Megarampage may be off, but there’s some good news for hip hop fans. Wu Tang Clan and Lil Jon will perform their own show at Festival Hall on October 31.
Old school hip hop fans will be pleased to know that GZA, Raekwon, RZA, Ghostface, U God, and Inspectah Deck have all been given the all clear to appear. More members are still awaiting visas, so hopefully we’ll see the Wu Tang Clan in full force by the time Halloween rolls around.
This is shaping up to be a massive show, with more artists yet to be announced. The crew also plan to take this show on the road, so Sydney music fans should stay tuned!
Megarampage ticket holders can get a full refund from Ticketmaster, just in time to buy tickets to the Wu Tang Clan show. They’ll go on sale from Ticketmaster on Thursday, 15 October.
I have really missed Big Band night on Australian Idol. I’m so glad that now Kyle has gone, it’s made a reappearance. But before we could hear the old standards, it was time to give someone the boot. It was another all-male bottom three this week, with Nathan Brake, Scott Newnham, and James Johnston all facing the chop. It seems Scott’s fans couldn’t forgive a few weeks of subpar performances. It was definitely his time.
Kate Cook kicked off the show with Ray Charles’ “Hit The Road Jack.” I loved the way she built this, starting it slow and then upping the tempo. I also loved the Australian quip at the end. This was a great way to kick off the show.
Beyonce’s “Single Ladies” was always an unlikely choice, but Stan Walker pulled it off and then some. I was incredibly impressed by this. I was unsure whether he’d suit big band, but he showed he can apply himself to any genre. This was a highlight not just of the night, but the series.
Kim Cooper got slammed for her rendition of “The Man I Love,” but I actually loved it. Kim continues to impress me with her genuine interpretations and poise. Her voice may not be the strongest in the competition, but I her honest performances cut through that. She also looked stunning; not that it matters in terms of performance but as a girl I’ve got to admit that I loved the look.
Sydney indie outfit Philadelphia Grand Jury are hoping to earn a world record tomorrow when they shoot for the video for their new single “The Good News.” But they need you to help them out!
The group wants to pack out Christison Park in the Sydney suburb of Vaucluse with as many bands as they can. Rock bands, jazz bands, marching bands, it doesn’t matter what you do. They want you there to smash this record! for more information just e-mail the band at phillyjays@philadelphiagrandjury.com.
The shoot will take place between 3 and 5 pm tomorrow, Sunday October 11.
The G-Shock World Tour is making a pit stop in Sydney next month, with a massive night’s entertainment at Redfern’s Carriageworks.
National DMC champion DJ Dexter, local lasses Hoops DJS, and Melbourne’s M.A.F.I.A. will keep energy levels up. There’ll also be a special guest appearance from the man who designed the very first G-SHOCK watch, Japanese engineer Kikuo Ibe.
Music fans need to purchase a G-SHOCK watch from participating stores and enter their details on the G-SHOCK Sydney website to win tickets to the event. But not Oz Music Scene members. I’ve got a double pass to the show and a brand new G-SHOCK watch to give away to one lucky reader. If you want to win, just leave a comment below telling me your favourite time-saving tip. Too easy!
Make sure you leave your e-mail address with your comment so I can be in touch if you’re the lucky winner. You’ll also need to make sure you can get to Sydney on November 19, as travel is the winner’s responsibility. Entry is also only open to music lovers 18 years and older, as alcohol will be served at the event. Entries close at 5 pm AEDT on October 18. Good luck!
Newcomers Jessica Mauboy and Empire of the Sun have dominated the nominations for this year’s ARIA Awards, announced earlier today. Jess leads the charge, with seven nods for her debut album Been Waiting and its singles. Empire of the Sun’s Luke Steele and Nick Littlemore are just behind, with six nominations.
They join a host of other first time nominees receiving multiple nominations including Ladyhawke, The Temper Trap, C.W. Stoneking, and Lisa Mitchell.
But it’s not all about the new breed. AC/DC scored four nominations for the comeback studio album, Black Ice, 21 years after their Hall of Fame induction. Other industry favorites Eskimo Joe, Sarah Blasko, and The Presets all received nods.
The ARIA Awards will be held at Sydney’s Acer Arena on November 26. After lengthy negotiations, the Nine Network will screen the ceremony. Click below to see the complete list of nominees!
I’m a little late with my Australian Idol recap this week. Blame the heady excitement, then crushing defeat of the NRL grand final. When you’ve waited 23 years for your team to taste victory, it takes a few beverages to ease the pain of loss. But I digress.
Last night was Pink night on Idol, which may very well be the lamest excuse for a theme ever. That’s particularly true when the colourful one herself is nowhere to be seen. I think there should be a rule that there can’t be a performer-centric Idol theme until that person or band has notched up at least 15 years in the biz. But again, I digress.
