Author: Lauren Katulka

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

The Wombats Announce Splendour Sideshows

If you missed out on Splendour in the Grass tickets I’ve got some good news. I can’t get you in to see the whole thing, but I can tell you that The Wombats have announced some sideshows. This addictive British band is one of the festival’s biggest drawcards, so these shows are sure to be huge.

The band are out here to promote their debut album A Guide to Love Loss and Desperation which contains the ridiculously catchy single “Let’s Dance to Joy Division.” These lads have been selling out shows all over the UK, and this is your chance to see what the fuss is all about.

Check out The Wombats at the following dates! It’s nice to see they haven’t forgotten their younger fans with these shows too! Tickets go on sale on June 4 from the usual outlets.

2 August 2008 – The Capitol, Perth
5 August 2008 – Enmore Theatre, Sydney
6 August 2008 – The Hi Fi, Melbourne (under 18s show in the afternoon, over 18s at night)
7 August 2008 – The Gov, Adelaide (all ages)

Image source: Chasingfun @ Flickr

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Splendour Tickets Sell Out

If you haven’t got your Splendour in the Grass tickets yet it looks like you might be out of luck. All 17, 500 tickets were snapped up yesterday by enthusiastic fans … or at least the ones who didn’t suffer the online glitches.

Many customers experienced lengthy delays using the ticketing website Qjump, while others got bank error messages when they tried to process their payments.

“Around 70,000 people logged on simultaneously to purchase 17,500 tickets,” Neil Ackland from Qjump told AAP.

“There was an unexpected technical issue with the bank’s payment system and we are contacting any customers that were affected.

“At this point we are working closely with the bank to understand why this occurred. We’d also like to apologise for any inconvenience caused.”

Sounds like a whole lot of excuses to me. The promoters know demand for these tickets is going to be massive, and they simply should have the online infrastructure to cope with it. Last year there were dramas when OzTix managed things. Now it seems like more of the same.

But event organisers have defended Qjump and said they’re pleased with the site’s service.

“Qjump have done very well managing our complicated ticketing process with its anti-scalping features and carbon offsetting option,” they said in a statement.

“At this point we are pleased to say there are zero tickets on eBay and a healthy uptake of green tickets. From our end, this is a great result, cheers for your patience and continued support.”

But when the fans aren’t happy, that seems to matter little.

“I can’t believe we’ve been so naive for so long thinking Splendour is some magical festival to be enjoyed and put on for lovers of music,” said one music fan known as Sneal. “No, it’s been created by the sadists who think it’s funny to put 30-odd-thousand people through hell!”

Ouch. At the end, if people have attempted to buy tickets all day and still couldn’t get them, I think it’s safe to say there’s a problem. Splendour organisers aren’t going to win any fans by burying their heads in the sand.

If you received an error message at any point you should log a help request at http://help.qjump.com.au and a representative from Qjump will be in touch. I think you’d be well within your rights to yell and scream at them once they do make contact.

Big name acts like Devo, Wolfmother, The Living End, The Wombats, and Pnau will hit Byron Bay’s Belongil Fields on August 2 and 3 for this year’s festival.

Did you try to buy Splendour tickets? I’d love to hear about your experiences!

Image source: Bradii @ Flickr

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Krista Polvere Launches Album in Oz

Long-time readers of this blog may remember me writing about Krista Polvere last year. This Adelaide singer-songwriter was hanging out in the USA with the likes of Ryan Adams and Ray LaMontagne while preparing her debut album Here Be Dragons.

Fast forward several months and the album is finally ready to be unleashed. And to celebrate, she’ll play a very special show with her band The Blacklist in Melbourne next week.

Krista will showcase songs from Here Be Dragons, including collaborations with Ryan Adams, and Grasshopper and Adam from Mercury Rev. If you like the sort of dark alt-country music Ryan Adams creates you’re going to love Krista Polvere. She’s playing at The Toff on Swanston Street on Wednesday 28 May. Tickets are just $12 at the door, which makes them absolute bargain in my books!

If you can’t make that show, or you just want to hear more, you can also catch Krista on the following dates:

4 June 2008 – The Corner Hotel, Melbourne
17 June 2008 – The Toff, Melbourne
18 June 2008 – The Grace Emily Record Launch, Adelaide

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Guy Sebastian Postpones Queensland Gigs

Sorry Queensland Guy Sebastian fans. The newly married soul star has postponed his upcoming Queensland shows.

Apparently The Memphis Album was a bigger success than SonyBMG every dreamed of, so they’re preparing to release the album globally early next year. Guy’s also going to release his next album around the same time.

All that means Guy has to spend some time locally and abroad finishing up the new release, which means he simply doesn’t have time for the concerts.

The shows will be rescheduled for next year. Fans can hang onto their tickets or get a refund from their place of purchase.
I know the news must be disappointing for plenty of Guy fans out there, but chin up. Guy promises the show will be even bigger and better in 2009, so the wait could be worthwhile!

