GORILLAZ, Brisbane Entertainment Centre, 19th of December 2010 +++++ Little Dragon, Woodland Bar, 18th December 2010

*note, this BEC trend will not be continuing for much longer, thank god...*

Ladies and gentlemen, a double post for you today. Why? Because my concert experience on this particular weekend was not really just a singular experience, it was more of a build up of excellence. I have long anticipated just being able to see Damon Albarn do any thing at all in the flesh, and when I heard Gorillaz were finally coming to Brisbane in all their glory, I must admit I did wee myself a little. Managing to secure myself a GA spot pretty quickly, all was peachy in stephconcertanticipationworld.

But it got better!! With the release of Gorillaz's new album, Plastic Beach, I knew that guests who collaborated on it would hopefully arrive in our humble city to play their parts at the show. I was really happy to find out however, that not only would De La Soul be supporting (wowzer) but also Little Dragon, who thanks to their guests spots on Plastic Beach and the invention of dropbox (tymvykwya), I have been growing extremely fond of this year.

But wait, there's still more! THEN I found out that not only were Little Dragon supporting, but they were also playing a show the night before at Woodland bar, one of our desperately needed new music venues here in Brislame.

Well it wouldn't be so desperately needed if they just quit closing down the already good venues, but i digress.

......later!!......

Myself and a good friend, (name changed to 'gig buddy' for privacy reasons), made our way to the Woodland bar, in anticipation for Little Dragon's pre-gorillaz show. We to'd and fro'd a bit and thus missed most of the support act Mitzi, which seemed pretty good from the one song we heard. The venue was quaint and intimate, but not too small, and the pictures of nature on the wall of the stage tied in with the Woodland theme. Naturally, due to it's newness, music selection and kitsch, hipsters abounded.

Little Dragon came on at about midnight, which is hell of too late if you ask me, but us 24-25 yr old grandmas managed to stay awake and energized. Lead singer Yukimi was dressed in a kimono and looked cute as a button, and began the set banging the life out of a wooden instrument as per the beginning of 'A New' from their latest Machine Dreams. A lot of the set was Machine Dreams stuff, which is all very good luckily, but I would have preferred a little more of their self titled one, which is a little slower, more variable and sensual than the dancey Machine Dreams.

Not long after they started, the group of drunk people in front of us starting dancing in a manner which suggested they needed to show the length of their limbs off in the most outrageous way

possible, so that we were in danger of being knocked out. Usually I would move out of the way a bit, tut to myself and be okay, but the crowd and my patience did not allow for this. I think I'm growing old and hot headed- I used to be able to handle gig idiots (there are always at least one) but I'm tiring of them much quicker these days. Gig buddy and I decided to move over to the couches at the back and prop ourselves on top, giving us a better and more comfortable view.

The band played an epic set, I wouldn't be surprised if they played all of the new album's material. Yukimi's vocals were lovely, but came out a little bit distorted to my ears, perhaps a venue issue, as did some of the instruments. It was all entertaining however... the band flowed from song to song with ease, Yukimi sang and moved with passion and expression. It was song after song of groovy, sensual bliss.

As they played their final song before the encore, my gig buddy was disappointed not to hear 'Twice' the first off their self titled and a song she really loved. Luckily the encore opened with that exact song, which was delicately and sweetly done (their slowest and subtlest of the set). We were pretty chuffed at that and it left a nice feeling to take home with us... at 1.30 in the morning. Yawwwwwwwn zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

......... THE FOLLOWING NIGHT!!!.....

After such a late night I was excited yet a bit worried about the impending (and likely long) gig at the huge and uncomfortable Ent. Centre. Luckily it was all very pleasant. We got in there in good time, got a decent spot, and the crowd was pretty amicable all in all (no sweaty teenagers here!!) Everything ran pretty much spot on time. Little Dragon came on, Yukimi in the same kimono, opening with the same song, this time with a bit clearer sound (same volume in bigger room??). They only played 4 or 5 songs before they made way for De La Soul. It was clear that De La Soul were here to get the crowd pumped for Gorillaz, plus to throw in a bit of their material to keep the fans happy as well. They teased and joked with the crowd, getting us to join in on chants and competitions as to which area was the loudest, amongst performing a small selection of their classics. It was good fun and I wish I could have seen more of them. But no time for that, Gorillaz time muthafukkas!!!!!!!!!!!

