Destroy All Lines, Valhalla Touring & Strange Festival Presents
CAVE IN ANNOUNCE AUSTRALIAN HEADLINE SHOWS
TOURING IN JUNE WITH THE OCEAN + LLNN
A pioneering and unique force of rock, metal and hardcore across multiple spectrums, CAVE IN will tour Australia and New Zealand for the very first time in their near 30-year history this June.
In addition to already announced dates supporting German post-metal titans The Ocean, the Massachusetts four-piece now announces a limited run of additional headline performances in Melbourne, Auckland, Wellington, and at the nascent Strange Festival in Perth. Though touring in support of their 2022 Relapse Records debut Heavy Pendulum, a critically acclaimed album described as everything from sludge metal to post-grunge, fans can expect a career-spanning set as CAVE IN finally touches down under.
Formed in 1995 in Massachusetts by singer/guitarist Stephen Brodsky, CAVE IN was ahead of its time from the very beginning, helping to define the then-primitive metalcore genre with a more creatively elevated slant on their 1998 debut album Until Your Heart Stops.
Not content to remain pigeonholed, the band veered into more accessible psychedelic ‘space rock’ sounds on subsequent releases before a brief hiatus in the mid 2000s. After the tragic death of bassist/vocalist Caleb Schofield in 2018, Converge bassist Nate Newton picked up his friend’s instrument and the band was able to continue on its legacy, resulting most recently in their seventh album, 2022’s Heavy Pendulum; a culmination of all the sounds the band had explored throughout their tenure and then some, with universal critical praise labeling it everything from sludge metal to post-grunge and even thrash.
Don’t miss the long-awaited debut Australian tour for CAVE IN this June – this will certainly be one for the ages!
GOOD MORNING ANNOUNCE HEADLINE AUSTRALIAN TOUR THIS JUNE
+ PITCHFORK MUSIC FESTIVAL LONDON THIS NOVEMBER
AUS TOUR TICKETS ON SALE + GOOD MORNING SEVEN LP OUT NOW
Photo by Pooneh Ghana
PRAISE FOR GOOD MORNING SEVEN LP
#5 ARIA Aus Album Chart
Triple R (Album of the Week) 2SER (Album of the Week) SYN (Local Feature Album) Edge Radio (Feature Album)
“A strong claim to be the most underrated Australian band of their generation” Rolling Stone (Future Of Music A/NZ)
“Not many artists are willing to risk presenting their listeners with so many songs in one sitting, but they pull it off in spades. Press play and go for a thrilling and witty and creative ride” Northern Transmissions (8.6)
“Good Morning Seven is the biggest and best triumph yet for one of Australian music’s most understated success stories” Junkee
“The Melbourne duo’s self-recorded pop reveries continue to enjoy an international popularity that belies its lackadaisical approach” The Australian (★★★★)
“Good Morning is a band that might have stayed one of Australia’s best-kept secrets – were it not for a series of unexpected co-signs… The album feels like something of a reset after a mammoth few years… where many songs wonder about the future and what it means to live and sustain a creative life. It might be an existential crisis – or it might just be ageing.” The Guardian
“Liam Parsons and Stefan Blair’s music oozes personality; masters of tone, shepherds of sonics, and wizards of words, the cult two-piece have shown immense character and craft throughout their discography. Never veering from their distinctly DIY approach, they remain authentic and unique, perching at the forefront of global indie, established as one of Australia’s most cherished acts” Wonderland
“Completely natural and welcoming, satisfying on the ear, warm to the touch and authentic in its presence” Far Out Magazine
“Excalibur” is far from freaked-out… a soothing soft-rock composition paired with nearly mumbled vocals from Parsons” FLOOD
“Lush retro pop balladry… melodious pop-rock, magnificently rendered with a gentle touch” Stereogum
“A melodic, bright record with lyrics that pull you up off the floor, perfect for those days when you don’t really know what you’re doing” Monster Children
“At 17-tracks it’s the band’s longest and most ambitious project to date, showcasing their continuing growth and meticulous songcraft” Triple R
Good Morning today announce, in celebration of their critically acclaimed album Good Morning Seven, an upcoming Australian tour set for June. Accompanying their RISING Festival appearance and just announced Pitchfork Music Festival London showcase, tickets are on-sale now. BUY TIX HERE + LISTEN TO LP HERE.
