January 2012 – Page 4

Funky Melbourne five-piece Let The Cat Out will give Western Australian audiences a sneak peak at their new album at some upcoming shows in the state.

The band will play tracks from their soon to be released sophomore album Swimming Upstream as well as some old favorites at the gigs. Let The Cat Out’s lead singer and rhythm guitarist Jane McArthur says the album showcases the band’s lush new sound.

“We’ve added in extra instrumentation where we’ve thought it would add to the message and the vibe of the song, whereas in the first album, we were very much trying to stick to the raw sound of the five of us, and be faithful to how we could recreate the songs live. It’s still Let The Cat Out,” she assured fans, “but it’s got a bit more added fire, and a bit more complexity.”

You can see the way the band’s developed at the following shows.

27 January 2012 – Mounties, Mount Helena
29 January 2012 – Redcliffe on the Murray, Pinjarra
31 January 2012 – Perth Blues Club, Perth
1 February 2012 – Mojo’s, Fremantle
3 February 2012 – Whitestar Hotel, Albany
4 February 2012 – Settlers Tavern, Margaret River
5 February 2012 – Quindanning Tavern, Quindanning

Image used with permission from AAA Entertainment

I expected the kind of merry Christmas and happy New Year that all the greeting cards tell us everyone receives, but I didn’t get it this festive season. On December 25 my Grandma had a bad fall, which led to her admission to hospital the day later. Also on Boxing Day my Mam, my mum’s stepmother, found herself in hospital too. While Grandma’s still resting up, Mam passed away. We had her funeral yesterday. Consequently the season which is ordinarily so festive was stressful and sad.

Of course I turned to music, this time the 80s pop showcased on David Campbell’s latest covers album Let’s Go. We have a rule in my family never to buy ourselves anything in the lead up to Christmas, so I was a bit late getting my hands on it. But goodness it was worth the wait.

This is the David Campbell album I’ve been waiting for. Anyone who knows me knows the 80s is my decade, and David’s done it justice. Some clever arrangements see the tunes feeling fresh, although they’re not so different as to alienate the diehard fans.

Funnily enough the album features many of the 80s tracks my husband and I had discussed prior to its release. David equals Tony Hadley’s silky smooth vocals on “True.” Adam Ant’s “Goody Two Shoes” has just the right amount of pep, while “You Make My Dreams Come True” should put a smile on anyone’s face. I’ll say this; David Campbell has impeccable taste.

In some cases he’s even done the unthinkable and bettered the originals. The arrangement of “Missing You” brings out the gutwrenching heart of the lyrics like John Waite’s version never did. I must have heard “Come On Eileen” a million times on radio, yet David’s version has so much energy that I find myself hitting repeat.

This is one of those albums that begs for a sequel, just as we saw with his Swing Sessions. I’m not sure whether I’ll get my wish, but I’m certainly in for an amazing show when David Campbell hits town later this year!

Image source: David Campbell Facebook page

Month: January 2012

Let The Cat Out Roadtest Album in Western Australia

“Let’s Go” – David Campbell