Brisbane indie rock quartet Last Dinosaurs rocked a full house at the Howler, on the 6th April 2019. Opening acts RAThammock and Merpire had set the mood earlier with polished performances, before the main act nonchalantly walked on stage right on 10.30pm to a huge roar.

Launching straight into ‘Weekend‘ from their impressive 2012 debut album ‘In A Million Years’ – great way to kick off the set, with the crowd immediately jumping, arms in the air singing along to every word. Next up was ‘Dominos‘, the raw, edgy and ridiculously catchy stand out track from their latest album, the self-produced ‘Yumeno Garden’, which kept the momentum going. ‘Andy‘ another track from ‘In A Million Years‘ creeped in, getting everyone in a boppy happy mood. Their dreamy, reflective and strong happy underlining sound that run through all their songs makes it impossible to not feel good as it washes over you.

The flawless ‘Sense‘ and ‘Bass God’ followed, both taken from their latest album and going down well with the crowd as they jumped in unison.

Lead singer and chief songwriter Sean Caskey rocked a wicked pitch-white hairdo looking every bit the effortless rock star. With guitar in hand, he looked like he was having the time of his life. Sounding immaculate, the band were as tight as you’d expect from a band that has constantly toured the world over the last 10 years.

Sounding like a cross between Two-Door Cinema Club, Phoenix with The Foals thrown into the mix. Last Dinosaurs were formed in Brisbane by Sean Caskey and drummer Dan Koyamo while still at school, with Caskey’s younger brother Lachlan on lead guitar and former member, Sam Gethin -Jones on bass, who was replaced by long-time band associate Michael Sloene when Gethin-Jones departed in 2013.

The Caskey brothers and drummer Koyamo are of Japanese decent and developed the distinctive sound of ‘Last Dinosaurs’ with their collective love of indie rock. They have a huge worldwide fan base due to their nonstop touring and frequent visits Japan to satisfy their massive fan base in that region.

With an impressive variety of tracks spanning from their 2010 debut EP ‘Back from the Dead’ to their latest offering ‘Yumeno Garden‘ if you are not familiar with this underrated class act, this tour would be a great starting point. Their sharp polished dance rock with happy catchy melodies and guitar riffs make them hard to ignore.

With the 1 ½ hour set coming to an end, they delighted the crowd with favourites ‘Stream‘ and followed this with ‘Zoom’. Ending the set with a rousing version of the hugely popular ‘Honolulu’ which got the biggest cheer of the night as Caskey encouraged the adoring crowd to ‘dance and sing’ which they did in abundance. Enhancing their reputation with this flawless performance, these nice guys of indie rock showed how to put on a slick polished rock gig.

Yungblud brought his energetic powerhouse show to a delirious crowd at the Croxton Bandroom in Thornbury, Melbourne on Feb 8th.

As the expectant crowd waited for the much hyped firecracker to blow their minds – to keep themselves entertained, they had an impromptu sing-along to ‘Are You Gonna Be My Girl’ by Jet as it played through the speakers, which would be much needed when the main act took to the stage!

 Darting onto the stage right on time dressed in an outfit as chaotic as his music, a half tartan, half black pair of pants with a black t-shirt covered with a leather sleeved black jacket littered with white writing. There is a deafening roar that greets him as he stares out at the crowd, his face lit up with a manic grin as he pokes his tongue out (something he does throughout the show) lapping up the adulation in pure rock star style!

 Born Dominic Harrison in Doncaster, England a little over 20 years ago, the genre defining Yungblud kicks off the set with kick ass ‘21st Century Liability,’ with the crowd immediately singing along to every word. Darting around the stage like a man possessed, his energy levels are impressive and you feel worn out just watching him as he doesn’t stop for a breather for the entire show. The crowd tries to keep up with him as they dance and sing along to every song, arms waving in the air lost in every moment of every song.

Taking it up a notch with ‘I Love You Will You Marry Me’ which is next up, has the entire venue jumping in unison followed by ‘King Charles’ taken from 2018’s self titled EP. At one point during the song Harrison runs over and plants a kiss right on his guitarists’ mouth to the delight of the crowd as they roar their approval.

