MyWorldTour

Smuggle

2011-01-10T23:00:00.000-08:00

So after some helpful hints of how to get drinks into a festival ....

...which clearly ended in pain...

Our high level journalistic skill led us to a few young punters who shows us how its done

"It's called stanema"..... "Stamina?"

Vegemite Is Better Than Marmite

2011-01-09T13:44:00.000-08:00

Entering the stage in simple jeans and a t-shirt a man began introducing the audience to our next act, Beardyman. He was not dressed to impress and had a strong Australian accent so we assumed this was just one of the organisers. Then he started cracking jokes, he was fast, funny and soon enough the accent dropped. This was Beardyman and we were in for one hell of a ride.

Despite being a solo act, Beardyman aka Darren Foreman, dominated the audience and ensured everyone shut the hell up and gave him their full attention. It was pretty cool to watch this one man have such control over the audience. But then again anyone who rips on the English and starts chanting anything even remotely ‘aussie’ will be well received, even if it is just “Vegemite is better than marmite”.

Having twice won the world beat boxing championships Beardyman soon made is way in to homes world wide via YouTube. Famous for using live loops that sample his vocals this man is incredible to watch and when beat boxing he can even bust out two different sounds out once – no idea how he does what he does. From drum and bass beats to material that would lead you thinking this man is a professional comedian, Beardyman was an unexpected highlight of falls. And what’s more, this man could even sing (when he had to).

He is a taste of what this mind-blowing pom can do

Falls Day 3

2011-01-04T16:47:00.000-08:00

Inside our hotel with the air con on we were oblivious to the fact that out side it was already (at Midday) about 30 degrees. The air was thick and the wind just as intensely hot. The max temp for the day was heading towards forty and all we could think was thank god I’m not trying to sleep off this hangover in a tent. .

We made it to the festival much later today and as we jumped on one of the usually empty shuttles back to the festival, it was full. Punters had left their camp site in search of the Lorne’s stunning beaches. Wise move.

The festival seemed empty as we walked in, there would have been about 200 or so people on the hill or in the sun, the rest of the people were trying to cram under what little shelter they could find. Next to food vans, under the one actual sun shelter, inside the Grand Theatre or staying back at their tents (although with the strength of the wind many had already been blown flat). Looking around the festival this wind also caused several dramas for the girls - blowing dresses up (to which the guys cheered) and blowing dust on to freshly applied lip-gloss/pawpaw resulting in what is now known as the female festival tache.

Inside the Grand Theatre the comedy was on again, only this time drawing a massive crowd (thanks partly to the heat).

First of our musical act today was California four piece, The Morning Benders, who were hitting our shores for the first time and were clearly thankful to be here. With only one LP out, The Big Echo, this set felt as though their material had to be thickened out with extended instrumentals. Whirling pop and soaring electric grooves, this band showcased elements of surf pop that is true to California while also incorporating experimental elements akin Animal Collective.

Attempting to brave the elements back out in the blistering heat we caught the first few tracks of Beautiful Girls. They were good but not so inspiring that we wanted to stay, so we retired to the shelter of the Grand Theatre to catch another previously unheard of artist, Tijuana Cartel. Playing an impressive mix of musical genres this set showcased an eclectic blend instruments.

Back out in the sun no heat would make us miss Cold War Kids. People again doing what they could to cool down, umbrellas, tarps, getting hosed down at the medical tent and one group of geniuses even brought a kiddie pool. No idea how they filled it.

Cold War Kids introduced their audience to some new material off an album they assured us would be out in early 2011. Classic tracks like Hang Me Up To Dry and Red Wine Success has people singing along with every world. The powerful vocals of Nathan Willet and his stunning piano chords (sadly only played on keyboard this time) made this indie blues set what it was.

I had been told about an artist called Beardy Man when I was overseas and somehow I had always managed to miss him. Not this time, I dragged Rowan along to see this unique beat boxer and although this is a style that would usually not interest us, we were freaking blown away. This dude needs his own blog – more soon.

Front and centre for Perth psychedelic four piece, Tame impala. Their musical mix of 60’s and 70’s has turned many heads since releasing debut album Innerspeaker, produced mostly by lead singer, Kevin Parker. What is great about seeing these youngsters it that they are still grounded and still in awe of how far they have come. Unfortunately yesterdays set, with drawn out instrumentals boarded on boring. Tracks off the bands EP including Half Full Glass of Wine and Sundown Syndrome still managed to steel the show.

(festival parade)

Up next, The National, who put on a chilling performance of brooding vocals that made this performance almost addictive. The set list was heavily comprised of material off recent album High Violet with single, Anyone’s Ghost was clearly a crowd favourite. The Brooklyn based group’s set was genuinely flawless and a highlight of the festival.

Highly anticipated NYC dance-punk outfit, The Rapture, hit the stage next. With an explosive set list consisting mostly of tracks off Pieces of the People We Love, these scenesters proved they know how to get a crowd going. Highly infectious groves and sax breakdowns ensured The Rapture’s set was another festival highlight and a perfect lead up to the new year.

5, 4, 3, 2, 1

Inside the Grand Theatre, Casio Kids counted down those final seconds before midnight. With streamers flowing and balloons dropping from the roof our cheers combined with those outside at main stage to create a boisterous celebration. As many turning to who ever was closest and leaning in for that iconic NYE kiss the Casio Kids geared their electro-pop set back into full swing. During this celebration some guys began to climb the tent and made it on the roof for one last dance before security caught them on their way down and dragged their sorry asses out.

Joan Jet and the Heartbeat playing the village stage put on a killer performance of I Love Rock and Roll as we made our way down the front for Sleighbells.

This set blew our freaking minds and needs its own blog too, sit tight.

Falls Day 2

2011-01-04T15:51:00.000-08:00

Half the festival seemed to go a little too hard on the first night and this resulted in a sluggish start for Falls day two. Unfortunately we were among them. Unable to even look at the bar lines or think about alcohol we took this opportunity chill out and take in some local Australian acts, first on our agenda - Ball Park Music. Regrettably we only made it in time for their final number but it was by far their best track.

Dedicating the song to anyone who enjoys playing with themselves, BPM entertained the gathered horde with Sad Rude Future Dude.

I haven't had a friend in years, I only have sex with myself….

Those lyrics are just brilliantly funny.

This set was followed by an electric performance by Jinja Safari at the Grand Theatre. With instruments and mic stands entwined with lush green vines the stage was set to introduce us to these five, fresh faced and charismatic performers. The energy of their set was intoxicating and the audience soon became lost amongst the layers of pop infused afro-beat rhythms.

Back on the main stage, Middle East was experiencing some awkward technical difficulties. With long breaks between their textured harmonies people began to loose interest and opted to battle the hill as they made their way to get in a good position for Boy & Bear back in the Grand Theatre. And by the time the Sydney quintet entered the stage the tent was over flowing.

Delivering a solid set of both old and new material including Blood to Gold, the Storm and Rabbit Song, Boy & Bear were simply beautiful to watch. This performance only topped by their spine tingling cover of Crowded House’s Fall at Your Feet.

Remaining in the tent for The Jezabels the Grand Theatre was once again packed out, only this time the performance was not quite as note worthy. The Jezabels played their hits and the vocal ability of Hayley Mary stunning however the bands energy was lacking and did not manage to hold the audiences attention.

Still in the Grand Theatre, punters were treated to the gut splitting antics of comedians Dave Thornton, Tommy Dassalo and The Bedroom philosopher.

They were hilarious, flooring the audience with comical songs, punchy one liners and jokes such as……

How many WolfMothers does it take to change a light bulb?

None, Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin already changed it back in the 70’s

They had the tent chanting ‘Megan Turn It Down’ as you could hear Washington's indie pop set and The Bedroom Philosopher followed this up with Megan the Vegan, a comical parody about the lovely lass.

Less than enthralled by who ever was playing on main stage we took a gamble at the 4.40 mark and tried on a band we had never heard of before: Junip.

“Sounds like Jose Gonzalez”…. Holy Shit, it is Jose Gonzalez. From Gothenburg, Sweden, this three piece band is a stunningly melodic side project of the talented musician. With long instrumentals and layered musical textures, this group is a new found love.

With an album produced by Xavier de Rosnay (Justice) and Daft Punk’s sound sngineer, Peter Franco we expected big things from French duo, Jamaica. However their set was less dance and more pop/rock (with tracks even sounding more surf rock influence). Nothing wrong with that, simply not what we anticipated.

Back out in the sunshine our rug was sprawled, our wines were poured and nearing sun set this was the perfect time to be treated to the gentle boy, girl harmonies and beautiful lyrics of Angus and Julia Stone. The stage was decorated with hanging hot air balloons and their performance was as always, striking. Playing the usual crowd pleasers Big Jet Plane and And The Boys the graceful brother sister duo also treated us to a remarkable cover of You’re The One That I Want.

Earlier in the day we spotted Flavor Fav with entourage in tow exploring the festival, wandering the site wearing matching Public Enemy shirts, he and his posse were hard to miss. We hung around to see the first few tracks. Amused by the matching camo jumpsuits, semi choreographed dance routines and Flav’s Clock the rest of the performance did nothing for us. And judging by the masses heading back out to the campsite as we did, we were not alone in that though.

Returning to the main stage as the Cuban Brothers were wrapping up a set (with lycra unitards and overly predominant junk) there was hardly a sole in sight. Temps dropped massively again over night and while I spent $45 on hand warmers and beanies Rowan whipped out a Hyperthermia blanket from her ‘Festival Survival Kit’ that her Nan gave her to survive the night.

Having just finished their self titled fourth album, Interpol returned to our shores and put one hell of a performance on Thursday night at Falls Lorne. Barricades, Try It On, and Success all just as intensely powerful as the last as these New York City rockers delivered a performance was powerfully moving yet dark at the same time.

Finally we reached the psychedelic live show that the Klaxons are most well known for. Again playing tracks from both Myths of The Near Future and 2010 release: Surfing The Void their performance was a stand out and judging by the dancing mass moving as one, the entire audience agreed.

Under The Covers

2011-01-04T14:47:00.000-08:00

Over the course of the festival there was a real mixed bag of material both old and new, but the some of the biggest musical stand outs at Falls were covers.

Boy & Bear’s chilling rendition of Fall At Your Feet by Crowded House

Tame Impala’s usual crowd pleaser – Remember Me by Blue Boy

Angus and Julia Stone’s version of You’re the One That I Want from Greece

And a gorgeous cover of Fleetwood Mac, Dreams by Californian quartet, The Morning Benders

Falls Day 1

2010-12-29T14:37:00.000-08:00

One thing we did happen to notice yesterday is that Falls is definitely a camping festival. The camp site is HUGE especially in comparison to the actual festival site. There are even two extra camping areas down the road that need to be reach via bus. People just could not comprehend WHY we would stay in town, we were outcasts.

Sadly we didn’t get to check out the oddities at the village but the second there is a gap in the music, we are there. And at 8.30 (as long as it doesn’t clash with any major acts) we will be entering the dance competition – ‘so you think you can interpretive dance’

Yesterdays musical highlights were Jonathan Boulet, Marina & the Diamonds and Ladyhawke.

Our first act of the day was Last Dinosaurs, their musical ability was obvious only their on stage antics fell short. They are still quite fresh on the scene and I’m sure there is plenty of room to grow. Honolulu was a highlight as was the fact they dedicated their performance to their grandmothers.

Despite being so young, Boulet he has already mastered the art of entertaining the masses. Although this little Sydney lad is a jack of all trades (musically) and can play almost every instrument known to man, in yesterdays performance he chose to stick to the one which was a shame because I would have liked to have seen the versatility that made his album what it was.

Marina Lambrini Diamandis aka Marina & the Diamonds was a showstopper and had great onstage presence. We half expected her to be more delicate and reserved but she was the polar opposite, colourfully animated and really put on a great show.

Sultans performance packed out by the time Fear of Flying dropped and the natural amphitheatre soon filled with eager anticipation for Ladyhawke. It seemed as though everyone had returned from their tents to catch with Kiwi’s performance. Opening with Magic, Ladyhawke treated her fans will all the hits and put on a stellar set. And on stage with that guitar we can safely say she looked pretty damn sexy too.

See....

2010-12-29T13:54:00.000-08:00

What did we say before.... we didn't predict the bongos though

Falls Fashion

2010-12-29T13:51:00.000-08:00

Falls Fashion saw some pretty standard outfit choices by festival punters. Thankfully wifebeaters were at a minimum as were the questionable tattoos that are all too regular at Sydney festivals. With a solid 4 days of sun on the cards, we also missed the token gumboot and mini shorts get up.

Locals and people who have attended this shindig before came prepared. Night time temps dropped to 7 degrees and we were well under-dressed.

Honorable mention to Marina from Marina & the Diamonds for her sick on stage attire.

Stash it…..

2010-12-28T16:34:00.000-08:00

Festival prices are getting steeper and steeper and one of the well known questions is being asked… How do you sneak drinks into a festival? Well boys and girls follow our step by step guide and you will be drunk with money to spare before you know it.

Step 1

Purchase a roll of tape (we recommend electrical tape, cost: about $3.00 per pack)

Step 2

Select your favorite color (a word to the wise the cool kids match the tape to their outfits)

Step 3

Empty your water bottle (note: do not pour down sink, its important to stay hydrated before a music festival-so drink up)

Step 4

Fill with Vodka or any other alcoholic beverage of your choice

Step 5

With the lid off squeeze out excess air so the bottle becomes as flat as possible

Step 6

Put the lid back on

Step 7

Tape to your body (any silverback gorilla’s reading, it’s time to pull out the razor)

Step 8

Walk past security guards (throw in a cheeky wink)

Step 9

Find a port a loo and get ready to scream your lungs out (yes electrical tape hurts)

Step 10

Laugh merrily as you walk past bar lines

Day 1 Top Picks

2010-12-28T13:36:00.000-08:00

Not sure how the kids at the festival site coped last night but we FROZE! Aside from trying to tune our Rowan’s snoring we are both well rested and looking forward to day 1.

Only the Village stage is open today and from 1.20 to 10.30 we will not budge from our vantage. Last Dinosaurs, Sally Seltmann, Tim and Jean, Mr Boulet, Marina and the Diamonds, The Cool Kids, Dan Sultan followed by Ladyhawke – all essentials on my list. After that we can finally chill during The Living End (meh) before gearing up again for Peaches DJ Set. Despite being average at Berlin Festival we are still keen to give the Canadian Lass another crack.

My top three picks for the day:

Last Dinosaurs – not a massive act but I have been in love with this Brisbane four piece since hearing the blissful sounds of Honolulu earlier this year

Marina & the Diamonds – Marina’s vocal ability is simply stunning and word on the street is she puts on one hella performance

Dan Sultan - What can I say, he really is a black Elvis

Ra’s top three picks for the day

Tim and Jean – have been curious about the these Perth youngsters since the blogging world went in to a frenzy and sparked this hype

Ladyhawke – I just like her music, it’s a no brainer!

Sally Seltmann – Apparently she is incredible live

Aside from the line up we are going to be checking out the shenanigans occurring in the village. We are mostly curious about ‘Y front decorating’ – where exactly is the Y? Can we enter ‘the gherkin games’? Will this involve an actual gherkin? (I forgot to bring mine); who is Gerard and why is he giving haircuts at the village?

Sydney to Lorne

2010-12-28T03:01:00.000-08:00

Collaroy airport transfer to Sydney Airport

As much as I have whinged about all the flights this year there has been one major benefit. Frequent flyer points!!! I have now racked up enough points to become a silver member with V which means no more freaking lines (yes they are MASSIVE during Xmas holidays) and access to V Lounge offering free food, booze and entertainment. Sadly we were there too early and didn’t get to start the trip with a champagne orange. (Bar opens at 11- future reference for all you piss heads) The entertainment highlights were the old skool arcade games; I ruled Frogger and Mrs. Pacman while Ra schooled me at Donkey Kong.

Flight to Melbourne

Shuttle to Southern Cross Station

Train to Geelong

Bus to Lorne

Considering this was a bus heading straight to Lorne, it was filled with surprisingly quiet punters. The loudest activity consisted of Brisbane lads playing an intense game of Eye Spy. Scenery and winding roads kept conversations at bay and it wasn’t until our 1 hr and 15 minute drive hit the hectic traffic that people began to pipe up. Leaving Geelong, rumours started that the drive was going to take 3 hours along the one road into Lorne. Turns out it took just over two.

