The Marshalltown was on hand to witness the Mars Volta showcase a large selection of tracks from their forthcoming album at a recent gig in Melbourne. Judging by this set, Volta fans have a lot to be excited about.
Read MoreA cold snow riddled night in an old hall brimming with spirit was the perfect setting for Ellie Goulding’s penultimate UK tour date. As fans spilled in sporting their warm winter wardrobe, layers were peeled off in accordance to the rising anticipation in the room. The support act (The Danger Is) did a fine job at getting the crowd psyched, pumping out the pulse the night would follow thereafter. Although largely unknown, the band gave their all, causing the crowd to sing along regardless of whether they were actually singing the right words. In the aftermath of The Danger Is, Ellie continued the spirit of the night, opening the show with the same song that opened the doors of her career – “Under The Sheets”. A raucous drum solo and a shimmering Ellie started the night with a bang, which quickly settled down into a glowing ember. A lampshade wheeled out on...
Read MoreAt 76 years of age Leonard Cohen still has it. Whatever it is that “it” refers to in this saying is rather perplexing, because the word is a singular neuter pronoun, which grammatically would only refer to one thing, however Cohen undoubtedly defies this truism with an exhibition of his many talents in his 2010 Australian tour. The man has got everything. An embodiment of all that is music and performance, the audience is entirely enslaved by a lined, silver haired yet oh so dignified and dapper Cohen and his nine piece band. Proving that age has no limitations (well, certainly not in his case) he performed a generous three and a half-hour long set at Rod Laver Arena, with no signs of exhaustion or apathy towards his music or his audience. The passion is alive and well. A long way from the Cohen of the 60s and 70s, he delivers...
Read MoreFor Jason Derulo, the sky is the limit. Derulo’s music, an infusion of urban, pop and R’n’B beats, has graced the radio waves for over a year, inspiring a wave of other artists to adopt his musical style. The audience was left waiting in anticipation as two special guests performed. A trio of good-looking, booty shaking girls was the first guest act and they put on a good performance. A shame the bass was so loud that no one could hear their voices and when they announced the name of their group, no one heard. The second special guest was Australian artist Morgan Joanel. Accompanied by an acoustic guitar and a tambourine, her music did not appeal to the audience. Completely unfamiliar with her music, there were more than a few people wondering why she was there, hoping that she’d exit the stage sooner rather than later. This wasn’t helped by her...
Read MoreI went to go see Deerhunter play at the Metro in Chicago last month because someone told me that their live show was akin to a “religious experience.” I think that an introduction like that would set anyone up for failure. I can say there wasn’t anything supernatural about the performance … it was just a solid show. The first act up was Casino vs. Japan which is really good mood music for insomniacs. This music puts you deep in a trance like state. I had been attempting to listen to this guy’s music in my car but I kept finding myself driving off the road. Casino vs. Japan is just one guy and some equipment. He warned us before he started that there wouldn’t be much to look at during his show so he would understand if we wanted to sit on the floor and whatnot. I felt like...
Read MoreThe high quality of a live band is apparent if you spend half their set trying to figure out if the whole band is faking it and it’s all being played on a backing track. Stealing O’Neal displayed such talent at their underage album release show. The support acts were also very impressive. On stage first was up-and- coming, five piece, Melbourne alternative rock group, We Rob Banks. With a solid set in their first Melbourne show, expect big things from this band. Secondly, in a massive genre change, hardcore act Dream On, Dreamer took the stage. DOD, who just recently wrapped up touring Australia with American power houses Attack Attack! and Pierce the Veil, pulled out all the stops and got the kids up and moving. Third support act was Gold Coast pop-punk boys, Skyway. While Skyway are good what they do, pop-punk has seemingly been running in circles since the early 2000s. Never the...
Read MoreFrank (Just Frank), a duo originally from France, have been playing shows throughout Europe and the US promoting their debut release The Brutal Wave and hitting clubs and venues with their modern take on Cold Wave. On my way from London to Berlin I was informed of a six-hour delay for my flight and given a £6 voucher for my troubles. £6 for six hours? Great, that won’t even get me two beers, thanks Easy Jet! Time to get drunk and find something to do for the next six hours at an airport. Arriving in Berlin, I rush to the venue. Slightly confused, I was surprised that smoking was permitted indoors and two beers were only €5 euros! The club had a really cool vibe to it and the people were from all across the world, making it an international gathering. Soviet Soviet, the post punk outfit from Italy initiated the night. Unfamiliar...
Read More
Within the depths of Billboards the Venue, the hype surrounding the long awaited return of The Getaway Plan (TGP) filled the room. However, the light of TGP's come back was not the only shining message of the night. Revival for Youth Depression was not only about music, but about raising money, awareness and support...
Read More
Anthony Green. Photo by Alisee Cattebeke
With it being streamed live online to a worldwide audience, Circa Survive fans have been looking forward to this London gig for a long time. Outside in the queue...
Read More
