Wintercoats @ The Toff (2012-08-05)

It had been a while since I saw James play and this was his farewell show before he went and played a bunch of dates in Europe so I had to go to this. As always it was great and the kid just keeps getting better and better every show he plays. A couple of new songs in the mix was pretty great and the TLC cover killed it again.

This was recorded on the left wall in line with the soundboard.



Setlist:
1.  Unbearable Thinking
2.  In Translation
3.  Working On A Dream
4.  Spend This Day/And When We Collide
5.  Everyone Seems To Be In On Something
6.  Windmill
7.  No Scrubs (TLC Cover)

Length: 47:58

Sound Quality: B+

Download Here

Primal Scream @ Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre, 08/12/2012

So, another year, another Meredith Music Festival over. What more can I say, really? It was in 2010 when my best friend and I first decided, "Hey, that festival sounds pretty good, let's go", and after that weekend finished, I knew that I wouldn't miss it again, ever (I'm pretty sure he was of the same opinion, but he didn't make it this year). Anyway, nostalgia over, let's get down to this year. So this is only my second Meredith with my recording gear, and well, let's be honest, I'm usually not really in a state to record anything much over the course of the weekend, and I'm usually hanging around my friends and having obnoxious inebriated conversations - the kind of thing you don't really want to show up on bootleg recordings. This year however, I drank almost my entire alcohol supply on the first night, and that meant I was in a much more coherent frame of mind on Saturday. Also, I was by myself for a lot of the night. And I thought, well, this is THE headlining set of the festival, might as well make sure it's captured. And wow, it was damn awesome. I don't think any band could have been more suited for this timeslot than these guys, motherfucking Primal Scream. As expected, there was a heap of Screamadelica tunes, and a good selection from the rest of their back catalogue. Swastika Eyes was my personal favourite though, being the first song I ever heard of theirs. When those sirens went off, I knew something awesome was about to happen, and when it was that song - FUCK YES. Oh, and who was that awesome bass player? Debbie from My Bloody Valentine! That scored major points with me. Bobby Gillespie is also a great frontman too, very entertaining to watch, and that loop pedal madness outro was crazy. Anyway, yeah, good set, reasonable recording, fair bit of crowd chat here and there, but what are you gonna do, it is Meredith after all. Enjoy, people. This was super fun to be a part of.

TRACK NAME CORRECTIONS NEED TO BE MADE AFTER DOWNLOADING:
2012 = 2013
(Unknown) Track Five = Burning Wheel
It's Alright, That's OK = It's Alright, It's OK


SETLIST:
2013
Swastika Eyes
Movin' On Up
Slip Inside This House
Burning Wheel
Damaged
It's Alright, It's OK
Shoot Speed/Kill Light
Loaded 
Come Together
Country Girl
Jailbird
Rocks 

DOWNLOAD MP3 HERE

Sigur Rós @ Harvest Festival, Werribee (2012-11-10)

Mostly went to Harvest because I thought it'd be cool to see Sigur Rós outdoors at a festival. It was, but didn't quite match their show at The Palais in 2006, which is still one of the best gigs I've been to. Still, a great performance! I got to Harvest really late due to work and didn't see any other full sets so this is all I ended up recording. Turned out well, enjoy!

Setlist:

1. Í Gær 
2. Ný Batterí 
3. Svefn-g-englar 
4. Sæglópur 
5. Hoppípolla 
6. Með Blóðnasir 
7. Olsen Olsen 
8. Festival 
9. Varúð 
10. Brennisteinn 
11. Popplagið 

Length: 1:25:26

Download:

MP3 (175MB)

FLAC (463MB)

The xx @ Forum Theatre, 18/07/2012

So this one's from a few months back, but as I was going through my folder of un-uploaded recordings, I thought, "Why not?" I've been really enjoying their second album Coexist which came out not long after this gig, and now I'll be able to put names to the songs easily, so yeah, here it is. Not really a lot to say about this gig, except that it was pretty damn good. The Forum was a perfect choice of venue for them, as it is for most bands. Anyway, here it is. All the songs from xx were played, as well as a few newies. Sound was awesome on the night, but I was a fair way back, just in front of the desk, so the recording sounds a bit distant, I guess. You'll definitely need to turn the volume up.

SETLIST:
Angels
Islands
Heart Skipped a Beat
Fiction
Basic Space
Infinity
VCR
Crystalised
Fantasy
Shelter
Reunion
Sunset
Night Time
Swept Away (partial)
----Encore----
Intro
Tides
Stars

DOWNLOAD MP3 HERE

Spoon @ Big Day Out Festival (2008-01-28)

The first of 3 Spoon shows I saw in the space of 4 days and probably my favorite. It was a festival set and as such, to the point. I was stupidly happy they opened with Beast and Dragon as that's the song that got me into them in the first place. The horns section was also awesome too and made the new songs kind of stand outs for me. These guys should come back here soon.

I recorded this from directly next to the soundboard. For a festival set it came out quite well.
Note: this picture is not mine but one I found on the net.



Setlist:
1. The Beast and Dragon, Adored
2. Don't You Evah
3. You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb
4. Stay Don't Go
5. Utilitarian
6. The Delicate Place
7. The Fitted Shirt
8. The Ghost of You Lingers
9. Finer Feelings
10. Don't Make Me A Target
11. I Turn My Camera On
12. I Summon You
13. The Underdog
14. Jonathon Fisk

Length: 48:37

Sound Quality: B-

Download Here

Wintercoats @ Bar Open (2010-07-29)

In comparison to the show I saw James play back in December this one dominates it. He has gotten much better live and the songs are of higher quality. He had a bit of trouble during Landscape The Heavens which caused him to have to restart the song a few times. I've edited this out to create a smoother sounding recording. That and it was my favorite of the set and I didn't want anyone who listened to this to think less of it.
I wish I could have stayed for the rest of the set. I hear he went on to play 2 or 3 more songs.



Setlist:
1. Cathedral
2. Unbearable Thinking
3. Landscape The Heavens
4. The Overture
5. A Sunday Smile (Beirut Cover)

Length: 28:04

Sound Quality: B+

Download Here

Wintercoats @ The Builders Arms (2010-12-04)

Each time I see James play he gets better and better. Since the last show I saw he's added a piano and a backup dude who plays xylophone. This set has a few new songs on it and a couple off the EP. It was good to see Windmill since I hadn't yet. It sounds really good sped up. Landscape The Heavens doesn't sound anything like it did at Bar Open though...?
I took photo's for a cover but they were all too dark so I just stole a pic from his myspace and blurred the shit out of it and did some photoshop stuff to make it look nice.

