Category Archives: Live Reviews

Live Review: Golden Plains 2012

Jack Midalia checks out Victoria’s finest music festival, Golden Plains, located in the Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre. Photos by Emiko Watanabe.

A lot of people who are unfamiliar with Golden Plains (or Meredith, its older, slightly bigger sister) react with surprise… Read More

Live Review: Bonnie “Prince” Billy & The Cairo Gang (acoustic set)

Jewel Cave, Augusta — Saturday, February 25, 2012

I am scared of things that are high and things that are low. Last year I caught the elevator to the top of 30 Rockefeller Plaza but couldn’t bring myself to step… Read More

Live Review: Thee Oh Sees at The Corner (January 24)

You don’t so much review an Oh Sees performance as try to document how you survived.

Peak Twins kick things off with a slightly nonchalant vibe, which works perfectly. I’m weirdly reminded of The Panics in some of the vocal… Read More

Review: Portishead at Belvoir — November 15, 2011

It’s fair to say most people at the Belvoir didn’t notice that Geoff Barrow messed up the scratch intro to Mysterons, my wife certainly didn’t. I did, I was waiting like an eager teen for the first scratch of the… Read More

Review: Okkervil River at Amplifier

As the crowd at Amplifier struggled to contain their enthusiasm for Okkervil River on Wednesday night, Amplifier struggled to contain the crowd. As the small venue slowly filled, the excitement in the atmosphere was tangible, the crowd nattered about favourite… Read More

Review: Mono at The Bakery

The Bakery — Sunday, October 9

At 10 o’clock on the dot, a crowd made of more hair than flesh stood silently in awe as the Japanese post-rock marvels, Mono took the stage at the Bakery. Without a single word… Read More

Dog Day Afternoon, or The WAM Saturday Spectacular

XBOX, MACARONI AND ZUMBA

I missed the first two rounds of sets since my family headed out to Malaga to find a new dog. Our Maggie, bless her withered and tired face, died moaning during the afternoon of the first day… Read More

2011 WAMi Festival

The WAMi Festival of 2011 is well-and-truly underway. The annual celebration of all things Western Australian music kicked off with a very fine opening night celebration at the Bakery last night.

Particular highlights included Abbe May doing what she usually does… Read More

Live Review: The Besnard Lakes — Manning Bar, Sydney

I will refrain from using the word ‘epic’ from hereon in, for fear of overuse and cliché. What I will say is this: The Besnard Lakes are a force to be reckoned with. I’ve always admired them for their lack… Read More

Tweenage Wasteland: ATP Presents Bowlie II

All Tomorrow’s Parties (ATP), the festival where the headline band acts as curator, has its origins in the Bowlie Weekender curated by Belle and Sebastian in April 1999 at Camper Sands in Sussex, UK. To wrap up the ten years of ATP celebrations (who needs to be specific about dates?) ATP got Belle and Sebastian back in the driver’s seat for Bowlie II at Butlins Holiday Camp in Minehead, Somerset, UK. When I realised this coincided with my European travel plans, I knew I had to go. An objective review of the weekend is impossible for me, as almost two weeks later I’m still gushing, so what follows is a kind of recollection of my experience of the greatest music festival I have ever known. Read More

Live Review: Tame Impala at The Astor

Talk about a hyped up homecoming. Getting a ticket to Tame Impala’s show at the Astor Theatre was the Perth music equivalent to finding one of Willy Wonka’s golden tickets. As the man at the record store so aptly put… Read More

Live Review: Sage Francis at The Rosemount

It all began with DJ Silence spinning beats as The Rosemount Hotel slowly began to fill up. Delirious came up next with a vigorous energy, matching the crowds building excitement about this show, Sage Francis’ first live show in Perth.… Read More

Review: ATP New York

Ten years in and All Tomorrow’s Parties have pretty much perfected the way in which a festival should be run. Everything just seems to fit. Not least is the location. Whilst there were rumours that ATP New York may… Read More

Live Review: Martyn, Tokimonsta, Illumsphere, Samiyam

Four of the most promising electronic producers came together in one banging showcase of off kilter, bass driven electronic madness at Villa Nightclub on Friday night. Local beat maker and former Red Bull Academy go-er, Ta-Ku kicked off the night and set the scene for what seemed to be the most eclectic electronic lineup of the year. Read More