The Coachman Inn-Lorne

We arrived at our hotel, did the all important shopping and headed to the local pub where we had dinner, vino and watched the last few festival goers struggle into town. They were easy to pick: full cars, loud music and that one kid who insists on bringing an acoustic guitar, yet never knows how to play it.

Finally...

2010-12-28T02:57:00.000-08:00

After some intense festival withdrawals I am finally about to get my next hit - Falls Festival Lorne, Victoria.

We have arrived at our Motel in Lorne, only this time by ‘we’ I don’t mean stereodan and I. NO! I mean Rowan and I. Who is Rowan??? Well our lovely friends at Virgin Blue have been kind enough to throw in an extra ticket for me to bring a friend along so Rowan is my trusty companion who will keep the tweets squawking, the blogs blogging and all the content flowing your way thick and fast. (Well, minus the photos for a few days because as the retard I am I managed to forget my camera’s USB. But sit tight they will be on their way along with some videos)

For now allow me to introduce Rowan:

Name: Rowan Montgomery

Age: 22

Occupation: student

What artists/bands are you most looking forward to at falls? The Jezebels, Cloud Control, Tame Impala, Sleigh Bells

On this trip I will….Get a new tattoo, Kiss at least three people on New Years Eve and watch Bec sustain at least four drunken injuries

2010 musical highlight: Playground Weekender

2011 superstar prediction: Cloud Control

Best or worst New Years Eve memory: Worst: Shotting Tequila in the middle of the bush and being forced into a karaoke rendition of Skater Boy by Avril Lavine with my ex boyfriend.

My Festival Tip…. Try not to light up in the mosh pit, cigarette burns hurt.

Parklife Sydney 2010 (StereoDan)

2010-10-06T22:50:00.000-07:00

"As the Season's change, new beginnings are in the air... it's a time to be a part of something big. A moment in time captured forever with a soundtrack melody. It's about you, it's about me, it's about the sound of Summer. Parklife: Touring nationally!" [http://www.parklife.com.au]

Catering to avid electronic and dance music listeners Parklife is touted as Australia’s biggest outdoor electronic/indie music event to kick-start the music festival season. Landing in Sydney music fans certainly didn't let the inclement weather get them down as they were treated to a selection of acts, ranging from established artists: Groove Armada, Missy Elliot and the Dandy Warhols, right through to local heroes Midnight Juggernauts and Washington.

As the weather shifted from blissful sunshine to cold rain bucketing down, the less prepared kids ducked for cover under anything they could find. Some went for rubbish bin lids and disused plastic liners.... the more sensible headed to the "Jager Cube" dance tent to enjoy some quality tunes and dance beats. Festival punters were in good spirits and enjoying themselves despite an uncharacteristic 80 police arrests occurring throughout the day.... mostly on drug offenses with one teenager woman being caught with over 200 ecstasy tablets!

Having met with Darwin Deez for a film shoot earlier in the week I was excited to head down and see what his live performance was all about. There was no shortage of entertaining stage antics as Darwin led a slightly bizarre line dance choreography that flowed seamlessly from the end of one song into his next. Think body popping meets it’s long lost country cousin and together they came up with some kind of crazy hoedown dance.

Theatrics aside, Darwin displays a well honed understanding of music composition with his ability to write catchy lyrics and music that jump out of your car stereo/iphone or latest musical gadget. His track "Radar Detector" garnered rave reviews on Australian radio earlier this year and recent release "Constellations" seems to be picking up pace thanks to a rather pondering music video that delves into the essence of time, reality and space. All in all it was a great live performance and I was impressed with his ability to continue performing without dropping a vocal note while he restrung his own guitar with one hand! Lets hope that we get to see and hear more from this talented fella soon.

[pop shake and roll!]

Over on the Sahara main stage Midnight Juggernauts were starting to kick off their set with a selection of songs from their recent album "The Crystal Axis." It's great to see these homegrown musicians continuing their blazing dominance on the indie-dance scene and not resting on the laurels of previous success. It was my first time seeing the lads in person and for an open air festival I was impressed with the energy and enthusiasm they evoked from the crowd. I'm very into the variety of sounds and styles that they've manage to inject into their music. It would be great to have a studio natter with them one day and just generally geek out about their production technique and studio toys! (HINT HINT!!!!) For now they are off overseas on a massive tour across europe/uk/north america/south america so catch them when you can.

Next up I scurried off to see the The Wombats in action which have managed to evade me up until Parklife. These very polite gentleman from Liverpool put up easily the most energetic set of catchy indy-brit pop that I've heard for a while. Their new album "Tokyo (Vampires And Wolves)" has been all over the airwaves recently so the crowds were singing along with Matthew Murphy's vocals (pictured below left) as he sung the tunes.

When I took a quick look at the set list times for Parklife I was pretty amazed to see the multitalented Uffie (see picture below right) on the list! Born in Miami, educated in Hong Kong and now based in Paris this little entertainer pretty much does it all in the music world. From producing, rapping, writing lyrics and of course signing checks (not to mention designing her own stage outfits and fashion).... is there nothing she can't do? With a synth punk vibe she confidently glides around the stage punching out a respectable set of songs. I'm seriously in admiration and highly recommend that you go check out her amazing music videos.... seriously they are ace!

Off the back of the world breaking success of Bloc Party, Kele Okereke (pictured below left, below right is his seductive backing singer) has been forging his own solo career. Despite being a well know introvert there's no denying the sound of that powerful voice as he steps onto stage and lets rip with those vocal chords. There's no shortage of effects pedals and boxes scattered around on stage as ravey synth lines cut between solid sub bass lines. The overall effect was quite a crunchy electro sound which had the crowds stomping away like pig's in mud... quite literally. The track "Everything you wanted" was a musical highlight of the day for me, as it was also for much of the audience.

There was so many fantastic acts to see for a one day festival that I had to move on quickly to catch sets from Chiddy Bang (pictured below left) and live electronica legends Soulwax (photo below right). Soulwax I had seen quite recently at Berlin festival and in terms of crowd response I knew it would be pretty difficult experience to beat the Germans! Sonically there was a noticeable lacking in bass response as no doubt the organizers of Parklife were subjected to strict sound guidelines.

Interestingly Facebook keeps telling me I should go listen to alternative hip hop band Chiddy Bang so I made my way down the front to see what all the marketing hype is about. There was a nice balance of freestyle and prepared rap but stylistically they didn't stray too far away from a contemporary hip hop sound going down on radio at the moment. The crowd response was overwhelming as they quickly swelled to plague proportions around the stage in support of their music.

I caught the first few tracks of Missy Elliot and from where I was standing she was giving it her all. I've heard a number of grumblings about her set from people but I guess there must be a direct correlation between proximity to the front of stage and audience enjoyment. For the songs I heard I thought she put in a quality performance and it was nice to see her up close and personal. Her tracks are undeniably classic and I'm pretty happy to have got the chance to tick that box.

Post and photos by StereoDan

Mudlife AKA Parklife, Sydney

2010-10-05T16:37:00.000-07:00

As the rain bucketed down in the early hours of Sunday morning, facebook sprang to life with people trying to flog their Parklife tickets last minute. And, although by midday the paths at Kippax Lake were swarming with eager festival goers, this year’s turn out was timid in comparison to previous events. Perhaps it was the weather? Perhaps in was the early 10pm finish? The steeper ticket and drink prices? Or even the crowd its self?

Each year the festival seems to gain more and more punters who care less about the music and are simply there to be seen and to get off chops (unless you were one of the many who had a little run in with the authorities and their dogs on the way in). Even Big Day Out is loosing its legit music fans but Parklife and Good Vibes by far are the worst offenders. Guys with their shirts off (or wife beaters on), their roided bodies out and girls with their orange tans, mini shorts and even the odd bikini; Jersey Shore eat your heart out.

As the rain continued to piss down at brief, unexpected intervals the grounds around Moore Park soon turned to mud and the clouds remained an over head threat reminding us not to get too comfortable.

Hearing the unmistakable pop hooks of Washington as the entrance lines were battled through, the Melbourne starlet, Megan Washington played to an excited sea of ponchos. Although an odd selection for a festival previously renowned for being dance orientated, this was only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to unusual additions to the 2010 line up (ahem Dandy Warhols and Missy Elliott). Playing the Atoll stage Washington had pulled a legitimate crowd especially given the early time slot. If this early festival finish had one advantage it was that people made an effort to get there at a decent hour this year, rather than rocking up around 4pm. Bolting past this set I made my way over to Kakadu stage to catch four charming UK lads also known as Wolf Gang.

Fronted by the charismatic Max McElligott, new kids on the indie-pop block, Wolf Gang, put on a killer set that enticed more and more punters over to their stage with each track. Crowd favourites The Kings And All Of His Men and Lions in Cages went off and were the perfect sound to start the festival season. Having recently finished working on a debut album with New York with producer Dave Fridmann we can expect big things from this band. Also, keep your ears out for fellow Parklife artist Memory Tapes’s remix of this track. Until then sink you teeth into this stripped back version.

Catching the final tracks being dropped by UK DJ/producer Greame Sinden over at Sahara stage I got in prime position for our very own Midnight Juggernauts. The deep and almost haunting vocals of Vince Vendetta echoed across the fields, later being brought to life by the bands signature synth hooks and the occasional shift to falsetto. Playing in capes and against a surreal psychedelic backdrop, Midnight Juggernauts’s set did little get the audience enthralled, this crowd would have been better off with a Ministry mix and being left to munt out on their own. Singles, Vital Signs and This New Technology, off the bands most recent album The Crystal Axis hardly even registered with the horde and it wasn’t until old favourites Into the Galaxy and Tombstone of their 2007 debut did people actually begin giving the band the attention they deserved.

Back over at the Atoll stage, Brooklyn based DJ/Producer AC Slater was cutting up the dance floor with some heavy electro beats while UK lads, The Wombats were taking to the stage on the other side of the lake at Kakadu.

(Photo by Stereodan)

For the first time in this festivals history organisers have made clever use of the lake and presented us with a pirate ship stage that floats on the water. Offering an unusual mix of relatively unheard artists, the only bar with basically no line and chocolate gold ‘treasure’ coins (bar tenders were not amused when we ordered a round of drinks, payed in chocolate and tried to walk off) this became a highly entertaining meeting point for any stray punters trying to re-group.

Liverpool Lads, The Wombats, hit the stage after some seriously shit MC’s attempt to excite the audience – “ DO YOU LIKE MARSUPIALS?” This is another new feature of the Parklife festivals that more than once resulted in a barrage of bottles being thrown.

The band opened with an energetic performance of Kill The Director before moving on to Patricia The Stripper, Let’s Dance To Joy Division and a stand out version of Moving To New York. New tracks were welcomed as much as the old and Tokyo set the audience into a mild hysteria. Seeing the boys whip out a banjo for their newer material was a little unexpected - just because it worked for Mumford and Sons doesn’t mean everyone can pull it off. Either way this dance-pop set was highly infectious and the trio have improved ten fold since the last time I saw them.

(Photo by Stereodan)

Back across the mud Uffie was attempting to strut her stuff across the Atoll stage only this time electro rapper was not so much the Hot Chick. Performing in a loose gold number (that still managed to show off her new figure) and black stockings that kept sliding down – the French MC looked well partied out. Despite playing an average set, her performance did pick up when she closed with Pop The Glock and Hot Chick although disappointing fans by walking off and not rapping the final lines of the song.

(Soulwax - Photo by Stereodan)

Catching only a few tracks of Soulwax (having seen them plenty before) I opted for a much needed bar stop then explored the other side of the festival, entering The Cave for Holy Ghost!

Despite an arsenal of remixes that include Moby, Phoenix, MGMT and Cut Copy, Brooklyn duo, Holy Ghost, have only a few tracks up their sleeves. Playing material off their recent EP Static On The Wire, Nicholas Millhiser and Alexander Frankel were backed by a full band. Although a relatively new routine for the guys, this performance was well polished and simply mesmerizing. Its suave disco with an unmistakable nod to the ‘80s, enough pop hooks to keep the kiddies happy and the perfect amount of synth. Another dance act to keep your eyes on!

Crazy Frenchman and God Father of Ed Banger records, Busy P, did his best to entertain audiences and make their ears bleed. Throwing down remixes of everyone from Mr Oizo and Justice to Metallica the set was epic. Visually, new project ‘Busy Pictionary’, brain child of Ed Banger graphic designer and illustrator So Me, kept punters engaged through out the set. Busy told In the Mix

“I will bring So-Me on stage with me and we will plug in his computer while I’m DJing so he can react live to the music I play and what the crowd do. He’ll be drawing, photographing and doing some more stuff that I can’t tell you about now and translating that feeling and the energy onto the screen…So-Me with his digital screen having fun with the crowd and probably making fun of me a lot. I really just want to interact with the crowd and do something completely different in each city. It will be fun”

It went down a treat at Parklife on Sunday and surprisingly this is something they only want to do with OZ audiences, they don’t think it will work in Paris or Europe. Sick, go Australian audiences!

As the rain pelted on and off people bolted for trees, bins, chairs, whipped out ponchos and did whatever they could to stay dry.

Finally much anticipated Missy Elliott took to Sahara stage at 7pm. Although this artist/producer has an ear for music and can make a killer beat, live, she’s awful. Relying heavily on dancers and other MC’s, Missy’s set was unbelievably disappointing. The performance opened by Missy’s DJ playing tracks like Empire State of Mind – Jay Z, and a serious of tracks by other artist, we finally caught sight of Misdemeanour just as One Minute Man began to play. Playing her most well known material, that included Get Your Freak On, Pass The Dutch and Work It, early into the set, the rest of the performance was filled with Black Eye Peas covers, regular breaks in the music to shout “What Up Sydney” and other just as shit antics. Although HER tracks went off, people even cheered and danced to the covers (why?). We can say safely thanks for nothing Missy Smelliot.

(Photo by Stereodan)

Finally, my most anticipated act the Dandy Warhols! Despite hearing a few disappointing reviews I headed over to ‘em out only this time from a side of stage vantage. Looking out at the audience from the stage all I could think was where the hell was everyone? ….. At Groove Armada!

The turnout was pathetic, only slightly larger than what Richard Ashcroft stormed off stage over at Splendour In The Grass earlier this year. Sadly their set was disappointing. I had been warned. It was slow, melancholy and heavy with their shoegaze-ier numbers. Not hanging around to catch the rest of this set (regrettably missing Horse Pills, Shakin and Bohemian Like You, which I later discovered they play) we headed to see what else was on offer before committing to the idea of helping Wolf Gang finish their rider.

Although many things played in favour of Parklife being a shit festival this year, it was the opposite, incredibly fun and probably still has a few good years left. Fuzzy can feel good about yet another successful festival to add to their tally and if you’re in Sydney over New Years make sure you get along to Field Day – It is BY FAR their best festival!

Post and other pic by Bec Clark

Berlin Festival - Day Two Review

2010-09-20T22:10:00.000-07:00

Arriving at the festival in the early afternoon, I had a chance explore a bit more of the venue. Although small, only 3 main stages, yesterday I had neglected to even step foot in hanger 5. After looking around I headed to main stage assuming (a festival like this, a 4ish time slot and being ON said stage) whoever is up next would be a sure bet.

Far from it!

Gang of Four are an old school, post punk band from Leeds, England. While the actual sound of their politically motivated songs was something I can see people getting into, there performance was not. This set was up there with the worst I have ever seen. Lead singer Jon King roamed across the stage like a cocky wanker, shirt open and acting as if he was 30 years younger and actually attractive. Trying to ramp up the audience the man stumbled about as if he was off chops (but perhaps this was his style), either way it was a non-event. Guitarist Andy Gill was no better. His dance moves and playing style looked staged; overly thought out; unnatural and made him awkward watch. Gang Of Four were ill suited to the festival line up and clearly unappreciated by the majority of the audience.

Finally exploring the smaller of the three mains, Hanger 5, I accidentally stumbled across The Morning Benders - a band who’s album I will be sinking my teeth into.

Fresh from the sunny shores of California, TMB made waves on Saturday at Berlin Festival with their dreamy indie pop tunes. Having supported acts like Broken Bells, The Kooks and Grizzly Bear, the quartet have released two albums and are soon working on a third. Taking a nod to Death Cab for Cutie, The Morning Benders seem to draw much inspiration from the alluring, soft charm of singer Ben Gibbard.

With a strong stage presence, frontman Chris Chu was thoroughly enjoyable to watch, expressing to the crowd their love of Berlin and promising to be back soon. Doesn’t help us though, right? Well, happy to say the guys will playing Falls Festival, Southbound and Sunset Sounds over new years, so if you have a chance check em’ out.

