Holy Holy @ Miami Marketta Review

Off the back of their second single release earlier this month, Holy Holy have played a string of shows as part of their Darwinism Tour and we headed along to catch them nearing the end of their national circuit at Miami Marketta, Gold Coast.

Warming up the crowd was Brisbane musician Alex L’Estrange followed by Sydney band I Know Leopard. People were slowly spilling in during their sets, enjoying beers and burgers in the outside market.

The market was obviously not opened to its full capacity on this quiet Thursday night as only a few food and beverage stalls were open. It was an interesting venue similar to The Triffid, Newstead, with an outdoor beer garden environment with food stalls, a bar and a large indoor stage.

The crowd moved quickly inside to the stage as Holy Holy were due to play.

The set started strong and was in full force from the get go. I was immediately taken by front man Timothy Carroll’s flawless voice. He sung every note perfectly and effortlessly.

The bass layer was inaudible in the first few tracks but got some volume further into the set. By this stage, the levels sat at a comfortable volume with a warm and clear sound for the remainder of the show.

Holy Holy played through a collection of hits including ‘History’ and ‘House Of Cards’. They also played their new singles, ‘Darwinism’ and ‘Elevator’, as well as a few new tracks from their highly anticipated album ‘Paint’.

With only one album under their belt so far and one on the way, they had a surprisingly large and recognisable collection of songs.

Despite this, the crowd were surprisingly subdued considering the amount of hair and tall tees in the room; the most enthusiasm radiating from the most mature member of the crowd.

There wasn’t a lot of conversation or banter from the band in between songs and although Holy Holy seemed engaged in what they were playing, all except Timothy showed little energy or movement on stage.

They ended the set with ‘You Cannot Call For Love Like A Dog’ and then made their way back to the stage for a very obviously orchestrated encore.

Overall it was a strong and enjoyable show. They did, however, have a reliance on unnecessary guitar solos used to bridge gaps throughout the set.

Miami Marketta proved itself to be the perfect venue for a relaxed night out to enjoy live music over a beer with mates.

Holy Holy have a lot of momentum at the moment as they wrap up their tour and finish the year on a high before moving towards the release of their album in February next year.

Read more about Holy Holy's performance at Miami Marketta here. 

The End Of The Line

It was a Saturday night and I had no plans; a rare occasion and opportunity for me. After bingeing on pizza at home, I noticed a flyer on the fridge about some markets and music that was happening down the road. I decided to wander on down and see what was happening…

It was a long walk to get there (I got lost) but eventually I had stumbled upon The End Of The Line Festival in Woolloongabba. What I saw was a street festival full of locals sipping craft beer with their Frenchies and listening to some dank DJ set while sitting on hay bales. Not long after finishing a beverage of my own, I decided to look further. 

The End Of The Line Festival definitely improved from here on out. There were food trucks and market stalls lining the street. The existing restaurants and bars were full of people with plenty of atmosphere. At the end of the street I saw a second stage with a band playing and I knew I was at the right end of the block party. 
The only full set I really got to see were Melbourne based band Teeth & Tongue. Despite having an extremely long sound check, their first track in particular was pretty atrocious from a sound perspective. The levels were all wrong and I couldn't hear any keyboard. A few tracks in and they warmed up and the sound guys got their shit together. 

I quickly grew to like them. Leading lady, Jess Cornelius's voice was reminiscent of Hayley Mary from The Jezabels and Siouxsie Sioux. She admitted to feeling a little timid on the night - perhaps because she was unhappy with how the set was going - and not interacting the way she usually would. But despite this, I thought she engaged plenty and had some entertaining banter to share. 

From this performance at The End Of The Line Festival, I'd definitely be inclined to see Teeth & Tongue again live at another event or venue to get a feel of their full performance potential.  

I felt so elated to have spontaneously taken part in this local block party. Although technically labelled as a festival, it was more of a night-market atmosphere for locals supporting local arts, music and businesses. I really hope to see and experience more of this in Brisbane. 

Women In Voice 2016 @ JWCOCA

Last Friday I was FINALLY able to attend Brisbane's most iconic cabaret experience at this year's Women In Voice production at the Judith Wright Centre Of Contemporary Arts.

