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  • Album Review: Cold War Kids – Dear Miss Lonelyhearts

    8 maj 2013, 04:00

    Link: http://musicweekly.asia/culture/artists-bands/indie-alternative/review-cold-war-kids-dear-miss-lonelyhearts

    “I was supposed to do great things” is certainly a definition of Cold War Kids’ career. This opening line of indie rockers fourth studio album is very fitting for a band that had everything in front of them following their debut release Robbers and Cowards in 2006. In the wake of their impressive debut, the Californian four-piece never seemed to reach the heights with either Loyalty to Loyalty or the heavily criticized Mine Is Yours.

    Dear Miss Lonelyhearts comes firing out the gates with Nathan Willett’s rapid piano intro in the album’s opening but also highlight track “Miracle Mile”. The fun flavour of the track proves that it could be blaring out of the speakers of any indie nightclub. The heavily percussed pop tune clearly showed the direction the band wishes to take - Cold War Kids could have easily opted to follow their 2006 recipe of slow piano ballads with detailed storytelling – yet the band did not take the easy way out and instead tried to build a great mid/high-tempo album.

    The pianos are replaced with synths: a welcoming addition during “Loner Phase”, while “Fear & Trembling” is a skippable track with its over cluttered finish. After a great start to the album, Dear Miss Lonelyhearts could have very well fallen into a downward spiral though luckily saved by the soulful ballad of “Tuxedos” and the CWK heritage track “Jailbirds”. The latter sounds as though it could be slotted on The Killers’ latest album with Willett’s vocal similarities to that of Brandon Flowers.

    With the album clocking in at 36 minutes, it never outstays its welcome. Thankfully Dear Miss Lonelyhearts shows a return to form and has given us a renewed belief in the band. It may have not been a totally ground breaking album, but the cracks within Mine Is Yours have been filled with some indie pop gems.

    By Jarrod Macartney
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  • Festival Review: Groovin' The Moo [04/05/2013]

    7 maj 2013, 05:40

    Groovin' The Moo Festival
    Saturday 4th of May, 2013 – Bendigo Racecourse, Bendigo

    Review: as featured by Music Weekly - http://musicweekly.asia/culture/live-reviews/festival-review-groovin-the-moo-2013



    During its nine years in existence the Groovin’ The Moo Festival has made a name for itself on being Australia’s most popular regional festival. The festival tours around Australia and brings massive international and local acts to towns that they would not usually have the chance to see. This year’s event brought in bands such as Tegan & Sara, The Kooks and The Temper Trap to headline the one day event on May 4th.

    Two things were learnt during Bendigo’s Groovin’ The Moo; Animal Onesies are certainly this year’s fashion trend and secondly GTM is a fantastically ran festival. Surprisingly Bendigo (a country town two hours north-west of Melbourne) handled the 15,000 attendees with ease as there was only a limited amount of traffic across the country town and the queues into the festival were non-existent.

    As Aussie acts warmed up the main stages, Matt & Kim were the first international act to grace the gold rush boomtown. The Brooklyn indie pop duo proved to be one of live music’s hidden secrets and provided a fun afternoon full of balloons, confetti and even sampling some unusual tunes (including Alice Deejay’s “Better Off Alone” & Ludacris’ “Move Bitch”) between songs to keep the party going. Matt and Kim were very vocal during their set which included a lot of dirty talk. As the duo performed set-highlight “Now” they had the entire crowd moving while the base dropped to the climatic gleeful chorus.



    Immediately following the duo of Matt & Kim was Australian hip-hop sensation Seth Sentry. The 2012 Oz Artist of the Year award winner had a large crowd gathered to hear recent hits such as “Float Away” and “Dear Science”, although it was his signature track and debut single “The Waitress Song” that the Bendigo attendees went wild for and sang in unison. As Seth delivered freestyle raps to the locals on the main stage the Moolin Rouge tent were hosting a head banging-body crashing set courtesy of post-hardcore rockers The Amity Affliction.

