Showing Some Support

Having previously invited along the likes of Ladytron, Peaches, TV on the Radio and Saul Williams to open their headline shows Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor has a habit of picking great support acts, acts that don't always fit the industrial rock mould.

For this summer's North American tour Nine Inch Nails have invited along the five noise merchants straight from the indie blog-sphere.

A Place To Bury Strangers
Crystal Castles
Deerhunter
Does It Offend You, Yeah?
White Williams

So are they any good and how will the Nine Inch Nails crowd react to each of these acts

A Place To Bury Strangers
"New York's Loudest Band", quite a claim but one that on listening to their self titled debut seems wholly appropriate. Clearly influenced by The Jesus and Mary Chain APTBS are all feedback and space rock, their sound is similar to that of previous NIN supports Serena Maneesh, if given the chance they will please most people who get to the shows early.

Crystal Castles
This Canadian two piece come with a brand new album and reputation for putting on an ear-shattering live show this should see their club inspired noise win over the rock oriented crowds.

Deerhunter
With a new album due later this year expect post punk band Deerhunter to use this tour to test out some new material. Deerhunter claim influences similar to NIN and they should have no problems translating there live show to the bigger stage.

Does It Offend You, Yeah?
Terrible band name! You Have No Idea What You Are Getting Yourself Into... terrible album title! DIOY,Y? borrow the cowbell and baselines from Justice, MSTKFT, and Klaxons add some rock attitude and compress it all down to 3 minute pop songs, this does not make for great bean bag/bath tub listening, but should whip up one hell of a dance party, any one say nu-rave? I can't see the NIN audience pulling out fluro headbands and glo sticks but maybe a few butts will start shaking, maybe.

White Williams
While I love the album art on Williams latest album Smoke, I don't think his brand of lo-fi electro pop is really my thing and suspect that come 31st August when Williams walks on to the Lexington Kentucky stage he will have a battle on his hands to win over the sometimes difficult NIN crowd.

Check the full list of dates here.

I've Got A Dirty Secret

Whilst The Dirty Secrets album has been out since April I only picked it up a couple of weeks ago. Sounding like a cross between The Killers and a mix of Interpol and Editors the band is one of my favourites at the moment. 

Another fantastic Australian album this one from Sparkadia was released this Saturday with the bawley crew grabbing their copy of Postcards minutes after stores opened. At first listen this is a great album which is getting lots of attention and airplay on Triple J. Album opener Too Much To Do is a favourite but there are plenty of other quality tracks making the album one worth getting your hands on.

Unfortunately The Dirty Secrets and Sparkadia won't be calling on Canberra on their recently announced tour so the raddad kids will be making their way to Sydney to catch both bands on 21 June at the Annandale Hotel.

Bonde Do Rolê Rock Canberra at the Warehouse Winter Music Festival

First impressions upon entering the AIS Arena for Saturday’s Warehouse Winter Music Festival - wow! The Friction/Lexington Music boys know how to throw a party! Following on from the success of Foreshore last December the boys decided to step it up and bring some huge international acts to the capital including Utah Saints, Mix Master Mike, Bonde De Rolê, DJ A Skillz and headliners Hybrid.

With three separate spaces there was something for everyone ensuring that the festival was rocking all day and night. The smaller spaces of The Club and The Terrace provided a little retreat from the vastness of The Arena’s main stage. The Club decked out with old TV’s and a distinct 90’s vibe rocked all day with festival goers floating between the three stages. Game Boy/Game Girl were one of the highlights here bringing their quirky and nerdy live act to Canberrans for the first time. Meanwhile out on The Terrace playing from the back of a Dodge pickup Canberra’s Michael O’Rourke, Sean Kelly, Club Junque and many others provided luscious tunes to those preferring to chill out in the beer garden. Later in the night however, The Terrace looked more like a messy, trashy, backyard party perhaps at Corey’s house, however it continued to provide an escape from the The Arena when ears needed a rest!

There is no doubt however that The Arena was the place to be. In fact you could have danced your booty off all day at the main stage. With an amazing stage set up like a boom-box, complete with DJ’s playing from the cassette deck, killer audio visuals, perfect sound and psychedelic lighting it was clear the organisers had not skipped out on any extras ensuring the perfect dance festival vibe. It really did feel like a mid-90’s rave only surrounded by about 7000 people!

Fashion is always a highlight of any festival and the Warehouse was no exception. In many ways it was the war of fluro versus the flannie, or perhaps the changing of the guard. Whichever it was we’re not sure which is the better of the two evils. It is however endlessly entertaining to see boys attempting to ‘be cool’ with fluro head bands and short cut-off jeans. It comes to a point where you wonder ‘Did you look in the mirror and think, yeah I look h-o-t in this?’, nonetheless the fashion added to the festival vibe with a sea of flannies jumping and dancing in unison to the crashing sounds in The Arena.

