Posted on by Lauren Katulka

STREWTH! The Elephant Hotel Celebrating Australia Day Weekend

I don’t know about you, but I’m a little over this working thing. The Christmas holidays seemed to fly by, and I’m still not feeling rested enough. Thankfully Australia Day is just around the corner.

If you’re looking for a great way to spend the Saturday before the public holiday, head to The Elephant Hotel in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley for their second annual Australia Day weekend party STREWTH. The line-up’s looking fantastic, with Velociraptor, Babganouj, and WAAX already announced and more bands on the way. The venue is also cooking up their famous spit roast rolls and you could win a BBQ by purchasing a schooner of Coopers on the day. How Aussie is that?

STREWTH hits The Elephant Hotel from 2 pm on January 23. It’s all completely free, so there’s really no excuse for missing out.

Image used with permission from Mucho Bravado

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

BATTS Say Hello and Goodbye

Don’t you just hate discovering an act, only to have them up and leave? That’s the case with BATTS, a collaboration between Aussie musician Tanya Batt and British producer and instrumentalist Alisdair “Ficci” Mason. They’ve actually never played a show here, but they’re going to squeeze in just one before Tanya moves to the United Kingdom to work with Ficci full time.

If you like what you hear, head to BATTS’ debut and farewell show at the Shadow Electric on January 22. They’ll play with a superstar line-up including Hayden Calnin, Will Cuming (Lanks) and Lacklan O’Kane (Eagle and the Worm, Canary, Dorsal Fins). Canary and Zlatna will also provide support on the night. Tickets are just $10 on the presale or $15 on the door.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Reece Mastin @ Ettalong Diggers, Ettalong Beach – 10 January 2016

When Lizotte’s Kincumber closed its doors last year, I worried that it may spell the end of great live music on the Central Coast. Thankfully a couple of other venues have taken up the mantle. One of them is Ettalong Diggers, an RSL club conveniently located just down the road from me. Sure, the deep-friend lamb cutlets and chips weren’t a patch on anything Lizotte’s ever served, and the raffle for Dyson fans that accompanied it didn’t great quite the same ambience as the chilled-sounds piped through the Lizotte’s PA. But any venue that can attract big name acts like Reece Mastin has my vote.

I’ve been keen to see Reece live since he released Change Colours, one of my favourite albums of 2015. The allure of his acoustic Down to Earth shows proved difficult to resist, especially when located so close to home.

Reece was ably supported by Alys Ffion, a gorgeous young thing my husband described as a cross between Taylor Swift and Lisa Loeb. I can definitely see where he’s coming from. Her songwriting has that diary-confessional feel of early T-Swift material, but her voice has a little more earthiness and quirk, just like Lisa Loeb. It takes a lot for a solo support act to command a room with just an acoustic guitar by her side, but the crowd seemed to be hanging on her every word. I know we were. She treated us to a generous set of original songs, yet it was so good that it felt over far too soon. Thankfully she was back after the break, providing backup vocals and guitar parts during Reece’s set.

While I couldn’t take my eyes off Alys during her earlier performance, the charismatic Mr Mastin stole focus during his set. He has such a strong voice that reminds me a little of Jimmy Barnes; clearly the time they spent recording this album has been a good influence. There’s also something special about watching an artist who believes so strongly in the music they’re making. He gave it his all, and that passion he has shone through. He was so giving both in his performance and the moments between songs, when he shared tales of time in the studio and the stories behind the songs.

It was telling that despite releasing four top 20 singles from his first two albums, Reece played just two songs from these early days, “Shut Up and Kiss Me” and “Rock Star.” Instead he focused on the new album Change Colours, which suited me just fine. His performances of “For You,” “Stand Up Be Proud,” “Heartache Blues, and the raucous closer “You Gotta Go” were especially strong. Reece also hinted at what’s to come. I wish I recalled the name of a new song he played; it was stunning. He also covered “Muddy Water,” telling us that the music of the original artist Paul Rodgers and his band Free reflects the kind of music he wants to make. As a fan of Free (the only one in the audience apparently!), I was so excited to hear the cover and what an influence this sort of music is for him.

Reece Mastin might have started his career as a fairly lightweight pop act, but his music today has so much more weight. This Ettalong Beach show might have been my first Reece Mastin show, but given what I saw on Sunday night it certainly won’t be my last.

Image source: Stephen Katulka

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Legion Music Festival Aims to Break Crowdfunding Record

If you’ve been mourning the loss of Soundwave, never fear. Fans of the festival are banding together and attempting to stage their own, and break a crowdfunding world recording in the process.

This is no mere pipe dream. John Sankey, the drummer of Los Angeles based heavy metal band Devil You Know is driving the festival he calls Legion Music Festival and he’s got the support of a number of industry bigwigs who believe the initiative could change the way music festivals work around the world. That’s because it reduces the financial risk for bands, fans, and suppliers.

