Live review: No Sleep Til (for The Music Network)

Eric Melvin of NOFX

20 December 2010

by Poppy Reid

Entertainment Quarter, Sydney
Saturday, December 18 

For an embryonic national festival that’s already been dubbed ‘Soundwave’s seconds’ before its inception, No Sleep Til in Sydney on Saturday flipped the bird to any opposing critics.

It may have been held in a few dirty sheds at the Entertainment Quarter, but the battle between punk and metal created an intense backdrop where metal-heads and pink-haired punks were forced to associate.

Over at the Red Stage, past master’s Me First And The Gimme Gimmes drew a thick crowd as they reminisced about when punk wasn’t dead and when in-band rivalry only made you play better. Bassist Fat Mike of NOFX and singer Spike Slawson badgered each other through their set which included tracks Xanadu, Country Roadand even a raspy version of Somewhere Over The Rainbow.

Most of the Gimme Gimme crowd stayed for Frenzal Rhomb who took the torch next. The Sydney punk veterans know what’s expected of them nowadays, and obliged with only the favourites; White World andBucket Bong were the most noted singalongs, along with final trackPunch In The Face. To be fair, they did throw in one new track, Bird Attack comically details the toils of having to wear a helmet to fend off magpie assaults.

U.S metalcore band, Autumn Burns Red impressively took out the award for biggest death circle at the Black Stage. Notably one of the most wrathful mosh pits I’ve ever seen, these kids showed no mercy for the fallen, some even relished in the fact.

Afterward, at the Green Stage, seasoned three-piece, Alkaline Triolooked more pop than punk. Singer Matt Skiba sang under a multicoloured trucker hat and behind fluorescent yellow sunglasses, proving you don’t have to look the part to deliver good ol’ shoe throwing, barrier bombarding, punk rock. Intelligently playing mostly tracks from Crimson and Good Mourning the Trio did throw a few new tracks from This Addiction. Skiba, always one for between-song banter, revealed he got in a fight with Fat Mike the night before while they were watching Descendents. NOFX’s Eric Melvin later laughed that Skiba was trying to jump onstage with them, who can blame him really? Rounding off with Radio, if they’re matching grins were anything to go by, Alkaline Trio had as much fun as us.

The sun set on the Green Stage (the only stage that saw it), with metal space cadets Gwar. Supposedly banished from space to “rape the shit out of some hobbits” in Australia, Gwar did just that. In full satirical costume they battled a monster, which decapitated one of their men. The theatrical blood projection from a fake head deserves definite props for the best piss-take of No Sleep Til.

Meanwhile, over at the Red Stage NOFX used their slot to remind us who were the Kings of live.

“This is a song about weed,” said Eric Melvin.

“Pretty much all of our songs are about coke, but this is the only one about weed,” replied Fat Mike before tearing into New Herb. The cut and thrust continued with jabs at Megadeth’s spelling capabilities, homophobes and religion in between favourites like Leave It Alone, Triple Rock and Blasphemy. During final tracks Perfect Guvernmentand Jesusland we showed our appreciation with a good old-fashioned shoe throwing, “are you fucking retarded?” said Fat Mike after getting hit in the chest with a thong or as he called it, a “flip-flop.”

Personally the highlight wasn’t Fat Mike’s bitter sarcasm, nor was it when their keyboardist escorted an over-zealous fan off stage all while lassoing the air with one arm held high; it was Eric Melvin and his quirky high kicks that he projected in all directions behind Fat Mike, genius.

Although most stood by for Descendents, those of us who like a bit of pop in our punk made a beeline for A Day To Remember at the Green Stage. Complete showmen, the Florida five-piece choreographed unified jumps and spins that accented all the best bits of tracks like A Shot In The Dark, My Life For Hire and The Plot To Bomb The Panhandle. Lead vocalist Jeremy McKinnon asked fans to get a buddy to crowd surf and stand, surfing on top of them, few were successful. “One more song!” we screamed before You Should Have Killed Me When You Had The Chance. Bodies spilled over the barricade in droves, this A Day To Remember gig could give the Quicksilver Pro a run for its money any day.

