The Smith Street Band @ Melbourne Big Day Out (2013-01-16)

For a band I listen to so much I really don't get around to seeing them enough which is a shame because The Smith Street Band put on one ridiculously fun show. Led by Wil Wagner the local boys gave an even showing of tracks from both their LP's. I would have liked to have seen more that I hadn't previously but considering it's a festival set I knew they'd play a concise set of 'hits'. Maybe I'll catch a headlining show soon.

This was recording from directly in line with the left speaker stack. I chose this spot because I thought it would bring out the guitars more as the drums sounded a little too loud in the mix during the sound check but it didn't do much. Not sure what the sound guy was doing during this one as they were completely drowned out the whole set. Not to mention being ridiculously loud.



Setlist:
1.  Sunshine & Technology
2.  I Ain't Safe
3.  Postcodes (For People Who Will Not Arrest Me)
4.  I Want Friends
5.  I Can't Feel My Face
6.  When I Was A Boy I Thought I Was A Fish
7.  Young Drunk
8.  Sigourney Weaver

Length: 37:40

Sound Quality: B

Download Here

Download Key: a7LqICH8vTmgbh-8Db3W1V_FaopAlHNUm3IyQ2DQudQ

The Smith Street Band @ The East Brunswick Club (2012-02-20)

I caught these guys a few months prior supporting Fucked Up and I was immediately a fan. In the 3 months between then and this show I'd heard people consistently rave about them. In that space a friend of mine has seen them 11 times I think. Fair enough too because they're pretty great. In this set they preview a few new songs from the upcoming album.

I recorded this near the right speaker stack and mixed that down with a fantastic sounding soundboard. I could have used just that but included my audience one to give it a more 'roomy' sound.



Setlist:
1.Sunshine & Technology
2. When I Was A Boy I Thought I Was A Fish
3.I Want Friends
4. Sigourney Weaver
5. I Ain't Safe
6. Postcodes (For People Who Will Not Arrest Me)

Length: 26:13

Sound Quality: A

Download Here

Download Key: EByjRTcmhfzYh_vCFV8dHXRt4_UxIHKn4FrACQ9bMQM

Weezer @ The Palais Theatre (2013-01-17)

Supported by Cloud Control and Ball Park Music.


Cloud Control
2nd night in a row and while the same setlist as the first night I enjoyed this a bit more. I think I mentioned in the Myer Music Bowl show that these guys didn't suit such a large venue and it shows here as this performance was by far the better of the two nights.

This was recorded in the 4th row of the balcony. Due to the nature of the venue it's a little 'boomier' than I would like but it's a clear and clean recording other than that.

I didn't have a photo on my phone for some reason and I can't find one on the web so no pic here unfortunately. I also used a generic live picture to create the album work. It's OK I guess.

Setlist:
1.  Meditation Song #2 (Why, Oh Why)
2.  Scar
3.  Gold Canary
4.  Promises
5.  This Is What I Said
6.  Ice Age Heatwave
7.  There's Nothing In The Water We Can't Fight
8.  Ghost Story

Length: 33:19

Sound Quality: B

Download Here

Download Key: bCVNazT-u-erjHBRwfR7Tyd4BCRJsJPFhvmg2uw11QY


Weezer
Whoa! Sorry Blue Album but this show was better than yours. Not only because I like Pinkerton more but because the greatest hits had some rarities I was really hoping to see. Put Me Back Together, Keep Fishin' and the B-Sides You Gave Your Love To Me Softly and Susanne pretty much made my night. Also the first ever airing of The Angel and The One was pretty cool. Didn't think they'd pull anything like that while they were down here.

At some point during the first set Rivers hurt his leg and spent the rest of the night limping around. From what I gather he still had it a few nights later in Sydney. I wonder how he did it...

This was recorded from the second floor of The Palais 4 rows from the front in the centre section of seats. I was worried it would be too boomy but it came out really well.You can tell it's a big room though because of the 'echo' of sorts which I think adds to the recording.



Setlist:
1.  Memories
2.  Put Me Back Together
3.  The Angel and The One
4.  The Greatest Man That Ever Lived (Variations On A Shaker Hymn)
5.  We Are All On Drugs
6.  Keep Fishin'
7.  Don't Let Go
8.  You Gave Your Love To Me Softly
9.  Susanne
10. Buddy Holly
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
11. Tired of Sex
12. Getchoo
13. No Other One
14. Why Bother?
15. Across The Sea
16. The Good Life
17. El Scorcho
18. Pink Triangle
19. Falling For You
20. Butterfly
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
21. Island In The Sun

Length: 1:23:24

Sound Quality: B+

Download Here

Download Key: Y9VSHDaUG2_wnGV60V2BljyuCaUA0OlG7PUKPvE-aDc

Weezer @ Sidney Myer Music Bowl (2013-01-16)

Supported by Cloud Control and Ball Park Music.

