music...
Okay, I am into a hugely diverse range of music genres and particularly dig musicians ranging from Nick Cave to Powderfinger, Beck, Radiohead, Placebo, Massive Attack, Keziah Jones, Janes Addiction, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Portishead, The National, Snow Patrol, Led Zep, The Eels & The Smiths to name but a few.
Number 1 favorite is Radiohead followed closely by Beck. A strange marriage I know but I dig both just as much as each other although Radiohead pull through just in the nick of time to take 1st honours!
Jazz, alternative, rock etc... I could go on forever but the fact is I love music & would be a lost soul without it.
18/11/11
I recently headed out to one of the finest venues in the land @ Belvoir Ampitheatre in Perth, Western Australia to see the Bristol legends Portishead.
A mighty fine gig it was with the legends delivering their unique blend of lo fi experimental downtempo trip hop or as my concert buddy Marc (arceden.net) coined them 'industrialised folk Bristol trip hop' (or words to that effect...)
Mercury Rev landed the support slot and did a great job of entertaining the max capacity crowd with their unique 90's alternative sound which takes you straight back to the streets of Smashing Pumpkins, Dinosaur Jr, mid career Beasties etc..
On the note of 90's music, gee it was a great era of experimental music & video clips with amongst my fav's the Beasties 'Sabotage', Dino Jr 'Feel The Pain' and the classic Nirvana 'Teen Spirit', all great tunes with even better clips.
Anyway, a great gig rounding out the last 18 months with a trio of Bristol bliss starting with Massive Attack, then Tricky & finishing on the highest note with Portishead!
Next up is Polly Jean Harvey come mid January which will be an interesting gig I reckon...
6/9/11
Howdy, a big gap between updates I know as busy with other parts of my life with family, work, surfing & travel competing for precious time with music squeezed in there also.
Now, the good news is Portishead are due to our shores come November and I am stoked to see them again as has been many many years since their last dynamic visit. I will update with concert news straight after the gig, hopefully some of my other fav's are heading this way also...
13/4/11
Now, what's on my current high rotation at the moment is the Snow Patrol album 'Eyes Open' from a few years back. Gee it's a great album and I am unashamably a very late convert to these guys, one of my current favorites for sure. Along on high rotation is The Nationals May 2010 release 'High Violet'. Upon first listen I couldn't shake the Echo & The Bunnymen, JoyDivision& even Jesus & The Mary Chainssimilarities which made it hard for the first few listens. Then on listen # 5 it clicked & I have been listening to it regularly ever since.
Also mixed in with these guys is the new Trickyalbum 'Mixed Race' released September 2010 which is classic Tricky in all his guises. If you are a fan of his unique sound as I truly am then this will surely please (unlike hsi recent gig in Perth, see below gig reviews...)
In there also is the Massive Attack absolute masterpiece 'Heligoland' album from 2010 featuring the mesmerising Martina Topley Bird, a masterpiece album followed up with an amazing top 5 concert late last year.
To round out the high rotation is the last release from Portishead '3' which took over 10 years to produce but gee it was worth the wait. Word on the street is they are producing album #4 this year for their new record label, here's a hopin'!
Not sure about you guys but we are well overdue a fresh newBeck masterpiece, must be popping one out any day now surely along with the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Nick Cave... One thing that is certain is the best band in the world, Radiohead of course, released their much awaited 'King of Limbs' album late last month and I for one can't wait to get back home and buy myself a copy!
25/2/11
We went along to the Leeuwin concert which this year featured the one & only Mr smooth Bryan Ferry with his original 80's band, Roxy Music.
Gee he has written some classics numbers from his early punk inspired 70's, suave glammed up 80's through to sophisticated 90's but unfortunately for us we didn't see many of his hits or to that matter many of his known pieces at all.
He seemed bent on concentrating on his obscure back catalogue of very early Roxy Music 70's & 80's numbers.
He would suprise us all & belt out a classic which got the entire crowd on their feet then follow up with yet again another obscure piece. As my wife Jussie mentioned it was a great gig for the die hard Roxy fans but for the majority of the well paying public they all left deflated, as he did at exactly 9pm on the dot...
Mr Suave, still very cool and will be forever the man behind some decade defining music.
14/2/11
Okay, I went along to the Tricky gig in Perth which I was really looking forward to only to be let down slightly as he didn't live up to his live reputation and seemed to be somewhat distracted.
I read one review that described it as shambolic which does some up the concert rather well. Now, again don't get me wrong for when he did perform an entire piece he was great but just didn't perform much at all, bummer.
Seemed keener to kind of suanter around and interject when suited, not sure what he was on but I am sure it was something...
Anyway, as you can see from the image I am sharing my feedback on his gig, he looks genuinely interested in my expert advice...
15/10/10
The images to the left are of one of the best current live Aussie acts in Wolfmotherwhom I had the privelage of seeing @ the Deus Temple of Enthusiasm in Canggu, Bali, Indonesia a few nights ago.
A great backyard gig that kinda felt like your were in a buddies backyard with approx 1000 of your best friends listening to a classic hard rock band, cool...!
Now the last image is kinda strange, not sure what's going there but looks kinda like it was meant to be.
Anyway, hopefully Dustin & the Deus guys in Bali will be organising more gigs from visiting bands as the setup is great with such casualness & coolness which is perfect for a balmy gig full of Bintangs & memories.
1/8/10
It's been a geat 2010 summer On the concert front with the standout for me easily been the Massive Attack concert. Now these guys are the pioneers of trip hop (or as my buddy suggested trip soul) but they are still miles ahead of any others that have emulated them since they first arrived on the scene many years ago. Up there in my top 4 concerts along with The The, Jeff Buckley & Nick Cave.
Soundwave was a lot of fun also with Placebo & Janes Adiction the stand outs for me along with some other bands I can't quite remember for some reason....
4/2/2009
Yep, as you can clearly see Nick Cave & I are having a moment at his gig @ the Belvoir Ampitheatre, Perth Western Australia.
Now he is a classic performer & entertainer who is one of the best musical wordsmith storytellers I have had the pleasure of listening to.
It was a great concert and a great gig for his eclectic band of muso's who were touring on the back of their latest Album 'Dig Lazarus Dig'. Personaly I think it's a great album that's up there in the top 3 of Nick & the Bad Seeds.
