Perth Music

2008 has been a wild ride for The Getaway Plan. Since the release of their debut album Other Voices, Other Rooms and it’s breakthrough hit single Where The City Meets The Sea, these four young Melbourne boys have sold out two national tours, become one of the most played Australian acts on radio and TV, and made themselves a household name with their unique brand of alternative rock. They have also been announced as part of the 2009 Big Day Out national tour. Guitarist, Clint Splattering spoke to Justin Middleton for this exclusive interview.

I asked Clint to explain the creation of their debut album and how the experience was recording in Florida. “We wrote the album here in Australia in a little rehearsal room where we locked ourselves away for about three months and then once we had written enough material we started looking around for producers. We couldn’t really find anyone in Australia that we felt was on the same page as us, there are a lot of great producers in Australia but none that we felt were on the same level that we wanted them to be on. So we decided to have a look over in the U.S and we sent out a bunch of emails and we got a really quick reply from James Paul Wisner (Dashboard Confessional, The Academy Is…, Underoath) and he ended up producing the album.”

“So then we booked the flights and flew over to Florida and spent around two and a half months recording. It was good being over there and that being the only thing in our lives for that period of time. We were there strictly to record the album and there was no way we were going to get side tracked or go out with friends or get distracted with family problems or whatever. It was kind of a double edged sword because we got very home sick and missed our girlfriends and parents and it did get really, really hard. After we did the album we had planned on staying there for two weeks just to hang out and maybe go to Disneyworld but we ended up just coming home as soon as we could.”

I also asked Clint how excited the band was playing the Big Day Out tour and his thoughts on all the music festivals there are in summer. “We are all really excited about that. There’s so many bands on during the day that we will be treating the shows a little different to demand more attention. We will be trying to play more of our energetic songs to get the crowd pumped and hopefully remember us. It is amazing exposure and playing with all these other awesome bands to just great for our profile and I know that here in Melbourne the crowds are around 35,000 so it is a really big opportunity. We’ve done other smaller music festivals like Pushover and Come Together Festival and we are doing Homebake but nothing the size of the Big Day Out.”

“There are so many festivals these days it’s amazing. I mean Soundwave has pretty much every single band you’ve ever heard of, all coming out at once. I wonder when are these bands going to do their own tours, everyone is jumping on the festival bandwagon. For the Big Day Out I am really, really excited to see The Prodigy and I just heard that Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters) is going to be drumming for them. I also heard a rumour that Fantômas are playing, with Mike Patton and Dave Lombardo and that is going to be crazy. I think they will be pretty trippy days and nights. Our guitar tech has done Big Day Out tours before and he’s told us that there is an after party and then an after-after party so from what I gather it’s just a massive party tour.”

Other Voices, Other Rooms is out now. For more info visit www.thegetawayplan.com

Big Day Out Tour Dates:
Fri 16th January - MT Smart Stadium, Auckland
Sun 18th January - Parklands, Gold Coast
Fri 23rd January - Sydney Showgrounds, Sydney
Mon 26th January - Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne
Fri 30th January - Adelaide Showgrounds, Adelaide
Sun 1st February - Claremont Showgrounds, Perth

For their new record The Night Is Ours, Youth Group undertook a unique recording process. Over a couple of months late last year, the band holed up in a near derelict 1920s mess hall on Sydney’s harbour to create their fourth album. They decided against traditional studio procedures and turned a vacated building into a studio, bringing in all of their own gear to create an inimitable recording environment which allowed them to work at their own pace. The old dining room morphed into their ‘band room’ and the old bathroom became the ‘control room’. This unusual approach helped to shape the 10 songs that make up the personality of The Night Is Ours. The band have also been announced as part of the 2009 Big Day Out tour.  Drummer/Keyboadist, Danny Allen spoke to Justin Middleton for this exclusive interview.

Click here to download the podcast of the entire interview. (15:27 - 1.7Mb)

I asked Danny to explain the process the band went through in the creation of their latest album. “We were able to setup a temporary studio as we were looking for a place to do the album over a period of time rather than cram it into a normal recording schedule where money dictates things moving along. So for that reason we decided not to work with (producer) Wayne Connolly again, just to save some money and to try and do it with some friends, our live mixer Anthony The and his friend Tim Kevin. In that way we were able to work on the album over a period of three months, day and night, rather than cram it into a couple of weeks. We were looking at churches and disused community halls and we found a mess hall from a coal mining site in Waverton, North Sydney near the harbour. It had a very relaxing atmosphere and I think that definitely shows on the album.”

