Blog — Page 224 of 278

Ásgeir

Enmore Theatre

Sydney, AU

July 21, 2017

Iceland is largely an arctic desert punctuated by mountains, glaciers, geysers, hot springs, volcanoes and waterfalls.

It is one of the most beautiful places on this earthround.

A lot of its musical exports seem quite exotic and at times quirky outside of the realms of Snæland.

However, if you have experienced the Republic of Iceland and delved into the context artists like Sigur Ros or Björk emerge from, it makes perfect sense.

From the Icelandic town of Laugarbakki, populated by just 40 people, Ásgeir is every bit as introverted, humble and unassuming as he is gifted. Having left his folk-tinged roots behind, Ásgeir’s incarnation in Sydney was heavy on pure yearning, melancholic and melodic electronica.

Modest, spare and beautiful are adjectives that come to mind: In a live environment, Ásgeir’s performance is intentionally restrained and stripped back with his falsetto voice serving as an extra layer and additional instruments that accentuates the show, framed by strategically placed lightbeams that subtly illuminate the ethereal repertoire, which does not fail to enthrall the sold out crowd.

Ásgeir’s soaring, inimitable vocal deliveries were backed by delicate rhythmic backing and electronic waves and folk piano that rounded out his chord progressions.

Given the immense commercial successes Ásgeir has celebrated throughout recent years, the sincere humbleness with which he holds the audience in the palm of his shy hand is both surprising and appealing. Somehow he manages to get large-scale exposure without sacrificing his individuality or diluting the whimsical DNA of his intriguing oeuvre.

The best moments of the show come when Ásgeir spaces out and builds his elaborate musical sceneries that revel in artificiality with either electronica, samples or beats rubbing themselves against the sweetness and innocence of his earnest persona.

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Photos by KAVV

Living life well

Fête/Life magazine is an Australian publication that connects with readers in a personal way. Its mission is to inspire them to love the life they have, engage in positive and meaningful relationships with those around them and to make time and space for all the good things around them, for life well-lived. 

What might sound easy on paper is difficult to pull off, the difficulty being identifying the essence of things and focusing on its defining features.

Jane Cameron and Annabelle Kerslake – co-founders of Fête/Life magazine – have set out to be advocated for what has become known as the “simple living” movement, a feat they are aiming to achieve with the creation of their idiosyncratic brand.

“We have taken our ethos back to basics, analysed our core values and considered what is really important to ourselves, our readers and followers.”, they say.

Aesthetics rooted in the realm of monochrome and informed by minimalism serve as the foundation upon which Fête/Life magazine has built a construct that feeds off collaborations with well-curated art, brands and businesses from the Southern Hemisphere.

From the horse’s mouth: “Our simple-living approach is about having the clarity to make good choices in every aspect of life – home, nutrition, health, finances, fashion and family. The process of curating products and stories for print has helped us discover what is truly important and how best to offer it to consumers. Simple-living is more about surrounding ourselves with objects of purpose or meaning, choosing to purchase with thought and care and less about leading a stark, minimalistic life. Only when you learn how to tap into what is truly important can you speak across all platforms in an engaging and captivating voice."

Sounds empowering?

It is.

Fête Magazine is essentially style porn, yet what makes it stand out from the myriad of other related magazines is its distinct laid-back Australian, authentic feel, lack of pretense and the unique lenses of Annabelle Kerslake and Jane Cameron that give all aspect a unique angle.

A coffee table magazine that inspires.

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Photo from magazine website.

2017 Scandinavian Film Festival

Sydney

July 11-August 2

We are currently in the fourth season of the year in Sydney, which is mild compared to the harsh haunting wintertide that seems to be at home in Nordic countries, so a bit of escapism aka an escape from the chill to the confines of a warm, dark cinema, where you can watch movies from places even colder than here seems like a great proposition.

Returning to Palace Cinemas in Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Adelaide, Brisbane, Perth and Hobart, the 2017 incarnation of the Volvo Scandinavian Film Festival showcases the a curated selection of Swedish, Danish, Finnish, Norwegian and Icelandic cinema, from award-winning dramas to esoteric comedies and the very best of Nordic Noir.

Danish Charlotte Sieling, the special guest with kudos from her Swedish /Danish series The Bridge, helped open the proceedings with a speech.

Charlotte Sieling presented the Finnish comedy / drama The Other Side of Hope, which is pervaded by Aki Kaurismäki’s (Drifting Clouds, Le Havre)  deadpan humour and humanistic perspective depicting a current hot topic, i.e. illegal immigration. This joyous new film drolly reflects the modern day experience of one immigrant in Finland, wanting to change his life.

The Other Side of Hope is both sublime and entertaining - a statement providing a melancholic yet optimistic, compassionate vision of a troubled world.

Another highlight of the festival is the biographical Tom of Finland by director Dome Karukoski, one of Finland’s acclaimed directors, Dome Karukoski (Heart of a Lion, Scandi FF 2014).

