Blog — Page 206 of 278

American Idiot – The Musical

Opera House

Sydney, Australia

January 11, 2018

The first time and only time I saw Green Day live was in 1991 during their first European tour in front of 20 people at AJZ Stinkdrüse.

The band was on Lookout Records at the time, which is what enticed me to visit, had released a charming yet mediocre in the vein of Californian pop-punk album and there was neither a major label nor mainstream success looming on the horizon.

Fast forward 27 years and mentioning that I am going to see their musical American Idiot is a conversation topic with my mother, as she is familiar with their album from 2004 and the fact that it was adapted for the stage as a musical on Broadway.

Thematically American Idiocy is a timeless topic that can easily be transition from the Bush era, where it originated, to the status quo with Trump at the helm of operations in the new world.

Emphasis is heavily on the music with the conceptual storyline not really delving much deeper than being situational, illustrating and acting out the tropes of the songs, i.e. disenchantment, dissatisfaction with the state of affairs, the entrapments of the establishment, addictions and the downward spiral that comes with it.

This does not mean that the musical is not an engaging and enjoyable affair, which is mainly to the excellent cast’s choreography and vocal and dance performances, backed by a tight live band.

A loud and powerful affair that gets the audience out of their chairs and does not pretend to be more than it sets out to be – light on plot and more of a tour de force that does not reinvent the wheel but celebrates the energy of rock’n roll, the rest- and aimlessness of the generation in question and the foils and spoils that come with the territory.

Adding credibility and extra flavour is the fact that one constituent, i.e. the drug dealer St. Jimmy, has become a placeholder role for which local scene relevant musicians are invited to perform.

Past incarnations have seen Billie Joe Armstrong himself as well as Melissa Etheridge and Davey Havok of AFI fame play the role.

Tonight saw Grinspoon’s Phil Jamieson fill the role much to the delight of the enthused audience, which frenetically welcomed each scene he had a part in.

American Idiot is pretty thin when it comes to a coherent narrative but delivers in spades when it comes to providing a snapshot of disillusionment and is an immensely satisfying and fun affair if you are into Green Day’s 21 Century Breakdown and the album that gave the musical its name.

NYE in the Park

Victoria Park

Sydney, Australia

December 31, 2017

There is no shortage of iconic locations that New Years Eve can be celebrated at in Sydney. 

The boutique-y NYE in the Park Festival, curated by the creative heads behind Falcona / Hot Dub Time Machine, descended on the green acreage of Sydney’s Victoria Park, Broadway, for the very first time, this year and added another location to the expanding list.

Victoria Park, located adjacent to the ground of the University of Sydney, served as suitable hosting ground for the festival, which featured a spread of both national and international DJs, bands and entertainers across two stages.

From early afternoon until late night live entertainment was provided by the headliners 2manyDjs from Belgium (of Soulwax fame), turntable luminary Krafty Kuts and Jurrasic 5 rapper Chali2NA, the party proven DJ Hot Dub Time Machine as well as Furnace and the Fundamentals, Australian singer Vera Blue, Northeast Party House, Haiku Hands, Nicole Millar, Running Touch, and about a dozen more acts running the gamut in terms of providing party inducing entertainment.

Gourmet food trucks and bars from a selection of local vendors flanked the stages with an array of offerings and the shindig culminated in a fireworks display at midnight, for which Sydney’s city skyline and the park’s flora provided the backdrop in lieu of the pyrotechnic display at Sydney’s Harbour, which was blocked from view.

With NYE usually being a hectic, crowded and congested affair, the first incarnation of this new event proved that the fundamental elements of having a fun time in an enjoyable, clean and spacious environment, affordable prices, in an great location with quality offerings and a laid back vibe do not have to be mutually exclusive.

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Photos by KAVV

Run the Jewels

Big Top, Luna Park

Sydney, Australia

January 5, 2018

Given their respective careers and pedigree, I could not help but be intrigued when I was first introduced to the lyricist with a social conscience and political activist Michael Render aka Killer Mike, who first gained major exposure via his collaborations with OutKast, and producer and MC El-P joining forces as Run the Jewels and appearing with their debut album in 2013, which was available as a free digital download.

From the get go there was something to it that encompassed state-of-the-art hip with deep respect for its roots, flavoured with a idiosyncratic take on political and personal issues, carefully crafted yet effortless orchestration with more than the occasional nod to EDM, break beats and dub step and sprinkled with a dose of braggadocio and cartoonish goofiness. 

The recent emission Run the Jewels 3, a raging and dense culmination of the evolution of RTJ’s sound, has become a welcome companion on long distance runs in 2017 and set high expectations when it was announced that they would incarnate in the flesh in Australia. With a lot of potent hip hop artists lacking in the live department and not matching the intensity of their recorded works, concerns were not completely unfounded.