Back to the main stage for festival legends and remix veterans – Soulwax! Entering the stage dressed as if about to take their high school sweethearts to a 70’s prom, the electro-rock quartet were amazing.

(Photo by StereoDan)

With over a decade of music up their sleeves, Soulwax’s set was thick with hits, although many remixed to such an extent that it hardly sounded like the original. The live versions showcased less of the vocal hooks but more the epic festival breakdowns and a much heavier electro beat. E Talking and Miserable Girl were crowd favourites, dropping just as the sun was setting over Tempelhof airport.

Up next Alex Ridha a.k.a. Boys Noize, who played an impossibly heavy and long set. Half way though, all though out the main hanger, people began dropping to their knees. Apparently it’s common across European festivals but I had never it before, never the less I go down too. People remained on their knees (with the odd person standing to film it) for a few minutes. And as the cheers built, so did the music until people were on their feet and the track finally dropped. The response was monstrous.

(Photo by Stereodan)

Having pulled out some massive tracks early on, by the time Boys Noize drew to a finish the dancing had eased up. Didn’t expect to see this from the Germans. Despite being famous for, among other things, partying for days on end, the crowd actually seemed over this set by the end.

Following a flooring performance at Parklife a few years back, I was compelled to check out Peaches, and with a line that read “Peaches Lazer Show” on the timetable, I needed to witness this. Don’t get me wrong, the lazers were wicked to watch, but having such an elaborate visual masterpiece apparently gave Peaches licence bring nothing to the table herself. The electronic artist, known for her sexually overt lyrics and dominating “pussy power” persona, stood almost deadly still against a wall of coloured lazers. To top it off the sound in hanger 4 was not doing the Canadian performer justice, so I left after 2 tracks in search of something more satisfying.

(Photo by Stereodan)

This hunt ended with a beer, dinner and Hot Chip. Despite having seen them countless times before, they were, as always, infectiously danceable.

(Photo by Stereodan)

Berlin Festival day two was pretty average, although seeing some stellar performances, the early close made a huge difference on the vibe and at 11.30 people were dribbling out of the venue clearly disappointed.

Post by Bec Clark

Berlin Festival - Day One Review

2010-09-20T18:35:00.000-07:00

As promised – the music side of things

First act of the day - MIT, a three piece from Cologne, Germany who began making waves after delving a DIY demo to Peaches’s manager prior to one of her shows. After listening to the demo, Peaches invited the band to open for her show that same night. Since then, the band have come along way and are now fast growing in popularity across the UK and have finally gained some much deserved attention back home (their home, that is).

Playing one of the early sets at Berlin Festival, the fresh faced trio, introduced us to some highly infectious synth pop/ post punk beats. Building upon each layer, the sound produced from the wall of synthesizers that surrounded one of the members ensured the industrial size of hanger 4 was matched musically. Influences such as Digitalism, Daft Punk, Soulwax and even New Order were more than apparent during the groups Friday afternoon set.

Lyrically I had no idea what the hell was going on (surprisingly this was the only acts I saw at Berlin Festival who sung in German) and performance wise the band was less than impressive. Showmanship was non existent but then again, MIT are still relatively new to the scene and I don’t doubt that this is something that will improve as the band matures. Besides, if they have already been backed by Peaches and have worked with members of Kraftwerk & Simian Mobile Disco, I’m sure we can expect huge things.

Up next in hanger 4, Belgian electro-rockers, Goose, who brought the house down amongst a mass of sweaty drunk Germans. Although starting out as an AC/CD covers band, Goose quickly moved to producing their own sound - drenched with synth, yet still maintaining the raw power that an Acca-Dacca cover band calls for.

Since making their live debut supporting Soulwax in the UK, the edgy quartet have grown in to a monstrous LIVE band (none of this samples shit). Heavy synth waves and rock elements, delivered in equal measure, immersed the audience and as the dance rhythms built up, before coming crashing back down, Goose’s sets ensured undeniable dance floor adrenaline. Gaining momentum through out their set, the group delivered British Mode, 3T4, the enticing rave-esq sound of Everybody; electro powerhouse – Bring It On; the filthy beats of Black Gloves and many more. It was the bands powerful performance and their Euro-Electo sound that ensured Goose were a Berlin Festival highlight.

Detouring via the bar and some grub, we headed back to a familiar standing position for Robyn. Moving on from regular LP’s, this year Robyn had decided to deliver fans three mini albums, Body Part I, II, and III, all of which should be out by the end of this year. The platinum blonde bombshell has a unique style of music that is 90’s pop with out the teeny bobber stigma. Or so I though. Sadly, Friday’s set was extremely poppy, borderline cheesy – think Britney Spears, only with a little more street cred. Performing as the single focal point, her band behind, electro-pop princess covered hits including Dancing on My Own, With Every Heartbeat, Dancehall Queen, Cobrastyle and even impressed Royksopp fans when she closed with The Girl and The Robot.

Following much anticipation, the solo project from Karin Dreijer Andersson (The Knife), Fever Ray began. Andersson’s signature vocals took control of hanger four on Friday night and, building upon with the musical depth achieved by a multitude of layered lyrics, her performance was stunningly surreal. Eerie soundscapes and haunting vocals, enhanced by a thick smoke, that devoured the stage and the performers on it, created an atmosphere that was like no other. As the fog flowed from the stage onto the audience, the space became almost claustrophobic yet worked to make the entire performance and experience that much more intoxicating and potent.

As the faintest glimpse of light seeped through the fog, 17 or so lamps on stage became distinguishable and shed a faint glow on to the other five persons on stage, creating the softest of silhouettes. Opening with If I Had A Heart the audience soon became absorbed in the baselines, thick reverb and siren song of Andersson. Standing captivated as green lazers soon shot out across the stage, creating a surreal glow when hitting the smoke, the crowd was in awe. Although not as powerful her performance at Electric Picnic, Fever Ray sets are honestly a stunning master piece. They are creepy yet seductive, a combination that I never thought I would see, but if any one can pull it off, its Karin Andersson.

Missing 2ManyDJs and Fatboy due to the festival being closed prematurely (check out earlier blogs if you have no clue what I’m on about) I headed with a few friends to what Berlin is most well known for – its Under ground club scene.

Through a random door in a semi residential street, into what looked like a shop front, through to a back room, down a spiral staircase and into a basement. We then opened a door that looked like it belonged to a huge fridge. What we discovered, a sick underground club. Several rooms, DJ’s and Bars. This is what I love most about Berlin!

Bec Clark

A Little Look Around: Berlin Festival

2010-09-19T22:23:00.001-07:00

We never did manage to get the video cameras’ into any of the festivals, but in an attempt to give you guys a glimpse of what each festival was like, I caught a bit of the action on my shitty little digital camera. Will have some footage up from Leeds and Electric Picnic soon, for now, here is a taste of Berlin Festival – Tempelhof Airport, September 10 & 11, 2010.

Bec Clark

Berlin Festival - The Festival Side Of Things

2010-09-14T13:31:00.000-07:00

An airport turned ghost town, the most unlikely of festival venues - unused, empty and lifeless, until resurrected for 2 nights for Berlin Festival as part of Berlin Music Week.

Aware of what S-Bahn to catch but unable to read the directions on our ticket, we followed the crowd of punters off the train at Platz der Luftbrücke to Tempelhof Airport.

On the way to the venue, we past a group of local artists who were enticing people into their exhibition with the offer of free vodka. Taking the bait, we took some time to explore the original collection of sculptures, art works, installations and to watch the live band.

Entering the festival, via what used to be the check in counters, we collected our wrist bands. Passing the baggage claim carousels, through the security checks and drawing nearer to the pulsating beats of the main stage, this venue was unique alternative from the rolling fields we had become accustom to.

(above two photos by StereoDan)

With two additional main stages, a mobile disco, Berlin Club floor and silent disco, the festival appeared to offer a vast collection of musical treats that leaned more towards the electronic end of the spectrum. The line up however, began to crumble after the first signs of pressure on the venue, and people were left with a not so vast array of performers.

Friday night following Atari Teenage Riot, a brief DJ set by Boemklatsch and only moments prior to 2ManyDJ’s taking the stage, people had gathered in mass trying to enter Hanger 4 (hangers 4 and 5 were the other two stages, more enclosed and not as large main stage). With the fear of crowd surges, and a repeat of the unfortunate Love Parade incident, festival organisers and local police authorities decided to pull the pin on the remaining acts. Around 2.30 am Saturday morning the festival was shut down and revelers were denied major acts 2ManyDJ’s and Fatboy Slim.

The Saturday night line up was, as a result, drastically changed in an attempt to move the major acts from hangers 4 and 5 and put them on the main stage. The initial programme had music running until from 2pm to 6 am, the new timetable, to the anger of attendees, ran only until 11pm. Saturday’s vibe felt of disappoint and frustration, especially for the punters who had only brought tickets for the Saturday and arrived late thinking they had all night. But organisers have asked punters to hold on to their wrist bands as it will give people free admission to upcoming gigs over the next few months.

As a venue, the airport hangers were a novel approach. Festival sound was not all that good but on the plus side there were bars literally every 20m. Festival food stalls were the worst yet, with little more that hot chips, kebabs and bratwurst (German sausage). The venue also had only two toilet areas, but then again, despite being sold out, the festival was not all that large, looking around 30 thousand at its peak.

Music Blogs on the way

Bec Clark

ELECTRIC PICNIC Festival 2010 (StereoDan)

2010-09-09T14:47:00.000-07:00

ELECTRIC PICNIC FESTIVAL DAY1

Well in a nutshell isn't Ireland a lovely little country. Upon arriving customs officials greeted us with a friendly smile and asked how long I'd be staying for? There was no line up, no fuss, just wander down to the bus station and wait for our transfer to Portlaoise (historically spelt and pronounced Port Laoighise). Once we arrived there we headed to the local supermarket to grab some snacks. I decided not to purchase any alcohol as being hung over in a tent at a noisy music festival wouldn't be a particularly good mix for me!

On the transfer bus to Electric Picnic people were nattering away to each other like budgies. I was quite content to just sit back and take in the charming Irish landscapes and scenery passing before me. Bec got chatting to some friendly girls from Dublin and before we knew it they had adopted us into their friendly tribe. Walking through the festival camping area the girls found a suitable spot next to the service road in the "Oscar Wilde" camping grounds. I had originally planned to meet some friends over in the more distant and subdued "Charlie Chaplin" area but with a little persuading stayed with the group we'd just met (and I would find out in the future that was a good decision too!).

So with my tent erected thanks to some help from the girls (I'm really useless at doing it myself) I was ready to go see what Electric Picnic had to offer. Surprisingly the sun was out in all it's glory which I hear is reasonably good luck for those living in Ireland. People were chilling out, lying back on the lush green grass and just generally looking like the cats that got the cream. I wished I'd taken a few photos around this time as by the mid afternoon the sun was gone and replaced by a misty layer of thick cloud.... oh well it was nice while it lasted.

So I went my own way from the group to go get a taste for what was going on around the festival. I was immediately struck by just how vast the site was and how much variety there was. My first stop was the "Crawdaddy Stage" where I was met with the rather 80's sounding, synth pop-duo Hurts (picture below left). They had a distinctive synthy pad sound that was well supported on this occasion by a guest opera singer.

Next stop was the "Little Big Tent" which is where all things good and electronic would be! Starting a early festival riot was electro collective The Subs (picture below right) who describe themselves as "Belgian beatbastards." The Subs are Jeroen De Pessemier (singer/producer), Wiebe Loccufier (from the dj-duo Starski & Tonic) and Stefan Bracke. Not ones to hide behind laptops, these fellas were jumping around on stage and twisting those knobs like there was no tomorrow. With songs like "Fuck that Shit" and "Bang Bang Bang" you certainly knew what you were in for. Most of the audience was dancing around like maniacs as the trio worked the crowd into a feverishly hot sweat with their well produced bouncy grooves and bleeps.

Ducking out of the tent before I turned into a disco dancing droid I was met with some fairly interesting sights and sounds. the 360 Afterburner (picture below left) is possibly the most fantastically bizarre festival structure that I've ever seen at ANY festival! With synchronised pyrotechnics launching out from each of its corners and an eerie mist pouring out of various holes this was indeed a bizarre structure to behold. Not only that it sounded incredibly solid for an outdoor dance space which kept people grooving well past their bed times and into the early morning.

The structure was designed by a company called Arcadia who combine skills in engineering, sculpture, performance and special effects to create mind-blowingly insane party environments for live events and festivals. I had barely taken in what was going on when to the side of the Afterburner stage two Electric Men wandered out onto a level platform and started shooting lightning bolts across the stage. It was very amazing and visually spectacular stuff. I managed to get a few more cool photos so have a look at my facebook page if you're interested.

Throughout the first day/night of the festival I managed to catch more then my fair share of musical acts. Those not already mentioned included: Roxy Music (felt a bit old and daddy rock to me), Modest Mouse (great collection of instruments), Jonsi (amazingly brilliant as always), Public Image Limited (You've got to love it or hate it... i loved it!), Booka Shade, Sneaky Soundsystem and Sebastian Leger.

As you can imagine I was please with my progress for the day and headed back to my tent. After my car experiences in Coachella I carefully made special mental notes before leaving so as to be able to find it in the dark of night. Upon arrival I jumped promptly into my sleeping bag and fell asleep.

ELECTRIC PICNIC FESTIVAL DAY2

Scattered around the festival grounds was a multitude of random and interesting objects. It was nice to see that people were respecting most of these items and not vandalising them. My personal favourite was the doorway.... a portal to another dimension? A space within a space? or just an arbitrarily door to confuse or bemuse? Either way people were interacting with it and having their photo taken as they passed through it.

Their were other interactive and musical treats including a communal piano if you fancied an Irish sing along and the very zen Gamelatron (pictured below right) which claims to be the worlds first fully robotic Gamelan Orchestra. According to the website the Gamelatron is "Modeled after traditional Balinese and Javanese gamelan orchestras, the GamelaTron is an amalgamation of traditional instruments with a suite of percussive sound makers. MIDI sequences control 117 robotic striking mechanisms that produce intricately woven and rhythmic sound." If I had my way I'd love to stick a bit of drum n bass sequences into the thing and let it rip!

My first band to see at Electric Picnic Day 2 was Dublin based band "Redneck Manifesto." Acting on a local's tip off I was impressed with the musical skills displayed by this strictly instrumental band. I did feel it was a shame not to incorporate some kind voice or singing into the performance but perhaps they'll reconsider this in the future and get in some vocal collaborators? Their infectiously funky grooves were very danceable and everyone seemed to be getting into the swing of things. Interestingly the band has rejected any traditional record label support, preferring instead to remain fully independent.

Slipping across to the adjacent tent I discovered These New Puritans performing on the Cosby Stage. Intrigued by the hanging chains and small woodwind section I decided to stick around for a bit and see what they were about. Their sound was very artistic and somewhat reminded me of a cross between The Cinematic Orchestra and Patrick Wolf, but minus the diva. I would definitely be interested to see them again and was interested to note they have recently come from a tour of Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong and main land China.

I briefly watched Crystal Castles perform at Latitude Festival and their live performance and stage show antics were very entertaining! So it was great to get a better vantage point closer to the stage at Electric Picnic and snap some pictures. The photographers were relegated to side stage for some unknown reason and for the first few songs I felt sorry for anyone with epileptic tendencies as the strobes fired of in rapid succession. During the set lead singer Alice Glass spent more time crawling around on her hands and knees, curled up in a ball or hanging out in the mosh pit then she actually did on stage. I heard criticism that most of the vocals were lip synched or mostly backing track which is not an unfair comment (although I didn't even notice this and usually I would). It didn't really matter though as I think the majority of people who turned up for the set were simply there for the spectacle of it all.... well I know I was at least!

Everybody around the campsite was talking about Seasick Steve (pictured below left) who was back at the festival by popular demand after playing at last year's Electric Picnic. It's hard not to like him and his music as he approaches his performance with a sincere honesty and relaxed humour that's impossible not to like. Described as one of the world's "Greatest living Bluesman" he's lived the life of a hobo and has injected his very soul into his music. There was a line of girls holding "pick me" signs in desperate hope that he would pull them onto the stage and serenade them with his authentic songs.

