Victorian Bushfires Force Simply Red Show Cancellation

Raging bushfires throughout Victoria have forced Simply Red to cancel their Day on the Green show at the state’s Rochford Winery.

Country Fire Authorities and state government officials advised the promoter Roundhouse Entertainment that the weather situation was too unpredictable to risk the safety of concertgoers.

As I write this 108 people have been confirmed dead in the fires, while 750 homes have been destroyed. That makes these fires the worst in Australia’s history. Given the scale of the tragedy, I doubt anyone would have felt up to attending the concert anyway.

Ticket holders are advised to hang on to their tickets at this point, as A Day on the Green organisers are attempting to reschedule the concert around lead singer Mick Hucknall’s international commitments.

Image source: Simply Red gallery

Decoder Ring Ready to Support Coldplay

Sydney band Decoder Ring has scored the prestigious support slot for Coldplay’s Viva La Vida Australian tour. The local lads, who were hand-selected by the British band, will play for 150, 000 fans at 11 Aussie arena shows.

Decoder Ring’s organic sounds and psychedelic electronic arrangements are sure to set the stage for Coldplay’s spectacular audiovisual show.

There are strictly limited tickets available through Ticketek. Here are all the dates.

27 and 28 February 2009 – Burswood Dome, Perth
3, 4, and 5 March 2009 – Rod Laver Arena, Rod Laver Arena
8 and 9 March 2009 – Entertainment Centre, Brisbane
11, 12, 14, and 15 March 2009 – Acer Arena, Sydney

Image used with permission from Liz O’Grady

Bob Evans’ Rocking New Album

No one could ever accuse Kevin Mitchell of getting stale. As part of Jebediah, he gave us slices of alternative rock like “Leaving Home” and “Fall Down.” Then under the moniker Bob Evans he dabbled in a more mainstream sound, combining pop with a quirky indie sensibility. Now as Bob, Kevin says he’s ready to rock once more.

So it might seem an unlikely choice to record Goodnight, Bull Creek, his third album as Bob Evans, in the home of country music, Nashville. Brad Jones has produced the recording, as he did with Bob’s last album Suburban Songbook.

“This is my rock album. I’m saying goodbye to the suburbs,” Bob said.

You can get a taste of the new rocking tracks when Bob hits the road in April and May.

18 April 2009 -West Coast Blues and Roots Festival, Fremantle
7 May 2009 – Tivoli, Brisbane
8 May 2009 – The Sands Tavern, Maroochydore
9 May 2009 – Coolangatta Hotel, Gold Coast
10 May 2009 – Great Northern, Byron Bay
12 May 2009 – Lizotte’s, Kincumber
13 May 2009 – Newcastle University
14 May 2009 – Wollongong University
15 May 2009 – Metro, Sydney
16 May 2009 – ANU Canberra
20 May 2009 – Peninsula Lounge, Moorooduc
21 May 2009 – Corner Hotel, Melbourne
23 May 2009 – Republic Bar, Hobart
28 May 2009 – The Gov, Adelaide

Image source: Monototo @ Wikimedia Commons

Kate Miller-Heidke Announces Caught in the Crowd Shows

One of my favourite albums of 2008 was Curiouser by Kate Miller-Heidke, so I’m pretty excited she’s finally taking her new songs on the road.

The tour coincides with the release of “Caught in the Crowd,” the very different follow-up to “Can’t Shake It.” This sees Kate in introspective mode, dealing with the regret she feels at seeing schoolyard bullying as a child and doing nothing about it.

Kate will criss-cross the country in February and March, so there’s no excuse for not catching her “Caught in the Crowd” tour.

Here are all the dates!

5 February 2009 – Roar Sounds @ Melbourne Zoo
6 February 2009 – Ha Penny’s, Geelong
7 February 2009 – The Palais, Hepburn Springs
8 February 2009 – St Kilda Festival
10 and 11 February 2009 – Clarendon Hotel, Katoomba
13 February 2009 – Newcastle Leagues Club
14 February 2009 – Waves, Wollongong
15 February 2009 – Soco Cargo, Sydney
19 February 2009 – Karova Lounge, Ballarat
20 February 2009 – The Capital, Bendigo
21 February 2009 – Peninsula Lounge, Moorooduc
27 February 2009 – Coolongatta Hotel, Gold Coast
28 February 2009 – Great Northern Hotel, Byron Bay
1 March 2009 – Community Centre, Lake Kawana
4 March 2009 – Spurs Tavern, Devonport
5 March 2009 – Republic Bar, Hobart
6 March 2009 – Batman Fawkner, Launceston
8 March 2009 – Push Festival, Old Abbotsford Convent
9 March 2009 – Stage 88, Canberra
12 March 2009 – Seaview Tavern, Woolgoolga
13 March 2009 – Armidale Club, Armidale
15 March 2009 – Lizotte’s, Kincumber
18 March 2009 – Brunswick Music Festival @ Brunswick Town Hall
19 March 2009 – Amplifier, Perth
20 March 2009 – Players, Mandurah
21 March 2009 – Fly By Night, Fremantle

Image source: Ed-meister @ Flickr

Wiley Cancels Australian Godfather of Grime Shows

If you were planning on heading out to Wiley’s Melbourne show tonight you might want to put down your coat. The Godfather of Grime has cancelled the remaining shows of his Australian tour “due to personal reasons within the touring party.”

The cancellation affects shows over the next four nights in Melbourne, Adelaide, the Gold Coast, and Brisbane. Ticket holders can obtain a refund from their place of purchase.