“We didn’t have a lot of the songs studio ready at the time like we would have in the past because we wanted them to evolve in there and be able to work on them while we were going. You don’t get to do that sort of thing very often and I don’t even know if we will be able to do it again. It was pretty incredible to be that close to the city and still feel isolated.”

Youth Group had just finished doing a tour with theredsunband and I asked Danny how much fun that was. “It was great. They are all friends which helped a lot. Toby (Martin) and Sarah (Kelly) from theredsunband were on Rockwiz together and did a duet of Sometimes Always, the Jesus & Mary Chain song. So we had the idea of closing all the shows with it and it ended up being both bands up there playing a few of each others songs. It was brilliant and went better than we could have imagined. Our manager was saying ‘just amalgamate’. I’ve always wanted to play with two drums on stage and I think it really worked.”

With the band being announced on the Big Day Out tour I asked Danny how the band treats these types of festivals. “We have a tendency to play a lot of our quieter songs in the smaller setting but you can’t really get away with that at festivals. We actually thought that for these Big Day Out shows we’d just write a setlist where we play every single that we’ve released.”

I also asked which bands Danny was exciting in seeing on the tour. “Neil Young, of course and My Morning Jacket, I have never seen them live and I can’t wait. And TV On The Radio, I’ve only seen them once and that was the best things I’ve ever seen. The last Big Day Out tour we did was amazing, the lineup was amazing and backstage was great. Of course there are some bands that are friendlier than others but we made friends with Kings Of Leon and we ended up doing a tour with them. I’m sure that happens for a lot of bands.”

The Night Is Ours is out now. For more info visit www.youthgroup.com.au

Big Day Out Tour Dates:
Fri 16th January - MT Smart Stadium, Auckland
Sun 18th January - Parklands, Gold Coast
Fri 23rd January - Sydney Showgrounds, Sydney
Mon 26th January - Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne
Fri 30th January - Adelaide Showgrounds, Adelaide
Sun 1st February - Claremont Showgrounds, Perth

Tuesday 11th November 2008
Burswood Dome
Rihanna
Chris Brown

A sold out Burswood Dome was host to two of the biggest musical acts in the world today and 15,000 happy faces lined up outside ready for a spectacular R’n'B show. The uncertainty of Rihanna’s health was on everybody’s mind after she collapsed off stage just a few days previously. Parking was again quite an issue but with so many people descending upon Burswood it was to be expected. Rihanna and Chris Brown had multiple songs in the top ten over the last year so the anticipation was quite electric.

Even before the show had begun the crowd of young, excited girls and a few boys had squeezed themselves up to the front as much as they could and many hd photos or flowers or presents that they were hoping to throw on stage. Coming on stage fashionably late, Chris Brown started with a bang in what ended up being one hell of a show. He started with songs from alternating albums in Wall 2 Wall followed by Gimme That and followed by I’ll Call Ya. Always the entertainer, Brown smiled throughout all of his songs along with waving and blowing kisses into the crowd. A short break allowed a change of clothes followed by Picture Perfect, Yo (Excuse Me Miss) and Say Goodbye which kept the crowd dancing. Up next was the one of the highlights of the night as Brown danced his way through a Michael Jackson medley with a moonwalk and all. Another short break was followed by a bunch of hit singles with Run It, Kiss Kiss, With You, No Air and finally Forever. If this was the end of the concert almost everybody present would have gone home happy but there was still another world class entertainer still to come.

A lengthy break allowed a complete new stage to be erected and also allowed a lot more boys to rush up to the front. Rihanna started her set raised high on a platform with fire exploding from the stage below and singing current smash hit Disturbia. A thoroughly choreographed routine did allow Rihanna to show off her dancing skills but did limit her vocally in some songs. Some highlights of the set were S.O.S, Shut Up and Drive, Rehab as well as a guest appearance by a masked Chris Brown causing Rihanna to giggle like a school girl. Pyrotechnics were used in many of Rihanna’s songs causing the crowd to gasp in amazement and definitely looked great in the enclosed Burswood Dome. The end of the night consisted of a great rendition of Take A Bow and an even better rendition of Umbrella / Cinderalla by Rihanna and Chris Brown.

