Perth Music

Monday 2nd March 2009
Steel blue Oval, Bassendean
Review by Luke Butcher

The third instalment of Soundwave was threatening to be overcast and windy by the time the gates were first opened and punters flooded in to catch the early bands. First up on Stage 2 was local boys Elora Danan, who played a strong set of new material from their forthcoming album due out this weekend, definitely worth checking out. The six piece got the crowd warmed up with their (three) layered guitars and powerful dual vocals. Despite playing only Parallel Universe from the breakout EP of last year, the crowd were obviously digging it, a perfect representation on the talent coming out of Perth’s heavier scene at the moment.

Over on Stage 3 a huge crowd had swelled to see Floridian kings of pop-punk New Found Glory. Despite their early time slot the crowd, made up mainly of long time fans of the Drive Thru Records days, witnessed an awesome set that showed why NFG are still producing quality records some 15 years into their career. Opening with the first tracks from their two biggest records Catalyst and Sticks and Stones, NFG brought the energy and the hooks; the crowd was clearly loving it. Playing a set full of classics and tracks from their two newest EP’s and just released album, the five piece engaged the crowd and were completely humble whilst delivering a killer set that reminded us all why we fell in love with them in the first place. After front man Jordan Pundik claimed their drummer was born in Perth, which they later admitted was a lie, NFG showed their experience playing Dawson’s Creek hit Kiss Me, from their 2007 covers EP From the Screen to Your Stereo 2, and fan favourite Hit or Miss. After sincerely thanking the crowd and announcing they will be back later in the year (shit yeh) the lads sent the crowd into climax with closer My Friends Over You. Awesome.

After a brief look at the disappointingly metal All That Remains, up next on Stage 3 was cult power pop band Saves The Day. Bringing a strong indi vibe to the smallish crowd, fans were delivered a well rounded set which showcased the emotion and heart these guys put into their music. With a bit of bounce and plenty of sing a longs, the growing crowd were not left disappointed. With at times a strong Jebediah feel, the band definitely pleased a lot of fans and showed why to certain people this band are almost a way of life.

After what was definitely the most entertaining soundcheck of the day, Jaguar Love busted into their dancey indi punk. The day was finally starting to heat up and so where these guys, JL introduced a great dance vibe to newly introduced Stage 6, enabling a few punters to throw some limbs around, however the use of backing tracks to replace the absent rhythm section was a little strange. Nonetheless the two piece with their flamboyant frontman, who’s been described as Robert Plant on crack (or my favourite, Perry Farrel after a sex change), did win over the crowd with their driving guitar rhythms and equally crazy keyboard lines and vocals. A breath of fresh air.

Speaking of air, the wind had been threatening to play havoc with the mixes all day and just may have achieved that on at Main Stage 2. When the lone figure of drummer (and clean vocalist) Aaron Gillespie appeared, you new it was the moment many fans (and teenage girls) had been waiting for. After a brief drum solo, Underoath exploded onto the stage for only their second time in Perth, and injected a huge shot of energy into what was so far the biggest crowd of the day. The bands bag was full of metalcore tricks, with breakdowns galore and punishing guitars and vocals. With the obligatory, but not preachy Christian speech, the band lost some punters, however at one stage a 20 metre circle pit broke out, an obvious tick of approval from the diehards. The band have something Intangible, something more than the majority of metalcore or even post- hardcore bands out today. The use of programming and keyboards as well as non-generic drumming create a strong sense of melody that most bands in their scene lack. Despite a poor mix, Underoath killed it.

Directly (like 5 seconds) after the guitars on Stage 2 had rung out Soundwave got shaken up, leaving punters running. Running to Main Stage 1 where Florida alt-rockers Anberlin exploded with the biggest sound of the day. The anticipation surrounding this band after anyone who witnessed their Perth show last year was obvious with a huge crowd of young and old making their way over. Giving this reviewer the first set of shivers for the day, the loud as hell Anblerlin went through tracks mainly from their 2007 masterpiece Cities and 2008 release New Surrender. The band could do no wrong. Sounding huge, tight and unexplainably beautiful the five piece won over the uninitiated and reinforced to existing fans why they have such a diehard following. Claiming they love Australia (Anberlin regularly tour oz) so much they wrote a song about it, Adelaide kicked the energy up to another level. Despite including elements from many genres, the band kept fans completely engaged. The ironically named Stephen Christian was on fire, taking vocals further than their studio placing and interacting perfectly with the crowd. The intoxicating rhythm and perfect progression of Dismantle. Repair. set off another set of shivers and the band ended with a bang leaving the biggest crowd of the day gobsmacked, also announcing they will be back later in the year. Alliteration aside, Anberlin are absolutely Amazing!!

