Ladytron + Familjen - Metro Theatre 29/09/08

It has taken me a long time to get around to writing this review and as such some of the finer details will be a little foggy; this says nothing about the quality of the performance however.

Upon seeing the full house at the Metro I realised that I have been a little late in discovering the inventive electro pop/rock sounds of the headliners, having only been familiar with their excellent latest album 'Velocifero'. Of course I have since rectified this situation by going back to their older material as well. Unfortunately "inventive" is not an adjective I can use to describe Familjen's dance-pop sound. Their music is not bad per se, it just left me a little flat. In their defence the two members onstage certainly gave a full account of themselves and the faithful down the front were dancing away and having a good time.

I was expecting something special from Ladytron and from the moment they walked onstage I was not disappointed. Three of my favourites ("Black Cat", "Ghosts" and "Runaway") were aired early - each better than the last as the band became fully wrapped up in their performance. What followed was a broad range of tracks from the band's entire output, with possibly their best known number "Seventeen" left until late, receiving a rapturous response when it finally came.

The two female vocalists (each with keyboards in front of them) were the obvious focal points, however I must make mention of the drummer's superb performance which held my attention for large portions of the set. With a full sound and lighting which consisted of a lot of darker hues (reds and purples featured) Ladytron delivered a mesmerising performance which just seemed to fly by (much like this review!), leaving me eager for their return.

Judas Priest - Acer Arena 12/09/08

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Now playing: Various Artists - Nick's 1208 Mix
Now playing: Judas Priest - Exiled
This show was incorrectly billed as the original line-up, in fact it is arguable that it could be called the classic line-up; what it is, however is the strongest version of the Priest and after prodigal vocalist Rob Halford’s return a half-decade ago, we’ve been waiting patiently for them to treat us to the first ever performance of the band with Halford behind the mic.

It was a large, impressive stage set that greeted us, with a backdrop of the new ‘Nostradamus’ cover (with red glowing eyes and all!) and the band entered to the strains of the first, intro track from said album before kicking into the first track proper “Prophecy”. Halford entered with his typical theatricality via a hydraulic lift which allowed him to suddenly appear atop one of the turrets that framed the stage.

The pageantry continued with Halford bringing out large flags & waving them before affixing them to the turret platforms where they billowed – thanks to strategically positioned fans – for the remainder of the set. Also, his constant between-song disappearances only saw him return in new costume after new costume as was befitting of the various tunes.

And onto the tunes: whilst there were some of the obvious favourites trotted out – “Metal Gods”, “Between The Hammer And The Anvil”, “Breaking The Law”, Sinner”, “Electric Eye”; there were also some surprises such as “Eat Me Alive” and “Rock Hard Ride Free”. The guitar interplay between Downing and Tipton was as energised as one would expect but for me the strength came from the solid, locked-in performance of the rhythm section of Hill and Travis – the former showing that why he, whilst not being a particularly flashy bassist, is such an important part of this band and the latter proving again that he is one of the best drummers in metal. And of course Halford has not lost that voice, even if some of the notes looked like they were taking some effort.

I don’t usually like to compare bands, however I will say that the performance from Priest’s UK metal peers Iron Maiden earlier in the year wins out for sheer attention-holding spectacle and momentum, this show was entirely fulfilling and enjoyable and met all expectations. Long live the Priest!


Set list:
Dawn of Creation (intro)
Prophecy
Metal Gods
Eat Me Alive
Between the Hammer and the Anvil
Devil’s Child
Breaking the Law
Hell Patrol
Death
(my memory is missing a track here – if anyone knows, fill me in)
Angel
The Hellion/Electric Eye
Rock Hard Ride Free
Sinner
Painkiller
---------------------------------
Hell Bent for Leather
The Green Manalishi (With the Two-Pronged Crown)
You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’

PORCUPINE TREE - Enmore Theatre 26/04/08

Porcupine Tree are special; it's hard to put a finger on what exactly makes them so, but the first time you hear them you know it's true. PT had already been flying expertly under my radar for nigh on a decade by the time I stumbled across them in an interview with Opeth's Mikael Akerfeldt in which he raved about his then-producer's band.

Slowly, but surely I have collected their works and enjoyed each for its unique character and flavour; each a testament to individuality as well as a part of a greater whole. I greeted the announcement of their first ever Australian tour with elation, but in addition came a niggling concern that the pedestal I had placed them upon may possibly have been set too high, therefore inviting disappointment. I needn't have worried.

With little fanfare the 5 musicians took the stage in front of a crowd containing more different types of people than I have seen at one show in a long time and proceeded to launch into the powerful opening strains of the title track from their latest album 'Fear Of A Blank Planet'; the song's video played on a screen behind the band and beautifully highlighted the tense alienation of the song's lyrics. The screen was used to great effect throughout the gig but not in such a way as to detract from the music - it wasn't always video images, sometimes it was just used to accentuate the rich muted lighting employed to great effect throughout the set.

