Music lovers and wine buffs in WA are in for a real treat next year. John Butler Trio will kick off 2013 with two very special shows in the state’s best vineyards.

The threesome will take on Leeuwin Estate in Margaret River on January 3 before moving on to Castelli Winery in Denmark the following day. As a very special treat, homegrown songstress and John Butler’s missus Mama Kin will open both shows.

While these venues are intended for adults, children are permitted to attend so long as they’re with a parent of legal guardian. I love it when venues relax their policies to allow youngsters to see great live music, don’t you?

Tickets are on sale now from Heatseeker.

Image used with permission from JonesPR

Now in its fourth year, Central Coast’s fledgling music festival appears to be going from strength to strength. John Butler Trio are heading up an all-Australian line-up for this year’s event at Gosford Showgrounds.

They’ll join hometown heroes Something with Numbers and One Dollar Short, Jebediah, Little Red, The Potbelleez, Andy Bull, and heaps more. The festival’s Tomorrow Land dance quarter will also return with Ajax, Nina Las Vegas, Purple Sneakers DJs, and Wolfpack.

Coaster will hit Gosford Showgrounds on September 17. Tickets will be available from June 23 from the Coaster website, Oztix, and a variety of retailers including ESS Boardstore in Erina, Network Communications in Lake Haven, and the Newcastle Rock Shop.

The bubbly is chilling and folks are getting together as we prepare to bid 2010 adieu. The year our Aussie artists produced some cracking tunes which should help get your NYE party started!

Sia has been a musical force for some time, but 2010 saw her step into the spotlight with her fab album We Are Born. It spawned so many singles, including the irrepressibly “Clap Your Hands.”

Washington was this year’s breakthrough artist and with good reason. Bucket loads of charisma, insightful lyrics, and some damned good tunes are a recipe for success in anyone’s language. “Sunday Best” was the song that had me dancing around my lounge room this year.

John Butler Trio’s “One Way Road” is a bit rootsier than the other tracks, but no less fun. I am in awe of the way JB manages to get his mouth around those rapid fire lyrics!

Amy Meredith definitely didn’t get the recognition they deserved this year. I enjoyed their first two singles, but they wowed me with the nostalgic “Young at Heart.” The fun retro feel sent me right back to my childhood! This is definitely the tune to play as the evening is winding down.

What will you be spinning tonight?

Yesterday was a day for real thought as Julia Gillard was officially announced as the prime minister of our first minority government in 70 years. I’m still not entirely sure of the ramifications of that, but I’m interested to see how it pans out. It seemed fitting that such a pivotal day should coincide with me making a trek to the Newcastle Entertainment Centre to catch two of the country’s most political acts, Blue King Brown and John Butler Trio.

All too often it seems that the support act is an afterthought, a new band that needs exposure or musos that are mates with the main act. Rarely do the artists fit together to create an evening that sends such a strong message. Both Blue King Brown and John Butler Trio create music with meaning. And the Newcastle crowd lapped it up.

Blue King Brown were first, led by the mesmerizing Natalie Pa’apa’a. I caught the band a few years ago when they supported Santana, and they’ve come a long way since that time. Long time fans may have been thrilled to hear old favourites, but the new material from their latest album Worldwize: North & South got me going. There seemed to be more emphasis on melody, more focus in the message and the crafting of the songs. Thankfully the set was made up of songs both old and new, which gave us all something to enjoy. While support acts too often suffer from chattering crowds keen for the main act to start, Blue King Brown seemed to captivate the audience. They listened intently to these songs and gave the band the respect they really do deserve.

While Blue King Brown impressed me, I was wowed by the John Butler Trio. I’d never seen the band before, so I was struck by John Butler’s incredible musical skills. The live arena is where they really come alive, and the key to that is the main man himself. It’s where John can play an epic, intricate instrumental guitar piece to a transfixed audience, and switch easily between electric and acoustic guitar, lap steel guitar, banjo, and even drums. His technical talent is incredible, and his energy on stage electric.

That energy is what makes these powerful songs work. Rather than appearing preachy, the potent messages contained in the tunes take us back to the musical revolution of the late 1960s. Hearing John Butler speak about the proposed development of the Kimberley region gave “Revolution” extra power. The band’s gentle acoustic cover of Kev Carmody’s “Thou Shalt Not Steal” was one of the show’s most poignant moments.

But this isn’t the late 1960s, and bands that really have something to say are becoming rarer and rarer. Music has always been a great catalyst for change. As I watched the crowds clap their hands in unison in response to this band that has so much to say, I began to feel hope that real change is possible. And what a powerful thing that is.

Image source: own photos

The John Butler Trio are moving to the small screen with the release of their new DVD These Are the Days.

The behind-the-scenes movie takes you to the band’s studio, known as The Compound, revealing much about the band members and their creative process while recording April Uprising. It also features interviews with new trio members Nicky Bomba and Byron Luiters and longtime manager Phil Stevens. There are also 11 album tracks played raw as they were in the studio, and two previously unreleased songs including live favourite “Satisfy.”

These Are the Days will hit music stores and other retailers on August 27, which is not so coincidentally the same day that JBT’s national April Uprising tour begins!

Image used with permission from Stephen Green Consulting

After the upbeat energy of “One Way Road” and “Close To You,” it’s great to see John Butler Trio switching gears on their latest single “Revolution.”

The track is the third to come from JBT’s amazing album April Uprising. The song is perhaps one of the band’s most powerful, and its black and white film clip is just as striking. The video, which depicts the diversity of contemporary society, was shot while the band was on tour in Los Angeles.

Now you could just appreciate the song and video for what it is, but I thought I’d also share with you John Butler’s own words about the track’s inspiration. It’s a long quote, much longer than the ones I tend to use on here, but I thought it was just so cool it needed to be here in its entirety.