They rip through ‘Psychotic Kids’ and ‘Anarchist’ before Harrison plants an L on his head with his hand to announce the next song. The crowd cheers as he launches into latest single ‘Loner!’ His straight from the heart socially conscious lyrics strike a deep cord with the youthful audience as he throws himself into every song as if his life depends on it.

The noise levels reach new heights when he launchers into crowd favourite, ‘California’. The crowd belting out the song as they sing it together identifying with the heartfelt message in the lyrics screaming ‘cos I’m young, don’t wanna die, yet can’t afford it’

His youthful exuberance is infectious as the end of each song is greeted with a huge boyish grin before he pulls a face sticks his tongue out, loving every minute of the undying adulation oozing out of the crowd.

Defined as alternative hip-hop, Yungblud is a mishmash musically across between Kendric Lamar, Eminem, the Clash with a hint of NWA and a healthy dose of in-your-face punk rock. The English nutter finishes the hour and a half set with the very personal ‘Machine Fun (F**k The NRA)’ the roar as he takes a bow at the end is deafening as he pokes his tongue out for the last time before he disappears.

 There are no visions of calming Harrison down as he is without a doubt a 21st Century Liability!

 An electric performance that takes your breath away and leaves you wanting more, a voice of the future, a voice to define this seemingly lost generation!

UK’s indie darlings, The Kooks kicked off the Australian leg of their world tour at a packed, sweat drenched Festival Hall on a sticky hot Thursday, January 3rd.

Kicking off their set with the punchy debut single ‘Eddies Gun’ from debut album ‘Inside In/Inside Out’. Lead singer, Luke Pritchard decked out in black jeans, black t-shirt with a loose fitting gold jacket. With his mop of curly locks, he strides onto the stage to the fading sound of The Beatles, ‘Helter Skelter’ with a haze of blue light illuminating the stage. As the crowd roar, he cups his ears to raise the noise levels.

Now officially a 3 piece, after the recent departure of bassist Peter Denton, Luke is joined by Hugh Harris on lead guitar and the tireless Alexis Nunez on drums with Peter Randell filling in for the departed, Denton. After 15 years and 5 critically acclaimed albums behind them, The Kooks still possess the energy of a band on their first tour with Pritchard darting around the stage, guitar in hand like an energetic teenager. His vocals are flawless, and could break your heart with its charming beauty.

‘Always Where I Need To Be,’ from the brilliant ‘Konk’ album is up next, followed by ‘She Moves Me In Her Own Way’ another track taken from ‘Inside In/Inside Out,’which has the whole crowd bouncing and by now completely covered in sweat. Pritchard mentions that although he’s drenched in sweat, it’s not as hot in the venue as drummer Nunez, who he claims is ‘ridiculously hot coz he’s constantly working out by beating the drums!’ Nunez embarrassed by the attention takes a bow from behind the sticks before launching into latest single, the funky early Stones sounding ‘All The Time’ from their latest album ‘Lets Go Sunshine’ which goes down really well with the crowd much to Pritchard’s appreciation!

They power through a few more tracks off the latest album, with Pritchard thanking the crowd for appearing to enjoy the new material, with the album only being a few months old. The noise levels go up a notch with the rocking ‘You Don’t Love Me’ which Pritchard explains is about unrequited love, something he claims he’s gotten used to over time, but judging by the adoring female fans in the audience, he obviously had his tongue firmly planted in his cheek.:)

After asking the crowd if they have any requests, Pritchard plays the first few chords of ‘Seaside’ which gets the biggest cheer of the night as the crowd sing the song back to them, almost drowning out Pritchard’s vocals. Spine tingling stuff!!

The 2 hour set seemed to fly by at a blink of an eye and as the encore sees another track from ‘Lets Go Sunshine’ the honey dripped ‘No Pressure’ the album closer before ending the exhilarating set with the iconic ‘Naïve’, a song that in every sense sums up the Kooks as the crowd roar their approval and sing along to every word. 

