Keshi @ Palace Foreshore, Melbourne 22/11/2022
Fresh off a show being moved from the new Palace Foreshore venue, the storm clouds forming over St Kilda didn’t seem to bode well for another outdoor show at the new space, but luckily, Keshi’s fans had better luck than The Black Crowes. The weather may have been chilly, but the mood was electric as the evening’s entertainment began.
Rei Brown, Japanese born and New York based R&B singer opened the show, with a brilliant display of his talents as a musician and performer. Often, a support act for a pop or hip-hop artist can struggle to wow a crowd, due to not being given the full access to a venue’s features, such as lights and screens, but that didn’t stop the young artist from showing his true colours.
Brown played a short, tight set, highlighted by the killer track Haunt Me from his most recent record Xeno, released earlier this year. The song acted as the emotional centrepiece for a passionate and spacey decent into’s Brown’s melancholia. Honest was also a fan favourite, garnering immediate applause from keen audience, who sang along to every word. The icy crowd was truly warmed up by Rei Brown, a well selected opener for a fantastic crooning headliner.
When it came time for Keshi to finally take the stage, the crowd were so excited that they would all raise their phones whenever an engineer or technician crossed the huge festival-style stage, expecting their idol to have finally commenced his performance, so the clear passion for the music on display was clear before I heard a note of the music.
Keshi took to the stage on time and wowed me immediately. He opened with a fresh banger, GET IT, the first track from his new album GABRIEL. The song had the crowd jumping, and initially gave me major Brockhampton vibes, but grew into something bigger. The inspiration of the boy band, especially that of Kevin Abstract, Bearface and Joba was clear, but the depth and quality of the song writing was something entirely further than that the band missed when I’d seen them live years before.
Keshi’s band was something beyond any of his peers I’ve seen before. Many hip-hop artists perform with nothing more than a DJ, and many can do so much with this, but many also fall flat, especially when performing at festivals and outdoor venues. Keshi throughs this idea completely out the window, with one of the best hip-hop R&B bands I’ve ever seen. His drummer balanced traditional flashy drumming with trap-style hip-hop flow, mixing acoustic drums and sample pads like bread and butter. His guitarists and keyboards flawed me further, with an almost orchestral use of layering, and dynamics on display.
The 28 himself also took to the guitar and piano for a few tracks, singing beautiful ballads such as less of you, and the fan favourite drunk, which he called for the new-school phone torch filled crowd for, creating a seriously intimate experience for a show with almost five thousand people in attendance.
He also took a page out of the artists of yesteryear and chose a few sweet stories to share as part of his performance. These included stories about sharing the first song he wrote for the new record, touch, with his manager, and receiving radio silence only to find out it was his favourite. These tales added to the charming demeanour of the artist, who only once missed a cue and apologised to humbly begin the song again perfectly. Keshi teased the crowd, taking off and putting back on his jacket, to show a little skin, only to hide again when quote “my nipples are standing to attention!”, showing his cheeky sense of humour and love for his fans. Ending with a scream for an encore, and satisfying the fans with one last track, Keshi left the fans ecstatic.
With his humble beginnings as a Soundcloud rapper, many would assume lesser of a musician such as Keshi, but this show proved that he is more than just a rapper or R&B singer – he is a true showman, and a real rockstar, with a hell of a legacy on the way.
You can still catch Keshi with limited Tickets remaining
BRISBANE, November 23rd – Eatons Hill Hotel
SYDNEY, November 24th – The Roadhouse
Tickets here
The Black Crowes @ Enmore Theatre, Sydney 13/11/2022
To say I was a little excited for tonight’s proceedings would certainly be an understatement. Not only have I been a huge fan of hard blues rockers from Georgia since they first formed, but I have always regarded the bands 1990 debut album Shake Your Money Maker as one of my all-time favourite albums, so to hear this gem played in its entirety was something I had been looking forward to witnessing the moment Live Nation announced this tour months ago. I arrived at the venue early to find a large number of fans had the same idea… As the show last night was not only the first on the bands national run, but it was also Sold-out and diehards were there early to make sure they secured the best spots to witness the magic that is a Black Crowes Live Concert experience.