Good Morning Seven, the 17 track double LP epic from the duo of Stefan Blair and Liam Parsons has continued to garner praise for the pair’s elevated production and forthright lyricism. The steam of acclaim locally includes playlisting across Double J and community radio placements on Triple R (Album of the Week), 2SER (Album of the Week), SYN (Local Feature Album), Edge Radio (Feature Album) amongst profiles across Rolling Stone, The Guardian, The Australian, Junkee, Bandcamp and abroad with the FADER, NPR, Stereogum, Paste, Northern Transmissions and more.
Upon release, The Guardian praised their “wry, charismatic, self-effacing paeans to the pain and pleasure of existence,” elsewhere Northern Transmissions remarked on Good Morning‘s enduring knack to “keep you hooked, from start to finish, with lots of variety and lots of humour and heart.”The Australian revelled, “The real magic lies in how these songs splinter and swoon in unexpected ways, prompting major feelings with minor touches.” Overwhelmingly, critical acclaim continues to laud Good Morning Seven as the vessel “that’s set to give them the wider notice they so deserve” (Rolling Stone).
Following on from their previously announced RISING Festival appearance, Good Morning are elated to perform across the east coast this June debuting their latest album to Australian audiences – that had hometown crowds at their Naarm / Melbourne SoundMerch pre-release in-store, lining up around the block attempting entry. Stefan and Liam will expand album favourites such as ‘Just In Time‘ and ‘Excalibur‘ into full band performances for the first time, as they currently support Waxahatchee across the US.
Good Morning Seven is an album of navigating choice, a testament to the investment (and pay-off) in taking time. Narratively the album considers the very real fear of it being wasted, against the means we seek to enrich it where Liam and Stefan celebrate the weird, the insular and the shitty through a stream of lessons learnt no matter how big or small. Alongside their enduring canine talisman – their metaphor for the human condition – alongside their stories on how we impact the hourglass passing.
GOOD MORNING TOUR DATES
AUS TOUR DATES
Thu 6 Jun – RISING Festival @ Melbourne Recital Hall – Naarm / Melbourne Fri 14 June – The Servo – Dharawal Land / Port Kembla Sat 15 June – The Lansdowne – Eora / Sydney Fri 21 June – Bangalow Bowling Club – Arakwal Land / Bangalow Sat 22 June – SILO @ The Brightside – Meanjin / Brisbane
Good Morning Seven LP is out now, buy/stream it here
Over the past decade, Good Morning have carved out a peculiar, hard-to-define indie career for themselves, amassing a global cult fanbase and hundreds of millions of streams despite (or perhaps because of) their defiantly DIY approach. The band/duo/recording-thing from Naarm / Melbourne, Australia come together as Stefan Blair (29, brown hair, 6 foot something) plays most of the instruments and sings half the songs. Liam Parsons (30, brown hair, 6 foot on the dot) plays the rest of the instruments and sings the other half of the songs.
The band name is intentionally impossible to Google but hasn’t gotten in the way of them getting shouted out by Tyler, The Creator, sampled by A$AP Rocky, going viral on TikTok (for their 2015 track ‘Warned You’), or touring the globe (including the US, Mexico, China, Japan, Thailand, and beyond). Their 2021 album Barnyard, both thoughtful and catchy, released internationally via Polyvinyl was met with widespread acclaim from Rolling Stone, NME, Stereogum, The Line Of Best Fit, Consequence, Alt Press, Paste, DIY Magazine, Northern Transmissions, KCRW, 6Music and more – setting the scene for their seventh record Good Morning Seven.
A moment in the two piece’s history, Good Morning Seven marks a significant shift for the duo who typically write and record independently from each other, in a matter of days, releasing albums, EPs and double tracks all in a quick sequence of each other. Their most ambitious project to date is made possible thanks to their own decade-long friendship. Liam and Stefan stretched days into longer periods of gestation, steadily developed their own studio spaces with gear accumulated or kindly borrowed, and a string of collaborators invited to contribute for the first time ever.