To those who decided to sleep through it and hold out for Soundwave instead, I recommend you treat yourselves to both fest's next year; even if it's just so you can chuck a shoe at your favourite band's metal/punk rival.

Alexisonfire: Normal just like you (for The Music Network)

20 December 2010

by Poppy Reid

With a name taken from a lactating contortionist stripper (now prostitute), Canada’s Alexisonfire have made more than an impression on the Australian hardcore scene; and not just because of those sex-worker images you may have in your head right now.

The five-piece were recently in Australia for the second time this year, but this time we’re the first stop on their first headlining tour of album number four, Old Crows/Young Cardinals. TMN sat down with the band’s singer/guitarist Dallas Green at a bar in King’s Cross to discuss his quest to stay normal and keep his fans that way too.

“I’ve had certain instances with people when they get a little too intrusive and I have to be like ‘stop it’,” says Green. “I talk to kids if they get a little too crazy about the fact that they’re meeting me. I’m like ‘listen; it’s not a big deal I’m a normal person just like you. You’re probably better at a tonne of stuff that I can’t do’.”

Green’s definition of normal is a life on tour with his best friends Wade McNeil (rhythm guitar), George Petit (vocals), Chris Steele (bass) and Jordan Hastings (drums). The post-hardcore worshippers have been touring for almost two years, but Green enthuses that “coming to Australia is like being on holiday” for them.

Amidst the normality of their constant touring schedule, the band has even found time to record new material. A four song EP titled Dog’s Blood was released in November. The inspiration for the EP stemmed partly from a desire to make music without rules, their commitment to “never write a concept record” and the fact Green mentioned it to the press before its inception.

“We came up with an idea to make a mish-mash EP, 'cos with EP’s you don’t have to worry about rules. With a record, once you get knee-deep in it, it starts to form itself on the record and certain songs get left off because they don’t fit the mood or the vibe whereas with the EP you can do whatever you want.

“It started as a bit of a joke when we first decided that we were gonna make an EP called Dog’s Blood. I said it in an interview and it got printed and we were like ‘oh geeze, I guess we have to do it.’ So then George wrote the song called Dog’s Blood and here we are,” laughs Green.

Although Dog’s Blood could be seen to have come about in a somewhat haphazard manner, Green is clear on the direction he wants his music to take. The quintet plan to take some time off after this current tour and then Green, having already written fifteen new songs for his solo effort, City and Colour, plans to put the finishing touches on a new release.

“One of my goals in life is to come here and play a City and Colourtour so hopefully I’ll be able to make it down here. It’ll be my first time and I’ll have all three records and I won’t know what to play,” says Green excitedly.

City and Colour (five points if you get the namesake reference) has gained as much acclaim as AOF and with his fan-base continuing to grow, Green wants to make sure they don’t go gaga on him, in fact he’ll hate it of you do.

“I’ll never look at myself as a celebrity or high-profile, I just play guitar and I love it and I sing and I love it, that’s it. There’s nothing that makes me any different or better than anybody and I hate when people either assume that about you or put that on you.”

Green dreams do come true as City and Colour prepare to tour Australia for the first time in April next year, unsurprisingly, tickets to all venues sold out in three days.

See tour dates below.

Tuesday April 5 - Enmore Theatre, Sydney

Thursday April 7 - Palace Theatre, Melbourne

Friday April 8 - Tivoli, Brisbane

Sunday April 10 - HQ, Adelaide

Monday April 11 - Astor Theatre, Perth

Live review: Jack Johnson (for The Music Network)

13 December 2010

by Poppy Reid

The Domain, Sydney
Saturday, December 11 

Turns out Jack Johnson has the potential to throw one hell of an outdoor concert, but maybe next time he should book a different security company. Gates opened at The Domain at 4pm (practically at sparrows fart as far as gigs go), amazingly, punters were asked to toss their water and food into plastic bins or throw it out.