Southbound 2009 may have sold out in record time but the work is not finished yet! Sunset Events is proud to announce another round of superb talent as well as a festival-wide eclectic explosion of visual art, circus performances, dance, experimental art and more, completing the Southbound 2009 experience!

STAGEBOUND
It’s official – the mighty fine Will Stoker & The Embers have taken out the StageBound final and are headed straight to the Southbound stage. The band’s profile has risen steadily since their inception back in 2006. After winning the National Campus Battle Of The Bands competition in 2007 the five-piece have been building an impressive following of punters on both sides of the continent, drawn to Stoker’s unhinged stage persona and impressive musicianship and song craft. Their latest EP – The Five Beds For Bitsy EP – impressively displays the full range of sound and emotion at their collective grasp. Catch them at Southbound.

JB SEED
The JB Seed project has sown its name as one of the finest initiatives in Australia. Just ask Queensland’s The John Steel Singers. These purveyors of glorious backyard summer pop melodies are the latest recipients of the much-esteemed grant and are now coming to Southbound!

SONICBIDS
And after aurally trekking through some of the finest entries we’ve ever heard (more than 250 in fact), we’re mighty excited to announce the Sonicbids winner is The Shiny Brights. These Adelaide indie kids were born in a riverside warehouse amongst an army of used whitegoods. They recently launched their debut EP Let’s Not And Say We Did to a sold out crowd in their hometown. The boys are rapidly becoming renowned for their explosive and surprising live shows.

BLUEJUICE
We regret to announce that The Cribs have withdrawn from their national tour and thus Southbound. However, we are excited that Sydney crackers Bluejuice will be stepping up to the microphone. We welcome them to the Southbound family.

COCONUT CLUB - SATURDAY
It’s all in the name friends! The Coconut Club makes a return to the festival on Saturday and is the place to go for your dizzy fix of rhythmic mayhem, spiced with chilled beats and shaken grooves. Catch Johnny Gleeson (fresh from his summer residency at the iconic Pasha Nightclub in Ibiza), Micah, Swami Adima, The Audiofiles, Phil Cooker, Sharif Galal, Charlie Bucket, Frankie Button, Captain Namu, Pussy Shoogah, The Soul Purpose and percussion specialists Alex Koresis and Adam Cousins.

GROOVE TENT - FRIDAY
We all like a good ol’ fashioned groove. And there’s no better place to find it than the Groove Tent in Base Camp on Friday. We’ve drafted the finest instigators of bottom-shaking this side of the solar system, including: DJ Nina (jetting in from Bali, where she holds residencies at Ku De Ta and Double Six), Captain Quirk, Sugar Blue Burlesque Show, Pussy Shoogah, Damian John, The Takers, Kit Pop, Frankie Button, Swami Adima, Dave Miller, DJ Philly, Robbie Rogue, Cool Hand Luke, Alex Koresis and Adam Cousins. After midnight on Friday fringe performers Sugar Blue Burlesque and Captain Quirk will bring the night home, followed by Dreamstate Circus and the Wadumbah Aboriginal Dance Group after midnight on Saturday.

LOUNGE/OPEN MIC
We’ve gathered the finest crooners of the intimate stage to garrison the Lounge in Base Camp. On Friday catch DJ Bilsby, DJ Travis, The Soul Purpose, Main Ingredient/Dan De Silva, Xave Brown, Felicity Groom, Rachel & Henry Climb A Hill, Carus, Mel Timms, Arons Crucade and Simon Kelly. Then on Saturday catch DJ Bilsby, The Soul Purpose, Main Ingredient/Dan De Silva, Jordi James, Carus and DJ Missile. And why not jump up and have a tinker yourself? There will be plenty of open mic slots for the rising star in you.

Following the announcement of the huge line up of awesome acts playing the Good Vibrations Festival next February, Jam Music is keeping the party vibe going with a second announcement featuring some very cool local talent.