Women In Voice is not just a song concert, it celebrates females in the music and entertainment industries for their talent and hard work. Now in it's 23rd year, WIV has become an institution for Brisbane women to create and celebrate together.
With such a rich history of incredible talented having blessed the stage of previous WIV performances, I've wanted to attend the show for some years now.

I had never actually watched a performance at The Judith Wright Centre before either, despite having been to the venue on several occasions. Upon entering the theatre, I was impressed. There were dim red candles upon round tables in the front half of the room - very cabaret - and tiered seating beyond that to ensure everyone had a good view.

Emcee Judy Hainsworth kicked the night off with a song about the ups, downs and craziness that 2016 has offered us so far. Donned in a ghastly neon leotard with ruffles and frills, she was an absolute hoot. Judy guided us throughout the whole show introducing each act and performing a few numbers on her own including a song outlining the anxieties of an audition and a number about regional touring; all very entertaining and relatable for many of the industry based audience.

The first to perform her segment was WIV newcomer Alicia Cush. Alicia brought grace and professionalism to the stage as she guided us through a set inspired by home. She wore a flattering navy off-the-shoulder dress as she sung everything from jazz and blues to country with a touch of opera. She also played the accordion and a flute during her performance and sung in French(?)! Alicia was able to show her diverse talent and remarkable voice with a refreshing elegance.

Leah Cotterell wowed the audience next with her opening number as she took the stage wearing a graduation gown - indicative of her enormous education and qualifications - wailing an african american song that was as intriguing as it was impressive. She definitely had a unique set of pipes and was able to show the crowd everything she could do in a few short songs. What was also great about Leah was her remarkable sense of humour and personality.

Unfortunately Sahara Beck was out ill for the night so WIV alumni Bethan Ellsmore stepped in last minute to fill her spot. Despite having short notice she sung a flawless set with her captivating and unique voice. She was an absolute vision on stage with her rockabilly style and flaming red hair as she sung her way through some older jazz numbers.

Before the night concluded, Alison St Ledger hit the stage for her retro boogie inspired performance. She started off in a black dress narrating elements of the boogie and before we knew it she had a costume change and was dressed in an all-white suit complete with platforms and flares. Many people rose from their seats unable to resist the funk as Alison brought a unique and enjoyable energy to the stage.

Before the night ended, all five women returned to the stage for a final number and encore paying tribute the band, stage and lighting crew and the audience.
It was a memorable night of laughter, talent and joy. I dare say not a negative word was uttered in the crowd; they all loved it.

Soviet X-Ray Record Club @ The Brightside

Now… before I begin, it's important I reveal that my boyfriend is the bassist in Soviet X-ray Record Club. So I have been attending their shows for a few years and obviously have a pretty biased opinion. However, this one particular show in Brisbane was the first of their 'This Girl' tour and played host to some fresh new talent that really piqued my interest.

Max Chillen + The Kerbside Collective 
Max Chillen + The Kerbside Collective are a fresh young band out of Brisbane and they completely blew me away at The Brightside last Friday night. They played a tight set and looked pretty at-home on stage. Their songs were catchy with a surf-dream 70s nostalgia feel. I fell totally in love with the vocalists voice; it was silky-smooth yet strong. I'll definitely be keeping an eye on these guys to see how they turn out. If they hone their songwriting a little and keep at it I think they'd be worth watching.

Big Bad Echo
A more established band by far were Big Bad Echo taking the stage after Max Chillen + co. They're a local Brisbane band with a shoegaze-pop sound who are making their way up the ladder with (hopefully) a bright future ahead of them. Although I loved their sound, not to mention they're some of the nicest guys in the biz (so I've heard), I wasn't as taken by them as some of the other bands that played on the night. There was nothing particularly memorable about their performance. Which is a good thing, in a way. Their sound was really good and they also had a strong lead vocalist. In saying this, it was such a strong lineup on the night and they definitely didn't disappoint, they just didn't stand out.
Big Bad Echo play Against The Grain Festival Fortitude Valley 19 August.

Hedge Fund
Hedge Fund are a Sydney post-rock band who have themselves quite the following. Their frontman had enough energy for the rest of the band on stage, thankfully, who all lacked it in this department. He had some wacky dance moves and focused less on how he sounded and more on how he looked. Which, in this case, wasn't such a bad thing. He was engaging and got the audience interested and moving.

