Children Collide @ The Annandale Hotel

Prying my foot from the sticky floor, I looked around the interior of the Annandale Hotel – a diminutive but popular venue nestled against the eternally busy Parramatta Road. The stage was crowded with light, leads, pedals and amps being tweaked by a hunched sound engineer crammed against the far wall.

Once I dislodged my foot from the dried alcohol on the floor and started to walk around, I noticed another interesting aspect of the layout. The pokies (despite still being around) were removed far enough away from the music not to bother anyone. Why can’t all venues in Sydney be like this one?

The Annandale’s charm may well be why its events are always so popular. It’s a venue for music and nothing else. On this muggy Friday night, Children Collide were visiting with their upbeat, punchy sound that was sure to send the small pub into a frenzy.

But first the three-piece Border Thieves lulled the milling crowd from the adjoining rooms. Dedicating their set to the pirates off the coast of Kenya (for “having a go”) the band filled the room with a soulful twist on indie. Sounding like a mixture of Sonic Youth and The Stone Roses, Border Thieves were engaging yet derivative. The event photographers had their work cut out for them as singer/guitarist Kat Harley and bassist Joel Werner battled their instruments and posed like stadium rock stars.

As Border Thieves retreated in search of a stolen beer, the crowd buzzed in anticipation. Conversations about managing to get tickets to the sold-out event were the hot topic. The chattering was broken short by the arrival of Regular John, sporting long hair and matching emaciated frames. At first the onslaught of rock ‘n’ roll captured everyone’s attention. The songs Language and We Spell Love… were so energetic and powerful they ignited a flurry of bobbing heads and fists punching the air. However, as the set continued, Regular John’s repetitive set-list cleared the room somewhat, as they lost the interest of a distracted audience. For all of their talent, the band’s full-throttle party sound slowly wore thin.

It was well and truly Children Collide’s night. The venue reached capacity while adoring fans continued to stream in. As a brief sound check was performed behind a lowered projector screen, screams of excitement filled the air as soon as any head revealed itself. Wedged between sweaty bodies, I easily forgot all of my discomforts as the white barrier was raised and We Are Amphibious burst my eardrums. It was only possible to see brief glimpses of the stage whilst yelling “it was so long, so long ago” amongst the manic throng. The crowd’s sheer enthusiasm shocked frontman Johnny Mackay into a broad smile that he couldn’t wipe from his face for the entire gig. With the announcement of every song from Across the Earth to Marie Marie, Pt. 2 it was near impossible to hear any music over the ecstatic cheering.

Every ounce of praise was well deserved. Children Collide are born performers, working the stage with an unchallenged energy and intensity. Fans leapt along with Johnny as he pummeled his guitar back and worth, head slung low around his knees. Bassist Heath Crawley and drummer Ryan Ceasar added their own flawless and practiced elements to the performance. Even as the comparatively down-tempo Farwell Rocketship came wailing through the speakers, no one could slow down. That was of course until we were all treated to a majestic cover of Walking on the Moon by The Police. Effortlessly making it their own, Children Collide held the crowd in silent awe as Johnny rivaled Sting’s falsetto.

Don’t miss another opportunity to see this band live. The smiles and laughter of the post-show rabble that spilled out onto Parramatta Road was testament to Children Collide’s awesome ability and talent. This was an unforgettable gig.

Published @ www.fasterlouder.com.au
Link: http://www.fasterlouder.com.au/reviews/events/18062/Children-Collide--The-Annandale-Hotel-170409.htm

Interview with Super Furry Animals

Born from the 1990s Welsh creative renaissance, Super Furry Animals have defined their careers, spanning nine studio albums, by following a musical philosophy of impulse and spontaneity.

As a result, genre and convention have always been at play in their work – from the Guinness Book of Records-listed E.P. Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch (In Space) to this year’s hotly anticipated Dark Days/Lights Years. Yet, despite their unique flavour and thick Welsh accents, Super Furry Animals, are no underground phenomenon. The clamour of genres from psychedelic rock to techno, grunge and sixties pop has captured the imaginations of a large host of devout fans and critics.