It was all pretty neat the way they aimed to present us with the cartoon band, turning into the live band, and cutting back and forth between real life and cartoon life aided by the massive

video screen behind the performers. We were presented with a slightly cheesy video of the band backstage, getting ready, as the huge amount of musicians took their place. As that finished, the orchestra began with the opening piece of the new album, leading into the Snoop Dogg collaborated track 'Welcome To The World Of the Plastic Beach'. But of course, Snoop not being part of the crew, he sang his lines as projected on the video screen, complete with top hat and telescope (most likely the music video for the song). Somehow this all worked instead of being really bizarre and corny. As this went on and the band and backup singers performed, I managed to pick out the main players, Mick Jones, Paul Simonon, and finally Damon Albarn. Once I spotted him it was hard for me to stop smiling like a big stupid childish girly girl.

DAMON!

(Still learning how to properly use iphone cameras. Tips??!)

It was only uphill from there, as the band played an excellent selection from their three albums. I was really happy to hear 'Last Living Souls', one of my favourites off Demon Days, and even 'El Mañana', which I did not expect. I was especially thrilled to hear 'Tomorrow Comes Today', and 'Punk' (even more unexpected), from the first album. There was of course the bigger hits, 'Dare', 'Dirty Harry' and '19/2000', with songs from Plastic Beach providing the bulk of the setlist. The stunning carton visuals complementing the songs made the whole thing a giant smorgasbord for the senses, if you pardon my language.

This was the last gig of the Australian tour and the second last of the world tour, and you could tell it had been a great run. The infinity people onstage were full of energy, pride and excitement, the most of all being Damon, who jumped around on stage like the happiest kid in the playground. Damon performed as if in awe of his creation around him, so chuffed to have so many awesome people involved, and being able to share it with everyone. During 'White Flag' he ran around in a circle waving said flag for a good portion of the song like he was on speed. His energy is that of the younger Blur frontman he was, and his voice while perhaps deeper with age, is still pristine.

White Flag

Highlights were also the guest performers, particularly The National Orchestra for Arabic Music for 'White Flag', De La Soul for 'Superfast Jellyfish' and Yukimi for 'Empire Ants' (which was amazing) and 'To Binge'. I didn't really like 'To Binge' on the album, but live it became something quite lovely, as Yukimi and Damon dueted with quite beautiful chemistry, finishing with Damon giving her a sweet kiss on the cheek. The best guest for me however was Bobby Womack, who, despite appearing like all this touring was a bit tiring for him, sang brilliantly. He opened the encore seated on a chair, with 'Cloud of Unknowing', a beautiful melancholy song, which set the tone for the perfect encore.

Bobby

(again, any iphone camera tips will be greatly appreciated.)

What we expected to hear was next, 'Feel Good Inc', and then 'Clint Eastwood'. My one lowlight, if I had to be picky, was that instead of the lyrics I had memorized well over the years, guests Bashy and Kano sang a different rap over the verses for 'Clint Eastwood', which I was slightly disappointed by. I was just so looking forward to singing "THAT IT'S ALL IN YOU' HEAD!!!" at the top of my lungs, but never mind!

The show finished in the best possible way, with the closing two tracks from Demon Days, Don't 'Get Lost in Heaven' and 'Demon Days'. It was a beautiful, moving, feel good ending with the performers giving their all for those last few moments. If there was one single person not grinning like an idiot by the end of the show then they did not deserve to be there.

As the show ended, I felt an immensely confusing sense of giddy happiness due to what I had just experienced, and heartfelt sadness that it was all over.

One thing is for sure, as 2010 drew to a close, it just slips in there to be the best concert of the year I've attended, and one of the top 10 concerts I've been to in my life. Which means I need to revise my list. Damn you, Gorillaz.