In a completely different style of music hiphop duo Dan Le Sac Vs Scroobius Pip tore up the Little Big Tent with their electronic beats and spoken word rhymes. After sorting out some technical issues with their onstage rig they spent no time mucking around and jumped straight into crowd favourite "The Beat That My Heart Skipped." The duo consisting of Daniel Stephens (aka dan le sac) and David Peter Meads (Scroobius Pip) formed back in 2006 when dan booked Scroobius to play at one of his promoted gigs in Reading at the Fez Club (now known as Sakura). I don't think I've ever felt my head being so pounded by the levels of sub bass in the tent and even with ear plugs I could only bare it for a short while before moving a more safe distance away from the speakers.... ie 100 meters down the road outside the tent. Even then it was still bloody loud!

After the bass pounding on my ears I decided it was time go for something a little more organic. I headed over to the Body & Soul Arena which seemed to have some interesting alternative entertainment. It's nice to know that with all the technological distractions available in this day and age, people still enjoy a good old fire gazing session. I noticed one caveman lookalike had made it his day's mission to ensure a perfectly consistent bonfire to be enjoyed by all. Continuing on with this slightly tribal theme was a large drum ensemble that was so popular the gathered crowd refused for them to leave without them performing "just one more song." After 3 encores the poor lads must have been completely knackered but it was all in good fun.

You can't say you've been to an Irish music festival if you haven't seen The Frames. Well it was my first time and I'm happy to report it was the highlight of my day. Most of the audience was there for nostalgic reasons and to sing along with the songs, however for me it was all new and fresh. Prior to meeting Glen Hansard at Byron Bay's Bluesfest I'd never really heard of them, so I'm glad that I actually got the chance to see them perform live.... better late then never I suppose. Apart from some minor glitches with a faulty or an incorrect guitar (wrong tuning perhaps?) the set was pretty flawless and displayed the bands effortless talent. Things were never overly dressed up any more then they needed to be and it was refreshing to hear good old fashioned songs performed by seasoned musicians.

Happy and content with the music that I'd heard for the day I headed back to the campsite. However I'd been told about a 'secret rave' which was apparently going on somewhere in the scrub. The advice I'd been given was simply to follow your ears but I'm glad I was also carrying a mini LED torch as I would have most certainly broken my leg multiple times trying to find it in the dark. Upon arrival I was greeted with a nice serving of grimey dubstep remixes and light show. For a rave out in the jungle it was pretty well stacked technically and people were trickling into the area in dribs and drabs. I hung around for a little while before heading back to the campsite to enjoy some inter-tent banter.

ELECTRIC PICNIC FESTIVAL DAY3

Overnight there had been a moderate amount of rain but things seemed to be relatively dry. Our camp mates were all in good spirits, albeit a little seedy from the previous late night. Curiously one enterprising individual had set up his own little shop selling five cans of beer or cider for 10 Euro. It was a pretty good deal (relative to festival price of 5 Euro a beer) so I took them up on it.... twice... sharing a few of them around with people.

For the final day of music there were plenty of great acts to see for the day. Most of these bands are very well known so I'll keep this section of my blog short and sweet!

First up I saw Two Door Cinema Club which musically are very much a favourite of mine at the moment. A lot of their live performance relies on backing tape but if it gets the sound just right then that's ok by me. Friendly Fires performed a conflicting set with Two Door Cinema Club and consequently had a very thin audience standing before them at the commencement of their set. It did however progressively fill up as people arrived from other parts of the festival to be greeted with Ed Macfarlane over the top dancing. I took a quick video of it which I'll upload later...

Australian audiences are no strangers to Mumford & Sons (pictured below left) having been given massive amounts of airplay on Australian radio and featuring throughout Triple J's Hottest 100. That's certainly no reason to ignore them so I was quite happy to go watch part of their set on main stage before it got too crowded by overly enthusiastic middle aged women. The Horrors performing on the Crawdaddy Stage were a less commercial alternative and it was very interesting to see the live. I know them for their earlier indy thrash punk rock work (i.e. Death at the Chapel and Sheena Is a Parasite) so it was interesting to see that they've mellowed out a fair bit since then.

I watched a few songs by U.N.K.L.E. which was a pleasing way to segue from The Horrors to something more uplifting. As a band there has been some serious metamorphosis over the years and the results can be heard in the diversity of their productions. I love the variety of lush samples and atmospheres used in their music.

I've now seen The National (picture below right) quite a few times at the various festivals we've been to recently, and I'm still really enjoying them! The low vocal register of singer Matt Berninger is very soothing to the soul and over time I've gotten to know the band's setlist well. At Electric Picnic I was delighted to edge a little closer to the front of the stage to catch a glimpse.

The big draw card of the day was of course Massive Attack with their super-dupa LED light show extravaganza! Their compositions over the years have honed in on a blissful disregard for traditional electronic music formulas. More akin to classical music their use of epic crescendos and string flourishes is perfectly counterpointed by looped bass lines and well produced orchestral arrangements. So the hour long wait in the pour rain surrounded by drunken chanting Irishmen and women was worth it!

Sopping wet it was time to head back to my pool, I mean tent, which due to the continuos down pour of rain was starting to degrade literally in front of me. Any sensible person and with accommodation on the other end opted for departing the festival. I on the other hand had little choice and setup my umbrella above my head so that at least it might be semi- dry. It was a good idea in principal, and might have worked had it not been for the howling winds which continued all through the night. I didn't really sleep much at all that night and I swear that the bass coming from the secret rave party had become much louder than previous nights. I was not a happy bunny and by 7am sharp the next morning I was ready to catch the first bus home and wished my Green Tent good riddance.

Overal Electric Picnic was by far the best festival I have been to on this experience thanks largely to the very kind hearted and thoughtful locals. There was such a multitude of things to do, look at and listen to that even people with an ADD attention span wouldn't get board in the space of the festival. Musically Ireland has quite similar musical tastes to Australians and I think as people we get along well. I've never seen people drink and smoke so much but they seem to be able to handle it no worries.

Post and photos by StereoDan

Lucent Dossier Experience

2010-09-09T10:13:00.000-07:00

More than just a music festival, one of the non musical highlights of Electric Picnic was the Lucent Dossier Experience. Roughly translated to "a collection of glowing light", Lucent Dossier are a surrealist dance troupe who incorporate elements of dance, aerial acrobatics, circus performances and fire twirling. There style utilizes many modern elements as well as traditional dance technique. Performing twice at Electric Picnic at a stage in Body and Soul their performance was a theatrical sceptical of grand proportions. The group are regular performers at music festival and have previously done shows at Electric Picnic, Coachella and Burning Man.

Here is a bit of footage from their performance on the Friday night.

Bec Clark

Fever Ray Visual Highlights

2010-09-09T09:09:00.000-07:00

This set was mind blowing and I wish I had more to show you.... she is playing at Berlin Festival where we head to tomorrow so ill try get some decent footage but for now - see why I was in awe!

Bec Clark

LEEDS Festival 2010 (StereoDan)

2010-09-09T07:18:00.000-07:00

LEEDS FESTIVAL DAY 1

So the fine people of north England have built themselves quite a reputation, and it's not exactly without reason. One particularly nasty habit that seems to have got out of hand is their desire to piss in a cup and throw it about. I'm not sure why they do it exactly, but after watching one serial offender douse audiences I wanted to march him over to the urinal and drown him in it.

Excluding this small minority, the northern people generally seem very warm natured and at ease with themselves. Compared to Australia people they were much more likely to share a bit of friendly banter with a random stranger standing near them. However more then anything they seem to embrace their music and of course Leeds Festival with a vivacious outpouring of energy and excitement. Add on top of that a sprinkling of sunshine and you're guaranteed a party where they'll let everything hang out... Literally!

Musically every taste is was catered for and when it comes to high profile acts on the lineup we were all spoilt for choice! My personal musical selection for the first day included: Chapel Club, The Cribs, Dizzee Rascal, Crystal Castles, The Libertines and of course Pendulum... not bad for a day's work I tell you! So I headed down towards the Festival Republic Stage to enjoy Chapel Club who were recommended to me by a good friend. I was very impressed with their casually relaxed yet oh so cool vibe. Musically their compositions are very well constructed and were a really nice way to kick off the day. They've recently been picked up for the Emerge NME Radar Tour so no doubt we'll be hearing more about these talented lads soon! Anyone want to bring them to Oz please?

Special mention must go to Pete Doherty for making it to the festival to front for his band The Libertines. After attempting to see this band a number of times (and almost seeing them play together) I had given up hope of ever seeing this band perform with it's original founding members. So when I saw Pete up there on stage I was very surprised. Not only that he was vocally coherent and musically together which made for a very unexpected but enjoyable set. Something did feel a little missing in terms of raw musical passion in their performance, however I was happy enough to hear the band perform. Fingers crossed this trend continues for the future and I hope to see them perform live again soon.

The highlight of the day for me was easily seeing Pendulum rocking out the NME tent to thousands of their crazy fans (myself included). It may seem strange to travel to the other side of the world to see an Aussie act but they really seem to have come into their own element here in the UK. Add on top of this the atmosphere of everybody going off like a frog in a sock and you know we were in for a treat! Their setlist was a nice mix of tracks from their back catalogue and also some of their more grimey tracks from their recent album "Immersion."

LEEDS FESTIVAL DAY 2

So the big difference between Leeds and any other music festivals I've experience on the My World Tour so far, was the complete ease of getting to and from the festival with the minimum of fuss. Just a short 15-20 minute bus ride back to Leeds and you could purchase a multi-pass wristband that entitled you to as many rides as you wanted. It sounds like a little thing but when you're staying offsite it makes a world of difference! Arriving back at Leeds Festival for day two of music I headed down to watch "The Joy Formidable" who have been getting around the world with their music.

One of my favourite things to do at festivals is stumble upon diverse and interesting bands. "Holy Fuck" are an exciting experimental electronic ensemble which should probably change their name if they want to reach broader audiences. With lots of knob twiddling going on stage it sounded to me as if their set was a fairly improvised affair, however listening to music on their website I realised it's fairly pre-planned. Modulating filter, reverb and delay effects are served up effortlessly with synthesisers, live drumming and electric bass grooves. It takes a little while to get into the feel but once you're there it's hard to shake off those happy feet. Think along the lines of PNAU from back in their early Sambanova days. For now Holy Fuck's live set seems a little unpolished but no doubt these guys will gradually rise up the festival time slots with their funky loops and electro-psychedelic mayhem!

Next on my list of bands not to be missed was none other than the mighty Limp Bizkit. Despite their earlyish 4:30pm time slot the atmosphere around main stage was buzzing with anticipation. I clearly wasn't thinking about the consequences of pushing my way down to the front of the mosh pit with a full pint of beer in my left hand and SLR in the right. Things were fairly sedate as frontman Fred Durst walked onto stage but as soon the music started everybody around me went mental. My beer went everywhere... mostly over the poor guy in front of me... luckily he didn't seem to mind too much as he told me between songs... I held onto my camera for dear life thrusting it into the air to prevent it from being smashed by all the crazy moshing. I did loose the lens cap somewhere amongst the action but lesson learnt. I pushed my way back out of the 'danger zone' to a more comfortable distance away from front of stage. It's nice to know that Limp Bizkit isn't showing any signs of slowing down anytime soon. If I can rock out that hard at the age of 40 I'll be a happy man!

Next up on the main stage was the old school classic act "Cypress Hill" who are well known for their Weed Anthems and onstage bong antics. You can pretty much bet anyone with a spliff was lighting up as the band dropped their set to a glorious sun drenched audience. Those that didn't come prepared could be seen to migrate toward those that had and bumming/begging for a puff. One pair of youths were so desperate for a joint that even offered 20 quid to anyone that would give them one.

But back to the business of music.... the band stuck mostly to their all time favourites including: Insane in the Brain, Dr Green Thumb, I Ain't Goin Out Like That and When the shit goes down amongst others. Not afraid to banter with the audience rapper B-Real turned to the audience to ask "Are you motherfuckers high right now?" A resounding yes could be heard from where I was standing as the band continued on with their performance and lit up some large hand rolled 'cigarettes' onstage. The set had great energy which was further supported by the audience knowing all the words and singing along to their tunes.

I could have happily finished of the day with Cypress Hill but the festival was only just getting started! Still on my list of bands to see for the night were Tame Impala, Band of Horses, Foals, We Are Scientists and Klaxons. I wandered off in search of food and drink refills and was met by some rather funny and unusual characters on the way.

LEEDS FESTIVAL DAY 3

So feeling rather spritely for day three of Leeds music festival I headed into the festival relatively early (and before lunch) to see New Young Pony Club. This London based band has produced a number of tracks which have been on my iTunes "high rotation" playlist a number of times with their tracks Ice Cream and The Bomb. So I was pretty excited to finally get to see the band perform in the flesh! While NYPC had plenty of energy to give (and they were certainly putting their all into the performance) the audience just didn't seem to be feeling it. The NME tent is certainly a challenge to fill especially so early on in the day however there was a good turn out and people were bopping along to their tunes.

One girl I was chatting with said that she felt intimidated by lead singer Tahita Bulmer's thrusting pelvic movements which were quite suggestive. We had a chuckle about it and while it was a little early in the day for such a sexy band I'd love to see them in Australia when they come play at the Forum on the 1st of October.

I quickly headed over to the Festival Republic Stage to see the performance by LA based band Funeral Party which have recently caught my attention after a tip off from an Australia colleague. I saw them a couple of days earlier at an industry invitation only night upstairs at my favourite pub in London: the Old Blue Last in Shoreditch, which was an impressive gig to say the least!

This amazing band (pictured below left and right) stars lead singer Chad Elliott who gives each and every performance his very all. Vocally his voice has an uncompromising sound which despite it's raw edge cuts through with an abrasive/raspy sound which still remains pleasing to the ear. The band has a rather cryptic biography description on their myspace page so all I can say is have a listen and make up your own mind! They have some pretty cool videos on their YouTube Channel which are also worth a mention and I look forward to incorporating some of their production ideas (stop motion/ progressive photos) into future videos I make.

Next up was Gogol Bordello who was featured on this year's main stage at the Leeds Festival. Their music, fittingly described as 'Gypsy Punk,' has been well received by UK audiences and also international audiences abroad. As a band they are very well known for their captivating and energetic theatrical stage shows. Earlier this year I was very privileged to chat with front man Eugene Hütz at Bluesfest 2010 and since then have been keeping a very keen eye on their live performances and festival appearances around the world. From my observations they consistently provide an exciting set-list of songs that are are very engaging to western and international audiences alike. Tracks such as Start Wearing Purple and My Companjera are crowd pleasers which despite being dismissed by the band as "Fan Music," get everyone into the party mood and enjoying themselves.

Curiously I noticed during their set that the video camera mix being displayed on the stage's screens was consistently a bad choice of shots (crossing the vector, cumbersome side stage POV and unnecessary crowd shots) and the camera work could be described as unstable, rough footage at best. Perhaps there were some unforeseeable difficulties going on behind stage or that Gogol Bordello are just to quick to capture on film? :)

Continuing down the musical nostalgia path was punk/scar band "No FX" which as a band I've not been a big fan of since they inadvertently cause the demise of my high school grunge band "Deep Ascent." To be fair we only performed one live gig in front of a high-school dance of 3000 students (not bad for a first gig) which I'm sure was terrible! If my memory serves me correctly I still owe the bassist 50 bucks for the hire of backline PA equipment (which I didn't pay at the time because he quit the band to go join a scar band) so Cameron if you're reading this... :)

Sorry I got side tracked... Anyway, I certainly enjoyed No Fx's set with their punky attitude and you could tell that this band has been on the scene for more then a while. Together since 1983 and with a sturdy 12 albums under their belt it's great to see the band on the setlist for Leeds Festival 2010. Their politically charged setlist went largely unnoticed by most as they performed songs such as "Murder The Government" and "Kill all the White Man." There was however a few eyebrows raised as they ran through the jokes of "Arming the Proletariat with Potato Guns." A few people were weirded out by it all...

I enjoyed NoFX's set but was soon on my way over to the NME stage to grab myself a beer and a spot up close and personal with Yeasayer (pictured above right). I saw them briefly at Latitude festival and also in Australia I think, but had always been unable to get a spot anywhere near the action. Strangly the Leeds crowd didn't seem to know who they were but it didn't matter as we all quickly became immersed in their musical performance. I lost track of time which is a pretty good indication that I thought they were fantastic. In particular I enjoyed watching the interaction between the performers and instruments as we all bobbed along in time to the music. Their light show was completely mesmerising and whoever thought to sit their keyboards on clear perspex lighting boxes had a moment of brilliance!

Still left to perform for the final day of Leeds Festival were top acts Queens of the Stone Age and Biffy Clyro (which I'd recently seen perform at the Metro in Sydney). I enjoyed listening to the scottish lads from afar as I enjoyed a couple of pints. They put on an enthusiastic set with their energetic guitar power riffs and tempestuous live performance. It was probably a good idea to hang further back in the crowd as I watched a multitude of piss filled cups being thrown around by people closer to stage.