“Revolution is such an overused impotent word nowadays, I just wanted to explore the subject and find out what it meant to me. We live in some pretty extreme times .I think a lot of people are considering living in a drastically different way on this planet and with each other. They have to. But the old ideas of reform and revolution are not applicable nor have many “revolutions” really ever brought about meaningful change before they turn into what they were fighting. My idea of revolution is basically taking the R off the word. It’s evolution. It’s not gonna be some fanciful day that comes where everything is going honky dory utopia. That’s bullshit and a practise in futility. You can’t stop evolution. It’s sometimes painfully slow and other times brutally quick but never the less it is on-going.  You can rev it up however; accelerate it from time to time by being engaged in your community, by being compassionate. I see that around me. That’s what I concentrate on when I’m being bombarded by the intense images and news of these times. Stay engaged but not inundated. By knowing that the revolution is underway and not some fantasy about to come I’m able to have the energy and optimism to keep being part of this eternal, unstoppable REVOLUTION.”

Hell yeah. If you’re digging on “Revolution” and the rest of “April Uprising,” remember it’s not too late to nab tickets to the John Butler Trio shows next month. They’re selling fast though, so be quick! The band are headed back overseas after these gigs, so we probably won’t see them for some time afterwards!

27 August 2010 – Fremantle Arts Centre, Fremantle
29 August 2010 – The Amphitheater, Darwin
31 August 2010 – Entertainment Centre Theatre, Adelaide
2 September 2010 – WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong
3 September 2010 – Hordern Pavilion, Sydney
5 September 2010 – Derwent Entertainment Centre, Hobart
7 September 2010 – Entertainment Centre, Newcastle
8 September 2010 – C.ex, Coffs Harbour
11 September 2010 – Reggaetown Festival @ Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park, Cairns
12 September 2010 – Union of Soul @ Tony Ireland Stadium, Townsville
15 September 2010 – Royal Theatre, Canberra
17 September 2010 – Festival Hall, Melbourne
18 September 2010 – Schweppes Centre, Bendigo
19 September 2010 – Performing Arts Centre, Geelong
21 September 2010 – Entertainment Convention Centre, Mackay
22 September 2010 – The Great Western, Rockhampton
23 September 2010 – The Riverstage, Brisbane
24 September 2010 – The Empire Theatre, Toowoomba
27 September 2010 – The Mangrove Resort Hotel, Broome

John Butler Trio are bringing their number one album April Uprising home with a national tour this August and September.

We’re sure to see a slick show, with the band spending the past few months playing concerts and promotional dates around the world. JBT just completed a sell-out tour of Europe and the United Kingdom, and have now commenced a run of dates in the United States. They’re also playing summer festivals in Canada, Europe, and Japan.

Local urban roots outfit Blue King Brown will support The John Butler Trio for all local shows except Broome. The tour will be completely carbon neutral, with the band reinvesting their carbon emissions into renewable energy projects. You can help assist the efforts by purchasing a green ticket for an extra 50c. This money will be donated to renewable energy projects, thereby neutralizing your travel emissions to the gig. The April Uprising tour will also support The Wilderness Society, The Australian Conservation Foundation, and Oxfam’s Close the Gap campaign.

Get your tickets from May 31 from the venues and regular ticket outlets.

27 August 2010 – Fremantle Arts Centre, WA
31 August 2010 – Entertainment Centre Theatre, Adelaide
2 September 2010 – WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong
3 September 2010 – Hordern Pavilion, Sydney
5 September 2010 – Derwent Entertainment Centre, Hobart
7 September 2010 – Entertainment Centre, Newcastle
8 September 2010 – C.ex, Coffs Harbour
11 September 2010 – Reggaetown Festival @ Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park, Cairns
12 September 2010 – Union of Soul @ Tony Ireland Stadium, Townsville
15 September 2010 – Royal Theatre, Canberra
17 September 2010 – Festival Hall, Melbourne
18 September 2010 – Schweppes Centre, Bendigo
21 September 2010 – Entertainment Convention Centre, Mackay
22 September 2010 – The Great Western, Rockhampton
23 September 2010 – The Riverstage, Brisbane
24 September 2010 – The Empire Theatre, Toowoomba
27 September 2010 – The Mangrove Resort Hotel, Broome

Just as I was bemoaning the lack of Aussie talent on the singles chart comes the number one debut of Brian McFadden’s newie “Just Say So.” I know he was born in Ireland and all that, but now that he’s living here and marrying our Delta we’ve adopted him right? At any rate, Brian’s new tune is the only local release in the top 30, so I think it’s something to be celebrated.

While the Aussies have finally bowed to the pressure of Lady Gaga’s Fame Monster, they still have a strong presence in the album charts. John Butler Trio is breathing down Gaga’s neck with April Uprising, which holds steady at number two this week. Gyroscope enjoyed a great first week with Cohesion, which comes in at number three. And after five weeks on the charts, Angus & Julia Stone are still going strong with Down the Way, which sits at number 8.

Click below to see all the ARIA chart action!

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The brand new week sees another Aussie act sitting on top of the ARIA album charts. John Butler Trio have ended the reign of Angus & Julie Stone with the release of their new album April Uprising.

Angus & Julie Stone haven’t slipped too far though. Their latest album Down the Way is in third position, just below Lady Gaga’s The Fame Monster.

It’s disappointing to see that there’s still no local talent in the top 10 singles charts though. With Gabriella Cilmi’s single “On a Mission” slipping three places to 19th spot this week, that’s not likely to change any time soon!

Click below to see this week’s chart action!

Read the rest of this entry…