Blog — Page 252 of 282

Steel Panther

Luna Park

Sydney, Australia

June 17, 2016

They are the biggest glam rock band that never was from 1985, in 2016. 

Steel Panther has become bigger than any act that served as their source material.

Histrionic comedy rock? Metal cabaret?                                                          

Subversion of the entertainment industry?                                                             

Performance art?                                                                                                   

Expert banter without cynism, stereotypes of self-aggrandizing machismo rock conventions lead ad absurdum.                                                                                

Self-deprecation.                                                                                             

Virtuosic musicianship.                                                                                   

Seasoned jokers. 

Charismatic.

Costumes.

Image.

Wigs and hair sprayed coiffures.

Prowess.

Precision.

Aware of their roots and signifying them.

Itch for publicity.

Poses.

Intelligence.

Stupidity.

Pushing boundaries.

Ever feeding on the lowest common denominators.

Oversexed.

Un-subtle.

Impressive.

Inclusive.

Likeable personas.

Vanity.

All out sexism and misogyny, which gets uncomfortable with the audience taking it for face value.

Stupid.

Memorable hooks.

Persiflage.

Authentic.

Satirical.

Scatological.

Hyperbolic.

Meta-faux.

Cartoonish.

Suggestively taunting.

Attentive to detail.

Painting with broad brushes.

See more than a few contradictions there? 

Steel Panther embodies it all. 

Jokes do get old but Steel Panther's one is well crafted and perfectly executed.  

Do you need more than one trick if it is executed well? 

Does the fact that perfectly tasteless jokes are made on a meta-level justify them?  

Would I even ask the same questions if I reviewed a Will Ferrell / Ben Stiller movie with exactly the same comedic content? 

Steel Panther is a fun act. 

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it: 

Their staple opener “Eye of the Panther” kicked off the proceedings and opened a tour de force through the highlights of their 3 studio albums. 

Expertly taking the local context into consideration, the scandalously high prices that Australians have to dish out for Peruvian marching powder were denounced and tribute was paid to Satchel’s crystal meth cooking clan in Adelaide, which may or may not have inspired his trademark mid-show solo performance to culminate doing the locals proud with his Hendrix-ian take on the national anthem of Australia.

As time goes by it seems to take less and less prompting to have loose females jump on stage to frame SP’s performance of the song “17 Girls in a Row” in various states of undress and dry humping the band in the most outrageous manners.

“Party All Day” and the sing-a-long crowd pleaser “Community Property” ended the show on a high note.

Even after having seen them various times with largely the same show, an intelligent band with great songs and likeable characters never gets old.

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Photos by KAVV

Björk Digital

Carriageworks

Sydney, Australia

June 4, 2016

The term “third place” was coined by Ray Oldenburg, an American urban sociologist, most prominently known for his elaborations on the importance of informal gathering places for a functioning civil society, democracy, and civic engagement.

In short, where we meet our social needs through creative interaction with others.

The “first place” is home where we place to role of son, daughter, mum, dad, etc. The “second place” is work where the role is whatever position one represents.

The “third place,” according to Oldenburg, denotes territory that is inexpensive, easy to get to, welcoming, offers food and drink and people to chance to meet new people and feel companionship.

Carriageworks is a “third place.”

A general industrial precinct converted into multi-venue arts centre in its heart that has evolved to become an epicenter of Sydney’s art scene.

With much of the décor of the Railways of New South Wales workshops intact--think concrete, exposed brick, industrial light fixtures, steel appliances, weathered wood--the repurposed iron and brick charm radiates distinct nineteenth century flair.

Committed to the reflection of social and cultural diversity and artist-led in nature, its resident organisations produce diverse multidisciplinary programs and collaborations in its capacious halls, corridors and spaces with local and international artists.

An ideal location for Björk’s new project and exhibition:

Björk Digital, an installment of Sydney’s annual Vivid Festival, which celebrates “light, music, and ideas.”

Björk’s collaboration with digital luminaries, programmers, and visual artists has spawned seven 360 degree videos for her recent album Vulnicura, a personal emission of public grieving inspired by the feelings before and after the breakdown of her marriage with artist Matthew Barney.

The multi-media experience for the recipient and attendant of its Sydney premier is less in the form of an exhibition and more of a festival; Carriageworks’ vast industrial area is divided into designated spaces to celebrate all facets of Björk:

The “Björk Digital” 8x12m antechamber features a visceral 12-minute cinematic experience of her song “Black Lake,” which was filmed in the lava fields of Iceland – a canvas of natural beauty with the main protagonist crawling through its crevasses.

The custom built room has the audience encased in a chasm in between two big screens, surrounded by 54 speakers spinning their immersive sonic webs.

Emerging from the black lake and as a natural continuity of the audiovisual poetry of the medium music video, the audience now meets Björk up and close and gets to know her literally inside out: “Mouth Mantra,” as the titles suggests, lets one meander through her mouth as she sings the song and “Stonemilker” offers panoramic 360 degree views of her on a desolate beach in Reykjavik.

Entering the next room, which is partitioned off into small squares, one gets up close for a dance with the slowly growing, glowing outlines of the Icelandic shape shifter with the help of virtual reality devices.