    Frightened Rabbit gave the festival a relaxing vibe in true Scottish indie folk style, though at times seemed a little flat. Unfortunately the five-piece’s set was lacking material from their first two albums; instead the crowd were treated to more of the band’s recent work including “The Woodpile” which highlights front man Scott Hutchison’s strong Scottish accent.

    The band that brought us quirky sitcom Malcolm in the Middle’s opening theme, aka They Might Be Giants, had their jokes lost in translation while Tame Impala were quite the opposite with their limited on-stage banter. The Kevin Parker project have shot up in popularity since their 2012 LP ‘Lonerism’, winning many end of year accolades last year from music empires NME, Triple J and Rolling Stone. The Australian rock band put on a psychedelic performance with crowd favourites ““Elephant” and “Feels Like We Only Go Backwards”; though they are not for everyone they were an excellent choice to be the sunset band of the evening as the warm weather slowly turned into cold chills.

    Twin Canadian sisters Tegan and Sara were impressive with classics “Walking With A Ghost” and “The Con”. The duo finished up their 50 minute set with the openly sad song “Now I’m All Messed Up” and “Closer”, which has the sisters exploring new territories of sound with a synth-pop sound. The Kooks brought the sing-along to Groovin’ The Moo as the British boys belted out a spree of catchy delights starting from “Ooh La” and concluding with “Naïve”, which had the sold out Bendigo crowd shouting “True or false it may be, she’s still out to get me”.

    Bringing the main stages to a close were Melbourne hometown heroes The Temper Trap. The brilliant performance was a reminder on how the band’s talents suit the festival scene. Dougy Mandagi’s flawless falsetto was prominently displayed during set opener “Love Lost” and “Soldier On”, where in the latter the instruments take a backseat within the mellow tune. The Temper Trap delivered hit after hit showcasing songs including “Trembling Hands”, “Rabbit Hole, and “Fader”. As the cold wind swept through the Bendigo Showgrounds, Dougy asked the crowd if it was cold enough before leading into “Science of Fear”.

    The captivating show came to a closure with the one-two knock-out punch of “Drum Song” and “Sweet Deposition”. “Drum Song” had Dougy pour water over his drums that were front of stage and drumming along to the instrumental track which had the water flicking everywhere, creating a magnificent spectacle which looked like something from the Beijing Olympics. The brilliantly orchestrated rock song that was destined for festivals and to be the soundtrack of girlfriends sitting on shoulders will be forever “Sweet Deposition”, a perfect closer for the day long Groovin’ The Moo festival which is only going from strength to strength.


    -----------------------------------


    Extra notes

    Hungry Kids of Hungary: Average performance - 5/10

    Matt & Kim: Highlight of the day, at one point the duo made note of a guy in the crowd wearing a “penis hat”, Kim went on to speak about how much of an urge she had to sit on the hat, Kim went crowd walking on the mosh-pit. - 9/10

    Seth Sentry: Not my kind of thing, but crowd got into it, Seth inviting his mates Urthboy, Tuka and Ellesquire to perform a Bendigo-specific rap. 5.5/10

    The Amity Affliction: Solid set - 7.5/10

    Frightened Rabbit: A lot of hype with Frightened Rabbit but they didn't win me over with the live performance - 6/10

    They Might Be Giants: Not a big fan of the band - 5/10

    Tame Impala: Everything is loving these guys recently, but I just can't get into them 6/10

    Tegan And Sara: Fantastic set by the Canadian duo - 8.5/10

    The Kooks: Solid set which was heavily featured tunes from the band's debut album 8.5/10

    The Temper Trap: Great way to finish the festival 8.5/10


    Sat 4 May – Groovin' The Moo 2013
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  • 2012: My Year In Lists

    25 apr 2013, 07:43

    2012: THE YEAR IN LISTS

    Here are lists of everything 2012.


    2012 Top 20 Albums
    A very consistent year in albums, the difference between the album that finished 15th compared to 1st is minute.

    #20
    Funeral Suits – Lily Of The Valley
    Key Tracks: All Those Friendly People, Hands Down By Your Side

    #19
    Toy - Toy
    Key Tracks: Colours Running Out, "My Heart Skips a Beat.

    #18
    Frank Ocean - Channel Orange
    Key Tracks: Super Rich Kids, Thinkin Bout You.