Dark Days/Light Years spans a vast array of influences with an uncanny sense of self awareness. Each track, in its playful tone and experimentation reveals the band’s style altering form. After listening to the album a number of times I couldn’t help but ask how close an influence the band’s nationality has on its music.

“It is inevitable that you are influenced by where you’re from,” vocalist Gruff Rhys’ timid voice crackles down the line. “We were never motivated to produce Welsh music and we always hated traditional Welsh music. But we were influenced by bands coming out of Wales at that time.”
From the beginning of their career, Super Furry Animals have sought to expand their work beyond country borders. An insatiable thirst for discovering and exploring new music led to each member’s very distinct preferences, which came together in a beautiful but schizophrenic form.

“When we were starting out it was the tail end of the rave era. We were listening to a lot of techno. We were also going through a phase of ‘70s pop, like E.L.O. That all got mixed up with our interest in techno. We would buy all these second-hand records from thrift stores and mix them with our techno. Also we used to play with punk bands.”

Now Dark Days/Light Years exudes experience, with the band balancing a child-like abandon and the musical experience that comes over nine albums. This freeform abandon is very evident in track titles like Crazy Naked Girls or lyrics such as “there was the mountain. It was a big fucking mountain. So I climbed the mountain.” But Gruff is adamant there was no attempt to bring any comedic elements into Dark Days/Light Years. “That’s just in our personalities. We don’t shy away from bearing our souls. Sometimes our music can be dark and depressing and sometimes we make incredibly uplifting music. We are fine with making people smile but we have never set out to make a comedy record.”

At this point Gruff brings my attention to the band’s website www.superfurry.com, where fans can view two videos taken while the band was recording Dark Days/ Light Years. As the camera swoops through the spacious and isolated studio each member is smiling and laughing as they jam together. It’s a perfect illustration of how this group produces such a playful style of music.
“Also we bring different influences in,” Gruff explains. “All the members have known each other for a really long time. [Keyboardist] Cian Ciaran runs a minimal techno label and I specialise in downbeat folk music. It definitely makes our music more unlikely and more unique. I think when you listen to it, it is very much grounded in the history of music. You can hear a lot of references because we are all record junkies. So it is important for us to bring it to a unique conclusions otherwise we just sound like our record collections.”

Calling Super Furry Animals a band of ‘unique conclusions’ may well be the most apt description available. Dark Days/ Light Years is an album of endless surprises, cheeky grins and sideways glances.

Published @ www.fasterlouder.com
Link: http://www.fasterlouder.com.au/features/17959/Super-Furry-Animals.htm

The Big British Sound @ The Paddington Town Hall

The Big British Sound was a strange beast. Outside of festivals it's rare to find live gigs that are hosted by a corporate partner with such a heavy influence over the event. Unsurprisingly Ben Sherman dressed The Paddington Town Hall in blue and white lights on Friday night, nostalgically celebrating that 1960s British chic. The main hall was draped in photos of double decker buses and young mods driving scooters while each set was followed by popular British hits from The Stone Roses to The Ting Tings.

On the surface it looked like a great event, albeit a little cliched. The Paddington Town Hall’s luxuriously large space hovered over a comparatively diminutive crowd. The large hall peppered with people clumped in groups or just sitting against the wall, which had no shortage of Ben Sherman paraphernalia. From the fashion label’s symbols to Andy Warhol-esque portraits of Mr Sherman himself, everyone was constantly and shamelessly reminded of who was running the party. At the bar the Sosume DJs danced by themselves with an uplifting enthusiasm that, according to the wandering crowd, was not contagious.

It was this constant wandering brought about by the event’s layout that detracted from the diverse and talented lineup. As beautiful as it may be The Paddington Town Hall provided too much space. The bar was located outside of the enormous main hall and oddly short sets (half an hour to forty-five minutes) were separated by a 20 minute block of aimlessly put together “British music.” The result was a constant flux of people walking in and out, buying drinks and occupying themselves form balcony to balcony waiting for some live music.