‘You don’t have to doubt or figure it out’ that The Kooks are one iconic band that will take you on a journey to satisfy the heart and soul!

Fantastic gig and a must see live!

Hailing from Sydney, indie rock 5 piece Gang Of Youths strode onto the stage for a sold out show at The Forum in Melbourne on Monday 12^th of November 2018 with all the confidence of a band with a critically acclaimed Gold selling multi Aria award winning album, ‘Go Further In Lightness’ behind them. 

Led by indie heartthrob, David Le’aupepe with Joji Malani (guitar), Jung Kim (Keyboards), Max Dunn (bass) and Donnie Borzestowski (drums) making up the gang.

Kicking off the night with the kick ass ‘Fear and Trembling,’ a perfect opener to get the crowd pumped and warmed up. Followed by one of their most popular tracks, the very personal ‘What Can I Do When the Fire Goes Out. ‘After the frenetic start, Le’aupepe slows things down a bit by playing ‘L imaginaire’ followed by The National inspired moody ‘Don’t Let Your Spirit Wane’ all tracks lifted from their sophomore album ‘Go Further In Lightness’

Next we see Le’aupepe alone at the piano, with the rest of the band having exited the stage, lights dimmed, he recalls candidly various tales about his struggles as the crowd falls silent and lap up his every word before launching into the gentle but troubled  ‘Go Further In Lightness” followed by a haunting cover of Bruce Springstein’s ‘I’m On Fire’ which works well here, the beautiful ‘Persevere’ finishes the mellow interlude.

Le’aupepe has a tendency to start every song with a monologue, explaining the inspiration behind it. Sometimes the monologue can go for longer than the length of the song, but the crowd of mainly ‘20 something’ females, always falls silent on every occasion, hypnotised by his every word.

As the rest of the band rejoins him on stage they rip into ‘The Heart Is A Muscle’, much to the delight of the crowd, everyone caught up in the moment singing along, believing every word. 

One highlight is when they whip out their masterpiece ‘Let Me Down Easy.’ Written by Le’aupepe at a time when he was at one of his lowest points and contemplating suicide, when quite by accident he discovered that by dancing enthusiastically it can actually work as an effective anti-depressant. In honour of that sentiment, Le’aupepe downs the guitar and rips out some sultry Ricky Martin esque moves, with the crowd completely enthralled, some mimicking his moves, others mouths gasping in admiration! The crowd roar in approval at his every ‘un rock-n-roll dance moves. Looking completely out of place here, but working so well with the be ‘uncool to be cool’ feeling of the night!

The track gets the biggest cheer of the night, it’s unclear however if it’s for the brilliance of the song or the sexy dance moves of the lead singer or a combination of both. It doesn’t really matter as the band basks in the adulation. 

As the night draws to an end, they unleash the powerful ‘The Deepest Sighs, The Frankest Shadows’ as the crowd sing along to the chorus “cause not everything means something honey, to say the unsayable, say the most human of things”. Great song that really speaks to you!! 

The band has partnered up with PLUS1 so that every $1 from every ticket purchased goes to support Aboriginal Legal Service. A band that likes to influence positive change. Take a bow boys What a band!!!

They end the night with a 2 song encore ‘Vital Signs’ and ending with the punk rock belter ‘Say Yes To Life’ which leaves everyone wanting more and feeling the moment of living and loving life! This was one unforgettable 1 ½ hour gig and “I don’t know if we could live without”.  so, say ‘Yes to life’. Say ‘Yes to Gang Of Youths’.

Go Farther In Lightness out now!

American music duo Twenty-One Pilots graced Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne on Thursday 13th December with an electric rock powerhouse show. Showcasing their Grammy award winning fifth album ‘Trench’ Twenty One Pilots are a 2 piece hailing from Columbus Ohio, Tyler Joseph on lead vocals and drummer extraordinaire, Josh Dunn. The 15 thousand seater stadium was packed with a mix of long-time to fresh new fans, even some young primary school age children being accompanied by their parents (great to see the parents getting in early introducing their kids to good rockin music)

They kick off the night with the explosive ‘Jumpsuit’ – a killer track and guitar riff to start the set! The stage is set up with a car on fire, similar to the film clip, with flames intermittently shooting up from the floor. Josh comes out with a flame torch wearing a khaki green top with a huge yellow cross, similar to the one he wears in the film clip. His face covered with the iconic mask, like he’s preparing to go into battle! While Tyler has his face completely covered in a ski mask. 2 huge LCD screens are on each side with wicked yellow lighting to help distinguish the ‘Trench‘ album as well as another huge screen behind them made up of huge square blocks, which light up constantly, flickering between images and flashing lights. A visual feast for your senses!