Image source: Sunrise.seven @ Flickr

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

APRA Nominees Announced

Could a Canadian snag the Australian Song of the Year Award? They just might, after the song “1, 2, 3, 4” penned by Canadian singer Feist and Aussie girl Sally Seltmann was nominated for the APRA song of the year award.

But the dynamic duo will face stiff competition from Silverchair’s “Straight Lines,” Powderfinger’s “Lost and Running,” The John Butler Trio’s “Better Than,” and Thirsty Merc’s “20 Good Reasons.”

“1, 2, 3, 4” has already been nominated for a Grammy and won Canadian song of the year, but Sally said this nomination has the greatest personal significance.

“This one probably involves me quite a bit more than the other awards because it is for the songwriting,” she told AAP.

“It’s nice to think you get some recognition for something that you’ve worked on.”

The nominations were announced in Sydney this morning. The John Butler Trio led the charge with three nominations. They’re also up for the blues and roots award for “Good Excuse” and “Funky Tonight.”

The winners will be announced at the APRA Awards in Sydney on June 16.

Image source: Generica @ Wikimedia Commons

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

"Wish it All Away" – Dave Anderson

One of the things I love most about writing this blog is that it allows me to discover some fantastic new music. The most recent disc to rev me is Dave Anderson’s soon-to-be-released debut album Wish it All Away.

It’s an album with all the right ingredients. The songs are original, yet accessible. Dave’s voice is warm and rich, like an old friend drawing you in from the first listen. And fans of organic music will love the soothing acoustic guitar chords that draw it all together.

It opens with “Sing Me a Song,” a tongue-in-cheek track chiding the punters who only want to hear cover versions. Its melody is radio friendly, but the lyrics reveal a darker criticism of the bar scene. We hear more contradictions in “Love is a Fairytale.” The music is upbeat and on first listen it appears like any traditional love song, but take a listen to the lyrics and you’ll hear something sadder and more unique.

The bubbly opening tunes give way to softer sounds as the album progresses. Dave crafts a clever pop song, and he proves equally adept at creating moving ballads. The final cut, “Promise I Made” utterly floored me.

Wish it All Away is even more impressive when you consider it is entirely self-funded. I’m not sure the major labels could have made it sound any more professional.

Dave Anderson is a real find. This Perth-born, Sydney-based singer-songwriter may have drawn comparisons to Pete Murray and Something for Kate, but I believe his songs have a much wider appeal.

The album is scheduled to hit shelves on 1 June, and will be available through iTunes on 1 July. Dave Anderson will play the following venues in support of its release. If you want to hear some great tunes, I suggest checking out this amazing talent at the following venues.

6 June 2008 – Hyde Park Hotel, Perth
8 June 2008 – Dunsborough Hotel, Western Australia
19 June 2008 – The Vanguard, Sydney
21 June 2008 – Fix Bar, Melbourne

Image supplied by the artist

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Gabriella Cilmi Back at Number One

With all the excitement of Jason Mraz’s tour announcement yesterday, I forgot to check the ARIA charts. So I did it today,Gabriella Cilmi and I was thrilled to see Gabriella Cilmi has taken back to the top spot with “Sweet About Me.” She ousted the powerhouse duo of Madonna and Justin Timberlake to do it, so it’s no mean feat!

Aussie girls seem to be the flavour of the month at the moment. Vanessa Amorosi’s climbed on spot with “Perfect.””She’s happily sitting at number nine, just ahead of The Veronicas’ super catchy new sopfest “This Love.”

And the album charts are jam-packed with Australians! Mum’s favourite Andre Rieu is still sitting at number one with his Aussie inspired album Waltzing Matilda.

But Damien Leith’s Catch the Wind: Songs of a Generation isn’t too far behind! It’s at number two, just ahead of golden girl Gabriella Cilmi’s newie Lessons to be Learned.

A little further down the charts we’ve got The Presets still hanging around with Apocalypso at number six. They’ve swapped places this week with Carl Riseley’s crooning covers CD The Rise.

Kasey Chambers and Shane Nicholson have fallen to number eight with Rattlin’ Bones, just ahead of Kate Ceberano’s newest covers collection So Much Beauty.

Check out all the chart action below!

ARIA Singles Charts

  1. “Sweet About Me” – Gabriella Cilmi
  2. “4 Minutes” – Madonna feat. Justin Timberlake
  3. “Low” – Flo Rida feat. T-Pain
  4. “Bubbly” – Colbie Caillat
  5. “Dream Catch Me” – Newton Faulkner
  6. “Better in Time” – Leona Lewis
  7. “American Boy” – Estelle feat. Kanye West
  8. “Love in this Club” – Usher feat. Young Jeezy
  9. “Perfect” – Vanessa Amorosi
  10. “This Love” – The Veronicas

ARIA Albums Chart

  1. Waltzing Matilda – Andre Rieu and Mirusia
  2. Catch the Wind: Songs of a Generation – Damien Leith
  3. Lessons to be Learned – Gabriella Cilmi
  4. Hard Candy – Madonna
  5. Spirit – Leona Lewis
  6. Apocalypso – The Presets
  7. The Rise – Carl Riseley
  8. Rattlin’ Bones – Kasey Chambers and Shane Nicholson
  9. So Much Beauty – Kate Ceberano
  10. Call Me Irresponsible – Michael Buble

Image source: Lee Jordan @ Wikimedia Commons

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Jason Mraz Tours Oz Again!

