COVID sure has wrecked live music plans over the last two years. From March 2020 it was basically a write off. Slowly in 2021 things started getting back to normal, but June 2021 hit and Sydney went into lockdown for four months. Slowly late in 2021 things stated getting back on their feet. But my last live show was still 12 months ago. Until last night at the Enmore Theatre. Camp Cope played, hot off their latest and greatest album. We had tickets to see them last June but COVID got in the way. Finally after many postponements they arrived in Sydney to a great reception. It was so great to be back seeing live music and better still, Camp Cope.
Camp Cope have stirred things up since their fantastic self titled debut album a few years ago. It was so great to have them release their third album earlier this year. It's a slightly different sound but still contains their trademark elements. Impassioned vocals, great guitar and emotional lyrics. The new songs all went down well but I especially enjoyed 'Caroline' and 'Blue'. Of course older tunes were enthusiastically received too, such as 'Done' and 'Lost (Season One)'. The best cheer was reserved though for the closing song 'The Opener'. What an amazing song. Georgia Maq still has her tremendous vocal range but she is freed up even more now with Jennifer Aslett playing guitar which allowed Georgia to roam the stage free. She seemed to revel in the new freedom. Another addition was Georgia playing piano on a couple of songs including the awesome 'Sing Your Heart Out'. A great night. Great to back at a live show. Great to see Camp Cope again.
What makes a great song? Of course it's totally subjective, but for me watching Get Back last year rammed it home. Start with a strong melody, add in some emotional depth, hopefully some meaningful lyrics. But most of all great songs are centred around the traditional sounds of guitar, drums and piano. Whilst most of today's charts are full of truly unlistenable music. Mainly because the melodies are poor and the production drives the very soul out of the music. A band today that does all the things I like is The War on Drugs. Their new album was fantastic and my favourite song on the album was 'Living Proof'. A serene ode that I loved from the very first time I heard it. Also featuring highly in my list was a song I played a lot after hearing it back in January. 'Second Sight' by Buck Meek was a song that I never tired of. Plenty of great songs I loved in 2021 with The Hold Steady returning with an absolute banger and new songs by Lucy Dacus and Lala Lala also quite wonderful.