Local artists confirmed to perform at Good Vibrations Festival 2009:

Perth Locals:
DJ Armee
Ben Mac
Bourgeois Bogan DJ’s
Brash & Sassy
Damian John
Dave Beres
Death Disco
Downsyde
Electric Limousine
Flex
Marty McFly
Micah
Mick Zing
Mind Electric
Rob Sharp
Sampology
Signal Drivers
Stefan Gooch
Steve Lind
The Takers
The Transients
The Typhoons
Thunderclap DJ’s
Voltaire Twins
Zeke
Zelimir

These locals will be joining already announced headliners Fatboy Slim, The Presets, The Roots, Deadmu5, The Pharcyde, Sam Sparro, Roni Size Reprazent, Chromeo, Stanton Warriors, The Potbelleez, Kid Kenobi & MC Shureshock, Micky Slim, Yelle, Wale, The Cuban Brothers, Miami Horror, Rico Tubbs, Mike Relm and master of ceremonies Supernatural on the 2009 Good Vibrations Festival line up.

Tickets for all shows are selling FAST (Sydney has sold out!) so all you party people should get in quick while they’re still available!

Good Vibrations Festival 2009 Perth, Heirisson Island - Sunday 22 February

Tickets on sale NOW (Ticket price: $129.00 + BF) www.gvf.com.au & www.moshtix.com.au

Friday 7th November 2008
Burswood Dome
Snoop Dogg
Ice Cube
Bone, Thugs & Harmony

After all the media hype of whether Snoop Dogg would be able to enter Australia with a valid visa and all the razzle dazzle of rap is put aside the big question on everyone’s mind was would tonight be a good show. The crowd wasn’t huge for such an international lineup but the crowd that was there were representing West-side big time. There was a mix of angry, young men, trashy girls, wiggas and worried parents and after seeing a few fights break out in the mosh pit, they had every reason to worry. Ice Cube and Bone, Thugs & Harmony headlining their own shows ten to fifteen years ago and they still have almost as many fans as Snoop has now.

It was a very early start to the concert and with parking almost impossible at Burswood many people missed out on seeing Bone, Thugs & Harmony. There were a few people dancing in the stands but it was a poor turnout for the start of the night but they did put on a good show.  Even though it came out 12 years ago, Tha Crossroads was really the song most people were waiting for and when they played it as their last song of their set the night really started.

When Ice Cube walked on stage a huge backdrop of his face showed how many of his fans see him; bigger than real life. It was about his time of the night that ‘mutha fuckas’ started getting shouted from the stage and the crowd loved it. You Can Do It (Put Your Back Into It) was a big sing and dance along moment and a crowd favourite along with It Was A Good Day and We Be Clubbin. When Ice Cube explained that it didn’t smell right in the Dome it was a cue for everyone to light up their weed and everybody obliged. The funny thing was that because it was a Dome the smoke didn’t have a lot of room to move.

After a really, really long break, a video of Snoop mixed with Scarface played on the big screen as he walked on stage. The crowd loved every minute of the set and it was a different appreciation than that of Ice Cube. Where Ice Cube had songs that had plenty of meaning and sung really well, Snoop entertained the crowd with more pop songs. It was also pretty funny seeing Snoop come out for the second half of the set in a Perth Wildcats jersey with Snoop printed on the back. Crowd favourites were Gin & Juice, Beautiful, Who Am I (What’s My Name), I Wanna Fuck You, Drop It Like It’s Hot and P.I.M.P. It was a surprise that a lot of the songs Snoop sang were actually songs that he featured on and not necessarily his. Fans enjoyed the show but overall the night was a bit hit and miss.

Monday 3rd November 2008
Regal Theatre, Subiaco
Augie March
Dan Kelly

Augie March decided on playing many theatre shows for their national tour to support their latest album, Watch Me Disappear and the Regal Theatre was the perfect location for tonight’s show. Even for a Monday night the crowd that had gathered early was very healthy and out the front lots of merchandise was selling. The sit down theatre was a great way to not only see and hear Augie March but also to experience the music which the band have been trying to get across to fans for many, many years.

On first was Dan Kelly and the Ukeladies who were not only entertaining but hilarious as well. Kelly chatted away to the crowd in between songs, explaining the history of each song while the faux Hawaiian Ukeladies sang, strut and swooned the crowd. Apart from the world’s first ever mobile phone distortion solo in a song the highlight was The S.U.V song which got everyone in the room swaying and singing along. Luckily, Kelly would be back on stage as the unofficial new member of Augie March next.

