20 February 2015
“I’m not one of those guys who can sing like a bird and play like a mofo. I’m not taking the piss here, what I mean to say is I’m not a virtuoso. I can do what I do well, but it takes me about 120 thousand percent effort just to play decently!” John laughed. As humble as pie, no wonder John Butler and the talented twosome that make up his trio are loved all over the world. In the first half of 2015 alone, the John Butler Trio will tour Australia, North America, Europe and the United Kingdom.
20 February 2015
Christie Lamb is one of the biggest names in Australian country music and on the back of her debut album, All She Wrote, Lamb has been touring around the country. Having launched the disc at Tamworth this year, she is set to make her mark on Geelong as part of the country line up at Motor City Music Festival over the Labour Day weekend.
20 February 2015
After interviewing Dan Sultan, if I had to describe him using only one word I’d have to go with authentic. He comes across as grounded and comfortable in his own skin, even as he references his own insecurity. And when one of my questions isn’t conducive to an easy answer, instead of manufacturing a polished, publicity-friendly reply, he struggles to find his own unique truth and comfortably embraces the ambiguity that emerges.
20 February 2015
Julia Stone sips coffee in a Melbourne café on her way to plan a game of tennis with a mate. “Not a bad way to spend the day,” she says with a smile. Not to be mistaken for a lady of leisure, we caught up with Julia on the eve of their Summer Tour 2015.
20 February 2015
The big problem Australian television comedy faces at the moment – and no, this isn’t going to turn out to be a review of House of Hancock – is that there’s a very big gap between the tried and tested performers and everyone else.
20 February 2015
In 2005 in Adelaide, having a beard was shunned upon, yet a group of four guys took it upon themselves to turn that ideal around. Now 10 years down the track The Beards are about to celebrate a decade of spreading the good word about the beard to the world. 2015 is year of the beard and when I got the opportunity to speak to Nathaniel Beard recently, he was excited about what 2015 has in store.
20 February 2015
Nikko Hurtado was born in the San Fernado Valley in 1981. Son of a Mexican welder and a Hispanic homemaker, Nikko grew up in the high desert drawing cartoons and characters for fun. His love for art transformed when at the age of 16 his longtime friend, Mike DeMasi, got a car. He and Mike then had the means and ways to take classes at the Art Center of Pasadena where Nikko took classes for several years but decided to give up on art to do construction.
20 February 2015
After releasing their debut in 2012 they played Groovin the Moo festival in the same year and now three years later will be releasing their sophomore with a performance at the festival to share their new tracks. It may seem like the band have come full circle, but there’s been a lot of growth in those few years and if anything, it’s a good comparison of how much the band have changed.
19 February 2015
Oh la la, So Frenchy So Chic was everything a self confessed all-things-French-lover could have asked for. The weather forecast looked to be absolutely horrendous and it seemed that the heavens had set out to rain on our little French parade, but in some kind of strange turn of events, aka we were in Melbourne, it turned out to be sunny with a lovely breeze, you couldn’t have hoped for better festival weather really.
19 February 2015
The very first issue from the very first volume of Metal Music Studies is available now. The website states “Metal Music Studies is the journal for the International Society for Metal Music Studies”. When capitals begin almost every word in a sentence you know you’re looking at something important.
19 February 2015
While you might hate to admit it, there are times in life when your closest friends know what’s best for your life. In the case of the girls from All Our Exes Live in Texas, they can thank their friend for even existing. “A friend of ours was putting on a gig and he just booked us and said, ‘I think you four should start a band’. So he booked us and we had to think of a name and start learning how to play our instruments,” Hannah says.
19 February 2015
Last year was a pretty big year for Melbourne band, British India. The guys put the finishing touches on their fifth album, played one of the biggest shows of their career to date opening for The Rolling Stones and released their debut single from upcoming album Wrong Direction, which landed number 83 spot in this year’s Hottest 100.
18 February 2015
Local Geelong rock legend Chrissy Amphlett’s memory was further immortalised today, with Melbourne City Lord Mayor Robert Doyle joining Patricia…
18 February 2015
Having just played at Rainbow Serpent Festival at Beaufort over the Australia Day weekend, Ganga Giri is definitely full of colourful stories about the event after playing a highly energetic set. Standing in the international departure lounge en route to New Zealand to play at Luminate Festival in Nelson, NZ, G remembers what a great festival Rainbow Serpent 2015 was. “It was such a thrill to get back to Rainbow Serpent to play. I’ve taken two years off from playing there because there are so many other gigs going on. There was a really good vibe, and old Bunna Lawrie from Coloured Stone joined us on stage. We invited all our friends and it was a very colourful experience.”
17 February 2015
Jairo Zavala’s thick Spanish accent crackles through the phone as he paints me a picture of his view: a quiet village just outside Madrid; surrounded by snow-capped mountains, on a misty winter’s morning. As he’s describing this, I can see it clearly: he has a real knack for transporting a listener, and his music is a true testament to that.
16 February 2015
It’s no secret Soundgarden is one of the bands that defined a generation. The spark that set off the explosion of the Seattle music scene in the late ’80s and early ’90s alongside Washington State alumni Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Mudhoney. Soundgarden revolutionised a tired sound with the creation of a new genre – behold the golden age of grunge! However, Soundgarden are unique, they process a certain je ne sais quoi. Is it their superior song writing skills, unusual time signature or Chris Cornell’s soaring vocal range? To celebrate their return to our shores for Soundwave we sat with lead guitarist and co-founder Kim Thayil to uncover the truth.
16 February 2015
With the Port Fairy Folk Festival fast approaching we’ve searched the globe to bring you an all access pass to the hottest new acts on this years bill. Brooklyn based quartet Lake Street Dive is proving to be one of the hottest tickets in town. I chatted with double bass player/backing singer Bridget Kearney to get the skinny on what punters can expect.
13 February 2015
We don’t know about you but we love a bit of emo-rock-honey, especially when it comes from Melbourne band Ceres and gives us an alternative to the usual gushy tracks around Valentine’s Day. That’s why ‘Ceres Is For Lovers’ is a great little track to listen to tomorrow whether you’re loved-up, alone or spending some time with a four-legged furry companion.
11 February 2015
Nick Kingswell has for the past ten years or so been backing some of the biggest Australian stars around. From…
10 February 2015
Geelong is headed to the dark side once again, but this year, funnily enough, the theme is… light. Following 2014’s…
9 February 2015
After cancelling his Utopia tour in mid-January due to ‘unexpected illness’, Australian rapper 360 has announced the rescheduled dates for his regional…
6 February 2015
I am not accusing Forte readers of being drunken scoundrels with the drinking habits of Winston Churchill on a Leaving Las Vegas-type bender, but there would no doubt be more than a few readers who have stories of drunken behaviour they would like to forget.
5 February 2015
Ballarat legends, The Dead Salesmen, are re-releasing their 1998 album Amen to vinyl through Heart of the Rat Records. Hap, Ryda, Lenny, Pat and Julitha will be getting back together to run through your favourite songs for three shows only – one at Karova on Friday, February 6 and another Castlemaine and Melbourne show to be announced. We spoke with Hap (Justin) about these exciting times!
5 February 2015
Charleston based American rockers, NEEDTOBREATHE, are about to make it out for their first ever trip to Australia for the World Vision Australia’s Make A Difference Tour with Third Day and Levi McGrath. I spoke with bass player Seth Bolt about their tour preparation.
