Month: May 2008

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Shannon Noll’s Shock Drugs Confession

Yesterday Shannon Noll came clean about his addiction to drugs and alcohol. Shannon told The Sunday Telegraph that he turned to drink and drugs after the death of his father Neil seven years ago.

“You can live well, do everything right, and still be killed,” he said. “So I thought I’d have a crack at everything. I didn’t let myself think about him [his father] when I was smashed. Consequently, I found myself getting smashed a lot.”

Shannon said his children Cody, Blake, and Sienna, gave him the motivation to beat his demons.

“I got to a stage where I had to own up to it. I’d turned into a zombie on the lounge. I wasn’t doing anything useful.”

Shannon didn’t go into detail about his vices, but did admit to using marijuana heavily and enjoying a beer.

Shannon’s going to be slammed for his mistakes because he’s a role model, and I can see the logic there. Like it or not, celebrities are placed on pedestals and their behaviour does influence other people. But I think going public about his habits is gutsy move. It takes a big man to admit they’ve done the wrong thing. And who knows? Maybe his talk about change will motivate someone else to clean up their act.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Howie Day @ Annandale Hotel, Sydney and Northern Star, Newcastle – 16 and 17 May 2008

I’m here feeling a little sad and sorry for myself, after taking in three gigs in three days. I’m clearly not as young as I used to be. The first was Chris Murphy. The second two were Howie Day.

You might remember me gushing about this Boston native’s first trip to Australia when it was announced some months ago. In fact, I was so excited by it that I couldn’t restrict myself to just one show.

Firstly, if you’re a Whitley fan reading this review hoping to hear what I thought of the headliner, you’re not going to find it. I had the best of intentions of catching his set. But as I drove to Sydney’s Annandale Hotel for the first show on my own, I figured I was better off leaving once Howie was done and seeing it the following night. My husband made the journey to Newcastle’s Northern Star with me, and we were shocked to find Howie wasn’t playing until 10:30 or so. The way I felt after his set was another glaring reminder that I’m just not as young as I used to be, so we ended up leaving to catch some sleep. I’m sure he was brilliant nonetheless.

But he was perhaps not as brilliant as Howie, although I’m completely aware that I’m biased. Howie Day is the kind of guy who can inspire me to drag my butt to a pub and stand for hours in a throng of largely obnoxious people. These aren’t the kind of gigs I like at all. But once that man took the stage I managed to (mostly) block out the people pushing me and the folks talking too loudly and just focus on the music.

As a support act his set was short, but he made sure to cram as much in for the fans who’d eagerly awaited his first Aussie shows. Both nights began with a slowed down version of “Sorry So Sorry.” This paired down acoustic arrangement was markedly different to the version which appeared on his debut album Australia, and it brought a new resonance to the lyrics.

It was that album that made me fall in love with Howie, so I was thrilled to hear two of my favourites, “Ghost” and “She Says” make the sets both nights. “Ghost” was a real highlight, with a frenetic guitar jam created by Howie’s trademark loops. I was also thrilled to hear “Collide” on both occasions, especially in Sydney where the crowd surprised me by launching into an enthusiastic sing-along. I’d clearly underestimated Howie’s popularity here, as most people I meet have never heard of him. We were also treated to some new songs which I hope to see on an album soon.

I was so excited the first time I saw Howie Day on a holiday the United States, I wasn’t sure whether these Aussie shows could possibly live up those memories. They did. I can’t wait to see him back in Australia really soon.

Image source: own photo

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Russell Morris and Dragon Honoured by ARIA Hall of Fame

Dragon and Russell Morris will be inducted in the ARIA Hall of Fame this year. The two acts are the first of the five to be inducted by ARIA on July 1.

Russell Morris is best known for his epic “The Real Thing,” and his recent work with Jim Keays and Darryl Cotton.

“When I first began the music path on which I eventually embarked – and walked the full distance – I thought it would be all over at the age of twenty five, and by thirty I would be back doing accounting!” he exclaimed. “So to be here right now and receiving this wonderful award is not only amazing but a beautiful surprise.”

Dragon may be technically a New Zealand band, but that won’t stop us honoring them. Their classics “April Sun in Cuba,” “Get That Jive,” “Are You Old Enough,” and “Still in Love with You,” are favorites of easy-listening radio stations around the country. The band’s lead singer Marc Hunter sadly passed away ten years ago. His brother Todd carries on the band’s name with singer Mark Williams.

“It is an honour to be included in the Hall Of Fame and it has always been a privilege to be part of the Australian music industry even though we may have felt like outsiders for much of the time. It is great to be included with bands and musicians whose work we admire,” Todd said in a statement.

“It is fitting that this should happen exactly 10 years after Marc died. I wish he was here and I know he would be thrilled. There have been 35 members of Dragon since 1973, from the original members to the current band, and this induction is for all of them. As a member of a band that has been playing on and off for 35 years, I’ve got to say it’s been a great pleasure and this is a great compliment for all involved.”

The 2008 ARIA Hall of Fame awards will be held at Melbourne Town Hall on July 1. For the first time, members of the public can purchase tickets through Ticketek.

Image source: Mandy Hall @ Wikimedia Commons

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Free Presets Download

In the lead-up to their sold-out national tour, The Presets have decided to give something back to their fans.

Every person who signs up for their mailing list will receive a free download of “Are You The One?” Too easy! This monster hit has been remixed by French production whiz Lifelife.

Listen out for the song in the upcoming BMW commercial, which should hit our screens soon!