Over on the intimate, shade covered Stage 5, a moderate crowd got to get their dance on to disco-punk rockers Innerpartysystem. The band sound fresh, managing to capture their studio sound live and introduce a strong element of fun into their rock soundings. Using Synthesisers, Samples, Vocal Effects and Programming, the band keep audiences guessing at what was going to happen next, but maintain attention with some heavy dance beats and guitar lines. Imagine a not shit version of Metro Station.

On Main Stage 1 a different looking crowd was starting to form. Made up of metal heads, scene kids and a “whos who” of local bands of the more technical variety. Waiting for the band to arrive, the air felt different, while those who new what was about to happen, patiently waited. Math Metal gods the Dillinger Escape Plan burst out and immediately got their crazy on. To describe this band is impossible, the level of technicality at which they play as well as the speed at which they play it is ridiculous, all whilst jumping on, around and off the stage more than all of the bands combined had done thus far. It was a set of Guitar Spins and Broken Strings, completely Spasmodic and Virtuoso, literally unbelievable. The introduction of new touring drummer Bill Rymer, did not slow things down a bit. How anyone can write this drumming with its ridiculous time signatures, completely atypical structuring and percussion, blast beats, non stop at (what seemed like) a million beats per minute, amazes me. To have to come in and learn this and tour the world whilst still making it look easy and fit in as many stick spins as he does defies me. The talent clearly doesn’t stop with him, with insane guitar lines delivered by guitar god’s Ben Weinman and Jeff Tuttle effortlessly on stage, on the drum kit, on the amp stacks, on the foldback monitors, mid air, mid spin and on the walls. (somehow justifies Weinman wearing knee pads under his jeans) The intricate bass delivered almost upright by Liam Wilson possess clear jazz influences, placing the guitarist levels above modern day metal bassists. The insane energy is capped of by the intimidatingly biceped frontman Greg Puciato. The man is massive; with an obvious appetite for steroids he controls the stage and leads the music with aggression and passion, somehow staying connected with the carnage going on in the music, without coming of arrogant or disinterested. The introduction of falsetto vocals with single black bubblegum showed the band have a keen ear for a hook, whilst the 5 piece seemed humbled to play to the completely blown away audience and came across as professionals at the top of their game. Absolutely Insane. Clearly leagues above some of the more generic metal bands on the bill, and possibly the best band in the world. No word of a lie, this reviewers mind hurt after watching and listening to their set.

Pity was felt for whoever followed Dillinger. Unlucky Bloodhound Gang. Not everyone’s cup of tea, but appeared to please those interested in them. Even overheard one punter describing how the guitarist vomited in the singer’s hat and then put it on his head. Pretty much sums them up.

With a short break and checking out a surprisingly awesome set from Chiodis, it was time for Los Angeles indi pop punkers Say Anything. Fronted by musical genius and struggling bi-polar Max Beamis. The band faced a long and arduous soundcheck. Playing a six piece live, the equipment on Stage 5 was failing and as a result Say Anything lost twenty minutes from their set. To properly receive the deeply personally music, one must understand where Beamis’ is coming from. His songs detail struggles with addictions, depression, intense happiness, insanity, religion, hopefulness and anger and are littered with unconventional metaphors. Lyrically Beamis is a genius and playing live he guides the ship with the microphone. (Say Anything write as a 3 piece with Beamis heading lyrics, guitars, vocals and keyboards, playing live as a 6 piece) However the poor mix for the first half of the set hindered Beamis ability to properly deliver his stories. However the band took care of keeping the intimate crowd engaged with many fans sing along to every word. The majority of the set was filled with songs off their first two albums; only lead single Shiksa being played off the bands latest release, the challenging but incredible 27 track double album In Defence Of The Genre. Say Anything delivered a strong set that fans new and old loved, also announcing they will be coming back later in the year.