Queens of the Stone Age were high up on my list of must see bands (thanks to Josh Homme) however I can't say I was blown away by them. They were good but overall their performance felt a bit lack lustre (especially with the vocals) and those shredding guitar solos just weren't hitting me like I had expected. It wasn't until their final track "No One Knows" that I started to get into things, but perhaps that was just a side effect of not being closer to the stage action. In their defence it was blowing a gale and I could hear the overall music volume shifting drastically depending on which way the wind was going. For the short term I think I'll stick to listening to them on iTunes until I get the chance to see them in an enclosed venue (which may never happen).

By these final stages of the festival I decided that I had well and truly had my fill of live music, crazy antics and general festival experiences. People started lighting fires here there and everywhere and I decided to make an early exit before the riots and tent burning exercises kicked off. I did however make one last detour via LCD Soundsystem (who'd I've seen before and loved) to enjoy a few tracks before getting on the bus.

As always it's nice to finish a festival on an upper and that I certainly felt! Leeds festival was a fantastic alternative to Reading Festival and I highly recommend you take the plunge sometime and head to Northern England to take a closer look and get your dose of music festival mayhem! In summary... DO IT!

Post and photos by StereoDan

Electric Picnic Highs And Lows

2010-09-09T06:46:00.003-07:00

Highlights

People and atmosphere – The Irish know how to drink and they know how to party. Such a welcoming culture, this festival felt a lot like home.

FEVER RAY – The hunting vocals of Karin Dreijer Andersson from The Knife absolutely shattered all expectations as her powerfully emotive voice enveloped the entire audience at the Electric stage on Sunday night. Fever Ray was THE highlight of my weekend. The stage was set with eerie lighting and smoke that created a haze, enough to prevent you from seeing who was on stage. All that could be made out was the lighting coming from several household lamps of different sizes, shapes and styles, situated across the stage. Lazers were also projected across the haze of smoke creating a truly surreal atmosphere.

Bonobo – the moniker of DJ/Producer Simon Green. Usually playing all instruments himself, Sunday’s live performance welcomed a full band onstage and even many orchestral instruments. Dense with musical layers that drifted from the infectious rhythms and groves funk to the sex appeal of jazz and even incorporating some hip-hop along the way. This set was the perfect vibe for a chilled Sunday afternoon and a relaxing start to the final day of the festival.

Teardrop - Massive Attack’s much anticipated hit brought some welcomed warmth to the drenched crowd on Sunday night at Electric Picnic. The British duo, with vocal assistance from the stunning Martina Topley-Bird and now with full band, put on a mesmerizing performance that was of epic proportion. Teardrop’s tender tone was a change of pace from earlier tracks Invade Me and Mezzanine. Production wise the stage was drenched with lighting, haze and Robert "3D" del Naja, Grant "Daddy G" Marshall and co genuinely impressed their soaking wet host of fans.

Forest Rave – kicking off around midnight and lasting until the wee hours of the morning. In the thick of the forest the production was incredible; a full stage, lighting rigs, strobes, projections, screens and decoration.

Body and Soul – such a beautiful and unique arena that hosted the more unusual acts that included fire twirling and on stage theatrics.

Caribou – drawing an impossibly massive horde for their midnight set on Saturday night, the lush psychedelic ambience of the Canadian quartet was simply stunning. With the crowd in awe, their music was perfectly matched to the kaleidoscope of images that were projected around their stage at Body and Soul. Odessa was performed with meticulous perfection as every electronic beat, hypnotic baseline and soft vocal note rolled over the audience like a intoxication haze.

Home Made Instruments - Seasick Steve is now a famous blues player but used to be a hobo living on the streets. Steve could not afford instruments so rather he made them from old parts. His instruments use broom handles, hubcaps, door handles, screws and strings and surprisingly sound like a legitimate instrument.

Lowlights

Prices – meals for around 8 Euro, beers for 5, vodka for 6.50

The Weather – while day one was charming, the luck of the Irish failed to keep us dry and our tents intact as Sunday nights down poor was torrential. By Monday morning I was half excepting Noah to float past on his Ark, or preferably Seasick Steve on the Salty Dog, to save us.

The Toilets – at the campsite each block housed 10 cubicles, back to back. They were made of metal and wood with a toilet seat (if you were lucky) that dropped into a giant communal trough. The smell was putrid, you could see it and by the final day many of the doors had been ripped off. Inside the festival things were a little better unless you were going at the end of the night

Production – There were no screens side of stage to watch the performers, so if you were not up the front or you were too short to see you really did miss out on the action

Public displays of affection – with the chick standing (during a set, and down the front) with her back to the stage, hooking up with her man.

Crystal Castles – lip syncing or way too many backing tracks, this set looked as though Alice Glass miming. Raising the mic and opening her mouth when there were no lyrics or other vocals coming through when she was clearly not singing them. The performance was flat and we never got any of that signature onstage mayhem, Alice was for once well behaved.

Few Aussies – the only band flying the flag for Australia was Sneaky Sound System. I hope the Irish don’t base the rest of our musical tastes on this

No Shows – The Tallest Man On Earth candled their set

Dance Moves – of Ed Macfarlane from Friendly Fires

The Atmosphere Is Electric

2010-09-07T10:33:00.000-07:00

Tangled throughout the thickest of forests, amongst the lush green setting of stunning Ireland, Electric Picnic stole our hearts and for me, the label of best festival (atmosphere, venue and theming)! Arriving into Dublin Airport it was 2.5 hr coach ride to Port Liose where a shuttle would take us the final way to the festival site.

Situated in the picturesque location of Stradbally Hal, intertwined within pine forests and green fields Electric Picnic covered 600 acres. Like Latitude, this festival offered a vast array of entertainment that included comedy, literature, theater, film, pantomime and even a circus. Unlike Latitude however it was not all ages, but that doesn't mean we missed out on the token festival children. Musically, the line up was heavy with home grown Irish acts, although later sets and headliners were international and included the likes of Massive Attack, Fever Ray and Roxy Music

Locating our selves in the Oscar Wilde campsite amongst a crew of welcoming Irish punters (who were absolute legends and even saved me from drowning in my tent on the final night) we were close to the entrance and in the heart of it all. Other camping options were Jimi Hendrix, Charlie Chaplin (quiet camping) or Andy Warhol.

The campsite its self boasted food vendors of all variety (with extremely steep prices), a general store, toilets and surprisingly no showers (not where we were based anyway). The only real down falls logistically were the state of the toilets and the SHIT drainage of entire site! Once it rained - you were screwed. But people did keep reminding us - this was nothing compared to Oxygen.

Almost entering the site you past the first of the stages, the Salty Dog Saloon - a bar and stage that was by far the most original set up I have ever witnessed. The stage itself was a ship that looked as though it had been wrecked, masts fallen, under a sea of branches and leaves. From early morning beverages to late night sea shanties, this little treasure remained open until well after the main stage had sung it final song. For that matter most of the stages did, especially those located within the alternate Body and Soul arena. Fire twirling, theater and many amazing artists even managed become secondary to the unique little hidey holes, visual focal points and the truly beautiful atmosphere that epitomized this arena.

Continuing late into the night, most people were still up well into the early AM. Partly because the Irish know how to drink and partly because of the forest rave that kicked off each night around midnight. Without signage, people were encouraged to discover the location of the party just by listening to the music and finding your way through the forest. Neat idea but trail of party goers and empty bottles were a dead give away. Even the decoration, theming and lighting production tucked well out in the woods was mind blowing. And each morning people seemed to awake with new cuts across their legs from making their way through dense shrubbery and broken branches towards the dance floor.

Bec Clark

Scissoring the Sisters Part II

2010-09-07T07:27:00.000-07:00

You guys have been to Japan a few time, at least twice for each tour, this is your fifth time... How did you feel about your performance at Fuji rock?

DEL: This was the last show on the 2 month leg we’ve done of just promotion... i think we expected to come on and see a few people, like soaked and passed out in the field, but to come on and have everyone still up for it was pretty awesome... it was the best synchronised movement in the past two months. Everybody would [move how we told them] was really executing the movements professionally.

Jake: It was a lot bigger than i expected, i really thought we were going to end up with half a crowd, tired people, but it was the opposite. I was really happy, and super pleasantly surprised, it was not expected, because at festivals, no matter what stage your playing on, or time your playing, you cant really take for granted that anyone is going to be there. For instance during Roxy Music I heard they had half a crowd. It doesn’t matter if your headlining, you’ll never know what the crowd will be like or what you’re going to be facing.

What are your thoughts on Fugi Rock Festival in particular?

Jake: The Line ups are always amazing! It’s one of the best festivals in the world as far as the line-up and whose playing, and I thought that this year was really really cool. There was Yeahsayer, MGMT, LCD Sound System, and the Horse Meet Guys, there was a lot as far as my own taste goes.

How in your opinion did Fugi Rock Festival compare with Splendour this year?

DEL: I thought that this line-up and the Splendour line-up were two of the best line-ups for this summer.

DEL: You know what? They are both run really efficiently and so there is a sense of peace, where as sometimes you can feel, not so much as bad energy, but drunk weird behaviour. Both Splendour and Fuji are serene, the settings were really interesting, and people seemed relaxed and appear to enjoy themselves. Versus other festivals we’ve been to with an element of drunken sadism and weird weird energy.

Do you prefer one to the other?

JAKE: My only thing is that I prefer the heat. Even though the weather at Splendour was really good, I like a festival to be really sweltering and at night time at Splendour you have to dress warmer and that’s a little strange.

At Fuji Anna said that every time you come to Japan you guys have the best time ever. Why is that?

DEL: We all go shopping, we all have our great places and little rituals that we do...

JAKE: I go to Disney! But show wise, it’s just that the fans are really amazing. They are really devoted and sweet. We have the same sort of stalkers we have had for years here, which are really lovely, so that’s something really special.

DEL: I’m also impressed by the attention to detail here in Japan. From the most basic clothes in a store, to a fan coming and bringing a picture from the last time to get it resigned, to just the customs. Japan is really welcoming, the foods really good, the pastries are a more perfect version of Parisian pastries…they do everything just a little bit better!

One of my favourite things in Japan has to be the Karaoke. Have you guys dabbled?

JAKE: We’re really good at karaoke! Actually the last time we were here it got really really messy…

DEL: I don’t remember that?

JAKE: Probably because you were in a black out! It was really messy! Do you remember when I was pulling the spaghetti out, and I literally dumped a bowl of spaghetti on my head, ha ha! We trashed the room, yeah we trashed trashed the room! And got wasted and were literally not far from taking the furniture and fucking banging it up against the walls. I think our record label were either horrified or egging us on, i’m not quite sure. We are seldom so destructive though.

What’s your song Jake?

JAKE: Anything by the Stones… ‘Give me shelter’

So talking about the new album, you’ve said that it’s a dance and club album, would you say that this album is the most suited to festivals?

DEL: Its been really, not effortless, but easy to put together set list for this first round, because we want to keep it up tempo and we now have more songs to fill up our set, to keep the energy high and especially for festivals. Depending if you have and hour or hour and 15 mins so there isn’t as much time as you have in a show where you can arc and dip in and out and come up and hit people over the head , so this album is really suitable for that.

The last track on the album, invisible light leaves listeners with a high, as do you guys when you close a festival. How does that make you feel?

JAKE: You want to leave people with a sense of them being higher, and a sense of more energy than they had so people with a really great taste in their mouth. That’s the way we structure our shows: it gets darker and dancier as it goes along, playing all the rock ‘n’ roll stuff out in the first half.

I here that Kylie appeared in Melbourne when you guys were there, and Sir Elton was at the iTunes festival when tiy opened. What would you say is a stand out for you so far?

(Can you describe a few of your highlights from this years tour?)

JAKE: Kylie has definitely been a big highlight of this summer, she performed with us at Glasto, then in Melbourne. She’s family...being with her in the first place is fun but being on stage with her is a really good time and she loves it.

Melbourne was really fun, because Glasto we planned and really structured, and Melbourne was completely impromptu. I got a text from Kylie the day before saying “do you want me to come out with you tomorrow?” So it was completely unplanned. It’s very exciting when stuff like that happens.

Do you guys get to go to many festivals as punters?

DEL: Glastonbury was one of the main festivals we got to put on the punters helmet on and enjoy the festival as everybody else was, and get a sense of the festival besides the back stage area and go to the dance tents.

JAKE: That was a BLAST

DEL: that was kind of a peak of this last leg that we did

JAKE: You cant get any better than Glasto, I mean Glasto is the best festival in the world, and getting the spot that we did, it was pretty overwhelming and it was really really validating and exciting.

DEL: It was hot, and steamy, there was a bunch of British people who didn’t wear suntan lotion, who got drunk and had really bad farmers tans.

JAKE: Its amazing, just amazing!

Leeds Festival Day 3

2010-09-01T14:10:00.001-07:00

Surf-pop five-piece, Surfer Blood, kicked off my final day at Leeds festival. Entering the grounds on Sunday it was clear both the people and the festival itself were suffering from a two day bender. Under foot the grounds had turned to almost mud, despite hardly any rain, and I could have sworn the entire site stunk. Perhaps it was the port-a-loos (Australia - be thankfully, the things we get are luxury compared to festivals in the UK) or just the fact that of many of the punters had not showered since Thursday night. Either way today was slow and messy start.

I do feel sorry for the first three bands playing at the NME stage because although their sets were good, hardly anyone could be fucked to lift a foot to dance, or a hand to show appreciation. They were all still asleep!

Fronted by singer and guitarist John Paul Pitts, Surfer Blood opened the final day the NME tent with Floating Vibes, a song that brought about just that. Having only released one album the band was seemingly limited to tracks off Astro Coast, although towards the latter half of the set the guys introduced us to a fresh tune titled I'm Not Ready. Thick with echoes and distorted pedal groans, this new song sounded along the same vain of the bands previous work. From the latest addition to their musical repertoire to the first, the quintet delivered the much anticipated Swim before closing with Anchorage. Don’t be put off by the fresh faces of these youngsters, Surfer Blood put on a powerful performance with impressively mature vocals and larger than life guitar riffs.

Next up – London new-wave four piece, New Young Pony Club, who on Sunday returned to Leeds for their second time. Since releasing Fantastic Playroom back in 2007 the band had been relatively quiet until earlier this year when they gave us The Optimist. Despite a number bands coming out dung the new wave movement NYPC are one of the few who have managed to stick around. Since having slightly matured in sound, although still maintaining their pop sensibilities and unique sound thanks to vocalist Tahita Bulmer, the band are back on rotation on dance floors across the UK, US and home. Sadly their performance on Sunday was flat and poorly received. Perhaps it was because flat seemed to be the vibe all round as people struggled on the final day. Mixing up old and new material in equal measure NYPC only managed to get a few people dancing. Not even Ice Cream made all that big a difference when it came in to fruition mid set before the group closed with the equally danceable, The Bomb

Making our way over to main for gypsy- punk outfit, Gogol Bordello who truly are a outstanding group (and still up there in best acts I have ever seen live!). With a line up that currently sits at nine members from counties including Russia, Ethiopia, Scotland and the Ukraine, its clear how Gogol Bordello have evolved into a highly theatrical collective built upon an eclectic selection of world music styles and instruments. The energy at Leeds was infections and people were up and dancing manically. Playing a selection of tracks of their most recent album – produced by Rick Rubin! The New Yorkers put on one hell of a spectacle. Dancing across the stage, red wine in hand, frontman Eugene Hutz was incredible to watch. The rhythm of this performance was truly relentless and if you had of been front and centre you will know what I mean especially during Wonderlust King!

Irish indie-electropop trio, Two Door Cinema Club put on yet another energetic performance on Sunday. Not straying far from their sounds at Splendour in The Grass this band are somewhere between Franz Ferdinand and Delphic. The power pop hooks of Undercover Martin and I Can Talk were crowd favourites as per usual and finally, by 3pm, did we witness the first glimpse of life from the horde at the NME stage. Moving as one to the enthusiastic beats this energetic set made way London electro-rock duo The Big Pink consisting of Robbie Furze and Milo Cordell. .

Although turned off by their name they share Bloc Party’s producer and Coredell runs Merok Records (early home of Klaxons and Crystal Castles) so I was compelled to check them out. And besides, who isn’t a fan of Dominos? On stage the two multi-instrumentalists with their power chords and pop hooks received a massive response. Although breaking mainstream with their infections choruses and pop sensibilities their set was a more band orientated change in pace. Playing with a full line up including guitars and drums it was the synth sounds of MGMT mixed with the shoegaze of The XX that made for a distorted, lo-fi, 90’s electro pop performance that was mesmerizing!