    #17
    O. Children - Apnea
    Key Tracks: Holy Wood, Oceanside.

    #16
    Stars – The North
    Key Tracks: Hold On When You Get Love and Let Go When You Give It, A Song is a Weapon

    #15
    Martin Rossiter - The Defenestration of St. Martin
    Key Tracks: Drop Anchor, Three Points On A Compass.

    #14
    Jake Bugg - Jake Bugg
    Key Tracks: Taste It, Seen It All.

    #13
    The xx - Coexist
    Key Tracks: Fiction, Angels

    #12
    The Gaslight Anthem - Handwritten
    Key Tracks: Here Comes My Man, 45

    #11
    Maxïmo Park- The National Health
    Key Tracks: Write This Down, This Is What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted.

    #10
    Imagine Dragons - Night Visions
    Key Tracks: Nothing Left to Say, It’s Time

    #9
    DZ Deathrays – Bloodstreams
    Key Tracks: Dumb It Down, No Sleep.

    #8
    Mumford & Sons - Babel
    Key Tracks: Lover of the Light, I Will Wait.

    #7
    Hot Chip - In Our Heads
    Key Tracks: Motion Sickness, Flutes.

    #6
    Passion Pit – Gossamer
    Key Tracks: Take a Walk, I'll Be Alright.

    #5
    The Killers – Battle Born

    Key Tracks: Be Still, Here With Me, Runaways.

    #4
    Billy Talent – Dead Silence

    Key Tracks: Viking Death March, Surprise Surprise, Cure for the Enemy.

    #3
    Amanda Palmer & The Grand Theft Orchestra - Theatre Is Evil

    Key Tracks: The Killing Type, Grown Man Cry, The Bed Song.

    #2
    Enter Shikari - A Flash Flood of Colour

    Key Tracks: Search Party, Arguing with Thermometers, Warm Smiles Do Not Make You Welcome Here.

    #1
    Bloc Party - Four

    Four years after their previous LP, and their fourth studio album is the appropriately titled release “Four”. The guitars are back with this solid effort as Bloc Party are still yet to release an “average” album.
    Key Tracks: Real Talk, V.A.L.I.S., So He Begins To Lie.


    Honourable Mentions:
    The Shins - Port of Morrow
    Japandroids - Celebration Rock
    The Heartbreaks - Funtimes
    Calvin Harris – 18 Months
    Anberlin – Vital
    Alt-J – An Awesome Wave



    -----------------------------------------------------------


    2012 Top 30 Tracks
    1- Passion Pit- Take A Walk

    2- Amanda Palmer & The Grand Theft Orchestra – The Killing Type
    3- CHVRCHES - The Mother We Share
    4- Bat For Lashes - Laura
    5- Bloc Party – So He Begins to Lie
    6- Daughter- Youth
    7- Bloc Party – V.A.L.I.S.
    8- Passenger – Let Her Go
    9- Enter Shikari- Search Party
    10- Youngblood Hawke - We Come Running
    11- Mumford & Sons – The Lover Of The Light
    12- Enter Shikari – Arguing With Thermometers
    13- Martin Rossiter - Drop Anchor
    14- Matt & Kim - Now
    15-The xx – Angels
    16- Imagine Dragons - Nothing Left to Say
    17- Solange- Losing You
    18- Hot Chip - Motion Sickness
    19- Imagine Dragons- It's Time
    20- Maxïmo Park – Write This Down
    21- Palma Violets - Best Of Friends
    22- Of Monsters and Men - Little Talks
    23- Billy Talent- Surprise Surprise
    24- The Killers - Be Still
    25- Funeral Suits - All Those Friendly People
    26- Cameras – Running Up The Hill
    27- Amanda Palmer & The Grand Theft Orchestra – Grown Man Cry
    28- Grimes - Oblivion
    29- Mining Boom - Telecom
    30- Jake Bugg – Taste It

    Honourable Mentions:
    Feed Me & Crystal Fighters - Love Is All I Got
    Toy - Colours Running Out
    Lana Del Ray- Blue Jeans
    Adelee- Skyfall
    Alt J- Breezeblocks
    Japandroids - The House That Heaven Built
    Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe & Convicts - Look Down
    This Sanctuary - Run