“All the fans need to do is pledge – which gets them a guaranteed ticket to the festival BUT their payment won’t actually get processed until the goal is reached and the event is guaranteed,” John Sankey explained. “That way everyone involved can have complete confidence that all costs are covered and the event will go ahead before committing time, services or money to the festival”, he said.

Perhaps most importantly, the project also has the support of Aussie and international acts. Bands like Devil Driver, Frontline Assembly, Aversions Crown, Devil You Know, Darkest Hour, Caligula’s Horse, MofoIsDead, and 28 Days have already signed on.

If the crowdfunding goal of $3.27 million is reached, the festival will take place over the Easter long weekend in Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane. Smaller “mini” festivals will hit Adelaide and Perth on the following weekend. If you want to see this happen, put your money where your mouth is and pledge at the Legion Music Festival’s Pozible page.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

“Adam Brand and the Outlaws” – Adam Brand and the Outlaws

Star-studded country act Adam Brand and The Outlaws deliver a covers album that’s several cuts above the average with their self-titled debut. Adam Brand’s posse includes multiple Golden Guitar winner Drew McAlister, Travis Collins, whose album Wired reached number one on the local country charts, former Baby Animal Matt Cornell, and renowned songwriter Mike Carr. Their collective experience shows on this release.
“Good Year For The Outlaw” is such a great introduction not just to this album, but the band. It’s got country written all over it, and stellar performances across the board, from Adam Brand’s gritty vocals to those gorgeous fiddles. When the band joined their voices and implored me to “Turn it up” I couldn’t help but oblige.

I never imagined I’d hear a country version of Poison’s “Nothing But a Good Time” but it works. It feels like the sort of thing you might hear in a dive bar somewhere in the middle of nowhere, where the drinks flow freely and the crowd is amped. “Fat Bottomed Girls” may be even more fun than it was when Queen released it. Their take on “Bad Case of Loving You” is another absolutely corker.

“Mama Don’t Let Your Babies” is one of the more predictable choices on the album, but it lets the band show their tender side. They might love to party, but there’s a bit more depth here. The poignant “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)” is a lovely way to close out an album so full of energy and unbridled enthusiasm, a moment of quiet reflection after the party’s over.

Adam Brand and the Outlaws have such strong musical instincts. So many of these song choices didn’t make sense to me on paper, but hearing them I realised I’d judged too quickly. Their debut is damned good fun, a collection of familiar songs reinterpreted in such interesting ways. They’re not dramatically different enough to alienate fans of the originals, but the band’s definitely breathed new life into these classics from the worlds of country and rock music.

Adam Brand and the Outlaws self-titled debut hits stores today. They’re celebrating its release with the following shows all around the country over the coming months.

22 January 2016 – Blazes at West Tamworth Leagues Club, Tamworth
25 January 2016 – Dargo River Inn, Dargo
27 January 2016 – Flying Horse Bar & Brewery, Warrnambool
28 January 2016 – Hallam Hotel, Hallam
29 January 2016 – Gateway Hotel, Geelong
30 January 2016 – Kinross Woolshed Hotel, Thurgoona (FREE)
31 January 2016 – Capital Theatre, Bendigo
3 February 2016 – Muswellbrook RSL Club, Muswellbrook
4 February 2016 – Ettalong Diggers Club, Ettalong Beach
5 February 2016 – Waves Towradgi, Towradgi Beach
6 February 2016 – Toronto Workers Club, Toronto
7 February 2016 – Goulburn Workers Club, Goulburn
11 February 2016 – Caloundra Power Boat Club, Caloundra
12 February 2016 – Kedron Wavell Services Club, Chermside
13 February 2016 – Twin Towns Services Club, Tweed Heads
14 February 2016 – Blue Mountains Hotel, Toowoomba
19 February 2016 – Country Club, Launceston
20 February 2016 – Wrestpoint Entertainment Centre, Hobart
25 February 2016 – Inverell RSM, Inverell
26 February 2016 – Laurieton United Services, Laurieton
27 February 2016 – Moonee Beach Tavern, Moonee Beach
28 February 2016 – Club Forster, Forster
3 March 2016 – Norwood Hotel, Norwood
4 March 2016 – Old Mill Hotel, Hahndorf
5 March 2016 – Mundarring Weir Hotel, Mundarring Weir
6 March 2016 – Ravenswood Hotel, Ravenswood
17 March 2016 – Dubbo RSL, Dubbo
18 March 2016 – Club Mudgee, Mudgee
19 March 2016 – Rooty Hill RSL, Rooty Hill

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Mountain Sounds Make New Line-Up Announcement as Festival Approaches

The team behind the Mountain Sounds Festival has reminded us that the festival season is in full swing with a massive second line-up announcement today.

