Posted on by Lauren Katulka

The Drones Touring Again for Live DVD

Mike Noga and Gareth Liddiard might be busy doing their solo things at the moment, but it won’t be too long until we see The Drones back in action. This beloved Aussie band will hit the road this October to support their live DVD, A Thousand Mistakes.

The DVD features an intimate live session of rarely played tunes from The Drones’ illustrious career, a full length show recorded at Melbourne’s East Brunswick Club in 2010, and a bonus disc of live footage captured around the world between 2005 and 2010. It’ll come packaged with a limited edition record for vinylphiles. Look for it all in stores on September 16.

The Drones will be joined on the shows by their upcoming shows by their friend, the fabulous Adalita. Tickets go on sale on August 11.

7 October 2011 – ANU Bar, Canberra
8 October 2011 – Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle
14 October 2011 – The Corner Hotel, Melbourne
21 October 2011 – The Bakery, Perth
22 October 2011 – The Governor Hindmarsh, Adelaide
28 October 2011 – The Hi Fi, Brisbane
29 October 2011 – The Metro, Sydney

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Mary Poppins at the Capitol Theatre, Sydney

It’s a strange thing to sit in a venue and not feel part of the experience. Others around you are likely swept up in what’s presented, yet you feel a disconnect. It’s happened to me a few times at concerts, when the young girls squealed in raptures and I felt underwhelmed. And I felt it again when I saw Mary Poppins live on Friday night.

The moment it really hit home was somewhere in the middle of the extended, or drawn out, version of “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.” It seemed to go on and on and it seemed everyone in the theatre was singing that infernal chorus over and over again, clapping their hands in time. And I thought “Well this is all a bit silly, isn’t it?”

To be fair, I wasn’t a great fan of the Disney movie. I saw it as I saw many others of the vintage, but didn’t rewatch it tirelessly the way I did Bedknobs and Broomsticks. I decided to go see the stage production though as everyone had raved about it, and my parents and husband were keen. And besides, I had never met a musical I didn’t like. Famous last words.

Mary Poppins wasn’t all bad. Verity Hunt-Ballard had the presence and poise to pull off the role of the imposing but kind-hearted titular nanny. Phillip Quast’s Mr Banks had just the right amount of bluster. The children were quite lovely, not at all as cloying as child performers tend to be. I wasn’t entirely convinced by Matt Lee’s Bert, but boy that man can dance.

And as a spectacle, Mary Poppins certainly exceeded my expectations. I’ve never seen set design like it, with the Banks house folding up and down and every which way to take us into the rooms and up to its roof, with the lights of London twinkling all around. And no one could fail to be impressed as Mary Poppins flew off into the night. The only problem was, when she did it at the end of the first half I didn’t particularly want her to return.

Where Mary Poppins missed the mark for me was heart. I couldn’t help thinking back to seeing Hairspray a few weeks prior, and the way I felt so invested in it. It wasn’t as glittery, but it seemed to have more soul. At so many points in Mary Poppins I felt detached, uninspired, and frankly a bit bored. I just couldn’t get swept up in it all. Clearly I’m one of the few that feel this way. The countless Helpmann Awards, glowing reviews, and comments of my own family members tell a different story. I guess it just goes to show that you really can’t please all of the people all of the time.

Image source: Newtown Graffiti @ Flickr

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Teddy Stars in Cute Khancoban Clip

It seems like a few musical acts are embracing their inner children of late. After enjoying Bob Evans and Kirsty Akers’ puppet filled music video yesterday, I’ve discovered this toy-filled one from Khancoban.

The clip for “Cause and Chaos” sees a dejected teddy bear with some serious skateboarding skills attempting to become the band’s new synth player. Will his lack of opposable thumbs be a barrier? You’ll have to watch to find out!

The charming clip and equally gorgeous song come from Arches Over the Sun, the Melbourne quintet’s second album which hits stores next Friday. To celebrate the release Khancoban will play a launch show in Brisbane before getting around to some of the other states.