Muse, Brisbane Entertainment Centre, 6th December 2010

Muse are an English band I fell in love with in highschool, lead by the charismatic and vocally extravagant Matthew Bellamy and his chums Dominic Howard and that guy on bass (Chris Wolstenholme). Their first 3 albums are very fine works, combining catchy, driving, almost "hard rock" riffs with a bit of glam and spacey- electronic influences. Those three albums, Showbiz, Origin of Symmetry and Absolution (my favorite) had some pretty creative epic soundscapes going on, but it wasn't over the top.. the songs were just restrained enough to not be ridiculous.
But then they released Black Holes and Revelations... And later, The Resistance.
To be fair, Black Holes is not awful; if you've had a chronological Muse marathon, it sort of presents as a logical progression from proggy/ glammy (Queen-y?) to proggier/glammier. But stand back and listen outside of that scope, and feel as your face goes in the shape of a bunched up rag. It is the sound of a band trying to be so epic and camp that it's rather alienating. I have not purchased The Resistance, but the songs I've heard from it are telling me not to.

So sets the scene for my expectations of their concert Monday night. I took my sister, a bigger fan that I was, and her two best girls, for her birthday, (conveniently that day)- a few of the only teenagers in the world who did not get into them through Twilight. I was expecting lots of the last two albums, lots of annoying teens, and a cringey face.

I got some, but not all of this.
The entertainment centre should be banned from having music concerts there for its terrible organization, stupid location, dumb rules (I can still throw a cup of water on the stage!!, and how the hell am I going to hit anyone from allllllll the way back here!!) and general overpricedness (everything). Despite this, getting into the GA section was fairly easy (we won't talk about getting out), and us girls settled in for a good spot. An hour or so later I was reminded how much teenage boys stink, but for the girls' first mosh experience, they coped pretty well.
Dead Letter Circus were a pretty average support band, trying to appease to the 'hard rock' aspect of the music taste of Muse fans, without doing it particularly well or interesting. I'm getting a bit over the blah blah screech of guitars under a whiny unintelligible wail that seems to be dominating the airwaves in multiple forms of late. Live, it was long one long stream of screech and wail without any rhyme, reason or creativity. Luckily it was only 30 minutes of this before the 30 minute wait for Muse began.
As the lights finally dimmed, it was clear that the extravagant proportions of Muse's music would be completely translated live. Three "skyscrapers" (well that's what I'm calling them!) which had been set up onstage prior, came to life with lights and projections of windows gradually lighting up, signalling the entrance of the band. Each skyscraper split in the middle by one of the sheets covering them dropping down, to reveal a Muse member standing in each, decked out in glitz, kicking off with 'Uprising' (from The Resistance). 'Uprising' is a terribly cringey camp spacerock anti-government anthem, which meant it was a perfect opener for such over the top presentation. Heck, if you're a band with over the top kinda sounds, why not complement it with over the top kinda visuals?? It really was the only way, and somehow it worked.
I'd heard they weren't very talkative onstage, so wasn't expecting much chatter. Unfortunately for that tradition, technical difficulties on Matt's skyscraper straight after the first song, meant that Dom was forced to say hi and explain the hold up. A badly timed, awkward few minutes ensued which threatened to break the momentum. Luckily it was their only hiccup and they got on with each song without much fuss.
They continued with a lot of new stuff, which suit the style, but I was beginning to tire of it. They at least mixed up the performance by changing from standing up on the skyscrapers, to the floor, and back again. A nice moment involved Chris jamming on Dom's skyscraper with him, reminding the crowd that he's actually a pretty good bassist. Their later catalogue finally began to make an appearance, starting with 'Butterflies and Hurricanes', which was easily a highlight amongst 'Bliss', 'Citizen Erased', 'Sunburn' (my sister and I jumping like turds as the teens around us stood still in stupor) and 'Plug In Baby' (thank god they played 'Plug In Baby'!). It was pretty great seeing Matt play the (neon) piano in 'Butterflies' and 'Sunburn', which he did effortlessly.
A nicely timed encore ended with 'Take A Bow' off Black Holes, a better choice for their opener, I would have thought. But in a way it did fit as a closer, ensuring the audience was left with either a massive 'phwoar!!' or cringe imprinted in their mind. Almost as if to advise "DON'T FORGET US TWIHARDS, OR YOU'LL BURN IN HELL!!!!"
In the end, despite my dislike for the songs I knew they just had to play, they put on a great show, the only way they knew how, via extravagance. Similar to their recorded music, if I stood back and watched from a distant point of view, I would have cringed to the high heavens, but being in there immersed in the sound and mood, I didn't cringe once. They created the appropriate mood fitting for each song, thanks not only to the projections, lasers, neon lights and huge setup and venue, but also thanks to the fact that they are a pretty damn good band. A band that may have just lost their way in terms of songwriting. Let's all hope they find their way back again.