Before I knew it Art vs Science had left the stage and The Seabellies were announcing their final song. A shame as these two speedy sets were the real highlight. Art vs Science enveloped the room with their happy-go-lucky electro pop, which at times assaulted the ears but nevertheless drew the small crowd together. The Seabellies were flawless. Vocalist Trent Grenell belted out each lyric at the top of his lungs, perfectly in pitch. Feet shuffled ever closer to the stage as we were all introduced to a band with vast amounts of talent. Their set finished with a cover of Rod Stewart's Young Turks. It was hard to see even a glimmer of Rod’s straightened hair as The Seabellies had doused the 1980s hit with a fresh coat of their own originality. It was disappointing to see them walk off stage leaving everyone to another twenty minute block with little to do.

In good time Jack Ladder gathered everyone back in the main hall. After a shakey set at his previous gig supporting The Duke Spirit I was happy to have another opportunity to see a comfortable performance. Again Jack quickly opened with The Barber’s Son a track dripping with his unique, soulful essence. I always feel a sense of anticipatory excitement at the future of Jack Ladder as his awkward body and startlingly smooth voice lather the crowd with this song. I stood thinking, “now I’ll see Jack Ladder really nail it.” But that was not to be the case. Standing before him was a crowd bemused. As the rapture of The Barber’s Son wore off I looked around too see those shuffling feet, shuffle away. You need to be close to that voice in a small dark room heavily clad with smoke. The clean cut feel of The Big British Sound was not the place. Once again Jack Ladder performed a set misunderstood.

When wonder kids Tame Impala coasted on stage it was refreshing to see less floor as fans poured into the over sized hall dancing with little inhibition. Modular took a big risk with this relatively young band from Perth but their talent is unquestionable and for the first time in the night I saw everyone really enjoying themselves. Since their last few Sydney gigs in 2008 the set list hasn’t changed and that Boy Blue cover is still a staple. So it’s no surprise that there was a repetitive nature to Tame Impala’s live performances. Each song starts with a kick ass riff that has the crowd chanting along. Then without fail everyone is taken on a long minimalist psychedelic journey that becomes predictable. I look forward to seeing Tame Impala diversify their live performance, breaking up their solos and a daring to be more flamboyant in their jams onstage.

After a night that felt like a light bulb being switched on and off *Little Red* delivered a very appropriate closing set. Simple and fun there is no question that every song of Little Red’s has been inspired by 1960s British rock ‘n’ roll. The hall was transformed into a scene from Grease as the band performed with popped collars and broad grins. At last the space was being used as intended. The intensity of the previous bands washed away as a party atmosphere brought The Big British Sound to a close.

Published @ www.fasterlouder.com.au
Link: http://www.fasterlouder.com.au/reviews/events/17864/The-Big-British-Sound--Paddington-Town-Hall-Sydney--03042009.htm

Interview with Silverstein

From Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band to Smile the concept album has always held a bizarrely sensitive place in the hearts of reviewers and music historians. Do it right and you have bought yourself a one way ticket to the rock ‘n’ roll hall of fame. Make one false move and your credibility as a musician takes a battering.

When Shane Told from Silverstein embarked upon writing the band’s latest album, A Shipwreck in the Sand, he drew inspiration from a very powerful source. Boredom. “All three previous records had been written the same way. We would jam until we had enough songs and then work out an order for them. We were bored of doing the same thing.”

After boredom, however, came a thirst for change. Silverstein’s career at this point was defined by songs and albums that focused on personal struggles. Their last album Arrivals & Departures was entirely written about a seven year long relationship of Shane’s that had just ended. Now A Shipwreck in the Sand follows the story of a family who experience a horrific set of circumstances which parallel the defunct state of much of the planet. In Shane’s own words “the world is pretty fucked up right now. That was the biggest motivation behind the album.”

So from a band that predominately wrote about heartbreak Shane believes Silverstein have matured musically enough to tackle politics in the concept album format. “If somebody had a gun to your head and asked you what really concerns you that answer is always bound to change. This record has a lot of political undertones to it. It is a political record. That’s not something I would have done eight years ago.”



Shane, however, admits that writing A Shipwreck in the Sand was not an easy task. Taking over a year to produce the finished product, a great deal of creative planning was involved. While grappling with an emotionally heavy topic and the rigors of producing a worth while ‘concept’ Shane’s main concern was writing an album that everyone would want to listen to over and over. “I was concerned I wouldn’t be able to write a concept album. But it really came out great. It was difficult, it was a lot of work but it came together so well. If people listened to this album one hundred times each it would make me really happy.”