Setlist:
1. Unbearable Thinking
2. Cathedral
3. Landscape The Heavens
4. Melodies
5. Forest of Lovers
6. Windmill

Length: 32:18

Sound Quality: A-

Download Here

The Mountain Goats @ The Toff In Town (2012-05-09)

Since seeing The Mountain Goats twice at the end of 2008 I've been wanting to catch them again since. I missed the 2010 tour but I wouldn't miss them another time so I got myself a ticket to the smaller of the two Melbourne shows.
As expected the show was fantastic! Not only was it a hefty setlist but the selection of songs played were great. A bunch of new ones off Transcendental Youth which is shaping up to be a standout album from these guys. And a bunch of my favorite older ones by them. Really happy to have gotten You Were Cool and Fall of The Star High School Running Back, but it was more popular ones like Pigs That Ran Straightaway Into the Water, Triumph of and This Year that really pleased me despite them not being overly rare. Johns banter is always hilarious and this show was no exception. I especially liked the story about his son and scarface.

This was recorded from almost directly in front of the left speaker stack. The sound is very true to how it sounded on the night and is actually much clearer than I thought it would be.



Setlist:
1.  For Charles Bronson
2.  Old College Try
3.  Birth of Serpents
4.  Damn These Vampires
5.  Jeff Davis County Blues
6.  Counterfeit Florida Plates
7.  Hast Thou Considered The Tetrapod
8.  Hawaiian Feeling
9.  Fall of The Star High School Running Back
10. Woke Up New
11. You Were Cool
12. Transcendental Youth
13. The Diaz Brothers
14. White Cedar
15. Palmcorder Yajna
16. International Small Arms Traffic Blues
17. Night Light
18. Pigs That Ran Straightaway Into the Water, Triumph of
19. Love Love Love
20. Game Shows Touch Our Lives
21. You Or Your Memory
22. This Year
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
23. 1 Samuel 15:23
24. Quito
25. The Best Ever Death Metal Band In Denton

Length: 1:37:42

Sound Quality: B+

Download Here

Progfest, 08/09/2012 @ the Esplanade Hotel

Not much else to say about this event other than "fuck yes!" Tim Charles and his Welkin crew really delivered one of the best mini-festival local lineups in this city last year at this very venue, and when the 2012 lineup was announced, I knew there was no way I'd be missing out. I think from memory the only thing I recorded last year was Sydonia, and it turned out pretty much unpostable, so I was keen to get some more stuff this year!

Ne Obliviscaris
It's fair to say that for a significant number of attendees, their attention was squarely on Melbourne's melodic/progressive black metal heroes Ne Obliviscaris - I know mine was. What can I say about these guys that hasn't been said already? Since they (FINALLY) released Portal of I it's just been a stellar year for them, and this was the icing on the cake. I was a little surprised they didn't make any mention of Dan Presland being back behind the drumkit; he left just prior to the release of the album, and other than a low-key underage gig the night before, if I'm not wrong this would have been his first show back with NeO for nearly two years. Thought that might have warranted a bit more of a mention, but ah well, it was great to see, and hear, him back. Dude's an awesome drummer. Alas, the recording didn't turn out so well. And I left after I heard Xenoflux (my favourite song) because I was already missing way too much Jericco. But it was worth it to stick around for this awesomeness.

SETLIST:
And Plague Flowers the Kaleidoscope
Of the Leper Butterflies
Forget Not
Tapestry of the Starless Abstract
Xenoflux
Of Petrichor Weaves Black Noise (not recorded)
DOWNLOAD MP3 HERE

Other sets to come from A Lonely Crowd, Okera, Mushroom Giant, Chaos Divine and Jericco... I think? I was moving around a lot, kinda forgotten exactly what I recorded haha.

Godspeed You! Black Emperor @ Coachella Festival (2012-04-21)

This was something special. I never thought I'd get to see Godspeed play a show and even listening back to this recording I'm in disbelief. It was just perfect in every way. Come and play for me every other week please Godspeed ok?
Watching the band play in darkness and seeing the mountains behind them was really cool and while I am seeing them again in a few months I don't think it will compare to this show. I had also never heard Albanian prior so that was a welcome surprise in the set. I closed my eyes at one point during the start of World Police and when I opened them the set was finishing up. I just completely lost myself in the moment. Man.... this was just so good.

I recorded this set on the left side barrier (behind the VIP area bit) in line with the left speaker stack. I was actually really surprised there wasn't any soundbleed from the stages either side (SBTRKT and David Guetta) where I was standing. I'd been worried about that leading into the show.



Setlist:
1. Hope Drone
2. Albanian
3. Rockets Fall On Rocket Falls
4. World Police and Friendly Fire

Length: 56:28

Sound Quality: B+

Download Here

Explosions In The Sky @ Splendour In The Grass (2012-07-27)

With the obviousness of At The Drive-In, Explosions In The Sky were pretty much the other band I booked a ticket to go to Splendour. I had seen them 3 times already in the space of a few months and to be honest, I was hooked. I can't express how much I enjoy seeing them live so naturally it was a no brainer I was going to see them over Jack White.
I'd really hoped that they would pull out a song I hadn't seen yet but that wasn't the case. Regardless though the set they did play was pretty spot on.

This was recorded pretty much right in front of the left speaker stack. I figured that would produce a good recording and I wasn't wrong. Luckily the tent wasn't too busy and my mics had clear sight to the stack.



Setlist:
1. Catastrophe and The Cure
2. Postcard From 1952
3. The Birth and Death of The Day
4. Your Hand In Mine
5. Let Me Back In
6. The Only Moment We Were Alone

Length: 55:26

Sound Quality: B+

Download Here

Karnivool, 05/07/2012 @ Hi Fi Bar and Ballroom

When a band I love as much as Karnivool announces a tour, it's usually a very celebratory occasion, with tickets being purchased immediately, and since last year, usually to multiple shows. This year was no different, and just to add to the awesomeness, they decided to call it the "Melodias Frescas" tour. What does that mean, you ask? NEW SONGS! And continuing their history of (almost always) picking great and interesting support bands, we had Sydney post-rock favourites sleepmakeswaves, and Melbourne stoner rockers Redcoats joining in for the festivities. This was set to be a great night right from the word go, and I'm happy to say it lived up to expectations.