The headphones and headsets create a focused, intimate all-encompassing experience that enhances every aspect of Björk’s songs as it allows you to enter her world.

Björk’s Biophilia was billed as an “app album.”

A multimedia project that was released alongside a series of apps linking the album's themes to musicology concepts. It was followed by a series of educational workshops in four continents.

The last part of the digital extravaganza allows the audience to explore and experience the custom made instruments and the Biophilia app, which is comprised of a series of 10 separate apps, one for each song, all included in a "mother app" which contains a menu made up by a 3-D constellation which the user can shift, zoom and orbit by swiping their fingers to open the apps.

In another section of Carriageworks, the “cinema room” offered a curated loop of Björk’s video oeuvre spanning her 24-year career.

The songs have been remastered for the occasion and feature her collaborations with the likes of Michel Gondry, Spike Jonze, Nick Knight, and Chris Cunningham,

Sandwiched in between the futuristic, virtual reality component of the Björk Digital experience and the cinema documenting her past, Björk performed an eclectic 5-hour marathon DJ set in the flesh the here and now for the two opening nights.

Björk has always been a pioneer and maverick.

Using interactive technology to her advantage, Björk Digital creates an experience that mimics the way we use our senses and enables the perception of information that is outside of our sensory spectrum:

The vision of experiencing music as digital synesthesia reflecting the way she has come up with her songs.

While Björk Digital is per definitonem inextricably linked to her art and persona, it does not merely serve as a forum to put on her on a pedestal and idolize her. It is all about content.

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Photo courtesy of Carriageworks

Les Butcherettes

Summit Music Hall

Denver, CO

July 17, 2015

When Melvins rolled into town in July of 2015, they of course put on a great show. It seemed after that night, however, all anyone could talk about was the opening band and Ipecac labelmates Le Butcherettes.  So we find ourselves less than a year later at the Lost Lake Lounge eagerly awaiting the first headlining set by Le Butcherettes in Denver.

Opening act Sugar Candy Mountain from Oakland, CA was experiencing mechanical difficulties getting to the show, but they managed to make it in time for an admirable, albeit abbreviated set before Le Butcherettes hit the stage. Frontwoman Teri Gender-Bender (née Suárez) stomped onto the stage, with an almost primal chant before launching into Burn The Scab.

Approximately 75 minutes later, everyone in attendance would be on the same plane of understanding that what was just witnessed was something very special. Suárez, who is a true force of nature, grabs the audience by their collective throats and refuses to loosen her grip for a second. It's rare to see a live act with this much passion for their art.

Le Butcherettes are an exhilatating live act and one that should be seen by as many, as soon, and as often as possible.

An evening with Edward Snowden

Big Top, Luna Park

Sydney, Australia

May 28, 2016

Moral ambiguity.

Conflicting values.

The need to keep people safe versus concerns about privacy.

The boundaries of law.

The transparent citizen.

What constitutes a “good citizen”?

Edward Snowden.

Did his act of civil disobedience do his nation a service or is he a traitor?

Does a good justification for what is considered a crime make it just?

What constitutes a crime?

Herbert Hoover, the 31st President of the United States said that there are only two occasions when Americans respect privacy: prayer and fishing.

Snowden’s act of whistleblowing revealed that ordinary citizens, not just Americans, are being snooped on through the collection of metadata from telecommunication companies in an Orwellian fashion.

Are you aware of how much information you willingly share by simply using your mobile phone and the internet?

Does it surprise you that the information you divulge by using these service is being collected and retained?

Privacy, individualism, and national security.

We are being watched.

After serving as a high-level technology and cyber security specialist across US government agencies, rising through the ranks and gaining clearance levels and AAA access, Snowden became a hero to all who value governmental transparency and a traitor in the eyes of others as he revealed to the world that the National Security Agency (NSA) was seizing private records from billions of everyday civilians.

He was made a public enemy, his passport was revoked and he was forced to seek political asylum. Edward Snowden has been living in exile for the last three years. From his exile in Russia, Snowden appeared live via a video link to be interviewed by Julian Morrow, best known for being a member of the Australia satirical comedy group The Chaser, and given opportunity to explain why and how he did what he did.

Advocating intellectual discussion and striving to challenge the status quo, the organizer of “An evening with Edward Snowden” Think Inc. is a young, Australia-based initiative dedicated to “reinvigorating the excitement of rational discourse in daily conversation.” Think Inc sees their mission in amplifying the dialogue between inquisitive members of the public and those making significant strides in their academic and professional scientific fields through a series of lectures and Q&A sessions.

Snowden is first and foremost a gifted techie.

A personable techie with the ability to communicate complex ideas with ease to a broad audience. In conversation he proves to be an eloquent individual with a composed and self-assured manner who uses rational, factual arguments that are well thought out.

He has become a seasoned professional when it comes to dealing with media, answering curveball questions with poise and not unlike during previous public appearances, he was well prepared and used the evidence of his accusers to diffuse their bullets and make his points.

