Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Gotye Review - Sydney Graphic Festival

Saturday night, Sydney Opera House saw the much anticipated live album preview of Gotye's Making Mirrors.



In the five years since the release of Like Drawing Blood, Wally De Backer has hardly been sitting stagnant.  His involvement in The Basics has seen touring extensively throughout Australia, Europe and Japan, the release of a live album and wearing the caps of producer, song-writer, collaborator and gardener (or so we hear).

Being a part of the Sydney Graphic Festival, proceedings started with the animation "The Lost Thing".  A sweet, poignant short fitting to open a Gotye show.  Based on the short story by Shaun Tan, narrated by Tim Minchin and scored live.

At the end of the short, I find the air a little thicker with testosterone as the all-male version of the new Mini-Orchestra and Gotye came on stage to the delight of the audience.  They started immediately with the title track Making Mirrors, and lead straight into last year's release Eyes Wide Open.  

There are real differences between this and his previous work, notably less traditional sampling, but still there. Start Of The Art one of the album stand outs, brings sounds similar to Like Drawing Blood, particularly A Distinctive Sound.

Not only was the completely sold out audience treated to an almost full playing of the new album, included were tracks from his back catalogue.  Hearts A Mess, slotted in straight after the hugely popular Somebody That I Used To Know.



Finishing with the favourite Learnalilgivinanlovin, Wally managed to lift the crowd from the stark and oftentimes dark animations that played, particularly with Don’t Worry, We'll Be Watching You, to every person in the theatre having a bit of a chair dance.

There is something about watching De Backer perform.  Happiness exudes.  Still first performance jitters were present.  Seeking assurance from the crow that “it sounds good?”

At the end of the set – standing ovation from every one of the 2500 people lucky enough to get tickets to this show.

Gotye and his Male Mini-Orchestra are touring Australia throughout September and October.  But if you don’t have tickets, bit of bad luck.   All venues except Perth (which went on sale this morning) are almost completely sold out.  He is playing a few festival dates, Homebake, Pyramid Rock and Canberra's Foreshore Festival.  Check here for tickets.


Set List:
Making Mirrors
Eyes Wide Open
Smoke and Mirrors
State Of The Art
I Feel Better
Easy Way Out
Don't Worry, We'll Be Watching You
Somebody That I Used To Know
Hearts A Mess
Save Me
Bronte
In Your Light
Learnalilgivinanlovin

Monday, August 15, 2011

Upcoming Gigs

Gotye - 20th August.  Sydney Graphic Festival, Sydney Opera House.  Making Mirrors album preview.


Aston Shuffle - 26th August. Hunter Valley.


And kind of unbelievably - Cold Chisel in November.



Supported by Stonefield and Dan Sultan, the latter I haven't seen live.  Seriously cannot wait - it should be a little bit of bogan paradise.



Until next time.  
J

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

New Gotye Track

It will be very little surprise to read of my excitement, at the leak of Gotye's new track off his forthcoming Making Mirrors.  It will be a surprise that it took me this long to post about it.

Collaborating vocally with the wonderfully talented Kimbra, the track is haunting.  And the video illustrates the hurt of a real break up (great acting Wally).  
I'm waiting with baited breath for the release of this album, (August 19) and the album preview at the Opera House on August 20th.  




The entire album track listing was released on June 6th and looks promising:  

1. Making Mirrors
2. Easy Way Out
3. Somebody That I Used To Know
4. Eyes Wide Open
5. Smoke and Mirrors
6. I Feel Better
7. In Your Light
8. State of the Art
9. Don't Worry, We'll Be Watching You
10. Giving Me A Chance
11. Save Me
12. Bronte

Based on the little snippets of this record I've heard.... I predict good things for Mr De Backer.  I have kind of enjoyed him being a little alternative, and not that many people knowing who he is over the past couple of years - I think that's about to end.

Monday, June 20, 2011

Reclaiming it

You know that music you haven't listened to in years? For whatever reason, or none in particular.