Kid Kenobi played a tight set, although making the oh so awful faux pas of addressing the crowd as ‘ladies and gentleman, Sydney!’, this is Canberra kid. Nevertheless, the crowd loved getting down to the duo’s mix including Justin Timberlake, Dizzee Rascal, Kate Bush and The Presets, although the My People vocals are without doubt best left in the capable hands of Julian Hamilton. I guess it’s impressive you could see MC Shureshock’s pecs from over 100 metres away. Is it? I’m still not sure.

Next up Mix Master Mike took to the stage representing Beastie Boys seamlessly continuing the high-energy vibe developing in The Arena. His mastery was not lost on the Canberra crowd with many fans in awe of Mix Master Mike’s amazing turntablist skills. Highlights of his set included Blur’s Song 2 and of course for all the Beastie Boys fans _Intergalactic_ got the crowd pumping. In a surprise addition to the lineup, UK’s DJ A Skillz dropped some beats and took the crowd to where they needed to be, a state of elation, with a mix that included Daft Punk, Fat Man Scoop and Michael Jackson.

But it was the high-energy live act Bonde De Rolê that many were waiting in anticipation for. This may have mostly been the non fluro/flannie contingent of the crowd as they seemed to look confused when the sexy but unconventional Brazilian's brought their rocking indie funk/pop/metal to the stage. With their hot dance moves slamming hips backwards and forwards they delighted the crowd with Office Boy, Marina Gasolina finishing up with Solta o Frango. Friends of the crazy Brazilian's Game Boy/Game Girl joined in on the craziness as well. Bonde De Rolê were one of the absolute highlights of the festival.

Next up The Potbelleez kept the vibe going with Dave Goode and Jonny Sonic on the decks and Blue MC and Ilan Kidron providing live vocals, the energy and excitement was palpable. The crowd went crazy when the Sydney based foursome played Warehouse anthem Don’t Hold Back live. Are You With Me and Duuurty Dreemz were also crowd favourites.

In what is a worldwide resurgence of dance music, 90’s dance sensation Utah Saints played their first ever show in Australia at the Warehouse Festival, in what the boys acknowledged as a ‘special night for them’. And they certainly showed us just why the resurgence of 90’s dance music is so cool. The 7000 strong crowd went crazy for the Van She Tech remix of hit Something Good, as the Leeds boys controlled the euphoric crowd like any good DJ should. But these two aren’t just any DJ’s, they are the Utah Saints and they busted out a killer set which included Michael Jackson, ACDC and Kate Bush. The message here kids is lose the fluro and dig out that vintage Hypercolour tee, the 90’s are back.

Finishing up this fantastic Canberra festival was fellow Englishmen Hybrid delivering their trance/house beats to the crowd. By this point, most of the crowd had been dancing for a good 7 or 8 hours but they clearly had a little left in the tank for Hybrid.

The obvious success of the Warehouse Winter Music Festival leaves Canberrans on the edge of our collective seats as we await the announcement of the lineup for the Foreshore Summer Music Festival. Can’t wait boys!

Possibly the best radio station ever?

BBC - 6 Music, a digital radio station, funded by my TV license.

The target audience is certainly older than that of my old haunt triple j, which I still turn on and turn up for the Saturday night (morning) house party.

I was tipped off to the existence and philosophy of 6Music by an opinion piece in The Word, where over two thirds of a page Lynsey Hanley expressed her disappointment in the station and its directors for appointing a new young mainstream presenter.

While I wasn't looking for a young catch phase dispensing presenter I was interested in the rest of the station, and must say I have been rewarded since tuning in.

Like every other station 6Music has a high rotation playlist, between these tracks the DJs play and talk about whatever they like. Their passion for the music they play is undeniable making the station addictive listening.

The weeks two most played artists are The Cure (20 times) and Hot Chip (19) with CSS and Justice also in the top ten list it is hard to see how it took me and the Bawley crew so long to find this internet radio gem.

As I write this piece I am listening to the last ever episode or Marc Riley's Brain Surgery, playlist

The Bromhead Jackets - Speaker Box
The Bromhead Jackets - Clear To Me
Beastie Boys - Sabotage
Radiohead - Bodysnatchers
Scarlett Johansson feat David Bowie - Falling Down
Robert Forster - Deamon Days
Bearsuit - Minerals Made Me
Roy Obison - Domino
David Cronenbergs Wife - Runaway Pram
The Bromheads Jackets - These Boots Are Made For Walking
The Bromheads Jackets - She'll Wrap Her Arms
Micha P Hinson - The Fire Came Up to My Knees
Can - Mushrooms
Super Fury Animals - Ice Hockey Hair
Cate Le Bon - Sailing In Sick
Restless List - Buttlin Breaks
Rufus Wainwright & The Propellorheads - In With The Ladies
Bearsuit - Stop What You're Doing What You're Doing Is Wrong
Winston Samuels - Be Prepared

Coming up after the news Wire, The Fall and then at 9pm it is Radio Hour with Bob Dylan. (yes that Bob Dylan) followed by Bruce Dickinson's Rock Show (yes that Bruce Dickinson)

Listen on-line here http://www.bbc.co.uk/6music/

My TV licence: £150 well spent.