From this point the band proceeded to more than do justice to every song selected from their wealth of material. Mainman Steven Wilson stated that unfortunately they wouldn't be able to do everyone's favourite, though I was fortunate in that quite a few of mine were aired, including "The Sound of Muzak", "Hatesong" and "Lazarus". Wilson has a gentle intensity about him that quietly commands attention; his vocals can be lilting or powerful but are always captivating and his musicianship was top notch. In fact the entire band must be commended for the technicality of their performance. I was particularly interested in keyboardist Richard Barbieri being as I am a fan of his old band Japan; everyone however put in an exemplary performance.

Wilson, padding about in bare feet moved about between his cohorts, providing the odd nod or cue here and there, but knowing that they were more than capable of handling themselves one often saw him caught up in his own performance which sometimes included thrashing both his guitar and head about madly... without missing a note of course. Thankfully there was enough subtle variation on some numbers that, for all the technical brilliance displayed, it never felt like you were listening to the CD, nor did it ever descend into that "for muso's only" type of wank-fest that gigs by bands with something of a prog bent often can; PT are far too much about the songs and we were treated to 15 gems.

After being told that the band had no idea they had so many fans in this country we were assured that the wait wouldn't be as long next time, though any wait at all could feel like forever as this was definitely one of the gigs of the year.

Set list (thanks to Kel Skye):

1. Fear Of A Blank Planet
2. What Happens Now?
3. The Sound Of Muzak
4. Lazarus
5. Anesthetize
6. Open Car
7. Dark Matter
8. Hatesong
9. A Smart Kid
10. Blackest Eyes
11. Way Out Of Here
12. Sleep Together
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13. Mother and Child Divided
14. Trains
15. Halo

JULIETTE AND THE LICKS - The Forum 25/04/08

The crossover from actor to singer/musician is one of the toughest in the twin arenas of art and entertainment; one only has to look at the mixed fortunes of, eg: Billy Bob Thornton the recording artist to see that the public's attitude to this move can be tricky to predict. This brings us to Juliette Lewis: always one to capture this hack's attention with her tough yet vulnerable character portrayals and quirky sex appeal, I was curious the moment I heard she'd put movies on the back burner to concentrate on her rock 'n' roll band.

I was fearful that she may be one to fall into the aforementioned trap, but having heard her singing voice in a couple of movies I thought she had a shot and I was rooting for her before I even heard a note. Their 'Four On The Floor' album is - as its title suggests - a straight-up driving rock 'n' roll record: a little punky here, a bit melodic there - but on stage the Licks somehow transcend such compartmentalisation, and what's more it seems almost effortless - they are just that cool.

This is a fantastic band and I'm intentionally referring the band as a unit here (as opposed to "Juliette & others") as they truly are a unit - amazing considering there have been a few lineup shuffles to deal with during their lifespan. The band do however know who the star of the show is and they let her go and just get on with it. The way she emotes in the softer sections and the way the screws loosen in the fired-up or angry moments are clues as to Juliette's "day-job" (as she put it) and while she interacts with looks and gestures with each of her bandmates, she does the same with members of the crowd - from the front to the back the room is in her hand.

"Hot Kiss", "Get Up", "Pray For The Band Latoya", "Inside The Cage" and personal favourite "Purgatory Blues" are all highlights along with an energised cover of AC/DC's "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap" (a few fudged lyrics but who cares..?) and show closer "You're Speaking My Language" featuring an extended middle section during which the whole band swapped instruments... without stopping!

They said they'd be back in a year ("What's a year?") So if you missed them this time don't make the same mistake then.

HENRY ROLLINS (Spoken Word) - York Theatre, Seymour Centre 24/04/08

Henry Rollins can tell a story. Whether humorous or serious, editorial or anecdotal he manages to hold your attention, which is just as well considering he's generally on stage for up to 3 hours.

There is a passion in his delivery which has matured with age so that now the ever-present anger is tempered with more humour than in previous years. Much of that humour is of the self-deprecating kind and Rollins is capable of putting laughter tears in one's eyes when describing some of his "not-so-cool" lifestyle aspects. At other times his stories of travel to various parts of the world (on this occasion Iran, Pakistan and Syria) seem not just "cool" but downright enviable.

For someone who has done and seen so much in his life and who has - through his music, books and performances - given so much of himself back, Rollins could easily come off as having some kind of superiority complex but to the contrary, he has always maintained a down-to-earth air. He has never appeared to develop that self-important demeanour that has befallen so many others and as a result he remains likeable even when espousing an opinion contrary to one's own.

Always a pleasure.

THE SUPERSUCKERS - Annandale Hotel 18/04/08

Being a bit of a latecomer to the magic of The Supersuckers, I was only really familiar with their 2003 album 'Motherfuckers Be Trippin''; having seen the rave reviews of previous live performances however, I wasn't going to miss this one especially as the venue was the intimate Annandale Hotel - host of many great rock shows over the years.

