Tonight is one of those shows that you feel very privileged to be at; getting to spend in evening with one of modern music’s greats in intimate surrounding with only 100 other people (somewhat bizarrely including Peaches, who had been DJ-ing downstairs as part of the Frankly Festival).

Having been to The Powerhouse plenty of times before but never to anything at the venue’s Roof Terrace before, it really is an underused space, although I guess the layout of might prove difficult if you were trying to put on a more traditional gig.  The set up for tonight has Van Dyke Parks playing almost in the round, or at least as much ‘in the round’ you can have in a small room, with a double bassist and guitarist accompanying him as he plays on a baby grand piano.  Being a baby grand, there’s obviously issues with sight-lines for photographing so I stake a claim on some space against the wall that gives me a fairly good side on view, only to find that when the double bassist picks up his bass that he almost completely blocks my view.  It then becomes a case of largely having to wait until the breaks between songs to take some photos.  Being such a small venue and a performance where you could hear a pin drop (such a nice change from the annoying levels of chatter you get everywhere else) I’m more than aware of the sound of my camera shutter and so don’t take many photos.

Music photography does a lot to destroy your love of live music; when you have a camera you’re concentrating so much on taking photos that the music often completely drifts over you, and when you don’t have a camera you just get fidgety, wishing you had one and mentally noting moments when “that would have made a great shot”.  But tonight is so exquisite and so much more than a normal gig that it’s easy to sit back, not worry about the photos (and lack of) and just really enjoy the music and all of Van Dyke Park’s anecdotes – he is a wonderful story teller and considering everything he’s done in the music world he has plenty of material to draw upon.

Having got in for free to cover the evening I go via the merch table at the end of the night.  Whereas I would normally buy CDs, as he’s got some photo books for sale, with photos inspired by his music, it seems obvious that I should get one of those as a memento of the night (and also of the last few days covering Big Sound where he was one of the keynote speakers) and get it signed by the great man.

A few more photos on Flickr.

Husker Du probably never got their fair dues and although they seem to be one of the few bands that haven’t jumped on the reunion bandwagon in recent times (other than for two songs as part of a benefit for Soul Asylum bassist Karl Mueller back in 2004), Bob Mould and Grant Hart seem to have never got over their animosity for each other and in all fairness they probably didn’t have the widespread appeal to make a reunion an all conquering and financial success.  They’re probably much more of a musicians band, evident by a lot of Brisbane musos in attendance for Grant Hart’s solo gig at The Troubadour tonight, including Robert Forster and various members of Screamfeeder, Halfway and Yves Klein Blue.

Although I prefer a lot of Grant Hart’s  Husker Du songs over Bob Mould’s, Copper Blue and Beaster by Bob Mould’s post-Husker Du band Sugar are still two of my favourite 1990s albums.  Copper Blue was NME’s Album Of The Year in 1992, rated above some fairly notable other albums released that year, although it feels like it’s one of those albums that has been lost to the masses through the ongoing celebration of all things Seattle from that period.

When Grant Hart slips quietly onto the stage and starts playing tonight you can’t help but wonder if it’s going to be a repeat of Evan Dando’s gig at The Zoo last year, with him machine-gunning through his songs with little much in the way of conversation with the audience.  At the end of the first song he berates the people sat at the front for being sat down, and follows it up with “I’m a little curious” before playing Don’t Want To Know If You Are Lonely as the second song, something that gets a couple of girls straight down the front for a dance, although they vanish towards the back at the song’s end.  As well as the dancing there was much waving of hands in the air, something of an annoyance when trying to photograph and keep to a 3 song limit for good practice.

But the more the gig went on the more he really opened up, showing himself to be very affable and in good humour as well as being very sharp.  LOTS of Husker Du songs are played; something I guess you’d hope for and expect but something not always delivered by solo artists with new albums to promote and who want to leave the past well behind them.  But his new stuff fits in well with the back catalogue and there’s some great songs on his new album Hot Wax.  Playing solo, his heavy use of a phaser/flanger gives a number of songs a very psychedelic fee

He was due to start at 10:30pm but started a bit after this and didn’t finish up until after 12:20am, what I’d consider a REALLY late hour for a Wednesday night gig; not all of us are students, unemployed or work in media or music industry.  There’s much talk at the moment about the state government’s proposed move to make pubs and clubs shut down at 2am, which has raised the ire of a large number of people, the creation of the obligatory Facebook site (over 11,000 members at time of writing), and a call to march on state parliament in opposition to their plans (although it does bring a wry smile to my face that they’ve arranged the march to start at 4pm on a weekday when a large proportion of the population are going to be at work).

