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
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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.)