After a short delay in taking the stage Eddie Spaghetti corralled his boys and burst into a full-tilt set from the off, only pausing after about the fifth song to say "OK, the preamble is done, how about we start the set now?!.. Give it up for the greatest rock 'n' roll band in the world, The Supersuckers!!" Ya know that the last part is said with tongue firmly in cheek, though from the evidence of tonight's performance it's not far from the truth.

The whole band were tight and on fire throughout the duration of the set which kept up an engaging momentum from start to finish. Material was drawn from across the entire length of their career with some favourites being "Rock 'n' Roll Records (Ain't Selling This Year)", "I Want the Drugs", "Coattail Rider", "Creepy Jackalope Eye" and "Pretty Fucked Up". The Supersuckers manage to infuse their songs with an irreverent humour that never becomes a "joke" but cranks up the fun level immeasurably... their's is a brand of rock 'n' roll that you can dance to with a smile on your face.

In the words of Lemmy (Motorhead): "If you don't love The Supersuckers, you don't love rock 'n' roll."

W.A.S.P. - Metro Theatre 08/04/08

I had been waiting to see W.A.S.P. for a long time, being as they were one of the earlier "heavy" bands I got into back in the heady days of the '80's (Blackie Lawless at one point said it had been 22 years since he'd been on Australian soil and in '86 I was still a wee bit young to get to a lot of shows by the bands my parents hated!) so when I heard they'd be playing their '92 concept masterpiece 'The Crimson Idol' along with some other favourites I had my ticket quicker than you could say "now on sale".

With "Mephisto Waltz" serving as an intro, the stage darkened and then there they were: the most absurd '80's boots that any '80's hair-rocker could ever wish to see their hero standing in - white cowboy boots with long tassels all the way around. But the moment to giggle was short-lived as without a word, the band launched into the serious business of 'The Crimson Idol's opening track "The Titanic Overture" and commenced a performance that is currently tussling with Iron Maiden as my favourite of 2008 so far. Perhaps it was the lingering emotional connection to an album that resonated so profoundly with me when I heard it in my younger years, perhaps it was the closer confines of a much smaller venue (than Maiden's) - packed out, by the way - or maybe the fact that the band were just "on".

I had harboured fears of Blackie being bloated, careless and unable to belt out these tracks, but these fears were unfounded. The band too were excellent, in particular Doug Blair's guitar work. The stage lighting was dim for the majority of the main set as a video screen was employed to show the film that had been made to accompany the album but which, until this tour, had never been seen. The black and white images on screen complimented the music perfectly and elevated the album's already dramatic story-line, creating a powerful experience. (As did the complete lack of between song banter.) For a couple of later songs the screen gave way to fuller lighting showcasing the bands performance and this fitted well into the story, being used as it was for the protagonist's own stage performances. I have a hard time picking stand out tracks on the album and so too with it's live execution though "The Idol" and "The Great Misconception Of Me" come to mind.

I would have been well and truly satisfied if that had been the end of this show, however after 10 minutes of watching Elvis in his 'Aloha '76' concert during which time the band took a break, they were back to give us a handful more tracks, the stage now featuring the artwork from latest album 'Dominator' (from which there was one song played) and strangely, the Elvis footage continuing in the background(!) Here we were treated to some old fave's from the band's back catalog and were left with the hope that it won't take so long again.

For those (and there are many) who have dismissed W.A.S.P. as a result of their early career shock-rock antics and overt sexual themes have missed out on seeing Blackie Lawless develop his songcraft and create some of American music's most enduring tracks of the last 20-odd years... But the faithful in attendance tonight were treated to a feast.

Setlist:
(Intro - Mephisto Waltz)
The Crimson Idol
1. The Titanic Overture
2. The Invisible Boy
3. Arena Of Pleasure
4. Chainsaw Charlie (Murders In The New Morgue)
5. The Gypsy Meets The Boy
6. Doctor Rockter
7. I Am One
8. The Idol
9. Hold On To My Heart
10. The Great Misconceptions Of Me
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11. L.O.V.E. Machine
12. Wild Child
13. Take Me Up
14. I Wanna Be Somebody
15. Blind In Texas

(Will try and get a clip up soon.)

THE BLACK CROWES - Hordern Pavilion 30/03/08

The last time I saw The Black Crowes was at this very venue back when they were touring around the time of the 'Southern Harmony...' album and I remember that to be a fantastic show (the various substances imbibed at the time along with those wafting around the venue may have helped); on this particular Sunday night however, I was nowhere near as full of piss 'n' vinegar as I was back some 15+ years ago and it appeared the same could be said of the band.