There was a moment during the third song ‘Fairly Local’ where, one moment Joseph is sitting at the piano with a blanket draped over him, and then he disappears! We thought it was the end of the song, or maybe another costume change? …But..no! he re-appears on the other side of the arena in the crowd. Everyone goes berserk! Especially those lucky enough to be sitting in that area. Ski mask still intact, he finishes off the song from that spot. We thought it couldn’t be him under the mask as he was sitting at the piano only a few seconds earlier, until he rips it off at the end of the song to reveal himself!! The roar that greets his unveiling was deafening!

Next up we have hip hop inspired ‘Levitate’ from ‘Trench’ which makes you feel you’re listening to a blend of Eminem and Mike Skinner from English alt/hip hop band ‘The Streets.’ They played a broad coverage of tracks from all their albums; ‘Trench’ ‘Blurry Face’ ‘Vessel,’ ‘TopxMM’ and of course their 2009 self-titled debut. They even include ‘Heathens’ from ‘Suicide Squad’ soundtrack, which cleverly had the stage coloured green and purple, with the crowd drenched in red. Great visuals! Looked and sounded incredible!!

The duo are so fascinating to watch, they are so talented with Joseph constantly darting around the stage with boundless energy and Josh’s riveting drumming, quite eye catching! He gets the biggest cheer of the night when the roadies bring out a 2 metre square board with a drum kit attached, which they get the audience at the front of the stage to hold above their heads. Josh climbs on top and stands topless, staring out balancing on the board before launching into a mind boggling drum solo! Another highlight was Joseph’s impromptu cover of Elvis Presley’s ‘Can’t Help Falling in Love,’ a tour debut with the whole crowd beautifully singing along!!

‘Nico And The Niners ’ was a crowd pleaser with ‘Taxi Cab’ a flashback from their debut. Stopping time with ‘Pet Cheetah’ which flowed into ‘Holding on to you’ they know how to raise the levels of rock and hip hop. Constantly in and out of various costumes, they unleash ‘My Blood’ dressed in skeleton jumpsuits, which has become a recent trade mark with lots of copycat skeleton jumpsuits in the crowd. They played the track to perfection and included the crowd in a chorus medley. Very powerful!! The variety of tracks they put in the set list is a great introduction to the duo if you weren’t familiar with their music.

Ending the night with ‘Leave This City’ and old school favourite ‘Trees’ from ‘Vessel’ a track they have been closing shows with ever since its release. The show was an artistic visual master class, the night filled with pyrotechnics and confetti, it had all the ingredients of a spectacular night which will live long in the memory of everyone lucky enough to see it. This two piece are getting better by the year, an amazing show that ran through your blood and bleed your ears.

Listen to your heart and your ears and listen to Twenty One Pilots. “It aint the speakers that bump hearts, it’s our hearts that make the beat!”

Trench out now!

Formed in February 2017, Melbourne’s Murmurmur launched their debut self-titled EP at a packed Workers Club in Brunswick on Thursday 8th November. Fronted by (official, but not official) City Calm Down guitarist,the hugely talented Will Fletcher, backed up by Andy Crosara on guitar, Jack Davies on Bass, Luke Haaja on drums and Fin Bradley on Synth (absent here but impressively replaced, ironically by Fin Rees )

Ever since the release of their dreamy psychedelic pop debut single ‘Cable Car’ in June this year, there has been a growing buzz surrounding them. Touted as the next big thing in Australian music by Triple J Unearthed and on this showing you can see why. Sounding like a cross between Tame Impala, Led Zeppelin and Cream with a hint of War on Drugs, Murmurmur kicked off the gig with ‘A Little Misunderstood’ with Will Fletcher; guitar in hand, looking and sounding every bit the rock star front man. The pulsating ‘Attention Spam – I Can’t Stop’ is next up as Will screams “I Want To Get Inside Your Head” which is exactly what the song does! Followed by ‘I Know You Know’, then the track ‘Little Boy’ which is musically hypnotic, it sends you into a rabbit hole!!