I was a little disappointed that sleepmakeswaves were only given a 30 minute opening slot, considering they have more released material, and longer songs, than Redcoats. Nevertheless, seeing sleepmakeswaves a sixth time (and fourth for the year), I was hardly complaining. They were awesome as they always are. Bassist Alex Wilson has written an extremely entertaining and detailed blog of the tour, and it sounds like it could not have gone better for them. Not only did they get to play opener for an extremely popular band, but the people that were watching them actually enjoyed it and they made loads of new fans on the tour, by the sounds of things. As for this actual set, this was definitely the biggest rooom I've ever seen them play in and it sounded amazing. Cannot say enough good things about these dudes.
SETLIST:
to you they are birds, to me they are voices in the forest
in limbs and joints
we sing the body electric
(hello) cloud mountain
a gaze as blank and pitiless as the sun
(recording to follow)

Redcoats were up next, and I was looking forward to them quite a bit, after impulse buying their EP a few months ago and really enjoying it. Guess it's fair to say I'm a big fan of the stoner/psych rock sound, and they fit nicely under that. However, for some reason they just didn't do it for me as much as I thought they would on the night. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed them. But I think they just lack a little something when it comes to performing live. Hopefully I'll enoy them a bit more next time. Anyway, they played a whole lot of new songs from their upcoming debut album, so that's why a majority of these don't have titles. I am looking forward to hearing the album too.
(Working) SETLIST:
Kaytrucker
Giants

House of Luna
Evergreen

Raven
Dreamshaker
(recording to follow)

And then, the mighty Karnivool. What an absolute belter this was. I was excited in the lead-up to the show, but there was also a part of me that thought, "Oh well, it's not the BEST gig I'll see, they tour every year, they're only an Australian band". Then I remembered, "Hang on, these guys are actually one of, probably THE, best live act in Australia". Right from the word go, this show just ruled. And true to their word (and the name of the tour), they played NEW songs. Four in total, or three if you want to exclude The Refusal as it was played last year. All of them quite different to each other, all of them awesome. But yeah, it was the old favourites that got the biggest response, quite a lot of singing and moshing going on on this particular evening. My only complaint was about those old songs, actually - they were almost exactly the same as what was played last year. It would have been great to see something from Themata make it in that they hadn't played for a while. Or even The Caudal Lure. But yeah, other than that, this show was a perfect 10/10. Actually, it was still 10/10. Some of the songs are affected by movement, I was encouraged by a friend to get right in the front, and although I won't deny I had an absolute blast, it means the recording isn't so good. Sorry about that.

SETLIST:
(Intro on recording)
The Refusal
Goliath
Simple Boy
C.O.T.E.
We Are
All I Know
Deadman
Umbra
A.M. War
Set Fire to the Hive (with amusing false start)
Roquefort
----Encore----
Aeons
Themata
New Day
DOWNLOAD MP3 HERE

Dirty Three, 28/07/2012 @ Splendour in the Grass, Byron Bay

So I have a few recordings from the awesome (and muddy) weekend that was Splendour in the Grass, but I haven't listened back to any of the others yet and I have a feeling that some of them might not sound all that great. Plus the Dirty Three are always an absolute joy to watch, and I just wanted to get this up as soon as possible, so here it is. Mick Turner, Jim White, Warren fucking Ellis. In the GW McLennan Stage tent on a cold, muddy Saturday night, they brought pure brilliance to those who wanted something other than Bloc Party. I got a barrier spot for two sets over the weekend, this being one of them, and wow. I think it speaks volumes of how awesome this band is when, at least 27 minutes before they were scheduled to begin, there was a massive cheer from the crowd simply because Warren came out drinking coffee and checking a few technical bits and pieces. But yeah. It's hard to be the highlight of a festival where At the Drive-In are playing, but I have to say, this came damn close. I will never get tired of listening to Warren's stories - which, this time around, just happened to cover such topics as bears on ketamine, varicose veins in Gina Reinhart's arse, Justin Bieber and dead comedians. Not necessarily in that order. Oh yeah, unfortunately towards the end of the set there's some serious crackling in my microphones. I've been noticing it in some recent recordings (which I haven't posted yet) and my only conclusion is that my mics might be on the way out, which saddens me. It's not too bad if I stand completely still, and being Dirty Three I was doing that for most of the show, but toward the end of the set I was having to move around a bit to keep warm and yeah, you can definitely notice it. Sorry about that.

SETLIST:
Intro on recording
Rain Song
Furnace Skies
Sometimes I Forget You've Gone
The Pier
Some Summers They Drop Like Flies
Everything's Fucked
The Restless Waves
The Zither Player
Ashen Snow / Ends of the Earth
Sue's Last Ride 

DOWNLOAD MP3 HERE

Explosions In The Sky @ The Glass House (2012-04-18)

Wow! I walked away from this show utterly speechless. Completely blew away all my expectations. I'd seen Explosions do a headlining show back in 2008 and then again at Meredith a few months earlier but this was something else. That coupled with a near perfect setlist (in my eyes) made this a show I'll be sure to listen to again and again. I can't believe they played Tired Eyes and Six Days! Fantastic!!
Come back to Australia more often please.

This one was recorded towards the left side of the venue in line with the speaker stack. I was about halfway back on the floor and the sound was incredible. Really happy with how this turned out.

 

Setlist:
1. Memorial
2. Catastrophe and The Cure
3. Last Known Surroundings
4. Six Days At The Bottom of The Ocean
5. The Birth and Death of The Day
6. Human Qualities
7. With Tired Eyes, Tired Minds, Tired Souls, We Slept
8. Let Me Back In
9. The Only Moment We Were Alone

Length: 1:29:17

Sound Quality: A-

Download Here

The Butterfly Effect, 08/06/2012 @ Hi Fi Bar and Ballroom (final show with Clint Boge)

So, it's the end of an era. After seeing The Butterfly Effect on their ten year anniversary tour last year, I couldn't help but feeling that something wasn't right within the band, and I was definitely not surprised with the announcement earlier this year that vocalist Clint Boge was leaving after all this time. Thankfully, the boys gave the fans a chance to say goodbye and announced one last tour with Boge. So despite the fact that I didn't enjoy them all that much at the last show, I knew I'd regret it if I missed this chance, so I bought myself a ticket to the Palace show - and then this show at the Hi Fi was announced. I thought I'd probably give it a miss, as there was another gig I wanted to attend and I thought the setlist would probably be much the same; eventually the gig sold out so I didn't have much choice in the matter. However, on the night I decided I wanted to give my recording gear to a friend for this show, because you know, it was The Butterfly Effect's LAST SHOW with their singer of ten years and I thought it'd be good to have it captured, as the other gig I was planning to attend all involved bands who are still very much active. So I was on the train on my way to the Hi Fi to drop off the magic box before going elsewhere, when my friend messaged me saying that Hi Fi had put some tickets on the door, and I instantly knew that I would be going there instead. And I am so very glad I made that decision. There WERE two extra songs added to the set, it has to be said that the support bands were so much better than those at the Palace show, and well, who would really want to miss such a special evening? I won't deny it, there were tears in my eyes at the end of it.

