Вторник 30 Янв 2007, 23:35
So after 3 gigs in as many days, we have 4 more to get through in the last 3. On Australia Day, we decided to take it easy and check out the Hottest 100 countdown from the live broadcast in Hyde Park. (And again love the drinking laws - could buy beer in the park and there was much food to choose from!) Ran into a fellow Perthian who made the trip over for the Tool show - yay! (We may be crazy but not that crazy!) Had to leave as the countdown got to about 30-something to continue the madness…
(And big congrats to Augie March for coming in at #1!)
Round 4 - The Killers at Hordern Pavillion
And so back to the Hordern to catch The Killers. Thought we would get there late but arrived to find the gates still closed and a massive queue around the venue, but that moved quickly once the gates were open. This time we opted to take some seats in the stands (at which point the people behind us said 'weak' - I think after the week we were having you'd want seats too thankyou very much to whoever that was :p ). The support act was Starky, and spent a good 20 minutes or so trying to think why that name rang a bell, but after a few tunes recognised courtesey of listening to Triple J at some point heard Hey Bang Bang and it clicked. Enjoyed their set, although I have a feeling that most of the crowd just wanted them over and the main act to appear. Which I think is a bit disappointing, you shouldn't hate them just because they were asked to support a band you really like. I don't know, I should probably explain that better but I can't think how…
Anyway, The Killers finally made it to the stage, and were fantastically received by the crowd. They seemed to play a mix of singles from Hot Fuss and tracks from their new album Sam's Town. I'd never seen them live before - but the certainly rocked out! I was very impressed (so much so I will definately check them out again at Perth BDO). They ended with Mr Brightside - a track that one of my trance-lover friends always goes down a treat at a big event - but I will bet anything that response is nothing compared to the reaction from the crowd at the Hordern - everyone on the floor was moshing and everyone seated was moving as well and absolutely everyone was singing along. It was incredible…
They came out for an encore, and we left at the last track to make our way to gig #2 for the night…
Round 5 - Paul Arnold at the Chinese Laundry
After taking the scenic route to the Laundry, we were hoping for a much needed breaks fix and some dancefloor therapy, but were sadly disappointed.
Arrived to find the Laundry is actually a miniscule venue (somehow it says it holds 300 people - but I think it would all fit in my living room), and poorly laid out - it seems there is no actual dancefloor, you just pick a spot anywhere you can. The club itself was interesting though, a few old washing mashines topped with oriental style statues, and the bar was nice.
But perhaps being Australia Day (and many people a bit trashed by this point), didn't really enjoy the close confines or the vibe. And the tunes weren't what I'd classify as breaks (strictly speaking). So after a couple of hours gave up to get some sleep.
Round 6 - Hot Chip at Beck's Festival Bar
Before catching a few tunes at the Sydeny BDO, we weren't quite sure we should still go to this, but we decided to hold on to the tickets and go along anyway. And very glad we did. After listening to both albums and finding them boring (for want of another word), we weren't quite sure what to expect - but this was yet another fine live performance!
Arrived at about 9ish to find the resident DJ playing some laid back funky tunes, which perfectly suited the outdoor venue. At 10, Hot Chip took to the stage to deliver one of the most enjoyable and fun sets I've encountered. The tracks were full of fun and energy, and finally got a good bit of dancefloor therapy. And very much enjoyed the crowd vibe at this event - seemed a whole lot more pleasant than anything else we encountered during the week.
Didn't catch the other big DJ playing after Hot Chip, House music just isn't my thing…
Round 7 - Kid Kenobi at the Greenwood Hotel
Finally, the lsst event of the week (and our feet were saying thank goodness!!) It was off to Sounds on Sunday at the Greenwood Hotel in North Sydney - from what I gather one of the biggest Sunday sessions. The venue was pretty good, the main courtyard was packed to the brim with punters, and the side bar where the breaks room was was very nicely decked out with lots and lots of comfy sofas. Decided to check out Q45, and finally got a taste of the breaks we had been missing. Really enjoyed his set. Went to check out the opening of Kid Kenobi, and head his new track 'The Bump', which has got a bit of airplay on Triple J. But things just moved into a more electro/tech direction from there, and so moved back into the breaks room to pass the remaining 2 hours with Klaus 'Heavyweight' Hill - and so glad we did! He put together a fantastic set, with great tune selection and smooth mixing - the best breaks set I've heard for a long long time. Even dropped in a remix of Put Your Hands Up For Detroit (and thankfully not the original - again!). Although it was disappointed to see such a great DJ put in a tiny little side room with so few people (and many of these completely off their trees), am definately hoping he will come to Perth in the near future.
So the week finally came to an end, and have returned home, with many new fantastic memories. I hadn't seen any of the acts I'd seen before, so it was a well worthwhile trip, and a fantastic journey! Now, just need to start planning the next one… ;)