A Summer Soundtrack

Well hulloooooooo there!

I have spent a few moments of every week trying to craft the perfect opening post for this silly blog. However I made it way too difficult on myself by choosing to make a list of my top 10 favourite gigs.

What an idiot.

I am determined to complete that list (which will probably only become more difficult as time

passes), but for now, to mark the first day of summer, (as it is supposed to be anyway) I thought I'd open with a post about my favourite music for summer; namely, my favourite summer albums. In my opinion. Currently.

The best part of my day today was the fact that it was payday (:D!!!), and I was able to finally purchase a few concert tickets to start off the holiday period. Now I'm officially excited about it... and the more excited about the holidays I get, the more I start thinking about the music which makes summer holidays great. So here's a bit of a list of the albums which are regular players during my summer break, and some new ones that I think will fit in well with this years playlist.

p.s. the youtube links are not necessarily videos and may just be songs, so excuse the crappy fan made ones!

NUMBER ONE

THE AVALANCHES- SINCE I LEFT YOU

Of course, predictably, undoubtably...

Etoh

It's hard to know where to start with this album, other than if you don't enjoy it, you don't enjoy music basically. But mainly, it truly, to me, is the sound of summer. The opening few minutes of the title track alone totally transform my mood from 'life sucks' gloom to 'lets just have maximum fun right now' excitement. It starts with the sound of people enjoying themselves fading out to a simple fun guitar strumming along... then the groovy harmonies and swirling flutes come in, and those people are back again. "Have a drink, have a good time now, welcome to paradise..." and the exotic journey begins. Since we've left reality, and taken a boat ride into tropical splendour, it's all uphill from here. (I mean, Holiday by Madonna... come on!)

The album was supposed to be a concept of sorts, focused on a young man looking for love across the world, and it certainly has that romantic, story-telling feel and flow (there is barely a single moment of silence between songs). But not only do the Avalanches achieve that effect, but they do so by integrating over 3,500 samples, in such a way that something completely and utterly new is created in every tune. Every moment sweeps you away into another world (a world of 20,000 girls), until the final moments of a faded out repeated mantra in Extra Kings, reminding you that the journey is over and you're back in the real world. Sniff.

Despite being one of the most critically acclaimed dance albums of the 2000's, you'd never hear anything from it in a club, not even Live at Dominoes, the most crazydanceable tune. When you think about it, hearing it in a club would perhaps cheapen it (although maybe myself dancing to it like an idiot in my room while in highschool has done the same??). No other album sounds anything like it, and I don't think anything could surpass it... 10 years later we're still waiting on a follow up from the Avalanches... and it is still in the pipeline so they say (how long does it take to clear all those samples???)... but maybe it doesn't need to be. The Avalanches gave to the world what it needed, and I for one am content with that.