One of my favourite singer-songwriter’s Jason Mraz is heading back to Australia. After his last Sydney show clashed with my sister’s sweet 16 party, I’m thrilled. Jason’s back here to promote his new album We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things, which hit shelves yesterday.

He may have been out here just two months ago, but you won’t just hear the same old thing. This tour marks the first time Jason’s bringing his complete band to Oz. That’s right: Jason will play alongside percussionist Toca Rivera, bass player Ian Sheridan, drummer Mike “Leroy” Bram, and a three-piece horn section. I’ve seen him do the acoustic thing so many times, it’s going to be amazing to hear him fronting a band that large!

Mraz shows notoriously sell out so you’re going to want to grab your tickets when they go on sale at 9 am on Friday 30 May. Ticketek is selling for all venues except for Perth which will be handled by Moshtix.

See Jason Mraz at the following venues:
6 August 2008 – Fly by Night, Perth
9 August 2008 – Enmore Theatre, Sydney
12 August 2008 – The Forum, Melbourne
14 August 2008 – The Tivoli, Brisbane

Image source: Marisa Gesualdi @ Wikimedia Commons

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Shannon Noll’s Shock Drugs Confession

Yesterday Shannon Noll came clean about his addiction to drugs and alcohol. Shannon told The Sunday Telegraph that he turned to drink and drugs after the death of his father Neil seven years ago.

“You can live well, do everything right, and still be killed,” he said. “So I thought I’d have a crack at everything. I didn’t let myself think about him [his father] when I was smashed. Consequently, I found myself getting smashed a lot.”

Shannon said his children Cody, Blake, and Sienna, gave him the motivation to beat his demons.

“I got to a stage where I had to own up to it. I’d turned into a zombie on the lounge. I wasn’t doing anything useful.”

Shannon didn’t go into detail about his vices, but did admit to using marijuana heavily and enjoying a beer.

Shannon’s going to be slammed for his mistakes because he’s a role model, and I can see the logic there. Like it or not, celebrities are placed on pedestals and their behaviour does influence other people. But I think going public about his habits is gutsy move. It takes a big man to admit they’ve done the wrong thing. And who knows? Maybe his talk about change will motivate someone else to clean up their act.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Howie Day @ Annandale Hotel, Sydney and Northern Star, Newcastle – 16 and 17 May 2008

I’m here feeling a little sad and sorry for myself, after taking in three gigs in three days. I’m clearly not as young as I used to be. The first was Chris Murphy. The second two were Howie Day.

You might remember me gushing about this Boston native’s first trip to Australia when it was announced some months ago. In fact, I was so excited by it that I couldn’t restrict myself to just one show.

Firstly, if you’re a Whitley fan reading this review hoping to hear what I thought of the headliner, you’re not going to find it. I had the best of intentions of catching his set. But as I drove to Sydney’s Annandale Hotel for the first show on my own, I figured I was better off leaving once Howie was done and seeing it the following night. My husband made the journey to Newcastle’s Northern Star with me, and we were shocked to find Howie wasn’t playing until 10:30 or so. The way I felt after his set was another glaring reminder that I’m just not as young as I used to be, so we ended up leaving to catch some sleep. I’m sure he was brilliant nonetheless.

But he was perhaps not as brilliant as Howie, although I’m completely aware that I’m biased. Howie Day is the kind of guy who can inspire me to drag my butt to a pub and stand for hours in a throng of largely obnoxious people. These aren’t the kind of gigs I like at all. But once that man took the stage I managed to (mostly) block out the people pushing me and the folks talking too loudly and just focus on the music.

As a support act his set was short, but he made sure to cram as much in for the fans who’d eagerly awaited his first Aussie shows. Both nights began with a slowed down version of “Sorry So Sorry.” This paired down acoustic arrangement was markedly different to the version which appeared on his debut album Australia, and it brought a new resonance to the lyrics.

It was that album that made me fall in love with Howie, so I was thrilled to hear two of my favourites, “Ghost” and “She Says” make the sets both nights. “Ghost” was a real highlight, with a frenetic guitar jam created by Howie’s trademark loops. I was also thrilled to hear “Collide” on both occasions, especially in Sydney where the crowd surprised me by launching into an enthusiastic sing-along. I’d clearly underestimated Howie’s popularity here, as most people I meet have never heard of him. We were also treated to some new songs which I hope to see on an album soon.

I was so excited the first time I saw Howie Day on a holiday the United States, I wasn’t sure whether these Aussie shows could possibly live up those memories. They did. I can’t wait to see him back in Australia really soon.

Image source: own photo