LIVE WIRE – Sydney Live Music Guide
As the Sydney days inevitably heat up so does the competition for our divided attention to its tenacious nightlife. Facebook events are swatted with cowardly maybes and obnoxious pole posters flood our peripheries (and sometimes almost cause car accidents). All the while hundreds of hungry local acts hustle for their moment like Lilliputians between the feet of the musical Gullivers that sail through like clockwork to our sunburnt shores. If only there was some way to know which gigs were worth checking out without having to wade through masses of gig listings and myspace pages to find out. There might just be…
This new column will guide you, with the advice of a full time live music enthusiast and musician, to the choicest live music events, from the stadium epics to the dive bar gems, all across the Sydney region for the weeks ahead. Now time to find the good stuff.
This week’s agenda kicks off with a bang, or maybe a cosmic, laser-filled mind explosion as Muse roll into town for a casually sold out show on Thursday at Acer Arena. Those unlucky at the box office can catch one of Europe’s hardest working bands at their second show on Friday night (sunglasses are advised).
For anyone looking for something a little lighter on the senses (and the wallet), Friday continues to offer a helping of quality local artists:
Mona Vale Hotel hosts local surf heroes The Beautiful Girls as they kick off their Australian tour, with the increasingly popular The Chemist in tow.
Lizotte’s in Dee Why has Whitlams crooner Tim Freedman doing a solo piano set with laid-back Canadian heart-throb Justin Nozuka in support.
Still in the North Shore, live hip hop crew Botanics promise a lively night at Manly’s Fisho’s, with special guests Dyno Mics and Mardi Pannan.
Spanish electro pop producer El Guincho (Pablo Díaz-Reixa) visits the Gaelic Club in Surry Hills. A quick look at his beautiful Bombay video bodes well for the live show – the line between live and programmed instrumentation is deftly blurred, and the retro party beats are delivered with real class.
On Saturday we greet Jack Johnson with a friendly “mahalo”, as the laid-back superstar graces The Domain, with Tegan and Sara and Ash Grunwald supporting.
Those interested in less crowd but more punch might like to check out Hermitude at Tone, where the local champion hip hop duo launch their Get in Me Life single.
Scottish experimental rockers Biffy Clyro storm Marrickville’s Factory Theatre, where fans will benefit from the generous sight lines and open floor plan.
The beats keep coming with Virginia-based brothers Clipse (Malice and Pusha T) playing the Metro on Sunday. Fans of The Neptunes would find friends here, where the 90s vibe is enhanced with DJ sets by Triple J’s Nina Las Vegas amongst others.
Wednesday the 15th holds particular weight, with the hidden gem of the week, if not the summer, manifesting as Little Dragon at GOODGOD Small Club. The chance to see this Swedish electronic pop four piece at such an intimate venue cannot be underestimated, as they sail through as support for the Gorillaz‘s Escape to Plastic Beach production on Thursday night at Sydney Entertainment Centre.
Saturday 19th finds Triple J darlings Cloud Control at the Factory Theatre. They return home for a lengthy run of summer dates, including the nearby Peat’s Ridge Festival, where they find good company in the impressive NYE line-up, which includes Trentemøller, Kate Miller-Heidke, The Break, The Chemist, Watussi and Fire! Santa Rosa Fire!, amongst scores more.
Finally, for those whose tastes aren’t satiated by mere song and dance, there is New York’s ‘Reigning Queen of Burlesque’, Angie Pontani. Her latest show, the cheekily titled Whipped Cream and Other Delights runs at the appropriately chosen Vanguard in Newtown for consecutive nights from tonight until Sunday 12th.
