Archive for the ‘ Words ’ Category

The Gin Club @ The Old Museum

November 11th, 2011

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Date: December 13, 2008
Venue: The Old Museum, Brisbane
Acts: The Gin Club, Clinkerfield, The Aerial Maps, Texas Tea, Jacob S Harris

Built in 1891 to enable the city of Brisbane to host a world exposition, but named after it’s decades-long stint as the city’s museum, The Old Museum tonight plays host to The Gin Club’s Christmas bash. The Ginners have assembled no less than four support slots, and an early start means I miss Jacob S Harris, who performed so well at the Globe just last month.

In fact, I only just catch the start of the Texas Tea set. The local duo are in fine fettle, even if the rarified concert hall atmosphere lends an irritating touch of reverb to their mellow country tune. Many of the tunes are drawn from Junkship, which is all to the good. I’m a little disappointed that they skip the dirge-like Ferry Song, but a remarkable rendition of the Ronny Shannon-penned, Aretha Franklin-performed Never Loved A Man more than makes up for it. Read more

The Gin Club @ The Zoo

November 11th, 2011

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Date: March 21, 2009
Venue: The Zoo, Brisbane
Acts: The Gin Club, Hits, Danny Widdicombe

Floppy-haired local Danny Widdicombe croons “satisfy me” over and over like a mantra to the accompaniment of a drifting guitar arrangement. I’m in hearty agreement. His voice offers a rough-hewn country charm, but too often his finger-plucked tunes slide into frustrating aimlessness. Twanging excursions into the blues hold more verve, but the aggressive stomping of set-closer My Desire highlights the confusing patchwork of his offerings tonight.

“Hi. We’re Hits. Not that we have any.”

Hits are definitely the bastard child of tonight’s bill. Wedged between the alt-country stylings of The Gin Club and Danny Widdicombe, the punk-rock five-piece detonates with the percussive force of a psychotic child throwing the biggest tantrum you could imagine. Read more

Dead @ The Waiting Room

November 8th, 2011

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Date: November 4, 2011
Venue: The Waiting Room, Brisbane
Acts: Dead, Cyberne, Idylls, Acid Snake

My first visit to the Waiting Room in Brisbane’s West End is a profitable one as both Melbourne drum-and-bass duo DEAD and Japanese psycho-noise addicts Cyberne turn in sterling performances that test the sound-proofing of the tiny venue.

Jem and Jace of DEAD seem to be continuing along the rich vein that they unearthed with Fangs of a TV Evangelist. Prick Rodeo, particularly, is laden with heavy stoner grooves and massive blasts of percussion. The stand-and-deliver grunt of the tune conveys palpable menace and gets heads nodding approvingly to the beat.

Cyberne, on the other hand, play more like some wild beast bent on savaging whatever happens to come within range. The Osaka-based four-piece pierce the air with chaotic intertwining riffs, incomprehensible screams and the constant bam-crash of cymbals. It’s 30 minutes of the most wonderful entropy where you’re never sure exactly how a tune is going to go berserk.

Mono @ The Hi-Fi

October 30th, 2011

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Date: October 5, 2011
Venue: The Hi-Fi, Brisbane
Acts: Mono, No Anchor, Secret Birds

Shimmering like heat haze, criss-crossing guitar arpeggios seem to pluck at the very heavens. Bass thunders with symphonic grandeur. Crash cymbals scale spine-tingling heights, the crescendos piercing the senses before fracturing into a crystalline silence just as poignant.

Yet the cause, Japanese instrumental quartet, Mono is an isle of still, focused calm at the centre of this typhoon of beautiful, ferocious noise.

As I watch, I’m piqued by a fancy that music is channeling them, rather than the other way round.

That, as soon as they seat themselves on stage, a force possesses them, and the most exquisite sounds just pour forth. Read more

Laughing Clowns @ GOMA

October 4th, 2011

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Date: January 23, 2009
Venue: GOMA, Brisbane
Acts: Laughing Clowns

Optimism (n): an exhibit of contemporary art at the Queensland Gallery of Modern Art.
Optimism (n): view that good must ultimately prevail; (habitually) hopeful disposition.
Optimism (n): backing up to see an Ed Kuepper revival of legendary post punk outfit Laughing Clowns just a week after a similar reunion destroyed the artistic credibility of The Saints in the eyes of many Brisbane music-goers.

As a massive fan of Ed Kuepper’s work, there was absolutely no way I was going to miss a reunion, for the first time since 1985, of the classic line-up of his experimental jazz-inflected post-punk outfit Laughing Clowns. Even after the massive debacle with The Saints barely a week before. Still, amidst the excitement there’s a bit of nervous wondering about whether this, too, might end up a trainwreck.

Blind faith is rewarded with an amazing performance that is, for passion and quality, everything The Saints failed to be. If that makes sense. Read more

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