Musically A Shipwreck on the Sand showcases Silverstein’s gradual progression towards a heavy metal sound. Song such as Born Dead drag the album deep into ‘hardcore’ territory. “We have always written lyrics separate to music. We have always been influenced by metal bands. It really works for the concept of the record though.”

Yet one last frontier remains unexplored in this concept album. So often bands who embark on such an ambitious project become drawn into a narcissistic level of musical experimentation. This is perhaps the reason why concept albums are surrounded by such turbulent criticism. But for Shane Told a respect for the band’s roots and the accessibility of the album were always a major concern. “I like the experimental stuff a little but for our band I just don’t really know if it’s right. It might be fun for us but not for those listening. I don’t want someone to listen and think it is boring. We are just gonna try and write great song.”

It is this endearing dose of modesty that has lead to Silverstein producing a very rounded and polished album in A Shipwreck in the Sand. When I read the following quote from a press release about the album: “After A Shipwreck In The Sand it will be easy to understand why Silverstein are in the ranks of bands like Rise Against and the Foo Fighters,” Shane’s response was a small chuckle and “I don’t think we are in the ranks of those bands. I’m not sure if this record will get us there. I don’t compare our band to other bands. This record we are really happy with it. I think people are going to embrace it.”

A Shipwreck in the Sand is in full release as of the 31st of March.

Published @ www.fasterlouder.com.au
Link: http://www.fasterlouder.com.au/features/17863/Silverstein.htm

Interview with Steve Wilson

Steve Wilson’s own brand of psychedelic rock and industrial noise (of Procupine Tree fame) has never been music for the faint at heart. In fact, it questions the very boundaries of what music really is. Steve caught up with FasterLouder for a chat about his latest solo album Insurgentes the most ambitious and challenging work in his critically acclaimed career. Whether it be from practice or a calculated conviction his arguments are verbose and amazingly convincing. Insugentes is in full release and a recommended listen to those sonically open minded.


So tell me, what was it like working with Yoko Ono?
I was given a track she produced in the seventies. I was a great admirer of Yoko and I thought she was underrated. She was a very innovative artist. She was lovely. It was a great honour to work with, arguably, one of the most famous women of the twentieth century. I get Christmas cards from her every year now, it’s great.

It’s interesting that you started Porcupine Tree by dubbing all tracks yourself. How have you drawn the line between early Porcupine Tree and this solo album?
Early Porcupine Tree was focusing on my love of psychedelic music. This is an album that encapsulated all of the aspects of my musical character. We have everything from piano ballads to industrial noise. That is why I thought I could use my own name rather than an alias.

How do you justify producing industrial noise as a musician?
For me I never think of music. People often say “how can you think of noise or ambience as music?” For me it is very simple. When you go to the cinema and you are watching a film. Say a horror film. Your sense of dread is being enhanced by a certain sound or texture a drone or a noise. That for me tells me that anyone can respond to pure texture or noise as an emotional trigger. So I see no problem using noise as a musical devise. Pure texture and pure sound can be very emotional. I think of music in terms of certain sounds triggering emotion. At the end of the day that is what music is, it's not just pretty melodies.

Why does the music you write diverge over so many different genres?
It has come from my love and passion for different kinds of music. My taste in music is more diverse and eclectic than most peoples. For me the gift of making this music is a real honour. I think it is a gift that I can do this for a living. For me it's just an extension of the passion and enjoyment of listening to music. I have never just wanted to stick to a certain style.

What has motivated you to pursue solo work after such success with Porcupine Tree?
The sense that there was still something that was not being expressed within that context. Porcupine Tree is a collaboration and there are certain things that I would never ask the band to play. Noise music for example. I wanted to make a record less about musicianship and more about atmosphere. In a collaboration you tend to find a common ground. Making a solo record liberates you from those considerations. I made Insurgentes in a very selfish way. Making a solo record is a purist expression of that. That was quite liberating.