The first of those aforementioned awesome support bands were Perth's The Siren Tower, a newish band formed by former Heavy Weight Champ frontman Grant McCulloch. I'd never really got around to checking out HWC but I had heard very good things about them, and from what I'd heard, The Siren Tower were also a band worth giving a listen. Suffice to say, I had high expectations of them before going into the gig! I wasn't really sure what to make of them as the set was happening on the night, but once it was over, I realised I had really enjoyed them and I'm definitely looking forward to seeing where they go next. Also, on their Facebook during the day, they posted a photo of them on the plane on the way over, and I was quite surprised to see former Birds of Tokyo bassist Anthony Jackson! And yep, turns out he's the live bassist with the band at the moment. So it was great to see him back in action. But as for the band as a unit, I think, after preordering the album the next day and going to see them at the Espy on that night, that it's safe to say I'm a new fan!

SETLIST:
The Banishing of William McGuiness
Letter from the Edge of the Earth
City of Light
I Could Tell You Things That Would Break Your Heart
Floods
Last Apple in the Big Man's Orchard

DOWNLOAD MP3 HERE

So it's been a little while since I've seen The Khyber Belt, and I'm happy to report that they are still pretty damn awesome. I was a little bit sleep-deprived on this particular evening but I knew that as soon as I saw Forbes McKail onstage being his usual bouncy self, that it'd give me the boost I needed, and thankfully I was right. It took me a little while to warm to these guys since their first shows last year, but the EP is a solid listen and they're a pretty rockin' live act. After The Siren Tower's chilled out start to the evening, it was good to have this act pick up the pace a bit in anticipation of TBE. Great set; loved the two newies too.
SETLIST:
Sun
We The People
(Unknown new song)
(Another unknown new song; the same one they played at Creepshow though)
Don't Look to the Sky
London

DOWNLOAD MP3 HERE

And then, it was time for the big one. The tour had come to an end, but it was the end of far more than that. The shows on this tour have clearly shown the band at their best (in contrast to last year, as I mentioned), and really, what better way is there to go out? Can't really fault the setlist for this tour either, though it's been identical in each city until tonight. When Clint came on for the second encore and announced "this is the last three songs you're gonna see", my friend and I looked at each other with the biggest smiles on our faces, because though we were hopeful that there would be some extra/different songs, we weren't really expecting it to happen. There's not much else to say. Hope everyone really enjoys this as much as I did; it's only the third time I've seen them, and this is definitely the way I wanted to remember them. So, this is it. If The Butterfly Effect are hanging up the axes after this, then they went out on top. But I'm still curious to see if they will replace Clint.

SETLIST:
Beautiful Mine (Clint solo with piano backing track)
Window and the Watcher
A Slow Descent
Phoenix
Perception Twin
Final Conversation
Aisles of White
Crave
Wilma's Rainbow (Helmet cover)
Room Without a View
Reach
Consequence
Everybody Runs (acoustic)
One Second of Insanity
Worlds on Fire
----Encore 1----
Gone (acoustic)
The Cell
The End
----Encore 2----
Sweet & Low
Take It Away
Always
Goodbye (I thought it would be better if I put Clint's last words as a separate track to do them proper justice.)

DOWNLOAD MP3 HERE

Explosions In The Sky @ Coachella Festival (2012-04-20)

Explosions In The Sky
Loved this set. Absolutely loved it!!
After the disappointment of The Rapture this was exactly what I needed to turn my mood around. Arriving just as they started we took a spot pretty far back on the field and sat down to watch. About 20 minutes later we moved to the right and much much closer to the stage. There my girlfriend and I took the chance to lay down and appreciate the band. Well, I did.... Tab doesn't like post-rock so I think she was trying to sleep through it. So while she tried to fall asleep I used her as a pillow to watch the band. And quite frankly, it was one of the best times I had that weekend. It's amazing how much I enjoy watching this band and it just felt so nice to relax and watch them after the heat we had to endure earlier in the day.
You may here some sound bleed from The Black Keys in this one because they were on mainstage and stupidly loud and boring. Other than that though it's a pretty good recording.

I recorded this from pretty far back towards the right side. Microphones were actually on the ground resting on a hat facing the stacks. At the beginning of Your Hand In Mine I moved much closer to the stage but kept the same microphone configuration. Sorry but I was tired and just wanted to lay down and relax.



Setlist:
1. The Birth and Death of The Day
2. Catastrophe and The Cure
3. Your Hand In Mine
4. Let Me Back In
5. The Only Moment We Were Alone

Length: 45:55

Sound Quality:

Download Here

Boy & Bear @ Forum Theatre, 16/05/2012

It really doesn't seem like that long ago that I was seeing some little-known Sydney folk quintet opening for Mumford & Sons at the Palace Theatre in 2010, but here we are two years later and Boy & Bear are pretty much, in Australia at least, on a level playing field with that band. Their debut EP With Emperor Antarctica was a huge success, no doubt due to the unbelievably catchy pair of tunes Mexican Mavis and Rabbit Song, and the songs that followed it, and the Moonfire album in 2011, have earned Boy & Bear plenty of love from the musical community in this country. After a successful run of shows in 2011, both prior to and following the Moonfire release, and a well-received slot at this year's Big Day Out, the Sydney gents evidently thought, "Another tour? Why not!", and are currently trekking across the country on their Remembering the Mexican tour, in homage to that song that helped to make them so damn popular. And damn popular they are; tonight was the first of three sold-out shows at the Forum. So anyway, what a gig! Shows at the Forum are always awesome, and this was no exception. I would have liked to see another song or two from With Emperor Antarctica make it in, but all in all it was a solid setlist; I had no idea prior to the gig they were putting new songs in the set too, so that was awesome to hear. My only other (very minor) complaint was that I'm not sure if such a large venue is suited to this kind of music; with a lot of very slow and chilled out songs, it seemed a bit weird to see so many people standing around doing absolutely nothing. They had the same problem at Big Day Out too. But they got the crowd moving with the "big hits" and on the whole, it was just a great show from a great band. Can't wait for album number two!