After a short intermission Augie March were on stage bathed in blue light and soaking up the appreciative cheers from the crowd. The set started with new songs Watch Me Disappear, Lupus, the beautiful Pennywhistle and The Farmer’s Son and after this the band seemed to loosen up a little. A bunch of songs from Moo, You Bloody Choir were then played including Thin Captain Crackers, The Cold Acre, The Baron Of Sentiment and The Honey Month and Dan Kelly perfectly fit into the band complimenting each and every member. Coming up to the end of the set One Crowded Hour and There Is No Such Place gave the crowd everything they wanted but there was even more to come. After a short break the encore consisted of Dogsday, The Slant, Owen’s Lament and This Train Will Be Taking No Passengers in what ended up being a great 2 hour set. Perfect band, perfect location and perfect music.

Chugg Entertainment today confirmed that Coldplay would return to Australia next February on their “Viva La Vida” tour, in support of their new album of the same name.

In a rare move for the Australian market, Coldplay will go on-sale with two shows in each of the East Coast cities to ensure as many tickets as possible are made available to meet the demand that was set the last time they toured.

The four-city jaunt will kick off on Friday 27th February at the Burswood Dome in Perth, travel to Melbourne for two shows on Tuesday 3rd and Wednesday 4th March, and then move on to Brisbane at the Entertainment Centre on Sunday 8th and Monday 9th March. The tour finishes up at Sydney’s Acer Arena on Wednesday 11th and Thursday 12th March.

On their last concert tour of Australia in June 2006, Coldplay sold out a total of ten arenas shows, playing to more than 100,000 people, garnering rave reviews and leaving rapturous fans in their wake.

For all shows, a special Visa Entertainment pre-sale starts at 9am local time on Thursday 27 November; tickets go on sale to the general public via Ticketek on Thursday 4 December. Ticket details are available at www.ticketek.com.au or 132 849.

In time for the anticipated tour announcement, EMI has just yesterday released Coldplay’s Viva La Vida - Prospekt’s March edition. The two-disc deluxe package includes Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends, the band’s fourth full-length album, plus a brand new EP entitled Prospekt’s March. The EP, which will also be for sale separately, includes six recently-completed songs that the band had begun recording during the Viva La Vida sessions and brand new versions of two album tracks – Lost + (featuring Jay-Z) and Lovers in Japan (Osaka Sun mix). Viva La Vida was released in June 2008 and went on to chart at No. 1 in 36 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia.

Tour Dates:
Fri 27th February - Burswood Dome, Perth
Tue 3rd and Wed 4th March - Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne
Sun 8th and Mon 9th March - Entertainment Centre, Brisbane
Wed 11th and Thur 12th March - Acer Arena, Sydney

Tickets for all shows on sale 9am, Thursday 4 December through Ticketek.

First Lineup Announcement:
N*E*R*D
Basement Jaxx
CSS
Paul Oakenfold
Markus Shulz
Etienne de Crecy
Steve Angello
Sebastian Ingrosso
Joachim Garraud
Mr Ozio
Christopher Lawrence
Tocadisco
Super8 & Tab
Lifelike
Yacht

Many more to be announced…

Dates:
Sat 28th February – Royal Randwick Racecourse, Sydney
Sun 1st March – Wellington Square, Perth
Sat 7th March – Brisbane Turf Club, Brisbane
Sun 8th March – Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne
Mon 9th March - Rundle Park, Adelaide

TICKETS:
Tickets on sale December 8 through Ticketmaster.

AUSTRALIA! V FESTIVAL is back!

For the third year in a row V Festival will again mark out turf in late March when four Aussie events occur in Sydney, on the Gold Coast, and in Melbourne and Perth.

And now for the lineup: The Killers, Snow Patrol, Kaiser Chiefs, Elbow, Duffy, Louis XIV, The Do, Tame Impala, The Temper Trap, Canyons.

Tickets are $139.90 and go on sale 24th November from www.ticketmaster.com.au

Dates:
Sat 28th March - Centennial ParkSydney, NSW
Sun 29th March - Avica Resort, Gold Coast
Sat 4th April - Melbourne Showgrounds, VIC
Sun 5th April - Claremont Showgrounds, WA