Snowden is fairly skeptical of the argument used by governments around the world that mass surveillance programs are necessary to prevent terrorist attacks, which is used by the NSA as a justification of their practices. While that might be considered a noble cause, Snowden makes the case that the information gathered on individuals and groups by spying on journalists, governments, etc., is mostly used for political and diplomatic advantages and that there is no hard evidence that mass surveillance has lead to the prevention of terrorist attacks.

Snowden put emphasis on the fact that privacy is essentially the right to self and how surveillance programs affect the individual. He has a problem with a quote that is often attributed to Joseph Goebbels (“You have nothing to hide if you have nothing to fear”) because of the underlying assumption that privacy is about hiding bad things.

By accepting this assumption, privacy is myopically viewed as a form of secrecy and following this logic, Snowden finds that it would equate someone not caring about free speech because one has nothing to say.

Over the last three years Snowden has accomplished half his mission:

His deeds and event sparked debate and discussions on a global scale and with attendants of the event carrying on long after Snowden had signed off – specifically regarding the point that Snowden made regarding Australia: In his view intelligence services down under are much more unrestrained than the ones in the new world.

If Snowden’s action will eventually lead to reforms remains to be seen.

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Photo by KAVV

This is Hip Hop Festival

Hordern Pavilion

Sydney, Australia

May 27, 2016

Hot tub hip-hop time machine:

Featuring a nostalgic ‘90s focused line-up with all protagonists having had a substantial impact on all facets of American hip-hop culture throughout the years, the Australian mini-festival “This is Hip Hop” offered the opportunity to witness Queensbridge’s infamous Mobb Deep, West Coast stalwart DJ Quik, and Cleveland’s Bone, Thugs & Harmony, the latter of which were to perform their seminal album E. 1999 Eternal in its entirety.

DJ Quik set the tone of the evening, which turned out to be more of a celebratory, intimate bloc-party one than what the sterile environment of the airport hangar like Hordern Pavilion usually provides. Originally constructed to meet the increasing demands for exhibition space at Sydney’s Royal Easter Show, the Hordern is basically a big hall.

Quik’s Greatest Hits: Live at the House of Blues album is testament to the qualities of his live performances and his ability to fill even the most soulless of venues with a soulful vibe: West Coast shows with his well-oiled backing band have become a fixture in recent years and it is not uncommon for his shows to culminate in funk and soul jam sessions featuring celebrity guests.

Halfway across the world he was backed by his DJ in a more stripped down incarnation, which still proved to be enough of a funkafied backup. With soulful hooks aplenty and at times jazz-fusion grooves, DJ Quik’s songwriting skills manage to make one momentarily forget the formula most rap songs are structured in.

While DJ Quik and comrades sampled P-Funk tunes in the 90ies and pioneered G-Funk on the West Coast by incorporating multi-layered slow hypnotic grooves, deep bass, background female vocals, and high-pitched portamento saw wave synthesizer leads, the infamous Mobb Deep rose to become one of the most critically acclaimed hardcore East Coast hip-hop groups with their darker, fatalistic, battled hardened straightforward narration of street life.

Australian hip-hop festivals with US acts have a history of cancellations, downgrades and immigration issues, with this one not being an exception: Lady of Rage dropping off the bill last minute and only 50% of the infamous Mobb Deep materialized on terra australis: With Prodigy not having made it Down Under due to doctor’s orders and his well publicized illness, his partner is crime Havoc had to hold the fort and shoulder all vocal performance duties.

Needless to say that with Prodigy’s absence and the fact that much of the appeal lies in the back and forth and the natural chemistry between the two protagonists from Queens’ concrete jungle, the performance left a bit to be desired. Havoc rose to the occasion thought and soldiered through the classics, proving that it is nearly impossible to deliver a bad show when one can cherry pick from a treasured back catalogue like that of Mobb Deep.

Transcending hip-hop generations, especially cuts from their classic The Infamous album upped the nod factor amongst the crowd across a raw, short and brutally to the point set.

Same coast, bit inland, Buckeye State, southern shore of Lake Eerie, different vibe:

Enter Cleveland’s own Bone, Thugs-N-Harmony.

E. 1999 Eternal, the title an homage both the street corner frequented by BT-n-H as well as their mentor Easy E, is a milestone in the G-Funk meet East Coast genre, dominated by a consistent menacing and somber tone due to its lyricism being firmly rooted in gloomy territory, the sense of tunefulness was never lost as it was framed by smoked-out, groovy and melodic synth ornaments.

The album set a benchmark in terms of mixing the rhyme-style, cadence and familiar themes of the gangster genre with seemingly incongruent singjay harmonizing, goth-style melodic flows and street corner crooning.

While the record presented itself in a laid-back and ethereal manner,

Bone, Thugs-N-Harmony’s live rendition is more of an upbeat affair with their trademark soulful delivery style of intertwining, engaging rapid-fire rhymes teamwork, with each member contributing his unique style to a coherent whole with an exceptional tonal range.

While some might prefer the mystic clouds of nostalgia contained within recordings to the real thing, an enjoyable evening was concluded with Bones’ charismatic and vocally impressive performance that showed that both their album as well as their ability to command a crowd stood the test of time.

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Photos by KAVV