While it’s written, recorded, engineered, and produced solely by Good Morning, they further expand their world with an integrated community of contributors in mix engineer Tyler Karmen (Noname, DIIV, Devendra Banhart) with parts overdubbed at Stella Mozgawa’s (drummer of Warpaint) Joshua Tree studio, Fred Kevorkian (The White Stripes, Iggy Pop, The National, Willie Nelson) who mastered in Brooklyn, string arrangements by Chloe Sanger, Greer Clemens and Dannika Horvat on harmonies (the only guest vocalists on record to date), and Stefan’s father Glenn Blair even played woodwinds. The double album filled with strings, synths, samples and singing marks their 10th year anniversary of being a band. It’s all downhill from here.
Walking up to Rod Laver Arena on a freezing cold Thursday night, I had to double check my tickets.
“Rod Laver Arena? Surely, they aren’t selling out a venue that big?” I whispered to myself as I triple checked the venue.
They, are Bring Me The Horizon. I remember them as one of the many sculptors of my mid-teens. My memories are me sitting on the bus, sullen because all my friends went to Sydney to see them. I probably gave myself tinnitus on that bus ride. Or sitting in woodwork and a group of girls I desperately wanted to be friends with told me to, “Go and talk to Jess, she likes that emo shit too.” And becoming her partner in home-ec that year. Bring Me The Horizon were an intimate band for me, the cause of friendships falling apart and coming together. They weren’t an arena rock band. They were mine, they were for the kids like me. But, clearly, they were ours. And we were all here tonight.
A swarm of platform black boots, fishnets and black lipstick pour passed me, as the hyper pop anthems of Daine pierce the freezing air. I love Daine. They were one of the artists who defined lockdown bonfires with my housemates for me. Tonight is a night dedicated to making the best out of a bad situation, clearly. SALT, I want the light to swallow me whole and a far-too short list of songs later, the set is finished. I can feel the applause from outside. Daine is an absolute machine, the powerhouse to end all powerhouses.
I finally manage to make my way inside, shoulder to shoulder with the coolest people I’ve ever seen. I love ex-emo kids. I’m now much more of a corduroy-and-American-Traditional-tattoo emo enthusiast, but here I am with the upper echelon of emo kid. And I’m thrilled. As I take my seat, the lights dim again and Make Them Suffer takes to the stage. Going from goth-rock meets hyper pop to Australian metalcore might seem strange, but this crowd is absolutely on board for the weirdness. I watch as a half-filled GA area throws themselves against each other, the smacks of their arms audible from my seat. Opening with Ghost of Me and winding up seven songs later, I wish the Perth band had stayed on earlier, but tonight is about celebrating lots of bands, and so they make their way offstage after a thunderous finish with Doomswitch.
Now, my relationship with Sleep Token, is a little bit…. Strange. The London progressive-metal band are famous for making a TikTok edit song for a hot video game vampire. I didn’t know it was a Sleep Token track, until I was sitting down and as The Summoning started playing, I was surrounded by videos of this pale hottie. Certainly, one for the ol’ bucket list.
Sleep Token have this awesome stage presence. White masks with red and black paint splatters cover the faces of the entire group, their anonymity is their power. The crowd is almost possessed with the slow, melodic drops and the ultra-high screaming peaks. The band plays in a way that makes them seem blank-faced, but their musicianship is evocative, powerful and an absolute feast for the senses. The red lights spray into the crowd as our screams mix with theirs. An outstanding final opening act for the absolute chaos I was about to experience with Bring Me The Horizon.
Bring Me The Horizon are mythic. Formed in 2004 in Sheffield, they’ve released 8 albums and have sold over 5 million records. They sold out 3 shows in Melbourne alone, on this Australian tour. To say they’re popular, would be an understatement. They’re revolutionary. And my God, do they know it.
The show opens with Eve, an AI woman doing “audience analysis” on us. The screens of the arena are filled with her uncanny face movements as she asks us to scream in excitement, only to be met with; “Performance analysis: Weak as fuck”. The antsy crowd on the floor takes that as a challenge, and immediately open up a Circle Pit. Before the band’s even come on. It’s insanity.
