Florence and the Machine

Here’s my snaps from the Laneway Festival on the weekend. It was pretty exceptional; a fantastic line-up, a well mannered and good looking crowd, and a new more spacious venue in an ex-mental asylum.

The Very Best

Philadelphia Grand Jury

Sarah Blasko sings with Dappled Cities

Bridezilla

Mumford and Sons

Black Lips

Mumford moved some in the crowd to tears

Wild Beasts

The xx

The crowd for The Black Lips

Echo and the Bunnymen

Florence and the Machine

Eddie Current Supression Ring

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Dappled Cities at Big Jesus Burger studios

This Saturday Dappled Cities new album Zounds will finally go on sale. So i thought it opportune to dig these snaps out of the archives from September 2008, in the first days of recording at Big Jesus Burger with US producer Chris Coady.

Chris Coady manning the desk with engineer Simon Berkfinger in the background

At the time Dappled Dave told me they were intending to make it a quick recording process, recording a song a day, all live in the room together and then spending a few weeks tinkering afterwards.

All up it was supposed to take 6 weeks but it ended up taking 5 months and 3 different producers.

Ned Cooke on his MacBook

Like making movies, recording is largely spent killing time, waiting for things to happen, playing Backgammon

Chris helps Ned fix up his ageing keyboard

More killing of time - Tim chats to engineer Simon Berkfinger - also of Philadelphia Grand Jury renown

Alex sports some fashionable and practical headwear

Allan Kumpulainen - he bangs the drums

You can pick up the album this Saturday and catch Dappled Cities on their nationwide tour, starting tomorrow night in Frankston.

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On Tuesday night Dappled Cities hosted a listening party with a difference for their new album Zounds.

Held at Kennards Self Storage in Waterloo, Dappled commissioned 12 artists to decorate 12 different storage rooms in whatever fashion they wished.

Roll up! Roll up! To Kennards Self Storage

Each room featured a soundtrack of a particular song from the album on repeat.

Track 1, Hold Your Back, room by Sandra Veljanovski

Definitely one of the most unique and creative album listening parties i’ve been to.

Make the puppets dance

Wooden Ships, a beautiful piece by An Optimism of Youth

This piece for the song Kid encouraged people to colour in

The Price by Julie Doye

Apart by Tiyan Baker

A whale of lollies

To finish the night Dappled Cities played inside a storage container

Here’s the video for the first single from the album, The Price.

Dappled Cities start an Australia wide tour in August.

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The MCA in live music venue mode

The three week run of Creative Sydney came to an end on Friday night with a performance of Sydney Songs at the Museum of Contemporary Art.

Many Sydney muso’s performed songs about Sydney backed by the Alan Dale Allstars, lead by Lindsay McDougal.

Peter Head performing with his daughter Loene Carmen and Grandaughter Holiday Sidewinder

Creative Sydneysiders

Spod performing his ode to Ashfield, 2131

The evening began with a panel discussion on the topic "The Future of Art and Technology" which included Nick Robertson who worked with Brian Eno on his 77 Million Paintings artwork

Dave from Dappled Cities performed an unexpectedly touching version of 'And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda'

Dave Graney closed the night

Creative Sydney was a fantastic initiative, focusing attention on the often unacknowledged or unknown creative communities in Sydney.

It was humbling for me to play some small part in it by appearing on their list of Creative Catalysts.

I look forward to seeing it happen again in 2010.

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Last night at the Sydney Opera House the inaugural SMAC awards were dished out.

Presented by Time Out Sydney and FBi Radio, the SMACs recognise the best of Sydney’s Music, Art and Culture.

Many of Sydney’s music and arts community were in attendance, saluting their peers, wearing nice frocks, admiring the view and getting pissed on the free booze.

Toby Schmitz (aka The Schmitz) with Ella Scott Lynch. Toby was pipped for the ‘Best Actor/Performer’ award by his acting/writing buddy/nemesis Brendan Cowell.

The adorabubble Katherine and Kate from Greedy Hen. Winners of ‘Best Arts Newcomer’.

The KillaQueenz performed and were nominated for ‘Best Music Performance’.

The tallest troubador in town, Jack Ladder played a tune before scooting off to play his own show at Oxford Art Factory.

The bizarre and hilarious Pig Island were nominated for ‘Best Artist/Performer’ and performed a Billy Piper tune.

What could an award ceremony be this year without The Presets?

Fresh from similar wins at the J Awards and the ARIAs, they won ‘Record of the Year’ for Apocalypso. Despite all the fame, fortune and acclaim, they were graciously humble and obviously appreciative of the support FBi has always given them.

Spod enthralled the crowd with a performance with the Orsumettes and was also nominated for ‘Best Music Performance’.

Irishman Fergus Linehan took out the ‘SMAC of the Year’ award in recognition of his work as Director of Sydney Festival for the past three years.

After the awards were given out we all got sozzled on the free wine and Lovells.