SETLIST:
Rabbit Song
Lordy May
Milk & Sticks
My Only One
Three Headed Woman
Fall at Your Feet (Crowded House cover; with additional snippet of Neil Young - Heart of Gold)
Part Time Believer
(Unknown; new song)
Beach
Feeding Line
Big Man
Mexican Mavis
Golden Jubilee

DOWNLOAD MP3 HERE

Helm (and other awesomeness), 11/05/2012 @ the Espy

So, Gold Coast proggy/post-rockers Helm made the journey south, in support of their newest single Bullets (which features a pretty awesome guest drummer). I really enjoyed their set supporting The Butterfly Effect last year (more so than The Butterfly Effect as it were), and I've been really getting into their two albums in the past few months, so I was more than keen to check them out this time. Especially with dat support bill, and the venue being walking distance :)

So first up, we have the never-failing-to-be-awesome Ezekiel Ox, doing his thing with just a microphone and his guitar. Obviously I'm a bit biased being a fan of his previous (and current) work, but in some respects his solo (and Fury) shows are some of the sets I've enjoyed the most from him over the years. I really appreciate how deeply personal some of the songs are to him; you get to see another side of him rather than the usual in-your-face ranting punk rocker (although I do enjoy that side of him too). So anyway. A nice cruisy set to kick the evening off; I guess most of these tunes are going to be appear on the next Fury album, if and when that ever gets released. I hope it does.
SETLIST:
Poison in Crisis (the lyrics clearly say "venom". I'm confused.)
Sick and Tired
Don't Let It Grow
(Unknown)
(Unknown)
(Unknown)
Fire to Sun

DOWNLOAD MP3 HERE

Up next was an absolute belter from stoner/riff-heavy rockers Dive Into Ruin, who for the uninitiated feature Craig (bass/vox in this band) and Trent (drums) from Mushroom Giant - although they couldn't sound less like Mushroom Giant if they tried. I don't think I saw these guys at all in 2011, so I was really looking forward to this one because they were one of the first bands out of this underground scene that I got into when I moved to Melbourne. I'm happy to report they still sound awesome, although I couldn't remember a lot of the songs being played. And there were quite a few newies in there too. The setlist I grabbed doesn't exactly match what Craig introduced some of the songs as, so I've just had to wing it a little bit. Plus the titles are in shortened setlist form. But yeah, these guys are great. Hope to see a bit more of them this year.

(download to follow)

Ennis fucking Tola. When did I see these guys for the first time? I can't remember, I think it was the Floating Me gig at the East Brunswick (RIP) last year, and they made an immediate impression on me that night. There's just nobody around at the moment that sounds quite like them, and with their recent run of reasonably frequent gigs, they're looking more and more at home on a live stage. Whether it was because it was their last show for a while (they're now going to get stuck into making their second album), or maybe it's just because they're awesome, they had a very respectable-sized, and very appreciative crowd on this night. What a good set this was. They played plenty of old tunes and some solid newies from that eagerly-anticipated upcoming album and like I said, their stage presence is improving significantly. The friend I was with has been a bit harsh on them for being a boring live band in the past (I never agreed with him though), but he enthusiastically declared at the end of their set that he was very impressed with their progress. So yay for them having another fan, they deserve it. Anyway. Great set!

(download to follow)

Unfortunately that set was so awesome that lots of people decided to leave before Helm (it was also getting pretty late), which was a real shame because these poor dudes travelled a long way and I think people really should have stayed at least for a few songs to give them a bit of support. Frontman Lucas Stone understandably commented on the sparse crowd at the front of the room; he did it in a jocular manner but it was obvious he was a little disappointed. Neverthless, the show must go on as they say, and go on it did, in great form. The small crowd didn't seem to bother them; they played really enthusiastically, especially during their heavy bits. It's a bit cliche, but the "whole group headbang" always looks pretty awesome. Anyway, yeah, good set, it was a fucking late one but worth sticking it out for! More people need to appreciate this band!

(download to follow)

The Mountain Goats @ The Toff in Town (09-05-2012)

Supported by Catherine Traicos

Of the five or six times I've seen the Mountain Goats this show ranks up there with the best. In probably the longest set I've seen them play, they performed 25 songs spanning the last 10 years of their discography. Difficult to pick a highlight, new songs like "Night Light" from their upcoming album Transcendental Youth I enjoyed just as much as older favourites like "Palmcorder Yajna" and "You or Your Memory".

Setlist:

1. For Charles Bronson
2. Old College Try
3. Birth Of Serpents
4. Damn These Vampires
5. Jeff Davis County Blues
6. Counterfeit Florida Plates
7. Hast Thou Considered The Tetrapod
8. Hawaiian Feelings
9. Fall of the Star High School Running Back
10. Woke Up New
11. You Were Cool
12. Transcendental Youth
13. The Diaz Brothers
14. White Ceder
15. Palmcorder Yajna
16. International Small Arms Traffic Blues
17. Night Light
18. Pigs That Ran Straightway Into The Water, Triumph Of
19. Love Love Love
20. Game Shows Touch Our Lives
21. You or Your Memory
22. This Year

23. 1 Samuel 15:23
24. Quito
25. The Best Ever Death Metal Band In Denton


Length: 1:38:10

Download:
mp3 (150MB)
flac (527MB)

Scott & Charlene's Wedding @ The Tote, Melbourne, 06-04-2012

Supported by Peak Twins and The School of Radiant Living

Peak Twins
First time I got to see these guys from Adelaide, hope they come back soon cause they were excellent.

Setlist:
1. Gentleman Of Fortune
2. Waiting Room
3. Sylvia's
4. Your Love
5. Rainin'
6. Only Sun

Length: 21:34
Download MP3

Scott & Charlene's Wedding
The best S&CW set I've seen. Recording came out great too. "Where Did My Records Go" as Craig mentions, was written the day before the gig, so I made up the title... subject to change.

