Albums of the Year
Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavilion
Andrew Bird – Noble Beast
Antony & the Johnsons – The Crying Light
Morrissey – Years of Refusal
Beirut – March of the Zapotec
You don’t get many people going to Nine Inch Nails gigs that are ‘kind of in to them’, or that have picked up a spare ticket from a mate at the last minute so pop along just to see what all the fuss is about. In many people’s eyes (including my own) Trent doesn’t put a foot wrong, not just when producing and performing but also in taking a stance against the traditional music industry and its inflexible distribution model.
Psarandonis at The Barracks Stage
My expectations for this event were stratospheric as soon as it was announced. Either because of the superlative reputation it had in the UK for being a grown-up, chilled out festival, the involvement of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, the venue itself or, more likely, a combination of all three. Read the full story
The OAF is a great venue. It feels like Fabric in 2001/ 2002 and not just because of the industrial set up with open brick- and metal-work. As with (nu skool) breaks 7 or 8 years ago, there was a genuine feeling that we were about to see something a bit new and different.
The boys from the Blue Mountains, Hermitude, warmed it up with some jazz, reggae, dancehall and dub-influenced tunes, and looking around, it was interesting to see the audience watching the DJs like we were at a gig. Everyone was watching the stage, watching the guys perform.
The performance continued when a young scallywag took to the stage, with an air of awkwardness reminiscent of Ian Curtis. Skream was followed quickly by Benga who came out hollering in to his mic, keen to get the crowd pumped while his partner played the opening few tunes.
The set started off with frenetic pace. This was in spite of serious technical issues that plagued the first half, and which threatened to turn sections of the crowd nasty. The boys dealt with it all with supreme professionalism (Benga even started to sing ‘Night’ at one point) and once they had moved to a second set of decks it was all go.
About 10 minutes in things slowed down to a more dubstep speed, the bass started taking over and we knew things were about to get ‘fucking messy’. The sort of dubstep these guys play is fierce, dark, and unrelenting. The bass is raw and aggressive and makes you feel like you are at the centre of a thunderstorm. But in a good way.
It is also high energy, and Benga kept reminding us of that by shouting in to the mic. They were playing back-to-back, and were helped out on mic duties about half way in to the set when N-Type barrelled on to the stage having finished his set up at the Gaff (why these guys were booked for the same night I have no idea).
At times it seemed like we were watching 3 lads muck about in their bedroom, but it was amazing to see such passion for the music they were playing. By the time they had all had a crowdsurf (Benga looked like he got dumped on the floor, but I am sure he is alright), and yelling at everyone to ‘get fucking alien’ (still not sure what that means), the night was won.
Skream pointedly asked us who was at his gig in 2006 (of course, everyone was there), and it made me realise that whilst this all feels fresh and new in Australia, these boys have been around for a long time in the UK. Going on last night, we should see dubstep go from strength to strength in these parts in 2009.
Friday 27 February – Perth, Burswood Dome
Tuesday 3 March – Melbourne, Rod Laver Arena
Wednesday 4 March – Melbourne, Rod Laver Arena
Sunday 8 March – Brisbane, Entertainment Centre
Monday 9 March – Brisbane, Entertainment Centre
Wednesday 11 March – Sydney, Acer Arena
Thursday 12 March – Sydney, Acer Arena
We haven’t seen these chaps since 2006. Welcome back boys :) Tickets go on sale: Thursday 4 December. Tickets and details through www.ticketek.com.au or 132 849 (this is a very hard number to find!).
All the 2009 Big Day Out Side Shows Have Been Announced: 
TV ON THE RADIO
SYDNEY – Saturday 24 January – THE METRO (plus WOLF & CUB)
MELBOURNE – Thursday 29 January – THE HI FI BAR (plus WOLF & CUB)
SERJ TANKIAN AND THE FANTOMAS
BRISBANE – Wednesday 21 January – THE TIVOLI
SYDNEY – SATURDAY 24 January – THE ENMORE THEATRE
MELBOURNE – Sunday 25 January – THE PALACE
DROPKICK MURPHYS
SYDNEY – Sunday 25 January – THE METRO (plus THE CORPS)
MELBOURNE – Wednesday 28 January – BILLBOARD (plus BULLDOG SPIRIT)
THE PRODIGY
BRISBANE – Tuesday 20 January – RIVERSTAGE (previously announced)
SYDNEY – Saturday 24 January – HORDERN PAVILION (previously announced)
MELBOURNE – Thursday 29 January – PALACE
Personally, I’m now considering selling my Big Day Out 2009 ticket and heading to The Prodigy sideshows. Even tempted to hop cities and see them in Brisbane. But here you go.