    -----------------------------------------------------------

    Best Movie Soundtrack:
    The Perks of Being a Wallflower (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

    Best Debut Album:
    DZ Deathrays – Bloodstreams

    Best Music Video:
    Sigur Rós - Fjögur píanó



    Best Album Artwork:
    Hot Chip – In Our Heads

    Top 5 Gigs of 2012 (Which I Attended):
    1- Coldplay @ Etihad Stadium, Melbourne (13/11/2012)
    2- Morrissey @ Festival Hall, Melbourne (19/12/2012)
    3- Enter Shikari @ Billboards, Melbourne (28/02/2012)
    4- Flight Of The Conchords @ The Plenary, Melbourne (24/07/2012)
    5- My Chemical Romance @ Big Day Out, Melbourne (29/01/2012)


    -----------------------------------------------------------


    NON-MUSIC SECTION

    Top 10 Films:

    1- The Dark Knight Rises
    2- The Perks of Being a Wallflower
    3- Looper
    4- The Intouchables
    5- Seven Psychopaths
    6- Zero Dark Thirty
    7- Silver lining Playbook
    8- Les Misérables
    9- Django Unchained
    10- Argo

    Honourable Mentions:
    Skyfall
    The Grey
    Moonrise Kingdom

    Top Documentary:
    Searching for Sugarman


    Top 10 TV Shows:
    1- Breaking Bad (Season 5: Part One)
    2- Homeland (Season Two)
    3- Survivor (Season 25)
    4- Sons Of Anarchy (Season 5)
    5- Game Of Thrones (Season 2)
    6- The Newsroom (Season One)
    7- The Walking Dead (Season 2: Part Two/Season 3: Part One)
    8- Community (Season 3: Part Two)
    9- Dexter (Season Seven)
    10- Life's Too Short (Season One)

    Best SNL Host:
    Seth MacFarlane (S38/E1)

    Best Video Game:
    TBC

    Best Podcast:
    The Rooster Teeth Podcast

    Best YouTube Video:
    Caine's Arcade  


    Honourable Mentions:
    Flight of the Conchords - Feel Inside (and stuff like that) – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=py_30jZGUYk
    Carlton Draught: Beer Chase -
    http://youtu.be/_GbHpqfv9is
    OH MY DAYUM - www.youtube.com/watch?v=DcJFdCmN98s



    -----------------------------------------------------------

    What I have listened to in 2012 via last.fm

    Most Played Artists
    1 Bloc Party 266 Plays
    2 Enter Shikari 161
    3 The Killers 145
    4 The xx 134
    5 Morrissey 133
    6 Hot Chip 126
    7 My Chemical Romance122
    8 Maxïmo Park 110
    9 Flight of the Conchords106
    10 Radiohead 104
    11 Coldplay 103
    11 Frank Turner103
    13 Kasabian101
    14 Interpol 97
    15 Snow Patrol84
    16 The Throne80
    17 Passion Pit77
    18 The Smiths76
    19 Kanye West73
    20 Muse70


    Most Played Songs
    1 Bloc Party – So He Begins to Lie24 Plays
    2 Bloc Party – V.A.L.I.S. 22
    3 Passion Pit – Take A Walk 19
    4 Enter Shikari – Search Party16
    5 Blaqk Audio – Afterdark 14
    5 Bloc Party – 3x3 14
    5 Bloc Party – Real Talk 14
    8 The xx – Angels 13
    9 My Chemical Romance – I Don't Love You12
    9 Frank Turner – One Foot Before The Other12
    9 Enter Shikari – Arguing With Thermometers12
    9 Passion Pit – I'll Be Alright 12
    9 The xx – Fiction 12
    9 Bloc Party – Day Four 12
    9 Bloc Party – Octopus 12
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  • Album Review: Fall Out Boy – Save Rock and Roll

    21 apr 2013, 05:59

    Link:
    http://musicweekly.asia/culture/artists-bands/review-fall-out-boy-save-rock-and-roll

