Sliding in at number 29 is Shame with Songs of Praise. The post-punk outfit have made quite the name for themselves this year and after listening to this stellar debut, it's no surprise at all.

I'd heard a lot of good things about Shame before even listening to a song of theirs. So as soon as I saw them on the line up for Laneway Festival in Melbourne at the beginning of this year I made sure that I was there to check them out and form my own opinion. They definitely lived up to the hype, and then some. Charlie Steen is without a doubt one of the most powerful and charismatic frontmen that I've seen perform this year. the band as a whole have an amazing chemistry but Charlie's emotive yet at the same time "give no f***s" attitude whilst performing quickly bring the whole crowd up in a collective sea of mirth. All of this and it's only their debut.

Hailing from South London, the same neighbourhood that birthed bands like The Clash and Fat White Family, Shame deliver their lyrics - loudly and adamantly - to give the listener a look into their lives, their minds and their habits. Shame's use of repeated phrases and mantras throughout brought me back to Savages in their beginnings but a thought that ran across my mind often whilst listening to Songs of Praise is that they sound like a more mature Drenge (particularly on songs like "Concrete" and "Gold Hole"). It's been a couple of years now since I've been able to listen to and truly appreciate music in that vein as they all just seemed to fall into the same pot, and so Shame being able to set themselves apart in this genre made me admire them all the more. Their punchy lyrics and thumping drums could easily fill up any tent or stadium.

"The Lick" "Tasteless" and "Friction" stood out from the pack most for me - each adding a level of danceability to the rest of the fast-paced record. A far cry from the old school British TV programme Songs of Praise, Shame's offering replaces the slight hum of angelic children's choirs and pastors sermons with the snarling spit of young men's shouts and barks. This isn't an album that you'll be forgetting any time soon and if you get the opportunity to see them live at any point - grab it with both hands.

Have a look at what just slipped into the Top 30 last year here.

I've been away from my laptop for the past month back in Melbourne, hence the overly lengthy break in posts. However, whilst I've been away in Australia I've come across and been introuced to quite a few new discoveries that I'm stoked to bring over to the UK with me. There's so much quality new talent coming from Australia, and this is just the tiniest snippet of what I found out about there.

CLOWNS
Luckily for me whilst I was in Melbourne, Foo Fighters were on tour. If you've been following this blog for any amounth of time you're probably aware of my love for Foo Fighters and so obviously there was no wat I was going to pass up seeing them; which brings us to Clowns. Hailing from Melbourne themselves they brought this "take notice" attitude to stage and backed it up with some serious, serious tunes. The lead singer's stage presence was electric and to be able to shine through on a bill supporting both Weezer and Foo Fighters, you've got to be doing something right.


SAMPOLOGY 
A friend of mine told me about a DJ set that was happening at Melbourne Museum and even before I'd even heard about the DJs playing I was onboard. After having a look at the bill and having a listen to Sampology's tracks on Spotify I was even more excited about the show. His beats reminded me of so many different things I've been vibing with these past couple of years (mt. Marcy and Kaytranada to name a couple), and they translated 10 times better live.

 


TOTAL GIOVANNI 
Next up on the very same bill for that show was Total Giovanni. My friend let me know that they were a pretty big deal and so I had to really do my research with this one. They took a little bit longer for me to get into if I'm honest. Their beats had a nostalgia attached to them that I couldn't quite get my head around at first, but nonetheless I could never get past a funky beat, and they do funky well.




MALLRAT 
Towards the end of my trip I went to St Kilda Festival to check out some of Australia's upcoming and established talent. Unfortunately (as is alway the case with festivals), I didn't get to make it to all the sets I was hoping to, however a friend of mine strongly recommended checking out Mallrat. I didn't get to see the set but I definitely did my research and loved what I heard. Next time, I see her name on a line up, I know who I'm choosing to see.




HELLIONS
After doing a little bit of browsing at 24hundred, I'd seen a few bands' names pop up a fair amount - Tonight Alive (whom we know and love), Violent Soho, and of course, Hellions. I made a mental note of the names I hadn't listened to before and vowed to check them out. Before I could even think twice about it, I'd struck up a conversation with somebody who turned out to be a pretty big Hellions fan. After listening through some of their material it brought back those ADTR, Dangerkids-esque riffs I haven't heard in so long and refreshed it for me. Definitely want to see these guys live as soon as possible.