Yes, Jack Johnson provides free water stations and yes as far as outdoor concerts go, the food was reasonably priced and his performance way surpassed any negativity, not to mention he’s forever in our good books for donating 100% of tour profits to charity…but whose idea was it to start proceedings so early and have only one pizza stand?!

Moving forward, I was unfashionably late and devastated; I missed Australia’s radio announcer turned blues muso, Ash Grunwald and the Canadian indie femme-philandering twins, Tegan and Sara. Despite the crowd of 17,000 the sheer cleanliness of The Domain was an initial shock, whether that was due to roaming undercover rubbish collectors or for fear Johnson’s environmental wrath would rein upon them if they didn’t, was unclear.

Opening with favourites Taylor and Sitting, Waiting, Wishing, it was intelligibly a night for the people and not for promotion of his latest album To The Sea. Of his 26-song set, Johnson played only 5 new tracks and even threw in a few covers like Steve Miller Band’s The Joker and G.Love and Special Sauce’s Rodeo Clowns where Ash Grunwald joined him onstage.

Always one for equality, Johnson invited Tegan and Sara onstage to sing the fitting Cyndi Lauper track, Girls Just Wanna Have Fun. Pianist/percussionist Zach Gill bathed in a slither of limelight forBreakdown when he sang the first verse, before a sudden wall of fireworks erupted behind us, “I set that up for you guys. Na just kidding but it sure is pretty and it’s gonna make me forget my lyrics.”

He may have forgotten his lyrics but more than redeemed himself with a five-song encore which included Do You Remember, the so-sweet-you-could spew story of how he met his wife and Angel, “This is like ten years later when you wake up on Christmas morning and you realise you haven’t got her a present yet, so you write her a little song,” he explained.

His altered version (with added third verse) of Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer put cuddling couples and doting families on their feet and his final track Better Together proved its point with the support acts joining him for a festive ending and some seriously questionable hippy-dancing. As we all filed through the gates, what could have ended up looking like any of this summers mega-festivals, was completely contrasted by the many punters collecting their empty beer cans and chip packets and placing then in the bins on their way out.

Live Review: Looking Through A Glass Onion (for The Music Network)

09 December 2010

by Poppy Reid

Actor/singer John Waters has returned with his critically acclaimed Looking Through A Glass Onion. His performance at The Opera House on Wednesday night instilled new life into the memory of John Lennon.

Having toured the production since the '90s to celebrated reviews, Waters delivered a fresh, uncanny impersonation of both John Lennon’s singing voice and Liverpool accent. He weaved us through the bright and dark of Lennon’s life. Accompanied by the masterly Stewart D’Arrietta, (Waters’ collaborator, Music Director, singer, pianist and multifarious impersonator) as well as bassist Tony Mitchell of theSherbet fame, guitarist Paul Berton and drummer Greg Henson, the audience were delivered a multi-coloured view of John Lennon without ever fringing on imitation.

Waters gave new meaning and insight to each Lennon track with quirky and sometimes even heart-rending anecdotes that intertwined between favourites like Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds, How Do You Sleep and Come Together.

It takes a very talented man to stand still in one spot for two acts and 28 tracks; captivating an audience that included the likes of Steve Balbi and Erika Heynatz. For Strawberry Fields Waters stood drenched in red light, an ominous shadow projected tall on the wall next to him. During his arresting rendition of Isolation, the stage lights cast horizontally over just his face, his head looked as though it was floating in the darkness.

After a well-deserved standing ovation John Waters and friends performed a two-song encore including the sing-along of the night,Instant Karma. Judging by the many audience members wiping their glassy-eyed faces, Waters’ part biographical, part theatrical mix payed an all-encapsulating homage to the legend that was John Lennon.