    By Jarrod Macartney
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  • Gig Reviews: Deap Vally [06/04/2013]

    7 apr 2013, 08:21

    Deap Vally
    Saturday 6th of April, 2013 – Northcote Social Club, Melbourne

    Support: Gung Ho

    Setlist:
    Baby I Can Hell
    Raw Material
    Gonna Make My Own Money
    Your Love
    Walk of Shame
    Ain't Fair
    Lies
    Creep Life
    End Of The World
    -----
    I Put A Spell On You (cover)

    Indie rock three piece Gung Ho opened things up for the Californian duo. With only a few tracks released by Deap Vally the set was short but sweet. The 45 minute performance gave us a taste of tracks that could feature on their debut LP, along with already releases tunes such as ‘Gonna Make My Own Money’ and ‘Lies’. The female duo were quite entertaining with antics such as spitting water onto the front row crowd and kissing a female crowd member.

    It was great to see the garage rockers at a small venue like the Northcote Social Club, as I have a feeling the next time they are on Australian shores they will be playing much bigger venues. The sexy duo finished the set with a cover of Screamin Jay Hawkin’s tune ‘I Put A Spell On You’.

    Rating 7/10
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  • Gig Reviews: The xx [04/04/2013]

    7 apr 2013, 07:21

    The xx
    Thursday 4th of April, 2013 – Festival Hall, Melbourne

    Support: Jagwar Ma

    Setlist:
    Try
    Heart Skipped a Beat
    Crystalised
    Chained
    Reunion
    Far Nearer (Jamie xx cover)
    Sunset
    Fiction
    Reconsider (Coexist B-Side)
    Night Time
    Swept Away
    Shelter
    VCR
    Islands
    Infinity
    Encore:
    Intro
    Angels

    Australian band Jagwar Ma started things off with an average set. The alternative dance act were nothing special, but their track ‘The Throw’ does signify that the duo do have some potential.

    Up next were London’s The xx. Their performance was close to perfect. The band have great stage presence, a fantastic sound, and had a wonderful light show. Also when a band only has two LP releases you are guaranteed to hear 90% of their material and unlikely your favourite songs will be missed off the setlist.

    The trio (who were all dressed in black) have such a cool and slick presence, and at various times during the gig it would seem that both Romy’s and Oliver’s guitars were making love to each other. The sound and lighting was some of the best I have seen at Festival Hall…and my god the bass was mindblowing! When I first saw Romy tonight I would have never recognised her, she is surprised me on how fit she looks lately. I also have to mention how awesome Jamie’s mixing desk looked with the stylish xx cabinets on display.

    The highlights of the show included ‘Crystalised’ and ‘Islands’. As the band performed their pre-encore closer ‘Infinity’ the black backdrop lifted to reveal a massive “X”. The band returned onstage for a two song encore which featured the amazing chill-out instrumental track ‘Intro’ and their Coexist lead single ‘Angels’. The xx left the stage and told the crowd they would see Melbourne again soon.

    Overall a fantastic show!


    Rating 9.5/10
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  • Gig Reviews: Frank Turner/Dropkick Murphy [02/04/2013]

    7 apr 2013, 06:31

    Frank Turner/Dropkick Murphys
    Tuesday 2nd of April, 2013 – Festival Hall, Melbourne

    Support: Swingin' Utters and The Sleeping Souls*

    Frank Turner Setlist:
    If I Ever Stray
    The Road
    Peggy Sang the Blues
    Reasons Not to Be an Idiot
    Glory Hallelujah
    Long Live the Queen
    Recovery
    Wessex Boy
    The Real Damage
    Four Simple Words
    Try This at Home
    I Still Believe

    Frank Turner put on a great performance for the half empty Festival Hall crowd. Ticket sales were quite low for the co-headline tour of Frank Turner and Dropkick Murphys. The Dropkicks sold out two Melbourne shows on their last tour, and with the addition of the wonderful Frank Turner that there would be somewhat of a demand for these two acts. Thankfully the general admission area was at full capacity, although the majority of the seated area of Festival Hall was curtained off to give the venue a modest look.