Then, the backdrops project the walls and windows of a church, with beautiful sunlight streaming through. The British 4-piece come onstage, taking their own pillars, except front man Oli Sykes, who is on the lowest level in a velvet top and these amazing loafers. All of the band take to their human-spine mic-stands and let it rip for the next nearly 2 hours. “Bang your fucking heads, pussies!” Sykes screams into the crowd as he lets out a vocal-chord tearing scream and his guitarists jump what feels like 20-feet into the air.
I am completely swept up into the story they’re telling. Project angeldust has gone awry, Eve’s systems are corrupted and her fanatic cultists are dying. Project angeldust arrives, and the church windows aren’t filled with snow or rain or sun anymore, they’re torn down by a body-horror baby with wings, and everyone loses it. Matt Nichols on drums is an absolute mad-man, he is incredible. Every song, he’s making the beat and then outperforming himself as the song goes on, legendary. All of the musicians are killing it, they’re note-perfect, and even better than I can describe.
There’s fire, sparklers, smoke, lights – it’s a feast.
As the circle pit continues, and the crowd keeps splitting itself into walls of death, Sykes smirks that smirk we all know, “You guys are fucking mad for it! But can you jump?” And yes they can. He insults us, he lifts us up – anything he barks at us, with that killer smile, we are all too eager to oblige.
At first, I thought he was kidding with the repeated; “I’m a little bit poorly, seeing double. Hot sweats, cold sweats.” Because we launched into Kingslayer, and he smiled up at us before spitting into the mic, “1-2-fuck you!” and let out another spine crunching scream. God, he’s good. But he did need to take a 3 minute break in the middle to get himself feeling better. Even being clearly very unwell, he was the frontman to end all frontmen. Like so spellbinding, his skill is unmatched, his synergy with the band was like nothing I’ve ever seen before. As he returns from break he’s smiling again, “Fuck me you guys are fucking mental!” And we are, it’s true, I’ve never seen anything quite like it. What he considered a 4/10, was most concerts 11/10, and we just kept going. “Peng crowd!” His band coos in agreement to eachother.
Pulling up Sam, a random audience member in a bucket hat, and laden with the most Australian accent ever, was so genius. Performing Antivist together, Sam was throwing in improv lines, screaming and barking orders at us. “Pull the finger out of your fucking asses! Make a wall of death! Let’s go, let’s go!” And we are all too happy to oblige. Sykes grins at his newest prodigee, and they absolutely crush their unplanned duet.
Parasite Eve is, of course, spellbinding. Rave lights illuminate the arena. Spectacular rays of green and yellow and white. Sykes’ voice is unbelievable. His screams are… Better than recorded. His vocal control is criminally underrated, it’s fucking awesome. As their platinum hit rides to a close, the stage turns red, rose petals fall. Sykes lies on the ground. “I have a question, can you… can you…. Can You Feel My Heart?” He jumps to his feet, clearly ready to punch out this last number with everything he has “If you don’t jump to this song, you are a certified dickhead!” And they go into Can You Feel My Heart. A studded sacred heart lights them from behind, the arena is bathed in light, and I am 14 again, in home-ec, on the back of the bus. I feel like I could burst.
The encore goes off without a hit, and I am still lost in nostalgia. Please, treat your inner-teen. I promise they’re desperate to scream along with Bring Me The Horizon and leave arm in arm with other cry-laughing adults as we go from being swallowed by Sykes poetic screams, to being swallowed by the Melbourne cold.
Korn's Jonathan Davis was so excited by ORGY that he created his own record label in order to sign them and fund their debut album. Not to be outdone, Limp Bizkit's Fred Durst discovered a very young COLD and threw his considerable weight behind them.
Both Nu Metal giants' intuitions were well vindicated when Orgy's groundbreaking and revolutionary Candyass and Cold's incredible 13 Ways To Bleed and Year Of The Spider albums all became absolute classics of the era, going on to collectively sell five million copies worldwide and putting a few more Platinum and Gold records on the walls of Mr. Davis & Mr. Durst!