But, you know, until fairly recently pubs in England shut at 11 and most clubs did at 2 or 3am.  And it’s not like the UK is found wanting when it comes to drinking culture and music scenes.  The solution is pretty easy; go out earlier.  Go the Valley, even on a Friday or Saturday night and it’s not that busy at 8 or 9pm compared to what it’s like at 1am.  Go to a gig in London and it’ll be over by about 11pm; it has to be as everyone uses public transport and needs to get home.  Headline acts finish in the UK at the time that many of those at Australian gigs are starting.  Having been up since before 7am, often feeling tired and knowing that I have to also get up before 7am in the morning often makes going to see a band a lot less enjoyable than it should be.

To me, the recent Marianne Faithfull gig that was all over by 10pm on a Saturday night was great; it started at a sensible time (8pm, although admittedly there was no support) and ended at a sensible time and I had the option to stay out or not.  Likewise Ric’s having earlier shows (although to be honest set times at 7pm and 8pm probably is slightly too early) has to be a good thing; there have been plenty of bands play there over the last few years that I had planned to see but didn’t want to stay out all night and ended up being too settled to want to go out at 10pm on a weeknight to see.  Anyway feel free to comment.

A few more Grant Hart photos on Flickr.

For a while tonight’s Marianne Faithfull show, the first of two at The Tivoli, didn’t look like it was going to happen as a reviewer interested in covering the show couldn’t be found, meaning that it’s a fairly last minute addition to my diary.

Looking around the venue, it’s a very mixed crowd; there’s obviously a lot more older folk than I normally see at most shows but also a surprising amount of fairly young people.  Best of all is the guy in front row centre aisle seat who has a massive green mohican; definitely something I wasn’t expecting at a Marianne Faithfull show.

Tonight’s photo instructions are to photograph from the far right hand side against the wall.  It’s a long way from the middle of the stage but worst of all is that there’s a music stand in the way.  And of course after the first three songs not only is there a change in lighting from a lot of red to a lot of pure white light, but she unhooks her mic from its stand and moves forward, providing a clear, unobstructed view.

Her tour is in support of  a new album of covers, Easy Come, Easy Go.  Whoever was responsible for the A&R and directing her to potential songs has a lot of good taste, although much of this is lost on the audience, with hardly a sign of recognition as she introduces songs by Neko Case and The Decemberists.  A mention of the name “Black Rebel Motorcycle Club” (whose song Salvation she covers) provides some amusement, but probably more at the absurdity of the band’s name rather than her story about being a founder member of the ‘Club’ as a result of her role in the 1968 film The Girl on a Motorcycle. She also plays older classics from the 60s and 70s, including As Tears Go By, Sister Morphine, Broken English and the previosuly banned in Australia Why D’Ya Do It?.

The show starts at 8pm, with no support act and is all over by 9:45pm, an exteremly rare event for a gig in Australia on a Saturday night.  Persosnally I think it’s a stoke of genius, as it’s gives the option to either stay out or head home.  In the end I decided to head home, with an early night meaning all the photos are edited and out the way by midnight.

A few more photos on Flickr.

Today’s gig is billed as a farewell show, I Heart Hiroshima’s last before drummer Susie heads to Berlin, with the band playing both of their albums in full over two separate sets.  It’s a Sunday afternoon all-ages show at The Powerhouse, and unlike the venue’s more typical Sunday shows, this time you’ve got to pay to get in, with a black curtain surrounding the Turbine Hall stage and wrist bands being checked at the bottom of the stairs.

It’s a brave move for a band with only two albums to their name to play them both in full, but it highlights a strong catalogue of songs, and the change between the first and second albums, with the songs on latest album ‘The Rip‘ , being more complex and showing the band’s maturity when it comes to songwriting.  If there is one weakness (and to me there is) it’s that the overall sound and the make-up of the songs doesn’t really change; the guitar sounds are untreated and don’t really vary in sound from song-to-song, and the male/female call-and-response vovals are ever present, although I guess ultimately that’s the IHH sound.  Each song more than stands up on their own, it’s just when almost their whole back catalogue is played that it really becomes noticeable.

Whether today’s farewell show is just a temporary hiatus or something more permanent depends on who you talk to in Brisbane.  It would be a shame if this were to be the end; it would be intersting where album No.3 takes them.  But if it is to be the end then it’s been a few fun years and they will be missed.

