2018 has been an incredible year for the Adelaide Hills rocking four piece, Indiago. The last few years were as normal as they could be for the band, as they worked incredibly hard in every aspect of their young career; while in the studio, writing new music, setting up shows and chasing opportunities for local support acts. May saw the release of their current single, Gusto, a three and a half minute track full of heart and soul, and real authentic rock. The single release was a step in the right direction for Indiago; evident proof they were always working harder to reach the next level as they matured and grew in their musical journey. It wasn’t long before the band locked in their first international headlining tour, embarking on their first trip together all the way to China in August. Beijing, Shanghai, Suzhou and Guiyang; countless shows across these four cities brought together an incredibly successful tour, an amazing list of memories, a tour video and the official music video...

So I usually spend my Sundays on the couch, braless, with a mug of something chocolatey in my hand. Well this week I decided to get off my ass, put on a bra and switch out the mug for an overpriced rum and coke as I attended the incredibly fun Scene and Heard Festival in Newy! Featuring your dad’s dream Aussie rock line up, including Spiderbait, Killing Heidi, and The Living End, this festival was truly one of the cleanest, most inspiring gigs I’ve ever been to. I feel like y’all should book your tickets for next year already, because honestly you do not want to miss out on this sweet snack of a festival. As we walked into Wickham Park, the first thing I noticed was how delightfully short the line was; mind you this was probably because of our later entry due to my poor organisation skills (classic) so I sincerely apologise to the first great bands I missed! We made our way to the main stage to see Killing Heidi, weaving through the mini covens of picnic rugs and camp chairs. The band ...

Unlike last year, Newcastle’s Wickham Park had an absolute scorcher of a day for This That 2018. Tens of thousands of punters united for what was a bloody ripper of a day with a mostly all-time Aussie line up. Kicking off the day were Triple J Unearthed star, Samsaruh. Coming off the back off an epic successful year claiming the #1 played track on Triple J last year, I was stoked to finally see this absolute babe live. Was so stoked to finally see her sing “Beautiful Killer” live, being one of my fave picks of songs of the festival. Straight after, I caught the end of Ninajirachi’s set. The mini dj, recently signed by powerhouse Nina Las Vegas, of NLV Records was a pocket full of fun. Despite being in the absolute peak of the heat of the day, she had the whole crowd in the tent going for it. She had bits and pieces from fellow record member, Swick, as well as a few of NLV’s numbers. Would definitely be keen to catch her again. Next up, Sydney-gal Nyxen, and for me, one of the highlight...

Following the shock split from her former fiancé Pete Davidson only last month, pop sensation Ariana Grande has wasted no time translating her experience into song with the release of her new single Thank U, Next. Although you might assume immediately that this is a diss track, Ariana spent the lead up to its release tweeting lyrics and giving fans the message that the track is nothing but positive. With such a huge year already with the release of her number one fourth studio album Sweetener, the third single Breathin’ is continuing its climb up the charts, with the addition of previous tracks God Is A Woman and No Tears Left To Cry still holding onto successful positions. All I can say is, 2018 has to be Ariana’s most triumphant year to date. The instrumental of the track reflects very consistently with the theme of Sweetener, as well as some similarities with the starlets Dangerous Woman album. When I first listened to the track, I almost thought I was listening to her track Knew Be...

‘Against the Grain festival’ combines all my favourite Aussie indie bands, beer and a night sky. Meaning it’s a wicked festival with drinks, music and fun, but my poor pale skin doesn’t have to bake. Seriously, all festivals should be held at night. This inner city festival is held in Brisbane’s ‘Fortitude Valley,’ every hipsters favourite place to go for low-key gigs at underground venues. This festival was hosted at three of the best and most loved locations; ‘The Valley Drive In,’ ‘The Foundry’ and ‘The Brightside.’ After getting off work I raced over to my first concert of the night which happened to be three-piece brissy band, Sweater Curse I’ve written about these guys before when they opened for The Hardaches back in August. This time though they had a larger stage and sure used it. They rocked it as usual showing that this was just another day at the office. The crowd loved every minute of it, but the highlight of their set was when they played their breakout track ‘Mon’s Song’...

Paige Court, known by the moniker MANE, graced Adelaide with her dark presence on Friday night for her second headline tour this year. Originally hailing from Port Pirie, MANE is no stranger to our city. She’s blown us away at festivals like Groovin The Moo, Spin Off and Bigsound, and supporting big acts like Kingswood and The Temper Trap. With all that under her belt it’s no wonder that she won Best Solo Artist at the SA Music Awards just a few days ago. Along for the tour were fellow alternative sad-pop group Pinkish Blu and alt indie solo artist Jess Day. Opening up the show with her smooth sweet voice, Jess Day charmed the crowd with her groovy indie tunes. Despite only having one single out, Waiting, she seemed to already have quite a little following. Show goers grooved and swayed along to her sad-laced chill tunes and the harmonies between her and a guitarist. For someone that doesn’t usually get around to indie music I think I have found an act to add to my regular listening. S...