    Turner’s set consisted of songs such as the ‘Long Live the Queen’, ‘Wessex Boy’ and the newly released ‘Recovery’. The Brit finished with very lively and crowd sing-along ‘I Still Believe’. I can’t wait for Frank to come down under again, but next time for a headline tour.

    Frank Turner’s Rating 8/10

    Dropkick Murphys Setlist:
    The Boys Are Back
    Burn
    Johnny, I Hardly Knew Ya
    Going Out In Style
    Your Spirit's Alive
    Worker's Song
    Prisoner's Song
    My Hero
    Out On The Town
    The Warrior's Code
    Jimmy Collins' Wake
    The Battle Rages On
    Forever
    The Irish Rover
    Out of Our Heads
    God Willing
    Rose Tattoo
    Captain Kelly's Kitchen
    I'm Shipping Up to Boston (with Frank Turner)
    Encore:
    Barroom Hero
    End of the Night
    Skinhead on the MBTA
    Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
    (AC/DC cover)
    Citizen C.I.A.

    To be honest I would never think of attending a Dropkick Murphys concert, I don’t dislike their music….I am just not a fan. The fans that do support them are quite dedicated and go nuts for the American Celtic punk rockers. The highlight of the set for me was ‘I'm Shipping Up to Boston’ where Frank Turner joined the stage with Dropkick Murphys.

    Dropkick Murphys’ Rating 6/10
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  • Gig Reviews: Mining Boom [23/03/2013]

    31 mar 2013, 09:27

    MINING BOOM
    Saturday 23rd of March, 2013 – The Gasometer Hotel,Melbourne

    Support: Palms and Bad Dreems

    Palms kicked off the evening with a solid thirty minute set. Palms were quite casual and frontman Al Grigg (ex-Red Riders) was quite funnily disorganised which made the set entertaining. At one point Grigg asked the crowd if they wanted a upbeat or slow tune…the crowd voted for upbeat. ‘Love’ was definitely the bands highlight track.

    Up next were South Australia’s Bad Dreems. The set started out a little average and the band encountered a few technical problems, although at the bottom end of their set the guys settled in and had a handful of good tunes.

    The lead singer of Mining Boom almost made me think that Ned Kelly was still alive and now rocking out in the music world. Mining Boom seem to have some mystic about them and they have a great presence on stage. The half Perth/half Melbourne band are ones to look out for. With songs like set-opener ‘Telecom’ and ‘PDA’ these guys have big things ahead.


    Mining Boom Rating 7/10

    Sat 23 Mar – MINING BOOM, Palms, Bad Dreems
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  • Gig Reviews: Bloc Party [14/03/2013]

    31 mar 2013, 09:14

    Bloc Party
    Thursday 14th of March, 2013 – Festival Hall, Melbourne

    Support: World’s End Press*

    Setlist:
    So He Begins to Lie
    Trojan Horse
    Hunting for Witches
    Positive Tension
    Team A
    Real Talk
    Blue Light
    Waiting for the 7.18
    Song for Clay (Disappear Here) - ('Kele - Tenderoni' intro)
    Banquet
    Coliseum
    One More Chance
    Octopus
    Encore:
    Kreuzberg
    Ares
    This Modern Love
    Flux ('Rihanna - We Found Love' intro)
    Encore 2:
    Ratchet
    Truth
    Helicopter

    A sweaty and sold out Festival Hall hosted Bloc Party’s return to Melbourne. The indie rock kings haven’t performed in Melbourne since 2010 and the crowd were ready and vamped up for an amazing performance in which the quartet indeed delivered. New track ‘So He Begins To Lie’ started things off, which was followed by an unexpected performance by ‘Trojan Horse’.

    Though it wasn't until the great combo of ‘Hunting for Witches’ and ‘ Positive Tension’ that the night really begun. The latter had the energy levels at breaking point with the climatic “SO FUCKING USELESS” collective shout. ‘Banquet’ was as amazing as always, as it brought the moshing and singing along to a maximum. ‘Kreuzberg’ was a surprising pleasure and ‘Flux’ was yet another highlight.