If you've been following my blog, you'll already know how much I adore Florence and the Machine (exhibits A, B and C), but I have to say this time seeing them live I was surprisingly, considerably underwhelmed. There were several contributing factors to be honest but here goes...

First up was Jack Ladder and the Dreamlanders. I'd never heard anything about them before this show, and so didn't know what to expect. As a band they weren't my cup of tea but on the one hand I could see why they'd been chosen to support. The set definitely improved as it went along - the first song was terrible in my opinion, heavily due to the addition of techno/electronic keys (I have nothing against them but these sounded annoying). The second song was more bearable but less engaging - a strong case of background music syndrome. The third song "Her Hands" however was really good! This got my hopes up for the rest of the set. The next song - "Reputation Amputation" piqued my interest simply because of the name - it did slightly fall short of my expectations but I feel like QOTSA could've given it the kick up the butt that it needed. As a whole I don't think I'll be keeping track of them in the future but perhaps they'll pop up elsewhere and re-engage me.

Now for the main event. Thoroughly ruined by the choice of venue and surprisingly so because Sidney Myer Music Bowl aesthetically is gorgeous but for a performer like Florence and the Machine, it was guaranteed to leave the majority of the crowd (including me) feeling left out. Those in the standing area behind the barriers were so disconnected from the stage and the performance that I might as well have been watching it on TV at home. Big kudos to the girl who jumped the barriers and ran into the crowd - I hope that security never caught you. At one point during the set Florence even ran out into the crowd and stood on the barrier to try and engage those standing. I'm sure that those seated in front had a different experience to myself and this definitely taught me a lesson about forking out for the more expensive ticket in the future. Bigger anthems like "Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)", "Shake It Out" and "Dog Days Are Over" managed to stretch their way over the barrier and get a few people moving but some of the newer songs that I was really looking forward to seeing live like "How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful", "What Kind Of Man" and "Delilah", unfortunately didn't quite affect me in the way that I'd hoped and expected. This has in no way affected my views of fatm as artists, I was just a little disappointed that I wasn't more connected to the show itself. There's definitely always next time.

Overall Rating - 6/10


Here are some pictures from the night...

I actually came to this show on a bit of a whim - a friend of mine was visiting and we wanted to go to a show but didn't want to pay too much, and here's where we ended up...

The first band up, Kondakova, were surprisingly great! Not that I was expecting them to be terrible but I just wasn't really expecting anything. They have huge potential. They needed a little development in terms of stage presence but being their second gig ever playing in the set up they were in - they played really well. Good instrumentalists, solid song-writers, and a very professional feel about them, especially being younger artists. I really look forward to hearing more of these boys in the future, and maybe even seeing them over on UK shores.

On the other hand, the second band - Jarrow - were pretty underwhelming. The band as a whole had terrible stage presence. All except the lead singer who really carried the band. The drummer looked liked he'd rather be a thousand other places and on top of that he was a little sloppy so it just came across as lazy. The band as a whole though had some real gems - Mac DeMarco/Jamie T type vibes - but this just didn't translate too well on stage. I need to give their studio recorded material a listen or maybe even see them in more of a festival environment because I think there's something there, it just wasn't coming across well on stage.

Before coming to the show I managed to listen to one When We Were Small (now called Soft Corporate) track ("Untied") and I liked the sound of it - I wasn't buzzing but I liked the sound. After seeing them live though, I was definitely buzzing! They have some amazing tracks in their arsenal. At the very least, they have a EPs worth of songs behind them. The only problem which I've been finding with Indie bands is that they always sound like other bands. WWWS reminded me most of Kins, Maccabees, Two Door Cinema Club, Los Campesinos and Spring Offensive. If you like any of the bands that I just mentioned, definitely check these guys out. I feel like if this band was from the UK or the US they would already have quite a big underground following - we really need to get some people out to Australia to manage all of this hidden talent.

Overall Rating - 7.5/10


Here are some pictures from the night...