Ambling on & languidly slipping into their groove (mostly slower to mid-tempo tonight) I found that from the get-go I wasn't really engaged. There was, to my ears, some bad mixing of Chris Robinson's mic which perhaps didn't help matters (much clearer was his brother Rich when he came to sing lead on the odd verse later in the set) and the band seemed intent on displaying the wares of their latest album 'Warpaint' rather than breaking out many favourites. This in itself is fine as I'm never one to only want to hear the "hits" but I felt that sometimes the set didn't flow perhaps as well as it could have.

Now I don't want to fill this review with only negatives as it was far from a bad gig: Chris' voice is as wonderful as ever and only matures with age, as does the band's sound as a whole. There wasn't too much in the way of extended jamming but there was some great lead work from both the keyboardist and the two guitarists to keep the musos in the crowd happy. The new tunes were enough to prompt me to pick up the new album the following day and while it's definitely a "grower" it contains some terrific tracks illustrating how much this band has matured whilst still maintaining their unique identity.

It wasn't the same band that I saw tonight and no doubt I am not the same person as last time either and it's just unfortunate that things didn't really "click" on this occasion as The Black Crowes are an American original and I hope we have seen the last hiatus from them for some time.

CORB LUND AND THE HURTIN' ALBERTANS - Sandringham Hotel 28/03/08

It may have been a small room but it was a hugely enthusiastic and appreciative crowd that greeted Canada's Corb Lund and The Hurtin' Albertans. This 4-piece's country sounds are something a little different for me as it is a genre where I am quite selective in what I'll listen to but this was one of the most enjoyable shows I've seen all year.

Like all the best country artists Corb is a great story teller and whilst some of his songs are serious and some not so, all are delivered with a rhythm and tone that capture the listener so that one gets caught up in the tale. Most of my favourites were songs from the 'Hair In My Eyes Like A Highland Steer' album (with which I'm most familiar) such as the title track, "Hurtin' Albertan", "All I Wanna Do Is Play Cards" and "The Truck Got Stuck". The tracks that were aired from the new album 'Horse Soldier! Horse Soldier!' (all stories about the cavalry in times of battle) also grabbed my ear enough to walk out with a CD from the merch table.

Despite the confined space there was dancin' and clappin' and hootin' and hollerin' from great portions of the crowd and the band too seemed to be having a great time - Corb was barely without a smile on his face (though maybe that had something to do with the beers he was chugging!) We were told that they've had the best reception this time from any of their Australian tours and have promised to be back soon... check 'em out.

(Photos by Vanessa Berry.)

KISS - Acer Arena 20/03/08

KISS know how to put on a show. It's as simple as that - regardless of what you think about the band or their music, they sure can entertain. And after 35 years their age really isn't showing performance-wise. This was an event with action from start to finish and in the words of Paul Stanley (still bouncing around and jumping in those boots even after a hip replacement!), KISS is about fun - no politics, no bad news just FUN!

The last time I saw KISS (2004) I chose to forgo their arena show when they announced they'd be playing a club show as I felt it would be a more unique experience - and it was - however I was left wanting to see the arena spectacular one more time. I say "one more time" because I have seen the band several times now (in different incarnations, with and without makeup) so without any new material on offer I'm not sure I need to make the investment again. This is not to say I was disappointed with what I saw, far from it.

All the hallmarks were there: the explosions, fire (and fire-breathing), levitating drumkit, etc. though for mine the best was Gene's introduction to "God Of Thunder" where, after his blood-spitting routine, he flew up to a platform on top of the lighting rig and performed the first half of the song from up there. I also enjoyed seeing Tommy Thayer sing "Shock Me" - he can "do Ace" vocally as well as on guitar - probably better than Ace can these days. Another pleasant surprise was the inclusion of "Lick It Up" - one of my favourite KISS songs - surprising because it is from the band's non-makeup period.

For pure spectacle, a good time and some great "big dumb rock songs" I highly recommend attendance at a KISS show to anyone - even just to see where all those other big rock acts pinched a lot of their show and performance ideas from.

Set list:
1. Deuce
2. Shout It Out Loud
3. C'mon And Love Me
4. Lick It Up
5. I Love It Loud
6. Firehouse
7. Calling Dr Love
8. Shock Me
9. Let Me Go, Rock And Roll
10. 100,000 Years
11. God Of Thunder
12. Black Diamond
13. Love Gun
14. Detroit Rock City
------------------------
15. Shandi
16. I Was Made For Loving You
17. Rock 'n' Roll All Nite

(All photos by Debbie Davis.)

OZZY OSBOURNE - Acer Arena 18/03/08

Ozzy's show was much as I expected it would be, a fact which could be viewed as both a good & bad thing. In the 11 years since his last visit he's become a TV star, survived an accident that nearly killed him, dealt with an intruder to his Buckinghamshire residence in the middle of the night & dealt with his wife's cancer scare & his kids' rehab visits; all the while continuing to perform on his annual Ozzfest jaunt in the US (in a reduced capacity on occasion it must be said). All of this led one to wonder how he'd carry himself through a 1.5 hour set after flying all the way Down Under for this tour.