A rare day home alone left me trawling through my CD collection and finding some hidden gems (and some not so gem like).  Some years ago I was at the tail end of a relationship that was going from bad to worse.  During that time, I was listening to a lot of Split Enz.  It was the late 90s and noughties, so I must have been feeling all retro - or perhaps it was just I knew the soon to be ex didn't like it.

After the subsequent breakup/division of stuff/moving out I didn't listen to Split Enz for years.  CD languished in dust until this week.  Now I can't think why I stopped listening to them.  Maybe I needed a few years of distance to be able to enjoy them again?

Demons are thoroughly exorcised.

Missing music? Tell me about it?



Friday, April 22, 2011

A weekend filled with new(ish) music

I'm dedicating the weekend to listening the to the the new Jebediah record (again) to finish the review and Sparkadia's The Great Impression.  The latter sadly I've had for weeks and haven't had a really thorough listen.



The big changes in that band (can I still call it a band) have made for some very interesting listening so far.



So whatever you're doing this weekend, have a good one.

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Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Groovin' The Moo

Grooving The Moo released the lineup today.  It's a fantastic regional festival, little bit like the Big Day Out's little brother, coming to a town near me on May 7.  Otherwise known as my birthday.

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Huge line up.  The Jezabels, Washington, Art Vs Science, Architecture in Helsinki, Nina Las Vegas, The Wombats, Birds of Tokyo, Bliss N Eso...

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aaaaaaaand Gotye.  This is shaping up to be my best birthday in years.

Tickets go on sale, February 15th.

(Should I just re-name this whole thing I Love Gotye or words to that effect?)


This was originally published at She Will Have Her Way.  Re-printed with permission.

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Review: Gotye at the Sydney Festival

As I entered the Angel Place Recital hall, this being my first time I was greeted with some pretty impressive architecture and some quite chilled out musical vibes.  Just there in the background making its presence known, while waiting for Gotye, AKA Wally De Backer and his ultra mini-orchestra to make their way on-stage.

Wally had said in email sent out earlier that day it was a 7pm SHARP start and damn if he didn’t mean it (give or take 10 minutes).  Things changed.  Gone were the gentle vibes, volume was increased and Gentle Moon by Son Kil Moon started pumping out, and then another track, Alberta Cross’ Ghost Of City Life.

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Finally he appeared and he was well worth the wait.  Dressed  in dark, skinny denim, check button up shirt and vest – he looked very sharp – and opened with “Coming Back”.  The set was peppered with a few new tracks, Smoke and Mirrors from the vinyl release of Eyes Wide Open and In Your Eyes.  There was little stage banter, quite unlike De Backer’s other band The Basics.  However, a brief pause during “Thanks For Your Time” and a phone call to Vodaphone customer service, with some very 90s Ace Of Base on hold music, gave us a glimmer.

Angel Place is a small theatre, capacity is about 1200.  Wally and band, Lucas Taranto on bass and drums, and Tim Shiel, who also works under the moniker Faux Pass on MIDI and everything else, filled the space with beautiful sound.  Between the 3 of them there was an evident love of performing particularly in the 'drum off' between Wally and Lucas in "Smoke And Mirrors".

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Given the setting, it was a much quieter, more subdued Gotye than we’re used to.  A duet with the folksy Tash Parker and a cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Seems A Long time Ago, Nancy” was so beautifully done it stunned most of the audience into the kind of silence where you almost forget to applaud.

It didn’t go for nearly long enough, at just over an hour.  He made sure to get many favourites in, “The Only Thing I Know”, “Hearts A Mess”, “Learnalilgivinanlovin” and “Eyes Wide Open” which gained a very respectable number 25 in Triple J’s Hottest 100 2010 countdown. 

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My love for this man and his music is well documented.  I know he has a truly beautiful voice, but not until hearing on Thursday night could I fully appreciate it.  Wally De Backer is epically fucking talented.  To see him move with ease between drum-kit, piano and sample machine inspired in me the most un-musical person to ever pick up a guitar, jealousy. 

You should be sorry you missed this.  When he tours off the back of his rumoured April release, do not waste time any time before buying tickets.  He’s worth all the money and a whole lot more.

I was given a ticket to see this special gig back in January 2011.  Published originally at She Will Have Her Way