1. Living Proof-The War on Drugs
2. Spices-The Hold Steady
3. Second Sight-Buck Meek
4. Garden-Dinosaur Jr.
5. Sun Blisters-The Natvral
6. VBS-Lucy Dacus
7. Walking at a Downtown Pace-Parquet Courts
8. Eraded-Ty Segall
9. Diver-Lala Lala
10. Valentine-Snail Mail
11. Scratchcard Lanyard-Dry Cleaning
12. Our Side Has to Win-Godspeed You! Black Emperor
13. Lumberjack-Tyler, The Creator
14. Pin a Wing Above the Door-Spencer Krug
15. Dancer in the Dark-Current Joys
16. Air-Aeon Station
17. Johnny Caravella-Damien Jurado
18. Thumbs-Lucy Dacus
19. Back to the Middle-Modest Mouse
20. Flames and Flat Tires-Squirrel Flower
21. Sekwar-Liars
22. Latter Days-Big Red Machine
23. Silverfish-The Felice Brothers
24. Whisper-Ty Segall
25. Long Distance Conjoined Twins-Home Is Where
26. Law of Averages-Vince Staples
27. Balcony Man-Nick Cave & Warren Ellis
28. Hug From a Dinosaur-Torres
29. Old Skin-The War on Drugs
30. Queens-Aeon Station
31. Like I Used To-Sharon Van Etten & Angel Olsen
32. Gone-Painted Shrines
33. Gold/Rust-Hand Habits
34. Hey-Low
35. Candle-Buck Meek
36. Michelangelo-Cassandra Jenkins
37. Science Fair-Black Country, New Road
38. Family Farm-The Hold Steady
39. Hardline-Julien Baker
40. Kinney-Rostam
41. Inferno-The Felice Brothers
42. Traffic!-Katy Kirby
43. April Fool-Hana Vu
44. I Get High-Boy Scouts
45. New Moon-The Natvral
46. Leaves-Aeon Station
47. I Met The Stones-Dinosaur Jr.
48. Serena's Kills-Spencer Krug
49. American Honey-Current Joys
50. Stay in the Car-Bachelor
51. With a Guitar-The Dodos
52. Thirstier-Torres
53. Pictures-Ty Segall
54. Color of the Pool-Lala Lala
55. Unsmart Lady-Dry Cleaning
56. Hesitating Nation-Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
57. South Loop Summer-Hospital Bracelet
58. Juniper-Katy Kirby
59. Public Storage-Hana Vu
60. Bloodless-Claire Cronin
61. Jimi & Stan-Strand of Oaks
62. Wheels Roll Home-The Antlers
63. Samurai Sword-Chad VanGaalen
64. Carnage-Nick Cave & Warren Ellis
65. I'll Go Running-Squirrel Flower
66. Clean Air-Hand Habits
67. In Color-My Morning Jacket
68. Sad Cowboy-Goat Girl
69. Hot & Heavy-Lucy Dacus
70. Blackstrap-The Besnard Lakes
71. Long Lost-Lord Huron
72. Stories-Sarah Neufeld
73. High in the Grass-Sleater-Kinney
74. Celing Granny-Mogwai
75. Aquamarine-Hand Habits
76. The Last Man on Earth-Wolf Alice
77. Faith Healer-Julien Baker
78. Cut the Field-Colin Miller
79. Shelter Song-Iceage
80. Annie-The Dodos
81. Rare to Wake-Shannon Lay
82. That River-Margo Cilker
83. Lil Fade-Vince Staples
84. Charlotte-Boy Scouts
85. Back to Oz-Sufjan Stevens & Angelo de Augustine
Today I would like to have a look back on music in 2021. Sadly for the first time ever in my life I wasn't able to see an international artist. Hopefully that will be remedied in 2022. But thankfully there was still plenty of great music released to keep me going. Without doubt my favourite album released last year was by the Montreal collective Godspeed You! Black Emperor. There is truly no other act like them on earth. Their singular focus on making music that is monumental and important is only matched by their commitment to social justice. Last year we received new music by veteran acts like The Hold Steady, Modest Mouse and Low, proving they are as vital as ever. My favourite new 'discovery' was Current Joys and my favourite debut album was from The Natvral. Both acts did what I love. Hooky, guitar driven songs with great melodies. And my late edition to my Top 40 was December debut release from Aeon Station. This is truly a great album that I have had on constant rotation. My last thought is that in the last two years music has been hit hardest as any industry. So if you can, please buy some music by an artist you love rather than just stream it.
1. God's Pee at State's End!-Godspeed You! Black Emperor 2. I Don't Live Here Anymore-The War on Drugs 3. Voyager-Current Joys 4. Observatory-Aeon Station 5. Open Door Policy-The Hold Steady 6. Harmonizer-Ty Segall 7. Home Video-Lucy Dacus 8. From Dreams to Dust-The Felice Brothers 9. Carnage-Nick Cave & Warren Ellis 10. Tethers-The Natvral 11. Planet (i)-Squirrel Flower 12. Two Saviors-Buck Meek 13. Fading Graffiti-Spencer Krug 14. Thirstier-Torres 15. Hey What-Low 16. I Want the Door to Open-Lala Lala 17. A Beginner's Mind-Sufjan Stevens & Angelo de Augustine 18. Fun House-Hand Habits 19. New Fragility-Clap Your Hands Say Yeah 20. Superwolves-Matt Sweeney & Bonnie 'Prince' Billy 21. Cool Dry Place-Katy Kirby 22. The Golden Casket-Modest Mouse 23. Changephobia-Rostam 24. Public Storage-Hana Vu 25. Little Oblivions-Julien Baker 26. World's Most Stressed Out Gardener-Chad VanGaalen 27. Heaven and Holy-Painted Shrines 28. Doomin' Sun-Bachelor 29. New Long Leg-Dry Cleaning 30. The Apple Drop-Liars 31. How Long Do You Think It's Gonna Last-Big Red Machine 32. The Monster Who Hated Pennsylvania-Damien Jurado 33. In Heaven-Strand of Oaks 34. Grizzly Peak-The Dodos 35. Vince Staples-Vince Staples 36. Bloodless-Claire Cronin 37. Valentine-Snail Mail 38. As the Love Continues-Mogwai 39. On All Fours-Goat Girl 40. Sweep It Into Space-Dinosaur Jr. 41. Influences-K.D.A.P. 42. Pale Horse Rider-Cory Hanson 43. Pohorylle-Margo Cilker 44. Detritus-Sarah Neufeld 45. Green to Gold-The Antlers 46. Path of Wellness-Sleater-Kinney 47. Long Lost-Lord Huron 48. The Shadow I Remember-Cloud Nothings 49. The Besnard Lakes are the Last of the Great Thunderstorm Warnings-The Besnard Lakes 50. For the First Time- Black Country, New Road
Like most things in life 2021 was still a fractured one because of the global pandemic. As vaccines rolled out the world started to feel a little more normal and films were being released more regularly. Then when Sydney shut down in late June we were deprived of films for a while. But we finally got back on track and in the end the year turned out pretty well for film. The biggest event for me was finally seeing the much delayed Dune. Saw it on the biggest screen possible and what an event that was. Also very pleased to finally see the latest from Wes Anderson. The French Dispatch was wonderful and another film that was delayed from 2020. As usual there were some wonderful films released early in 2021 with Minari being a personal favourite. But my favourite film of 2021 without doubt was the latest from the extraordinary Paul Thomas Anderson. Licorice Pizza opened in Australia on Boxing Day and it did not let me down. Just a truly superb film with great characters, dialogue and music. A wonderful way to finish off the year.