Big Day Out second round line-up:
Once again we’re lucky enough to have The Prodigy playing in Australia next year in 2009 for the Big Day Out Festival and once again – just as they did in 2005 with Two Tribes – they are playing a side show.
Five years of waiting and The Prodigy are locked for two massive sideshows in Sydney and Brisbane.
Tickets on sale Friday 14th November.
Another one of my favourite acts is coming out: Nine Inch Nails to play at Soundwave Festival 2009 – as if the announcement of The Prodigy playing at Big Day Out 2009 wasn’t enough!
Watching the Deftones and Flyleaf play in 2006 was incredible — even if the bar lines were ridiculously long.
Tickets on sale as follows: Postponed by 2 weeks
BRISBANE: THU 9 October @ 9am
SYDNEY: FRI 10 October @ 9am
MELBOURNE: SAT 11 October @ 9am
ADELAIDE: SUN 12 October @ 9am
PERTH: SUN 12 October @9am
Soundwave 09 is proud to announce our headlining act…Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails presents Ghosts I – IV, a brand new 36 track instrumental collection available right now. Almost two hours of new music composed and recorded over an intense ten week period last fall, Ghosts I – IV sprawls Nine Inch Nails across a variety of new terrain.
Trent Reznor explains, “I’ve been considering and wanting to make this kind of record for years, but by its very nature it wouldn’t have made sense until this point. This collection of music is the result of working from a very visual perspective – dressing imagined locations and scenarios with sound and texture; a soundtrack for daydreams. I’m very pleased with the result and the ability to present it directly to you without interference. I hope you enjoy the first four volumes of Ghosts.”
NINE INCH NAILS, ALICE IN CHAINS, BLOODHOUND GANG, SCARS ON BROADWAY, LAMB OF GOD, ALKALINE TRIO, BILLY TALENT, THE RED JUMPSUIT APPARATUS, FACE TO FACE, IN FLAMES, RIVAL SCHOOLS, ANBERLIN, THE SUBWAYS, EVERY TIME I DIE, DEVILDRIVER, FUNERAL FOR A FRIEND, LESS THAN JAKE, POISON THE WELL, MADINA LAKE, NEW FOUND GLORY, FROM FIRST TO LAST, BEDOUIN SOUNDCLASH, HELLOGOODBYE, FINCH, GOLDFINGER, SAY ANYTHING, CHIODOS, SILVERSTEIN, SAVES THE DAY, LACUNA COIL, 36 CRAZY FISTS, STRAYLIGHT RUN, EVERGREEN TERRACE, MINUS THE BEAR, MONEEN, ACE ENDERS (THE EARLY NOVEMBER), I AM THE AVALANCHE, JAGUAR LOVE, UNEARTH, BAYSIDE EMERY, HOUSTON CALLS, THE AUDITION, ATTACK IN BLACK, INNERPARTYSYSTEM, VALENCIA, IN THIS MOMENT, ALESANA, THE RIVERBOAT GAMBLERS, HORSE THE BAND, MAYLENE & THE SONS OF DISASTER
In: Commentary, Concerts, Recommended
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I'll fest your blues in a minute.
The stampede to see Toni Childs.
It’s been three days and the post-blues blues are sort of beginning to fade. The 2009 East Coast Blues & Roots Music Festival was my first Bluesfest, and proved to be a superb way to pop the cherry and chill out in Byron Bay for a few days.
What was awesome?
1. Blue King Brown – I’ve never seen BKB live before but the energy and mood of their whole set was simply joyous. Natalie Pa’apa’a was smoking in some short-shorts and a leetle black singlet. I chugged two Smirnoff Ice’s and danced the whole way through.
2. Seasick Steve – what a fascinating man. The 68 year old guitarist still looks like the hobo he used to be (and took frequent swigs of whisky from a bottle under his chair in between songs) but his sound is superb and his stories are humbling. Easily the crowd favourite among the smaller Bluesfest acts. Read the full story