Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Celine Dion Reschedules Aussie Tour

It’s the news Celine Dion fans didn’t want to hear, but it turns out the Canadian diva’s illness is a little more serious than first thought.

Celine has been suffering from a respiratory tract infection, which has caused bronchial and laryngeal inflammation. Put simply, she’ll need to rest those golden tonsils for a few days.

After postponing dates in Brisbane and Melbourne, Celine has also had to postpone her Sydney shows. With all this restructuring, the Perth gig has also needed to be pushed back.

The new dates are:
31 March – Brisbane Entertainment Centre
2 April – Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne
5 and 6 April – Acer Arena, Sydney
8 April – Members Equity Stadium, Perth

Full refunds are available from the venues for anyone unable to make the rescheduled dates.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Panic at the Disco Announce Aussie Tour

One of the biggest bands in the world right now, Panic at the Disco, are heading Down Under. The lads will touch down in August for shows all around the country.

Panic at the Disco is taking The Academy Is … along for the ride. This Chicago outfit was named one of Rolling Stone’s top ten artists to watch, and they’re sure to blow Panic fans away at these massive shows.

Their last Aussie shows sold out in minutes, so you’ll want to grab your tickets as soon as they go on sale. Thankfully you’ve got a little time to save your cash though. Tickets are available from Ticketek on Tuesday 15 April.

You can catch Panic at the Disco at the following venues:

20 August 2008 – Brisbane Entertainment Centre
22 August 2008 – Acer Arena, Sydney
23 August 2008 – Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne
25 August 2008 – Adelaide Entertainment Centre
27 August 2008 – Burswood Dome, Perth

Image source: Erik Luyten Photography @ Flickr

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Celine Dion Postpones Aussie Shows

Canadian songstress Celine Dion has postponed her Brisbane and Melbourne shows so she can recover from a minor throat infection and irritated sinuses.

The Brisbane show, which was originally scheduled for tonight, will now be staged on Monday 31 March. Next week’s Melbourne show has been pushed back to Wedensday 2 April.

The two Sydney shows and the Perth show will be unaffected by these changes. Ticket holders unable to attend the rescheduled gigs can see the venue for a full refund.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Aussie Vibe Takes Over American Idol

This week the American Idols tackled songs recorded in the years of their births. I love these very open-ended themes because they really allow the contestants to shine. Michael Johns did just that this week, pulling out not one, but two, Queen classics. “We Will Rock You” got the crowd warmed up, while “We Are the Champions” allowed him to soar. Awesome stuff.

As a bonus I thought I’d also post a video from one of the other contestants, David Archuleta. This little Anthony Callea in training put his spin on John Farnham’s “You’re the Voice.” I know this song was released in the US, but I certainly didn’t expect to hear him cover it!

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Veronicas Head Back to US

The Veronicas made a big splash on the American market when they released their debut album, The Secret Life Of… in 2005. Now they’ve headed back to the States to wow them again.

Their latest single Untouched is all over US radio, and they’re going to back up this publicity with some hot shows. If you’re on the East Coast you can catch them at New York’s Hiro Ballroom on Thursday, while fans on the West Coast can see the twins at Los Angeles’ The Roxy on April 2.

Jess’ main squeeze Azaria and his band The Follow will support the girls on these very special shows, and the sisters can’t wait.

“It’s cool because we are not usually two bands that you’re match up together,” Jess told The Sunday Telegraph. “It is going to be so much fun.”

Image source: Toby Forage @ Flickr

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Music Blog Spotlight: Our Favourite Shows

Earlier today I shared with you my favourite concert experience, catching John Mayer at The Metro way back in 2002. But what does everyone else in the channel think? Here are my fellow bloggers’ favourite gigs.

  • Ana at Austin Sound Check found it a tough choice, but settled on a show by Texan heroes Blue October.
  • Dave at Brit Music Scene talks about some awesome shows like Stereophonics, Megadeth, and Kate Nash.
  • Ear Sucker’s Roberta raved about catching Def Leppard live. I am truly jealous.
  • Scott at Metal Martyr loved seeing Slayer, but he couldn’t resist giving a few notable mentions to metal’s finest.
  • Gilan at The Beatles Invasion was lucky enough to catch the then unknown Rufus Wainwright supporting Sloan in 1998.
  • Our 90s fan Albert at The Production Side couldn’t decide between his two favourite bands: Pearl Jam and Stone Temple Pilots.

Image source: Yvette de Wit @ Unsplash

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Best. Concert. Ever.