Karukoski sheds light on the life of the man that ‘Tom of Finland’ is based on, which is not uninteresting as it became a global movement and phenomenon in terms of freedom and libreation of the sexual kind, and thereby creates a well nauanced portrait of a man that became an unorthodox spokesman.

Turbonegro rejoice.

The opening night of the 2017 Scandinavian Film Festival was rounded out and framed by an after-party with Unza, Swing and Balkan Gypsi beats courtesy of Romani ensemble Lovo Lovina, sparkling Elderberry cocktails and smørrebrød proferred by Fika Swedish Kitchen.

The festival in Sydney will continue until 02 August.

Japandroids

Factory Theatre

Sydney, AU

July, 14 2017

Japandroids are a two-piece band from Vancouver, BC, which began in 2006 and consists of Brian King and David Prowse.

One guitar, one set of drums, and two vocalizers sounds minimal on paper but in a live context, Japandroids are maximal in their delivery; a two-piece band sounding like a five- piece band.

A result-oriented performance, as David Lee Roth would have put it – not overly heavy on banter with the music speaking for itself - blisteringly loud, raw, distorted intentionally messy, emotive and laced with explosive power chords and ludicrously tight drums.

Touring on the back of their third album Near to the Wild Heart of Life, emphasis was on showing off newer material, which shows a natural progression from their first two emissions.

New tracks blended in with tested and tried songs containing their trademark choruses with a plethora of big “whoahs” harmonies, adorning the down-but-not-out lyrical nature and themes heavy on self-discovery through alcohol, women and travel, which the attendants frenetically sang along to.

Japandroids thrive on their visceral music and despite the limitations that the combination of electric guitar drums present in terms of sonic diversity, they are able to engage the audience on an emotional level and feed off their energy and visa versa.

Japandroids showed that they are a blindingly powerful live force based on a foundation of elemental rock tropes and evocative songwriting, utter passion and belief in the absorbing qualities of love.

There is a lot of classic rock, a pinch of punk, Hüsker Dü, traces of Springsteen and Tom Petty and while they are not attempting to reinvent the wheel, they are much better at their craft than the dozens of other duos drawing on the same influences.

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Photos by T

The Undertones

Metro Theatre

Sydney, AU

July 8, 2017

The Undertones are legendary.

If you are remotely interested in punk rock yet not familiar with their oeuvre due to the curse of late birth, chances are you found yourself at some stage of your musical journey singing along to your favourite bands from the nineties or noughties covering one of the many two-and-a-half-minute pop punk hits of these first wave Irish punks, whose debut 7” Teenage Kicks was influential English DJ John Peel’s favourite single of ALL time.

Formed as juvenile delinquents  in Derry, Ireland in 1975 and taking shape mid-1976 the band churned out  four brilliant albums before first disbanding in 1983.

2017 saw their first incarnation on terra australis fronted by Paul McLoone, who joined in 1999 replacing estranged former frontman Feargal Sharkey, backed by original members – guitarist and chief-songwriter John O’Neil, his brother Damian (guitar), bassist Michael Bradley and drummer Billy Doherty.

Got doubts about The Undertones being another reunited band cashing in the on their former glories?

Nothing could be further from the truth as The Undertones sound fantastic and better than ever – they are a dignified, well oiled machine that churns out pristine sounds and a passionate set that brimmed with energy, amplified by McLoone’s swagger who has literally shimmied and shuffled his way in and has successfully infused the limelight position with his own style while retaining the DNA of the mothership, which sits comfortably on a foundation that drips with dense melodies weaved by the guitar section.

What is joyous about the Undertones in 2017 is the sheer effortlessness of the delivery by an unassuming band, that does not need to rely on big fanfare. They elicits smiles and good times with a powerful set celebrating their eternal classics with aplomb.

Punk in its essence, i.e. not wasting a single note and making every moment count, The Undertones race down the lane they have created for their own distinctive style, adding ingredients like melancholy, social commentary and melodic brilliance.

Tonight’s show was testament to the band’s timeless legacy that transcends generations despite being rooted in the ordinary teenage life of the seventies.

Peppered with affectionate banter they showed that the potency of their songs has been improved rather than diminished by their familiarity.

What is joyous about the Undertones in 2017 is the sheer effortlessness of the delivery by an unassuming band, that does not need to rely on big fanfare. They elicits smiles and good times with a powerful set celebrating their eternal classics with aplomb.

Punk in its essence, i.e. not wasting a single note and making every moment count, The Undertones race down the lane they have created for their own distinctive style, adding ingredients like melancholy, social commentary and melodic brilliance.

Tonight’s show was testament to the band’s timeless legacy that transcends generations despite being rooted in the ordinary teenage life of the seventies.

Peppered with affectionate banter they showed that the potency of their songs has been improved rather than diminished by their familiarity.

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Photos by KAVV