Ben Folds & WASO (2005)

Last night I had the pleasure of spending a beautiful March evening with a few thousand other Perthites in Kings Park. The occasion, we had all come to see Ben Folds team up with the Western Australian Symphony orchestra.

For those of you not familiar with the Perth scene, this is a regular WASO event which sees them team up with a diverse bunch of muso's (last year was George from Play School!) mixing culture and class for the common people.

The evening kicked off before sunset with support act Blanche Dubois putting on a great set of songs I've never heard though the lead singers voice sounded surprisingly familiar. According to those in the know "Blanche DuBois are one of those rare talents whose sound is indicative of neither a specific era nor a specific place; it is universal" (Xpress magazine, Perth – April 2004) so check them out if you get a chance. By sunset everyone was well and truly set for the appearance of Ben Folds.

Cue the man himself, resplendently presented in a shirt he had worn the night before (due to filming for a DVD) to deliver a set which included most of his popular hits with the support of a 90 member strong symphony orchestra. While a number of (no doubt) straight up WASO fans may have left early (due possible to Ben's fruity language) in a word Ben was simply brilliant!.

The highlight of the evening was probably the impromptu rendition of 'Rock this bitch' to satisfy the front row crowd and Ben's self proclaimed 'verbal diarrhea' which confirmed that if the music business fails a crack at stand up comedy is not beyond this talented former Adelaide resident.

Even an over indulgence of hot salami couldn't spoil what was a truly memorable cross cultural experience. If you missed it you can always get the DVD !

big day out (2005)

Once again the big day out hit town (Perth) and I was there to experience everything that a big day has to offer along with 36,000 other punters.

My first priority of the day was to catch The Donnas at 12:15. To my surprise unlike last years BDO when the early bands played to relatively small crowds, the punters had turned out in force, a fact that was not lost on the appreciative Donnas. Their set included most of the current album as well as some old stuff dedicated to some front row groupies. As early as it was the girls delivered a good solid start to a long musical day. Next up on the adjacent stage was Perth band Eskimo Joe who delivered a solid set which even an unplanned out of tune guitar pause could not detract from. How these guys have not become bigger I don’t know but they sound as good if not better live. A short shift back to the Orange Stage saw me as I was about to discover a little too close the mosh action to see Spiderbait. Even though these guys have been around for just over ten years the bulk of younger punters would be most familiar with their cover of ram jam’s ‘Black Betty’. However for the more mature fans, their own song (of the current album) ‘Fuckin Awesome’ best describes these guys. They had the crowd bouncing from start to finish and had one particular older fan reliving his youth.
Due to lack of ‘match fitness’, now was the time for a short food and drinks intermission and a chance to catch some of the other BDO activities including the ‘Crusty Demons’ (best described as lunatics on dirt bikes) doing outrageous aerial manoeuvres. Normally I am not attracted to petrol head antics but these guys have to be admired.
Recharged and ready, it was time to sample the smaller stage action which kicked off with (another Perth band) Little Birdy. Having admired the talents of Katy Steele from afar for some time I was not disappointed with the performance despite the long haul of BDO’s taking its toll on Katy’s voice, which at one point in the set prompted Katy to call for a butter menthol. Sore throat aside Little Birdy did not disappoint with a truly professional gig.
Next up on the adjacent stage was the New York all girl three piece Le Tigre. I had made a point of seeing these ‘guys’ out of pure curiosity after seeing (on Rage) and hearing a few of their tracks on Triple J. I think while I may not fit the stereotypical Le Tigra fan mould, after seeing them live I guess that’s really what they are about, there is nothing stereotypical about the band and looking around me neither are the punters, a very mixed bunch indeed. Technology problems and lack of video accompaniment (seen on the east coast gigs!) aside I was suitably impressed by Le Tigre’s feminist punk electronic sound (sort of Julie Brown meets DEVO) to check out more of their stuff off their latest album. As an aside it was funny when JD Samson (self proclaimed butch lesbian) explained to one punter that she was in fact a woman.
Unfortunately I was unable to stick around to the end of their set as I had to leg it through the crowd back to the main stage in a vain attempt to catch Grinspoon. After a quick peek at Nude Rodeo (with KK Juggy of MGF fame) at the Lillypad I was unfortunately unable to get into the main stage area so I had (unfortunately) to settle for a side view from the drinks area. Not that this diminished the set as the ‘grinners’ had many if not all the punters singing along to their extensive string of catching rock tunes. While I may not have been able to see and hear Phil Jamieson (looking larger than ever) clearly rest assured there were many stand in Phil’s close at hand that could take his place should the need arise.
Following on from Grinspoon was those crazy masked larrikins more widely known as Slipknot. While thousands of dedicated and (in)appropriately dressed fans had turned up for a dose of crazy masked action, Slipknot are NOT exactly my kettle of fish so it was time for another chill out. Fortunately for me, DJ Carl Cox made a surprise visit to the Lillypad, so my time was not as unproductive as first I had thought. Funnily enough Slipknot are not too bad visually when you have Carl Cox drowning out their vocals (if that what you call them?). Unmoved by the prospect of catching System of a Down (again I fail to see the attraction) I stuck around for more Carl Cox. Soon enough though it was time to mix it with the System of a Down fans as I endeavoured to get in close to the main stage for a peek at Powderfinger. These guys like many of the aussie bands before them have been doing it well for many years. However lead singer Bernard Fanning signalled that given this would be their last gig for a year it would be a big one and he was right. Aided by the onset of night and an impressive video backdrop Powderfinger delivered a spectacular set of all their hits. Well done boys, see you in a year hopefully with a new album!.
Next up were the Beastie Boys. Clearly a crowd favourite these guys initially delivered a visual audio treat but (sadly for many) faded into a ‘bizzaro world’ barber shop quartet mid set. No need to despair with a significant section of the punters distracted I took the opportunity to skate over to see Regurgitator bang out a few tunes. Free of the Channel V ‘bubble’ these guys still have the ability to deliver a tight set based around new and old tunes which could still evoke movement out of the tiring crowd, myself included. Next on the plan was to catch the Chemical Brothers in the boiler room. Unfortunately the larger than expected crowd had filled the boiler room to capacity leaving me with little option but to go home. The up side of this was a less than anticipated Monday fatigue. All things equal the biggest winners of the day were the aussie bands who generally speaking were far and away better (with a few exceptions) than their international counterparts and despite missing a few acts due to conflicting set times my only beef was that Sarah Blasko didn’t make it to Perth! Long live the Big Day Out!