Before we were saturated with Pinkness it was time to send one Idol packing. With all the girls safe, we were left with an all-male bottom three. Those unlucky lads in for a nervous wait were Scott Newnham, James Johnston, and Tim Johnson. I really didn’t mind who left us, although I felt James had definitely done enough to stay. As it turned out, we said goodbye to Mr Bland, Tim Johnson. I’ll probably miss his generically handsome face, but that’s about all.
Nathan Brake lived up to his early promise with an incredible performance of “Just Like a Pill.” I love Nathan more than any other Idol, so I may be a little biased, but I thought this was brilliant. He stripped back the layers and allowed himself to be raw, vulnerable and beautiful. He seemed on the verge of tears through most of it, and that was compelling. I haven’t been wowed by Nathan in recent weeks, and that was making me nervous. This was just what I needed to hear from him.
After tonight’s stint in the bottom three, Scott Newnham needed to pull out something special. “So What” may have been the worst possible song choice for him. This is where experience comes in. The song isn’t dynamic enough to really showcase what he can do. It’s a lot of fun to belt out in the car, but that’s about all. The result was something that felt incredibly karaoke. I also didn’t see him connecting with the lyric, which was the only thing that could have saved it. Far too much joy, not enough venom.
Stan Walker reminded me a little of my Parramatta Eels this week. It was clear that something was wrong in the first section of the song. He could have so easily have fallen in a heap. But he picked himself up and kept going to create something that, in the end, he could be proud of. His performance of “Dear Mr President” wasn’t the best of the night because of its early flaws. But it was wonderful and moving nonetheless.
Bliss n Eso are going the way of Justin Timberlake and Gwen Stefani and launching their own clothing label. Flying Colours Clothing is more than just another collection of music merch. The band has collaborated with brand manager Tom Macdonald to create a line “intended to push the boundaries of how music, culture, and fashion collide.”
“Attention to detail and maintaining a high level of quality across all of BnE’s projects and releases is paramount to the group,” they said in a statement. “From the music we create right down to the quality of the BnE threads we rock, and our fans rock.”
The first full Flying Colours Clothing collection is scheduled to drop in winter 2010, with limited releases over summer 2009.
The Go-Betweens, one of the most influential bands to come out of Brisbane, have been honoured by their hometown. The Hale Street Link Bridge, which crosses the Brisbane River and links Milton with South Brisbane, will now be known as the Go-Betweens Bridge.
The name change came about by public vote, but it’s one that Lord Mayor Campbell Newman heartily endorses.
“The band produced music that just absolutely lives and breathes Brisbane,” Cr Newman said.
Founding band member Robert Forster says it is an unexpected honour. But he won’t commit just yet to a comeback concert when the bridge officially opens next July.
“It could be a little bit windy; it could be raining, you never can tell, anything can happen,” he said.
Sounds to me like a polite way of passing on that reunion show!
Delta Goodrem is celebrating the festive season with a very special Christmas concert at the Sydney Opera House on December 6.
“I’m thrilled to be able to perform at the Sydney Opera House and to my incredible fans during a time of celebration and togetherness,” she said in a statement.
Delta will perform a selection of her greatest hits and, of course, plenty of Christmas carols. Make sure your favourite Christmas song makes the set list by putting your vote in on Delta’s website.
Tickets start from $75. They go on sale through the Opera House website at 9 am tomorrow morning.
80s night is always my favourite night of Australian Idol. These are the songs I grew up with, unashamedly daggy, flamboyant, and fun. But before we could get into the good stuff, we had to say goodbye to one our Idol hopefuls. Kim Cooper, Sabrina Batshon, and Nathan Brake found themselves in the bottom three. It was understandable I suppose, but hard to hear that one of my faves would be leaving the comp. Sadly that person was Sabrina. I guess her big personality was just a little much for some. It’s a shame; I was really hoping to see her bust out something amazing this week.
I was very concerned when I heard Nathan Brake was taking on Bon Jovi’s rock anthem “Livin’ on a Prayer.” It’s one of my favourites, and I doubted whether Nathan had the grit to really deliver it. He really didn’t. He hit all the right notes, but it just didn’t feel believable to me. There is so much 80s stuff that would have suited him a lot better.
Scott Newnham took on “Let’s Groove.” I couldn’t fault the vocals, but the delivery was a little bland for me. His “dance moves” were also really awkward. Honestly I wanted Gary Pinto to take the microphone from him and finish the song.
Hayley Warner busted out a little Bruce Springsteen with “Dancing in the Dark.” I really enjoyed this. It wasn’t deep or meaningful, but neither was the 80s. It was incredibly fun, and exactly what she needed to do. It felt like this was the first time someone actually “got” the decade.
Toby Moulton went for a little Foreigner with “I Want to Know What Love Is.” I’ve always said that more Idols need to sing power ballads, but not like this. This was completely devoid of the passion that you need in a power ballad. Did he even listen to the lyrics? They go something along the lines of “In my life there’s been heartache and pain, I don’t know if I can face it again.” I heard none of that desperation. This was more Mariah than Foreigner, and it was much poorer for it.