From a photographic point of view they’ve thrilled and frustrated in almost equal measures over the years; Susie is a photographer’s dream, Matthew and Cameron are less so, a lot less.  Today I only photograph the first five or songs in the first set, choosing to sit back, relax and enjoy the band.  My decision is greatly helped by a girl who spills her drink all over my camera bag whilst I’m photographing the first few songs; why, if someone spills a drink over your bag, does it always have to be on the padded side, so that it soaks up all the liquid, instead of the other side where it’s designed to be vaguely waterproof.  Even by the end of the show it is still soaked through, and as I had cycled to the venue it also ends up soaking through into my T-shirt on the ride back.  And of course the following day I go to work with a bag that very unsubtely reaks of stale beer, hoping that no one thinks I’m a tramp…

A few more photos on Flickr.

Apparently this was a really good gig; it just completely passed me by as I was still in Soundwave euphoria and having already photographed 23 bands that day, by Number 24 I was very much in autopilot mode.  It sounded nice enough; very old school 1980’s twee British indie but I was too busy rehydrating after a day in the sun with a couple pints of lemon, lime and bitters to go with the very-bad-of-me Mighty Angus meal from McDonalds (my first meal since a bacon sandwich for breakfast) I’d had on the walk up to The Zoo.  Not sure why but there was no review either in Rave or on their website, so you’ll just have to ask someone who was there and hadn’t been to Soundwave what it was like.

A few more photos on Flickr.

It isn’t often that you get a “three songs, no flash” instruction at The Zoo, the only ones I can remember were for Amanda Palmer and We Are Scientists.  It didn’t really make much difference for WAS but was very annoying for Amanda Palmer, considering all the amazing theatrics throughout the show.  I think I can remember reading somewhere that Camera Obscura’s Traceyann Campbell doesn’t like being photographed, which is fair enough and tonight the restriction doesn’t really affect being able to get a photo to be used to accompany the review.  The more annoying and slightly insulting aspect of the media accreditation was finding out that the Tour Manager needed to see my camera before they’d give me a photo pass, although in the end this didn’t happen and no physical passes were actually given out.

The photos aren’t great and with no photo pit they’re almost all from the same position; I did run around to the other side during the third song, taking the long way around the back of the mixing desk, but only had time to take two shots before the song ended.

It’s the first time back at The Zoo since got back to Brisbane from the UK and another one of those hot, sweaty summer nights at the venue that I’d forgotten about.  The conditions seemed to take it out on both band and the audience, with a lack of energy from both sides.  The band look like they are dressed for a Scottish summer, which can’t have helped.   Although there a few good songs played tonight, a lot sound samey and there are no real peaks to their performance.  From the audience-side, it feels like they’re more causal and inquisitve rather than rabid fans, and although each and every song is greeted with polite applause, they never become fully animated and energised.

A few more photos on Flickr.

Leaving the Monster Magnet show mid-way through it’s a race across town to get to the Step Inn for Violent Soho’s last show before relocating to New York. I get there just in time, although having missed all the support acts. Photographing at the Step Inn is challenging at the best of times, as it’s one of the most poorly lit venues in Brisbane, but tonight with a large crowd, some of who might have been drinking heavily and wanting to give the band a proper send-off, it’s an even harder proposition. So I squeeze into a space at the very edge of the stage and try to avoid being squashed in the mosh, whilst taking a few photos. I don’t stay for too long, relocating back to a mush safer vantage point after a few songs. Fun times, rubbish photos. They will be greatly missed from the Brisbane music scene but best of luck to them.

I find out tonight that Monster Magnet have a completely different fan base in Australia than they do in the UK, Whilst the UK fanbase is more what I’d expect, being the typical indie/rock crowd, the audience in the Hi-Fi tonight is possibly the most bogan crowd I’ve ever experienced outside an Australian music festival.

Rollerball, being in a similar musical mould, and an obvious choice of opening act, go down well with the crowd. Playing a support slot plays a lot more to their strengths than the much longer headline set they played at their recent album launch at The Zoo.

Despite the plaudits, Regular John don’t really offer much of anything to me tonight although the sound is less than great. And as with previous visits, I can’t say I’m much impressed with The Hi-Fi’s lighting either.

Monster Magnet are entertaining enough but it always feels like it’s been a really long night by the time headline acts come on at The Hi-Fi. I don’t know if it is, but the time between bands seems to be much longer than at other Brisbane venues and an evening out there just has a mystical ability to make time go by really slowly. Time slips by easily when there’s something to do, something to see, the ability to watch the world going by, which the Hi-Fi just doesn’t have. Even going outside doesn’t really help, as unlike venues in the Valley, like The Zoo or The Troubadour, these isn’t the same potential for people watching on the outer limits of West End.  Moving around the place is an effort; the steps might provide improved views of the stage but with no seats in the venue they become the only place for people to sit down. The queue for the bar always seems to take forever and getting a drink whilst a band is onstage, especially if you’re stood somewhere near the front and have to negotiate the steps, all the people and the people sat on the steps, with a bag full of camera gear, is hard work. 