As the sun set on Soundwave, the night had only just begun. On Stage 4, Virginian metallers Lamb Of God bought the brutality. Anticipation was huge for the band, with the strongest contingent of band shirts at the whole festival; they definitely had some fans about. A couple of punters even battled security guards and climbed the marquee over the sound desk just to get a picture as the band entered the stage. LOG were everything expected, heavy, dark, brutal and technically impressive, especially for a band with a combined age that must be over 200. Appearing mainly as long haired silhouettes in the smoke and lights, the band delivered redneck metal that a huge number of fans (even spilling over the hill of the ground) clearly lapped up.

On Main Stage 2 the headliners of the night industrial rock monsters Nine Inch Nails took the stage for what is rumoured to be their final string of shows as the band dissect after 20 years of making quality music. As a follower of the band but by no means a fan, I was completely blown away. The scope of the show, as well as the at times beauty, heaviness and groove was remarkable. The amount of gadgets musical mastermind Trent Reznor and band used was startling, but it never became over absorbent. With a truly electronic approach the band managed to capture multiple moods and keep the hugest crowd of the day waiting on every move. With hundreds of thousands of dollars of gear on display the band travelled through multiple sound scapes and delivered a truly superb set that showed why they are one of the biggest and hardest working bands on the planet. The band had a level of prestige and mystery that only the best have and managed to keep an audience of thousands eating out of their hands.

Leaving towards the end of NIN’s mammoth set to check out reggae rock soul band Bedouin Soundclash was an action not regreted. The 3 piece from Canada fit with a trumpeter and trombonist, bought the god vibes and the dance groove. Playing on Stage 5 with the lights twinkling amongst the trees to an intimate crowd was an experience only a handful were lucky to experience. The chilled out tunes and magic in the air made for some awesome moments that allowed punters to dance out their last remaining stocks of energy. Finishing with anthem Nothing To Say and inviting all those watching side of stage to join them, BS bought the party and allowed all those present to reflect on what was a magical day.

An amazing festival that was extremely well run with huge international bands that each delivered; the only way to sum up Soundwave 09. Strolling past NIN finishing up with 10 musicians on stage playing and then proceeding to destroy all their instruments was simply icing on the cake. Sorry for those who missed.

Photos from the day can be found here (thanks to Noodlez)

Saturday 24th January 2009
Supreme Court Gardens, Perth

It was that time of year again for Perth to look and sound like a little slice of Jamaica and even though the attendance was down from last year there was still a nice turnout for the premiere Raggae festival of Perth. There were plenty of dancing, smiles and just happy people all around Supreme Court Gardens and with the river, the Bell Tower and the new Perth Ferris Wheel as a back drop, it was definitely the place to be.

A band that formed over 40 years ago in Jamaica had the growing crowd excited that they had arrived early and as soon as their most recognisable song started to play, they controlled the stage. That band was Inner Circle and that song was Bad Boys, from the movie of the same name and the TV show COPS. Their sound and passion have not diminished in time and it was a great start to the day.

Next up were a band that you can’t help but fall in love with every time that hear one of their songs, Arrested Development. There were plenty of dancers on stage for Arrested Development and the band are still as political as ever celebrating the recent inauguration of Barack Obama. Hits such as Mr Wendal, Tennessee and People Everyday were all played and brought a lot of the people in the crowd back to the 1990’s.

After a break that many people used to get a drink or to try and find some shade to rest, Shaggy’s band came on stage and played a drawn out intro. Shaggy then arrived and, like he has done for many years, talked to all the ladies in the crowd and got everybody to put their hands in the air like they just don’t care. Even though it did seem at times that Shaggy talked a lot more than he actually sang, he did sing a great set including Mr Boombastic, It Wasn’t Me, Angel and In The Summertime. He also spent some time with the microphone down his pants.

After playing at last year’s Raggamuffin with his band UB40, Ali Campbell was flying solo this year but with a set as good as today’s you almost couldn’t tell. Campbell took control of the stage and was quite impressive for a 50 year old. He played great hits including Would I Lie To You, Can’t Help Falling In Love, Kingston Town and of course Red, Red Wine.

What could possibly follow a classic, reggae inspired 50 year old singing classic tunes but a classic reggae 60 year old singing classic reggae tunes. Eddy Grant arrived on stage and got on with business allowing the setting sun to make the moment even more beautiful than one would expect. Electric Avenue, Romancing The Stone, War Party, I Don’t Wanna Dance and Gimme Hope Jo’anna were all part of Grant’s impressive set.