By the time they reach the latest single, the distinctly catchy and sunny ‘Marmalade’ which is Will’s first attempt at writing a love song, the crowd are transfixed, aware they’re potentially witnessing the future of the Australian indie music scene.

Before finishing the show, Will thanked City Calm Down front man Jack Burke who moonlights as their manager, and no doubt, mentor for making his dream a reality. A nice touch!!

The 8 song gig finished with their debut single, the sweeping psych rock ‘Cable Car’, leaving everyone wanting more and whetting their appetites for the full length album. Let’s hope we don’t have to wait too long!

Seeing Murmurmur live really shows this band has talent to burn and a bright future. A band to really keep your eye on and ‘get inside your head.’

Image by Tas Rights Management

Pop legend Taylor Swift kicked off her second show of her Reputation world tour on Friday 26th of October 2018 at the newly named Marvel Stadium in Melbourne.

The stage production with the 2 huge LED screens as a backdrop was enormous and looked incredible! You could tell not a penny was spared bringing this amazing show to life! Every tiny detail was perfect to make sure everyone lucky enough to have a ticket would leave with a memory that would last a lifetime. You know you are in for a night of pure entertainment when there’s pyrotechnics and a giant cobra as the tour mascot.

As expected, the concert was sold out, the same as every show on the Australian leg of the tour. Filled mostly with young excitable teenage girls, some accompanied by their mothers whom are most likely fans themselves! To give it an even more magical feel, you received a wristband as you entered, that synced to the music and would light up the stadium as each song played. A lot of artists tend to be doing this these days and it is a brilliant touch!

Image by Tas Rights Management

Dressed in a glittery black jumpsuit, Tay Tay opened the night with ‘Ready for It’, which got the crowd pumped and ‘ready’ for the night. Perfect choice to start! Seeing her incorporate her backup dancers with the song really brought the song to life.

Next up she sang ‘I Did Something Bad’. Smothered with red pyrotechnics and fireworks to show she means business she yelled “ If a man talks shit, I don’t owe him nothing!” A message to all the young girls in the crowd as they roared their approval.

Together with her backing vocalists Swift next unleashed the tongue-in-cheek ‘Gorgeous’. They cleverly made the stage appear to look like a bathroom mirror as they performed it, and it looked amazing!

You could feel the adulation oozing from the delirious crowd as the Tay Tay disciples screamed at her every move.  Showing her enormous talent, she then integrated ‘Style’ ‘Love Story’ and ‘You Belong to Me’

It was really nice to see how much the dancers and backing vocalists means to Swift as she introduced all of them by their first name to the crowd, one by one. Nice touch!

At the half way stage the famous tour mascot made its appearance, a massive cobra statue where Swift breaks into ‘Look What You Made Me Do’. Great dance choreography and a good mix of dark humour and wickedness. Swift dug deep into her vast back catalogue and brought back some old classics like ‘Im OnlyMe When I’m With You’ from her 2006 self titled debut album, which she hasn’t played live since 2009.

Image by Tas Rights Management

‘Shake it off’ was energising and she had her 2 opening acts Charli XCX and Broods join her on stage to shake it with her. Another goodie for the night was ‘Blank Space’, one of the most popular tracks from her brilliant 2014 album ‘1989’. She played it to perfection!

After another medley of ‘Bad Blood/Should’ve Said No’, she reaches a new level performing a bluesy ‘Don’t Blame Me’. A very powerful performance, showing she really has grown as an artist.

Then came this amazing backdrop of old highways and mountains as ‘Getaway Car’ starts. The whole performance looked like a live music video. Brilliant!