1. Where Did My Records Go
2. Rejected
3. My World
4. Gammy Leg
5. Wiseman At The Station
6. Two Weeks
7. Hazy Morning
8. Footscray Station
9. Epping Line
10. Every Detail

Length: 45:00
Download MP3

My Disco, 14/04/2012 @ the Toff in Town

Wow. So it's been almost a year since My Disco played in this exact same spot, and in that year it's fair to say they haven't done a lot. But one thing they did do was create their first ever music video, for the song Turn; apparently the video was actually shot at the Toff. The video itself is a pretty simple concept - a ballerina dances, Robin Fox provides lasers. Easy. There was a little bit of a hint earlier on that this gig was going to pay tribute to that clip, when during the band's set-up time, a laser beam escaped through the gap in the curtain and lit up the room briefly. However, I don't think anyone expected them to take it to the extreme that they did - as the curtain pulled back, they blasted the room with the smoke machine and continued doing so the whole gig, the laser fired up, and yeah, for the entire gig the room was covered in fog, the laser was on and there was some pretty cool synched up lighting going on as well. Basically, what this meant was that for the full duration of the gig, you could barely even see the band unless you were right up the front - which I wasn't. The whole atmosphere they created was really cool, but in retrospect I would have liked to actually watch the awesome musicians onstage, especially Rohan Rebeiro. Fuck that guy can play drums, the drum solo outro to Young was ridiculous. Other than the whole invisible band thing, it was a fucking awesome gig. Wasn't expecting them to play the two (or three, not sure whether that first one's a newie?) older songs either. Liam also talked a lot more than usual (well, he said "thank you" at times other than the end of the set haha), which I think is good. Recording turned out pretty good too, apart from a bit of chatter here and there. As I guess I can understand, people tend to get a bit restless at My Disco gigs. I removed one particularly obnoxious comment one guy in front of me made to his friend during Young, but funnily enough you can't really tell there's a few seconds of the song missing when I listened back to it. Also, there was a bit of PA crackle during some songs (most noticeable during With Age); just thought I'd mention that was not my microphones' fault. Anyway. Download. Enjoy.

SETLIST:
(Unknown) (they played this one at the gig last year too; I'm not sure if it's new or not as I still don't have Cancer and up until last night, I didn't have Paradise either. Any help here would be much appreciated.)
Young/Drum Solo
Turn
A Turreted Berg
Closer
You Came to Me Like a Cancer Lain Dormant Until it Blossomed Like a Rose
With Age
Perfect Protection

DOWNLOAD MP3 HERE

By the way, the support band was No Zu, and I have to say they were pretty interesting. However, my iRiver was running a bit low on battery so I thought I'd better save it for the main event; hence, no recording of No Zu.

Dick Diver - 24-02-2012 @ The East Brunswick Club

with Geoffrey O'Connor, Jonny Telafone and Velcro

I regret not recording Jonny Telafone and Velcro, they were both great. I left before Geoffrey so Dick Diver is all I got.
I don't usually complain about crowds but this was one of the worst ever, get the feeling there were a lot of blow-ins there to say goodbye to the East Brunswick Club which is fair enough I guess, sad to see it go, but so many obnoxious people even right up the front. Some loud talking during the first min of my recording, then I moved away from the worst offenders so the rest is better.
Anyway, Dick Diver were excellent as usual. Played two new songs "98'" and "Alice", and mentioned a new record! Both the new songs were great, Hammock Days and Flying Tea Towel Blues were also highlights of the gig for me.
This is probably the only time I'll put up a Dick Diver recording as that's Chris' turf, haha. I think he was in Sydney for this gig. This one's for you Chris!

Setlist:
1. Head Back
2. Through The D
3. Seagulls
4. '98
5. Hammock Days
6. Alice
7. Newstart Again
8. Keno
9. Flying Tea Towel Blues

Length: 40:02

Download:
FLAC
MP3 (V0)

I Am Duckeye @ Revolver Upstairs, 18/01/2012

So. Revolver. I Am Duckeye. What else need be said really? This was certainly one of the more hilarious out of the many trainwrecks I've witnessed from this band; it's good when they're not jammed onto one of Saltar's mini-fests or opening for someone and they've got time to just be their comedic selves and let the nonsense flow. Really, there's nothing else to be said. Download, laugh, etc.
SETLIST:
Timeworms
Stupiddy Dee
Stink Lines
Rabbit Kick (with Dana Roskvist)
Mowees
Umf
Punching Dicks
Teabaggin'
Nudey Rudey
Die (with Duncan "Fancyshorts")
1960s Chickenhawk
I Gotta Cotton

DOWNLOAD MP3 HERE

Aphex Twin @ The Palace (06-03-2012)

Supported by Mark Pritchard, jps and Mike Hunt



Excellent show. Sample MP3
Length: 1:26:50

FLAC (538MB)
MP3 (140MB)

Devin Townsend Project / Meshuggah / dredg @ Forum Theatre, 29/02/2011

dredg
So after the crushing disappointment of having them pull out of the Karnivool tour, dredg are finally in Australia - to play a 30 minute set as curtain-jerkers for fucking Meshuggah and Devin Townsend. While the weirdness of this pairing cannot be understated (was Maddah high? Oh wait... don't answer that) and I wasn't expecting this to be the ideal way to enjoy one of my favourite bands, dredg did everything they could and then some, even sneaking onto the stage about 10 minutes before they were due to start. There were some loyal fans up the front (where I was, of course), but most of the metalheads completely disregarded them (although thankfully there was no booing or things thrown). I really enjoyed the set though; no band with five studio albums can do much with a 30 minute set, but dredg tried their fucking best and really satisfied the few people that actually cared about them on this occasion. I pretty much just needed to hear Bug Eyes and The Canyon Behind Her. Here's hoping they return soon on their own tour. OH. Almost forgot to mention. Due to them coming on early, I MISSED RECORDING ODE TO THE SUN! I just wasn't ready, and I thought it kind of pointless to only record half the song. Pretty upset about it but what can you do I guess.
SETLIST:
Ode to the Sun (not recorded :( )
Bug Eyes
Pariah
The Tanbark is Hot Lava
Lightswitch
The Canyon Behind Her
Down to the Cellar

...or alternatively, this:




















Never had such an easy time getting a setlist.
Me: Hey Gavin! (dredg frontman) Any setlists up there?
Gavin: Sure! (looking happy that someone actually knows who he is; finds one and gives it to me.) There you go!
Me: THANKS!

DOWNLOAD MP3 HERE

Meshuggah
What can I say? This would be Meshuggah's third tour of Australia on the back of their 2008 release obZen, and not surprisingly, the third time I've attended a Meshuggah performance. What a band. I can't believe I thought the first time I saw this band I thought they were a bit dull live (and yes, I did know their material at the time); I honestly believe the reason is because they had the misfortune to play three days after Carcass. But anyway, this is about HOW GREAT THEY WERE THIS TIME! Good setlist; for a band who have now been around for over twenty(!) years they still know how to keep things exciting and mix it up a little bit. We even got a brand new song this time, although I suppose with the release of Koloss only weeks away now that shouldn't have been too surprising. Good song too! And yeah, the rest of the set was fucking stellar. Good collection of old favourites and new... well, fuck, they aren't new anymore, 2008 was a fair while ago! But yeah, great songs, fantastic lighting and atmosphere, and a stellar mix! I'm expecting this one to turn out pretty good, although I was headbanging furiously through their set, so that often affects the sound.
SETLIST:
Rational Gaze
Pravus
Combustion
Stengah
New Millennium Cyanide Christ
Break Those Bones Whose Sinews Gave It Motion
Bleed
Lethargica
Straws Pulled at Random

Jason Lytle @ The Toff In Town (22-02-2012)

Supported by Ben Mason

The last time Jason Lytle was in Australia was in 2004 with Grandaddy, a tour I missed due to being a poor student and also having moved back to the city only a few months beforehand I was not real confident attending shows by myself. One of my few gig regrets. So with a setlist full of old Grandaddy songs, last nights show at the Toff couldn't have made me happier. I just hope it's not another 8 years before he returns!