After another short break, the headliner of the day Ziggy Marley arrived on stage with a smile on his face and a swagger in his step. The oldest son of Bob Marley has achieved so much in his illustrious career, winning Grammy awards, being part of The Melody Makers with his siblings as well as being an accomplished solo artist. The crowd raised their Jamaican flags high above their heads, put their arms around their mates and sang along loud and proud as Marley dazzled with hits including Black Cat, Raw Riddim and True To Myself. Tonight Marley truly did bring a slice of Jamaica to Perth.

Photos thanks to Antzpantz.

Saturday 3rd January 2009
Sir Stewart Bovell Park, Busselton

After a warm, dusty, uncomfortable camping night it was time to start Day 2 of Southbound and with the first bands on stage around 11am there wasn’t much time to wake up properly or shower for most. Violent Soho were the first band on the main stage that had not been used on Day 1 and they made the most of the early time slot. There was a small crowd watching the Queensland youngsters but they got a slap in the face to start the day in the grunge variety. Their diehard fans were moshing at the front but most fans sat back admiring the band and nursed their hangovers from the day before.

Also on early, French cutie Soko drew a huge crowd to the undercover Other stage. Soko is currently a Triple J darling with her acoustic I Will Never Love You More so many fans arrived filled more with curiosity then a strong knowledge of Soko’s songs. Soko played the ukulele, cried while singing and swore like a sailor and still seemed sincere and cute. For those that were curious, the French singer impressed and undoubtedly sold a few albums with this performance.

Up next on the undercover stage were Aussie youngster duo Dash and Will. These cute 18 year olds only drew a quarter of the crowd that Soko had on the same stage but those that were there had a lot of fun. There was some sound issues at the start of the set but the girls showed professionalism and talent taking turns playing guitar, singing and even some interpretive dancing. Dash and Will’s single Pick You Up got the crowd moving and the strength in the live show and musical talent definitely points to keeping an eye on these girls in the future.

A definite highlight for many on Day 2 was on next on the main stage, Santogold. A large crowd waited in anticipation for Santi White to come on stage but had to wait while her DJ mixed and scratched a great set for at least 20 minutes. Santi then walked on stage accompanied by two backup singer/dancers dressed head to toe in gold sparkles and black hoods. The very popular L.E.S.Artistes was played early on and got the thousands in the crowd dancing and moving around. Santi smiled throughout her set and genuinely seemed to be having fun and enjoying herself which also created a great vibe for the audience.

Swedish singer Lykke Li was up next and even though there was a big crowd watching her, it took a little while for the crowd to really get into her music. Much like the audience for Soko, it seemed many were there out of curiosity and didn’t know quite what to expect from the Swede. Lykke Li performed very well, banging drums, dancing around crazily and singing with passion but the initial quirkiness took the crowd a while to respond. Once Li’s single I’m Good, I’m Gone was played the crowd seemed to click and started to appreciate the singer and her music and got completely into it for the rest of her set. Although quirky at times Lykke Li is another artist to watch in the near future.

Canadian sisters Tegan and Sara had many fans in attendance and they didn’t disappoint. Their mid afternoon set put some indie rock back into Southbound and the high touring schedule they have had showed with the tightness of their singing and music. Without much banter, the sisters got on with the show and let their music do all the talking for them. At the same time on the smaller stage UK indie band Mystery Jets arrived dressed in colourful clothing and even more colourful personalities. The crowd watching Mystery Jets wasn’t huge but as soon as the band started playing Young Love everyone there started dancing.

The Kooks have had a lot of great press in the UK and all the hype may have caused a lot of people to see if they deserved it. Again there wasn’t a lot of interaction between the band and the crowd but The Kooks were tight on stage today and proved they are a good band. Naive was the big crowd pleaser but most people probably don’t remember many other songs that they played.

It was now time for the business end of the festival and a lot of great live bands were scheduled to be on either at the same time of straight after each other. Faker have a great live reputation and they proved themselves today to be one of the best Aussie live bands at the moment. Frontman Nathan Hudson did his usual running around frantically on stage looking for anything to climb on and creating an electrifying show. Hurricane, Sleepwalking and This Heart Attack created the biggest response from the crowd and pumped up everyone enough to get excited for the rest of the night.

Another great Aussie live band were also on in the undercover stage with Brisbane’s The Grates. It didn’t take long for The Grates to get the large crowd excited and frontwoman Patience Hodgson started her almost trademark jumping up and down from the get-go. Two songs into the set and Hodgson even climbed down from the stage and into the crowd creating a real buzz in the undercover tent. Aw Yeah, Burn Bridges and 19 20 20 were crowd pleases but an unfortunate jumping accident left Hodgson with a badly sprained ankle and had to leave the festival in an ambulance.