Guest Blog: Subterranean Waterlogged Alien

Bawley's first ever guest blog comes from a long time friend and desperate Radiohead fan.

Our newest writer has a long history of filling bars with tales of classic concerts and life changing albums in this a Bawley exclusive he shares the tale of one wet night on Radiohead's In Rainbows tour.

The weather was bloody awful for Radiohead's 11 May sold out show at Nissan (as in the car!) Pavilion in Bristow, Virginia, and despite a great set from the band, it will probably dominate my memory of the evening. It rained heavily for hours before, during and after the show and some people got into the venue late or didn't get into the venue at all because of flooding. The lawn area where we stood in a few inches of water, was probably only half full at the most. Everyone, including those in the undercover area, were obviously drenched, cold and exhausted for most of the show. Nonetheless, Radiohead played a superb gig and kept everyone mesmerized by their performance.

Whilst In Rainbows material naturally filled about half the extensive set list, they played at least one track from each of their post-Pablo Honey records. They cranked through the songs at a blistering pace and their versions of Paranoid Android, Karma Police and Everything in it Right Place were greatly received by the crowd. Other highlights included Faust Arp (on the third try by Thom after a couple of false starts), Jigsaw Falling Into Place and Fake Plastic Trees, which was apparently included in the set list at the last minute as a thank you to the fans, especially those that didn't get in. I was impressed by the sound quality of the venue, which stood up well to the wet and windy conditions, and the light show. The stage presence of the band and Thom Yorke's banter on US politics, the weather and how we should keep warm after the show made those of us up the back feel like we were in a much smaller, dryer venue.

So overall a great show, although sitting in the car afterwards for three hours as we waited to get out of the venue, on the one road that wasn't flooded, I decided that I would only do it all again for Radiohead.

Check out some clips from the show:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=B7SDj6u3eXM

http://youtube.com/watch?v=DvBg-TFADJ4

For the record, the entire set list was as follows:

01. All I Need
02. Jigsaw Falling Into Place
03. Lucky
04. 15 Step
05. Nude
06. Pyramid Song
07. Weird Fishes/Arpeggi
08. Myxomatosis
09. Idioteque
10. Faust Arp
11. Videotape
12. Paranoid Android
13. Just
14. Reckoner
15. Everything In Its Right Place
16. Bangers and Mash
17. Bodysnatchers

encore 1:
18. Like Spinning Plates
19. Optimistic
20. Karma Police
21. Go Slowly
22. Planet Telex

encore 2:
23. Fake Plastic Trees
24. The National Anthem
25. House of Cards

More guest blogs to come as Bawley ramps up for the northern summer tour circus.

Nine Inch Nails give us The Slip

Last week Nine Inch Nails released the single disciple for free download, and teased their audience to return to nin.com on May 5th.

This morning Nine Inch Nails have gone one better and released there whole new album for free download.

The album is called the slip and you can get it here.

Nine Inch Nails - The Slip (Halo 27)

1. 999,999
2. 1,000,000
3. letting you
4. discipline
5. echoplex
6. head down
7. lights in the sky
8. corona radiata
9. the four of us are dying
10. demon seed

Come back later in the day for a review of the new material.

Update--->>>

The first half of The Slip gives the listener a real ear bashing crammed full of distorted guitars played at a sweat inducing tempo with the only slight a release coming from the hugely catchy dance around with your shirt off single Discipline.

At the heart of album is a delicate ballad Lights in the Sky consisting of no more than Trent Reznor’s haunting lyrics and a piano the track provides some room to breathe and recover before Corona Radiata and The Four of Us are Dying deliver you to a very dark place not dissimilar to that covered on last month’s Ghosts I-IV instrumental album.

Album closer Demon Seed picks up the pace again spitting out some more determined anger before its abrupt finish closes the album.

While some of the same frustrations are present in the lyrics the album does not feel like the second instalment of Year Zero that many were expecting, to compare it to any previous nin releases I would say it fits best next to 2005’s With Teeth.

The Only One

Having delayed the release of their still untitled double disc 13th album for more than a year now The Cure, currently on a massive string of North American dates have finally set a schedule for the albums release.

To celebrate the 13'ness of it all the first single The Only One will be released on May 13th, the second Freakshow will be out June 13th, a third on July 13th, and forth on you guessed it August 13th. Each single will have a new b-side that will not appear on the album which will be available from, Yep, September 13th.

A double album, 4 singles plus all new b-sides Robert and Co. are either sitting on a whole lot of new material or could this be the closet clean out that signals the end of The Cure as a recording band?

What does the new material sound like...um, well, The Cure. Go here for a tiny snippet of a sample of The Only One.