*puts it on, dances like an idiot in her room for half an hour* HERE I COME I GOT FUNK

NUMBER TWO

GERLING- WHEN YOUNG TERRORISTS CHASE THE SUN (or HeadzCleaner in paranoid countries)

The Deer In You

This really was the soundtrack of one of my summers, as I purchased it not long before the summer holidays of grade 10 commenced, and it followed me all throughout the hot months of December and January, from a 2 week family beach trip, to lazing around in our backyard pool trying to stay cool. The first track (Phazer Kids in the Windy City) does a bit what Since I Left You Does, prepares you for the summery good fun party times to come... lulling you into a relaxed, grooving trance. It's totally on from then on, the (sort of a) hit Dust Me Selecta leading you into a few Gerling sized slaps in the face. It's pretty much impossible to dance to this album, (or rather, jump up and down like a lunatic). In their most creative and obscure moment (probably my favourite Gerling moment), Birdbaths(/Windmills & Birdbaths) totally trips you out with its' incomprehensible lyrics and bizarrely wonderful combination of sounds. If you only want to hear a bit of one of Australia's most underrated (if you ask me) bands, buy this one.

NUMBER THREEE

DUNGEN- TA DET LUGNT

(Dungen means "The Grove", Ta Det Lugnt means "Take It Easy")

Festival

Oh yes, so aptly named. I saw Dungen at my first Splendour and they were the ultimate summer festival band (um, even though it was technically winter (what?? QLD has a winter??) ). So much so, they have a track called Festival, which does quite well at replicating a music festival vibe. Dungen are a Swedish band (and every lyric is Swedish, not that it matters) which have kinda flown off the radar at least here in Australia, and this album is full of psychedelic, fast paced but also slow burning chilling out tracks, some a bit experimental and ambient (Lejonet & Kulan), some incredibly catchy and total rock bliss (Panda, Bortglömd). A sort of album for every element of summer, night and day.

NUMBER FOUR

TAME IMPALA - INNERSPEAKER

Alter Ego

Guilty as charged with the australian artists! Tame Impala is a young, affable Perth band that did what Dungen did and made it oz-popular, and did it well. Psychedelic sounds of the 60's and 70's, turned into new exciting music that either makes you want to get high or jump in the car and head for the closest waves.

I don't surf, or get high, so for now I'm content to get drunk and chill out on the front deck instead. I did this the other day with the family, Desire Be Desire Go spilling out into the neighbourhood, and it felt really really good.

NUMBER FIVE

BEST COAST - CRAZY FOR YOU

When I'm With You

When I first heard this album, I thought it was a bit repetitive. Which it is. But I couldn't help but really get into it. The lazy, reverberating vocals and fuzz are pretty instantaneously relaxing, and the lyrics of love, desire, and fun romance (Boyfriend, Crazy for You, When I'm With You, I Want To... oh most of them) makes you want to find that summer girlfriend/boy, who'll play tennis and wear dresses and have bare feet, only to be ditched in the autumn. It's nothing entirely new or groundbreaking, but the tunes consistently conjour up images of a coastal drive as the sun sets on the horizon, with a cat emerging out of the water... No really. Put it on on your next beach trip and it will totally set the scene. Which is what I intend to do. I hope their gig in January is as promising as this album, as their timing for it couldn't be better.

NUMBER SIX

LOVE - FOREVER CHANGES

A House Is Not A Motel

I'm seeing a pattern here. Albums one would associate with 'chilling out' and 'getting stoned'. I guess that translates to me as albums that you'd play when you're lying in the sun, relaxed and at peace. Under some peaceful influence anyway. Well geez here's another!!!!

Love are a crazy good band from the late 60's that for some bizarre reason, my 60's music loving parents seemed to miss (and won't get into). I don't get it. They're up there with the Kinks, Who, Small Faces etc. to me, but with that little bit extra insanity added into the mix. Which is why this album is perfect for summer. There are little introspective trips here and there (The Red Telephone most particularly), parts that make your feet shuffle (Maybe the People Would Be the Times...), and many moments of quiet beauty, all culminating in an epic, poignant closer You Set The Scene, the end of some philosophical personal journey (the end of summer???)

There are probably infinity ways you could interpret the album... which is what makes it so good.