With only minutes left to spare before the show kicked off there was barely standing room left inside the venue and as the lights went down the crowd went wild…. Hitting the stage one at a time and leading the charge was guitarist Rich Robinson who returned to the band in 2019 after a four year absence, next up strutting his stuff across the stage floor was the all rockin ever so charismatic front-man Chris Robinson who you could tell was all revved up and ready to rock. The group which also consists of bassist Sven Pipien; guitarist Isaiah Mitchell best known for his work with San Diego Psychedelic rockers Earthless, drummer Brian Griffin and keyboardist Joel Robinow made for the perfect line-up to present such an iconic album.
The band opened with the killer opening album track Twice as Hard and it was clear instantly that this show was going to be unlike anything I had seen this band do before. Rolling through the album tracks as they play out… Jealous Again, Sister Luck, Could I’ve Been so Blind both the band and crowds sprits were high. Chris worked the stage like to true professional he is.. with more struts than Jagger and rock n’ roll charisma millions would kill to have, Robison performed tonight better than any show I have witnessed in previous years. The band were having a great time onstage, plenty of smiles and laughs and the music…. Well… that’s what it’s all about and on that front the Black Crowes delivered in spades! I must also give props to the backing vocalists onstage with the band, these girls are truly incredible and shine through on gems such as Remedy and Seeing Things which is a personal favourite.
It was clear that the crowd favourites were the smash hits from the debut album She Talks to Angels and the crowd pleasing Hard to Handle, and I must admit witnessing and being part of the sold-out crowd that was singing along to this one was pretty amazing. Thick and Thin, Struttin Blues and the opening album track were among some of my highlights from last night’s show. It is quite hard to pinpoint just one favourite song or moment when the band is on fire the moment, they walk out onstage delivering what I would consider to be an ultimate fan set-list. Outside of playing every track from Shake your Money Maker the band also pulled out some killer tracks that spanned the bands career including By your Side, Thorn in my Pride and Wiser Time to name a few.
The band who are set to perform a second show tonight in Sydney and are going around the country over coming days will no doubt have every punter leaving these shows with a smile on their face and wanting more… The sound was incredible lights beautiful and the entire concert experience just perfect!
If you have a chance to get along to any of these shows do so. Music lovers across Australia will be speaking about these shows for years to come… do not miss this magical rock n roll experience!
More chances to catch THE BLACK CROWES including tonight back at the ENMORE THATRE in Sydney.
ENMORE THEATRE, SYDNEY MONDAY NOVEMBER 14*
FORTITUDE MUSIC HALL, BRISBANE WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 16* SOLD OUT
FORTITUDE MUSIC HALL, BRISBANE THURSDAY NOVEMBER 17* NEW SHOW
HARVEST ROCK, ADELAIDE SATURDAY NOVEMBER 19
PALACE FORESHORE, MELBOURNE SUNDAY NOVEMBER 20**
TICKETS ON SALE NOW
For complete tour and ticket information, visit: livenation.com.au or blackcrowes.com
George Thorogood @ Forum Theatre, MELBOURNE 28/10/2022
When you’ve been on the road for 50 years there’s sure to be generations of fans, and the snaking line of punters down Flinders St waiting to get into the Forum was a testament to the appeal George Thorogood and the Destroyers have had over the decades.
That eagerness to get into the sold-out venue and plant feet with a cold drink was rewarded with Aussie blues guitarist Hamish Anderson set the tone with some groovin’ blues.
His three-piece band’s 45-minute set was enough to whet the appetite of the full house and gathered new fans along the way.
But everyone was waiting for George, and Barry McGuire’s Eve Of Destruction was cranked up and started a sing along to bring out the band.
The aging blues star and his bandmates shuffled rather than leapt on to stage, and there was an early moment where one could be justified in thinking the old fella, wearing aviators and a bandana, might need a chair.
It was a few minutes into Rock Party before the sunglasses were flung overhead and the bandana was flicked off, and he let his fingers do the heavy lifting with his trademark blues and frequent banter.
He ripped into the band’s latest release, a cover of Bo Diddley’s Who Do You Love?, followed by Shot Down and Night Time.
The Destroyers pay homage to drinking and youthful rebelliousness, which at times seemed comedic seeing they’re all aged either side of 70, but it was lapped by an audience clearly reliving their party days.
From House Rent Blues they slid into One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer. Fortunately, the classic was finished before what was supposed to be a jam, while George took a break off stage, but was muffled as a sound glitch left the band jamming away oblivious to the fault.
With that finally fixed, the band were back at it and the house were all shouting Get A Haircut.
Born To Be Bad was always going to be the highlight and the band stretched out this classic before slipping into a Tequila.