Insurgentes has been recorded in a variety of locations around the world. Do you think influences from those location crept into the tracks?
I think they did but I couldn't tell you how. When your a musician or a creative person of any kind anything that happens to you always influences what you create. You should always be absorbing your experience and it should be influencing what you create. But they are more intangible. There is a more obvious influence from Mexico in the name. It is not a world music thing. That is a kitschy thing. It was a way to get fresh environments and fresh experience.

The Album was written over two years. Was that because you require such a high standard of work from yourself. Or is solo work a side project?
Neither really. Everything I do I aspire to make it as good as it can be. The origins of the music came from a pool of songs that I had written for other projects but were never used. Not for lack of quality but they did not fit into a context. I wanted to finish them off and give them a life. Most songs were written in about three months in a fairly concentrated period of creativity and writing.

Why do you think rock and electronic music fuse so well to create a very atmospheric tone?
Rock music has always thrived in the studio when it has been more aware of the pure quality of sound. I'm not a great fan of musicianship. I don’t like music where the musicians are showing off. I like music that has an intellectual core about it. Creating sonic worlds. Electronic music is really the great innovation of modern music. If you want anything to do with something fresh you have to embrace electronic music.

How do you write a track?
It's almost impossible to answer. If I knew the answer to that question I would never have periods of writers block. And I have those periods. And then sometimes I have great bursts of inspiration. It can come from a title, a fragment of a melody, a movie I've just seen. If anyone could answer that question we would bottle it and sell it. Every time I write an album I think its the last i will ever write. Every time I prove myself wrong. Experience is my secret.

Published @ http://www.fasterlouder.com.au/
Link: http://www.fasterlouder.com.au/features/17885/Steve-Wilson.htm

The Duke Spirit @ The Oxford Art Factory

The Duke Spirit Australian tour promoting their sophomore album Neptune has been surrounded by an excitable hype prompting each venue and ticketing agency to reveal their own personal anticipation. On their event page Mostix announced “Wow! We cant believe its actually happening - the mighty Duke Spirit are finally breaking from their relentless UK and US touring to visit their avid fan base down-under!” At the same time it was FasterLouder’s gig of the week.

So it’s no surprise that such candid eagerness evolved into an intoxicating buzz as word of the night jumped from blog to blog and at last it arrived. Before The Oxford Art Factory got an opportunity to open its doors a small bunch of animated fans began to collect on the foot path. As the bouncers pulled back the rope barrier in front of the entrance punters came streaming out of all of the adjacent pubs bringing a lively vibe to to the venue that hadn’t even had a chance to start playing some background music.

It’s always hard to ignore the manufactured cool of The Oxford Art Factory. Brick walls perfectly manicured to look warn and industrial are met with clean sheets of glass and edgy black bench tops. But it all feels so in place when the DJs fire up a few tracks as your crammed between hordes trying to get a few drinks.

Just as I was checking the set times black curtains parted to reveal a stage billowing with smoke and as it began to clear Jack Ladder stepped forward clutching the mic, black guitar hung around his neck. His opening grabbed the attention of a splintered crowd grouped for conversation and his velvety voice turned everyone’s heads in his direction. The recent winner of the Red Bull Award In Recognition Of Outstanding Potential began to really prove his worth. There were tones of blues, soul and rock backed by his pulsating and anguished voice as his awkwardly tall frame writhed knock kneed on stage. It was all going so well until his second song was delayed by a lengthy re-tuning session that led some ungrateful audience members to yell “your first gig mate?” Jack responded politely without making much fuss but the incident seemed to effect his nerves drawing the punchy rock sound away from his unquestionable talent. Instead the rest of his performance was cautiously timid.

Jack Ladder finished his set while the crowd looked upon him with a sense of impatience. Bodies started to pack into the centre of the club quietly searching for the best view. As the striking blond hair of Leila Moss appeared from behind purple smoke and drawn curtains the crowd quivered but never broke out into dance. Amidst fans standing still I watched as Moss’s figured jumped around on stage like the perfect front woman. Throwing about her mic stand in-between innumerable changes of percussion instruments. Her voice filled the room as The Step And The Walk was performed with such character and precision it blew the recorded version of the water. But my personal favourite was a grungey and hard hitting rendition of This Ship Was Built To Last.

