Damien Rice 20-02-07

as I heard someone say on the tram home - 'that was not just a gig....that was an evening with Damien Rice' and so it was.....the tiny irishman was in fine form and delivered a heartfelt and easy performance which I can unabashedly admit to loving. enough of you naysayers and your issues with blowers daughter being on every tv show from here till next year - seeing Damien live is sublime. it wasn't even the sad sorrowfest you might expect as he was quite chipper from start to finish, just having fun playing and singing and drinking a good australian red.

I arrived a bit late to catch countryman Fionn Regan (luckily have tickets to the solo show) but I was surprised to be in the Palais for the first time ever. this is a beautiful majestic old style theatre space and I figured it would be a great place for a gig, but really it probably is more suited for theatre. being confined to my chair got a bit much and I wished for the crush and huddle of the crowd where we could sway and get lost in the music together.

at any rate, such issues were soon forgotten - from the moment damien stepped out he held us all in the palm of his hand. almost everything I wanted to hear was offered up as he played long into the night. clearly he was having fun up there and unlike some gigs I was more than willing to let him go off into some crazy long vocal wandering or guitar riffs cause it was just so damn good. adding to the friendly 'lounge room' feel of things he just wouldn't stop talking - seeming to want to spend hours just talking about songs and whatever shit was going through his head. (I love that stuff, but still everyone else seems to want to come 'just for the songs' so were pushing him to get on with things.)

a lot of new favourites from the latest album (9) were played - of particular note coconut skins, elephant and the fabulous rootless tree - and of course from O "the song I wrote the moment that nothing else mattered" blowers daughter (which morphed into a fantastically sprawling version of creep and then back again.) also plenty of tunes which doesn't appear on albums but which I equally love such as the professor and the deliciously vicious woman like a man. I would have given anything to hear lonelily, but it's good to come away wanting more, and really there was plenty of stuff to make up for it. at one point damien decided it was time to write a song so after a few suggestions from the audience (purple, eyes, elizabeth!!??) we got to hear him compose before us. I'm not going to say it was a song to sell millions, but the boy sure knows a thing or two about making words and music work. at another stage he was clearly getting a bit weary so stepped of stage to enjoy his wine and let Thomas from the audience get up and have his own moment of glory. he then got back up with him and duetted to stand by me before taking control back. again I can't say that the performance was amazing (although I'm sure it would have made Thomas' night) but it was fun - everyone loved it and I guess it got Damien re-engergised, so all was good.

Lisa Hannigan sang flawlessly as usual, adding that extra touch of sweetness and warmth to the songs - what I would only give for a voice like that! her presence is a welcome bonus to any of damien's songs. Lisa and Vivienne Long (cello) did a jaunty little number from Vivienne's new album too which also got lot of chuckles and applause from the crowd. Really it was altogether way too much fun for a damien rice concert (don't pretend it's not what you were thinking) and after about 2 hours of playing he announced that we'd had "enough JOY" and left us with a long and haunting version of cold water in close to complete darkness.

by this stage it was almost too late for the obligatory encore, but he did emerge back onto the stage to put the last emotional kick in with two excellent versions of accidental babies and cannonball (which seemed to go on forever)
again everyone revelling in the music and enjoying the last minutes of beauty......

Noise Bar 16-02-07

my lovely flatmate Jason is the drummer extraordinaire in two Melbourne bands - The Happy Endings and Back Phat 5, so I figured I owed it to myself to get down and see them. on the bill also was relocated Brisbane band Elephant Mojo (who seem to have a loyal little following down here as well) and some other bands who I missed due to losing my way in Brunswick. the gig was in the noise bar which is where they record Noise TV for local channel 31. it's an old school pub with great seating outside - a nice place to grab a beer and listen to a bit of live music. it was a good night, with all the guys rocking out and putting on a pretty rockin' show - everyone particularly liked it when The Happy Endings went all metal on us to finish up - a great note to end on boys!

Local music rocks!

this is why I could never live anywhere else in Australia again. Melbourne really does have a great music scene and allows you to find new talent any day of the week - whatever you are into.

The Rob Roy is just up the street from my house, so when I found myself on a Saturday night with not much to do I figured a trip to the Roy was in order. on the bill this particular night were Howl at the Moon, Young Lovers and The Mad Feeling. All represented themselve more than ably (although the sound could have been lowered a little in Howl at the moon to preserve what was left of my eardrums) but it was the catchy rock/pop stylings of the Young Lovers that really brought a smile to my face. These guys are having fun and it's contagious.

Check 'em out if you get a chance.

neko case - spanish club 01-02-07

After bringing out one of my albums of the year in 2006, I was excited to see Neko Case on our humble shores this February. I managed to bag one of the remaining 20 tickets to her gig at the Spanish Club and I have to say it was more than worth the effort.

