Month: February 2009

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Acer Arena One of the Best … Apparently

Acer Arena has made the Pollstar top 10 best venues in the world list for the third year running. The Sydney venue is considered on a par with iconic spots like Madison Square Garden in New York, The Staples Center in Los Angeles, and O2 Arena in London.

The accolade caps off a stellar 2008 for the arena, which attracted the likes of Stevie Wonder, Kylie Minogue, Andrea Bocelli, Bon Jovi, and Billy Joel last year.

“Despite many reports of a worldwide recession, 2009 has started extremely strongly with Top Gear Live this coming weekend exceeding all sales expectations (ten shows), as are shows like Coldplay (four shows in March) followed in the same month by Kings of Leon and The Who then Pussycat Dolls (two shows in May), Crusty Demons (June) WWE Live (July) and Andre Rieu (two shows in October),” General Manager David Humphreys said in a statement.

“Acknowledgement in two internationally respected industry magazines is the icing on the cake and a great reward for the team that made these events happen.

“We have been Australia’s leading indoor concert arena for a number of years and look forward to maintaining the same high standards and quality events in 2009.”

I thought the same thing last year, but I’m a little amazed. Things always seem to run smoothly at Acer, but unless you’re sitting really close to the stage it’s certainly not the place I’d want to see a show. Bigger isn’t always better for the musicians or their audience, and this poll seems to forget that! Give me a small theatre or a natural outdoor winery setting any day!

Image source: E. Yoshio @ Flickr

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Gabriella Cilmi Snares International Awards Nominations

Go Go Gabriella Cilmi! The darling of the Australian music scene has been nominated for some major international awards!

She’ll face off against Beyonce, Santogold, Pink, and Katy Perry for the Brit Award for International Solo Female Artist.

She’s also nominated for a German Echo Award for Best International Newcomer. Again she faces some stiff competition from Duffy, Leona Lewis, Katy Perry, and Amy McDonald.

It’s all pretty impressive for an Aussie teen who only released her debut single last March! Gabriella was recently in Oz to perform at the Australian Open’s A Day on the Baseline Show. She’s now returned to Europe where she’s planning to launch her assault on the American market. Her monster debut album Lessons to be Learned will be released there on March 17. Maybe we’ll see a Grammy nod next year?

Image source: Pacific Coast News

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

AC/DC Up For a Juno

AC/DC could add a Juno to their trophy case. The Aussie band’s comeback record Black Ice has been nominated for International Album of the Year at the Canadian equivalent of the ARIAs.

They’ll go head to head with some rock stalwarts: Metallica’s Death Magnetic and Guns N’ Roses’ Chinese Democracy are up for the gong, alongside Coldplay’s Viva La Vida and Jack Johnson’s Sleep Through the Static.

The Juno Awards are on March 29 in Vancouver.

Image source: Newscom

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Madonna Sticky and Sweet Tour Not Heading to Australia

It seems there’s no truth to the rumors that Madonna’s Sticky and Sweet tour will visit Australia later this year.

Undercover says Madonna’s record label has denied the stories and the promoter who was negotiating with Madonna before the dollar crashed says the talks are off the table. The dates published in newspapers last week don’t check out with venue bookings either.

Sorry Madonna fans but it all makes sense. When the tour was originally planned we were getting 95c to the US dollar. These days it’s sitting at around 65c. For shows so spectacular, the cost after the conversion would be phenomenal.

It looks like Madonna fans would be better off saving for an overseas trip if they want to catch the show, because I can’t see it finding its way here.

Image source: Bauer-Griffin

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Evermore Reveals the "Truth of the World"

Adopted Aussies Evermore wowed me with their new single “Between the Lines”, and it looks like there’s more where that came from. They’ll unleash their third album Truth of the World: Welcome to the Show on March 21.

We can expect much more than a mish-mash of radio-friendly songs here, as lead singer Jon Hume explains.

“I heard someone say that albums were dead … and everyone just wants three minute songs these days. That’s exactly what we are trying to fight with this record,” he said in a statement.

