Category: Tours

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

“Sloppy Seconds” – Bootleg Rascal

If there was any doubt that summer is on its way, Bootleg Rascal have just dropped their ultra-cool new album, Sloppy Seconds. If you’ve followed this blog for any period of time, you’re already familiar with their good vibes. The many recent singles always left me wanting a bit more, so this album is a real treat.

I must admit, I was taken aback when I spied the tracklist and saw the opening track was called “Albo.” Was this an ode to the opposition leader in the vein of The Whitlams’ Gough? Not quite. Instead “Albo” is an opening message recorded by Anthony Albanese himself, reminding us to support Aussie music. Brilliant!

As the album’s title suggests, the tracks here aren’t exactly new. The tagline calls it a “reimagined album.” I think of it as more like a greatest hits on steroids. The best songs from Bootleg Rascal’s earlier releases Asleep in the Machine, Psychotica, and Collaborations of Very Isolated Delinquents “19 receive new makeovers. I’ve enjoyed listening to these new recordings, then going back to the original source material and marvelling at the way they’ve improved the songs. Spoiler alert, they have every single time. These old favourites join recent singles including “Therapy” and “All About You.”

Despite drawing tracks from so many different sources, Sloppy Seconds is a really cohesive album because Bootleg Rascal have such a clear and distinct sound. The preview stream I received labelled it as reggaeton, but I’m not sure you can sum these guys up so neatly with a genre label. It’s music that transports me to summer days, sitting around the pool with a drink in hand and my mates by my side. It’s super catchy, the kind of music that you just want to keep listening to. If you’re not already familiar with Bootleg Rascal, Sloppy Seconds is the perfect introduction. If you already know what’s up, you already know you’re in for a good time.

Sloppy Seconds drops today. To celebrate its release, Bootleg Rascal are hitting the road for a massive tour all around the mainland. Frankly, this is the most ambitious tour schedule I’ve seen in more than a year! If you want to be a part of it, get your tickets now because they probably won’t last long:

19 November 2021 – Woolly Mammoth, Brisbane
26 November 2021 – Indi Bar, Perth
27 November 2021 – Settlers Tavern, Margaret River
28 November 2021 – The Aardvark, Fremantle
4 December 2021 – Miami Marketta, Gold Coast
10 December 2021 – Jive Bar, Adelaide
11 & 12 December 2021 – Kill the Dinosaurs, Port Elliot
15 January 2022 – Beach Hotel, Byron Bay
22 January 2022 – Howler, Melbourne
23 January 2022 – Sooki Lounge, Belgrave
28 January 2022 – Old Bundy Tavern, Bundaberg
29 January 2022 – The Leichhardt Hotel, Rockhampton
5 February 2022 – Solbar, Maroochydore
17 February 2022 La La La’s, Wollongong
18 February 2022 – Oxford Art Factory, Sydney
19 February 2022 – UC Hub, Canberra

Images used with permission from Good Intent

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Get Nostalgic With The Wolfe Brothers’ “Kids on Cassette”

As a woman of a certain age, I can’t help but love the title track from The Wolfe Brothers’ latest album, “Kids on Cassette.” As its name suggests, this is a real nostalgia-fest for those of us who grew up with our cassettes and walkmans.

The Tassie act had gone back to their roots with the video too. The clip features a pair of real-life brothers stepping into the shoes of Nick and Tom Wolfe. It was filmed on location at The Wolfe Brother’s Berry Farm in Southern Tasmania.

“Kids On Cassette is all about that amazing feeling of being a kid, when everything seemed bigger and it felt like the summer holidays lasted forever,” Nick Wolfe explained. “Tom and I are so grateful to have grown-up where we did as country kids, and in this video, we tried to capture a day in our childhood. Exploring, learning, getting into strife, and of course, playing music with our mates.

“To watch the brothers play us was amazing. I think their personalities really reflected ours. I could see a lot of similarities between us: a couple of country kids who make their own home movies and recordings and write songs and jam. Really, we could not have found a more matched pair! To watch the kids all jamming in the old fruit pickers hut where we used to 20-years ago was actually uncanny. It was like stepping into a time machine. Seeing the kids jamming out at a band practice really brings a smile to my face. I remember being in that very room, rocking out with our mates, all just totally high of the joy of music, long before any thoughts of business or careers ever entered our heads.”