Hamish Anderson joined the band on stage for Hank Williams’ Move It On Over, which was a guitar love-in before they all left stage.
The band re-emerged to ice the night with Born To Be Bad and farewell a satisfied audience.
Oddly the curtains drew with Advance Australia Fair and George saluting the crowd.
The Destroyers were back at the Forum the next night for another sell-out, which is testament the band’s longevity and fan base here.
For a wet and miserable Melbourne night, some grooving dirty blues was perfect.
[Review] The Hu @ The Bridgeway Hotel, Pooraka 6/8/2022
A lot has happened since the last time Mongolian band The HU was in the country. Their first visit to Australia coincided with the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to some very uncertain times (to put it mildly) with a lot of restrictions suddenly popping up which had huge implications for the music industry. The HU was first in Australia as part of the 2020 Download Music Festival, which was canceled due to COVID at the very last minute, leaving them in the country to only perform a couple of their sideshow gigs. I attended one of these gigs at The Gov in Adelaide and little did I know at the time, that it would be the last proper gig I would see for quite some time. The venue capacity was reduced due to restrictions on the very day of the gig, leaving many ticketholders unable to attend the sold-out show, and one of the few phrases we heard the band speak in English that night was ‘fuck coronavirus!’
Two and a half years later, The HU is finally back in Australia, and under much less uneasy conditions.
For those not familiar with The HU, they certainly are a unique band. The band itself calls its genre ‘Hunnu Rock’, which is a mix of traditional Mongolian music and western metal. The band uses a combination of their traditional instruments including the morin khuur (or horsehead fiddle) and more typical rock instruments like the electric guitar, giving them a very distinctive sound.
This Adelaide gig was originally booked for the new Hindley Street Music Hall but with construction still underway, the show was moved to The Bridgeway Hotel.
Opening up the show was Brisbane’s The Blackwater Fever. I can’t imagine how you might find a suitable band to open up for The HU in Australia, given their unique genre, however, The Blackwater Fever supplied some tight bluesy garage rock which sat well with the packed venue’s crowd. Their set served as a fairly laid-back warm-up for the main act to come.
As the headliner’s set start time was approaching, I found my way down to the front of the stage. Despite the room being at capacity, there was a very relaxed vibe in the room. There didn’t seem to be the usual push and shove down at the front of the stage and it was quite easy to get a good spot without getting in anyone’s way. Looking around at the punters before the lights went down, there didn’t seem to be any clear demographic in attendance either. There wasn’t a ‘crowd type’ to be seen at all and it had me wondering how this large crowd had discovered The HU.
Right on schedule, the lights dimmed, and the band entered the stage to rapturous applause, kicking off with a track called Shihi Hutu from their forthcoming new album Rumble of Thunder. This song showcased everything that the band is known for, sounding like an epic battle-cry anthem. Their traditional throat singing and morin khuur’s were used to great effect. In contrast, the second song of the set Shoog Shoog would have to be The HU’s most upbeat-sounding song with its almost danceable beat. Next up was the title track from the band’s debut The Gereg album, which showcased some of vocalist Jaya’s playing of the tumur hhuur (jaw harp).
As the band worked their way through their set of songs mostly from their debut and also from their album coming next month, I noticed how transfixed the crowd was by the band, despite the lyrics being in Mongolian and not being easy songs to sing along to. A lot of The HU’s songs have a hypnotic rhythm to them, and the appearance of the band is visually striking. On stage, the core members of the band are at the front of the stage. Gala, Enkush, Jaya and Temka all dressed in intricate leather, with their beautiful traditional Mongolian instruments are the focal point of the show. Seeing such different instruments being played is part of the appeal of The HU for me, and I’m sure for many others who have seen the band perform.
Behind the core members of the band are the members of the band who play the more typical western instruments and are considered the touring members of the band. Ono, Jamba, Davaa and Odko are all set back from the front of stage, playing guitar, bass, drums and percussion in the semi-darkness for a lot of the performance. With eight band members on stage, it’s this combined mix of traditions that gives The HU such a rich and distinctive sound.
Later in the set came the two songs that introduced the world to the band. Both Yuve Yuve Yu and Wolf Totem, when released, garnered millions of views on YouTube. It was the later re-recording of the latter song with Papa Roach’s Jacoby Shaddix that was my introduction to the band. These two songs got a huge response from the crowd.
Rounding out the set were a couple of new songs, Black Thunder and This is Mongol both of which were released this year, preceding the rest of the new album.