I actually initially only bought a ticket to this show because it had been a while since I'd been to a gig and I hadn't seen As It Is headline since they dropped their debut. I wasn't over the moon but I was definitely intrigued.

The first band up was Breakaway from Sydney. I really liked their songs, pretty catchy and the band was definitely talented. The only thing that brough them down sadly was their lead vocalist. As a vocalist he sounded weak, his scream was okay but everything outside of that was below average. His poor vocals particularly shone through during their cover of Kelly Clarkson's "Behind These Hazel Eyes" and also when he bravely stood alone to sing their song "Memories" from their EP. After seeing them live, I think I'll be sticking to their studio tracks.

Next up - Mae Fire. The first thing I thought when they stepped on stage was that they had a great image. After the over the top theatrics in the first couple of songs that they played I must admit that I wasn't very impressed - I just felt like it was a little unoriginal. However, all of a sudden, after they played their current single "Sole Desire", they really came into their own. As well as being a rock band, they had a kind of groove to them - somewhere in between QOTSA and Don Broco. The band were solid musicians, the lead singer was a little bit "take it or leave it" in my opinion, but overall not a bad set.

And finally, the last support act - With Confidence. You know what they say, "save the best 'til last". I felt like they should have been the only support act - they absolutely smashed it. The whole band had awesome and engaging stage presence, jovial but at the same time focused and excited to just be playing. I really enjoyed their cover of "A Thousand Miles" too. Knowledge of this band was definitely my biggest take away from the night. I also just recently found out that they're playing Warped Tour this summer so keep an eye out because I reckon you'll be seeing a lot of them in the coming months.

After seeing As It Is support Save Your Breath here, I thought I had a pretty good idea of how the set would go and how the crowd would react. I actually expected the crowd to be a little less enthusiastic, simply because the boys were playing in  Australia rather than the UK this time but this didn't dim the fan-girls' enthusiasm. The guys came on stage and immediately their confidence shone through as they punched in with "Cheap Shots & Setbacks". As always Patty's energy was inescapably contagious, bringing the whole crowd up with him. Even though I'd heard a few of the tracks from the new album when they supported SYB, it was awesome to hear the tracks live having listened to the record in full - it made me realize just how good a debut it was. Stand-outs for me were "Speak Soft", "Concrete" and of course "Dial Tones". All in all this was just a really fun show, it just felt like a celebration - of what, I don't know - but I left feeling super happy and I know that this was felt unanimously.

Overall Rating - 7/10


Here are some pictures from the night...

I'd been meaning to properly listen to Circa Survive for the longest time now and if it wasn't for the fact that I hadn't been to a show in so long and PVRIS were supporting; I probably wouldn't have made the clever decision to get a ticket.

After seeing PVRIS in Birmingham earlier this year here and now here in Melbourne, they've cemented their place as one of my favourite live bands this year. Whether they play a full set or just a couple songs, you're guaranteed a good time. Time and time again, they prove to me that they're one of the most exciting things in music of late. As always, singles "White Noise", "St Patrick" and "My House" stirred a huge crowd reaction. I don't know why I hadn't anticipated it but "Holy" got a reaction that was on par if not even more raucous  - great jam, but now I think I appreciate it even more. To top off the incredibly fun set, a crowd fan gifted the band with an adorable penguin teddy, Spencer. 

Now Circa Survive. For a band so reluctant to call it a "show", they sure knew how to put one on! Starting off the festivities with "Child of the Desert" is not what I expected after taking a crash course in Circa Survive before the gig. Either way, it perfectly set the tone.The crowd really moved as the band did - swayed when they had to sway, jumped when they had to jump - it was such a huge collective experience. As frontman Anthony appropriately stated, it was a "shared hallucination". Anthony all together was one of the most theatrical frontmen I've ever seen on stage. Super erratic but captivating to say the least. "Schema" was probably my favourite track of the night. When they came back on for their encore, the band switched instruments, starting off with an improv track called "Sex Dungeon" with some hilarious lyrics which Anthony swore PVRIS wrote. Then after the impromptu laughs, they ended perfectly with "Get Out" - what a strong setlist! The perfect way to start off my list of live shows in Melbourne!

Overall Rating - 7.5/10


Here are some pictures from the night...