In the music channel today we’re all talking about our favourite concerts. This was a tough call for me. I saw my first show when I was 12 years old, and I’ve been a regular concert goer ever since. I’ve seen some brilliant shows in tiny little bars, and I’ve seen some real spectacles in the arenas. But if I have to single out just one favourite, it’s probably the first time I saw John Mayer live on 27 October, 2002.

My excitement was at a fever pitch from the time the tour announcement was made. Room for Squares had taken up residence in my CD player, and I couldn’t wait to hear those amazing songs live. I was so excited I actually decided to see not just the Sydney show, but the Brisbane one as well.

I’ve seen John another six times since then, but it’s never matched the first. It’s not his fault of course. He still delivers mindblowing guitar solos, quirky soliloquies, and fantastic singalong songs. The differences are part and parcel of success.

Now he plays entertainment centres. On the first show I happily stood in the centre of the front row at the Metro. The sets are more predictable now too, as he must play all the big singles from all those albums. But at that first show we were treated to the more obscure album tracks like “City Love” and “Covered in Rain,” and the fan favourite from his independent EP, “Comfortable.”

It was that song that actually brought me my favourite concert moment too, when at its conclusion John crouched down in front of me, took my hand and pressed his plectrum into my palm. I’ll never forget that.

I’ll catch up with my music blogging colleagues concert stories later, but until then I’d love to hear yours. What is your favourite concert experience?

Image source: own photo 

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Pete Murray’s the Perfect "Pick Me Up"

It’s all been a little quiet on the Pete Murray front lately, but don’t think this laidback singer-songwriter has been idle. He’s recorded album number three, Summer at Eureka, in his Byron Bay studio, and he’s ready to let the world hear it.

All that starts with the new single “You Pick Me Up” which hit radio this weekend.

“One of the things I wanted to do as a producer was to capture that creative spark you feel as a song is being written, and that’s exactly what you hear on ‘Pick Me Up’,” Pete told The West. You can hear for yourself by visiting The West website.

Expect more mellow tunes and soulful grooves when Summer at Eureka hits stores in May.

Image source: Toby Forage @ Flickr

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Veronicas Sexy Girly Kiss

One half of The Veronicas, Jess Origliasso, has everyone talking after she locked lips with openly bisexual MTV VJ Ruby Rose at the Cleo Bachelor of the Year Awards celebrations on Thursday night. Partygoers were shocked when the sexy twosome started to kiss passionately against a wall at Sydney’s Ivy Club.

Ruby Rose confirmed the steamy dance when contacted by The Daily Telegraph, but she refused to kiss and tell.

“She’s a top chick and that’s really all there is to it,” Ruby said.

The Veronicas camp is refusing to talk, which of course has the gossip columns jumping to all sorts of conclusions. It probably doesn’t do a lot for Jess’s role model rep, but it sounds like a harmless party pash to me.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Q & A With Christian Music Fan’s Jason

Christian music is huge all around the world, yet it rarely receives the coverage of secular tunes. If Christian music floats your boat, or you just want to check it out, there’s no better place to start than b5media’s Christian Music Fan. We caught up with the blog’s editor, Jason Bean, to learn more about what makes him tick.

What blog do you write?
I write for Christian Music Fan. I’ve grown up in the church all my life so there’s an obvious connection to Christian music. I’ve also spent some time living in Nashville and Franklin, TN so I’ve got some contacts in the industry as well.

How long have you been blogging?
I’ve been blogging now for about three years seriously. It’s been a terrific ride but there’s been a lot to learn and some discipline to be developed.

What do you like best about blogging?
I love the conversation and freedom to just share what you’re thinking with people. It’s great if people read and respond to what you share to both challenge and confirm your own assumptions, but even if nobody read the process is very cathartic for me.

Describe yourself in five words.
Detailed, procedural, humorous, demure, determined.

What is the last song that you heard that made you say “Wow!”?
Whoa! Good question. For me it would probably be “A New Law” by Derek Webb from his Mockingbird album.

What album is currently taking over your rotation?
I’m not sure if there’s a single album. I’ve been taking advantage of grabbing free music downloads from a variety of sites lately so my playlist is usually a compilation of all those songs and that’s what I’m listening to actively now.

Favorite quote?
Today is the tomorrow we worried about yesterday. I’ve come a long way in my outlook on hurdles and challenges that come along your way through life. You can either freak out over them and get stuck mired down in the emotion of it, or just hit it head on and realize that for the most part our lives are easy compared to lots of other people around us that are working through much harder challenges in their life. Just be thankful and understand you’re blessed.

Image source: Diana Vargas @ Unsplash