Karnivool had not played in Perth for a while and with a new album out very soon, fans were packed to see the hard rockers on the smaller stage. Cote opened up their set and got the moshpit moving, followed by a new song and then Shutterspeed. There were a couple new songs in the set but unfortunately they did not mix well with the older heavy songs. It will be interesting to hear how they sound when recorded and also how they sound after being played live a few more times. Themata and Roquefort ended the set and with Franz Ferdinand playing on the bigger stage almost the end of the weekend.

Headliners Franz Ferdinand took to the main stage with a huge crowd screaming their name. Do You Want To was a great way to start the set and a fantastic way to get the crowd even more excited. Frontman Alex Kapranos controlled the crowd with ease and had them eating out of the palm of his hand from the start. With a new album only a month or two away Franz Ferdinand played a few new songs with great reception. Their live show was good but not great and wasn’t quite the same level that The Hives had set the night before but Take Me Out was definitely the song of the festival.

For more photos of Day 2 click here (Thanks to Noodlez)

Friday 2nd January 2009
Sir Stewart Bovell Park, Busselton

The start of the year is when people have finished visiting family for Christmas, finished partying for New Years and ready to just enjoy themselves and listen to great music. Luckily Southbound is here and for the first time this year the festival has extended to two full days starting at midday on the Friday and ending late on Saturday night. It had been a very hot start to the year in Perth so it was never going to be a comfortable weekend but it is always a bit cooler down south so the it was going to be bearable.

After arriving a little late due to traffic, heat and the usual road trip shenanigans I set up camp and ventured over to start seeing some live music. Sydney’s Bluejuice were up and having as much fun as they always do on stage, jumping around, dancing and just getting everyone in the mood for a great music festival. Vitriol still gets the crowd going a year after it was released and even the hot sun could not lessen the enthusiasm by band and crowd.

End Of Fashion were up next on the same stage and the local boys arrived happy and relaxed with frontman Justin Burford waving and greeting the growing crowd. The sea breeze had started to blow across Sir Stewart Bovell Park and allowed for more people to start dancing in front of the stage especially to past hits Oh Yeah, Rough Diamonds, She’s Love and newie Fussy. WA fans love local bands and even at festivals with international superbands, local bands still make us all proud.

The chilled out sounds of Donavon Frankenreiter was next up and his acoustic guitar tunes fit in perfectly with the surfie culture of south west WA. Frankenreiter looked and sounded like a mix between John Butler and his label mate Jack Johnson and the crowd sand along to many of his popular songs. To appeal even more to the local crowd Pro-Surfer Taj Burrow could be seen side of stage grooving to the acoustic tunes and Frankenreiter then invited Burrow’s father Vance on stage to play some songs.

Another big local band, Birds Of Tokyo drew a huge crowd to the stage next and Ian Kenny seemed ready to rock out for the first of his two sets during the weekend (the other with Karnivool). Even with two albums now under their belt Kenny explained that festivals are not what Birds Of Tokyo are used to and he thanked the crowd for all their support. Black Sheets, Wayside, Silhouettic and Broken Bones were all played to a great reception from the crowd and a great ‘dance’ routine by Kenny.

It was then time for the highlight of the festival: Sweden’s The Hives. It had been a long day of music but the explosive nature of The Hives picked up the whole energy of the crowd. It was as if frontman Pelle Almqvist was going to eat up the entire crowd and spit them out with each and every song.  In their trademark black and white suits, The Hives made every other band that played that day seem like amateurs and their confidence on stage didn’t seem cocky but more justifiable.   Hate To Say I Told You So and Tick Tick Boom were definitely highlights but songs from all four of their albums were part of the electrifying set.

For more photos of Day 1 click here (Thanks to Noodlez)

Saturday 27th December 2008
Mandurah Western Foreshore

Another warm summer day greeted the thousands of kids that turned up in Mandurah for the fourth instalment of the Rollercoaster Festival. Being the only rock festival situated in Mandurah, it has become something that a lot of locals really look forward to and something to do during the Christmas break that isn’t necessarily family based. Unfortunately today there were many issues with crowd control and many complaints about the ever rising drink prices.