Well I must say that - lengthy guitar solo during which he took a break aside - he did admirably for a man pushing 60. His voice (always unique but never technically brilliant) faltered on a few occasions with some missed notes during "Bark At The Moon" being the most glaring. Also, his vocals were quite heavily reverbed & there was a fair amount of holding the mic to the crowd for their participation; although, to be fair, he was prompting that participation in other ways all night too.

His "I can't hear you!" and "Go fucking crazy!" encouragements to the crowd were plentiful as was his traditional schtick of dousing himself and the crowd with numerous buckets of water. The setlist featured a few new tunes, with the bulk made up of tracks from the 'Blizzard Of Ozz' and 'No More Tears' albums along with the obligatory brace of Sabbath tracks, in this case "War Pigs" and show closer "Paranoid". Throughout it all the Prince of Darkness bounced around and clapped his hands with the glee of a young lad.

There's a lot that can (and has) been said about Ozzy and his career but he does come across as having a genuine feeling of delight at being on stage in front of a packed arena after all these years. The band too were solid, especially Mike Bordin on the kit and Zakk Wylde's unique shredding (who made a subtle but reverential motion skyward before launching into the "Crazy Train" solo, in respect of its author, Randy Rhoads).

I'm not sure I believe Ozzy when he says we won't have to wait another 11 years to see him again, but stranger things have happened... the way he's going he might just outlive us all.

Set list:
1. I Don't Wanna Stop
2. Bark At The Moon
3. Suicide Solution
4. Mr Crowley
5. Not Going Away
6. War Pigs
7. Road To Nowhere
8. Crazy Train
-- Guitar Solo
9. I Don't Know
10. Here For You
11. I Don't Wanna Change The World
----------------------------
12. Mama, I'm Coming Home
13. Paranoid

IMMORTAL - Metro Theatre 15/03/08

On their first visit to this country the Sons of Northern Darkness treated a capacity Metro crowd to that rarest of beasts: Black Metal that knows how to have fun. Now sure, all the hallmarks were there: the leather and spikes, the facepaint and fire-breathing along with furious riffs and a hellish roar but something that sets Immortal apart from many of their BM brethren is the volume of memorable songs in their catalogue.

On their later albums particularly, in amongst the blasting kick drums, etc. one can find a real groove and it was this that really drew one in during their set. "Damned In Black" and "One By One" really set the benchmark in this area (and this feel is one that frontman Abbath has continued with his other band, I - essentially a slightly blackened tribute to KISS and Motörhead). One thing that unfortunately slightly hampered the overall sound was the snare drum which really didn't cut through as it should have, though doubtless this was through no fault of the band and the drumming was excellent.

Some humour was thrown in with Abbath's vocal imitation of a didgeridoo solo and a general camping up of some of metal's cheesier elements. Throughout this, however, the integrity of the band's excellent music was maintained and the set was well balanced in its energy and execution.

Immortal's visit was unexpected and their performance and material are shining examples of the diversity within their genre. Here's hoping that now they're back together we see a new album and a speedy return visit.

HORSE THE BAND - Metro Theatre 05/03/08

HORSE the Band had just exploded onto the stage as I entered the venue to discover that it was not the Metro's main stage they were playing on but the tiny stage in a rather small room (still under construction as it appeared) adjacent to the bar area. However, despite the fact that they were crammed together, placing each member in some danger of physical harm as a result of the frenetic movements they were all making to match the sound of the music, the whole band appeared to be very much enjoying themselves. The drummer in particular was never without a grin on his face as he wrapped is arms and legs around some insane, syncopated and pummeling beats to the amazement of anyone who stopped throwing themselves around the pit long enough to watch.

Much has been made of HORSE the Band's use of old synths, GameBoys, etc. to inject some melody into their otherwise full-on whatever-core-you-want-to-call-it sound and they certainly do the trick when it comes to helping HtB stand out from a very overpopulated crowd. This band truly do have their own sound that all at once is a brutal, noisy, melodic, bouncy, eccentric, schizophrenic scream of a thing and it's impossible not to get caught up in it to some degree. And caught up in it most people were with the front of stage a whirlpool of human bodies which managed to suck the band's vocalist in on more than one occasion. I say "most" though because there seemed to be an inordinate number of young (perhaps) college types who seemed to be out only to show off their cool outfits to anyone who'd cast a second glance and hug and talk loudly with their friends all through the set. This is something I've never understood - there is no shortage of bars in this city in which one can rendez-vouz with friends. Anyway...

For those of us watching, the band was very entertaining - I particularly enjoyed watching the keyboardist trying to nail his parts whilst dancing, jumping and pogoing around the stage. The vocalist made some fun with an oven mitt puppet thrown onto the stage and made a point of telling the assembled throng the band's hotel name and room number in an invitation to carry on after the show. I hope that HORSE the Band manage to get back to these shores before too long and that a better room sound and vantage point is available to do them justice.