If you like what you hear, you can pick up a signed copy of the album plus a free sticker for just $20 from The Wolfe Brothers online store, while stocks last. The Wolfe Brothers are also in the middle of an Aussie tour. You can still catch them play at all the following venues:

27 November 2021 – Country Rocks Canberra @ Rose Cottage, Tuggeranong
2 December 2021 – Edge Hill Tavern, Cairns
3 December 2021 – Dalrymple Hotel, Townsville
4 December 2021 – Queens Beach Hotel, Bowen
5 December 2021 – Mt. Pleasant Hotel, Mackay
10 December 2021 – Hamilton Hotel, Brisbane
11 December 2021 – Racehorse Hotel, Ipswich
21 January 2022 – The Longyard Hotel, Tamworth

Image: Michael parkergraphix @ Wikimedia Commons

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

RedHook Ready to Rock Again With “Sentimental Surgery”

If you need something to get you going this Monday morning, take a listen to RedHook’s new single “Sentimental Surgery.” With elements of rock, punk, and pop, this track from the Sydney act demands to be played loud.

“’Sentimental Surgery’ is a punk party anthem inspired by the shared woes of lockdown (and feeling like a total cliche for writing a song about the shared woes of lockdown),” explained lead singer Emmy Mack. “Given what we’ve all been going through these past 18 months, I found it really difficult to write a song about any other topic. So instead of trying to, I decided to embrace the cliche and create a piece of music that expressed those sad feels, but also flipped them in a way that hopefully cheers people up, puts a smile on their face and makes them want to dance.”

Now that NSW’s lockdown has lifted, RedHook are looking forward to getting back on stage. Catch them at the following shows next year:

20-23 January 2022 – UNIFY Gathering 2022 @ Tarwin Meadows, Gippsland
28 January 2022 – Max Watt’s House of Music, Melbourne
4 February 2022 – The Zoo, Brisbane
5 February 2022 – Oxford Art Factory, Sydney
11 February 2022 – Lion Arts Factory, Adelaide
12 February 2022 – Jack Rabbit Slim’s, Perth
26 February 2022 – Full Tilt @ Bella Vista Farm, Sydney
2 April 2022 – Halloween Hysteria III @ Mansfield Tavern, Brisbane

Image used with permission from Good Intent

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Eli Greeneyes Drops “She Don’t Care” Single Ahead of Drapht Tour

If you’ve been craving some guitar-driven pop, take a listen to Eli Greeneyes’ new single “She Don’t Care.” It’s super catchy with impassioned vocals that will have you invested in his story.

“She Don’t Care is about someone from my past who came along at a time when I was having a lot of mental health issues,” Eli explained. “Their intentions were extremely different to mine and I was listening to them too much instead of trusting my own intentions and instincts! I lost myself. When I wrote it I thought it was their fault, but now I realise that I also played a part in letting it take that direction. I had to write this song to gain back my true ‘not taking shit’ self.”

While this song sonically reminded me of Oasis, the film clip takes me back to The Verve’s “Bittersweet Symphony.” Watching Eli sing directly to the camera as the woman yells in his face reminds me so much of the performance Richard Ashcroft laid down in that classic ‘90s video.

Eli is about to tour Australia with recent collaborator Drapht.

“My shows are an opportunity to meet and understand my fans with what they connect with the most about my music,” he said. “What am I saying that makes them feel heard and understood? That all comes down to singing the lyrics for me. Expressing them in that up close and personal way so the story hits straight to the heart.”