Missing Yeasayer (FML) after a detour through the campsite in search of more alcohol to smuggle in we arrived in time for the second half of Delphic’s set.

The Manchester indie-dance outfit played a invigorating selection of tracks from their 2010 album Acolyte in front an absurd backdrop of what looked like satellite dishes. Thankfully the band saved the festival favourites – Halcyon, Counterpoint and Acolyte until the very end so we were lucky enough no to miss much of the hypnotic instrumentals that ever so successfully marry together the better elements of rock music and dance music. But then again you could only expect as much having been produced by Berlin based DJ/genius Ewan Pearson

Of all the acts here this weekend, Queens of the Stone Age were my most anticipated. Warming up the stage for Guns N Roses, QOTSA appropriately opened with Feel Good Hit Of The Summer. Only moments in to their set lead singer Josh Homme announced he wanted his music loud “so turn it up for these mother fuckers. I’m sick of this quiet shit”. Josh’s between song repartee continued much the same tone through out the bands hour and a half set. Playing only six or so well known hits Queens set was truly one for the fans. Powerful with raw energy the set list covered song from R Rated all the way through to Era Vulgeris and included Sick Sick Sick, Long Slow Goodbye, Misfit Love and of coarse Little Sister, Go With the Flow and No One Knows. The bands killer riffs and heavy bass lines made for an explosively loud performance. Couple that with the seductive vocals of Homme and you can see why this band are one of the best live acts around!

Despite initial rumours that Guns N Roses were going to pull the pin on their Sunday night Leeds performance after a spat with festival organisers, they arrived onstage 30 minutes late and after some desperate pleading for the audience to take a step back avoid crushing fans at the front. Tainted from the previous disputes surround Reading Festival (GNR came on one hour late and as a result ran past the festivals curfew, to avoid paying penalties organisers cut the sound during the bands encore) the audience were hesitant about whether another dummy spit would follow. Having watched opening anthem, Welcome to The Jungle, we slunk out in search of LCD Soundsystem who were playing to a not so big audience but were thankful to those who chose them over the Gunners.

Charming as always frontman James Murphy put on an extremely lively performance with a set list that was identical to Splendour. With mischievously quirky lyrics and vibrant hooks the NME was brought to life for the final time this weekend.

Returning to catch the end of GNR’s set we managed to see Night Train, and extend guitar solo and final track, Paradise City, which delivered lighting, fireworks, confetti and Axl Rose shouting “from the crowd to the promoters – Fuck you”!

Jumping on a last minute festival ride before heading out to the campsite to watch the riots and party at Piccadilly (blogs below) Leeds festival was by far one of the best festivals of MWT. Although the location and surrounds were far from the beauty of Latitude or Coachella, the atmosphere was incredible and the people were so much fun. Leeds was probably the most like home (aside from the fact we don’t burn shit and blow things up on the final night)

Bec Clark

Past Festivals

2010-09-01T13:10:00.000-07:00

A few people have asked me about the other festivals and where they can read our previous blogs.... well head to here for all the festivals, interviews and reviews from My World Tour 2010

Leeds Festival Day 2

2010-09-01T09:05:00.000-07:00

Saturday at the festival saw just the slightest drizzle of rain but was windy as hell and freezing during the night. But first up - The Joy Formidable, a trio from North Wales who are doing things by their own accord.

Saturday at Leeds the NME stage was brought to life with the hazy reverb and dreamy, yet powerful vocals of female lead, Ritzy Bryan. Regularly receiving references to last nights performers Arcade Fire and even the Yeah Yeah Yeahs it was the powerful balance of rock music with the delicate voice of a chick that had the audience enthralled. Their set was filled with monstrous instrumentals and mind blowing crescendos, however in contrast the band was lyrically quite minimal. Towards the end of their first track Bryan began smashing her guitar, albeit unsuccessfully, this short haired blond lass rampaging across the stage screamed Courtney Love. The onstage dynamic of TJF was quite unique with the drummer located at the front of the stage but facing away from the audience, towards his fellow band mates. This live performance was loud and the bands music genuinely needed space to breathe.

Hanging out for Local Natives (formerly known as Cavil at Rest) this quintet out of LA have recently been described as psych folk. Their boyish charm and measured harmonies of the first few track reminded me of Sydney's Boy and Bear – just less folk and more dance. Fromm immense drumming to pop hooks, the guys brought their west coast charm to the audience at Leeds. The complexity of each song becomes evident as three part harmonies are enhanced by tribal drumming and melodic guitar riffs. Alternating between lead vocals (I think I counted three changes) they were finally joined on stage by fellow Leeds performers Fools Gold for some full blown percussive break downs.

Catching the tail end of Cardiff eight piece Los Campesinos, who had pulled an impossibly large crowd, I got in a good position for Wild Beasts.

Performing with falsetto croons and deep tenor moans in perfect measure, this band seemed to transcend a number of genres and influences. Front men Hayden Thorpe and Tom Fleming both extremely talented and did a stunning job of introducing Leeds Festival to their mercury nominated album Two Dancers. Stunning the audience at the NME stage, Wild Beasts’s set was filled with unique melodies and an expansive range of daring vocals, the passion and sheer talent of this group strikingly evident. Trading instruments as the set progressed the band closed their 40 minute time slot with a chilling performance of Hooting and Howling.

I hate to say it but I used to be a bit of a Limp Bizkit fan. Admittedly I was much younger and musically naïve, but I had to check these guys out for nostalgias sake. But sadly their performance was less than average. Entering the stage to the beats of DJ Lethal with his signature basketball singlet, this time the Celtics, and hat, (but no the NY one we have some to know and love) Fred Durst’s performance was bland. And , showmanship, almost not existent. Occasionally screaming “yeah…LEEEDs” into the mic there was often long pauses between songs and no real banter to fill the void. As for Wes Borland – this was by far the creepiest on stage ensemble I have aver witnessed. Painted black legs, a dark grey coat, fox fur around his neck, long black hair and a fringe with bangs, white make up with giant red clown lip and then his teeth – ohhh his teeth… covered in black grime. Opening with Rollin crowd favourites My Way, Break Stuff and Take a Look Around were play before the boys closed with their anticipated cover if George Michael's Faith. Sadly there was to Nookie

Next up was west coast rappers - Cypress Hill who seem to be just an excuse for everyone in the audience to light up heir splifs. Considering the fact that there is no drug searches or dogs at this festival people could get in anything and everything they pleased. As expected How Could I Just Kill A Man and Insane in the Brain went off.

Finally making it over to the dance tent for the first time this festival I caught UK electro-pop (with a hint of post punk) quartet Metronomy, this is one of those bands who are really hard to pigeonhole. Coming out among a midst a sea of bands in a simular vein, it seems as though people are becoming less and less interested by this genre. The turn out was unimpressive but the energy on stage eventually got people involved. The bands twitchy riffs and sharp vocals were drizzled with enough synths to keep the dance floor alive and maintaining momentum. You Could Easily Have Me, Radio Ladio and Heartbreaker were vibrantly welcomed by the audience although by the end of their set is was sadly apparent how much this band have changed their vocals for the album. Sounding sometimes off key, Metronomy were fun but really not worth seeing live.

American rockers Band of Horses, previously known as Horses had packed out the NME stage by 6PM on Saturday. Gaining popularity after their second album Cease to Begin the 5 piece are renowned for their indie country-rock revival and southern American sound. The vocals of Ben Bridwell echoed ever so magnificently through the tent at Leeds and enticed references to My Morning Jacket, the Flaming Lips or even soft rock sounds of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. Soundscapes encapsulated the audience as did the powerfully evocative lyrics and earnest choruses. As raw guitars give way to a softer side, the delicate and genuine verse on tracks like Ode to LRC and No One’s Gonna Love You came the focal point. Hitting each note with perfection and an uncanny ease Band Of Horses were simply beautiful to watch.

Opening with Total Life Forever, Oxford quintet Foals are stuck with a wall of applause at the audiences first recognition of the songs melodies. The NME stage once again packed but this time it was impossible to move, especially in the front D, which was a little dangerous as people just kept coming and coming. The Levels of reverb echoed through out the tent only to be brought to a halt by the chilling falsetto vocals of Philippakis'. Saturdays performance was bold and the bands musical scope monumental. Playing tracks from both Antidotes and recent release Total Life Forever the immense vocals of Philippais weaved their way through out venue creating vivid aural landscape amidst a blooming wash of blue lights. Despite the slow and gradual build of Spanish Sahara the audience never waivered in captivation. Climbing up poles one side of the stage and down into the audience, the Foals frontman was brilliant to watch, breath taking in every aspect. Highlight of the set – the cacophony of instrumental and electronic layers that is Miami.

Finally for the much anticipated Punk-pop trio – Blink 182 who seemed to entrain themselves as much as they did the audience. Regular outburst of profanities and burping on into the mic, Tom Delonge shortly announced “Leeds is going to kick the shit out of Reading." To which the response was mammoth, the sibling rivalry between these two festivals is hilarious. Initially performing in a shirt with 'RIP DJ AM' sprawled across it (shortly being removed after becoming drench with sweat) drummer Travis Barker was phenomenal to watch, especially during his extended drum solo that took place later in the set.

Screaming Fuck, shit, C_nt and blow jobs in to the mics at random, Blink 182’s set was insane from the get go. On stage banter continued as much the same level including mark announcing Thank you - "We are Mark Hoppus and the other two guys." The band hour and a half set opened with Dumpweed and included The Rock Show, What's My Age Again, I Miss You, Don't Leave Me, All The Small Things, Josie and closed with Dammit.

Bec Clark

Leeds Festival Day 1

2010-09-01T04:43:00.000-07:00

As 70,000 or so revellers descended on Bramham Park in Leeds, the sight was nothing short of impressive. Apparently pacing themselves for three days of incredible music and minimal sleep, the bar lines told a different story. Thick with intoxicated English larrikins, many of who were already stumbling, this scene set the pace for the rest of our unforgettable weekend.

Having regrettably missed Modest Mouse the first act on our agenda was English quintet, The Maccabees, who’s Friday afternoon set was indie rock at its most cultivated. There were no surprises here, nor did the band push any boundaries, but that’s simply their style. Despite having a number of album hits, this band has hardly made a dent on Australian shores, but I think their basic structure is just why. In contrast however, punters at Leeds seemed to adore them. Having played the festival twice before, this was the bands first time on the main stage and ask anyone who is familiar with their music, they will tell you The Maccabees put on a killer set. Their Friday performance no doubt expanding their already doting UK fan base who were singing along with every word.

Shortly after, the main stage welcomed on fellow English act, The Cribs. Playing a heavy collection of the bands back catalogue, including crowd pleasers Mens Needs and Mirror Kisses, the trio put on a stellar performance. My only criticism of the band was the horrific hairstyle of Jonny Marr, which epitomised the bowl cut and made him look more like a Lego Man than a rock star. Just before the final track singer/bassist, Gary Jarman announced “These are our last shows for along time, you won’t see us for a bit”. The booing and moaning of the audience subsided shortly after the first few chords of City of Bugs took flight.

Perplexed by the addition of Dizzee Rascal into the line-up on the main stage, this abrupt change in pace kinda killed the musical flow and for me, the mood! The Maccabees, The Cribs, Dizzee Rascal???, The Libertines, Arcade Fire. No one else seemed to give a toss and as the opening beats of Jus’ a Rascal erupted, the rascal himself entered the stage and people bolted into the thick of it. Call it bling or call is cheese, Dizzee performed his 45 minute set, gold microphone in hand. Despite being renowned for his ability to create abstract musical blends that fuse together genres including hip-hop, grime, regga, electro and his regular use of samples, on Friday Dizzee lost all sorts of credibility when he tried to take on Nirvana. Butchering Smells Like Teen Sprit by rapping over the top. Kurt Cobain having just died a second time over. Bonkers and Holiday went off but its going to take a lot more than that for Dizzee to redeem himself.

Having been offered a supposed £1 million for the shows, the much anticipated UK act The Libertines were enticed on to the stage by a mammoth wall of applause. Although Arcade Fire were set to play the headline slot for Fridays main stage, The Libertines were by far the most eagerly awaited. The return of Pete Doherty, Carl Barat, Gary Powell and John Hassall was phenomenal and despite rumours of Doherty’s early apprehension about performing The Libertines put on one hell of a show what covered material from their entire (yet all to short) career. Half expecting a doped up Doherty to match the chaotic history and unravelling that was so sadly the Libertines, fans enjoyed faultless renditions of favourites including Can’t Stand Me Now (where the lads shared a mic), Death on The Stairs and Boys In the Band. Their 19 song set was an amazing come back for the quartet and an unforgettable experience for fans.

Playing off the back of their most recent album, The Suburbs, Friday night headline act Arcade Fire delivered a stand out performance. Full off energy this band was well deserving of their slot (although many Libertines or even Pendulum fans would disagree). Filling the stage with special effects, lighting and larges faces as a backdrop the bands set was full of musically grand statements and festival anthems. Opening with Ready to start and No Cars Go, Arcade’s musical presence engulfed the gathered mass. The immense church organs and vocal arrangements were a perfect note to end on! Or so I though. But the band even encored with Wake Up where the harmonies on stage were echoed by that of the audience to create an almost surreal finale.

Bec Clark

London to Leeds Festival

2010-08-31T11:17:00.001-07:00

Catching one of the many regular National Express bus services to Leeds from London, I faced a four and a half hour trip, but considering the 14hr flights we have become accustom to, this was nothing.

Arriving at Leeds Coach Station I experienced my first dumb tourist moment – got into a cab and told the driver where I needed to go. He said it’s not far so he would cut me deal, not turn on the meter and I could just pay 5 pounds. Well stupid me for agreeing to trust him because not only did he take me to the wrong hotel but the amount he charged me was much more that it should have been. Jerk.

Eventually go to the RIGHT hotel around 2pm, checked in and arranged to meet with Dan to head into the festival. For 17 pounds we got an unlimited bus pass that took us too and from Leeds Festival as much as we wished, bearing in mind that the last buses leave at 1am (something I forgot to factor in on my final night).

Check points getting in to the festival were brief, only two in fact - one leading to the campsite that checked bags for glass bottles and our arms for wrist bands, and the latter heading into the festival grounds, supposedly checking bags and persons for any other grog. With the amount of people going though this section the searches were not thorough and almost every second person got drinks in. Brilliant – saved some dosh there!

Friday’s weather was pleasant, although the masses had prepared with wellies and raincoats on the off chance the sky would turn. The layout of the festival was well planned and getting from main stage to the other areas was a breeze. Bars were plenty as were the food outlets, offering a simular selection to Latitude with just as steep prices…but you get that at every festival.

Musically your options were

Leeds Mainstage – headline acts

NME/ Radio 1 stage

Dance/Lockup stage/ Cinema

The Alternative stage – occasionally offering comedians and entertainment of the sort

Festival Republic Stage – the company that runs many of the festivals over here

BBC introducing stage – supporting up and coming local talent. Many band who play here go on to play the bigger stages in a few more years

Festival fashions were a bit of a mixed bag. Many chicks seem to just layer things on to keep warm (side from the ones getting around in denim shorts) but still manage to look good. Guys on the other hand were less capable of pulling it off and trackies and hoodies were a popular option. I keep forgetting that on this side of the world most festivals are all ages – it makes for a more energetic crowed but also more immature and idiotic. Mainly referring to the cups of piss that get thrown through the crowd by little dick heads who think it’s funny. If your manning a spot for your favourite band and you have been there for hours – guys feel free to piss in a bottle and drop it, hey chicks would too if we could. But there is no need to throw it forward. You would see it hit someone and they would wipe the wetness and smell it – sometimes it was only cider and the look of relief on the faces was apparent. Either way I’m thankfully I never got hit.

We have been told the vibe is way different to Reading and of coarse everyone here says Leeds crowd is better - friendlier and more chilled out. I have to say the people were a lot of fun, very welcoming and easy going. I’ll get back to you on the vibe difference if I ever get to do Reading.

Enough dribble… now for the music…. (still on its way)

Bec Clark

After Hours - Piccadilly Party

2010-08-31T10:50:00.000-07:00

The blogs from the festival itself are still on the way so for now Im just giving you guys a few vids...

Piccadilly party was a sick little DJ booth and dance floor that kept the campsite going until 6am. This little gem was located outside the festival grounds but right in near all the campers. Here is a peak at what it looked like...

