In 2019 Black Midi hit the music scene like a meteorite. The young London band was fresh and inventive and really sounded like no other. Their music was a mesh of rock, prog, jazz, math rock and much more. Their debut album 'Schlagenheim' received immense acclaim. You could see why. I'll admit though I liked it but didn't love it. Although some songs on it were quite incredible. In the following two years they have gifted us two more inventive albums in 'Cavalcade' and 'Hellfire'. Similarly I was intrigued but not fully won over. But when they announced their debut Australian tour I felt compelled to go. I htought they could actaully be very exciting live. And so it proved on a Tuesday night at the Metro Theatre, their first ever Australian show. They started by playing 'Down Under' in the room and the show never let up. 'Speedway' started the show with a rocket and we were off and running. It was truly an awesome night. Loud and thunderous, intricate and mysterious. The band don't say much but they let their music do the talking. Geordie Greep on most lead vocals is passive and eccentric. Cameron Picton takes lead vocals as well and is good at screaming. Seth Evans fills in the cracks on bass and keyboards, whilst Morgan Simpson is just ferocious on drums. I loved it all, a couple of covers, a good range from all three albums. 'John L' was magical. 'Near DT, MI was incredible and closing with '953' was a perfect way to end. I also loved the epic 'Magician', an unreleased song that I'm excited to hear on their next album. A great night all round from a hugely talented band.     

Set List
Speedway
Chondromalacia Patella
Riff Raff (AC/DC cover)
Talking Heads
Lumps
Sugar/Tzu
Still
Eat Men Eat
Dethroned
Hogwash and Balderdash
Can't Stop (Red Hot Chili Peppers cover)
Welcome to Hell
John L
Slow
Near DT, MI
Magician 
953 

I don't know if there is a finer band in Australia than The Smith Street Band. And live I believe there is certainly no doubt. Bucketloads of passion is delivered to an adoring audience. Each of their shows are just huge chambers of love and passion. I missed their last tour which got postponed several times due to the pandemic. But I wasn't going to miss Saturday night at the Metro Theatre. Especially on the back of their excellent 2022 album in 'Life After Football'. Obviously they played a fair bit off that record. But they also gave us a very good slice of their now extensive catalogue. Happily old and new songs were greeted with equal glee. Frontman Wil Wagner leads the band ably. His voice booms across a crowded room. There was much singing and dancing, especially for songs like 'Birthdays', 'Ducks Fly Together' and 'Young Drunk'. As always an absolute pleasure to see this wonderful band again.  

Set List
I Don't Wanna Do Nothing Forever
Birthdays
When I Change My Name
I Still Dream About You
Big Smoke
I Can't Feel My Face
The Arrogance of the Drunk Pedestrian
Song For You
Don't Fuck With Our Dreams
Ducks Fly Together
Shine
Surrender
Chips & Gravy
A Conversation With Your Old School Friends About Negative Gearing
Elvis
Young Drunk

Hand in My Pocket (Alanis Morisette cover)
Passiona
Death to the Lads

So night two of Pavement was simply spectacular in every way possible. Wednesday night at Anita's was very special but this Enmore show just took it up a notch. It felt like a full on rock show with me down the front standing, singing, dancing through out. And thankfully the crowd was great. Just people here to have a great time and listen to the greatest band of all time. I loved every single second and a great thing about Pavement shows is that you will get a diffrent set list every night. So I heard probably ten songs that I didn't hear Wednesday night. I was especially excited to hear 'Silence Kid' and 'Here' and 'Debris Slide'. It was truly all simply magnificent. And that encore, truly as good as it gets. And I wondered after the show would I get to see them again. They have a few random shows coming up this year but that might be it. They will probably then go on hiatus for a while longer. Who knows? But if that was the last time, then what a way to go out. 

Set List
Motion Suggests Itself

Gold Soundz
Kennel District

Shoot the Singer (1 Sick Verse)
Silence Kid

Transport Is Arranged

Stereo

Grounded

Father to a Sister of Thought

Shady Lane

Serpentine Pad

Harness Your Hopes

Spit on a Stranger

Unfair

Type Slowly

Perfume-V

Here

Trigger Cut

Debris Slide

The Hexx

Painted Soldiers

Range Life

In the Mouth a Desert

Summer Babe
Cut Your Hair

Fillmore Jive

Does perfection exist? At a gig? If it's Pavement then yes is definitely the answer. I have a long history with Pavement stretching back to the 90s when I bought Slanted and Enchanted and fell in love with them. They toured Australia and made four more albums and they became my favourite band of all time. They still are. Then they quit. But a return in 2010 was hugely exciting. We managed to see them not only in Sydney but also New York. Then they disappeared again, only to return in 2022. They had some US dates so I organised a trip around them to seem them play in Los Angeles. I was unsure if an Australian trip would eventuate. But it did. And two shows in NSW! So Wednesday night we drove to a small town on the south coast named Thirroul to see them play at a small venue named Anita's which was small and intimate and truly beautiful. And the show? Well yes it was spectacular.   

Every Pavement show has a great set list. Their plethora of songs see to that. But I love how each show is different to the previous. They change it up nightly so you never know what you might get. I mean you know you will receive the 'classics' like 'Cut Your Hair', 'Gold Soundz', 'Unfair' but the rest is a mystery. But I was hoping for 'Trigger Cut' (first Pavement song I ever heard) and 'Summer Babe' and 'Box Elder'. And I got all of them. So I was one very happy fan. But there was more. Classic song after classic song. It was all sheer perfection. Opening with 'Frontwards' started the night perfectly and it didn't let up. The band are so in sync too. For all their slacker reputation they are seriously good musicians. Of course they have no intention to make new music and they'll probably go on hiatus again very soon. But after last night's show it was all very much worth it to see my favourite band one more time again. And I'll see them in Sydney tonight!  

Set List
Frontwards
Stereo
Kennel District
Heckler Spray
(Linden) Lions
Trigger Cut
Two States
Embassy Row
Zurich is Stained
Fight This Generation
Grounded
Gold Soundz
Summer Babe
Black Out
Fame Throwa
Type Slowly
Box Elder
Date w/IKEA
Harness Your Hopes
Shady Lane
The Hexx
Range Life

Fin
Grave Architecture
Unfair
Cut Your Hair