Perth’s own Tame Impala were on stage early to the growing stage and their reputation has continued to spread around WA thanks to playing as many gigs and festivals as they can. Their psychedelic sound was not what everybody expected but it was definitely well received with flashbacks for many to the 70’s. There was bongo solos, crazy dancing and ten minute songs that had people in the crowd swaying and dancing along. A great cover of Blue Boy’s Remember Me was the highlight of their set.

After a short break French electro pop outfit The Teenagers walked on stage excited and ready to try and withstand the Australian heat. Vocalist Michael Szpiner announced with his French accent that this was the first time the band had been to Perth and that they loved it here despite the heat and that he could only stand on one side of the stage due to being barefoot and half of the stage covered in sunlight. The band sounded great but half of the crowd were not expecting the flamboyant frontman and did not appreciate his dancing. Three girls from the front were invited on stage to sing along to the hit ‘Homecoming‘ and did really well despite giggling throughout.

Operator Please were on next and they are not strangers to music festivals in WA having appeared in many of them over the last couple of years. The band have changed a bit with new keyboardist Chris Holland replacing the departed Sarah Gardiner and violinist Taylor Henderson getting a lot more involved with singing. The band also no longer do their cover of Devo’s Whip It and has been replaced by a cover of Salt n Pepa’s Push It. It was about this part of the day where the crowd started throwing plastic bottles onto the stage getting very close to hitting band members. Vocalist Amandah Wilkinson caught one person throwing a bottle and proceeded to call them a cunt and that if they didn’t want to hear the band then they could fuck off. The band then continued on with their set and as expected ‘Just A Song About Ping Pong‘ generated a huge cheer from the crowd as well as some crazy dancing.

It was then time for a bit of a change in style as electro rockers Cut Copy started to play. As the festival was starting to run a bit behind schedule Cut Copy were forced to only play 8 songs but they did a great job in playing them despite the tough circumstances. There was also sound sound issues early in their set but Cut Copy pleased the crowd with songs mainly from their newest album In Ghost Colours including Nobody Lost, Nobody Found, Far Away, So Haunted, Unforgettable Season, Out There On The Ice, Lights And Music, Future and closed with their huge hit Hearts On Fire.

Perth boys Gyroscope generated a huge cheer from the crowd as they walked on stage and after the best year of their careers, they were ready to rock. Starting with All In One and Doctor Doctor the crowd were moshing and jumping around like they were possessed which is what Gyroscope hope for at all of their shows. This was followed by Beware Wolf, 1981 and Dream Vs Scream with frontman Daniel Sanders and bassist Brad Campbell almost knocking each other over with their out of control playing. Driving For The Storm and These Days allowed for a bit of a breather for the crowd as well as the band but everyone got straight back into it with Safe Forever. Sanders jumped down into the crowd and sang most of the song in the mosh pit or crowd surfing and then jumped on top of a speaker to finish the song. Gyroscope finished their set with Australia, Weapon.Enemy.Friend, a cover of Midnight Oil’s Beds Are Burning, Fast Girl and Snakeskin all with some idiot on top of the sound tent evading security and a huge brawl happening just near the first aid tent.

The sun was finally setting in Mandurah and Sneaky Sound System came on stage confronted with a agitated crowd. The band were in great form having just returned from a very successful string of shows in the UK. Crowd pleaser Pictures opened their set with vocalists Connie Mitchell and Black Angus syncing perfectly. This was followed by When We Were Young, 16 and Hip Hip Hooray with Connie announcing to the crowd that their new drummer was none other than Perth’s own Sibbsy, formerly with Eskimo Joe. During Crazy the crowd continued to throw bottles on stage and during UFO a bottle actually hit Connie in the face which forced her to fall down. After a minute Angus announced that Connie’s eye was now bleeding and the band walked off stage, forced to finish their set early.

After a bit of a break an announcement was made that if anything else was thrown on stage the festival would be over but The Living End were prepared to play. There was still shock in the faces of many of the crowd but The Living End pushed on playing a great set including Raise The Alarm, How Do We Know, What’s On Your Radio, Loaded Gun and Who’s Gonna Save Us. During Second Solution there was another incident when someone from the side of stage ran right up to Chris Cheney and attempted to sing along into the microphone. The intruder was quickly wrestled off stage and the band continued to finish the song. Moment In The Sun, Make The Call, Wake Up, West End Riot and All Torn Down were playing with rocking enthusiasm and a lot of sing alongs. The set and the event-filled festival finished with Roll On and White Noise and The Living End proved they are still on of the best live bands in the country.