Image source: Dani Lurie @ Wikimedia Commons

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Chris Murphy @ Lizotte’s, Kincumber – 15 May 2008

Last night I had the pleasure of catching Chris Murphy at Lizotte’s. The last time I saw this affable singer-songwriter he was singing head-to-head with the likes of Damien Leith, Dean Geyer, and Bobby Flynn. The stripped-back setting of this Central Coast icon is a world away from the Australian Idol stage, and it allowed Chris to shine.

The first thing that struck me about Chris is just how funny he really is. We saw glimpses of this during his reality TV journey, but without anyone to rein him in Chris was hilarious. In fact, I’m not sure he actually got through a whole song without throwing in a couple of jokes.

Rather than distract, Chris’ hysterical banter broke down the traditional walls between singer and audience, and made you feel like you were a part of the concert experience.

But it wasn’t just about fun and games. When you strip away the humor, Chris still has the power to entertain. He’s simply that good. While performing his original songs or encouraging a cover version sing-along, he always had the audience in the palm of his hand. Chris didn’t restrict his cover repertoire to the songs he made famous during Idol, but treated us to unexpected gems like Bob Marley’s “Is This Love” and The Eagles’ “Heartache Tonight.” But of course, he closed the show with his Idol touchdown track “Evie.”

It’s so refreshing to see an artist like Chris, a man who has come out the other side of reality TV fame thankful for everything it has given him. In fact, he shared with us a song he’s written as a potential winner’s single. It’s got the right amount of inspiration without ever becoming cheesy, but only time will tell whether it’s the next “Angels Brought Me Here.”

In the meantime, I encourage you to see Chris when he’s in your neck of the woods. If you loved what he did on Idol, you’ll lap it up. And if you’re an Australian Idol skeptic, he just might convince you to think differently.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Guy Sebastian Prepares for Wedding Day

We all know Guy Sebastian’s one of the nice guys. So it should come as no surprise to hear there wasn’t a stripper in sight when the soul star celebrated his bachelor party last weekend.

Guy shunned the traditional boozy night out for a spot of paintball with his family and friends in Adelaide.

Guy will marry his longtime love Jules Egan in Sydney tomorrow. The event promises to be a lavish affair, with Jules flanked by a whopping six bridesmaids! We can look forward to one of those women’s magazines releasing exclusive photos from the big day.

I hope the weather continues to be as glorious as it has been! Good luck Guy and Jules!

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Hefty Fee For the Privilege of Joining New Ticketek Club

So today I bit the bullet and forked out $95 to join Ticketek’s new Privilege Club.

I must admit, with the price of concert tickets being what they are I wasn’t keen to shell out another hundred to join. But in recent times it’s become increasingly more difficult to nab the good concert tickets before the scalpers, so I figured I’d see how this serves me.

The $95 yearly fee promises plenty, but only time will tell whether it’s worthwhile. The lure of premium seats is especially enticing. I’ll also be keen to see whether the privilege club presales are better than your average Ticketek ones, and whether we’re treated better than fan club members.

I must say I’m not sure I’ll really use the waitlist, since my finger tends to be pretty much on the pulse when it comes to concert tickets anyway. But it is interesting to see which acts are rumored to be heading our way soon.

I’m not sure whether I’ll find value in the special packages either. The ones currently on sale don’t really do a lot for me, but you never know what will crop up in the next year.

The promise of news on extra tickets for sold out shows might be nice if I can’t secure them the first time around. Although if I still can’t get tickets this way, I might have to give up on the club I think!

The biggest sweetener though is the $50 Cellarmasters voucher Ticketek is offering for all new members joining before June 16. If this ends up being a waste of money at least I can drown my sorrows with some good grog!

Image source: Yvette de Wit @ Unsplash

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Summery New Release From The Herd

Aussie hip hop outfit The Herd are back with a brand new album. Summerland is the band’s fourth release and it’s already being called a “melodic opus.”

The tracks are full, with strings and horns sitting alongside throbbing guitars and bass lines. The varied tracks include the powerful “Kids Learn Quick,” the raucous “2020,” the impassioned “Time to Face the Truth” and the fun and funky “Zug Zug.”

Summerland will hit stores on May 24. Fans in Melbourne and Sydney are in for a real treat, with the band preparing to showcase the new album at some very special performances. See them on June 13 at the Hi Fi Bar and at The Factory on June 14. Tickets are available now from New World Artists.

Image source: The Herd press gallery

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Shannon Noll vs Wil Anderson

The bitter verbal sparring between Wil Anderson and Shannon Noll appears to be on again!

Wil Anderson’s always loved picking on Shannon, but when Wil made some jokes about Shannon’s late father things went a little bit too far. That’s when Shannon challenged Wil to a boxing match, which Wil politely declined.

Now this was two years ago, so you’d expect all parties would have moved on. But during Shannon’s appearance on 60 Minutes last Sunday night he called Wil “weak, another man’s bootstrap.”

Wil did his best to get Shannon on his MMM radio show on Monday. When those plans didn’t pan out, Wil challenged Shannon to put up or shut up.

“It was one little joke a long time ago and I did say sorry. Does he need to hit me? I’m happy for him to hit me – if it will stop him banging on,” Wil said.

As a regular viewer of The Glasshouse, I hardly think there was one little joke. But it all makes me wonder, will anyone hit anyone here? My money’s on Shannon if the pair end up stepping inside a ring!

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Waiting No Problem For Lovestruck Lisa

It’s no secret that devout Christian Dean Geyer has been saving himself until marriage. But his fiance Lisa Origiliasso insists she’s not getting married just to get busy!

“We’re not rushing down the aisle – once people find out that we’re not getting married next week, just so whatever we want to happen can happen, they’ll realise we’re happy with this stage,” she told OK! magazine.

“It wasn’t a big deal for me [to wait], I love him for him.”

Awww that’s so sweet!