Perth Music

Wednesday 8th October 2008
Metropolis Fremantle
Supergrass
The Panda Band

A lot of mid-week gigs of late have had disappointing crowds but UK rockers Supergrass proved they can still get a huge number of fans to come along to an Aussie show.  Although they were at their peak in the Brit-pop 90’s era, Supergrass are just as tight on stage as they were 10 years ago.   Having six albums to choose a set list from is also a big advantage for the band as well as the fans that tonight got a great mix of newer songs and older classics.  Diamond Hoo Ha was released by the band earlier this year and this tour was in support of it, proven by the first two songs that was played: Diamond Hoo Ha Man and Bad Blood.

Lead singer Gaz Coombes looked genuinely appreciative to be on stage playing to the excited crowd and he proved this by playing a whole bunch of classic Supergrass tracks.  She’s So Loose from their 1995 release I Should Coco was followed by Mary and new song 345.  Late In The Day and Brecon Beacons showed off how good the band play together and how touring for 15 years can make a band look as comfortable together as if they were family.  The crowd got even more excited as Ghost of A Friend from Diamond Hoo Ha was quickly followed by their smash hit Richard III.  The upstairs balconies of Metropolis Fremantle was now packed with fans bopping along to the band and cheering as Gaz bantered between songs.

New song Outside was then played followed by Moving and another new song in Rebel In You.  Rob Coombes on keyboard played like a man possessed and has complimented the band ever since joining in the late 90’s.  St Petersburg and Strange Ones allowed the crowd to have a breather as the pinnacle of the night quickly approached.  There was a few big Supergrass hits that were on everybody’s lips and had yet to pop up in the set and the anticipation was built up perfectly to this part of the gig.  The roof was almost blown off the building as Caught By The Fuzz and Pumping On Your Stereo took everybody back in time and put a smile on every face.  A huge thank you from the band was followed by a quick break and a just as impressive encore of Sun Hits The Sky, Next To You and Lenny.  Even if it was for one night only, Brit-pop was alive and well in Perth tonight.

Sunday 28th September 2008
Metropolis Fremantle
Black Francis
Violent Soho

The Pixies are legendary.  Most music lovers around the world know how influential they were as a band and their music is still played on radio stations everywhere.  So it was surprising to see Metropolis Fremantle only half full when the frontman of The Pixies, Black Francis played for the first time since The Pixies toured last year.  Francis’ music is quite different to that of The Pixies but it was still disappointing to let such a talent get wasted in our city.

First on stage were Queensland youngsters Violent Soho and it was obvious why they were picked to support Francis.  They played with passion and an internal anger that Francis himself was so famous for nearly 20 years ago.  Looking like they were trying to bring grunge back into fashion, Violent Soho impressed the crowd that arrived early even though most stood to the side, possibly scared to get close to the crazy stage-energy of the band.  For their final song of the night bassist Luke Henery made the most of the space in front of the band as he leaped mid-song over the stage barrier and onto the floor and finished the song there.  The band look to have huge potential and it will be great to see them back this summer at Southbound.

As Francis walked on stage the empty space in front had completely disappeared and a mighty cheer greeted him.  For 30 minutes Francis played solo covering a bunch of his solo songs as well as a handful of Pixies songs.  These included Cactus, Wave Of Mutilation, The Holiday Song, Mr Grieves, Velouria and the intro to Where Is My Mind.  There was also plenty of banter in between songs and it was obvious Francis knew how to work a crowd, even if it was fairly small.  His backing band of bass and drums then joined him and the set continued.  A lot of songs from his previous two solo releases, Bluefinger and Svn Fngrs, were played and I mean a lot.  The second part of his set went for over an hour with few gaps between songs and even diehard fans were starting to feel it was dragging.  As he finished the crowd cheered Francis like he was a hero and pretty much everyone went home satisfied with the night.

US rockers Disturbed have done what a lot of people did not expect from a hard rock/heavy metal band. That is have an album that isn’t pop or R’n'B and have it go to number 1 in the USA, New Zealand and Australia. Their fourth album, Indestructible, is out now and creating a stir in the music industry. They have also just finished an Australian tour playing Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane, Sydney, Newcastle and Melbourne. Before their Perth show lead singer David Draiman caught up with Justin Middleton for this exclusive interview.