Bonde do Rolê discuss new tunes and transvestites (for The Music Network)

30 December 2010

by Poppy Reid

According to DJ Gorky from Brazilian group Bonde do Rolê, their yet to be released sophomore record is all about transvestites.

The party kids – founding members Rodrigo Gorky and Pedro D’Eyrot along with new additions Laura Taylor and Ana Bernardino - have emerged from a three-year hiatus with enough material for two records. The four-piece were in Sydney for the Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange party where they premiered Olodum and some tracks from their traditional samba record. interestingly, both are largely themed around gender-bending drag queens.

“Of all the songs we’ve ever done, most of them were about trannies,” says Gorky earnestly “The samba one is a completely one themed record, about trannies,” he even announces his dream is to have renowned transvestite and TV host, RuPaul cameo on the upcoming album.

“Even if she just goes ‘you better work,’ or if she just says ‘fierce’, anything! If we could have RuPaul on the record that would be way better than the first one where we didn’t have any trannies.”

Gorky is referring to Bonde do Rolê’s 2007 debut album, With Lasers, but don’t worry if you’ve never heard of it, or the group for that matter. They’re happy-go-lucky attitude is: “as long as you remember us, you can call us anything.”

American DJ Diplo signed Gorky and Pedro along with previous frontwoman Marina Ribatski to his label, Mad Decent, after discovering their MySpace account.

With Lasers was released through Mad Decent and had a few club anthems, most notably Marina Gasolina. The track featured on an Australian Bonds commercial and although the track is entirely in Portuguese, the lyrics - Meet me after school and I'll beat you like gorilla. Bite you like slut, come play with my pussy- had to be removed from the ad due to their offensive nature; but Gorky says the lyrics are only dirty to those who are dirty themselves.

“The song’s about animals; piranhas and gorillas and spiders. Of course it has a second meaning but you gotta have the evilness inside of you to understand it in a dirty way,” he says.

“Internal issues” caused Marina to leave the group at the end of 2007, leaving Gorky and Pedro with no live act to tour and on the hunt for a new record label.

“We were struggling for so long but we kept working… We were just having a short break, due to higher forces,” side steps Gorky. “[Marina] sent me an email when her father died and I replied but she never wrote back. I’m not going to try to be her friend coz we’re not friends anymore.”

The group is now signed to Domino records but has kept Diplo on as a “fifth member.” “We actually have that on contract,” says Gorky. Along with Diplo, Gorky and Pedro recruited Laura and Ana, however their initiation was more mercenary. Passing random trials and tribulations like rolling in mud and eating dodgy kebabs for an MTV Brazil contest in 2008, the girls stood out from the rest, but not for their talent per se.

“It was more about the vibe than actual talent,” says Gorky. “It was like Karate Kid, painting the fences and cleaning the floor; all the tasks had nothing to do with the band but at the same time, it had a lot.”

In the year that MTV helped discover Bonde do Rolê’s front-spunks they also nominated the group twice at the 2008 MTV Brazil Awards for Artist Of The Year and Video Of The Year for their track Solta O Frango. This recognition from their homeland only then sparked the release of With Lasers in Brazil.

“They say we’re just a bunch of spoilt rich kids who make baile funk tracks and the people who do like baile funk think we’re just rich kids having a take on baile funk,” Gorky has accepted that his country of origin will be the hardest of all to crack so perhaps this acceptance is the reason behind “three or four out of the twelve” Olodum tracks being recorded in English.

Bonde do Rolê have been labeled, pigeon-holed, celebrated and even berated for their music, but if their Smirnoff gig is anything to go by, one only has to attend a live show to see what all the fuss is about.

“Even though we might not have a huge following, even though people don’t understand what we’re singing about, we’re going to pass that fun to the people and when we get the fun back it becomes a big thing!”

The 2011 release date for Olodum has not been confirmed.