30 years of the Jays

In what is the 30 year anniversary of Triple J, I recommend you take a trip down memory lane by reading an article written by Gayle Austin, former Jays DJ, on the early years at what is now Triple J which appeared in the SMH recently.

Click here to read the article.

The Incredibles (2004)

When Director Brad Bird (The Iron Giant) teams up with Pixar the result is a film well worth the admission just to see it on the big screen.

The first indicator of this films greatness is simultaneously maintaining the attention of a four year boy and the obligatory adult tagalongs alike, something films like last years Shark Tale (can we go home yet?) failed miserably to do.

The Incredibles is a tale of Mr Incredible (Craig T Nelson), a superhero frustrated by forced retirement due the governments liability concerns and whiling away his days in insurance and suburbia. He (Bob Parr) and wife Helen, aka Elastigirl (Holly Hunter) are trying to make a go of it with their three kids Violet, Dash and Jack Jack until the arrival of a nasty little villain called Syndrome (Jason Lee) who is bent on ridding the world of super hero’s.

Even at a little over 2 hours long, the plot required to captivate adults is brilliant while the action keeps the little viewers glued to the screen also. As a special treat, kiddie favourite Samuel L Jackson provides a profanity free but very cool cameo as Mr Incredibles' buddy Frozone. The result is indeed an incredible movie well worth watching, even without a tagalong. Much as it pains me to say it ‘Bring on the sequel !’

78 Saab - Crossed Lines

Four long years after the debut ‘Picture a Hum, Can’t Hear a Sound’ Sydney four piece 78 Saab are back with their second full length release ‘Crossed Lines’.

I’d had my ear on this since its release late in 2004 and was not disappointed when Santa delivered it on Christmas day!

Working with producer Tim Whitten (Powderfinger, Hoodoo Gurus, Art of Fighting), the album was a long time coming but was well worth the wait.

It has been said that 78 Saab are a beautiful rock and roll band like no other and I agree. Singer - Ben Nash's distinctive vocals accompany psychedelic guitars with the dreamy rhythm section across a classic album of emotive and endearing songs that range from gently textured trippier moments to unrestrained rock.

If reaching #15 on Triple J’s Net 50 is any indication ‘Come On’ is the standout track on this 11 track gem. Not that the other tracks on the album leave you numb, this album is a must for anyone sick to death of manufactured commercial rubbish. I can only hope Santa delivers more of the same in 2005.