NUMBER SEVEN

BECK- ODELAY

Jack-Ass

Ever since ever listening to this album (I was like, 11 or something), I always imagined it being played on a radio in a beat up car driving in the middle of nowhere to some exotic location, and myself being the driver of that car. It sounds like what a road trip sounds like, it has that desolate feel of a deserted road, the driving force of being on a long, arduous, but fun and eventful journey (See Hotwax, Derelict and Readymade for lyrics and music that really fit that mood for me). And that journey could never take place in a cool ... place.

Beck is excellent at creating moods and journeys such as these, and Seachange is another album that also fits well with the summer theme, albeit a more melancholy one. But as my first exposure to his style (that is, many of his styles), Odelay really stuck with me the most, as the album you put on when you're on a trip to a place of reward and promise. Particularly a long trip, on a hot day, shared with someone you can stand for a few hours. It's a strange invitation, I know.

NOTE!!!*** If your trip is longer than 54 minutes (and you don't have the deluxe cd set), throw on America's self titled album to see you through the rest of it****

NUMBER EIGHT

JANELLE MONAE- THE ARCHANDROID

Tightrope

This may kind of seem like an odd choice because this album is not particularly seasonal at all. In fact it has lots of different moods and settings, and will be perfect for any season. But I choose it because I've been getting into it quite a bit of late, and it brings a lot of funky, chilled out, but also excited moods about. In this way it's fast becoming my summer album. Janelle is a recent addition in my musical library, and I'm not typically a modern r'n'b sort of person, but when it's done well, catchy as hell, and has such interesting styles, range and excellent production, it's understandable why this has grabbed me so much. Just selecting a song like Tightrope or Locked Inside, is enough to transform an average day, into a joyous day of glee, sunshine and bliss... and that contrasted with the subtle elegance of Say You'll Go or Mushrooms & Roses, make this a very versatile, perfect summer album.

NUMBER NINE

THE BEES - FREE THE BEES

These Are The Ghosts

Yikes, this is my only British entry so far? What happen!?

The Bees are excellent, and have many albums of which I do not own. I do have this one however, and it is a killer. This one is all about having fun, dancing up a storm, and feeling good. It has a bit of that reverb going on similar to Best Coast that makes you feel like you're in a tropical hollywood movie dream land. It picks up very smoothly from the first track onwards, and There's funk and rock to get you dancing (The Russian, One Glass of Water), but also a lovely ballad (I Love You) which is straight out of a romantic night-time beach scene of a movie. The Bees are like the ultimate band you hire for a perfect beach party.

... I was going to end with Arcade Fire's The Suburbs, however it's also an album for any season, and I thought I'd covered enough new-ish albums. And also I'd be totally motherflipping crazy if I didn't end on this album....

NUMBER TEN

THE BEACH BOYS- PET SOUNDS

I'm Waiting for the Day

Oh come on, you knew it was coming. It would be blasphemous not to, even if it is wayyy obvious. But it's true. Whether the Beach Boys actually liked the beach or not, they sure captured that Californian sunny beach sound, and not only that but created some of the most influential music of all time, second to the Beatles. Stupid television ads may have threatened to destroy the magic of the original songs (Golden Casket, you piece of shit), but when you (ok, I) listen to Pet Sounds, it really hits me how amazing it really is... Brian had a gift for creating pop perfection like no other. And the rolling drum beats and bouncing melodies are undoubtedly bound for summer playing.

I've seen Brian Wilson play twice now, and he sits at his piano like an old man who has woken up from a bizarre nightmare and discovered that during his slumber, he had churned out all these masterpieces he didn't realise he had the potential to. He now plays them (or his band does for him), classic after classic, surprising himself at his talent. And genuinely enjoying it, albeit a few cranky confused old man moments. It feels good to have seen him a few times, even if his prime has well and truly past, because despite the band's demise and Brian's struggles, the songs still stand up amazingly, and still give way to that hazy, blissful, amazing summer vibe.

Wow, all this summer music listening has totally engulfed me tonight! Lets hope I don't sleep through my alarm and forget that I still have to work for another 3 weeks before holidays start. Good night and good vibrations.