HELLOWEEN - Metro Theatre 28/02/08

A blast from the past this one; 20-odd years ago I was enjoying Helloween's rousing Power Metal on albums such as 'Walls Of Jericho' and the two 'Keeper Of The Seven Keys' albums. Admittedly, they had fallen off my radar in recent years, though it must be said that this band has influenced countless others and have maintained a solid output over the course of their career.

Opening tonight with their seminal "Halloween" from the first 'Keeper...' album was a terrific way to begin the show, its 13 minutes of pure unadulterated twin guitar lead and operatic vocal metal got the crowd fired up and suitably in the mood. The band too seemed to be enjoying themselves on this their first visit to our shores and were hamming it up for all they were worth. Whilst obviously serious about their songcraft and playing, Helloween have never been afraid to laugh with and at themselves as the occasional odd diversion albums such as 'Pink Bubbles Go Ape' and 'Rabbit Don't Come Easy' (don't the titles just say it all?!) can attest.

Singer Andi Deris was in fine voice, both on his recorded material and the earlier tracks, with one of the latter, the anthemic "March Of Time", being a firm favourite for me and, it seemed, most of the crowd.

After an extremely enjoyable 45 mins, however, things unfortunately turned sour as yours truly was felled by a headache out of the blue of the kind of jackhammer-in-the-skull variety that renders one practically incapable of remaining upright. I certainly don't suggest that the music was the culprit as I have never in my life had music of any kind cause a headache, but much as I tried to shake it off and enjoy the remainder of the show, it was too strong and I had to take my leave. So much as the gig was for me, at this point this review becomes truncated. Let me say though, on an "up" note, that even after only 45 mins I felt I had got my money's worth and I hope to have the opportunity to catch this enjoyable outfit the next time they grace us with their presence.

(Bad quality phone camera photos, I know, but better than nothing.)

IRON MAIDEN (+ Behind Crimson Eyes + Lauren Harris) - Acer Arena, 09/02/08

The last time Iron Maiden were here was on the back of the 'Fear Of The Dark' album in the early '90's and they played the 5,500 capacity Hordern Pavilion; all these years later and they are playing two nights at the 21,000 capacity Acer Arena - testament to the staying power of one of the greatest bands in the history of rock music (heavy or otherwise) and to the loyalty of their fanbase, many of whom had brought their young children along tonight.

Opening the show was Lauren Harris, daughter of Maiden bassist Steve. Far from earning her place on this tour through daddy's blind nepotism, Lauren proved her worth with an upbeat and rocking performance. She has a strong voice and stage presence; showing plenty of spunk she projected well, even in such a large venue, with her band backing up ably. By the end of the set it appeared as though most of the early crowd had been won over. The songs were enjoyable if not yet entirely unique, however what is unique is a young woman breaking into music with a hard rock sound as opposed to the more common pop/r'n'b/urban style favoured by most; more power to her.

There was another support act tonight, however I took the opportunity during their set to enjoy a drink in the bar area. Unfortunately this didn't stop me hearing a fair portion of their awful set including the worst version of Motörhead's "Ace Of Spades" that I think I've ever had the misfortune of hearing. Their tragic emocore name Behind Crimson Eyes pretty much sums up their sorry state of affairs and just as they were booed from the stage last night, they'll receive no link here from me. (I mention their name only so you know what to avoid.)

After an impatient wait the house lights finally dimmed and the most deafening roar I have heard from a crowd in a long time threatened to lift the roof clean off the venue. The video screens treated us to a short video montage of the band's journey and arrival on their own specially commissioned Boeing 757 'Ed Force One' which is carrying band, crew and gear on this tour and being piloted by vocalist Bruce Dickinson. Then the familiar voice of Winston Churchill rang out intoning his famous "We will fight them on the beaches..." speech and in a flash the band were amongst us launching into "Aces High". The youthful energy displayed by these six - let's face it - middle-aged men put bands half their age to shame. Dickinson bounded back and forth between the drum riser and the front-of-stage monitors, Harris bounced around, Dave Murray and Adrian Smith threw shapes and Janick Gers danced, twirled and flung his guitar around while up the back Nicko McBrain pounded his kit relentlessly whilst appearing relaxed and making it all look so easy.

This being the "Somewhere Back In Time" tour, focusing on the '80's Dickinson albums, the stage set was designed to match and was very impressive. Mainly based around the original 'Powerslave' set and featuring amps hidden by walls bearing hieroglyph designs, Egyptian sarcophagi (with glowing red eyes, no less!) and runways around the back and both sides (which Dickinson made great use of), the design also incorporated artwork from 'Somewhere In Time' and 'Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son' on an impressive array of interchangeable backdrops. Dickinson also treated us to several costume changes: a red jacket and flag for "The Trooper", a tattered shawl for "Rime Of The Ancient Mariner" and an African mask for "Powerslave" and in addition picked up a fan-made "Eddie" mask thrown onto the stage, put it on backwards and proceeded to dance about strangely. However, even with all the movement (which rarely let up) his voice lost none of its power and he hit all his notes. Eddie himself (a towering cyborg version) made an appearance - as traditionally - during the band's eponymous track, lurching across the stage pointing his raygun and "fighting" with the guitarists.

