an even worse job mixing the vocals for Gyroscope sadly! This hasn’t let down the excitement in the crowd around me though, it’s still extremely positive and lively, made even more-so when the bassist jumps off the stage, stands on the front barrier step, leans back against the audience and continues to play, bringing the excitement up to climactic levels! .....to be honest, I really don’t know which band member it is leaning against the crowd holding a guitar of some sort, for all I know with my limited sight, it could just be a security guard that’s nicked a guitar from the band and felt like putting on their own show? Whoever that party animal is, it raised the hype well in the first song that’s carried throughout the bands’ set! As the set goes on, we are hit with some easy to dance to beats with enticing guitar hooks and seriously muffled vocals, which I can’t properly comment on sadly, as I can’t freakin’ hear them! Oh there they are! I can now JUST hear the vocals in a couple of songs, luckily being my two favourite, but even still, it’s far from level with the other sounds and beyond being able to comment analytically on. Even with the lack of vocal clarity, the audience still manage to sing along... somehow, and the easy to dance/jump to vibe is exploded with the band flowing one of their songs into Midnight Oil’s ‘Beds Are Burning’ in the songs’ bridge before returning to it’s original song, being a definite crowd pleaser!  The lead singer now throws an energy grenade into the audience, as he jumps off the stage in the bands’ last song, and proceeds to stand on top of the front barrier in an instrumental section, grabbing peoples hands in the audience riling everyone right up for a big finish! I can’t help but notice seeing as the lead singer is standing on the barrier right next to me, that his pants are down a little with his nickers showing slightly, and I’m so tempted to slip a business card in the top of his undies just above his ass for him to discover later. 

Now that everyone’s here and got their party hat on and are filled with obscene amounts of grog, Art Vs Science with their party-anthem hits should go down nicely! For the first few songs, the bands’ energy is a little withdrawn to my surprise, as I was expecting the energy to start wild and get all sorts of crazy as the set progresses. Oh wait, here we go, it’s taken a few songs, but  the band are really starting to bust out some moves now, with the lead singer shakin’ his tail feather around across the front of the stage, and instigating clap alongs to get the crowd involved and right in the palm of the bands’ hands! Thankfully, the sound mixer has done a much better job with the vocals this time, and are only slightly not loud enough, which makes the music so much more enjoyable! The band keeps things interesting throughout the set, from playing an awesome cover of Muse’s ‘Knights Of Cydonia’ which gets the crowd jumping and resembling a full-on mosh, closing any space I once had here at the front, to flowing a classic Art Vs Science favourite into The White Stripes’ ‘Seven Nation Army’, which gets the whole crowd singing the iconic bass hook and really rocking out hard! When the band finishes their set filled with exciting retro grooves, rock hooks, and anthemic party tracks, it’s left us all wanting more, and wishing the band had another few songs to give us!

Now that the sun has set, and the only act left for the party is headliners Thundamentals, the crowd is really getting rowdy and a little too enthusiastic in anticipation for these growing hip-hop masters, that a lot of people came to this event especially for! The band start the show with the energy elevated straight away to then be sustained for the rest of the set. The sound mixer has done well for Thundamentals’ sound, and their skills as a sound mixer are obviously intended for hip-hop rather than rock, because both rappers, the DJ and the drummer’s sound are all set evenly and at a nice level! The band connect with their fans brilliantly, instigating clap alongs and sing alongs in songs, and talking to us between each, giving us insight into the songs’ story/meaning and revving us all up with “are you f***in’ with us?!” And “give it up for our DJ/Drummer!” Etc. The songs in the set flow nicely from gangster rollers to cruisin’ smooth-criminals, to up-beat party-poppers that keep the audience singing along all the way from the start to finish. Randomly after one song, I’m greeted with someone standing right in front of me on the other side of the barrier saying hi to me, and asking if I’d like him to sign that (I’m assuming referring to my note pad). Again for all I know it could be that cheeky security guard that wants to take advantage of my lack of sight and pretend to be a part of the band? I’m a little stunned, and really didn’t see this coming.... in any way shape or form, so I turn to a new page in my note pad and let the guy autograph it, hoping I don’t read some random security guards signature later. The band continue to deliver high-intensity hip-hop anthems that get everyone bouncing and throwing their raised arms from side to side at the bands command, and gets the girls all sitting on random peoples’ shoulders for a better view, filling the area with incredible amounts of positive energy! Even as Thundamental's sound isn’t my preferred style, when the band finish up, I’m glad they give us just one more to close the night on a high and leave me feeling satisfied!

All in all, the sound mixers shoddy mixing in the most parts was quite a let down, but even still, today was a bloody good time, and even with everyone getting a little loose and intoxicated, there were no issues/incidences to ruin a good time! Art Vs Science were a definite highlight for me, and if the sound mixer did a better job for Rackett, The Getaway Plan and Gyroscope, it would’ve been an absolute ace of a day.

Lawrence @ Metro Theatre, Sydney 22/01/25

TIME FOR SOME FAMILY BUSINESS

Welcome to the family business right here with the soulful pop sensation that is, LAWRENCE.

Let me break it down for y’all, lead by siblings Clyde and Gracie Lawrence, this eight-piece pop/soul bands use of smokey, seductive and even moving use of brass and Clyde’s voice combined with dazzling ,energetic keyboard-lead pop elements with the funkiest of beats from drummer Sam, topped-off by Gracies incredible voice is testament to why despite this being the first time the band’s performed in Australia, both Sydney shows completely sold out well before these shows

The venue fills very quickly once doors open, and judging by the shrill excitement buzzing around me on the dancefloor, I’d normally expect this to be an indication of lots of pushing and getting all-up and personal with those around me, which I mean, if dinner and a drink is offered I normally don’t mind, but we’ll see. Luckily however, everyone around me is really polite, in good spirits and respectful of one another, it's a very good starting canvas for tonight!

