Well here’s some news that has been brewing for some time. Timbaland’s postponed his Australian tour. Again.
This unbelievable second postponement comes just days before the tour was scheduled to kick off in Sydney. What gets me is that he’s not even trying to come up with a flaky excuse. Yes he booked a show in Poland which clashed with the Melbourne gig, but that was right near the end of the tour! But given that, it made a lot more sense to postpone Poland than the entire Australian run. Surely Australian fans deserve better than being let down again and again (and again).
Ticket holders can hang on their tickets in the vain hope that this overhyped producer will eventually grace us with his presence. Or they can do the smart thing and hand them in to their ticket provider for a full refund.
MGMT are hot stuff right now thanks to their trippy debut single “Time to Pretend.” You might have heard this track on Skins or Gossip Girl. Now you can hear it live, because MGMT are heading Down Under.
Ben Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden will play some very special intimate shows around the country. This dynamic duo will be able supported by Sleepy Jackson frontman Luke Steele.
Tickets go on sale through Ticketek on August 19. But if you want to get a jump on the competition, make sure you register with Frontier Touring. Their presale starts at noon on August 14.
Here are the dates!
6 December 2008 – Belvoir Amphitheatre, Perth
9 December 2008 – Enmore Theatre, Sydney
10 December 2008 – The Tivoli, Brisbane
11 December 2008 – The Palace, Melbourne
One of my favourite 90s acts, The Badloves are back together for a tour and new album! The newly reformed lineup includes Michael Spiby on vocals, Jak Housden on guitar, John Favaro on bass, Tony Featherstone on keys, and Dave Hibbard on drums. Only Chris Tabone refused to rejoin his bandmates this time around.
“We plan to record some new stuff later in the year,” Tony Featherstone told Undercover News. “I guess these shows are logical step to getting everyone into that headspace.”
Expect to hear all the hits, including “Green Limousine,” “Lost,” and “Caroline” at the following shows.
19 and 20 September 2008 – Bridge Hotel, Sydney
14 and 15 November 2008 – Capers, Melbourne
29 November 2008 – The Robe Festival, South Australia
To celebrate the news I couldn’t resist posting the song that started it all, “Lost.”
Longtime fans of this blog will remember me raving about Some Strangers Ship, the fantastic debut EP from Tim Loydell & The Deckchairs. Now this brilliant blues and roots outfit is taking these amazing songs on the road with their All Hands on Deck tour.
Tim Loydell & The Deckchairs will be joined on the road by Sydney blues rockers Ooh La La. The shows promise to be something special, but if you still need a little encouragement how’s this? The bands will donate part of the proceeds to Red Cross Australia.
Good music that supports a good cause? That sounds too good to pass up!
You can catch Tim Loydell & The Deckchairs with Ooh La La at the following East Coast cities.
12 September 2008 – The Pacific Hotel, Yamba
13 September 2008 – The Coffs Hotel, Coffs Harbour
17 September 2008 – On The Hill Bar, Newcastle
18 September 2008 – The Vanguard, Sydney
19 September 2008 – Macquarie Hotel, Port Macquarie
25 September 2008 – The Home Hotel, Wagga Wagga
26 September 2008 – The Northcote Social Club, Melbourne
27 September 2008 – ANU Uni Bar, Canberra
4 October 2008 – The Great Northern, Byron Bay
10 October 2008 – The Solbar, Coolum
11 October 2008 – The Zoo, Brisbane
Last night I headed to Newtown to catch Jason Mraz at The Enmore. The theatre was cleverly organized so all the fans could experience the concert their way. The seats in the floor section were cleared out to make way for those enthusiastic young girls who wanted to dance and sing along with their idol. Up in the dress circle the vibe was a lot more mellow, with seats allowing us older folks to properly relax to Mraz’s laidback grooves.
But before all that we were treated to a set from Melanie Horsnell. I’d heard her name before but never any of her music, so I was keen to see what she could do. I was impressed with her instantly accessible lyrics and rich country-tinged voice. Although, as seems to be a common complaint with me, I really could have done without the chatter in the room. Am I the only person who listens to support acts any more? The audience did seem to take a little more notice when she performed a breathtaking acoustic version of Bernard Fanning’s “Songbird,” but this focus was short lived. It’s a shame because she was really very good.
All the chatter was replaced with rapturous applause once Jason Mraz stepped out. He drew everyone in with his easy personality and warmth and didn’t let go. This was my third time seeing him live, but with the first with the full band set up. It’s something I wasn’t sure about as I tend to prefer acoustic sets, but in the end I needn’t have worried. The set was lush and varied. Some songs utilised all the instruments and they were richer for it, while for other songs he knew all they needed was an acoustic guitar.
Sydney’s Great Escape festival has been cancelled due to low ticket sales. But it’s not all bad news for music fans, as the planned sideshows will still go ahead.
