Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Sydney Celebrates Strummer

It’s amazing to think it’s been five years since the late great Joe Strummer of The Clash passed away. Sydney fans can pay their respects at a tribute concert at the end of the month.

On December 22, The Gaelic will host Revolution Rock – A Joe Strummer Tribute Night. The Living End’s Travis Dempsey will take to the stage with his new band The Currency, alongside The Hard-Ons, Waiting for Guiness, Steppin’ Razor, and Gambeta.

It’s not just an opportunity to hear some great music, it’s also a way to help a great cause. All proceeds will go to Strummerville, a charity which creates new opportunities for struggling young musicians.

Tickets are available through Moshtix for $20 plus booking fee.

Image source: John Coffey @ Wikimedia Commons

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Special Effects Aplenty in New Delta Video

No expense has been spared in the production of the film clip for Delta Goodrem’s new song, “Believe Again.”

According to The Daily Telegraph it uses more than 100 special effects, which is more than most feature films! It took more than six weeks to create the visual masterpiece with teams in Australia, Los Angeles, and Spain. Wow!

And it’s a good thing too. While the video looks superb, this anthemic song is nowhere near as catchy as Delta’s last single “In This Life.” But as Delta’s Australia’s golden girl, I’m sure it’ll sell well anyway when it’s released today. 

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Sunk Loto Reform For Surfers Show

Sunk Loto called it quits earlier this year, but the Gold Coast lads seem to have reconsidered. At least for now.

The hard-rocking outfit will play a show at the Hard Rock Café in Surfers Paradise on December 14, and it may not be their last.

“We truly don’t know what’s going to happen after this show, it could be the last one. All I know is Dane, Luke, Rob and myself are really looking forward to decimating the Hard Rock,” said lead singer Jason Brown.

That sounds like it might not be the end after all, but as it’s the only show announced fans will probably want to grab their tickets just in case.

Tickets for the gig are available for just $12 from Oztix.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

High Voltage Industry Exposé

If you’re stuck for a Christmas gift for the music fan in your life, or just want to treat yourself, I may have the answer. Renowned music journo Christie Eliezer has just released his latest book High Voltage Rock ‘n’ Roll – The Movers and Shakers in the Australian Rock Industry, and it promises to be a fascinating read.

The book gets up close and personal with music legends Michael Gudinski, Denis Handlin, Ian “Molly” Meldrum, John Woodruff, John Watson, Shane Simpson, and Glenn Wheatley. It looks at the way they’ve changed the Australian music industry, how they did it, and the highs and lows along the way.

High Voltage Rock ‘n’ Roll – The Movers and Shakers in the Australian Rock Industry is available in print and online formats from the website, and in selected bookstores.

Image source: High Voltage website

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Scribe, Faker, and Pnau Play BACARDI Express

All aboard the BACARDI Express! This travelling festival will carry five of Australia and New Zealand’s hottest acts, and a bunch of keen music fans from Melbourne to Sydney next February.

Rock outfit Faker, New Zealand rap king Scribe, and dance duo Pnau are already confirmed to play alongside two bands to be announced later this month. The bands will perform on the train as it travels from Melbourne to Albury, Wollongong, and Sydney.

“We’re looking forward to getting off the road and onto the tracks; off the wagon and onto the rails; out of the frypan and into the BACARDI Express of fire! Choo Choo Huzzah!” said Faker’s Stefan Gregory.

He’s obviously excited, and if you are too make sure you check out the BACARDI Express website. Money can’t buy these tickets, but the site details the ways you can get your hands on them. Of course, since this event is sponsored by Bacardi it’s strictly adults only. Sorry kids!

Image source: Trent “Raichase” Nicholson @ Flickr

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

"Rock-Bottom Jackpot" – Dé Jah Groove

Dé Jah Groove’s debut release Rock-Bottom Jackpot may just be the perfect soundtrack for the summer.

The Melbourne outfit has earned a reputation as one of the most explosive bands on the live circuit, and they’ve managed to bring that energy to this album. Their combination of jazz, funk, roots, rock, and hip-hop reminds me of early Cat Empire recordings, which is a good thing.

With six band members, it’s little wonder that Dé Jah Groove has a really big sound. The horns are loud, layered over the percussion of the drums and bass. It’s also refreshing to hear the Australian accent in Harley Stewart’s vocals.

Standouts include the easy grooves of the first single, “Mellow Stages,” the far from lazy opening track “Lazy Sundays,” and the fantastically fun “One Drop High.”

Rock-Bottom Jackpot is in stores now. Dé Jah Groove is currently on the road to support its release. Check their MySpace page for all the dates.

Image source: Dé Jah Groove MySpace

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Natalie Gauci Hits Highpoint

Our newest Australian Idol, Natalie Gauci, will warm up for her first national tour with an instore appearance in her hometown of Melbourne this weekend.