    Kele was not too talkative during the performance, but instead focused on thrashing out twenty great songs. The London four-piece added ‘Ratchet’ to their set, a brand new track which followed Bloc Party’s climatic formula and had a very positive crowd reaction. ‘Helicopter’ was the perfect note to finish on and summed up a great performance and an enjoyable night from England’s premium alternative act.

    Sure not all my favourites were played, but Bloc Party have such an extensive catalogue that covers four brilliant albums that they cannot please everyone (Though I am still waiting for ‘Two More Years’ one of these days!). Although I felt the tracks they played from their latest LP ‘Four’ were the albums weaker tracks, and they ignored songs such as the upbeat ‘V.A.L.I.S’ and ‘ Day Four’.



    Rating 8.5/10

    Thu 14 Mar – Bloc Party, World's End Press
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  • Festival Reviews: Soundwave Festival [01/03/2013]

    11 mar 2013, 08:06

    SOUNDWAVE FESTIVAL
    Friday 1st March 2013, Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne.

    For the ten year anniversary of AJ Maddah's Soundwave Festival the venue was upgraded from the Melbourne Showgrounds to Flemington Racecourse. The festival also pulled out an all-star lineup of acts including Metallica, Blink 182 and Linkin Park.

    Fozzy: 12:20PM-1:00PM (Stage 5)
    Watched: ALL OF SET
    Setlist:
    Spider In My Mouth
    Sandpaper
    Pray for Blood
    Martyr No More
    God Pounds His Nails
    Sin And Bones
    Enemy
    Blood Happens

    A great start to the day, Fozzy rocked out with a set mostly consisting of songs from their latest release “Sin and Bones”. Chris Jericho proved to be a great frontman, and used his charismatic wrestling skillset to get the crowd up and about. During the tune “God Pounds His Nails”, thanks to lyric training from Jericho, the crowd chanting “Hey Hey Hey, 1, 2 , 3” within the chorus. The highlight was the climatic “Enemy”. There were plenty of “Y2J” chants, but Jericho reflected them many times during the set and had the crowd singing a “Fozzy Fozzy Fozzy, oi oi oi!” chant.
    Rating: 7/10


    Stonesour: 1:10PM-1:55PM (Stage 1B)
    Watched: 1:10-1:50
    Setlist:
    Gone Sovereign
    Absolute Zero
    Mission Statement
    Made of Scars
    Reborn
    RU486
    Say You'll Haunt Me
    Through Glass
    30/30-150

    A good performance from the American alternative metal lead by Corey Taylor. “Through Glass” was definitely the set highlight.
    Rating: 6/10


    The Vandals: 2:00PM-2:45PM (Stage 2B)
    Watched: ALL OF SET
    Setlist:
    It's A Fact
    Cafe 405
    N.I.M.B.Y.
    The New You
    People That Are Going To Hell
    Oi To The World
    I've Got An Ape Drape
    And Now We Dance
    My Girlfriend's Dead
    Don't Stop Me Now (Queen cover)
    Waltzing Matilda

    Prior to Soundwave I had never listened to The Vandals, though they performed an entertaining set. The band are aging, but still have amazing energy. The punk-rockers finished their 45 minute slot with Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now” and Australia’s unofficial national anthem “Waltzing Matilda”.
    Rating: 6.5/10


    Billy Talent: 2:45PM-3:30PM (Stage 2A)
    Watched: ALL OF SET
    Setlist:
    Devil in a Midnight Mass
    Viking Death March
    This Suffering
    Line & Sinker
    Rusted from the Rain
    Try Honesty
    Runnin' Across the Tracks
    Devil on My Shoulder
    Fallen Leaves
    Surprise Surprise
    Red Flag

    One of the great acts of the day. With a mix of old, new and crowd favourites the performance was fantastic. Highlights included Fallen Leaves, Surprise Surprise and Red Flag.
    Rating: 8.5/10


    Slayer: 3:25PM-4:20PM (Stage 1A)
    Watched: 3:35-4:20
    Setlist:
    Disciple
    War Ensemble
    Die by the Sword
    Chemical Warfare
    Mandatory Suicide
    Altar of Sacrifice
    Jesus Saves
    Seasons in the Abyss
    Dead Skin Mask
    Angel of Death
    South of Heaven
    Raining Blood

