Bridezilla at Beach Road, Bondi

A couple of weeks after I went to see Bridezilla (below) play their first headline show in Bondi, Drum Media ran the review. Here it is:On a wintry Sunday night in Bondi, Cassette Kids kicked off proceedings well enough. Sure, they offered nothing vaguely new, but vocalist Katrina (below) had plenty of fire in her belly and there are certainly worse bands to sound like than Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Be Your Own Pet.

Next, The Mares managed to sound like a different band with every song, which, while demonstrating their eclecticism, made their set seem all too incongruous. There were a few decent moments, but most tracks fell well wide of the mark in a disappointing performance from a band that should be setting their standards much higher than this.The perpetual positive press surrounding Sydney quintet Bridezilla ensured that the mood in the venue was one of excited anticipation by the time they took to the stage to play their first ever headline show, which began with violinist Daisy (below) prowling amongst the crowd during their instrumental opener, Intro. The band’s maturity, confidence and accomplished musicianship seem all the more remarkable when you consider the fact that this was their last gig for a few months because some of them need to concentrate on their HSCs.

During the 45-minute set, 16-year-old frontwoman Holiday (top picture) was at her most charismatic and sassy, breathing a sultry vocal, while drummer Josh was all smiles as usual. Daisy danced around the stage like a whirling dervish on violin, and there was a nice juxtaposition between the understated and enigmatic guitarist Pia and the wonderfully kooky saxophonist Millie.Dressed beautifully - like the coolest geeks in town, they were fun to watch and immeasurably enjoyable to listen to as they played atmospheric, interestingly-structured tunes that comprised elements of jazz and folk and created a sound which dissected The Dirty Three and The Velvet Underground. Tracks like the brooding Brown Paper Bag and the quirky Room 16 further illustrated the notion that no-one else on the scene comes anywhere close to sounding like Bridezilla.

After encoring with crowd-favourite Saint Francine, which was preceded by Holiday singing an impromptu version of Nancy Sinatra’s Sugar Town, the band left the stage to hollers of universal approval from a beguiled crowd. While they head back to the ordinariness of their school lives for the time-being, we eagerly await the return of this unique and genuinely exciting young band. Hurry back Bridezilla.

Justice - †

I reviewed the new justice album for Drum Media. Here's the lowdown:JUSTICE
†

You probably know French duo Justice from Never Be Alone, their excellent collaboration with Simian which won best video at the MTV Europe Awards and, brilliantly, caused fellow nominee Kanye West to jump on stage during the acceptance speech to complain that he didn’t win. Now, with their debut album, the remixing Parisians offer us their own collection of massive beats and distorted dancey electro-funk.

With its sci-fi funk, fuzzy opening track Genesis is an early indicator of the quality of this record, while Phantom has a similar chunky, industrial Daft Punk sound. DVNO is awesome electro-rock, Let There Be Light offers aggressive electronica and Waters Of Nazareth is so brimming with energy that it practically has its own pulse.

However, there are a few weak links. New Jack is messy to the point that it actually sounds like the CD is skipping and Valentine is a strangely limp impression of Kraftwerk. Overall though, the good far outweighs the average, and the ace in the pack is unquestionably D.A.N.C.E, which is currently getting plenty of well-deserved radio play. With lyrics coming straight outta Sesame Street, it is the perfect indie/dance/pop/disco crossover track. You will hear it in clubs a lot over the next few months, and you won’t tire of it in the slightest.

While some of the songs slightly miss the mark, there are plenty of stirring, daring and exciting moments here, proving that when Justice get it right, they really get it right.

Good Shoes - Think Before You Speak

GOOD SHOES
Think Before You Speak
Brille Records

Post-Libertines Britain is awash with bands telling tales of modern life to the soundtrack of jangly guitars, with Good Shoes being the latest group to do exactly that on their debut album, Think Before You Speak.