I was caught up at the merch desk all night so I wasn't able to enjoy each band as much as I would have liked to and they may have sounded completely different down on the floor. I was still really impressed by the quality of the lineup, however, and will definitely be keeping an eye on each of these strong bands.

Soviet X-Ray Record Club
This was one of their first gigs back in a while after some time off to work on new material and the start of their 'This Girl' Tour. In their opening track, 'End of Everything' (a new and unreleased track), their absence from the stage definitely showed and they knew it. It was a bad start and they weren't happy but they earned back the attention of the crowd very quickly when they kicked off the set the right way with their second track, 'Good Things (I Only Think Of)'. A few other newer tracks in the middle played really well but were unfamiliar to the audience and some people seemed to have lost interest pretty quickly but there were many people intrigued and impressed. SXRC soon pulled them back in with crowd favourite 'Never Enough' and finished the set on a super strong note with 'Shake'. Although they had a shaky start to the set, they went from strength to strength which each song.
Soviet X-Ray Record Club play Grace Darling Hotel, Melbourne, 12 August and Studio 188, Ipswich, 9 September.

The Cure @ Rod Laver Arena // FAIL

It was the day we had been waiting for for months. We were finally going to see THE CURE performing live before our very eyes. We'd actually waited for this moment for years, not just months, to have them come to Australia and be lucky enough to seize a ticket. We travelled all the way to Melbourne to make this dream come true. Staying for just one night, flying down early in the morning and back the next day, just to have this 'once in a lifetime' experience.
It didn't quite work out that way, unfortunately…
The concert took place last Thursday night (28/07) and I'm only just writing about it now because it still feels so fresh and I'd really rather not think about it. But for your enjoyment, here is what happened…

Getting to Melbourne was fine. We had a really delicious breakfast. Checking into out hotel was fine; it was a really spacious apartment. It was here that I started to feel unwell. I rested for a little bit and decided that the pain in my stomach had passed and we ventured back out into the streets of Melbourne before meeting up with our friends for dinner.
I was feeling unwell again before dinner but just thought it was because I had a collision with a pedestrian that left me a bit winded, and with a slightly black-eye (that's a whole other story), so I thought nothing more of it. We all enjoyed a bottle of wine and a very good meal before we hiked it to Rod Laver Arena. Whilst walking I was feeling really sick but just put it down to eating too much food at dinner and then embarking on a brisk walk and being extremely unfit - which was all true but unfortunately not the case this time. But by the time we got to the venue I was going downhill and fast. I had sharp pain in my stomach and could barely stand up. However, I was determined to grin-and-bare-it for I wasn't missing out on this opportunity and also didn't want to ruin it for anyone else, especially my partner who is the biggest Cure fan I know.

The Cure had no supporting acts and came out onto the stage and just simply did their thing. It was effortless and comfortable for them and they had a great sound. Robert Smith's voice was in such good shape after all these years and Simon Gallup showed an unnatural amount of energy at his prime age of 56. Their light show was all kinds of crazy but just made it a more exciting show. For an audience clad in Dr. Martins, leather jackets, black eye make-up, and mostly over the age of 30, it was ironic how a group of people usually perceived as 'goth' or 'emo' were exceptionally happy just to be there and enjoying every minute of it. They opened with 'Plainsong' followed by (my favourite) 'Pictures Of You'. The next six songs ('Closedown', 'A Night like This', 'The Walk', 'Push', 'In Between Days' and 'Doing The Unstuck') were a bit of a blur for me as I was using all my energy to focus on NOT throwing up. I was in a state. Covered in sweat but also covered in goosebumps. But there was no way I was leaving.
It was during 'Friday I'm In Love' that I excused myself to go to the bathroom, hoping to catch some fresh air and revive myself, when my partner messaged me from inside the concert saying he wasn't feeling well and that he might have to go home. Little did he know, I felt the same way. He staggered out to meet me crumpled over in pain and with one look at each other we knew we couldn't soldier on any longer. We caught a cab and never said a word to each other until we were back at the hotel where we just cried tears of frustration and disappointment. We had come all this way only to let it slip between our fingers.