The Winners

• SMAC Of The Year – Fergus Linehan, Sydney Festival
• Remix the City – Biennale at Cockatoo Island
• SMAC in Your Face – Raise The Bar
• Best Music Event – Sydney Festival Becks Bar/Spiegeltent
• Best Music Performance – Dappled Cities
• Record of the Year - The Presets, Apocalypso
• Best Music Newcomer – Cloud Control
• Best Arts Event - Underbelly
• Best Visual Artist – Kill Pixie
• Best Actor / Performer – Brendan Cowell
• Best Arts Newcomer – Greedy Hen

More photos at Time Out Sydney or Facebook.

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Last week Dappled Cities Fly and Red Riders co-headlined a sold out show at The Metro in Sydney. I took pictures.

It was quite an occasion, one which marks a high point in the rise of each band.

Sydney bands tend to start their lives by playing a gig at a smallish venue like The Excelsior or The Hopetoun, if they graduate from that they may play at Spectrum, Candys or The Annandale. The next step might be The Gaelic Club and if they’ve really got things going for them, The Metro.

After that it’s a game of diminishing returns. If you move on to The Enmore or the Hordern Pavillion or even the Entertainment Centre, it’s not so fun to watch anymore. The Metro holds about a thousand people, which is about the biggest size to still feel intimate and comfortable. It’s a well designed room which has seen some incredible gigs in it’s time.

Once a band can sell out The Metro it’s a bit of a hallmark moment in their career. And so it was for Sydney bands Dappled Cities and Red Riders.

After triumphant sets, both bands came back on stage to cover Guns’n'Roses November Rain. It was awesome. Sean has video.

I’m not sure what’s next for Red Riders, but Dappled Cities are soon to migrate to the US. They’ve got support tours lined up with Tokyo Police Club and The Fratellis. Exciting times.

You can read Tim’s tour diary of their last trip to America when i briefly crossed their path.

Not to be forgotten was fabulous supporting act Belles Will Ring. They’re about to embark on their own tour soon.

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Now the final part of my SXSW photos.

On day 3 we have The Aussie BBQ, Airbourne, Beasts of Bourbon, The Good The Bad and The Queen, The Bravery, Saul Williams, Mink, The Horrors and Perry Farrell.

On day 4 we have Iggy Pop, Paolo Nutini, Malajube, Tokyo Police Club and Tom Morello. I was totally exhausted by day 4 so didn’t take as many pictures as other nights.

It was amazing seeing Iggy Pop again, but i was gutted i didn’t make it into the photo pit. There’s so many accredited photographers
at SXSW that they don’t all fit in the pit for the popular shows. So i watched from the crowd and snapped some shots from there. Danny North, Kris Krug and Chad Wadsworth were all in the pit and got some great shots.

If you can’t tell from the pictures, i had a stellar time at SXSW. Austin is a great city, i hung out with awesome people, saw great bands and took pictures the whole time. Twas the good life.

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As usual Airborne put on a great show to a packed out crowd. There were quite a few locals headbanging along – and Joel did his usual thing of jumping on the bar and playing his guitar along it.

I didn’t manage to catch Dallas Crane play but i did see them at an Aussie get together with free drinks.

This was Youth Group at a great open air venue on Cedar St. They’re quite popular over here and played a number of well received shows.

Spod and Andy Clockwise cutting sick at the Aussie BBQ.

Macromantics among the crowd at a daytime gig. I can spot Travis Bigstereo in the background of this shot.

Josh Pyke was actually in a much better mood than this photo would suggest. He’d just found out his album had debuted at number 4 in the ARIA chart.

Children Collide played a great gig on the opening night.

I’d never seen Mink before but was impressed. They’ve got an ex INXS Rockstar contestant on vocals and he’s got all the rock moves down.

The Presets pulled a big crowd on the Beauty Bar patio. They seem to have a lot of local fans after a number of US tours.

My faves Expatriate played before Children Collide on the opening night at Red 7.

Dinner with the Dappled clan and Josh Pyke at Boiling Pot.

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Before i post some new band press shots i’ve done lately i thought i’d dig up some older ones that i recently found on my hard drive and put on Flickr.

Above is Pinky Tuscadero in 2005 in a photo that never saw teh light of day. Pinky are sadly no longer with us having disbanded in the new year. But expect new musical projects to emerge from the ashes.

Belles Will Ring at Rose Seidler House. They are playing some shows soon and have a new song on the radio called Park Benches.

An outtake from the Young and Restless shoot you’d think i’d have done to death by now. They are playing at the opening night of Bad Kids Recreation Club (BKRC) in Sydney on Saturday.

And a Dappled Cities Fly photo which didn’t make the original cut. Dappled are playing in Sydney next weekend at Paddington Townhall and the Laneway festival before jetting off to America.

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A couple of weekends ago i spent some time with the lovely lads from Dappled Cities Fly taking new press photos.

They needed photos in anticipation for their new album Granddance, plus they’ve got a new member, Ned Cooke on keys.

We went to a few different locations – upstairs at The Annandale, Museum train station and Centennial Park.

Here’s a few of the photos , i’ll probably post a fuller gallery in the future.

Dappled’s new album is being released on November 11th and they’re in New York next week to play at CMJ. They’re playing a Fader party plus a gig at Pianos on the 2nd November, then they’re off to LA for a couple of shows. Details on their myspace.

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