I asked David if crowds had benn enjoying the new songs at their shows and if they were playing a lot of new material compared to their older stuff. “Up until this point we have only been able to play a very small portion of the record. At the Mayhem Festival both us and Slipknot had 60 minute slots so when you are trying to squeeze 4 albums worth of material into an hour it’s tough and the diehard, old school fans want the classics…it’s weird that I can say we have classics….but we have had 7 number one singles so they have to be there. The crowd usually sing louder than I can so it’s always tremendously exhillerating to feel that and see people take to what you’ve written.”

David explained the creation of Indestructible with the following “When we decided to sit down and start to think about writing the new album I thought, given my past 2 or 3 years of life experience and where my head is at, I asked the guys to throw the darkest, nastiest, most brutal shit they could. They were only too eager to accomodate so that’s where it started. When I first got some material I was obsessed. It was an exercise to convince the powers that be to allow us to produce it ourselves but the process allowed us to learn a lot and it was very gratifying.”

“The theme of the new record overall is one of power. One of strength. The record is meant to make you feel indestructable. It is meant to be that record that you take with you to the gym. That you listen to on your way home from work. That the soldier listens to before heading out onto the battlefield. That the athlete listens to before he marches out onto the field. That is the sort of record it is meant to be.”

For more info on Disturbed visit www.disturbed1.com

Disturbed - Fri 29th August - Challenge Stadium

Saturday 16th August 2008
Amplifier Bar, Perth
Trial Kennedy
Mere Theory
Grim Fandango

It was a cold night in Perth that saw a healthy crowd descend upon The Amplifier Bar to see three exciting bands put on a show that felt more like a local gig than a touring show. Parking next door, the music was pounding and I regretted running late but luckily the line outside was short so it took no time at all to get inside. Local rockers Grim Fandango were on stage as I entered but there was no sound. Everyone was running around looking a little stressed out and a little angry. Just then the band announced that even though it was half way through their set, the guitarist had blown the amp and could not go on. Quite ironic that an amp was blown at The Amplifier.

The crowd gathered closer to the stage as Adelaide’s Mere Theory started playing their no nonsense rock that exploded onto the audience. The bass player had everybody watching him as he violently started swinging his bass around him knocking over speakers, almost hitting lead singer, Chris Mellow, and just looking like he was out of control. Apart from that craziness the band did a great job entertaining all that were there with solid rock music. And it turned out later, after I saw him walking around with a walking stick, that the bass player was blind. Not blind drunk, but actually blind.

The whole place was buzzing as Trial Kennedy jumped on stage and got straight into showing everyone how good their debut album, New Manic Art, is. The band did a good job in trying to get on the local crowd’s good side dedicating three separate songs to three separate local bands, in Calerway (calling them great mates), Gyroscope (calling them the best band in Australia) and Karnivool (calling them cunts, as a joke). The big crowd pleasers were Neighbours, Colour Day Tours, Sunday Warning and The Great Escape. It was a fantastic gig and Trial Kennedy impressed everybody that was there, hopefully there will be many tours by these fellas very, very soon.

Saturday 10th May, 2008
The Capitol, Perth
Gyroscope
Sugar Army
The Reserves

The beautiful surroundings of the Somerville Auditorium in UWA was again host to the best local band music festival around, In The Pines. Although the weather was kind of gloomy and their had been rain the few days before today, the Somerville grounds were only slightly muddy and plenty of fans had brought their picnic rugs, blankets and pillows. 20 bands were playing today so it was a long, fun-filled day for those that arrived early but there were many people trickling through the gates all afternoon.

The first band I got to see were dirty rockers The Homicides and there were plenty of hardcore punks up the front giving as much shit to the band as the band was giving to the crowd. The music was loud, it was fast and it seemed that it was more of an attitude that fans appreciated than the lyrics or melody. Sure there were bottles of water and sticks thrown on stage and at the band but it all seemed that it made the show more interesting than just an average band playing average songs.

Up next on the second stage were indie rockers Kill Teen Angst and the mood of the grounds did a complete 360. It was like a polar opposite punk show to The Homicides. Instead of the angry, Sex Pistols style punk it was an almost emo, modern style punk show that concentrated on the music. The songs were played with talented precision - guitar, bass, drums and vocals were all outstandingly played to perfection and the crowd would not have even thought about throwing anything on stage during the set.

Another change in musical style saw The Tigers up next playing their avant/rock grooves that the band have been playing around Perth for many, many years. Their songs are more atmospheric than anything else and keyboard mixes beautifully with haunting guitars and great drums. With some tunes lasting 6-7 minutes and their set only allowed to be 30 minutes, there were only a few songs played but it probably worked out well that way as it was easy to lose interest after a little while. But The Tigers are an institution of the local scene and it was great to see them live again.