After almost ninety minutes, the band took a bow and exited the stage. The crowd most certainly still wanted more so the band returned for the obligatory but well-deserved encore.
As the band arrived back on the stage, the now familiar sounds of the morin khuurs rang out before the electric guitar kicked in with the instantly recognisable riff of Metallica’s Sad But True. The Hu’s version of this song has got to be the perfect blend of western metal and traditional Mongolian folk instruments for sure and was a brilliant way for the band to bring the set to a close.
Although I was initially disappointed that this gig had been moved from a new city venue to an older suburban hotel, The Bridgeway did turn out to be a great place to relocate to. With the big stage and impressive light set-up, the sound and visuals of The HU were well showcased, and when it was all over and the house lights came on, there was a definite buzz in the room and there were a lot of smiling faces from punters who looked really happy to be back at big gigs once again.
[Review] The Hu @ 170 Russell, Melbourne 03/08/2022
2 years ago, in the before times, The Hu were here, and were ready to play on the Download line up, then tragedy strikes, the plague times begin, and they get locked in Sydney for a couple of weeks. Now, they are back and hungry as ever to play for Australia and starting off their tour with 2 sold out Melbourne shows!
Rocking up to the line about 45mins early, a little later than normal for me, the line was already around the block and in the alley way behind the venue, people are keen as hell for this show! Doors open and the line moves reasonably quick for people heading straight to merch or the front of the venue for prime viewing, I manage to get my regular spot at 170 Russell, you’ve always got a regular spot for these types of things.
The Blackwater Fever take the stage right on time and straight from the opening chords, I’m hooked. This 3-piece Brisbane rock band sound like Sabbath if they were playing in the deep south instead of London. Think big sounding bluesy style riffs with a ton of reverb, a bassist that also plays keys and then add double that amount of reverb on the drums! Producing a massive sound and holding their own in the thick atmosphere they created, they entranced all watching and the rhythm took over to bring the people in and headbang. The Blackwater Fever prove the point that less is sometimes more, you don’t always need crazy intricate riffs to get people interested, these guys write a damn good tune and a killer opening band.
As The Hu crew set the stage with a drum kit, a percussion kit and then a totem raised in the middle of the stage as well for good measure, the crowd’s anticipation skyrockets. There are cheers, people start pushing to the front and all eyes are on the stage. The lights darken, music starts and The Hu storm the stage in their full leather gear and instruments in hand. What surprised me tonight was how close the music translates from recording to live, with the number of instruments changing on stage with one of the singers wearing a belt of flutes and the percussionist also had things changing every couple of songs as well, everything was audible. One of the main draws to The Hu is the traditional throat singing and vocal harmonies created, they did not disappoint. All members on stage have a microphone and the vocal mix is well done with only one of the main vocals being lower in the mix at some points but watching them sing together is nothing short of amazing.
The sheer happiness and excitement of the band is an energy that is room filling, they didn’t stop smiling or laughing to each other from start to finish. They are incredibly passionate about their music and culture and having that energy come back at them from the crowd, they couldn’t stop jumping and screaming “Thank you” and “Rock On” which were pretty much the only English sentences spoken by them. One of the main vocalists would occasionally have a quick little speech in their native tongue to be met with cheers or people looking around not knowing what was said but there was one girl who made the crowd laugh each time because each time he spoke in Mongolian, we would here “I farkin luv ya” in such a thick Aussie accent. The complete opposites in languages but I’m sure the sentiment was the same.
The crowd involvement for songs like Shoog Shoog, Yuve Yuve Yu and Wolf Totem was electric. The rhythms of this band just sent people dancing and singing. Ending the set on the latest singles Black Thunder and This is Mongo, the crowd and band are relentless, thriving off each other’s energy and getting a circle pit going. They come back for a sweet little encore with a cover of Metallica’s Sad But True and what a cover! What a great way to end the night!
For my first international band in about 18 months, what better way than to get back into it than with The Hu? I had high expectations for these guys, and they blew them out of the park! I hope the rest of the tour is as great as this was.
THE HU
Black Thunder Australia & NZ Tour 2022
Saturday, August 6: Bridgeway Hotel, Adelaide
(Previously Hindley Street Music Hall)
Sunday, August 7: The Roundhouse, Sydney Sold Out
Thursday, August 11: Powerstation, Auckland NZ Sold Out
For complete tour and ticket and information, visit:
livenation.com.au, livenation.co.nz & thehuofficial.com