Led by charismatic front man Jay Gordon, Orgy earned a well-deserved reputation as one of alt-rock's most forward-thinking and dynamic bands. With a sound defined by catchy hooks, powerful guitar riffs and throbbing electronic beats, Orgy have cultivated a devoted fanbase and remain a major force thanks to their electrifying live performances and irresistible intensity.
Cold achieved major success with the album 13 Ways To Bleed On Stage and the follow up album Year Of The Spider only picked up the pace spawning smash singles ‘Stupid Girl’ and ‘Suffocate’. They are renowned for their emotionally charged lyrics and deep connection with their fans, who are dubbed the “Cold Army’’.
The dynamic collaboration of the two highly influential bands will see them perform in Australia for the first time for three unforgettable shows.
ORGY AND COLD AUSTRALIAN TOUR 2024
MAX WATTS, MELBOURNE
Friday October 25
METRO THEATRE, SYDNEY
Saturday October 26
THE TRIFFID, BRISBANE
Sunday October 27
TICKETS ON SALE FRIDAY APRIL 26 AT 9AM Pre-sale: Tuesday April 23 at 9am
TROPHY EYES ANNOUNCE AUSTRALIAN HEADLINE TOUR 2024
WITH SPECIAL GUESTS BOSTON MANOR & TOWNS
Australia’s finest purveyors of melodic noise Trophy Eyes have had a busy year already. After the success of their ARIA Top 10 release “Suicide and Sunshine” in 2023, the band then headed on a capital city run promoting the album, selling out shows right around the country. This was followed up with a raucous regional Australian victory lap with their mates Dear Seattle, then finally the band managed to take one deep long breath.
I guess they knew what 2024 had in store for them. The band are currently half way through a sold out European tour, their first in the territory since early 2023 and one which is giving the Northern Hemisphere an overdue first taste of the album live. They then fly direct to the US for an extended run of headline shows, with the tour being a proper circumnavigation of the US starting in Brooklyn and ending in Baltimore 5 weeks later.
Trophy Eyes know they can’t let fans overseas have all the fun, so it’s with immense pleasure and more than a little excitement that they announce their only headline tour of Australia for 2024, a lightning run with a storming support bill of international guests and mates Boston Manor (UK), and with Adelaide’s Towns in the opening slot. Full tour details below.
Boston Manor recently released their new single ‘Container‘. It marks the first new music from the band in 2024 as they make their return in impassioned and ambitious mood. Full of thrust and intention, ‘Container’ is rich with depth and groove, offering an early signpost to where their sound is taking them next: from parallel universes to personal growth, vivid dreamscapes to raw grief.
Towns will continue to deliver their good-time vibes, having recently joined fellow Adelaideans Teenage Joans on a sold out co-headline tour, they also hit the road for their own headline shows and supporting Ruby Fields, playing to packed out venues and bringing the high octane energy they are known for.
Trophy Eyes and friends will see you in August.
Live Nation & Lonely Lands Agency presents
TROPHY EYES Australian Headline Tour 2024 With Boston Manor (UK) and Towns
Fri 23 Aug – The Fortitude Music Hall – Brisbane Sat 24 Aug – Roundhouse – Sydney Fri 30 Aug – Hindley Street Music Hall – Adelaide Sat 31 Aug – The Forum – Melbourne
Acclaimed Electro Rock-Pop Synth Artist Ladyhawke (‘Pip’ Brown) burst onto the international music scene with her self-titled debut album, which celebrates this year its 15th Anniversary! To honour the major milestone and calls from fans after the UK show run dates sold out in February, Ladyhawke has announced her electrifying anniversary live show is coming to Australia this July/August.