Felicity Groom and The Black, Black Smoke looked like they were still ecstatic from their four WAMi nominations earlier this year and the crowd felt that happiness ooze from the stage. Alternative country music has been a popular style with bands in Perth of late and this band was on top of it’s game today. It was a set that not only the people up front could enjoy but those that had gone to the trouble of bringing their picnic blankets could lay back and enjoy the music. Vanessa from Jebediah also got a bit of a warm up for later playing bass for The Black, Black Smoke.

Another member of Jebediah was up next with frontman Kevin Mitchell completing his set as Bob Evans. Looking very relaxed, Bob played songs from his two albums albums on his acoustic guitar, harmonica with a friend on accordion. It was great to hear the ARIA Award winner playing his contemporary style music and the crowd definitely got a lot bigger while he was playing. Don’t You Think It’s Time and Nowhere Without You were huge favourites with the crowd singing along and waving their arms in the air.

After the Noongar ‘Welcome To Country’ and Djiva as well as some food, New Rules For Boats were up next on the first stage. Brother and sister duo Sean and Miranda Pollard shared vocal duties for the rock/pop set as the sun was setting and the atmosphere was getting exciting. There were a few in the crowd that looked like they had been drinking all afternoon and it was starting to take it’s toll but the music was infectious enough to get everybody grooving.

Adam Said Galore are another local band that have been around for years and years and as proof of the years of hard work their live show is perfection. Skillfully playing a wide range of music from their past albums, Adam Said Galore were a crowd favourite for the day and even with a bit of sound trouble, they made it look and sound great. The set was very interesting in that it started off with soft, gentle type songs but by the end it was rocking out with the speakers almost exploding with sound. For a band that have been around since 1994 it was great to see them live once more.

Capital City have built a reputation as one of Perth’s best live bands going around and after this evening’s set they had proven that reputation true. The songs were great, the attitude was fantastic and the band must have made plenty of the crowd proud that they were from Perth. Another band that are one of the best live, local bands going around is The Bank Holidays and they were up next on the second stage. With a small string section helping them out for a few songs, they sounded great and with a cover of The Beatles Helter Skelter as a finisher they had earned a huge applause from the crowd.

Headliners Jebediah were up last and even with a short set they proved they still had it after the extended break over the last year or two. Starting with oldie Monument, the crowd sung along and I am pretty sure I saw at least one girl crying in happiness. New song Comet was played next and sounded fantastic, followed by Fall Down and No Sleep. Another new song, To Your Door, was played and then Kevin Mitchell announced that “this song was written when they were very young and smoked too much pot” before Jerks Of Attention exploded onto the crowd. Final song Star Machine is always a great set finisher and as the band walked off and the crowd screamed for an encore, it was announced that the local council did not allow for music after 10pm which it was now. Jebediah showed they are worthy of the top notch on any local gig and gave just a sneak peak at their new album which should rock just as much as their previous albums.

Saturday 19th April, 2008
The Paddington Ale House, Mt Hawthorn
Gyroscope
Calerway
Escapes Me

A special private party presented by EatingWA saw three fantastic Perth bands playing at the Paddington Ale House and a great crowd were present and eager for some rocking tunes. For a gig that was private and not advertised very much, there was a tremendous turn out and fans took advantage of a rare opportunity to see the local rockers in a low key environment. Cheap beer, wine and spirits also helped create a joyous mood and, even though it was an early start at 3pm, everybody looked to have a great afternoon.

Most people in the crowd would not have heard of Escapes Me before this afternoon and the boys in the bands took the gig in their stride. After a song or two warming up Escapes Me got into a rhythm and cranked out some old school punk that got the crowd pumped up. Sounding like early Blink 182, the young band did very well in stepping up to the challenge of opening for a couple of seasoned local bands. Escapes Me definitely have a bright future ahead of them and I hope they get the opportunity to perfect their live show with more opportunities like today.

Next up on the bill were a band that has a very full couple of months coming up. Calerway took the rock baton from Escapes Me and showed a confidence that not every young band has early in their careers. With a bunch of launch shows coming up with the release of their debut album, Calerway look set to explode on the live scene. The drumming was fierce and the vocals demanded attention as all eyes in the room focussed on the stage. If you haven’t seen Calerway live before, make sure you catch one of their album launches next month.