Well if you thought my 'Best Live Shows of 2020' was short wait until you see this one. 2021 began well with hope the pandemic was subsiding. Live music was coming back and even though borders were closed to international artists Australian artists were back and pleasing audiences. By April things actually felt normal again. I went to two shows at the newly refurbished Enmore Theatre and they were both wonderful. Classic rockers You Am I were a sight to behold and The Avalanches thrilled us with mostly material from their latest album. Sadly in late June the Delta wave hit and Sydney was effectively shut down for four months. Now as we turn the page to 2022 I hope for a return to live music and hopefully international artists touring again.
I had never seen The Avalanches before but that was remedied last Wednesday night when I saw them at the Enmore Theatre, the first of three sold out shows in Sydney. It was a wonderful night. The group that gave us 'Since I Left You', a true classic, played to rapturous joy off the back of last year's wonderful album in 'We Will Always Love You'. The 'band' is now a duo featuring founding members Robbie Chater and Tony Di Biasi. There are no live instruments, just two men behind desks making themselves busy with samples and vocals. As I am used to totally live instruments it took a little to get used to but once I settled into the groove it was surely a night of great joy.
Set List The Divine Chord Electricity Oh the Sunn! Interstellar Love A Different Feeling Overcome If I Was a Folkstar Song For Barbara Payton Music Makes Me High Live At Dominoes Subways Take Care In Your Dreaming The Wozard of Iz Wherever You Go We Go On Running Red Lights Because I'm Me Since I Left You
Last Thursday night at the Enmore Theatre was a stark reminder, if needed, just how much I have missed live music. When the global pandemic hit in March 2020 live music went with it and was one of the last to return. Slowly but surely in late 2020 smaller venues reopened with limited capacity. As we hit 2021 larger venues started up again, with seated only gigs. The classic Enmore Theatre reopened its doors in February and this show was the first I had been to in over a year. What a night it was!
Firstly the Enmore has been refurbished in its time closed. It has always been an Art Deco jewel but the owners refurbished it even further, bringing out all the special elements and making it spectacularly beautiful. The show was sold out and was meant to be a seated gig but three songs in the band said we could stand and stand we did. With joy and love in our hearts. And that band was the classic Australian rockers You Am I. A band I saw several times in the 90s and who produced many classic songs. I can tell that they have lost absolutely nothing. The foursome of Tim Rogers, Andy Kent, Russell Hopkinson and Davey Lane were as tight as a drum and sounded fantastic. And you could see they played with unbridled joy, a joy reciprocated by the enthused audience. They played a wide range of songs including ones from their soon to be relased 11th album. But it was the classics that received the biggest cheer. I was especially excited to hear 'Sound As Ever' and 'How Much Is Enough'. Then how can you top going back to back with 'Cathy's Clown' and 'Mr Milk'. Well you close with the iconic 'Berlin Chair'. I was just so happy to be at a show again. Thank you live music. Thank you You Am I.
Songs posted on this site are for sampling only. If you
like it, buy it. Where possible I have provided links to do so. If you need something taken down please contact me.
