Showing posts with label Architecture in Helsinki. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Architecture in Helsinki. Show all posts
Sound Relief at the historical SCG will be remembered for the rain, the good times and the return but most of all it will be tattooed as a proud day in Australian history as a day where the Australian spirit again shone so brightly. This review will focus on the music but Sound Relief was a day, which honoured and remembered the victims & heroes of the Victorian Bushfires and Queensland Floods. If you still haven’t donated please donate just a little, Fires & Floods.
Coldplay were the first of 14 acts to shake the SCG. The crowd were slow to arrive typically fashionably late Sydney style, and those inside at kickoff were treated to a stadium sized version of ‘Yellow’ complete with giant yellow balloons which have been seen at every Coldplay concert recently but seemed to add an extra special feel to the day.
Coldplay would churn out ‘Clocks’ a historical duet with Australian music’s godfather John Farnham ‘You’re the Voice’ before finishing with a remarkable and epic version of ‘Fix You’. This felt so suitable to a day that to many could have been such a raw experience.
Wolfmother returned on perhaps no bigger stage then the SCG next. They would roll out each hit ‘Joker & Thief’, ‘Colossal’ & ‘Woman’ but opened with a superb new tune which will hopefully hear a full studio version of very soon.
The mid-afternoon was a mixed bag. We saw the Hoodoo Guru’s showcase classic Aussie rock with a fine greatest hits collection while Little Birdy returned to the spotlight after time away. While I found these guys to be spectacularly boring, the crowd seemed to peeter out of the arena while they were on to.
Architecture in Helsinki were next to shake and rattle the SCG and I was incredibly impressed with these guys. I had given them a bad wrap for a long time, just ask CB. AIH put on a spectacular show including a choreographed dance, which was nice to see a band going the extra mile to add a touch of joy to their performance. They busted out That Beep, ‘The Whirlwind’ and other staples from the AIH catalogue, a thoroughly enjoyable 30 minutes which will hopefully see them take the next step.
You Am I & Josh Pyke hit the stage mid afternoon but no one seemed to care too much but both delivered solid sets, You Am I maybe a little too rowdy for such a day one might think.
Taylor Swift swaggered on stage and just about every girl 21 and under screamed their hearts out, it’s a surprise the SCG didn’t shatter. I couldn’t tell you one song she played, cause its not really my scene but she seemed to go down a treat.
As the sun went down and the skies darkened over the SCG, Eskimo Joe returned to the stage with some new material and some old favourites, this Bear only really caught ‘Black Fingernails Red Wine’ which was a corker but the rest didn’t seem too interesting. Sorry Joe. Jet was perhaps the most unanticipated return of the day but for me definitely the most interesting. They smashed out every classic in their catalogue, whole two albums, but it made for a truly wild 45 minutes under lights at the SCG. Who would have ever thought you would be in the middle of the SCG surrounded by thousands of people with Jet on stage?
Toni Collete would introduce the minute of silence which for the most part was successful, its such a shame that the lads cant hold their beer and have to be so disrespectful while showing of to their mates. Kylie would step on stage in Melbourne and sing a spine tingling version of ‘I Still Call Australia Home’ which was broadcast to us via giant video screens side of stage, with followed by a video from Prince William & Harry sending their condolences. Kinda odd I know. The most spectacular and special musical moment of the day belonged to the Presets. As they stepped on stage mother nature, obviously a huge fan, decided to send down a massive thunder and lighting storm which lit up the SCG, this was followed by torrential rain which made the show even better. You had to experience this to believe how amazing this was, dancing in the middle of the SCG surrounded by lighting, booming thunder, and rain that soaked you to the bone, it was special and simply awesome. The moment the Presets finished myself and CB left, the whole getting home and being dry seemed a little bit more exciting than Barry Gibb (no disrespect Barry if your reading this) . Bravo Sound Relief.
Sound Relief was special, it was a day where the lads & ladettes were present but respectfully (most of the time) they managed to tone their behaviour down and everyone embraced the spirit of the day. It was a day of celebration and relief but also one of respect and mourning, this was done subtly and throughout the whole day there was no suggestions or thoughts of donations (apart from the price of our tickets) and the bands brought their best on a whims notice.
Till next time
VB & CB!
After the news of angry fans lining up for hours at the Melbourne St. Jerome's Laneway Festival, I was a little nervous about what to expect from the Sydney staging of the event this year. I have very fond memories of Laneway last year, because it was so completely different to any festival I had been to before, and provided an ideal stage to showcase some great up and coming Australian bands.
The good news is my fears were not to be realised, as the Sydney organisers had clearly learnt their lessons from the Melbourne fiasco, and worked hard to make sure things were running as smoothly as possible. That's not to say there weren't lines...The Basement, the famous jazz and blues club and one indoor stage for the day, was a bottleneck throughout the whole festival and you had to be pretty dedicated to a band to stick around and wait. But all in all, the crowds were nowhere near enough to put a dampener on the day.
The Sydney version of the St. Jerome's Laneway Festival, originally a strictly Melbourne item that has now become a national roadshow, is set in the heart of the city - tucked in behind Circular Quay at Reilby Place. The joy of this festival is that it relishes in the urban surroundings, and mixes together the grittiness and gloss of city living.
But of course the reason I was at the festival was for the music, and it was definitely worth the entry ticket. Philadelphia Grand Jury and The John Steel Singers were great bands to kick off the day, and other highlights for me were Tame Impala and Cut Off Your Hands.
The headliners for the festival were Architecture in Helsinki, followed by Girl Talk. Architecture put on a powerful and always energetic performance, bringing a new take to their hits songs from the back catalogue, a few interesting covers (Ain't Nothing Going To Break My Stride) as well as giving us a taste of things to come with That Beep.
With the energy running high, the crowd shifted into the laneway stage of Reilby Place for Girl Talk. I must confess I haven't been the biggest fan of Girl Talk when he has released albums, but the songs always have a 'party starter' feel to them. But as a live act, he was fantastic. Playing an hour long set, he brought together music from across a wide range of genres to make music that you just had to dance to...and he didn't stop playing for that full hour (which, of course, meant the dancing also was an hour long. By the end my legs were killing me, but it was some good exercise...maybe Girl Talk can bring out a workout album next?)
Despite a few minor drawbacks, the Laneway Festival lived up to, and in many ways exceeded my expectations. Food was typical festival fare, and alcohol was sold at a typical festival price, but I recommend it to anyone in Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane, or Perth, and you can bet that I will be back there again next year.
CB
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