This is how we do it.
Archive for May, 2009
Mother Mars EP Launch 02/05/09 @ the Sando, Newtown
26
May
Imagine this – it’s pouring down rain, like, literally BUCKETING. It’s miserably cold, the train timetables are all fucked up and you’ve just spent half an hour in a taxi creeping VERY slowly in congested traffic. You’re desperate for some food. Fuck it, get out of the cab and walk. Need I remind you that you could drown if stood still? May I point out that your shoes are falling apart and you may as well be walking barefoot with the way your socks just drank that puddle of water dry. Food. Haven from the rain. Vegan Thai and ginger beer. This made the hike worth it. You finish, you walk outside. It’s muggy and really wet still, but not raining as much. You make a horrible squelch noise as you walk. Your hair is sticking to you. Fuck man, you’d nearly kill someone for a beer at this point. Oh look! The Sando! Oh! The bar! BEER!
Powerhead
I rolled into the gig too late for these guys and caught the end of their set. I have never been more disappointed with myself. In fact, I was so impressed by the last 2 songs, that I stole the set list and have it hanging on my wall next to the Looking Glass and Nunchukka Superfly ones. That my friends, is special. Remember that.
www.myspace.com/powerheadrocks
Hotel Wrecking City Traders
I saw these guys at Devils Kitchen in January when I was snapping things with Rock Alarm TV. I actually sat downstairs away from the gig and drank beer this time. They’re good, but I just wasn’t feeling it. Sorry guys. If it’s any consolation, I did listen to your EP when I got home…
www.myspace.com/hotelwreckingcitytraders
Buzzard
Brilliant. Fantastic. Ethereal. Transcendental. I can’t tell you how much you need to see this band live. Buzzard is an instrumental 3-piece with more presence and a better sound then a lot of bands will ever wish for. I actually don’t know what to say.
http://www.myspace.com/buzzardsydney
Mother Mars
I like these guys. They’re a lot of fun to listen too (hopefully that doesn’t sound to kitsch), but psychedelic rock is hard to hate. Especially when you’re good at it. The reason we all gathered at the Sando this night (aside from escaping the rain and having a beer) is for the launch of their “Primitives” EP, a fantastic CD that’s nearly as good as watching these guys live.
www.myspace.com/mothermars
Baby Animals – 17 April 2009 @ Revesby Workers
25
May
YOU HAVE BEEN GIMMICKED. THIS IS NOT A FALSE ALARM. YOU HAVE 5 SECONDS BEFORE YOU START THROWING UP SMALL PLASTIC BITS AND POLYSTYRENE FLAKES BECAUSE OF THE LARGE AMOUNT OF DESPERATION, HOPE AND CHEAP GLUE THAT HAS JUST BEEN THE SUBSTANCE OF YOUR NIGHT.
The opening act, the Spazzy’s, they were really good. I’d go and see them again in a heartbeat. It actually makes me wish I had been a bigger fan of theirs beforehand.
Ok, so maybe I was a little harsh on Baby Animals. And in all honesty, I’m not a huge fan. But I can show respect where respect is due and if you’re going to reduce yourself to a cliché, then I’m going to reduce myself to catty. Musically speaking, Australian music owes these guys a lot and they are a bunch of very talented people. I would have liked to have seen a gig that showcased their impressive back-catalogue as well as their new album, not a night of Suze DeMarchi dribbling wine into the mouths of her obviously infatuated female audience. I’m not kidding. My next gripe was her pulling a fan on to the stage to “dance with her” but kicking him off because he didn’t know all the lyrics to the song. Yes, because when we dance our mouths do all the work.
I mean, it wasn’t all bad. I know a few of their songs well and was able to groove a little and sing along. Maybe it was the “no photography” rule that was weakly enforced by [venue or band, I’m not sure]. Please guys, if you’re going to do this, make sure you track down everyone with a mobile phone. I refuse to be told that I cannot take photos while there are people RIGHT NEXT TO ME, RIGHT IN FRONT OF SECURITY shooting photos on their phones that have more mega pixels and power then my Nikon D60. Or is it the size of my lens that has you all intimidated and nervous? Don’t worry baby, I won’t hurt you…
And then we got to the end of the night. The encore. I actually had a funny little discussion with my house mate when she –as a fan- exclaimed excitedly “the show is over! Let’s go home!” “Oh no,” I says. “That’s the exit you take when you’re expecting an encore.” And as the crowd wooped! and cheered! I noticed not once were the words “encore” or “more” uttered. It even began to hush and people made their way to the exit. But the band, slinked their way back on to the stage. And this is where I really lost the plot. They all switched instruments. Clever, yes and I appreciate the talent these guys obviously have (even if they only know how to play the one song like that). But it was at this point when I realized how hard it must be to be such a well loved band making a comeback to an audience who has grown up and moved on and is only really there for nostalgia, and how easy it is to fall into cheap thrills and tacky attention-grabbing ploys.
This was not a good gig. But the Spazzy’s were great!