Sunday 23rd November 2008
Oak Lawn, UWA
VROOM Festival

A wild and windy day at UWA did not keep too many people away from the VROOM 2008 music festival which was host to a variety of great Australian musical acts to celebrate the end of year for students and just to have a chance to party. It was a weird setup in the Oak Lawn at UWA but there were an equal amount of people in the fenced off 18+ area as well as the all ages area. A bunch of great local bands were on early followed but some hot aussie bands afterwards.

Red Jezebel have been a staple band in Perth for many years now and they always have a lot of fans at all of their gigs. VROOM was no exception with a bunch of kids jumping around close to stage. After a strong start, the heavens opened up and rain poured down forcing most of the crowd under trees or cover. The band continued to play and as the rain slowed the fans got closer. It was a good effort by the boys and lucky for people in Perth, there will always be another Red Jezebel gig just around the corner.

Another local band was on next in The Panda Band and there were just as many fans up close and personal cheering them on. There were a few moments where fans shouted out and the band shouted back in a bit of an angry way but the music did speak for itself. The Pandas have played enough gigs to strengthen their live sound to almost a point of perfection but the talkback from the band did distract many.

Bluejuice were on a mission to impress and impress they did. Getting straight into the thick of things, Bluejuice were a force to be reckoned with and were almost rocking out to a point of craziness. Vocalist Jake Stone danced his way around the entire stage as well as on top of a large speaker and at one point ripped his shirt off and molested drummer, Ned Molesworth. When Vitriol started there were shouts and dancing all over the Oak Lawn as well as smiles everywhere. If the party had not started earlier, it definitely started with Bluejuice.

In a bit of a change of pace, Dukes Of Windsor were up next and were more of a dance infused band than any of the previous bands. It’s A War was an early hit with the crowd who loved the bands tight sound and great vocals. The Others was also a highlight of the day even though the hit single is over 2 years old now. The weather continued to threaten the evening with continual sprinkles of rain but luckily it stayed as only a threat.

British India were headlining the day and definitely deserved the honour. Rocking out the grounds straight away and getting everybody present jumping around, British India proved they were one of the best live bands in Australia. Playing a bunch of songs from their debut album Guillotine as well as their new album Thieves, the band were fantastic and only went from strength to strength. Highlights were Run The Red Light, Tie Up My Hands, I Said I’m Sorry and the ending to end all endings. During the last song a fan ran around security and on stage, he then took a run up and jump head first into the mosh pit. As security dragged him off in anger the whole crowd were invited on stage to rock out as the band finished the song. It was definitely a sight to be seen and a great way to end the evening.

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.

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.

Tuesday 28th October 2008
Metro City, Perth
The Dandy Warhols

The Dandy Warhols returned to Perth with a new album and a full crowd turned out to meet them at Metro City.  The band have been around for over 15 years, released 7 albums and even though they are past their prime they still have a strong and loyal fan base.  There have been plenty of big mid-week events lately and many of them have had fairly disappointing turn outs but this Tuesday proved that Perth can provide crowds for bands that deserve it.  I had heard a few negative reviews of past live shows that The Dandy Warhols had done in Perth but luckily this turned out to be not one of them. With their new album …Earth To The Dandy Warhols released a few months ago, the band was determined to make this a show to remember.

Front man Courtney Taylor-Taylor controlled the stage when the band came out in front of the cheering crowd with Peter Holmstrom, Zia McCabe and Brent De Boer looking happy and ready to rock the building.  We Used To Be Friends has been huge in Australia since it was used on My Restaurant Rules and it sounded just as good live as it did on TV.  Taylor-Taylor was able to get the crowd on his side by saying their new album was really called’…Perth To The Dandy Warhols’ as well as saying that ‘Perth is the most Australia Australia’.  This was followed by their huge hits Not If You Were The Last Junkie On Earth, Get Off and Bohemian Like You.

There were also a few songs played from the new album including Love Song, Now You Love Me and The Legend Of The Outlaw Truckers AKA The Ballad Of Sherriff Shorty.  Zia McCabe was great to see looking sultry in front of her keyboard, playing tamborine or harmonica on songs such as The New Country and You Were The Last High.  The real highlight of the night was when the band played Godless, asking the crowd to get involved by humming the trumpet parts.  The band looked like they were having a great time, the lighting and back drop looked great and with the set lasting over 2 hours no one went home disappointed.