I got the sense that the band were somewhat awed by the reception afforded them tonight - at one point where Bruce appeared to be intending to speak between songs, he was unable as he was met with a deafening roar which didn't let up for several minutes. And of course every time he called "Scream for me Sydney!" the response was thunderous. In fact, we were told that we had provided the warmest welcome of any crowd in any city in the world at any time and unlike such comments often made by bands, this sounded genuine. This is a band of incredible musicians who were all in fine form and who appeared to be truly enjoying themselves; when you consider the number of times they must have played these songs by now, I'd say that's something rare and special.

We've been promised that we won't have to wait another decade and a half to see Maiden again and I look forward to the opportunity to witness some material from other eras of their long and distinguished career as even though they appear to be affording themselves some greater comfort on the road at this stage of the game, they don't appear to be ready to hang it up yet by a long shot.

Setlist (correct me in the Comments if any are out of order):

01. Intro - Churchill's Speech / Aces High
02. 2 Minutes To Midnight
03. Revelations
04. The Trooper
05. Wasted Years
06. The Number Of The Beast
07. Run To The Hills
08. Rime Of The Ancient Mariner
09. Powerslave
10. Heaven Can Wait
11. Can I Play With Madness?
12. Fear Of The Dark
13. Iron Maiden
-----------------------------------------
14. Moonchild
15. The Clairvoyant
16. Hallowed Be Thy Name

Edit: See Jason's comment below regarding "Run To The Hills" & "Can I Play With Madness?"

This show was well worth the wait and I recommend that anyone looking for a truly enjoyable, world-class performance check them out upon their return, especially if for one reason or another you were unable to see them this time around.

Up the Irons!

(Atilla has some pictures from the show here.)

SHIHAD - Factory Theatre, 08/02/08

Shihad have always been one of my favourite live bands, their energy and passion for "the rock" being infectious like a virus. Born frontman Jon Toogood tonight is the wiry ball of energy he's always been and he makes the comment that he's missed playing live whilst the band have been away recording their soon-to-be-released new album 'Beautiful Machine'. The rest of the boys also appear in great spirits, Karl Kippenberger in particular grinning and grooving around his basslines all night.

Firing out of the blocks with their traditional opener, the title track of their watershed album 'The General Electric', has the crowd involved from the get-go and Toogood encourages the continuation of that involvement for the several new songs that are aired, with commendable success. The new material sees the band bringing some of the, dare-I-say, "pop" elements to the forefront of their sound without sacrificing their unique edge. It is, of course, the 'General Electric' material that receives the biggest response with the crowd arm-waving ("Pacifier"), bouncing ("Wait And See") and shouting along ("My Mind's Sedate") with great abandon.

It is brought to our attention that the band are celebrating their 20th year together ("who'd have thunk it") and so as a special treat we were given an incendiary version of "Screwtop" from the band's debut 'Churn'. This was a special moment for me having been turned onto the band with that very album and missing that material as it has been left out of the band's live set for some years.

Live favourite "Home Again" and first encore "Run" are highlights and with a performance that saw both Toogood and guitarist Phil Knight climbing on their monitors and Toogood diving into the appreciative crowd their really was not a dull moment. It's good to have them back.

THE POLICE (+ Fergie + Fiction Plane) - ANZ Stadium, 24/01/08

Fiction Plane, the opening act featuring Sting's son, I heard but didn't see as I was still outside chatting with friends, but what I heard didn't impress; the Edge guitar tones were there along with derivative song structures & nothing to get excited over... perhaps the acorn falls further from the tree than once thought. Next up: Fergie - a strange choice for this bill if ever there was one. She proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that she has nothing going for her & systematically destroying songs by Wings, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin & others didn't help her cause on this evening celebrating real muso's as opposed to record label "poppets". She's already taken up too much of this review so let's move on.

Opening with what I thought was a fairly pedestrian run through of "Message In A Bottle" didn't bode well for The Police though Stewart Copeland (always the best musician in this band) was terrific from the get-go. Some primary coloured paint splash effects on the screens detract from the performance (appearing to be a reference to the 'Synchronicity' cover), however the visual director settles down for 3rd track "Walking On The Moon" (after Sting introduces the band & lets us know about his month relaxing in Byron Bay).

The sound quality always tends to fluctuate in an outdoor venue such as this (a huge football stadium) but the instrument balance is good even if the vocals are a little high in the mix. Andy Summers' playing is excellent & his tone (from a selection of Fenders) is nice & clean; "When The World Is Running Down" in particular featured some superb guitar work. "Wrapped Around Your Finger" was a wonderful showcase for Copeland's percussion skills, his varied beats anchoring & defining the song beautifully.