Setlist:
El Caminos In The West
The Go In The Go-For-It
Levitz
Chartsengrafs
Sarah 5646766
Birds Encouraged Him
I Am Lost (And the Moment Cannot Last)
The Crystal Lake
What Can't Be Erased
Stray Dog and the Chocolate Shake
Willow Wand
Hewlett's Daughter
Jed's Other Poem (Beautiful Ground)
Now It's On

Length: 1:05:29


FLAC (348 MB)
320 MP3 (132 MB)

Cass McCombs @ The Corner Hotel (17-02-2012)

Supported by The Orbweavers and Wintercoats.

Having been introduced to Cass McCombs music with his 2003 album "A", this tour was a long time coming. I didn't have high expectations for this gig, I had heard years ago that Cass had been known to perform entire shows with his back to the audience, and live clips on youtube were just average to good. The gig wasn't amazing but it was better than I expected, his band were really great and they played a nice selection of songs from across his discography. Despite his vocals not coming across quite as strong live as on record, I went home more than satisfied for a gig I had been waiting the best part of a decade for. Recording turned out well.

Setlist:
1. Love Thine Enemy
2. Equinox
3. Angel Blood
4. Buried Alive
5. Robin Egg Blue
6. Dreams-Come-True-Girl
7. Harmonia
8. Joe Murder
9. That's That
10. My Sister My Spouse
11. County Line

Length: 1:24:18

Download MP3 (115MB)

sleepmakeswaves @ The Espy (2012-02-10)

This show is the perfect example of why I started this blog. To promote and expose bands I enjoy so that people will go see them and support them. A few weeks ago I hadn't heard sleepmakeswaves but I downloaded Neeso's recording because he raved about it so much. Wow, this band is fantastic. After listening to his recording a few times I then got their album and listened to that non-stop for about a week. Long story short: I found a new favourite band because of this blog. But, enough of that...

sleepmakeswaves are a band I should have gotten into a long time ago but for some reason I always thought they'd be 'just another prog-rock' band. Turns out I was wrong. These guys play some of the best post-rock this country has to offer. This set is made up mostly of material from their debut LP '.​.​.​and so we destroyed everything' as well as a couple of well appreciated older tracks. And, from what I gather they switch things up each tour so I expect this will not be the last time I catch these guys. Already looking forward to next time!

I recorded this one in the same manner as the Solkyri set but closer to the left speaker stack. The weird glitchyness is more noticeable (and more frequent) in this one but again I edited it all out for enjoyment sake.



Setlist:
1. to you they are birds, to me they are voices in the forest
2. in limbs and joints
3. one day you will teach me to let go of my fears
4. we sing the body electric
5. (hello) cloud mountain
6. keep your splendid silent sun
7. now we rise and we are everywhere
8. our time is short but your watch is slow
9. a gaze blank and pitiless as the sun

Length: 58:01

Sound Quality: A

Download Here

Download Key: 6V-Op9_ZmmuosL5T74rkrci8xvjr1A8USgXRev9mvdA

Battles @ Forum Theatre, 28/01/2012

I've been pretty keen to see these guys for quite some time, especially as I was unable to make it to any performances on their 2008 tour. Well, they got announced for the 2012 BDO and as soon as this sideshow was announced I bought myself a ticket. And they totally lived up to my very high expectations. I wish I'd gotten to see them with Tyondai, but this was still a fucking incredible show. Naturally, it was almost all Gloss Drop songs but that was my second-favourite album of 2011 so who's complaining? The way the vocalists were present on the screen was a cool touch, and I particularly dug the way they extended several songs. Sundome was jaw-dropping. The only real negative about the gig itself was the technical difficulties Ian had during My Machines, but what can you do? And the sound on this recording isn't so great. But ahh well. Fantastic gig!

SETLIST
Intro
Africastle
Sweetie & Shag
Dominican Fade
Atlas
Wall Street
Tonto
Ice Cream
Inchworm
My Machines
Futura
----Encore----
Sundome

DOWNLOAD MP3 HERE

Woollen Kits @ The John Curtin Hotel (20-01-2012)

Supported by The UV Race, Dead Farmers and Loose Grip.

I know a few people were eagerly awaiting these recordings, sorry for the delay. What a great line up and great sets all round! Enjoy!

Loose Grip
I arrived just minutes before Brisbane's Loose Grip took the stage, or rather, the floor in front of the stage, so I was lucky to be able to record this but glad I could. Here's all 11 minutes and 48 seconds of their blistering set, into which they packed 7 songs, most of which are available on their excellent debut 7" available on Bedroom Suck Records.

Setlist:
1. Cereal
2. Baked
3. Light Me Up
4. Maccy D's
5.
6.
7. Wipe The Slate

Loose Grip MP3


Dead Farmers
Up next were Sydney band Dead Farmers who I was looking forward to seeing for the first time having heard plenty of praise for their live shows, all of which was justified. Tore through a set of straight forward rock with tons of energy, and the dual vocals work really well. Look forward to next time they're down here.

Setlist:
1.
2.
3. Never Enough
4. Spit Shine
5.
6. Down Low
7.
8. Out The Door

Dead Farmers MP3


The UV Race
Their first show in awhile and the first time I'd seen them in just over a year, when they supported Thee Oh Sees last January. Always fun live and this set was no exception.

Setlist:
1.
2. Set Sail To Fail
3.
4.
5. Burn That Cat
6. Lost My Way
7.
8. The UV Know
9.

The UV Race MP3


Woollen Kits
I've lost count of the times I've seen Woollen Kits now, and they only get better every time. Tonight was all about launching their self-titled debut LP which is available now on R.I.P Society and at all good record stores. Do yourself a favour and get it! Yet another great set to end an excellent night.