The hype was justified. Flawless vocals were backed by a practiced and clinical band standing like thin black pillars around Moss. Luke Ford and Toby Butler kept to their own corners as if they were afraid of being seen. Carefully strumming out each note without a hitch. At first I thought this was simply there ‘look’ but when they both let rip during the encore I couldn’t help but think what could have been had they both been as animated during the whole performance.

I stood, like everyone, in awe and just plain happy to watch some solid rock ‘n’ roll again. The Dukes Spirit are true masters of building up and breaking down rhythm. Each slow ballad seemed like it was perfectly in place. Once all was said and done the band quickly left the stage without to much to say. But looking around me I could tell everyone had just seen a truly great gig.

Published @ www.fasterlouder.com.au
Link: http://www.fasterlouder.com.au/reviews/events/17752/The-Duke-Spirit--The-Oxford-Art-Factory-Sydney-260309.htm

Interview with Chimaira

To promote their latest album, The Infection, Chimaira launched www.spread-the-infection.com a site where fans can download flyers and stencils they must use to in their local area to spread awareness of the release. As a reward for their efforts fans who submit photos of their exploits receive song samples from the album and other prizes. When onthebarrier spoke to guitarist Matt DeVries one of the first questions that came to mind was “what were some of the most creative or ‘out there’ submissions?” Without much hesitation Matt DeVries replied “the tattoos.” Two dedicated fans had decided to up the ante by tattooing the symbol from The Infection album cover onto their arms. An act that may be very hard to beat.

Chimaira can thank this new found fanaticism to a renewed and revived dedication between the band’s members. In 2000 the E.P. This Present Darkness, showcased Chimaira’s unquestionable talent and exciting sound, which saw them quickly signed to Roadrunner Records with whom they released their first full length album Pass out of Existence. After their debut Chimaira’s work in the studio began to deteriorate as band members became disillusioned and rarely participated in recordings. Since signing with indie metal label, Nuclear Blast, much of band’s mentality has changed.The Infection will be Chimaira’s second album with their new label and Matt admits the band is finally producing albums where every track feels like a completed and polished piece.



It may be this turbulent history that prompts Matt to doggedly dismiss any probing questions about the band’s past. It was made very clear that Chimaira try to keep a positive frame of mind. “I’m not regretting anything we have done perviously. I like the way we have evolved as musicians and a band. You really can’t complain about everything. In the last record we started to be happy with everything in general.” This strong stance made it clear that this latest album was written looking forwards rather than dwelling on past issues. Matt claims that Chimaira are truly attached to The Infection. “ We were trying to put out something we love. I think this is our best record yet. I guess every band says that with every record. But for the first time I can say any song could be my favourite.”

The Infection can be best described in Matt’s own words “brutally honestly Chimaira.” It contains all of the thrashing guitar riffs and pounding drums that any metal fan can instantly enjoy. Chimaira sound as though they have returned to their roots while broadening their musical scope as the album spans every metal genre from classic to progressive. This genre ‘hopping’ was a result of the improvised nature in which the album was written. “The lyrics were impromptu,” Matt explains. “The music was subconscious. It just came out like that. We have six members that all have very strong voices with what they want to explore.” One stand-out track on The Infection is the epic instrumental The Heart Of It All. All fifteen minutes are an amazing show case of the bands musical proficiency and range of understanding in the metal genre.

In the mean time Chimaira’s ‘spread-the-infection’ website continues to gain momentum. The idea was originally brought to life by vocalist Mark Hunter and the incredibly crafted web design was developed by keyboardist Chris Spicuzza. Since it’s creation the project has been a surprise success and now a standing testament to the dedication of Chimaira’s fans. “We thought it was a cool way to reach out to the fans. It’s doing a lot more for us than we imagined. One hundred percent I think our fans are some of the best fans out there. They just keep coming back. I think it’s the nature of metal that breeds such dedicated fans. They are the coolest, most open minded people.”

Chimaira are currently touring America but Matt did reveal that at least two tours of Australia were planned in 2009. All tour dates and venues are yet to be announced. The Infection is due for release on the 21st of April ’09.