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Headline act Pink, though, is a sheer force of nature – from the time she arrives on stage, swinging on a trapeze and bellowing her lungs out in the middle of a hugely ornate circus set, she seems determined to raise the energy again … and again … and again …
I haven’t devoted much space to headline act Pussycat Dolls because, umm, they weren’t very good.
They seldom hit the notes, they clearly despised each-other, their stage show was nowhere near as inventive as Gaga’s, and the whole thing kinda gave me flashbacks to that episode of Sex & The City where Samantha is attacked by the angry transvestites (for any straight men who don’t happen to get that pop culture reference – it’s a bad thing).
Although she’s on the bill as the support act, it’s pretty clear that many people are here to check out Lady Gaga, and from the opening moments of her set – a bizarre short film about her alter ego, Candy Warhol – it’s clear we’re in for quite a ride.
I have let this thing go since January, I’ve been so slack. So very slack.
I’ve shot so many bands: Howard Jones, The Waifs, The All-American Rejects, Hey Monday, Fall Out Boy, Amanda Palmer, Mogwai, The Stills, Kings of Leon, Counting Crows, The Who, Kean, The Greats, Little Birdy, Oh Mercy, Lady GaGa, Pussycat Dolls and Lily Allen.
I’ve also shot a bunch of festivals: Sunset Sounds, Soundwave, Big O, V Festival and the Victorian Fire & Flood Benifit concert in Brisbane.
I will upload some photos from the most recent shows I’ve shot but probably not ALL. You can however see most of them on my Flickr photostream if you’re really curious!
American star Alicia Keys is having it both ways, introducing elements of pop to her sound with latest album As I Am, but still flying the flag for old-school soul. There was room for it all on the opening night of her Australian tour at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre, where she showed why she has proven the most durable of this decade’s R&B stars.
There’s energy, excitement and a big show, but there’s real musical substance as well.
Kate Miller-Heidke is stunning, in both looks and vocal range, appearing like a retro diva with a hint of burlesque in a black 80’s taffeta dress with sequins and gloves. She almost sounds operatic as she launches into songs about metro sexuals, scooters and super girl, with a voice like an angel and the smile of a demented Alice in Wonderland in a cute, yet sexy keyboard driven way. There’s something wicked going on in that little pixie’s mind and the audience love it!
Two albums into his already acclaimed career, Lior is welcomed onto the stage like a long-lost family member and with his laconic, razor-sharp wit and his easy between-song banter, it is simple to see why even before he strikes a chord on his guitar.
With a string quartet in tow, the emotional atmospheres of Autumn Flow, Daniel and This Old Love transcend their original versions and take on a whole new power. Add a lovely duet by special guest Katie Noonan into the mix and you can’t get a much better night.
Juke Kartel have a lot of the key ingredients needed to make a rock band recipe taste extra crunchy: a drummer who knows how to and when to solo; two guitarists whose interplay keeps the audience enthralled, and a vocalist who walks that fine line between cockiness and chauvinistic arrogance.
After a stellar 2007 and a landmark set at this year’s Splendour In The Grass festival, The Panics touched down in Brisbane before heading off to write the follow up to the ARIA-award-winning Cruel Guards, and it was certainly a night to remember.
Blue King Brown made a grand entrance onto the stage with each band member appearing on stage and breaking into their individual pieces one at a time. Drummer Pete Wilkins entered first, then percussionists Salvador Perisco and Carlos Santone came on next, keyboardist Sam Cope, and then it was time for the three gorgeous female backing vocalists to appear with a cheer from the crowd. Trombonist Emily ‘G’ Mould and trumpeter Nick ‘Dub’ Wilkins entered with splendour and as a final point the bold and beautiful Natalie Pa’apa’a who recognized the traditional owners of our land.