Setlist:
1. -
2. Out Of Whack
3. Down Your Street
4. Shelley
5. Always
6. Sloan
7. I Love You
8. Susannah

Woollen Kits MP3

Feist @ Palais Theatre (01-02-2012)

Epic performance by Feist at the Palais Theatre, playing songs mostly from her 2011 album "Metals", but also a few select tracks from previous releases, albeit with very different arrangements to the originals. Her most well known song "1234" was notably absent from the set, but I think you'd be hard pressed to find anyone who went home disappointed. As good as the show was, it still didn't quite match seeing her play alone on her first tour in 2005 with about 100 other people in a small jazz club, one of my favourite gigs I've ever been to.
Still, it was very impressive, and the recording came out well. Although one thing I noticed listening back to the recording is a distinct lack of bass, not from a bad recording, but because there was no bass on stage. It didn't even occur to me on the night, probably because of the sheer volume (it was quite a loud gig for the style of music) but listening back, a lot of the songs could have really used some bass.



Setlist:
1. The Undiscovered First
2. How Come You Never Go There
3. A Commotion
4. Graveyard
5. Mushaboom
6. The Circle Married The Line
7. So Sorry
8. Anti-Pioneer
9. My Moon My Man
10. I Feel It All
11. The Bad In Each Other
12. Honey Honey
13. Comfort Me
14. Caught A Long Wind
15. Get It Wrong, Get It Right
-
17. When I Was a Young Girl
18. Cicadas and Gulls
19. Sealion
20. Let It Die
-
21. Intuition

Length: 01:51:05

FLAC (491MB)
MP3 V0 (161MB)

Julianna Barwick @ The Toff in Town (18-01-2012)

Julianna Barwick's 2011 album The Magic Place was one of my favourite releases of the year so I had high hopes for the gig, and wasn't disappointed. Since it is mostly just Julianna's vocals, it was not a loud performance, and you can clearly hear clinking glasses and coughs. But it was a (kinda disappointingly) small and quiet audience and the recording turned out well.

Setlist:
1. The Magic Place
2. Bob In Your Gait
3. Vow
4. -
5. Prizewinning
6. White Flag
7. -
8. -

Download:
MP3 (108MB)
FLAC (279MB)

Explosions In The Sky @ Meredith Music Festival (2011-12-09)

Wow! Been waiting for this one since I last saw them almost 4 years ago. It was one of the best shows I've ever seen and completely changed my appreciation for post-rock. I would love to have a recording of that one to listen to but it got lost in the big PC crash of 2008.
Anyway, flash forward to now and it was finally time to see Explosions again and they were just as fantastic as last time. The Supernatural Amphitheatre is such an ideal setting to see them play in and the sunset spot was just perfect. I can't say enough good things about this one. Download it and listen and appreciate it.

I recorded this on the barrier pretty much dead center. I'm really actually quite surprised it came out as well as it did. If there'd been vocals they would have been completely non-present in the recording but didn't have to worry about that.



Setlist:
1. The Only Moment We Were Alone
2. Catastrophe and The Cure
3. Postcard From 1952
4. The Birth and Death of The Day
5. Let Me Back In

Length: 46:44

Sound Quality: A-

Download Here

Kurt Vile & The Violators @ Northcote Social Club (2011-12-05)

I hadn't listened much to Kurt Vile's records before this gig, but bought a ticket based on rave reviews of his live shows from people I trust, and I'm glad I did. I'm still not crazy about his albums but really loved this performance. There was an intensity, especially in such an intimate venue, and especially with the songs performed solo, that doesn't translate well to record for me. Anyone who was at the gig might notice this is missing the last song of the set, apologies, the mic cable came loose. What I did manage to get turned out well though!


Setlist:
1. Blackberry Song
2. Runner Up
3. Jesus Fever
4. On Tour
5. Freeway
6. Ghost Town
7. Hunchback
8. Freak Train
9. Peeping Tomboy
10. My Best Friends (Don't Even Pass This)
11. Puppet To The Man
12. Society Is My Friend
13. [crowd cheers for encore]
14. Baby's Arms
15. Downbound Train

Length: 1:23:53

FLAC (457MB)
MP3 (V0) (123MB)

Mono @ The Forum (2011-10-07)

So this one was pretty fantastic. Mono playing Holy Ground with a 23 piece orchestra was something I thought I wouldn't get a chance to see but Melbourne Festival made it happen. Really thankful for that. The performance is exactly how you'd expect if you've heard the album but seeing it live is something else. Much more powerful.
On a sour note. This pretty much marked the end of my battery box. Had to scrap the right channel because it was so staticy. I hope someone else comes forward with a recording of this Also, Melbourne festival should get rid of glass bottles. There's so many of them getting thrown in bins in this recording. Really takes away from it.

This was recorded from the front row behind the first row of booths. I was about halfway between the centre of the room and the passageway up the side. It's pretty much my 'go to' spot in the venue and produces quite nice results.



Setlist:
1. Ashes In The Snow
2. Burial At Sea
3. Silent Flight, Sleeping Dawn
4. Are You There?
5. 2 Candles, 1 Wish
6. Where Am I
7. Pure As Snow (Trails of The Winter Storm)
8. Follow The Map
9. Halcyon (Beautiful Days)
10. Everlasting Light

Length: 1:24:15

Sound Quality: B

Download Here

Engine Three Seven @ Victoria Star (boat!), 02/01/12

So, Simon Wright, brother of Engine Three Seven's Jed, had a birthday. How did he decide to celebrate? By getting Engine Three Seven and a few other bands (including his own) to play a gig. On a boat. Though this isn't exactly a new concept, it was the first boat gig I've been to and holy shit, this sort of thing should happen so much more often. The fact that Engine Three Seven have become one of my favourite bands since moving to Melbourne meant that this gig was always going to be amazing, and it was. The boat ROCKED. So much fun was had; what a way to kick off the year. Beers, beautiful weather, a BOAT and Engine Three Seven rocking out like always.

The recording itself isn't that great. I suppose that's not surprising, given that boats are not exactly designed for loud rock bands to play in them. The space was pretty enclosed and you know, lots of people, lots of booze, lots of singing. But I'm uploading it anyway, pretty much entirely unedited. It was so much fun, and I think that's been captured quite well.

SETLIST:
Lady Luck (I didn't record this with my iRiver, but I extracted the audio from this video that a friend of mine shot. Acoustic songs turn out alright with iPhones. Listen closely for the ahh, extra verse.)
The Town
Have it All
Atmosphere
Cops
Jam/Narayan (The Prodigy cover)
Erasure
Easy Graceful Descent
Happy Birthday to Simon
Hysterical Hysteria

DOWNLOAD MP3 HERE