Portishead @ Harvest/The Gathering Festival, 12/11/2011

Well, here it is. I couldn't believe it earlier this year when the rumours began of a festival run by AJ (of Soundwave infamy) with Portishead as the headliner (amongst a healthy selection of other amazing bands). I couldn't believe it when the festival was actually announced, confirmed, and tickets were onsale. But now it's over, and here's this recording, and it appears that I actually did see Portishead play live in Australia for the first time in 14 years.

The set itself? Everything I expected from this band, and more. If I had just one complaint, it would be that they didn't play every single song they've ever released. What I'm saying is that some people would look at the setlist and say, "Oh, they didn't play (this song), what a shame", but come on (they probably could've played a bit more from their second album though). Portishead came to Australia, and really, they just fucking delivered. There is no way anyone can legitimately complain about this set. The recording itself is listenable, but not amazing. My friends and I were a fair way back in the crowd, and there was a bit of talking going on around us. But what can you do? Here it is. Portishead, live, amazing.
SETLIST
Silence
Mysterons
The Rip
Sour Times
Magic Doors
Wandering Star
Machine Gun
Over
Glory Box
Chase the Tear
Cowboys
Threads
----Encore----
Roads
We Carry On

DOWNLOAD MP3 HERE

As for the rest of the day, this was my first outdoor festival with my recording gear, and for whatever reason I just wasn't really inspired to bother with it for the rest of the day. Don't get me wrong, there were some great performances that in hindsight it would have been nice to capture, but with all the wandering around and talking to friends and such that you get from a festival like this, I just couldn't be bothered to mess around with recording. Obviously, Portishead were a must though. I really hope this festival delivers again next year, because for a first-time festival in this country, it ticked pretty much all the boxes.

Bright Eyes @ The HiFi (2011-11-10)

Supported by Emma Russack and The Fuzzbirds


The first time Bright Eyes played in Melbourne was in 2005, and as good as it was, I left a little disappointed that the set list was almost entirely IWAIM songs. Having jumped on the bandwagon just after Fevers And Mirrors and being obsessed by the time Lifted came out, I was hoping for some songs from those albums. Turns out I had only to wait another 6 years to get the Bright Eyes gig of a lifetime. Last week at The HiFi Conor Oberst and his band delivered an exhaustive two and a quarter hour career spanning performance that surely was intended to please as many Melbourne Bright Eyes fans as possible. And I'm glad I recorded it! The crowd was understandably excited and talkative and so there is some noticeable chatter during quieter songs, but otherwise the recording turned out really well. Enjoy.

Setlist:
1. Four Winds
2. Old Soul Song (For The New World Order)
3. Arc Of Time (Time Code)
4. Triple Spiral
5. Something Vague
6. Landlocked Blues
7. Jejune Stars
8. Lover I Don't I Have To Love
9. Shell Games
10. Approximate Sunlight
11. Falling Out Of Love At This Volume
12. Cartoon Blues
13. Spring Cleaning
14. Take It Easy (Love Nothing)
15. Poison Oak
16. Another Travelin' Song
17. I Believe In Symmetry
18. The Calendar Hung Itself
19. Ladder Song

20. Lua
21. Gold Mine Gutted
22. Road To Joy
23. One For You, One For Me

Length: 2:15:40

Sample: Falling Out Of Love At This Volume

FLAC: http://ul.to/f1r5fylu [680MB]
MP3 (V0): http://ul.to/eb7ve6oq [201MB]