Cut Snake, Elaskia, Nocturnal Tapes, Ocean Alley, Roof, Skegss, and Jake Grigg from Something with Numbers have all been added to the bill. Dreems, Adi Toohey, Kato, Lancelot, and Motorik Vibe Council have also been announced to play the brand new secret stage fuelled by tastemaker agency UNDR ctrl.

As a Coastie I might be a little biased, but I think the opportunity to camp out in the Mount Penang Parklands at Kariong while catching some great live music is pretty difficult to pass up. Head to the WOW Tents website to learn more about your camping options.

The Mountain Sounds Festival hits Mount Penang on February 20. Tickets are still available from the Mountain Sounds website for $99 plus booking fee.

Image used with permission from Positive Feedback

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

The Stiffys Driving Around Oz

It’s been pretty quiet around the Australian music scene of late. Most of us are back at work, but it seems most musos are still on hiatus because I haven’t heard much about new releases or tours. Thank god for The Stiffys, who’ve taken advantage of the lull to announce a string of new shows.

The Stiffys Go Driving tour celebrates the fact that new guitarist Dev has a car, a luxury that’s allowing the band to head to a bunch of regional towns.

“It’s really great now that we have someone in the band who is capable of driving because Adam and I are both quite focused on enjoying the rock and roll lifestyle,” bassist Jason Leigh explained. “It’s been a lot easier for us to tour regional Australia since we transitioned from sailors to astronauts and I think people are being less confused by us.

These are the last Stiffys shows before the band heads back in the studio to record Art Rock Two. Catch them while you can at the following shows.

21 January 2016 – Phoenix Bar, Canberra
22 January 2016 – Rad Bar, Wollongong
23 January 2016 – Moruya Bowling Club, Moruya
5 February 2016 – The Eastern, Ballarat
12 February 2016 – The Sooki Lounge, Belgrave
19 February 2016 – The Loft, Warrnambool
5 March 2016 – Major Tom’s, Kyneton
12 March 2016 – Golden Vine Hotel, Bendigo
19 March 2016 – The Old Bar, Fitzroy

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

2015: A Year in Review

I can hardly believe we’re at the end of the year already. This one seems to have flown by in a blur of home renovations, holidays, trivia nights, roller skating classes, and of course music. Speaking of, before we pop the champagne there’s just time for me to look back at the music that made 2015 so memorable for me. What got you going this year?

Top 10 Aussie Albums/EPs

1. Cast of Yesterday – Tim Wheatley
2. Absence – Alanna Eileen
3. Til Night Meets the Sun – Loren Kate
4. Limbo – Bad Pony
5. Love is the Great Rebellion – Ben Lee
6. Jess & Matt – Jess & Matt
7. Home Movies – Kevin Dolan
8. Change Colours – Reece Mastin
9. Twelvefour – The Paper Kites
10. Through the Forest – Benny Walker

Top 10 Aussie Tours

1. Joshua Radin
2. Sam Smith
3. Jack Carty & Jordan Millar
4. Anthony Callea
5. The Eagles
6. ‘80s Mania
7. Peter Cetera
8. Uncle Jed
9. Mark Seymour
10. Richard Clapton

What did you love in 2015?

Image source: hakee @ Flickr

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

PLTS and Pro Vita Team Up for Summer Tour

Fresh from the release of their epic summer anthem “On & On”, PLTS are set to follow the sun along the East Coast with a string of shows next month.

The Byron Bay band will take Brisbane rockers Pro Vita along for the ride for all but the Broadbeach gig. With two of Australia’s most exciting up-and-coming acts on the bill, you can expect good times from the following shows.

22 January 2016 – The Northern, Byron Bay (FREE)
24 January 2016 – Broadbeach Tavern, Broadbeach
29 January 2016 – Sol Bar, Maroochydore
30 January 2016 – The Foundry, Brisbane

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Vale Stevie Wright

Like so many music lovers, I was saddened to wake up to the news that Stevie Wright has passed away at age 68.

This isn’t one of those bolt from the blue deaths. Stevie’s been battling ill health for decades. But that doesn’t make the news of his passing any less tragic. I don’t know about you, but sometimes when a person seems to keep soldiering on despite ill health you almost start thinking that they’re made from stronger stuff than the rest of us, and that somehow they’re just going to keep on keeping on.

Stevie rose to fame as the frontman of The Easybeats in the 1960s. I’ve often marvelled at the way that songs like “Friday on my Mind” and “Sorry” still sound fresh as daisies despite all the years that have passed since their release. For me though, the name Stevie Wright will always be synonymous with the epic “Evie.” It was only on Boxing Day that I gave the DJ on the radio a thumbs up for playing parts 2 and 3, rather than just cutting it off at part 1 as so many do. It’s one of the best story songs of all time in my opinion, and that story deserves to be sold in its entirety.

RIP Stevie. I hope you’re up there rocking out with all of the greats who’ve gone before you. Thank you for the music.