12 August 2011 – X&Y Bar, Brisbane
13 & 14 August 2011 – Brisbane Powerhouse, Brisbane
18 August 2011 – The Toff In Town, Melbourne
26 August 2011 – Petersham Bowls Club, Sydney
27 August 2011 – The Front, Canberra
3 September 2011 – Grace Emily, Adelaide

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Bob Evans & Kirsty Akers Puppets Star in “In Spite of Ourselves” Video

Give me puppets in a music video and I’m a happy girl. Add in some great musical talents and so much the better. So predictably I’m going wild for “In Spite of Ourselves,” the recent collaboration by Bob Evans and Kirsty Akers.

The song’s going great guns on the AirIt chart, hitting number one despite strong challenges from Seeker Lover Keeper and Josh Pyke. It’s the first tune to be lifted from Kirsty’s recently released album, Naked.

If you like what you hear you can catch Kirsty playing shows with America’s Jace Everett later this month. I can’t promise she’ll bring the puppet, but you can see her at the following venues.

18 August 2011 – The Basement, Sydney
19 August 2011 – Rooty Hill RSL, Rooty Hill
20 August 2011 – Hotel Gearin, Katoomba
21 August 2011 – Brass Monkey, Cronulla
23 August 2011 – Hallam Hotel, Melbourne
24 August 2011 – Lizottes, Newcastle
25 August 2011 – Lizottes, Central Coast
26 August 2011 – Gympie Muster, Gympie

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

“Roslyn” – Rackets and Fives

Western Australia seems to have the market cornered on interesting folky music. From more established acts like John Butler Trio and The Waifs to newer discoveries like Tim Nelson and the Infidels, I’m finding a lot to like out west. And now a new name has caught my attention, as this week I learned about Rackets and Fives and their album Roslyn.

This disc is really ambitious. There are tunes here that are so removed from anything else I’m hearing lately, and that’s really exciting. I must admit, I found a difficult to latch onto it at first, but the more I listened to it the more I liked it.

Roslyn certainly isn’t a perfect album. It lacks a certain cohesiveness. An album can be eclectic but still feel like a complete unit, but this one seemed more like a disparate collection of songs. Some tracks didn’t quite hit the mark for me, yet others bowled me over. And when you can get that latter reaction from several songs on a debut, independent release, I think that’s admirable.

“Ellis Island” was the one that first made me sit up and really pay attention. The strings really lifted it into a new place that was so exciting. I was similarly moved by another internationally titled track, “London Town.” It started out haunting, with a quiet power that grew with an amazing intensity as the track unfolded. “Storm Surge” was rollicking good fun, with some of the most exquisite harmonies I’ve ever heard. And “The Confederate Gold Stand-Off Saga” is as epic a closer as its name suggests. It takes you right back in time with its furious fiddles and ominous lyrics.

As I write about these tunes now I’m getting excited about them again, which really tells you a lot about their quality. With Roslyn Rackets and Fives might not have made the perfect album, but they’ve shown they’re a band with an awful lot of potential.

Image source: Rackets and Fives Bandcamp page

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Earl Cole & Chelsea J Gibson Do Frank and Ella in Perth

Earl Cole and Chelsea J Gibson are stepping back in time for a tribute to Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald later this month. The talented pair will play a dinner and show evening at Perth’s Bouchon Bistro on August 24.

The duo will bring the jazz and swing stylings of these musical legends to diners, backed by The Lady Velvet Cabaret dancers. It’s sure to be a visual and aural feast, with plenty of lavish costumes and the songs that have stood the test of time.

Tickets cost $110 per person, including a three-course French feast, or $100 per head for groups of six or more. The duo’s shows regularly sell out though, so I wouldn’t wait too long before making a booking. You can reserve a table by calling Bouchon Bistro on (08) 9387 3898.

Image source: Wikimedia Commons

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Stars Cover “The Ship Song” at Sydney Opera House

The Sydney Opera House has assembled some of Australia’s most influential musical talents (and one Canadian ring-in) for The Ship Song Project, an epic cover version of one of Nick Cave’s best loved songs.

