More gigs!

Ok, so once again I have found myself in a midst of a heap of awesome gigs, which I am only just now having time to write to you all about. Is it just me, or is everybody flat out at work at the moment, and really tired? I don’t know if it is the weather or what, but everyone I speak to is really busy and exhausted. Thankfully I love my job, and being tired doesn’t make me love it any less. I know not everyone is that lucky…

So first “cab off the rank” in my week of fantastic live music is the one and only Sleepy Jackson. I could rave about this band until the cows come home, but that would be very boring for the readers, and I think it is pretty clear from past posts how much love and respect I have for this band. Nothing to do with the fact that I have a crush on Luke Steele…really :o) No, all jokes aside though, the thing I love most about this band is when I am talking to someone who hasn’t heard them before and they ask “who are they like”? My answer? “There is no-one like The Sleepy Jackson, they do not sound like anyone” It is true.

I went to see this sublimely unique band at The Corner, which is one of my favourite venues to see live music, but this was not the place to see this band. Having only seen them a few months ago at Ormond Hall, The Corner lacked the atmosphere to compliment this bands complicated musical arrangements. The Corner is the perfect place to see a rock band, but the Sleepies are not a mere rock band. You could feel, or even become part of their music at Ormond Hall, and this was not the case at The Corner. Perhaps the Ormond Hall gig was just so good that I will not be satisfied seeing them play anywhere without the grandeur of that particular venue?

The following night I returned to The Corner to see a band that is perfect to play there. This is a band I have seen many times live, and who have never particularly blown me away. To paint a picture, I was wildly hung over from the night before and the thought of returning to the same venue to hear a band I have found to bearable (at best) in a live show, while trying to fight the urge to vomit because my head was throbbing so much was not the most appealing of prospects, when all I wanted to do was go to bed and have a longggg sleep until I felt human again. After much inner turmoil, I decided to go along for the first couple of songs and then make a quiet escape early.

As The Vines took the stage there was an energy I have not seen from them before. From word go this band was tight, loud, excited and sounding better than they have ever sounded before. Craig Nicholls was actually interacting with the crowd, and seemed to be very much enjoying doing so. This was not the same band I saw stumble blindly through their own tracks at The Forum a while back. This was a confident band, enjoying what they were doing, and enjoying doing it with each other. And the crowd? Wow, they were appreciative! This is a band that has been on top, lost everything, and appears to have come out fighting with a new found contentment with what they are doing. It was a beautiful thing to see. Needless to say, I didn’t sneak out after a couple of songs…I stayed for the entire gig. Granted, I didn’t feel quite up to another drink, but I enjoyed the gig so much my headache went away and I was singing and rocking with the rest of the crowd.

Wednesday night saw me, once again return to The Corner. I am sure the bar tenders now recognize me and think I am homeless and head there at nights because I have nothing else to do! There are very few similarities between The Sleepy Jackson and Luke’s sisters band Little Birdy. One major similarity that is undeniable is that both Luke and Katy are amazing front persons for their bands, and they leave you mesmerized when you are watching them on stage. I loved Little Birdy’s debut ‘Big Big Love’ and was thrilled to be able to come and see the band perform some of their new material from their album ‘Hollywood’ (in stores October 14 people, go and get it!). My fave tracks are ‘Come On, Come On’ and ‘Bodies’, but they were all fantastic live. I can’t wait to sit down and have a few good listens to the album. I was hoping that my favourite Little Birdy song ‘Baby Blue’ may have featured on this album, but unfortunately it didn’t, they didn’t sing it live either :o( However their version of ‘Six Months on a Leaky Boat’ went down a treat with the audience, and this track is a B-side on the ‘Come On, Come On’ single.

Does anyone else find Brian Molko really attractive in some sort of odd way? Or is that just a strange me thing? He is sexy on stage; no really I think he is! Loving the shaved head, suits him heaps. Now, enough of what he looked like the band and their performance… Placebo played brilliantly and the crowd loved it. My problem? They made some really odd set list decisions, in my opinion. There was nothing wrong with their performance, but there where a few too many of the new songs. Don’t get me wrong, the tour is to promote ‘Meds’, the latest album but fans still want to hear their favourite songs from previous albums. Sure, ‘Every You Every Me’, ‘Special K’ and ‘The Bitter End’ featured, but the absence of such important songs like ‘This Picture’, ‘Taste In Men’ and in particular ‘Pure Morning’, where devastating. Perhaps they are sick of playing them? Perhaps because they played them last time they didn’t feel the need? Whatever the reason, no matter how well the band played, without those songs I left the venue feeling ripped off. Again, maybe my problem is that last time I saw the band (at The Palace a couple of years ago) it was in my top 10 gigs of all time. Maybe when you see a band and they are that good, you shouldn’t go and see them next time, as they are unlikely to be able to live up to your expectations a second time around?

Nah...that can’t be right. There are performers and bands I have seen more times than I can remember, and they always blow me away. Examples? The Living End, Live, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Foo Fighters and the master himself.

Speaking of the master, Aussie readers don’t forget Robbie Williams ‘Close Encounters’ is on Channel 10 at 9:00 pm tonight. Bring it on baby!!!

Pop Princess xoxoxo

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