So let’s start adding some colour and ‘zaz’ to that canvas shall we?

I honestly was dragging my feet a bit to bring me to the show tonight, I guess I just had a bit of start-of-year exhaustion, but straight away in opening song, touring album title track, ‘Family Business’ brings all those elements afore mentioned in my opening paragraph, and honestly, I can’t not smile and shake my booty, most likely to the horror of those behind me, but seriously you can’t not move to this funky music!

Clyde and Gracie interact with their audience from within their second song, and sustain the connection throughout the set, which is quite a lengthy one, filled with a beautifully curated blend of all the bands elements, highs, lows, sass, bite and everything in between.

I honestly am new to the bands’ music so I’m not too familiar with a lot of their tracks, but it really doesn’t matter, my interest, fascination and bum-wiggle stays throughout!

The sound you ask? Honestly, I can’t fault it, both from the sound mixer and the band! Both Clyde and Gracies vocals are nicely highlighted at the forefront of the sound, and I’m in awe in particular of Gracies voice! Going from happy, uplifting, attention-holding, to sassy, seductive, smokey, to larger than life brow-raising highs and deep serious melancholy.

The only somewhat negative thing I could say about the show, was I didn’t see a lot of movement of the band members. My friend did say after the show that Gracie did move around a lot, but still within her section of the stage. To be honest though, being an eight-piece band who need as much of their breath/energy for their instruments/vocals doesn’t leave a lot of space for moving around I wouldn’t imagine.

At the end of the day, the best most accurate thing I can say about one of Lawrence’s shows, is you can’t help but smile, get lost in the infectious blend of stunning sounds and dance shamelessly, ‘cause everyone else are too!

Definitely keen for the band to return to Australia, and I just hope wherever they perform, the venue has enough space for me to bring some of the friends to really well and truly break-out the dance moves!

Kane Brown 'In The Air Tour' @ Qudos Bank Arena Sydney 19/11/2024

GAME ON!

U.S country-pop superstar, gamer and all-round winning-guy, Kane Brown, has landed back down-under for his biggest Aussie tour yet, for his upcoming album ‘High Road’.

This champion was last here in 2022 for his headlining spot at Brisbane’s CMC Rocks Award Ceremony, plus a few extra stops around the country which launched Kane’s Aussie following straight up the high road to incredible heights, resulting in fans demanding his return!

I’m not usually into country music admittedly, but when my best mate saw him in 2022 and played his music for me, it intrigued me and caught my attention, so I guess I’m kinda like the villain in this game.

Let’s see if I can be turned from the dark side of the musical force…

So let me lay out the battlefield for y’all, I’m at the front barrier along the catwalk coming out from the middle of the main stage, well and truly impressed and warmed up by supporting artists Katie Bell and Cemeron Marlo, particularly Katie, as are the rest of the audience by the level of enthusiasm around me, and then it’s Kane’s turn.

Ima break this down into aspects, I guess kinda like Lego blocks.

First, the sound. At the front barrier of a concert, I opt for wearing my custom earplugs with their live music filters to both take the distorting edges of the sound to balance things out and make things generally more enjoyable, and of course, to protect my ears from damage. Tonight, yes, I do have my ear plugs in, but loosely, I ALMOST don’t need them. The sound is uhm, a bullseye, K.O, killshot, basically just insert whatever gamer adjective suits you. All sounds, Kane’s warm seductive vocals, the drums, piano, guitar and violin are all even and really well balanced for optimum enjoyment which, at the end of the day, is the most crucial aspect of a concert, the music.

But wait, THERE’S MORE! More? Yes Oliver Twist, more. Judging by the heat off to my right at parts, and that influx of light, I’m gonna go out on a limb and say that’s pyros coming up from the main stage. This, added with confetti blasting a couple of times and screens and pretty lights, it adds a nice layer to complement the music just like the graphics of a game, so that’s pretty awesome.

Thirdly, throughout the show which is nicely flowing from song to song for its energy and feeling to rise and fall strategically in parts, without losing the crowd's attention even in the lower parts, which I was honestly thinking that would happen for me as I’m not exactly a “country” fan, but no, it’s keeping even my attention… wait, where was I going with that, my attention span isn’t good sorry. 

Oh that’s right, even throughout the strategic song choices, it’s not just Kane strutting up and down the catwalk in front of me, apparently the guitarist and violinist are too, and not just once. I really like this, as a lot of the time it’s just the lead singer making use of the catwalk at shows and the rest of the band are back on the main stage left in the background, relatively unappreciated.

And finally, Kane’s nicely connected with the audience pretty constantly during and between songs, not personally connected with individuals that make some rare concerts truly special, but it’s far from fake with the way he connects with us.

All in all, the sound was pretty damn on-par, the stage setup and effect/niceties added a nice frosting to the cake, the length of the set was satisfying without dragging it out past the audience's expiration date, and the stage presence from Kane and his band were pretty damn ace too!

AND no cliche planned encore, just playing all the songs and telling us/getting us all pumped for the actual last song.

So, in summary, for someone who’s not really into country music, I’m actually going out of my way to play Kane Brown on my speakers now and finding it quite enjoyable, he balances country with pop and rock nicely! 

So I guess you could say this is that scene in Return Of The Jedi, where Darth Vader sacrifices himself to save Luke from Palpatine, ending his dark tyranny for Luke.