“We’d like to take this opportunity to thank all those people that have made the festival such a success in previous years. We’d also like to whole heartedly apologise to the bands, artists, agents, managers, suppliers, sponsors, media supporters and festival goers that have been let down by our decision. The decision to cancel has not been an easy one for the team behind the event,” event organisers said in a statement on The Great Escape website.
Sydneysiders can still catch some of the awesome bands like Ladytron, Supergrass, We Are Scientists, and The New Pornographers at gigs around the city. Ticket holders can get a refund from their place of purchase.
I am so excited about the Olympics. For the next two weeks I’m going to wear an indent in my couch, getting up early and staying up late enough to soak it all up. While my anticipation is at fever pitch, there’s one thing that has managed to sour my mood. It’s that damned “Ready to Fly” song by Amy Pearson.
I’m sure she’s a really sweet girl. Her voice is pretty enough. But really, does that inspire anyone to get out there and win gold? I’ve been thinking about all the songs I’d much rather hear on the Olympics ads, and so I figured I’d put together this post to get you all into the Olympic spirit.
Channel Seven, if you feel like adopting any of these tracks I’d be thrilled.
“We Can’t Be Beaten” – Rose Tattoo
See this is what an Olympics song should song like. Empassioned vocals, crunchy guitars, and a message to spur our athletes on.
“Better” – The Screaming Jets
I’m a Novacastrian, so this song has a place close to my heart. When the Newcastle Knights faced off with the Manly Sea Eagles in the 1997 rugby league grand final, this song was all over the radio willing our boys to bring home the trophy. Then when they did, we continued to play it. I absolutely love it.
“Holy Grail” – Hunters & Collectors
I don’t know whether Mark Seymour was thinking about gold medals when he wrote “Holy Grail,” but this song works so well as an Olympic anthem that I just don’t care!
“(Simply) The Best” – Tina Turner and Jimmy Barnes
Yes Tina did it first, but it was Jimmy Barnes’ trademark rasp that really made this song. True story: when I worked at K-Mart as a high school student the bosses used to play this track every morning to inspire us. I think it works a lot better in a sports context!
“Playing to Win” – Little River Band
If you can listen to this song without getting fired up you’re just not Australian. Farnsy originally recorded this track with Little River Band, but it’s just as strong as a solo song. It also gives us a good excuse to see that infamous mullet again!
“Wolfmother toured the world virtually non-stop through 2006 and early 2007 on the back of their acclaimed self titled debut album,” reads a statement on the band’s website.
“Longstanding frictions within the group then led them to take an extended break during the second half of 2007 to consider their future.”
Apparently the time apart didn’t diffuse the situation any, and Chris made the decision to quit the band after last week’s Splendour in the Grass performance.
“Following that show Chris Ross decided to announce that he was leaving the band due to irreconcilable personal and musical differences,” the statement continued.
“Myles Heskett has also decided to leave the band rather than continuing as part of a changed lineup. The pair has been working together on songs for some time and they plan to focus their energies on that new project in the future.”
Andrew Stockdale plans to recruit new musicians before commencing work on another Wolfmother album. Hopefully the new kids will find him a little easier to work with!
Angus and Julia Stone’s amazing debut album A Book Like This has just gone platinum in Australia! Far from an overnight sensation, this slow burning record has taken nearly a year to achieve the status.
Having won Australia’s hearts, this brother-sister folk outfit are enjoying the summer festival season in Europe. They’re playing major events in the Netherlands, Germany, and Scotland and earning rave reviews.
The quiet duo seem hell-bent on world domination, because their next stop with be the United States of America. They’ll release A Book Like This in September, and follow up on their promo tour with some more shows in November.
Look out world – Angus and Julia Stone are coming! Here are the current confirmed tour dates, but there are plenty more to come!
8 August 2008 – Belladrum Festival, Scotland
11 August 2008 – Liquid Rooms @ The Edge Festival, Edinburgh, Scotland
26 August 2008 – Roundhouse, London, Great Britain
29 August 2008 – Noorderzon Festival, Groningen, The Netherlands
30 August 2008 – Festival deBeschaving, Utrecht, The Netherlands
26 September 2008 – Reeperbahn Festival, Hamburg, Germany
The chances of Timbaland playing Melbourne on August 22 as promised have just gotten a little stronger with word he’s booked soul star Nessa Morgan as a support act.
Timbaland’s Aussie dates were called into question when it was revealed he’s got a gig in Poland scheduled for the same day as the Melbourne show.
European promotion of the Polish show is still going ahead, but I think we’ve got the upper hand. Melbourne is one of 10 shows arranged for Australia and New Zealand, while the Polish gig is the only European date announced.
With the date of the double-booked show drawing ever closer I guess we’ll find out the mega-producer’s plans soon enough!
