When you travel, your best source of know-how on where to drink, eat, dance and sleep is a local, or someone who has been there before. AAA Backstage contributor Yolande has just ditched Brisbane in favour of Melbourne and is working her way through the city's best and worst musical venues based only on what is recommended to her.
Hipsters and cool kids alike, lend me your ears! San Cisco and Jungle Giants are on the road together for their first ever national junket, the “Politely Awkward Tour”. Both of these young treasures were unearthed by Triple J and have been gracing our radios with music fit for summer, packed with light and sparkly teen spirit. The tour has boasted sold out shows for the emerging acts and the indie-pop double bill showcased their low-fi garage tunes at Alhambra in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley.
Bright young things San Cisco drew an impressive crowd, filling out the area around the small stage. Frontman Jordie James rocks some scruffy facial hair, but don’t let it fool you, the kid’s fresh outta of high school. Their age shouldn’t be a factor and considering their knack for penning lo-fi pop ditties - it generally isn’t, it’s just difficult to shake, particularly watching the diminutive Scarlett Stevens smash her drum kit like a woman possessed. The twin appeal of James and Stevens is the band’s secret weapon, trading their scrappy but endearing lines over their latest single ‘Awkward’, which came an impressive 7th on Triple J’s Hottest 100.
As the working week rolled to an end and the general population were making their way home or to their favourite Friday afternoon drinking holes, an eager crowd began to gather at South Brisbane's Convention and Exhibition Centre.
WHO: GIVERS (US), Portugal, The Man (US), Guineafowl (SYD)
WHERE: The Corner Hotel, Melbourne
WHEN: Thursday, February 9, 2012.
There are moments you know will never be erased from your mind, and in the best way possible. You might know it in the moment itself, or later, upon reflection. Thursday night's incredible three-band lineup at The Corner Hotel, in Melbourne, was a show that was incredible in the instant and life-affirming after the matter. The magical combination of Sydney's Guineafowl, GIVERS and Portugal, The Man was one of the best shows I've ever seen.
WHO: Chairlift (US), Elizabeth Rose (SYD), Gold Fields DJs
WHERE: The East Brunswick Hotel, Melbourne
WHEN: Tuesday, February 7, 2012.
Being so close to St Valentines' Day, it was only fitting on Tuesday night that every single person at The East Brunswick Club, in Melbourne, fell in love. No, it was not the beer, nor was it the impending doom (or glee) of the most romantic day in the calendar that sent men and woman weak at the knees. It was with a lady named Caroline Polachek, and she was there to front her band, Chairlift.
Caroline polachek with chairlift
First, though, the slowly growing crowd was warmed up by Sydney synth-sailor Elizabeth Rose, who worked her keyboard, laptop and loop pedals like a puppet master. Her vocal and visual qualities would have you believe she's one quarter of an all-girl happiness-soaked pop group, but listening to the beats and samples she used, and the sophisticated way she wove them together, it was clear she had much more going on. The bass was heavy and fat, while the little licks and accents were crisp, slick and interesting. While the lyrics and melodies were a little 'done', Rose has the potential to really make waves.
Big Day Out Co. has had a fairly turbulent few months as has been well document, but Friday in Adelaide was about trying to putting that to rest with a top show. Their cause was hurt in no small part by the fantastic weather Wayville brought out over the Royal Adelaide Showgrounds for the day – definitely the finest weather for a Big Day Out that I’ve had.
Attendance wasn’t that high, which actually made for quite a good day. The promoters had been saying that Adelaide would be a smaller, more intimate festival, and it did turn out that way. There was no barrier around the singular main stage, which made coming and going from sets quite easy. Unlike most other BDOs, there was no need to queue for the act you wanted to see by listening to the three sets before it. The vibe of the festival was much more relaxed than previous years and it made for a very different BDO. The performances varied, as they always do, but most of what I saw was worthwhile, and I think I could get used to a BDO like this.
Mingling and drinking with crowd members before his set in an oversized Hawaiian shirt, skinny jeans and Ned Kelly-esque beard; you would have not guessed that Oliver Tank was the 22 year-old producer/songwriter that had just astonished critics and fans alike with his EP release Dreams.
Ok, nobody will be able to convince you that the urban scene isn’t dead but in the last few years some promoters in terms of live performance have been able to get the genre on some cheap life support. Whether it is the big name Supafest or the tiny but taste-tingling Winterbeatz, the genre’s live reputation proves as exciting as ever.
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