Catch Eli with Drapht at the following shows:

14 October 2021 – Freo Social, Fremantle
15 October 2021 – Wintersun, Geraldton
16 October 2021 – Exmouth Fishing & Game Club, Exmouth
22 October 2021 – Mermaid Hotel, Dampier
23 October 2021 – Pier Hotel, Port Hedland
24 October 2021 – Roebuck Bay Hotel, Broome
29 October 2021 – Settlers Tavern, Margaret River
30 October 2021 – Prince of Wales, Bunbury
31 October 2021 – Leisure Inn, Rockingham
5 November 2021 – Forth Pub, Forth
18 November 2021 – Kalgoorlie Boulder Racing Club, Kalgoorlie
19 November 2021 – Pier Hotel, Esperance
20 November 2021 – Studio 146, Albany

Image used with permission from On the Map PR; credit: James Mooney

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

The VANNS Bring Good Vibes With New Single & Rescheduled Tour

The VANNS might just be the most consistent band on the music scene right now. The South Coast act recently dropped their latest single “Feels Good Now,” and it’s predictably brilliant. With Jimmy Vann’s exquisite vocals and big chunky guitars, this track is bound to make your Hump Day a little easier. Like their last single “Red Light,” this song came out of recent recording sessions with producer Chris Collins at The Music Farm.

“The song was originally meant to finish with a fade-out, but we were having too much fun playing it for it to end so soon. We wrote (and I use that term loosely) the jam at the end of the song at the last minute, before we got in the studio and tracked it,” explained the band’s lead guitarist Cameron Little. “Thematically, ‘Feels Good Now’ is about taking a risk on something that you feel needs to change in your life despite any anxieties, apprehensions, and reasons why you tell yourself you shouldn’t; and actually pulling it off and feeling all the better for it. It’s a good feeling, hence the title; we can’t bloody wait to play this one live!”

That tour has just been rescheduled, but there’s an extra Torquay show and a few more tickets to previously sold-out gigs to sweeten the deal. Tickets are selling fast though, so get onto it!

3 March 2022 – The Corner Hotel, Melbourne
6 March 2022 – Torquay Hotel, Torquay
18 March 2022 – Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle
19 March 2022 – Manning Bar, Sydney
25 March 2022 – Wollongong Uni, Wollongong
1 April 2022 – Kambri @ ANU, Canberra

Image used with permission from Beehive PR; photo credit: Vasili Papathanasopoulos (@vasilipappas)

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Boo Seeka Strips Sound Back With “Tripwire”

Boo Seeka has dropped a very un-Boo Seeka track, and I love it! The acoustic-driven “Tripwire” is such a departure from the act’s electronic party numbers, but I think it might just be what most of us need in our lives right now. The song mourns the loss of normalcy so many of us are experiencing right now.

“The songwriting for Tripwire is really direct, I’m wearing my heart on my sleeve with this one,” Boo explained. “I realised I was writing about myself, and the stuff I was going through, which was hitting me pretty hard if I’m being honest. Writing on an acoustic guitar has always been a part of my process and usually, it would just be used to figure out the chords and structure of the song, and then it would be built into an electronic track. With ‘Tripwire,’ we used the same template, but nothing we built sonically got close to the emotion, and the rawness of the acoustic version. It’s super different to the typical Boo Seeka sound, but the diversity of the upcoming album is something I’m very proud of, and releasing it as the first single is the perfect way to kick it off”.

Covid also got in the way of Boo’s music video plans, but he was not to be deterred.

“Originally I was going to fly to WA to shoot this clip but Covid once again got in the way. My manager Cohen and his mate, Lachlan Ross (of production company Halves and Quarters) set out with Meg Charnaud (actor) on a last-minute adventure to shoot the clip on a farm close to Margaret River, Western Australia. Lachy is the mastermind behind the whole thing, and I love the beauty of it. It’s a simple yet effective clip capturing the emotion of trying to run away from all things negative. Something myself and everyone around me is going through right now.”

If you’re craving a little bit of normal, catch Boo Seeka on The Trip tour. Some shows are being rescheduled given all the current COVID dramas, but at this stage, the following gigs are going ahead as planned.

“When people come to a Boo Seeka live show, I really want to put on a night where people can leave their troubles at home, smile, and just have a whole heap of fun,” Boo said. Leave your troubles behind at the following shows.