It was a bit of a night for 'girls and guitars' at the Spanish Club - with local songstress Emily Ulman starting off the night with a collection of her own well crafted songs. Her voice is sweet and silky (reminding me quite a lot of Taasha Coates from The Audreys) and the lyrics are beautiful, but there's still a step up to make in the arrangement before she becomes amazing. The crowd, whilst appreciative, let her slide very much into the background, which is probably not where she belongs.

In contrast Neko Case is not someone who can/will ever disappear into the background. From the moment she opened her mouth with Widows Toast to the final notes of the encore she captivated the audience with 'that' voice. Together with her band (and the honey voiced Kelly Hogan) Neko filled the room with beauty and strength. The mood was upbeat, jokey and fun - despite the soaring temperatures in the small room. Even the buckets of ice they were brought couldn't have made things easier for the guys up on the stage, but they soldiered on regardless without losing any of the energy that makes them so fun to see.

There was ample space for favourites old and new - letting her amazing vocal range show itself in full glory. Neko is a petite and unassuming woman but the sound that comes out of her mouth is so powerful and enveloping that you can't help being taken away to another place. Every song was amazing, but everyone has their favourite so I was particularly happy to be treated to wonderful renditions of Teenage Feeling and Hold on, Hold on from Fox Confessor and the gorgeous Set out Running from Furnace Room Lullaby (a song which retains a special place in my heart

The only thing I fear is that the opportunity to see Neko in such an intimate space will soon be lost. It really is only a matter of time before everyone jumps on this bandwagon and realises what a amazing talent this woman is.

on rotation

Fujiya & Miyagi Transparent Things
electro is generally not my thing, but this is irresistable. Fresh, witty and catchy as hell - this is one that I can't stop playing. perfect for summer afternoons. (thanks kev!)
Yo la Tengo I am not afraid of you and I will beat your ass
why did I put off buying this for so long?? so good. SO good.
Fionn Regan The End of History
Talented Irishman Fionn Regan has crafted a delicately beautiful debut which stands well above much of the tedium currently emerging from the singer-songwriter set. With well crafted lyrics, gorgeous vocals and understated melodies, this is an album worth sinking into. As the guardian stated "folk has a new pied piper."
Tapes 'n Tapes The Loon
a lot has been said about the overt pavement and pixies influences on here, but I think there's enough new sounds to guarantee repeat listens. good indie rock.

the day the music died!!

within my first hour back in Australia my most treasured possession (yes - the ipod) was gone - and with it all the new tunes I had collected from my music loving friends in Ireland and Canada!!!! aargh......this was NOT a happy event.

luckily enough I did download my entire itunes library onto Gary's computer before I left Vancouver - but there's no telling when I will be able to co-ordinate their complete return..........so until such time I am slightly floundering.

This is nothing less than a disaster! ;)

On the plus side - my good friend Michael has very, very kindly stepped up to the plate and has let me borrow his ipod in the interim - but he hasn't updated in forever, and of course all my fave stuff is missing. waaaaaaaaah.

As a result of all this all my spare time right now is spent on limewire and itunes trying to retreive a select few of my most favoured tracks....and the very good news is that I am also discovering some things along the way. It may not be the same, but the music situation is definitely improving! (plus Michael should have a much better collection by the time I'm finished)

it's a great time of year for concerts here in Melbourne as well, so any other feelings of loss I've been having lately are slowly being chased away by the pleasant memory of live gigs - the next few weeks are jammed packed with what promises to be a stellar lineup of bands from home and abroad.

Bring on the music I say!

Josh Ritter 12-12-06

I try never to miss the opportunity to see Josh Ritter live - wherever in the world I may be. Apart from the fact that I enjoy his music (The guardian recently listed him along with Will Oldham and the like as one of the modern 'poets of pop') his live performances are always full of warmth and fun. My preference would really be to see just him and a guitar without the theatrics and the band, however he still provided a lively and entertaining show. Josh has a huge following in Ireland (in fact at times the gig felt more like a giant love-in than a concert, but that's not really a criticism) you can't help but be pulled into the group hug and find yourself smiling along.
The set was a mixed bag with hits from all of his albums which I think managed to keep old and new fans happy (if indeed there were any new fans - these guys seemed like they'd all been in for the long haul and able to sing along to everything he turned out). He got everyone going with a rockin rendition of Hello Starling, right into my favourite from the last album- 'Good Man' then back to 'Me and Jiggs' from Golden Age of Radio. 3 great songs from 3 great albums - it was definitely a good sign of things to come.

Mostly he kept the mood uptempo except for a few choice solos including a beautiful rendition of 'Bone of Song' where he ditched the band and reminded everyone of the beauty of his words and his voice. All my faves were there (although I nearly missed the absolutely amazing 'Kathleen' whilst wasting time at the bar - sheesh) and a few others as well - it really was a great night!

check out more about Josh Ritter

here and here

obsessions

welcome to my new dedicated music blog.
I figured rather than bore the pants off everyone else on my regular blog, I'd just start another music one to obsess with those who are interested.
(the title comes from an old Merle Haggard song - covered by many including one of my all time favourite bands The Jayhawks)