Bec Clark

Sunday Night Riots

2010-08-31T10:15:00.000-07:00

Just a bit of footage from the final night at Leeds Festival. We had been warned about the Sunday night riots...

People lighting tents on fire, blowing up aerosol cans in the flames, ripping down other peoples tents (final bit of footage in the vid below, little hard to see) and just destroying everything in sight! A guy I met on the ride back to London who told me of a tent being set alight last year with someone still inside!

The first bit of footage is the only the start, it was still day light and things had already been burnt to the ground

It was hectic and I have to say also a little scary at times. Walking around with my new camera around my neck a number of people even said to me they were surprised I lasted the whole night with that thing and hadn't been mugged for it.... shiiiiit

We even witnessed metal bins getting launched down massive hills, one of which hit some chick in the head. Our friends went to get medics because for the first 5 minutes she lay on the ground hardly moving. We think she was alright shortly after....

The Aftermath

Bec Clark

2010-08-31T03:11:00.000-07:00

Fuji Rock to Tokyo: Scissoring the Sisters Part 1.

My feet are soaked, my raincoat is so wet it's no longer waterproof, as I stand at the foot hills of the Nigita mountain ranges patiently waiting for the Scissor Sisters to begin Fuji Rock Festival’s final performance. In an instance, the stage is alive as a multitude of lights dart across the natural arena, lighting up a 30ft backdrop of Mapplethorpe’s famous derriere. The opening and title track from the Scissor Sisters’ latest album Night WorK explodes into the crowd preparing us for some high energy and uber flamboyant entertainment.

As I watch lead singer Jake Shears prance gregariously around the stage in nothing but his underpants, while vocalist Anna Matronic banters flirtatiously with the audience about boobs, butts, and blowjobs. I hesitate for a split second about the upcoming interview I have with them in Tokyo. However, that hesitation vanishes as the keys to ‘Laura’ kick in and the ten thousand Japanese punters in front of me start dancing. It seems the dance for the night is a synchronised Fuji Rock 2 step. Moving side to side and some more, I recognise other tracks from their debut album, Scissor Sisters; their break through songs ‘Take Your Mama’, and ‘Comfortably Numb’ are well received while Shears and Matronic paddle each other on stage. Soon after, I hear the song that introduced me to the Sisters, ‘I Don’t Feel Like Dancing’ from their sophomore album Ta-Da, and move out from under the trees to join the rest of the punters on lower ground. Embracing the rain and the Fuji Rock Mountain Spirits (as MGMT called it the night before), I take off my yellow plastic rain cap and give the Fuji Rock 2 step all I have. The set continues with Shears, Matronic, Del Marquis (Lead Guitar/Bass), Babydaddy (Multi-instrumentalist) and Randy Reel (Drums) all performing an enthralling and theatrical set. Finishing the night with ‘Invisible Light’ and ‘Filthy/Gorgeous’ the Scissor Sisters not only held the entire crowd in the rain at 12am, but kept them dancing until the early hours of the next morning.

As I prepare notes on the way to Tokyo, I start making comparisons between last night’s gig, and the previous time I saw the Scissor Sisters, closing Splendour in the Grass 2006. Personally I thought they were both great sets, and both great festivals; however it would be interesting to hear their opinions and experiences of the major festivals around the world. Having only sampled a handful of festivals worldwide, my conversation regarding the idiosyncrasies of the majors is somewhat limited. My favourite for all those who have visited Roskilde Festival is the common discussion of the liberal attitude of the Danes themselves. There is only one festival in the world where fence space is limited for peeing because it’s filled with blonde bombshells squatting, Calsberg in hand; or Australia’s Big Day Out where bogans feel empowered by removing their shirts to expose their sacred constellation tattoo. Being a punter who usually stays in a half strung tent it might be good to get an artist’s perspective on how the rest of the Fests roll.

A'Dam

Fuji Rock 両者日 (Day Two)

2010-08-31T02:42:00.000-07:00

Fuji Rock: The Saga Continues

With not many bands on my agenda for day two, I was able to slow the pace down, chill, and absorb the Fuji surroundings. However, waking up in the early afternoon was a little too chilled and resulted in a frantic morning start.

So with a late start to the day, I was forced to sacrifice showers and cleanliness so I could run past the World Restaurant arena (where you can find an array of earthly delights from Jamaican Jerk Chicken, to a French Croque-monsieur) to grab the bare essentials for the day; First stop, The Karma bar for a couple of bloody marries; Second Stop, the favourite takoyaki stall for some Japanese Octopus Balls (but don’t let the name put you off... they are amazing).

From there I jumped on the Dragondola, the world’s longest cable car, which took me to the mountain peaks of the Naeba resort. On the nervous ride I had thrilling 360 degree views of the festival, and was welcomed by a Fuji Rocker screaming insanities at the car from aside the mountain. At the top of the pristine peak lay a small stage called Silent Breeze, where DJ's spun ambient sounds while fire twirlers twirled, and Japanese hippies danced contently amongst the skies. After a quick beer and shuffle, I realised it was time to make my way back down the hill and head to the Red Marquee to catch the end of the 22-20s (which was so impressive it made me wish I saw the whole show).

With only a few hours to go until one of my Fuji Festival favourites, Roxy Music, I made my way to the Green Stage to watch Creedence Clearwater Revival’s, John Fogerty. Strumming out some classic Creedence sing alongs, including Fortunate Sun, and Who’ll Stop The Rain, Fogerty also covered songs by Little Richard, and Roy Orbison. Fogerty’s vibrant set (to my surprise) resulted in thousands of punters filling the mountains with muffled harmonies, while swinging each other from arm to arm.

Next up on the Green Stage was one of the two bands that played a critical part in my decision to travel across the Pacific to Fuji Rock. Roxy Music played close to a 2 hour set, with a band and back up singers that filled the main stage. Unfortunately for Brian Ferry, the audience was only half full, and dressed in industrial wet weather apparel to combat the pouring rain. They played over an hour of their hits from albums Avalon, Flesh + Blood, and Manifesto, with an abundance of monotonous 80’s sax solos, which lead to contemplations of bailing to the White Stage to catch the second half of Zac de la Rocha (Rage Against The Machine) and Jon Theodore’s (The Mars Volta) latest project One Day As A Lion. However, luckily for this Art Rocker want-to-be, the last 30 minutes contained exactly what I came for, with Ferry busting out hits such as Virginia Plain, Do The Strand, and Love Is the Drug, making up for the previous part of the set.

To finish the night I ventured over to watch the White Stage’s closing artist, MGMT. This appeared not to be a unique choice, as it seemed the entirety of the festival was heading in the same direction creating a painfully slow bottleneck between the two stages. Normally a 5 minute walk; it probably would have made more sense to put Brian on the White and MGMT on the Green, no? Besides the torturous traffic jam, MGMT were looking the part with their retro 70s linen attire, and haircuts to match. In comparison to the apathetic show I saw at Roskilde music festival in 2008, I thought they played an entertaining set. All the essential tracks from Orcacular Spectacular sat nicely juxtaposed to the psych-pop singles featured on Congratulations; which Benjamin Goldwasser attributed to the “mountain spirits” of Fuji Rock.

Even though the crowd was perceived to be predominantly Orcacular Spectacular fans, the band put on an awesome show playing a balanced variety of old and new. The band finished the set with a sparkler infused rendition of ‘Kids’, and frontman Andrew VanWyngarden announcing Fuji Rock is MGMTs “favourite festival we’ve ever played”.

A'Dam

London Continues To Grow On Me, This City Is Amazing.

2010-08-24T13:24:00.001-07:00

Nights out have been interesting. Most pubs shut their doors at around eleven and you are immediately reminded you’re not in OZ. Once pubs are out of the equation, you are now left with a few bar/clubs. And heading into the city in the hope of finding an uber cool bar purely by chance has proven less than successful. Without local knowledge, my friend Lauren and I ended up at some horrible night club in Soho. As with most of the bars in this area it was a sausage sizzle but for all the wrong reasons. This wasn’t a gay bar and our only other idea of why the ladies’ to gents’ ratio was so messed up was that chicks KNOW to avoid this club.

Cracking on in search of a new venue resulted in us wandering past the many quirky sights and sounds of this vibrant city. People watching her is brilliant, the most unusual of characters are sure to appear and at night they really do seem to come out of the woodwork. This unsuccessful new venue hunt led us past a fire station, the doors were open and the pole was insight, clearly an invitation to sneak in and try and slide down this thing. Getting up to slide down was a non event – not in this state anyway. Surprisingly the firemen at the station didn’t kick us out and we even got a mini tour.

Tubes stop at midnight so getting home via busses or over priced Taxis are your only options. Safety says taxi but budget said bus. Bus we did.

Portobello Rd markets are an absolute must if you are here on a Saturday. Offering everything from antiques, collectables, clothing (modern and vintage) to food, jewel and art, these markets are almost as good a Camden and are only 5 minutes walk from Notting Hill Gate Station (or 15 min from our hotel). The crowds are pretty massive but if you take your time, meandering at a leisurely pace you won’t find it too unbearable. The markets themselves run for several blocks and really do have some nice little bargains. I do however recommend taking a break and sitting down at one of the restaurants along the way. Soph and I chose to do one side, break for lunch, then tackle the next. Also along this road is a Cupcake store called Hummingbird that had been referred two us by a number of different people saying the Red Velvet is a must. It was crazy fluffy and really quite lush.

With its own little section, the Portobello Rd Art Markets were a highlight of our sojourn. Situated amongst a street art exhibition, many of the works had been painted by the art dealers who were selling copies or t-shirts of the works that are painted the wall

. I picked myself up a neat little canvas of this piece….

Saturday night I opted for a road trip to Portsmouth and a house party with friends. The combination of jet lag + booze resulted in me passing out and inevitably becoming a human canvas. Just you wait Laura Bell, Just you wait!

If you haven’t been to London, let me warn you, the tubes can get really hot and stuffy, especially when you’re layered with clothing necessary for the dreary English weather. Battling the tubes with a killer hang over just didn’t appeal to me so I stayed another night out away from the hustle and bustle of the big smoke.

On Sunday I headed to the famous Brick Lane with Soph to check out the many curry houses people rave about. On the weekends the street is apparently alive with Indian waiters hassling you for your business and offering some pretty sweet deals if you choose their restaurant. We were enticed by free drinks and extra entrées, the sign out the front saying ‘2009/2010 Curry Chef of the year’ may have also helped. The food was rich with amazing flavours and was quite cheap for the amount you get. It was enough to keep you stuffed to the gills until dinner.

Further up Brick Lane the curry houses become fewer and vintage fashion shops, bars and art galleries take over street sides. The vibe at this end is a lot like Sydney’s Newtown and the OP shopping here is crazy. Taking a minor detour up Cheshire St we visited Beyond Retro – a vintage clothing store for men and women that is the size of a warehouse. This place was so big and so, so wicked, I was perplexed as to where to start. I will most defiantly be revisiting here before I leave. Snapping up a few bargains and knocking off some birthday shopping (for family back home) I have damaged my wallet and will be keeping quite low key for the next few days in London before LEEDS!!!!

Belakiss live @ "West Rocks" in Shepherd's bush

2010-08-21T08:38:00.000-07:00

Belakiss are an edgy experimental rock band from north west London that I've been listening to for a while now. When I heard they were playing a club night just down the road in Shepherd's Bush I jumped at the chance to go see them perform live. It was a great opportunity not only to listen to their set but also hear what they've been up to for the last two years since I saw them last.

They've had a distracting few months with a number of line up changes in the band (they lost previous guitarist Harry Appleby and have recently taken on new drummer Mark Wyss) but they're finally back on solid ground returning to the live gigging scene.

They have a very unique line up which consists of two front men, Ruari Meehan and Benjamin Sheldrick, who are supported by the harmonised vocal backings of bassist Tatia Starkey. Songwriting duties are largely shared between Rurari and Ben with Tatia also adding her influence into the music arrangement and compositions. While their sound harks back to experimental 70s rock their trilogy of unique styles really comes together well to form a forward thinking yet enjoyable listening experience.

Benjamin Sheldrick (left) Tatia Starkey (center) Rurari Meehan (right) and Mark Wyss (below)

Recently the band have gone back into songwriting mode and are currently workshopping a number of new tracks to be released. You can grab a sneak peak of their recent demo "Run Red" which is available on their Myspace page and Website. Their next scheduled performance is the 11th of September at the Wilmington Arms in London so add yourself to the band's Facebook group page so you can stay posted.

Check out the video below of Belakiss performing live last night!

Post, pictures and video by StereoDan

Shoreditch street art

2010-08-21T06:31:00.000-07:00

So we've made it all the way to the other side of the world and are settled in London. There's been plenty of time to wander around and catch up with old friends. This time round I've decided to just go with the flow and not really try to plan things too much. I spent yesterday wandering around the streets of Shoreditch which is well known as an artistic hot spot. Plenty of fantastic street art to be seen and of course trendy fashion shops and uber cool bars and cafes.

Post by StereoDan

London Day 1

2010-08-20T18:23:00.000-07:00

Sight seeing in London…Yeah OK so I cheated, took the easy way out and jumped on one of those open top bus tours, but at least I can say I have seen the main attractions. I know where everything is and I can use the rest of my time hear seeing and doing what I want to do. No more of that nagging obligation to see something just because it’s famous.

The bus tours are a pretty neat way of doing things. You pre pay for your ticket that cost 25pound, lasts for 24hrs and allows you to hop and off at any of the designated stops. You can see as much or as little as you like. With six different routes, some offering much more than others, it takes the better part of a day to get though everything. If you decide to get off and meander around for yourself, you’re looking and a really loooong day.

My day looked a little like this:

Marble Arch – Oxford St – Regent St – Piccadilly Circus and Eros Statue – Trafalgar Square – Big Ben – Houses of Parliament – London Eye – Justice Courts – St Pauls Cathedral –The Monument – London Bridge – HMAS Belfast – Tower Bridge – Tower of London – The Globe – Westminster Pier – Westminster Abbey – Buckingham Palace.

Change Routes

British Museum (were I got off, looked around and was lucky enough to see the Rosetta Stone – a ancient Egyptian slab of granite that pretty much became the key to interpreting ancient Hieroglyphics) – Albert Hall – Albert Memorial – Natural History Museum – Victoria and Albert Museum (had a look around again. Some works of Raphael including Christs Charge to Peter *below*...

...a Grace Kelly and fashion exhibition and a really schweeet modern design and style exhibition) – walk to Harrods for some shopping and ate lunch in their spectacular food halls – stroll through Hyde park – dinner with friends.

post by Bec Clark

Sydney to Melbourne to L.A to London !

2010-08-19T23:03:00.001-07:00

Catching a three PM shuttle from Collaroy, I got to the airport with plenty of time to brace myself for the next, what ended up being (flights, waiting and transfers) 37 hours in transit.

Our Virgin Blue flight - Sydney to Melbourne, had been held up as wind turbulence made it too hectic to land immediately. Circling for a bit before finally touching down we made it to the gate with around 20 minuets to get to the next flight. Bolting from the domestic terminal to international check in we then had to clear security, customs/boarder patrol, make a bathroom pit stop and get to the gate. I arrived 5 minutes late but thankfully the staff on our flight had notified the staff on the next so they were waiting for us, and the several other people in the same situation. Although the V Australia flight was waiting, the scene that erupted looked like something out of the amazing race. People running to check in, running in the wrong direction, running into each other, several suitcases toppling off their wheels and just being dragged the rest of the way and one hilarious altercation someone had with the line markers (you know those little poles with the elastic ropes that stretch out to the next one). It was minor chaos but extremely funny.

We made it and I had been lucky enough to get upgraded to what they now call Premium Economy. IT WAS LUX. I was offered champagne before we took off (and while we waited for the other stragglers fighting their way through Melbourne airport).

Sooo much leg room, foot rests, headphones that cut out most of the cabin noise, drinks and nibbles before dinner, a help yourself bar of snacks and drinks, pre-ordering dinner (which was better than economy), a wine list selection, night caps of Bailies or Whiskey on the rocks and a toiletries pack that you will want to keep and won’t be embarrassed to use.

I know i sounds like an oxymoron but it was a comfortable flight, aside from the few off smells coming from the people beside me. These people seemed to be under the impression that because the cabin noise is so loud and no one else can hear you, it’s OK to fart.

Two and a bit hours down time in LAX, which has surprisingly only four shops to peruse, and we were on our next long haul to London. Thankfully this leg is just over 10 hrs as opposed to the 14+ we just did getting there.