25 September 2021 – The Triffid, Brisbane
2 October 2021 – Republic Bar, Hobart
3 October 2021 – The Royal Oak, Launceston
16 October 2021 – Magnet House, Perth

Image used with permission from On the Map PR; credit: @natimgraben

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Chelsea Berman Releases New Party Anthem, “Tastes Like a Hangover”

Central Coast country darling Chelsea Berman has released, in her words, “the drinking song you never knew you needed,” her latest single “Tastes Like a Hangover.” And with so much of the country in lockdown right now, I think it’s just what the doctor ordered. Although, I have no medical training, so take my health advice with a grain of salt!

“This song is inspired by my own hangovers,” Chelsea admitted. “At 23 you wouldn’t think they would be that bad – but as the song says, I definitely spend the next day on the bathroom floor after a few too many Fireball shots.”
Chelsea wrote the track with local country music star Troy Kemp.

“I came to Troy Kemp with the idea for the song and he loved it, so we wrote the song and he added a different angle of ‘making the night worthwhile’ so the next day you can remember all of the fun you had the night before!” Chelsea added. ”The track was produced by Rod McCormack who did an amazing job and gave the song a pop/country feel that is sure to help you dance the night away!”

Chelsea has played shows all across the East Coast, including dates with Travis Collins, Amber Lawrence, and Brad Cox. Hopefully it won’t be too long before the lockdown lifts and we see her back on the stage.

Image used with permission from Wildheart Publicity

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Rude Rum Release Rocking New Single, “Talk”

Brisbane band Rude Rum have just dropped their latest single “Talk,” and I can’t stop listening. With infectious hooks and plenty of swagger, this is rock music the way it’s meant to be.

“This is definitely one of our most attitude-filled tracks” explained the band’s frontman and songwriter Jaeden Ogston. “It was created with such raw emotional energy, and definitely nurtures a new side of our persona by stepping away from previous funk-esque influences”.

You might have seen Rude Rum touring with FANGZ or Total Pace, but they’re ready to play their own headlining shows around their home state. Check them out at the following venues to see how they bring all that energy to the stage.

3 September 2021 – Studio 188, Ipswich
11 September 2021 – Vinnie’s Dive Bar, Gold Coast
18 September 2021 – King Lear’s Throne, Brisbane

Image used with permission from Rude Rum; credit: Darcy Goss Media

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Wanderers Drop Groovy New Single, “Penny”

Adelaide band Wanderers have found inspiration from the big screen for their latest single “Penny.” The track is a homage to Penny Lane, Kate Hudson’s character in Almost Famous. If you’ve longed for the return of yacht rock (and who hasn’t?), this is your tune.

Dusty Lee, Wanderers’ singer-songwriter, explained how the song came together quickly in the band’s 60s inspired cabin. “There was something in the air that night, what initially started as a jam, became a nearly fully fleshed out song in about an hour. Told from the perspective of the young journalist in the film and the impact the character Penny had on him.”

“Penny” comes from Wanderers’ forthcoming EP, which should drop later this year. The band will play the following shows in the coming weeks to celebrate its release.

21 August 2021 – The Lab, Adelaide
2 September 2021 – The Gaso, Upstairs, Melbourne
10 September 2021 – Soundcity, Port Lincoln

Image used with permission from Big Oak Records

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Okay Dane Show Off Bold New Sound With “Different Waves”

Melbourne rock act Okay Dane spent 2020 honing their sound, and now in 2021 they’re ready to show it off. “Different Waves” is a confident rock anthem that should put some extra pep into your Humpday.

“‘Different Waves’ is the end product of a year-long process of trying things, hating them and throwing them out. It was definitely a rough patch and I had a hard time with writer’s block, and finding the right direction both lyrically and musically,” explained songwriter Jake Kougioumtzis.

“Once we were able to get back together after months of lockdowns and playing live again, it was like the ice had thawed, and I was able to find the right words and the music started pouring out. I was able to channel all of the stress, anxiety and tension of the last year into a new batch of songs and ‘Different Waves’ definitely feels like a reflection of all we’ve been through in the last year and a half.”

With a new single under their belt, returning to stages is the next logical step. Okay Dane will play the following shows through August and September.

21 August 2021 – O’Skulligans, Brisbane
27 August 2021 – Hotel Metro, Adelaide (FREE)
4 September 2021 – Last Chance, Melbourne

Image used with permission from Beehive PR