TOUR DATES:
FRI 26 JUL – THE GOV, ADELAIDE
SAT 27 JUL – FREO.SOCIAL, FREMANTLE
THU 01 AUG – PRINCESS THEATRE, BRISBANE *Announced alongside Open Season Programme
From her early days playing in Wellington band Two Lane Blacktop and Sydney act Teenager (formed by Nick Littlemore), Pip Brown’s knack for writing a catchy pop hook has garnered her global recognition. Coupled with 80’s rock-chic ambiance, Pip quickly made a name for herself under the moniker Ladyhawke, releasing her debut self-titled album in 2008. Boasting electro-pop classic gems ‘My Delirium’, ‘Paris Is Burning’, ‘Dusk Till Dawn’, ‘Magic’, ‘Back Of The Van’ and more. The record made huge waves internationally with accolades including multipleARIA and New Zealand Music Awards, along with nominations for BRIT, MTV, and NME Awards. This success propelled Ladyhawke on a global tour, during which she was invited to perform at esteemed festivals such as Big Day Out, Glastonbury, Splendour in the Grass, and Laneway.
The album charted Top 20 across Europe, UK, Australia, and Number One in NZ plus hailed unanimous glowing reviews upon release which included…
“A confection of synth-infused, mammoth-chorused tunes that sound surprisingly and thrillingly fresh” – SPIN
“’Magic’ may be the best opening track on any album this year, other tracks “Dusk Till Dawn”, “My Delirium” and “Another Runaway” are monumental – THE GUARDIAN
“Each of the tracks has a chorus to kill for, and Brown’s voice features an end-of-phrase exhalation that is sex on a microphone stand” – THE SUNDAY TIMES
“An accessible but immensely rewarding listen” – THE OBSERVER
Be sure not to miss out on the chance to celebrate and relive history by grabbing your tickets early to Ladyhawke’s 15th Anniversary tour of her debut album.
It’s Saturday night, I have gig itchy ear parts, and my plus 1 buddy Eoghan. We are cruising through town to get to the Croxton to slam a couple of Jars down and bare witness to Orange Fucking Goblin!! Yes please, make the pleat in my trousers full. Tick!
I love the Croxton and this night I could already tell was going be turned up to eleven. All my friends were there, Orange, Peavy and Marshall. A couple of Ludwigs set up ready to be pounded. Enter Astrodeath….
Astrodeath a two piece unit were up and energised. Throw a little QOTSA, pinch of Local H & maybe some Monster Magnet and you have yourself a booming duo that will knock you fucking face off. Right from the get go with Yoshi on the skins slamming into that kit and Tim’s presence and energy had everyone committed. It was like being in the crowd of the Mupppet show with long hair trying to keep up with the headbanging that was unfolding. To further my point my Amigo Eoghan said its like watching Animal play the drums. We were both hooked and wanted more.
It was one of the night’s where you say to yourself if this is the first outfit then how can you go up from here. Belting out tunes like Mountain King, Leviathan Rising and Ceremonial Blood,Astrodeath had us on the hook, even knocking out a Sabbath cover which as a two piece was a more than fair effort. Tip my hat to Yoshi & Tim for the sound they deliver, it’s full, it’s mixed right, it’s punchy, go hard or go home and fuckin delicious. Rate em highly. Check em out!
Isn’t it Rich?
Are we a pair?
Me here at last on the ground,
You in mid-air
Send in the clowns…………
Robe cladded doom metal Melbourne band Dr Colossus enters with Krusty the Klown’s Send in the clowns….not having seen them before I wasn’t expecting to see a band that infuses Doom metal with The Simpson’s!! The Croxton is filling up now and the Muppet show is keen to roll into more metal on the doom side with a sense of humour.
Jono, Mike, Josh & Joel just had the pull of the crowd to get everyone amped not only for the gear they were spilling out but also for the up coming Goblin. The inhouse Dr of the night gave us a solid set featuring Pickabar, Sixt Six & Six Lard Lad & So Long Stinktown. A mixture of 4 string bass, left-handed drummer, lead and rhythm with excellent clean vocals gave us a well rounded tight Simpsons on the dark side of the moon. The Croxton community gathering around Mike to tribute a lost comrade was a nice touch too.
Bizarre moment as I was talking to me mate about Bon Scott and an AC/DC tribute band when It’s A Long Way came on through the PA. Now music had been playing between sets, so I never took much notice until the curtain started to rise. Sploodge!
