Author: Michael Lean

Live Review: Pale Waves’ glistening goth pop dazzles The Lair in Sydney

Clad in black with dark lipstick, a curly bob of black hair on lead sing Heather Baron-Gracie. Ian Curtis baggy trousers and plain black shirt on guitarist Hugo Silvani, jet black EP and single covers, morose The Cure inspired lyrics about broken hearts; but bright glistening pop. Pale Waves crave to combine the two distinct…

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Vivid Live Review: No Mono captivate Sydney with intimate Opera House show

Bathed in blue and green hues, as smoke envelopes the stage the goal of the night is intimacy, intimacy held perhaps at an arm’s length. No Mono the new project by #1 Dads and Big Scary member Tom Iansek and Tom Snowdon of Lowlakes relishes in the private moments, whether they are obscured by the…

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Vivid Live Review: DREAMS aims high in demonstrating the eclectic partnership between Johns and Steele

You know a show is going to be that extra bit extra when you walk into the Opera House and there are not just one, but three harps set up on stage. That said, if you expected any project by Daniel Johns and Luke Steele to side towards minimalist you may have recently had a…

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Live Review: G Flip meets the hype with unforgettable OAF Gallery show in Sydney

There’s a certain thrill about catching an act live just before their big breakthrough moment. Maybe it’s a little bit of hype has been building away with rumours about their live show, or you get lucky enough to catch them supporting a bigger act and blow you away in the process. This wasn’t one of…

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Live Review: The Cribs Put On a Pub Rock Masterclass At The Lansdowne Hotel

The Cribs have been described as the biggest cult band in the UK. 10 years ago at the peak of their popularity it would have been hard to argue, as tunes from the excellent Men’s Needs, Women’s Needs, Whatever dominated the airwaves. That popularity has waned slightly in the past few years to the point…

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Live Review: Big Boi brings the dirty south to The Metro

The thing puts you off-guard seeing Big Boi isn’t his skill as a lyricist, or the sheer breadth of hit songs are at his disposal. It’s seeing how effortless he makes it all look. 20 years into the game anything could have happened, he easily could have lost interest in the whole hustle of the touring and…

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Live Review: Thursday turn anxiety into strength at The Metro Theatre

Playing shows six years after breaking up and seven years after releasing an album can be a dangerous move. It can easily be written off as a quick cash grab especially when coming back to play songs almost purely off their biggest records. When you throw a band like Thursday in there in it could…

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Live Review: The Internet serve up a sonic smorgasbord at The Enmore

If there was anything to take away from The Internet’s Friday night show, it was that Sydney loves The Internet and it’s reciprocal; and it isn’t just because Syd’s name is in the city’s name. The reception was nothing short of euphoric when Syd took the stage to join her bandmates. Every hand across the…

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Live Review: The War on Drugs guide The Enmore through the beauty and the pain in Sydney

On “The Strangest Thing” The War on Drugs‘ Adam Granduciel sings, “Am I just living between/ The beauty and the pain” – it’s a strong statement of the War on Drugs and their chief songwriter’s appeal. The six-member band has an innate ability to convey emotion and atmosphere. Lonesome guitars swirl around a steady beat conveying…

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Seven Songs to Soundtrack Your Summer (Cricket) Season

There are few cultural events that have come to ring in an Australian summer as much as music festivals and the cricket. Whether it’s the sound of leather on willow or the constant rhythm of a festival both sounds ring in summer louder than a field of cicadas. As we delve deeper into an ongoing…

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Video Games Interview: Art Director Ben Thompson chats about the lore and art of Hearthstone and “The Grand Tournament”

On the eve of the release of the new Hearthstone expansion “The Grand Tournament” – which adds a whopping additional 132 new cards to the game – we chat with the Art Director Ben Thompson about what to expect from the new expansion and the joy of directing the art behind the game. New Mechanics The…

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6 tips to quickly building a competitive Hearthstone deck

Hearthstone is technically a free-to-play game but it can be a pretty tough grind when you get started. It can be tempting and far too easy to splurge a bunch of cash on card packets, chasing the legendary cards needed to give your deck the edge over the competition. Here we have 7 tips to…

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