If you want stars, this video’s got them. Neil Finn, Kev Carmody, Angus & Julia Stone, Teddy Tahu Rhodes, The Temper Trap, Daniel Johns, Martha Wainwright and heaps more lend their vocal stylings to this amazing clip, which is filmed against the dynamic background of the Opera House.

As marketing campaigns go, they don’t get more effective than this. I’d love to see a cleverly cut version of it on our television screens. It might just convince the naysayers that the Opera House isn’t as stuffy as they believe.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

New Jordie Lane Music Video for “Not From Round Here”

This was all set to be a busy gig weekend for me. I caught Bachelor Girl last night at Lizotte’s, and tonight I was supposed to head back there to see Jordie Lane. Sadly though that gig has been cancelled at the last minute, so instead I’ve got a date with homemade lasagna and Masterchef. A Sunday shouldn’t be entirely devoid of Jordie though, so instead I figured I’d show you his new music video for “Not From Round Here.”

It was shot by up-and-coming filmmaker Darius Devas around New South Wales’ Byron Shire, and it really suits this gentle, rambling song perfectly. This is perfect Sunday music, don’t you think? It’s a shame I’m not experiencing it in the flesh tonight, but it’s probably the next best thing!

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Bachelor Girl @ Lizotte’s, Kincumber – 30 July 2011

I first saw Bachelor Girl in the last 90s. They’d just released “Buses and Trains” and the strength of that song saw them supporting The Goo Goo Dolls at the humble Newcastle Workers Club. I was a young thing then, keen as mustard to catch a live show, and so I arrived with plenty of time to catch their set. I remember being struck by the power of the pint-sized Tania Doko, the charisma of this tiny creature who sang pop songs that were far more intelligent than the average.

A lot of years have passed, but I was every bit as impressed as I caught them on their extended reunion tour last night at Lizotte’s. “The Cubby House’s” small stage was warmed up by singer-songwriter Beth Robertson. Her set was simple but moving. It was touching to see her interacting with her guitar-playing husband, and hear the way her voice fit so perfectly with her back-up singing sister. An ode to Newcastle and its small-town feel inevitably won me over, and her stripped back cover of Katy Perry’s “California Girls” was another highlight. It was a set without frills, but its sincerity and simplicity won me over. I really hope to catch Beth somewhere again; she was brilliant.

Bachelor Girl have certainly lost nothing over the years. If anything the time apart seems to have done Tania Doko and James Roche good, as they appear to be performing with real joy. There’s an easiness about the way they appear on stage that can only come from so much time together.

Their set was punctuated by the big singles, but also featured some of the “lost songs” only heard on the new greatest hits album. I didn’t know all the tunes, but I didn’t need to. It was much more fun to discover them as the evening unfolded, listening to the lyrics and the anecdotes James and Tania told between tunes.

The acoustic setting shed a new light on the songs I’ve loved for years. Songs like “Permission to Shine” and “Treat Me Good” were played to death on radio in their day, but I found a new appreciation for them last night. To hear personal favourites “Buses and Trains,” “Lucky Me” and “I’m Just a Girl” once more in the live setting was another thrill. And their version of “Help,” which has only been performed a handful of times, was breathtaking.

There aren’t too many second chances in life, but I’m thrilled I got another chance to see Bachelor Girl. They were one of the most talented Aussie acts of the 90s, and in 2011 they’re sounding every bit as good.

Image source: Stephen Katulka

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Bad Seeds’ Hugo Race Comes Home

Bad Seeds founder Hugo Race is returning to our shores to play intimate shows supporting his new album Fatalists this August.

Melbourne-born Hugo is truly a man of the world, after spending much of the last 25 years living in Italy, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and the United States. During that time he recorded 14 albums with the world music outfit True Spirit, two with the Sicilian act Sepiatone, and a host of other cross-cultural collaborations. Amazingly Fatalists is his first solo venture.

Blink and you’ll miss him; Hugo Race will play The Zoo in Brisbane on August 25 before moving on to Sydney’s Vanguard the following night.

Image used with permission from Other Tongues