    Not a fan of Slayer, I couldn’t quite get “into” the performance.
    Rating: 4.5/10


    A Perfect Circle: 4:20PM-5:20PM (Stage 1B)
    Watched: ALL OF SET
    Setlist:
    Annihilation (Crucifix cover)
    Imagine (John Lennon cover)
    Weak and Powerless
    The Hollow
    Passive
    Rose
    Counting Bodies Like Sheep to the Rhythm of the War Drums
    By and Down
    The Package
    The Noose
    When the Levee Breaks (Memphis Minnie & Kansas Joe McCoy cover)
    The Outsider

    Unusual stage set up with the band performing on pillars and stood like statues for the majority of the set. I was thrilled the band included their awesome cover of “Imagine” (originally by John Lennon). A Perfect Circle’s set was low energrised but still was enjoyable, especially the finale piece “The Outsider”.
    Rating: 6.5/10


    Blink 182: 5:20PM-6:30PM (Stage 1A)
    Watched: ALL OF SET
    Setlist:
    Feeling This
    Up All Night
    The Rock Show
    Down
    Violence
    What's My Age Again?
    Disaster
    Reckless Abandon
    Ghost on the Dancefloor
    All the Small Things
    First Date
    Dumpweed
    Blow Job
    Stay Together for the Kids
    Man Overboard
    Josie
    Carousel
    Dammit
    Family Reunion

    Early on in the set Blink 182 (minus Travis Barker) had some sound troubles and it was quite hard to hear the punk rock act from the distance that I was from the stage. It was quite hard to hear the on-stage banter between Blink. A solid set, but the sound troubles really let the performance down.
    Rating: 7/10


    Linkin Park: 6:30PM-7:45PM (Stage 1B)
    Watched: ALL OF SET
    Setlist:
    A Place for My Head
    Papercut
    Given Up
    New Divide
    With You
    Somewhere I Belong
    Lies Greed Misery
    Points of Authority
    Waiting for the End
    Breaking the Habit
    Castle of Glass
    Lost in the Echo
    In the End
    Numb
    What I've Done
    Burn It Down
    Bleed It Out
    Faint
    One Step Closer

    I was never a big fanboy of Linkin Park, but there performance at Soundwave blew me away. With a great singles back catalogue and an impressive new album it was the perfect formula for a remarkable setlist. The climax of the set was one of the best I had seen in recent years. With hit singles “In The End”, “Numb”, “What I’ve Done”, “Burn It Down” and “Bleed It Out” follow one another it was 25 minutes of pure enjoyment.
    Rating: 9.5/10

    *Checked out Metaliica for 10 minutes before travelling over to see The Offspring.

    The Offspring: 9:00PM-10:00PM (Stage 2B)
    Watched: ALL OF SET
    Setlist:
    You're Gonna Go Far, Kid
    All I Want
    Come Out and Play
    Days Go By
    Have You Ever
    Staring at the Sun
    Want You Bad
    Gone Away
    Hit That
    Bad Habit
    Spare Me The Details
    Why Don't You Get a Job?
    (Can't Get My) Head Around You
    Americana
    Pretty Fly (for a White Guy)
    The Kids Aren't Alright
    Self Esteem

    Solid performance from the punk rock veterans, including crowd sing-alongs such as “Pretty Fly”, “Why Don’t You Get A Job” and “Self Esteem”. The downfall of the set, was it being overcrowded as the infrastucutre was not ideal. The stage was tucked away in one of the corners of the festival site which made it hard to see the stage with blocking structures in the way.
    Rating: 7/10

    While leaving the festival site I caught the final moments of Metallica’s set.

    Overall an enjoyable festival, stages were a little crowded and it was weird to see a D Barrier on a Stage 2. The two best performances of the day were Linkin Park and Billy Talent. I regretted not taking sunscreen as I was quite badly burnt. A great day out, and Soundwave currently has the upper hand over rival festival ‘Big Day Out’.



    Fri 1 Mar – Soundwave 2013
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