Now that’s a way to open to a now eager Melbourne crowd. Tip my hat for having the smarts to walk onstage to a local tune like that. I give you Orange Goblin and yep we all were goblin!!!
Mountain sized Ben had us all in the palm of his hand as he swept us up and took us on OG journey starting back in 97’. You have Moses looking Chris centre stage on the kit, Joe on his Gibson (fuck me can that Dude play!), Harry on Bass stage right & Ben the Giant wielding cannon sized arms to grab the crowd, all in front of Marshall stacks teetering of the edge from blowing out.
Solarisphere, Saruman’s Wish, Made of Rats, Aquatic Fanatic ripped through the Muppet Monster race of fans left right, front and centre. A swarm of electric mayhem was a back and forth between crowd & our Orange Goblin. Joe’s guitar playing was outstanding, just a very fucking cool guitar sound, almost Angus like, lots of overdrive pushing his amp to the limit. The whole band dripping with style & energy. The sound mix was bang on and all instruments could be distinguished. Harry had his bass amp so high it was almost at warble but silky good.
More from the OG journey came Sons of Salem, Your World Will HateThis and moving into more of their newer kit Not Rocket Science which is a banger of a tune. Good driving song!! They also played Scorpionica,Time Travelling Blues finishing on Red the Rising.
Ben said he was told earlier on the tour, “Wait until you get to Melbourne.” As a reference to the Melbourne scene, pretty sure we lived up to the hype and even though it was the last Aussie show he vowed to be back and without the 10+ year gap between. So, if you like having your nipples turned up to 11 and your head spun off its shoulders then get yourself to see Orange Goblin, anywhere anytime!!
When confronted with a lineup featuring Incubus and Live, I definitely thought that Incubus would have the bigger Australian fan base, having been regular visitors to our shores over the last 15 years or so (this is my 4th go round with Incubus). So I was surprised to see Incubus coming on first and having the slightly shorter set of the two. There is a lot to be said for a dual headlining show – all thriller, no filler and I was excited to be seeing 2 excellent bands on the one bill.
Incubus appeared just a couple of minutes after the prescribed time and there was no mistaking when charismatic frontman/heart throb Brandon Boyd took the stage as the cheer was a loud one. Sporting long hair these days and a seriously dodgy 70’s porn star mustache which should be shaved off immediately, he nonetheless cuts a fine figure at the front of the stage. The VIP setup for this gig was a strange one. On each side of the stage was a little fenced off area where 20 or so excited die-hards stood awkwardly waiting for the show to start – well I guess you can’t get much closer than that for your money.
After a short instrumental introduction, the familiar scratchy scratchy intro to Nice to Know You began with Brandon adding his breathy beat box over the top. I love this song and from the enthusiastic singing of the assembled, I am not alone – Goodbye, nice to know you. Following along on the all thriller, no filler theme, next up was the incomprehensible Anna Molly. I swear I have only just discovered as I write this, that this was the song title. For years, I thought it was Indubitably. En-unc-iat-ion, please.
Sick Sad Little World was next featuring a long instrumental interlude which gave Brandon a chance to shake his skinny booty and brought Chris Kilmore out from behind his decks to spin what must be 30+ years of dreads in a circle headbang. Speaking of Circles, this song from the wonderful Morning View album of 2002 was up next and gave new girl, bassist Nicole Row a chance to show her chops.
Is it my imagination or did it suddenly get very hot in here? To the strains of The Beatles’ Come Together, Brandon shed his t-shirt and I had to remind myself that I was here for the music. Come Together was not the only cover of this set. Are You In morphed midway and seamlessly into Riders on the Storm from the Doors, and back again without skipping a beat. They also did a short, sexy cover of Glory Box by Portishead, and one of my faves, Let’s Dance by David Bowie.
After a hit packed, but all too short set, Incubus finished on a definite high with the singalong favourite – Drive. This brought Brandon and guitarist Mike Einziger down to the front of the stage for an acoustic intro. The audience singing could be heard clearly over the music – Would you choose water over wine, hold the wheel and drive. It was a given that the set would end with Wish You Were Here.