Ending the night with a combination of her well known classic fun tracks, ‘We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together/This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things’. Her reputation as pop royalty was only enhanced after this speechless once in a lifetime experience. Pure entertainment at its best!

Swift has shown after seeing her live that she is one hell of a performer. Its easy to see why she is so universally loved and adored. Taylor Swift is definitely here to stay. Tay Tay fan or not, ‘she’ll never go out of style’.

Reputation out now

Melbourne multi-instrumentalist LANKS (Will Cumming) played a majestic sold out show at Northcote Social Club. As part of his 12-date national tour, his first as the headline act, LANKS together with sister/manager Louise Cumming on keyboards and Justin Olsson on drums, brought to life his critically acclaimed debut album ‘twenty seven’. After releasing 3 well received Eps (Thousand Piece Puzzle) 2014, (Banquet) 2015 and (Viet Rose) 2016, ‘twenty seven’ a powerfully personal electro/pop gem was released in April 2018.
The album speaks about the exploration of growing up, relationships and making decisions that could change the course of your life.
Decked out in striped T-shirt, black jeans and boots, LANKS has been described as a triple threat, as he is the writer, vocalist and producer of this album and carries that burden effortlessly.

The hour long set was an emotional journey, interspersed with LANKS casual, sometimes self-effacing, musings between songs which made him all the more enduring as the packed crowd lapped it up which visibly humbled him. The backing band were tight, a mixture of synths, piano/keyboard, the occasional trombone and drums, together with LANKS guitar and sublime vocal delivery made the night electric.
The crowd sang along to all the songs which was amazing considering the album has only been out for 4 months. LANKS was really touched by this. And at one point between songs, thanked the crowd for blowing his mind by singing back the words he had scribbled down alone in his room a while back, not knowing at the time if it will ever be heard by anyone, it was a nice touch and brought the biggest cheer of the night at that point.

The majority of the set list drew from his new album, tracks like ‘Comfortable’, ‘Horoscopes’, ‘Golden Age’ and ‘My Own Mystery’, with a few surprises thrown in the mix, like a cover of Hayden James’ ‘Numb’ which he did for Triple J’s Like A Version earlier this year, as well as a stirring version of Tia Gostelow’s ‘Strangers’ which he features on and impressively sang both parts. So many highlights from the night, “Holla” which has a brilliant dreamy danceable beat, had the fans grooving away. ‘twenty seven’ was another highlight. He shared with us the story behind it, with the anxiety around achievement and the pressures he placed on himself. Brilliant track!

He finished up with ‘Icarus’ which is the last track of the album, and probably one of the most sentimental tracks. He tells the story of how he proposed to his now wife with this song. He had included a choir for the tear jerking moment of the proposal on the album and the crowd was asked to play the part. And after a couple of practice runs they nailed it. It was so heart-warming, it made it hard to hold back tears. A beautiful moment and what a way to end the show. Brilliant!

‘twenty seven’ out now.

DMA’S – Live At The Forum 8th June.

The Forum in Melbourne was the perfect venue for Sydney trio DMAs to bring to life their British influenced indie rock

Ambling on stage without any fuss or fanfare, Thomas O’Dell, Matthew Mason and Johnny Took came on stage, soon to be joined by tour band members Joel Flyger on guitar, Thomas Crawles on bass and Liam Hoskins on drums. They launched straight into the explosive ‘Feels Like 37’ from their 2014’s self-titled debut EP, immediately reminding us of why so many people compared their music to Oasis.

Lead singer Thomas O’Dell was decked out in a peak cap, baggy pants, chequered shirt and jacket, a look that comes straight from the ‘Madchester’ baggy movement from the 90’s that swept through the UK (and spawned some of the best bands of the last 40 years. A sound that The DMAs have perfected and maybe, on occasions, even bettered.)

The next track they performed was ‘For Now’, from their glorious sophomore album of the same name, which got the crowd jumping!! They played a few more from their first album ‘Melbourne’, ‘Timeless ’ which were just beyond words. Each track got better and better!!

