Well, well, well....here we are again. This episode was delayed slightly so that I could report back from the gig I attended last night. Let's start there.
Months ago, DJ CherryP asked me if I was interested in going to see The Preatures. I didn't know anything of the band other than having heard them a couple of times on the radio. Regardless, I agreed to go and I am very, very glad that I did. DJ SAB joined us at the last moment when someone pulled out and good grief did they miss out on a fantastic live show. Ali Barter was on first. She might be a really good performer but you'd never know with the sound mix she got. There were only three people on stage (drums, guitar and bass/vox) but the bass was so loud that we couldn't really hear much else. Also, given the sound that she goes for on her recordings it seems unnecessary to turn up to a live gig and bash the hell out of every instrument. The performance was almost totally lacking in dynamics which is a shame.
Ali Barter - Please Stay - https://youtu.be/4FfTgZkXeY0
After the guitar finally getting into the mix for the final song (which made a huge difference) Ali was off and The Preatures hit the stage. This was a sold out gig and the crowd were very enthusiastic and appreciative. The band seemed to feed off this and the results were great. The Preatures are an interesting mix of electro-pop, 90s indie music and straight ahead Aussie rock...and it works. They understand the need for space in their music. Kudos to their sound engineer as well who had the mix very well suited to the room and not at ear bleeding volume. The Preatures did themselves proud with their original material, totally rocked a cover of The Angels classic, "Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again" (complete with Chrissie Amphlett references at the end) and then finished with a song that includes lyrics written in one of the Aboriginal languages indigenous to the Sydney area. It was an awesome show and I am a convert to the band.
The Preatures - Yanada - https://youtu.be/wO4tW5GqzGA (this track really reminds me of Jenny Morris)
The Preatures - Girlhood - https://youtu.be/kiv661bl6yA
Last night, DJ DJ alerted me to the fact that Stryper are heading to Australia! They'll be here in a couple of weeks for shows in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Brisbane only. I haven't spent much time with their most recent album (God Damn Evil - April 2018) but it's certainly the band staying faithful to the sound that made them huge in the late 80s. I don't know if I'll manage to get to their Sydney show but if you are a metal fan at all then do whatever you can to see Stryper play.
Stryper - Sorry - https://youtu.be/ByWWzDl_xrw
The musical style of both bands at last night's show meant that we had some discussion about various groups from the 80s and 90s. This one came up and DJ CherryP, being a relatively recent arrival in Australia, hadn't heard of them. This song wouldn't have been out of place last night. I do remember going to see Ratcat play live with DJ Al-ee-sunshine and my little brother at the ANU in 1992 or 1993.
Ratcat - Don't Go Now - https://youtu.be/cqneM0kcRAc
After last week's episode I can confirm that I now know what a "turnpike" is. Thank you everyone.
Steve Earle - State Trooper (live) - https://youtu.be/zhqTtbypYTw
I just couldn't resist throwing in some early Steve Earle. That live concert is a real gem.
While I'm stuck on my favourite bands...The Proclaimers have a new album coming out in a few days. I'll have to get it....it's called, "Angry Cyclist"! They've released two singles so far it seems so here they are...quite different.
The Proclaimers - Angry Cyclist - https://youtu.be/6ttRD_JuPng
The Proclaimers - Streets of Edinburgh - https://youtu.be/MpZ2cvLD_JI
I've said before that I like The Proclaimers because they are unashamedly Scots. They sing about Scotland and they do it in their own accents. Lots of their songs mention different parts of Scotland. And if Simon and Garfunkel put Saginaw on my visiting bucket list then The Proclaimers put Leith, Stranraer, Edinburgh, Bathgate and Lochaber on there too.
I did something radical this week just gone by...I didn't ride my bike at all. My legs and my brain needed a break and even though it was a struggle, I left the trusty Cervelo in the garage. Of course we ended up having a couple of beautiful days but I remained strong and gave myself a well earned break. In my quest for 13,000km this year I am almost 1,500km ahead of schedule. The sun is out though so today (Saturday) I'll get back to it. A whole week of once a year isn't too much is it?!
Let's finish with something completely different. Genesis. But wait, this is not their later bland stuff or some of their rather polarising early stuff. This is the band live in 1981 putting it all together for a great performance. I'm certainly encouraged to explore Genesis further after seeing and hearing this.
Genesis - Abacab (live) - https://youtu.be/EOK1Y4GJnMc
Rock on brothers and sisters,
Rob
"Broke off from my work the other day,
I spent the evening thinking about,
All the blood that flowed away.
Across the ocean to the second chance,
I wonder how it got on when it reached the promised land?" - Letter from America, The Proclaimers, 1987
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