When I saw Reece Mastin at Ettalong Diggers back in 2016, I swore that while it was my first time seeing him, it wouldn’t be my last. I didn’t imagine I’d be left waiting nearly 10 years for a return visit. But it was all worth it to see him perform another acoustic show at one of my favourite local venues.
I wasn’t going to see Rent this time around. It’s my comfort musical, and I love it, but I always wonder just how many times I need to go. However, those canny folks at Opera Australia suckered me in with a free dinner promotion. Second row dress circle tickets and a delicious grilled barramundi dinner with a beer for $99?! It’d be rude not to! So I found myself at my fifth production of Rent last night.
Greg Gould and Karise Eden are long-time favourites of mine, so when I heard they were teaming up for their Lady and the Tramp shows, I couldn’t resist heading up the freeway to Flamingos Live. The poster promised a celebration of “the greatest jazz, blues, and soul.” These two talented Coasties delivered that and so much more.
Vulnerable and unapologetic, Siobhan Cotchin presents her heart to listeners through the five tracks that make up her latest EP, Redemption Arc. That heart’s clearly been stomped on, but Western Australia’s rock ‘n’ roll cowgirl reminds us that it’s still beating through her powerful music.
When I saw Billy Ocean for the first time in 2023, I wrote “Now I’ve discovered how good he is live, I can only hope that he’s got a few more tours left in him.” I raved so enthusiastically about that concert my mum said she’d love to see him next time he was in town. So on Tuesday, we headed to Eora/Sydney for a girls’ night out.
The word legend is bandied about far too freely in the music industry for my tastes. Very few deserve the title, but the crowd at the Enmore Theatre last night knew the man they came to see was one of those rare talents. You could feel the energy crackling through the air, that certain something that told us we were in the presence of greatness. That man, the myth, and the legend was the one and only George Clinton.
As the working week winds down, I’ve found myself looking for a comfort listen. The kind of music that would wrap around me, nurture me, and help carry me through to quitting time. I found just what I was looking for with Always Here, the beautiful debut EP from Anaiwan Country/Armidale trio OhMaSoul.
When people heard that I was heading to the Mayday Parade, Jack’s Mannequin, and Home Team show the day after returning from Japan they said I was crazy. But I’ve always believed you can sleep when you’re dead. And considering I love Jack’s Mannequin so much that I’m heading to the United States to see them on the Holiday from Real cruise in February, there was no way on earth I’d miss seeing them so close to home!
We all need a little sad girl music every now and again, right? If you agree, wrap your ears around The Five Stages of Grief, the gorgeous new EP from Joan & The Giants.
You know you’re in good hands when The VANNS release music. All That’s In My Head is album number three, a killer collection of songs which prove they’re one of the best rock bands on the local landscape.