The crowd was only allowed a short break before the explosion of Weapon Enemy Friend blasted from the stage as Gyroscope ripped into their set. The local lads were obviously still extremely happy about their third album, Breed Obsession, debuting at number 1 on the ARIA charts and played plenty of songs from it. Hits from previous albums were also played and the crowd loved every minute of it even when singer Dan Sanders jumped into the mosh pit mid song and kept singing and playing guitar. The AFL song of the moment, Snakeskin, was a huge favourite for the crowd along with Doctor, Doctor, 1981 and Safe Forever. Gyroscope have gone from strength to strength over the past few years and watching them live just proves that they are one of the best Perth bands around.

For more info on EatingWA visit www.eatingwa.com.au
For more info on Gyroscope visit www.gyroscope.com.au
For more info on Calerway visit www.myspace.com/calerway

It was the final major music festival of the summer but plenty of music fans young and old made it down to The Esplanade to attend the first V Festival to be held in Perth. With the fairly clear sky, you could hardly tell that there had been a deluge of rain that had fallen in the previous two days in Perth but there was still some mud pools around. The crowd wasn’t as packed as the previous festivals this year but that just made it more enjoyable for the faithful. There was also a noticeable age spectrum in attendance with the younger fans eager to see the newer bands and the older fans eager to see some of the 80’s and early 90’s bands playing.

On arrival it was great to see a large, happy crowd getting ready to see indie/electro act Cut Copy on one of the two main stages. As soon as they started playing, girls started dancing and the band seemed just as happy, smiling and waving to the first few rows. Given that Cut Copy’s second album, In Ghost Colours, debuted at number one on the ARIA charts just the week before V, they had every reason to be on top of the world. Radio friendly hits Hearts On Fire, Lights And Music and So Haunted were definite crowd favourites.

The next band up was The Jesus & Mary Chain which saw a shift in crowd demographic and considering they formed 24 years ago it was no surprise. There was a buzz of excitement for the band that just reunited last year after a 9 year break but the excitement didn’t last too long. It was great to see the band that made distorted indie music popular but unlike the late 80’s it isn’t as unique as it once was. After a couple songs the indie tunes all started to sound the same which was great for diehard fans but for newer ones the intrigue was quickly lost.

Alternative darlings Modest Mouse were up next and a blistering set exploded onto the Perth foreshore. The crowd looked like it almost doubled in size as the Washington based band played a great set of older songs as well as a bunch from their 2007 release We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank. As soon as the band played Float On the crowd were in total reckless abandon and it was great to see. Frontman Isaac Brock gets almost as crazy as the crowd and it started to look like there was a competition for who was more wild. For me, Modest Mouse were the first band of the day to be in rock festival mood and pull it off perfectly.

Just like Spinal Tap were the first band to turn their speakers up to 11, Queens Of The Stone Age definitely turned it up a notch in Perth. It was dirty rock at its best and Josh Homme owned the crowd as the band played hits such as 3’s and 7’s, Little Sister, Go With The Flow, a fantastic and rocking version of No One Knows as well as the drug filled Feel Good Hit Of The Summer that had a cameo of Amy Winehouse’s Rehab in the middle.

It was then time to go back to the 80’s when Duran Duran came on stage to play to the very enthusiastic crowd. Formed 30 years ago, Duran Duran didn’t look tired or rundown or even stressed out as many older bands usually do and singer Simon Le Bon seemed a happy man. Even if some of the younger members of the crowd didn’t know the band, they definitely knew the songs. Girls On Film, Ordinary World, Planet Earth, Rio, Notorious were all played and loved by the crowd and when Le Bon asked “Are you hungry Perth?” and played Hungry Like The Wolf there was a frenzy of dancing.

Brazilian electo/pop girl band CSS had a packed crowd on one of the smaller stages half way through Duran Duran’s set and there was a lot of joy int he room. With a bunch of helium balloons placed around the stage, the set looked more like a party than a festival act. There was dancing, there was hand claps, there was synchronized arm movements and there was sexy and fantastic songs played.

The Smashing Pumpkins were the main headlining act of the day and as soon as Billy Corgan walked on stage, the crowd erupted. It was great to see Corgan smiling at the crowd and the whole band looked like they were enjoying themselves (even without founding members James Iha and D’arcy Wretzky). Opening with 90’s hit Tonight, Tonight, the entire front 20 rows turned into a mosh pit of movement. Next up was the first single from the Pumpkins Zeitgeist album Tarantula, followed by Mayonnaise, Porcelina, Cash Car Star, Crush, Today (dedicated to all the DJ’s of dance music who Corgan “Fucking hates”), a solo, acoustic version of 1979, a few more newies in That’s The Way, Set The Controls and United States. There was also a rocking cover of Britney Spears’ Piece Of Me that most of the crowd didn’t recognize until half way through and the sky also lit up with fireworks thanks to a wedding in King’s Park. An encore of The Everlasting Gaze and a blistering version of Bullet With Butterfly Wings finished a set that left fans very satisfied and proved why The Smashing Pumpkins are one of the greatest rock bands in the last 20 years.