“We hit reset on what this band was about, threw everything out and just imagined the record we would want to hear someone else make. Something you could put on and not ever want to hit skip… one piece of music that ebbs and flows but never stops. It’s a concept album that takes inspiration from trash entertainment, news headlines and political propaganda, and turns it into an over the top, fun, rock’n’roll show.”

You can catch that “over the top, fun, rock’n’roll show” when the lads hit the road in April and May. Stay tuned for the dates when they’re released!

Image used with permission from Warner Music Australia

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Decoder Ring Ready to Support Coldplay

Sydney band Decoder Ring has scored the prestigious support slot for Coldplay’s Viva La Vida Australian tour. The local lads, who were hand-selected by the British band, will play for 150, 000 fans at 11 Aussie arena shows.

Decoder Ring’s organic sounds and psychedelic electronic arrangements are sure to set the stage for Coldplay’s spectacular audiovisual show.

There are strictly limited tickets available through Ticketek. Here are all the dates.

27 and 28 February 2009 – Burswood Dome, Perth
3, 4, and 5 March 2009 – Rod Laver Arena, Rod Laver Arena
8 and 9 March 2009 – Entertainment Centre, Brisbane
11, 12, 14, and 15 March 2009 – Acer Arena, Sydney

Image used with permission from Liz O’Grady

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Fall Out Boy Play for Aussie Troops

Forget the entertainment centres. The coolest gig on Fall Out Boy’s Australian tour will be an invite-only show on the deck of the HMAS Tobruk.

“We’re pumped to come back to Australia for our national tour in February, and what a great way to cap it off by taking over Sydney Harbour and playing in front of one of the world’s most iconic bridges,” bass player Pete Wentz said.

Among the lucky front-row ticket holders will be the 140 crew members who’ve recently returned from deployment overseas.

“It is a great opportunity for the Navy, giving our people and competition winners a once in a lifetime experience,” HMAS Tobruk commanding officer Peter Thompson said.

“Our crew has been working hard and this performance is a great way to say thank you.”

Image source: Pacific Coast News

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Bob Evans’ Rocking New Album

No one could ever accuse Kevin Mitchell of getting stale. As part of Jebediah, he gave us slices of alternative rock like “Leaving Home” and “Fall Down.” Then under the moniker Bob Evans he dabbled in a more mainstream sound, combining pop with a quirky indie sensibility. Now as Bob, Kevin says he’s ready to rock once more.

So it might seem an unlikely choice to record Goodnight, Bull Creek, his third album as Bob Evans, in the home of country music, Nashville. Brad Jones has produced the recording, as he did with Bob’s last album Suburban Songbook.

“This is my rock album. I’m saying goodbye to the suburbs,” Bob said.

You can get a taste of the new rocking tracks when Bob hits the road in April and May.

18 April 2009 -West Coast Blues and Roots Festival, Fremantle
7 May 2009 – Tivoli, Brisbane
8 May 2009 – The Sands Tavern, Maroochydore
9 May 2009 – Coolangatta Hotel, Gold Coast
10 May 2009 – Great Northern, Byron Bay
12 May 2009 – Lizotte’s, Kincumber
13 May 2009 – Newcastle University
14 May 2009 – Wollongong University
15 May 2009 – Metro, Sydney
16 May 2009 – ANU Canberra
20 May 2009 – Peninsula Lounge, Moorooduc
21 May 2009 – Corner Hotel, Melbourne
23 May 2009 – Republic Bar, Hobart
28 May 2009 – The Gov, Adelaide

Image source: Monototo @ Wikimedia Commons

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

The Veronicas Crack US Top 20

The Veronicas have become the first Aussies since Kylie Minogue to have a top 20 single in the United States. “Untouched” is currently at number 17 on the American charts after selling 758, 000 units.

“Feeling the energy of ‘Untouched’ doing so well in America is a great feeling. It’s a different style of music to breakthrough on the American charts, and people are excited. Especially us!” The Veronicas said in a statement.

Kylie peaked at number 7 in 2002 with “Can’t Get You Out of My Head.” Can the Brisbane twins do better? Only time will tell, but they should definitely be congratulated on their chart success so far!

Here’s the song that did it for them live at last year’s ARIA Awards!