Run the Jewels did not disappoint: Backed by an active DJ, the duo delivered a lively and tight performance, spontaneous authentic crowd interaction and a well accentuated setlist running the gamut from political songs with a concrete message via party numbers laced with psychedelica to imaginative, classic battle rap inspired intensity over inspired and innovative layered samples.

In essence, the El-P / Killer Mike dynamic is reminiscent of a working marriage between old school gangsta rap and the open form fun edge the Beastie Boys became known for, with each constituent masterfully giving nods to their roots while infusing it all with their own ingredients, making it an enjoyable and unique experience.

While the sold out show was powerful and the audience was at all times actively and physically engaged, it was never violent, which is not to a small extent due to RTJ reminding attendants of gig etiquette, i.e. looking out for one another and a reminder to keep hands to oneself.

Summa summarum, a powerful and uplifting performance that does not necessitate to be deeply involved in hip hop to enjoy and appreciate.

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Photos by KAVV

The Unbelievables

Concert Hall, Opera House

Sydney, Australia

December 20, 2017

In medias res:

With a name that suggests a band of superheroes out of the Marvel universe, The Unbelievables is an entertainment extravaganza curated by and set in scene the producer of The Illusionists and Circus 1903.

With mind-bending illusion, death-defying stunts, the highest aerial act ever performed in Sydney Opera House’s Concert Hall (which might not sound like the biggest achievement on this earthround yet was a sight to behold), excellently performed live music, comedy and ballroom dancing, the show was filled with award-winning performers.

The cast featured renowned magician Shin Lim, ventriloquist Jay Johnson and Roberto Karlos, a Mexican speed juggler.

Variety shows can be a mixed bag, but The Unbelievables is a fun, fast-paced one: From aerial acrobatics to quick-change illusions from Guinness World Record Holders Sos & Victoria Petrosyan, the mélange of performers thrilled the audience and elicited a range of reactions by performances from Jarryd Byrne, Craig Monley (Dancing with the Stars, Australia), Sriani Argaet, Andrew Nolo and Kateryna Klishna (So You Think You Can Dance, Ukraine). 

Outstanding performances were delivered by a sword-swallower and husband-and-wife knife-throwing act, which have had just over a fortnight to perfect their routine.

In terms of vocal deliveries, Emi Secrest stole the show with her hearfelt performance.

Hosted by quick-witted New York comedian Harrison Greenbaum (America’s Got Talent), the eager audience was transported to the golden age of entertainment as he guided through the mélange of performers backed by a tight six-piece swing band.

Producer Simon Painter almost single-handedly created the Opera House's family-friendly summer circus offering from scratch: It started with The Illusionists in 2012, which he subsequently spun into a global franchise, and every year has seen a new fusion of spectacle, entertainment and skill – most recently, his Circus 1903. 

The Unbelievables is part of Sydney Opera House’s Contemporary Performance program, which is all about genre-straddling work and entertainment, where it premiered before it will transfer to the Arts Centre Melbourne and then on to Perth:

SYDNEY

19 - 29 December 2017 

Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House

MELBOURNE

3 - 13 January 2018

Hamer Hall, Arts Centre Melbourne 

PERTH

18 - 28 January 2018

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Photos by Jacquie Manning (provided)

The Beautiful Girls

Metro Theatre

Sydney, Australia

December 16, 2017

Founded in 2002, Australian trio The Beautiful Girls started their career based on a sound foundation of reggae and surf rock, with cemented via their debut release Morning Sun became their signature style.

Their first full-length album, Learn Yourself, followed a year later  and ascended to top the independent charts down under, without moving an inch for months.

What followed was a trajectory that saw the band successfully infiltrate the mainstream with a number of accolades and chart hits paving the way.

Tonight was going to be a celebration of their classic, early tunes along with their and their audience’s other faves from their extensive catalogue.

The band’s summery dub, charming melodies have not inaccurately been described as "raw, spooky, rootsy, punky, reggae" and they are certainly influenced by the finer aspects of dancehall and rocksteady.

What complements the mélange is the chilled,  laid-back vocal delivery of front man and main songwriter Mat McHugh, who was warmly welcomed by an eclectic audience that was comprised of the young surfy types to quite a few middle aged followers.

Tracks from their recent full-length emission were a particular stand out part of the performance and it felt that instead of playing the songs in chronological order, track order or anything, the set felt chosen based on the feeling of the night, which gave it the added appeal of spontaneity.

It was good to see that The Beautiful Girls have retained their DNA yet have emancipated themselves from being considered mere Jack Johnson and Ben Harper epigones.

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Photos by KAVV