Image used with permission from Warner Music Australia

Bacardi Express Ready to Board

All aboard the Bacardi Express! The travelling concert will feature UK dance outfit Groove Armada alongside local acts British India, Bluejuice, Van She, and Lost Valentinos.

“Selecting the acts for the Bacardi Express is no mean feat as we need to ensure a good mix of genres and, more importantly, personality and stamina for this 48 hour journey,” festival organisers said.

“Eating, sleeping, jamming and partying in such close proximity is all part of the tour and we have to ensure everyone is up for that.”

The train will depart Melbourne on March 26. It’ll make stops at Wagga Wagga and Wollongong before arriving in Sydney on March 28.

You can win your seat on the train by visiting the Bacardi Express website.

Image source: Newscom

Soul Icon Syl Johnson To Tour Oz

I’m sure most Syl Johnson fans thought the soul legend would never grace our shores. But funnily enough, at the age of 72, he’s decided to make his first trip Down Under next month.

For those of you who don’t know about Syl, let me clue you in. He played with blues icons Howlin’ Wolf, Junior Wells, and Magic Sam before launching his solo career. His breakthrough hit was “Take Me To The River,” a song which has since been covered by Al Green and Talking Heads.

These days kids might be more familiar with Syl’s work through the samples used by Wu-Tang Clan, Get Boys, Cypress Hill, and dare I say it, MC Hammer.

Right now there’s only two places around the country you can see this living legend. He’ll play Melbourne’s Corner Hotel on February 14 and Perth’s  Charles Hotel on February 21. Hopefully more shows will be added for those of us in other states!

Image source: Masahiro Sumori @ Wikimedia Commons

Missy Higgins Ready to Lap America Again

Missy Higgins move to the United States seems to be paying big dividends.

She’s preparing to tour around the country again with stops at iconic venues like the House of Blues, The Orpheum Theatre, and The Fillmore.

Missy’s single “Where I Stood” has sold a credible 150, 000 units stateside. The song has also been featured on primetime television shows like Grey’s Anatomy, NCIS, The Hills, Lipstick Jungle, and One Tree Hill.

Here is Missy Higgins latest batch of United States dates.

19 February 2009 – House Of Blues, Houston
20 February 2009 – Antone’s, Austin
21 February 2009 –  House Of Blues, Dallas
24 February 2009 – The State Theatre, Tampa
25 February 2009 – Culture Room, Fort Lauderdale
26 February 2009 – House Of Blues, Orlando
27 February 2009 – Center Stage, Atlanta
28 February 2009 – The Handlebar, Greenville
2 March 2009 – 9:30 Club, Washington
3 March 2009 – Rams Head On Stage, Annapolis
5 March 2009 – Theatre Of The Living Arts, Philadelphia
6 March 2009 – Terminal 5, New York
7 March 2009 – House Of Blues, Boston
8 March 2009 – Revolution Hall, Troy
10 March 2009 – House Of Blues, Cleveland
11 March 2009 – Royal Oak Music Theatre, Detroit
13 March 2009 – Vic Theatre, Chicago
14 March 2009 – Pabst Theater, Milwaukee
15 March 2009 – First Avenue, Minneapolis
17 March 2009 – Slowdown, Omaha
18 March 2009 – Beaumont Club, Kansas City
20 March 2009 – Rialto Theatre, Tucson
21 March 2009 – Orpheum Theatre, Los Angeles
23 March 2009 – The Fillmore, San Francisco

Image source: Missy Higgins downloads page

The Living End Release Rarities Disc, Plan European Tour

If you’re finally planning on buying The Living End’s White Noise you might want to wait a few months longer. In March the band plan to release their award-winning album with a bonus disc of rarities and demos.

The lads are currently touring as part of the Big Day Out before playing their own shows around Europe. If you happen to live there you can catch this amazing Aussie three-piece at the following venues in April.

18 April 2009 – Groezrock, Meerhout
19 April 20099 – Waterfront, Norwich
21 April 2009 – Club Academy, Manchester
22 April 2009 – Koko, London
23 Apr 2009 – Nouveau Casino, France
24 Apr 2009 – Melkweg, Amsterdam
25 Apr 2009 – Luxor, Cologne
26 Apr 2009 – Postbahnhof, Berlin

Image source: Newscom

Baby Animals Still Rocking

It looks like the Baby Animals might be back together for good. After a 15 year break, the band got back together last year to record the acoustic best of, Il Grande Silenzio. Now it seems a third studio album, the first since 1993’s Shaved and Dangerous, might not be too far off.

“I think that a relevant quote for the story of my life would be ‘Time Flies’,” lead singer Suze DeMarchi said in a statement. “It’s been a year since we did our last shows and a year that proved to be really creative but also a reminder of how geography affects everything!! Dave and I have been plowing ahead with work on new songs.”

We can expect to hear the new songs when the Baby Animals hit the road in April. Here are all the dates.

5 April 2009 – The Gov, Adelaide
7 & 8 April 2009 – Prince of Wales, Melbourne
9 April 2009 – Shoppingtown Hotel, Doncaster
11 April 2009 – Chelsea Heights Hotel, Melbourne
12 April 2009 – Hallam Hotel, Melbourne
15 April 2009 – Waves, Wollongong
17 April 2009 – Revesby Workers
18 April 2009 – Doyalson RSL, Wyong
19 April 2009 – Rooty Hill RSL
21 April 2009 – The Metro, Sydney
23 April 2009 – Caloundra RSL, Sunshine Coast
24 April 2009 – Mansfield Tavern, Brisbane
25 April 2009 – Coolangatta Hotel, Gold Coast

To get you in the mood here’s a little “Early Warning”!