A late starting Monster Magnet and wanting to see Violent Soho’s last show before they relocate to New York means that I only get to see about half the of the headliner’s set, but sadly, in a way, I can’t wait to escape the Hi-Fi and head back to the Valley.

Some more photos on Flickr.

The cool kids would never contemplate it let alone accept it, but Alice Cooper > Iggy Pop and basically the classic Alice Cooper band (when it was the name of the band, not just the singer) > The Stooges.

Alice Cooper was one of the first things I ever got into and I’ve got more albums by him than anyone else in my collection. There are a lot of them and there’s a lot of good stuff in there (as well as some REALLY bad stuff). In a lot of ways there’s a real ‘Bowie’ approach to his music; he’s a bit of a chameleon and his musical direction changes every few albums. The first couple of albums are very Psychedelic and sound like Love, then there was the classic rock/glam period of Love It To Death (one of my very favourite albums), Killer, School’s Out, Billion Dollar Babies (although the Alice Cooper band period ends with the disappointing Muscle of Love), the classic solo album period with Lou Reed’s backing band, in particular Welcome To My Nightmare and Alice Cooper Goes To Hell, a variable period of good and average albums in the late 1970s/early 1980s, including a brief sojourn into New Wave with Flush The Fashion and Special Forces, the excruciatingly bad/hilariously funny Zipper Catches Skin (featuring the ‘unforgettable I’m Alive (That Was The Day My Dead Pet Returned to Save My Life), the really intriguing Fairlight-based DaDa (which thanks to his alcoholism he sadly has no memory of making), the largely forgettable mid/late 1980’s ‘comeback’ albums of Constrictor and Raise Your Fist and Yell and the mega-successful-but-not-actually-that-good Trash and Hey Stoopid, the less successful but really excellent The Last Temptation, the darker/heavier, industrial sounding Brutal Planet and Dragontown, a attempt to return to a more classic early 1970’s sound with The Eyes of Alice Cooper and Dirty Diamonds and finally a return to the mid-70’s solo period with Along Came A Spider. Even though recent albums could never be classed as true classics, there’s still a handful of songs on each of these albums that hold up well to the best of his work. Despite continuing to make music, and some of it being very good, it’s depressing to see him being interviewed and hearing the same questions about playing golf, getting killed on stage and having his daughter tour with him. Sadly no one seems to want to know about the music.

So getting to photograph him is a really big deal for me, especially after having missed out on the photo op last time he toured, and I also came close to missing out again this time.

Checking out the set list whilst waiting in the photo pit only builds the excitement; so many classic songs, as ever really focussed on the 1970’s golden years, even though he has a new album to promote.

Annoying the photo pit is really narrow and with so many photographers, it’s a case of claiming a space and pretty much having to stay there for the three songs. I end up in a fairly good spot, a few in from the end but in a lot of ways it didn’t really matter much as he works the stage really well, giving all the photographers something to work with. The three songs go by in a flash and everything is so quick that I don’t take any photos of any of the band. Annoyingly the fourth song, played whilst we’re being escorted from the pit and whilst I’m being directed to my seat is ‘The Ballad of Dwight Fry’, one of his best songs and a personal favourite, and I also manage to miss the first of his onstage executions whilst walking towards the back.

My seat is in Row S. It’s not the very back of the Convention Centre but isn’t far off it. It’s a bit of a come-down from being in the very front, with all the onstage madness happening right in front of your face. Disappointingly the show doesn’t really work from this far back. Iron Maiden can play at the considerably larger Entertainment Centre and I can be in the very back row (as I was on their last tour when I bought a last minute cheap ticket on eBay on the day of the gig) but the stage set-up and the show is so huge that it projects to the very back. But the Alice Cooper ‘Theatre of Death’ tour is a lot more intricate and you really need to be close to get the full impact. From back here the subtleties are lost and at some points it’s like watching the audience close to the stage enjoying themselves watching Alice Cooper. Also the sound is less than ideal at the back, booming and echo-ey, even though you couldn’t fault the choice of songs being played.

Still, to get to photograph one of my musical heroes was a real thrill for me and I’d jump at the chance to do it again. Hopefully it won’t be too long before he’s back again and next time I’ll just have to try to get a ticket a lot closer to the stage.

Some more photos on Flickr.

For the non-believers, here’s some classic 1972 Alice Cooper for you; Public Animal #9 from the School’s Out album.

And as this is allegedly a photoblog, heres an excerpt from a David Bailey documentary featuring Alice Cooper photo shoots for Vogue and the images for the 1973 ‘Billion Dollar Babies’ album cover.