By the time they got to the dreamy track ‘In The Air’, the first single off the album, everyone in the crowd was singing along to every lyric. Thomas Supreme’s vocals were flawless and so rich and soulful it felt like it could break your heart.

The highlight of this intoxicating show for me was when they performed their debut single ‘Delete’ from their 2016 album ‘Hills End’. The crowd sang along with such gusto and passion that it sometimes drowned out O’Dells’ vocals. The music left a lump in my throat for its intense beauty, a moment that will be hard to shake off for some time to come!

O’Dell, mimicking Liam Gallagher with tambourine in hand and sparse dance moves, barely uttered a word to the crowd throughout the night, only with the occasional “Thank you” and choosing to let the music do all the talking, which was refreshing in its charm. Sometimes no words are needed when the music is so good!

8 tracks were chosen for airing from the more mature, infectious and utterly brilliant yet still very British sounding second album, ‘For Now’. and the encore saw them rip out 3 tracks from Hills End… ‘Play It Loud’, ‘In The Moment’ and ‘Lay Down’, which took the whole night to another level, band and audience as one as they sang themselves hoarse over the 1 and  ½ hour set.

This was a sensational, hair-raising gig and it was amazing that we got a chance to experience such a great moment in music history. If you haven’t heard or seen these guys perform live before, we highly recommend doing so or picking up an album. They will take you on an emotional journey that will stay with you for days – and this is how you want it to be!

Brisbane Rockers DZ Deathrays brought their Bloody Lovely national tour to a sold out 170 Russell. The venue was packed to the brim, with the fans pumped up and ready to rock out to one of Australia’s most exhilarating live acts. The floors were sticky with all the beers being thrown around the sweaty and rowdy Melbourne crowd.

Fellow Aussie bands Clowns, Beat Show and These New South Wales, all came along for the ride to be the support acts. These New South Wales stole the show, appearing topless on stage with tape over their nipples, whilst blazing their unusual post -punk industrial rock.

DZ Deathrays were scheduled for 11pm. By this time the crowd were sufficiently primed and ready for the headliners to perform. In fine rock ’n’ roll style, they jumped out onto the smoke-filled stage, with Shane Parsons screaming the foreboding ‘Shred for Summer’ which is the first track off ‘Bloody Lovely’.

As soon as the song started, the mosh hit full force, causing waves and almost crushing everyone to the front barriers! The energy was mental!! They left the crowd no time to lose energy, playing continual back to back crowd pumping tracks such as the boisterous ‘Bad Influence’ and ‘Guillotine’, which let Simon Ripley rock it out on the drums. Ripley is certainly an underrated drummer, but as far as rock bands go, they really don’t get much better than this.

Bloody Lovely dominated the set list, and for good reason too! Their songs have an ability to send you into a trance and cause you to either start thrashing into each other or crowd surf.

Throwing in some old classics for good measure, they finished off with “No Sleep” and crowd favourite “Dollar Chills” from their brilliant sophomore album “Bloodstream”. The crowd were drained by the end, dripping in sweat after the thrilling pure hard rock they had just witnessed, which grabbed you by the throat and never let up for an hour and a half. It was a killer gig and they are one of the most insane live bands we’ve seen thus far. DZ Deathrays are a band that pack a heavy punch that leave you bruised for days, but in a good way!

Saturday 21st October Peter Hook and The Light brought the Melbourne leg of their world tour to a close with a pulsating 3 hour set of Joy Division magic. Kicking off with 1979’s brilliant debut ‘Unknown Pleasures’ before moving onto to the claustrophobic gothic rock of ‘Closer’ and finishing the set with tracks from the epic ‘Substance.’

Being in the same room and breathing the same air as the man that played such a pivotal role in creating such hauntingly beautiful melodies was not lost on the crowd as they stared up in awe of the bass playing genius. 3 hours flew by in a blink of an eye. Peter Hook & The Light brought the immense sound of alternative darkness that is Joy Division to life. At times if you closed your eyes you would swear it was Ian Curtis on that stage.

