Author: Lauren Katulka

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

New Bands for Splendour

Punters who’ve already secured their Splendour in the Grass tickets are in for a real treat. A swag of new bands have been added to the line up of the sold-out festival.

Irish folkie Damien Rice, alt rockers Ash, and local stars Sneaky Sound System, The Herd, and Paul Kelly are new additions to Saturday’s bill. They join the already stellar lineup which includes Lily Allen, Powderfinger, Kaiser Chiefs, and Grinspoon.

On the Sunday, fans will now be treated to performances by indie treadmill kings OK Go!, and local heroes Spiderbait, Kisschasy, and Holly Throsby. They will join the Arctic Monkeys, Bloc Barty, Hilltop Hoods and heaps more.

Splendour in the Grass hits the Belongil Fields in Bryon Bay on August 4 and 5. If you’ve got your tickets, it looks like you’ll get more bang for your buck. If not, there’s always next year.

Image source: Sry85 @ Wikimedia Commons

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

New Shows for Crowded House, Powderfinger, and Silverchair

It’s hardly surprising, but punters have snapped up tickets for the upcoming Crowded House and Powderfinger/Silverchair concerts.

It took just one hour for Crowded House to sell out Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena on Friday. The venue seats 14,000, which means an amazing four tickets were sold every second.

They also did a roaring trade in New South Wales and Western Australia. A new Melbourne show is currently on sale, while additional Sydney, and Perth shows will go on sale tomorrow. EMI Music claims these will be the last shows announced, so fans had better get in quickly.

Fans also bought up big when Silverchair and Powderfinger tickets were on sale on Monday morning. Within 30 minutes, all tickets to the bands’ shows in Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney, Adelaide, and Wollongong were gone.

Continue reading “New Shows for Crowded House, Powderfinger, and Silverchair” →

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Where Great Food and Music Meet: Lizotte’s

If you live in Sydney, it seems there are two types of concert venues. There are the pubs, where you struggle to hear the band over the crowd who are too interested in the cheap beers and their own conversations to care about the music.

Or there are the entertainment centres, those massive structures that charge top dollar for seats that are so far back from the action that you need to watch the performers on the big screen. That is, if big screens are provided.

But there is a better way. It’s the Lizotte’s way. Just an hour’s drive from Sydney or Newcastle, this brilliant venue is the best-kept secret on the Central Coast.

Its owner, Brian Lizotte, knows a thing or two about music. And he should – after all, he’s the brother of Mark Lizotte, otherwise known as award-winning muso Diesel. Brian believes music and food are the two greatest pleasures in life, and has built his venue on this very simple principle.

He attracts some of the finest Australian and international acts to his tiny venue. There’s only enough room for 100 guests, but that suits the audience down to the ground. Everyone there focuses on the music, and this is when magic truly happens.

The experience is always capped off by some of the most exquisite food you’ll ever taste. Most shows allow guests to choose between a tasting plate and a more lavish multi-course meal.

With so many venues intent on packing a crowd in and making a fast buck, a night out at Lizotte’s feels truly indulgent. It’s an experience to be savored and enjoyed again and again.

Visit Lizotte’s at Lot 3, Avoca Drive, Kincumber. Be sure to check their website for a full list of upcoming shows.

Image source: own photo

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Sydney Starts Live Earth

There’s no bigger story in Australian music this weekend than our contribution to the global Live Earth event. More than 45,000 packed into Sydney’s Aussie Stadium yesterday to hear the message of environmental awareness.

If you believe the reports, many disgruntled punters left after just two hours, frustrated by lengthy bar and toilet queues and poor acoustics. But for those who bravely soldiered on, the event was an unforgettable showcase of what this country has to offer.

While most Live Earth concerts relied on international drawcards, the Australian show celebrated homegrown talent. American Jack Johnson was the only foreign inclusion on the star-studded lineup.

The event kicked off with an Aboriginal welcome ceremony, before roots outfit Blue King Brown hit the stage. Then Toni Colette brought a touch of Hollywood glamour to the show with her band The Finish.

Paul Kelly’s classic “From Little Things Big Things Grow” resonated with the environmentally conscious crowd. He was joined by Kev Carmody, John Butler and Missy Higgins for the magical performance.

Later, John Butler delivered a lively set, while Missy’s romantic wailings seemed a little out of step with the event.

In a concert dominated by mellow, down-tempo bands, Wolfmother’s racous energy was a welcome relief. Jack Johnson followed them, a poor choice considering his low-key set.

Crowded House were the ideal closers, delivering a feel-good set of sing-along classics. Tens of thousands of fans nearly drowned out Neil Finn as they joined him on the closing song, “Weather With You”. Whether Live Earth worked as an environmental awareness campaign remains to be seen, but as a musical event it will be hard to top.