I Googled Live yesterday and a live version of all the music my husband and I watch on Youtube on a Saturday night over the pool table came up, but no Live the band. I had to delve way deeper down the Google wormhole to find Live the band. Probably a poor choice of a band name in this digital age but as they have been going in one form or another since the early 80’s when the world wide web was just a concept in an English computer lab, you can’t blame them.
My experience with Live begins and ends with the hits. I love me some post grunge, alternative rock (as Wikipedia describes their style) but some Live songs skirt just a wee bit close to country for my liking. And tonight, Ed Kowalczyk explained why that is. Hailing from York, a town in Southern Pennsylvania, an area that is known as Pennsyltucky as it shares a border with West Virginia and there to the Southern states of Kentucky, Tennessee and Alabama and explains why “I talk funny” says Ed. And yes, there is a definite southern twang in his voice. “I hope all y’all are having a good time.”
If anything, the floor of MCA is more tightly packed for Live than it was for Incubus. Their set started with the radio friendly Hold Me Up, followed by the very recognizable All Over You which brought a massive singalong from the packed house which continued for Selling the Drama whose lyrics read like a passage from the bible. Although not known as a Christian band, Christian themes seem to appear regularly in Ed’s lyrics.
The Dolphin’s Cry was up next and has there ever been a more melodramatic song title in all of rock?! I think not. The mullet in a flanny sitting in front of me was in raptures and much fist pumping and finger pointing accompanied this song.
The next song Ed says was a new one, Leave the Radio On. It began innocently enough but after a few bars, I heard a sound that made my heart drop and my jaw clench – slide guitar. You’ve just crossed the line. The hits of Live with a grungy feel had always made me think that Ed Kowalczyk was more Billy Corgan than Billy Ray Cyrus but I may have been mistaken.
The main set finished with the wonderful Lakini’s Juice. A constant on the Triple M playlist and a masterpiece of post grunge angst. Ed was winning me back and the 2 song encore featuring I Alone and Lightning Crashes had the mullet in a flanny, AND me leaving MCA with a smile on our faces (not together….EEEEWWW).
So my takeaways from this gig is that co-headlining tours are awesome. Great value for money (and let’s face it, concert tickets in Australia are getting RIDICULOUSLY expensive) and shorter sets are guaranteed to be packed to the gunnels with hits and the songs the fans want to hear. Promoters of Aus – More Please!
WARDRUNA Announce Debut Australian and New Zealand Tour January 2025
Norwegian music constellation Wardruna, renowned for their innovative and genre creating renditions of Norse traditions, announce their highly anticipated debut tour of Australia and New Zealand in January 2025.
Since their inception in 2009, Wardruna has captivated audiences worldwide, transcending genres and cultures with their rich soundscapes rooted in ancient Norse traditions across five stunning albums. Utilising historical Nordic instruments and themes of nature, and mythology, Wardruna’s music evokes primal emotions and deep connections to mother nature and to our ancient past.
With major contributions to TV series Vikings and video game Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Wardruna has garnered a global following. Their sold-out performances at major festivals alongside performing at some of the most iconic venues across the globe including world heritage site Odeon Of Herodes Atticus, Acropolis, Red Rocks Amphitheatre, and more.
Now in 2024 Wardruna announce the beginning of a vibrant new cycle, pulsating with life with the release of new single, Hertan the proto-Scandinavian word for heart. The new song is steeped in Wardruna tradition exploring the duality of the heart with the rhythm, flow and pulse we can see, hear, and feel in nature and in all forms of life.
Whilst Wardruna fans eagerly await this momentous occasion of their debut tour down under, composer Einar Selvik shares their excitement;
“It is always a special feeling to plan and announce a new tour. This time, perhaps more so than usual due to the fact that we are visiting quite a few parts of the world where we have yet not performed with Wardruna. We greatly look forward to the chance to make new bonds in new lands“
Do not delay, tickets will be in high demand and are expected to sell quickly.
Get in fast!
TOUR DATES
Thursday, January 23: Melbourne, Palais Theatre, Melbourne
Saturday, January 25: Enmore Theatre, Sydney
Monday, January 27: Fortitude Music Hall, Brisbane
Thursday, January 30: Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre, Auckland NZ