With son Jack also on bass the father and son duo thumped out the distinctive Joy Division bass lines to perfection!! Jack looked and played like a younger version of the great man himself, even down to his bass playing stance (slung forward bass hanging low) reminiscent of Hooky in his heyday. Such big boots to fill, and he did it without missing a beat!

There was not a New Order song to be heard, neither was there anything from Hooky’s side projects, Revenge or Monaco. This was purely a celebration of one of the best and most influential bands of the last 40 years.

In terms of highlights, there were too many to mention – the dedication of ‘Atmosphere’ to Ian a notable stand out, putting a lump in everyones throat. Absolute beautiful moment!

You would not believe that Hooky has been performing for close on 40 years, with his youthful energy and rock star moves you’d think he was just starting out, such was the enthusiasm and gusto with which he brought to his performance!

In closing, with a beaming smile and after a rousing rendition of the classic ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’, a shirtless Peter Hook threw his top into the crowd for some lucky female to take home as a souvenir. He sauntered off with a promise to return next year – giving us all something to look forward to!

A breathtaking performance!

Hooky you are a God!

K

DYSTOPIA: A Dark Electronic Gathering

Dystopia will bring together 8 spectacular Industrial/Dark Electronic/Gothic acts:

Shiv-r

Originally from New South Wales. Shiv-r is an act that has now decided to call Melbourne home after being based in the UK for several years. They have delighted audiences in over 20 countries, after touring Europe, North America and Asia extensively. They have recently released a new album; Requiem for the Hyperreal, which features Cheshire Grin and Malediction.

Coffin Carousel

Classified as Punk Rock / Horror Punk / Doom Pop, Coffin Carousel is an exciting act on the verge of taking the gothic world by storm after recently signing with American label Eclipse Records. Coffin Carousel are used to blowing audiences minds with their uncompromising live performances. Their new album “Between Death and Dead” drops on Friday the 13th of October.

SNUFF

Based in Sydney, SNUFF are one of the most formidable Industrial acts Australia has to offer. Their music is a combination of industrial dance, trip hop and noise. They have been branded the lovechild of Nine Inch Nails and Massive Attack.

Zen Robotic

Zen Robotic is a dark synth driven act that will get your body up and moving, while their deep, thought provoking lyrics will occupy your mind and soul.

Flat-Liner

Flat-Liner are a five piece industrial band who hold a sturdy position as the anti-everything, pioneers of audible debauchery and perverse originality. Watching them to wreak havoc is a pleasure to watch.

DJ Lobotomy

DJ Lobotomy is an alternative DJ who plays an integral part in Melbourne’s gothic/alternative scene. He’s been putting crowds into frenzied states from behind the decks for several years.

Increment

Increment is a Non DJ electronic act who creates progressive electronica through the use of keyboards and hardware devices. Expect a heavy industrial set.

Katherine Hymer

“The First Lady of Dark Pop” Katherine Hymer, intertwines Romantic melodic lines with dark and foreboding undertones.

The Curtain in Lygon Street, Carlton was the venue of Sydney based post-punk outfit The Death Bells to celebrate the launch of their full length debut album ‘Standing At The Edge Of The World’ following on from their self titled 6 track EP released in May last year.

Named after a Korean horror film, Death Bells was founded in 2015 from the ashes of a few failed punk/hardcore bands. They sound like a cross between The Smiths, Joy Division and New Order with The Cure and early 90’s influenced shoegazers thrown in the mix. Proving that the local indie scene is alive and well and thriving in Australia!

The Death Bells took to the stage at 11.30pm like true rock stars and grabbed the audience by the throat and never let up for an hour. Fronted by Will, with his movie star good looks his brooding intense performance captivated the crowd with track after track of dark, gloomy post-punk dreampop perfection, with the highlight being their performance of their brilliant recent single, Only You.

The bleeding ears we all experienced at the end was small price to pay, every one in the crowd walked away knowing they had just witnessed the start of something huge!

The album is released through Burning Rose/Funeral Party Records and if you are a fan of any of the bands mentioned or you love music that will break your heart,(lets face it who doesn’t) then go out and grab a copy of this epic album you wont regret it!

K