Image source:Zelch Csaba @ Pexels

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Crowded House Announces World Tour

They may have said farewell to the world in 1996 and lost drummer Paul Hester in 2005, but Crowded House are back with a vengeance.

With new drummer Matt Sherrod, Neil Finn, Nick Seymour and Mick Hart have released Time on Earth, their first studio album since 1993’s Together Alone.

To celebrate the release, they’ll kick off a world tour with a very special performance at Sydney’s Live Earth gig on July 7. Then it’s off to North America and Europe before the band returns home in November.

The Australian leg of Crowded House’s world tour kicks off in Sydney on November 5. Tickets for these shows are available tomorrow from the usual outlets.

See the Crowded House website for all their tour details.

Image source: JonnyBoyR @ Flickr.com

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Shea Fisher’s No Everyday Girl

Australia has an unlikely new star in the form of rodeo queen Shea Fisher. The 19-year-old looks to challenge popular opinions about country music with her debut album, Everyday Girl.

“I don’t write about cats or dogs dying or hay bales; I want to write songs about the things that matter to teenage girls,” she told The Daily Telegraph.

“I want to break some of the myths about country music, for it to be cool and appeal to a younger market as it does in America.”

For this, Shea travelled to Nashville, the heart of country music, to record her debut release.

While she hopes to hit the mainstream charts, there’s no denying that Shea is a country girl. The Queenslander is the daughter of bull riding champion Eddie Fisher. Shea grew up riding bulls, but has now swapped this extreme sport for barrel racing.

“It’s way too dangerous to combine bull racing and singing,” she joked.

Everyday Girl is released in Australia on Saturday.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Wolfmother’s Missing Grammy

Wolfmother may have won the hard rock Grammy in February, but the Sydney Morning Herald reported the band still hasn’t received the prestigious trophy.

As is the usual practice, the band posed with a dummy trophy on the night. Bands then receive their awards when they have been engraved.

No one’s sure quite what the hold-up is, but the hairy lads aren’t too concerned. They’re too busy preparing for Saturday’s Sydney Live Earth show.

The final details are still being ironed out, with organisers still unsure whether Wolfmother or Jack Johnson will precede headliners Crowded House. My vote’s for Wolfmother. While they may not be the most original band around, at least they’re an Australian one.

Image source: redbeardedwonder @ Flickr.com

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Something for Kate Release Double Greatest Hits

Something for Kate have had so many hits over their 10-year career, they needed two CDs for their new ‘best of’ album.

The Murmur Years, to be released on August 18, features a whopping 32 massive hits and a new track called “The Futurist.”

To celebrate the release, the indie trio will hit the road in September for a national tour. Kicking off in Melbourne, the tour will visit most Australian states. Tickets are on sale from July 5 at the usual outlets. See Something for Kate’s website for the complete list of tour dates.

If you can’t wait for the new album, Something for Kate have recorded some of their favorite tunes for an iTunes “Originals” session. This very special performance is available for download now.

Image source: Mark Turner @ Flickr.com

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Ben Lee’s Newie Ripe With Talent

Ben Lee‘s latest album, Ripe, is jam-packed with big-name talent.

Ben showed his affection for Good Charlotte in his smash hit “Catch My Disease.” On his sixth solo release, Undercover reports that the indie rocker gets a chance to appear with the punk outfit’s breakout star, Benji Madden.

Ben duets with pop darling Mandy Moore on the light-hearted 50s style “Birds and Bees.” The album also features appearances from Nickel Creek’s Sara Watkins, Chicago songbird Rachael Yamagata, and members of Rooney.

But the big names don’t stop there. John Alagia, famous for his work with John Mayer and Dave Matthews, has produced the star-studded affair.

Ripe will hit Australian and American stores on September 18.

Image source: Guido van Nispen @ Flickr.com

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Global Tour for Midnight Juggernauts

Aussie electronic act the Midnight Juggernauts are poised for global domination.

Their hypnotic dance tracks have created a buzz in Australia, and press in Europe and Asia are taking notice, according to Undercover.

The Melbourne outfit have been capitalising on the hype with shows in London, Paris, Manchester, Barcelona, Beijing and Shanghai. The tour highlight will undoubtedly be an appearance at France’s Les Eurockeennes festival this weekend. The Midnight Juggernauts will take the stage alongside AIR, Arcade Fire and The Klaxons.

The band will release a new 12-inch, Road to Recovery, to coincide with the tour. They’ll be back on homegrown soil in August to celebrate the launch of their debut album, Dystopia.

Image source: Michael Spencer @ Flickr.com