While it might be seen as lazy to compare a contemporary British band to Arctic Monkeys, there is a biting wit to their lyrics, which make a decent effort of telling the kind of tales that the Sheffield lads purvey so well, most obviously on Morden, which has a dig at their home town. Elsewhere things have a kind of Art Brut charm, especially standout track Sophia, which tells of a typically crap night out for an underage drinker. Musically the tunes are angular, landing them near the likes of Maximo Park or maybe even The Buzzcocks

Although it is a pretty good, catchy listen, Think Before You Speak is really just another album in a genre which is already at bursting point. While this may seem like a criticism of Good Shoes, it is actually more an indication of just how strong the music scene is in the UK right now. In England a few years back, when overseas acts like Limp Bizkit were considered the height of musical talent, this album would have made a massive splash, whereas in 2007 there are just so many bands doing this kind of thing to such a high standard that Good Shoes may struggle to cause much more than a ripple.

Perry Farrell's Satellite Party - Ultra Payloaded

I interviewed Perry Farrell recently and also reviewed his new album for Drum Media:
PERRY FARRELL’S SATELLITE PARTY
ULTRA PAYLOADED

Perry Farrell is a very ambitious man. The former Jane’s Addiction frontman was the brains behind the Lollapalooza music festival and has now embarked on a new musical project which boldly aims to change the world for the better.

The album is conceptual and tells the story of The Solutionists, a collaboration of visionaries who aspire to solve the world’s environmental problems through the arts. If it all sounds a bit heavy then don’t panic; the music on this record is not the doom-laden preaching that one might expect from such a project, but rather a largely optimistic, fun and polished fusion of musical styles; including rock, pop, funk and dance.

Three years in the making, Ultra Payloaded is a labour of love which features impressive contributions from the likes of Flea, John Frusciante, Peter Hook, Fergie, Thievery Corporation, film composer Harry Gregson-Williams and a 30-piece orchestra. Undoubtedly though, the highlight of the album is the inclusion of the first unheard Jim Morrison vocal track for nearly 30 years on the beautiful album-closer Woman In The Window.

Many bands try to make a difference, yet so often they inadvertently neglect the music in favour of the message, but Farrell seems to have found the perfect blend with this record. Importantly, as well as having a conscience, Ultra Payloaded oozes quality and has tunes as big as its giant heart, which means that, whichever way you look at it, it is impossible not to embrace this record.

To read my interview with Perry, click here

Bridezilla at The Enmore Theatre

Last night I went to The Enmore Theatre to see Bridezilla, Little Birdy and Eskimo Joe:Arriving at the wonderful Enmore Theatre early, I caught Bridezilla’s soundcheck and knew that their performance was going to be something special. As you will be aware if you read my blog with any level of regularity, I have witnessed this teenage quintet play a number of times, yet this is the first time I have seen them peform at a venue with such impressive acoustics. When vocalist Holiday (above) first opened her lungs into the mic it actually took my breath away, as her powerful voice positively soared through the room.

At the ridiculously early time of 7.35, they took to the stage in front of an unfamiliar audience which grew in size and appreciation as the clock ticked on. Here was a band that I have watched gain stature and confidence over the past few months, playing in the type of venue that they truly belong, and it was a joy to hear their songs sounding so wonderfully grand and clean, rather than being mauled by the tin-pot PA’s that they have become accustomed to.

Their set was typically strong, even though the moribund lighting did nothing to enhance it, and the fact that some ridiculously officious timekeeping meant they were hauled off stage before they could end with their set-closing romp, Saint Francine, was very disappointing. But, regardless, this was a big moment for the ever-ascending star that is Bridezilla (below).Ever the music lover, I missed the entire Little Birdy set because I was eating dinner, but I have to admit I feel bad for having slightly badmouthed frontwoman Katie Steele in previous reviews, as, from my brief experience of her last night, she seems to be the nicest person in the world, ever.

So then it came to the moment that everyone in the room except me had been waiting for: the arrival of Eskimo Joe. Reluctantly watching them from the back of the room, it took just a few seconds for me to have my suspicions confirmed that they are a pompous, overblown, bloated corpse of a band. While the rest of the crowd went crazy, I left after two songs.