Natalie will appear on the Level 1 Stage at Highpoint Shopping Centre at 1 pm this Sunday, December 9.

Natalie will perform two songs, including her debut single “Here I Am,” and sign copies of the Winner’s Journey CD/DVD pack afterwards.

Natalie fans who don’t live in Melbourne needn’t worry. They can see Nat when her massive Winner’s Journey tour travels around Australia in the New Year.

Image source: Violetion @ Wikimedia Commons

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Is Lenka The Next Big Thing?

You might remember Lenka from her work with Aussie electronic outfit Decoder Ring. But these days the Aussie songbird is striking out on her own.

She’s currently living in Los Angeles, where she recently signed a copublishing with Sony/ATV and a record deal looks like it’s just around the corner. The major label became interested in Lenka after her song “Follow” was featured in Courtney Cox’s new series Dirt.

It looks like Lenka’s well on her way to becoming the next Aussie success story. Make sure you check out her MySpace page for a sneak peek at her solo stuff! For now take a look at her cool film clip for “We Will Not Grow Old.”

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Kylie’s Got the "X" Factor

Kylie Minogue has burst back onto the albums charts this week with a number-one debut. Her tenth studio album X is sitting pretty at the top of the ARIA charts in a big week for Aussie artists.

Her single “2 Hearts” has slipped to number nine this week, just behind The Veronicas’ “Hook Me Up” at eight.

Kylie’s album outperformed another Aussie legend, Jimmy Barnes, who debuted at number three with Out of the Blue.

These massive albums have pushed Human Nature’s Motown tribute, Get Ready, to number five this week. They sit just ahead of Delta Goodrem’s Delta at number six.

Aussies have also claimed the last three spots in the top ten. Guy Sebastian’s The Memphis Album is at number eight, ahead of Keith Urban’s greatest hits record 18 Kids at nine, and the revamped Young Divas’ outfit at number 10 with New Attitude.

But the real surprise this week was the performance of Australian Idol Natalie Gauci’s debut single “Here I Am.” A number two debut isn’t a disaster by any means, but it’s the first time an Aussie Idol has failed to claim the top spot in its first week.

Here’s this week’s complete Aussie top 10.

Australian singles chart

  1. “Apologize” – Timbaland feat. OneRepublic
  2. “Here I Am” – Natalie Gauci
  3. “Clumsy” – Fergie
  4. “The Way I Are” – Timbaland feat. Keri Hilson
  5. “Into The Night” – Santana feat. Chad Kroeger
  6. “No One” – Alicia Keys
  7. “Hey There Delilah” – Plain White T’s
  8. “Hook Me Up” – The Veronicas
  9. “2 Hearts” – Kylie Minogue
  10. “How Far We’ve Come” – Matchbox Twenty

Australian albums chart

  1. X – Kylie Minogue
  2. Long Road Out Of Eden – Eagles
  3. Out In The Blue – Jimmy Barnes
  4. Timbaland Presents: Shock Value – Timbaland
  5. Get Ready – Human Nature
  6. Delta – Delta Goodrem
  7. Greatest Hits – Spice
  8. The Memphis Album – Guy Sebastian
  9. Greatest Hits: 18 Kids – Keith Urban
  10. New Attitude – Young Divas

Image source: Georges Biard @ Wikimedia Commons

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Elton John @ Tempus Two Winery, Hunter Valley – 1 December 2007

On Saturday I made the trek to the Hunter Valley’s Tempus Two Winery to see rock music royalty, Sir Elton John.

Young soul singer Eran James kicked off the event with songs from his new album, Ten Songs About Love. It blows my mind that this kid is just 18 years old. He’s got such a strong emotive voice, and the simple acoustic guitar backing let these songs really shine. But this wasn’t the venue for Eran. The punters were a lot more interested in chatting amongst themselves and sampling the winery’s goods than listening to this talented young singer. It’s a shame, because he really was very good.

The most startling thing is that the throng didn’t settle down for the main event. The rowdy drunks behind us loudly sang the wrong songs, or the wrong lyrics. The chain-smoking couple in front of us also put a dampener on my concert experience. I might suggest that I just got bad seats, but looking around I saw so many people getting up and moving around during the show that it staggered me. For the life of me I’ll never understand why people spend good money on a concert if they’re going to be disruptive or get so drunk they won’t remember it.

Again, it’s unfortunate because Elton did everything right. He strikes such a commanding figure at the piano, with his masterful playing and dazzling sequined jacket. Other artists may need a band to provide such a rich sound, but Elton does it effortlessly alone. He took us on a journey through his catalogue, opening with his first hit “Your Song.” The set was peppered with monster hits, and a few more obscure songs from the die-hard fans.

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