All tracks are performed well, though I couldn't help but feel I was witnessing some "going-through-the-motions" (especially from Sting who often appeared to be phoning in his performance) which is not surprising I suppose as these guys know what they can get away with to still satisfy the crowd & collect their not-insubstantial paycheck.

On a more positive note "Invisible Sun" was a genuine highlight as was the 1st encore "King Of Pain". In addition to the aforementioned tracks the set list was somewhat predictable (to be expected) with "Roxanne", "Every Breath You Take", "Don't Stand So Close To Me", "Can't Stand Losing You" et al all trotted out to the delight of the, mostly older, crowd. All in all this was a good show, though not a great one for my money. I was glad to have had the opportunity to see this band though I doubt that I would choose to again.

BABY ANIMALS - South Sydney Juniors Leagues Club, 23/01/08

Baby Animals were going great guns in the early '90s with a hit album, a second one just released & several high profile tours under their collective belt. That is until record company red tape stopped them in their tracks. Unfortunate then really that they weren't able to reconvene at any point in well over a decade, but with front woman Suze DeMarchi living Stateside & embracing marriage & motherhood it wasn't to be. Until now.

Apparently the band members had all kept in touch & all are present (how many reunions can boast that?) & upon finding themselves with the opportunity & inclination they started jamming on tunes old & new. It is the former group that most interests us on this occasion as this quiet run of shows is designed to showcase their newly-released 'Il Grande Silenzio', a collection of acoustic & stripped-down reworkings of old favourites. However it seems the band had other ideas, treating us to a full rocking set with just a couple of acoustic numbers in the middle to break things up (including a strong, yet almost plaintive rendition of "Don't Tell Me What To Do").

Opening with a fiery "Rush You" (its refrain of "I wouldn't wanna rush you" a tongue-in-cheek reference to their time away, perhaps) with Suze DeMarchi skipping & dancing like a whirling dervish across the stage as though she'd never been away & bassist Eddie Parise grinning like a kid playing his high school dance, the band are tighter than one would expect after so long & look genuinely pleased to be playing to a full room tonight. Of course the hits were always going to be the favourites & with DeMarchi strapping on a guitar for "Break My Heart" & "Painless" they were delivered in fine form. Dave Leslie's guitar work was on the money all night & he even got to share vocal duties on a respectful (if not completely "punk") version of The Damned's "Smash It Up" & sing lead on the first encore of The Police's "Next To You".

Unlike so much early nineties music, the band's songs have aged well & "Working For The Enemy", "One Word" & "One Too Many" all sounded excellent, with "Stoopid" & "Ain't Gonna Get" being particularly rockin'. DeMarchi's voice is as strong as it ever was & her performance was intensely watchable. After expressing their thanks & finishing with a kicking version of "Early Warning" we were told that they'd see us next time & with the band's renewed activity it thankfully seems that the wait won't be so long. Hopefully they'll have the chance to finish what they started & get their due.

(Photo taken by Vanessa Berry)

AMON AMARTH - Enmore Theatre, 06/01/08

I have been a fairly recent convert to Sweden's Amon Amarth & as such don't have all the song names memorized so this won't be my most authoritative review. After purchasing & enjoying their last release 'Fate of Norns' it slipped off my radar & it was only upon deciding to purchase a ticket for this show that I thought I had better pick up their latest, 'With Oden on Our Side'. I guess then that I am partly responsible for this band not being as big as they deserve to be. Their death metal template is tempered with a fine understanding & command of melody, they're not showy in the way of their countrymen Arch Enemy, but organically infuse their music with just enough to provide a dynamic greater than most proponents of the style can seem to muster these days.

Their viking themes are delivered with an understanding & sincere passion that elevates them above being mere schtick and it must be said that frontman Johan Hegg fits the profile perfectly: tall, broad & bearded he commands the stage with ease but isn't too self-conscious to flash a smile once in a while.

The band too are superb with a strong rhythm section providing a sturdy platform for the guitarists' effortless interplay. Their latest offering is plundered for all it's worth but plenty of time is also given to older numbers. All sound fantastic (this is a great sounding venue, it must be said) & seamless in transition.

The healthy Enmore crowd are extremely vocal in their reception & enjoyment of the performance on offer & don't allow the band much of a break before demanding "one more song".

As the band raised their drinking horns to chants of "skoll" from the crowd, they showed obvious appreciation for the reception they've received here at the opposite end of the earth on the final dates of their world tour. They have given us a masterful performance of the metal kind & we don't need to leave it in the lap of the gods (Norse or otherwise) to see that this band reaches the pinnacle it so rightly deserves.

(Please excuse the quality of the photos - they were taken w/ my BlackBerry)