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