Died Pretty @ The Croxton Bandroom 23.04.2021
For the last year it’s been like a nuclear winter for the live music scene in Melbourne. Fourteen months to be specific. The last live gig I saw in Melbourne (apart from buskers in Bourke St) was Julia Jacklin at Melbourne Zoo back in February 2020. That was just before Covid Lockdown 1.0 happened. I […]
Calexico – Seasonal Shift (Spunk!)
Let’s get it over and done with – 2020 hasn’t been a great year. Thank goodness for all the musicians of the world who’ve kept making music throughout this unspeakable pandemic. As most couldn’t travel and haven’t been allowed to play live, at least technology has enabled digital recording and sharing, and live streaming performances. […]
Julia Jacklin + Weyes Blood @ Zoo Twilights, Melbourne, 28.02.2020
Julia Jacklin @ Nine Lives Festival by Bianca Holderness It’s a cool Friday night, the penultimate day of summer, out on the lawn at Melbourne Zoo. As usual for Zoo Twilights, it’s packed with folk of all ages, relaxing with a beer or a pink gin with mates and family, waiting to hear some great […]
Neko Case @ Elisabeth Murdoch Hall, Melbourne Recital Centre, 13.03.2019
Photo courtesy of @eliseormston It’s been a busy week for live music all over Australia. There were so many tantalising acts, both local and international, I had to rationalise and choose how many gigs I could attend (unfair). By the time tickets went on sale for Neko Case at the Melbourne Recital Centre, I almost […]
Marlon Williams & The Yarra Benders + Laura Jean @ Zoo Twilights, Melbourne, 08.03.2019
photo courtesy Jessie Fowler @jessiecfowler Another month of Zoo Twilights concerts is almost a wrap, with Marlon Williams, supported by Laura Jean, as the penultimate show. Laura Jean and her band arrive on the stage at dusk. I’m not familiar with her music, and she takes a couple of songs to warm up, but her […]
Calexico @ Theatre Royal, Castlemaine 27.01.19
I love a road trip. If I didn’t have to work, I’d probably buy a VW Kombi van or a convertible Mustang and take off with little more than a fridge, my music and my dog. At risk of being chastised by the family, I’ll qualify this by saying there is something deeply personal and […]
Phantastic Ferniture – Phantastic Ferniture (Makeout Records/Caroline Australia)
They wanted to make a pop record for fun, and yep, that’s what they’ve done. Phantastic Ferniture’s self-titled debut album gets the tick for ‘pop’ and ‘fun’, but not in that sickly boy-band/girl-band formulaic kind of way. It’s much more cool. There’s something that evokes the 80s for me, but the more I listen, the […]
Iron & Wine @ Sydney Opera House 26.05.2018
Photo courtesy Prudence Upton And so it transpires, this weekend is the opening of Sydney’s Vivid Live 2018 festival, in its 10th year. I’ve made the trip up from Melbourne to see Sam Beam and his full band, Iron & Wine, play at the Sydney Opera House having never set foot inside the building. I […]
The San Sebastian – Alive on the Black Sea (Spunk)
The San Sebastian’s debut album, Alive on the Black Sea, is an intriguing debut for Adelaide brothers, Dan and Joel Crannitch. If you were a fan of Sydney’s 78 SAAB in the early 2000s, or love other alt-country rock bands such as The Decemberists or Band of Horses, you might care to have a listen […]
The Collapse Board Interview: Leah Shapiro (Black Rebel Motorcycle Club)
Venita talks to Black Rebel Motorcycle Club drummer, Leah Shapiro, about creating the new album, Wrong Creatures, and the band’s hopes for some warm weather during their upcoming Australian tour. Next week’s forecast is warming up as Los Angeles trio, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, rock up to our shores to promote their latest album, Wrong […]