I didn't catch Ball Park Music at this show or the following night because I was too busy drinking. Sorry to anyone who's a fan.


Cloud Control
2 years on since I saw these guys and I can't say I'm upset they left me behind. I'm just not digging them anymore. I mean.. I liked the new song 'Scar' but the older stuff just didn't grab me like it did a while ago. Maybe it was the space they played in. The Myer Music Bowl has some big shoes to fill and not every band can pull it off.

This was recorded at the back of the seated area which is actually in front of the GA area. I was on that little grassy area behind the chairs just hanging out. The first song or two sound a little off and have some mic handling noise in them because I was setting up as I walked to my position as I was chatting to some friends and didn't realise they were starting.



Setlist:
1.  Meditation Song #2 (Why, Oh Why)
2.  Scar
3.  Gold Canary
4.  Promises
5.  This Is What I Said
6.  Ice Age Heatwave
7.  There's Nothing In The Water We Can't Fight
8.  Ghost Story

Length: 34:05

Sound Quality: C+

Download Here

Download Key: WuyiGkC19zVpAtZNO6PerSWW7KxsCx4_TrsR1g0Ywqw


Weezer
So this finally happened. Weezer did an Australian tour and it was amazing and well worth the wait. This was the first of 2 shows in Melbourne with the other being a Pinkerton set.
The show was split into 2 parts. The first half was a greatest hits set which pretty much consited of the best 1 or 2 songs from each album working backwards towards the Blue Album which was the second set. Pretty much the whole show was a giant singalong and everyone was in high spirits for this. El Scorcho got a massive response and was probably the track of the night for me.

This was recorded dead center in the seating area of the music bowl so the sound is quite good. Maybe a little boomy but whatever.



Setlist:
1.  Memories
2.  (If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To
3.  Pork and Beans
4.  Troublemaker (w/Burndt Jamb outro)
5.  Perfect Situation
6.  Beverly Hills
7.  Dope Nose (Scott Shriner on vocals)
8.  Island In The Sun
9.  Hash Pipe
10. El Scorcho
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
11. My Name Is Jonas
12. No One Else
13. The World Has Turned and Left Me Here
14. Buddy Holly
15. Undone - The Sweater Song
16. Surf Wax America
17. Say It Ain't So
18. In The Garage
19. Holiday
20. Only In Dreams

Length: 1:27:55

Sound Quality: B+

Download Here

Download Key: fN55a2AJ8lsvbnunOjA6MVDCaj4noTrnWwf_qAISGhA

Alexisonfire @ Festival Hall (2012-12-12)

I'd seen Alexisonfire twice prior to this show but both times it was at soundwave and I only caught about 7 songs of the set. The first time I left early to see Jim Ward and the second time I arrived late as I was watching The Weakerthans. Both times however I loved what I saw but was disappointed with them playing mainstage. Flash forward a few years and they're calling it quits and playing a dozen or so shows to celebrate. Only a few are outside Canada and Australia are lucky to get two of them. Needless to say I had to be there...

From a fans standpoint this show was pretty spot on. Giant setlist and a good selection of songs. The whole band really seemed into it which was great considering 2 of them have quit. Looks like there is no hard feelings there. Big singalongs to every song was cool to see/hear. I'm gonna miss these guys.

This was recorded from the balcony so the sound is pretty great and balanced. I had some sort of sickness so I cough a few times in the recording but I tried to time it with a loud kick or snare to hide it. I think I did a pretty good job. Also, I have about 85 minutes of video of this show and am thinking of compiling a DVD of it considering it could be one of the last recordings of the band. If you filmed any of the show in HD (iPhone 4/4S) send it my way.



Setlist:
1.  Intro
2.  Young Cardinals
3.  Boiled Frogs
4.  Heading For The Sun
5.  Pulmonary Archery
6.  Drunks, Lovers, Sinners and Saints
7.  No Transitory
8.  Get Fighted
9.  Born and Raised
10. Waterwings (and Other Poolside Fashion Faux Pas)
11. Control
12. Rough Hands
13. Old Crows
14. You Burn First
15. We Are The Sound
16. Keep It On Wax
17. Accept Crime
18. Dog's Blood
19. .44 Caliber Love Letter
20. Accidents
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
21. The Northern
22. This Could Be Anywhere In The World
23. Happiness By The Kilowatt

Length: 1:50:33

Sound Quality: A-

Download Here

Download Key: V0IJpV8SndDjMTZ2rrxLQnrxLC8QrHlJkfz4yeRoxUA

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