I remained positive over the fact that at least we got to see them in real life and saw a whole nine tracks played live and got to buy a t-shirt! And were lucky enough to spend the night in Melbourne together. But as we heard more about the set - like how they played for three hours and how they played four encores - it was harder to remain positive and it was easier to just not think about it anymore.
I read in a review that Robert Smith declared at the end of the show that he will be back and this one line is my shred of hope that I will be able to take my partner to see them again one more time in our lifetime and we will love it.

Travel Diary: Melbourne

I hadn't been to Melbourne since I was a teenager with my family so it was a completely different experience returning, as an adult, with my partner. I had a new perspective on everything and remembered more than I thought I would. We stayed on Queen Street near the Queen Victoria Markets which was a pretty ideal location nearby to China Town, Bourke Street Mall and Fitzroy.

We spent a whole day exploring the Carlton and Fitzroy areas, dropping in at a few bars and even visited an ice-bar. 

We also took a trip out to Yarra Valley - on what turned out to be the coldest June day in 28 years - for a wine tasting tour. It was a lovely trip out into the country and I appreciated seeing parts of Victoria that I wouldn't otherwise had the chance to see. We went to the Moet and Chandon winery and Yering Station winery. We also stopped in to the Yarra Valley Dairy for a cheese tasting where I bought a variety of cheese not thinking about how I would transport it home the following day which resulted in a large amount of cheese and wine consumption later that night. We later stopped in to Yarra Valley Chocolaterie for a chocolate tasting on the tour as well. 

We enjoyed wandering China town and indulging in some wonderful food. One of the best meals we had was at Red Spice Road - highly recommend. Enjoying breakfast in Melbourne is one of those highly recommended must-dos as well. One place in particular that stood out for me was a coffee shop called Basement. I just ordered the usual 'big breakfast' but it was different and fresh; I would definitely go back. 

One night we had no plans so we looked up what was happening in Melbourne that night and decided to see a play at Malthouse Theatre called 'The Events'. It was based on the events of the 2011 Massacre in Norway. It was confronting and moving but also a nice spontaneous event for us in Melbourne.

We spent out final day in Melbourne walking along the Yarra Valley and exploring the markets and galleries in Southbank. Southbank was an area we had heard about but hadn't planned to spend much time there but we were pleasantly surprised and grateful we found time to look around; it was beautiful.

Despite it being bitterly cold I fell in love with Melbourne. It was like an amalgamation of various European cities in one. I could see influences from Italy, Greece, England and more throughout the alleyways and corridors. I can see my partner and I spending a lot more time there and can't wait to go back. 

KLP @ Black Bear Lodge

A couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure of interviewing KLP (Kristy Lee Peters from triple j House party) just hours before she was set to play in Brisbane. After the interview I headed along to her gig at Black Bear Lodge and it was one of the strangest night's of my life.

Major support for KLP was Tigerilla who is a producer specialising in what he calls nostalia electronica. I would call it…weird karaoke? He was set up with a synth and a laptop but stood in front of said set-up with a microphone and sung over his pre-recorded tracks. He certainly had a lot of energy and looked like he was very much enjoying himself. He was a good looking guy in a tall-tee and baggy pants with a squadron of look-a-like dudes standing in the front dancing just as hard as he; he obviously knows the right people. Tigerilla played a checkered set with a few pretty good tracks that piqued my interest and few that were just derivative and boring. His set left my dumbfounded, asking myself, 'what did I just watch?'.

Following him was KLP who took the stage with a back-up singer and electronic drummer. She played what she calls a live set where she took the role of lead vocalist and front-woman as opposed to her more popularly known DJ set. KLP played a flawless set and showed off her strong and impressive voice. She was also able to dance and keep the crowd engaged. The three of them on stage had a nice vibe and relationship and provided plenty of opportunity to dance.

Watch a quick video on my Instagram here.

Although I enjoyed her set and was impressed by how well written and produced a number of the tracks were, it wasn't my usual kind of show. KLP was dressed in black and her two band members were dressed in white. There were times when they would coordinate dance moves and it all came across as a little bit too corny and over-produced. They definitely embraced their pop music label but it wasn't something that appealed to me personally and was particularly strange to see at Black Bear Lodge better known for their beards and craft beers.

I left confused and bemused but had a good night with good company in one of my favourite bars, a couple of cocktails and some good old fashioned pop music.