After landing at London Heathrow we headed our hotel. Even though the last several hours had been sitting down, doing F all, I was exhausted and ready for bed. Catching a train on the Piccadilly Line to Earls Court (where we stayed last trip) then transferring to the district line to Bayswater. After a 3 minute walk we had reached our gorgeous old hotel. Detailed brick work on the outside with dark wood fixtures on the inside. This place is a beautifully maintained heritage building and 4 stars might I add, thanks to our lovely friends at lastminute.com.au.

Our rooms at the Grand Royale are cute. Modern interiors and a freaking comfortable bed (will get some pics up today).

Frightened Rabbit Down Under (Presented by StereoDan)

2010-08-17T00:34:00.000-07:00

StereoDan catches up with lead singer/songwriter/guitarist Scott Hutchinson from "Frightened Rabbit" to chat about the band's music and recent tour to Australia.

This is Frightened Rabbit's third time down under, and they've noticed a growing audience in attendance at their live performances each time. Despite playing an early time slot Sunday morning at Splendour in the Grass Festival they managed to pull people out of their sleeping bags and down to main stage for their performance.

When asked about his lyrics Scott explained that he tries "to pack as many layers into each line as much as possible so that there's not just one potential meaning." With only a brief amount of time to say something he makes each word count. In his own words "Everything counts towards the bigger picture, but it's made of all these small detail parts and hopefully that unfolds as the listener sticks with it."

Listening to the band's music there is certainly a sense of honesty and sincerity that can only be achieved when writing from the heart. Scott explains that he never really censors himself while composing music and that "people can tell immediately if you're being honest or if you're just talking shit." Despite the confrontational themes in the music live performance is actually a rewarding experience as he gets "a sense of total joy... people are really taking these songs into their own lives, and their getting something from it. It's really about them now and not me when we play it live."

Special thanks to Scott Hutchison and the band "Frightened Rabbit." Live performance by Frightened Rabbit filmed at The Factory in Sydney (3 Aug 2010). Media production by Daniel Taylor

Post by StereoDan

2010-08-15T18:44:00.000-07:00

Meeting at the iconic Proud Gallery in Camden, London, StereoDan met up with English solo singer/songwriter/pianist Benjamin Bloom. Having previously played in signed bands Ben has now decided to focus on his own original music composition and live performance by embarking on a unique solo project.

Despite being just one man he creates a thick texture of sound blending produced electronic beats and music with his own live piano performance and lead vocals. Having recently purchased some recording equipment these are the first results of his "Osmosis songwriting" process. In his own words:

"You put some piano in, and you don't like it, you change it, and then all of a sudden a keyboard idea comes in. You put the keyboard line in, delete the piano idea, do the drums against the keyboard line. You put the new piano line in, you sing a vocal, the vocal then changes all the other parts. Then you just keep developing it.... over time a song gets formed"

Described as "Electro Cabaret" by one reviewer his weird and wonderful approach to composition has contributed to a very distinctive quirky style in his music. Thanks to Ben's classical piano training and diverse musical influences he music has evolved into what he describes as "Melodramatic Popular Music."

For more information please check out his: Myspace, Facebook or YouTube .

Post by StereoDan

Lauren Pritchard Interview

2010-08-12T18:09:00.000-07:00

From earlier post

Bec Clark: Alright great. Well we’re here, for My World Tour at the John Henry studios (London) just about to have a chat to Lauren Pritchard, how are you today?

Lauren Pritchard: I’m good thank you, how are you?

B: I’m good. Now I’ve heard some absolutely fascinating stories of a fairy tale, of pretty much how you got started, so can you give us a little bit of a run down of how you got to where you are.

L: I grew up in Tennessee. I got really tired of being in my small town, called Jackson, so I begged and begged my parents to move me somewhere else where I could be a musician. My mother and I moved to LA when I was 16 and I lived there for two years where I spent some time in a reggae band, writing and working with people. I had done some acting when I was younger in Tennessee and decided to get an agent. That turned into me booking a show in New York (a Broadway show called Spring Awakening) which was a lot of fun. In my bio, in the play bill it said -I really want to be a writer, can you go to my website and check out my music. I had made a Myspace, had written some songs and put them up, so people started listening and stated checking out the music. [Some] people who came to see the show were from Sony and they signed me which was amazing and sort of kicked off my writing. The whole writing experience that kind of started I guess the end of 2007. Then flash forward to the end of 2008, when I got to start coming over here (UK) and start working with EG White who was a writer that I had known about, really admired and really wanted to work with. EG and his manager were looking for an artist that they could make a record with and the stars sort of aligned and things fell in the right place. I moved over here so I could make a record with him and I’m here now and signed to Island, with Universal Republic in the States, and it’s a really good home. It’s really nice.

B: I read somewhere that when you first moved to LA you were a little bit down on your luck and considered moving back to Jackson but you were picked up by a friend. Can you tell us what was going through your mind when you were considering heading back home?

L: Well basically I was living with my mum, I was sort of in a band and there wasn’t really that much going on. My little brother had come out to visit us, my mum and I, and wound up in a skating accident and shattering his collar bone so my mum had to get on a plane with him that night to fly back - mum was like ‘I have to stay here with your brother, I have to take care of him and you are going to have to come back. I don’t know what else to do because you can’t stay out there by yourself, you’ve just turned 17, you’re not emancipated, this is very against the law. I could get into a lot of trouble and I’m not a bad parent. I never have been and I don’t want to be outed as one for this ridiculous reason’ I didn’t know what to do. There wasn’t enough going on for me to stay there but I was slowly starting to make connections through people and some kind of progress. My friend Riley’s, I was driving to her house and my mum rang me and was like ‘you have to come home’ and then I turned up at [Riley’s] house and was like ‘I cant believe I’m going to have to leave L.A. I really don’t want to go home, it just doesn’t feel right’ She was like ‘you cant go, you can just stay at my house’ and I was like ‘don’t be ridiculous’. And then about three days later, her mum rang my mum and said ‘you cant let her go back, she’s really talented. You can just let her stay here and we’ll take care of her. We’ll sort her out. She just can’t leave, she has already made this much progress and if she comes back when she’s 18 she going to have to start all over again because she hasn’t made enough progress to keep something going but she has something going on for her and it just would be a waste’. It was an amazing thing they did for me because if I hadn’t of stayed at their house, I mean there is no way to say it would or wouldn’t have happened but it wouldn’t have happened this way and it may never have happened.

B: Would you have had the courage to get back up there and do it all again?

L: I think I would have, but I think it would have made me a different person. I have always been really ballsy and I don’t know whether I would or wouldn’t have made me less ballsy but I feel like it might have. I’m really glad that it didn’t happen and that I’m still biting

B: I believe you went to go live with Lisa Marie Presley? That was the mother who took you in right? What was it like living at their house hold and under that roof?

L: It was really nice. They are basically my second family and I’m very close with them.

B: Having played the LA bar circuit like you said with the reggae band and having been on Broadway, theatre and now festivals, where is your comfort zone, where are you most comfortable?

L: I don’t know. I think I have done so many different kinds of performances on stages and venues and situations, that as long as I’m with people who are nice on stage, it doesn’t matter. Cos you know there is the whole Broadway scene that is totally different. Playing to like 1200 people a night for over two years was something you just get used to, people being around, watching you and its weird when it first starts out and you’re acting on a stage. It’s a live show and anything can go wrong but it teaches you quickly to get your cat like reflexes involved. Because you always have to be ready for everything and that has been really useful in other areas of entertaining but to be honest I think the place that I have always been most comfortable is singing and playing on stage. It doesn’t mean that I didn’t love doing theatre. I started there and loved doing theatre and I’d love to go back to it at some point, when the time is right, but playing music is the best sort of escapism and release. It is where I feel most comfortable.

B: Well you were fantastic the other weekend, I think it was Saturday, playing at latitude and you played a couple of my favourite songs but you also did an amazing cover of TLC Waterfall. What possessed you to do that? Was there any significance of the song?

L: Well, The TLC Crazysexycool record was the first record I ever went to the record store to buy. I think I was eight years old and I’ve listened to that record probably more than any record in my whole life. I have always loved them and I think because that was always something floating around my brain it was a influence on the writing that I did and the music that I gravitated towards. The music was very soulful and has a lot of meaning behind it. I also think people get nervous about new artists, this is what I observe - When you are checking out new music you kind of go, like, oh am I going to like this? or am I not going to like this or have they maybe done something that I can sort of take in? I just sort of wanted there to be something in the show that people can recognise without people thinking - this is so new, this is so much to take in. That is one of my favourite songs and I just sort of thought of a song that people will, more than anything, just enjoy because it’s a great song. Doesn’t matter who’s singing it or how they’re playing or what’s going on, its just a great tune and its hard to do bad. Another thing for me is the significance of that tune. I did some work with Babyface, Kenny Edmonds, and writing with Kenny. He’s a friend and he wrote half that tune and to pay homage to these people who have had influence in my life I think is really important. And to pay homage to Lisa Left Eye, who’s not with us. Its been a lot of fun doing that song and I don’t think anyone actually thinks I’m going to rap and then I do.

B: And then you do! Yeah, I was going to say you have a bit of a rap career coming out there as well and you got an amazing response from everyone.

You have done a bit of work with Marcus from Mumford and Sons, what was he like to work with as a producer?

L: Really good. It was his first thing to produce ever on his own and I think he was, maybe nervous isn’t the right word, but we just really wanted it to be good. He’s really one of the most creative people that I have ever met and he has a way of telling you things are good or bad with out it being too harsh or too soft or whatever. He just sort of gets it done in a very diplomatic way and it was what was necessary for those few days in the studio. Ted Dwane who’s the bass player for Mumford also worked on the record and they are just great guys. They are really talented and they really know what they are doing. They’re amazing musicians and it was a pleasure working with them.

B: I have been listening to your CD lately and painkillers is probably my favourite track of yours, where were you coming from and where were you drawing your inspiration from when you were writing that track?

L: Oh dear. Well painkillers, most of the record is really written about things that happened, situations that I was in. I dated a guy and went through quite a long break up. All in all the relationship was almost three years and it changed me and my life in so many ways. Painkillers is basically about knowing that its over but knowing that you are not going to recover for a long time and there is nothing anyone can do. There no song, there’s no movie, there’s no book, there’s no hug, there’s no friend

B: There not enough chocolate

L: There not enough chocolate OR ice-cream in the world to cure what is going on and you just have to sort of get by

B: Is it hard performing songs like that on stage when they have such poignant connotations?

L: It is. A lot of the songs are personal and you sort of have to find the line of going there with out getting too involved. I will say, I wrote the song as I was sort of going through it. Only a few months after he and I had really been split up and I thought I’m still recovering, I’m still getting used to all this and it helped singing It. The only time that it was really tough was when we shot the video and I sang it all day for like 10 hrs and about half way through the day I was like - oh this is really personal this song isn’t it. It’s a bit weird

B: How much of the song Wasted in Jackson is autobiographical?

L: I basically wrote it from the perspective of me, 15 years old, just needing to get out. I was nervous about letting anyone hear it or putting it out in the universe let along make it the title of the album. But its not meant I a bad way, its just you know, I needed to get away from this place and then eventually come back and now that I’m not there I haven’t lived at home in so many years

B: Are you going to get back there?

L: I miss it so much and I miss everyone. I don’t know that I’ll go straight back there anytime soon. But I try and go back enough. Cos’ all of my family are still there

B: Well I’ll get back on to a happier subject then. I heard you did an amazing performance last night, congratulations on a success with the full band. How that all going and what can we expect form you in the future in terms of tour wise?

L: Last night was so much fun! I had a brilliant time, I really did. It was so nice to just be with the band and hear the songs as they are after doing six and a half months of acoustic touring. It was really cool, really exciting. I go to America for two week to do some radio promo cos’ were going to put the record out there. Its going out simultaneously as coming out here in the UK so were going to be there doing some work and doing some more acoustic gigs. We come back at the beginning of September, we actually have some full-band gigs that are going be lined up. Our first out side of London, full-band gig is on the 17th of August. We’re doing it up in Edinburgh for the festival. Im really looking forward to that cos’ every time we go up to Scotland they keep saying you have to come back for the festival and I finally get to come back. I’m really excited. So that the first one and come September we’ll be doing full-band gigs and touring mostly through the rest of the year. Here and the US the records out in October and I cant believe that its here. I just hope that somebody buys it

B: I remember a little while ago you go pulled up, an amazing opportunity, on stage with Paul Weller. Is there anyone you’d pull up on stage if you could to sing with you? Who would that be?

L: Lots of people, oh dear this list could go on. Actually the one person that I would really really really really really really really really really really really hope this happens is painkillers – do you know Talib Kweli?

B: No

L: He sort of like – do you know Mos Def?

B: Yep

L: He’s basically his partner in crime. They grew up together and they have always rapped and done things together. Talib is one of my favourite rappers in the world and he just did a painkillers remix and I really really really want to do a show where he comes on stage just for one song. I would just love that so much.

B: That would be amazing to see. Well since you’ve had such an amazing career going across so many musical genres, what’s the biggest lesson, or the main thing that you have taken from ‘showbiz’ and your musical career so far?

L: I think communication. Communication with everyone around you is the only way anything happens or goes even further. It can even be on the smallest level of things and I think that in ‘showbiz’’ there’s so many people that you have to talk to, theres so many people that are involved, that make everything happen and I think that have to be willing to be really personable with people. You have to understand that your giving a piece of yourself to the people who are watching and the people who are listening and I think that if you’re not willing to give, it doesn’t even have to be a lot, some people give a lot, some people give a little, but I think you have to be willing to give or else your not going to get anything back. Sometimes that’s quite scary and I think that is maybe the defining line of whether you can do this or you can’t. You have to be willing to split yourself into two and give how much you can give without giving away it all. It’s the only way you actually learn to receive because you’re giving them something by giving them your art and then they’re giving you something by appreciating your art, and without that working in unison it doesn’t work and I think that is the most important thing.

B: Well thank you so much, you have been absolutely fascinating, I think I could talk to you all day and just keep going. Thank you from My World Tour and hopefully we will get you out to Australia soon.

L: Yess please I want to go so bad.

Fuji Rock Festival '10, Japan

2010-08-11T07:48:00.000-07:00

Fuji Rockers: The First Installment

After a battering night of rain (in a not so waterproof tent), I opened the fly screen of my humble dome to a picturesque view of sunshine, dramatic mountain rangers, and hundreds of Fuji rockers preparing for the initial day of the festival... I knew it was going to be, in Lou Reed's words, a perfect day!

However, unlike Reed's song with the connotations of menace and smite, the opening day of Fuji Rock Festival '10 was flawless. The day began with Local Natives on the White Stage, where the LA 5 piece demonstrated what psych-folk truly is. Before heading to the Red Marquee where I would spend the majority of the day/night watching Mike Snow, Broken Bells, The XX, Broken Social Scene, and Rusko, I did a little exploring to see how the Fuji set up compares to other festivals I have frequented...

With punters pocketing every cigarette butt, binning every empty beer cup, and lining up without being shouted demands by lawless security guards, I knew I wasn't amongst the boisterous crowd of the Big Day Out, or the hussle and bussle of Bennicassim. 'Fuji Rockers' from an outsiders perspective, seem to be avid fans who care about their environment, their fellow punters, and are purely about the music - equipped with heavy duty backpacks, ocean liner tarps, and directors chairs that boggle the mind as to how they can fold up into a tiny bag - it seems they're in it for the long haul.

My choice to spend the majority of the night in the Red Marquee may have been one of the wisest choices of the festival; Mike Snow turned the crowd into a momentous dancing swell, while the Broken Bells swooned the audience with their familiar harmonies (although a little monotonous at times). As expected, Broken Social Scene were like seeing those familiar fun friends who you only catch up with once in a while, then Rusko closed the night with some dramatic bass that lowered the heart to match the sunken frequencies that hit the chest at high capacity.

Closing the night on the Green Stage, UK super group, MUSE, left the crowd in awe; wearing futuristic space suits; a laser show that projected onto the mountains behind, and giant eyeballs that were unleashed into the crowd during the final encore.

However, I found that the day turned night was prevailed by the calm and collective, The XX. Playing the majority of their debut album, xx, including 'Crystalised', and 'Islands', the three piece from London even incorporated a cover of ATB's 9PM (Till I Come). This transformed the tent of thousands of people to feel as if it were only you, them, and their somber and minimal light show. Coinciding with the light show The XX's minimal chord structure reverberated intense emotion that can be compared to the likes of Interpol when they toured Turn On The Bright Lights.