Bill Murray is a living treasure; funny by virtue of his presence alone, charming, wry and understated. Tonight he brings an extraordinary show to the Sydney Opera House featuring himself, Jan Vogler on the cello and his wife violinist Mira Wang, and pianist Vanessa Perez performing a selection of material as diverse as it is spectacular. Murray reads from Walt Whitman, Ernest Hemingway and a piece taken from Twain’s Huckleberry Finn featuring a racial epithet that from anyone other than Murray would have been jarring. In his hands though it seems quaint and folksy but also an insightful comment on modern America. He turns his hands to show tunes like ‘Somewhere’ from Westside Story and Tom Waits’ ‘The Piano Has Been Drinking’. To each he brings a unique silliness, including at one point rolling into probably the strangest rendition of ‘I Feel Pretty’ ever seen on a stage. The presence of Vogler and his virtuoso musicians add a certain gravitas the show might otherwise have missed but ...

Conan are an excellent reminder that doom metal is essentially a sound pioneered in Britain. Its easy to forget that with a sizeable chunk of the better known acts coming out of the States but the sheer density of Conan’s material demonstrates a particularly European sound. It often ends up being closer to older sounding funeral doom than the more groove based output their US counterparts generally produce. It is, in every way, unrelenting. The sound is pure, hellborn menace. They play to a sizeable crowd for a Wednesday night in Canberra and as they do they lay waste to everything in the room. Before Conan start their set they are opened for by local act Mental Cavity, a three piece made up of members of the sludge metal combo I Exist. Mental Cavity are probably a little less grinding in their sound than I exist and incorporate some elements of punk and death into their sound. It’s fucking brutal though and the ferocity with which they play sets the standard for the night early on. Me...

Somebody once told me that Smashmouth was coming to town and I nearly wet myself with excitement. Seeing ‘Allstar’ live on stage is every 2000 kids dream come true. The night was teaming with potential and excitement as crowds piled in, got their drinks and formed a crowd around the stage. Finally, once the anticipation had overcome everyone in the room they entered, their energy radiating as the crowd cheered in excitement. They immediately broke into song, opening with their track ‘Can’t get enough of you Babe’ from their classic 1999 album ‘Astro Lounge.’ The crowd was immediately engaged as singer Steve Harwell bounced around the stage. They then addressed the crowd and got the night underway. Not long after this they played their classic cover of ‘why can’t we be friends,’ another one they made their own with their classic bouncy 90’s twist on it. It was hard not to rock out to this tune. After more than two decades of performing these guys sure showed their talents on stage, lead...

There’s no question Australians love The Wombats – outside of Great Britain, Aussies make up the band’s most loyal fanbase, with Melbourne and Brisbane taking the #2 and #5 spots for most plays on Spotify. And that love is mutual, it seems; they played Falls Festival in January and Splendour in the Grass in July plus a whole bunch of headline and side-shows in between.  The Wombats have been touring Australia so much in the past couple of years they have been dubbed “Australia’s adopted sons.” Firstly, I have to say I am SO impressed by Red Hill Auditorium as a summer concert venue – the amphitheatre style seating/standing arrangement means you have literally no one obstructing your view and you have the space to dance as wildly as you want, which I certainly did. Eves Karydas kicks off the night, wowing the crowd with her dreamy dance beats, and finishing off the set with her smooth hit, Further Than The Planes Fly. Next Cloud Control perform a number of hits off their 2017 album,...

I’m not exactly a religious gal, but Holy Holy sh*t my ears were blessed by a bunch of musical saints the other night. You can probably guess by the relatively awful pun who they are, so I won’t even bother introducing them properly… but the fun alt rock outfit have just hit the road for their huge national ‘Faces’ tour, starting it all off in good ol’ Spewcastle. Their heavenly tunes made for a very delightful evening, so strap on your glasses and prepare yourself for another fun gig journey with Aunty Jess. The support acts were honestly so well suited to the overall vibe of the night. Gold Coast artist San Mei’s rockin’ melodies were a pearler start to the evening, with her tune ‘Wonder’ severely impressing the growing crowd. Shortly after, beautiful sister duo Clews jumped up for their set, and well what a set it truly was. Both of their fab folky vocals melded together so magically that it was honestly impossible to decipher what voice was coming from which girl. They were giving ...

After reviewing their new album LO LA RU I was excited to see what The Rubens had in store for the night, and which of their new songs would become the next crowd pleasers. But before I could find out Sydney two piece Little May graced the stage. For only two members this girl band sure knew how to move a crowd. They also proved that they too had many loyal fans in the audience as the crowd sang along to some of their favourites ‘Boardwalks,’ ‘Home’ and my personal favourite ‘Dust.’ Once they had finished their set I ran to the bathroom to find a line long enough to test my bladder. After chatting to a few girls in the line it seemed we were all as excited as each other as we hypothesised the setlist. After a satisfying pee and another trip to the bar I made my way back to the crowd to wait for the main act of the night. They came out and the screams were overwhelming. They immediately opened with my personal favourite from their new album  ‘Go On’, which was a perfect choice, gett...