Click on photos for bigger versions.

Saturday 8th March, 2008
The Paddington Ale House, Mt Hawthorn
Thirsty Merc
Angelas Dish

A small venue was the setting for two touring bands tonight and both Thirsty Merc and Angelas Dish have done plenty of touring in their distinguished careers. It was a sold out show and inside The Paddo the crowd were pushing themselves forward all night. Angelas Dish were up first and the boys from Gosford, NSW looked surprisingly fresh considering this was their last stop supporting Thirst Merc (although they are still on tour promoting their album War On Time until mid May). Their new album was officially released tonight which was another reason the boys were so happy and considering the line at the merch stand, they had every reason to be. Their punk/rock influences showed in their set and tours with the likes of Gyroscope, After The Fall and Behind Crimson Eyes have been very beneficial on their live show.

Next up on stage were Thirsty Merc and the mainly female crowd were set for the catchy pop tunes that have made the band very popular over the last 4 years. Emancipate Myself, In The Summertime, My Completeness, Someday, Someday were all played and all sung along to at full volume by the room full of fans. The biggest crowd pleaser of the night was recent single 20 Good Reasons which, by the amount of airing it had on TV ads and shows, isn’t that surprising. The sing alongs by the crowd got louder and louder but it couldn’t drown out the P.A system that wasn’t up to the sounds of the night and became slightly distorted.

Both bands put on a great show and were only too happy to sign merchandise and CD’s afterwards. The crowd were very appreciative and were extremely pleased what they had witnessed tonight. For those that missed it, Angelas Dish will back playing at The Prince Of Wales, Bunbury on April 10th, Mojo’s, Fremantle on April 11th and The Rosemount Hotel on April 12th. Thirsty Merc will be back supporting Matchbox 20 at The Burswood Dome on April 15th.

Thanks to Noodlez for the photos.

Friday 29th February, 2008
University Of WA, Perth
Karnivool
Blue Juice

The University of Western Australia Guild brought a double headline this year to its annual O’day concert. Both Karnivool and Blue Juice were fresh from playing at The Big Day Out concerts across the country and showed up looking as if they were excited about playing to a student audience, even dressing the part, with some of the boys from Karnivool going barefoot for their set. I hadn’t seen such a laid back attitude since Hobbsy was bangin’ the sticks for End of Fashion, and the crowd seemed to embrace it all the way. Both bands also featured in this year’s Hottest 100 with Blue Juice’s ‘Vitriol’ coming in at #11 and Karnivool’s cover of the Gotye song ‘The Only Way’ coming a respectable #62.

Blue Juice were in their element playing to the strong crowd who just wanted to dance after a warm afternoon signing up to the multitude of clubs whilst downing their free bottles of vitamin water. ‘Vitriol’ was a crowd favourite as was ‘The Reductionist’ as it seemed the infectious nature of Blue Juice took over the Oak Lawn with a party atmosphere that was highly contagious.

Then came Karnivool. By this time the crowd was well warmed up and it wasn’t hard to see that the local students wanted to see their home town heroes rock the shit out of the stage. After a solid opening number and the ever crowd favourite ‘Fade’, lead singer Ian Kenny brought it down a notch to let the crowd know their next song would be a tune to dance to. The crowd’s dismay was summed up by one member of the crowd who yelled out in response, ‘Dance! What the fuck is that?!’ But this particular chap wasn’t confused for long as the boys broke out to the opening of Hottest 100 favourite ‘The Only Way’. The rest of the set was the typically high standard Karnivool set, albeit a little subdued, possibly due to the long Big Day Out tour that had preceded. This was ever so noticeable when after the set had finished and the band left the stage, the chanting began for an encore. Even the host was revving up the crowd for more and even introduced them again on to the stage. The crowd’s persistence payed off as guitarist Drew Goddard leapt back onto to stage only to tell the receptive crowd that there would be no encore and that they were a great crowd. Ever disappointed yet totally exhausted, the crowd made a hasty yet fulfilled exit.

Review and photos by Kane Middleton